The Uganda-Netherlands Business Convention in Amsterdam could have been a platform to boost Uganda’s economy. Instead, it was nothing more than a grotesque display of political filth, orchestrated by none other than Balam Balugahara Ateenyi, Uganda’s pathetic excuse for a State Minister for Youth and Children Affairs, and Mirjam Blaak, Uganda’s complicit Ambassador to the Netherlands, Belgium, and the EU. Their presence was a public relations disaster, as angry protesters, armed with placards and rage, exposed them for what they truly are: spineless puppets of a decaying dictatorship.
Balam’s presence in Amsterdam, trying to whitewash the image of a regime soaked in blood and corruption, is an act of ultimate hypocrisy. This man, who once stood shoulder to shoulder with Bobi Wine, now shamelessly clings to Museveni’s blood-stained coattails. His willingness to betray his former allies, selling out his own principles for power, shows the true nature of this despicable creature. Balam’s transformation from a music promoter to a bootlicking minister is nothing short of revolting.
Led by Nico Scoonderwoerd, the National Unity Platform (NUP) Ambassador to Europe, the protest was a resounding slap in the face of Museveni’s government. It laid bare the anger of Ugandans who have fled a country strangled by corruption and fear. Museveni’s regime, propped up by the likes of Balam, is a cancer that has spread through every facet of Ugandan society, leaving it rotten and putrid. Citizens like Kakwenza Rukirabasaija are tortured and forced into exile for daring to speak the truth, while Balam stands with his head held high, spreading lies and deception.
Balam’s attempt to fraternize with protesters and spin a narrative of peace was a laughable farce. His so-called “cordial interactions” with the protesters, who see him as nothing more than a lackey of a tyrant, were outright lies. Nico’s swift denial of these claims exposed Balam’s deceit and desperation to cling to some form of respectability. This man is a sham, a disgrace to any sense of decency, and a symbol of everything that is wrong with Uganda’s political class.
Balam’s appearance at the convention was nothing but a grotesque masquerade. It’s a sickening ploy that Museveni’s cronies use to present a facade of diplomacy while they continue to brutalize and oppress the people of Uganda. The international community must wake up to the reality that these so-called leaders are nothing more than thugs in suits, hiding behind the pretense of legitimacy. Balam and Blaak are not diplomats—they are enablers of tyranny, perpetuating the suffering of Ugandans for their own gain.
Uganda does not need more hollow promises of economic partnerships or meaningless photo opportunities. It needs a revolution, a complete cleansing of the corrupt vermin that have infested its political system. Balam’s actions are a testament to the depths of depravity that Uganda has sunk to under Museveni’s rule. The time for appeasement is over. The international community must hold these criminals accountable and stop turning a blind eye to their crimes.
The debacle in Amsterdam is a warning. The world is watching, and Museveni’s regime cannot continue its reign of terror unchallenged. Balam, in his treacherous pursuit of power, has shown his true colors. History will remember him not as a leader, but as a collaborator in the destruction of Uganda, a shameless stooge who sold out his country for a taste of power.
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