You are free to nominate candidates but these must exclude Yoweri Museveni, Amama Mbabazi, Kizza Besigye and Norbert Mao.
Send the name of your preferred candidate to info@chimpreports.com or giles@chimpreports or WhatsApp (+256705340477). You can as well post your comments on our Facebook and
Chimp Corps will as well do interviews on the streets in different parts of Kampala to pick people’s nominations.
The nomination phase will run for four days (November 7 – 9, 2016).
The preferred candidates will then be unveiled before the public this Saturday.
Special Analysis
Uganda secured her independence from British colonialists 54 years ago.
National elections were held in April 1962 and resulted in the party of Dr. A. Milton Obote, the Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) candidate, winning the largest number of seats, although not an absolute majority.
Dr. Obote became Prime Minister and formed a Cabinet in coalition with the Buganda traditionalist Kabaka Yekka (KY) Party.
Under this coalition Government, the Independence Constitution was amended in September 1963 to allow for the election by Parliament of a President and Vice President. While remaining within the Commonwealth, Uganda’s new President replaced the Queen as head of state.
Sir Edward Frederick Mutesa II, hereditary King (Kabaka) of Buganda, was elected President of Uganda.
In succeeding years, the UPC-KY coalition deteriorated, and the UPC gained strength in Parliament by virtue of defections from both the KY and the opposition Democratic Party.
Supporters of the unitary state concept and those in favor of a loose federation disputed over the proper role of the central Government.
Complicated political maneuvering in late 1965 and early 1966 came to a head in February 1966 when Dr. Obote suspended the Independence Constitution, assumed all powers of government, and deposed the President and Vice President.
In April of that year a new Constitution came into force. Under it Dr. Obote became an executive President with wide powers, and the Kingdom of Buganda was deprived of its semiautonomous powers.
The 1966 Constitution was soon superseded by another, Uganda’s third since independence, adopted in September 1967 after long discussion in a Constituent Assembly.
Uganda was proclaimed a Republic, and wide powers were given to the country’s executive President, Dr. Obote to head a unitary state.
All of the traditional kingdoms, including Buganda, were abolished. That kingdom was divided into four districts, which like all of Uganda’s 18 districts are tightly controlled by the central Government.
Conflict
The hostility between Central government and Kabakaship hit its peak in 1966 with Obote directing then army Chief Amin Dada to raid Mengo; leading to Kabaka Mutesa’s fleeing to exile.
Despite the struggle for power being between Obote and Buganda Kingdom, Amin – a “third force” emerged as president as the former was attending a conference in Singapore in 1971.
The development marked the beginning of a tumultuous political journey for Uganda with Obote supporters mobilising arms to remove Amin from power.
It took another ‘third force’ – which included Tanzanians and Ugandans in exile to oust Amin.
On returning to Uganda in the wake of Amin’s defeat in 1979, Obote was accused by the Democratic Party of rigging in 1980 elections.
A political battle ensued between UPC and DP.
Another ‘third force’ – UPM under Yoweri Museveni decided to take up arms, using the rigged election as its justification.
Museveni era
Museveni would later take power in 1986 after the overthrow of Milton Obote by the Okello Junta.
Museveni faced military resistance by rebel movements in Northern, Eastern and Western Uganda which he ably crushed into oblivion.
The contest for power was between Museveni and the rival military groups.
However, a ‘third force’ emerged in 2001 led by Dr Kizza Besigye – who broke ranks with NRA.
This group would later include the late Eriya Kategaya, Suleiman Kiggundu, Amanya Mushega, Beti Kamya, Miria Matembe, Winnie Byanyima, Sam Njuba, John Kazoora, and Augustine Ruzindana among others.
This force ably mobilised against Museveni – threatening his hold on power in the hugely competitive elections of 2001 and 2006.
However, the political resistance against Museveni was weakened significantly in 2011, with opposition performing poorly in the election.
This group however, gained momentum in 2016 with the participation of former premier Amama Mbabazi.
Political pundits will agree that Mbabazi was seen as a moderate force between the polarizing and antagonistic camps of Besigye and Museveni.
Many saw in him a transition from the radicalism and uncompromising politics of Besigye’s wing and Museveni’s stellar resistance against change.
It is widely held in corridors of power that had Mbabazi started mobilisation much earlier to effectively sell his candidature across the country, he stood a better chance of blocking Museveni from securing a win.
But Mbabazi’s domestic challenges, disorganization in The Democratic Alliance coupled with defections in Go Forward camp could not allow Mbabazi exploit the vacuum that would have propelled him to the highest political seat in the land.
The Mbabazi ‘third force’ could not take off as expected.
Political transition
Meanwhile, Uganda is set for yet another set of presidential elections come 2021.
As things stand, Museveni cannot seek reelection as he will have clocked the mandatory 75 years as provided by the Constitution.
As the country moves toward what could be a historic political transition, many are wondering who could take the much-coveted seat.
ChimpReports has decided to run a poll to allow people especially the youth reveal whom they think can take Uganda forward minus the 1986-ers who have dominated Uganda’s politics for the last three decades.
You are free to nominate candidates but these must exclude Yoweri Museveni, Amama Mbabazi, Kizza Besigye and Norbert Mao.
Send the name of your preferred candidate to info@chimpreports.com or giles@chimpreports or WhatsApp (+256705340477).
Chimp Corps will as well do interviews on the streets in different parts of Kampala to pick people’s nominations. The nomination phase will run for three days (November 7 – 9, 2016).
The preferred candidates will then be unveiled before the public this Saturday.