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For decades now, Kampala- Uganda’s capital has remained an opposition stronghold very much to the chagrin of longest serving president of Uganda, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni. In recent years, political maneuvers have been orchestrated by the regime to reduce the authority of the political leadership of the city with the establishment of a state-controlled technical authority – The Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA). This was aimed at mitigating the perceived threat posed by the opposition city leadership, particularly under the confrontational Erias Lukwago since 2006.
In banking on this strategy entirely, however, Museveni seemed to have underestimated the resolve of the citizens towards his regime. Much as the autocratic ruler had hoped that the new Authority under then Executive Director, Jenepher Musisi Ssemakula would be the last nail in the coffin of the opposition in the city he very much coveted, it just stirred up resentment against the government. In fact, Lukwago, who was locked out of office at City Hall- the Lord Mayor’s offices for the majority of that term would return at the next poll more popular, getting reelected with a landslide.
Fast forward, Musisi has been dustbined by Museveni for non performance and replaced with a less combative Dorothy Kisaka. Kisaka, unlike her predecessor has opted for a more cordial approach towards Lukwago, a strategy Museveni has seemingly approved having realised opposition will not easily be dragged out of Kampala by crude methods. But Museveni is not done yet.
Makindye West Member of Parliament, Allan Ssewanyana made a damning revelation recently concerning the influx of refugee communities in Kampala and its suburbs. According to the opposition strongman, some communities such as Kisenyi, Mengo, Makindye, Kabalagala, Nsambya, are about to become exclusive for foreigners who come with loads of cash that natives can hardly afford to rent houses due to the unfair competition.
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“We have communities of Congolese in Makindye, Kibuuye II Parish. We have Eritreans in Lukuuli, Nsambya Parishes and even Somalis in Kampala Central. They are almost overtaking the population of the residents there.
This has brought problems as the landlords in these places do not wish to accommodate the residents of Ugandan descent proffering the Eritreans because they come with a lot of money to afford their houses,” Ssewanyana lamented.
Outspoken Canada based Ugandan regime critic, Marth Leah Nangalama, in response to Ssewanyana’s revelation issued a verdict that should be a lot worrying for not only Kampala residents but all Ugandans. According to Nangalama, the refugee policy is one of the well planned strategies by Museveni to political besiege the obstinate Kampala population by using all options available to him.
“Museveni uses refugees to deliberately minimize the population of native Ugandans. We have been warning about this for many years and only, people to start to see the plan. And it is a long term plan that he started over 30yrs ago. Museveni does long term planning. Most Ugandans cannot plan beyond next week.” She submits.
What both Ssewanyana and Nangalama seem to conspicuously leave out is that people from places in Uganda where the regime is very popular, especially from Western Uganda are vigorously being encouraged to take positions in the city and register as voters. This is being g done with a view that at one time, their numbers will be significant that even when they want to do the usual ballot staffing in future it wouldn’t have to take them a lot of trouble.
Uganda boasts the highest number of refugees in Africa. Besides the praise from the international community and the money Museveni gets from the UN and other refugee funding programs, these are a political tool that comes very handy especially during elections. Unlike other countries, refugees in Uganda are allowed to move freely, get jobs in the I formal sector and also buy land and build houses. They, are in the process naturalised into complete citizens who are tasked to push the Tutsi monarchical agenda in Uganda.
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