Indeed a president should not lie

Teta, a good friend of mine called me yesterday to say she is very disappointed with politicians who tell lies to their electorate in order to stay in power. “I can now sit down, do my own things, work hard, live my own life and leave politicians alone,” she raged. Teta is the most culturally polished and cool human being you can meet. She has that largeness of mind to see the big picture, and amplitude of comknowledge. Teta as a journalist student always tries as much as possible to read widely. She will pick up the phone or drop me an email each time I get a story wrong to correct me. As a young girl in Uganda, she grew up in a family who supported President Yoweri Museveni. At school, she would even insult those who opposed her President. Even as a journalist, she remained a supporter and an admirer of Museveni. She used to praise President Museveni that unlike other African politicians, Museveni does not tell lies. That the President is good and careful with his words always. But Teta is liberal too. Though I never voted for Museveni, our political differences were never the basis of any friction among us. But last week, it was the same Teta who called to say she was devastated with Museveni’s remarks about Universal Primary Education (UPE). She knows very well that Rwanda has UPE and was shocked that Museveni was denying it. In the New Vision last week (“Besigye lying about Rwanda - Museveni”), the President was quoted as saying “Besigye stood for presidency and he should not tell lies because the president is second to God and a president should not tell lies”. Opposition leader Besigye, President of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), had criticised the NRM government for paying teachers peanuts while small countries like Rwanda pays its teachers handsomely. “It is true that the Rwandan government pays good salaries to its workers. But Besigye should also have said that there is no Universal Primary Education (UPE) and Universal Secondary Education (USE) in Rwanda,” the President is quoted by a local daily to have said. The news hit Teta below the belt. Imagine a president telling an open lie to his people. Ssuuna2000@yahoo.co.uk