A volunteered ‘eye witness’ in the death of late Fred Rwigema was interviewed on ‘Radio Itahuka’ a US-based genocide denial mouthpiece, constructing a conspiracy theory on how the hero might have been killed. Soon after, New Vision, Uganda’s state-owned newspaper announced that it would be reproducing the story of Itahuka in its prime pages – which it did, on Sunday. From the look of things however, the story backfired, especially since the paper wasn’t at its first lie. Twitter fans wondered why the fixation on Fred Rwigema, yet there are Ugandan heroes like Sam Magara, first leader of the National Resistance Army who’s murder is yet to be elucidated: Another said loudly what many were wondering silently: why does the alleged eye-witness appear now, 29 years later? Ugandan political class seems to have picked particular interest in Rwandan hero Late Gisa Rwigema, witnesses of all kinds are crawling out of the woodwork, to reminisce on his life and workout conspiracies in the hope to sow disputes among Rwandans. It is quite astonishing that what is spread by ‘Radio itahuka’ a Genocide denial and FDLR mouthpiece, is published the next day in Uganda’s leading newspaper, consistently. But the story in New Vision was overshadowed by an explosive letter written by the spouse of one Benjamin Rutabana, maternal uncle to Rwandan young populist Diane Rwigara. The letter is addressed to Uganda’s head of military intelligence, Brigadier Abel Kandiho and to RNC Security Department led by Kayumba Nyamwasa. In the letter, the wife, Diane Rutabana reveals that her husband was working with Ugandan intelligence to conduct terror actions against Rwanda until he disappeared. ‘I tried to contact Brig. Abel Kandiho, one of the leaders of Uganda Security Agencies and one of my husband’s friends in Uganda – who used to talk frequently with Ben – and you remember very well how you used to call late at night and he picked your calls…’ – the letter partly reads. Take a minute to imagine that a Rwandan militia runs a security department in Uganda in close ‘friendship’ with senior Ugandan leaders – it is an army within an army. It has become normal for all militias and perpetrators of the Genocide against the Tutsi to find safe haven and even support in Uganda. The FARDC (Congolese government army) has arrested senior FDLR militia commanders en route from meeting with Ugandan top leadership. One wonders what’s the use of signing peace agreements with a neighbour whom at the same time forges counter-nature alliances with Genocide and negative outfits, with the hope that such outfits may ultimately overthrow the Rwandan government. Worse yet, to misuse the name of a revered hero, who helped them accede power, all with the aim of dividing Rwandans. One is left thinking whether Uganda has ambitions of becoming the neocolonial Belgians of modern times, practicing divide and rule upon Rwandans, but failing both to divide and/or rule, 60 years after Rwandan independence. But Rwandans see what our neighbours are doing. They want to divert attention from their own failure to deliver transformation to their own people by scapegoating on Rwandans. Rwandans have been in the Ugandan army and know more things about Ugandans than the opposite, but Rwandans have bigger, pressing matters to deal with, than fixate on ruminating intrigues among Ugandans. I guess it is ok for the Ugandan government to willingly give up on keeping up the pace with the rest of the continent, but not play as an obstacle to regional integration; in fact, Uganda’s actions seen in the prism of the Agenda 2063, run counter to the ‘Africa we want’. As African youth - including Ugandan youth were convening in Kigali for the ‘Youth Connect Africa’ conference, discussing with President Paul Kagame on the future of our continent, their elderly leaders in Uganda were plotting hate crimes just off our shores. In the era of regional integration and continental free trade area, Uganda, sadly, seems to be a hindrance to Africa’s progress. I will conclude with this: The Ugandan government reminds me much of the last days of the Habyarimana’s Genocide regime. A populist threatening power ‘Rukokoma’ (Bobi Wine); Interahamwe and CDR militias targeting Rwandans: (RNC and P5) running cells in Uganda - a state within a state; their President a caricature of ‘Kinani’, youth chaos and breakdown of security and intelligence systems. I wonder if they can sustain the war they are so much looking for, to divert the people’s attention from internal government failure; in spite of their military gimmicks, I doubt that the old guards in the NRM can leave the palaces and go back to the bush… In his youth days, Ugandan President delivered a paper on the eleven ‘Africa Bottlenecks’ that prevent our continent’s transformation. With age, I am afraid he may have become the one single Africa’s bottleneck! It is all a big disgrace, as Bob Marley would say…
