ABWOOLI RUJUMBA- OMURUNGI W'ABASAMBU, fellow countrymen, gallant Makerereans, proud warriors in the academic battle-grounds ; please receive my well intentioned greetings of love, compassion and hope.
The time has now dawned at this great university where we as a people have to determine the course of our destiny at the hallowed pulpit of democracy. The guild elections are finally here and so is the oppotunity to vote a candidate, as guild president, who shall cut the umblical cord that ties Makerere to tribulations.
The green hills of Makerere are being ravaged by a buzzing wind of locusts that is eating away the green- leaves of sanity and honesty, it’s robe of pride is now tattered and torn !
The rottenness and muck in this great university is profoundly entrenched in the system that it flows from top to bottom, bottom to top ! No wonder it is reminiscent of this MUSEVENI'S failed government.
Of the reputable universities known to me in the world, it is only in Makerere that we have professors copying from their students. It is only in Makerere that top officials in the senate, faculty adminstrators and registrars report for work at 5 :00pm and retire to their abodes at exactly 6 :00pm or not at all.
It is also only at Makerere that we have not an independent vice- chancellor, but one who belongs to the ruling party. Not one appointed to deliver results as expected, but one who can break the party into this highly revered opposion stronghold, as insinuated by the the honourable minister of National guidance- KABAKUMBA- MATSIKO, at the send-off dinner of the out-going guild executive !
It is the Visitor of this university (The president of the republic),through influence peddling, who appoints as vice chancellor a man he believes will paint the university yellow like the golden rays that come of the morning sun !
Gallant Makerereans, we are unfortunate to have a Visitor whose patriotism and love for this young nation is in doubt. A Visitor who does not pull out knives to stab the rabied thieves in his back-yard, but affectionately regards them ! A Visitor who stares on in satisfaction as the national coffers run dry courtersy of his blue-eyed gluttons ! A visitor who digs deep into tax- payers money to lavish himself a comfortable monster jet at a whooping price of 88 billion shillings as his people die of jiggers !
In this Visitor we have a falcona who is determined, at whatever cost, to tame the Ugandan falcons for life because he purports to be the only one with a vision ! I shall not talk about this beloved Visitor of ours who has turned the Kaguta family into Uganda’s rulling dynasty !
Reader, allow me to conceal this other apprentice- Kaguta who is beeing groomed in the ways of how best to wield Uganda’s instruments of power !
Ugandans are known allover the world as a hospitable people but there is one trait that the tourists have failed to identify in us and that is our unappreciative nature. I hold it as the highest act of ingratitude for Ugandans not to laud meritious appointments and blow trumpets of praise for the appointing authorities. Why should Ugandans go ahead and question the ‘concealed’ Kaguta’s capability for the top job ? Do they know how capable he is ? Is he not the most competent candidate for the job ?
He is a learned and handsome young man. He has topped his infantry class on more than one occation. He is disciplined and ably trained in matters of war and diplomacy. He has gone to the best millitary academies in the world. He has been to Sandhurst, Fort Lavenworth, The peoples republic of China, the Jammihiriyah state of Libya and has excelled with distinction ! Who is better qualified than him ? This is a humble cry to Ugandans to be thankful.
The lion has been inhabitant of Africa since the dawn of time. All through the gone generations, the peoples of Africa have developed lingua to refer to this ferocious beast. The lovely descendants of GIKUYU and MUMBI have refered to it as Muruthi. The hard working peoples of the rolling Kabaale hills call it Ekicuncu, the Karimojong christened it Engatun. The gallant Banyoro-Batooro call it Entale and so do the Banyankore of Ankole. The Langi and the Acholi have prefered to name it Labwor.
The swahili speaking peoples are not forgotten in calling it Simba. Whatever the name asceded to this great member of the cat family, a singular voice is heard when appellating its character.
Hunters speak of it’s courage, gatherers of firewood sing of it’s bravery, legends tell of of its strength as wild- food gatherers bellow aloud its power. They also chorus of how it’s as serene, compassionate and temperemental as only a woman can be. My grandmother used to warn us of it’s roar.
Before us, several guid presidential candidates are running errands to seek our votes and present their credentials. To you they spit petals of flowers for speeches. Unto you they groan and moan of ideas very noble. In the midst of them is a woman !
Gallant scholars, the thirst of Makerere can only be quenched by a fighter for a leader. One who shall gather the pile of ruins to re-mould the great Makerere pot with clay mixed with red gold.
A leader who shall inherit the idea-vacant plot of Makerere and raise it to the sky. One who shall talk of peace and reconcilliation.
A leader who is as brave, courageous, charismatic, strong and powerful as a lion !
One who shall make us forget the salt taste of tears. He who shall make us dance to the rythm of violence if need be. That one who shall ring the bell of victory from the corridors of Livingstone hall to be heard on the slopes of LUMUMBA hall, from the highest point of MARY-STUART to the humble land of the statesmen-Nsibirwa.
It is not the Visitors of the day that we desire as leaders but men and women of tested and proven character. Please let the arsenal of your votes shoot into office a man or woman of a character that noble and if that one goes through, we shall hire maiden virgins to make him, with their mouths, a garment of ivory better to wear than a crown of priceless jewels.
I pray we as a people supersede party affiliations, sex, one’s appearance or how deep or shallow one’s pockets are. Remember the hope of a better tommorrow lies in your well-cast vote.
Kamau Simon-MAKERERE LAW SOCIETY PRESIDENT- ELECT, congratulations upon that very noble triumph. We are all exceedingly proud of you. That is attestation enough that the East- African dream is still alive.
All the best eligible voters. All the best gallant hopefulls.
-KYOMUHENDO-ATEENYI-
