By Ndawula Ronald
Watching a soap on Turkish television of a son who was neglected by her father for many years and because of love, lost all other children to drinking and gambling then came back to cement the relationship after realizing that the son he neglected seemed more understanding and reasonable but soon found out that the Son had moved on without him and his return repugnant and impugnable.
President Museveni on attending a crusade organized by his daughter in Kiwoko Nakaseke District sought to reconcile with the people of Luwero for neglect and under development which is conspicuous across the Greater Luwero districts which played a pivotal role in his ascending to power in 1986 to date.
It is very ashaming for people whose livelihoods were shattered, some distorted, lives lost, property looted, and sacrifice in all form and shape, to see you only when you come to introduce and attend your daughter’s crusade!
I see districts and small towns like Apach, sheema, bugiri, kamuli, who are now elevated to Municipal status others to city, yet you believe there is no town in greater luwero that in 36years can suit that elevation yet we have more development than those towns and its incumbent upon you to turn Luwero into a Mecca you envisioned and promised.
I wonder whether those new modern Markets in Mbarara, Mbale, soroti, Gulu Jinja can’t fit in Luwero if you had anything to reward the people of this area you flattered by calling Mecca.
I can’t tell how many times the people of Luwero have cried to elevate and increase the budget and drug supplies to luwero Hospital in vain, yet it’s this very hospital that sustained the war when you with Col. Bogere Fred Makanga to steal the Obote supplied medicines which were enough with specialized personnel then, and when there was no need for clinics.
When I see the state of the schools you build in Tanzania and the state house bursary scheme whose beneficiaries are only from one region of Uganda i cry every night when i meet the many friends who failed to get their minimum education because of your war.
When i see the Pastors who are supposed to be Messengers of God but are turned into beggars and they’re about to christen your daughter a Prophet or Archbishop for money not by conviction, i wonder the level of forgetfulness in the state house seat at Entebbe.
When i see your son making birthday parties every week and nothing in luwero to show in the 36 years our people sacrificed and waiting patiently in old yellow shirts some calling themselves veterans, with empty hopes and stomachs, i shudder in disbelief and amazement at how people forget when they seat in Entebbe on Entebbe
When i see the people of Soroti having a fruit factory and one has been promised to the Luwero people for now 30 years in vain, i wonder whether the Museveni we supported and sacrificed for is still the one in Entebbe at Entebbe.
When we see Hajji Nadduli on his sick bed and can’t afford the medical expenses in his home i wonder whether mine and your grandchildren will ever have peace in Uganda and any more support in luwero if we miss now.
In the good olden days of Obote, Kasana health centre had a brand new TATA lorry, ambulance and capacity to manage a football team in the area, what went awry since you went to Entebbe in Entebbe?
I used to see vibrant football teams in Luwero like Coffee, Busula, kamukamu and others functioning well in a happy community.
Luwero boys and Luwero girls are still the same old buildings as the War found them in 40 years ago, whats the reason as to why we fought for Entebbe?
Its good you went by air to the function and missed to see the state of the road from Luwero to Kiwoko which section has been in the budget for the last 12 years and up to date its archived in the unfunded priorities till the next regime what did we do wrong to the inhabitants of Entebbe at Entebbe.
When i see what king Markhtoom of Dubai has accomplished in the same generation NRM has been in power my hope fades every passing day that i will never see the promised Mecca in my district.
Hajji Kasoma and a few others were the reputable coffee traders in our town. They used to sell all their coffee to coffee marketing board and you can be sure when you had your receipts and vouchers that your money was safe.
Col Makanga giving us reasons to fight convinced the people of Luwero that it was not proper, as government to monopolise coffee through CMB and was giving us pea nuts for our coffee and now its evident that You and VINCI coffee have come to take our only survival and hope by taking us back to a monopoly as in the ill-fated Coffee Marketing board !.
Now that you’ve remembered that luwero was supposed to be your home, stop shifting blame to the people you did not empower to act to make Luwero a beacon of the struggle.
You have appointed people in your cabinet who merit in their own right to be ministers but not any for the Luwero question like Hajji Nadduli.
Now that Prince Muhoozi is preparing a takeover of Entebbe at Entebbe i would like to remind you that we can cancel one birthday party and we build a stadium and museum at Luwero play ground in honor and commemoration of the sacrifice the people of Luwero did for you to sit in Entebbe at Entebbe.
Secondly, before ygou start helping those in Mozambique as you told President Fillipe Nyusi, i remind you that Luwero, Nakaseke and Nakasongola, kiboga dont have acceptable district headquarters.
Thirdly, Luwero Hospital needs money half what it takes to stage a birthday party to complete a storied block beffiting a Mecca status.
Lastly, the many youth who are the Bazzukulu of the struggle and whose grandparents slogged and trudged the journey with you to state house on your now throne need work and mechanised means of production.
Waiting and hoping to see you some day at Patience Crusade or birthday party.
Till then.
Ndawula Ronald, the author is the former Chairperson of Luwero district
