Uganda Without Museveni: A Candid Letter to the President Amidst a Nation on Edge

Uganda Today Edition: Uganda Without Museveni: A Candid Letter to the President Amidst a Nation on Edge

By Norman Tumuhimbise 

EDITOR’S NOTE:
This is an unedited opinion letter authored by Norman Tumuhimbise. The views expressed are his own and do not necessarily reflect the editorial stance of Uganda Today. We published this piece in public interest to foster constructive national discourse around leadership, succession, and social cohesion.

WHEN AN ANGRY POPULATION CATCHES FIRE AFTER A POLITICAL BLACKOUT, WHICH UGANDAN OF INTEGRITY IS CAPABLE OF EXTINGUISHING THE FLAMES WHEN YOU ARE NO MORE?
[An Honest Letter to President Museveni]

Mr. President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni,

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Unlike a few Ugandans—most of whom are beneficiaries of your regime—who think that you are alright, my honest belief is that you aren’t, and it’s natural because none of us is immortal. I see your unwellness in your eyes, full of sadness—just like my aging grandfather. I see your unwellness in your body language, seemingly overwhelmed and over-fatigued with the heavy political and governance burdens of shattered culture; a divided country where each political party has two factions; disunited religions; government agencies full of intrigue; fractured cultural institutions; and broken families.

I see your worries—not just about the country—but especially about how your dear family would fare without you. Because, Mr. President, you haven’t set up functional, bottom-up, pro-people structures to guarantee safety and continuity after your departure. That worries me too.

A Nation in Denial

Firstly, your walking speed appears forced and unnatural—just as it was with President Kenneth Kaunda of Zambia at your age. The same symptoms showed in Governor Emmanuel Tumusiime-Mutebile before his passing. I once went to meet him at Bank of Uganda, and all corridors had to be cleared to let him rush past, because slowing down meant he might fall.

According to medical experts, certain natural conditions come with old age, such as Alzheimer’s and festinating gait. These may quicken walking speed and cause forward leaning. I’m not diagnosing you, Mr. President. But unlike me, your health affects over 40 million Ugandans. So, yes—your well-being is a matter of national concern.

You seem to live in intentional denial of the reality that surrounds us. You project an “all is well” posture when, the truth is, all is not well. And I shall explain.

The Kenyatta Analogy: A Lesson Ignored?

Let me draw from our neighbor Kenya. On Monday, August 21, 1978, President Jomo Kenyatta collapsed while preparing for an official event in Mombasa. At the time, Attorney General Charles Njonjo had criminalized even imagining a Kenya without Kenyatta. As a result, doctors and officials suppressed information about his health.

Despite collapsing weeks earlier into a three-day coma, Kenyatta wasn’t taken to hospital, for fear it would be interpreted as political weakness. And so, when he collapsed again at Msambweni Primary School, he was driven—not to a medical facility—but to the State House, where he died quietly on a bed at 3 PM. The country had no plan. The country had been silenced. And denial had triumphed over duty.

Is Uganda heading down that same road?

Voices from Within the System

As a son to a FRONASA and NRA combatant, I studied in army schools and witnessed firsthand the struggles of your soldiers and their children. As a fearless author, I’ve accessed confidential insights—some from disgruntled officers, others from exiled loyalists, and even insiders close to you. I have been kidnapped and tortured by your security operatives. In those dungeons, I have met innocent victims, lethal enforcers, and even principled patriots.

I’ve also engaged ordinary citizens—young and old, hopeful and hopeless. Some pray for you. Some curse you. But all of them are angry.

Regional Grievances and the Boiling Pot

Mr. President, do you realize that every region has unresolved anger?

• Northern Uganda suffered two decades of LRA insurgency. Their rise with Jacob Oulanyah and Gen. Lokech was quickly extinguished.

• Kasese will not forget the Rwenzururu massacre.

• Karamoja remains wounded, especially the Karacunas.

• Teso remembers the Mukura Massacre.

• Tooro still asks who killed Brig. Mayombo.

• Buganda bears scars from Luweero, Kayira’s mysterious death, and the 2009 and the 18th & 19th November 2020 killings.

On top of this, corruption reigns unchecked while citizens starve. The extravagance of the political elite is well known. Through media, people now see and name who owns what. They suffer indignity while your motorcade clears roads, your escorts beat women on Ggaba Road, and your son tweets mockingly about rights abuses.

The Ghosts of Torture and Confiscation

It has been nearly three years since I, along with eight colleagues, was arrested and tortured for allegedly “cyberstalking” you through our media work. Despite our case being dismissed, our equipment has never been returned. Many others face worse. Boda-boda riders lose their means of livelihood with no hope of justice.

Do you ever imagine what such an angry, disenfranchised population might do during a political blackout?

A Fragile Peace Built on Fear

You must reflect, Mr. President: who will hold this country together when you are no more? Who among your confidants has the credibility to appear on UBC and call for national calm?

We live in a lie—of peace and unity—when in truth, truth itself divides us and lies unite us. The people around you use you. They don’t love you. Your son’s influence, too, is precarious. His controversial tweets have alienated generals, regions, and historical allies.

Do you really believe that the constitution you’ve manipulated will hold in your absence? Even poor families fight over property—what about a country with no clear succession plan?

Mr. President, Think Twice

Your timely or untimely departure is inevitable. And without a peaceful transition plan, the nation risks implosion.

Uganda is an angry country. Please consider this letter—not as criticism—but as a mirror. It is not too late to leave a legacy of peace.

Yours truthfully,
Norman Tumuhimbise Call me Norman Tumuhimbise Email. teamleader@alternativeuganda.org