Putting my money where my mouth is-a Kadaga Presidency?

A few months ago. I stated how most of my political money was placed in favor of a certain Lady from Busoga- currently doing quite well in Parliament. I attempted to place or create some parallels with the elections in the U.S which post B.H.O are still struggling with the idea of change. I argued that the next choice of presidency would attempt to use the change mantra in either extending its reign (for the democrats) or demanding the same (republicans) except with possible majorities where it really matters. 

So I was concerned whether we Hillary Clinton would campaign mainly as a women in which case push further for change and yes a possible first of a woman in the White House. Perhaps she would use her husbands amazing appeal to catapult herself into the oval office. Then there was Carla Fiorina who made some splashes of her own and that with the extra bonus of quite a lot of business experience. 

Broadly speaking therefore I wondered about the idea behind families as centers of power and at Americas futile attempt at monarchical rule. The Kennedy family was probably a notable group that made this first dash at this idea albeit with complex consequences. So one one side we had the families and the idea of firsts. The first female president, the first family to return to the white house. Then there was Jeb Bush who would also be quite a record breaker were he to make it. He would have to use the advantage of race in the process. He would have to leverage his wife's ethnicity and draw in the Hispanic vote. Whether or not the black vote would buy into this would prove important. 

The other idea that would drive this can force would be the tendency towards post card moments and Hollywood. I argue that even against better judgement many Americans would want to have been part of the major historic moments of firsts. This and the "better the devil you know than the angel you don't". But this places both the Clinton's and the Bush family on the same footing. 

Uganda now has similar challenges. Kiza Besigye has managed to bring the idea of change to the heart of his message. He has personified in some respects the notion of change. I am not certain who borrowed from who but 2016 feels a lot like 2008. Change we can believe in-Barack Hussein Obama's famous campaign slogan. Amama Mbabazi has also latched onto the change agenda but has added the dimension of an rather extensive intelligence based campaign strategy. He argues that the bulk of the NRM party is on his side even if a good number of former colleagues and understudies have found it easier to avoid him. He has also made full use of social media (utube,twitter and Facebook) much like President Obama. The only difference is that he has not at least on the surface managed to create massive registration drives of marginalized youth as well as a collection of volunteers to support and drive his process. The FDC candidate on the other hand continues to control the passions of city dwellers who from the very start would make massive attempts to give him money (notable because we this is a very tight fisted populace). 

So Rebecca Kadaga's reported decision to stand in 2021 is interesting because she seems to guarantee a victory for the president (by claiming that she will stand against him). Which would seem impossible we're he to be defeated in 2016 (it would be very difficult to re-enter the political space). This also means that she may be seeing light at the end of the tunnel after attempts by Miria Obote who took jabs at the presidency knowing quite well that the machinery of her once powerful Uganda People's Congress would be useful in getting her close to the coveted seat. Others with similar chromosomes where Betty Olive Kamya who made Federo the heart of her campaign. And now Maureen Kyalya. 

Kyalya hails from the Busoga region which to be fair is on the up even if it could be better (if compared to the per-independence years). But like Buganda both have monarchies which are barred from major political events and whose monarchies have struggled under the weight of intrigue. She (Kyalya) has used the tribal card very well. She simply rebuked her people and stated that they should cease voting in people who are not Basoga. She expressed sentiments that are very often right under the surface of culturally sensitive tribal-rich African states that could be used anywhere on the continent where one tribe or two have continued to dominate the politics on the proverbial hill. 

So this is interesting because the resistance movement is losing its sense of awe and fear of the first family. This has come about after a series of similar and related events most notable of which was the exist of the blue eyes boy-Amama Mbabazi. 

But another major fissure has arisen in the political space which is the realization for many youth that there is an entrenched older elite that unlike the president has created a massive banyan root structure in the rural political sphere. Kahinda Otafire, Rebecca Kadaga, Amama Mbabazi, Sam Kutesa to name just a few are some of members of parliament that have kept their seats with as much fervor as has the president the bigger seat. A fellow solider took on General Otafire but you know 'Military is as military does'. And maybe these historicals as they have come to be know are teaching us something about the political thought in Uganda. That in some regards one must protect the rural seat and use it to as capital to gain and advance career and rule.