Kiyini kibi kijjukirwa Malima-The DP Dilemma

The Ganda have a saying that basically translates to the idea that the only way you realise that something is wrong with your digging implement is when the time to dig comes. Then you more easily think about fixing the
stick.

In Uganda this means many things but first and most important of all is that as far as symbolism goes, the Democratic party made some great choices with regards to icons. This being a agrarian community
and all. As did Bidandi Saali with the choice of
a lantern and later on FDC with the key.

You have to go quite a distance before you run into a bus...and a yellow one at that. The best you can do is maybe find your way into an American public school.

For the parties on the local scene, and for the democratic party, digging time came in 2016. And after a terrible
and maybe unavoidable set of circumstances, the party fell
short. They like the UPC were unable to field a candidate. 2011 deprived UPC of any significant plays in the political space while 2016 was the year that DP suffered. All of this took place under hopes that the emergence John Patrick Amama Mbabazi would prove to be a formidable for the president but the ambitions of the older players were too difficult to calm. Talk of a coalition soon failed with each prospective candidate perceiving himself to be the right replacement for the presidency.

So this was the time when DP and its 'Kiyini' were tested. 'Malima' came and does come every five years but as far as parties go, the loss of life can serve as a great opportunity to win a seat in the
constituency.
A war of attrition against all political parties of significance had Al Hajji Nasser Sebagala lose to Mao, in a move that had some maybe tribal minded people viewed as a coup deta. But no none with a knowledge of history was really going to buy into the idea that DP was
really a ganda party. If anything, the party is more Catholic and needs to depend on its links to the Mother Church.
The same plague has man thinking of the UPC in terms of the Acholi who have been at the helm for a while while forgetting its Protestant roots. In our view, UPC needs to lean into its mother church at Nakasero or Namirembe.

One of the major criticisms that has emerged in the current battle for spots, which some are seeing more as a succession debate has to do with party structure and thus membership which have both been articulated well by the Buganda regional head.

Historical considerations have brought about a series of challenges that have had us feeling as though we were back in the sixties
dealing with a King, Prime Minister, an Army general and a state at war with itself.

The regional head for Buganda has called for a come comprehensive
resturcturing program that will make membership of political parties more costly and therefore more important and beneficial. This is a
call that makes sense accross all parties and that reveals a flaw that needs fixing. It is also useful in creating a democratic system that
favors institutions as opposed to personalities.

Machiavelli: Religion and Politics

In this installment on power and politics, I will deal briefly with Machiavelli

And his suggestions for leaders and their relationship with Religion.

I will attempt to give it a little bit of context by restricting some of these discussions to UG. 

He was writing a little like the Arabian Nights story. He know his life was in danger and his success and progress in the hands of that influential Italian Family rested in his ability to demonstrate just how useful he was going to be. 

Recently, we faced an election in a resistance movement stronghold-Luwero. Experts and historians say that this triangle was used to help begin the resistance war that ushered in the new regime. This is described as a historical stronghold of the Democratic Party which was Catholic. The Uganda Peoples Congress was accused of rigging an election and was enjoying a second phase in power when the current president-then rebel took to the bush. 

While the current women representative elections seems to have little effect on larger political questions, there is an attempt to restore or amalgamate politics around religion. 

In the game of chess, as I have written before(http://intas8n.blogspot.com/2014/02/mr-no-regrets.html), the master strategist has to make sure that he allies his king and queen with a religious stronghold on both sides of the monarchy. Even if we seldom admit it, religion has played a major role in dictating the manner in which our kingdoms and run and the delicate means by which successors to the throne are determined. The Protestants realized this long ago and chose to focus the thrust of thief religious authority on the monarchy. 

In UG, most of our seven hills have sets to our most significant religious systems. Old Kampala for the Muslims, Namirembe for the Protestants, and  for the Catholics. It is also important to note that corresponding medical centers were also established at this key points in the city. 

While the Kingdom reasons rather silent on issues of loyalty often the news is awash with stories of martyrdom and a bloody history of Kings who clashed with subjects that put religion of kingdom. 

But the battle rages on. Countries like the Philippines have taken on a tougher stance with their governments and have been actively involved in politics perhaps even taking on the role of kingmaker. 

Here the balance is much more delicate. I suspect though that religion will take centre stage in the battle for leadership and influence. 

Maybe more camels(land cruisers) will exchange hands. Maybe like in some previous posts the emergence of new leadership in Anglican circles will begin to look frighteningly similar to district level elections

(http://intas8n.blogspot.com/2014/02/when-religious-appointment-meets.html). We wait to see!