Nairobi — Our top north western political neighbour, President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda, is today a man in search of a new political dispensation for his country. When he romped into power from the Luwero Triangle of northern Buganda, in 1986, he was a young, idealistic, socialist and very determined to bring under control the corrupt, buccaneering and predatory system, which had resulted from misrule by Milton Obote and Idi Amin.

Museveni's first executive order was to de-legitimise the activities of Uganda's former political parties, replacing them with the single party rule of the National Resistance Movement (NRM). For a while Ugandans agreed to get along, having for two decades suffered from unbroken and intense political turmoil, anarchy and civil war. Under the Movement Administration Uganda witnessed a gradual, if hesitant and uninterrupted, return to a state of security, despite the lingering rebellions in the north, particularly by the Lord's Resistance Army.

From about 1990, the former Ugandan politicians, through their banned political parties, began to agitate for competitive political participation. Amongst these were the adherents of the Uganda People's Congress and the Democratic Party. Indeed, in recent years Uganda's chief benefactors, the United States and Britain, have also added their voices to the call for Uganda to open up its political space for multiparty practice.

Over the years Museveni himself has also grown and changed; and Uganda's active and central membership of the East African Community, together with the two other active multiparty African democratic states - Kenya and Tanzania - must have persuaded him to revisit his insistence that Uganda must remain under a single party democracy.

Rumours circulating

Since the beginning of this year, and following Kenya's much praised multiparty elections, rumours had began to circulate in Kampala that President Museveni had changed his mind on the one party democracy, and that he was simply waiting for the NRM's annual congress where he would announce the need for Uganda to revert to multiparty politics. This he did recently, but in a very circumlocutory manner, that still left the Movement in overall control. He also recommended the removal of the constitutional clause that allowed presidents only two terms.

Understandably, there are many prominent and powerful stakeholders in the Movement who feel threatened by the multiparty system. Besides, Museveni himself is still young, loves his power and might be tempted to wonder what next he would do if he gave up his power. In addition, having come to power by the sword he knows he made many enemies, as there are many who lost their lives from his sword. He may, indeed, be wondering whether he will be safe, should he give up power.

These are some of the worries that pinned many African leaders to their seats, giants like Hastings Kamuzu Banda, Mengistu Haile Mariam and Mobutu Sese Seko, until they were angrily thrown out of power. It looks unlikely to me that Ugandans, having been rescued from their political traumas by Museveni, would be contemplating gunning down their hero. And being a friend and admirer of Julius Nyerere and Nelson Mandela, who voluntarily retired from power, Museveni owes it to Ugandans to retire in peace after the year 2006.

And yet, a young, courageous and brilliant leader like Museveni could still be used in the next decade in some other East African capacities, or even as the first president of an integrated and federated East Africa. We in Africa must encourage and support orderly and safe retirement for our leaders. Here in Kenya President Daniel arap Moi set for us a brilliant example. Kenyans must protect him and let him retire in peace. That way, our future leaders will always gracefully hand over power as spelt out by our laws.

Finally, President Museveni should also be advised to relinquish his extra-territorial war mongering. Both Kenya and Tanzania have since independence been very peaceful with their neighbours. In Kenya, both Mzee Kenyatta and Daniel arap Moi spent much of their time preaching peace, love and unity to our neighbours. In time, Nairobi began to be regarded as the retreat capital for the belligerent factions in the Great Lakes Region.

And yet Uganda has always entangled itself in wars and feuds with her neighbours, particularly with Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda. As of now, a Uganda Brigade is permanently lodged in eastern DRC. The rest of East Africans have never known what to do, or say, about these escapades which, I think, can be diplomatically terminated by Museveni to give Ugandans peace to concentrate on their internal development.

Prof Ochieng' is a former Permanent Secretary in the President's Office.