Reuben Olita
12 July 2007
opinion
Kampala — PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni's three-day tour of East Africa by road excited some residents but left others in murmurs, over what could have been the purpose of the trip. Many viewed it as President Museveni's campaign to popularise himself ahead of the proposed East African Federation.
A formal dispatch from State House had indicated that President Museveni's tour to Kenya and Tanzania was aimed at discussing the East African Federation. Kenyan media were quick to dismiss the assertion and instead ventured into speculations.
The Standard said President Museveni's visit brings to the fore the contradicting relations between the Awori family and the Kenyan and Ugandan politics. "While Awori is Kenya's Vice-President, his brother Aggrey Awori is a leading opposition leader in Uganda," the paper said, not knowing that Awori ditched UPC for NRM.
The paper said Aggrey Awori's presence at the function heightens speculations that he may be the compromise candidate to succeed President Museveni when he retires.
The local media revealed that the two leaders discussed the deteriorating security situation along the Kenya-Uganda border, especially in West Pokot and Turkana where more than 30 Kenyans died in bombing raids allegedly by Uganda People's Defense Force.
President Museveni used the opportunity to honour two leaders who helped NRM into power after driving out dictator Idi Amin. He decorated Moody Awori and his wife, Ruth, with Nalubale medals for their contribution in liberating Uganda. While handing the medals to the Aworis, Museveni said Moody helped secure jobs for Ugandan exiles who were fighting Amin's rule and housed them.
Museveni also awarded Nyerere posthumously with the Katonga medal for the role he played in ending Amin's despotic rule in Uganda. He also awarded Nyerere's widow, Maria, for supporting her husband in the struggle, and President Jakaya Kikwete for maintaining Nyerere's policies and consolidating peace in Tanzania.
During the tour, President Museveni asked East Africans to support the proposed political federation. He said the federation, which had been opposed by certain quarters, was inevitable as it would help solve the region's mounting problems.
"We have no option but to unite and pursue a common agenda. We need a platform from which to negotiate with the rest of the world. I ask the rank and file of the region to support the political federation as we put our heads together to achieve the goal," Museveni said.
"The black man is suffering because of lack of integration. The developed world will only recognise us if we have strength as a region. Look at America; they are controlling our lives from the outer space. They monitor whatever we do while we still argue over whether to integrate or not," he said.
Museveni's plea for a unified region came as some people voiced their reservations. In Kenya, former Attorney General Charles Njonjo said East African Community member countries were not ripe for a federation.
Last week, an opinion poll conducted by Steadman Group showed 46 per cent of Dar-es-Salaam residents were opposed to the East African Community, under which the federation would be created.
The poll showed 16 percent in Kampala were not in favour of the federation of the federation, while only 10 percent in Nairobi did not feel it could work.
The trip also showed Kenyan journalists how serious President Museveni's security is taken. At Awori's home, Museveni's security personnel, who included bomb experts, subjected Kenyan journalists to thorough checks with their cameras and tape recorders confiscated. The cameras were locked up in a car where checks were conducted before the gadgets were handed back.
However, there were no similar checks on Tanzanian journalists at the late Julius Nyerere's home in Musoma. This was probably because there is no dangerous group in Tanzania as the notorious Mungiki sect of Kenya.
Many people were happy that the trip highlighted the need to repair the infrastructure if the regional block is to benefit the citizens.
Kenyan roads are in deplorable state, and need to be addressed by the Kibaki administration if for East Africans to benefit from the Customs Union scheduled to come into effect in December 2008.
It took President Museveni's convoy about two hours to cover 100km from Vice-President Moody Awori's Funyula resident to Kisumu, and three hours to cover 160km from Kisumu to the Tanzania border at Sirare.
The Tanzanian government deserves a part on the back for repairing major roads in the country. The 300km journey between Sirare and Mwanza is to international standards with smooth drive that takes about two hours to cover.
The writer is a New Vision correspondent in Nairobi
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2007 New Vision. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
