Moderated by Isaac Christopher Lubogo
Disclaimer
This is a fictional, intellectual debate crafted to dramatize the contradictions of history. It does not represent actual statements spoken in a single forum. Rather, it stages a literary confrontation between the Museveni of 1980 (UPM)—idealistic, radical, impatient for democracy—and the Museveni of 2024 (NRM)—seasoned, entrenched, custodian of continuity.
It is a mirror play of ideas, a thought experiment meant to provoke reflection on power, time, and the evolution of leadership.
Moderator (Lubogo):
“Two Musevenis meet tonight. One, the revolutionary dreamer. The other, the pragmatic ruler. Uganda asks: who betrayed whom?”
The Debate
Museveni (UPM, 1980):
“I warned Uganda: ‘If leaders overstay in power, they become a problem.’ I stood for clean elections and fresh air in politics. Power was to be temporary—a service, not a throne.”
Museveni (NRM, 2024):
“And I told Uganda: ‘It is not a question of democracy, it is a question of survival.’ I stayed because instability was greater than your naïve ballot dreams. History bends to endurance, not idealism.”
Moderator:
“One man speaks of expiry, the other of eternity. Both claim to love Uganda—but in different tongues.”
Defining Quotes of Legacy
Museveni of UPM (1980) – The Revolutionary Dreamer
1. “If leaders overstay in power, they become a problem.”
2. “The problem of Africa, in my view, is leaders who want to overstay in power.”
(These became prophetic indictments against his own later self.)
Museveni of NRM (1986–2024) – The Custodian of Permanence
1. “The problem of Africa is not leaders who stay long, but leaders who don’t deliver.”
2. “I am not power-hungry; I am mission-hungry.”
(These reframed longevity as a divine duty, not a betrayal.)
Moderator (Lubogo):
“Thus Uganda hears its paradox: the Museveni of 1980 would have overthrown the Museveni of 2024. And yet, the Museveni of 2024 insists he only fulfilled what the Museveni of 1980 began. History, like a mirror, does not lie—but it distorts.”
The stage is set now lets debate
The Debate: Museveni of UPM (1980) vs Museveni of NRM (2024)
Moderator: Isaac Christopher Lubogo
Moderator (Lubogo):
Gentlemen, tonight, history confronts itself. We summon two Yoweri Kaguta Musevenis—the fiery UPM candidate of 1980, who preached clean democracy, and the NRM patriarch of today, architect of four decades in power. Uganda asks: which Museveni was right, and which one betrayed the other?
Round One: On Democracy and Power
Museveni (UPM, 1980):
“I came to this arena because Uganda has been betrayed by gunmen and rigged ballots. Obote cannot deliver democracy. Amin abused our dignity. If we cannot secure a clean election, then what is the essence of independence? Uganda needs leaders who are servants—not emperors in State House.”
Museveni (NRM, 2024):
“Young man, you are naïve. Democracy is not about one election day; it is about stability. I built this nation from ruins, from ashes of war. Do you think multiparty chaos would have given you roads, dams, or UPE? Continuity is power, and power is survival. Without me, Uganda collapses.”
Moderator:
“But Mr. Museveni, UPM Museveni accuses you of betraying your very words—were you not the one who said, ‘If leaders overstay, they become problems’?”
Museveni (UPM):
“Exactly! And here you are, four decades later, defending the very disease you vowed to cure.”
Round Two: On Corruption and Justice
Museveni (UPM, 1980):
“The Movement I envision rejects corruption. Ministers should walk with the people, not drive over them in Pajeros. Uganda must never again be a marketplace of patronage.”
Museveni (NRM, 2024):
“Corruption? That is a mosquito in the room of a giant. What matters is control of the state. I tolerate some of these things because I know the bigger picture. You cannot uproot corruption overnight. I have kept Uganda intact; that is greater than chasing every thief.”
Moderator:
“But isn’t it ironic, General, that in your government the two-thousand-shilling note has become the voter’s true manifesto?”
Museveni (UPM):
“Yes, Isaac, this man has weaponized poverty into patronage. He pays for loyalty with hunger. This is not the revolution I promised.”
Round Three: On Liberation vs Entrenchment
Museveni (UPM, 1980):
“We must liberate Uganda from leaders who think they are gods. Leadership must rotate; the people must breathe fresh air.”
Museveni (NRM, 2024):
“Liberation never ends. It is not an event; it is a continuous process. I am the liberator and the custodian. If I hand over to the wrong person, all will collapse. Sometimes the shepherd must stay until wolves are gone. Uganda still has wolves.”
Moderator:
“But isn’t the wolf now you? A liberator turned leviathan?”
Museveni (UPM):
“Indeed, Isaac. He has become the very caricature of the Obote he once despised. His revolution ate itself.”
Closing Statements
Museveni (UPM, 1980):
“Uganda deserves leaders who fear the people. Power must expire. Without expiry, it rots. The Museveni I see here is not me—he is the ghost of my betrayal.”
Museveni (NRM, 2024):
“History does not bend to youthful idealism. I did what I had to do. Power is not a relay baton; it is a fortress. And only those who hold it long enough can protect the nation from chaos.”
Moderator (Lubogo):
“Gentlemen, Uganda listens. One Museveni is a prophet of change, the other a priest of permanence. Both speak of love for Uganda—but one speaks as a liberator, the other as a custodian turned jailer. The verdict, dear people, is yours.”
