A wave of protest has swept through Kenya and Uganda involving members of Generation Z. In Kenya the protests were triggered by tax hikes and increasing unemployment, but in Uganda the main issue was poor governance characterised by run-away corruption.
Throughout Africa, Generation Z is becoming impatient with corrupt governments. They are tired of slow economic growth leading to limited employment opportunities, reduced income levels, and low standards of living. They want change in their favour, and they want it now.
Kenya
Kenya has a transparent political system that allows several pillars of democracy to exist and function independently from each other. Even though Kenya is prone to tribal violence, each successive regime has made progress towards deepening democracy and developing the nation. Uganda has been ruled by just one man since 1986, but Kenya has had several heads of state – Moi, Kibaki, Uhuru Kenyatta – now Ruto.
Uganda
Some analysts believed the protests against Ruto’s government would set off an uprising against corruption in Uganda. They were wrong. There is a huge difference between the political environment in Kenya and that in Uganda.
The protests in Uganda were far less effective than those in Kenya. They failed almost before they started.
One reason for this is that Ugandans have become resigned to the irredeemable corruption of President Museveni’s regime. The corruption starts in the presidency and it spreads through all Ugandan institutions. Corruption has been normalised.
Secondly, since 1986 Uganda’s public institutions have been tribalized and ‘Musevenised’. The President calls the Ugandan police and army “my police, my army”, and the armed forces listen to only one person, their political godfather Museveni. How can you expect people appointed to public office by Museveni himself to disobey his orders?
Finally, although an increase in food prices would cause violent protests in Kenya, this is not the case in Uganda. The Ugandan people have been coerced, cowed, repressed and intimidated. They know that taking to the streets means risking your freedom, and is often equivalent to signing your own death warrant.
Hundreds of young people are rotting in Uganda’s prisons because they dared to protest against Museveni’s regime. This is not how things are in Kenya.
Uganda’s political system is a tyranny. It began as a tribal affair and it is now rule by one man and his family. Corruption keeps Museveni in power, and it has become institutionalised.
It has become normal to bribe magistrates, parliamentarians, police officers and key ministry officials to get work done. Nothing happens without a bribe. And voters sell their votes for money. The system is rigged, personalised and heavily manipulated.
The Ugandan Opposition
While Kenya has a vibrant opposition, the opposition in Uganda is weak and compromised – which benefits Museveni greatly. Opposition leaders and MPs are very rich, very satisfied with the political situation, and comfortably detached from the suffering of the population.
Museveni’s tactics have made it impossible for genuine political opposition to thrive. There is no single political party in Uganda that has the strength and credibility to challenge the incumbent. Many members of the opposition are also corrupt. They have assets they cannot account for.
Insatiable greed is ruining the country. Not only the politicians but hundreds of government technocrats have amassed wealth that is far beyond their known salaries. How can you expect an extremely corrupt government-in-waiting to remove a president who has made them rich?
For the first time, the protests in Uganda were organised by members of civil society and the elites. The main political actors disassociated themselves from the them. Would this surprise anyone who knew how corrupt the opposition is?
Generation Z protests in Kenya will continue to yield results to better the economy. But that will not happen in Uganda while Museveni runs the country as his personal project.
By Kato Mukasa