Vulgarization as a Means of Ideological Disenfranchisement of the Citizens

A couple of weeks back, comical political commentator Tamale Mirundi during one of his various television talk shows used a Kinyakitara term - Abanyampi,  to describe what he usually calls political mafias who allegedly run government.

According to Mirundi, this group of people are responsible for the big decisions that take place in the governance of this country. Whereas this seems harmless to the naked eye, this kind of talk demeans and undermines the role of the state in running the affairs of the country.

Ridicule as a weapon for the weak
In politics, ridicule is used by marginalized parties as a means to vent their anger towards the ruling class in circumstances I'm which they do not have bonafide communication channels. 

However in Uganda, does the opposition agree that they are truly weak and incapable of fronting their agenda to the people of Uganda, inspire of the wide media coverage they enjoy both on traditional and non traditional media and hence the need to adopt such under hand techniques? 

With all the donor dollars and blank cheque books that they receive, is this the only way that they can advocate their manifesto and ideology? Is this their winning strategy?

During the requiem mass for the late Arnold Ainebyona Mugisha his father put the unfortunate death of the young man to the fact that he is a Munyakole. Given the nature of the occasion, it is forgivable for him to have made such a statement during this time of mourning. 

However it is not forgivable for the masses of social media hoards and mobs who had earlier made that conclusion themselves and some even suggested that he deserved the outcome. This politics of convenience is dangerous given the wide range of coverage social media attracts and the lack of means to redress such an unwarranted conversation in our society.
 
Ugandans need to always distinguish between causation and occasion in political discussions. Just because an event has happened in relation to already existing circumstances doesn't necessary mean that those circumstances are the cause of the occasion. Just as scholar Mwambutsya Ndebesa put it, this was an unfortunate opportunity that was being used conveniently for political mileage.

We need to accept that ethnic rifts exist in our society as they have even before colonialism and the establishment of the Ugandan state, but we cannot accept it to be used for political gains. However, the government of NRM has done so much to have an all inclusive society with balanced distribution of national resources and it is regrettable that elements within the opposition see social division and discrimination as a means to achieve their agendas.

This kind of talk that is aimed at discrediting the achievements of this government should be discouraged. Disturbing the social glue that has for so long kept this nation together cannot be sacrificed for mere political mileage. 

By vulgarization of a genuine societal and political discussion, credibility is lost and genuine political agenda is drowned out. Credible leaders are sidelined and genuine political discourse is dismissed. All actors are put on a level that is below societal standard and at that moment, it becomes impossible and irrelevant for the population to distinguish between the legitimate and illegitimate political agenda.

We have many lessons to draw from the past in places like Nazi Germany and Pre-Genocide Rwanda. We should not merely drag ourselves to these levels, like puppets but attempt to question and reconsider the quality and nature of our discussions for the good of our nation and development.