As results start trickling in from Uganda’s general and presidential elections, early reports say that longtime incumbent President Yoweri Museveni has defeated his main rival Boni Wine by 59% to 35%.
Now that the Ugandan Electoral Commission has declared the veteran leader Mr. Museveni is winner of the January 14, 2021 elections, Wine is alleging widespread voter fraud and promises to rally his supporters to peacefully protest the outcome of the elections. Additionally, some news agencies are reporting that Mr. Wine has declared himself winner of the January 14, 2021 elections.
The list of African politicians claiming elections fraud continues to grow. In Ghana, a country that I admire for having not just peaceful elections but also smooth transition of power, had witnessed election violence following incumbent President Nana Akuffo Addo victory over Dr. John Mahama of the opposition on December 7, 2020.
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the opposition cried foul when they lost the December 2018 elections to Mr. Felix Tshisekedi. Africa’s first female president Mrs. Ellen Johnson Sieleaf of Liberia insisted, although incorrectly, that there was voter fraud when she lost to then President Charles Taylor in August 1997. The Central African Republic is now in trouble as opposition and rebel groups claimed that the December 27, 2020 elections were rigged in favor of President Faustin- Archange Touadera.
Opposition candidate the young Wine has excited Ugandan young people, but he must keep them engaged in the political process by firstly accepting the outcome of the elections. The fight to change conditions in Uganda is not just that of Mr. Wine but one for all Ugandans.
I agree that losing any competition is not easy and the loser will feel frustrated because of the time, energy, and resources spent. Top sports players like Leonard Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, or basketball star Le Bron James have all, at some point of their career, came so close to winning but were not successful. I remembered when James Miami Heats’ lost the basketball championship to the Dallas Mavericks and San Antonio Spurs, he and his team left the court with their head buried deep in the ground, disappointed, frustrated, and ultimately wondering what went wrong. Despite those little setbacks, the Heat with James, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Botch won two NBA championships.
Mr. Wine is now in the position to show these young people what kind of leader he inspires to be. Is it the type who wants it for himself or for the people? But if Wine wants to become Uganda president, he because he wants to create job opportunities for Ugandans, then Mr. Wine should put the spotlight on these issues and suggests strategies as to how he thinks he will provide jobs, improve healthcare and education, build roads, and join other African leaders in fighting for a more integrated Africa when he becomes president someday.
The African continent had witnessed too much violence as the result of politicians failing to calm down rising political tension after losing elections. In Kenya, following his defeat in 2007 and 2017, Raila Odinga insisted that the election was rigged, and his continued argument led to close to tribal conflict in Kenya, and many innocent Kenyan were killed as the result. As mentioned already, thousands of armless civilians are fleeing CAR because politicians are unable to solve their political grievances through the proper and peaceful channels.
Solving our political differences through the proper channel does not just show to your supporters that you are a leader who can work under pressure, but also tell them that you are capable of not leading them into senseless conflict in which people might lose their lives. In the United States for example, President Donald J. Trump falsely claims that the elections were stolen from him and incited his supporters who stormed the Capitol and killed five people, two Capitol Police officers and three other people.
Africa is at a turning point and young people like Mr. Wine need to help the continent move in the right direction. He has created a political movement that he can nurture to take on the political fight for a long time or help create conflict that might lead to more people losing their lives. Already, 54 Ugandans died during the campaign violence and I think that many Africans are concerned that if colder heads do not prevail in Uganda, the country will see disturbances that could see more bloodshed.
The young people of Uganda are the young people of Africa and they have much to gain from a peaceful Uganda. The African Union has just launched the African Free Continent Trade Area (AfCFTA) on January 1, 2021 promising a lot of good things for African youths. Mr. Wine needs to start informing his mostly youthful supporters that Uganda problems are Africa’s problems and the launch to the AfCFTA will benefit them greatly.
The youth and women of Africa have suffered for so long because our leaders have neglected that needs, but we should not allow that to continue. Mr. Winn has now planted in seed which is the future of Uganda. We want to see him around to go out there to water those seeds, clear the weed from around those seeds, protect those seeds from wild animals, and be around to produce fruits for the people.
The people of African are tired of conflict and Mr. Wine should play his part in seeing that his behavior, declaring himself the winner does not open doors for unrest. He needs to go back to the drawing board and start identifying candidates who can represent people in local and other elections to solve the country’s problems. The president’s office is the big prize but participating in all elections across that country will help in bringing into focus what the country’s problems are and how those problems can be addressed.
Messi, Ronaldo, and James lost championships; they felt broken at these moments but did not leave the soccer field or basketball court without embracing and congratulating their opponents. They know that they are all sports players who will meet again when the competitions are over. Mr. Museveni is an African and a proud citizen of Uganda so is Mr. Wine. They both have profound love for their country and the continent and need to embrace each other as these elections are over to show their fellow country women and men that they care about the stability and prosperity of the beloved country; Uganda.
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