The Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) extends Christmas Greetings to all Ugandans in particular our Christian brothers and sisters on the festive season of Christmas which is a festival to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
But as we prepare to celebrate it, there is a need for us to take stock of the year-end.
The year 2021 has been characterized from the very start by unfairness including the violent and rigged general elections whose characteristics have continued to manifest in the recently concluded by-election.
The year has also witnessed grave violations of human rights including torture of innocent citizens some of whom lost life.
Hundreds of political prisoners continue to languish in the country’s prisons and safe houses without justice. They and their families continue to live under fear amidst threats from the regime and loss of hope. Many who are not locked up continue to live in fear.
The gap between the advantaged powerful rich and the disadvantaged weak poor continues to widen.
The mismanagement of the COVID 19 pandemic featuring endemic theft of public funds, gross negligence of suffering citizens, and a grim future for our children who have been unnecessarily out of school for over 2 years now is recognized as one of the greatest failures of the NRM government tyranny that has held onto state power by force of arms for 36 years.
This coupled with no post-COVID 19 recovery plan for the citizens has only exacerbated the already failing economy and driven the already desperately poor Ugandans deeper into poverty.
Our youth continue to be sold off as slaves especially in the Middle East countries as the Country grapples with soaring levels of unemployment, with the limited opportunities being granted to the highly connected individuals through a well neat racket involving nepotism and corruption.
Despite Mr. M7’s empty excuse of imposting on the 2021 elections to strengthen the East African community, the poor relationship with the majority of our EAC neighbors continues to hurt citizens through uncertainty, lost trading opportunities, and the resultant insecurity. Trade restrictions by Kenya which posed a threat to Uganda’s growth and the animosity between Rwanda and Uganda is likely going to have a spillover effect into DRC.
Its common knowledge that the UPDF moved into DRC without the authorization of Parliament and with utter disregard to the laws of this country, ostensibly to hunt down the ADF, a force we previously authoritatively were informed had been annihilated.
These concerns which are the tip of an iceberg or even symptoms of a bigger problem will have to be confronted head-on by the citizens of this country.
As political players, we have sufficiently raised these and other related matters with the authorities who have exercised utmost arrogance and have failed to heed the call for them to mitigate the worsening situation of our country. We have through a well researched and written out 2021 -2026 Manifesto offered how to correct all of the outstanding challenges of Ugandan. We had hoped that the presence of Christ amongst us would instill love and sacrifice for our country’s oppressed and the softening of hearts of the oppressors to serve with respect for others without discrimination.
There is therefore an urgent need for the citizens of this country to take back their country from a group of people who have mismanaged it for 36 years now.
Our preoccupation as a party from the start of 2022 will be to provide the requisite leadership from the front in causing change to happen. This change we have always maintained will not be complete through a Museveni controlled and directed election. We, therefore, have no option but to continue the mobilization of citizens for non-violent change even outside elections.
Although the year has been full of challenges with most having no means to celebrate, may Christ’s presence amongst us give is reason to celebrate as we optimistically look forward to a better year ahead.
The FDC is however confident that this spirit of peace and goodwill which characterize this season of the year will serve to further propel this country to a brighter future where all Ugandans will be able to realize their potential and contribute fully to the task of nation building.
The FDC fraternity wishes fellow Ugandans a Merry Christmas and Happy 2022.
PATRICK OBOI AMURIAT
FDC PRESIDENT