Nuwe Amanya Mushega, commonly known as Amanya Mushega, has asked President Yoweri Museveni to hand over power to another person in a peaceful transition.
The former senior cabinet minister and NRM political ideologue Mushega said it is not too late for Uganda to turn course, after admitting that, “We are not in the best of state. This violence which is going on is not nice.”
Mushega said he continues, like he has done before, to urge President Yoweri Museveni to retire and give the younger generation an opportunity to take over peacefully. He said he is still critical of a decision to change the age limit to allow Museveni to continue as President, past an earlier agreed time at which he would have handed over to new leaders.
“As part of the people who brought this government to power, we can’t afford getting tired of reminding Museveni to peacefully hand over power to other people,” Mushega said, adding that, “we put limitations in the constitution. Serve two terms, was one of them. You do not leave power because you have lost steam. You leave because the law says so.”
Mushega reminded Museveni that as youth, they fought in the bush war of 1986 to change the country for the better.
“We fought together in the bush for liberation of this country. I now ask of you, kindly allow me the opportunity to go to Kololo to witness a President handing over to another President in my life time,” Mushega appealed.
This is not the first time Mushega is coming out publicaly on the issue of President Museveni’s retirement. At his daughter’s wedding in 2017, he made the same call.
Appearing on NTV Uganda’s On The Spot Show Thursday night, Mushega demanded that the Government apologizes for the killings at the recent riots follow the arrest of Presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi. Police say up to 50 were killed, many of them shot dead by security officers.
“I have not heard anybody (in the government) come out to apologies for the shooting of Ugandans. It’s painful. Our leaders should come out and condemn it and those who have done it should be punished,” he remarked.
He was also critical of the fact that elections had been allowed to go ahead despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, but called for fair play despite Police efforts to enforce Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
“If you do not believe in something, do not try to advocate for it. Uganda belongs to all of us. Let’s apply the law holistically, not selectively. I am not saying Kyagulanyi is right, but if I see you fight an uncle, why stop me from fighting my brother?”
More About Amanya Mushega
Following his graduation from the University of Dar es Salaam, he returned to Uganda in 1972 and taught as an assistant lecturer in the faculty of law at Makerere University.
After obtaining his master’s degree in 1974, he became a lecturer in the faculty of law at the University of Zambia in Lusaka.
He returned to Makerere University in 1979 as a lecturer and continued in that capacity until 1981.
In 1981, Mushega joined the National Resistance Army of Museveni, where he served as the chief national political commissar and rose to the rank of colonel.
Between 1986 and 2001, he served in various ministerial roles, in the ministries of defence, local government, education, and public service.
During that time, he also served as the Member of Parliament representing Igara East in Bushenyi District.
In 2001, he was appointed by the EAC heads of state to serve a five-year term as secretary general of the EAC.
Mushega, is a lawyer, politician, diplomat, and civil servant who served as minister in various capacities between 1986 and 2000.
