Rel Kawa

One Ugandan, paid with money collected from Ugandans in various forms to run this country, and equipped with guns, uniforms and other gear purchased with Ugandans’ money, is using those resources to abduct and torture Ugandans, then gloating about how he will kill more Ugandans, torture them and make them disappear. Other Ugandans are saying, “Look, this Ugandan is a threat to us as Ugandans. He is destroying a fundamental part of our social contract, in which the people entrust a few individuals with the power to govern the country.” We must not forget that when this power is abused, Ugandans have the power to take it back. Fundamentally, power belongs to the people. The question to answer is not whether I used a phone line registered in my mother’s name rather than mine. That is merely a decoy. The real question is whether some Ugandans are considered more Ugandan than others. Are we saying that when some people’s opinions do not prevail, they must be abducted, tortured or killed? If anyone agrees with that, I would consider them a cabbage. Only a cabbage could think that way and find pleasure in abducting, torturing and killing fellow Ugandans. The past fortnight and a few days have been trying, but they have not broken me. Instead, they have strengthened my courage. I have drawn strength from your solidarity and support, which have encouraged me to believe that the future of this country is not as broken as we might imagine. There is still a flicker of hope, and if we find the right way to nurture it, our country will ultimately be set free. I reiterate, without fear, that Uganda is not a monarchy. The people of Uganda deserve a say in the transition of their country, and fear must never be used as a tool to silence them or shut them up, especially at a time when their voices matter most. I once again express my gratitude for your support. And I must say that, contrary to what they expected, **I will not go quiet. I will not keep silent. I will not flee into exile out of fear. I will stay until the very end.** We are going to defend this country, as provided for under Article 3 of our Constitution. When the Constitution is abused and the rule of law gives way to the rule of an individual, we have a constitutional duty to resist and defend our Constitution and our country. In doing so, we shall not be breaking the law; we shall be exercising our constitutional mandate. The struggle continues, and we shall prevail over fear. The demand remains: Arrest Muhoozi and free all political prisoners Thank you, comrades. Thank you, fellow Ugandans.