Mugisha Muntu: A Hero Misunderstood [Editor's Opinion]

First, there’s the demeanor.

He tends to gesture languidly while looking at one section of his audience and ignoring the rest.

Then, his speech stretches the fabric of his thoughts with prolonged vowels as he boringly drones on in a way that’s more Valium than valiant.

Second, there’s the content of his speech: he tends to parrot what we all say.

Namely, the country sits on a powder keg primed to explode.

It’s a commonplace message with no soaring sense of mission to relieve its violent undertones.

This raises the question: by saying what we all say, is he able to do more than what we say?

One of the biggest ironies of repression is that it makes people more idealistic as they romanticize change and what it will bring.

Muntu's speeches should tap more poetically into this sentimentalism.

Muntu’s sweet-tempered approach to politics has exposed him to a lot of abuse.

Although this, to me, is no big deal.

Before Abraham Lincoln became US president, he was assailed by newspapers in the North and South with such colorful descriptions as: "an unshapely man" "a barbarian" “the original gorilla” and “an idiot,”

After he became president he was deemed, “weak as water”, ““timid, vacillating & inefficient.”

“Lincoln is universally an admitted failure, has no will, no courage, no executive capacity … and his spirit necessarily infuses itself downwards through all departments.”

Today, Lincoln is revered as one of the greatest leaders in human history. So Muntu may still make hay where the sun doesn’t shine.

However, there’s also the question of trust.

The other day, National Unity Platform (NUP) followers said that they can't trust anyone who has worked with President Yoweri Museveni.

Therefore, Muntu, who served as army commander for 8 years, is somebody who cannot be trusted.

Again, some in the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) accused him of being a spy sent to polarize and atomize the opposition.

Poor Gen. Muntu, always misunderstood.

Muntu running for president Pulse

When he joined the NRA on March 21, 1981, many of the rebels thought he was a spy sent by then President Milton Obote on a "wet operation" as a spy.

After all, his father Enock Ruzima Muntuyera was a strong government functionary and close friend of Obote.

However, before Muntu (cognomen RA 084) was four months old as a guerrilla, he took bullets in the left leg and chest.

And that's when the rebels realized they were dealing with a bleeding heart romantic and not a planted reactionary.

His family, I assume, was not happy with Muntu.

In the same way that Fidel Castro's family was incensed when he nationalized his own parents' land in tune with his communistic policy of land expropriation.

So, does Muntu have to take yet another bullet for the cause to gain our trust?

No.

His credentials are rock-solid.

Besides, in saying that anyone who worked with President Museveni cannot be trusted, you are also arguing that the demons in Hell are crazy to be working with Lucifer because he previously worked with God!

Please note, I am not calling Muntu “Lucifer” nor am I labeling Museveni “God”.

Why should Muntu be assumed guilty by association?

Bobi Wine was associated with Bebe Cool, does that make them one and the same?

If genuine change is to be achieved, we must come to the Shakespearean realization that the fault is not in our stars but in ourselves, we are the underlings.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of Pulse as its publisher.