Uganda's president Yoweri Museveni. Photo released under Creative Commons by Russell Watkins/Department for International Development UK).
Not many have the guts to take on Uganda's number one citizen, Yoweri Museveni, head on.
Qatahar Raymond, a journalist, blogger and tweep, recently waged a tweef* against President Museveni, and his National Resistance Movement (NRM), on his Twitter page.
Qatahar is an investigative journalist currently working with Uganda Radio Network and Buzzfeed.
Museveni, who has been in power since 1986, is known for cracking down hard on dissenting voices.
Activists have recently warned of a new bill in the Ugandan parliament that is likely to silence critics, activists and non-governmental organisations critical of his government. He is reportedly seeking a sixth presidential term next year, and has promised never to give power to the opposition, whom he calls “wolves”.
The Raymond-Museveni tweef began with this one tweet:
Naye @KagutaMuseveni ddala kiki, can we jointly get you something more attractive to do than lead us to our graves as a country?
— Qatahar Raymond (@qataharraymond) April 29, 2015
what in the world is going on?, can we jointly get you something more attractive to do than lead us to our graves as a country?
We were just a few wks ago crying abt cancer treatment. A radiotherapy machine goes for 700mn. Our president saw it wise to buy landcruisers
— Qatahar Raymond (@qataharraymond) April 29, 2015
Yes @KagutaMuseveni Ku Landcruiser z'ogabye,gwe nga gwe,is it possible to also construct a cancer ward? You can paint it yellow teri buzibu
— Qatahar Raymond (@qataharraymond) April 29, 2015
On the issue of the Land cruiser, you as a president can construct a cancer ward? You can paint it yellow that will be perfect.
To what? 3bn landcruisers? 33% of GDP debt? a crippling economy? Lwaki otuzunza yye? https://t.co/3G9ab4eRTw
— Qatahar Raymond (@qataharraymond) April 29, 2015
The ruling NRM bought posh Toyota Land Cruiser V8s from the United Kingdom for its party officials. Speculation is rife about where the money for the vehicles was sourced from.
He continued with his criticism, reminding the president about his decision to lease state-owned Dairy Corporation to a foreign firm for $1 US for three years:
And you sold our Dairy corporation for $1. Lwaki ddala otuzunza? https://t.co/8rAYEXKZL3
— Qatahar Raymond (@qataharraymond) April 29, 2015
And you sold our Dairy corporation for $1. Why do you really take us in circles?
He kept posing questions to Museveni:
Yes, where are the corporatives where we sold these crops, Lwaki otuzunza? https://t.co/av2d5D41wY
— Qatahar Raymond (@qataharraymond) April 29, 2015
Many cooperatives in Uganda have collapsed under the Museveni regime following market economy reforms encouraged by the World Bank.
And in a pointed reference to the country's relationship with China, which Museveni was bragging about on Twitter recently, he pointed out that Uganda was not receiving free money from China:
I think you forgot the part where you mention ‘on loans’ and accumulating debt to them! https://t.co/6fW7VCBRWP
— Qatahar Raymond (@qataharraymond) April 29, 2015
On the unending use of the word “liberation”:
again you use the word ‘liberate’ a little to loosely here…. https://t.co/3G9ab4eRTw
— Qatahar Raymond (@qataharraymond) April 29, 2015
Museveni and NRM took over power after a five-year armed struggle towards the end of the Cold War.
Raymond dug up some skeletons in the regime's closet:
We still – under your regime- dont know who killed Kayiira, Kazini, Kagezi, do you have time I spell out the list? https://t.co/GyFZkaCGu7
— Qatahar Raymond (@qataharraymond) April 29, 2015
Dr Andrew Lutakome Kayiira was the leader of the rebel group the Uganda Freedom Movement. He was murdered in 1987 a few days after the government withdrew treason charges against him. Former army commander Maj. Gen. James Kazini was killed in mysterious circumstances in 2008. Joan Kagezi was the lead prosecutor in the case of the 2010 Al-Shabaab-linked bombings in the Ugandan capital Kampala. She was killed on March 30, 2015.
On Museveni being in power for almost three decades, Raymond asked:
Lets compare this with other countries on the timeline of 28 years, shall we Mr President? https://t.co/7WRGMkwBiT
— Qatahar Raymond (@qataharraymond) April 29, 2015
He called Museveni's Twitter account ‘a product of hypocrisy':
If I was hired to sell ‘glaring hypocrisy’ as a product, this account @KagutaMuseveni would be a target investment.
— Qatahar Raymond (@qataharraymond) April 29, 2015
Fellow Ugandan tweeps grew concerned about his criticism. One warned him:
@qataharraymond stop! No one is in the mood for a #FreeRaymond hash tag when they take you in
— Liz (@_firebaby) April 29, 2015
Kemigisa jacky wrote, perhaps sarcastically:
Gwe @qataharraymond it is bad manners in the African Tradition to point out failures of your elders! so i shall go back to my coursework!
— kemigisa jacky (@JackyKemigisa) April 29, 2015
However, J.P.K Makumbi remarked:
I'd like to have whatever @qataharraymond had for breakfast. He is on fire today.
— J.P.K Makumbi (@Johnie256) April 29, 2015
