By Professor Oweyegha- Afunadula
It is true. President Tibuhaburwa Museveni was not the first to elevate his spouse to a Cabinet Post when he first appointed his wife who was then MP for Ruhaama County Janet Museveni to cabinet on the 27th May 2011 as Minister for Karamoja Affairs. He has also maintained her in the cabinet as Minister of Education and sports for two consecutive terms from 2016 to date .
In the early 1990s, the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Benazar Bhutto, elevated her husband, Asif Ali Zadari, to a Cabinet Post. Imagine President Samia Suluhu Hassan of Tanzània elevating her husband, Hafidhi Ameir, to a Cabinet Post.
One thing is true. Raising a spouse to a Cabinet Post is a form of political corruption. In Pakistan the Bhutto family was ever accused of corruption. Benazir Bhutto’s husband spent a lot of his time and energy involved in corrupt deals. Indeed corruption felled the Bhutto family from power. It is difficult to extricate yourself from the corruption in Government if your spouse is engaged in corrupt deals.
It is also difficult for you to claim leadership in the fight against corruption. Like Obote in Uganda who was President of Uganda twice (1966-1971 and 1980-1985) and was accused of corruption by the group of Rwandese refugees and some Ugandans that overthrew his Government by remote sensing through precipitating sociopolitical conditions for the Okellos to overthrow his Government, Benazir Bhutto ruled Pakistan twice as the 11th and 13th Prime Minister.
And like Obote who was dismissed from office twice, Benazir Bhutto was dismissed from office twice, but unlike Obote she was found guilty of corruption and sentenced to a prison term of 5 years. In fact both her and her husband were accused of corruption and found guilty.
They ruled together, got involved in corruption together and were sentenced together. That is the problem when a whole family is involved in ruling a country and getting involved in corruption. It is a matter of time before it is caught in the thick of corruption and brought to book. It may take long but it happens.
The Writer is a Ugandan Scientist and Environmentalist
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