Last week, the Constitutional Court ruled against the impeachment of Zaake Francis from being a Parliamentary Commissioner saying that Parliament did not follow the right procedures to effect his impeachment.
Surprisingly in other cases, Courts have faulted the processes but upheld the outcome. A case in point is the recent case of Benedict Kiwanuka vs Democratic Party where the court ruled against the process that brought Nobert Mao and his executive but again could not throw them out of office. In the Presidential petition of Dr Besigye vs Gen Museveni in both 2001 and 2006, the Court pinched holes in the electoral process but upheld the outcome of the elections. This will be the subject for another day.
Whereas Court focused on the process of the impeachment, I want to focus on the content of the matter; why was Zaake impeached and whether there was a justification. Zaake was impeached after he put on his twitter a post that was abusing, ridiculing, attacking and degrading the then Deputy Speaker of Parliament Anita Among in response to her comment in the house that he didn’t like. Zaake had an avenue to raise his concern with the Speaker but decided to insult her.
But how did we reach this point? For starters, leadership is about articulating ideas and having a character. In terms of ideas, it’s about the economy, national unity, corruption, addressing inequalities, unemployment etc. while in terms of character leadership is about how one behaves and relates with others.
Unfortunately, our country has reached a point where ideas and character no longer define leadership and it is instead determined by exciting the population, anger, blackmail, hate speech, attracting sympathy etc.
As a result, leaders with ideas and character do not necessarily have support as compared to populists, hate mongers and propagandists. In opposition Leaders like Mathias Mpuuga, Gen Muntu, Asuman Basalirwa have no huge following amongst opposition ranks because they have a character and ideas. Leaders like Zaake Francis, Muhammed Ssegirinya, Mubarak Munyagwa, Joel Ssenyonyi, Bobi Wine and the likes who do not necessarily stand on a solid ideological ground attract a significant following especially from the youth.
This sad trajectory has even penetrated the other areas outside politics with responsible leaders like Buganda Katikiro Peter Mayiga being ridiculed and often blackmailed as weak leaders while hooligans like Fred Lumbuye and the likes attract a following even when they don’t represent any ideology.
Zaake Francis therefore represents hooliganism, politics that is neither based on ideas nor character but populism, hate and sentiments. Regardless of whether his impeachment was legal or not, what does Zaake stand for? Is there any motion, bill or any serious report he has ever tabled before the house for the 7 years he has been an MP? Has he ever made any meaningful contribution in Parliament or committee of Parliament? Why would such a person even be nominated as a Commissioner when he has no ideas at all?
For the 7 years, Zaake is known for; attacking the Vice Chancellor of Makerere University when he had just left a Committee meeting, fighting with Gen Katumba Wamala during Togikwatako, abusing the then Deputy Speaker Anita Among using derogatory and insane words, and being tortured by security (possibly for his poor conduct). The only attempt he made to raise a point on the floor of Parliament, he never followed the rules of procedure and again created a stampede prompting the Chair to adjourn the house!
So in this case, Zaake has built his career on sympathy and cheap politics, he will do everything possible to create a scene so that he is arrested or beaten to gain sympathy. He is a copycat of his lead counsel Erias Lukwago who has spent 13 years as a Lord Mayor of Kampala and has made no legacy except fighting with technical staff! Ugandans should shun the politics of hooliganism as championed by Zaake and the likes because it won’t transform
The author is a policy analyst!
