M7 DOES NOT BELIEVE IN KAGAME’S POLITICS OF FEAR
President Paul Kagame has failed to learn and practice politics of tolerance and inclusion from his mentor President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda.
On his last visit to Rwanda among his busy schedule, President Museveni spared some quality time and paid a visit to the mother of his old friend Gen. Fred Rwigema a Uganda and the Rwandan hero.
President Museveni is not only a master of remembering his friends and comrades but also his former enemies alike. It is important to mention that he had accorded presidential funeral rites to his former enemy the Late President Dr Apolo Milton Obote. He has subsequently repatriated his family including his Children and his Widow Mama Miria Obote. Obote’s Son James Akena Obote has returned to his home village to stand as an MP. Late Presiedent Obote’s home in posh Kololo was renovated by the government prior to the family’s return from exile in Zambia and handed over to the rightful owner upon their arrival.
The late President Idd Amin’s family has since his death bean repartriated and live peacefully in Uganda. One of his son Taban Amin is a high ranking official in Uganda under President Museveni the guy he had personally fought.
Museveni has pardoned and released Chris Rwakasisi a former notorious Bushenyi Member of Parliament in Obote’s regime. Museveni has pardoned the notorious Lt. Col Adullah Nassur right hand man of Iddi Amin. It is important to note that both men were on death row sentence and life in Luzira maximum prison.
On the lesser side President Museveni has pardoned Col. Kyakabale and Gen Tinyefuza his comrades who had turned against him and publically incited violence and intent to overthrow his rule.
Kagame however has ruthlessly locked up his comrades Gen Frank Rusagara and his personal friend and bodyguard Col Tom Byabagamba. For sure these guy’s charges are absurd. One would say that they deserved a mere slap on the wrist instead of such merciless incarceration give the relationship with him.
We have learnt that Christine Rusagara, the wife of Gen Frank Rusagara has been fighting Cancer for some time in the United Kingdom. It is further revealed that deadly disease is terminal and life-threatening. Both Christine and Frank were very instrumental in the founding of the RPF which Kagame heads now and the fight for liberation.
If Kagame was Museveni (“only if”), he would pardon Gen Frank Rusagara of his offenses and give him a first class ticket to the United Kingdom to comfort and spend the remaining time with his wife Christine. This gesture would not only strengthen Kagame’s dying popularity amongst old RPF supports and Combatants but also his rule.
However, unlike Museveni, Kagame doesn’t differentiate between an enemy and a critique, which most of these gentlemen are.
He is rather hateful of any critique. Hate is an easy emotion to provoke but a difficult one to control. For years, president Kagame has sought to quell his political dissents with violence but should learn to harness them.
The campaign of eliminating political dissents and their relatives is toxic, focusing less on small issues rather than on reconciliation, building and healing the nation, tolerance and cohesion. This may be the logical end point of rhetoric and actions that whip up hatred: Hence recycling, murder, violent change of regimes where a regime removes another regime with intention of revenge.
By President Kagame rendering Gen. Frank Rusagara access to his terminally ill wife, will also be gesture of love that will unite all Rwandans to fight against the hatred and revenge but embrace forgiveness, so that it will be reciprocated to him in the future whether in or out office.