Prof Yash Tandon, a member of the famous gang of four has urged President Museveni to behave like a mwalimu (teacher) by nurturing and handing over power to the young generation.
The gang was an influential group of academics including Prof Tandon, Prof. Edward Rugumayo and the late Prof Omwony Ojok and Prof. Dani Wadada Nabudere that were instrumental in establishing the Uganda National Liberation Front-UNLF.
Prof Tandon has worked at different levels since the 1960s as an academic, teacher, political activist and thinker and is well versed with Uganda’s politics and political change.
He is a professed socialist. He made the remarks just hours before the launch of his book titled “Common People’s Uganda” at Hotel Africana in Kampala on Thursday. The book is a Marxist-socialist manifesto of sort that he presents to Uganda as a panacea to the current ill.
According to Prof Tandon, Ugandans need a national dialogue to unite all political forces. He says the dialogue should structure a two year transition government, through which, President, Museveni should prepare to hand over power to the young generation.
“A national dialogue which brings all people together. No matter what parties they belong to, what region they belong to, what religion they belong to. Have a programme for the next two years; a transitional period for two years where they have change of government. Mr Museveni, who is a good friend of mine, please let the young generation take over. Please Mr President be a teacher, be a mwalimu, be a mwalimu to the young generation so that you and I can join forces again and bring up a new generation with a new vision,” he said.
Mr Museveni, who has been in power since 1986, has sent out all indications that he is not about to hand over power. The constitution was amended in 2017 to scrap the 75 years age limit cap for presidential candidates to pave way for Museveni to seek another term of office.
Mr Museveni has since secured the endorsement of the Central Executive Committee of his ruling National Resistance Movement-NRM as the soul party candidate head of the 2021 elections. He euphorically accepted the endorsement.
However, Prof Tandon, says time is up for Mr Museveni. He scolds Uganda’s opposition for the endless clashes within their ranks instead of combining forces.
He however, urges Ugandans not look at Mr Museveni as the chief enemy, saying the enemy is neo-liberalism summons by western institutions such as the International Monetary Fund, World Bank, World Trade Organisation (WTO) among others, which have captured Uganda specifically and Africa in general.
A united Uganda, he argues is what is needed to fight western imperialism. He also argues that political leaders should unite to broach a socialist vision that works for ordinary Ugandans.
Questioning Prof Tandon’s book, government spokesperson, Mr Ofwono Opondo on Wednesday tweeted saying: “What’s that Prof Yash Tandon knows about bw? He simply failed on basic custom procedures with printed materials from Kenya.”
