In the 1980s, before and during the bush war in the Luwero Triangle and elsewhere, police stations were targets of rebels to capture guns. The only difference is that the rebels of 1980s and before did not use motorcycles. Today suspected rebels are using motorcycles. Rebellion is always an indicator of accumulating discontent and insecurity among the human population

Discontent and insecurity seem to be rising in the minds of men, women and even children of varying ages. Most discontented and insecure people will not express their discontent and insecurity in their minds violently. It is always a few people who will become violent. Some become mentally deranged and may be violent.

It is not easy to combat discontent and insecurity in the heads of people using guns. You have to find out why people are discontented and insecure and deal with it before some of them decide to express their discontent and insecurity violently.

The few that decide to express their discontent and insecurity violently can disorganise society well into the future. Discontent and insecurity tend to be good bed fellows. They are socially dangerous because they dwell in the heads of people. You cannot shoot at them .

We must answer the question ” Why are discontent and insecurity rising in the minds of men, women and children ?”

When you hear of young children committing suicide – something that used to be done by adults – then discontent and insecurity  in the heads of people of all ages is a real challenge that cannot be tackled militarily.

The way forward must involve the following:

• Combat kinship politics, ethnicity, ethnic politics and  injustice
• Meaningfully deal with corruption – don’t allow some connected to power or in power to practice the vice while chasing after those who are remotely removed from power
• Ensure quality education and quality health for all, not just those in the kinship circles of those in power or connected to power
• Remove oppressive laws
• Introduce minimum wage
• Pay humanising salaries for all government workers
• Meaningfully open up political space
• End extrajudicial killings by police and military
• Put human rights and environment at the centre of governance
• Ensure fairness in employment opportunities
• Ensure the natural resources of the country benefit the absolute majority of Ugandans, not a few in power or connected to power
• Pay pensions to retired parents of the nation
• Invest heavily in health, education, agriculture and new and renewable energy, not in military hardware
• Deal with widespread land grabbing for once and all
• Manage refugee burden
• Free farmers of Middlemen/women and ensure humanizing prices for their products..
• Manage the national budget and national debt
• Equip schools, hospitals and dispensaries
• Pay more attention to citizens than to refugees and foreigners

The list of matters causing discontent and insecurity in the heads of Ugandans has become long and inexhaustible. We must show that we care and are determined to deal with it. So far so bad.

For God and My Country