Let Us Gather at Namboole: Gashumba Backs Saleh on National Reconciliation. Transition Must Be Negotiated, Not Decreed.

 

By Musa Rwamigoye 

Yesterday morning, while appearing in the studios of Radio 4, where he was hosted by Mr. Kungu Al Mahadi Adam, former PLU Vice Chairman for Buganda Region and political commentator Frank Gashumba added his voice to Gen. Salim Saleh’s call for a Consociational dialogue aimed at securing the future of our nation.

In a humble and modest voice, Gashumba welcomed and fully endorsed the General’s proposal, emphasizing that such dialogue is critical for the betterment of our future and, above all, for ensuring a faithful, peaceful transition and succession of the Presidency.

Gashumba noted that Uganda stands at a historic crossroads that demands statesmanship over partisanship.

 “I wish to unequivocally applaud Gen. Saleh for his timely call for a Consociational political discourse. He has spoken at a moment when our nation needs it most.” Gashumba said.

I have always maintained that as a country, we must find the courage to gather at Nambole stadium as one nation, not as factions and sincerely apologize to one another. We must confront our past and present grievances for the sake of the Uganda we desire to live in. The level of fury and outrage, both among those in leadership and those outside it, those with authority and power, and those without has reached a boiling point that we can no longer ignore.

Failure to undertake this collective introspection and reconciliation will be a historical indictment on our generation. Future generations will stand on the ruins of our divisions and rightfully ask: “Why did they not gather as one nation and reconcile when they had the chance?”

It is in this context that I welcome Gen. Saleh’s Consociational proposal. If this call is made with sincerity, then it is a truly great and statesmanlike intervention. His words carry clean water and promise of healing, inclusion, and national rebirth.

Remember, the Consociational framework is not about power, but about belonging. It offers a departure from the perilous winner-takes-all politics towards a model of power-sharing, mutual respect, and inclusive cohesion.

Gashumba endorsed call and urged all political actors, cultural leaders, and citizens of goodwill to treat it with the seriousness it deserves.

 

“Gen. Saleh remains the de facto Vice President of this nation in the true sense of the historical struggle. The historicals of the 1981-1986 Bush War share a unique and unbreakable bond and a fraternity forged in sacrifice, who must continue to gather and reflect on how they maneuvered through the immense difficulties they encountered to liberate this country.

In this spirit, we extend our profound gratitude to Gen. Saleh for spearheading a cause that seeks to de-escalate tension and restore national cohesion”. He said.

 

Gashumba went on and quoted the key statement made by Gen Saleh about the rescue of Dr. Besigye from Luzira to Lubowa for treatment while meeting chairpersons of parliamentary committees in Kapeeka.

 “ I wish to specifically reference Gen Saleh’s monumental statement regarding the condition in which he found Dr. Kizza Besigye at Luzira Prison. His observation that Dr. Besigye was never supposed to be in jail in that state was not just a statement but a historic act of conscience.

For a certified Four-Star General to witness firsthand what Dr. Besigye was enduring in incarceration and to take the decisive, humanitarian initiative to rescue him by transferring him to Lubowa Hospital, is an act that will be remembered by history.

We thank you, General. This intervention reaffirms your role as a moral compass of the struggle. The truth must be told. Had Gen. Saleh not visited and intervened, by sheer bad luck, Dr. Besigye would be no more today”. Gashumba said.

 

In same talk show, Gashumba beseeched his brothers and sisters in the PFF, NUP, and all other political parties to be part of the dialogue when the Government finally decides to gather us as Ugandans to sit as one nation. He extensively and faithfully begged them not to be rigid in dialogue put in place to unit Ugandans. 

“ Do not allow yourselves to be boxed into partisan corners. At the end of the day, this country is ours all of us.

No single individual owns this country called Uganda and no single party owns it.

Uganda doesn’t belong to Catholics, Muslims, Pentecostals, Anglicans, Seventh-Day Adventists, and African traditional believers. Similarly, Uganda is not for NRM, NUP, DP, ANT, PLU, or any other political party. Uganda is the permanent home that belongs to us all.

We must therefore handle the impending political transition with utmost care, wisdom, and inclusivity. If we fail to do so, we shall live to regret it”. Gashumba said.

 

Basing on the Afande Elweru saga, Gashumba said that the warning signs are already clear. If we continue on the current path of exclusion and unaddressed grievances, the nation risks fragmentation. On this point, he says that one General will capture one part of Uganda, another will retreat to his ancestral territory, and another will seize his sub-region. What we are witnessing regarding Gen. Peter Elweru in Eastern Uganda is a precursor. There could be many more retired Generals thinking like Gen. Elweru.

This is why a Consociational and all-inclusive national dialogue is not a favor but a national security imperative.

It is precisely because I believe there could be other Generals harbouring a similar understanding as Afande Peter Elweru that I stand to beseech all Ugandans to gather at Namboole Stadium as one nation, to dialogue on the future betterment of our country.

We, the reasonable elders who are now above 50 years, have one overriding desire. That desire is to see our children and grandchildren living in harmony in a peaceful Uganda.

History has shown us across this Africa continent that within the blink of an eye, Uganda could turn into another Somalia if matters of national importance particularly the transition and succession are not handled with devotion, sincerity, and care.

Those towering buildings you see in Kampala today? In just one week of national collapse, you could return and fail to find a single one standing, if not all reduced to rubble on the floor.

For you, the socialites and people in showbiz who hang out and spend nights jumping like heifers in Club Guvnor and Club Mezo Noir, you may pass by those very clubs after a month and find them covered in shrubs and ruins.

That is not the Uganda we desire to live in. We must do all it takes to preserve a country where we live as one people.

 

Furthermore in the same talk show, Gashumba lamented that partisan differences in Uganda have reached a point where even attending the funeral of a friend has become difficult.

Gashumba, who is associated with Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba’s Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU), revealed that he fears being verbally abused by NUP supporters with all sorts of insults should he attend the burial of his longtime friend, comedian Yokana Mbuuse, popularly known as Kapeere, due to his political association with the ruling Party.

 

In a pointed rejoinder, Gashumba challenged those who treat Hon. Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu (Bobi Wine) as their exclusive political property. He argued that he and other individuals, including Hon. Kasozi and the late Hon. Muhammad Ssegirinya, played instrumental roles in helping Kyagulanyi rise to his current political prominence.

He questioned why political disagreements should be allowed to overshadow personal friendships and the fundamental human need to mourn someone with whom they once shared close bonds.

His remarks have since reignited a national debate on political intolerance in Uganda, and how escalating partisan divisions are increasingly eroding personal relationships, friendships, and even the sanctity of funeral gatherings traditionally a space for unity and reconciliation.

 

In his wisdom, Gashumba thinks that as a nation that has endured the painful costs of exclusionary politics, Uganda stands at a defining moment. The Consociational model offers Uganda citizens a proven path power-sharing, mutual veto, proportional representation, and segmental autonomy, where every community feels it belongs to the state, but not merely subject to it.

Gashumba also thinks that Gen. Saleh has correctly diagnosed the national question, where unity cannot be decreed, but must be negotiated and structured. He thinks that Gen Saleh’s initiative moves Uganda away from winner-takes-all politics towards inclusive governance, stability, and equitable development.

Political commentator Frank Gashumba, who is at times described as controversial, believes that a better future Uganda needs pragmatic and inclusive leadership deeply rooted in its historical realities.