Dreams of change

I recently had a dream in which president Yoweri Museveni lost an election, accepted defeat and peacefully handed over power. Interestingly, the man who beat him at the polls was not Amama Mbabazi neither was he Kizza Besigye. The winner was a vocal city pastor who often leads annual national prayers.

I woke up from the dream happy that it answered the million-dollar question most Ugandans have been asking: can president Museveni accept defeat and graciously handle over power? When shall we witness peaceful power transition like our friends in Tanzania? 

President Museveni has been in power for 29 years

They say dreams come true, and as I was enjoying the possibility that my dream might come true, I remembered an intriguing part that cut short my hopes. In the intriguing part of the dream, tears were running down the cheeks of Museveni as he gave his last speech as the president of this country and handed over power. He was literally crying a river! I wondered: was he crying because he didn't want to leave and didn't know how to face the world outside the presidency, or was he crying over the mistakes of his past 30 years in power and the things he could have done differently? 

It's difficult to tell but one sure thing many Ugandans would welcome peaceful transfer of power. I heard one politician say all of Uganda's presidents have had to bomb their way to power and must be bombed out or they will never leave. But that ugly history of violence is one the friendly people of Uganda never want to revert to.

That's why for me this year's Independence Day was less about celebrating and more about meditating and praying that the beautiful aspects of my dream do come true sooner than later. It would be Museveni's best legacy to peacefully pass on the mantle. 

Moreover, change is one of the main constants of life. So the sooner we accept the inevitable the better for the greater good.