Is Museveni talking peace with Besigye a New Year’s gift or round two of the Nairobi "peace jokes"?

By Julius Aboko

It is not that I don’t believe in surprises or better still, unlikely miracles. However, as I enjoyed seeing 2012 emerge from its shells, I woke to the really unexpected news (and possibly I am not alone in this) reading: Mkapa to chair Museveni, Besigye talks. The news, which had been published in the New Vision, indicated that the two leaders have actually agreed to talk and resolve their differences.



Too good to be true: News that Beisgye (above) can talk peace with Museveni.

According to the story, Besigye expects the talks to review the previous elections, campaign financing, electoral reforms as well as the restoration of the Presidential term limits. Museveni on the other hand is said to be ‘open to the talks’, but among others, asked Besigye to denounce the walk-to-work protests, denounce violence as a means to changing government and accept complicity in treason activities.

Although I wanted to believe that the talks could actually take place, the nature of the two sets of demands looks, to me, like a rough edged stone being pushed through the mouth of a pot, which is not just clay, but badly undersized.



Having derailed the Nairobi peace talks a.k.a "peace jokes" in 1985,
 can Museveni be trusted to engage in peace talks with Besigye?



One does wonder how comfortable Museveni will be in discussing campaign financing, yet he knows tough questions like the sh20m, which was given to MPs to purportedly supervise NAADS during campaigns, will most likely come up?  How will Museveni convince Besigye that the NRM got its over sh20b campaign money through clean processes, yet the FDC leader believes the President’s party used state resources?

How will Besigye accept complicity in treason activities, yet he knows those charges were preferred against him and colleague activists as a political witch-hunt tool?

Now, assuming the highlighted issues will really form the backbone of the proposed talks, does anyone see a light at the end of the tunnel? I don’t quite think so. Anyway, if it comes, and the parties agree, then it’s worth celebrations. But, first pray that it doesn’t turn out to be a joke.

The writer is a postgraduate MA student of Journalism and Communication at Makerere University.