By Ouma Patrick Aspiring Member of Parliament, Samia Bugwe Central For Crown Media East Africa As Uganda approaches the 2026 general elections, the nation once again stands at a crossroads—one familiar yet never identical to those before it. Politics in our land has never been a mere contest of ballots; it has always been a test of consciousness, a reflection of who we are, what we value, and what future we dare to imagine. To understand 2026, we must rise beyond the noise of rallies and slogans and interrogate the deeper forces shaping our democracy. 1. The Illusion of Choice vs. the Reality of Power Elections often present themselves as moments of choice. Yet in countries where state machinery heavily influences the electoral landscape, the ballot becomes less of a decision and more of a ritual. Uganda’s political terrain has long been defined by a central paradox: citizens are told they have power, yet the architecture of power often operates beyond their reach. Philosophers r...
OPINION: Africa Must Move Beyond Regime Change Politics By Ouma Patrick, Aspiring Member of Parliament – Samia Bugwe Central Crown Media East Africa For decades, African politics has been trapped in a single, loud narrative: regime change. Citizens are told that their problems — poverty, unemployment, corruption, weak services — will magically disappear once a new group of leaders replaces the old. But Africa’s experience shows a harsher truth: regime change alone does not deliver transformation. Across the continent, opposition leaders gain popularity by condemning the failures of sitting governments. Yet once some of them enter the same systems they criticized — appointed to high offices, given access to state resources, or absorbed into government structures — they often become part of the elite they once fought. Their lives change; the lives of ordinary citizens do not. This political cycle has produced a troubling dependency mindset. Citizens have been conditioned to wait fo...