Walking in Amama’s Shoes
It’s one thing to have the military heavily guarding your home at one moment and another thing to have your cat Spencer assume the role of Chief Of Security when the military is withdrawn. This is one harsh reality Amama Mbabazi, the former Prime Minister might have to get used to.
A fall from grace? Maybe it’s a little too early to write off one of the smartest politicians to have walked through the corridors of power but one thing Amama wasn’t probably ready for was the sudden adjustment he will have to make from this exceedingly powerful government official to a mere mortal like you and I. A backbencher? Who ever thought that a man of Mbabazi’s clout would ever have to warm the back seats with the likes of Odonga Otto or tell the likes of the Nambooze’s to “extend a bit” in Parliament. Almost unthinkable.
Can he comfortably show face in public without the usual car convoy he has grown so used to? Now that the chauffeured luxurious Mercedes Benz he was entitled to as Prime Minister was withdrawn, he must be wondering how he will jump on a boda boda to go get some groceries in the supermarket. He must be wondering how he will show up at events and not be given this intoxicating VIP treatment that comes with being a minister. He has been minister for close to 18 years so he has probably never bought himself an airtime scratch card, queued at any bank or sat in the economy class of the many flights he has taken.
Forget those humanitarian “jambos” he was flashing at journalists when his security detail was withdrawn. This man is surely not at peace. Like the perfect gentleman that he has always been, you expect Amama Mbabazi to play down any crisis with a smile but it’s pretty tough being reduced to the life of any other ordinary citizen especially when you have grown so used to those countless benefits. He must be wondering why many years of loyalty he had devoted to the country could be repaid with a sacking of that manner. Apparently he was thrown out because he had started growing a large appetite.
Mbu because he had started eyeing the largest mouthwatering piece of the National Cake meant for someone else and he was immediately kicked him off the High Table. He must be slowly calculating his moves or wondering where to start from. Does he get to join the comedians that make up a huge number of the opposition or does he sit back and bite off some maize in his compound?
It’s certainly a tough position to be in for anyone and not just Mbabazi to see their star rise only for it to be brought back down. One thing they always taught us was how to be successful but not how to handle success. Many people get that big career breakthrough that comes with a bigger pay cheque and as they become more successful, they tend to lose touch with reality. They no longer associate themselves with the people they used to hang with because they are now perceived as lower class and forget that you can fall just as fast as you rose. They do not want to be seen in those places they used to frequent back then just because of a shift in status quo.Never burn old bridges because the script could change in just one flash of a second. You could be eating from Serena one day and eating from toninyira the next day. Stay forever humble however successful you get. Nice weekend guys.