Uganda at 64: The pressing liberation now is to organise the peace

What the report says

In a commentary published by The Observer, the writer argues that Uganda’s 64th independence anniversary should prompt a new effort to manage political disagreement through dialogue rather than confrontation. The piece is framed around recent talk in local media about possible discussions on the release of opposition figure Kizza Besigye, which the author says revealed how divided public reactions have become.

The article says Uganda has grown increasingly polarized, with distrust shaping politics and ordinary social interactions. It notes that the country has moved through war, liberation, reconstruction and constitutional reform over several decades, and argues that these gains should be protected while unresolved political tensions are addressed. The author points to the 1995 Constitution and its emphasis on participation, representation and decentralization as part of the broader context for such a discussion.

The writer also uses historical references, including a wartime connection between Salim Saleh and Kizza Besigye, to suggest that past comradeship should not be erased by present political differences. From that perspective, the article calls for a structured national political dialogue, not as a ceremonial summit or elite bargaining session, but as a wider compact on peaceful competition and social cohesion.

The piece says such a process should involve government, parties, civil society, faith and cultural leaders, business and security institutions, while also starting at local levels in villages, parishes, workplaces and markets. The overall argument is that Uganda’s next challenge is not liberation from colonial rule or collapse, but building trusted ways to govern disagreement and avoid further division.