It's a Looting Spree for Africas' First Families

Contemporary History of African Leadership in a Nutshell...

Mrs. Museveni

I saw red when Janet Keinembabazi
Kataha Museveni, the wife of Ugandan despot was appointed a minister
in charge of the historically impoverished and semi-arid
north-eastern Karamoja region that her husband ruined. I sensed
something nasty because Idi Amin never attempted this mania.

The husband is President. Sadly, the wife is First Lady, Minister and
an MP! To add insults to injury, the son’s an army commander of his
elite group! Musevenis' younger brother, Caleb Akandwanaho, is senior
presidential advisor on defence. His daughter, Natasha Karugire, is
private secretary to the president. This, among others, is an
inner-inner sanctum of Museveni.

Hold your breath. There are still other surprises of other swindlers.
When asked why he appointed his wife to ministerial position and if
this was not nepotism, Museveni gave hoo-ha and hogwash that no
person was ready to take up this post! This is Musevenis' position.
Mrs. Museveni, on the other hand, says she’s sent by ‘God’ to fulfill
this ‘difficult role that others fear' - to serve Karamoja! This is
the second time ‘God’ has sent Mrs. Museveni. The first time was when
she was running for Ruhaama consitituency. She alleged that she was
sent by God to serve the people of Ruhaama. In other words, Museveni
is ‘God’ and Uganda is the kingdom of ‘God’ on earth.

In future, she’ll say that she’s been sent to serve the whole
country. This is possible. Maybe, this aims at preempting the whole
plot. Currently, Yoweri and Janet are like yin-yang to Uganda. They
are everything and everywhere. After turning Uganda into his
private estate, Museveni, by appointing his wife, broke the record.
Methinks, this is paving the way to appointing his soldier son, Major
Muhoozi, to take over as it happened in DRC, Togo and will soon
happen in Egypt.

Museveni must have appointed his wife to measure the waters. He
wanted to assess the reaction of Ugandans and the world on this.
This, though, seems it’s likely that Muhoozi and his step-mother
might be in a power struggle. Maybe, Museveni appointed his wife to
assure her of his support or to tell his son: his time is still yet
to come.

The story of family empires by African leaders does not end up with
Museveni. In Kenya, Kibakis' empire is in tussle with Paul Muite, a
former MP. The game goes on. In Tanzania, Salma Jakaya Khalfan
Kikwete, first lady and member of ruling party central committee of
CCM and the chair person for WAMA, is stealing thunders. Since her
husband ascended to power, she has been using her NGO to mint and
print money just like her predecessor, Anna Mkapa, who’s currently
under fire thanks to amassing ill-gotten riches.


Like Museveni, Kikwetes' greed for power is an open secret. His son,
Ridhiwan Kikwete, is openly groomed to rule. He is among the top
people in the Youth wing of ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (UVCCM). He’s
also a member of ruling party central committee. Ridhiwani, like
Muhoozi, Gideon Moi and other sons of dictators, has already proved
to be a power to reckon with. Recently, his law partner, Lawrence
Masha, was appointed minister for home affairs without any gist of
experience. Their firm is alleged to have benefited from T Shs. 8
billion from the bone-chilling theft at the Bank of Tanzania (BoT)
known as EPA. Other kids of biggies in Tanzania currently serving in
upper posts are Emanuel Nchimbi (Deputy Minister son of party cadre),
Dr. Hussein Mwinyi (Full Minister, son of former president), Amani
Karume (President of Zanzibar, son of former president) to mention
but a few.

In the president-first-lady-and-kids axis of evil, Anna Benjamin
Mkapa scores high marks. She amassed wealth by abusing her husbands'
power. Tanzanians are agitating that she should be brought to books.
She purchased many government houses at throw away prices. There are
unpaid loans involving millions she got from public banks. Some of
the banks like National Bank of Commerce were sold to investors. The
national power utility, TANESCO, is bleeding to death after Mrs.
Mkapas' brothers ushered in a bogus company from South Africa-Net
Group Solution.

Different from other first ladies, Mrs. Mkapa did not vie for any
public office. Instead, she used the state house and NGOs to solicit
money. Recently one senior former minister, Prof. Simon Mbilinyi and
other CCM supremos, came forth and required that Mrs. Mkapa be held
responsible in lieu of her husbands' reminiscent to sabotaging the
nation. Were it not for the fact that president Jakaya Kikwete has
questionable deals, too, the Mkapas would be behind the bars.

Azeb Mesfin Meles Zenawi (nicknamed Queen of Mega, thanks to heading
mega corporations in Ethiopia wraps up our list today. Others call
her the Queen of Mega Corruption), a first lady, business woman and
an MP representing her home district of Wolkait. Like Salma Kikwete,
most of her fortune is made by using the office of her husband.

Conclusion: Although African potentates seem to be smarter and are
feared by their people, behind the curtains, they are mere babies
before their spouses! Guess what? After former Zambian first lady,
Vera spilled the beans; many African thieves-in-chief decided to
conspire with their wives in order to avoid this Vera danger. Others
are ‘in hand’ just because they are unfaithful in their marriages.
So, to calm down their wives, they just allow them to do whatever
they want to avoid squabbles at home .

By Nkwazi Mhango
Mhango is a Tanzanian living in Canada. He is a Journalist, Teacher,
Human Rights activist and member of the Writers' Association of New
Foundland and Labrador (WANL)