By Moses Abeka and Faisal Wampande
Today marks 50 years since Martin Luther King made the famous ”I have a dream speech”. The dream he meant are not those that attack you in sleep, seeing your landlord knocking at the door. Not that! And for bed wetters, not those irrigation schemes you set up while asleep as you turn the mattress to a gazetted wetland. The dreams he spoke of are dreams of light, dreams of transformation and if he were Ugandan today, the speech would read as follows.
I have a dream. I have a dream that one day on the green hill of Nakasero, the sons of former corrupt officials and the sons of those deprived of donor funds will be able to sit at the table of brotherhood.
I have a dream that goats on the hills of Makerere will comfortably chew their hay in peace instead of admiring greener pastures on the other side of Nakasero hill. Yes I have a dream for those goats.
I have a dream that my sons and daughters shall not be judged by the sacks of gorilloz they carry to school but their character when there is no money for gorilloz.
I have a dream. I have a beautiful, silent, tranquil dream that one day Agnes Nanduttu will realise her name is spelt with only one “A” and not aaaaaaaaagnes… oh, what a dream!
I have a dream that our MPs shall finally turn August house into a theatre and give out tickets to members of their constituency to attend on their behalf. Yes, I have a dream.
I have a dream that the talented will be Kipro-Richly rewarded. The architects of election victory, the teargas maters e.t.c.
I have a dream the that guy who reads the headlines on Agataliko nfuufu will one day stop talking like he wants the deaf to hear him and just read the headlines.
I have a dream that MUK students will assemble, sorry invent a software that turns chalk to cash so that teachers may attend all lessons.
I have a dream that celebrities will realise that the work of the press is not to lick their booty but give news. Why should they sing about nonexistent situations? I have a dream that tabloid writers will be given freedom to also write about nonexistent situations!
This is the dream I go back to Bududa with. Dreams that the Government will not wait for disaster to strike but strike disaster like the police with opposition. Dreams that our constitution shall not be turned into a raw material for tissue paper. Dreams that our motto still holds water not sewage. Thank you for listening.