By Amiri Wabusimba
His Excellency Gen. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni
President of the Republic of Uganda
State House, Entebbe
Open Letter on Harmonizing Presidential Security and Public Mobility in Uganda
I write to you in my capacity as a citizen, mindful of the weight your office bears and with full appreciation for your historic role in steering Uganda through turbulent and transformational decades. I do so with the deepest respect for your legacy and with a heart committed to the success and dignity of all Ugandans.
Our nation’s political stability and macroeconomic resilience over the past three decades remain a remarkable achievement in a region long marred by volatility. Under your guidance, Uganda has secured its sovereignty, expanded infrastructure, and positioned itself as a diplomatic anchor within the East African region. These gains are not lost on us.
Yet, even as we celebrate national progress, we are called both morally and administratively to confront the friction between state functionality and citizen well-being. I write today concerning a recurring reality experienced by many ordinary Ugandans: the increasingly disruptive impact of road closures linked to internal presidential movements.
Allow me to contextualize this in human terms. A few weeks ago, I left home well ahead of schedule to attend an interview, an opportunity not easily won in our current labour climate. Despite every effort, I never arrived. The roads had been sealed, and traffic immobilized for over three hours. That day, I became one of the many Ugandans for whom a single unannounced closure translated into a lost opportunity. But my story, like so many others, is not a complaint. It is a reflection of something larger.
In Uganda’s predominantly informal economy, where the majority live by what is earned daily and what citizens often refer to as a “Z to Z” food to mouth system, time is more than a commodity. It is subsistence. When economic activity is paused by long and unpredictable traffic immobilizations, we risk deepening the hardships of those who already live at the edge of poverty.
Emergency cases delayed in ambulances, pregnant women trapped in motionless queues, and boda-boda riders who lose their only productive window are not hypotheticals. These are lived realities. And they exist not in contradiction to presidential security but alongside it, waiting for an approach that protects both state leadership and public livelihood with equal care.
Your Excellency, I fully acknowledge and support the non-negotiable imperative of protecting the Head of State. It is a national duty and a constitutional necessity. Yet I also believe Uganda is mature enough to explore solutions that align with both security and socio-economic continuity. Many countries with similar political contexts have pioneered such adjustments with impressive results.
Some potential areas for consideration include:
• Structured early warning communication systems to notify citizens about closures in advance
• Greater reliance on aerial mobility for non-essential internal movement
• Digitally coordinated rerouting plans using GIS and traffic monitoring platforms
• Establishment of emergency response corridors to ensure uninterrupted access for critical services
• Institutionalized civic feedback mechanisms that monitor the broader impacts of security protocols
These ideas are not presented as alternatives to security. They are enhancements, complementary strategies to preserve both the sanctity of your office and the economic rights of your people.
Uganda has long prided itself on being both pragmatic and Pan-African. Our youth are inventive, and our cities are growing. Our transport challenges are not insurmountable. What is required, I believe, is the political will to reimagine the interface between leadership and daily life, not as opposing interests but as mutually reinforcing domains.
As a citizen who continues to believe in the promise of this nation, I offer this letter as a civic gesture. It is an attempt to engage constructively, not to criticize but to contribute. My hope is not only to preserve opportunity for people like me, but to help restore hours of productivity, mobility, and dignity to the millions whose lives unfold far from privilege but not far from purpose.
Your Excellency, you have often reminded us that leadership is not only about commanding power but also about listening to the people. This letter is, in essence, an act of faith in that principle.
May the office you hold continue to be a pillar of protection, not only in times of danger but also on ordinary days when citizens seek only to reach their work, their patients, their exams, or their future.
With utmost respect and patriotic commitment,
Amiri Wabusimba
Communication Specialist, Diplomatic Scholar, Journalist, Political Analyst, and Human Rights Activist
Tel: +256 775 103895
Email: Wabusimbaa@gmail.com
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