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Thomas Aquinas Campaign Speech Uganda 2011-10-13 By

NAKABUGO FLORENCE GRACE
Introduction Troupers of this beautiful struggling land, Friends from all walks of this country, I greet you all. What an honour to be before people of such big hearts for this growing nation. I am Thomas Aquinas also known by most of you as comrade and ready to become the next president of this country with your consent. I am very humbled to talk the walk of impartiality, amity and universality with you today. 1.0. Brief history Unlike my opponent I was not born in Africa let alone Uganda. I was born in Naples Italy, taught by Albert the Great and later went to Paris for further studies. I am a man who was and still is inspired by Aristotle. In my quest for more knowledge about community and leadership, I travelled to different parts of the world but there is no place I have found as intriguing as Uganda. From the day I set foot in this beautiful country, I fell head over heels in love with her and there has been no going back. With all the hiccups we have experienced, it has always been DO OR DIE. I was not about to let such an optimistic country die. After all the miles we have walked together, today we start our political journey. For being the troupers that we all are, we cannot let our Uganda die. 2.0. Body

Augustine loves a society of classes and to be totally honest with ourselves, there is no way in which that would work or help Uganda today. Wouldnt that keep us chained to sectarianism, tribalism and nepotism that we are fighting today? However, I am here today for us to share the issues that will benefit all of us indiscriminately that is, community, justice, economy, security, government. With your blessing, together we are going to carry this country to greater horizons.

3.1 Community Uganda is a country with vast communities. This shows how human we are. We do not go out there and live in seclusion; this is because community is very important to us.1 Since we live in communities, political rule is natural to us2 and we therefore need wise direction of the multitude. Mark my words however; we do not only need direction but wise direction. No wise leader would want to split his people into the righteous and the doomed. Who is doomed any way? Arent we all as righteous as we are doomed? I believe that if we all stay and work together we can easily find our end. Can our true end really come to us without some guidance? Each one of us here is better than another in a field or more. I believe that common good embraces the mesh of communal ends like the religious, legal political, moral and economic3. How then can we vest our authority in someone who doesnt even think highly of us? I however, want to be Ugandas dark knight, someone we can all lean on. I dont want to be just your comrade, but also the friend in need. 3.2 Economy

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Oliver ODonovan and Joan Lockwood ODonovan, From Irenaeus to Grotius. A Sourcebook in Christian Political Thought. Eerdmans/Cambridge, pg.330 it is natural for man to be a social and political animal, to live in a group... it is therefore natural that man should live in the society of many. 2 Ibid pg.323 political rule is natural to human community as opposed to servitude 3 Ibid pg.324

We were greatly loved by the creator and he blessed us with the best of nature. Uganda is a very beautiful country that can survive solely on her natural resources. Over the years they have either been under exploited or exploited but not for our benefit. This goes back to my gospel of universality. If we live in this community together, isnt it only fair that we enjoy the resources together? They are for all of us after all. Uganda needs a president who this time is going to work for the common good4, humbly allow me to say that that person is me. We are so intelligent but we cannot arrive at the knowledge of all things by individual reason.5 A good president should seek the good of the multitude subject to him. What good does the oil plant in Hoima do for the average Ugandan when (s)he cannot even be availed with basic information about the project. Do you see what I am driving at? In case you do not, this reminds me of a mother who prepares food at home and resorts to eating it alone as the children stare and drool over her. We are sick and tired of presidents working for their own satisfaction and a small group of their own6. I mean, I have nothing personal against them but is it right to have almost all the 4 wheel drive cars drive to one direction of this country. Our economy is totally dependent on our natural resources7; my opponent wants to hand all our good resources to his good city! Allow me to ask, what is that good city? And the rest of us? Can we all fit in that his good city? Give me the mandate to guide us to our

Ibid, pg 331 consequently, there must exist something which impels towards the common good of the many. 5 Ibid, he should live in a multitude 6 Ibid, pg 328, if there were one man more wise and righteous than the rest, it would have been wrong if such gifts were not exercised on behalf of the rest. 7 Ibid, pg337, the founder of a city has to make of those which already exist in nature, just as the other arts derive the material for their own work form nature like; the smith takes iron, the builder wood and stone to use in their respective arts.

economic end because these resources are for all of us and we will all economically prosper8. We should all be ashamed to eat as our neighbour starves.9 3.3 Justice We have come a long way with justice or at least what we have been made to believe is justice. We have been ripped off for so long and oh my God it is sad, really sad. Justice has for some time now attained new descriptions like; it is ok for some stray man down town kampala, to snatch your purse or simply tell you to stop and hand over your possession to him. Wow! What a waste of our society. Do we still want to live like that?... I thought so. Justice should be horizontal and vertical. Allow me to leave the particular justice to you but let me carry the load of the general justice.10 My kind of justice is for the good of every one11 this justice that we require is going to be attained through setting up the best laws. Forget about Augustine who wants to get laws from his city of the righteous and impose them on us as if that helps. I am the MAN tailor made for this. I will not determine what law we have. Isnt it only fair that we get our law from our day to day lives and customs?12 Making something law that no one will follow is such a waste of time. We should be able to relate to our laws and that is the only way in which we follow them hence justice.13 Lately nothing has made me laugh like the new JOKE of a law on gatherings. Do these people even have a clue about how big just our families are? Imagine if you have to call the police every supper time

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Ibid, he must provide for each what is necessary for his particular condition and state in life, otherwise the kingdom or city could never endure. Pg340, whatever particular goods are procured by mans agency whether wealth, profits, health, eloquence or learning are ordained to the good life of the multitude. 9 Ibid pg358, in regard to this no man is entitled to manage things merely for himself, he must do so on the interest of all, so that he is ready to share them with others in case of necessity. 10 Ibid, pg326, he distinguishes the general and particular aspect s of justice. General Justice is the moral virtue of rendering to others their due, particular justice is relations of fairness among persons as individuals. 11 Ibid, pg328, the just rule not through desire of domination but because it is their duty to give counsel. 12 Ibid, pg343, the particular arrangements human reason arrives at are called human laws provided they fulfil the essential conditions of law already indicated. pg350, custom has the force of law and abolishes a law and is the interpreter of laws. 13 Ibid, pg349, the legislator frames a law to fit the majority of cases, his purpose being to serve the common welfare, so that if it is damaging to common good, then it is not to be observed.

and may be just may be they may want to monitor the process of eating. With such a law, it will be necessary because most Ugandan families are way more than five people. What then will become of our famous clan meetings, thanks giving and prayers? If any law falls short of common good, it has no binding force.14 I want to deliver this country to the ideal justice and laws we deserve, just give me the mandate and there will be a tremendous transformation. 3.4 Government From usurpers, tyrants, dictators, militants and bums, this country has seen the best of all bad governments. Should we say that this is what we deserve? These people have lead governments that have done nothing but use us. Starting today, our future is going to change. Whoever said that our history mould us was mistaken. We choose to be, but we are not meant to be. All power belongs to you, I therefore humbly ask you the people of this country to choose me, for I am the ideal president who is yet to show you the best government. We need a man of virtue15 to govern and control the free men and women of this country.16 For such a long time and even on the world charts, we rank highest in corruption. This is like our cancer but instead of going for chemotherapy we nature it more. Corruption is the mother of all evil and that is why we have such bad education, health services, bad economy and biting levels of poverty. Let no one lie to you that this a curse or a factor fuelled by external influence. We bring this upon ourselves every time we put some unworthy scoundrel in authority to lead this country or better yet even just part of this country. For example I refuse to digest the notion of big fish. Surely havent these leaders the big fish eaten enough? Our justice is so lame that we will be fast to take an under paid policeman with almost negative means of survival and a humongous family to court for taking a shs5000 bribe. However these ungrateful, self centred, greedy, mischievous ministers who divert public funds for important

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Ibid, pg349 Ibid,pg332 and if a just government is in the hands of one man alone, he is properly called a king. 16 Ibid, pg338 to govern is to lead the thing governed in a suitable way towards its proper end.

things like education, health and agriculture for themselves and their people are beyond reproach. Arent we all supposed to be their people since they are in power to serve us all a s Ugandans? This is because we have a crippled government with a one eyed leader. A good president should be able to choose fellow men of virtue to help him in governance and replace or suck any one not acting for the common good.17 We should actually make embezzlement and corruption laws very strict and severe that no one will dare to take what they do not dully deserve. In my government these laws will not be discriminative at all. Everyone should be ready to be held accountable for their actions.18 I am the ideal person for presidency. 3.5 Security For me security goes beyond arms and includes peace and unity. For the last couple of years have not been doing so badly in terms of security. Today, Uganda has one of the strongest armies in Africa. However is this the best we can attain? It is only human that we have great ideas, put them to work but at some point run out of ideas to make them better.19 We therefore need someone else with fresh ideas to refresh our security. Right now we have such a flawed police, in fighting of tribes and also outside attacks like the July 11th 2010 Alshabab bomb blasts.20 It is wrong that some tribes of the country are seen as superior to others as this disturbs our internal peace and unity21. However my opponent is ready to keep or worsen the status of things. Seriously right now, who needs a president that is officially going to divide

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Ibid, pg341 2the king must take care of the appointment of men to succeed or replace others in charge of other offices. In regard to corruptible things, one should take the place of another so that the integrity of the universe be maintained. 18 Ibid, by his laws and orders, punishment and rewards, he should restrain the men subject to him from wickedness and induce them to virtuous needs. 19 Ibid, pg338 one might have the task of preserving a thing in its being, another of bringing it to a further perfection. 20 1bid, pg341, when peace is destroyed through the attacks of enemies and as it sometimes happens, the kingdom or city is completely blotted out. 21 Ibid, pg340 a multitude of men lacking the unity of peace will be hindered from virtuous action by the fact that it is fighting against itself.

the people into the worth and unworthy? Who will be unworthy anyway in this case?22 This will be like a father who finds his children fighting and the best he suggests is ok lets take this down a notch, now, why dont we have one of you being my favourite hmm? This will cause anarchy. I am however ready to fight tooth and nail till this beautiful country sees the best of peace unity and security.23 Peace and unity are direct derivatives from friendship and in turn give us security. Friendship is so important to me that is why I got the nick name comrade from most of the Ugandans because there is not much we can do together if we are not friends.24 My vision for this nation is to transmit this friendship to outsiders that is; other countries so that as Uganda, we are friends with our neighbours for the there is no way in which a friend can attack another friend. However when we really must, our very strong army will come in handy to ensure safety of this nation. 25 Since I am your friend I am ready to be there in this time of need and that is now. 4.0 Conclusion My friends it may seem like all hope is lost but not yet, joy comes in the morning. Do not lose hope, for there is light at the end of the tunnel. At the end of this seemingly dark political tunnel is me. I want to carry my bright light for all to see. When I say all I mean; children, elderly, disabled, men and women of this amazing nation where no one will be left behind. When the time comes my friends, on that d-day, make the right choice and I will not disappoint you. Together we can transform Ugandas government, security, justice and economy. We should morph into what will help us achieve our ultimate end as a country. I have been here in times of celebration and joy and I am not willing to abandon my friends in

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St. Augustines City of God and City of Man Supra n.20 unity of the multitude which we call peace must be procured through the efforts of the ruler. 24 Oliver ODonovan and Joan Lockwood ODonovan, From Irenaeus to Grotius. A Sourcebook in Christian Political Thought. Eerdmans/Cambridge, pg335 there is nothing preferable to friendship among all worldly things. Friendship unites good men and preserves and promotes virtue. Friendship is needed by all men whatsoever occupation they engage. 25 Ibid, pg 341 to keep the multitude entrusted to him safe from the enemy for it would be useless to prevent internal dangers if the multitude could not be defended against external dangers.

this time of need, for that will make me worse than an animal, a cheat and cheap. The baganda say, muno mukabi ye muno ddala translated to mean a friend in need is a friend indeed. Troupers of this nation I will be happy and blessed to finally walk this talk of impartiality, amity and universality with you. Let us rise and shine. Remember we choose to be, we are not meant to be. Thank you. FOR GOD AND MY COUNTRY.