As most boxing fans i have a tendency of imagining other worldly things as boxing fights. I love boxing, the hype months before a fight, the analysis by former pros, the trash talk that makes even the most assured fan have pause. So i couldn’t help myself in viewing the latest just concluded Ugandan presidential election as a big title matchup between a seasoned granted dirty fighter, that has swept all before him in the past. Come up against a young, inexperienced but very exciting boxer. It was hyped up as the fight of the decade, they even had stage names. Sabalwanyi as many Museveni fans call him and Bobbi wine as Robert Kyagulani is popularly known. Fans young and old were calling out the old pro, telling him he’s past his best and should retire and that he should leave the boxing world for the young and exciting new crop. So just as in the movie Rocky 1, this seasoned fighter that reminds me of Apollo Creed, decides he will prove the world wrong by beating a nobody. Museveni was going up against a nobody in politics, considering the little experience Bobbi wine has. The young man has around three years experience in politics, with a party that has like six months of national prominence. Just like in the real world of boxing, there was trash talk, threats of knockouts early in the fight were made, posters, billboards, radio and tv campaigns etc. All this brought the excitement to fever pitch. The training in both camps started, with the young man being mobbed by obsessed fans on his runs but whereas the old pro was doing all his training unhindered, the young man was stopped by the old pros’ goons from jogging on certain paths, under constant surveillance just like in Rocky 4, when Rocky Balboa went to Russia to fight Ivan Drago. I just love Rocky movies, I think I’m loving the creed movies even more. Back to our fight, the young fighter was refused access to certain gyms, was at times nabbed and disappeared for a few days only to be returned weaker and having to restart training afresh! All this didn’t deter him, he just kept on pushing and promising the older pro a fourth round knockout. Meanwhile the older pro got the latest equipment, was guarded like royalty during his jogs and got all the airtime he desired on tv and radio.
With every passing day the excitement grew but also with every passing day more and more of the dirty tricks from the older pro were exposed, he bought off some in the young man’s camp, used his influence to get some judges fired and replaced with those that would favor him. The young man had to find a new gym just seven months before the fight (NUP), some of the coaches in his camp where either disappearing or imprisoned even a few died under mysterious circumstances. The whole thing was starting to look so wrong that some commentators were of the suggestion that the fight should be called off. Boxing fans were having none of it, they just kept urging on their fighters and expected a very exciting night. Come fight night the seasoned pro walks into the ring in his traditional yellow robe and yellow trunks, with all the music and entourage that goes with the walk out to the ring. The young man comes out in his red robe and red trunks, wasn’t allowed to wear the hood (red beret) despite the seasoned pro being allowed to wear his (Museveni’s trademark hat), he had no music because it had been banned, no entourage as they had all been arrested on bogus charges instigated by the seasoned pro through his corrupt connections in the police force. Walks into the ring and has only a cut man in his corner even some of his coaches have been disappeared.
The fight begins, the young man comes out strong throwing very good combinations. He has the seasoned pro on the ropes throwing jab after jab. The pro seems to have no reply, after a minute into the first round the old pro finds himself flat on the canvas, the young man had thrown two right jabs and caught him with his stronger left, he didn’t see it coming! (Kampala is Bobbi’s.) He gets up and manages to stay on his feet throughout the round. Round two just goes like the first the young man is really punishing the seasoned pro, with great combinations and a strong consistent jab. The pro keeps getting help from a clearly biased referee who keeps interrupting the fight to kill the young man’s flow. He even keeps asking the judges to deduct points from the young man unfairly. All this doesn’t help though because the old man goes down once again from a well thrown uppercut from the young man. The count is slow from the ref, all this to give the pro in yellow all the time to get up. (Wasiko, mukono and others are all Bobbi’s). He finally does get up and is saved by the bell, they both return to their respective corners. The yellow corner gives instructions to the old pro that it’s time he starts using his underhand tactics, like punching below the belt. They come out for the third round and he is using all manner of dirty tricks without the referee coming to the young man’s aide. (Declaration forms go missing or are confiscated polling agents for the opposition getting arrested) Elbows, low punches and even knees are used much to the dissatisfaction of the watching crowd. A quick view at the judges table shows the seasoned pro’s goons all around them pushing for every point. (SFC at the tallying Centre) The lights in the arena go out. (Internet black out)
The referee insists on the fight going on in that darkness, no one can see what’s going on. Even the judges are having a hard time seeing what’s happening, all everyone keeps hearing are bells to signal another round. ( the electoral commission just kept announcing results without really explaining where they were from) The fight ends with the referee lifting the old man’s hand as the winner. Everyone is confused, the little that was seen from the old man didn’t show any signs of a recovery. Is it possible that the young man failed to go the distance? How is anyone supposed to know? They basically only watched two rounds of the fight. The young man is crying foul and claiming he has been cheated of his win and few in the audience can disagree. The claim is that he has lost on the score card by unanimous decision and it now emerges that even some of the rounds were not counted! The referee claims those rounds wouldn’t make a difference. It’s all marred in controversy as it’s even claimed that the score cards were not from the judges! Fight fans are so angry they don’t know whom to turn to, they feel the young man has been robbed! He is now being warned to stop protesting the loss, he doesn’t even know whether to lodge a complaint at the world governing body. It’s clear all officials are in the old pro’s pocket. Rumor has it that he isn’t being even being allowed access to his lawyers. That was it, that’s how the Ugandan election went. Now imagine if it had been a boxing match, who in their right mind would call such a fight fair? At the very least a rematch would be in order. That would mean different judges and a different referee. An independent body conducting the elections is the only way we’re ever going to have credible elections in Uganda.
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