By Pascal Ibe
Introduction
The African continent cried out centuries ago for freedom from the shackles of colonialism. Yet, ironically, our leaders now find ways to attribute our failures to those very colonial powers after they left us to govern ourselves. Tragically, we have become slaves in our own countries due to dictatorial leadership and the prioritization of power over the people’s well-being.
The principle of government of the people, by the people, and for the people has been undermined by the relentless pursuit of power by some African leaders.
Cameroon, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger Republic, Uganda, and many other countries in Africa have continued to experience dictators and tyrants as leaders in this modern day. These people, even at an old age, vowed to continue to lead with little or no achievements.
But not just the military rulers and the presidents of African countries have this mentality, the elected members of parliament would also not want to leave the corridors of power over affluence and influence that come with it.
Claim
On 22nd July, an X user, Somto Okonkwo shared a video showing an elderly man behaving like a mentally unstable person while giving a speech.
In the 43-second video, his audience was seen clapping for him.
Somto Okonkwo attached a caption to the video that reads, “Look at Uganda Deputy President, The Worst Part Is The People Applauding Him.”
The post, which generated over 6k views and more than 60 reposts as of 22nd July, got many people talking. They condemned the continuous quest for power by African leaders despite being old and weak.
Verification
First, FACTWATCH Nigeria subjected keyframes from the video to a Google Lens Search and discovered that this video had been previously published on two TikTok accounts but is now deleted.
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However, thorough checks by this Fact Checker led him to the same video posted on 18th July by a TikTok account known as Entebbe City TV.
Entebbe City TV shared the video alongside the hashtags #mosesali #ugandanparliament.
We searched the name Moses Ali on Google and found out that the face giving the speech in the video is the same person who appeared in the image results that we came across online.
Moses Ali is a prominent Ugandan lawyer, politician, and retired military officer, born on April 5, 1939, in Adjumani District, Uganda. His long and eventful career has seen him hold significant positions across different Ugandan governments.
As a Deputy Prime Minister, a high-ranking position in the Ugandan cabinet, Moses Ali plays a significant role in assisting the Prime Minister in the overall governance and administration of the country. While specific responsibilities can vary, typically, Deputy Prime Ministers are involved in coordinating government policies, chairing cabinet committees, and representing the government at various functions.
Also, as Deputy Leader of Government Business in Parliament, Moses Ali is responsible for guiding government legislation and business through the Ugandan Parliament.
The Deputy President Claim
On the claim by the X user that it was the Ugandan Deputy President who was misbehaving in the video, FACTWATCH Nigeria discovered that there is no position or office known as Deputy President in the Ugandan leadership Rather, there’s an office of the Vice President.
We found out that Maj. (Rtd) Jessica Alupo, is the ninth and current Vice President of Uganda since June 2021. She is a Ugandan politician, educator, and former military officer.
The position of the man in the video in the Ugandan cabinet
The Cabinet of Uganda, according to the Constitution of Uganda, “shall consist of the President, the Vice President and such number of Ministers as may appear to the President to be reasonably necessary for the efficient running of the State.”
There are 32 Cabinet ministers and 50 Ministers of State in the Cabinet of Uganda (2021 to 2026).
In the Ugandan Cabinet ministers,
Robinah Nabbanja is the Prime Minister and the leader of the Government Business.
Rebecca A. Kadaga is the first Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for East African Community Affairs
While Gen. (Rtd) Moses Ali is the second Deputy Prime Minister and Deputy Leader of Government Business in Parliament.
Verdict
The claim by the X user that it’s Uganda’s deputy president who was misbehaving while giving a speech is MISLEADING. Findings have shown that there’s no office known as the Office of the Deputy President in Uganda. Rather, the office of the Vice President is currently headed by a female retired military officer. We also found out that the man in the video is Moses Ali, the second Deputy Prime Minister in the Ugandan Cabinet.
