Goodbye OTT, Let Us Welcome Exploitation

While growing up, we used to taunt our playmates in the village. Whenever they would find you eating and ask us to share, we would ask them to hold on until we have filled up our stomach to the extent of overflowing. In English, it does not come out well but literally, we would be telling you that we shall give after we are full to the brim.

It also reminds me of the bullies in high school. On one occasion I witnessed a very piteous scenario. A senior three lad found a Senior one student (Nyongo) opening up his bag of ground nuts. The bully commanded the nyongo to, "fill this bowl of mine with those ground nuts till I smile" The Nyongo started filling the bowl, with a keen eye on the bully to see a smile on the bully's face. This he did until he had emptied his entire bag of ground nuts without soliciting a smile from the bully turned thief. After making sure that the Nyongo had no more seeds as we usually called them, the bully just walked away, he didn't smile.

From the above experiences, you realise how hard it is to please a bully, you understand that it is not a good idea to keep turning the other cheek for one whose aim is to smother you.

In 2018, NRM government introduced a bizarre tax on social media called OTT. This action raised the ire of especially the young educated people but our career politicians were not much concerned. Indeed, Bobi Wine rallied his friends in the music industry, arts and the media but political establishments did not give it much attention. 

In the end, the NRM won, the tax was imposed, businesses crumbled and Ugandans moved on. One would think that this would be the last time government would attempt to ridiculously promote innovation while blocking avenues of Ugandans' interaction with the world but this government never gives a damn.

Bobi Wine has solely opposed OTT as a politician

Today marks the end of OTT charge which was introduced in 2018 and one would celebrate but in place of OTT which affected only social media, we now have a 12% tax imposed on the entire internet. Therefore, if you're this NRM old lad who thought that they were only going against social media and therefore you can use email, they have come for you too.

Silence to the actions of dictators only embolden them to venture into more terror. Never shut eyes to the oppression of the neighbor and never feed a monster on assumption that it will get satisfied and leave you. 

To those who think that Napoleon is always right, together we shall walk to the gates of hell.

To all people who stayed faithful to the cause and refused to pay OTT whenever they could, you're the betrayed comrades in this fight!