BWANIKA JOSEPH: The dangerous price of impunity; Will Uganda drift toward an “eye for an eye” Society?

A Country is not tested when its citizens agree with those in power. It is tested when those who disagree can still expect equal protection under the law. That is the question Uganda must answer today. If abductions, torture, enforced disappearances and political violence continue to surface without credible accountability, how long can any society continue believing that justice will eventually prevail?

When lawful justice appears absent, some people begin to lose faith in the institutions meant to protect them. No responsible citizen should wish for an “eye for an eye” society. Yet every government should recognize that impunity, if left unchecked, can erode public trust and deepen divisions. The greatest threat is not disagreement itself, but the belief that the law protects some people while failing others.

Uganda has lived through tragedies whose wounds have never fully healed. The conflict in Northern Uganda left generations carrying unimaginable trauma. The Mukura railway wagon killings remain a painful reminder of lives lost and questions that many believe have never been fully answered. The Kasese operation of 2016 continues to generate debate about accountability and justice. Different regions of the country have experienced political violence, contested security operations and grieving families searching for answers. Although these events differ in context, they share one lesson: unresolved injustice rarely disappears. It is carried from one generation to the next.

Perhaps the most remarkable story is not the violence itself but the restraint shown by millions of Ugandans. For decades, citizens have continued to petition courts, appeal to Parliament, engage religious leaders, document abuses, and seek constitutional remedies instead of abandoning peaceful means. That patience should never be mistaken for permanent acceptance. Public confidence is not an unlimited resource. Every allegation that goes unanswered weakens it further.

Governments often measure stability by the absence of protests. Citizens measure stability differently. They ask whether they can speak freely without fear, whether a missing relative will be found, whether the law applies equally regardless of political affiliation, and whether justice depends on influence or evidence. These are the questions that determine whether people trust the state.

The responsibility for preventing deeper divisions lies first with those entrusted to govern. Every credible allegation of torture, enforced disappearance, unlawful detention or excessive use of force deserves an independent, impartial and transparent investigation. Accountability should not depend on rank, political loyalty or public office. Justice loses its meaning the moment it becomes selective.

Uganda’s young population is watching closely. Many were born long after some of the country’s darkest chapters, yet they continue to witness reports of political confrontation, disappearances and allegations of abuse. They are asking whether their future will be governed by institutions or by fear. That question deserves an answer not in speeches but through consistent actions that uphold constitutional rights and equal justice.

The warning is straightforward. No society remains peaceful indefinitely if significant numbers of its citizens lose confidence that lawful institutions can deliver justice. The answer, however, is not retaliation. The answer is restoring trust through accountability, transparency and equal application of the law. Preventing an “eye for an eye” mentality requires ensuring that every Ugandan regardless of political belief, ethnicity, religion or social status can expect the same protection and the same access to justice

General Muhoozi once justice sleeps revenge begins to whisper, how long do you think it will take the Population to ignore their Wounded State? Uganda still has that choice. The country’s future can be shaped by constitutionalism rather than resentment, by accountability rather than impunity, and by reconciliation rather than recurring grievance. But every day that legitimate questions remain unanswered makes that choice more difficult. The cost of justice may appear high today, yet ignoring it is far greater.

The Author is a social development specialist and CEO Bridge your mind centre.

Email; bwani.jose@gmail.com

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