Dear Hon. Mukasa Mbidde,
This is your mate at University who was then know as Stompie. It has been decades since we last had a tete a tete from the days we used to debate aggressively on matters of the state while in our halls of residence at Makerere University.
You recall the ideals we had of making this country a better place while blaming the Government officials for being too blind to the truth. With the likes of Hon Lukwago the Lord Mayor, Hon Mabikke, the late Chris Opoka, Andrew Mwenda, Nzaana Desmond as well as many others I will not mention here, we looked up to a future where we aimed at creating sanity. You were among the most assertive during our political engagements and a lot of hope was put in you to be among the luminaries of this country.
You have snaked your way through thanks to being such a sagacious guy who makes others appear boondoggle when interacting with you. However, your pernicious actions against Lady Naigaga Martha have brought you to the centre stage for the wrong reasons.
Fact: You contracted Martha to carry out some works
Fact: Martha went ahead and fulfilled the agreed works
Fact: The business opportunity was quite significant for Martha and she had to borrow money from her mother who also borrowed from another source to ensure your demand was met.
Fact: No payment has been forthcoming to Martha and she not only is in shit but the mother is even in more shit.
My reason for writing to you is to not only to request that you pay up this lady who is trying to make ends meet during these very trying economic times but also to pass on a message to others behaving like you are.
Having been a victim of a similar action by a high flying individual who is regarded very highly by many, I have over the years learnt that the woes being blamed on small business owners regarding failure of their investments can be attributed largely to the bad manners of high sounding and high flying customers.
There is so much that small business owners go through to deliver quality services and goods. Lazy brains will always accuse them of failing to utilize the available banks for capital support but they have no idea the hoops genuine customers have to go through to get loans viz a viz the crooks.
Had Martha gone to a bank directly to borrow that money, she would by now be nearing the gates of Luzira for a six months term of imprisonment as you gyrate around having just held a very expensive wedding.
In the spirit of Ubuntu, I implore you to realise that we all have a desire to enjoy the fruits of our hardwork. No matter how small the returns are. That is Martha’s state.
You may be looking at her demand note as mere pocket change, but that does not make it the same in her worldview. We often blame women for being on the receiving end of consuming money that they did not earn and the hash tag #FearWomen was concocted as a result. However, due to our masculine misogyny, we choose to keep a blind eye when men take advantage of women. May be we need a hashtag #FearMen to help educate the masses too.
Now I know you might be hell bent on not giving a hoot over Martha’s payment since you believe nothing will happen to you. However, believe you me, the tears you are putting her through as well as the pressure that is upon her elderly mother will NEVER go unanswered. They may appear nobodies to you today but …… someday, there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Kindly do not take your overly inflated recognition in society for granted because no one is immune when it comes to falling from Grace to Grass.
My long lost buddy, I say, PAY MARTHA.
God Bless You
James Wire
Twitter: @wirejames
Threads: @wire_james
The Wire Perspective 