{UAH} Uganda, requires undeserved attention - Uganda is not at ease

Forward to all MP's and new agencies. We were blocked from Uganda parliament mail list

 

Uganda will see sustained growth in given sectors, over the coming period, since people have to survive in one way or the other, irrespective of: military, political, environmental and social incongruence.

More Ugandans are trying hard to do everything in order to survive! However, disorganised and uncontrolled entrepreneurship and business dealings, can also result into chaos (Sicilian/NY mafia society) and other unintended events – children sacrifices (murder) and witchcraft, rapid social structure disintegration (family based land wrangles), individual depression (suicide and madness), institution corruption and collapse.

What is going on in Uganda, requires undeserved attention - Uganda is not at ease at all;

-          State sponsored corruption (robbery) engulfing the civil society /NRM brown envelops- success is tantamount to NRM connection.

-          sectarianism and cronyism

-          social inequality (state sponsored students for oil sector selection process politicians vs the people, NRM middle class and military class vs the people)

-          deskilling of the population (many youth can't survive in villages hence sum growth everywhere)

-           Institutional dysfunction and collapse remains enigmatic.  

Worse still, NRM's dislike of political opposition has meant, there is no attempt to; (1)- nurture and develop political leadership or (2)- No collective responsibility for example social participation (trade unions- individual rights, cooperative societies- economic -rights, political parties- political rights), yet military, economic, political, environmental and social issues remains an attended to.

1. NRM sectarianism in politics, military, environment and the economy has meant that a larger part of the population has been institutionalised into all types of sectarianism! There is a strange belief within NRM/NRA and affiliates that Abed Bwanika, Beti Kamya etc., for example or a non NRA/NRM aligned-military leadership can't rule Uganda – implying that it is only NRA/NRM militants and thugs that are capable of political leadership! The alternative hence is Gen. Kony. This implies, tribal differences in Uganda, (the military, social, economic or in the political arena) are real and deeper than it has ever been before in the history of this country. The consequence of this problem will only come to the fore when NRA/NRM is out of power. It will also reverberate for so many years to come – NRA/NRM has created a chosen military class and without it, it is believed then nothing else!
2. NRM militarism is no blessing to Uganda. That Tanzania, NRM talks about so religiously is the same country/society to sideline Uganda's NRM politics/politicians tells a tale. How is this cautious manifestation going to evolve over the years? Will it develop into a full scale political, military and ethnic expression? NRM involvement into the Congo were millions of people have suffered at the hands of Uganda insurgents, coupled with Rwanda Tutsi military – social cleansing of political and military opponents, is not good story for Uganda. Uganda in the nearest future might be attacked by a combination of Rwandese political, military and ethnic protagonists.   Do you see a combination of Congolese nationalist, as well as Central African Republic Nationalist and Sudanese /Somali Islamists and nationalist attacking Uganda? Do you see Southern Sudan opening up another front soon after Salvi Kirr is out of the way! Already some generals in Southern Sudanese army have been claiming at least twice parts of Uganda and indeed some Ugandan villages have been attacked with death occurrence. Uganda military response and composure, is fascinatingly cautious unlike the police force response to Ugandan Trader's systematic killing and robbery shootings!
3. Unskilled population and political /economic corruption/segregation: as far as I can see there will be no end to corruption/segregation unless NRM is out of Uganda politics. People join NRM ranks simply to survive or accumulate riches! NRM is not a bank! That too implies into the future, Uganda has to have a benevolent dictator who will be able to stake his political career in order to shake and fight this NRM monster. In Uganda almost every NRA office/r is in some ways a law and an army platoon. Policemen and women are helpless and can't enforce law into such circumstances! NRM society is so terribly rotten, to such an extent that court judges, police officers, churchmen and women, business entrepreneurs are stealing from themselves. There are simply too many jobs in Uganda but why are Ugandans unemployed? Poor political policies and management.  Corruption has meant that the education sector linked to the economic sector has but only remained in name. Lecturers teaching what they do not know, institutions producing half baked students or students who have a certificate but almost know nothing about the trade or have no skills. NRM Uganda society survival today, depends on corruption of all forms. How could Sudhir get a wetland on Lake Victoria does it mean NEMA is ineffective? NRM environment minister just recently, said all wetland titles were cancelled! So how does the police enforce the law into such circumstance – may be by becoming corrupt themselves.  
4. The war that brought Obote II to power, firmly set forth animosity between Acoli and West Nile. On the surface of it, nothing appears to be happening but interaction between these two people, as I have witnessed, tells a completely a scaring story. This is a problem that needs to be solved sooner than later.
5. When NRM came to power, without any scientific analysis, started opening its unreasonable mind about issues of land and land distribution. NRM said, "The market (monetarisation of land distribution) was to solve land issues full stop." This became a state policy!   Baganda absentee land lordships were to be bought off. What was and is still not being told to Ugandans is that in Tooro and Ankole for example and elsewhere, land lordship exists. Whereas Baganda, through their own greed, appears to  be settling its issues with Bunyoro over land distribution( divesting from land), new types of lordship driven by; political, military and power greed that NRM has brought forth, have emerged that threatens, entire community's existence.  How Uganda from now onwards, resolve this Buganda turned nationwide problem only the future will tell. Serious flash points to watch are; Mubende, Sembabule, Luwero Nakasongola, Bugerere, Acoli region, Bunyoro, Ankole and some parts of Busoga. In Kigezi too low scale skirmishes with people killing each other over land has started.
6. Economic mismanagement and dysfunctional institutional structures: more of Uganda's economy is falling into the hands of Chinese and foreign interest eliminating small scale manufactures (katwe/UMA) and producers. This has meant that large swatches of land are being allocated to the so called investors instead of using the legal frame work i.e. urban authorities to set up industrial locations. There are several scenarios; Ugandans by 2025, sixteen years from now are basically workers in industries owned by foreign powers, Uganda is becoming warmer, Climate change is a reality, famine intensify in new regions as it so happens in Kasese, agricultural failure as cattle death in Ankole, and disappearance of some water systems. Rainfall in Uganda is mostly locally formed from wetlands, large water bodies, extensive vegetation cover like forests which are rapidly disappearing. With this happening, more and more land degradation, denudation, deforestation, pollution particularly in the central region spells doom for the pearl of Africa.  For us in the academician, we are watching this in disbelief. With Kalangala, Buvuma forest gone, Lake Victoria heavily polluted and wetlands allocated to only Sudhir and Namanve industries, Amuru to sugar cane growing, Mabira forest surroundings sugar cane growing, Tooro forests to tea growing coupled with an irrational tree harvesting – the semi arid zone is expanding into the Tropical region heartland at an alarming rate .
7. Urbanisation/slum development and unconcerned youth: whereas one can listen to a news segment and get really annoyed about current issues, the youth in Uganda take it as a joke. Life to many young people is simply a joke, only confined to the lenses of endless enjoyment and consumption. I am surprised that these young people get bored and tired at the same time, very quickly in virtually everything they do.  In this, there is a slum mentality that has developed and rare to human nature; see something bad, laugh at it and move on! Many young people have houses in the slums of Kampala and else where. What does not concern them is what is out of their walls. Laziness and unprofessional working ethics, have followed suit, with a heavy dose of high street life style all propelled by stolen riches. Being in and education system I have discovered many Uganda youth get infuriated to see the likes of Kazinda in prison cells. It is only by miracle that a person between 17 and 40 years of age in Uganda will do anything, concentrate on it and do it professionally and satisfactorily. The educated young people appear to be totally uneducated whereas those who never had formal education, appear to be in hurry to grab anything to make ends meet –subsequently leading to impulsive criminal acts. There is a sense of panic in Uganda society- everyone is rushing into something.

 

_______________
Daniel Bwanika

www.idrc-ug.com

http://www.siup.ac.ug/wordpress/