{UAH} RESPONSE TO THE STATE OF THE NATION ADDRESS

• RESPONSE TO THE PRESIDENT'S STATE OF THE NATION ADDRESS, 2015

 

BY

RT. HON. WAFULA OGUTTU PHILIP

LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION IN PARLIAMENT

JULY 2015

 

 

Theme: From 'Siasa' to freedom and service delivery

 

INTRODUCTION

1. Right Hon. Speaker, Honorable Members of the August House, it is a great honour for me to talk to you in a special way this afternoon. Firstly, let me welcome you to this last session of the 9th Parliament and thank you for the good work you have done for the country. This is the last time I address you, presenting to this House "A response to the State of the Nation Address" as Leader of the Opposition. In the 10th Parliament, we will be sitting on the right hand side of the Speaker.

 

1. We wish to thank and congratulate all Ugandans on managing to survive and push on under the prevailing harsh economic and political conditions; yet even harder times lie ahead as evidenced by the current free-fall of the shilling against foreign currencies and the escalating prices of goods and services. Fortunately, another opportunity is coming in for Ugandans to deal with our 30 year dilemma, once and for all.

 

1. My presentation this afternoon is largely our response to the State of the Nation Address made to this House by President Yoweri Museveni on June 04, 2015. The response is in line with Article 6E (4) of the Administration of Parliament (Amendment) Act, 2006 where it is provided thus: "The Leader of the Opposition shall study all policy statements of government with his or her Shadow Ministers and attend Committee deliberations on policy issues and give their party's views and opinions and propose possible alternatives."

 

WHAT THEY OUGHT NOT TO HAVE DONE

1. Rt. Hon. Speaker, in his address, in which he chose to account for 30 years of his rule instead of one Financial Year as expected, the President started with an intriguing quotation from the Church of Uganda Prayer Book, to wit:  "They left undone what they ought to have done and did that they ought not to have done and there is no truth in them". He quoted.

 

1. Rt. Hon. Speaker, if there is anyone to whom the quotation rightly applies, it is President Museveni.  Allow me cite a few examples to prove our case:

 

1. When President Museveni captured power in 1986, he gave his transitional government a term of four years. But before the four years elapsed he added another five more years to himself.

 

1. In his 2001 presidential election manifesto, President Museveni put it in black and white that he was seeking his last term as Head of State. He lied to Ugandans. The President is now set to make 30 years in office in February 2016! To the great disappointment of Uganda, the country in its entire history is yet to witness a peaceful handover of power from one President to another. Indeed "there is no truth in them" (him).

 

1. Rt. Hon. Speaker, the President found the cooperatives thriving and robust as the farmers' collective voice, their marketing and producer movement, their supplies of affordable farm inputs. He killed them within two years after grabbing power.

 

1. Also killed was the farmers' Cooperative Bank that used to lend them cheap money for working capital.

 

1. Similarly killed were Uganda Tea Growers Corporation, Uganda cooperative Transport Union, district farm institutes and numerous      stock farms that assisted in modern agricultural development. In fact, as I make this presentation, the previously famous and booming Agricultural Show in Jinja which ended last week, like all the other  long dead similar annual shows that used to take place in all District Farm Institutes across the country, the Jinja show is also on the verge of extinction.  Indeed "they did that they ought not to have done".

 

1. He found a robust investment arm of government, Uganda                            Development Corporation (UDC), killed it, gave away for one dollar each some of its investments like NYTIL and Dairy Corporation, and sold others or their equipment at give-away-prices in the name of privatization.

 

1. The President found a peoples' bank, Uganda Commercial Bank, (UCB) and gave it away at a paltry US$19m with its entire high rise building headquarters and many branches and numerous assets. Compare this with a small Nile Bank without any physical assets (land or buildings) sold at US$24m at about the same time!

 

1. Rt. Hon. Speaker, President Museveni found a thriving Uganda Airlines with ground handling and catering facilities which were all cannibalized and given away to relatives. Today our airline is no more as neighbors benefit from what Indeed "they (he) left undone what they ought to have done"

 

1. The President found a railway system running up to Kasese and Pakwach and killed it in the interest of foreign trailer trucks owners. Perhaps regretting his errors, he is now preoccupied with construction of the most expensive standard gauge railway segment in the world as if the gauge was the problem!

 

1. The President found a sound public education system, may be a bit narrow but sound, not like that of today where children in upper classes in government schools have been found to be below P.2 standard in reading and arithmetic; where increasing numbers of parents are forced to opt for expensive private schools and leaving free public schools (UPE and USE) system which was badly implemented and mismanaged.

 

1. Rt. Hon. Speaker the health system has been neglected and destroyed as those in power and their agents seek treatment abroad, even for delivery of their children and grandchildren!    According to a recent UNCEF Report, Uganda is among the 10 top countries in the world with the highest maternal, new born and child mortality rate; about 40 % children die of malnutrition.

 

1. It is noteworthy that in his Budget Speech, 2015/16, the Minister of Finance says the budget "seeks to rebuild the health system to improve service delivery…" This is a clear admission that the health system has been destroyed but not built over the 30 years.

 

1. Do we still need to ask as to who has destroyed our social service delivery systems?  The long serving Chief Executive Officer (CEO) is known. Under his governance, almost all state and government institutions, systems and service deliveries have been destroyed; thanks to his greed for power and concentration of it, in himself coupled with his micromanagement of national affairs.

 

1. Rt. Hon. Speaker in his Manifesto for the 2001 elections, President Museveni wrote four times asking for his last term. He repeated the same request over and over verbally at rallies and on Radio and TV programmes. That last term was to end in 2006! It never was. Indeed "there is no truth in them" (him).

 

1. Rt. Hon. Speaker, Point No. 5 of the NRM Ten Point Programme was to construct an "independent, integrated, and self-sustaining economy" that would stop the leakage of Uganda's wealth abroad.

 

1. How come then that after 30 years under the same regime, guided by the Ten (later fifteen) Point Programme, this Parliament just passed a budget whose biggest item is an allocation for payment of external debts of Shs 6,643bn? Why does Uganda still import more than it exports? What sense do the crafters of the Ten-Point program make of this today?

 

1. Rt. Hon. Speaker, when he was still a revolutionary, the President once wrote correctly and also used to say that, Africa's problem was leaders who overstay in power. Such leaders become intolerant to divergent opinions even if they are better for the country than theirs, assume positions of infallibility, blame others for their own failures and misdeeds and take sole credit for all achievements. This is where we are as a country.

 

1. In his address, The President outlined five pillars of his next programme; namely roads, electricity, the railway, defence and security and the cost of capital. The rest of the Addresses are aspirational statements about agriculture, livestock, oil, timber.

 

1. For obvious reasons, the President said practically nothing about the current   political situation in the country that is worrying citizens. He said in one sentence that the political situation was "very good" adding that everything is provided for in the Constitution and his Manifesto! Not even a word about the coming general elections and the necessary electoral reforms.   

 

NEED FOR DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTIONS

1. Rt. Hon. Speaker from where we sit, we do not think that the current political situation in the country is "very good" as the President said. We see it differently. We see turmoil under the sky. We see uncertainty and dark clouds hanging over the country. We are sure even the President sees it but he pretends that all is well. Otherwise, why is he deploying and deploying heavily armed security forces and making Kampala a garrison capital city, a fort of sorts? Something which is scaring off investors and causing capital flight.

 

1. The President said "everything is in the Constitution and his NRM manifesto." Surely? Is that the same Constitution he once referred to as "mere pieces of paper" which he has continued to ignore rape and abuse at will for his personal interests?

 

1. Rt. Hon. Speaker, in 2010 the President produced a five year campaign Manifesto 2011/15, titled "Prosperity For All, Better Service Delivery and Job Creation".

 

1. In the Foreword by presidential candidate Museveni he states "The focus in this manifesto is on the services that have a direct link with the quality of life and human development especially health, education, water, sanitation, as well as infrastructure focusing on electricity and transport system".

 

1. He adds that "the investment in commercialization of agriculture will make Ugandans more prosperous" and that investment "in the development of the oil and gas sector will be used in development of infrastructure and human resource for prosperity for all Ugandans".

 

1. The question is how far have these stated manifesto objectives been achieved in the last five years of the thirty year old rule by Yoweri  Kaguta Museveni?

 

1. In the first chapter of the manifesto he promises to deliver democracy, good governance, rule of law, constitutionalism, promotion and protection of human rights, independent judiciary, Independent Electoral Commission, zero tolerance of corruption and above all prosperity for all.

 

1. To us, all of these lofty promises and principles have turned out in reality to be hot air and worse still have in fact been grossly violated   in order to ensure regime survival. Ask Hon. Amama Mbabazi and his supporters who are the most recent victims of the vicious regime actions.

 

1. The Rt. Hon. Speaker, the fear of the President losing power has become a big impediment to necessary reforms that would make the country more free and democratic and thus realizing sustainable economic development and stability.

 

POLICE STATE

1. The President believes in more control of the public administration sector rather than on service delivery. The centre piece of this governance and philosophy is keeping control of the army, police, security agencies and of late telecommunications, including social media. He has become a real Big Brother of George Orwell's famous book, The 1984.

 

1. He has built a ruthless Police state that mainly serves his personal interests and those of a clique of cronies in his regime. Some commanders of the police force see the Opposition as enemies of the State not opponents of government. More often than not, the Police shamelessly issue more warnings against the opposition than against criminal law breakers. More resources are spent on controlling the Opposition than on criminals and terrorists.  Is this the freedom and democracy which cost over 500,000 lives in Luwero Triangle and over 1,000,000 lives more to protect the regime in power?

 

1. Recently, the police have gone to the extent of pulling down posters of political leaders who have expressed their intention to contest for the Presidency of the country.  Now they have started deploying thousands of policemen and women to prevent aspiring Presidential candidates from reaching the voters for consultation.

 

1. The Rt. Hon. Speaker, the  police, whose annual Budget  the President  has increased to more than  ten times since he appointed the current Inspector General of Police (IGP)  in 2005, behaves and acts  like a militia wing of his ruling party.

 

1. Recently, the Inspector General of Police, Gen.  Kale Kaihura, did not disappoint his boss when addressing a security team that was to take charge of Namugongo on Martyrs Day June 3, at Mukono High School. He reportedly warned "anybody who is eyeing to lead Uganda come 2016 elections to forget about it." Adding that they "fought for this Nation and cannot hand it over to anybody anyhow". What I can assure you is that we are fighters and fighters don't get old and tired," he said.   Gen. Kayihura knows very well that we, the opposition have chosen the path of the ballot, we have no guns and do not wish to use them ever.  Then why is he talking and threatening us with guns bought by the taxpayer?

 

1. He added that they have military skills; they are still fit and well organized to fight anybody who will try to push them away. "We have got military skills and weapons so we shall always dominate any group that will try to disorganize us" the General was quoted threatening. He has never denied the report.

 

1. The Rt. Hon. Speaker Uganda's personal and de facto single party dictatorship is underpinned by a superstructure of militarism. The personal rule largely relies on the military, the security agencies and increasingly a militarized Police Force while the ruling party sadly lies dormant most of the time, with the exception of the Parliamentary Caucus, only to be activated during election campaigns.

 

1. It is therefore not surprising that as resistance against his rule increases, the President is deploying more and more still-serving-soldiers in purely civilian jobs outside the Army.  He has deployed the military in Police Force, in registration of voters and citizens, in ICT section of the Electoral Commission, in Parliament here, in tax collection, in enforcing law and order especially on the lakes and now in distribution of agricultural inputs to peasants in villages.

 

1. Civilians trained through mchamchaka as Party cadres and of recent the so-called crime preventers are also being brought into the military-security system.  The country has been set on a war footing and inevitable violence.

 

1. The Rt. Hon Speaker, instead of building a democracy where the army is subordinate to civilian order, mainly to secure our borders, we are increasingly seeing soldiers being entrenched in civilian roles. Why? Because although there is NRM party, the reality is that the President rules with the UPDF and security agencies, as his personal power base. The NRM is simply a coating on the bitter pill on which the personal rule has survived for almost thirty years.

 

1. Large numbers of military personnel, for example, have been recently deployed in the countryside, allegedly to manage NAADS programmes but in reality to intimidate the masses and in preparation for intervention in the coming electoral processes.

 

1. The Rt. Hon Speaker, What political Party worth its salt will allow one of its leaders to use his powerful office to criminalize aspirations of some other leaders vying for the top position in the Party?  What political Party worth its salt allows its leaders to go all over the country carrying sacks of money and buying support for its supposedly popular chairperson while at the same time restricting, harassing, persecuting and brutalizing political opponents?
2. No wonder then that Uganda is one of the worst performing countries as regards the rule of law. According to the 2015 Rule of Law Index by the World Justice Project (WJP) which was released in the USA on 02 June 2015, of the 102 countries sampled, Uganda stands at number 95 and the worst in East Africa.

 

1. Repressive laws have been put in place and more are being processed to further reduce the freedom of those deemed not to be pro-regime. His is rule by the law not rule of law.  Laws and law enforcement officers are used to fight political opponents of the personal rule and to ensure a long life presidency.

 

1. This is the real state of our nation although "some fortune-hunters" pretend not to see it.

 

THE BUDGET

1. The Rt. Hon Speaker, the budget, recently read, promises an increase in the budget deficit of 7% of GDP without giving us reasons for it.

 

1. The sectors allocated a lot of funds and whose allocations were increased are those for public administration that contribute to regime protection and survival.

SOUND SOCIAL-ECONOMIC BASE

1. The Rt. Hon. Speaker, after 30 continuous years in power by one leader, which is equivalent to one generation, Uganda should be  by now a transformed developed or at least a middle income country.

 

1. Unfortunately Uganda is at the bottom of the list in most development indicators, whether in health, education, water and sanitation, electricity coverage, administration of justice, name it.

 

1. The State of the Nation Address hardly said anything serious about these issues as was expected and as promised in NRM manifesto. Instead, it was the Minister of Finance in his Budget Speech who surprisingly, addressed several issues that should have been covered in the State of the Nation Address.

 

1. In his campaign manifesto of 2011/16 the President proudly informs us that "since 1985/86, the share of agriculture to national output has declined from 53.9% to 22.8% in 2009/10".

 

1. Under agriculture (p88) we are informed that "subsistence farmers" "constitute 60% (3 million households)" of the farming households.

 

1. This is what explains, though inadvertently, the rampant abject poverty in the country, especially in the rural areas.

 

1. The 60% subsistence farmers, outside the cash economy plus the non-subsistence farmers now total about 70-80% of the population and we are told that they now share less than 20% of national output (GDP).  Clearly agriculture should be one of the national priorities for funding but to NRM government, it is not.    We need to bring into the cash economy all those subsistence farmers.  We must invest in them.

 

1. For 30 years in power they have sung an empty song of modernizing agriculture and transforming the economy. But where is that on the ground? On the ground we still have and see primitive and backward farming methods.

 

1. The Rt. Hon. Speaker, the government priorities are different. In this year's budget 2015/16 the Public Sector Management (Shs.776.1b) plus Public Administration (shs.6,369.2bn) take a total of 1492.4bn which is 14 times the allocation for agriculture (Shs.484.6b). The high expenditure on public administration clearly indicates the low ranking of agriculture in government's set of priorities. Regime survival, corruption, bribery and patronage through public administration is now their No.1 priority.

 

1. This is the most serious mistake and indictment of the Museveni rule rating regime survival higher than the economic and social interests of 80% of the population who depend entirely on agriculture.

 

1. They deny agriculture funding yet it is well known that investment in agriculture has the highest job creation potential.

 

1. Food is the biggest driver of the cost of living and therefore focus should be on investment in agriculture in order to raise living standards and the quality of life.

 

1. The Rt. Hon. Speaker, a just released Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) report indicates that the number of undernourished people going hungry in Uganda is about nine million or about 25.5% of the population. This is about the same figure for those who are chronically poor.  

 

INFRASTRUCTURE

1. We agree there should be adequate investment in infrastructure, but if some of the funds that have been invested in trunk roads had been invested in improved productivity in agriculture, the growth of GDP would have been even higher, thus eventually making more funds available sustainably for improved road infrastructure.

 

1. Rt. Hon. Speaker, roads do not automatically bring more income to households. Otherwise, why is it that with thousands of kilometers of trunk roads improved, together with GDP growth of 6% poverty remains still the biggest national problem?

 

1. If roads per se had an immediate impact on poverty, it would have been seen in Busoga for example, where paved roads and railway line to Kenya have passed for decades. Instead Busoga has the highest density (incidence) of poverty in the country.

 

1. Even rural Buganda which is crisscrossed by more tarmac roads is not significantly different from Busoga in terms of poverty.

 

1. Good trunk roads without deliberately adding new productive capacity in the country may actually instead boost the movement of imported goods produced elsewhere as is indeed the case in our country today.  Foreign business benefit more from our modern roads than us the citizens largely because of government's poor planning, poor policies and wrong priorities which do not put the interests of ordinary people at the centre.

 

1. Pro-people policies and budgets must of necessity be pro-agriculture and pro-small scale and medium enterprises because that is where most people are. This has been the missing link for 30 years.

 

1. With no consistent value addition industrialization and agricultural modernization policies, there will be no clear linkages with road and infrastructure improvements as is often assumed.

 

1. Infrastructure development in Uganda is among government priorities linked to high opportunities for corruption, patronage and big cash donations to the rulers as recent events have shown.
2. Indeed the cost of infrastructure projects often becomes many times more expensive because of corruption, excessive red tape and deficient supervision consequential to the corrupt procurement processes.

 

FAST GROWING DEBT

1. Another most prominent issue brought out by the current budget is the extent of indebtedness by the country, shown by the fact that Debt Repayment (6400bn) is 25.7% of the budget. It is the single highest allocation in the 2015/16 budget.

 

1. What then will the debt level be like when the loans totaling to US$13.8bn (about Shs. 48 trillion) for the Standard Gauge Railway, for several hydro electricity dams, for the oil refinery, for the oil pipeline, for the airport expansion and for more armaments acquisitions are added?

 

1. The minister does not tell us what the old debts were contracted for.  Some of the external debts are long term, 30, 40 or even 50 years but we need to know whether the funds have been well utilized, where, when and how. In fact as I stand here some borrowed money, over US$2bn remains unutilized for   years while attracting strictly enforced interest payments.

 

1. While the Shadow Minister for Finance shall reply to the Budget Speech, I wish to comment on some areas that should have been in the President's Address.

 

MISMATCHED PRIORITIES

1. Whereas the President identifies five areas of his government focus in the coming years, namely: roads, electricity, railways, defence and security and cost of capital, the Minister of Finance identifies seven strategic areas of defence and security; private sector enterprise development; infrastructure development and maintenance; commercialization of agriculture; increased domestic revenue mobilization; increased social service delivery; and efficiency in government management.  

 

1. Whereas the President boasts of great achievements in economic development and service delivery, the minister is more forthcoming and truthful with information that shows that only modest achievements have been made.

 

1. For example, the minister shows that with regard to roads only 167km were upgraded to tarmac against a target of 250 km and only 129km were reconstructed against a target of 170km.

 

1. On health, we heard the usual focus on quantitative figures but even here the minister's figures show modest goals.

 

1. For example, whereas they plan to rehabilitate nine (9) identified hospitals next financial year, this is against the background that only 13 hospitals were rehabilitated in the last 5 years.

 

1. However, the statistics and other figures on health do not tell us whether access to public health facilities has risen from 17% of the population where it has been for a long time under NRM government.

 

1. On education there are promises of increased student loans to a paltry 6 billion.  At this rate, when will the loan scheme roll out to all needy students without discrimination?

 

1. In this age and time, access to piped water in our capital city is shamefully still less than 50% of the residents. So is electricity. Everyday we see Ugandan children carrying jerricans of water and water vendors ferrying jerricans of water on bicycles and motor cycles.

 

1. The Rt. Hon. Speaker, the Minister of Finance paints a dim picture of the country where Agriculture has been registering a negative growth of 1.5% for the last five years.

 

1. Manufacturing has also been contracting.

 

1. Construction in the industrial sector has registered growth largely on account of public infrastructure investment;

 

1. Services sector which is seen as the star performing sector is only boosted by information and telecommunication services innovations, such as mobile money;

 

1. Rt. Hon. Speaker, there is the issue of imbalance of payments where the minister shows that foreign exchange earnings from exports were a mere US$2701.6 whereas imports were US$5,048.9.

 

1.  The minister accounts for the imbalance on oil imports, and materials for Karuma and Isimba dams. But oil prices had fallen drastically, so there must be other reasons.

 

1. One of the reasons is capital flight because of uncertainty caused by the potentially explosive coming general elections. Capital flight and reduction in foreign aid are also causing serious problems, leading to the rapid falling of the Shilling against the dollar.

 

1. Rt. Hon. Speaker, tax collection in Uganda, at 13% of GDP, is among the lowest in Africa with an average of 18% collection to GDP. This is because our tax base is very narrow and many fat cats with direct and access to the powers that be easily evade taxes with impunity.

 

ALTERNATE POLICIES

1. Rt. Hon Speaker, the following would be some policies and priorities if we (the opposition) were in government.

 

1. First and foremost we would guarantee economic freedom, equal opportunity and social justice;

 

1. We would ensure descent conditions at the workplace including a reasonable minimum wage for Ugandan workers through appropriate legislation, and solidarity with the economically weak through a strong system of social security.

 

1. We would deliver an economy underpinned by strong agricultural, industrial and services sectors anchored on the citizens, with the private sector playing a dominant role in building a modern knowledge-based economy.

 

1.  We would put in place a meritocratic public service that is efficient, well-motivated and that values honesty, excellence and national service as core values of nation building.

 

1.  Highly skilled and motivated public officers, teachers, health workers, police men and women and the men and women who serve in our armed forces would be the primary foundation for delivering on our policies under strict supervision and induced self-drive.

 

1.  We would deliver a small and efficient Central Government and economically viable Local Government units with power devolved to federal states or more economically viable regional governments.

 

1. We would protect, promote, abide by and enforce the rule of law and constitutionalism to the letter as the foundation for legitimate business, investment and economic justice.

 

1. We would invest in creating an educated and skilled human capital for a workforce of women, men, youth and entrepreneurs.

 

1. We would initiate a systematic and comprehensive investment programme in transport and energy infrastructure driven, not by politics, but by the mission of unlocking Uganda's untapped economic potential.

 

1. We would pay great attention to reducing youth unemployment from the current 83%, with annual targets, ensure job security and guarantee a secure workplace.

 

1. We would modernize agriculture by making available to all farmers genuine farm inputs including hoes, ploughs and tractors at subsidized prices, access to markets through rejuvenated cooperatives and best-performer incentives.

 

1. We would do all it takes to attract foreign investors but require that foreigners wishing to invest in and on land go into partnership with nationals who own that land.

 

1. We would ensure that natural resources including oil and minerals are well managed for the benefit of all the people.

 

1. We would raise the PAYE threshold to Shs. 500,000 and the minimum wage to Shs 180,000.

 

1. We would provide school meals with forward and lateral linkages to agricultural production of maize, beans and milk.   

 

1. Government sponsorship will be for all students and equal whether in private or government universities and colleges as top-ups.
2. Student Loans would be available to all those needy students who cannot afford the tuition top-ups.

 

1. We would initiate a health insurance scheme for all, not just for those in formal employment thus delivering a modern health care system, focusing on universal access and quality.

 

1. We would restore dignity to the elderly by paying those of more than 65 years old a monthly stipend of not less than Shs. 50,000.

 

1. We would reconstitute the Electoral Commission through a consultative process to reflect conditions in a multi-party system.

 

1. We would reinstate the two term Presidential limit.

 

1. We would promote equal opportunity and fairness in employment, promotion, justice, welfare and wellbeing of public officials.

 

1. We would ensure defence and security, through modernization of the security forces and improvement of their welfare.

 

1. We would review the recruitment, training, promotion, remuneration and welfare of the service men and women.

 

1. We would raise education standards, in addition to access, focusing on quality, and skills.

 

1. We would protect the vulnerable, support the elderly, orphans and other vulnerable children and improve emergency services response.

 

1. We would restore freedom and liberties;

 

1. We would focus on unity and foster reconciliation among the people of Uganda. Starting with a transition Government of National Unity.

 

1. We would put more resources in safe piped water powered by solar energy for the rural people.

 

1. We would invest more lighting rural homes with solar energy.

 

 

1. Rt. Hon. Speaker, we would be pro-people, not pro-regime and its survivals as is the case under the current state of quagmire in which Uganda find herself.

 

1. Rt. Hon. Speaker, in short we would guarantee people's freedoms and human rights and promote more inclusive economic empowerment and employment.

WHAT UGANDANS WANT

1. Rt. Hon. Speaker, again from where we sit, in a politically less privileged position, we know how Ugandans suffer to eke a living. We know we what they want from their leaders and government at the moment.

 

1. Ugandans want a Uganda with a sound social and economic base underpinned by a system of social justice built on a strong foundation of inclusive democratic institutions, systems and processes.

 

1. They want a prosperous Uganda without grinding poverty,    disease and poor or no service delivery.

 

1. Ugandans are yearning to see a peaceful change of governments through credible, free and fair, competitive elections under an inclusive electoral system (not first past the post).

 

1. They want fair electoral laws and electoral procedures, rules and regulations managed by an Independent Electoral Commission.

 

1. They want a Uganda in which the freedom to organize (political   parties) around aggregate interests to win power is guaranteed and seen to be real and respected by those who  hold power now or in the future.

 

1. Ugandans want a culture of tolerance of different views and diversity in politics, in religion, in ethnicity, in gender and in age. They want peaceful coexistence.  

Rt. Hon Speaker, Ugandans want to be involved in the conception, design, formulation and implementation of projects affecting them directly. They do not want the current situation where policies, programmes and budgets which promote poor delivery of health, education, water, utilities and other services.

 

CONCLUSION

 

Aware of the times we live in our country, we hope that serenity will prevail over the demonstrated dire urge for power by the current President. We know that there is always the first time for everything and therefore we hope that the President can start to listen to logic and care more about the future of the country than about himself as his history as President has shown.

 

FOR GOD AND MY COUNTRY

 

Wafula-Oguttu Phillip

LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION

Regards,
____________________________________________________________________________
Nicholas Ddumba Katumba
P.O. Box 22249, Kampala - Uganda; Tel: +256 756 210975, +256 776 210975
Facebook: Nicholas Ddumba Katumba; Skype: nick-d-k; LinkedIn: Nicholas Ddumba Katumba
Blog: http://ddumba.wordpress.com; Twitter: NDKatumba; Google+: Nicolas Dumba Katumba

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