Andrew Mwenda one of the leading Ugandan journalists calls the Walk-to-Work campaign Besigye’s protests. Me thinks the protests in Uganda don’t have to be viewed as Besigye’s protests. They are people’s protests. In fact, Besigye, Mao, Otunnu, Mathias Mpuga and many others are doing what personally I would have done. Unfortunately, I have no following. I have often heard you argue that Besigye is like Amin which argument I think is utterly unfair and implausible.
I am a firm believer in social democracy which aims at promoting social justice and social welfare. In the wake of the walk-to-work protests, Minister Matia Kasaija confessed that when it comes to privatisation, the government overdid it. A functional state cannot privatise and liberalise the provision of all services. Professor Robert Rotberg who happens to be an expert on state weakness; state failure and state collapse argues that “nation-states fail because they can no longer deliver political goods to their people”.
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Many Ugandans are largely concerned with bread and butter issues and not the economic growth Museveni and some other commentators often tout. How many Ugandans have been transformed by the impressive economic growth? From my basic economics, I know economic growth doesn’t necessarily translate into economic development. It is like using per capita income figures as a yardstick for standards of living.
Ugandans are yearning for equitable distribution of the national cake and nothing more.
Like Mwenda, the president often boasts of collecting huge sums of taxes. In whose benefit are they collected if the health care system has collapsed; if there are virtually no jobs created for our graduates; if the peasants’ children can no longer ably attain higher education and if by mistake their parents sell their property to have their children study, they cannot get jobs because of patronage and clientelism?
In fact, those of us who have had an opportunity to study and can analyse get annoyed when the President says they now collect trillions of shillings in taxes because we see no value for that money on the ground. The money is concentrated in few hands.
I would also like to surmise that the removal of term limits in our constitution and the continued stay in office by Museveni promotes impunity. There are people who are working with him and do all sorts of funny stuff but get away with it because they are his right hand men. Ofwono Opondo the other day killed a petty thief suspect in broad day light. Nothing has ever been done to him. We have people who default taxes and run to him; we have people whose businesses are bailed out by taxpayers’ money, etc. I am sure, if we had a new leadership, we would have new faces in public offices and those that have misused and abused public offices would be brought to book.
I have often heard Mwenda say Besigye was asked on TV what solution he had for the current fuel and commodity price hikes and he waffled and gave no solution. Granted, some of us can propose solutions if the leadership can listen. For instance, assuming the government waived taxes on fuel, would the state collapse? In whose behalf are the taxes?
Two, if Kagame has been able to fight corruption, why can’t Museveni do so? Many people affected by this crisis are the unemployed and I am convinced the money squandered by government could create jobs for our graduates. It is vital to note that people suffering from unemployment are the educated. Those that are not educated are happily employed as shoe shiners, barbers, wheelbarrow pushers, fruit vendors, boda-boda cyclists, houseboys and maids and some of them make some profit,
Of course, you wouldn’t expect a Vincent Nuwagaba to do any of the above jobs. I would want to access white collar jobs on merit just like the sons and daughters of politicians and other top executives do.
Therefore, some of us warmly welcomed the on-going campaign and we shall not relent in demanding accountability. At least, we are aware that we are citizens not subjects. We are also aware that our leaders are not our masters but our servants. We are also aware that elections per se are not the only legitimate means of changing leadership. If leaders are not comporting themselves in the best interest of the citizens, citizens must be empowered to withdraw the social contract.
Do you know that if 1.8trillion was distributed to unemployed graduates assuming the number is 100,000 each would get 18million to start life for him/herself? If it was invested in creating jobs, how many jobs could it have created? If that money was invested in higher education, the government would sponsor 10,000 students annually for ten years.
The problem we have is that some people erroneously take themselves to be the Alpha and Omega of ideas which is precarious. Personally, I will be satisfied with the president if he accounts for Ugandan taxpayers’ money. I believe that while the opposition politicians may aim at ouster of the regime, their scheme has been given credence by the insensitivity and intransigence of the ruling party. If the government addressed the issues raised, the opposition would be disarmed. Incidentally, now the problem is no longer commodity and fuel prices but a plethora of issues.
Finally, Mwenda, has often stated that in the recent election Museveni won “clean and square”. This puzzles me. You have acknowledged that Museveni used about shillings 1 trillion from taxpayers and part of that money from his friends. Is that what you call winning clean and square? So, now Andrew, believes we should be under a plutocracy instead of democracy? Okay, let’s assume he won “clean and square”, did we give him a licence to abuse taxpayers’ money at his whims? Uganda has enough to satisfy all our appetite but not enough to satisfy our greed. I hate, I despise and I abhor greed. Anybody who is greedy should excuse himself from public offices.
Mr. Nuwagaba is a human rights defender
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Ketty R
Nice Article.
I like the analysis.
I only disagree when you compare M7 with Kagame on corruption.
Rwanda is a small ditrict of uganda interms of size…..any one wd manage corruption there……even if it meant micro managing……
mei
We are also aware that elections per se are not the only legitimate means of changing leadership. If leaders are not comporting themselves in the best interest of the citizens, citizens must be empowered to withdraw the social contract.
i was reading through and the above paragraph disgusted me.u sounded like a biased politician not a human rights activist Mr.Nuwagaba.empowering people to withdraw the social contract they made them selves will only show Ugandans as fools and stupid poeple who cant defend there decisions–and know it that we Ugandans respect our decisions.
Mr.Mwenda was right walk to work is a Besigye protest and we can all see that.
Vincent Nuwagaba
Mei,
Thanks for your views about me. But I would like you to know that there is a thin line between politicians and human rights activists. And I mean genuine politicians who believe in social transformation. Number two, empowering citizens to withdraw their social contract is the import of human rights. Citizens must be empowered to demand accountability in terms of what Robert Rotberg calls political goods. Three, there is nothing that bars politicians from being human rights defenders. Finally, there is nothing that bars human rights defenders from commenting on politics. And by the way all issues are necessarily political issues and all issues have a human rights angle.
For instance, if I launch a campaign to teach people to vote on the basis of issues, does that make me a politician and not a human rights defender? We should not fall into the trap of gagging human rights defenders from commenting on politics because politics determines who gets what, how and when at least according to Professor Harold Laswell. I beg that we continue the debate but surely, I enjoy criticism.
samson Bukenya
Mr Nuwagaba U have a a point in your article, however i disagree with you to some extent, am a pro development supporter am so keen about certain things , when we are talking about Uganda at certain point we need not to compare Uganda with countries like Rwanda, it should be known that Rwanda is a small country with little population easy to plan for and develop, I see cost of living in neighbouring countries is so high,
As I apreciate people like Nuwagaba, am not happy with politicians who are promoting personal interests in the name of fighting for local people,
Barbara
being small or big does not mean that there is no way it can be eliminated. so what is the use of all MPs LCV chair persons and RDCs
Vincent Nuwagaba
Comrade Bukenya,
I appreciate that you are interested in development. But in analysis, development and politics are inseparable. In fact genuine politics should spur development. You say, Rwanda is too small to compare with Uganda. Granted. There are many people who advance that argument. But, what I would like you to know is that the smaller the country, the smaller the tax base. I am sure, you all know that H.E the President has always been thumping his chest that he captured power when revenue collection was dismal but today the government collects huge sums of billions if not trillions of money. The question should be, who benefits from the huge revenue collections? You need to know that we are not interested in huge economic growth figures but development. Development means the qualitative improvement in people’s standards of living. This can be seen in improvements in health, access to education, access to a decent job and so forth. But truthfully, here in Uganda, 20% of the population shares 80% of the country’s wealth while 80% of the population is left with 20% of the country’s wealth. Nobody should be allowed to hog the national wealth.
AMK
If 7 out of 10 Ugandan’s Love you and want you as president.
Whats with the military police!!!
Joshua Senyange
so,any country that has police and military, is ruled by un-popular leader? What happened to protecting us and our property?
Nina
who told u dat those military guyz r there to protect, they ralways there to tear gas. let mi teach u something, there is a big difference btn demos and riots, demos begin peacefully until da tear gas starts. However, some goons are always waiting for da tear gas then begin riots which can lead to looting.
Joshua Senyange
Your post,sir is full of holes. There were debates even before the 1st W2W demo on 11 April between opposition and gov officials about what gov can and cannot do about fuel and food prices but the other side was ready to go on with what they had planned….so u r so wrong to say that gov has not listened to demonstrators. its them that dont listen to gov. We now have a perfect example of Kenya where tax on diesel and kerosene was cut but prices are still rising even as u read this…and its because taxes were never the cause of inflation. No fuel reserve deport can keep fuel prices low in the wake of a pro-longed inflation and lack of rains pushed food prices up so if u suggest that tax cuts can change food prices,then you have to seek medical help
Mike
Great article, really describes the common man’s plea.
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Benja
Nice article Mr. Nuwagaba. Mwenda ” Mr. know it all ” talks to much and when you talk too much, you start making mistates I mean useless statements are uttered. On Rwanda being a small Country, that doesn’t count what matters is managing corruption.
goldmeir
Yes,the prices are high,and we all feel the pinch..but i think,in good faith the president should think of quick solutions before the country runs into chaos…i was reading the new vision today and couldnot believe my eyes..how can someone get a salary of 36m per month minus allowances?? There are so many citizens out there without school fees/tuition,medicine,food etc! How special are they to deserve such a big chunk of tax payers money when other people are going without basics? About M7 winning,we woke up and voted for him,in big numbers..no question about that..except that some people find it hard to believe..but from our dear elected president,save us because we wholly banked on you..
Chris M
Yes we all know the prices are high but the major problems and results of the walk to work affect me and you. The issues are Besigye(Opp) and Museveni(Gov):- The Leader of Opp wants to attract p’ple to his side and publicity at any cost.. becoz he shld have come out openly and condemned the acts of his “supporters” or when he plans to walk he shld come out clearly and tell his followers that they shld keep oderly and not stone police or hit car owners’ claiming “mwe muli mukintu” but he has’t on the other hand gov with the poorest PR(Kirunda K, Tamale M and have failed to realize that and ‘re actually dancing to his tune. The President shld have come out and explained the fuel prices and other high prices and assured Ugandan that the gov is gonna try and do something about it. All in all gov needs to come out and explain to Ugandans when there is a prob and get rid of the Old Chaps who can’t deliver anymore but feed on our taxes.
Chris M
Jeshky shitu
Interesting article but however biased, the issue of W2W was first a cause that no one could sit back and watch, the problem with it was..being led by a politician. We the commoners will come out and fight for what we see forgetting the hidden agenda of the politicians. we have seen people dying at the wake protest but still someone insists on going on with the same fight that has seen the people he assumes to fight for, are dying for him. It is time realize that going on with the dog fights won’t help but lead to disgrace…
Mawejje Stanley
at least mwenda can nw knw dat he is nt da only investigative thinker & 2 dey dat say, “expanded size led to collapse of Songhai empire” v engaged the reverse gear. let me put it dis way, a mazongoto mattress requires a mazongoto bed but saying you can’t expand the room to fit the mazongoto beddings u bought so dat u discard it for a 4*4 is being myopic. if so then; LHS=RHS when “if Kagame has been able to fight corruption, why can’t Museveni do so?”
otherwise Powell should not think he is upfront when Bolt of yesterday is on double indicator to take over as the suucess story
Race
I hope every one had time to read this , well put..only fools can resist the captivating message laid with in.
Vincent Nuwagaba
Dear Sarah,
Besigye is a businessman. If he cuts taxes on his fuel station, government will not cut taxes. Thus, Besigye will be pushed out of business. At least the argument that Besigye should reduce fuel at his pump is illogical. Besides, do all Ugandans fuel from Besigye’s station?
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There is evidently a lot to identify about this. I feel you made certain good points in features also. Could you update me with your next post please?
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Very interesting ideas! I’ll be back for your new articles!
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I like how are you thinking…and I must confess I’m totally addicted to your articles!
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Like it … very well pointed!
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I like how are you thinking…and I must confess I’m totally addicted to your articles!
yusuf
Its not that people who do boda boda and some small business are the one who have not gone to school some do it because they don’t have the so called white coolar jobs
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