The pigs who arbitrarily became animal leaders became dictatorial and selfish. The apples and milk became a preserve of the pigs. The pigs reasoned that they needed the apples and milk to keep healthy because they worked tirelessly for the other animals.
This allegory rings true to Uganda’s situation. At the inauguration of President Yoweri Museveni on January 29, 1986, he said the change of government was not a mere change of guard but a fundamental change. But this statement can easily be interpreted in the negative. Fundament change could mean abandonment of our social fabric and adoption of stranger values. Uganda has fundamentally changed.
The leaders are no longer accountable to the voters. The gap between the rich and poor has widened. The country is blighted with an economic crisis; prices of commodities have skyrocketed. The leaders who are not frugal have instead advised the ordinary citizens to tighten their belts. From the president to heads of government agencies, they continue to live large, oblivious of the suffering of ordinary Ugandans.
The minister of Finance has reflected the stand and style of government on subsidies. Government has refused to reduce taxes on fuel nor has it paid the money owed to suppliers. So, the money is not circulating in the communities.
While ordinary citizens sleep on empty stomachs and cannot afford medical bills, the 539 members of parliament have each got Shs 40m. The prime minister, Robinah Nabbanja recently ordered the striking public health workers to return to their workstations or risk losing their jobs. She said the money they were being paid was commensurate with their service.
Nabbanja has also advised Ugandans who cannot afford soap to use pawpaw leaves. The president has also told Ugandans who cannot afford bread to eat cassava. Cassava costs money. State House continues to request for supplementary budgets and the expenditure on public administration is not reducing in synch with the belt-tightening that is being preached.
The plausible explanation for this indifference is impunity. The leaders know the public have no powers of recall. These leaders want the citizens to believe that their greed and unreasonableness are great sacrifices.
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