Dear comrades in opposition politics – especially in parliament – you must have seen my face as I watched you swear in for office.
You were all smiles. In a poor country, you should have worn overalls, accompanied with battle-hardened faces. There should be nothing to celebrate. Many Ugandans frown at parliament: a house of 550 legislators designed for 180, taking home obscene perks (Shs 4.3bn a term) for doing almost nothing.
Our biases and disdain aside, you are already in that house, and no one can change that fact. While your numbers are small, you can actually change things. My friends, Nkunyingi Muwada, Ana Adeke Ebaju, George Musisi, Oneka Lit, Kaps Fungaroo, Francis Zaake, among many others, this appeal is made to you.
First, any promise to end the reign of Gen. Yoweri Museveni is simply selling Uganda a pipe dream. Museveni defeated us. And while promises of the struggle sound good, we don’t seem to have a solid plan for it.
If Museveni decides to stand again in 2031, he’ll retain the presidency. Look, beyond our collective dislike for it, I am not even sure we –– including myself –– are organized at all to stop his son from becoming the next president.
But despite this seemingly bleak picture ahead of us, there are things we can do to improve our lives in Uganda. To this end, I am appealing to legislators to take a shot at building a legacy. Parliament ought to be an activist platform: Lobby, raise awareness, draft private members bills, insist, fight!
Define the agenda in very strict terms – and leave kulabisa to CSOs, activists, and media. Instead of sitting back and waiting to respond to Museveni’s proposals (which will always pass), set the pattern. I’ll briefly touch some examples:
MINIMUM WAGE
Ugandan workers need a minimum wage. Companies and employers in Uganda are extremely exploitative. It’s worse among foreign companies. With a minimum wage, employed Ugandans would then have enough to spend, and employers would not be making a killing. Someone ought to lead this movement.
PUBLIC COMPANIES
Ugandans are toiling under the weight of taxes. We pay the biggest amount of tax in the region. In the case of PAYE for example, it is not even about double taxation, but being taxed for spending.
After one has paid PAYE, even withdrawing what is left from their accounts is taxed. If sending the same money over which one paid PAYE via their Mobile Phones, another tax is collected! With all our technological advances, why aren’t we able to track money against which PAYE was paid already?
There is an even bigger point for me. During the Mabira Forest protest of 2007, we learned in a New Vision lead story (April 12, 2007) that Mehta Group (which includes SCOUL, UGMA Steel and Engineering Ltd, Cable Corporation, Tea Estates and Luwala Tea Estates) are 51 percent owned by government.
But the books of this company have remained hidden since 1980. Why are we not collecting revenue from this company? Many other companies have Ugandan majority shareholding but their books remain unknown. Who are they and why are their books hidden? Instead of suffocating Ugandans with taxes, we have uncollected monies here.
PEARL BANK AND UGANDA TELCOM
I am an advocate of many small banks across the country. This is the German and Japanese high-growth model. Many small banks, with local context specific legislation. Why do laws governing banks for wealthy Kampala borrowers get to be applied to poor farmers in Masaka or Kotido?
Why should it be the same amount of money to start a bank for both Kampala and Bukedea? Why don’t we have a law compelling all public servants to have their salaries paid in the only available public bank, Pearl Bank (formerly Postbank)?
Why not support our local bank by channeling all public money through it? Why open it to competition with private foreign banks? Why not extend a similar favour to Uganda Telecom, where all government institutions are directed to use the only national telecom?
PRIVATE AND PUBLIC SERVICE – CONFLICT OF INTEREST
I am forever disturbed by how Uganda missed passing a core legislation when we entered privatization: an absolute conflict of interest, which has entirely undermined public service delivery.
It is only in Uganda where one finds a doctor at a public facility (such as Mulago Hospital) doubling as a private investor in the health sector with a pharmacy or private clinic. It is only in Uganda that one finds a headteacher, a minister, or commissioner of public schools in the ministry of Education, also doubling as an owner of a private school.
Under such conflicts of interest, there is no motivation for a doctor or commissioner of education to ensure public hospitals and schools work. Today, even the private sector services are so poor because there is simply no competition.
RESIGNING JOBS TO STAND FOR OFFICE
For political contests, one of the most damaging legislations happened in 2005. Far more damaging than the lifting of term and age limit legislation is the requirement for public servants to resign their jobs three months to nomination for elective office.
If one sat down to break down the implications of this legislation 20 years on, it is that our politics has (a) been left to the worst of us as we locked many able Ugandans out of politics. Relatedly, (b) political participation has become a do-or-die affair.
Once one decides to stand, they have to win by all means. (c) Politics ceased being patriotic public service, but rather a job to extract as much public funds as possible. No wonder, many former MPs and politicians fall on bad times after leaving office.
My sense is that even NRM legislators are unaware of these things and given the chance of exposure, they might find these issues collectively beneficial – and will support any motions.
yusufkajura@gmail.com
The author is a political theorist based at Makerere University.
There can never be opposition to Rwandese Museveni assured of 45 years by powerless tribally divided ruled Ugandans!
Where is Dr Besigye & for what reason?
Fake opposer/s to Museveni waiting for 2031 useless fake presidential election will only ensure his 50 years of ownership of Uganda legally, officially, constitutionally!
Just ONE National/Common Leader is needed to call for an end to the tribalistic system & to UNITY to block Rwandese Museveni!
So, why is UNITY to stop Rwandese Museveni not coming & tribal leaders are still in posts payed & for doing WHAT?
Why are Ugandans so so afraid to live without Rwandese Museveni & family?
Bobi Wine ensured Rwandese Museveni is legalised with last fake presidential election & now he’s quiet waiting to do so in the next!
Which coloniser, dictator…would lose election in a fake country he owns when the people who should kick him out are powerless tribally divided without Common Goal, without Common Leader to UNITE them?
Why will Ugandans go for next useless parliamentary election to reaffirm their love for Rwandese Museveni & protect him with the fake parliament in the fake country?
Indeed this article repeats what the public in Uganda knows very well but what the Opposition does not seem to understand. The opposition has flatly failed to lead the public in what it campaigned for. In its so called protest vote of Londa, Kakuume, Kabanje. The opposition participation in unreformed national election process was to hood the public to give away their votes so that NRM can use these credible votes to forge ahead its illegitimate governance of Uganda paka last. It will help the Uganda public not to fall in that trap of excitedly choosing leaders on their terms. The public should gradually give itself days when it must stand still on its own terms. It is high time the public came out on its own and speak with one voice as it did in the past days, months and years.
But Dr., Dr. Yusuf forgets that: our 86-years-old PROBLEM OF AFRICAN, Gen Tibuhaburwa and his PRACTICING PROBLEM OF UGANDA son, Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, are the Kingpin Foreign Investors Agents (especially Chinese). And since Yusuf has already surrendered and settled for the maxim that: our PROBLEM OF AFRICA, can do whatever they want, and the MPs from the opposition political parties in parliament can go hang; what makes him think these MPs can influence the implementation of a minimum wage?
In other words, as the Foreign Agent,’ Mr. M7 is the Slaves Task Master over Ugandans, who is rabidly opposed to the very idea of a minimum wage legislation/law/enforcement. Otherwise, where was Yusuf on 26th Jan 2017, when e.g. with disdain and without blinking, Gen Tibuhaburwa told the country and the whole wide world (www) that: he is neither our servant nor employee?
Why e.g., instead protecting Ugandans or the 4 corners of Uganda, the UPDF/SFC are viciously deployed at Foreign Investors Factories, Warehouses and/or Road Construction/equipment cites? It is to PROTECT the family shaky FUTURE and ILLICIT GAINS.
Moreover, how less the man cares about hundreds of thousands of our languishing, poverty stricken, jobless youths: sons and daughters who travel to Middle East and are humiliated in shouting-color inescapable uniforms, and are paid slave wage in the Arabian Desert wilderness odd jobs.
The last Minimum Wage Ugandan workers had, was 42 years ago in 1984 (Shs.6,000- six thousand only); during Obote (RIP) II . That was in the midst of the 4th year of Gen Tibuhaburwa and his NRA SUBVERSION, TERRORISM and ORGANIZED MURDER in Luweero.
Terrorism because, they blue up a Govt Hospital Ambulance, transporting a pregnant woman to Nakaseke Hospital (Luweero) to deliver a baby. The second terror attack was also in Luweero, when the blew a UTC Bus at Kapeka.
And it was an ORGANIZED MASS MURDER because, an Unjust War (because he miserably lost the 10th December 1980, General election, qualified and quantified the 5-year ORGANIZED MURDER of thousands of innocent Ugandans, both combatants and civilians!
Lakwena, as always, you hit the nail right on the head. What makes our Doctor think these MPs can influence the implementation of a minimum wage? Doc is just throwing any idea out there, hoping something sticks. In 40 years of M7’s autocratic rule, what has this bogus parliament ever passed that is in the interest of the people? Nothing! Nada! Zero!Look at Ssenyonyi! He brought his family out because bali mu kintu. They fell into things, leaving ordinary Ugandans out there to okwerya enkuta [eat their skins] while Ssenyonyi and his bunch of useless MPs enjoy taxpayers’ money for doing absolutely nothing. Now, Doc is leading us to believe they can actually be of use by passing a minimum wage bill. Mbu, kalonde, kakuume, kabbanje.Sure enough, Ssenyonyi is busy demanding accountability for a rigged election, after Kyagulanyi misled Ugandans into participating in bogus, violent elections while fully aware of the predetermined winner. All Kyagulanyi ever wanted was for his NUP to stay “in things” and keep enjoying taxpayers’ money for doing nothing. I hate to sound like a braggart, but this is exactly what I predicted. We are back to business as usual, and Doc is encouraging our MPs to do what they know best: nothing, while getting paid handsomely. As you rightly pointed out, Uganda is under military capture by a family and their cronies who only care about looting the country naked and keeping Ugandans in abject poverty. M7 will never allow a minimum wage; it directly contradicts his lifespan anarchy rule.
Spot on, Lakwena! What makes Doc think these MPs have any power to implement a minimum wage? In 40 years of M7’s autocracy, this bogus parliament has passed absolutely nothing for the common man. While elite politicians like Ssenyonyi are bali mu kintu enjoying taxpayers’ money, ordinary Ugandans are left okwerya enkuta. It’s all a game. Kyagulanyi knowingly led Ugandans into a rigged, violent election just to secure NUP’s share of the national cake. Now, Doc wants us to believe these same useless MPs will pass a minimum wage bill (mbu kalonde, kakuume, kabbanje). It’s an illusion. As your breakdown shows, Uganda is held captive by a militant regime and family oligarchy whose sole interest is looting the country naked. A minimum wage will never happen because an impoverished populace is exactly what M7 needs to maintain his anarchy rule for life.