The most vulnerable segments of the Ugandan population are women, children and youths, especially in Karamoja.

I am disturbed by such facts because pre-colonial and post-colonial Uganda was the chief supplier of agricultural produce in the entire East African region and was regarded as the ‘food basket of the region’. Women, children and youths are the most involved in agriculture.

Today, agriculture provides employment for about 33.8 per cent of the economically-active population and the proportional contribution of the agricultural sector to the GDP of the country stands at about 20.9 per cent. 

Despite this, majority of the population in rural Uganda practice rain-fed subsistence agriculture and are unfortunately mired in perennial poverty and backwardness.

What could have gone wrong to a sector that was/is tipped to be the leading sector in the economy? And how can we change the face of rural agriculture in Uganda?  The onus is upon the policymakers (government and other development agencies) to engage women in the agricultural sector and promote a climate-smart agriculture (CSA).

We need to engage the women because they are the most affected by the adverse effects of climate change and are so vulnerable. Since land is the major ingredient for climate-smart agriculture, we need to provide a platform for our mothers to access land and affordable and reliable credit.

Women are also usually preoccupied with the provision of food for their households. Drastic and innovative measures are needed to help farmers (women) and the entire populace cope with the capricious weather patterns.

We need to promote research and innovation by encouraging demand-driven research, value chain addition, encouraging the promotion of drought-tolerant crop varieties and emphasizing climate-smart agricultural technologies that are appropriate, gender-sensitive and locally-based. 

Furthermore, the climate change adaptation strategies must be appropriate to women’s capacities and needs because they are the most affected group of people from the adverse effects of climate change.

Ivan Munguongeyo,
Kampala.

Ccedu not opposed to LC elections, but the method

Contrary to press reports that the Citizens’ Coalition for Electoral Democracy in Uganda (Ccedu) wants to block LC-I and LC-II elections, the organisation actually applauds the government on the need to hold these elections because local governments are very important governance structures.

However, the organization contests the methodology under which the election is being proposed to be held. Ccedu believes that a bad law which does not serve the interests of Ugandans should be changed in order to serve the people.

Uganda is a signatory to various international and regional covenants that observe the values, norms and standards in pursuing democracy and good governance.

Therefore, when Ccedu realized that the government was veering off the principles stipulated in these instruments in the name of lowering costs to conduct elections, we opted to mobilize the people to speak out their minds on the issue.

Ugandans have a tendency of accepting the status quo of issues that concern them, even when these issues are detrimental. This is why Ccedu has organized consultative meetings with citizens in Fort Portal, Busia, Arua and Kalungu. 

Ccedu is committed to ensuring that during the LC-I and LC-II elections, the three fundamental principles of confidentiality, anonymity and individuality are upheld by holding the election through the secret ballot.

Charity Ahimbisibwe,
cahimbisibwe@ccedu.org.ug.

Distribute the Constitution to empower citizens

It is a right for every Ugandan to have access to the Constitution and know its provisions.

The state is obliged to translate it into all local languages so that all people are not left behind and can know their rights and advocate for them in case they are being violated.

Less than half of the population can access the Constitution since it is costly. Likewise, others just know there is a constitution but don’t know its importance.

Surprisingly, even the learned can hardly interpret it because it is written in complicated and confusing vocabulary yet the state is mandated to interpret it for the citizens so that they can all know its provisions.

All citizens are obliged to defend and protect the Constitution but how can you defend what you don’t know? Christians give out copies of the Bible and Muslims give out copies of the Qur’an to those who cannot afford them. Can’t the state distribute free copies of the Constitution to the citizens?

You can hardly find primary and secondary schools teaching learners the Constitution yet it’s provided for in chapter one. Even some university courses don’t, since it doesn’t form part of their programmes.

I, therefore, call upon the state and other NGOs to put hands together so as to avail all citizens with copies of the Constitution translated in indigenous languages and as well get experts to help them get the right interpretations.

Muhamed Lunyago,
lunyagomuhamed2014@gmail.

Why we need buses, not taxis

Although the Uganda National Roads Authority has reclaimed road reserves, which will enable them widen our narrow roads, Ugandans will still buy cars to avoid public transport.

This is because of the unprofessionalism and rudeness of most taxi operators. Public transport should never have been privatized in the first place because, in so doing, Ugandans have been exposed to exploitative operators who increase transport fares arbitrarily.

However, with the reintroduction of buses run by the ministries of transport and local government, bus fares would be fair. Some have argued that the only way KCCA can reintroduce buses is by demarcating bus lanes.

I disagree because even if bus lanes were introduced, taxi drivers and boda boda cyclists would also use them, as can already be seen by taxi drivers stopping at bus stages allocated to Pioneer buses.

Therefore, buses and taxis cannot ply the same routes concurrently, taxis should be removed in favour of buses.

Josepha Jabo,
Uganda Media Centre.

letters@observer.ug