Pictures of and stories about Ugandans suffering and dying from jiggers and malnutrition have not only humiliated Ugandans but also embarrassed the NRM government that fought a five-year devastating guerrilla war to end the long suffering of Uganda people. Statements about making hunger and jiggers history were repeated at national and international conferences. Obote and Amin regimes were bitterly attacked for failing to meet basic human needs. Museveni and his government assured the nation and the whole world that Uganda would only export surplus food over and above domestic demand with a balance in quantity and quality. And everyone would wear shoes everyday and live in a decent house! Ugandans rallied behind the government and were even prepared to tighten belts further to give the government time to put appropriate programs in place. That was in 1986 and Ugandans have waited for the day when poverty and its offshoots of hunger, ignorance and disease would end. However, as time passed, rapid economic growth and success stories failed to trickle down and put food on the table and make shoes available. Ugandans began to wonder whether the promise would be fulfilled and demanded an explanation about rising unemployment and poverty in the midst of rapid economic growth which hit ten per cent in mid-1990s.
The government explained that bad weather (Act of God beyond government control) had affected food production for domestic consumption and export crops to earn adequate foreign currency to import goods and services essential for social transformation. Regarding rising unemployment, the government argued that there were jobs but Ugandans did not want to work because they are lazy and drunkards. Then came the devastating outbreak of jiggers throughout the country with Busoga the epicenter! The government invoked population explosion (the second Act of God) to explain why the social systems of education, housing and healthcare have collapsed. Conferences, debates and articles on population explosion and its negative impact on the economy, environment and society have since taken Uganda’s political economy center stage. The public has not been convinced. A more plausible explanation is therefore needed because without a clear understanding of the challenges it will not be possible to make relevant recommendations.
Museveni’s first and perhaps only priority has been security and regional matters since he became president in 1986. Economic matters not only came a distant second but were subcontracted to major donors and NRM surrogate cadres especially those connected with the first family by blood and marriage irrespective of whether they are qualified and experienced or not. Social sectors that affect Ugandans directly were not considered productive in the short term and were put on the back burner where they stayed until they collapsed as manifested in malnutrition and jiggers etc.
In interviews, Museveni stressed that his top priority is security in Uganda and neighboring countries which were initially Sudan and Rwanda later expanded to the entire great lakes region including Kenya. The outbreak of terrorism and Museveni’s determination to fight it has involved Uganda in areas outside the great lakes region. The failure to defeat Lord Resistance Army (LRA), emerging internal instability connected with economic and political dissatisfaction and terrorism that have resulted in recent demonstrations at home and abroad and terrorist attack on Uganda have meant that Museveni and senior advisers will focus more on security and allocate more resources for intelligence, police and military activities at the expense of economic and social sectors. Security considerations resulted in the purchase of one of the most expensive presidential jets. Terrorism and the unsettling political climate in the Horn and Great Lakes regions will therefore keep Museveni’s attention glued onto security matters and little else if at all. His survival depends more on security than on economic and social achievements. Uganda’s increasing involvement in peace and security matters and human rights issues at continental and global levels is part of Uganda’s security strategy.
Museveni who came to power determined to end sectarianism and its offshoots of corruption, nepotism and religious favoritism and unite the country has turned out to be the most sectarian and divisive of all Uganda heads of state. He sees Uganda as his fief where he can do whatever he wants with impunity. The well educated and experienced Ugandans who worked in Obote regimes and are Protestants were either dismissed under the rubric of downsizing public service or marginalized to make room for Catholics and Tutsi refugees who had fought a guerrilla war with him. Catholics had no experience as they had been locked out by UPC governments. It was their turn to ‘eat’ and they ate big in terms of recruitment and promotion because they fought! Tutsis did not care that much because Ugandans did not want them around and their mind was focused on returning to Rwanda by force if necessary. Most of the important and strategic jobs especially in security forces, vital and prestigious ministries such as finance and foreign affairs went to the first family members. Embassies were filled with former fighters or their children, relatives and friends who have spent most of the time either studying or enjoying life. Many Ugandans from the capital end up shopping or relaxing instead of attending conferences and presenting Uganda positions.
Nepotism has been accompanied by rampant corruption. Public funds for economic and social development have been plundered in broad daylight with impunity especially by big shots. Stories have been heard that those who fought have every right to compensate themselves. Those who did not fight have no right to complain. A hunter cannot kill an animal and leave meat to be consumed by those who did not hunt!
Because of these preoccupations, the economy was left in foreign hands and seized the unique opportunity to experiment with stabilization and structural adjustment. Uganda’s commanding heights were privatized en masse and foreign experts and advisers flocked to key ministries, set policies and supervised their implementation. Even many government statements were written by foreigners! Liberalization of the economy permitted capital flight by foreigners and citizens alike. The government was driven out of economic activities which were left to market forces and the private sector whose motive is profit maximization and not provision of social services. The trickle down mechanism from economic to social sectors did occur – hence the collapse of nutrition, education, health care and housing systems and the upshot of hunger, insanity and jiggers etc.
The report on the State of Uganda’s Population released on October 19, 2010 and summarized by Raymond Baguma in his article titled ‘Ugandans laziest in East Africa’ clearly shows that government needs to do more. European visitors to Uganda described the natives as the ‘Japanese’ and later the ‘Chinese’ of Africa, meaning that they were productive, energetic, innovative, thrift and hardworking. Government policies especially since NRM came to power have sapped that energy and resolve. Impoverished, functionally illiterate, hungry and unhealthy citizens many of whose hands and feet have been disfigured by jiggers and rebuked civil servants cannot be productive. Further, there is sufficient evidence that subsistence farmers whose numbers have increased and poor people – as Ugandans are – have a high fertility rate. The solution therefore will not come from contraception alone whether or not men join women to implement birth control programs. Forced birth control has many drawbacks and should not be attempted in Uganda. Look at Asia’s experience for lessons. Uganda needs more than voluntary birth control in the short, medium and long term
Uganda must therefore go back to basics – set the right policies integrating reproductive health and rights rather than birth control alone and restoring strategic role of government in the economy, hire and promote qualified and experienced Ugandans, export surplus food over and above domestic demand including school lunches, end corruption and nepotism, stop dividing the country into economically unviable units and let people keep and use their land to sustain themselves instead of pushing it into municipality to facilitate purchase by the rich inside and outside of Uganda.