In theory, the idea of democracy, of elections and of decentralization is to enable local communities to participate in discussions and make informed decisions including electing representatives that protect, promote and improve the quality of their lives.
Furthermore, the idea of market forces, laissez faire (let alone) and private ownership is designed to allocate resources efficiently, encourage private initiative, speed up economic growth, create jobs and, through a trickle down mechanism, benefit everyone in the community.
The two ideas, largely foreign in origin, have been fully embraced by the NRM government since 1987. The NRM leadership originally rejected stabilization and structural adjustment as promoted by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank for the good and simple reason that if implemented as recommended it would hurt ordinary citizens by reducing jobs, education, health care, nutrition and bargaining power of workers, etc. Given the profit motive of the private sector many in the government felt that, left alone, structural adjustment would squeeze the weak and force them into endemic poverty and permanent under-development.
As discussions progressed Uganda’s surrogates of the donor community managed to convince or force the foreign currency starved government to adopt the extreme version (shock therapy) of structural adjustment. The converted government used a carrot and stick strategy to deal with dissenters who were either incorporated into the government with high-sounding titles but limited responsibility or were simply thrown out or severely marginalized.
With foreign experts bent on using Uganda as a model of market forces and private sector as the engine of growth, the NRM government which started off with a semi-socialist strategy suddenly swung to the idea of allowing individuals using their own initiatives to accumulate wealth with limited government oversight and regulation.
The government soon realized that an enabling politically stable environment was necessary to maximize wealth through private domestic and foreign investment. Therefore, it embarked on a deliberate strategy of creating a docile society by letting public schools and health systems decay and unemployment rise. Peasants were enticed to sell food and forget about the stomach to enable the government to accumulate foreign exchange to meet the needs of the rich. As a result of these deliberate policies, the many Ugandans are functionally illiterate, hungry, sick, divided and confused. Additionally the government with tacit support of some donors built strong intelligence, police and defense forces to ensure that there is no popular unrest.
A mobile phone market was created by urging peasants to grow food for cash at the expense of balanced diets or savings to send and keep children in school, etc, alcohol consumption is encouraged by making sure there is plenty of it and relatively cheap too making Uganda the number one country in the world in alcohol consumption. Economic growth, infant mortality and per capita income figures, etc were cooked to keep the world happy that structural adjustment model was working (S. Mallaby 2004 & P. A. Nyong’o 1992). For example there are reports that economic growth in 2009 was 4 percent and not over 8 percent as reported in government circles.
With so much money, much of it stolen from public funds, the rich began to look for safer investment areas with minimum risks or where they could reap more profits and quickly. Land offered such possibilities especially in strategic locations. It is reported that when the well connected realized that oil would soon be discovered in Bunyoro they appropriated communal land whose value has skyrocketed since the oil was confirmed to exist in large quantities.
Likewise, land in areas around the northern parts of Rukungiri Township has attracted the attention of the rich for three main reasons. First, the area is fertile, with good rainfall and favorable weather because of high elevation. Second, there are rumors that minerals have been found in the area in large quantities. Recently areal surveys of the area were conducted by the government. The results have not yet been announced to the public. Thirdly, the area is occupied by mostly Bairu (slaves) peasants who are totally or functionally illiterate and politically voiceless. They depend on their land for livelihood.
Efforts to convince peasants to sell their land under willing buyer and willing seller arrangements have not produced the desired quick results as peasants are not eager to sell their land and start business in towns. They think the risks are too high and do not have anything to fall back onto should urban business fail.
In a hurry to grab land possibly before announcing the discovery of minerals, Rukungiri district councilors were forced into an emergency session and passed a resolution to expand Rukungiri town boundaries to incorporate the neighboring northern parts referred to above into a municipality without consulting the people they represent or involving the Ministry of Local Government as required. Parliament also rushed and approved the resolution without following procedures requiring that the presentation be made by the Minister of Local Government. Instead the presentation was made by Major General(rtd) Jim Muhwezi, MP for Rujumbura constituency in which Rukungiri town is located. This hasty presentation and adoption by parliament is illegal and should be annulled.
Paradoxically, the decision represents a combination of so-called democracy, election of representatives and decentralization of power that have conspired to dispossess the very people these instruments were created to protect.
This is robbery at gun point by the powerful – who by the way made sure the municipality does not cover their home areas even when they are closer to Rukungiri township than the northern parts which have been included in the municipality – that continue to suffocate the weak to enrich themselves, members of their families, relatives and friends. If Parliament’s approval of the district’s resolution is not annulled, this will be the second time for Bairu of Rujumbura to be deprived of their land. The first time was when Bahororo (Nilotic Batutsi from Rwanda) arrived in Rujumbura via their short-lived Mpororo kingdom around 1800 and appropriated Bairu’s grazing land for their long horn cattle causing Bairu’s short horn cattle to perish for lack of pasture. Once again under the leadership of Bahororo, Bairu are about to lose their cultivation land disguised as township expansion to provide better services to people. One wonders which people are being served since Bairu in that area will soon become landless and homeless.
Parliament that approved this resolution without following the procedures has been asked through the Speaker of Parliament to cancel the decision. The Speaker of Parliament has yet to respond.