There is no doubt, FM radios are the most accessed channel of communication in Uganda, thanks to the liberalisation of the broadcast sector in the early 1990’s which led to its rapid growth.
Rural people are increasingly accessing more information from the many rural FM stations spread throughout the country because of the enormous advantages they provide, leading to better decision making. Radios easily transcend barriers caused by isolation as a result of illiteracy, distance to urban centres, lack of power connectivity and general poverty.
In addition, rural FM radio’s easily adapt to local language and culture, rural folks can listen to radio in privacy of their homes in a language they are comfortable with, requiring no special skills. But what type of information do they provide to the rural folk? The former president of South Africa Nelson Mandela once said, “Bad media is better than no media at all.” Yes, rural FM stations are doing a great work to empower the citizens through access to information but questions abound about quality.
What is the quality of the information accessed? Are they contributing to the improvement of the household incomes of their target audiences? Do they carry out on-the-job training to their journalists? Do they involve their target audiences in programme design? What percentage of their time do they use for development messages in comparison to foreign broadcasts and music?
Uganda being a predominantly agricultural country with over 80 per cent of the population directly or indirectly employed in the sector – majority in the rural areas, appropriate use of radio to sensitise rural farmers on market information, seeds and access to loans can easily turn around their fortunes.
Rural FM radio’s indeed have the potential to address all these challenges if equitable access to information and better knowledge sharing to enable the rural people exploit the available resources is ensured. A lot of agricultural sensitisation funds are invested in buying airtime and calling experts the usual way; to teach people what to do, the likes of NAADS. Yes, it is good but is it sustainable?
Government agencies, donors and civil society involved in agricultural sensitisation should know that there is need to more than just sensitise (buying airtime and calling experts to teach rural farmers what to do.) Rural FM stations, more than any other media, influence the opinion of rural folk but continue to employ untrained journalists because of the increased commercialisation of the sector. Journalists and radio presenters continue to receive peanuts because to the radio owners, profits are at the forefront of anything to do with professional journalism and the information needs of poor rural folk.
I have been in the villages of Kabarole District in Western Uganda and listened to their radio stations, the topic is always who is going to win in the elections, which player Ferguson bought the other day, how Bobi Wine is pirating Kafeero’s music, etc but not which agricultural products are available for sale in a given village, low interest farmer loans in a given financial institution, improved seeds in a given shop in town.
Imagine what difference it would make for a radio programme that connects buyers and sellers of agricultural products, giving the contact phone of the seller/buyer, place, amount and products needed or available.
If nothing is done, many people especially in the rural areas will continue to produce crops but continue to sell them at a low price to exploitative middle men, hence gaining little from months of hard work and the vicious cycle of poverty shall continue.
Every Rwandese uses UGX70, 000 a year with better roads, education and health services while every Ugandan uses UGX23million a year with poor quality education, potholes and no medicine in hospitals according to the annual national budgets of the two countries. If we are to break it down further, Uganda government spends 328 times more money on its citizens than Rwanda government but who gets better government services?
Rwanda has a total national budget is UGX800billion with a population of 11 million people while Uganda with a population of 32 million people has a total national budget of UGX7.5 trillion. Uganda’s population is three times bigger than Rwanda. If Kagame government was managing Uganda; he would use a total budget of UGX 2.4 trillion instead of UGX7.5 trillions our Uganda government uses with better roads, quality healthcare and quality education assuming we are going by Rwanda’s rates.
Rwanda uses less money but provides better education, better roads, better health care, etc. In fact, Uganda’s ministry of health budget alone is almost equal to the whole Rwanda government national budget but there is no medicine in Uganda hospitals. Our doctors are also running to Rwanda coz of poor pay here. Our roads budget is almost as twice as the total budget of Rwanda but more and more potholes!!!
All levels of our education system will continue teaching religious studies... The government is aware of the place of religion in Ugandan communities - says the Ugandan government.
President Museveni rapping
Of late, a public debate has been raging over reports that cabinet had debated the banning of teaching religious studies in schools and colleges. The cabinet early this year debated the proposal to stop funding the teaching of religious studies. Among other things, some members of the cabinet argued that it was not appropriate for the government to allow the continuous teaching of religious education in schools when Uganda is a secular state. These cabinet members argued that religious teachings be left to for the home and church, given that the government could not fund teaching of all religions.
Behind this concern, the government was also concerned that faith-based schools resisted recruitment of head teachers who were not of their faiths, which suffocates government efforts in improving education in the country.
In Uganda, the majority of the most powerful government aided schools like Kibuuli Senior Secondary, Kisubi College, Namagunga Girls, Nabisunsa Girls, St. Henry's Kitovu and Nyakasura School among others were founded by religious institutions which include; Muslims, the Catholic Church and the Church of Uganda.
The idea from cabinet to discontinue the teaching of religious studies in schools and colleges has received a lot of criticism from religious groups, the opposition and some sections of the public. The major reason advanced by such people is that banning religious studies in schools will lead to moral degeneration in the country.
Namirembe Christian Fellowship leader, Pastor Simeon Kayiwa says banning religious studies would drag the country into immorality.
"Religious education in schools helps to build a God- fearing nation," Pastor Kayiwa told journalists recently. "Any person who suggests that it should be removed from the syllabus, may plunge this country into immoral dangers," Kayiwa adds.
Pastor Kayiwa attributed dishonest acts, such as corruption and embezzlement among others, to lack of God-fearing hearts.
The remarks followed those of Bishop Samuel Balagadde Ssekadde, the Bishop of Namirembe Diocese, who said those pushing for the abolition of Religious Education should be investigated. Bishop Ssekadde wondered the kind of children Uganda would produce if they are not taught religious values in schools.
The immense criticism forced the government to come out and state that although the cabinet had hotly debated the issue, the government did not adopt any proposal to ban teaching of religious studies in schools.
On May 5th, the minister of State for Ethics and Integrity, Dr. James Nsaba Buturo told journalists at the Media Centre in Kampala, that the proposal was never endorsed by the Cabinet.
"Some members in Cabinet raised this matter but after debate, it was rejected and all levels of our education system will continue teaching religious studies," Buturo said. The minister said religion was important for moral development in schools which is good for promoting stability in the country.
"The Government wishes to disassociate itself from the reports. The government is aware that the place of religion and its teaching in Ugandan educational institutions is the bedrock of our stability and harmony among communities," Buturo said.
The Ministry of Education Permanent Secretary Xavier Lubanga in a statement to journalists on May 1st said that Christian and Islamic religious studies are still taught at primary, secondary and teacher education levels. He says that religious studies teachers are still on the government payroll and not about to be removed.
In Uganda the Christian Religious Education (CRE) and Islamic Religious Education (IRE) are the only two religious subjects taught in government schools depending on the founding body - Christians, Muslims or the government (where both can be taught).
According to the Uganda population census of 2002, Christians made up about 84% of Uganda's population. The Catholic Church has the largest number of adherents (41.9%), followed by the Anglican Church of Uganda (35.9%). Muslims represent 12% of the population.
Other religions include traditional religions (1%) and 'Other Non-Christians,' including Hindus and Judaism at 0.7%.
If the figures are added it shows that by 2002, 96% of the people in Uganda were either Muslims or Christians. With the opening of the political space to allow for elections only 60% can vote out a government of President Yoweri Museveni incase he went against their wishes (banning religious studies in schools).
Besides, the different religious groups, especially Muslims, Catholics and the Church of Uganda, have strong networks up to the parish level with capacity to influence their believers to take a particular political direction. This was witnessed during the 1980 where religion played a major role to make the Democratic Party (DP), headed by Paul Kawanga Ssemogerere, the strongest party in the country because it had received the support of the Catholics who were the majority.
DP also received the blessings of the Catholic Church leaders because it was founded along religious lines by Ben Kiwanuka, to promote the interests of the Catholic Church during the colonial era.
During the 1980 elections DP's flag bearer Ssemogerere is widely believed to have won the elections which was rigged in favour of UPC's Milton Obote.
But aside politics, some people have questioned the constitutionality of spending tax payers' money to teach religious studies, when Uganda is by constitution a secular state. Others have pointed to the fact that because not all religions are taught, it was unfair for the government to fund the teaching of some religions at the expense of others.
Some, like Local government Minister, Maj. Gen. Kahinda Otafire dismissed arguments that teaching religious studies in schools promotes morals amongst pupils and students. This brings to light the issue of whether what is taught as religious studies is for academic purposes or for promoting the beliefs of a particular religion. Does a list of criminals, corrupt or immoral people necessarily show people who didn't take religious education? It is because of these debatable facts that the issue of continuing or stooping teaching of religious studies remains a contentious one amongst many Uganda.
I have faced the real wrath of Uganda’s journalists especially now that I am in campaigns for political leadership. Money, money and nothing else for you to appear on radio, in papers, etc.
For starters, I am contesting for the Fort Portal Municipality parliamentary seat on the opposition Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) ticket.
Just recent, one Monday evening our FDC chairperson (Kabarole district) calls us for a press conference and the issue was to unveil the FDC candidates who won their primaries to the public.
A good number of journalists appeared representing every media institution that matters. We (candidates) raised a good number of issues but simply little was aired on Fort Portal based FM radio stations – in any case, maybe the little was to show the public that we (journalists) are professional because we are balancing all corners.
The next day, I accidentally landed on one of the news editors of the Fort Portal based FM station, pushed him to wall to answer why the opposition received a media blackout. I heard a very interesting answer – You never gave us anything.
On one hand, surely, I felt it was unfair but on the other, sympathy flowed in my heart for the journalists. I am a journalist myself who has seen it all. Exploitation looks like it is the order of the day in this whole journalism profession.
Only a few big media institutions like New Vision and Daily monitor pay their staff well. Then, how do you expect them to survive without making such ungodly moves. They have families, girl friends and therefore, a life to live.
Owners of media institutions likewise are shrewd businessmen who should not be blamed because they use any loophole in our laws to maximize their profits.
Why not blame the government (sorry, but you went to power promising to solve all that mess). This business of calling every Tom, Dick and Harry to come and invest in the media without putting up clear employment policies is messing up the whole profession.
Mind you, our profession is very noble and without it, corruption remains at very unmanageable levels in this country. This is time for our government to priotise setting up better employment policies like putting up a minimum wage for the benefit of our country.
Human beings are naturally selfish; I heard the other day that capitalism is embedded in people’s blood, heart and soul. Government or company workers will always drive government or company cars so badly simply because they are not theirs.
Carl Marx’s communism has also failed to work simply because it promotes communal work, communal ownership of properties, communal everything.
For instance, communism has failed to develop North Korea, Cuba and many other countries of the former USSR and East Germany. Despite its close proximity to the Asian Economic giants of South Korea, Japan and China, Communist North Korea remains a poor country likewise Cuba, despite its close proximity to the world’s superpower – USA, Fidel’s Castro’s country remains a third world country. The reason is simple,
communist systems do not provide for an extra reward or motivation for an extraordinary work done by an individual.
Communist China saw the light earlier. You can see where it is now – World’s number two economic giant after USA. Trust me people!, China only hides under the guise of communism maybe for propaganda reasons but it is number one capitalist country in the whole world. Recently, China has been in the world spotlight facing criticism for aggressively investing billions of money in many African countries without due regard for their bad records in human rights abuses and governance, the likes of Sudan and Zimbabwe. The reason for China’s aggressiveness is simple; it wants more resources to sustain its high levels of economic growth and development. China’s example is a high level of individualism at a country level.
Did I hear DJ Bush Baby of East Africa TV and radio in one of Uganda’s dailies recently saying that Tanzanians more than all the other people in the five East African countries are still sleeping because of Julius Nyerere’s UJAAMA policy which encouraged communal work and ownership of properties. That thinking will take long to get out of the people’s mind, I think, it is the reason why Tanzanians feared to join the East Africa’s political federation because they feared capitalistic Kenyan and Ugandan business people from taking over their businesses, land, etc and instead make them ‘slaves’ on their own land.
Imagine a hardworking person working on a communal project where some people are sick, some are lazy, some are naturally weak, some are dumb, etc. What will happen to the hardworking person after a day, a week, a month, a year, etc – reduced motivation to work because of no extra motivation like extra payment in recognition of her/his hard
work?
Uganda government, donors are now focusing on supporting group projects because to them, it’s a smart investment with capacity to ensure human economic development. Surely, group support is good when it comes to some issues like monitoring projects because people will easily check each other’s performance, in cases where mobilization of huge capital for big investments is necessary, community security but surprisingly, you will be shocked to find that many group projects fail because of selfish (individualistic) nature of human beings.
I was recently sharing with the Executive Director of a local NGO based in Fort Portal (Engabu Za Tooro) which supports group and individual entrepreneurship projects, he said, “Individual projects are flourishing but many group projects have failed to pick up”. There is a big lesson to learn from this experience? Individual interests are always at play, everyone wants to get something for her/his family at the expense of the sustainability of the group project.
The spirit of individualism coupled with poor administrative systems is the reason why corruption is ripe in Uganda, being a poor country with huge numbers of uneducated people who can’t put their leaders to account for their funds, it will always be easy for a government official to swindle billions of money meant for treating malaria, Tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS for millions of people and instead use the money to pay for her/his kids school fees in expensive schools abroad, meet a medical bill of a family member outside the country, buy a posh residence in a developed country, etc.
People have been complaining of the Uganda government controlled National Agricultural advisory services (NAADS) for giving farmers substandard animal and seed breeds which are procured at exorbitant prices by people who get the NAADS contracts. Now, I hear that NAADS has set up a new guideline where money will be channeled directly to the farmers to procure the items.
Very few people can be selfish to themselves; people make many investment mistakes mainly because of ignorance. The new NAADS guideline is a plus to the institution because households will always strive to buy the best animal and crop breeds to improve on their household incomes.
Support to group projects is good but in areas where they can’t work, support to household projects should be a serious option for consideration by donors and government if the country is to get out of poverty. However, such initiatives can make the country a success story in economic growth and development if proper assessment and monitoring mechanisms are instituted.
At the end of the day, a household or family is the smallest administrative unit in the country and there is a popular saying that ‘one by one makes a bundle’ therefore, when families in a country are economically self reliant, the whole country will be economically self-reliant.
Imagine how cheap and time saving it would be to get information from the district website for a job seeker, a company looking for tender, an investor looking for investment opportunities and a journalist looking for news.
Which investor can stand the hustle of moving, for instance to the Western Uganda rural district of Bundibugyo traversing through the mountainous poor roads looking for investment opportunities? And if he/she doesn’t go there, who loses?
A simple ‘click’ to a district website, unlocks all its potentials to whoever is interested in just seconds.
A website also provides many online free services a district can utilize to attract investments, fundraise for funds to manage a catastrophe, attract international development organizations, etc which at the end of the day improves on the livelihoods of the people. Google maps is one of them which can help a given district locate the investment needs of particular area complete with contact information. Such information helps an investor get background information and weighs the options first before wasting his/her fuel, time and energy moving to particular area. Through internet searches, some investors can actually land on investment opportunities accidentally in a given district because of a mere web presence.
Of course, many policy makers at the national and district levels are computer illiterate and need a lot of effort to convince them avail funds for such online projects. Even if such funds are availed, many district information officers lack skills in website management, also districts lack funds to employ ICT officers and therefore, they (districts) always seek the services of ICT experts who charge huge sums of money coupled with kick backs which makes it hard to sustain.
As a result of the above, the website becomes almost irrelevant like most government departments websites which are characterized with outdated information. Hahaha! I was sharing with a friend recently who works in a rural district in Western Uganda. His district chairperson was humiliated recently at an international ICT workshop after the district website was opened to the workshop participants with a photo and profile of the previous district boss and his former fierce political opponent as the current district chairperson.
Apart from reducing on the humiliations, timely and accurate information on the internet reduces on the workload for the district staff and saves the environment because car fuel which emits carbon dioxide to the atmosphere causing global warming will not be unnecessarily wasted for someone looking for information related to the district.
Besides, it is another way of safely and permanently keeping records. Records archived on the website are easy to access and face few threats to destruction for instance information regarding a tender
which was advertised four years ago will only be a search away on the district website making it more easy than unpacking boxes of papers to look for it.
God forbid! Think of fire gutting down the office, and destroying ‘a million dollar’ documents with no back up on the internet or being stolen by thieves or corrupt officers who want to hide evidence. Won’t it be a disastrous loss?
A website is also an avenue to ensure that leaders are accountable to the people. If properly updated people will get an opportunity to monitor funds and projects implemented by the district through press
releases, downloads of reports, news, etc. If the district leadership contacts are well posted on the internet, it helps bridge the communication gap between the people and their leaders.
I know what the district technical staff are going through during such an election period as the district politician’s demand for reports to account to the people in return for votes. Imagine, if the reports were well arranged on the district website, how easy it would be for them to account to their electorates. Mind you! A lot of Uganda print and broadcast journalists get information for their stories through online research therefore, online presence would actually simply the work of the politicians and the district technical staff and resources which would otherwise be spent paying for radio programs because from point A, the people would be awash with information regarding the work of the district leadership if the website technical staff consistently uploads press releases and reports for the convenience of both print and broadcast journalists.
As the 2011 Uganda general elections approaches, you have to critically analyze the manifestos of the political candidates, ask them questions and see what they have to offer as regards information dissemination and internet presence and then cast your vote.
Of course, many people in Uganda are computer illiterate and will only vote those who take them for bull roasting, buys them alcohol, soap and sugar without caring much about web presence of their districts and its benefits to them. The educated should think of how a website will help change the lives of their parents, neighbors, relatives, etc after attracting an investor who constructs a processing factory for their tomatoes. That line of thinking will help them sensitize people to enable them make better decisions when casting their votes.
For policy makers, the benefits of increasing funding for ICT’s especially for staff training, paying for internet access, website costs and of course buying computers are enormous. Therefore, this is a humble appeal to the policy makers to do the needful! Wikipedia, news websites, tour and travel companies’ websites and websites of NGO’s have done a good job to avail information regarding particular districts on the internet. But, we should not over depend on them because their interests, NOT the interests of particular districts take first priority.
