I had a brief campaign rally on Thursday, 16th December, 2010 at Kachwamba Trading Centre in South Division, Fort Portal Municipality. Unfortunately, our public address system broke down and we had to change strategy (me and the Mayoral aspirant Baguma Patrick).
We started moving house to house, person to person explaining our issues and why we are the best candidates for the positions we are vying for?
For starters, I am contesting for the post of MP Fort Portal Municipality on the Forum for Democratic Change Ticket.
FDC MP Aspirant Fort Portal Municipality - Solomon Akugizibwe
Along the way, I met a very interesting old gentleman with his shop full of posters of my opponents and NRM presidential candidate Yoweri Museveni. I performed all the required rituals (greeting, introductions, etc).
The gentleman was damn surprised that I was in the race – I think at the back of his mind, he couldn’t imagine an FDC candidate tussling out with his preferred candidate (mind you, FDC is a force to reckon with in the Municipality and most people were fooled to think that the NRM primaries put a lid on the whole process).
He tried to show that he is on my side, and advised me to focus on radio programmes. He told me how this government is incompetent and only bent on using public resources to swindle votes (which is true). He gave me an advice to attack this government for increasing the number of National Agricultural Advisory Services (NAADS) beneficiaries at sub county levels because it was not on the initial NAADS programme.
His point was, increasing the number of NAADS beneficiaries was a ploy by government to use government resources bribe more people for support in the coming 2011 Uganda elections.
The old man encouraged me to emphasize the issue on campaign rallies and radio programs because it will help me effectively de-campaign my opponents (who are all NRM leaning) and President Museveni.
Common sense tells me that it would be a politically disastrous for me to fight government for increasing the number of NAADS beneficiaries at sub county levels. In any case, I should ask for more and maybe ask for better quality services.
What was the intention of this old man? Was he genuine or he wanted me in a political dustbin?
The most special thing about a kingdom in western Uganda, Tooro, may be the 11 “pet names” they exclusively use when showing respect, gratitude, praise. The 12th name is booked for somebody important.
These empaako actually do not mean anything in the local language – they have been brought to the Batooro by Luo invaders. Solomon Akugizibwe has the details.
Video of Toro King on a tour of the American State of Texas
What makes the Batooro of western Uganda special? Is it their young king Oyo, the escapades of their Queen Mother Kemigisa, their closeness to the famous snow-caped Rwenzori montains or their western jazz style? Or is the most special thing their “pet names”?
The pet names are so much embeded in the Tooro culture that everyone born or married in Tooro adopts them. Among children it is punishable to call an elder by their religious or traditional name because it is a sign of disrespect and indiscpline. Batooro use pet names to greet, praise, show gratitude or ask for favors from people.
The first eleven pet names or empaako are Bbala, Abbooki, Abwooli, Acaali, Adyeeri, Akiiki, Amooti, Apuuli, Araali, Ateenyi, Atwooki. However, the 12th pet name Okaali is reserved for the king only. He is the only Mutooro with two pet names. Upon becoming a king, no matter what his pet name was before, he takes Amooti used to greet him on an everyday basis and Okaali used only on special ocassions, traditional ceremonies and rituals.
Surprisingly, the pet names do not mean anything in Tooro culture! They originated from the Luo who invaded Bunyoro – which Toro was part of – and assimilated them into their language. Empaako were tagged with special Luo meanings, for instance Akiiki means saviour of nations, Abwooli is a cat, Apuuli is a bitch and Ateenyi is the legendary serpent of River Muziizi – which separates today’s Bunyoro and Toro Kingdoms.
The Batooro share many cultural traits with Banyoro, including pet names, because Tooro Kingdom was originally a province of Bunyoro-Kitara until 1830 when Prince Kaboyo rebelled and declared Tooro independent.
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.
