OPINION: What Has Gone Wrong With Uganda’s Democracy And Politics?

By Paul Mugoya

Big questions; Does Parliament represent the people’s interest or the President’s Interest Or is it an Enabler For Corruption? Are people losing their faith in democracy just because it no longer serves their interests? Are people losing interest in political parties just because they are seen to serve the interests of only those who own and manage them?

Politics has been commercialized and has become a transactional tool for conducting illicit businesses for self-aggrandizement at the taxpayer’s expense.

Ugandans view the current economy as an extortionist economy that extracts from the poor to enrich a few tops of the political class and civil servants. These two classes of people are responsible for the country’s economic maladies.

And if there is an honest audit done, the truth will be revealed because there is a vacuum of integrity and patriotism in the quality of leadership. Academic papers alone are not sufficient.

The service delivery systems have broken down because of corruption and mismanagement. Today, the social services are on its knees. Government Hospitals have reached threatening and frightening levels where they have started prescribing expired medication as the PAC of Parliament has discovered and revealed in Entebbe Referral Hospital. We don’t know if it is being done out of criminality, desperation, negligence, or corruption.

Unfortunately, in Uganda because of poor governance, we have a culture of no shame or voluntary resignations. If what PAC has discovered is true, why shouldn’t the heads roll?
In Uganda, things are handled in a manner that is selective with favors, and the habit of shielding.

As much as there is a need for more revenue to run the economy and provide services, why were Gold exporters exempted and given Tax holidays? These Gold exporters are known and are close to the center. This is corruption of the highest order and it is called tax evasion, which is a crime.

Ugandans wonder, why are others allowed to make huge profits and exempted from paying taxes while others continue to painfully pay taxes while making small profits, when we all go to the same markets, shops and in return, those who are subjected to heavy taxes, have no access to proper healthcare while those who are shielded to pay taxes go abroad on public money?

NRM has been in power for almost 40 years with a good manifesto but something has gone wrong. Failure to implement the manifesto because the supporters have been let down and have instead turned into saboteurs and lost trust and confidence in the entire governing system.

This has happened because leaders have developed an attitude of apathy towards the voters, with unchecked corruption with impunity. Sometimes, there is a need for the President to provide bold leadership and be in charge, without fear or favor. The issue of corruption and unemployment of the youth is a big challenge for the NRM in the coming elections.

Our youth need to be supported by the government investing more in skilling and reskilling to prepare our youth to work in industries as it is being done in the oil sector, if these 2 issues are not sorted now, NRM can lose its majority like the ANC of South Africa as is happening in the ongoing elections today.

According to IGG’s report, Uganda loses over 10trn shillings in corrupt tendencies. The more clamp down on tax evasion, the more taxes will be collected. The government has to operate without any biases in favor of any ethnic grouping. This will weed out corruption. Corruption impedes and frustrates the normal functionality of the State.

The State has to stop the attitude of shielding and protecting relatives and friends of those in government who are deeply involved in sabotaging the NRM manifesto. It’s not too late. No political Party on earth has a monopoly on support. Support can instantly change overnight.

There is no guarantee that support will always be there. And I do not want to be told that NRM is better organized than ANC of South Africa.

If we clamp down on those evading taxes and manage well the revenue, we shall proceed forward. In the long run, we should reduce the appetite for borrowing and spending.
NRM has to increase the amount of PDM to $1000 and involve more of the youth. 1Mn shillings, cannot start a piggery or buy a heifer for dairy, etc given the current value of the money. PDM is the only hope for Ugandans. The cost of starting up such projects has shot up and has to be taken into consideration.

NRM has to start winning the hearts of the unhappy unemployed youth. We should avoid giving high expectations and empty promises. Ugandans are now very enlightened. If NRM fails to make reforms now, then it should be prepared for an economic downfall which means there might be social chaos looming shortly because of the high cost of living and the unbearable hardship people are going through.

NRM can redeem and rescue Uganda if it carries out necessary radical reforms by redefining the political landscape, tackling corruption head-on, and scaling down on a bloated nonproductive public administration.

It also has to address the issue of nepotism and narrow the gaps in inequality and disparity in the sharing of jobs, promotions, and distribution of national resources. Uganda is among the most unequal countries.

Finally, on the political front, PLU is a political grenade growing and waiting to explode, to weaken NRM. Like it or not, PLU will transform into a political party and become a threat to the existence of NRM. The youth who are the majority in the country will view NRM as an outdated party that is delinked to their aspirations.

If the above issues are not handled with expediency, NRM will shortly continue to struggle to remain relevant.

For God and my Country,

Paul Mugoya Polly Is a Concerned Citizen.

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