Lack of research, discipline fails Uganda’s enterprises - experts

Kampala. Lack of research on enterprises and market trend is the major cause of downfall of locally established companies, business experts have said.
Experts say that most Ugandan families do business and boom highly but do not last long due to lack of research that is needed to facilitate the sustainability of the business.
“Here we think that capital is the only way to go but so many people are given millions of money and their businesses collapse without lasting for long thereby increasing unemployment rates in the country,” Mr Charles Ocici, the executive director Enterprise Uganda, said.

Speaking at the inauguration of St Lawrence University Research Board in Kampala last Thursday, Mr Ocici suggested that solutions do not require World Bank and prayers but specific aspects like research which is done by people.
“Information is an alien trend in African enterprises which lead to their collapse. The information must be consistently updated. Researchers should find out why popular brands are collapsing so as to boost the private sector to match with the public sector by fixing everyday solutions to companies,” he said.
He cited collapsing companies such as Nakumatt, Uchumi and WBS, among others.

Mr Ocici said: “Do not feel shy to research in small companies. Start from somewhere, you will shine and be able to fix big company problems and respected everywhere.”
Mr Ocici advised researchers to focus on everyday challenges in the community such as drought in order to offer down to earth solutions that are easy to implement by the ordinary people.
“Do not be shy to publish your research reports in the African way because developed countries produce and use local solutions to their challenges which can easily be adopted and implemented. Make sure that when you are publishing your reports, you find a way that is consumed but do not do research to satisfy the funder without an impact in the community,” Mr Ocici advised.

The role of discipline
The former chancellor of Makerere University, Prof Mondo Kagonyera attributed business failures to lack of discipline in the way how Ugandans handle challenges and present their ideas.
“There is nothing better than discipline in the world. However much you are knowledgeable, without discipline it is nothing because it cannot cause positive impact to the community. People and universities always have problems but the issue is solution. Lecturers and students are educated and knowledgeable people who are expected to find a solution to their problems but not rioting and destroying property. When you destroy property, you add a problem to a problem and there you have no difference from a villager who has never gone to school,” Mr Kagonyera said.

He further said that disciplined people win people’s trust and can acquire loans without any agreement but they pay back: “Train your students to be relevant to the people to make a good example in the community.”
“It is not good to research outside your country while leaving your local problems unsolved. In Africa, we have people who do not respect knowledge to the extent that some of them pay their teachers for grades they do not deserve. It is absurd that you students pay lecturers to remain ignorant which is the major cause of all problems in the world,” he lamented.

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