Let’s find ways of decolonising our minds, our policies and our country

On the February 11, 2018, a newspaper published a job advert for Serene Suits and Hotel.
The details of the advert included specific requirements for the different managerial positions - ‘preferably white’ for a hotel manager and ‘preferably Indian’ for the restaurant manager position.
The preference was not on skillset, but focused solely on race. The advert did not at any one point ask about experience or qualification – just please be White or Indian.
This racist hiring is not new in Uganda nor is it limited to Serene Suits.
We see it manifest in the so-called experts who are paid more for the jobs they are not qualified for, while the Ugandans with more experience are instead made to be their juniors.
This is a common practice in many international NGOs. A few years ago, on October 20, 2014, newspapers also carried a similar advert for Shell and Bolton International Ltd, a hospitality and construction firm. The advert was calling for applicants for the position of an administrative assistant who ‘must be a foreigner (Indian, Phillipino, White).’
But Article 21 of the Constitution of Uganda prohibits discrimination, among others, on the basis of race, colour or ethnic origin. This particular Article is one of the most abused as we have seen over the years when different ethnicities dominate public and/or army service, but I will limit myself to the rewards of Whiteness in Uganda.
How can the government prevent and fight against racist hiring? A statement released by the Equal Opportunities Commission to Serene Suits ordered the hotel to stop the recruitment and offer an explanation in writing to the committee.
This Commission was established by the Equal Commissions Act 2007 and is mandated to monitor, evaluate and ensure that policies, laws, plans, programmes, activities, practices, traditions, cultures, usages and customs of all bodies in the country are compliant with equal opportunities and affirmative action in favour of groups marginalised on the basis of sex, race, colour, ethnic origin, tribe, creed, religion, social or economic standing, political opinion, disability, gender, age or any other reason created by history, tradition or custom.
As per the Act, a person who commits an offence and shall, on conviction, be liable to a fine not exceeding one hundred currency points (about two million shillings) or imprisonment not exceeding nine months or both.
My hope is that this conviction is extended to media houses that publish such adverts, as they are complicit in reinforcing Whiteness. With racist hiring, the clear message sent to Ugandans is that being Black means you are a secondary citizen, at a time when the government is boasting about the value within the country.
As a friend recently suggested, policies such as Buy Uganda Build Uganda should also include Employ Ugandans Build Uganda. This could be in one way or another, a way of protecting Ugandans who are faced with higher level of unemployment.
We have to build a country that is ours. Let’s leave the colonial system where Ugandans were subordinate to Britain. The independent Black-majority state should heal itself from cases where the Uganda Police Force offers a front seat to a White man arrested on charges of arms acquisition. Let us together find ways of decolonising our policies, our minds and our country.
Like Bob Marley says, emancipate yourself from mental slavery. None but ourselves can free our minds.

Ms Kemigisa is the head of content for Centre for Policy Analysis. [email protected]