Frank Tumwebaze should just revive Idi Amin’s CD

In 1972 (or thereabouts), Col Joseph Ozo (Governor of Western Province) visited Muhokya Primary School. The previous year, I had been promoted to P1A (our P1 Proper; after doing PC and B). But I dropped out to babysit my young brother; very typical of our times. Of course I would not miss seeing the Governor. So, I dressed in my school uniform (escaped from home) and joined the P1 Class.

I saw Col Ozo (and his pot belly). The school choir, whose anchor was the head girl (and my sister Hawa Asuman), sang for Col Ozo (in Kiswahili).

The only ‘civic activism’ at school was the work of the Young Farmers Club, whose members were allowed on the governor’s guided tour of the school. Any wonder, when I joined the UPC Young Wing, my constituency was Young Farmers Association. And of course, I am the proud owner of two banana trees in my compound and the Rooster of Kawempe.

But wherever he went (he toured the entire district), Col Ozo talked about the importance of education (literacy), love for one’s country (patriotism) and the social welfare of the communities. And for me, the most enduring civic mobilisation during the Idi Amin presidency was the CD (Community Development). I relate to this CD thing personally because of the situation our family found itself: All our mothers were illiterate. And in Muhokya (and later Kirembo), our family had the highest number of children attending school.

So, my siblings Hawa, Mohammad, Zaynab, Mwajuma and Mariam became facilitators of Community Development Sessions. And all our mothers, hitherto unable to read and write, were enabled to read and write (Rutooro). The organiser (parish chief) made sure our mothers didn’t attend sessions facilitated by their children. Learning how to read and write was the main attraction at Community Development sessions. However, CD had other aspects like hygiene in homes, general civic awareness (do they call that patriotism now?) and production of food and cash crops.

Now, I am familiar with the fact that ‘the government-interaction something platform’ was the brainchild of Mr Frank Tumwebaze (when he was minister for the Presidency). He was later transferred to the Ministry of Information and National Guidance; from where he was recently transferred to the ministry responsible for Culture and Community Development. If I were Frank Tumwebaze, I would resurrect president Amin’s CD sessions.

During our time, learning how to read and write was the attraction of the CD sessions. Well, since the current mothers (unlike ours) are now literate, Tumwebaze’s new CD (forget and forgive the barazas please) would be a platform for civic interaction and skills acquisition for socio-economic mobilisation and development.
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Timothy Nyakahuma Kalyegira, yes that one, is my friend. He recently asked me how and what needs to be done in the re-organisation of the State. “Re-organising the communities,” I responded. This is something I believe in. Communities below the political entity called a sub-county should be re-organised, re-structured and recognised as centres for national social, economic and community development.

They should be recognised as the official growth centres. And these re-organised communities (just may be) could be used for national mobilisation. If Tumwebaze started those CD things, I can bet Rapahel Magyezi, the Minister for Local Government, would follow by re-demarcating villages (the smallest recognised community unit in Uganda).

And on service delivery, no project would be carried out without the input of communities on which it (project) would impact. And then we would be talking about water for production in a manner that organically relates to communities.

Mr Bisiika is the executive editor of East African Flagpost.
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