NRM simply doesn’t care about Ugandans

The primary responsibility of the government is to protect and take care of her citizens, especially in regard to security of the person and property. No sane government will just sit by and watch her citizens go in harm’s way. No serious government will fold its arms while her citizens’ dignity is stripped.
When a government fails to perform those obligations, such a government has no business presiding over the affairs of the nation. This, sadly, is the story of the NRM government.
It is unthinkable that in the 21st Century, a government worth its name can give licences to shady companies to traffic Ugandan citizens into slavery in Oman, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Europe and the Americas. Worse still, the same government tries to rationalise this evil act by giving unpalatable explanations about exporting labour so as to solve the unemployment problem ravaging the country.
Where things have reached in our country, one wonders whether there is still some thinking that happens in the NRM government. It looks like the government is in auto pilot mode. With impunity, everybody does what they please. Otherwise, there is no way hundreds of citizens can be sold to modern slavery under the watchful eye of a sane government.
Gracious Lord, how is it possible that in this age and era, a government worth its salt, exports labour in terms of domestic workers? It is despicable, to say the least. It can only be possible with a government that doesn’t think, plan and care about its citizens. A serious government thinks and plans for its citizens way ahead of time. A focused government invests in its citizens through provision of quality education that makes the citizens competitive in the domestic and international job markets.
A government that has been in power for more than three decades can’t be giving excuse after excuse for its failures. The government should be in position to project the population of the country and their needs in as far as health, education, housing, energy, infrastructure, employment, etc. are concerned. A serious government can’t wait or be taken by surprise. It must creatively think and deliberately plan to solve its citizens’ problems.
To solve the unemployment problem, for instance, the NRM government needed to have a fair projection of Uganda’s demographic growth and their employment needs 20 or so years ago. Then based on that projection, the government would pursue a two-pronged policy agenda that would be embedded in the type of education given to young Ugandan citizens. The education syllabi would be designed in a way that ensures the promotion of creative and entrepreneurial thinking and also gives competitive skills demanded by the job market.
Then the government would create a fund that could be easily accessible, and devoid of corruption, for young people who have innovative and entrepreneurial ideas to nurture and bring their innovations to life. But funds alone are not enough. To succeed, young people need guidance and practical skills training through apprenticeship and mentorship programmes. Eventually, when the young innovators and entrepreneurs succeed, they create employment for themselves as well as other citizens.
For those who are interested in formal employment in private and public sectors respectively, the government would invest more resources and train them in the disciplines that give them a competitive advantage in the job market. For instance, the government could invest more in training teachers, doctors, engineers, ICT and computer science experts, etc. When a country gives top-notch quality education to such professionals, they would easily be employed in the local and international job markets.
A government that does not seriously invest in providing quality education to its citizens will most certainly export its citizens to slavery and depressing poverty conditions in foreign lands. There are no two ways around it. The only sure way to give citizens a happy and dignified life is to give them quality education that equips them with entrepreneurial and employable skills to earn decent livelihoods.

Mr Mugabe is a member of the Alliance for National Transformation party
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