NRM legacy: Locals express mixed reactions

Locals across the country have expressed mixed reactions to the tenure of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) party as it marks 37 years in power under the leadership of President Museveni.

Mr Museveni came into power on January 26, 1986, after leading a successful five-year liberation struggle under the then National Resistance Army (NRA) to restore democratic governance, rule of law and economic transformation based on the 10-point programme.

In the northern, Dr Moses Michael Odongo Okune, the Lango Paramount Chief, lauded the NRM government for bringing peace to once a war-torn region.

The United Nations estimates that the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) rebels killed more than 100,000 people, abducted 60,000 to 100,000 children and displaced more than 2.5 million civilians in four African countries from 1987 to 2012.

Dr Okune said during the past regimes, there were so many conflicts and political instabilities but it is now history.

“The NRM has done a lot for this country. For instance, it has brought peace and implemented a number of rebuilding programmes in northern Uganda,” he said. “The government is praised for giving the elderly people a monthly stipend under the Social Assistant Grants for Empowerment (SAGE) programme, which has greatly improved their standards of living,’’ the paramount chief added.

The Senior Citizens Grant targets older persons of 65 years and above and it has enabled the beneficiaries to access basic services, and to start income generating activities.

Dr Okune further said a number of roads such as Dokolo-Lira, Apac-Lira and Lira-Kamdini are being upgraded to ease movement of people and goods across the region.

Mr Bonny Achol, the former Lira Municipality Male Youth Councillor, said the youth have been supported by the NRM government through empowerment programmes. 

“However, our current challenges are enormous and cannot be addressed by one man or few leaders,” he said.
Mr Luzino Odongo, the chairperson of NRM in Apac Municipality, praised the ruling party for ending the LRA war.              
“It is the only NRM government which brought political stability to this country. In the past governments, there was an unstable government, but Mr Museveni has managed to keep a stable political leadership where leaders are elected democratically,” he said.

Dr Dan Okello, a former Makerere University lecturer, however, said the NRM government had promised that Uganda was going to attain middle-income status by 2020, but this was not achieved.

“The level of poverty has increased and the government is again talking of the country attaining upper middle income by 2040,” he said, adding that the government has failed to fight corruption.

Mr David Ojok Zulu, the Apac Uganda Peoples Congress chairman, said his party created a good environment for farmers by coming up with several interventions, including cooperatives, which the NRM government has failed to support.

“Farmers cooperatives such as Lango Cooperative Union were for cotton farmers in Lango, Bugisu Cooperative Union was for coffee farmers and Ankole Cooperative Union in Ankole Sub-region. These used to help farmers to find markets for their produce,” he said.

Apac
Mr Tom Oluge, a resident of Apac Municipality, said the ruling party has performed poorly on land policy.
“During the Uganda Peoples Congress government, there was nothing like land grabbing and killing of people over land disputes, but now it’s very common because of bad policies on land,” he said.

In Nakaseke District, a section of the residents said the renovation of the Nakaseke General Hospital that was once ravaged by the five-year guerrilla war is a big milestone.

“When the NRM government took over power and ruled for years without rehabilitating Nakaseke Hospital, we felt very concerned as residents, but in 2015, we witnessed a major refurbishment of the facility. This was a big landmark for our people,” the district chairperson, Mr Ignatius Kiwanuka Koomu, said.

Luweero
In Luweero District, the residents have also applauded the government for upgrading the Luweero Health Centre IV to a General Hospital.

Mr Erusto Kibirango, the chairperson of Luweero, said there are unfulfilled pledges by the  NRM government, among them the construction of the district administration block, fruit processing plant, and upgrading of the major roads that link Luweero to the neighbouring districts of Kayunga and Nakaseke.

Mr Livingstone Kategaya, a Liberation war veteran leader in Bamunanika County, Luweero, said many of the veterans have died without getting their respective compensation packages.

“There should be a deliberate effort to find out what happened to the compensation of veterans,” he said.
In Tororo District, Ms Stella Imukutet Echirya, a former LC5 chairperson, said the NRM government should be credited for empowering women and other special interest groups. “It is in history that during the NRM government, women have been given a chance to lead and participate in decision-making. So to me as a woman, I say long live NRM,” she said.

However, Mr Emmanuel Osuna, another local leader, said the NRM government has failed to strengthen monitoring and supervision of government projects to mitigate corruption.

Mbale
In Mbale, Mr Peter Rwandarugari, aka Ndeko Nangai, a businessman, said the government has achieved security and political stability.

“Our cultural values have degenerated because most of the evils in our society are as a result of loss of our cultural values,” he said.

Mr Ramathan Magambo, a resident of Mbale City, said the government has tried to create job opportunities through the establishment of factories in Mbale Industrial Park. “The government has also tarmacked roads such as Mbale–Lwakhakha road to ease transportation of agricultural produce,” he said.

Ms Jenniffer Nandutu, an opinion leader, however, said the government has failed in terms of governance and human rights.

“People’s human rights are violated by law enforcers and the government top leaders seem to be in support,” Ms Nandutu said.

In Yumbe District, Mr Noah Acikule, the former political commissioner of the defunct UNRF II, said most of the government poverty eradication programmes have failed.

“Government has initiated a number of projects within the revolution such as PRDP, NUSAF, YLP, EMYOOGA, ReHoPE, and PDM, but the impact is not seen in the community,’’ he said.

In Obongi District, the former MP for Obongi Constituency, Mr Hassan Kaps Fungaroo, said instead of celebrating, the people of WestNile should mourn. He said the Uganda National Rescue Front (UNRF) soldiers who fought were promised positions in government, including payments, which up to now have not been made.

“There was a plan to build a military veterans hospital in West Nile in memory of the ex-combatants, but the idea was frustrated,’’ he said.

Mr Patrick Manano, a resident of Nebbi Town, said although the government introduced Universal Primary Education UPE, pupils are no longer learning due to congestion. “Some rural schools are conducting classes under the trees with poor networks,” he said.

Zombo
In Zombo District, Ms Aidha Acanda, a resident of Paidha Town, said there are still challenges of accessing healthcare.

“Our patients walk long distances to access health services and in most cases, they end up dying on their way to the hospital due to bad roads,” Ms Acanda said.

In Koboko District, Mr John Bakole, an elder, said the NRM leadership has been characterised by corruption, regional imbalance, declining school performance, abuse of human and constitutional rights and continued elections marred by malpractices.

In Arua District, Mr Boniface Alioni, the NRM vice chairman, said the government has improved social service delivery, infrastructural development and the energy sector.

“When you see that the life expectancy of Ugandans has improved, it’s not out of the blue, it’s because certain things have been put right over the years,” Mr Alioni said.

Mukono
In Mukono District, the president of Uganda Federal Alliance (UFA), Mr Charles James Kizito, said there is no need to celebrate.

“When you look at the Kampala-Jinja Highway, the road is too narrow. It is the major source of traffic jams to the travellers to and from the eastern part of the country,” he said.
Mr Kizito also said the ongoing abduction of residents by security agencies cast a grim picture of the regime in power.

However, Mukono Deputy Resident District Commissioner Henry Kitambula said the NRM government has worked hard to transform the different sectors of the economy, especially the education sector.

Mr Peter Ssenkungu, the NRM chairperson of Masaka District, said the party should concentrate on fighting corruption, which he said has started tarnishing the image of the party.

In Jinja, Mr Farouk Aligriga, a casual worker and resident of Jinja City, said the government failed to tackle unemployment.  “Its the new evil eating up young graduates. The government has done less to tackle it for the past 37 years,” he said.

Mr Paul Okello, the chairperson of NRM in Mafibura Parish, Jinja North Division, said the area has got a primary school and piped water due to good policies of the ruling government.

“The elevation of Jinja to a city status is also one achievement of the NRM government and we must appreciate it,” he said.

The NRM chairperson for Jinja City, Mr Daniel Musinguzi, said the government has created a conducive environment to attract more investors.

The former MP for Kagoma County, Mr Frank Nabwiso, cited peace, infrastructure development and the liberalisation of media as some of the achievements of NRM.

Dr Nabwiso, however, said the ruling party has allowed Uganda’s economy to be controlled by foreigners.

“Many of the investors are operating in wetlands and contributing significantly to the destruction of the environment,’’ he said.

Dr Nabwiso said the country has also failed to change the education system to produce more skilled people.

“I have also never heard of a conference where the President has addressed people on population control. If we don’t go for smaller families, this country will just explode,’’ he said.

Mbarara

Mr Amos Katureebe, a resident of Mbarara City, said the country has more universities and the national budget has grown from Shs46 trillion to Shs10 billion since 1986.

“We used to have few hospitals, but now health has been boosted by many health facilities despite issues to do with drug shortages,” he said.

The FDC chairperson in Mbarara District, Mr Stanley Katembeya, said the NRM party has failed to eliminate corruption.

“The NRM is sucking Ugandans and making them poorer because they have imposed high taxes. What the President says is not what is implemented,” he said.

The mayor of Mbarara City South Division, Mr Jomo Mugabe, said the NRM poverty-alleviation programmes have led to increased household incomes.

In Kisoro, the district chairperson, Mr Abel Bizimana, said whereas the NRM government has achieved a lot in terms of infrastructure development, peace and stability, the duplication of government projects, corruption in parastatals and other unfulfilled presidential pledges keep haunting the regime.

“Failure by the NRM government to exploit all the mineral deposits in the country has led to increased poverty in local communities,” he said.

The general secretary of the Forum for the Democratic Change in Kabale District, Mr Richard Muhanguzi, said current achievements are a result of modernisation in the whole world.

“NRM has increased poverty in communities by failure to control and regulate community prices,” he said.

Compiled by Fred Wambede, Abubaker Kirunda, Tausi Nakato, Denis Edema, Dan Wandera, Robert Elema, Patrick Okabe, Rashul Adidi, Joseph Omollo, Diphus Kiguli, Felix Ainebyoona, Julius Byamukama, and Coslin Nakayiira, Kyanjo Richard, Robert Muhereza & Leonard Mbishinzimana.