Emyooga fund and cult of mediocrity

In July 2020, the corrupt and decadent NRM regime launched a dubious scheme called the Emyooga programme under which a whopping Shs260 billion has already been squandered allegedly to enable poor Ugandans who work in the informal sector, boost their household incomes.

I am advised that Shs1 trillion has been earmarked for Emyooga during the 2021/2022 Financial Year. It is incredible, mindboggling, unacceptable and a waste of scarce public resources.

Emyooga programme resembles several previous poverty alleviation programmes initiated by the incompetent NRM regime which have one common thread.  They include, Poverty Eradication Action Plan, Entandikwa, Plan for Modernisation of Agriculture under former vice president Speciosa Kazibwe, Operation Wealth Creation (OWC) under Gen Salim Saleh and the Youth Livelihood Programme.

The common thread which binds the above programmes is the fact that all of them are spectacular failures because they were ill-advised, ill-conceived, not well designed and badly implemented by mediocre personnel who were recruited, not because they possessed relevant qualifications and necessary experience, but because they have connections to the ruling clique or are NRM cadres.

A story published in Daily Monitor of August 24 titled ‘Glaring flaws cast doubt on success of Emyooga’ captures accurately the essence and paints a gloomy and pathetic picture of this dubious and indefensible programme whose main objective appears to be political.

According to the story, “In Mbarara City, the commercial officer, Mr Donati Mutahi, said since the disbursement of the funds started during the 2021 election campaigns, many beneficiaries misinterpreted it as a reward from President Museveni.”
Mr Yoweri Museveni was the NRM presidential candidate at the January 14 elections. The bitter and unpleasant truth is that the beneficiaries of Emyooga in Mbarara City interpreted him correctly.

Mr Davis Kamukama, the Bunyangabu County MP, concurs and says, “Some youth think that the money (paid to them under Emyooga programme) was meant to facilitate them during the elections, many of the youth have not utilised these monies and have no plan to pay back.”

Why should poor youth pay back Emyooga money after casting their votes for the NRM candidate whom the Electoral Commission declared winner despite serious objections from many quarters?

Cult of mediocrity
In his 1983 book titled The trouble with Nigeria, Chinua Achebe (RIP) devoted a chapter to discuss what he calls social injustice and the cult of mediocrity in Nigeria. 

One can argue that the issues Achebe raised are pertinent for Uganda, Kenya, South Sudan and most African countries. He begins the chapter as follows:

“The major objection to the practice of tribalism is that it exposes the citizens to unfair treatment and social injustice. Less advertised, but no less damaging to social morality is the advantage which tribalism may confer on mediocrity.

“But whereas tribalism might win enough votes to install a reactionary jingoist in a tribal ghetto, the cult of mediocrity will bring the wheels of modernisation grinding to a halt throughout the land.” 

The evidence is everywhere in Nigeria, South Sudan and here in Uganda today where programmes, such as, Emyooga and Entandikwa have failed precisely because of the cult of mediocrity.

The solution and way forward is to bring meritocracy back to public discourse and practice. Until all appointments to the public service are made strictly on the basis of merit, wananchi and the country will continue to suffer the dire consequences and Uganda will never achieve the much-coveted middle income status.

 Mr Acemah is a political scientist and retired career diplomat.
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