Death sentence after politics, the Ugandan story
In the political cycle, Uganda is now at the stage of dishing out the last leftovers on the appointments schedule.
The Members of Parliament got their share. Cabinet is in place. It is now time for those who did not make it out of the 2021 election to find their level.
Politics being the provider of the best paying jobs with almost little work and a myriad of opportunities to sponge off public funds (legally and illegally,) the competition is always high for the few slots.
This is also the time when fixers, both genuine and fake, pastors, witch doctors etc. make a killing. They will promise the odd political hanger-on, who has been left empty handed, to get them on some board so that they may continue getting privileges.
With political office be it an MP or a minster, you have so much time on your hands to do your own things while still earning a salary. The MP may not attend plenary or just sign the register and go wherever they please and still get paid.
There are so many allowances and per diem for doing things which in our circumstances are considered ‘fun’. Like flying jet planes for bench without ‘touching in one’s pocket’ and picking an allowance for it.
Your fuel, phone, medical expenses are not your worry. Besides this, when one is in high office those scheming to their services as lobbyists take care of many of their needs.
That is why the hospital, wedding, burial and even tuition expenses of relatives of MPs or ministers are at times sorted out by businessmen and corrupt officials who appease politicians to keep mum on their dealings in oversight committees.
Impunity also comes with high office and spoils one. You will not sit in the traffic jam like the rest of us do. The police may allow you to drive on a wrong lane. Your phone call may help release someone from jail or get off the legal hook. You may dabble in the lucrative crime of land grabbing with the help of the authorities. One may get punished for delivering a utility bill and insisting on payment. Even the banks will go slow in case of defaulting on a loan facility.
So you never get to know about paying for your living expenses. There was a minister who was touted as a leading farmer in a region and he chastised people on laziness and the begging culture. It so happened that he would use a government water bowser to water his farm so it was perennially green and profitable.
His colleagues in government would also help out with sourcing labour from the government prison in the area. The trucks that delivered fresh produce to the market were never stopped for having worn-out tyres or overloading so he beat others in the race.
While things like the above are happening you may advise young people at the myriad of ceremonies to which you are invited as the chief guest such as weddings and graduation parties, (or even bizarrely as chief mourner) to be job makers and not job seekers.
Then when the political office and power attached to it slips out of ones hands the politician will not swallow his job making medicine. He will instead lobby for a lucrative government job.
Because success has a hundred fathers and failure is an orphan, now no one wants to touch him even with a long stick because he can no longer order and make things happen. He is now a burden even to his close friends who now keep a social distance and stop dropping his name to show others that they are well connected.
Because our man now has to pay his way. His fuel guzzler that was part of his retirement package starts running out of fuel because previously the government picked the bill. He discovers that servicing the vehicle comprehensively may pay tuition for a university student for two years.
His farm deteriorates because he can’t afford to hire or buy a water bowser of his own. He is now selling part of his land. His girlfriends become difficult to access because the man is now counting his money. He does not understand how one uses Shs300,000 in the beauty parlor ‘doing nails’ or why they need artificial hair yet they have good natural hair. He no longer travels so they no longer get gifts of perfumes, handbags and racy lingerie. He asks them to leave apartments in upscale parts of town to ordinary houses in the suburbs. His children have to leave international school to join ordinary schools and they don’t like local schools. The women start leaking to the press about child neglect.
No one invites him to radio talk shows for his opinion.
Our man now has the option of joining the small job market where one may need a political godfather to get lucrative deals to sustain them. He recalls the story of the late Eriya Kategaya who tried his luck at legal practice but found it a mountain to climb and went right back to government.
The option now is to start lobbying for a job even if it is viewed as being beneath that of the job and power he had in active politics.
So he hits the ground running and writes to the President asking for a job and even suggesting which vacancy he can fill.
Many times the President is reminded that the reason one failed to win back his seat is because he selflessly spent time promoting the President instead of himself. The area Bishop or Imam puts in a good word for their hardworking son to the President to get him anything lest he dies of stress like some who have left.
Mr Sengoba is a commentator on political and social issues
Twitter: @nsengoba
