Uganda at 61; from a dream to a nightmare

Yesterday Uganda marked 61 years since it embarked on the tumultuous journey of self rule, on 9th of October 1962.  For 68 years from 1894 it was under British rule as a ‘Protectorate.’

The build up to 1962 was filled with euphoria and promise. The White man was finally on his way out, to let us manage our affairs. The generation that witnessed these events have got more than they bargained for. Or should we say less. That lot is now well into their late 60s, 70s, 80s and beyond. That is the age when the health challenges of old age creep in aggressively. Yet the energy and earning capacity moves south. The solution would be a vibrant social safety net completed by a working health care system under a government that is laser focused on the progress and well being of its people. 

These services and a working government were in place when that generation was praying that the colonialists would leave them to ‘manage their own affairs.’ It is now no more. 
If you look through the times from 1962, Uganda and many African states have been degenerating, progressively in all spheres. Some have even ground to a halt. Education, healthcare, housing, employment, production, self sustenance leading to excessive borrowing etc. are now the dominant challenges. 

These are not the legendary mother goose that fends for its young ones. Countries like Uganda are sacrificing development by paying an arm and leg to service the loans offered. Many times they have to pursue policies that they know little or nothing about in order to qualify as borrowers. Unfortunately most of these funds are either misused or swindled leading to greater indebtedness.

How did we get here? We ask again and again. The post-colonial State had a myriad of challenges from the onset.  In the case of Uganda it was in the creation. Functional independent nations like Bunyoro, Buganda, Ankole, Tooro etc. that the colonialists found in operation, were bundled together to form ‘viable units,’ or republics that would be conveniently managed as envisaged by the British. 
That in itself came with challenges. Most of the nations or tribes were reluctant converts to the idea of a unified republic with a single president above their traditional rulers. 

Right from the 60s there has always been a clamor from all Ugandan regions for their people getting a share of the national cake. That is why there is a general belief that having one of their own nationality or tribe at the table of power will translate into prosperity for them. He eats on their behalf and occasionally brings the bread home by putting in a good word for a son or daughter of the soil to get a job or tender. 

What has happened in practice is that whoever has come to power has made it a point to stay there by doing two things.
First while preaching against identity politics, they pad the influential positions of power in the army, police, finance, and general administration with ‘their’ kinsmen who do everything to keep the government in power. This gives the government a tribal composure and outlook. The appointed act like they are on a mission to enrich themselves and their kinsmen. 

The end result is that they destroy the state while massively enriching themselves. It becomes a state only in name. It hardly carries out the functions of a state unless they are destructive to the individual. 
When the state is destroyed and weakened, it helps empower the individuals in the government who become larger than life. They become the state. You have no judiciary to go to. The parliament becomes a paper tiger. The police and civil service is compromised.

The second thing that those in power do to strengthen their position is to frustrate and weaken the other tribes in order for their own kinsmen to stand out. They preside over the destruction of their businesses, superintend over the grabbing of their land, compromise them to go against their own. Their children find it hard to find employment and have to seek greener pastures abroad etc.

They have to roll in the mud and humiliate themselves to access advanced healthcare abroad and mundane things that would ordinarily be their rights.  The ruling class in Uganda and the middle class that has been curled out of it is predatory and ever scheming on how to steal more from the people. They are the ‘tenderprenuers.’ The ones whose wealth and ‘entrepreneurship,’ is derived from supplying the government which favors them with prompt inflated payments. They are not innovative for their market is assured by their relationship with the government.

Unfortunately their wealth is either spent in ostentatious consumption or on building  apartments, office blocks or owning huge chunks of animal farms. It is not a productive lot in the traditional sense of the word. Just look at most of Uganda’s wealthy politically connected big people you can hardly point out any with a factory manufacturing anything. Theirs is about getting a cut and running. Their wealth does not provide employment and incomes to a wide spectrum of the society. 

For a state to be meaningfully independent it must build a strong economic muscle. It should be independent, integrated and self sustaining. That has been the  problem with Uganda in the time of independence. Despite the impressive economic growth figures posted over the years, the few who have the vast wealth are not willing to risk it into firms for production. They take it from the citizen through corruption and other means and hoard it away. Then go globetrotting for dubious investors who are pampered with free land and tax holidays to persuade them to invest. That is not sustainable. 

So the wealth of the country does not create employment, incomes and widen the tax base. The country hardly has enough after what is stolen and misused for the comfort of the rulers, to invest in the social safety net and development. Provision and a better life is the essence of  independence. This we can never attain if the government has an agenda to fight the state and weaken it for the strength and perpetuation of the government. This has been the prevalent mode of operation from independence to date. That is how 61 years after independence Uganda has remained backward, bitterly divided, and the dream has turned into a nightmare.

Mr Sengoba is a commentator on political and social issues
Twitter: @nsengoba