From promises to parasites: How Uganda politics is work of comedy

When I was eight years old, or thereabout, I read a book whose title I can barely remember 27 years later. It was about a village nestled between rolling verdant hills and fertile fields where a young boy named Njoroge lived. 

Born into poverty, he was no stranger to the tussles faced by his community. His kin and kith worked tirelessly to make ends meet, but the lack of inclusive basic amenities such as schools, roads and hospitals hindered their progress as a community. 

The boy would walk 20km daily to the nearest church-founded school in Mochongoi. He studied diligently under the dim light of a sooty kerosene lamp, fuelled by the dream of a better future for himself and his community.  Encouraged by his fellow devastated villagers, he decided to take a chance on politics, vowing to represent their interests and bring about positive inclusive change. To everyone’s enchantment, he emerged victorious in the elections. 

The villagers celebrated his triumph, hopeful that their days of hardship were coming to an end. However, as he settled into his new life in the city, things took an unexpected turn. Rather than focusing on uplifting his home village, he seemed to distance himself from its struggles for which he had promised to use legislation to solve. 

He moved his family to the city, enrolled his children in prestigious urban schools, and sought medical treatment abroad when needed. The promises he made during his campaign seemed to fade into the background as he embraced the comforts of city life and opulence sponsored by poor taxpayers. 

The villagers who once saw Njoroge as their hope were disheartened and betrayed. Similar to that story, our country is presently facing a pandemic of politicians who promise transformation but by choice indulge in self-serving agendas of more of the same once in those positions of power.

It is despicable that problems that wrecked the country 40 years ago and invoked a war against the Obote II government, we are still having them and the people who frowned upon them have turned a blind eye to them. 

These politicians take advantage of ignorance and docility of the majority Ugandans to use cooked statistics to confuse and shamelessly lie that there is any progress whereas not. When you listen to our politicians during elections, they eloquently articulate their visions, promising to address critical issues such as healthcare, education, and infrastructure. 

However, once elected into office, their actions quickly divaricate drastically from their campaign rhetoric. Instead of channelling resources towards improving public services, they go on a rampage of siphoning funds for self-enrichment. 

The consequences of such actions are felt precariously in hospitals deprived of essential medicines and services, cities plagued by potholes and heaps of rubbish, and government schools which were gifted to us by colonialists and past governments, are crumbling under neglect. 

While the average Ugandan etch for a living amid the State-inspired inequality, our politicians swim in opulence . This unpleasant disjunction between those who have access to State resources and the ordinary Ugandan citizens further deepens betrayal and portrays a silent apartheid which has hampered inclusive progress. 

Encased in expensive British tailored suits and eloquent in populist speeches, they present themselves as champions of the people whereas they are the ravenous parasites exsanguinating the same people.

The writer is a lawyer and multi-award winning novelist, [email protected]