Never a dull moment in this our republic

One day you are convinced that the country is in middle income and the next day you are trying to patch up your pockets because the said economic dividend famously whistled up in the air just won’t stay long enough for you to believe it.  If you cannot feel economic growth in your pockets, it is not easy to accept the signs.

Another day you are on top of the world celebrating that finally there are so many women in decision making roles for the country, something many have hoped and fought for, the next day the world is on top of you as some of these women are cast as the devil incarnate itself.

The next day the democratic dividends appear to be in the right direction as every election brings to bear one or two things that are positive, the next day you have no idea where the democratic direction faces, forward or backward. You recognise that it is a one step forward and two steps back sort of thing. Each election, offers many reflections and learnings.

From one political party to another, there is never a dull moment. Uganda ends up among the poor performing countries when it comes to democratic indices. Of course, we dismiss and deny that such assessments mean anything to us and accuse the assessors of all manner of incompetence and bias, while counting the number of times we hold elections to show how democratic we are. Never mind the quality of elections. People who accuse those who win elections of stealing votes are not serious, we tell ourselves and the courts confirm.

Talking of stealing, there is never a period long enough to rest from stories of one form of theft or another. We have accepted that stealing is the easiest way people are able to send their children to good schools, and easier still, if they at least steal and invest the proceeds in our country, building good houses, schools, hospitals and putting up farms that employ many of our young people who otherwise would be relegated to gossiping and ill behaviour, along with no source of livelihood.  The cost benefit analysis gives us hope, not all is lost.

As such, we can forgive those people who steal from poor farmers, friends, colleagues, patients, employers and everything possible to steal from. There are people stealing from their children too, and of course from tax payers. From iron sheets to goats, everything counts. For many, the end justifies the means. As long as your child goes to that desirable and deserved school, it does not matter who bleeds in the process.

It is incredible how much it costs to send a child to a good school in this our republic these days. Other services, be they transport, energy and health, all bring elements of despair in one way or another, for many. When people ‘find ways’, it is difficult to blame them because they must make ends meet.

Yet, even with the daily irritations that are common in our republic, Uganda is one of those countries with too many things of interest to be bored. There is never a dull moment. It has incredible beauty that people who visit wish they did not have to leave soon. It has its simple joys and great moments. It presents some peculiar opportunities too. Consider that even a lazy farmer completely dependent on the mercy of God for rains would still be able to harvest something, because we are blessed in ways that you literally have to throw some seeds and you will reap something good. There is never a shortage of some mustard seeds.

If you want to know how wonderful this country is, get your few coins and head to your local market for fruits, and when you return, there is a chance you will feel that you are very rich. There will be so much on the table, variety of things that will make you forget, even temporarily, that there are big problems like huge national debt and difficult economic times in the republic. You are tempted to think that life is good after all. It is thus easy to forgive those who steal, when you recognize just how worse things could have been and that in spite of the wastage of public resources, you still have enough.

We are a country of many parallels. Life can be good and difficult all at once, regardless of who we are. We are hopeful and desperate, and sometimes laugh and cry in equal measure.

Ms Maractho (PhD) is a senior lecturer at Uganda Christian University. 

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