I began reflecting on Uganda’s development challenges in 1961 – a year
before independence – while I was in senior three at Butobere School
in Kigezi (now Kabale) district. My multi-subject education was
conditioned by a desire to accumulate holistic knowledge that would
help me understand and analyze accurately Uganda’s challenges in an
integrated manner.
Although I have read extensively, my publications are based largely on
primary sources – talking to people directly from all walks of life.
On several occasions I traveled by bus between Rukungiri and Kampala
when road and security conditions were extremely bad. I wanted to hear
stories of travelers and I heard a lot.
The following are illustrations of my findings:
Education and training
1. Parents want good education for their children – boys and girls –
so that they live better lives and help them in old age or when they
begin to work.
2. Children want good education to get good jobs, earn good incomes
and raise good families and help parents, relatives and other members
of the community.
3. Women want education to be empowered through income and
participation in decisions that affect their lives including their
reproductive behavior.
Healthcare, food and nutrition security
1. Parents want their children to live healthy lives by protecting
them against diseases and healing them when they fall sick.
2. Parents especially mothers want their children to eat enough and
balanced diet. They know that eating enough (filling the stomach) of
one food item like cassava or maize is not enough for a healthy,
active and productive life.
3. Parents want their children to drink safe water and live in an
environment with good sanitation including adequate housing and
clothing including shoes.
Land ownership
1. Parents (majority of Ugandans live in the country side) want enough
land on which to grow food for their children and cash crops.
2. People want security of tenure so they can invest in the land and
use it to borrow money.
3. Urban dwellers are also beginning to show interest in land
ownership as a secure investment and social security in retirement.
Peasants
1. Peasants want improved farm implements (to replace the hand hoe and
machete), appropriate high yielding seeds and technologies that can
help them increase farm productivity.
2. Peasants want to reduce food losses through appropriate storage
(including cold) facilities and agro-processing facilities.
3. They want affordable energy to reduce dependency on human power.
4. They want dams to trap rain water for irrigation and check the
impact of droughts and floods.
5. They want affordable credit facilities to borrow and improve their
farms.
6. They want good roads to facilitate transport of inputs and outputs.
7. They want relevant information about markets and prices.
8. They want organizations such as cooperatives and extension services
to help them transit from subsistence to commercial agriculture.
9. They want favorable terms of trade.
10. They want to participate in policy formulation on agriculture and
rural development
Democracy, human rights and fundamental freedoms
1. They want a favorable environment to enable them elect their
representatives freely and hold them accountable.
2. They want to enjoy their civil, political, economic, social and
cultural rights.
3. They want a governance system that is transparent, participatory
and accountable to the people and allows people to design their
development policies and programs in line with their specific
endowments, history and culture.
4. They want a judicial system that is fair for all Ugandans.
5. They want to live in dignity.
Government
1. Ugandans want a government that puts people first.
2. Ugandans want a government that is not corrupt, sectarian,
dictatorial or wasteful of scarce resources on prestige or extravagant
projects.
3. They want a government that maintains law and order and protects
Uganda borders against illegal immigrants.
4. They want a government that respects the constitution and laws of
the country.
5. They want background information about government leaders.
6. They want a government that depends on contract with the people and
not the barrel of the gun.
These are basic things that do not require a lot of money. What they
require is political will and quality leadership. Sadly, NRM
government has failed to respond to the wishes of Ugandans and is
beginning to face stiff resistance. After twenty five years in power,
NRM system is not in a position to make fundamental changes. It needs
to be removed from power.
Opposition groups at home and abroad have formed an umbrella
organization known as United Democratic Ugandans (UDU) to spearhead
collective action, speak with one voice and hasten exit of a
dictatorial regime that has transformed the Pearl of Africa into a
failed state.
Eric Kashambuzi
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