DIAGONISING UGANDAS PROBLEM(PART 1) Cha mujinga huliwa na mwelevu is a Swahili adage literally meaning what belongs to a stupid person is usually eaten/ used by the wise.Any inquisitive person should be wondering why Uganda continues to lag behind in terms of economic and infrastructural development. The major problem I see is betrayal especially by the (mis)leaders, businessmen , elite(who should be the paragons of liberations) and the the Ugandans themselves? Our resources here are used to benefit and develop the West. Our leaders here connive with the Western investors to evict people from their land to give it to the so called investors. The only benefit we get from these investors are at worst environmental degradation, exploitation of labour and exhaustion of resources and at best, winning vehicles (premios and Bajajes), air tickets to have rides to outside countries, having meals with powerful musicians in the country, airtime, T-shirts,key holders and caps from promotions. Is this development that can even lead to evicting people from their land? Why cant powerful organisations like Airtel, MTN, Stanbic, DFCU and Equity Banks, Tullow among others instead launch annual scholarships for needy but bright students to pursue higher education in programmes relevant to Ugandas development? One may say but look, Tullow gives out scholarships to students to persue petroleum engineering. But realise that they only sponsor them to pursue courses that will aid them in furthering the exploitation of our resources and lower labour costs, not necessarily to develop Uganda. Their accomplices are usually our own leaders who grant such investors very long tax holidays after receiving kick backs because they have shares in these companies.Most of the strategic workers are always from the home countries of these companies, right from receiptionists to the Executive directors while Ugandans offer security services ( gatekeepers and watchmen) and casual labour where they are paid between shs.60,000-150,000 a months and shs.1500-3000 a day(without lunch and transport). Another can also argue that these people have constructed roads, schools and hospitals. True, some have. But the roads they have constructed are those that connect them to raw materials and markets, especially to border points and ports, the schools and hospitals (which are also poorly facilitated) are always within their areas of operation solely for their exploited labourers and their children.I have not yet heard of a school or hospital established by especially an industry or international firm randomly. Do we necessarily need foreign investment to develop Uganda?....to be continued
Posted on: Mon, 05 Jan 2015 05:07:08 +0000
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