Pure Good Governance

Lately, my colleague and Political analyst, Gwada Ogot has engaged me in serious discussions on the degenerating trust and confidence in public institutions representative of democracy not only in Uganda but in many of the post 1950 new states.   In Uganda specifically, the past and current political developments undertone citizen’ dissatisfaction with, and lack of confidence in, the functioning of most government institutions.   Prior to the 2011 general elections, sections of society rejected the composition of the Electoral Commission (EC).   These sections of the public branded the Commission as an incompetent, partisan institution and highlighted it as incapable of presiding over a credible and fair election hence passing a vote of no confidence in it as an electoral institution.    At the peak echelon of political activity, the opposition’s indifference on the election results of the February 18 th , Presidential elections and the subsequent move by th...

When the East African Community (EAC) collapsed in 1977, it did so not just because Kenya demanded for more seats than Uganda and Tanzania in decision-making organs of EAC but because there was generally a lack of integrity, trust and selflessness among the leaders at that time.   With its restoration in 2000, the EAC is making strategic leaps towards political integration.   However the ultimate political integration is going to heavily depend on the extent through which the political leaders in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi seek to fulfill the core values of the regional bloc as opposed to undertaking individual self-seeking projects.   While regional cooperation may be important in developing constructive relations between states, it cannot be assumed that pooling resources to provide public goods for populations and creating platforms for dialogue regarding shared interests will automatically follow. Despite the high hopes raised by the re-ignition o...

President Museveni’s call for political dialogue with the opposition party’ leaders which hit the headlines of most local Ugandan media outlets this week reminded me of Winston Churchill’s famous quote: " Americans can always be counted on to do the right thing...after they have exhausted all other possibilities ."  Putting this in perspective, Ugandans too can always be counted on to do the right thing after they have exhausted all other possibilities.   When the opposition decided to go to the 2011 polls, the initial mood was greeted with the feeling that all opposition political parties were going to field a single candidate under the Inter-Party Cooperation (IPC). Essentially, this would have been one of the wittiest ways that the opposition would have strengthened its competitive position for the 2011 elections.  As seen in some countries such as Kenya, a broad spectrum of opposition groups have adopted the initiative of coalitions by forming a common front ...

The last few years seem to confirm that Uganda is a stratified ecosystem of unraveling social problems.    The different sub-regions continue to flounder in major social problems whose solutions seemingly simple have proved hard to find. Some of these problems have their roots in our colonial past while others are related to demographic changes, socio-political conditions and cultural processes. A quick recount will reveal the following.   In Acholi, the population continues to grapple with the uncertainty of sustainable peace in the region; the breakage in the moral fabric; and post-war trauma and infrastructural breakdown. The Ankole region is still trapped in the nascent problem of land acquisition by a majority of poor Banyankole; the unresolved ethnic conflicts between the Bahima and Bairu; the muffled restoration of the institution of the Obugabe ; limited access to clean and safe water; limited local markets of dairy products; declining agricultural productivity an...

There’s been a lot of talk on the key laws that parliament passed or considered to pass prior to the 2011 general elections.   Taking stock of the laws passed or brought before the Parliament of Uganda during the fore said period, you will discover that most of them reflect a deep distrust in the inherent fundamental freedoms and liberties of the people.   Laws including: The NGO Registration (Amendment) Act 2006; The Access to Information Regulations 2007; The Proposed Public Order Management Bill 2009; The Press and Journalist Amendment Bill 2010; Regulation of Interception of Communications Act 2010; and The Institution of the Traditional and Cultural Leaders’ Bill 2010, are seemingly an attempt to purge critical voices.   However not all the new laws are bad but their lack of efficacy seems to be very apparent.   Actually someone would not be far from the truth if they observed that most of these laws were introduced simply to make a political point and not to ma...

If you have just started following events in Ivory Coast, you might be tempted to think that Ivory Coast is just like any other African country that has plied through the standard road from Independence.  For many African states, the standard route from Independence to four or five decades down the road has been characterized by civil wars, coup de tats, guerilla war fares and many other political and economic catastrophes.  I call this standard, because out of the fifty three African countries, at least three quarters of these have taken this very path upon descending into the magnanimity of self-government. Ivory Coast taxied on a right note.  Gaining independence in 1960 under the leadership of Papa Félix Houphouët-Boigny , the country quickly turned itself into the world's leading producer of cocoa, pineapples and palm oil.   Unlike many countries, Ivory Coast used its foreign exchange earnings to develop first class infrastructure and also deliver high q...