President
Museveni thinks he can be a jack of all trades and this is his main
undoing. The fact is that he excelled in his military to uproot what he
terms bad leaders, which I am yet to agree to for he is unfortunately
proving to be worse. We are products of Boarding schools which were
getting support from Government long before Museveni even joined
guerilla movements. In these schools; parents were always paying some
money while the Government did its bit. His talk of free education is
not real and not possible if we are to address quality. What failed
president Museveni from the very beginning is the planning function,
which has been poorly done and has made everything almost a mess. 25
years without good planning or ignoring the plans and doing what he
thinks will earn
him votes is most unfortunate. How many times has he been told not to
put in place more districts, but does he ever listen? People who advise
president Museveni like some of use did not waste time going to
schools. While the President is very ambitious to have another 5 year
term leading Uganda, I wish to tell him that the country has crashed
simply because of his policies.
We need the boarding schools be thy Government aided because many parents cannot afford to care well for these children given the domestic chores that have to take place, yet there are so many temptations the children are faced with when not in boarding schools. Not only those in transport business disturb them (mostly the girls) but it even becomes extra expensive caring for these children’s daily needs when they have to travel daily from home and when this is summed up, the problem becomes poor academic performance; more chances of dropping out of school to mention some. The concern which has to be addressed is whether we should maintain single sex schools, again, many founders of schools would insist that they like their schools to maintain the status they have enjoyed since they were started.
What the Government of Uganda should struggle to address is income of all able bodied Ugandans. There is no reason why a country like Uganda with the brains it has imagines that the children produced will be Government responsibility. The problem with leaders we have like Museveni is when they erroneously have answers to the country’s problems and unfortunately, are not even ready to accept the messes they make, only to run adverts which make others look incapable of managing Uganda. It is true, any other paerson may fail to manage Uganda if Museveni and company scheme it that way. It is on record that the Late President Amin had not been that bad until Museveni and company ventured to fight him and the 1st casualty were registered after the failed 1972 invasion of Uganda. President Museveni should know that the failed planning function in the country is greatly responsible for the mess the country is in. Those who have been able to travel to a number of areas of Uganda wonder where the President gets the courage to stand and ask Ugandans for votes. While an acre of land around Kitende on Entebbe Highway may cost as much as shs 300m, may areas are just in the dark ages! This looks like a joke but was off the planning line he found in place where all areas in the country had poles of growth. While the president insists that he still sees himself the best to carry the country forward these problems are real. Those who did this planning were not empty heads, they were implementing the planning function which he has ably failed to, and instead still wants to take this country deeper into uncertainty. While Obote did mistakes, many of Museveni’s mistakes are simply unacceptable at this moment in time. His Government has got a lot of money whose accountability would have done better the country, but it is unfortunate. Much of what we see out there as investments are funds which some individuals have got by virtue of their connections; a part from those investments by those Ugandans who are doing kyeyo out mostly because Uganda has gone to the dogs! It surprises to see how many Ugandans are alleged to own properties; which properties and enterprises are greatly believed to be for people well connected in Government.
My position is that, the way to go for Government (assuming we have to do with Museveni for more years) is to sincerely get technical people who can implement income for all. Has the President ever imagined that those alleged poor people he thinks cannot afford to pay any part of fees for the children are the source of money which booms the local musicians? It is therefore possible to tap some of this money the so – called poor spend on these functions to boost education, but given that he (Museveni) is a tired man, the best is to leave it to brains that can as of now. Uganda cannot keep on borrowing when it has no capacity to pay simply because majority of the work force is not viably employed. These people want work but where is the work? The shilling is depreciating every other day as if Government is spending money not backed by productivity. Surely, all the areas of Uganda by now would have some thing they export, but the regime is wasting resources on military might! President Museveni should actually give Ugandans a break! His failures and excuses are not tenable any more. Today people are killing each other simply because of the frustration as a result of his policies.
God, just help this country Uganda.
William Kituuka Kiwanuka
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