GET TO KNOW UGANDA UNDER PRESIDENT MUSEVENI AS HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS VISITS.

Though Uganda is supposed to be the Pearl of Africa, bad politics is responsible for the status quo currently enjoyed. The country that has been independent for 53 years has not witnessed any peaceful change of power! While President Museveni led a 5 year bush war which saw him capture state power in 1986, he has since resorted to political games which have seen him change the Constitution which had clearly stipulated a maximum of two consecutive 5 year terms for a President. Today, we see him contest for President after 30 years in power!

UGANDA’S PROBLEM

Uganda’s problem is the mass poverty, ignorance, high youth population figures with majority unemployed, disease, environmental degradation, the difference between the budget and budget out-turn of about 30%, corruption, the unsustainable debt burden, poor governance record due to the fact that the regime is using all possible strategies to retain power, an unbelievably huge administrative infrastructure and the too much power which the President holds. These are greatly attributed to the bad NRM – O politics.

Uganda’s involvement in the regional conflicts is a very big liability to the country as it is calling for a lot of resources which otherwise would go into development initiatives, and also, a lot of money is needed to counter terrorists targeting the country not forgetting loss of manpower which constantly leads to dependent population needing support. We must remember that this is responsible for the increasing budget on classified expenditure.

The unfair distribution of the national cake with the biggest pie to the NRM – O members, and President Museveni while campaigning for NRM candidates always fronts the delivery of services in favour of constituents that elect NRM – O candidates

One cannot guarantee that potential funders will be able to get the funding to him/her given the road blocks the NRM – O Government has put in place. These are bound to frustrate any potential candidate who eventually may just give up competing in national elections, yet the NRM – O even encroaches on the Consolidated Fund to fund party activities.

Youthful population
The State of Uganda’s Population Report 2012 was released in December 2012, according to the findings; Uganda has the world’s youngest population, with over 78% below 30 years, while more than 52% of Ugandans are below 15 years. Currently, at least 83% of young people have no formal employment, partly due to slow economic growth, the small labour market, high population growth rate, the rigid education system, rural-urban migration and limited access to capital.
67% of Ugandans vulnerable to poverty
About 67% of Ugandans are either poor or highly vulnerable to poverty, the expenditure review for Uganda 2012 by the Directorate of Social Protection in the gender ministry has revealed.
Dr. Fred Matovu, a senior lecturer of economics at Makerere University, who participated in the review, said the study was aimed at establishing the number of Ugandans who require social protection due to their susceptibility to poverty.
Matovu said the 67% represented both Ugandans who spend below the poverty line of $ 1.20 (about sh3,170)per day and those who are below twice the poverty line, $2.40 (about sh6,340) per day.
Going by the United Nation’s Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA), Uganda currently has 34.5 million people, meaning about 23.1 million are prone to poverty, and about 8.4 million of them (about 24.5%) are trapped in absolute poverty.
Source: http://www.newvision.co.ug/…/640813-67-of-ugandans-vulnerab…

Good Governance and Human Rights in Uganda
Uganda as a country has a governance record that is positively affected by the NRM – O wish to be in State House for a very long time. It is already 28 years with one President. It can be a big miracle for such a Government not to violate rights of the people in order to retain office. This is the reason that greatly affects the Good Governance in Uganda.
I. There is need to focus on strengthening democratization, protection of human rights, access to justice, peaceful co-existence and improved accountability in Uganda.
II. Greater support to Justice, Law and Order Sector, that is focusing on promotion of the rule of law. This includes direct support to the Judiciary concentrating on improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the institution.
III. Enhance the quality of service delivery through improved local governance and accountability.

The Environment situation
1) Many of Uganda's natural ecosystems are undergoing conversion, degradation, and decline in a totally unplanned and uncontrolled manner. Examples include: uncontrolled expansion of agricultural land; erosion of soils and a decline in soil fertility; falling quality and availability of water; unregulated encroachment and degradation of wetlands; encroachment of forest reserves; deforestation and overgrazing of rangelands; and invasion of weed species and bush encroachment. With the country's current population of 22 million set to double by the year 2020, these pressures are bound to be insurmountable without sustainable action at both the national and community levels.
Source: http://fsdinternational.org/country/uganda/envissues

2) Most Ugandans are completely reliant on natural resources to survive. Forests provide fuel-wood and cleared land frees arable soil for agriculture. Uganda loses about 6,000 hectares of forests every 30 days according. If no action is registered by 2050, Uganda’s per capita forest cover will be zero (NEMA, 2009). Already 28 districts have lost their entire forest ecosystem while another 19 districts have forest cover lower than 1%.

As forests give way to agricultural land, the soil is exposed to erosion and loses its fertility. Where cattle are introduced, grazing also affects soil quality, opens the way for invasive species and reduces the diversity of plant species. Other related problems include falling quality and availability of water.
There must be a deliberate effort to see sustainable environment management policies in place through enhancing sustainable conservation and utilization of natural resources and climate change adaptation and mitigation, strengthen the capacities of institutions (Government and Civil Society Organisations) to undertake sustainable environment and natural resources actions aimed at:

Biodiversity Conservation and Restoration of Degraded Ecosystems,
Scaling-up successful SLM models and approaches, (iii) Enhancing Efficient Utilization of Biomass Energy, Renewable Energy Technologies (RET), and reduction in GHG emissions and
Promoting Climate Change Resilient Development.

Uganda's Debt Stock
A report on loans, grants and Guarantees for Financial Year 2012/13 presented to Parliament by the Minister of Finance, Planning & Economic Development dated June 13, 2013, states that as March 31, 2013, the total stock of public debt stood at USD 5.6billion (shs14,576.3 trillion, or 26.7% of GPD) of which external debt was USD 3.5 billion (shs 9,152.8 trillion, or 16.7% of GDP, of GDP) and domestic debt was USD 2.1billion (shs 5,423.5 trillion, or 9.9% of GPD).
It is important to note that Uganda’s debt stock at 26.7% of GDP has reached unsustainable levels. Looking at the Domestic debt, the component which is not bank funded is crippling the business entities in Uganda and some are having their assets being liquidated by the creditors.
There is need to make a review as regards debt in Uganda and sustainability.

A Big administration infrastructure
1. 69 Ministers, 327 Members of Parliament, 278 political appointees who include 80 resident District Commissioners and assistants, 75 presidential advisors and 43 private presidential secretaries and their deputies. This is just a picture of Uganda's over-the-top public administration. Pearl of Africa as commonly known is argued that not only is it a sleeping giant but also an over-governed and unproductive country.
2. It has many administrative units; 45,000 local councils, 5500 parishes, 1026 sub-counties, 151 counties, 18 municipalities and 80 districts. All these structures have executive 10 man executive officials. So, the total number of officials is 10 times the number of every administrative unit. 
3. How does this nation manage its servants? Uganda's expenditure is very enormous and abnormal.
4. A presidential advisor and his deputy earn 908.5 million Ugandan shillings enough to pay 378 primary school teachers a salary of 200,000 Ugandan shillings a month.
5. Private presidential secretary and his assistant earn 7.5 billion shillings enough to; support 2,077 primary schools with 800 pupils each, buy drugs for 890 health centers, construct 935 classrooms or pay 37,500 primary school teachers. Members of Parliament altogether earn 57 billion excluding the allowances, the 69 ministers have all sorts of allowances and only government expenditure on Ministers vehicles fuel, oil and maintenance in 2006/07 was 92 billion Ugandan shillings. 
6. Uganda has over 31 million people. According to the Ministry of Health, there's one doctor to every 300,000 people. Surprisingly, there's one administrative leader to every 6 Ugandans. Uganda has one of the poorest administrative structures in the entire world. The poor administration can and only provides poor services to its citizens. The government at times makes good policies but it's very hard for them to be implemented leading to all these and many other deficiencies.
Source: Major Problems facing Uganda today –
http://www.africaw.com/major-problems-facing-uganda-today
The matter of a huge administrative infrastructure must be addressed in national interest. The NRM - O is using it as a strategy for regime longevity, hence keeps people who should have long retired on pay roll even when they are not productive.

Disease
Over 11 million Ugandans are suffering from Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) and if not treated some may lead to death.
This was revealed by the national coordinator of NTDs, Dr. Edridah Tukahebwa during the launch of the country’s master plan for elimination of NTDs by 2020. Tukahebwa, who is also the assistant commissioner health services (vector control) in the ministry of health, disclosed that 2m Ugandans are infected with Bilharzia in 63 districts out of 112 in the country. She said 4.8m are suffering from Elephantiasis in 54 districts while 4m are infected with River blindness in 37 districts and 1m are suffering from Trachoma in 36 districts.
Source: http://www.newvision.co.ug/…/648057-11m-ugandans-infected-w…

Corruption:
The World Bank says that corruption costs Uganda over Shs 900 billion per annum, equivalent to the annual budgets of the government’s biggest departments.

Regionally, Uganda is the third most corrupt country in the East African region after Burundi and Kenya according to the Corruption Perception Index 2011 released by Transparency International in December 2011. Rwanda and Tanzania are “cleaner” than Uganda.
See more at: http://www.independent.co.ug/…/new…/5079-corruption-in-2012…

This money can easily be saved if there is the political will as those who play a big role in the theft are those politically connected. You can ask yourself where the NRM – O gets all the money they pour into the polls. They are a beneficiary of the corruption machinery, hence, in the circumstances; it is a joke to imagine that they can seriously hunt the animal that feeds them.

THERE IS NEED FOR A BETTER UGANDA AGENDA
Visionary leadership in Uganda should be able to present a Coordinated Programme of Economic & Social Development Policies, in other words, the Uganda Shared Growth and Development Agenda (USGDA). This should form the basis for preparation of development plans and annual budgets at the sector and district levels throughout the country given the prevailing situation.

The Better Uganda Agenda should encompass the following social and economic goals:
Putting food on people’s tables;
Providing citizens with secure and sustainable jobs;
Rehabilitating and expanding infrastructural facilities;
Ensuring gender equity in access to productive resources such as land, labour, technology, capital/finance and information;
Expanding access to potable water and sanitation, health, housing and education;
Ensuring the safety of life and property;
Embarking on an affirmative action to rectify errors of the past, particularly as they relate to discrimination against women;
Reducing gender and geographical disparities in the distribution of national resources;
Ensuring environmental sustainability in the use of natural resources through Science, technology and innovation;
Pursuing an employment – led economic growth strategy that will appropriately link agriculture to industry, particularly manufacturing;
Creating a new order of social justice and equity, premised on the inclusion of all hitherto excluded and marginalized people, particularly the poor, the underprivileged and persons with disabilities;
Ensuring that the benefits of economic growth are fairly shared among the various segments of society;
Improving transparency and accountability in the use of public funds and other national resources;
Accelerating economic growth rate to at least 8% per annum;
Boosting tourism and the marketing of the country;
Paving way for Federal as a mode of local governance to ensure equity in resource allocation and balanced growth countrywide.