Uganda African Peer Review report delays

 
Josephine Maseruka   

 Uganda has not handed over her Peer Review Report at the South African secretariat. The report was supposed to be in by end this month (November). 

The report which is currently at the validation stage by various stake holders must first be approved by Cabinet before it is handed over to President Yoweri Museveni.

According to the Chairman of the National Governing Council Bishop Dr. Zac Niringiye the report was delayed due to financial constraints and bureaucracy but he was hopeful that it would be before Cabinet next week.

Addressing a stakeholders’ validation workshop at the Imperial Royale Hotel Tuesday, Niringiye said that they had asked the Secretariat in South Africa to allow them hand over the report by December 20, although they are yet to get a reply on the matter.

President Museveni is expected to present the report to other Heads of State in January 2012 at the African Peer Review Summit in South Africa.

 “The earlier communication we got was to hand in the report three weeks to the summit but a recently we were told that the report must be handed to the secretariat in South Africa at the end of November,” Niringiye explained.

He added, “We felt the recent communication was inconsistent with the earlier notice given to us and we have asked up to December 20 to hand in the report. We are not panicking and we are confident we shall hand it in soon.”

 The Africa Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) launched in March 2009, is a self-assessment on what Uganda should do to consolidate the gains as well as overcome the challenges as outlined in the Programme of Action (PoA).

The assessment is done in four key areas (thematic areas) namely: democracy and political governance, economic governance, corporate governance and socio-economic governance.

 “The development that we desire cannot be realized in the absence of good governance, popular participation by all sectors in their own affairs and the respect for basic human rights,” Niringiye stated.

The State minister for planning Matia Kasaija while opening the workshop proposed that a law is enacted to curb Uganda’s rapid growing population estimated at 33 million.

“Our parents used to produce eight children because they thought it was a kind of insurance inold age. They also thought that if five of the children died they would remain with three.”

  Uganda is among the top five countries with rapid population growth rates like Niger and Yemen.

 The  Africa Peer Review Panel noted with concern the rapid growth rate in Uganda’s population which has potential not only to affect the overall quality of life, but also had the capacity to aggravate the degree of human suffering and poverty by producing a high ratio of dependent children for each working adult.

It is recommended that Uganda must make sure that every pregnancy is wanted and every birth is safe, keeping girls in school, ensuring male involvement in reproductive health and involving the youth in planning and decision making , promote youth skills development and employment.