A person who falls into leadership cripples growth of anything

______________

OPINION

By Joseph Richard Magongo

As Uganda heads towards the 2026 elections, to vote for leaders at all levels in this country, I am reminded of the story of Saul, who later became King Saul. People chose him because of his physical attributes: tall and handsome, which formed the basis of his leadership competencies.

While God allowed him to be anointed King, it was not God’s will. God had a different leadership plan for Israel. King Saul, of course, scored some wins here and there, but with no tangible results at the end of the day.

I am also reminded of the Ugandan's who 'fell into things' when President Idi Amin decreed the expulsion of the Indian community out of Uganda.

Many of those properties, factories, and shops did not survive until their third birthday because the Ugandans who fell into these leadership positions were not prepared. Another case for misplaced competencies.

The people who fall into leadership positions cripple anything they fall into, be it a nation or an organisation.

For example, records have it that before the expulsion, Asians made up roughly 1% of Uganda’s population but generated about 20% of the country’s income and contributed close to 90% of its tax revenue. Their sudden removal created an economic shock:

• GDP fell sharply in the years following 1972.
• Manufacturing output collapsed, with many industries like cement and sugar grinding to a halt.
• The real value of wages dropped by around 90% during the 1970s.
• Businesses and farms seized from Asians were handed to Amin’s allies, many of whom lacked the skills to run them, leading to shortages, mismanagement, and widespread corruption.

Many have perceived the Asian expulsion as a positive event that transferred economic power to the indigenous Ugandan; it’s a bitter pill to swallow, that till today Uganda still suffers the effects of that decision, especially in light of states like Kenya that hosted Asians till now without any political interruption.

A person who falls into a leadership position only has one rule: “fake it till you make it”. More like a gamble and error strategy. They then become busy bodies with inconsequential activities that hold no tangible value to the nation or organisation; this sort-of covers up the leadership gaps, creating an illusion of performance.

Such people become extremely insecure in their leadership, because it takes no time for people to realise they got a raw deal for a leader, as many others start to express interest for proper leadership.

It is important for Ugandan's and any organisation to thoroughly examine the leaders we choose for the next five years, because our election systems are such that when someone gets in that chair, it's difficult to remove them till the next cycle of elections.

Ugandan's have another opportunity to clean the leadership system for the next 5 years, let us unblock the system well. Some organisations get leaders who come to office looking for cheap fame and easy finances, such leaders all they think about is enriching themselves and self-gratification. They never know what to say when they stand before the King, apart from seizing a photo moment; all they bargain for is what comes to them, not to the people they lead. 

‎Grill and assess the leaders on the programmes they have for the people or the organisation. An aspirant who just says God will guide me or God spoke to me, without explaining the practical programs God has spoken to them for the people he is sending them to lead, that is a recipe for disaster. Every time God called leaders, he gave them specific instructions to fulfil for the transformation of His people.

‎As a country, we have a blank cheque for the next 5 years, carefully vote for a person who will not just fall into a leadership position to cripple everything, but someone who will transform our communities for a better life.           

The writer is the National Public Relations Officer and Minister of Information for the National Fellowship of Born-Again Pentecostal Churches of Uganda (NFBPC)