Learn how to use a calendar, people!

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OPINION

By Simon Kaheru

What government office is responsible for teaching us how to use a calendar? This is an important question. Someone needs to identify the persons responsible so we fire them.

The logic should be simple to apply, but every single day we receive numerous inconveniencing examples that too many of our compatriots do not understand.

I am not talking about the calendar on its own as a wall hanging. That part we seem to have understood long ago. I say “seem to have” because even now - please check the one on your wall and confirm that it is open at the right date?

Mind you, I am not out there being irked afresh by the concept of “African Time”. The phrase has always been hateful to me from the first day it was explained to me.

Surely, ever since the human being started walking upright, all adults should have developed an innate understanding of the concept of time. (Do not respond).

It appears that during some irritating meeting somewhere we will never know at a time long ago, people agreed that “African Time” was a reality because Africans do not operate on precision.

However stupid the supposition, it held so strongly that we now even have Africans confidently using the phrase as they walk into meetings late.

The calendar, though, gives you much more leeway to work with.

It is not just for hanging onto the wall to cover paint blemishes.

Some of us learnt how to use the calendar by way of the Time Table we had to follow, as children.

That was step one of embedding planning capabilities into us for use as adults. The Time Table in primary school almost traumatised us because of how much attention the authorities paid to it.

We learnt how to tell, many months in advance, what subjects we would be taught and which examinations were due on which days of the year.

The calendar as a tool of planning is invaluable. You cannot possibly prepare for anything, if you do not know what is on the calendar.

By this paragraph, if you are reading keenly and actually learning something, then you need to go back to Primary Level One.

You won’t, we know, but you should. On a regular basis around us we can identify many people who should join you in returning to school.

Top on the list are all the people who announce things or send invitations to meetings and events at the very last minute.

In two private sector associations I belong to a few of us are always complaining about how seemingly ad hoc the meeting invitations we get are.

Many a time we are notified of events within the same week they are scheduled to happen.

Why? Because some people have failed to be serious about how a calendar should be used. In the public sector, the examples are even more annoying, because they even have life-and-death consequences. About a week ago, we received the Seasonal Rainfall Outlook from the Ministry of Water and Environment for the period September to December 2025.

 The outlook was dated September 4, which means it is fresh but...would it have been more helpful if it had been sent a few months earlier so we plan our activities better in advance?

I was happy with the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) for announcing strict guidelines about the placement of campaign posters.

Unfortunately, as usual, the announcement of the guidelines came way too late. The political campaign period has been on the calendar for a long time now. All rules and guidelines and related notifications should have been issued way in advance of any kick-off of activities.

Just by using a calendar, the KCCA people could have ensured the city doesn’t get as littered as it is now with all these flaky posters. We can go on and on with this, but that is just agonising.

Calling on a government office to take up the task of making us follow calendars so we are more organised seems comedic, but there is hope there.

See, there are parts of the Government that know if they do not follow the calendar diligently, we can face a national crisis. That is why so much care is paid to all the key dates around constitutional processes.

But surely, we should not require the fear of a national crisis to make us get organised - or do we?

www.skaheru.com @skaheru