What I would like to see in the New Year
Dec 29, 2002
EXIT: The year 2002. Enter: The year 2003. That is the process of change the world went through in the course of last week
The Other Side of the Coin with Paul Waibale Senior
EXIT: The year 2002. Enter: The year 2003. That is the process of change the world went through in the course of last week.
Given that state of affairs, it is would be interesting to take a bird’s eye-view of the ups and downs that have plagued the year that is just expiring and examine the way forward. I have the audacity to hazard my own contribution in that regard.
I have no intention of carrying out an exhaustive catalogue. If I were to do so, this column would have to rival the size of Iraq’s submission to the UN Security Council — a report of 12,000 pages; the position would not be remedied even if I applied American-style editing of the document. So all I am providing are a few randomly picked aspects of the 2002 drama in Uganda.
Addressing the issue of corruption is a good starting point. Th cancer of corruption has in the course of 2002 has manifestly eaten deep into the fabric of Uganda society. The culprits have emerged in every section of society with varying degrees of success in Deeping their filthy fingers into the public wallet. This one activity in which every section of society has its culprits, The unholy trinity of Government — the Executive, the Legislature and the Judiciary — has a prominent record in the perpetration of corruption. Fortunately, there is a big number of people in that category whose conduct is above reproach.
The business community promotes on various planes such offering bribes to win tenders or getting their taxation assessments slashed to less than half.
Operators of non-government organisations have a reputation of using donations to line their own pockets.
My earnest prayer is that the powers that be should put stringent measures in place for the noble aim of reducing, not eliminating because that is impossible, the rate of corruption in the country.
Some Members of Parliament have a reputation of turning horrible whenever it suits them. They are experts in the art magnifying minor issues and dwarfing major ones, depending on what political capital they are targeting. Recently, one such Member of Parliament picked up the courage to condemn the use of mosquito nets because, so he claimed, they are dangerous to health. Several MPs wasted valuable time in the House demanding that the Army Commander, Maj-Gen James Kazini, resigns as he said he would if Kony was not defeated by December 31. They did not tell the world how that would usher tranquillity in the war-torn north. It is high time MPs adopted more meaning approaches to national issues rather than mere drumming up political hostilities.
The phenomenon of mob justice has been one of the most treacherous aspects prominently administered with ruthless severity in Uganda during 2002. In fact, calling it mob justice is to accord it credit it does not deserve. The proper definition is mob injustice. It is a situation where members of a mob take the law into their own hands and sentence to death people the mob finds guilty of offences such as theft or witchcraft. Bodies of the victims are burnt to ashes. Since no evidence is required, no witnesses are called, and the accused does not have a right to be heard. Occasionally, the Police manage to save the culprit; but more often than not, the sentence has been carried out by the time the Police arrives at the scene. Perhaps we need a commission of inquiry into the causes of this sinister practice.
Defilement is another ugly activity, which has in the course of 2002 assumed alarming proportions. The situation is so grave that no female is too young to be raped. Infants a few months old, toddlers and adolescent are all among the list of victims. Interestingly the defilers seem to be accorded much more mercy than the petty thieves are. While the petty thieves are executed by the mobs, the parents of girls defiled accept being paid cash to “settle the mater out courtâ€. Such has been the situation. Something has to be done to prescribe a remedy. So be it.
EXIT: The year 2002. Enter: The year 2003. That is the process of change the world went through in the course of last week.
Given that state of affairs, it is would be interesting to take a bird’s eye-view of the ups and downs that have plagued the year that is just expiring and examine the way forward. I have the audacity to hazard my own contribution in that regard.
I have no intention of carrying out an exhaustive catalogue. If I were to do so, this column would have to rival the size of Iraq’s submission to the UN Security Council — a report of 12,000 pages; the position would not be remedied even if I applied American-style editing of the document. So all I am providing are a few randomly picked aspects of the 2002 drama in Uganda.
Addressing the issue of corruption is a good starting point. Th cancer of corruption has in the course of 2002 has manifestly eaten deep into the fabric of Uganda society. The culprits have emerged in every section of society with varying degrees of success in Deeping their filthy fingers into the public wallet. This one activity in which every section of society has its culprits, The unholy trinity of Government — the Executive, the Legislature and the Judiciary — has a prominent record in the perpetration of corruption. Fortunately, there is a big number of people in that category whose conduct is above reproach.
The business community promotes on various planes such offering bribes to win tenders or getting their taxation assessments slashed to less than half.
Operators of non-government organisations have a reputation of using donations to line their own pockets.
My earnest prayer is that the powers that be should put stringent measures in place for the noble aim of reducing, not eliminating because that is impossible, the rate of corruption in the country.
Some Members of Parliament have a reputation of turning horrible whenever it suits them. They are experts in the art magnifying minor issues and dwarfing major ones, depending on what political capital they are targeting. Recently, one such Member of Parliament picked up the courage to condemn the use of mosquito nets because, so he claimed, they are dangerous to health. Several MPs wasted valuable time in the House demanding that the Army Commander, Maj-Gen James Kazini, resigns as he said he would if Kony was not defeated by December 31. They did not tell the world how that would usher tranquillity in the war-torn north. It is high time MPs adopted more meaning approaches to national issues rather than mere drumming up political hostilities.
The phenomenon of mob justice has been one of the most treacherous aspects prominently administered with ruthless severity in Uganda during 2002. In fact, calling it mob justice is to accord it credit it does not deserve. The proper definition is mob injustice. It is a situation where members of a mob take the law into their own hands and sentence to death people the mob finds guilty of offences such as theft or witchcraft. Bodies of the victims are burnt to ashes. Since no evidence is required, no witnesses are called, and the accused does not have a right to be heard. Occasionally, the Police manage to save the culprit; but more often than not, the sentence has been carried out by the time the Police arrives at the scene. Perhaps we need a commission of inquiry into the causes of this sinister practice.
Defilement is another ugly activity, which has in the course of 2002 assumed alarming proportions. The situation is so grave that no female is too young to be raped. Infants a few months old, toddlers and adolescent are all among the list of victims. Interestingly the defilers seem to be accorded much more mercy than the petty thieves are. While the petty thieves are executed by the mobs, the parents of girls defiled accept being paid cash to “settle the mater out courtâ€. Such has been the situation. Something has to be done to prescribe a remedy. So be it.