To give and not to give

Dec 30, 2005

Last week I gave my word (what used to be called a promise in the old-fashioned way) that I would return in the New Year to those who break solemn promises. But 2006, although only a day’s journey away, is still too far for me to wait.

Last week I gave my word (what used to be called a promise in the old-fashioned way) that I would return in the New Year to those who break solemn promises. But 2006, although only a day’s journey away, is still too far for me to wait.

Why defer a pleasure? It is extremely pleasurable to unearth a great wrong and present it, as Dylan Thomas put it in another context, “before the dying of the light”; if only to re-arrange the smiles on smug wrongdoers’ faces. It is said: “On power’s wing smugness sits and wrongness not far behind!” Indeed. Now eye the Donors.

Their donations, or promise of them, are up to that time undeniably theirs, but when the deed is sealed they inevitably change hands; or should do.

In civilised behaviour there exists no other course. Should we perhaps put the question to the International Court of Justice? (I joke!) So far the announced cuts “in budget support” for the year 2005/06 total US
$73m, no trifling sum.

Since in the first place support was given, both sides of the table, the donors and the gifted, must have agreed the sum was essential for something. But now? Has that something disappeared in thin Ugandan air? Ah, but a portion of what was promised is going, through the UN, to humanitarian assistance in northern Uganda.

The other regions can go hang, including Luwero, scene of the destructive first battles of the Bush War! Why do they deserve such castration? Also, additionally, the donors are effectively demanding it is they who write the budget.

Ringleader Britain has also announced it will keep a further percentage, not to be deployed if the 2006 elections are not to its taste. Forget Ugandan taste! To put it at a level understandable to the man on the Kireka omnibus, or, more accurately, matatu: you hand over a contribution to a needy beggar, with the stern warning that you will take it back if on second thought he fails to please you!

In Luganda we call it okukookoonya, to pretend to give without that intention. Children played it as a game (we all did, and as far as I know they still do). The rules were clear: it was only a game, and if it went beyond this, parents or older siblings would immediately terminate it.

But “played” for real by adults, or in this case, grown countries, it is vile, despicable and deeply unbecoming. The guilty donors, in alphabetical order: Ireland $4, Netherlands $7, Norway $4, Sweden $8, United Kingdom $35, World Bank $15: all figures in millions. Congratulations to those who have not yet succumbed to such behaviour.

I have thought long and hard what little power lies in the hands of serious Ugandans to react. For myself (don’t laugh) I will not be attending in 2005/6 the National Day celebrations of those above.

Neighbour, why don’t you join me? As W. B. Yeats said, “I, being poor, have only my dreams. Tread softly for you tread on my dreams!”
Meanwhile there will be some, even Ugandans, who will be celebrating that by losing what had been promised, Uganda has received a bloody nose. They come from the same species as those who were ecstatic when the Israelis raided Entebbe all those years ago during the reign of Idi Amin Dada FM, VC, VD (!) etc. Just because they hated the malevolent dictator, they failed to fathom the insult of a sovereign nation being raped by another.

Such feeble philosophers would applaud, were it possible, the cutting off of their own heads! They must be swooning over the latest Donor plan: to renege on promised sums of around $375m to Ethiopia. What a swathe these bullies will cut through the so-called developing world! It is the current boutique (and simplistic) answer to all the complicated world problems of the day – until another “solution” comes along.
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As we say in Buganda, “Namunswa alya ku nswaaze” “The Queen Ant eats of her subject ants”. Even faithful readers of this column must be occasionally tempted to run for cover at my Luganda interjections. Well, they might then become entrapped in Museveni’s take on his Runyankole ones; be very warned!

In fact it is of our President that I now want to turn, as a taster for glimpses of him in the Column’s coming weeks to February 28 when the country holds elections.

Already the heart is thumping at the beginning of the election rallies, with Museveni lining up at the gate. Others too, but most of them are fated for the bin. I have some trepidation in equating Museveni with the Queen Ant, but in this regard he occupies that position in our affairs, and in any case with him the corollary is equally true: the subject ants eat of their Queen Ant!

One of the reasons why Museveni, and the Movement Organisation (not Party, although political scientist, Premier Nsibambi will gnash his teeth at this differentiation!) will sweep the elections, is because of his innate love for the people, and they of him. When he sleeps he wires into the people, the simpler the better, to re-charge.

Elections bring out the very best of this side of Museveni. His tiger rests, the lion purrs not roars. And the people? They stroke him from near and far. Watch his election rallies and get the message. You are looking at a winner; the winner. Happy New Year!

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