Uganda more stable today under multiparty system
May 10, 2007
TOMORROW will be one year since President Yoweri Museveni and NRM were sworn into government under the multiparty system having defeated five other political parties – FDC, UPC, DP, CP and Jeema on February 23, 2006 amid false claims of rigging.
Ofwono Opondo
TOMORROW will be one year since President Yoweri Museveni and NRM were sworn into government under the multiparty system having defeated five other political parties – FDC, UPC, DP, CP and Jeema on February 23, 2006 amid false claims of rigging.
While campaigns covered many areas, there were common issues at stake then, and it is time for a little update on how the NRM has handled them so far. However, part of the problem has been the Ugandan media unwilling to sift through lies and the triumph of misinformation.
At elections, millions of people in the north and east were in internally displaced people’s (IDPs) camps looking into dark valleys with little hope for peace to return to the remains of their homes due to years of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) arson, looting, pillage, rape, and murder.
LRA political accomplices rode high in elections with some winning parliamentary seats although today are shy to speak publicly for LRA. As endless talks go-on in Juba, hundreds of thousands of IDPs have already returned to their homes.
The Karimojong cattle thieves, who gave the opposition election capital, are on permanent retreat due to UPDF resolve. The electricity crunch that nearly brought us to a halt is being addressed through thermal generation and Bujagali is firmly on course, leaving critics with nothing much to crow about.
The hitherto strained relations with neighbours Sudan, DR Congo and Rwanda, which the opposition tried to exploit, have all been solved, and at Uganda’s nod, Rwanda will on June 18, join the East African Community.
Efforts by FDC leader Kizza Besigye to portray court battles over alleged rape and treason as political persecution and a major contradiction in Uganda failed to materialise and he now stands in a swamp.
This update is about what NRM has prevented and achieved because when voters size up a sitting government, they ask whether individually or collectively they are better off than before.
Without speculating about everyone’s personal circumstance, Uganda is more stable today than last year, contrary to the political tsunami the FDC leaders had promised. They can take a pipe and smoke! Parliament and the judiciary are very “strong and independent,†as Prof. Ogenga Latigo (leader of the opposition) assured US assistant secretary for African affairs James Swan contrary to claims by groups.
Luckily, Ugandans woke up to the lies of the so-called reformers, which was barrelling along in 2006. NRM broke the reckless wagon and the combined opposition is now four wheels up and spinning in a ditch as NRM runs to the end zone.
The NRM was surrounded by fire-breathing, myth-spouting and lie-telling opposition especially FDC. It was and still awful hearing Salaamu Musumba in bid to get elected chairperson of Kamuli district lying that planes are surveying people’s land for Museveni to grab. It is a shallow but effective trick they employed during the last elections that Museveni intended to grab land in Teso, Lango and Acholi.
With nothing positive to offer, all the opposition have done is attack Museveni, and the ‘independent’ media has dismally failed to scrutinise opposition credentials, and it is time to send opposition leaders back home to help their spouses wash dishes before many people get hurt.
The arrogant opposition has tried in vain to mobilise hooligans to raid and paralyse businesses in Kampala. More law enforcement officers have been recruited, trained and deployed to deal with violent crimes, which are on the decline, and the corrupt are getting ropes around their necks.
On the election promises, thanks in large part to Museveni’s steadfastness in driving skeptical or lazy officials, the economy continued to grow at an average of 6%, inflation at 7% with industrial, manufacturing and construction sector topping the list.
Private residence construction and home ownership maintained rapid expansion, giving most people the desired social security. National road works like Kabale-Kisoro, Kyotera-Mutukula, and Karuma-Arua are on course.
The service industry has expanded too with many new small and medium enterprises providing direct and indirect employment to Ugandans who must learn from the more skilled Kenyan and Indian employees. The promise to consolidate national defence and security through democracy, diplomacy and strengthening the armed forces is being achieved and even for the most cynical minds would find it difficult to deny.
All valid studies show that investor confidence in Uganda is ever growing compared to the Sub-Saharan Africa average contrary to Mugisha Muntu’s claims in 2006.
Economic policies remain fairly transparent and predictable for a private sector-led growth through liberalisation, privatisation and competitiveness.
Although unemployment remains high due to historical and entrenched structural problems, more jobs were created and incomes improved if Uganda Investment Authority boss Maggie Kigozi is to be believed that last year saw about 50,000 new jobs. Teachers and health workers got their pay rise as promised.
The NRM has continued to expand, consolidate and improve Universal Primary Education and launched Universal Secondary Education throughout the country. The target was 200,000 but 170,000 have enrolled within the first academic term and classroom construction is in full steam.
Pressed against the wall, FDC leaders have lately tried to deny sabotaging Uganda hosting CHOGM in vain because they have an impressive record of utter and unrelenting hypocrisy and all are on record.
TOMORROW will be one year since President Yoweri Museveni and NRM were sworn into government under the multiparty system having defeated five other political parties – FDC, UPC, DP, CP and Jeema on February 23, 2006 amid false claims of rigging.
While campaigns covered many areas, there were common issues at stake then, and it is time for a little update on how the NRM has handled them so far. However, part of the problem has been the Ugandan media unwilling to sift through lies and the triumph of misinformation.
At elections, millions of people in the north and east were in internally displaced people’s (IDPs) camps looking into dark valleys with little hope for peace to return to the remains of their homes due to years of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) arson, looting, pillage, rape, and murder.
LRA political accomplices rode high in elections with some winning parliamentary seats although today are shy to speak publicly for LRA. As endless talks go-on in Juba, hundreds of thousands of IDPs have already returned to their homes.
The Karimojong cattle thieves, who gave the opposition election capital, are on permanent retreat due to UPDF resolve. The electricity crunch that nearly brought us to a halt is being addressed through thermal generation and Bujagali is firmly on course, leaving critics with nothing much to crow about.
The hitherto strained relations with neighbours Sudan, DR Congo and Rwanda, which the opposition tried to exploit, have all been solved, and at Uganda’s nod, Rwanda will on June 18, join the East African Community.
Efforts by FDC leader Kizza Besigye to portray court battles over alleged rape and treason as political persecution and a major contradiction in Uganda failed to materialise and he now stands in a swamp.
This update is about what NRM has prevented and achieved because when voters size up a sitting government, they ask whether individually or collectively they are better off than before.
Without speculating about everyone’s personal circumstance, Uganda is more stable today than last year, contrary to the political tsunami the FDC leaders had promised. They can take a pipe and smoke! Parliament and the judiciary are very “strong and independent,†as Prof. Ogenga Latigo (leader of the opposition) assured US assistant secretary for African affairs James Swan contrary to claims by groups.
Luckily, Ugandans woke up to the lies of the so-called reformers, which was barrelling along in 2006. NRM broke the reckless wagon and the combined opposition is now four wheels up and spinning in a ditch as NRM runs to the end zone.
The NRM was surrounded by fire-breathing, myth-spouting and lie-telling opposition especially FDC. It was and still awful hearing Salaamu Musumba in bid to get elected chairperson of Kamuli district lying that planes are surveying people’s land for Museveni to grab. It is a shallow but effective trick they employed during the last elections that Museveni intended to grab land in Teso, Lango and Acholi.
With nothing positive to offer, all the opposition have done is attack Museveni, and the ‘independent’ media has dismally failed to scrutinise opposition credentials, and it is time to send opposition leaders back home to help their spouses wash dishes before many people get hurt.
The arrogant opposition has tried in vain to mobilise hooligans to raid and paralyse businesses in Kampala. More law enforcement officers have been recruited, trained and deployed to deal with violent crimes, which are on the decline, and the corrupt are getting ropes around their necks.
On the election promises, thanks in large part to Museveni’s steadfastness in driving skeptical or lazy officials, the economy continued to grow at an average of 6%, inflation at 7% with industrial, manufacturing and construction sector topping the list.
Private residence construction and home ownership maintained rapid expansion, giving most people the desired social security. National road works like Kabale-Kisoro, Kyotera-Mutukula, and Karuma-Arua are on course.
The service industry has expanded too with many new small and medium enterprises providing direct and indirect employment to Ugandans who must learn from the more skilled Kenyan and Indian employees. The promise to consolidate national defence and security through democracy, diplomacy and strengthening the armed forces is being achieved and even for the most cynical minds would find it difficult to deny.
All valid studies show that investor confidence in Uganda is ever growing compared to the Sub-Saharan Africa average contrary to Mugisha Muntu’s claims in 2006.
Economic policies remain fairly transparent and predictable for a private sector-led growth through liberalisation, privatisation and competitiveness.
Although unemployment remains high due to historical and entrenched structural problems, more jobs were created and incomes improved if Uganda Investment Authority boss Maggie Kigozi is to be believed that last year saw about 50,000 new jobs. Teachers and health workers got their pay rise as promised.
The NRM has continued to expand, consolidate and improve Universal Primary Education and launched Universal Secondary Education throughout the country. The target was 200,000 but 170,000 have enrolled within the first academic term and classroom construction is in full steam.
Pressed against the wall, FDC leaders have lately tried to deny sabotaging Uganda hosting CHOGM in vain because they have an impressive record of utter and unrelenting hypocrisy and all are on record.