What is the African Leadership Institute up to?
Nov 07, 2010
I am reliably informed that members of the African Leadership Institute — the organisation that published the controversial Parliamentarians Performance Score Card some months ago — recently visited my Constituency without my knowledge and were seen interviewing people about my work in Ruhaama C
Janet Museveni
I am reliably informed that members of the African Leadership Institute — the organisation that published the controversial Parliamentarians Performance Score Card some months ago — recently visited my Constituency without my knowledge and were seen interviewing people about my work in Ruhaama County.
I did not have time, earlier, to comment on their evaluation of Parliamentarians’ performance that led to the famous Score Card. I had many questions, at that time, about their methodology, their mandate and who commissioned and funded them to do that work, and what, if any, is the purpose of their evaluation exercise and the much publicised Score Card.
The secret visit of the team to my Constituency, now, and what they may have done there without my knowledge or involvement, raises fresh queries in my mind as to the real intention behind their work. Because, if they had genuinely wanted to know what I have been doing in Ruhaama in the last five years, would they not have come to me first, or at least informed me of their plans to inspect my Constituency?
If they had done that, I would have furnished them with copies of the baseline survey I carried out in Ruhaama at the beginning of my term of office as Member of Parliament for the area, and would also have given them a copy of my 5- year development plan which I arrived at with participation of the people of Ruhaama.
I would have given them a report of what has so far been achieved, of that plan; and I would have definitely given them a copy of my Manifesto.
Finally, I would have directed them to my Office in Ntungamo where they would have found first hand information and guidance; thereafter, they would have been free to roam the countryside and draw their own conclusions.
As it is, they can only have talked to rumour-mongers and come away with hearsay, not facts.
It is obvious that they were not interested in any genuine information depicting the realities on the ground. They went in quietly with their own hidden and questionable agenda, talked with some dubious people in Ruhaama and sneaked out again. They will, no doubt, have it on record that they went to my Constituency when they write their next Score Card.
It makes you wonder: are these people working for the good of Ugandans or are they paid by Uganda’s enemies to publish bad reports even where it is blatantly clear that good work is being done?
I understand that some members of this Institute are former Members of Parliament who should care about the Uganda we are all striving to build, instead what they are doing with this AFLI sends all wrong signals. Surely even if one was no longer an NRM member, Uganda should bind us together if indeed we wish ourselves well.
Fortunately, the people of Ruhaama know very well how much of my Manifesto has so far been fulfilled, and there is tangible, visible evidence of my achievements as MP for Ruhaama.
None the less, I want to suggest that, unless this group of people have something against particular individuals in Parliament, a forum should be arranged where Members of Parliament who may be interested can sit with them and understand the criteria they use to evaluate Parliamentarians’ work both within Parliament and out there among their constituents.
This would go a long way to erase the bad blood that has been created by the last Score Card which many of us felt was grossly unfair and even calculated to damage certain individuals. I am sure this would help those being evaluated and those doing the evaluation.
There is, after all, great merit in being transparent and “walking in the light.â€
I am reliably informed that members of the African Leadership Institute — the organisation that published the controversial Parliamentarians Performance Score Card some months ago — recently visited my Constituency without my knowledge and were seen interviewing people about my work in Ruhaama County.
I did not have time, earlier, to comment on their evaluation of Parliamentarians’ performance that led to the famous Score Card. I had many questions, at that time, about their methodology, their mandate and who commissioned and funded them to do that work, and what, if any, is the purpose of their evaluation exercise and the much publicised Score Card.
The secret visit of the team to my Constituency, now, and what they may have done there without my knowledge or involvement, raises fresh queries in my mind as to the real intention behind their work. Because, if they had genuinely wanted to know what I have been doing in Ruhaama in the last five years, would they not have come to me first, or at least informed me of their plans to inspect my Constituency?
If they had done that, I would have furnished them with copies of the baseline survey I carried out in Ruhaama at the beginning of my term of office as Member of Parliament for the area, and would also have given them a copy of my 5- year development plan which I arrived at with participation of the people of Ruhaama.
I would have given them a report of what has so far been achieved, of that plan; and I would have definitely given them a copy of my Manifesto.
Finally, I would have directed them to my Office in Ntungamo where they would have found first hand information and guidance; thereafter, they would have been free to roam the countryside and draw their own conclusions.
As it is, they can only have talked to rumour-mongers and come away with hearsay, not facts.
It is obvious that they were not interested in any genuine information depicting the realities on the ground. They went in quietly with their own hidden and questionable agenda, talked with some dubious people in Ruhaama and sneaked out again. They will, no doubt, have it on record that they went to my Constituency when they write their next Score Card.
It makes you wonder: are these people working for the good of Ugandans or are they paid by Uganda’s enemies to publish bad reports even where it is blatantly clear that good work is being done?
I understand that some members of this Institute are former Members of Parliament who should care about the Uganda we are all striving to build, instead what they are doing with this AFLI sends all wrong signals. Surely even if one was no longer an NRM member, Uganda should bind us together if indeed we wish ourselves well.
Fortunately, the people of Ruhaama know very well how much of my Manifesto has so far been fulfilled, and there is tangible, visible evidence of my achievements as MP for Ruhaama.
None the less, I want to suggest that, unless this group of people have something against particular individuals in Parliament, a forum should be arranged where Members of Parliament who may be interested can sit with them and understand the criteria they use to evaluate Parliamentarians’ work both within Parliament and out there among their constituents.
This would go a long way to erase the bad blood that has been created by the last Score Card which many of us felt was grossly unfair and even calculated to damage certain individuals. I am sure this would help those being evaluated and those doing the evaluation.
There is, after all, great merit in being transparent and “walking in the light.â€