Turn Kony Video into tourist bait

However, we hope Joseph Kony the monster that he is, will not replace Idi Amin, known to the world for running down the economy of Uganda and murdering at will, depicted later on-in movies as The Last King of Scotland. 

 

There is nothing to be proud of having an ambassador as Amin. It is unfortunate that when we travel, people still ask about Idi Amin, as they certainly will now ask about Joesph Kony, who was thoroughly defeated by the UPDF, at a time when Uganda had been asked to cut down its defense spending. Off course, the Kony war was very costly in terms of lives, time and resources. 

 

In a world that seems to be ruled by the media-and especially now the new social media; facebook, twitter, skype and You-Tube, myspace as a new form of communication, the Government communication machinery should have been the least surprised or shocked by the Kony video. 

 

While the war was going on, the UPDF was documenting Kony’s atrocities. But was the UPDF documentary uploaded on the new social media? Probably never made a breakthrough in using this new form of communication to expose the monster that Kony was and the achievements by the Government for example, people are no longer living in camps since Kony ran away in 2006, the establishment of sound infrastructure by the Government with donors support. 

 

However, when we occasionally used to gather at the now defunct Pan African Secretariat at Kamwokya, we watched different documentaries that showcased Uganda’s history and aspirations. What happened? 

 

I know that a documentary on Kony, done by the UPDF and the Uganda Media Centre was selling on the streets for as low as sh2,000. Yet you would still be surprised that few Ugandans know or have information about northern Uganda, or even long after the war, few Ugandans have interacted with the changing face of Northern Uganda, that is the gateway to business opportunities with our biggest trading partner, South Sudan. 

 

Today, Kony 2012 gives an opportunity for the Government communicators to undertake critical public relations lessons. I borrow briefly from the Somali-AMISOM documentary, Heroes in the Horn, that was showcased early this year, capturing and connecting our imagination to the practicality of the situation in Somalia, where our troops have earned world praise. Apart from those who watched the launch at Serena, how many have used it to appreciate the role our gallant troops are playing in Somalia? 

 

What we are saying is that while public relation campaigns do not necessarily have to be expensive, they must be undertaken, especially if and since in this case, they relate to the aspirations of our people. 

 

Having watched Kony 2012, I am compelled to tell these ‘global citizens’ that Uganda is a paradise; and that the affected communities are heroically building their lives. 

 

This is an opportunity to market Uganda, especially northern Uganda, as tourism and investment destination. The Uganda Investment Authority has already organised a northern Uganda investment conference. 

 

More such efforts are still needed to break the psyche of a war zone. Time is now to make concrete follow up with the investment opportunities that absence of war has created and to tell the over 82 million people who watched the Kony video that the most beautiful national parks in Uganda; the Kidepo and Murchison Falls, are in areas formerly affected by the war are safe. 

 

Finally, any government department that is involved with spearheading celebrations to mark Uganda at 50 should use Kony 2012 as a ‘launching pad’. It is likely that more than half of those who watched it don’t know that Uganda will be 50 this year. We can at least, target half the number of the 82 million to visit Uganda.