Mushega decries dependency culture

By Moses Walubiri

Amanya Mushega has blamed the poverty among Ugandans to a culture of dependence being fanned by politicians who dish out handouts. 

This, the former education and public service minster contends, has made some Ugandans adopt the “humiliating habit of begging,” thinking the state owes them a living.

While reminiscing on the life of former Ankole Prime Minister, Kesi Karukure Nganwa, fifty years after his death on Sunday, Mushega lauded Nganwa’s “exemplary and selfless” leadership whose foresight helped create development programs for his subjects.

“Nganwa made people realize that begging was humiliating. That is why programs aimed at economic empowerment through ranching, coffee and tea growing were central to his administration,” Mushega noted in his lecture under the theme, Nganwa: “His contribution to the political and socio-economic development of Ankole.”

“Handouts and free things barely contribute to development,” he said, adding “they simply foster a dependency culture which creates a cancerous mindset.”

As guest speaker, Mushega gave a glowing trajectory of Nganwa’s life and achievements. He lauded Nganwa for building schools, valley dams, cooperative Unions, and promoting hygiene and sanitation. 

“Memorial lectures are not for the dead to hear us eulogizing them, but for the living to pick lessons from their lives and see what mistakes to avoid and what virtues of their lives to emulate,” Mushega noted as he encouraged those in attendance to emulate Nganwa.

Former state minister for education John Ntimba extolled Nganwa as “an accomplished educationist” who helped many young bright men from Ankole to get scholarships to study abroad.

Ntimba lauded Nganwa for his focused leadership and the unity he espoused which helped to stem the tide of religious and ethnic bigotry.

Nganwa was Ankole Premier for 6 years (1955-1961) and died 50 years ago. His memorial lecture at UMA Show Ground attracted a large number of the Ankole community in Kampala, including politicians, academicians, Bishop emeritus Eliphaz Mari and Lt. Gen. Ivan Koreta.