We shouldn't lose out on the values that make us Ugandan

trueBy Crispy Kaheru

Although it is four times bigger than Uganda, it houses only 1.2 million voters but it is also home to the famous Namib and Kalahari Deserts.

Namibia held its fifth presidential elections on November 28, 2014 amidst a prosaic aura of peace and composure that would pass for that gentle breeze blowing from its neighbouring Atlantic ocean - I was there to bear witness!

Weeks to the Election Day, the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) was hit by the reality of lack of enough vehicles to transport the polling material and personnel across the country during the polling period. To complement its existing vehicles, ECN put out a call to ‘well-wishers’ to offer their 4x4 vehicles for use. A total of 270 private cars were needed to guarantee the smooth flow of operations.

Just days after the call, ECN received over 2,000 vehicles from private individuals happy and willing to offer both their vehicles and driving services – needless (and essential) to note, free of charge!

This got me thinking, if our own Electoral Commission put out a public call for pro bono assistance, how many of us (Ugandans) would be ‘happily willing’ to offer our services or property without having to charge anything?

A couple of weeks ago, I attended the first annual socio-economic summit organised by the Civil Society-Private and Public Sector Forum, Uganda. One of the highlight counsel that ran through most of the presentations made by leading figures (both from within and outside Uganda) was the urgent need to deal with the creeping sense of ‘nfunira mu wa?’ literally translated as  “what is in it for me?”

Lately, it is typical of many Ugandans to seek to see what and how they personally/individually gain from a service that they may pursue to render – especially if the prospects of a direct remuneration aren’t that evident.

It is partly because of this growing (or maturing) spirit that the legendary community service or “Bulungi Bwansi” as was known then has lately been replaced with the drenched chi of egomania.  What used to be service above self has mutated into ‘self-service’ or ‘bulyomu kwefaako’.

Back in the day, it was fulfilling to provide service to society, it was natural to do service to one’s community, it was a norm to ‘give to society’; today, we seem to be making a total shift to the ‘blues’ of the universal law of the market – quid pro quo.
 

The writer is a Coordinator – Citizens’ Coalition for Electoral Democracy in Uganda (CCEDU)