Ugandans hardly choose their leaders without undue influence

Dec 08, 2017

The study explains that monetary inducements and violence unleashed at Ugandans affects their free choice.

A country wide survey conducted for two years indicated that Ugandans most especially in rural areas are not socially and economically empowered to choose their own leaders without any interference.

 

The study explains that monetary inducements and violence unleashed at Ugandans affects their free choice.

 

The survey conducted by Centre for Constitutional Governance (CCG) entitled "Is Uganda a democracy" indicated that the tendency has been as a result of limited knowledge of citizens' rights.

 

Sarah Bireete, the Executive Director CCG said the survey was conducted in districts of Kabale, Mbale, Wakiso, Masaka and lastly in Kampala. The survey was conducted on district leaders, youth and women as well as religious leaders on six pillars of democracy that include freedom of expression, constitutionalism.

 

"In our interaction with the people, they say free and fair elections don't exist in Uganda," Bireete explained. She said during the survey every aspect of democracy showed that it was in retardation.

 

This was during the validation of a draft report on a survey on how to deepen and identify the gaps in Ugandan democracy. The meeting was held in Kampala.

 

The report says that it requires reconstructing of citizenship and nationalism that aims at a deliberate program creating awareness about the people civic rights and responsibilities.

 

In a report, further recommends that a state should create economic and social programs to close the gaps between the rich people and poor ones.

 

"It's unequal development, a major source of civil strife. It's better to bridge regional differences according to the levels of poverty," Birete said.

 

Professor Mwambutsya Makerere University Department of History says one of the most important things for Uganda is to reorder the economic and political challenges the country is facing to enable it get back on track.

 

"We need to order our society better. So far we are not very ordered," Mwambutsya said.

 

He said Ugandans are not poor because the country lacks resources but it's the political order. Mwambutsya added that a number of Ugandans are suffering because the country has become a disorganized one.

 

He argued that other pillars of the state like judiciary, parliament don't involve interactive and participatory decision -making which has rendered them malfunctioning.

 

He added that Ugandan society lacks democratic norms of tolerating divergent views, opinions, cultures and beliefs of others.

 

"The primary pillar of democracy is the society in its various forms, be it family, church, community or media. We need to have the right norms of democracy," Mwambutsya added.

 

"Democracy is beyond the state, we should broaden it not narrowing it to legislature and judiciary," he said.

 

 

 

 

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