Archbishop Lwanga right to shun walk-to-work

By Obed K Katureebe

While delivering his sermons during the Rubaga Cathedral Parish day on Sunday, October 16, Kampala Archbishop Cyprian Lwanga implored Ugandans to shun recent calls by opportunistic politicians to cause massive demonstrations across the country. 

It was reported that the Archbishop told Ugandans to resist going into demonstrations which usually degenerate into riots causing heavy losses to the majority poor urban dwellers. He further cautioned them that demonstrations are not offering a solution to the current economic hardships instead they worsen the situation.    

The call for demonstration had been made by a coalition of opposition politicians led by Masaka Municipality MP, Matthias Mpuuga.

The planers of the demos argue that their actions are meant to further press the Government to act on the rising cost of living.

No doubt, the rising inflation (28%), the ever increasing fuels prices and the depreciation of the shillings against the dollar has increased the cost of living in the country.

The demonstrations were designed to last for the whole week. Strangely, this is a week when senior four students are doing their national exams across the country. Parents had earlier in the week appealed to those self-seeking politicians not to disrupt their children as they sat for their exams but they were brushed aside.

It must be remembered that at the beginning of this year, these very politicians staged very disruptive demonstrations that paralyzed work in most towns. People’s businesses were destroyed as Police engaged the rioters.

 Understandably, most people at that time never fully understood why all of a sudden fuel and food prices were going up. They thought the Government was not doing to curb the situation. However, all this has changed because Ugandans now know that it is a global crisis that is not limited to Uganda alone. Regionally and globally economies are hurting and technocrats are burning their fingers trying to ameliorate the situation.

Government and Bank of Uganda are seriously plotting on how to arrest the situation. In fact, the President has called his cabinet and NRM party MPs for a retreat at Kyankwanzi Leadership Institute to exchange ideas on the way forward.

Therefore, Archbishop Lwanga’s call to Ugandans to shun calls for walk to work is a wise calling in such circumstances. 

For MP Mpuuga to dismiss such a call is being selfish and insensitive to those other Ugandans who do not enjoy special privileges like he does. I guess Mpuuga’s children do not walk distances to and from school in which case they would also be affected by teargas as they left their examination rooms.

Besides, MP Mpuuga and company in Parliament take home over  sh20m a month which they allotted themselves at the beginning of the 9th Parliament amidst protests from the suffering Ugandans. If all Ugandans were being paid that much, their children would be in secure boarding schools and, therefore, would not be affected by teargas between the Police and demonstrators as they sit for their final exams.
 
Finally, much as the economy could be hurting now, the only reasonable way out of the current situation is to share knowledge across the political divide and come out with lasting solutions. We are at a time when we should not be politicking or using the current situation to gain political capital.

Demonstrations will not heal a global economic challenge and neither will it put food on the table for the hundreds of thousands that eke their living in down town suburbs of Kalerwe, Kubbiri, Kirekka, Kisseka etc