<em>Crime Watch</em> by John Kamya
Oct 15, 2003
I READ with concern the press reports that the Government of Japan has suspended offering training scholarships to Ugandans because after their training, they refuse to come back. (The New Vision Sat. Sept. 20th).
Unscrupulous Ugandans Costing Our Relations With JapanI READ with concern the press reports that the Government of Japan has suspended offering training scholarships to Ugandans because after their training, they refuse to come back. (The New Vision Sat. Sept. 20th). In the same article, the Vice president Gilbert Bukenya is reported to have said that the Government of Japan was looking for a number of Ugandan criminals involved in motorcycle thefts in Japan. How my heart sank!
In my childhood most rich people had to be dealers in Japanese motor vehicles or their spare parts. This was the era of the Datsun 120Y and Sunny cars, the Toyota omnibuses and pickups, name it.
This trend had continued until late when Ugandans became spoilers of themselves. They started by fleecing Japanese companies through issuing forged and stolen bank cheques commonly known as Bichupuli, then moved into illegal migration and stays to Japan. As if that was not enough, they started stealing items from shops, and motorcycles from streets, including killing their owners!
On top of the trade, Japan had opened up training opportunities to many countries especially developing countries. Despite being the leading country in giving foreign aid, the country believed that the best way to help other countries is to transfer skills and build technical capacity, for them to be self-sustaining.
I happened to be one of the beneficiaries of this training programme, under JICA. I was sponsored for a crime prevention programme to learn effective and modern methods of combating transactional organised crime in 2000.
When I reached Japan, it was clear that if one was not strong-hearted or religious, he/she could easily wish to stay in the luxury or acquire the things and bring them home. The stories of sound, but unwanted vehicles abandoned on the road for city authorities to destroy, that I used to hear, were right there for me to witness.
The deputy director of the institute I attended, Keiichi Aizawa enumerated to us how the crimes committed by foreigners imposed a heavy burden on the Japanese criminal justice system in terms of budgeting and personnel.
At the end of three months I stayed in Japan, I realised that the community is generally an honest one and any acts of dishonesty greatly affected them.
Unfortunately for Uganda, some have reasoned that Bichupuli is good for our economy! The consequences, however, will be severe and unfortunately indiscriminate. Already the training opportunities for Ugandans have been reportedly suspended and stringent conditions for Ugandan traders travelling to Japan imposed. The next step could be a total ban. Indeed, Ugandans are self-destroying.
Ends
In my childhood most rich people had to be dealers in Japanese motor vehicles or their spare parts. This was the era of the Datsun 120Y and Sunny cars, the Toyota omnibuses and pickups, name it.
This trend had continued until late when Ugandans became spoilers of themselves. They started by fleecing Japanese companies through issuing forged and stolen bank cheques commonly known as Bichupuli, then moved into illegal migration and stays to Japan. As if that was not enough, they started stealing items from shops, and motorcycles from streets, including killing their owners!
On top of the trade, Japan had opened up training opportunities to many countries especially developing countries. Despite being the leading country in giving foreign aid, the country believed that the best way to help other countries is to transfer skills and build technical capacity, for them to be self-sustaining.
I happened to be one of the beneficiaries of this training programme, under JICA. I was sponsored for a crime prevention programme to learn effective and modern methods of combating transactional organised crime in 2000.
When I reached Japan, it was clear that if one was not strong-hearted or religious, he/she could easily wish to stay in the luxury or acquire the things and bring them home. The stories of sound, but unwanted vehicles abandoned on the road for city authorities to destroy, that I used to hear, were right there for me to witness.
The deputy director of the institute I attended, Keiichi Aizawa enumerated to us how the crimes committed by foreigners imposed a heavy burden on the Japanese criminal justice system in terms of budgeting and personnel.
At the end of three months I stayed in Japan, I realised that the community is generally an honest one and any acts of dishonesty greatly affected them.
Unfortunately for Uganda, some have reasoned that Bichupuli is good for our economy! The consequences, however, will be severe and unfortunately indiscriminate. Already the training opportunities for Ugandans have been reportedly suspended and stringent conditions for Ugandan traders travelling to Japan imposed. The next step could be a total ban. Indeed, Ugandans are self-destroying.
Ends