The inequality in Uganda will soon breed tragedy
Dec 21, 2010
THE media recently published a report from the Uganda Bureau of Statistics saying the inequality gap among Ugandans has continued to widen and deepen. There is also inequality between regions, with the northern and eastern regions lagging far behind the central and the west.
M. Ndebesa
THE media recently published a report from the Uganda Bureau of Statistics saying the inequality gap among Ugandans has continued to widen and deepen. There is also inequality between regions, with the northern and eastern regions lagging far behind the central and the west.
The rural population, where the majority live, lags far behind the urban. According to the report, Uganda has the highest inequality levels in East Africa. More so, the rich are becoming richer and the poor poorer. This is a case of poverty amidst plenty.
Whereas statistics show that Uganda is registering development, this will eventually decline and fall tragically due to inequality.
One of the first civilisations to have risen and disastrously fallen due to institutionalised inequality is the ancient Egyptian civilisation. It is well documented in the Bible how the Egyptian political system mistreated its people and used slave labour.
The Ancient Greek civilisation rose, and fell also on account of institutionalised inequality characterised by slavery and marginalisation of women. The frequent rise and fall of the Jewish nation of Israel was also due to inequality that bred material, moral and spiritual decay of the nation.
As it was in Egypt and Israel so it was in Indian, Chinese and Japanese ancient civilisations. These great civilisations sank into decay as their leaders monopolised power which they transformed into institutionalised material monopoly by a few elites.
In India, inequality was rationalised and institutionalised under the caste system where some people were born into poverty and were condemned to die in poverty.
The Great Roman civilisation of Europe is no more. It also fell on account of institutionalised inequality characterised by slavery, serfdom and feudalism, all of which were explained as God’s divine arrangement for mankind as rationalised by Christianity in those days.
The Roman Catholic Church in the middle ages fell into decay on account of inequality. It continued to tolerate injustice until the Protestant Reformation awakened it.
That is when after this rude shock, the Catholic Church started forbidding priests from getting married to prevent the emergency of a hereditary priestly line that monopolised both material and spiritual power.
The Arab countries of the Middle East cannot be described as developed because they tolerate injustice in their midst such as marginalisation of women.
The South American countries that became independent more than 200 years ago are still poor because they have for long tolerated inequality. They have recently woken up and are addressing this vice and have actually started on the path to development.
The former Soviet Union Empire, which disguised its inequality under the veil of socialism, collapsed under its own inequality weight.
When some of these civilisations realised the danger of tolerating injustice and reformed, they returned to the path of civilisation and development. Those, which resisted change and maintained inequality, collapsed.
The Japanese addressed inequality about 100 years ago and emerged to overshadow the Europeans. The Chinese and Indians started addressing the issue about 50 years ago and now are on the path to prosperity.
The Scandinavian countries, such as Denmark, Norway and Sweden, abolished the inequality system of feudalism and avoided crude capitalism. Today, they have the leading human development and human happiness indicators in the world.
The US, which has continued to maintain crude capitalism and is resisting President Obama’s reforms for welfare policies, is heading for disaster. The US and its allies in the inequality club, such as Uganda, should be ready for the inevitable fall unless they change their attitudes and system.
If the inequality gap in Uganda continues to widen and those in power continue to explain it away as being a result of the poor being lazy, we are heading for a tragic end.
First of all, inequality breeds conflicts and instead of expending our productive energies into development, we shall expend them into conflict management.
Inequality also breeds lawlessness and crime such as robberies, murders and prostitution. This explains why there is almost no crime in the Scandinavian countries, while crime is highest in South Africa where inequality is very high.
Inequality also denies Uganda internal market for our products. When wealth is concentrated in a few hands, it denies the country the potential purchasing power of the majority poor who would be buying our locally produced goods and services.
One way of addressing the inequality gap would be for the Government to put in place a well thought out policy to use state spending fairly. For example, to make sure the budget spending is well distributed.
How the state gives out state tenders and contracts matters. Who gets tenders to supply ministries of works, defence, education and health? — where most of our budget goes matters.
Secondly, why not tax some big land owners in this country? Anybody who owns more than 20 hectares of land should be taxed.
What about coming up with a policy to force all telecommunication companies to at least float 30% of the shares to indigenous citizens.
Why doesn’t the state have joint venture shares in the road construction industry where most of our budget goes so that some money spent in this sector remains in the country?
Otherwise most of our resources are being siphoned out of the country through these companies.
These and some other policies can help Uganda to avoid the tragedy that befell other countries and empires that tolerated injustice and inequality in their midst.
Lecturer of history and development studies at Makerere University
THE media recently published a report from the Uganda Bureau of Statistics saying the inequality gap among Ugandans has continued to widen and deepen. There is also inequality between regions, with the northern and eastern regions lagging far behind the central and the west.
The rural population, where the majority live, lags far behind the urban. According to the report, Uganda has the highest inequality levels in East Africa. More so, the rich are becoming richer and the poor poorer. This is a case of poverty amidst plenty.
Whereas statistics show that Uganda is registering development, this will eventually decline and fall tragically due to inequality.
One of the first civilisations to have risen and disastrously fallen due to institutionalised inequality is the ancient Egyptian civilisation. It is well documented in the Bible how the Egyptian political system mistreated its people and used slave labour.
The Ancient Greek civilisation rose, and fell also on account of institutionalised inequality characterised by slavery and marginalisation of women. The frequent rise and fall of the Jewish nation of Israel was also due to inequality that bred material, moral and spiritual decay of the nation.
As it was in Egypt and Israel so it was in Indian, Chinese and Japanese ancient civilisations. These great civilisations sank into decay as their leaders monopolised power which they transformed into institutionalised material monopoly by a few elites.
In India, inequality was rationalised and institutionalised under the caste system where some people were born into poverty and were condemned to die in poverty.
The Great Roman civilisation of Europe is no more. It also fell on account of institutionalised inequality characterised by slavery, serfdom and feudalism, all of which were explained as God’s divine arrangement for mankind as rationalised by Christianity in those days.
The Roman Catholic Church in the middle ages fell into decay on account of inequality. It continued to tolerate injustice until the Protestant Reformation awakened it.
That is when after this rude shock, the Catholic Church started forbidding priests from getting married to prevent the emergency of a hereditary priestly line that monopolised both material and spiritual power.
The Arab countries of the Middle East cannot be described as developed because they tolerate injustice in their midst such as marginalisation of women.
The South American countries that became independent more than 200 years ago are still poor because they have for long tolerated inequality. They have recently woken up and are addressing this vice and have actually started on the path to development.
The former Soviet Union Empire, which disguised its inequality under the veil of socialism, collapsed under its own inequality weight.
When some of these civilisations realised the danger of tolerating injustice and reformed, they returned to the path of civilisation and development. Those, which resisted change and maintained inequality, collapsed.
The Japanese addressed inequality about 100 years ago and emerged to overshadow the Europeans. The Chinese and Indians started addressing the issue about 50 years ago and now are on the path to prosperity.
The Scandinavian countries, such as Denmark, Norway and Sweden, abolished the inequality system of feudalism and avoided crude capitalism. Today, they have the leading human development and human happiness indicators in the world.
The US, which has continued to maintain crude capitalism and is resisting President Obama’s reforms for welfare policies, is heading for disaster. The US and its allies in the inequality club, such as Uganda, should be ready for the inevitable fall unless they change their attitudes and system.
If the inequality gap in Uganda continues to widen and those in power continue to explain it away as being a result of the poor being lazy, we are heading for a tragic end.
First of all, inequality breeds conflicts and instead of expending our productive energies into development, we shall expend them into conflict management.
Inequality also breeds lawlessness and crime such as robberies, murders and prostitution. This explains why there is almost no crime in the Scandinavian countries, while crime is highest in South Africa where inequality is very high.
Inequality also denies Uganda internal market for our products. When wealth is concentrated in a few hands, it denies the country the potential purchasing power of the majority poor who would be buying our locally produced goods and services.
One way of addressing the inequality gap would be for the Government to put in place a well thought out policy to use state spending fairly. For example, to make sure the budget spending is well distributed.
How the state gives out state tenders and contracts matters. Who gets tenders to supply ministries of works, defence, education and health? — where most of our budget goes matters.
Secondly, why not tax some big land owners in this country? Anybody who owns more than 20 hectares of land should be taxed.
What about coming up with a policy to force all telecommunication companies to at least float 30% of the shares to indigenous citizens.
Why doesn’t the state have joint venture shares in the road construction industry where most of our budget goes so that some money spent in this sector remains in the country?
Otherwise most of our resources are being siphoned out of the country through these companies.
These and some other policies can help Uganda to avoid the tragedy that befell other countries and empires that tolerated injustice and inequality in their midst.
Lecturer of history and development studies at Makerere University