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Report shows Ugandans very negative about govt
Police and Uganda People’s Defence Forces personnel patrol downtown Kampala on April 8, 2024. Businesses in Kampala’s most thriving hub, Kikuubo, were paralysed after traders locked shops, protesting the taxman’s enforcement of the electronic receipting to determine applicable taxes. Photo/Abubaker Lubowa
What you need to know:
- Government officials say the negativity is affecting foreign direct investment and tourism.
At least 78 percent of online messages by the citizens about the government and its agencies are negative sentiments, new data released by the ICT ministry has shown.
The data dubbed ‘Government communication snapshot’ released in Kampala on Friday shows that only 12 percent of the citizens’ online messages about the government are positive, a situation that Col Edith Nakalema, the head of the State House Investors Protectorate Unit, said scares away potential investors.
The data was gathered in the past six months. “Overall current reality sentiment is 78 percent negative mentions and 12 percent positive mentions,” the data states in part.
Some of the negative sentiments include; corruption, attacks on government officials, Parliament exhibition, rise in crime, comments on theft, and criticism of MPs and government officials, among others.
Ms Aminah Zawedde, the permanent secretary of the ICT ministry, said there is a need to understand where this citizen negativity comes from.
“As we come out from here, we need to have a role that each one is going to play in positive communication and also understand why we are at 78 percent negative and how we got there,” Ms Zawedde said during the media interaction with Col Nakalema on Friday.
Adding: “Probably, there was one time when we were good. Growing up, Uganda was not labelled a very bad country, but today, it’s disheartening and sometimes you don’t want to say you are a Ugandan when you are in Uganda but you are proud to say that when you are outside but inside. Sometimes, it’s a very hard paper to deal with,”
Further, Ms Zawedde blamed the poor coordination among the government Ministries, Department, and Agencies (MDAs) for contributing to the bad image being experienced.
“I know it starts from simple branding. The branding we have is not unified as a government but that is a story for another day not today because then the gun will point at me that you are a ministry of ICT,” Ms Zawedde said. Adding: “I am not blaming but I’m also part of the blame. How do we ensure that we package ourselves as one government and advocate for a synchronised approach?”
Col Nakalema, the convener of the media interaction with selected editors and government communicators, cautioned particularly the Ministry of Health and the security forces to be very careful with the statements that they release, saying these have a huge bearing on the investors.
“The Ministry of Health, the police, and of course the army, what you send out affects, can make the flights cancelled. The army, as security, helps us to make our communication attractive to investors,” she said.
Tourism player Amos Wekesa said he lost about 90 percent of tourist bookings when suspected ADF terrorists attacked and killed tourists in Queen Elizabeth National Park about a year ago.
“Within 30 minutes, the police stood up and said, terrorists have killed tourists, and they don’t understand the impact of the word ‘terrorism’, the moment they mentioned the word ‘terrorism’, the young man whose car had been burnt, could not get back insurance, why because they cannot compensate you on issues of terrorism,” Mr Wekesa said.
But the Defence Public Information Officer, Brig Gen Felix Kulayigye, said: “Allow the government communicators to speak and also facilitate them for their communication. You heard the permanent secretary saying they don’t have money. So the planners should know the thing they are playing with is an important one that sells our image.”
Some ministry officials had earlier decried low funding by the government to enable them to carry out media activities in a bid to improve its image.
Soul searching
Probably, there was one time when we were good. Growing up, Uganda was not labelled a very bad country, but today, it’s disheartening and sometimes you don’t want to say you are a Ugandan when you are in Uganda, but you are proud to say that when you are outside but inside. Sometimes, it’s a very hard paper to deal with,” Aminah Zawedde, PS ICT ministry
