Mr Nicholas Sengoba
In Uganda, almost no day passes by without a story regarding the government losing millions or billions in unscrupulous dealings involving State resources.
The Inspectorate of Government estimates that this country loses about Shs10 trillion per year to corruption. Others who keep an eye on the money say that this is far, far lower than the actual figure. They factor in non-monetary costs like the misuse of government property namely vehicles for personal gain and the deliberate delays in work such as road construction necessitating penalties against the government to ‘compensate’ contractors. This ‘penalty’ is then shared with government officials, etc.
No government in Uganda’s history has recorded such overt, high value, grand corruption as has happened under the NAtional Resistance Movement (NRM)-led government. It is also the government that has created the biggest number of anti-corruption agencies and promulgated the greatest number of anti-corruption legislation, regulations and measures such as national prayer days against corruption.
Interestingly, the NRM has also been in power the longest; 38 years since Independence. This implies that it has stolen from the people and ruled them with relative ease for almost four decades. The governments before it from 1962 to 1986 did a combined total of 24 years.
In 1986 after the five-year bloody Luweero Bush War, the NRM landed and promised a fundamental change. One of the hallmarks of that change was to create a democratic society as the basis for prosperity and transformation of Uganda. It is what the NRM promised to bequeath to Uganda in four years’ time.
After, the revolutionaries led by President Museveni would return to their animal farms or whatever they were doing before the irresistible spirit of patriotism called them to save the country from the agents of neo-colonialism; the corrupt, murderous bankrupt tyrants, as they called them.
The argument then was that the only way to build a viable democracy, a country needed a middle class.
The building of a genuine middle class to manage and develop nation resources is a long, elaborate, organic process that evolves with progress and modernity. The captains of industry, entrepreneurs and investors gain a dividend from risking the capital they put at stake. They hire labour including engineers, accountants, marketers, etc, and pay them a wage. These ones use their earnings to pay for the services of lawyers, medical doctors and teachers, among others. The number of people falling in this money economy bracket keeps rising as more skill sets and expertise are required to compliment, boost efficiency and stock of goods plus services. The incomes also grow in tandem.
Now for societies like Uganda, with low productivity and heavy dependence on foreign aid in many aspects, it becomes very difficult to take that route. You may need to ‘artificially engineer’ one using affirmative action.
NRM has from 1986 used this route to create a predatory middle class that sponges off the people. They have shielded it with arguments that claim that they have a Robin Hood spirit. That they magnanimously invest at home the proceeds of corruption, thus creating jobs and incomes for the people they rob in the first place.
Secondly, if the goal for the ruling class like NRM is to perpetuate itself in power, those instrumental in the building of the middle class must be patronised because they influence many people who work for them. They must be aligned to the ideals of the NRM and forever be grateful that their existence and survival is because of the NRM. They should ensure the NRM does not sink because that will drown their fortunes. So, they must be ready to die in order for NRM to live.
Therefore, from 1986 the NRM presided over the destruction of what was hitherto the captains of industry plus the investors and the heads of the money economy who were in place pre-1986. That is how the cash crop led economy degenerated with the collapse of cooperatives especially in central Uganda. The wealthy farmers who supported the NRM war suffered financially as did all those in the agro production and marketing value chain. Local investors and contractors gradually vanished.
They were replaced by foreign investors, deal makers, middlemen and tenderpreneurs. The fortunes of this group were derived from opportunities granted selectively by the government to provide public services which the government pays for. At times this is at exorbitant prices and at other times payment is made even without the service being provided.
This group of people, some facilitated on the basis of nepotism, regionalism and favouritism simply keep expanding their tentacles by bringing more kinsmen and like-minded people on board to take over any gainful employment opportunities available. They spread the gospel of their survival being dependent on the existence of the NRM government in power. By doing so they expect allegiance and loyalty to the government and its continuous stay in power.
The number of people who benefit directly or indirectly from corruption and other illegal shortcuts provided by the government increases exponentially, especially in influential places like the public service, administration, security, religious and education institutions. You keep them preoccupied with stealing money from the public to think about crazy ideas like regime change.
So, the renewed efforts to fight corruption and the threats to fill Luzira prison with the corrupt is to go directly against the very existence of the NRM government.
If actualised it has the potential of antagonising public administration and the economy as it is an existential threat. It poses a risk of shaking the foundation of the NRM government as it removes the life line that it has granted to several people over the years.
Whoever imagines that this is possible is almost acting in jest and against what was started in a subtle way in 1986 but has become a serious reality.
Yes, there will be arrests and other dramatic posturing and aesthetics but in reality it won’t do much against corruption. It is like living a serious big joke for which you press a code and a comedy skit plays out in front of your eyes almost every day.
Mr Sengoba is a commentator on political and social issues.
X: @nsengoba
