Robert Kigongo
Uganda recently witnessed shameful altercations between Members of Parliament (MPs) during the debate on the National Coffee (Amendment) Bill, 2024, amid the Rationalisation of Agencies and Public Expenditure (RAPEX) exercise.
Ugandans across the spectrum had for long accused the National Resistance Movement (NRM) government of wasteful expenditure, duplication of work, impunity, and lack of coordination.
The government eventually succumbed to constructive criticism and dissenting voices. Cabinet approved for either merger, reintegration into their mother ministries, or transfer of functions of 60 semi-autonomous entities. It allocated Shs73.6b to cover pensions, gratuities, and severance packages for 2,500 employees affected across all 60 agencies.
The exercise had so far gone smoothly until the government insisted on the rationalisation of the Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA). It was decided that UCDA would go back to the Ministry of Agriculture.
The fallout from the decision painted a picture of a government distrusted by its population. There were reactions from parliamentarians, cultural leaders, and both the elite and the common person, all speaking against what should ideally be a good exercise.
The undertones and public statements by cultural leaders, commentators on talk shows, and some religious leaders suggested that the move would reverse the gains made in the coffee sector.
Uganda, for instance, earned $1.35 billion (about Shs4.990 trillion) from coffee exports between September 2023 and August 2024, which indicates that the country now gets more from the overseas market. So why fix a coffee sector that is not broken?
Questions like this and undertones from the coffee debate suggest that many Ugandans don’t trust the NRM government with our coffee, forest reserves, welfare, natural resources and even taxes.
The NRM government – that shot its way to power in 1986 – has made some strides in areas such as digitising some government services, regular elections, women empowerment, and an increase in agro markets, roads and hospital infrastructures.
However, gross inequalities, unfair distribution of government top jobs, health care disparities, unemployment and failed policies have all contributed to this mistrust.
Poor Ugandans believe they can’t receive justice compared to their rich compatriots under the current judicial system regardless of the evidence presented. This is more visible with land cases.
Parliament, the legislative arm of government, has deteriorated into a dubious deals House and clearing agency which doesn’t care about interests of ordinary Ugandans. The Executive continues to abuse the doctrine of separation of powers.
The industrial scale of corruption and gross impunity in government offices has skyrocketed. Social uplifting programmes such as Emyooga, the Parish Development Model and the like have been political campaigning tools.
Governments around the world are guided by their constitutions to serve their citizens regardless of their political shade, gender, tribe, and social status. But in our case, there seems to be a section of society that is above the law.
Failure to serve all citizens equally poses many risks and has increased mistrust which may expose the government to disunity, political instabilities and economic setbacks.
The reactions during the debate on the National Coffee (Amendment) Bill, 2024, should be a wake-up call for those charged with running this country.
They need to deal with the mistrust and unite the country towards steadfast economic growth without leaving anyone behind. Use the government ombudsman and tribunals to address grievances among the population.
Otherwise, disgruntlement among the populace and unattended grievances might one day escalate into unrest.
