Getting out of bodanomics

Prof Samuel Sejjaaka used to write a Saturday Monitor column titled ‘bodanomics’, which he recently retired after he was named the Board Chair of Monitor Publications, Limited It is curtains down on ‘Bodanomics’.

Through the notion of bodanomics, Prof Sejjaaka sought to underscore how the boda  boda trade had come to dominate our everyday lives but also how to understand Uganda through the life and lens of the boda boda, the now ubiquitous passenger motorcycle.

A community is defined by its predominant mode of economic activity. The ways and modus operandi of human beings are considerably informed by what we do for a living.

In Marxist terms, the economic system and structure (the base), which is the mode of production and how different classes in society relate to it, inform and determine the culture and politics of a people.

That is, the nature of economic activity, what people do to produce value and output, how they earn income and acquire wealth, the system of economic rewards and punishments, etc., drive the value system, public morality, socio-political culture and a whole array of processes and outcomes.

In specific if simplistic terms, we can say that it is the economy that makes politics, not the other way round. Economic policies and programmes produce politics. The system of government comes out of the structure of the economy. This economic determinism has its limits and flaws, but historically it has always been a compelling and persuasive way of understanding different societies.

In two past columns here, I attempted to map out the contours of the boda boda trade in Uganda, underlining the existential dangers it has unleashed and why the majority of Ugandans are somewhat indifferent to the problem before us.

We generally do not meticulously compile reliable and credible economic data, but it is arguable that the boda boda sector has become an important component of the wider services sector; the latter now contributes a huge chunk of Uganda’s GDP. More specifically and crucially, the boda boda is increasingly the default option for many young Ugandans desperate to earn a living.

As a mode of transport for daily commuters, businesspeople and even official government activities, the boda-man is now indispensable. Among the business and middle class folks, it is now a must for many to have their ‘boda-guy’ – a trusted boda-boda rider to call on and entrust to deliver stuff or provide a ride at an odd hour.

The boda boda trade has its worldview and modus operandi. As I noted last week, at the core of the thinking of a boda boda rider is the total disregard of any rules and regulations that otherwise must be followed. In fact, it is this predisposition to not following any rules, in other words, to operating lawlessly, which makes the boda-man a preferred mode of public transport especially in Kampala.

As the boda boda has become pervasive, as the preferred mode of transport but also where to invest a few million shillings, our overall ethos and mores are increasing driven and shaped by the boda boda community.

Considering the army of young men attracted to this trade, and in a country of limited opportunities and options, we will soon get to a point where our economy will be a ‘bodanomy’ in a real sense.

We need to change course and find ways out of boda boda trap. This can’t happen overnight and won’t be a quick fix. The starting point is to concede to the problem, then reimagine ways of devising a coordinated exit strategy.

If the Covid-19 pandemic taught us something fundamental about economics, and if the raging war in Ukraine has further cast the spotlight, it is the necessity of production of tangible goods for essential human consumption – food, furniture, toilet paper, medical tools and equipment.

Because we uncritically embraced free market economics, many who are engaged in thinking about Uganda’s economy had become obsessed with services in powering growth. Wrong. We must return to fundamentals, to the productive sectors – diary, paltry, pottery, crafts, food, and agro-processing as a whole.

Whether small-scale or consolidated large ventures, tackling youth unemployment and creating opportunities for young people will require returning to the land, not to till it in the traditional rudimentary fashion, rather to get the best out of land aided by technology and new knowledge.

The chase for the foreign investor to set up an assembly plant or a manufacturing facility can go on, but the crux of our future has to be located in maximising what the productive sectors, especially agricultural, can provide. This entails a broad range of activities beyond harvesting coffee or grain; our industrial exploits can only succeed on a solid agricultural backbone and base.

The supply of the boda boda labour force must be channelled into production with modest technical skills and competences. How can we turn the corner? I will return to this.

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