Prime
Govt efficiency, needs thorough preparedness
Author: Theodorah K. Kyomuhangi. PHOTO/COURTESY
What you need to know:
- Preparedness combines players’ knowledge and practical competence...
Besides God, from whom all authority comes (Romans 13:1), Government business efficiency, like in private enterprises, inter-alia, chiefly hinges upon teams’ preparedness, systems and structures. These stipulate who does what in an organization. An, ‘organization’ is not merely ‘a team’, but how well members are systematically and structurally aligned to the vision. Preparedness combines players’ knowledge and practical competence.
While explaining why God took a long-time to prepare leaders, in a March 5, 2015 Destiny Leadership Expo, at Deliverance Church, Makerere hill, Christian Leadership expert, Dr. James Magara of the Institute for National Transformation-Uganda, cautioned all seeking to become impeccable transformational leaders: “It is very tragic for a person to be elevated to a position when they are not prepared for it… The terrible thing about leadership is that it puts you in the spotlight: Suddenly, every little thing you do, goes viral.” This, to-date, shapes my conscience and view of organizational (including political) leadership development and practice.
Lest I forget, suffice it, without specific mentions, that I accentuate it here that there is a huge difference between how much one knows of specific technical (scholarly) fields for which they may be deployed as leaders in Government Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs)—or, for some, romanticized leadership grasp, and exemplifying it practically. From otiose flamboyancy: bossism; narcissism; gross micro-management; demand for unquestionable loyalty—for which cronies, kith and kin from back-door recruitment are rewarded, regardless of functional competences; haphazardness and sentimental decision-making especially regarding public resources—funds and vehicles, etc., positions, trips abroad; collusions, cliques, and intrigues; and all manner of abuse, reported in the media and witnessed first-hand by a myriad folks across many MDAs all explain not only especially leaders’ unpreparedness, absence of, or violation of systems and structures, but also, sadly, why Uganda has not yet attained socio-economic transformation amidst abundant natural giftedness and demographic strength to strategically harness! We have countless good-willed citizens ready to ably replace illicit-gain-focused bad apples.
A few misses inevitably notwithstanding, the Inspectorate of Government, Statehouse Anti-Corruption Unit; Parliamentary Committees especially: Public Accounts Committee; Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises; Committee on Trade, Tourism, and Industry; and suchlike, have commendably exposed the rot by some government officials—interdicted some, albeit this might be but only a drop in the ocean! To reminisce the words (paraphrased) of former High Court Principal Judge, Justice James Ogoola, “The escalating levels of corruption in Uganda tantamount to a malignant cancer. Uganda is rotten to the core, and we seem to have lost our moral campus as a nation…” Forget the tribal and sectarian talks about dominance in public offices: the corrupt: kleptomaniacs; and big looters, despite their tribe or religion, all are, regrettably, Ugandans plundering Uganda! They all seem to have suckled on the same breast!
Political bias aside, President Museveni has reasonably tried to balance regions across MDAs, never mind that some lucky appointees only hastily look for ways for personal aggrandizement and wealth and perpetually dupe folks back home that they are sidelined while they continue to shine in skin! Uganda eagerly awaits a rather ‘delayed’ reshuffle—after manifold unforgivable scandals by top-brass government officials—some possibly somewhere in shrines appeasing spirits to escape uncovered.
Mine and others’ hope is that the President has taken this time to deeply vet and purge the next ministers, and will appoint Agency Heads with proven integrity, especially where Contracts have expired. Some executives may be guilty of having, “left undone that which they ought to have done, and done what they ought not to have done”, and should, accordingly, be sent packing.
Theodorah K. Kyomuhangi
Concerned Citizen
