Prime
What will destroy us first, poor hygiene, homosexuality or graft?
Author: Angella Nampewo. PHOTO/FILE
What you need to know:
- ‘‘One cannot but wonder at the selective gears applied when dealing with certain matters”
I listened to the police spokesperson speak very emphatically the other day about readiness to enforce the environmental regulations and how the Force is set to swing into action and enforce the law on dustbins, slashing compounds and so forth.
According to the regulations, with effect from April 1, motorists will be arrested and expressly fined Shs6m when caught driving a car without a dustbin in it, among other things. Throwing rubbish out of your car will also cost you heavily. These are all very good actions to put into practice but my twisted mind, instead of focusing on getting a cleaner city and country, was running to comparisons of how fast the authorities react when they hear of a planned demonstration in town as opposed to say, reaching the scene of a burning market.
Why are law enforcement officers so ready this time, is it because there are express penalties involved? Again, I had to tame my unruly thoughts from wandering to whether they will be arresting us for our unkempt front yards with the same swiftness.
As all this was going on, the iron sheets saga was raging. Police, on the other hand, was telling us they are fully equipped and ready to police the environment. On the hierarchy of matters to handle, where does gross corruption lie? This corruption is what is leading to the destruction of the environment, poor adherence to environmental guidelines and general impunity. What guarantee is there that our Force, which has consistently been ranked as the most corrupt government institution, will not take bribes and turn a blind eye to some of the littering? What are the chances that these enforcers will not turn to catching small thieves and ignore the big ones who are at the heart of the destroying the environment?
While we were still dealing with the environment, a notification came from the ministry of Finance that acquiring new digital car plates and replacement of old ones was going to cost Shs735,000 and the clock is ticking till July this year. As citizens, we are kept extremely busy, trying to fend off the Uganda Revenue Authority from peeking in the bank accounts of nationals: We spend our waking hours wondering if we are imagining things when it comes to mysterious disappearances and if there are indeed private safe house operators.
One cannot but wonder at the selective gears applied when dealing with certain matters and how fast the hammer comes down in other areas. If only we could come up with express penalties for officials who don’t deliver services properly at immigration points, people caught with iron sheets that were not acquired through the right channels and people who mismanage the savings of millions of citizens.
Sadly, for these ones, the wheels of justice grind very slowly. When it comes to legislating sexual orientation, laws must pass at all costs but why don’t healthcare concerns get addressed with the same speed? Even if our doctors and scientists turn up with the most heart wrenching stories of children dying from lack of key, affordable equipment, nothing changes.
We will hear the same stories next year. We would like to be alive to sweep our yards clean so please arrest those who misappropriate funds that would have catered to the needs of the populace. After that, you will be shocked at how fast people will respond when you tell them to obey the law on littering. Right now we live in a shabby environment because we have shown the people that anything goes in this unruly country.
Ms Nampewo is a writer, editor and communications consultant
[email protected]
