Your mail: Uganda needs only 60 legislators

Dr Busingye Kabumba recently serialized a treatise on the type of polity we need.

However, he loses the plot when he proposes a federal system guided by ethnic, cultural and related factors. We need the economic factor to be the driver of the polity we must have.

Uganda can be easily fashioned into 10 Economic Growth Poles (EGP), conveniently called Provinces for ease of communication. Each EGP can comprise six districts, thus 60 districts, each with one MP in the lower house. No district councils. No sub-county councils. No parish councils. Only village councils organised as residential neighbourhood associations. 

Each district then elects three councillors to the Provincial Council (PC), thus a PC of 18 members. The 10 EGPs are headed by technocratic Governors, who form the upper house at national level.

The lower house elects the President, who is head of State and Government, but answerable to parliament and vetted by the upper house. The EGPs do the development planning whose aggregate builds into the national planning and budget. 

Cities and municipalities will be headed by technocrats. No political offices. No mayors. No councillors, no urban MPs. It is simple to make Uganda a South Korea in under a decade.

Ben Matsiko Kahunga,
Kampala.

Govt should engage traders on policies

Uganda has been a member of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) since 1995 and is obliged to implement measures to achieve legitimate policy objectives, such as the protection of human health and safety, or protection of the environment without creating unnecessary trade barriers.

Unfortunately, Uganda’s manufacturing sector is engulfed by harsh quality control measures especially the hard and bureaucratic processes involved in obtaining a Q-mark by manufacturers.

Many manufacturers who are certified by UNBS produce several products and supply them to wholesalers and retailers all over Uganda.

There are micro businesses such as kiosks, and roadside vendors that entirely depend on the existence of other businesses, including manufacturing firms and wholesale traders.

Harsh quality control procedures imply manufacturers will either slow down their business or close. The entire supply chain will be affected. The resultant effect will follow directly on those that depend on the existence of such large-scale businesses. The government revenue is also likely to shrink, exposing Uganda Revenue Authority to options of new tax policies particularly increasing taxes.

Quality control is vital at all levels. However, national quality control strategies and policies should be introduced by nationwide consultations with stakeholders especially manufacturers and traders. Overall, all government policies should adopt a multi-stakeholder consultation approach before they are introduced.

Jonah Kiberu,
Kampala.

Stop blaming sexual assault victims

In the observance of sexual assault awareness, there exists a pressing issue that echoes with alarming volume and urgency within the boundaries of Uganda.

It is the disgraceful phenomenon of blaming victims of sexual assault, a culture that appears to have taken root in our society with critics citing factors such as clothing and behaviour leading to these horrific incidents that primarily target girls and young women.

Alarmingly, the generally expected empathy for sexual assault victims, especially young people and women, is increasingly being replaced with condemnation, denying them the essential support for overcoming their trauma. The act of blaming sexual assault victims in Uganda has been tragically embraced, with survivors often considered responsible for their plight.

This culture has been perpetuated by a variety of socio-cultural beliefs, unfounded stereotypes and patriarchal norms deeply rooted in Ugandan society, which encourage the false belief that provocative dressing and conduct instigate sexual assault incidents.

Such misinformation not only perpetuates sexism but also creates a culture of shame and stigma around the survivors of sexual assault, with victims subjected to psychological trauma.

The culture of victim blaming has demonstrably crippled the reporting of sexual assault cases. Survivors, fearing societal backlash, choose silence over prosecution, impeding the course of justice.

According to the Uganda Police Force 2023 annual crime report, there was a significant increase in sexual assault reported cases, attributed to negative societal attitudes. This situation triggers additional threats like enhanced suicide rates and mental disorders among the survivors.

The core problem arguably rests within society’s apparent inadequacy or reluctance to confront this issue effectively. In a society where gender roles and stereotypes deeply influence social attitudes and perceptions, it is paramount to launch extensive awareness campaigns and strategies that debunk myths around sexual assault and victims’ alleged ‘responsibility.’

Dismantling harmful societal norms is an uphill battle. But collaborative efforts from responsible government bodies, schools, traditional and religious institutions, parents, civil society and the wider community can help reshape societal understanding and attitudes towards sexual assault, relentlessly pushing back against victim blaming.

Gladys Rosette Nandutu,
Kampala.

Uganda should invest in weather systems

In recent years, Uganda has been grappling with the adverse effects of changing climatic seasons.

This has mainly been in the form of unbearable heat waves (climbing temperatures), droughts, declining rainfall, or erratic rainfall, leading to frequent busting of roads, rivers, mudslides and landslides. The most vulnerable sector is agriculture, where more than 80 per cent of the labour force is living on weakening agricultural land that is primarily rain-fed, vulnerable to severe climatic changes, and at risk of depleted harvests that can cause hunger and poverty.

Climate change puts people’s lives at risk by undermining development and creating shortages of necessities such as food and water. The irregular rainfall patterns have disrupted planting and harvesting seasons, affecting crop yields and the overall agricultural calendar.

Farmers that once relied on a predictable climate to plan their agricultural activities, now face uncertainty, making it difficult to optimise their production. In some parts, rising temperatures and reduced soil moisture have resulted in decreased crop productivity.

Conversely, increased rainfall in certain regions has led to soil erosion and flooding, further compromising agricultural output. These variations in climate conditions make it challenging for farmers to predict and plan for successful harvests, thereby threatening food security and the livelihoods of countless people.

Investment returns from agriculture are highly sensitive to the realisation of rainfall, which is itself highly unpredictable. Owing to this variability in rainfall, the realised profitability from investment always deviates from the expected one. This makes it very difficult for farmers to estimate the returns on investment in rain-fed agriculture.

Changing climate conditions have led to increased variability in crop yields across different regions of Uganda. Crops that were traditionally well-suited to specific climatic conditions are now facing challenges as these conditions evolve.

Staple crops like maize, beans and cassava are particularly vulnerable to the changing climate, affecting the livelihoods of many people who depend on these crops for sustenance and income.

Farmers can be helped by improving the quality and quantity of national weather and climate information. Weather forecasting provides evidence for reliable forecasts, which then inform planting, harvesting and other decisions. This can be done by investing in national weather infrastructure and climate-smart technologies, such as weather forecasting systems and early warning systems to help farmers anticipate and adapt to changing weather conditions.

There is need to offer affordable crop insurance programmes, which can help protect farmers against climate-related failures and build a financial safety net. In the flood-high-risk districts, there is a need to prepare for future flooding by developing early warning systems and evacuation routes.

Jude Sebuliba,
Kampala.

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