4 Uganda's Global Competitiveness

2014 by Professor Venansius Baryamureeba

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CONTENTS

Contents ……………………………………………………………………………………………….………… ii Acknowledgement ………………………………………………………………………………….………..iii DEDICATION ……………………………………………………………………………………………………. iv FOREWARD …………………………………………………………………………….…………..…………… v BIOGRAPHY NOTE ABOUT THE AUTHOR ………………………………………………………….. 1

1. ORDERLY POLITICAL TRANSITION ……………………………………………………………… 17 1.1. ORDERLY SUCCESSION IN UGANDA ………………………..………………………… 19 1.1.1. FEDERAL SYSTEM OF GOVERNANCE ……………….……………...……….. 22 1.1.2. PALIAMENT OF UGANDA ……………….……………………………………..… 24 1.2. INCUMBENCY …………………………………..…………………………………....………. 33 1.2.1. AGE LIMIT ……………………….……………………………………….…...……….. 34 1.2.2. TERM LIMITS ……………………………………………………….…..……………… 36 1.2.3. PRESIDENTIAL TERM LIMITS ……………………………….…..……………… 40 1.3. MILITARY AND SECURITY ESTABLISHMENTS ……………………………….…… 45 2. SEPARATION OF POWERS ………………………………………….……….……………………. 49 3. NATIONAL BUDGET PROPERTIES …………………………………………..…………………. 55 3.1. EDUCATION ……………………………………..………………………..……………………. 56 3.1.1. PRIMARY EDUCATION …………………………….………..……………………. 56 3.1.2. SECONDARY EDUCATION ………………………………………….……………. 57 3.1.3. TECHNICAL AND VOCATIONAL EDUCATION ………………………….… 58 3.1.4. HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING ………………………….…………… 59 3.1.5. RECOMMENDED EDUCATION REFORMS ………………………….…….. 60 3.2. JOB CREATION ………………………………………………………..……………………….. 62 3.2.1. STRATEGIES FOR JOB CREATION ……………………………….…….………. 63 3.3. HEALTH ……………………………………..…………………………..……………….……….. 75 3.4. AGRICULTURE ………………………………………..………………..……………….……… 76 3.5. INFRASTRUCTURE ………………………………………..……..…………………….…….. 80 3.6. DEFENCE AND SECURITY ……………………………………..………………….……….. 81 3.7. INFORMATION, RESEARCH, TECHNOLOGY, SCIENCE AND INNOVATION ………………………………………………………………………….………… 81 3.8. MY PROPOSED BUDGET ALLOCATION ESTIMATES FOR 2016 – 2021 ……………………………………………………………………………..……… 84 4. UGANDA’S GLOBAL COMPETITIVENESS ……………………………………..……….….. 86 4.1. INSTITUTIONS ……………………………….……..…………………………………….…... 87 4.2. INFRASTRACTURE ……………………………….……..……………………………..…….. 88 4.3. MICROECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT …………………………………………..……… 89 4.4. GOODS MARKET EFFICIENCY ……………………………………………………..……. 90 4.5. HEALTH …………………………………………………………..………………………………. 90 i 4.6. EDUCATION ………………………………………………………………………………….. 91 4.7. LABOUR MARKET EFFICIENCY ……………………………………………………….. 91 4.8. FINANCIAL MARKET DEVELOPMENT ……………………………………..……… 92 4.9. TECHNOLOGICAL READINESS ……………………………………..………………… 94 4.10. MARKET SIZE ……………….……………………………………..………………….…… 94 4.11. BUSINESS SOPHISCATION ……….……………………………………………….…… 95 4.12. INNOVATION …………………………………….………………..………………….…… 95 5. CORRUPTION …………………………………………….…………………………………………. 100 5.1. REINSTATE TERM LIMITS ………………….………………………..………………… 104 5.2. SALARIES AND RENUMERATION COMMISSION …….………………….….. 105 5.3. ENACT LAWS TO FACILITATE RECOVERY OF WEALTH ACQUIRED THROUGH CORRUPTION..………………………..…………..……… 106 5.4. MAKE CORRUPTION VERY UNNATRACTIVE …….………………….…………. 107 5.5. DEMAND FOR HIGH STANDARDS OF ACCOUNTABILITY 5.6. FROM PUBLIC OFFICERS ..…………………………………………………...……..... 107 5.7. SECURE POLITICAL WILL TO FIGHT CORRUPTION …………….……..……. 108 5.8. INSTITUTE A REWARD SYSTEM FOR PERFORMERS AND WHISTLE BLOWERS ………………………………………………………..………………………….. 108 5.9. PROMOTE E-GOVERNMENT …………………………………….…..……………… 109 5.10. PROMOTE ETHICS AND INTERGRITY AMONG PUBLIC OFFICERS ………….………………………………………………………..……. 109

ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank my family, relatives and friends for the continuous support accorded to me. I particularly want to single out my daughters Daniella Kobugabe and Zephyr Katusiime Kabakama, for creating the environment for me to write this book amidst my busy schedule; you are indeed princesses and I love you more than anything in this world.

iii DEDICATION

This book is dedicated to Ugandans especially the 2016 Presidential Candidates. I hope the Presidential candidates will find the content in this book useful as they prepare their Presidential Manifestos for 2016-2021.

Like all Ugandans, I hope and wish for a better Uganda that is peaceful, democratic and prosperous.

iv FOREWORD By Arinaitwe Rugyendo

odestus, patiens, validus (fortisque) sis Be humble, be patient, be strong (and bold).

This statement in Latin best describes Venansius Baryamureeba, a 14-year-old boy who witnessed a decisive revolution and it is disturbing him!

On January 26, 2016, Uganda will have an impatient generation of Ugandans who were born and bred under the tutelage of one political leader- Ugandan President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni. According to the preliminary results of the 2014 National Housing and Population Census, this generation, and those below it stand at 56.7 % of the entire population of Uganda. Other sources reveal that by the year 2025, one in four young people worldwide will be from Sub Saharan Africa. These have known no other leader other than President Museveni. They have neither experienced any change of power at the top nor seen any other form of governance other than that of the ovement stem of government.

At the same time, it is a generation that has grown up in a cob web mix of peace, tranquility, terrorism, poverty, disease, underdevelopment, hip hop, a fast moving technology, huge terabytes of internet information, radio and television.

Let me picture a scenario of what Uganda was only 20 years ago in 1994. There were no mobile phones, no Ipads, no smart phones, no internet to speak of, no facebook, no twitter, no shopping malls, no discotheques, about four universities, a genocide in neighboring Rwanda and a curtain on the Apartheid rule in South Africa had just closed down.

Twenty years on, we are faced with a generation that is caught between modernity and tradition. Our culture is neither African nor Western. We are a generation that is becoming a less caring society. We are a generation that concentrates more about what we can get and not what we can contribute. We have created that perception of a country and continent that is in need of help, becoming victims rather than equals within the world system. Africa farmed using implements of tools produced by blacksmiths of 50 years before independence. 50 years after independence, Africa uses hand hoes imported from China, Europe and the U.S to farm. This is all because Africa missed the most important events of history such us the Renaissance, the Industrial Revolution, the Internet Revolution, the Space Revolution, the Invention Era that produced the steam engine, electricity, cars, airplanes, to mention just a few and have consequently become African an spectator to the knowledge, innovation and manufacturing revolution. How do we get out of this quagmire?

This is the world in which Prof. Venansius Baryamureeba finds himself to craft a book on what he believes should be The ideal Uganda beyond the year 2016. The book attempts to provide answers from his own experience and how that experience shapes his view of what should be done. Venansius was only 14 years in 1986 when Uganda experienced a political revolution that would change its course perhaps forever.

I have personally known Prof. Venansius Baryamureeba as a poor humble boy from a remote village in Ibanda District of Western Uganda who literally brought himself to the high table in Kampala City and became the professor to reckon with.

In Prof. Baryamureeba, I see hope and an example of exemplary courage, tenacity, will and steel to steer a difficult situation beyond its firmament without seeking for help or asking who else can do it.

In 2009, he was appointed the youngest Vice Chancellor in Uganda to Africas renowned tertiary institution, the 86 year old Makerere University. In less than six months, under his leadership, Makerere University was steadily returning to its former glory though not only because of his able leadership he devised qualities but because of the robustly radical change programs to catapult the institution to the top ten in Africa.

Baryamureeba turned Makerere into a collegiate university with federated constituent colleges. He eliminated ledgers and replaced the same with CDs. He introduced parterships so everyone could get access to the great and mighty Makerere. He felt this was the best way to run Makerere and for the first time, its international rankings went up during his time.

This book takes us into the future; which is something we must face because we will be there. It also underscored the importance of political transition in Uganda and Africa. Every African youth should read Prof. Baryamureebas book because it helps us to understand what federal governance is about. But most importantly, Baryamureeba is speaking to African youths; the ones who will take this continent forward; the ones who will understand that good governance underscores progress and social transformation. Lets listen to him!

vii

BIOGRAPHY NOTE ABOUT THE AUTHOR

By Rebecca Pearl Tumwebaze

Professor Venansius Baryamureeba was born on May, 18, 1969 in Ibanda, Western Uganda to Florence Bitwakakye and Pius Kabukure, a former second world-war fighter who later turned into a businessman. Learning from his mothers religious lifestyle and his ever knowledgeable and smart fathers business acumen, Barya, as he is often called, grew up to have a passion for mathematics, business, politics and God.

As a young boy, Baryamureeba attended primary school at Buryansungwe Primary School in Kabarole district where he later emerged best student in the district before joining St. Leos Kyegobe (SLEK) in the same district for his secondary education. Throughout his time at SLEK, he maintained excellent scores and was always at the top of his class. He completed his A levels at SLEK and joined Makerere University in 1991 where he pursued a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics. In 1994 after graduation, Baryamureeba was retained at Makerere University as a tutorial assistant at the Institute of Statistics and Applied Economics where he taught mathematics. It was a policy in Makerere to retain the best students as tutors.

Baryamureeba used this opportunity not only to work but also further his studies. Today he also holds a Master of Science and PhD in Computer Science. From his role as a tutor at Makerere University in 1994, Baryamureeba grew through the ranks to lecturer, senior lecturer, professor, director and dean before finally serving as Vice Chancellor of the ivory tower. At his appointment on November 1, 2009 Professor Barya, who was only 40 years of age, actually broke a record as the youngest Vice Chancellor at Makerere University and also on the entire African continent.

During his time of service as Vice Chancellor at Makerere, the university greatly improved its ranking from 51st position in 2009 to 4th position in 2013. In was also during his term of service that Makerere which was formerly known for its bureaucracy was able to give out timely transcripts to students at graduation ceremonies.

To date Prof. Barya is still fondly remembered and credited for transforming Makerere University into a collegiate university with federated constituent colleges. He later left Makerere on September 6, 2012 to start Uganda Technology And Management University (UTAMU), where he currently serves as Chief Executive Officer and founding Vice Chancellor. In only two years of existence, UTAMU has grown to be the preferred university for students interested in technology and management courses and continues to be referred to as the MIT of Africa among sections of the public. UTAMU has grown from its five maiden undergraduate programmes in 2013 to over 30 programmes at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels and a student population of over 600 students.

Besides his role as UTAMU Vice Chancellor, Professor Baryamureeba also serves as Chairperson of the Uganda Vice Chancellors Forum, a body that brings together all vice chancellors in Uganda; Chairperson, Uganda Business and Technical Examinations Board, a body mandated to streamline, regulate, coordinate and conduct

2 credible national examinations and award certificates and diplomas in Business, Technical and Vocational professions in Uganda; Chairperson of Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) Innovation Council whose primary responsibility is to provide advice to COMESA member states relating to existing and new knowledge and innovations, and best ways of applying the knowledge and innovations in the member states; Chairperson, Makerere University Business School; and member of senate for both Mbarara University of Science and Technology and Busitema University. He also serves as a member of several reputable boards. Barya has indeed become a much sought after leader whose achievements in his different roles are unmatched.

Baryamureeba is also passionate about politics. In June 2001, he contested for the Ibanda South parliamentary seat which he lost due to irregularities in the election process. To date, he still remains popular among the people of Ibanda who have continuously requested that he contests for the parliamentary position again. However, Barya now believes he can serve his country through other avenues and not through being a Member of Parliament.

On April 7, 2004, Baryamureeba became the founding president of a political party, the National Progressive Movement (NPM) which later became the Peoples Progressive Party (PPP) before handing its leadership to Hon. Jaberi Bidandi Ssali, a former Vice Chairman of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM). He handed over the chairmanship of the party after the government of Uganda passed a code of conduct and ethics barring public officers from participating in party politics. Either way, the members of PPP honored Baryamureeba for his contribution of setting up the party by giving him registration number 0000001 which he still holds to date. In essence registration number 0000001 should be held by the party president.

Even in his busy schedule as a professor of computer science and Vice Chancellor at UTAMU, Prof. Baryamureebas passion for politics is unrivalled and he continues to give critical analysis to political, social and economic issues affecting the citizenry in the media.

Today, Baryamureeba who is only 45 years of age boasts of tremendous achievements including awards at both national and international levels. In October 2014, the African Society for ICT (ASICT) presented him with a lifetime achievement award in recognition of his immense contribution in ICT research and education. During the 51st Ugandan independence celebrations, H.E the President of Uganda, Yoweri Museveni awarded Barya with the Golden Jubilee Medal, the highest civilian medal of the Republic of Uganda. In February 2012, he was awarded the Amity Global Academic Excellence Award during the Amity International Business Scholl International Business Summit in Noida, India. In December 2014, Barya won the Award for outstanding contribution to Education at the Africa-India Partnership Summit Le Matinal Educational Excellence Awards held in Mauritius. Prof. Baryamureeba has also won other awards like the 2009 TWAS-ROSSA Prize for building scientific institutions for the African region; Most Influential ICT personality in Uganda in 2009 and the Top ICT Educator/Academic Award in Africa.

In his work, Prof. Baryamureeba has interacted with dignitaries at both national and international levels. For example, in his official capacity, Barya has been able to host VIPs like: President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda; President Benjamin Mkapa of Tanzania; President Thabo Mbeki of South Africa; President Mwai Kibaki of Kenya; President Pierre Nkurunziza of Burundi; Vice President Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka of Kenya; Her Royal Highness, the Nnabagereka of Buganda, Sylvia Nagginda and The U.S Deputy Secretary of State, James Steinberg among others.

During his official travels, Prof. Baryamureeba has also met and interacted with:

(i) Her Majesty The Queen, Elizabeth II, Head of Common wealth and Supreme Governor of the Church of England and His Royal Highness; the Duke of Edinburg; Kamalesh Sharma, Commonwealth Secretariat-General; and H.E. Paul Kagame, President of Rwanda among others at the Commonwealth Day, that was held at Marlborough House, London on March 8, 2010.

(ii) Former President of the United States of America Jimmy Carter and his wife; and Former President of Mozambique, Joaquim Chissano. This was during a Borlaug Symposium in Addis Ababa, July 13 14, 2010.

(iii) The former British Prime Minister Hon. Gordon Brown at the Kampala Serena Hotel to discuss global issues in regard to the role of ICT in knowledge driven economy on July 24, 2010.

(iv) President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete at 50th aniversary celebrations of University of Dar es Salaam on October 20, 2011.

(v) The Secretary General of the United Nations at the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon at 4th Global Colloquium of Presidents and Vice Chancellors at Yale University on January 14-15, 2010. The United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki- moon invited Presidents and Vice Chancellors to participate in the Colloquium under the theme, The Roles of Science in Meeting Global Challenges: Broadening the Base and Organising the Summit. The Presidents and Vice-chancellors explored opportunities for cooperation and building research capacity in developing countries. Baryamureeba met and interacted again with The Secretary General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon during the the sixth annual meeting of the 11

Secretary-Generals Global Colloquium of University Presidents that convened at Columbia University, April 2-3, 2012. The subject was the global policy impact particularly in terms of escalating demands on job creation and education Vice-chancellors posed by extremely high rates of population growth seen today in virtually every developing nation in the Global South.

(vi) Mr. Sindiso Ngwenya Secretary General of COMESA and COMESA Heads of State and Government during the 7th Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) Heads of State summit, which took, place in February 26- 27, 2014. During the opening ceremony of this summit, he presented the COMESA Innovation awards to the awardees in his capacity as the Chairman of COMESA Innovation Council.

No doubt, Prof. Baryamureeba is a distinguished academic and leader, whose international exposure makes him well informed and whose views and reforms authored in this book are vital for the development of Uganda.

PROLOGUE

On January 26, 1986, the then National Resistance Army (NRA), under the command of Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, captured power following a five year guerrilla war against Milton Obotes government. As a seventeen year old, I joined my folks and the rest of the people in my village to celebrate this take over. The coming in of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) ushered in a new atmosphere of democracy and hope to Ugandans, at least to the people in my neighborhood. I can vividly remember my father and his peers gathered at home, all ears glued to his tiny radio as they followed the events of the day. A new dawn had indeed risen in our country. As a young man, fully aware of my surroundings, I knew then that service for my country ought to come before self. After all why would my very well groomed and knowledgeable father be singing praises of a Museveni I didnt even know!

Born to a family of cattle keepers, Museveni became the talk of my village as an exceptional leader. In the 1990s, Ugandas economy grew, poverty levels dropped and the country generally enjoyed reasonable stability. In September 1995, the Constitution of Uganda was adopted and enacted by the people of Uganda through the Constituent Assembly. At the time, I was just 26 years old and fully interested in the issues of politics and governance of my country. Now in December 2014, at 45 years of age, I can proudly say that my interest in the issues of my country continues to take priority over everything else.

The passion for politics and governance was definitely nurtured by my father Pius Kabukure. As a man who voluntarily joined a group of young people to fight in the second world-war, Pius was often looked at among his peers as a man who sacrificed himself for the good of others even after he had long returned from this war. This reputation, dad held in high esteem. And because of this, he was more like an authority on issues o13f p olitics in my village. And as he vehemently discussed day to day issues in governance structures, I listened in and even engaged him. To date, I find that I consistently want to discuss these day to day issues and being the typical scholar that I am, I have no fear of viewing things from a new perspective.

As I close my 2014, I am glad to share some of my distinctive views on how we can have a better Uganda. Yes, because of my love for service above self, I dream repeatedly of a better Uganda, never mind how ideal my Uganda must sound. But this Uganda is achievable. There are issues like human rights, free and fair elections, promotion of multiparty democracy etc that I have not given attention to in this book. This is because several other authors have already written extensively about them. I choose the less talked about issues like orderly political transition, federalism, separation of powers, national budget priorities, Ugandas global competitiveness, job creation and corruption.

Having witnessed six regime changes in Uganda in my lifetime, from Idi Amin Dada to Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, it is my personal conviction that we should start thinking and planning for orderly succession in regard to the Presidency of this country.

More specifically, reinstating of term limits for the Presidency is an issue that we cant continuously treat as an oversight. As global leadership takes a paradigm shift, we too ought to learn from countries that are successfully transitioning politically as I will discuss later in this book. At the same time, reducing the age limit to ensure that a President does not serve beyond 70 years would come in handy for Uganda. We need to avoid a precedent of a President dying in office because of old age like its happening in other countries lately. The Bible in Psalms 90:10 says that As for the days of our life, they contain seventy years, or if due to strength, eighty years, yet their pride is but labor and sorrow; for soon it is gone and we fly away. Even the word of God recognizes that after 70, as humans we may not be able to achieve as much as we would in our earlier years. Who are we to think otherwise? 14

Political leadership aside, how can Uganda enhance its global competitiveness? Within the East African Community, the global competitive index 2013-2014 placed Burundi at 146th, Uganda at 129th, Tanzania at 125th, Kenya at 96th, and Rwanda at 66th position out of the 148 countries ranked globally. Thus Rwanda tops the list as the most competitive country in East Africa. Looking help pondering how our competiveness could be this poor!

The education, health and agricultural sectors too are ailing yet very important to the development of the country. While we need increased funding to these sectors, we need a strategic plan on how to combat the already rampant challenges on the ground.

A survey report released by the Inter-University Council of East Africa (IUCEA) in May 2014 on employability of graduates in East Africa found that graduates from Kenya and Rwanda are preferred in the workplace to their counterparts from other East African countries.

The study, which polled employers across the region, concluded that in general, East African graduates lack employability skills technical mastery and basic work-related capabilities. According to this study, Uganda had the worst record, with at least 63% of graduates found to lack employability skills, followed by Tanzania at 61%, Burundi at 55%, Rwanda at 52% and Kenya at 51%. The findings by the IUCEA, which regulates higher education in the East African Community s five countries confirms long-held concerns among employers that most higher education graduates are not fully prepared for the job market. For Uganda to have the worst record among the East African countries is even more absurd because once upon a time, we were considered the hub of education in East Africa.

And with Ugandas population on the rise, all indicators point to the fact that the youth bulge in Uganda is likely to turn into a demographic bomb instead of a demographic dividend. As a country, 15 we need to urgently address unemployment especially among the youth. This book will share more on how the government can put in place specialised financial institutions like Agricultural Bank, Youth Development Bank, Venture Capital in addition to investing in business incubation, the education, health and agricultural sectors. It is the only sure way new jobs can be created in the economy.

Furthermore, the 2014 Corruption Perceptions Index by Transparency International ranked Uganda among the most corrupt countries in the world. The 2014 Corruption Perceptions Index ranked Rwanda 55th with a score of 49%, Tanzania 119th with a score of 31%, Uganda 142nd with a score of 26%, Kenya 145th with a score of 25% and Burundi 159th with a score of 20%. The higher the percentage score the less the country is perceived to be corrupt. Thus, Rwanda is ranked as the least corrupt country in East Africa. The high levels of corruption in Uganda are not sustainable.

After genocide of 1994, Rwanda was not comparable to Uganda in anyway. In fact, Rwanda was more of a failed state. But today all development indicators point to Rwanda as being ahead of Uganda in the quest to join the upper middle- income countries. Th must be: what has gone wrong in the last 20 years or so?

Dont think of yourself Vena; think of everyone else first and yourself last, my father always challenged me.

This lesson I carry with me in this book as I pen down my perspectives of an ideal Uganda without compromising any of our rights and laws. My ideal Uganda is one whose graduates stand tall to be counted; a Uganda whose people have the opportunity to have an honest debate of all political systems; a Uganda whose people are assured of a peaceful political transition; a Uganda whose quality products are recognized in the competitive global market; a Uganda with a functional health system; a Uganda whose youths are creatively and innovativ16el y getting things done and not somewhere on the streets taking advantage of every opportunity to riot and strike; a Uganda with zero tolerance to corruption. Yes that is my perspective of the Uganda that should be!

ORDERLY POLITICAL TRANSITION

“In order to become the master, the politician poses as the servant.” ~Charles de Gaulle~

The majority of Ugandans, I inclusive, belong to the post- independence era. I was born seven years after independence. As a young curious boy, I witnessed Idi Amins rule and the failed political transition following the 1979 liberation war. I also recall the start of the war that followed the contested elections of 1980, which later delivered our incumbent president into power in 1986. Since then, I have been able to participate in the elections of 1996, 2001, 2006 and 2011. For all these elections, the outcome has been the same leader. Museveni has been in power for twenty nine years. For many young people, he is the only president they ever knew. While the majority of Ugandans have been quite comfortable with the status quo, the issue of succession and orderly political transition is increasingly becoming a worry amongst Ugandans in power and the common man. Most big organizations always have succession plans. In governance, we equally need succession plans. The difference is that with governance, succession plans must be transparent and when it comes to high profile offices like the presidency, such plans should give the electorate a wide variety of choice.

In countries like Uganda where leadership is not hereditary there is need to put in place institutional structures that can enable succession. Looking at the United States of America (USA) as an example, we can appreciate that in USA serving as either Governor of a State or Senator in the Federal Senate prepares one to serve as President of USA. The Presidential Candidates of The Democratic Party and the Republican Party are normally Governors and/or Senators. The best performing governors and senators interested in the Presidency usually win the presidential party nomination. So in this case past performance is critical in coming up with tested leaders. Within East Africa, the Constitution of Kenya 2010 provides for Governors of Counties and Senators of the upper house of Parliament of Kenya, known as the Senate. With these in place, Kenya will have good grooming grounds for its future Presidents.

In Universities world over, most Vice Chancellors/University Presidents once served as Deans of Colleges/Schools/Faculties. So these Colleges/Schools/Faculties are actually breeding grounds for future Vice Chancellors/University Presidents. Likewise, any organisation or state must always plan for orderly succession. In the case of Uganda, we dont have clear institutions that can prepare potential candidates for the Presidency. Even within the political party hierarchy we dont have persons being groomed to compete for party leadership positions. Uganda as a country needs to focus on orderly succession as the country can easily sink with bad leadership as has happened in other developing countries that never planned for succession. The districts of Uganda are too small and too many to act as grooming grounds for the Presidency. Again Ugandas Cabinet Ministers would have been potential Presidential Candidates if the Ministers were empowered to serve as the Executive Heads of the Ministries with both administrative and accounting powers. Just like Kenya has come up with counties, Uganda needs to seriously consider adopting a federal system type of government

19 with 5 regional governments i.e. Central Region, Eastern Region, Northern Region, Western Region and Southern Region headed by Governors. Governors would enrich the pool of potential presidential candidates. There is also need to introduce an upper House of Parliament, the Senate that would comprise of senior and experienced politicians. Again Senate can serve as grooming ground for future Presidents of Uganda. With these institutional arrangements, Uganda would have institutionally planned for succession just like is the case in USA and other developed countries.

1.1 ORDERLY SUCCESSION IN UGANDA

Just like the United States looks up to mainly governors and senators as potential candidates for the Presidency, Uganda needs to put in place institutional structures that can lead to orderly succession. In Uganda we can work towards having the Governors of Regional Governments, The Vice President, The Senators of the Upper House of Parliament, The Cabinet Ministers and even the outstanding CEOs of public and private organisations / companies as potential candidates for the Presidency.

This would require that as a country we undertake the following reforms and constitutional amendments:

1.1.1 FEDERAL SYSTEM OF GOVERNANCE

Federalism is a system of government in which the same territory is controlled by two levels of government. Generally, an overarching national government governs issues that affect the entire country, and smaller subdivisions govern issues of local concern. Both the national government and the smaller political subdivisions have the power to make laws and both have a certain level of autonomy from each other. The United States has a federal system of governance consisting of the national or federal government, and the government

20 of the individual states.

The Uganda government should be based on the principle of federalism, in which power is shared between the federal government and regional governments. The Regional Governors would be potential candidates for the Presidency and this would ensure an equitable political and economic dispensation that would ultimately guarantee a smooth transfer of power. The well performing governors would be front-runners for the Presidency.

In a constitutional monarchy like Buganda (by virtue of the October 18, 1955 Agreement, which was signed by the Kabaka, His Majesty Edward Mutesa II and the Governor of Uganda Protectorate Andrew Cohen), the regional government would have the King as the Head just like the Queen/King is the Head of the UK. However, the ability to make and pass legislation would reside with an elected Parliament and the King would have no powers to appoint members of the Parliament for the regional government. Furthermore, The King would not have a political or executive role as these would be performed by the elected Governor of the Regional Government but would continue to play an important part in the life of the region such as undertaking constitutional and representational duties, acting as a focus for regional identity, unity and pride; giving a sense of stability and continuity; officially recognising success and excellence; and supporting the idea of voluntary service. In all these roles members of his immediate family would support the King.

In regions where there is more than one King like in Western Region, the people of that region would go through referenda to vote on whether the Region should have either a King or a rotational King say every two years one of the Kings becomes the King for the regional government or the individual Kings remain in charge of their area of jurisdiction with no King for the entire regional government.

Article 69 of the Constitution of Uganda provides as follows;

(1) The people of Uganda shall have the right to choose and adopt a political system of their choice through free and fair elections or referenda.

(2) The Political systems referred to in (1) of this article shall include:

a) The movement political system; b) The multi-party political system and c) Any other democratic and representative political system.

In view of article 69 of the Constitution of Uganda, Ugandans should be accorded the opportunity to have an honest debate of all political systems including the federal system and through free and fair elections or referenda select and adopt the most appropriate political system. This however should come after giving Ugandans full information of the different political systems. I have interacted with sections of people who seemed so ignorant about systems of governance yet openly discussed them like they knew all about them.

The Fifth schedule to the current Constitution of Uganda provides for the establishment of Regional Governments i.e. districts that belong to one region, may forma Regional Government; the regions of Uganda are the Eastern Region, The Central Region, the Southern Region, the Western Region and the Northern Region. This provision in the Constitution of Uganda has not been implemented. While the central government prefers that the regional governments be called Regional Tier, this term is not appropriate and is not stated anywhere in the Constitution of Uganda. Looking at best practices elsewhere; Federal Republics exist such as the United States of America, the Federal Republic of Germany,

Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Federal Republic of Ethiopia, Federal Republic of India, and Federal Republic of Indonesia. Therefore, it is in good spirit to have a Federal Republic of Uganda comprised of the regional governments. In the case of Uganda, the Regional Government would be formed of districts as stipulated in the Fifth Schedule derived from Article 178 of the Constitution, which provides for cooperation among districts. Thus the Eastern Region would comprise of all the districts of Bugisu, Busoga, Bukedi, Teso, Karamoja and Sebei; The Central Region would comprise of all the districts of Buganda; The Southern Region would comprise of all the districts of Kigezi and Ankole; The Western Region would comprise of all the districts of Bunyoro, Toro and Rwenzori; and the Northern Region would comprise of all the districts of Acholi, Lango, West Nile and Madi. The Counties in Kenya or the States in the United States of America provide a good model on which to establish regional governments especially when it comes to organs and institutions in a regional government.

1.1.1.1 OBJECTIVES OF CREATING REGIONAL GOVERNMENTS

The objectives of creating regional governments i.e. devolution of power to regional governments are that federalism:

1. Promotes democratic and accountable exercise of power;

2. Ensures checks and balances and the separation of powers and prevents tyranny: Even if one person or group took control of all three branches of the federal government, federalism ensures that regional governments would still function independently.

3. Ensures equitable sharing of national and local resources throughout Uganda;

4. Promotes social and economic development and the provision of proximate, easily accessible services throughout Uganda;

5. Creates laboratories of democracy: regional governments can experiment with policies, and other regional governments (and the federal government) can learn from their successes and failures;

6. Leads to political stability: By removing the national government from some contentious issue areas, federalism would allow Uganda to achieve and maintain stability.

7. Encourages pluralism: Federal systems expand government on national, regional, and local levels, giving people more access to leaders and opportunities to get involved in their government.

8. Facilitates the decentralization of State organs, their functions and services, from Kampala, the Capital city of Uganda;

9. Fosters national unity by recognising diversity;

10. Gives powers of self governance to the people and enhances the participation of the people in the exercise of the powers of the State and in making decisions affecting them;

11. Recognises the right of communities to manage their own affairs and to further their development;

12. Protects and promotes the interests and rights of minorities and marginalised communities.

13. Fosters regional loyalties: Many Ugandans feel close ties to their regions, and federalism would maintain that connection by giving power to the regions;

14. Practices pragmatism: Running a country the size of Uganda, with such a diverse population, is much easier to do if power is given to local officials. Likewise, regional and local officials are closer to the problems of their areas, so it makes sense for them to choose policies to solve those problems.

1.1.2- PARLIAMENT OF UGANDA

The parliament is a legislative arm of government. The functions of the Parliament will be:

(1) Subject to the provisions of the Uganda Constitution, the Parliament shall have powers to make laws on any matter for the peace, order, development and good governance of Uganda.

(2) Except as provided in the Uganda Constitution, no person or body other than Parliament shall have power to make provisions having the force of law in Uganda except under authority conferred by an Act of Parliament.

(3) Parliament shall protect the Constitution and promote the democratic governance of Uganda. The functions (1), (2) and (3) above shall be shared between the two Houses of Parliament i.e. the Senate and the House of Representatives.

1.1.2.1 UPPER HOUSE OF PARLIAMENT, THE SENATE

Once regional governments are established, it is important to put in place the upper house of parliament, the Senate and the lower house of parliament and the House of Representatives.

The Senate should comprise of two representatives (of different sexes) from each regional government and 10 representatives of the

25 parties distributed according to the percentage the party got in the Presidential elections. This would ensure that a party that gets for instance 20% of the Presidential vote can now send 2 senators to the Senate and one of these could even include the former Presidential candidate.

The following will be the functions of the Senate: i. To represent the regional governments, and serve to protect the interests of the regional governments and their local governments;

ii. To participate in the law-making function of Parliament by considering, debating and approving Bills concerning regional governments;

iii. To determine the allocation of national revenue among the regional governments and exercise oversight over national revenue allocated to the regional governments; and

iv. To participate in the oversight of State officers by considering and determining any resolution to remove the President or Vice President or a Minister from office in accordance with the Constitution of Uganda.

1.1.2.2 THE LOWER HOUSE OF PARLIAMENT, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

On the basis of the 2014 Population Census Uganda needs to divide the country into 180 constituencies each with a population of approximately 200,000 people. Then we can have an additional 20 sits for special interest groups comprising of women, youth etc so that the House of Representatives is comprised of 180 directly elected Constituent Members of Parliament through adult suffrage.

Each region would have two women and one youth directly elected to the House of representatives and the other 5 places would be left to the other interest groups as the House of Representatives shall decide from time to time. A House of Representatives of 200 MPs for a population of 36 Million people would be very representative, effective and efficient.

The House of Representatives shall: i. Determine the allocation of national revenue between the levels of government;

ii. Appropriate funds for expenditure by the national government and other national State organs and exercise oversight over national revenue and its expenditure. iii. Review the conduct in the office of the President, the Vice President, the Ministers and other State officers and initiate the process of removing them from office; and exercise oversight of State organs.

iv. Approve declarations of war and extensions of states of emergency.

1.1.2.3 STRENGTHENING THE OFFICE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT

Article 108 of the Uganda Constitution provides that: i. There shall be a Vice President of Uganda who shall be appointed by the President with the approval of the simple majority of Parliament and that the Vice President shall:

(a) Deputise for the President as and when the need arises; and

(b) Perform such other functions as may be assigned to him or her by the President, or as may be conferred on him or her by the Constitution of Uganda.

In the current form the Vice President has no specific powers conferred on him or her by the Constitution of Uganda as he or she relies on the President to assign him or her duties.

So the Vice President needs to be assigned specific duties by the Constitution through a constitutional amendment that would see the Office of the Prime Minister abolished by repealing article 108A of the Constitution so that the Vice President is responsible for coordination and implementation of Government Policies and programs across Ministries, Departments and other Public Institutions in addition to deputising the President.

Also the Constitution should be amended to provide for a term for the Vice President and grounds for removal from office. The Vice President should hold office for a term of 5 years and in case a Vice President is appointed during the term of a sitting President he or she should hold office for the remaining term of the sitting President. The grounds and process for removal of the Vice President from office should be the same as those of the President. These amendments would provide security of tenure and empower the Vice President to serve the country in accordance with the Constitution of Uganda.

1.1.2.4 STRENGTHENING THE OFFICE OF THE MINISTER

Article 111 of the Constitution of Uganda provides that: i. There shall be a Cabinet which shall consist of the President, the Vice President and such number of Ministers as may appear to the President to be reasonably necessary for the efficient running of the State.

28 ii. The functions of the Cabinet shall be to determine, formulate and implement the policy of the Government and to perform such other functions as may be conferred by the Constitution of Uganda or any other law.

Article 113 of the Constitution of Uganda provides that: i. Cabinet Ministers shall be appointed by the President with the approval of Parliament from among members of Parliament or persons qualified to be elected members of Parliament.

Article 117 of the Constitution of Uganda provides that Ministers shall individually be accountable to the President for the administration of their Ministries and collectively be responsible for any decision made by the Cabinet.

Article 164 of the Constitution of Uganda provides that: i. The Permanent Secretary or the accounting officer in charge of a Ministry or department shall be accountable to Parliament for the funds in that Ministry or department.

ii. Any person holding a political or public office who directs or concurs in the use of public funds contrary to existing instructions shall be accountable for any loss arising from that use and shall be required to make good the loss even if he or she has ceased to hold that office.

Article 174 of the Constitution of Uganda also provides that: i. Subject to the provisions of this Constitution, a Ministry or department of the Government of Uganda shall be under the supervision of a Permanent Secretary whose office shall be a public office.

29 ii. A Permanent Secretary shall be appointed by the President acting in accordance with the advice of the Public Service Commission.

iii. The functions of a Permanent Secretary under this article include:

a) Organisation and operation of the department or Ministry; b) Tendering advice to the responsible Minister in respect of the business of the department or Ministry; c) Implementation of the policies of the Government of Uganda; d) Subject to article 164 of the Constitution of Uganda, responsibility for the proper expenditure of public funds by or in connection with the department or Ministry.

One however is left wondering why a Minister would not take the full responsibility of his/her ministry but rather have it all shouldered by the Permanent Secretary.

In order to strengthen the office of the Minister there is need to amendArticle 113 (2) of the Constitution to limit the number of Cabinet Ministers not to exceed 20 except with the approval of at least 75% of the Members of Parliament.

Therefore the cabinet would consist of a President, Vice President and the cabinet ministers. Below, I give a proposed line up of17 cabinet ministries and their mandate:

No Name of Ministry Areas of Mandate 1 Health Health 2 Education Education 3 Agriculture, Water and Agriculture; Animal Industry; Environment Fisheries; Wildlife; Water; Environment; 4 Trade, Job Creation and Trade; Job Creation; Innovation and Industry Business Incubation; Research and Development; Industry; Cooperatives 5 Internal Affairs and Internal Affairs; Refugees; Disasters; Regional Governments Regional Governments that oversee Local Governments 6 Foreign and East African Foreign Affairs; East African Affairs. Community Affairs 7 Defense Defense 8 Finance and Planning Finance; Planning; Monitoring; Evaluation 9 Energy and Natural Energy; Minerals; Oil and Gas; Other Resources Natural Resources 10 Security and Presidential Security; Presidency Affairs 11 Information, Information; Communications; Communications, and Science; Technology Technology 12 Transport and Urban Transport; Works; Urban Planning and Development Development 13 Justice Justice; Constitutional Affairs; Ethics and Integrity 14 Public Service Public Service 15 Youth, Gender, Culture and Youth affairs; Gender; Sports; Tourism National Guidance; Labour; Social Affairs; Culture and Tourism 16 Attorney General Principal Legal Advisor to the Government 17 Government Chief Whip Parliamentary Affairs 31

From the above discussion, I propose various amendments to the constitution to be able to reap better service from the public officials.

From my perspective, there is need to:

i. Amend Article 113(1) of the Constitution to provide for Cabinet Ministers to be appointed by the President with the approval of Parliament from persons qualified to be elected members of Parliament but who are not serving as Members of Parliament.

ii. Amend Article 164 (1) of the Constitution to provide that the Cabinet Minister shall be the Accounting Officer of the Ministry and shall be accountable to Parliament for the funds in that Ministry.

iii. Amend Article 174 (1) and (2) of the Constitution to provide that a Ministry of the Government of Uganda shall be under the supervision of a Cabinet Minister who shall also be responsible for the proper expenditure of public funds by or in connection with the Ministry.

iv. Amend the constitution and provide for a term for cabinet ministers and grounds for removal from office. A Cabinet Minister should hold office for a term of 5 years and in case a Minister is appointed during the term of a sitting President he or she should hold office for the remaining term of the sitting President. The Minister should cease to hold office on the following grounds: (a) The Minister may, by writing a letter signed by him or her, and addressed to the President, resign from office as Minister (b) The Minister may be removed from office in accordance with Article 118 of the Uganda Constitution on any of the following grounds: abuse of office or willful violation of the oath of allegiance or oath of office; incompetency; mismanagement; misconduct or misbehavior; physical or mental incapacity. Parliament after establishing that there is a prima facie case for removal of the Minister from office, it would then pass the resolution supported by the votes of not less 32 than two-thirds of all members of Parliament, and the Minister shall cease to hold office.

With these amendments the President can effectively delegate to Cabinet Ministers to run their dockets. The amendments would provide security of tenure and empower the Minister unlike today where the responsibilities of running the Ministry are split between the Permanent Secretary and the Cabinet Minister. This has been a source of inefficiency and conflict in most ministries.

1.1.2.5 EMPOWERING CEOs OF ORGANISATIONS

Uganda as a country wants among others to: i. Consolidate democracy and constitutional governance; ii. Promote good economic management that shall guarantee both macro and micro economic stability;

iii. Develop socio-economic infrastructure and amenities and ensure balanced regional development;

iv. Promote, establish and maintain good relations between Uganda and other states/nations; v. Support social, economic and political integration within Africa; vi. Promote the private sector within the framework of a market driven economy;

vii. Create employment, widen the tax base and develop infrastructure;

33 viii. Develop policies that promote agricultural, industrial, technological and scientific development;

ix. Encourage and promote proper nutrition through mass education of the people; and

x. Develop policies that promote practical and skills oriented education and ensure that there are appropriate education institutions with the necessary infrastructure to offer quality education at all levels.

With these in mind, CEOs of government and private institutions/ companies could easily spearhead such strategic objectives of Uganda if given the platform. So government needs to create an environment where CEOs who are interested in politics can be able to understudy the political dynamics within the parties and government so that in future they too can offer themselves as Presidential candidates.

1.2 INCUMBENCY

Incumbency is an issue in government that has been a topic of controversy in many countries. The public in Uganda and other countries have been awash with discussions on the issue of whether or not officials should stay permanently in office once elected. Should elected officials remain in office until they resign (or die off) or should they have some sort of lawful restriction placed on the duration of their service? An incumbent who is aware that his or her term will eventually come to an end (with or without a possibility of re-running for election) is surely in a different mindset than an incumbent who need not worry of such things.

The notion that we should restrict incumbents from permanently holding office primarily arises from the fear that officials who are not restricted will be more prone to corruption, negligence, and incompetence. 34

Popular office holders would be much more difficult to remove, requiring impeachment actions. Impeachment is typically reserved for officers who are corrupt, law violating or so incompetent that they endanger the public good. What if the incumbent is none of these things and simply hails from a past era, which no longer reflects the present? Suffice to say there is a myriad of reasons for an incumbent to stop holding his office.

One form of restriction on incumbency is age limit and the other one is term limits.

1.2.1 AGE LIMIT

In Africa, many Presidents are now dying in office mainly due to old age. So most countries should consider setting 65 years of age as the age limit for those who want to run for President/Head of State in countries where a Presidential/ Head of State term is 5 years so that nobody is allowed to serve beyond 70 years.

Quoting from the Uganda constitution, below I present three articles that apply directly to the person and office of the president:

Article 98 (1) of the Constitution of Uganda provides that there shall be a President of Uganda who shall be the Head of State, Head of Government, Commander-in-Chief of the Uganda Peoples Defense Forces and the Fountain of Honour.

Article 99 (1) of the Constitution provides that the Executive Authority of Uganda is vested in the President and shall be exercised in accordance with the Constitution and the laws of Uganda.

Article 102 of the Constitution provides that a person is not qualified for election as President unless that person is (a) a citizen of Uganda by birth; (b) not less than thirty-five years and not

35 more than seventy-five years of age; and(c) a person qualified to be a Member of Parliament.

On the other hand, below are articles from the Constitution of Uganda that apply directly to the person and office of the Chief Justice:

Article 133 (1) of the Constitution provides that The Chief Justice (a) shall be the head of the judiciary and shall be responsible for the administration and supervision of all courts in Uganda; and b) may issue orders and directions to the courts necessary for the proper and efficient administration of justice.

Article 144 (1)(a) of the Constitution provides that the Chief Justice may retire at any time after attaining the age of sixty years, and shall vacate his or her office on attaining the age of seventy years.

In view of the responsibilities bestowed on the President and the Chief by the Constitution of Uganda, the Presidents duties are more demanding than those of the Chief Justice yet the Chief Justice is required to vacate office on attaining the age of seventy (70) years compared to eighty (80) years for the President. Actually the Presidents responsibilities are comparable to none in the whole country. The majority of public servants retire at 60 years.

Due to the seriousness and weight of the constitutional duties of the Office of The President, the Constitution should be amended so that both the President and the Vice President do not serve beyond the age of 70. This would imply that for one to qualify for election/ appointment as President/Vice President he or she should not be more than sixty-five years of age.

1.2.2 TERM LIMITS

A term limit is a legal restriction that limits the number of terms a person may serve in a particular elected office. Term limits ensure that elected public officials cannot remain in power indefinitely. They do this by putting a restriction on the number of terms someone may be elected to a public office. Some term limit provisions only restrict the number of consecutive terms a leader may serve; others limit the total number of terms over a lifetime. Lifetime term limits are much more restrictive, since an official may never again be a candidate for an office in which he or she has served the limit of terms. On the other hand, a limit to serving consecutive terms means a politician could conceivably be re-elected to the same seat over and over as long as there was a break in between each period of service.

The most familiar term limit to the layperson is the presidential term limit of 2 terms (5 years each), meaning that the President may only run for re-election once and serve for a total of 10 years. Although it is clear that at times the implementation of term limits may indeed remove an honest person from office, overall it is a great safeguard against the incompetent, undutiful, corrupt and negligent.

Term limits allow the new generations ss to the government and ensures that the government always represents the people most honestly. Without term limits at the national level the government degenerates into an oppressive President-for-life authoritarian regime, evidenced in many fledgling countries in Africa and the rest of the developing countries where there are no term limits. At the regional and local level government without term limits the leaders may become disinterested in the everyday concerns of the citizen and become more interested in collecting taxes.

The practice of term limits goes back at least as far as Ancient Greece and Rome, both societies which had elected officials rather than a royal family or a theocracy. 37

Several modern presidential republics also enforce term limits on a variety of offices. For example, Mexico limits its President to one term of six years duration. The Russian Federation limits consecutive terms for its president to no more than two.

Term limits fall into three general categories: the complete prohibition of re-election like in Mexico; a limit to two consecutive terms of usually five years (like in Tanzania and Kenya); and the prohibition of consecutive re-election like in Chile and Russia. The latter restriction has the practical effect of limiting the executive to two, often very distinct, terms in office as exemplified by the administrations of Alan García in Peru, Oscar Arias in Costa Rica and Putin in Russia.

In the United States, term limits date back to the colonial period, when William Penn provided for triennial rotation of the upper house of the colonial legislature in his Pennsylvania Charter of Liberties. Currently, the President of the United States can only serve two consecutive terms as provided for in Amendment 22 to the Constitution, but there are no restrictions on terms for the Vice- President or for members of Congress. The 22nd Amendment was passed by the Republican Congress in 1947, and it aimed to do to Franklin D. Roosevelt in death what his opponents couldnt do to him in life: deny the President more than two terms. The first two it affected were Dwight D. Eisenhower and Ronald Reagan, both Republicans.

The U.S. Founders, along with famed Roman statesmen and British classical liberals, strongly believed in rotation in office. As Thomas Jefferson said: whenever a man has cast a longing eye on offices, rottenness begins in his conduct. United Statesmen should be citizen legislators, not career politicians, as the U.S. Term Limits Organization put it. Indeed term limits are crucial to the healthy functioning of an honest republic.

Term limits are less common in countries that have a parliamentary republic rather than a presidential one, since the head of state often does not have a set term of office at all; instead, he or she can be taken out of power at any time upon losing the confidence and support of the parliament. However, even in a parliamentary system, some officials who serve a particular term may have the amount of time they can hold office limited.

Term limits ensure a wider range of perspectives in government and prevent power from being consolidated in one person, which could easily happen due to the popularity or privilege of a particular individual. Term limits offer an automatic check on consolidation of power. This rule makes it easier to replace ineffective leaders. As a result of election irregularities as it happens quite often in many African countries Uganda inclusive, it is very hard for incumbents to lose elections and therefore term limits is one way of changing leadership at the top.

The key advantages to term limits can be summarized as follows: i. Term limits prevent incumbents from using the benefits of office to remain in power indefinitely. In some situations, merely being in office provides an elected official with a distinct advantage in future elections. This advantage is undemocratic, and means that incumbents no longer fear losing their offices and cease to be concerned with the needs of their constituents. Term limits ensure that all officials are eventually removed from power.

ii. Term limits make room for fresh candidates and encourages participation. Imposing term limits on an office ensures that there will always be vacancies for new candidates to pursue. This may encourage citizens who would normally not consider running for office to do so, as they will not be challenging an established, entrenched opponent.

39 iii. Term limits stop politicians from making choices solely to prolong their career. If a politician can serve as many terms as they wish, they may be tempted to follow policies which will ensure their long-term political survival, rather than policies which further the interests of voters. If politicians know from the beginning of their service that their time in office is limited, they will act differently (and less self-servingly) than career politicians.

However, I cant deny that term limits may not be favourable in a few instances and instating them can actually have disadvantages: The key disadvantages to term limits are summarized below:

i. Term limits take away the right of voters to be served by the politician of their choice. Some scholars have actually argued that if the public wishes to re-elect their leader, it is undemocratic to prevent them from doing so no matter how long this leader has already served.

ii. Term limits result in a lack of experienced politicians since with experience, comes greater skill.

iii. Term limits may lead to cases where politicians approaching their term limit no longer have to worry about what voters think and it is the very fact that politicians need to go back to the voters for approval and re-election that keeps them responsive.

In the end the disadvantages to term limits pale in comparison to the advantages. Citizens are truly affected when an incompetent, corrupt or negligent official fails to perform his or her duties and their everyday life is affected in a negative way. Without term limits, time will not weed out the treacherous and vile and the overall society will suffer. Term limits offer an alternative way to handle political transition in the years to come. This makes it the most crucial tool of democratic and republican societies.

Term limits are especially important in a society where voters are not required to be educated and their simple susceptibility to demagogues makes the implementation of term limits absolutely mandatory, lest the population be enslaved by the most manipulative politician.

Politics should be a duty to be performed for the sake of the common good, not for the sake of a career, not for the sake of being a politician. Without term limits politicians become career royals who need not worry about the common good as long as the checks keep coming. We must have faith in them, but there is no guarantee of loyalty. With term limits it is impossible for individual politicians to dominate a single office and other citizens are given the chance to serve their government. Citizen politicians, not career politicians become the rallying cry when term limits are implemented.

Those who love democracy need to appreciate that in free governments, the rulers are the servants and the people their superiors and sovereigns. For the former, therefore, to return among the latter is not to degrade but to promote them. - Benjamin Franklin, 1787

1.2.3 PRESIDENTIAL TERM LIMITS

In the United States of America, the Presidency is different from almost any other kind of office; the President has no comparable counterbalance. The nearest analogy would be with state governors - many of which have term limits, too. This is because the role of the individuals in suc head of executive functions is of such importance that pure democracy - unlimited terms - must be tempered by the fear of elective dictatorship - a strong President using the undoubted advantages of incumbency to win election after election. Americas beginnings are based in a rejection of monarchy and cronyism: the 22nd Amendment stops this from coming about by other means.

In Uganda, the Presidency is different from all other offices and the President has no comparable counterbalance. The nearest analogy would have been with Governors of the five regions of Uganda that are nonexistent. Unlike in the USA where there is a federal system, in Uganda almost all power is centralized in the state hence making the President even more powerful.

In Uganda like in several other African countries, the President relies on the advantage of incumbency to marshal state recourses and patronage to be re-elected. There are few rules that determine when a President seeking re-election is a chief of state, with unrivaled and unfettered access to public resources, and when he or she is a Presidential candidate, drawing on private or public campaign funds. Even in the most consolidated of multiparty democracies, international observers have reported flagrant use of state resources during the electoral campaign. In Uganda the use of public resources as confirmed even by the governor of the central bank, Prof. Tumusiime Mutebile (Daily Monitor Newspaper, November 26, 2014) is a public secret. It is also a public secret that the private sector funds elections in anticipation of political favours once elections are over. For example, if State House/ Office of the President have a key say on all major contracts in this country, it makes it imperative that key private sector players fund the presidency to maintain or win such contracts. Such cases are a compelling case for Uganda and other African countries to have presidential term limits reinstated.

In Uganda and other parts of the world, there are those that advance the view that at times of national or international crisis, continuity and experience can be vital. Even in Uganda today, there are those who hold this view in light of the crisis in our neighborhoods

We can learn from US, where since the end of the Second World War, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the White House administration have conducted bipartisan briefings for presidential candidates of both parties, irrespective of the incumbents allegiance, to ensure continuity. The actual presence of the same individual is far less important than the knowledge and understanding this scheme guarantees. The have experience or not have experience challenge presented is a false dichotomy. So Uganda needs to build institutional structures that are nonpartisan and stop relying on individuals.

There are also those who argue that some policies require long-term leadership to ensure their success, over a long period of time. In Uganda for example, some sections of politicians have intimated that President Museveni should not leave office before the political integration of the East African Community. The same groups of people have also fronted the discovery of oil and gas, as a reason for which the President can hold onto power so he can be able to see the extraction and refining of oil and gas come to full implementation. Others even suggest that President Museveni should first oversee the use of the oil and gas money in the development of Uganda. While such views may show a sense of trust of the president amongst these sections of people, there is no doubt the views also diminish the role of National Resistance Movement Organisation (NRM-O) as a party in leadership. Actually critics have often based on such views to argue that the NRM-O is a one-man party because in it, only President Museveni is seen to have the ability to lead and handle the issues of the country. f NRM-O are so weak that only the charisma of a particular President Museveni can see them through the implementation process, then perhaps it is right that they lose the Presidency, political blogger recently penned.

There are also those who argue that if a two terms rule is aimed at preventing an entrenched set or clique, then why not apply it across the political divide, i.e. why not have term limits for MPs, Local Council (LC) V Chairpersons, Mayors etc.? Whilst checks and balances do indeed remain in place, the longer a specific individual is in place (and has the potential to continue to be in place in the future), the greater the chance that jobs and positions are farmed out to supporters of that man/woman, that local elections are fixed to ensure personal support for him/her nationally: the longer the tenure, the greater the chance for corruption. For instance in the U.S. the whole point of the two term convention, which developed into the 22nd Amendment, was that no one man is greater than the office of President - that even Washington would not remain in power, despite the fact that people wanted him to. The lesson from President Washington was that top Executives of States/Federal Governments should not be allowed to run for re-election indefinitely. In Uganda based on past records, Members of Parliament have not been able to use the incumbency to cling to power as the rate of turnover in consecutive parliaments is over 30%. So through regular elections, at least 30% of the Members of Parliament are always serving their first term. The same applies to the other elective positions at lower levels like Local Council (LC) V Chairpersons. So there isnt serious need to push for term limits at lower levels but if Uganda adopts a federal system of governance then the Governors of Regional Governments should have a maximum of two consecutive terms each of five years.

Term limits provide an important check on the concentration of power; they strengthen democracy and ensure long-term stability. The longer a chief executive holds power, the more the delineation between the state and the ruling party becomes blurred. This is already very evident in many African countries.

Brazil, one of the largest democracies in the world, is one of the best illustrations of the benefits of term limits. Presidents are banned from serving beyond a second term. As a result, government and opposition forces have developed equilibrium of power, which in turn has helped the country address its deepest problems through consensus. The result has been internationally acclaimed antipoverty programs, including conditional cash transfers and long-term investments in primary education.

Eliminating or unduly extending term limits engenders corruption, the main cause of public distrust in democratic institutions, and a significant obstacle to economic development.

In many Africa countries, presidents possess a disproportionate amount of influence over other arms of government because they have no limits. In the face of political gridlock, they tend to rule by decree. They can choose and dismiss their cabinets with little or no parliamentary oversight or hire and fire other officials at will. In times of emergency, Presidents in many of our African countries have often suspended basic civil rights and possessed significant economic and political influence over the media. A recent example in Uganda, on May 20, 2013 we witnessed the closure of the Red Pepper and Daily Monitor and its sister media houses KFM Radio and Dembe Fm radio because of the publication of stories related to General Sejusa alias Tinyefuza, the former National Coordinator of Intelligence, now a senior opposition member because the stories were unfavourable to the government of Ugandas operations.

Efforts to extend term limits beyond two terms are not driven by ideology; their impetus comes from governments whose power is unrivaled and popularity unprecedented. With term limits, transitions take place as a natural course of events in the democratic system. Politics cease to be viewed as a zero-sum game. Ruling parties are able to cultivate new leadership, which can carry on the successful policies of their former leaders, but also correct for past 45 missteps. They can remake themselves in the public eye and adapt to the dynamic challenges of the world around them.

Such has been the case in Tanzania, Ghana, South Africa, Chile and most recently Kenya. Likewise, the opposition is more likely to remain a loyal opposition, rather than try to upset the system, since it can envision taking power one day via a free and fair election. Peaceful transitions in Tanzania, South Africa, Brazil, Uruguay and El Salvador have helped political parties maintain relevance even when they are not in power.

Of course, term limits alone cannot guarantee a flourishing multiparty democracy. However, presidential succession between individuals, even of the same party, can parallel a gradual change in political reform. Therefore, In Uganda we must as a matter of urgency reinstate term limits for the President and provide for a maximum of two terms with the duration for each term set to 5 years.

1.3 MILITARY AND SECURITY ESTABLISHMENTS

In countries where the allegiance/loyalty of military and security agencies is more towards the leader in power, the transfer of power from one head of state to the other has been chaotic and unstable. This has often led to military takeover and loss of lives. In Uganda the military and security agencies of the current government trace their origins in the National Resistance Army (NRA) bush war of 1981 to 1986. Their leader then has been President of Uganda since January 29, 1986 after the overthrow of the then Government of Uganda by the NRA. So the army and security agencies for more than 29 years and still counting have seen one Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces and one President. Therefore, in the case of Uganda the military and the security agencies have a role to play in the peaceful transition of power from President Museveni to another President. 46

It is an undisputed fact that President Museveni can cease to be President of Uganda through one of the following avenues:

(i) Age; Article 102 of the Constitution provides that a person is not qualified for election as President unless that person is (a) a citizen of Uganda by birth; (b) not less than thirty-five years and not more than seventy-five years of age; and (c) a person qualified to be a Member of Parliament. So since President Museveni says that he was born on August 15, 1944 on August 15, 2019 President Museveni shall be 75 years of age. So beyond 2019 President Museveni would not be eligible for election as President of Uganda as per the constitution of Uganda. So in this case, unless the constitution is amended and age limit removed, President Museveni shall not be eligible to contest as President because of exceeding the age limit in 2019.

(ii) Losing the Presidential Election in 2016; Just like Uganda Cranes dream to play in the final of the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) was shattered when the match ended with a 2-0 defeat to Guinea in Casablanca there is a possibility that President Museveni too can lose the 2016 Presidential elections. We just have to remember that Uganda Cranes was expected to win the match in Guinea in Casablanca but it lost. While President Museveni and his colleagues in the NRM may have expectations of winning, any objective analyst cant avoid looking at the other side of the coin!

(iii) Dying in Office; The Bible in Psalms 90:10 says that As for the days of our life, they contain seventy years, or if due to strength, eighty years, yet their pride is but labor and sorrow; for soon it is gone and we fly away. President Museveni is already 70 years and nobody would be surprised if he died in office as President. Actually the world has mourned presidents in recent years who have passed on due to conditions that are easily aggravated by old age.

(iv) Losing power through Military coup détat; No doubt, President Museveni is admired by some sections of people for his grip on the army. However, the possibility of military coup detat as witnessed in Uganda before and various other countries knows no grip!

(v) Constitutional Removal of the President from Office; The President may be removed from office in accordance with article 107 of the Constitution of Uganda on any of the following grounds (a) Abuse of office or willful violation of the oath of allegiance and the presidential oath or any provision of this Constitution; (b) Misconduct or misbehavior (i) That he or she has conducted himself or herself in a manner which brings or is likely to bring the office of President into hatred, ridicule, contempt or disrepute; or (ii) That he or she has dishonestly done any act or omission which is prejudicial or inimical to the economy or security of Uganda; or (c) Physical or mental incapacity; that is if he or she is incapable of performing the functions of his or her office by reason of physical or mental incapacity.

The above realities call for all Ugandans including the military, security personnel and politicians to look ahead and appreciate the fact that Uganda is actually above an individual president, whose stay in office is not necessarily guaranteed for long.

Parliament as a matter of urgency needs to enact legislation that safeguards the tenure of office of heads and their deputies of both Uganda Peoples Defense Forces and security agencies to enable them to be nonpartisan. For example in USA, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the White House administration have conducted bipartisan briefings for presidential candidates of both parties, irrespective of the incumbents allegiance, to ensure continuity.

The actual presence of the same individual is far less important than the knowledge and understanding this scheme guarantees. In Uganda, as is with many African countries, the army and security agencies are always at the mercy of the President as he can hire and fire their key office holders as he sees fit. This needs to change by introducing an elaborate process for the appointment and removal of the key officers in the army and security agencies.

The arguments that we have a professional army and security agencies should not be taken for granted. This needs to be tested through at least two stages of transfer of power from one President to another even if it is within the same Party.

SEPARATION OF POWERS

Separation of powers is a political doctrine of constitutional law under which the three arms of government (Executive, Legislature, and Judiciary) are kept separate to prevent abuse of power. Also known as the system of checks and balances, each arm is given certain powers so as to check and balance the other arms of government. The Separation of Powers aims at doing one primary thing: to prevent the majority from ruling with an iron fist. Any good Constitution should not give any arm of government too much power. The separation of powers provides a system of shared power known as checks and balances. The way to safeguard against tyranny is to separate the powers of government among three arms of government so that each arm checks the other two through checks and balances. As Ugandans we need to work towards the day when the respect for the principle of separation of powers is deeply entrenched in every Ugandan. For example the Executive headed by the President should be concise and watch their steps while attempting to either curb the powers of / or undermine the honorable Supreme Court of Uganda.

Separation of Powers Provisions in the Constitution of Uganda

Article 91 (1) provides that exercise of the legislative powers is vested in the Parliament of Uganda i.e. Subject to the provisions of this Constitution; the power of Parliament to make laws shall be exercised through bills passed by Parliament and assented to by the President.

Article 99 (1) provides that the executive authority of Uganda is vested in the President and shall be exercised in accordance with this Constitution and the laws of Uganda.

Article 126 (1) provides that the exercise of judicial powers is vested in the Judiciary i.e. Judicial power is derived from the people and shall be exercised by the courts established under this Constitution in the name of the people and in conformity with law and with the values, norms and aspirations of the people of Uganda.

Shortcomings in the Checks and Balances

The checks and balances are provided for in the 1995 Constitution of Uganda as amended. However, at the time of enactment, we had a movement system of government and there was oversight on what would happen to these checks and balances under a multiparty political dispensation. Nobody envisaged that under a multiparty political dispensation, the Executive would fuse with the Party parliamentary caucus and usurp the powers of Parliament. Today it is common knowledge that most of the parliamentary business is decided upon in the NRM-O parliamentary caucus under the influence of the Executive Arm of Government.

When it comes to the Judiciary, the framers of the 1995 Constitution of Uganda never envisaged a situation where the President would take more than two years before submitting to Parliament nominations for the positions of Chief Justice and Deputy Chief Justice. Absence of the Chief Justice and the Deputy Chief Justice has for lack of a better word crippled the judiciary, which is a very important arm of the government.

Article 133 of the Constitution of Uganda provides for the Administrative functions of the Chief Justice as follows:

(1) The Chief Justice (a) Shall be the head of the judiciary and shall be responsible for the administration and supervision of all courts in Uganda; and (b) May issue orders and directions to the courts necessary for the proper and efficient administration of justice. (2) Where the office of the Chief Justice is vacant or where the Chief Justice is for any reason unable to perform the functions of his or her office, then until a person has been appointed to and has assumed the functions of that office or until the Chief Justice has resumed the performance of those functions, those functions shall be performed by the Deputy Chief Justice.

The framers of the 1995 Constitution never envisaged a scenario where both the Chief Justice and Deputy Chief Justice positions would be vacant at the same time. But now there are and have been so for quite some time.

Article 130 of the Constitution provides that The Supreme Court shall consist of (a) the Chief Justice who shall be the head; and

(b) such number of justices of the Supreme Court, not being less than six, as Parliament may by law prescribe.

Article 134 of the Constitution provides that the Court of Appeal shall be headed by the Deputy Chief Justice and The Court of Appeal of Uganda shall consist of (a) The Deputy Chief Justice; and (b) Such number of justices of Appeal not being less than seven as Parliament may by law prescribe.

(2) An appeal shall lie to the Court of Appeal from such decisions of the High Court as may be prescribed by law.

Article 132 of the Constitution of Uganda provides for the Jurisdiction of the Supreme Court as follows:

(1) The Supreme Court shall be the final court of appeal.

(2) An appeal shall lie to the Supreme Court from such decisions of the Court of Appeal as may be prescribed by law.

(3) Any party aggrieved by a decision of the Court of Appeal sitting as a constitutional court is entitled to appeal to the Supreme Court against the decision; and accordingly, an appeal shall lie to the Supreme Court under clause (2) of this article.

Now the frames of the 1995 Constitution never envisaged a situation where one person would serve as both Acting Deputy Chief Justice and Acting Chief Justice and preside over the court of Appeal and Supreme Court yet the Supreme Court handles appeals from the Court of Appeal as provided for under Article 132 Section 2 of the Constitution of Uganda. In short the Court of Appeal is headed by the Deputy Chief Justice and the Chief Justice is not a member. The Chief Justice is the Head of the Supreme Court. If this not a mockery of justice then what is it?

In light of these and other lapses in the checks and balances within the three arms of government, Parliament needs as a matter of agency to come up with proposals to amend the constitution and strengthen the checks and balances. Such Proposals should include among others:

(a) In regard to the Chief Justice.

1. The Judicial Service Commission should forward two names for the position of Chief Justice at least 6 months before the position falls vacant to the President with a preferred candidate for the position;

2. The President shall, within thirty days after receiving the recommendations of the Judicial Service Commission either forward one name to Parliament for approval or return the recommendations back to the Judicial Service Commission with the reasons for the rejection of the recommendations in writing;

3. Where the Judicial Service Commission recommends the same names to the President for the 2nd time and the President rejects the recommendations, Parliament shall vet both candidates and decide on who becomes the Chief Justice and send the name to the President for appointment.

4. The President shall within thirty days after receiving the nomination for the position of Chief Justice from Parliament issue the Instrument of Appointment for the Chief Justice.

(b) The appointment of the Deputy Chief Justice should fall a similar process like that of the Chief Justice.

(c) Similar checks and balances should be introduced where the President has the prerogative of sending nominations to Parliament for approval.

(d) We need to amend the Constitution and provide for powers where the Vice President and Cabinet Ministers can vote that the President is unable to discharge his duties by two-thirds majority. After the vote of no confidence, the process for the removal of the President should follow the same process as laid out for the removal of the President under Article 107 (3) after Cabinet has communicated its position containing grounds for removal to the Speaker of Parliament. This would check the powers of the President in Cabinet and ensure that Cabinet is more powerful than the person of the President. Parliament should also maintain powers to remove the President from office as provided for in Article 107 of the Constitution of Uganda.

(a) To avoid fusion of Parliament with the Executive, all Cabinet Ministers should not be members of Parliament and the parliamentary caucus of the Members of Parliament of the ruling Party should be barred from discussing and taking binding positions on Parliamentary business with the Executive. Parliamentary caucuses should interface with the their parties through the party organs and not through the executive;

(b) The Constitution of Uganda should be amended to ensure that the person holding the position of Party Chairman or Party President should not qualify to be nominated as a Presidential Candidate of the party. This will ensure that the ruling party can also check the powers of the President of Uganda, as the President will not serve as Chairman or President of the Party at the same time as President of Uganda.

(c) The Constitution of Uganda should be amended to ensure that the Speaker, Deputy Speaker and Leader of Opposition dont hold any positions in their parties.

NATIONAL BUDGET PRIORITIES

Ugandas most outstanding priorities are defense and security; without an army, one cannot have an economy. President Museveni was quoted at the closing ceremony of the 2014/2015 national consultative budget workshop at Kampala Serena Hotel conference centre held in January 2014.

From my perspective, national budget priorities should not just consider citizens well-being and aspirations but the country s sustainable socio-economic development. While I agree with the president that security is key, my view is that it cant take such a fat share of our priorities. What happens if the army must continuously guard the unemployed, uneducated, unhealthy and so on?

The Uganda Vision 2040 and the rolling five years National Development Plans (NDP) are very useful planning documents. Uganda Vision 2040 provides development paths and strategies to operationalise Ugandas Vision Statement which i A Transformed Ugandan Society from a Peasant to a Modern and prosperous country in 30 years as approved by Cabinet in 2007. For Uganda to be successfully transformed from a predominantly peasant and low- income country to a competitive middle-income country, the budget must outline a comprehensive program addressing priorities of education; health; job creation; agriculture, infrastructure; defense; security; information, research, science, technology, and innovation among others.

3.1. EDUCATION

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world” ~Nelson Mandela~

Education is about giving all people the knowledge and skills they need to be active citizens, participate successfully in the economy and fulfill themselves as individuals. It is critical for long-term improvements in productivity and reduction of inter-generational cycles of poverty. Education contributes to better health, higher incomes, and increased participation in community life. As a country we need a holistic and balanced approach to the whole education sector, including vocational skills development.

The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) set two ambitious targets in the field of education: To give all boys and girls a full primary education by 2015; To eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary education by 2005, and for all levels of education by 2015. As a major catalyst for human development, education has a longer history of international goals than most of the other MDGs. Probably this points to its significant value.

3.1.1. PRIMARY EDUCATION

Should education just be about going to school? Let us think of that poor girl/boy who spent so many years learning how to get employed but spends the rest of her/his life trying to locate it! In Uganda today, at primary school/basic education level, the government has been focusing on quantity and not quality with the Universal Primary Education (UPE) roll out. So we have had mass education that has seen students go through primary education without even acquiring 57 numeracy and reading skills. My take is that we cant call it education if it only addresses illusions and not realities.

Government primary schools are characterized by having de- motivated teachers, lack of educational facilities, crowded classes, and fewer teachers. The classrooms and staff houses are not sufficient. Even in some schools toilets are lacking. The students in most cases go without lunch and as such they cannot concentrate in class in the afternoons. The dropout rate is very high and so is the failure rate. Able parents with financial resources prefer private primary schools. More funding needs to be allocated to key areas of the primary education system so that students are able to learn. Currently teachers in primary schools are focusing on training students to pass the terminal national examinations instead of imparting these essential skills. There are skills that are necessary at primary school level but are not examined in the Uganda Primary Leaving Examination (UPLE) and as a result teachers focus less on such skills. Therefore, to enable holistic learning in primary schools, UPLE should be abolished and replaced with progressive assessment.

3.1.2. SECONDARY EDUCATION

Most secondary schools enroll half-baked candidates in senior one and as a result they end up not doing well at the end of senior four. More so government secondary schools have similar problems as the government primary schools. For instance they lack sufficient training materials including materials for teaching science subjects.

The classrooms and staff houses are not sufficient. Even in some schools toilets are lacking. The schools also lack teachers especially the science teachers. The salaries are still low and when it comes to graduate teachers they earn less than one-third of what their counter parts with similar qualifications earn at public Universities. The salaries and remunerations Commission once set up needs to look into the issues of salaries across the whole public sector and ensure equity and fairness across board. However most of the problems facing the secondary school sector can be alleviated with more funding.

3.1.3. TECHNICAL AND VOCATIONAL EDUCATION

Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) is concerned with the acquisition of knowledge and skills for the world of work. In many countries, TVET is often considered as second class education compared to the mainstream academic branch, but TVET is increasingly seen as the master key to poverty alleviation and social cohesion and a chance for countries to jump on the bandwagon of development and globalization. In China for example, where skilled laborers represent the backbone of the current economic expansion, at least one third of all secondary school students are enrolled in vocational schools.

But at the other end of the spectrum, many nations are still struggling to create those indispensable bridges between education and the world of work. For many countries like China, TVET is not an option; its a necessity. With primary school leavers on the rise throughout the world, the need to expand further learning opportunities is urgent. Yet, many secondary school systems are unable to absorb these large numbers and jobs are even harder to come by. Young people need skills that are flexible and relevant to the demands of a constantly evolving, globalized labour market.

Uganda is one of the countries that still has a struggling TVET sector. The lecturers/instructors complain of low pay and lack of refresher courses in competency based education and training. Most of the laboratories and workshops in vocational and technical institutions have absolute equipment. Most Ugandans prefer to join Universities as the TVET sector is perceived as a sector for failures. Uganda needs to work on changing the mindset of the students and also make TVET attractive. So for Uganda to ensure quality in TVET, it should undertake benchmarking with countries that have succeeded in TVET in all aspects of technical and vocational education, including:

a) All forms of recognition of achievement and consequent qualification; b) Staff qualifications; c) Ratios of teaching and training staff to learners; d) The quality of curricula and teaching materials; e) Safety precautions for all learning and training environments; and f ) Physical facilities, buildings, libraries, laboratories, workshop layouts, quality and type of equipment.

To meet international training standards, programmes need to fully reflect on modern industry practices, have a strong focus on competency-based training methods and provide students with robust practical experience. The following should be emphasized:

Student Entry Skills Good levels of attainment and qualifications from school especially, numeracy, science and technical subjects Programme Delivery Strong focus on practical, industry relevant, skills basic training, in terms of time spent and competency based training methods Student Employability Practical training that meets real workplace standards with exposure to industry throughout the training. Students must acquire industry recognized certification

Below we give some trades and the corresponding professional profiles:

No. Area Professional Profiles 1 Metal Work Steel worker Pipe welder Pipe fitter Metal sheet worker 2 Building Works Mason Brick worker Carpenter / Joiner Painter Scaffolder 3 Civil engineering Asphalt and / or concrete worker /infrastructure Heavy equipment operator 4 Mechanical work Mechanical and / or heavy equipment repairs 5 Electrical work Electrician

In order to address unemployment among the youth the government needs to invest in TVET and ensure that the youth acquire employability skills in some of the professional profiles above. This is because it is now an agreed fact that:

TVET has a high impact on the country s productivity growth;

TVET makes its recipients relatively secure from poverty and extends and sustains this security into retirement years;

TVET reduces inequality, filling income gaps that would otherwise exist between the rich and the poor;

TVET reduces crime and the high costs of crime through the reduction of inequality and its direct effects in increasing the average number of years of schooling;

A young Yoweri Kaguta Museveni swears into power on January 29, 1986.

The pompous independence celebration in Kololo as Uganda marked 50 years of independence on October 9, 2012 were a far cry from the realities of life in Uganda

Kisenyi slums in Kampala

The sad reality of Ugandas health services: A typical scene at the labour ward in Mulago hospital

The typical Ugandan farmer still uses a hoe. Agriculture may be the backbone of Kampala Roads flood: The typical Kampala Ugandas economy but it is still a far cry after heavy rains from modern hi-tech agriculture

Though UPE has been successful in getting more children to go to school, the quality of education is still wanting. These are students studying under trees due to a lack of classrooms.

Students at Makerere University strike over not being taught despite having paid fees. At the time, lecturers were on a sit down strike over poor pay.

Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) reduces migration and offsets the high costs of the brain-drain;

TVET leads to moderated family size, reduced vulnerability, and higher security of living conditions for the family of the TVET graduate; and

TVET perpetuates its benefits into retirement by maintaining or raising income during retirement years.

Therefore, developing countries have no choice but to embrace TVET as a necessity and precondition for socio-economic transformation.

3.1.4. HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING

Quality higher education and training is crucial for economies that want to move up the value chain beyond simple production processes and products. In particular, today s globalizing economy requires countries to nurture pools of well-educated workers who are able to perform complex tasks and adapt rapidly to their changing environment and the evolving needs of the production system. It is important that business leaders evaluate the quality of education. The extent of staff training is very important because of the importance of vocational and continuous on-job training to ensure constant upgrading of workers skills.

When assessing higher education and training one needs to look at secondary education enrollment rates, tertiary education enrollment rates, quality of the educational system, quality of math and science education, quality of business and management schools, internet access in schools, local availability of specialized research and training services, and extent of staff training.

In Uganda, for a very long time, higher education and training has 59 not been one of the priority sectors and as a result it has been receiving meager funding. Yet no country can develop without having vibrant higher education and training capacity. In Uganda, the quality of the educational system, the quality of math and science education and the quality of the business and management schools is only fairly good but can be improved. Furthermore, the best math and science students rarely join the teaching profession and there is acute lack of excellent math and science teachers across the education spectrum.

3.1.5. RECOMMENDED EDUCATION REFORMS

Uganda needs to consider holistically reforming the education system if we are to focus on skills development as a country. In my opinion, primary school education should be reduced to six years and it should focus on setting a solid foundation or building blocks of the childs education. At primary school level, children should master reading, writing and arithmetic. It is important that we emphasize improving pupils reading ability in the crucial first few years of a childs school career because every childs education stems from their ability to read well.

Government should also consider making education compulsory for everybody up to senior four. All students who finish primary education should thus be allowed to join ordinary level secondary education, and this should last four years. At the end of the ordinary level secondary education, all students should sit for the Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE). It should therefore be a requirement for every Ugandan to acquire a UCE certificate.

Free primary and ordinary level education should be enforced with qualified and motivated teachers. Beyond this stage, education should be optional and the students should meet the cost of their further training. Government needs to get out of providing free education beyond senior four because it is neither strategic nor sustainable. 60

The priority of government should be to drive up standards in primary schools and ordinary level secondary schools right across the country as this forms the foundation of the education system in any country. The current mature age certificate should be made an equivalent of UCE and holders of such a certificate should only be admitted to advanced level secondary education or its equivalent but not to university, as is currently the practice.

After successful completion of UCE, students can be given the option of joining either vocational/ technical institutions or advanced level secondary schools (high schools). This stage should last three years and students should get a diploma. So to speak advanced level secondary education should be increased from the current two to three years. The diploma holders from vocational/ technical institutions should be skills oriented whereas the ones from high school should be academic but also have at least 33% of vocational/ technical skills and oriented towards progressing to university education. Diploma holders from vocational/ technical institutions may also upgrade to degree level after some prescribed years of working experience. However, all diploma holders should be able to access relevant jobs.

The minimum period for any bachelors degree at University should remain 3 years and a diploma should be the minimum entry requirement to any bachelors degree programme. So in terms of years, the pre-university education system should be restructured to 6-4-3 system.

The priority of government in vocational/ technical institutions, high schools and Universities should be in providing an enabling environment like infrastructure including laboratories. The government should desist from providing direct budget support to these institutions but instead set up an independent Grants Board. The Grants Board should have clear guidelines of how these institutions can access funds and to what levels. This would also reduce on strikes in these institu61t ions as a result of demanding for more funds from government. Government should be able to provide student loans to poor students who cannot afford the cost of education beyond UCE.

If the government was to implement these reforms, then we would expect the government to provide at least 90% of primary education, at least 80% of ordinary level secondary education, utmost 50% vocational/ technical and high school education and utmost 30% of University education. The maximum provision of 30% university education by government would be tailored towards priority areas of government like science and technology. The rest would be left to private universities. Research has shown that in developed countries the best universities are private; for instance in USA the top five universities are all private. So government getting out of provision of higher education in certain disciplines doesnt necessarily mean that the country will lack quality graduates. It is already evident in Uganda as more private sector organizations prefer graduates from private universities.

3.2. JOB CREATION

Job creation is the process by which the number of jobs in an economy increases. Job creation often refers to government policies intended to reduce unemployment. Job creation programs may take a variety of forms. For example, a government may lower taxes and reduce regulation to make hiring less expensive. On the other hand, a government may hire workers itself, for example, to build a road or to run a public office. Government jobs are limited and so the focus of government should be more on job creation programs in the private sector.

World over most (high paying) jobs require formal qualifications that correspond to a set of skills and competencies from higher education and training institutions.

The formal qualifications can be classified into three main categories: certificate, diploma and degree. So one obvious way government can create jobs is to ensure that both the government and the private sector invest in quality education and training.

Income is essential to meeting basic needs like food and shelter and to moving beyond these necessities to a life of genuine choice and freedom. Income enables valuable options and alternatives, and its absence can limit life chances and restrict access to many opportunities. Income is a means to a host of critical ends, including a decent education; a safe, clean living environment; security in illness and old age; and a say in the decisions that affect ones life. Money isnt everything, but its something quite important.

Investing in employment is crucial for sustainable development and poverty reduction. Without new and better jobs we run the risk of increasingly divided societies where the poor do not benefit from growth, leading to social discord and instability. Unemployment and lack of social protection are compounded by large informal economies, where workers earn very little. The real problem is underemployment and the increasing number of working poor, especially women and young people.

3.2.1. STRATEGIES FOR JOB CREATION

Ensure a Skilled workforce;

Employers want employees who can add value to their organisations/ companies. So as a country, we need to ensure that graduates leaving the education institutions at certificate, diploma and degree levels have the required employability skills demanded in the job market. Employability skills are essential abilities that involve the development of a knowledge base, expertise level and mindset that is increasingly necessary for success in the modern workplace. 63

Employability skills are typically considered essential qualifications for many job positions and hence have become necessary for an individuals employment success at just about any level within a business environment.

A qualification is capacity, knowledge, or skill that matches or suits an occasion, or makes someone eligible for duty, office, position, privilege, or status. Qualification denotes fitness for purpose through fulfillment of necessary conditions such as attainment of a certain age, taking of an oath, completion of a required schooling or training or acquisition of a certificate or diploma or degree. Qualification does not necessarily imply competence.

While we focus on employability skills across our education spectrum, we also need a manpower plan that can guide the training at all levels in terms of numbers, areas of study and level of qualification. The government must ensure that the training in all institutions whether public or private meets the minimum national (and in some cases regional and international) standards in terms of educational facilities and teacher to students ratios.

As of today we dont have quality teachers/tutors in most of our educational institutions. The educational facilities especially for science and technological education are grossly lacking. This leads to half-baked graduates that cannot add value to the workforce and hence have no employability skills and cannot be employed. Furthermore, most half-baked graduates cannot even engage in business incubation that can lead to job creation. So in Uganda today, if we are to reduce unemployment especially among the youth, we must give them employability skills. This can only happen if we increase funding to the education sector to put in place excellent educational facilities at all institutions of learning and attract and retain excellent teachers/instructors.

Make the Education Profession Attractive;

The educational institutions are responsible for training all workforce in both the public and private sectors. However, we must note that the workforce is a reflection of their teachers. If we want a quality workforce, we must have quality teachers. This implies that the best students at all levels of education should be encouraged and motivated to branch and pursue a teaching career. We need excellent graduates to serve as teachers in primary schools and secondary schools. People used to be proud to be called primary and secondary school teachers, but not anymore. Even when it comes to universities, most of the best graduates dont want to be retained as tutorial assistants or teaching assistants or assistant lecturers or lecturers at universities. They prefer to go and work in private companies.

Uganda needs to raise the salaries of teachers especially at primary and secondary levels and instill respect in the teaching profession. Otherwise, sooner than later we shall have no good teachers in many of our primary and secondary schools, yet these schools set the foundation for the education in tertiary institutions. What we need to note is that poor quality teachers lead to unemployable workforce due to the fact that they cannot impart employability skills on the students.

Promote Business Incubation;

Government interventions to the population especially the youth should be aimed at job creation and business growth. This means youth who are engaged in business should be given (well-assessed) subsidies to enable the growth of their businesses. Governments world over have never succeeded in directly creating businesses.

The government works with the private sector, universities, research institutions and other partners to incubate and grow businesses. The role of government is in creating an enabling environment.

The government of Uganda has in the past unsuccessfully funded projects like National Agricultural Advisory Services (NAADS) aimed at job creation possibly because the ideas were ill conceived right from inception. Unfortunately these have led to a significant waste of tax payer money when they have not worked out. Instead we now see more and more Ugandans looking for opportunities for presidential pledges and donations. This kind of begging culture is a recipe for disaster and ought to be discouraged.

Another five-year project that started operations in 2013/2014 financial year with a budget of UGX 265 Billion is the Youth Livelihood Programme. This project targets Drop-outs from schools and training institutions; Youth living in slums, city streets, high risk and impoverished communities; Youth that have not had the opportunity to attend formal education; Single parent youth; Youth with disability; Youth Living with HIV/AIDS; and Youth who have completed secondary school or tertiary institutions (including Universities). According to the government of Uganda, the Youth Livelihood Programme (YLP) is being implemented under the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development (MGLSD), intended to increase self-employment opportunities and income levels among the un-employed and poor youth in all the Ugandan districts through vocational skills development and income generating activities. The Programme is also designed in response to the high un-employment and poverty among the Youths in the Country to eliminate the feeling of marginalization and exclusion among the Youth. The specific objectives of the YLP were indicated as: to provide youth with marketable vocational skills and tool kits for self-employment and job creation; to provide financial support to enable the youth establish income generating activities; to provide

66 the youth with entrepreneurship and life skills as an integral part of their livelihoods; and to provide youth with relevant knowledge and information for attitudinal change (positive mindset change). From my perspective, this is another programme going down the drain with tax payers money. All the mentioned specific objectives of the YLP can best be implemented in the vocational institutions and business incubation centers if they are well-funded and equipped with educational facilities and staff. Instead of government providing finances directly like in this YLP, it could support the creation of venture capital funds or Savings and Credit Cooperative Organisations (SACCOs) or specialised financial institutions like a Youth Development Bank to effectively manage the funds advanced to the youth for the projects. I can clearly envisage that by the end of the five years of YLP, we probably wont have much to show like was the case for NAADS.

Countries like China have set up sector specific banks to support specific sectors for example Agricultural Bank of China, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, China Construction Bank; Bank of Communications, China Merchants Bank, the Export-Import Bank of China and Agricultural Development Bank of China among others. For instance Agricultural Bank of China extends micro- finance to farmer households, small business self-service revolving loans, and rural urbanization loans among other services. In the case of Uganda, instead of the over UGX 500 Billion that was wasted under the NAADS programme, the government could as well have set up an Agricultural Bank of Uganda to support farmers. Likewise, the over 265 Billion Uganda Shillings invested in YLP could as well set up a Youth Development Bank.

Farmers should also be supported to modernize their practices through providing community equipment like community tractors that can be hired by the farmers at a subsidized fee. We cannot modernize agriculture when most farmers are still using a hoe as a

67 tool of production. What Ugandans should know is that a hoe is an ancient and versatile agricultural tool used to move small amounts of soil. Many countries stopped using hoes several decades ago.

Government needs to provide support to the Business Incubation centers in all areas of the economy. These centers should be under the joint management of the education and research institutions and the private sector. Government, instead of getting involved in providing capital directly, should instead create a favorable environment for the establishment of venture capital funds and where need be enter into partnership with the private sector to create venture capital funds. Venture Capital Funds is an investment fund that manages money from investors seeking private equity stakes in startup and small- and medium-size enterprises with strong growth potential.

Introduce Favorable Taxes;

Uganda needs to review its high taxes as these become disincentives for investors too. Taxes in Uganda are high compared to countries in Africa that are rated competitive like Mauritius. There is need to lower taxes in order to enable business growth and also attract new businesses and foreign direct investment. Uganda could learn from Mauritius whose taxes are favourable to investors and as a result is leading on the continent in terms of human and economic development. Mauritius is also ranked as the most competitive country in Africa and also the 45th most competitive country in the world as per the global competitive index 2013-2014 by the World Economic Forum.

Also local business start-ups should be given tax waivers of between 2 and 5 years to enable them have a smooth start. Taxes cripple start- ups in the early years. Many start-ups are choking on PAYE (Pay As You Earn), which increases the start-up costs of a business.

Create a Favorable Regulation Environment;

Uganda needs to desist from enacting laws that make Uganda less competitive like laws that infringe on human rights. These end up making Uganda unfavorable destination for business, foreign direct investments and tourism among others. Some of such unfavourable laws that Uganda has had to withstand include Public Order Management Act 2013 and Regulation of Interception of Communications Act 2007 among others. Uganda also needs to abolish work permits for high skilled workers.

Land Reforms;

Uganda is by and large an agricultural country as more than 80% of the population depends on subsistence agriculture. However, due to the unfavourable laws like the Land (amendment) Act 2010,the land is highly fragmented and unsuitable for commercial farming. Currently there are rampant illegal squatters on land for development and at the same time, landlords are using the law to evict bonafide squatters. Whether the squatters are illegal or legal is an issue that continuously seeks justification. There is need to institute clear and well analysed land reforms that enable the different communities to use their land more productively. With such laws, large commercial farmers that are community based would create jobs for their communities.

Research and Development Fund;

Research and Development (R&D) includes investigative activities that a business chooses to conduct with the intention of making a discovery that can either lead to the development of new products or procedures, or to the improvement of existing products or procedures. R&D is work directed towards the innovation, introduction, and improvement of products and processes. R&D is important in 69 business because it leads to proven sales growth, best competitive advantage, promotes innovation, and furthers the company s mission. Investment in R&D leads to job creation as a result of business growth. Therefore the government needs to put in place favorable regulation that promotes R&D in companies working with education and research institutions.

In addition, the government must set aside funds to fund R&D in areas of national interest.

The National Science and Technology and Innovation Program (NSTIP) is a good example of competitive research funding initiative supported by the Government of Uganda through the Uganda National Council for Science and Technology (UNCST). The NSTIP supports scientific innovations across all domains of STI in line with priorities indicated in the STI policy 2009 and vision 2040. The UNCST has called upon Ugandan researchers and innovators with research and development projects that have gone beyond proof of concept nearing industrial production and commercialization stage to apply for NSTIP grants for fiscal year 2015/16. The NSTIP will support fifteen (15) to twenty (20) research projects each amounting up to Uganda shillings five hundred million (500M) for a period of one (1) financial year. This budgetary allocation is still very low and needs to be increased substantially if the country is going to benefit from STI.

Also the Office of the President currently runs a Presidential Science Initiative. According to the Presidents official website, The Presidential Initiative on Science and Technology was started purposely to enhance the development of science and research in the country. The initiative seeks to advance scientific research through better funding and organisation. The initiative works through various bodies including the Uganda Industrial Research Institute (UIRI), the Uganda National Council of Science and Technology

(UNCST), Makerere University and the various research stations across the country. The challenge with the Presidential Initiative is that its the President who determines which projects to fund yet you would expect a national committee of experts in STI to decide on what should be funded. The President under the Presidential Science Initiative has extended funds to:

(i) The Presidential Initiative on Banana Industrial Development (PIBID, a pilot project of the Government of the Republic of Uganda under the Board & Management Committee (BMC). PIBID whose underlying theory of change is that rural farmers with access to science led-processing and value addition enterprises under patronage of H.E. the President of the Republic of Uganda will be able to rapidly access profitable market chains that supply local, regional and international markets resulting in increased household income.

(ii) The President has also issued a directive to the Government of Uganda, through the Ministry of Education and Sports, and the Ministry of Finance, to financially support the Innovations at the Faculty of Technology at Makerere University to a tune of UGX 25 Billion spread over a five year period with UGX 5 Billion committed in the Financial Year Starting July 2010. One of the projects being supported is the home built car- the KiraEV. According to the Principal Researchers at Makerere University, the strategic goal of the vehicle design project is to incubate a Centre for Research in transportation technologies with a vision of presenting a wholesome solution to the transportation needs in Uganda. In the follow up to the KiiraEV, they intend to design and fabricate a 28-seater commuter electric vehicle KAYOOLA a Green Public Transport Solution tailored for Kampala City. The latest reports indicate that the KiiraEV project if it is to succeed requires over UGX 500 Billion.

These two projects and many others show that the President has a heart for STI. However, we would benefit more as a country if projects are chosen for funding after a committee of experts has looked at all issues including feasibility and financial sustainability of the project.

There have been several queries raised by the Auditor General in regard to the PIBID project that almost led to the lead researcher on PIBID project being arrested at Parliament. Secondly, many Ugandans you talk to are skeptical on whether Uganda will ever produce a commercial electric car and whether it is a priority for funding?

The lessons from the Presidential Science Initiative and other scattered STI initiatives make a case for setting up a Uganda Research and Innovation Council, a forum of experts that would have the mandate of managing research and innovation funds for the whole country on behalf of government.

It is important to acknowledge that several development partners are funding research and innovation but only in the areas of their interest. The government of Uganda therefore needs to equally identify its own areas of national interest and fund them to spur human and economic development.

Steer more students into technical schools;

Although degree education is more important than ever, there are still a lot of jobs that require technical training at certificate and diploma levels such as dental hygienists, paralegals, welders, electricians, a variety of medical technicians, carpenters, steel workers, pipe welders, pipe fitters, metal sheet workers, masons, brick workers, joiners, painters, scaffolders, asphalts, concrete workers, heavy equipment operators, mechanics, and heavy equipment repairs. Steering more students into vocational and technical colleges and 72 institutions at a younger age could generate more workers with skills that employers need. This requires that government allocates more financial resources into these institutions.

Enhance the payoff of a university degree;

Too many students are obtaining degrees in arts, literature, social sciences and humanities while theres a shortage of science and technology graduates in disciplines like math, science, computing, medicine and engineering. Parents and educators could do a much better job of guiding students into fields where the jobs are, as government equally puts in place strategies to raise the payback for getting a university degree.

Help small businesses find regional customers;

Big companies have taken full advantage of globalization, but small businesses have a much harder time finding regional markets for their products. Government needs to work with the embassies in the East African Community and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa to market Ugandan products.

Welcome more highly skilled immigrants and foreign investors;

Foreign investors and immigrants from countries like China and India have proved to hold better skills in building stronger businesses than Ugandans and make an important contribution to the economy. So our immigration laws need to be reviewed to enable highly skilled foreigners to settle and work in Uganda. In the recent past, some investors have been shifting their business to other east African Community States and the government needs to lure them back with incentives.

Create a national jobs database;

There is a growing mismatch between the skills workers have and the skills that companies need, which is one reason many people end up out of work for so long. An accurate and up-to-date national jobs database could detail the kinds of jobs that are available in each sector. This can help students to make better career choices too. This activity can be outsourced to the private sector.

Creat lean regulatory agencies;

In many places, business owners must deal with redundant layers of red tape that cost time and money and generate nothing of value. The regulatory agencies could operate more lik ean ompanies, with streamlined procedures, firm deadlines for completing their work and a mandate to weed out needless rules. Thinning out regulatory agencies could also help trim government payrolls. This would also make Uganda competitive. Rwanda has already excelled in this area and there is no reason why Uganda should not.

Attract more tourists;

Tourism is big business and Uganda has not yet gotten its market share despite the huge tourist attractions. A lot of effort and resources should be set aside by government to deliberately market Uganda abroad and within for domestic tourism. Experts in tourism and hospitality business could be engaged on commission basis. The government could boost tourism here by streamlining the visa process and even providing free visas to tourists and aggressively promoting travel to Uganda.

Lure regional companies to open up businesses in Uganda;

With the opening up of the East African Community market and Uganda being a member of the Common Market for Eastern and 74

Southern Africa, the government could come up with incentives to encourage companies to set up manufacturing plants in Uganda to serve the regional market. The advantage is that Uganda has most of the raw materials needed. Tax breaks should be considered but also our taxes should be reduced to levels that make us competitive within the region.

3.3. HEALTH

A healthy workforce is vital to a country s competitiveness and productivity. Workers who are ill cannot function to their potential and will be less productive. Poor health leads to significant costs to business, as sick workers are often absent or operate at lower levels of efficiency. Investment in the provision of health services is thus critical for clear economic, as well as moral considerations. Advancing human development requires, first and foremost, expanding the real opportunities people have to avoid premature death by disease or injury, to enjoy protection from arbitrary denial of life, to live in a healthy environment, to maintain a healthy lifestyle, to receive quality medical care, and to attain the highest possible standard of physical and mental health. Therefore, there is need to strengthen the healthcare systems in the country.

Improving health in Uganda is essential to reduce poverty and achieve the three Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) directly related to health:

Reducing child mortality; Reducing maternal mortality; and The fight against HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.

Heads of State and Government in Africa met from 26-27 April 2001 at a special summit of the African Union to address the exceptional challenges of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and other related infectious

75 diseases. At this meeting, the governments committed to allocating at least 15% of the total annual government budgets to the health sector. Unfortunately we are yet to see this commitment to come to reality. The Uganda government needs to increase the budgetary allocation to health to at least 15% and invest in the national health system that includes putting in place state of the art national and regional referral hospitals, community hospitals and health centres, latest medical equipment, personnel that include doctors, nurses and other health professionals. The government also needs to put in place and implement a National Health Insurance scheme that covers all citizens.

3.4. AGRICULTURE

Agriculture is the backbone of the economy in Africa. In rural areas agriculture is the source of livelihood for 80% of the people and on average it contributes over a third to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Around 80% of farms in Africa are small, with less than 2 hectares of land and they grow most of the staple food. Agriculture is particularly important for women. Women provide 60-80% of agricultural labor and in many African societies have primary responsibility for growing the households food. They also take a large role in small-scale food processing and marketing. Yet despite being an agricultural continent, Africa is also the region of the world with the highest level of hunger. In the Millennium Declaration the worlds governments promised to halve hunger by 2015 but in fact there are now more people living with constant hunger than there were when the promise was made. The situation in Uganda is not any different.

The Heads of State and Government of the African Union at the 23 Ordinary Session of the AU Assembly in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, from 26-27 June 2014, on the Theme of the African Year of Agriculture and Food Security: “Transforming Africa’s Agriculture for Shared Prosperity and Improved Livelihoods through Harnessing Opportunities for Inclusive Growth and Sustainable Development” committed to enhance investment finance, both public and private, to agriculture; and to this end resolved:

(a) To uphold our earlier commitment (African governments signed the Maputo Declaration in 2003, committing themselves to invest at least 10% of national budgets in agriculture) to allocate at least 10% of public expenditure to agriculture, and to ensure its efficiency and effectiveness; (b) To create and enhance necessary appropriate policy and institutional conditions and support systems for facilitation of private investment in agriculture, agri-business and agro-industries, by giving priority to local investors; and (c) To fast track the operationalisation of the African Investment Bank, as provided for in the Constitutive Act of the African Union, with a view to mobilizing and disbursing investment finance for priority agriculture related investment projects.

Furthermore, at the same ordinary session of the AU assembly in Malabo, the Heads of State and Government of the African Union committed to ending hunger in Africa by 2025, and to this end they resolved:

(a) To accelerate agricultural growth by at least doubling current agricultural productivity levels, by the year 2025. In doing so, we will create and enhance the necessary appropriate policy and institutional conditions and support systems to facilitate:

(i) Sustainable and reliable production and access to quality and affordable inputs (for crops, livestock, fisheries, amongst others) 77 through, among other things, provision of smart protection to small holder agriculture;

(ii) Supply of appropriate knowledge, information, and skills to users;

(iii) Efficient and effective water management systems notably through irrigation; and

(iv) Suitable, reliable and affordable mechanization and energy supplies, amongst others.

(a) To halve the current levels of post-harvest losses, by the year 2025;

(b) To integrate measures for increased agricultural productivity with social protection initiatives focusing on vulnerable social groups through committing targeted budget lines within our national budgets for:

(i) Strengthening strategic food and cash reserves to respond to food shortages occasioned by periodic prolonged droughts or other disasters/emergencies;

(ii) Strengthening early warning systems to facilitate advanced and proactive responses to disasters and emergencies with food and nutrition security implications;

(iii) Targeting priority geographic areas and community groups for interventions; and

(iv) Encouraging and facilitating increased consumption of locally produced food items, including the promotion of innovative school feeding programs that use food items sourced from the local farming community. 78

(d) To improve nutritional status, and in particular, the elimination of child under nutrition in Africa with a view to bringing down stunting to 10% and underweight to 5% by 2025

Agriculture is by large the backbone of Ugandas economy yet very little percentage of the national budget is allocated to Agriculture. Funding will only translate into genuine agricultural development, supporting poverty reduction, improved welfare and increased food security if it is invested well through policies that are effective and focused on smallholder productivity.

In Uganda, the current role of the Ministry responsible for Agriculture is to create an enabling environment in the Agricultural Sector by enhancing crops, livestock and fisheries production and productivity, in a sustainable and environmentally safe manner, for improved food and nutrition security, employment, widened export base and improved incomes of the farmers. The functions of the ministry include:

(a) Formulate, review and implement national policies, plans, strategies, regulations and standards and enforce laws, regulations and standards along the value chain of crops, livestock and fisheries; (b) Control and manage epidemics and disasters, and support the control of sporadic and endemic diseases, pests and vectors; (c) Regulate the use of agricultural chemicals, veterinary drugs, biological, planting and stocking materials as well as other inputs; (d) Support the development of infrastructure and use of water for agricultural production along livestock, crop and fisheries value chains; (e) Establish sustainable systems to collect, process, maintain

79 and disseminate agricultural statistics and information;

(f ) Support provision of planting and stocking materials and other inputs to increase production and commercialization of agriculture for food security and household income; (g) Develop public infrastructure to support production, quality / safety assurance and value-addition along the livestock, crop and fisheries commodity chains; (h) Monitor, inspect, evaluate and harmonize activities in the agricultural sector including local governments; (i) Strengthen human and institutional capacity and mobilize financial and technical resources for delivery of agricultural services; and (j) Develop and promote collaborative mechanisms nationally, regionally and internationally on issues pertaining to the sector.

To achieve these functions however requires not only sufficient funding and innovative ways of approaching the issues affecting farmers. The government should increase funding in the sector but also promote agriculture modernization as much as possible across the country.

3.5. INFRASTRUCTURE

Extensive and efficient infrastructure is critical for ensuring the effective functioning of the economy, as it is an important factor in determining the location of economic activities and the kinds of activities or sectors that can develop within a country. Well- developed infrastructure reduces the effect of distance between regions, integrating the national market and connecting it at low

80 cost to markets in other countries and regions. A well-developed transport and communications infrastructure network is a prerequisite for the access of overall economic efficiency by helping to ensure that businesses can communicate and decisions are made by economic actors taking into account all available relevant information.

3.6. DEFENCE AND SECURITY

Defense and security are key priority areas for any country. A country must assure its citizens of national security and be able to address security threats early including terrorism threats. We must also know that security facilitates economic growth, job creation and trade among others. So there is need to ensure integrated cross- border law enforcement; and enforce cyber security. Cyber security is the body of technologies, processes and practices designed to protect networks, computers, programs and data from attack, damage or unauthorized access. While the government has been keen to acquire and maintain physical state of the art defense and security infrastructure, it is not all the country requires to be stable and secure. Uganda also requires a well-educated and motivated force to guarantee security within the country, along its boarders and in the region.

3.7. INFORMATION, SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, RESEARCH AND INNOVATION

Section 3 of the Access to Information Act, 2005 provides for the purpose of the Act as follows:

(a) To promote an efficient, effective, transparent and accountable Government; (b) To give effect to article 41 of the Constitution of Uganda by

81 providing the right of access to information held by organs of the State, other than exempt records and information; (c) To protect persons disclosing evidence of contravention of the law, maladministration or corruption in Government bodies; (d) To promote transparency and accountability in all organs of the State by providing the public with timely, accessible and accurate information; and (e) To empower the public to effectively scrutinise and participate in Government decisions that affect them.

The Act applies to all information and records of Government ministries, departments, local governments, statutory corporations and bodies, commissions and other Government organs and agencies, unless specifically exempted by this Act. So it is important for the government of Uganda to set aside funds to ensure full implementation of this important Act.

Innovation is the process of translating an idea or invention into a good or service that creates value or for which customers will pay. To be called an innovation, an idea must be replicable at an economic cost and must satisfy a specific need. For a country to approach the frontiers of knowledge and be able to generate more value to spur rapid economic growth it must invest in technological innovations. Technological breakthroughs have been at the basis of many of the productivity gains that the world economies have historically experienced. These range from the industrial revolution in the 18th century and the invention of the steam engine and the generation of electricity to the more recent digital revolution.

Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) underpin almost every aspect of human existence. Therefore, optimizing the benefits of

STI is an increasing priority for the governments and the people of Africa. Developing an STI strategy, which gives due consideration to Africas environment and concerns, is one of the most effective weapons for winning the struggle towards reduction and eventual elimination of absolute poverty in Africa. In recent years, African governments, scientists, policy makers, private sector actors and many important civil society organisations are beginning to re-discover the importance of STI in driving technical and economic progress. STI is key to fostering productivity growth and achieving social welfare and sustainable development. The vision for a significant improvement in the physical quality of life, competitiveness and overall prosperity in Africa can only be achieved and sustained through a sincere commitment to STI development.

For example, in 2008, Liberian President, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, reminded delegates at the Science in Africa Summit that: No country on earth has developed without deploying, harnessing and utilizing STI, whether through technology transfer or homegrown solutions . President Kagame of Rwanda, on the other hand, stressed that: We in Africa must either begin to build our scientific and technological training capabilities or remain an impoverished appendage to the global econom (The New African, vol. 494, p. 78).Heads of State meeting on 29 30 January 2007 at the African Unions annual summit in Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) declared to boost research spending and develop science education on the continent. Member States were strongly urged to allocate at least 1% of GDP to research and development (R&D) by 2010, a target Uganda has not met even in 2014. African countries including Uganda must strive to achieve the African Union recommended target of 1% of GDP in public expenditure on Research and Development (R&D). Needless to say is that there are several other aspects that ought to be prioritized in our national budget which may not have been discussed above.

3.8. PROPOSED BUDGET ALLOCATION ESTIMATES FOR UGANDA 2016 – 2021

Following the above discussion, below I propose a possible budget allocation that we could consider as a country as we take the step of prioritizing our budget better. Depending on the national income of a particular financial year, the allocations below can be applied to the different sectors. While these allocations can always be reviewed, the allocations for education, health, agriculture and trade, job creation and industry should not be revised downwards due to their strategic importance to the economy.

No. Ministry % 1 Education 20 2 Health 16 3 Agriculture Water and Environment 11 4 Trade, Job Creation and Industry 06 5 Energy and Natural Resources 06 6 Transport and Urban Development 06 7 Defence 05 8 Security and Presidential Affairs 05 9 Internal Affairs and Regional Governments 3.5 10 Justice 3.5 11 Foreign and East African Community Affairs 3.5 12 Information, Communications and Technology 03 13 Finance and Planning 2.5 14 Public Service 2.5 15 Youth Gender, Culture and Tourism 1.5 16 Attorney General 0.5 17 Government Chief Whip 0.5 18 Other Sectors / Miscellaneous 04

UGANDA’S GLOBAL COMPETITIVENESS

Competitiveness is the set of institutions, policies, and factors that determine the level of productivity of a country. The level of productivity, in turn, sets the level of prosperity that can be reached by an economy. The productivity level also determines the rates of return obtained by investments in an economy, which in turn are the fundamental drivers of its growth rates. In other words, a more competitive economy is one that is likely to grow faster over time. Uganda is still ranked low in terms of global competitiveness, i.e. the global competitive index 2013-2014 ranked Burundi 146th, Uganda 129th, Tanzania 125th, Kenya 96th, and Rwanda 66th out of the 148 countries ranked globally. Thus Rwanda tops the list as the most competitive country in East Africa. This implies that Rwanda followed by Kenya are the preferred investment destinations within East Africa. Uganda needs to do more in terms of improving on the 12 pillars of competiveness (Global Competiveness Report 2013- 2014, World Economic Forum) if rapid human and economic

86 development is to be realized. These pillars are (1) institutions, (2) Infrastructure (3) Macroeconomic environment (4) Health and primary education (5) Higher education and training (6) Goods market efficiency (7) Labor market efficiency (8)Financial market development (9) Technological readiness (10) Market size (11) Business sophistication and (12) Innovation. This is adopted form the Global Competitive Report 2013-2014.

4.1. INSTITUTIONS

The legal and administrative framework within which individuals, firms, and governments interact to generate wealth determines the institutional environment. The quality of institutions has a strong bearing on competitiveness and growth. It influences investment decisions and the organization of production and plays a key role in the ways in which societies distribute the benefits and bear the costs of development strategies and policies. For example, owners of land, corporate shares, or intellectual property are unwilling to invest in the improvement and upkeep of their property if their rights as owners are not protected.

The role of institutions goes beyond the legal framework. attitudes toward markets and freedoms and the efficiency of its operations are also very important: excessive bureaucracy and red tape, overregulation, corruption, dishonesty in dealing with public contracts, lack of transparency and trustworthiness, inability to provide appropriate services for the business sector, and political dependence of the judicial system impose significant economic costs to businesses and slow the process of economic development. In addition, the proper management of public finances is also critical for ensuring trust in the national business environment. An economy is well served by businesses that are run honestly, where managers abide by strong ethical practices in their dealings with the government, other firms, and the public at large. Private-sector 87 transparency is indispensable to business; it can be brought about through the use of standards as well as auditing and accounting practices that ensure access to information in a timely manner.

When assessing strength of institutions we look at property rights (how strong the protection of property rights is including financial assets), intellectual property protection, diversion of public funds (how common diversion of public funds is to companies, individuals or groups due to corruption?), public trust in politicians (how the ethical standards of politicians are rated), irregular payments and bribes, judicial independence, favouritism in decisions of government officials, wastefulness of government spending and burden of government regulation. Other points of assessment include: efficiency of legal framework in settling disputes, efficiency of legal framework in challenging regulations, transparency of government policymaking, business costs of terrorism, business costs of crime and violence, organized crime, reliability of police services, ethical behaviour of firms, strength of auditing and reporting standards, efficacy of corporate boards, protection of minority shareholders interests, and strength of investor protection. In the case of Uganda the institutional environment, which comprises of the legal and administrative framework is very weak rendering the country less competitive.

4.2. INFRASTRUCTURE

When assessing infrastructure, we look at quality of overall infrastructure (transport, telephony and energy); quality of roads, quality of railroad infrastructure, quality of port infrastructure, quality of air transport infrastructure, available airline seat kilometers, quality of electricity supply, mobile telephone subscriptions, and fixed telephone lines. Uganda has made big strides in these areas. However, it has focused so much on secondary (feeder) roads to please voters, yet denying other critical sectors like health, primary

88 education, higher education and training and agriculture financial resources.

4.3. MICROECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT

The stability of the macroeconomic environment is important for business and, therefore, is significant for the overall competitiveness of a country. Although it is certainly true that macroeconomic stability alone cannot increase the productivity of a nation, it is also recognized that macroeconomic disarray harms the economy. The government cannot provide services efficiently if it has to make high-interest payments on its past debts. Running fiscal deficits limits the governments future ability to react to business cycles. Firms cannot operate efficiently when inflation rates are out of hand. Basically, the economy cannot grow in a sustainable manner unless the macroeconomic environment is stable.

Macroeconomic environment looks at government budget balance, gross national savings, inflation, government debt, and country credit rating. Uganda is doing poorly in this area yet its critical for economic success. The Daily Monitor of December 1, 2014 quoting the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development stated that Ugandas external and domestic debt is growing by close to 2 percentage points of the Gross Domestic Product every year. This growth rate could see Ugandas public debt constituting 39 per cent of the GDP in the medium-term (2017). The continuous upward growth in Ugandas public debt could see the country falling into unsustainable debt burden in the long run. The ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development report on loans, grants and guarantees 2012/13 which was presented to Parliament by the minister Maria Kiwanuka in June 2014, indicates that Ugandas external debt exposure was $5.80 billion (about UGX 15 trillion), up from $2.4 billion (about UGX 6 trillion) at the end of the financial year 2006/2007.Uganda once had unsustainable external

debt burden of $5.5 billion (UGX 14.257 trillion) in the early and mid-2000s, which led to the outflow of foreign exchange inform of debt servicing. Whether it is history repeating itself or Ugandan leaders repeating history, it is happening again!

4.4. GOODS MARKET EFFICIENCY

Countries with efficient goods markets are well positioned to produce the right mix of products and services given their particular supply- and-demand conditions, as well as to ensure that these goods can be most effectively traded in the economy. Healthy market competition, both domestic and foreign, is important in driving market efficiency, and thus business productivity, by ensuring that the most efficient firms, producing goods demanded by the market, are those that thrive. The best possible environment for the exchange of goods requires a minimum of government intervention that impedes business activity. Protectionist measures are counterproductive as they reduce aggregate economic activity. Market efficiency also depends on demand conditions such as customer orientation and buyer sophistication. For cultural or historical reasons, customers may be more demanding in some countries than in others. This can create an important competitive advantage, as it forces companies to be more innovative and customer-oriented and thus imposes the discipline necessary for efficiency to be achieved in the market.

4.5. HEALTH AND PRIMARY HEALTH EDUCATION

When assessing health we look mainly at business impact of malaria, malaria incidence, business impact of tuberculosis, tuberculosis incidence, business impact of HIV/AIDS, HIV prevalence, infant mortality, life expectancy, quality of primary education, and primary education enrollment rate. In the areas of tuberculosis, malaria and HIV/AIDS, we have made commendable progress as a country, thanks to our leadership. However, Uganda still lacks state of art hospitals that are well equipped to serve the population. Most health 90

centres across the country lack basics likes doctors, nurses, other health professionals and medicine.

4.6. HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING

Over the last decade, Uganda can as well boast of increased enrolment in primary school particularly under the Universal Primary Education (UPE) program. Uganda too has seen increased enrolment at secondary and higher education levels. Despite the progress made, enormous challenges remain. There is an alarming lack of basic reading and writing skills; We still have a big population of children who cant access education facilities; we face unacceptably high rates of unemployment; our graduates are not competitive on the global market; And more so, we face a bigger problem of lack of quality education which in essence should be a fundamental human right. Quality education is central to most global issues from social welfare to economic growth and should be crucial for any country seeking to be rated high in global competitiveness. The necessary reforms Uganda requires to undertake in its education sector have been elaborately discussed under the National Budget Priorities section.

4.7. LABOUR MARKET EFFICIENCY

The efficiency and flexibility of the labor market are critical for ensuring that workers are allocated to their most effective use in the economy and provided with incentives to give their best effort in their jobs. Labor markets must therefore have the flexibility to shift workers from one economic activity to another rapidly and at low cost, and to allow for wage fluctuations without much social disruption. Efficient labor markets must also ensure clear strong incentives for employees and efforts to promote meritocracy at the workplace, and they must provide equity in the business environment between women and men.

When assessing labor market efficiency one looks at cooperation in labor-employer relations, flexibility of wage determination, hiring and firing practices, redundancy costs, effect of taxation on incentives to work, pay and productivity (to what extent is pay related to worker productivity?), reliance on professional management, country capacity to retain talent, country capacity to attract talent, and gender balance considerations in the labor force.

Uganda does not have a minimum wage. It is also doing poorly in regard to the country capacity to attract and retain talent especially in critical areas of science and technology.

4.8. FINANCIAL MARKET DEVELOPMENT

An efficient financial sector allocates the resources saved by a nations citizens, as well as those entering the economy from abroad, to their most productive uses. It channels resources to those entrepreneurial or investment projects with the highest expected rates of return rather than to the politically connected. A thorough and proper assessment of risk is therefore a key ingredient of a sound financial market.

Business investment is also critical to productivity. Therefore economies require sophisticated financial markets that can make capital available for private-sector investment from such sources as loans from a sound banking sector, well-regulated securities exchanges, venture capital, and other financial products such as Savings and Credit Cooperative Societies (SACCOs). In order to fulfill all those functions, the banking sector needs to be trustworthy and transparent, and as has been made so clear recently financial markets need appropriate regulation to protect investors and other actors in the economy at large.

When assessing financial market development one needs to look at availability of financial services, affordability of financial services, financing through local equity market, ease of access to loans, venture capital availability, soundness of banks, regulation of securities exchanges, and legal rights index.

In Uganda venture capital is almost non-existent yet we have several startups and projects with high risks that could have benefited from such capital. Most SACCOs lack sufficient capital to lend to members. Instead, the government has come up with alternative programmes like the Youth Livelihood Programme (YLP) through which it is taking over the roles of venture capital firms and financial institutions. There is need for government to strengthen financial institutions and boost avenues through which people and groups of people can access reliable and affordable financial services.

In Uganda we need to develop a culture of strengthening institutions. For example the vocational institutions should have been given the mandate to provide the vocational and life skills being provided under YLP. Someone may argue that vocational institutions have no capacity. If they have no capacity then the government should build capacity in these vocational institutions instead of coming up with programmes like YLP to provide what should be provided under such institutions. NAADS (National Agricultural Advisory Services) is another programme that should have been handled through specialized financial institutions like an Agricultural Bank but was not. In November 2014 the President was quoted by several media houses publicly stating that UGX 500 Billion (approx. US$ 250 Million) allocated to NAADS was wasted. There are several other government programmes whose funds were wasted. We need to put a stop to this as a country.

4.9. TECHNOLOGICAL READINESS

In today s globalized world, technology is increasingly essential for firms to compete and prosper. The technological readiness pillar measures the agility with which an economy adopts to existing technologies to enhance the productivity of its industries; While giving special emphasis to its capacity to fully leverage information and communication technologies (ICTs) in daily activities and production processes for increased efficiency and enabling innovation for competitiveness. ICTs have evolved into the general purpose technolog of our time, given their critical spillovers to other economic sectors and their role as industry-wide enabling infrastructure. Therefore ICT access and usage are key enablers of countries overall technological readiness. A country when assessing technology readiness needs to focus on availability of latest technologies, firm-level technology absorption, Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and Technology Transfer, number of internet users, fixed broadband internet subscriptions, internet bandwidth, and mobile broadband subscriptions.

The technological readiness of Uganda is fairly good but can be improved.

4.10. MARKET SIZE

The size of the market affects productivity since large markets allow firms to exploit economies of scale. Traditionally, the markets available to firms have been constrained by national borders. In the era of globalization, regional and international markets have become a substitute for domestic markets, especially for small countries. Vast empirical evidence shows that trade openness is positively associated with growth.

Uganda has made efforts towards expanding the market through

94 joining the East African Community (EAC) and Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA).

The African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) was signed into law by President Clinton on May 18, 2000 as Title 1 of The Trade and Development Act of 2000. The Act offers tangible incentives for African countries to continue their efforts to open their economies and build free markets. AGOA aims to expand U.S. trade and investment with Sub-Saharan Africa, to stimulate economic growth, to promote a high-level dialogue on trade and investment-related issues, to encourage economic integration, and to facilitate sub- Saharan Africas integration into the global economy. As of January 2010, 38 sub-Saharan African countries including Uganda were eligible for AGOA benefits. At the center of AGOA are substantial trade preferences that, coupled with those under the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP), allow all marketable goods produced in AGOA-eligible countries to enter the U.S. market duty-free. Uganda has not benefited much so far from AGOA. There are other openings in regional and international trade markets that Uganda should explore and benefit from as part of expanding its market size.

4.11. BUSINESS SOPHISCATION

There is no doubt that sophisticated business practices are conducive to higher efficiency in the production of goods and services. Business sophistication concerns two elements that are intricately linked: the quality of a country s overall business networks and the quality of individual firms operations and strategies. The quality of a country s business networks and supporting industries, as measured by the quantity and quality of local suppliers and the extent of their interaction, is important for a variety of reasons. When companies and suppliers from a particular sector are interconnected in geographically proximate groups, called clusters, efficiency is heightened, greater opportunities

95 for innovation in processes and products are created, and barriers to entry for new firms are reduced. Individual firms dvanced operations and strategies (branding, marketing, distribution, advanced production processes, and the production of unique and sophisticated products) spill over into the economy and lead to sophisticated and modern business processes across the country s business sectors.

4.12. INNOVATION

Innovation is the process of translating an idea or invention into a good or service that creates value or for which customers will pay. To be called an innovation, an idea must be replicable at an economic cost and must satisfy a specific need. Innovation can emerge from new technological and non-technological knowledge. Non-technological innovations are closely related to the know-how, skills, and working conditions that are embedded in organizations. Although substantial gains can be obtained by improving institutions, building infrastructure, reducing macroeconomic instability, or improving human capital, all these factors eventually run into diminishing returns. The same is true for the efficiency of the labor, financial, and goods markets. In the long run, standards of living can be largely enhanced by technological innovation. Technological breakthroughs have been at the basis of many of the productivity gains that the world economies have historically experienced. These range from the industrial revolution in the 18th century, the invention of the steam engine and the generation of electricity to the more recent digital revolution. The latter is not only transforming the way things are being done, but also opening a wider range of new possibilities in terms of products and services. Innovation is particularly important for economies as they approach the frontiers of knowledge and the possibility of generating more value by integrating and adapting exogenous technologies.

For a country to be able to innovate, it needs to invest in quality scientific research institutions, improve its capacity for innovation, promote University-Industry collaboration in Research and Development (R&D), encourage companies to spend on R&D, invest in research leading to patents, ensure availability of scientists and engineers, and be able to procure advanced technology products for local use. In all these key areas that are critical for a functional innovation system, Ugandas performance is dismal. We need to see more resources allocated to Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) sector.

As already mentioned, Uganda is trailing in global competiveness at 129th position out of a total of 148 countries assessed. Rwanda at 66th position is a shining star within the East African Community.

CORRUPTION

Corruption is a cancer that is eating up Ugandas society. Annually, billions of shillings of Ugandas tax payers money and millions of dollars from development partners are lost through corruption. The 2014 Corruption Perceptions Index by Transparency International ranked Uganda among the most corrupt countries in the world. The same 2014 Corruption Perceptions Index ranked Rwanda 55th with a score of 49%, Tanzania 119th with a score of 31%, Uganda 142nd with a score of 26%, Kenya 145th with a score of 25% and Burundi 159th with a score of 20%. Thus, Rwanda is ranked as the least corrupt country in East Africa. The 2014 Corruption Perceptions Index measured the perceived levels of public sector corruption in 175 countries and territories. The Corruption Perceptions Index ranks countries and territories based on how corrupt their public sector is perceived to be. A country or territory s score indicates the

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perceived level of public sector corruption on a scale of 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean). A country or territory s rank indicates its position relative to the other countries and territories in the index.

Poorly equipped schools; poor health services; counterfeit medicine; poor infrastructure (like roads, railways and buildings); incompetent workforce and election rigging (elections decided by money) are just some of the many consequences of public sector corruption. Bribes and backroom deals dont just fleece resources from the most vulnerable they undermine justice and economic development, and destroy public trust in government and leaders.

Based on expert opinion from around the world, the Corruption Perceptions Index measures the perceived levels of public sector corruption worldwide, and it paints an alarming picture on our country and several others. Needless to say, not one single country gets a perfect score and more than two-thirds score below 50. Corruption is a problem for all countries and affects all people. Most countries that scored low (Uganda inclusive) are largely characterized by widespread bribery, public institutions that dont respond to citizens needs and a lot of cases where corruption offenders walk scot-free.

Section 2 of The Anti Corruption Act 2009 provides that a person commits the offence of corruption if he or she does any of the following acts

(a) The solicitation or acceptance, directly or indirectly, by a public official, of any goods of monetary value, or benefits, such as a gift, favour, promise, advantage or any other form of gratification for himself or herself or for another person or entity, in exchange for any act or omission in the performance of his or her public functions;

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(b) The offering or granting, directly or indirectly, to a public official, of any goods of monetary value, or other benefit, such as a gift, favour, promise or advantage or any other form of gratification for himself or herself or for another person or entity, in exchange for any act or omission in the performance of his or her public functions; (c) The diversion or use by a public official, for purposes unrelated to those for which they were intended, for his or her own benefit or that of a third party, of any movable or immovable property, monies or securities belonging to the State, to an independent agency, or to an individual, which that official has received by virtue of his or her position for purposes of administration, custody or for other reasons; (d) The offering or giving, promising, solicitation or acceptance, directly or indirectly, of any undue advantage to or by any person who directs or works for, in any capacity, a private sector entity, for himself or herself or for any other person, for him or her to act, or refrain from acting, in breach of his or her duties; (e) The offering, giving, solicitation or acceptance directly or indirectly, or promising of any undue advantage to or by any person who asserts or confirms that he or she is able to exert any improper influence over the decision making of any person performing functions in the public or private sector in consideration of the undue advantage, whether the undue advantage is for himself or herself or for any other person, as well as the request, receipt or the acceptance of the offer or the promise of the advantage, in consideration of that influence, whether or not the supposed influence leads to the intended result; (f ) The fraudulent acquisition, use or concealment of property derived from any of the acts referred to in this section; (g) The participation as a principal, co-principal, agent, instigator, accomplice or accessory after the fact, or in any other manner in the commission or attempted commission of, or in any

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collaboration or conspiracy to commit, any of the acts referred to in this section; (h) Any act or omission in the discharge of his or her duties by a public official for the purpose of illicitly obtaining benefits for himself or herself or for a third party; or (i) Neglect of duty.

After reading the above section of the Anti-corruption act, I concluded that not a single week passes in Uganda without having several corruption stories in our media. Sadly, the perpetuators often walk scot-free! From corruptly procuring tenders, diversion of public resources, bribery of public officials toopenly encroaching or stealing tax payers money, Uganda has had its fat share of corruption.

Below, I list some major corruption scandals that have shaken us in the past:

1. Mismanagement of public funds amounting to about UGX 500 Billion meant for 2007 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) summit by several high profile government people including permanent secretaries and members of cabinet

2. A Principle Account in the office of the Prime Minister in 2012 misappropriated about UGX 5 Billion meant for Peace Recovery and Development Plan in Northern Uganda

3. UGX 169 Billion meant to clear outstanding claims of 1,018 former East African community workers went missing. A commercial bank, Cairo International Bank and several top profile employees of Ministry of Public Service and Finance, Planning and Economic Development were implicated.

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4. A local company Amman Industrial tool and Equipment Ltd contracted by Ministry of Local Government to supply 70,000 bicycles to Local Councils was paid about UGX 4 Billion but never delivered the bicycles

Truth be told, if I were to go on listing the scandals, I possibly would never finish writing this book. Day in day out, we read corruption in our media; Not just among high profile officers but the disease has cropped down to all levels in our society. From university students sleeping with lecturers for marks, parents bribing head teachers to sneak their poor performing children on to selection lists, potential employees bribing entire interview panels to get jobs to parents selling their under aged daughters to old men for bride price; the list is absurd and endless!

Ugandans claim that corruption is very high because of lack of political will to fight it. And because it has successfully survived at the top, the perpetuators often looked at as heroes after amassing so much wealth, the common man now thinks that corruption is the only way to make it. Most public servants also claim that unfair remuneration and high cost of living is what leads them to engage in corruption tendencies. So below we suggest some of the strategies that can be explored to curb corruption in Uganda:

5.1 REINSTATE TERM LIMITS

Politicians and diapers should be changed frequently and all for the same reason. ~José Maria de Eça de Queiroz, translated from Portuguese

The politician who overstays is bound to get soiled and requires change. As earlier stated, term limits stop politicians from making choices solely to prolong their career.

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If a politician can serve as many terms as they wish, they may be tempted to follow policies which will ensure their long-term political survival, rather than policies which further the interests of voters. There are reports that corruption is high in Uganda, because a big chunk of the money lost through corruption ends up funding campaigns of some political parties including the Presidential candidates. In the end the funders, expect to be protected when they engage in corruption after a party has won elections.

5.2 SALARIES AND REMUNERATION COMMISSION

When remuneration is harmonized, public servants will fear losing their jobs especially when they are well paying. So we need to put in place a salaries and remuneration commission to set salaries for all public officers.

In Uganda today, the fiscal sustainability of the wage-bill; attraction and retention of requisite skills to execute public service functions; productivity and performance; and transparency and fairness in remuneration setting and review, is seriously in question. Also the high cost of living has eroded the purchasing power of most workers e.g. doctors, teachers, nurses, police officers etc. As has been done in other countries including Kenya and Rwanda, we need to use the per capita Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to determine the base remuneration for Ugandan State Officers. This approach, together with revenue to GDP ratio, is globally considered the most appropriate for Uganda based on the Constitutional principles of equity, fairness and fiscal sustainability among others.

Taking cognisance of the domestic economic situation as measured by the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) levels, total revenues, total expenditure and an array of policy objectives, remuneration should be linked to per capita GDP. This should be the basis for

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determination of the pay for the highest paid State Officer (The President) and upon which the remuneration levels for the rest of the State officers would be linked through indices subject to the constraint of wage bill sustainability.

5.3 ENACT LAWS TO FACILITATE RECOVERY OF WEALTH ACQUIRED THROUGH CORRUPTION

In addition to the Anti-Corruption Act 2009, we need to enact a law that provides for easy recovery of wealth acquired through corruption. Any public officer, implicated in corruption and yet cannot reasonably explain the source of his or her wealth should lose it to the state.

The good news in this direction especially at legislative level is that The Anti-Corruption (Amendment) Bill 2013 has been tabled in Parliament in December 2014. The private members Bill was tabled by Makindye East Member of Parliament, Mr John Ssimbwa.

It seeks to amend the Anti-Corruption Act, 2009 which has been criticised for not being sufficient to fight corruption. Rt. Hon. Rebecca Kadaga, the Speaker of Parliament has sent the Bill to the Legal Affairs Committee of Parliament for scrutiny before it is debated.

If passed into law, the Bill would provide the government with binding powers to confiscate property of people convicted of corruption by the Anti Corruption Court. It would not only stop at confiscating property of the convicts but ensure that property placed in the names of relatives and friends of corrupt officials is traced and recovered.

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5.4 MAKE CORRUPTION VERY UNATTRATIVE

Also those suspected to be guilty of corruption should face a fair trial and if proved guilty, they should both be put in jail and forced to pay what they stole. As earlier noted, a lot of high profile officials implicated in corruption scandals walk scot-free in Uganda. Needless to say, a number of other officials have been jailed due to corruption crimes. Unfortunately, some jail sentences are way too short that some corrupt officials may not mind serving a few years if they are able to amass the wealth from corruption. We should have grave punishments for offenders including life sentences. Geoffrey Kazinda, the former Principle Accountant in the Prime Ministers office was only sentenced to five years after misappropriating UGX 5 Billion. To the common man, Kazinda can only be looked at as lucky. After all, after a sentence of five years, he will then have a lifetime enjoying wealth amassed through corruption which will even be passed on to his children.

Therefore, besides grave punishments and being forced to pay back misappropriated funds, public officers convicted of corruption should also be permanently barred from holding a public office again.

5.5 DEMAND FOR HIGH STANDARDS OF ACCOUNTABILITY FROM PUBLIC OFFICERS

The government should build stringent financial management systems and insist on rigorous audits especially value for money audits to ensure proper accountability. One of the reasons Rwanda has taken greater strides in corruption in East Africa is its focus on ensuring high standards of accountability from public officers. In fact, the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning of Rwanda has a section charged with the responsibility of monitoring standards of accountability and transparency in public finance management.

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5.6 SECURE POLITICAL WILL TO FIGHT CORRUPTION

There must be political will by government spearheaded by the President to make corruption a risky business so that people know that once you engage in corruption the law will catch up with you regardless of your status in society or government. In Uganda today, it is common that highly placed officers or relations to the powers that be often get away with corruption. Citizens need to know that nobody is above the law when it comes to corruption.

5.7 INSTITUTE A REWARD SYSTEM FOR PERFORMERS AND WHISTLE BLOWERS

Reward system refers to all the monetary, non-monetary and psychological payments that an organisation provides for its employees in exchange for the work they perform. Reward schemes may include extrinsic and intrinsic rewards. Extrinsic rewards are items such as financial payments and working conditions that the employee receives as part of the job. Intrinsic rewards relate to satisfaction that is derived from actually performing the job such as personal fulfillment, and a sense of contributing something to society. A major part of performance management involves managing employees and managers, as their performance will have a major effect on the performance of the organisation as a whole. A good reward system aims to motivate employees to work harder, and align their goals with those of the organisation they work for. The current trend towards performance-related reward systems is designed to lead to greater rewards and motivation for those who contribute the most.

The best performers at all levels within the public service should be rewarded to discourage them from engaging in corruption. At the same time, it is important to handsomely reward whistle blowers to

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make provision of information easy so that corruption officers can be incriminated. Citizens should be aware that they can be protected and rewarded in case they report corruption offences within their dockets. To encourage whistleblowers to report cases of corruption, first and foremost they must be assured of protection and safety of their families. Most people who deal in corruption can do anything to kill evidence. Even the United States signed into law in November 2012 the Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act of 2012. This further confirms the importance of protecting whistleblowers.

5.8 PROMOTE E-GOVERNMENT

E-government is the transformation of government to provide efficient convenient and transparent services to the citizens &businesses through Information & Communication Technologies. Mauritius and Rwanda are some of the examples that have minimized corruption through implementation of e-government. India also has had tremendous savings through implementation of e-government

including e-procurement. Singapore, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Norway, the Netherlands and Canada are other examples of countries that have successfully implemented e-government.

5.9 PROMOTE ETHICS AND INTEGRITY AMONG PUBLIC OFFICERS

All officers should be bound by the ethics and integrity code of conduct. Ethics and integrity should be taught to students at all levels of education and should be affirmed by actions by those in authority. As a country, we need to put in place strategies to instill a culture of ethics and integrity amongst our citizenry.

For example Thailand has recognized the importance of strengthening its development effort in the area of ethics and

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Article 8 of the Master Plan of Action on Education For All . The government has included ethics and morality in the curriculum for both primary and secondary education. In Thailand public officers are required to go through refresher courses in ethics and morality. In regard to the government officials, teachers, students, youth and the public ethics and morality promotion is done through mass media and publication of information materials. These interventions have contributed to Thailand being ranked 85th in the 2014 Corruption Perceptions Index by Transparency International.

The Rwanda Anti-Corruption Policy 2012 represents Rwandas commitment under Vision 2020 to achieve good governance through preventing and fighting corruption. It focuses on people, systems and organizations and on building a culture where integrity is valued and corruption rejected. It seeks to support national development that will for the future be able to sustain; a better quality of life for people; a strong competitive economy; effective and efficient public services.

This policy sets an ambitious agenda to achieve a public service that appreciates and embraces integrity; accepts the need for transparency and accountability; ensures full compliance with regulatory and legal requirements. It seeks to achieve a well-informed public that demands high standards from public officials and a private sector that operates on a level playing field and acts as a partner in the fight against corruption. The National Anti-corruption Policy is set within the overall policy framework of Zero Tolerance and national planning and seeks to support the implementation of government policies in the area of good governance. It is set with the institutional framework that includes law enforcement and oversight institutions under the umbrella of the National Anti-corruption Advisory Council that provides a key coordination mechanism for all anticorruption institutions. Rwanda is already reaping fruits of its zero tolerance towards corruption. As already mentioned 2014

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Corruption Perceptions Index ranked Rwanda 55th with a score of 49% out of the 175 countries and territories ranked, making it the least corrupt country in East Africa. Uganda could learn from its neighbor Rwanda on how to combat corruption.

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INDEX

Abuse, 42 Makerere University, 71 Agriculture, 76, 77 Military, 40, 41 African countries, 36, 38 Multiparty democracy 8 A minimum wage, 92 Multiparty democracy, 8 Amendments, 27 National Resistance Movement Anti-Corruption, 89 (NRM), 7 A one-man party, 38 Paliament, 41, 42 Business, 65, 73, 95 Political transition, 8, 12 Bonafide squatters, 69 Political systems, 16 Budgetary, 70 Pompous, 56 Constitution, 16, 29, 32 Population Census, v Census, 20 Prof. Venansius Baryamureeba, vii Cabinet, 22, 24 Political revolution, vi Coup détat, 41 Separation of powers, 44 Corruption, 100, 101, 8 Service commission, 48 Government, 23 Security, 81 Democracy, 35 Social transformation, vi Defense, 81 Sustainable, 61 Elections, 12 Regime changes, 8 Equilibrium, 38 Research, 83 Education, 51,52,53, 91 Taxes, 68, 75 Federalism, 17 Technology, 81 Health, 75, 90 Term limits, 31, 34, 33 Incumbency, 28 Un employment, 10 Infrastructure, 80,79, 88, 94 Vice-chancellors 2, 6 Institutions, 87 Zero Tolerance, 110 Judicial, 48 Jurisdiction, 15 Liberation war, 12 Land, 69 Laws, 106

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