Aboneka Writes

The rationale of the decentralization policy was to ensure effective service delivery to the citizens at the very local unit. The implementation of this policy in Uganda has been going on for the last 20 years and it is sad that for all these years, service delivery is still poor. The Local governments are financed through three types of grants as per Article 193 of the Constitution; unconditional grants, conditional grants and equalization grants. The central Government has always transferred money to local governments and these have either come in late or are so tied. When a local government receives a conditional grant of which 97% decision making is a reserve of the Central government, the local government is only left with decision making of only 3% and you expect it to deliver effective services? The central government should at least transfer 38% to the Local government from the 3% to enhance service delivery. For-instance, If a local government receives money only worth to...

The political temperatures are rising as we come close to the polls in February next year and it is no doubt that the poll candidates are already traversing the country in the name of consulting their voters. Whereas the political candidates are getting closer to their voters, extending frequent visits to constituencies, attending more public functions and struggling for any available platforms of expression of interests, the voters are happily waiting for the moment to hold them ransom all in the name of votes. Many voters pride in the poll days as it seems it is their most fetching business enterprise as well as time to express high level vengeance against those they believe have not delivered at all to their respective constituencies. It is also not new that votes have been and are being bought through various means ranging from dishing out money baskets to granting unwarranted favours among others. It is now fashionable that a vote is now a commodity of trade as it is easily ...

Following President Obama's visit to the Africa Union early this week, one of the salient issues he noted was the fact that African leaders want to stay in power for eternity and they have further repealed term limits from their constitution to cement this deal! Much as his comments are timely especially where we see most African states grappling with the term limits issue with others lifting it all in the name of people, African presidents will not deliver Obama's message home instead it is the Citizens of Africa. It is not in issue that term limits are core to democratic governance and as such, they are a must. In Uganda, the term limits were allegedly traded for five million shillings by the Parliament in 2005 who are peoples' representatives and the removal of the term limits was not in any way the peoples' view. To this end, therefore, various citizen organisations through their documents such as the Citizens' Manifesto, the Citizens Compact have demanded fo...

Last week, Civil society Organisations across Africa gathered in Entebbe to collectively make a statement to the African and World leaders on the key issues concerning financing for development. It is an opportunity that Africa hosts the 3rd International conference on Financing for Development and as such, Africa must make a signature statement on issues concerning financing for development. Much as development is much desired, it cannot be fully attained without financing therefore the need to discuss modalities of financing the desired development. One of the very salient emerging key issue during the Pan African CSO conference was the call for good governance and accountability by all governments and their respective institutions; once resources are not governed according to established rubric, meaningful development will be in vain. Respecting guiding principles, allowing inclusive participation of citizens and stakeholders in decision making processes, balancing both the pr...

For some time now, while plying on Kampala-Jinja, Kayunga-Jinja, Jinja-Kamuli, Jinja-Malaba Highways, I have observed and suffered the recklessness of the Sugar cane trucks. on top of over loading, the trucks are in Dangerous Mechanical conditions with some lacking head lumps,having dilapidated breaking systems and also others will have their parts fall off as they continue to make their way to the Sugar Factories. Because of the fear of the presence of traffic police during the day, most of them move in the night and make it more dangerous for road users. These trucks have contributed to the rampant road carnage on major roads in Uganda and thus the need for action. The argument that they are promoting and creating employment should not negate the fact that lives are being lost in the so called development. These trucks are not any exceptional to the traffic regulations and therefore, I call upon the Traffic Police to react immediately and save lives. We can only develop and cre...

For some time now, Trade Unions are one of the oldest citizen form of organizing and associating tracing back to the Industrial revolution where production leaned towards labour intensive. It is upon this background that the International Labour Organisation set standards in Conventions more specifically to Organisations, Association and Collective Bargaining while at place of work. Subsequnetly, various countries have domesticated these standards into national legislations and Uganda is not exceptional. Various legal regimes such as the Constitution, Employment At, Trade Unions Act among others guarantee the freedom of Association. However, very few workers are aware of the need to associate or if some are aware, they are ignorant of its benefits. Uganda has for some time had Trade unions of different professions and trade such as the Transport Industry, Medical, Textile, Teachers, Hotel and tourism among others and they have achieved a lot through collective bargaining. I there...

Undressing is increasingly becoming ‘trendy’, especially when people – particularly women – are protesting over land. In recent months, this trend started in Apaa, Amuru District and spread to Soroti District. And on Monday, Daily Monitor reported that the Minister of State for Lands, Ms Aidah Nantaba, had advised residents of Kayunga District, who are being evicted from their land, to undress before land grabbers as a tactic to scare them away. So far, there is nothing to suggest that naked protests by women have prompted the responsible authorities to institute comprehensive reforms to resolve land wrangles in our communities. The major issue has been land grabbing, allegedly spearheaded by the leaders who are supposed to be protecting the people. Whether this is true or not, undressing will not resolve land problems. Land issues need careful scrutiny and approach and thus, robust solutions should be fronted. I am at loss when a minister who is supposed to deal with land issues...

Uganda has for long been without a chief justice since the re-appointment the former Chief Justice Benjamin Odoki which re-appointment did not go easily with the Public as many protested his re-appointment as he had attained his retirement.To futher the protest, a constitutional petition was filed in Court and this stalled the whole process of having a chief justice for long. Given various demands from the society for the need of a chief justice, the President has appointed Jsc. Bart Katurebe as new Chief Justice of Uganda and the judiciary can now have the father of the house as they have for long been orphans. I have heard so much noise about the new appointment with many doubting his partiality, his delivery among others. I think it is time to give the new chief justice opportunity and space to prove his worth rather than spend lots of time making pre-judicial statements and procrastination about his delivery. We sometimes need to watch first and then comment in context!! ...

I am disheartened that the President, fountain of honour can publicly blame break down of bridges, roads, health centers, absence of electricity on Opposition and painfully to the citizens who exercised their right to vote. This has been continuous especially in areas where the MP is not from the NRM. For a head of state to blame Ugandans for voting their choice of candidates is not only improper but abuse of their right. Further, the president knows well that the roles of MPs are not to construct hospitals, roads or extend power lines as this is solely the mandate of government and it is defeating to hear the presidentt shift this to area MP. It is also nonreligious to hold citizens for ransom and deny them services simply because they did not vote an NRM candidate! In a recent scenario while commission a road in Bukomansibi, the president regretted having given residents of Bukomansibi a district simply because they voted opposition MPs. This is wrong and undesirable.The citize...

Politics is the way society is organized and managed, a system of governance which entails having leaders on one side and subjects (citizens/voters) on the other side. According to Philip Wogaman in his book Christian perspectives on politics, he writes this about politics; “Politics is basic to the definition of crime and the determination of how it will be punished, it affects the degree to which people will be free to speak, to write, to worship. It also defines who will be accepted as members of community and who will be placed at the margins. It seriously influences the rearing of children by determining the circumstances of family life and establishing much of the subject matter of their education.” From this extract, it is clear that politics plays an important role in organizing society, managing it and also formulate principles on which relationships shall hinge on. Religion on the other hand is the belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power; it is also a co...

On January 15th 2015, citizens across the globe gathered to launch Action 2015 as a marker to world leaders to deliver ambitious agreements to tackle poverty, inequality and climate change. In Uganda, the launch was organised by Civil Society organisations under the leadership of the Uganda National NGO Forum-an independent platform for NGOs in Uganda. With calm heavens, the launch was sparked off by a public march sandwiched with a melodious band and young skaters-15 years of age and below all clad in orange t-shirts with messages such as "Leave No one Behind", "I am Uganda, I am Africa, I am #Action 2015", " I am for Sustainable Development" among others The public march attracted enormous gatherings marching from Buganda road,to Bombo road, joining Kampala road and back to Buganda road with various young people reaching out to the masses with information about #Action2015, with skaters performing their giggs throwing the crowd into light moods-all ...