Museveni's Goodwill Is A Return on Investment

 Museveni’s Goodwill Is A Return on Investment

 

Tom Muyunga-Mukasa

 

From 1966 to 1985, Uganda’s economy suffered and so did the business cycles in all sectors e.g. education, commerce, infrastructure maintenance and service delivery with nationalistic, democracy and governance repercussions. 

The governments that followed in succession up to 1986 absconded on the duty to serve the social needs of Ugandans. It was easier to provide visibility to the army, police, local government security entities and not economic entities. 

Culture remained the enduring fall back entity that connected Ugandans geographically, spiritually and ethnically. But this put the cultural dimension of Ugandans as contrary to the goals of the existing governments then. 

The 35-year NRM rule returned a recognition of the many entities that define the survival of Uganda. The years between 1986 to 2021 are a securitized hegemony that gives Uganda a breath of life and a very good brand in Africa and the world. 

The 35 year-longevity has contributed to dependable relations within Uganda and with other countries. They have contributed to Museveni’s image as an international security strategist and a dependable statesman. Several African heads of state, dignitaries and emissaries arrived in Uganda on Tuesday to witness President Yoweri Museveni’s swearing-in-ceremony. Some of the leaders included Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya, Samia Saluhu of Tanzania, Emmerson Mnagagwa of Zimbabwe, Hage Gottfried Geingob of Namibia, Salva Kiir of South Sudan and Alpha Conde of Guinea. One can argue that all African countries were represented in one way or another through the representation of the African Union (AU), the Eastern Africa Legislative Assembly (EALA), the East African Commission (EAC) and Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAAD) institutions. Museveni’s governance style in Uganda stokes fervor which contributes to improved and strengthened integration in the African and the global economy. A number of households in Uganda have moved away from a subsistence and now participate in a monetized economy. 

The international migrant stock number in Uganda is an indicative factor pointing toward Uganda’s conducive conditions for investment and relocation. 

Uganda has steadily upheld such instruments that are internationally recognized thereby leveraging critical catalysts fast-tracking such goals like a rising middle-class and commitment to War on Terror (WoT). In achieving these goals, the international and national security strategies meet at the crossroads of a secure territory in which people identify or experience Uganda variously.

 

The 35 years have consolidated a stronger identity and confidence in the people who perceive they have autonomous institutions that are connected culturally, technologically, geographically and spiritually.

 

People can comprehend trends and are able to discuss conceptual issues during popular talk shows. They are able to debate around the pace of Uganda is taking to fully integrate in a global economy, they point out who has moved into the top income earner class and why that is possible, they share opinions about the state of low income earners, the need for water transport, the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), how agriculture can be modernized to embrace value addition on raw-materials, they can argue points on why Africa has remained poor, the federation policies, classical cooperative unions, cultural socialism, constitutionalism, progressive policies, corporate regulation, money out of politics, the planet ecology and wetlands, social economic transformation, a tax base and how culture has leveraged harmony in a multi-cultural/multi-ethnic Uganda.

 

 

The Immigrant Stock in Uganda 1961-2021

 

International migrant stock is the number of people born in a country other than that in which they live. It also includes refugees. The data used to estimate the international migrant stock at a particular time are obtained mainly from population censuses. The estimates are derived from the data on foreign-born population--people who have residence in one country but were born in another country. When data on the foreign-born population are not available, data on foreign population--that is, people who are citizens of a country other than the country in which they reside--are used as estimates. After the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991 people living in one of the newly independent countries who were born in another were classified as international migrants. Estimates of migrant stock in the newly independent states from 1990 on are based on the 1989 census of the Soviet Union. For countries with information on the international migrant stock for at least two points in time, interpolation or extrapolation was used to estimate the international migrant stock on July 1 of the reference years. For countries with only one observation, estimates for the reference years were derived using rates of change in the migrant stock in the years preceding or following the single observation available. A model was used to estimate migrants for countries that had no data. Uganda immigration statistics for 2015 was 749,471.00, a 41.63% increase from 2010; immigration statistics for 2010 was 529,160.00, a 18.96% decline from 2005; immigration statistics for 2005 was 652,968.00, a 2.88% increase from 2000; immigration statistics for 2000 was 634,703.00, a 0.01% increase from 1995. Source: Microtrends

It is these experiences they commonly celebrate or talk about as a people. They include: rule of law, which family has regular meals, who can afford their full medical bills or which road ferries the haves and how the have-nots are provided opportunities to celebrate Ramadhan, Easter or Christmas. 

Other common features they celebrate are: Uganda as an emerging oil-supplier, tolerant multi-ethnicities, middle-income economy drivers, a professional army, the ‘Bush-War,’ urbanized communities, multi-party dispensation and the move toward a market-oriented economy. These aspirations are achieved where security in turn sets in place proper governance.

 

State security protects governance and the freedoms which allow the ‘Wananchi’ to express their sentiments, identity and culture in many ways. Re-assurance comes in many ways of existential realities ranging from not having their doors kicked-in by burglars, the ‘Bush-War’ referent, to undisturbed goats in the barns. 

Among the NRM Historicals are three categories, the early initiators, the suited lobbyists (colloquially termed the sausage connoisseurs out of which the sausage joke arose) and the latter adapters. The honorable NRM heroines and heroes who die are buried with pomp. Woe betide the dishonorable ones.  

People feel life goes on unperturbed when their worship centers can conduct Friday, Saturday, Sunday or night prayers. When such a life is disrupted they report it to relevant state structures which are layered from a village security committee, a local police post or an area leader to the highest levels. These state structures inform the belief systems Ugandans have experienced for 35 years now and assure them of the state presence in their day-to-day life.

 

The 35 years have contributed to goodwill, fostered goal-oriented internal planning with economic development outcomes and secured dependable structures upholding a commitment to rolled-out development in Uganda. What remains to be seen is consolidation of what took 35 years to build or reorganize and not repeating the mistake of neglecting nation-building. Post-colonial Africa thrives better on nation-building and that is why Uganda is bringing the rear when compared to Rwanda, Kenya and Tanzania in a race to an EAC integrated economy.