Elections in Africa: The tragedy of lack of ideology; A Case of Uganda

I was the United States at a time they were going through primaries for the presidential candidates for the two major political parties. The US has the Republican Party which brings together conservatives .These are people who believe that society does not require big government and the role of government in society should be police and defense. They believe in the individual knowing best what he wants and in working to make profit for oneself. These are hard core capitalist. They believe in the traditional religious virtues don't believe in gay marriage don't support single parents and believe in all those conservative traditional positions in society

The other party is the Democratic Party. Of course it too believes in operation of markets but with government control and strict oversight. These are liberals who believe markets are not perfect and need intervention of government to create social justice. They support gay marriages, single family and generally government action to support the poor and vulnerable sections of society. The political battles between these two are interesting and they actually border hatred. In fact listening to Donald Trump who for some time has been a front runner in the Republican Party ,he said there was hatred between the two groups and of course accused Obama who is a democrat president for causing it. The primaries are intended to bring  out the best candidate.  It compares to what Besigye and Muntu had in which Muntu lost to Besigye. They then of course went to the Democratic Alliance  (TDA) where they failed to agree on a single candidate. Then primaries bring out who is best suited for the party.

The parliamentary primaries for the NRM party have been very interesting. The last one of 2011 was controlled by the then Secretary General Amaama Mbabazi. If you didn't support him , it is said you never won the primary. I witnessed the election myself and it was a big scandal. Some candidates were given money others didn't get. Some candidates had spare votes! They stuffed boxes. Today as the NRM concludes the same process it seems no learning took place. Accusations of fraud have been rampart. It is also said that there has been an Amaama factor. Amaama has his silent supporters who he may have sponsored according to press reports but they fear to come out openly to support him at this stage. They have hope that Amaama will make it at the presidential election. If he succeeds they will come out, if he fails they will forever keep quiet.!!!
The differences between the politicians in the US and indeed the Western countries  generally is ideological. Essentially  it is about the role of the state in transformation.
Each group believes its approach is best for the economy and they sell these ideas to the people to elect them into office. In my beloved country Uganda the idea of ideology is not on the table. First of all most of the politicians have peasant backgrounds and likely to be the first to break through in their families to join he middle class. They therefore have no interests  to safeguard yet. Yes they may have studied a bit about ideology but that's not an issue yet. They tend to support whoever is in government that guarantees their job. They also base their politics on either religious affiliation or tribal. Actually some people are their simply to enrich themselves because they have seen it is possible to do so. Yoweri Museveni is schooled in ideology and is the reason he is President today. His beliefs took him out of school and work to join liberation movements. He started his own party to liberate Uganda based on his belief that there was bad governance in Uganda and indeed Africa. He believed in the central role of the state, like the Democrats in the US, to solve societal problems. The democrats though believe in markets. Most of African leaders did not believe in markets being able to solve African problems. I wouldn't blame them. First of all those who colonized the world had objectives of profit maximization and didn't care about the  local people. Secondly when they imposed governments on to these colonized communities, these governments didn’t work with or for local people, they instead supported those who were looking for profit who were back in the colonizing country. Thirdly was the disease of slave trade which appears to have been either promoted or supported by the foreign colonial governments. The leader who emerged at that time therefore had no alternative but to hate the type of government of the day in the 20 the Century Communism appeared to provide the alternative to colonial governments.  Many African leaders therefore played into the communist hands. These ideologies, capitalism and communism were philosophies developed in Europe. The philosophiessuited the conditions in Europe. Africa's conditions were very different. Without the industrial revolution capitalism has no meaning in Africa. Seeking profit was not understood then. Whoever practices it simply rips off the peasant. This is what colonial governments did with introduction of cotton and coffee in Uganda. In Kenya, coffee was on farms owned by whites. In Zimbabwe the same thing happened but the Europeans actually took the land. In South Africa it was worse.
African leaders were his reactionary. Adopting foreign ideology like communism simply because it provided an alternative to capitalism. Not because it provided a better programme. Others like Keneth Kaunda in Zambia introduced humanism, but it was not anchored in production relations. Besides, it had no clear proponents to argue for it. He simply took a bit of African philosophical thinking that was not in the economic arena and thought he could make it an ideology.  It had no chance against the powerful capitalism.
For capitalism to sustain itself it has proponents, researchers, disciples and diehards. In fact both the Republicans and Democrats in the United States have foundations whose role is to research into their thinking and make simulations about the economy and advise the political leaders. The Heritage Foundation and the Brookings foundation serve Republicans and Democrats respectively.
These are think tanks where the ideologues of each party go to think for the party and advise how the interests of each party can be promoted and preserved.
It is not surprising that Africa has copied systems but do not know how to manage and sustain them let alone grow them or practice them.

Looking at the NRM party which is the biggest in the country the first question is what is the ideology of the party? How many people share or understand it if it exists? Given the different leaders with different backgrounds in the NRMis it possible that the leadership is bound by a common ideology .To me NRM is a collection of people who gravitated towards Museveni because he had captured  power and could dispense it. All the Johnny come lately politicians have joined to get a piece of that power and the resources that go with it. Unfortunately NRM has failed to build a party. That's why we have the Besigyes and Amaamas emerging. Amaama is arguing that yes he has been close to the power but he didn't dispense it. He now wants it so that he can do what he would have wanted to do. This is because NRM has no clear ideology. If it had Amaama wouldn't have emerged this way and would not be saying that. This is because ideology keeps interests of members a member cannot go away. If he does he goes with others on a clear disagreement with the mainstream party. Amaama should have agreed to go away with those who believed that the party no longer served their interests not simply because he wants to be President. India which has copied western democracy has seen break up of mainstream parties but like the NRM now the breakup of most has not been ideological. Its been about wielding power. This has seen emergence of numerous parties in India. However the difference is that unlike Uganda Indian political groups have some interests that back them.

In Uganda the intellectuals who should advise the politicians are nowhere near doing that, in fact they are accused of being theorists who know nothing about politics. The intellectuals are the guiding forces of any development.  They look at what the politicians are doing and make sense out of it. They provide guidance through testing of the different practices by politicians. But who listens to them? Not surprising that NRM today has no think tank or interests groups who support it .most members are looking for resources. Possibly the  historical s could be the interest groups but they periodically loose elections and go to the cold .it is the generals who normally get support from the establishment , not others. For this reason there are no Families, businesses and diehard individuals who believe in the NRM philosophy, because it doesn't have one anyway, who will go with it where ever it goes. This is because there is no common thread that links the different parts of the party together. Parties will form when they develop a common ideology without it they have no locus. Elections are therefore not about preserving interests but for the individual to get employed. May be, one day a system may form a political system. Good luck to those seeking elective offices

KYABAZINGA CORONATION, Gabula iv joins line of glorious Kyabazingas

The institution of Kyabazingaship started in the 20th century with the formation of Busoga Lukiiko (parliament) in 1894-with its headquarters in Bukaleba in Mayuge (bunya) before they were moved to Iganga in Kigulu and later Bugenbe in Jinja (Butembe).

All the 11 hereditary chiefs of Bukono, Busiki, Bulamogi, Kigulu, Bukooli, Bugweri, Bunya, Butembe, Luuka, Bugabula, Bunhole, were all members of the Lukiiko and were expected to move to Bukaleba. The first head of Busoga Lukiiko used the tittle ‘’president’’ and he was Governor Sir William Grant. But because of language barrier, grant had issues communicating wth the chiefs, which forced the colonialists to hire their Muganda cadre, Semei Lwakirenzi Kakungulu in 1906 to become the new president.

However, he was not a Musoga wrangles amongst the different chiefs and clans continued and the most basoga still retained affiliation to their chief. Kakungulu was removed in 1913, ushering in a rotational leadership, which required every chief to leave his palace and move to Bugembe and rule for three months. This system lasted until 1919 when fatigue set in and the chiefs opted to elect one of them to rule.

Since then Busoga has had only three Kyabazinga’s with William Gabula iv becoming the fourth Kyabazinga. Ezekeri Tenywa Wako, became the first Kyabazinga in 1939 as he had served as the president of the Busoga lukiiko since 1919. He was succeeded by sir William Wilberforce Nadiope Kadhumbula (ii) and Henry Wako Muloki.

Below is a quick glance at Busoga’s Kyabazingas as depicted at the cultural research centre museum in Jinja.

1. Ezekeri Tenywa Wako (1919-1949)

He was born to prince Wambuzi one of the sons of Kisira, who was the Zibondo of Bulamogi at the advent of British rule in Uganda in 1894. 

After completing his studies at Kings College Budo in 1914 Wako became the Zibondo since his grandfather had died at Bukaleba and his father (Wambuzi) had died in exile at Kakoro in todays (Budaka) district in 1907.

In 1919, Wako became the first Musoga president of Busoga after the first president Semei Lwakirenzi Kakungulu, a Muganda, who had administered the area from 1906 to 1913, had been dismissed by the colonial government.

In 1925, Wako became a member of the council of Ugandas kings who included the Kabaka of Buganda, the Omukama of Bunyoro kitara, Omukama of Tooro and Omugabe of Ankole. 

During his twenty years as president (1919-1939), wako actively promoted education including maintaining of balangira high school, which had been established by the church missionary society and Yosia Nadiope at Kamuli in 1911, and transformed it into Busoga College Mwiri in 1933.

He also supported the construction of Busoga government headquarters at Bugembe, construction of a number of churches, county and sub county, administration centres, opening of several Criss crossing roads, establishment of health centre’s and promotion of community development programs.

Also during the inter war period of 1919-1939, Wako and his chiefs helped to promote agriculture and commerce. They encouraged Busoga farmers to grow cotton, coffee and some food crops for sell. In turn the agriculture and commerce led to the expansion of Jinja town and creation of small towns like Iganga, Kaliro, Kamuli and Bugiri, the following establishment of Kakira sugarcane plantation in 1927 and cotton ginneries in various parts in Busoga.

In addition, wako used his position as the chairman of Busoga Council and chief judge in Busoga district to initiate some reforms in administration and judicial matters and to strengthen the powers of Busoga council.

2. Sir William Wilberforce Nadiope kadhumbula (Gabula ii) (1949-1956 and 1962-1967) 

He was born in 1911 to prince Yosia Nadiope and Suzana Nasikombi who was the sister to sir Apollo Kagwa. At the age of 8, Nadiope was taken to the only outstanding school in Busoga known as balangira high school in Kamuli which had been started by his father together with Rev T,R,Buckerly of the church of missionary society. But after a few years he was taken to Mengo by his uncle Apollo where he stayed for short time before he went to Trent College in Nottingham, England, were he studied with other prince. 

The young Nadiope returned to Uganda in 1929 with intensions of going for further studies at the famous Achimota College in Accra Ghana. However, he changed his mind after he was requested to take over leadership from Daudi Kintu Mutekanga as county chief of Bugabula in 1930. 

Following with William Nadiope’s flashes with the British administrators in 1933 1nd 1938, he was exiled to Bunyoro in 1939. He was later returned to mobilize basoga to go for the second world war which he did successfully earning the title of ‘’sir’’ from her majesty the queen of England. 

He survived the war in far East (India, Burma, and Malaysia) and returned to Uganda in 1945.

In 1949, he was elected by Busoga council as the second Kyabazinga. In 1952, Nadiope was re-elected, and in 1954, he was one of the dignitaries that receive Queen Elizabeth ii at the official opening of the falls dam in Jinja.

During his reign, Busoga government created bursary scheme to support poor and deserving learners’ especially in secondary schools and encouraged the establishment of Busoga Growers Cooperative Union (BGCU) in 1953 under Marthius Mbalule Ngobi. When nNdiope lost the Kyabazingaship in 1955 to Henry wako muloki, he turned his eyes to national politics. He was elected to legislative council (LEGCO) in 1958, having won a sit Busoga north, Busoga south was won by Martius Ngobi.

3. Henry wako Muloki (1962 and 1991 to 2008)

He was born in 1921 to Ezekeri Tenywa Wako and Yunia Nakibande.A few years later he went to Budo junior school before Joining King’s College Budo where he was head prefect in 1941-42.

Between 1943 and 1948, he was a student at Makerere College (now university) where he obtained a diploma in agriculture. After, he worked as a researcher at serere Agricultural Research station in teso before he become an assistance agricultural officer in Busoga.In 1955, he was elected the 3rd Kyabazinga of Busoga and married Alice Kintu of Abaisekisu clan from Bulopa in 1956.

Muloki assumed the Kyabazinga with a new team of people who included Yeseri Kazungu Mulondo ( Secretary General) and Zedekia Wambi ( chief judge) together with JB Lubandi who had become treasurer in 1953. Since four of them (with the exception Wambi) were ex-Makerereans, it was easy for them to chart a new socio-economic and political program for Busoga. 

In addition, Mulondo was already a backbencher in the legislative council from 1945 while Walukamba was elected by Busoga council to the legislative council in 1955 to 1953, with David Livingstone and Kaira Lubogo, who was the first Ugandan to qualify as a barrister in 1954.

During Moloki’s seven years and four months as Kyabazinga from May 1955 to September 1962, Busoga government achieved many things which included:

• Establishing Iganga junior school (1955), Kiira College Butiki (1959), and Wanyange girls secondary school (1960).

• Persuading the Madvani group to establish Wairaka College, PMM girls secondary school Jinja and Wairaka farm school.

• Establishing a number of leprosy camps and planting a number of forests in different parts of Busoga.

• Establishing cattle dips in different areas.

• Creating a bursary/scholarship scheme for advanced studies overseas.

• And starting a Busoga government newspaper called Kodeyo. 

4. William Nadiope Gabula iv

He was born on November 1,1988 to professor Anold Wilson Nadiope (Gabula iii), who spent much of his time abroad before he returned in 1987, and he was appointed state minister for tourism. Professor Anold Nadiope who is a son to sir William Wilberforce Kadhumbula Nadiope (Gabula ii) married a daughter of engineer Mpaata, who gavebirth to prince William Nadiope iv who became chief of Bugabula, following his father’s death in 1991. 

Gabula IV went to Rohanna Academy before joining Busoga College Mwiri for his O’level 2002-2005 and Kyambongo College school for his A’level 2006-2007, he then joined Kyambongo University where he pursued a Bachelors Degree in Economics. The king who has been working as a development analyst with the ministry of Energy and mineral development, flew out this month to UK for his masters degree

ARTICLE PICKED FROM THE OBSERVER OF SEPTEMBER 26-28, 2014 WRITTEN BY SIMON MUSASIZI

The Irony of the Economic Migrants against Refugees: Failure of World Leadership.

A few months back the world press was full of economic migrants trying to get into the UK from France. Many have braved the sea from Libya and through Libya to try and make it to Europe. People are distraught with poverty in their countries and are looking for better places to live in. Incidentally those who do are usually the less skilled or graduates who fail to find jobs in their respective countries. It's not common for those who can find a job home to yearn to live abroad. Of course I must accept that the developed countries have all those marvels for us from poor countries to see and admire and everybody would wish to see them given a chance. Therefore every African would wish to visit the developed west. Of course with control of the media the western countries make it only to attractive for Africans to want to go there by showing only poverty and wars in African countries.  Before our minds left these migrants largely from Africa another wave hit the mass media. This time not immigrants but refugees!! All of a sudden a flow of people hits the world. Refugees fleeing Syria and now many Arab countries is what we see in our living rooms if you have a TV. Unlike economic migrants who are locked out these are welcomed with open arms!
Both groups are a creation of the rich west one in a subtle manner other out of massive aggression. The migrants fleeing Africa and parts of Asia are fleeing from poverty.this poverty is a function of many factors but one of them is the west not allowing these countries to trade with them . There is no level playing field and there are a host of restrictions that make poor Africa unable to trade with the rich West. Given their squalid conditions how do you expect poor African to meet the health requirements for certain export to the West. Given their lack of education and inability to focus on science how do you expect poor Africa to be able export any product to the West.

Africa is known for wars and military coups. There is literature that most of the coups are inspired by the west, look at what happened in Egypt recently. Gaddaffi, Patrice Lumumba, Kwame Nkrumah. There is something to do with CIA or something like that when this happens and there are the famous wars in Africa who is funding them? Who is funneling the wars there? Under such conditions leadership in Africa has been a captive to western interests and have failed to deliver the required grant. This leads to poor Africans who desire better conditions to want to relocate to those countries where the conditions are better.

This will continue for a s long as there is no development in Africa, Africa cannot grow without selling anything to the rich west. The merging economies of Asia including the power house today China had to look to the West for growth Africa cannot be different.
The Arabian refugees entering in Europe is a different story. Many critics of western policies attribute the current crisis to the American invasion of Iraq by the Bush administration. That was the fatal mistake that was made that today reverberates throughout the Middle East. Invading Iraq according to the economist of September was to satisfy Israel and weaken whoever was intone region who could threaten Israel. The desire to contain Egypt which is now fixed, Syria which so far they have failed to fix and Iran which they fear to fix is what is causing the current refugee crisis. The bombing of Syria and creation and support of various fighting groups has torn the country apart. This has led to refugees in Lebanon and other neighboring countries. About half a million people have moved to Europe from Middle East. It is also reported that over 4 million people have been displaced in Syria.

But these refugees are welcome unlike the economic migrants! They are welcome for various reasons. One that the West created the problem by bombing these countries if they don't address the challenge it may soon backfire on them. The level of destruction of these countries is unprecedented. Two, migration of young productive people can be good for the nations in the long run. In the short run they have to house fed and generally looked after but in the long run they provide the required labour to fuel the growth. Most of these western countries have an aging population and small families. Europe is running short of labour. The USA and UK which have over the years welcomed migrants have been able to keep a steady supply of labour. German is one county that feels the pinch in its growth plans. It needs the people. Unfortunately they did not know how many to expect and it kind of went out of hand. None the less with German organization this problem will be fixed. It is said that the German working population will shrink by 20million by the year 2030 as the number of deaths outstrip births. The economy will therefore not be able to grow. The most European countries need people to fill this gap.

This had its dark side. The Arabs moving into Europe are Muslims and there is a mixed feeling about Muslims in Europe. Most of the Muslims and nationalities from Asia's do not assimilate into the cultures they go into. The struggle between the Arabs and Israel's has been turned into a religious war successfully. It no longer Israel and the Arabs it is Israel, the west and Muslims. This has now created the good muslim and the bad muslim. The good one is that one collaborating with e west the bad whoever is fighting the west. It has also created successfully the word Islamist and accepted by many Muslims who now use it as it is correct. For the some of us who cooperate with the west we are moderates! Those who don't are Islamists. Why are such two countries unequal creating an economic migrant crisis? The US is aware, it requires fresh labour and they have an organized system if bringing in migrants every year. Recently, during the Pope’s visit to the US the girl who broke into security to deliver a letter to the Pope was a demonstration of the challenges of immigration in the United States. But when you have dead bodies of kids floating on the sea and others electrocuted as a result of these policies, you ask what the global leadership is up to.

In North America, the situation has been very different. Mexicans from the relatively poor Mexico are trying to get into the United States. The US has put barbed wire along the border that separates it from Mexico but Mexicans still scale these fences.  The world has never been fair especially to poor people. But poverty amidst this plenty is a shame and a failure of world leadership, the mass movement of refugees is a failure of world leadership. Unless if the issue is intentional it is not possible that the west with all it might and wealth would fail to find a solution not only to the economic migrant t but to the refugee crisis