DAILY MONITOR EDITORIAL ON FEDERALISM

The Daily Monitor’s Editorial of 12 January 2012 titled “Can federation cut national cake fairly?” raised issues, questioning UFA’s motives for promoting federalism -: (i) “…parochial desire to supplant centralized governance with divisive Buganda nationalism?” (ii) a platform for “uncharitable Ganda nationalists…to secede? (iii) the unlikely answer to “equitable re-distribution of resources” (iv) “unmindful of the economic plight of “marginal and depressed regions…?”. This response is intended to put those reservations to rest.

UFA’s brand of federalism slightly differs from ‘federo”, which, admittedly, looks like a hi-breed of monarchism and federalism. UFA advocates for federalism for the entire Uganda, and in this, differs from FDC, DP and UPC, who, in their respective manifestos, promised federalism for only those regions which want it. UFA believes that federalism is good and should be promoted throughout the country, even among regions that do not want it, because we believe that their abhorance for federalism is premised on ignorance, arising out of calculated distortions of the system’s values, by self-seeking politicians, hence, UFA’s deliberate policy to de-Bugandanize and Ugandanize federalism.

During the 2011 Elections, UFA fielded 65 Parliamentary candidates, only 24 of whom are from Buganda, 125 Local Governments’ Councilors, only 55 of whom are from Buganda. There is not a district in Uganda where UFA did not field a candidate, but more importantly, we won District / Sub county councillorships of Bukedea, Moyo, Manafwa, Bulambuli, Ntungamo, Luweero, Kumi, Pallisa, Malera, Kagadi, Kotido, Kaberamaido, Aleptong, Kalangala and others.

UFA’s Chairman, Peter Mayeku is from Bugisu, Vice President, Boniface Oniba is from Acholi, National Chief Mobilizer, Dr Waiswa is from Busoga, Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, Christine Kisubi is from Budaka, Chairman of the Federal System Development Commission, Yosam Baguma is from Kigezi, Minister of Finance, Ndugu Omong is from Lango, Chairman of the UFA Youth League, Kennedy Oluma is from Arua, Chairman of UFA UK Chapter, Akim Odong is from Acholi - how can all these people be working to promote “Ganda nationalism and secession?

Personally, with Banyankore children, a Kikuyu mother, Langi first cousins and Japadhola nieces/nephews, not only would I find life hard as a secessionist, I also happen to think it is defeatist. My view is that if you are not getting your fair share of anything, fight for it, but do not run to hide, which secessionism look like, to me!

As for regions that are “marginal and depressed”, Uganda does not have to re-invent the wheel, because old federal states like the USA, Canada, Australia, Malaysia and Nigeria already invented the “equalization grant” strategy, where, the better-off regions pay a special tax to support less endowed ones. This strategy is even provided for in the Regional Tier Act, which foresaw that regions are never equally endowed.

It is worth noting, though, that federalism is not just about resource sharing but more about policies and priorities. Japan does not have oil, but invested in human resource development. They are now world suppliers of electronics and vehicles. Dubai, one of seven Emirates in the UAE, owes its success story not to natural resources, but to a tax-free-trade policy. Sharija, another emirate, has oil but does not have the free-tax policy, and is not quite as rich as Dubai. Federalism creates space for creativity and innovation by different regions, instead of the socialist-like system where all regions wait for the center to think and plan for them.

Uganda will be better off with federalism for Uganda, than with “federo”, which Buganda, FDC, UPC and DP favour.

Beti Olive Namisango Kamya

President

Uganda Federal Alliance (UFA)

0783 438 201 / 0751 590 542

E mail: ufapresident@gmail.com   

PARLIAMENT FIGHTING CONSEQUENCES..

The 9^th Parliament must be congratulated for fighting corruption.

My concern, though, is that they are shooting at consequences of Uganda’s problem rather than its cause. Corruption, human rights abuse, electoral malpractices, Mbabazi, Basajjabalaba are consequences, NOT the cause of autocratic rule, therefore, fighting them offers temporary relief, not cure.

Imagine a garbage heap where waste from an abattoir are dumped. Maggots, a consequence of rotting waste will attract marabou stock (kaloli) and flies. Neighboring residents might chase away the marabou stock with stones and spray the flies, but since they come searching for maggots, they will keep coming back as long as the abattoir functions. A permanent solution would lie in investing in an effluent system which treats waste, at the abattoir – expensive the investment might be, but it’s the only way through which maggots that attract marabou stock and flies can be stopped.

Similarly, if termites threaten to destroy a nearby structure, harvesting edible ants flying out of their anthill will not save the structure. The anthill must be demolished and Queen Ant removed, else, the termites will never go away. There is no easy way out of a huge problem. Parliament should fight the termites and marabou stock (read corruption and human rights’ abuse) but more importantly, they must go for the root CAUSE of problem - the queen ant or the abattoir (read the constitution or the system).

The cause of Uganda’s problem is her Constitution, which makes the president Head of State, Head of Govt and Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces.  S(he) appoints the vice president, prime minister, chief justice, ministers, heads of statutory bodies, judges, commissioners, RDCs, Presidential advisors, vice chancellors, CAOs, ambassadors and permanent secretaries. S(he) apportions the budget at his/her discretion. In Uganda, the president is the sole employer, provider and benefactor, in short, displease him at your peril, yet, while holding office, s(he) is not liable to court proceedings!

There is a feeble attempt by the constitution to give parliament an oversight role but that can fall flat in the face of the president’s immense influence, if /when s(he) chooses to use it!

In the 1962 Constitution, Obote was Head of Govt, while Mutesa was Head of State and Commander-in-Chief. In the UK, the Prime Minister is Head of Govt while the Monarch is Head of State, Commander-in-Chief and Head of the House of Lords. In the USA, the vice president is elected alongside the president as Running Mate, therefore, cannot be fired by the president, plus the president has little influence on what happens in the States, that being the jurisdiction of Governors. In Kenya, the Chief Justice, judges and electoral commissioners apply for their jobs to an independent commission, power has largely been devolved to 47 Counties and the central govt budget has been cut to 20%.  Only in Uganda does the President appoint everybody. Ugandan presidents beat up anybody who tries to grab power from them and rig elections to keep it because there is only one power center. Patronage and corruption flourish under Uganda’s presidents because cohorts, sycophants and job seekers surround and cheer them.

Ugandans are so engrossed in fighting corruption and human rights’ abuse, ignoring that those are just consequences, NOT the cause of autocratic rule, a consequence of the immense power vested in the presidency by the constitution.

Article 74 of the constitution of Uganda empowers citizens to change political systems through  referenda. During 2012, UFA will mobilize Ugandans to evoke Article 74 and petition the Electoral Commission to organize a referendum, in 2015, to vote out the current political system that overloads the president with power, and vote in an equitable system that reduces those powers.

Beti Olive Namisango Kamya

PRESIDENT, UGANDA FEDERAL ALLIANCE

ufapresident@gmail.com