Kampala, Uganda; 5/8/2015: So come the 10th Parliament in 2016, and the number of Members of Parliament in Uganda shall catapult from the current 375 to 400+ once the proposed new constituencies have been created! But does someone realize what a nuisance this is? Do we even appreciate the blatant fact that the position of an MP has been so watered down over the years?
Suffice it to say that Uganda’s population continues to grow (Currently 40+ Million); but says who that having more bodies in Parliament is synonymous with effective representation? It’s better to have a smaller number of legislators who are able to have a chance to meaningfully contribute to debate on the floor than just mere capacity of noise makers. And for how long will the Parliamentary building continue to be expanded anyway? The way I see the trends in Uganda, even if every village were to be represented by an MP, that would still not change our status quo.
Out in the public, lay people remotely believe that having a representative in Parliament helps to have their concerns addressed. They forget that these folks actually have little to do with implementation. The bulk of the work is done by district authorities- it’s there at the district where money should go, not servicing the overheads of a large Parliament. Parliament is a place for discussing national policy and law and honestly NOT constituency development.
In recent years, Members of Parliament have been wasting away their first weeks of business, selfishly debating salary increment and allocating themselves so much to buy new vehicles. This is how careless some of these folks can mean to be. Recently MPs passed a resolution that each of them should have an i-Pad and so it was; they allocated themselves 100 Million for fuel and so it was; but at this rate, of what good is all this to mother Uganda? Unfortunately when such crazy decisions are taken, even the sleepers who never contribute a thing in the House find the Millions deposited on their accounts. This is not to say that MPs do not deserve a fair pay at all, but it is very unfair to waste away resources on a huge number of legislators when the country only needs a few brains to move forward. Just because they have the platform to do anything they want, they indeed go ahead and do anything they want, as long as it suits them right. Channeled to more development oriented debate and action, the energy and brains of a few in the August House could be the secret weapon to a New Improved Uganda.
I recently saw in the media that over 2700 NRM members had picked forms with the intention of contesting for the MP position-that’s how lucrative Parliament has become. On the face of it, this might look so cool for democracy; but not quite. These very folks will require a fortune to successfully go through the campaigns, because many Ugandans today will not part with their vote unless it’s in exchange for something tangible. Call it voter bribery or electoral corruption, but with the kind of money MPs are bathing up there for no good work done, many voters would never queue up under the sun to vote anyone without facilitation. And this cycle continues, because the MP must use whatever opportunity at his disposal to gain back what was spent on campaigns, with profit. What makes this situation more unfortunate is the fact that brilliant brains that would possibly transform our country, are denied the chance if they do not have the funds it takes to buy votes.
I had also almost thought it a great idea for the term of Parliament to be extended to at least seven years; but was taken aback after listening to the reasons some legislator adduced to justify this. She was quoted on radio as saying that MPs need more time so that they can spend the first year in celebrations, the second to organize themselves and so on. Really!!!
Oh, life in Uganda has become so watered down! Those days if one graduated from University with a degree, one would be lifted aloft in excitement and some got jobs even before their final exam; those days if someone were appointed a minister, they called for overnight celebration; those days if one became a Member of Parliament, it was such an honorable achievement: But today, everything has become so diluted that it’s hard to tell the difference between the leaders and the led, the educated and the uneducated. We are simply living market kind of life with everyone squandering and gasping for dear life.
So, is this the end of the world? I think Yes and No: Yes, because I do not see anywhere positive this status of events is taking us other than to absolute damnation. Very soon the country will become unmanageable because of too much noise in parliament and critical issues will continue to drag on for lack of consensus: And No, if Ugandans appreciate the time bomb we are seated on and decide that the time is NOW to craft a firm foundation for the future generation. The Banyankole have a saying that “Kabe kakye kanure”- meaning that it’s better to have something small that is sweet than big that is tasteless. Let those who have ears, listen.
