The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (Chogm), will be held in Kampala from November 23-25 will have alot media coverage, with news reports from Kampala forming international headlines.
This is an opportunity to show our beautiful country before a worldwide community. It will also bring both and long term benefits to our country with millions of dollars that will pour into the cauntry.
But will that one change internationally perception of uganda ?The success or failure of Chogm should therefore be of deep concern to all Ugandans including those in opposition. CHOGM should not be seen as going to improving the image of President Yoweri K. Museveni and his collapsing government, but that of all Ugandans who understand the need to uplift our poor economy and the ability of our small, struggling country to play on the international stage.
Saturday, May 26, 2007
Sunday, May 20, 2007
The dilemma of District quota system
In a bid to make higher education accessible to the poor, the government came up with the district quota system in 2004.
The move was to see each district get an equal number of students admitted on government to Makerere University, Gulu University, Kyambogo University and Mbarara University.
This is a good policy because it’s likely to create equal opportunity for all Ugandans to attain education. Previously government sponsorship benefited students from well to do families. Those well to do families who could manage to send their students to high performing schools, their children had an opportunity to raise high poits for government scholarships.
The government is facing a tough challenge in administering the district quota system because of anomalies in birth certificate. From the start of this programme I though it was going to be an uphill to manage the quota system given poor procedures in acquiring birth and death registration.
Who can tell that Mr. so. and so. Was not born from Katakwi if he can go to Katakwi and bribe the chairman LC1 to get an introduction letter which can help him get a birth certificate of Katakwi district even if he was born from Kampala. Such flaw in the system makes it hard for students from poor families to benefit from that affirmative action
Automatically some students from well off districts will end up conniving with local leaders in poor districts to abuse the policy by forging their credentials and others are likely to disguise themselves as residents of remotely located districts.
In Uganda corruption is at its best students will have to always present forged birth certificates and falsify their districts of origin in order to gain admission on Government-sponsorship. If the whole process was not marred by to many flaws, distict quota system could have brought up an equal balance in education where some students would be forced to join up- country schools so as to compete favorably and get admitted.
I still look sat this as one of the best education policy policy the NRM government has ever produced but the problem is that the government and other politician have failed to sensitize the public the way it works for example some parents in rural areas even don't know that their sons and daughters can be admitted on government, they still have a mentality that government scholarships are for those who are financially well off, academically sound, and most importantly "known".
To day even a student with 10 points who sat his HS from a rural school can be admitted on quota system and that one who scored 22 points from Kampala can miss out. Is there any one to explain such to parents and students who hail from rural areas?
Can the people concerned go back to the drawing board carry out mass sensitization such that the public can help them to identify the culprits?
The move was to see each district get an equal number of students admitted on government to Makerere University, Gulu University, Kyambogo University and Mbarara University.
This is a good policy because it’s likely to create equal opportunity for all Ugandans to attain education. Previously government sponsorship benefited students from well to do families. Those well to do families who could manage to send their students to high performing schools, their children had an opportunity to raise high poits for government scholarships.
The government is facing a tough challenge in administering the district quota system because of anomalies in birth certificate. From the start of this programme I though it was going to be an uphill to manage the quota system given poor procedures in acquiring birth and death registration.
Who can tell that Mr. so. and so. Was not born from Katakwi if he can go to Katakwi and bribe the chairman LC1 to get an introduction letter which can help him get a birth certificate of Katakwi district even if he was born from Kampala. Such flaw in the system makes it hard for students from poor families to benefit from that affirmative action
Automatically some students from well off districts will end up conniving with local leaders in poor districts to abuse the policy by forging their credentials and others are likely to disguise themselves as residents of remotely located districts.
In Uganda corruption is at its best students will have to always present forged birth certificates and falsify their districts of origin in order to gain admission on Government-sponsorship. If the whole process was not marred by to many flaws, distict quota system could have brought up an equal balance in education where some students would be forced to join up- country schools so as to compete favorably and get admitted.
I still look sat this as one of the best education policy policy the NRM government has ever produced but the problem is that the government and other politician have failed to sensitize the public the way it works for example some parents in rural areas even don't know that their sons and daughters can be admitted on government, they still have a mentality that government scholarships are for those who are financially well off, academically sound, and most importantly "known".
To day even a student with 10 points who sat his HS from a rural school can be admitted on quota system and that one who scored 22 points from Kampala can miss out. Is there any one to explain such to parents and students who hail from rural areas?
Can the people concerned go back to the drawing board carry out mass sensitization such that the public can help them to identify the culprits?
Wednesday, May 9, 2007
Here is the Worst Tuesday of my life
Its a Tuesday Morning and Iam in a PR class, the lecturer is busy explaining the differences between PR and Advertising she is clad in a red dress and every body in class is giving enough attention to her. She has just been wed the Previous Month and she seems to be tired probably because of spending sleepless nights.
In class Iam one of the serious contributors and even when the class seem to be bored I try to keep saying something so as to keep the class at par.
She has been one of my best lecturers and I remember last semister we had an argument in class about who was the best lecturer I insisted she was the best because she knows how to drive points home although you may not distiguish her notes from those on the net and text books... I suggested it was the only weekness she had.
On that very Tuesday in class she started swelling " some of you came at this
University when you didn't know how to talk but b'se of the little communication skills you can now make noise in class" . "for example Sylivia" I said' Sylivia is one of my class mate .. she is shy but she made it to JRC and she was appointed a minister.. i saw this as an achievement worth mentioning.
The other word i hard from her was "go out of my class" smartly I left.
after class i went to apologise she refused . I wrote an apology she still denied it.
up top now i don't know whether its written any where in the University rules that mentioning Sylivia is a an offence.
i don't know wether she will mark my paper or whether i will be allowed in to do her test.
If Iam not mistaken i think she is a Disgrace to her fellow lectures and her profession
In class Iam one of the serious contributors and even when the class seem to be bored I try to keep saying something so as to keep the class at par.
She has been one of my best lecturers and I remember last semister we had an argument in class about who was the best lecturer I insisted she was the best because she knows how to drive points home although you may not distiguish her notes from those on the net and text books... I suggested it was the only weekness she had.
On that very Tuesday in class she started swelling " some of you came at this
University when you didn't know how to talk but b'se of the little communication skills you can now make noise in class" . "for example Sylivia" I said' Sylivia is one of my class mate .. she is shy but she made it to JRC and she was appointed a minister.. i saw this as an achievement worth mentioning.
The other word i hard from her was "go out of my class" smartly I left.
after class i went to apologise she refused . I wrote an apology she still denied it.
up top now i don't know whether its written any where in the University rules that mentioning Sylivia is a an offence.
i don't know wether she will mark my paper or whether i will be allowed in to do her test.
If Iam not mistaken i think she is a Disgrace to her fellow lectures and her profession
Tuesday, May 8, 2007
Do we need NGOs in uganda?
I am intriguid by the way NGO business is shriving in uganda, When critically analysed NGOs are just doing nothing and we can be sure poverty will remain high in uganda. With little restrictions and regulations by the government, very many people have resorted to forming NGOs under the guise to assist the poor out of poverty when actually they are just making profits. .
Despite of very many NGOs in uganda the living conditions have remained awful,little water, malnourished children, poor sanitation . Its hard to believe that some NGOs especially in Northern uganda are exploiting internally displaced persons by soliciting funds from donors without remiting to the community, what "human face" are they portraying ?
No one can doubt that NGOs get alot of funding from both the government and international donor agencies, but the most fundamental question is the way this aid is implemented .Does it actually uprift the poor conditions of people. I still urgue that while aid given through the government can be mismanaged through corruption and embezzlement, it should also be noted that aid given through NGOs makes little impact too because such projects have proliferated and personal gains.
While often recognising these contradictions and difficulties, agencies operational on the ground argue that they do make a difference through the provision of services, such as water or health care hence complementing on the work of the government in fighting poverty. which i think is true though its still difficult to evaluate whethere aid projects have an overall impacts on poverty statistics .
With the increased emphasis on promoting processes of social change,development projects which build water-wells and NGOs involved in aid projects are private, voluntary, non-profit organisations with altruistic and philanthropic motives. Often they are perceived to be in a better position to reach the poor than governments or large financial institutions and are seen as having a more "human face"but in truth this "human face" is just theoretical .
The emergence of NGOs is commonly explained as an institutional response to market or state failures. They are often viewed as being less bureaucratic and more flexible, and therefore more capable of responding to emergencies, promoting work at grassroots level and involving the participation of local people. NGOs are also seen as being cheaper, more efficient and non-political and therefore more equitable in their disbursement than governmental aid.
With all the intellectual arguments sorrounding the role of NGOs in developing economies, I still hold that we should ask our selves whether we really need NGOs in fighting poverty in uganda? yes, wemay need them . but which kind of NGOs do we need and how should they be regulated. Uganda is often held as a model because poverty has slowed down directly or indirectly as a result of development cooperation betwween NGOs and a reforming government, its one of the country where improvement in livelihoods can be attributed to the work of NGOs and aid funding.Therefore it seems aid can work if well implemented and incorpareted into structural adjustment programmes and given a clear povety alliviation component. Therefore support Minister Ecweru that NGOs wishing to operate in uganda pass through a sieve and those seen uncapable be told to go away.
Despite of very many NGOs in uganda the living conditions have remained awful,little water, malnourished children, poor sanitation . Its hard to believe that some NGOs especially in Northern uganda are exploiting internally displaced persons by soliciting funds from donors without remiting to the community, what "human face" are they portraying ?
No one can doubt that NGOs get alot of funding from both the government and international donor agencies, but the most fundamental question is the way this aid is implemented .Does it actually uprift the poor conditions of people. I still urgue that while aid given through the government can be mismanaged through corruption and embezzlement, it should also be noted that aid given through NGOs makes little impact too because such projects have proliferated and personal gains.
While often recognising these contradictions and difficulties, agencies operational on the ground argue that they do make a difference through the provision of services, such as water or health care hence complementing on the work of the government in fighting poverty. which i think is true though its still difficult to evaluate whethere aid projects have an overall impacts on poverty statistics .
With the increased emphasis on promoting processes of social change,development projects which build water-wells and NGOs involved in aid projects are private, voluntary, non-profit organisations with altruistic and philanthropic motives. Often they are perceived to be in a better position to reach the poor than governments or large financial institutions and are seen as having a more "human face"but in truth this "human face" is just theoretical .
The emergence of NGOs is commonly explained as an institutional response to market or state failures. They are often viewed as being less bureaucratic and more flexible, and therefore more capable of responding to emergencies, promoting work at grassroots level and involving the participation of local people. NGOs are also seen as being cheaper, more efficient and non-political and therefore more equitable in their disbursement than governmental aid.
With all the intellectual arguments sorrounding the role of NGOs in developing economies, I still hold that we should ask our selves whether we really need NGOs in fighting poverty in uganda? yes, wemay need them . but which kind of NGOs do we need and how should they be regulated. Uganda is often held as a model because poverty has slowed down directly or indirectly as a result of development cooperation betwween NGOs and a reforming government, its one of the country where improvement in livelihoods can be attributed to the work of NGOs and aid funding.Therefore it seems aid can work if well implemented and incorpareted into structural adjustment programmes and given a clear povety alliviation component. Therefore support Minister Ecweru that NGOs wishing to operate in uganda pass through a sieve and those seen uncapable be told to go away.
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