The Role of the Youth

What does it take a ugandan youth?

Development, as advancement in terms of quality of human life, is an automatic wish for everyone. Even animals do have a natural development sequence that is only threatened by environmentally aggressive and greedy man. It could have a long history of wealthy stature or strive for high social class.

While for a nation -it requires patriotism, national character or identity and citizenship, individuals need work values, having essential skills to run and manage projects -and adventuring in them.

Development-oriented work culture has always had a background support to development. Within it, people not only own satisfaction -without cheating on anyone else, but also, for the good of the community in which they live.

Countries like China have manifested such qualities on their way to becoming a world economic power. They have their country at heart and are proud to be Chinese. For a typical African living in Uganda, showing greed is the rule as soon as they assume positions of authority or office.

With globalization racing everyone away, greed, readiness stiff competition for personal and business goals has become a bold move -with nothing to be a shamed of in order to fit in the global village. People find themselves doing whatever it takes to achieve their numerous goals, regardless.

It is a system, where apart from providing an economic atmosphere for the global trends; government may not have an active hand in its people's welfare, but for them, only to act with faith to overcome the dangerous effects of villagisation of the globe.

However, the kind of pressure has forced many into undignified acts of seeking bribes and involvement in dubious business as for the working class, and prostitution, stealing, impersonation, and reckless behavior by the unemployed.

And for the newly employed, life is centered around celebrating money pleasure through un-planned spending, luxurious living, and compensating for missed glory over time, and sex festivals -now that he or she earns some money to meet them all. Some of the behaviors here could be reckless especially if it is motivated by desire to meet long awaited dreams.

As Professor Ali Muzrui put it, in one of his recent writings on Makerere University, globalization has out-raced institutions like this historic institution of higher learning (Makerere University Kampala). Moreover, bureaucracy and fear of even positive change remains the stumbling block.

While most reforms could be for the good of the nation, leaders and managers are rather insensitive about carrying them out. Instead, they fearlessly act against their own country or people -through showing lack of social responsibility and being unproductively to the ones they serve.

As if planning was not part of work and development, such things as it (planning) are for formality doing, but never followed. People, rather, like following their anti-people attitude, insensitivities and selfish interests.

And as would be expected in such a situation, the kind of culture developed never allows government to prioritize to key areas that need revamping like; health, research and education -as a whole. Yet, any development could be based on them.

Instead, emphasis is placed on how best to sustain the greed and siphon public funds. And because of their shielded positions no one says a word. If so, with reservations that show indispensability and are only treated carefully with hands in gloves. More so, relentlessly dispel any attempts that threatens status quo.

Future leadership and managerial accountabilities would rotate around hijacking private achievement of community members and own owning them as their own. Thereafter, hear claims emerge during general elections considering private developments as part of government successful programmes. There places one could visit, but with entirely private developments.

At the same general elections, citizens are hoodwinked to think power belongs to them, could seriously get enslaved by the thinking. The enslavement continues to favor leaders, while victimizing the electorate.

This, really, shows a great deal of dishonesty and disrespectfulness on the part of politicians. It could partly explain why the number of voters who go to polling stations has significantly declined. In future, as it has been, more people could choose to stay back with their families, eat, and sleep rather than waste time on opportunists.

During budget readings, all is made so political that Ugandans are not recognized for being hard-working and as part of the figures fronted. It can not just be government, but Uganda, who could be praised for the celebrated growth figures.

In what could be partnership, we see government as trying to stabilize the country peace-wise, while citizens work for developmental success. It would be best to call it a collaboration or social contract between government and its people to make common ends meet. That way, it would make sense.

But, there have been talks of no development for constituencies that send into parliament members of opposition political parties. It has for sometime been used as; both campaign threat and slogan during general elections. Yet, for sure, political inclination would not have been an indicator to development -with it being an all-embracing path in everyone's life.

For Busoga, it has been different. In spite of giving the ruling regime almost 100% every presidential election, it has barely benefited from the annual growth figures. It must be noted that much of Busoga is remote and impassable.

If one traveled by private means, the vehicle could by any means end up in garage on returning back to Kampala. Mayuge alone, as a district, has no roads with tarmac! Unfortunately or fortunately, the people there (in Busoga) never want to present their problems as long as they converse whole day, sleep and drink.

It is not, therefore, surprising that Late Kayabazinga was part of the passive leaders in Busoga -in as far as solving Busoga's economic problem. Actually, the president was right to call him a kind of Jesus, unlike his (Kyabazinga's) counter-part in Mengo. And he was in the category of leaders that president Museveni wanted. It is could be likely that government de-tests politicians who tell the truth about their electorate and talk the same on its behalf whilst in parliament.

The reason was simple. The Kyabazinga was, well, selfless during his reign, able to fulfill the ceremonial stature of cultural kings as agreed with government, and cared less about championing Busoga development views.

He seemingly never wanted to bother government with Busoga concerns, much as the region had numerous problems and above all, was the failure to unite Basoga. In doing so, the region suffered like an orphan. In fact, soon the "kids" -prominent politicians began fighting each other. This, in turn, stalled areas' development prospects at large.

Being ceremonial, meant that traditional rulers had to be idle just in the same way as opposition political parties. Government acted like; a person who hosts a visitor, serve him or her food and soon after orders the guest not to eat. Isn't that as good as to never have hosted the visitor?

No wonder, many say he (Kyabazinga) politically sold Busoga to the NRM, while economically sacrificing it. And as anyone would notice, he had no impact on the Basoga as compared to Kabakka Mutebi reign in Buganda. Therefore, with or without kingship in Busoga everyday business would, still, have been normal.

As if to reinforce the point above, kingship business in Busoga is something that was copied from the surrounding kingdoms in Uganda -especially Buganda which was a local imperialist to it, then. So, as the saying goes, Busoga could not fit in the shoes of kingdoms like Buganda.

Elsewhere in Uganda, different areas have shown potential to develop with or without government support. This is evidenced in places in places like Kabalagala, Munyonyo, Ntinda and Nalya. Any claim that it was government responsibility, as the song is, could perhaps, mean ownership of such developments by either it or its officials, and that all Ugandans' engagements -be it at night or day are government planned and monitored.

Besides, there could be some truth -having noted that while in China government instituted a one child policy, in Uganda some policies are imaginary liberal. Could this be the kind of consolidation of achievements that is famously talked about?

Could the question be the lack of morals as growing up children or overwhelming desires for power or status that is responsible for the political and economic fraud? The latter could make much sense because one can find people dying either upon retirement or because of pressure to perform well in office.

And it could be public knowledge that people are willing to do anything to keep their comfort zones. Do you always need to ask anyone whether or not is interested in keeping respectable position and highest in the land?

The other question could be: where in development are the youth? Having special interest group representatives to parliament is not enough -as their role benefits entirely themselves (the representatives).

Under the present structures, the youth, understandably, are not accommodated and matter less, if so, it is only at election time. But, being the most energetic force in a community, they need utilization. While if they are not taken care of, they would fade into acts of substance abuse and criminality.

As the situation implies, youth would only have to help themselves rather than wait for Christly government intervention. It would call for action planning and to participate in all channels for self emancipation.

Now that 2011 is beaming, chance must be taken by the youth to take on anyone for political office. It is a time for action of joining elderly folks in consulting of voters. In Kenya, there is already an on-going youth movement to take care of the youth values. The youth there believe they have not gained from the elderly class of politicians.

Are the youth in Uganda anywhere development-wise?

Under solidarity associations and political parties funding problem could easily be addressed. Meanwhile, talents and hobbies would be transformed into economically gainful activities for current survival. Working on small projects patiently with commitment to ones goals, skillfully dealing with health challenges, could bring up developmental surprises in a long run.

On the other hand we would need to commit some time to serving society that we wish to lead. A potential leader must, himself, be a servant. This would mean having to focus a little bit more on the long term plans that carry links to auxiliary business projects.

If is agro-based, fore-example, there must be a shop, restaurant, transportation business, milling, processing or semi-processing and export -as in the process one plans a shift to simpler means of making money. The rule here could be: to save or invest - either one at a time or both at ago.