Dear Ugandans,
There is food in Uganda however the problem is with the food distribution system. This is why while there is food insecurity in Teso, bananas are rotting away on plantations in Bushenyi! This shows that the problem is with the distribution chain. If you want to know that Ugandans grow food, just visit Koboko and Nimule. You will be amazed by the tens of trucks carrying food into the Sudan. That is the same case with the borders of DRC and Kenya. It is because Uganda supplies food to all these countries that i refer to it as a food basket. And yet, while this food is being eaten by the Sudanese and Congolese, there are people sort of food in Teso. This means that the distribution chain has to be improved.
You will also realize that for the last two years, all the flour that the WFP has supplied in Uganda was bought from Ugandan farmers. WFP buys from those who have and districts it to those who do not have and that chain some how improves the food distribution system.
At the moment, we are selling food to all neighboring countries including the Sudan and Kenya, but we should expand and sell food even to Ethiopia and Eritrea, countries that have got the worst food insecurity.
On the subject of performance, note that the hunger and poverty is more prevalent in areas led by opposition MPs and Local leaders and not by NRM local leaders. Such areas include Teso, where NRM has got only 3 MPs, Acholi were NRM has got only 1 MP and West-Nile.
For the record, Rwanda is far below Uganda in all features of social development. For example, while poverty levels are 31% in Uganda, they are 40% in Rwanda, even with production of foods, Uganda according to all recent Global Indexs is the regional food basket with a better food security than even Kenya, Sudan and Tanzania, again, Rwanda is behind. Overall, it is only Kenya that beats Uganda on all averages.
2011 might offer some surprises as far as Kampala is concerned. There may not be so much change as far as MPs are concerned, but with Local Governance, it will be a very different matter. Residents accuse the DP leadership in the city for failing them. Mayor Nasser Ssebagala came riding on a very populist ticket that his failure to change the face of the city has deflated all those oppositionists who had faith in him. The election of Peter Ssematimba in Rubaga Division was partly as a result of this opposition disappointment. In fact, during those by-elections, almost all councilors elected, including Minsa Kabanda of the Central Division were NRM. Among the MPs, Lukwago (Central) Ssebagala (Kawempe) Ssebuliba (Kawempe south) Hussein Kyanjo (Makindye) Beti Kamya (Rubaga North) are unshakable and will return.
It is not only Ssebagala who is not performing, even other DP LC3 chairmen, for example Nasser Takuba in Kawempe and Moses ‘Bill Gates’ Kalungi are not doing well. Even Nakawa division under Protazio Kintu is these days full of conflicts rather than positive administration. of the 5 divisions in the city, only the Central division under NRM has had less internal wrangles compared to the rest. For Ssematimba, it is still early to judge him. I see a time when the population simply lets go of these DP leaders and replace them with either independents or NRM. I bet on that.
There are things that you can see and conclude that so and so has performed. For example in urban areas like Kampala, the presence of garbage heaps means that the authorities have failed in the garbage collection task. The development of more slums and unplanned structures means that the authorities have failed on that task too, the pot-holes in the roads around the city means that the authorities have failed etc-then you combine these with on the spot views of the population about their leader and i assure you that Kampala is failing on all those fronts.
As far as Nasasira is concerned, i can give him 60% performance accross the country. If he is judged on Kampala alone, then he gets below average, but accross the country he gets at least 60% and this is why. At the moment, all major highways have got or are getting new tarmac. Such include Bombo-Karuma, Busunju-Hoima, Masaka-Mbarara, Masaka-Kampala, Soroti-Dokolo-Lira, Northern by pass, Gulu-Atik-Nimule etc. Secondly, roads that did not formerly have tarmac are being tarmacked at the moment and these include Gayaza-Wobulenzi, Matuga-Semuto-Kapeeka, Ntungamo-Kabale-Kisoro etc.
Previously, he also over saw the tarmacking of Kafu-Masindi, Karuma-Arua, Mubende-Fortportal etc and all these are major links. In reality, Nasasira is not a failure if you take out politics.
Kagonyera failed to harmonise issues at NSSF so he is a failure and about Akankwasa, he is currently under the radar for issues related to his wife and money, but not his work at NFA. Those are DPs and everybody knows them.
Joshua Kato
Journalist
ugandansatheart said,
October 22, 2009 at 3:48 pm
Mr Kato:
So who is to blame for the lack of a food distribution system in Uganda? Is it also DP LCs chairs?. BTW, Ugandans never used to suffer from famines like is the case today. Truth be told, the chaos and uncertainty created in the land sector by NMRO has a lot to do with famine in Uganda. I understand this is a no go for most journalists but it is the truth. NRMO ruined the land sector and now see how Ugandans are starving.
Now, bananas rotting in Bushenyi. Why are they rotting? Just accept that Ugandans are poor and have no ability to pay for food. Without the ability to pay, they can only hope for WFP aid. The Sudanese, Congolese and Kenyans you cited have the means to pay for the food. Do you think if they had no cash those tracks would be heading over there? Simple demand and supply.
So you are wrong. It is not lack of food distribution per se. Rather it is lack of purchasing power. No money no food. If Ugandans won’t grow their food for consumption, they have to buy or wait for WFP. No other way. I hear the land bill is supposed to ‘modernize’ Uganda and move it towards commercial farming-but NRMO is actually encouraging land fragmentation-so Ugandans can have access to cheaper food! Talk about it.
Common sense-yes it is rare- dictates that if Ugandans are starving today when they still have some land to farm, then one shudders what will happen to them when they become landless. Mark you the population could surge. Do you think Ugandans will fair better when the Tumukundes and others control most of the land? They are probably grabbing land to lease or sell it to the Boers.
Mr Kato, I want to send you a copy of super Freackonomics, the latest edition, so one of these days it will arrive at the New Vision offices. I cannot guarantee that it will be delivered but it will be sent.
WBK