Here is why all well-meaning citizens of this country are sad

Posted by Vincent Nuwagaba

on Monday, January 23 2012 at 00:00

I was impelled to write this piece by the news article that was published by the Saturday Monitor of January 7, titled “Ugandans are 11th saddest in the world”. The story cited Legatum Institute’s Prosperity Index for 2011. Some Ugandan journalists on their Facebook page felt the Daily Monitor blundered to run that story for it portrayed a negative picture of our country. I must say, I am terribly disappointed with such people.

While it is a sad commentary, we must applaud the Saturday Monitor for exposing that grim reality. Bashing the newspaper for publishing scientific findings shows disregard for the importance of research and is akin to attacking the messenger or breaking a mirror for showing blemishes on your face. Responsible journalism acts like a mirror. Let’s attack the message and devise means of getting out of our quagmire and clean ourselves of the blemishes.

Here is why all well-meaning Ugandans must be sad. Polina Bayagwa, a widow from Bitereko, Ruhinda, is diabetic. Before taking meals, she takes an insulin injection. Recently, she told me that the weekly insulin treatment which used to cost her Shs125,000 a year ago currently costs her Shs250,000. Transport alone to and from Comboni Hospital, Kyamuhunga, costs her Shs20,000. This is an old woman who earns no money. Luckily, her sons cater for her.

Jadress Tisaasa who is also diabetic spends not less than Shs400,000 per month and my aunt who died two years ago used to spend Shs400,000 every week. My own mother has a plethora of ailments, including kidney failure. In 2009, I took her to Mulago to be operated for fibroids and was asked to pay Shs3m for a private wing. The gynaecologist who saw her was so concerned that he told me, “I used to treat these cases from Naguru but now Naguru is no more”.
John Turamyeomwe, Polina’s son who is also diabetic vigorously campaigned for the NRM but now wonders whether he’ll cater for his ailing mother and then afford university fees for his son next year. He is saddened that the government cannot extend medical facilities to Bitereko Health Centre III and make fees in public universities affordable.

Talking to parents in Ruhinda, I discerned bitterness despite the cosmetic smiles and superficial joy during the festive season. They are worried about fees as averagely Shs15,000 is spent on each child under UPE since government makes a monthly token remittance of Shs507 per child making it Shs1,521 per term which sadly is sometimes not remitted in time. As for Universal Secondary Education, the government remits a paltry remittance of Shs41,000 per term for each student. This money is not even enough for students’ lunch. Plausibly, parents pay for their UPE and USE children because they know that the “universal education programme” is but hot air.

The Makerere University 62nd graduation jubilation is going to be short-lived. Basically, very few of the fresh graduates will get jobs on meritocracy basis and they have been weaned so they have to fend for themselves. Politicians or civil servants who pilfer public funds fear other Ugandans for they think they intend to spite them.

I won’t tire of citing Dr Martin Luther King Jr who remarked in his “Letter from Birmingham Jail” that “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly”.

The misery in my home area is a pointer of sadness in the whole country. Some of us may feign happiness or naively think we are alright but we have neighbours, relatives and friends whose misery makes us grieve.

Well-meaning Ugandans are sad about the status-quo; the President is sad that Ugandans are galvanising the courage to question his vision. Clean Ugandans must be saddened by the failure of the government to account for their taxes through provision of basic services.

Finally, all we see is disillusion, disappointment and betrayal. This has three by-products and the first one is sadness, the second is sadness and the third is sadness. I have a hunch that only sadists, the thoughtless and the heartless are happy with the status-quo.

Mr Nuwagaba is a human rights defender.
vnuwagaba@gmail.com