Aceng unmasked

Why Aceng is desperate

Aceng’s announcement on July 5that she is to contest for the Lira District Woman MP seat in the next electionhas attracted mixed reactions; with some welcoming it and others arguing it was not a wise move.

Elective politics, especially at parliament, has earned a bad name in Uganda and some commentators argue that Aceng, who is a highly qualified and experienced doctor, should not enter its dirty trenches.

But she appears determined to be even dirtier than current MPs, if her throwing away the COVID-19 standard operating procedures in the name of vote-hunting is anything to go by.

Dr. Aceng holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Medicine (MBChB), MMED (Pediatrics), Masters in Public Health and a Diploma in Health System Strengthening. She is a Pediatrician expert and is currently at the level of Senior Consultant Pediatrics.Her fervent fight against Covid-19 has earned her the nickname ‘Mama Corona.’

Some political observers say Aceng could be desperate to secure her financial future by becoming an MP, which is among the highly paid positions in Uganda. MPs in Uganda earn about Shs25 million per month plus privileges like a free car, fuel allowance, medical and travel expenses.

As minister, Aceng gets a bigger cheque and many other perks. But the job has no security as a minister can be sacked without notice. If that happened and Aceng returned to the Ministry as a senior doctor at the rank of consultant, she would earn only Shs17.5 million per month without other perks.

But others argue that Aceng, with her strong CV could get a job anywhere in the world; including working with prestigious organisations like the World Health Organisation.  To this group, it is incomprehensible that Aceng is throwing all this away to become an MP.

Before being parachuted into the Ministry of Health as Director General of health services, Dr. Aceng served as a medical superintendent and director of Lira Regional Referral Hospital for 15 years. She would have been earning about Shs4 million per month. It is from Lira hospital that President Yoweri Museveni spotted her, put her in the ministry of Health and later on appointed her as minister.

“I want to appreciate the people of Lango for their great love and support, but most of all for their prayers. They prayed for me when I worked here (in Lira) for over 15 years; we lived among them, they loved us and gave me a lot of blessings to go when I was picked by the President to go and work as the Director General of Health Services,” Aceng said during her declaration to stand for Lira District Woman MP.

“And in their commitment, they continued to pray and I was appointed minister, a position that I still hold to date. And I am also sure that since they have seen the good in me, and encouraged me and prayed for me, they will also see the good in me and vote for me.”

Because of the big number of scandals like corruption which have come to characterize Uganda’s politics many people have a perception that politicians are people who are deceitful and untrustworthy. And when they see professionals like Aceng joining politics, they think she is throwing away her career.

The Covid-19 pandemic brought Aceng out of the boardroom to the sitting rooms of many Ugandans as she appeared side by side with President Yoweri Museveni to announce measures to control the spread of the pandemic. It is yet to be established whether it is this taste of public limelight that has excited Aceng to jump into elective politics.

If Aceng gets elected she will not be the most academically highly qualified professionals in politics. There are many highly educated people in politics. Many are elective constituency MPs.

Gabriel Ajedra (PhD), who is the state minister of finance in charge of general duties, holds a PhD in civil engineering. He previously worked with National Water and Sewerage Corporation before joining elective politics to represent the people of Vuura County in Arua District in Parliament.

Dr. Chrysostom Muyingo (PhD), the Minister of State for Higher Education, is an accomplished educator and academic. He joined elective politics in 2011 and is MP for Bamunanika County.

Dr. Joyce Moriku Kaducu (PhD), the Minister of State for Health, is Moyo District Woman MP, Dr. Mary Goretti Kitutu (PhD), the Minister of Energy and Mineral development, is Manafwa District Woman MP, Prof Ephraim Kamuntu, the Minister of justice is MP for Sheema South.

An analysis of the academic qualifications of a majority of members of the 10th parliament shows that at least 10 out of the 398 MPs hold doctorate degrees. Only about 30 do not have a first degree while four hold only A-level certificates, an analysis of their academic qualifications provided by Parliament indicates. The minimum academic qualification of an MP is an A-level certificate or its equivalent. But once one enters parliament, they are assured of prestige, power, and earning a high salary for at least five years. Being appointed minister is a bonus.  It appears that is Aceng’s ambition now.

A number of the highly qualified MPs have worked in government agencies and the private sector but later chose to join elective politics. Dr. Chris Baryomunsi who is the Minister of State for Housing previously worked with the UNFPA, a UN agency that is concerned with population and reproductive health issues.

The opposition also has PhD holders such as Prof. Ogenga Latigo (Agago North), and Keefa Kiwanuka (Kiboga East).

Dr. Keefa Kiwanuka, who has a background in Health Policy and Business Administration, is the vice chairman of the Natural Resources Committee and a member of the Public Accounts Committee. He says initially he was not interested in joining politics.

“I have been doing a lot of work in Kiboga, serving people in the education sector, income generation and addressing problems of unemployment. As a result of my work, people asked me to stand. They naturally saw me as a political leader,” Kiwanuka says.

Prof Latigo says he joined politics “primarily because I did not agree with the approach of the political leaders.”  None of them mentions money or the power and prestige of an MP.

It’s all about money, power

But Dr. Arthur Syahuka Muhindo, a political science lecturer at Makerere University, says “Being a member of parliament comes with some political muscle of constituents. For some people it is about gaining political power and prestige; yet, for others it is the desire to serve their constituents.”

“When you have people like Aceng in elective politics, they also stimulate interest from the elite to come and take up the mantle of not only leading, but also changing the morals of the society when they take up leadership positions.”

A research paper titled “Cost of Politics in Uganda” by Dr. Fredrick Golooba, a researcher, argues that politics in Uganda, especially at the higher end of the political system, has in recent years become increasingly the preserve of a small self-selecting elite, those who can raise the vast amounts of money needed to conduct successful campaigns for election to public office.

In this paper Dr. Golooba argues that some already rich people join elective politics for self-aggrandizement.

“There is a strong connection between wealth and politics in Uganda today. Besides politicians acquiring wealth while in office, there are wealthy people who join politics as some sort of source of prestige. After they have made money, they go into politics to achieve recognition as the “honourable member of parliament”.” Is this what Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng is desperately looking for?