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‘Kasese was my saddest moment in Uganda’

What is your response to President Yoweri Museveni’s appeal during the celebrations to mark the EU’s 60th anniversary for the EU to continue assisting Uganda to invest in infrastructure, which clearly is the government’s current priority?

We share the view that infrastructure is of great importance to Uganda (since) it is the basis for developing markets. You need better roads and railways, for instance, to reduce the cost for transport and to make participation of the 68% of Ugandans still limited to subsistence economy at the market possible. You need electricity to enable companies to work because depending on generators and diesel is too costly. We Germans reflect on this by having made the energy sector a priority of our cooperation with Uganda. Having said that, one has to acknowledge that, first and foremost, Uganda’s development depends on her people. We need each and everyone to participate in building the country. And for this to happen, Ugandan people need to be empowered. They need to be healthy and well trained. So we need clean water, decent hospitals and sufficient medication, as we need good schools and universities. Hardware like infrastructure can only serve people if there is software like education and health so that they can make use of it. One cannot go without the other. The art of politics is to balance it out wisely.

What is your contribution to the current debate on the removal of the presidential age limit?

Constitutions around the world handle this question differently. There are reasons for limitations of the number of terms in office, and there are reasons for giving more flexibility. The reason for limiting terms is to prevent from the outset that one person could shift balance within the political system to his favour in a way over time so that others still might have the right but no chance in reality to replace the incumbent. It is a decision of favouring institutions over individuals. What is important is that even where there are no limits, the people must retain not only the right but the real possibility to vote the incumbent out of office. Now, the reason for an age limit like the one you have in Uganda is the idea that if people reach a certain age, they should be aware that even if they still might feel strong, their strength shrinks, at a point possibly faster than they might imagine. It is a sign to put one’s house to order. This should be done from a position of strength and not of weakness.

What will you remember most about Uganda?

The friendly spirit of her people, the beauty of her nature, the wonderful climate and the cute mixture of German and English our little daughter started to speak here.

Where are you headed next?

My next posting will be in Berlin. I will be dealing with the return and readmission which is set in the wider context of migration. This gives me the opportunity to thank the Ugandan government and the Ugandan people once again for their overwhelming hospitality which they have granted to more than a million refugees. Germany has supported Uganda from the beginning in hosting these refugees, and I am very satisfied that Uganda together with the UN system are hosting a solidarity conference that seeks for more support from other donors.

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7 comments

  1. it is so sad that whatever wrong the king and his Royal guards had done, the damage and the loss of lives caught up in that senseless fight was never the solution. women and children killed in that fight can never be explained to Ugandans. Both the forces police and the Army provoke people to unnecessary. The police have abandoned the role of protection to abuse. In news you could see people using stones and sticks, which seemed more of a strike than a war. The problem in Uganda today is tribalism where others think they have a right to whatever they want.This has brewed corruption beyond control. The same people are everywhere, in public service,social services,which makes services to ordinary Ugandans unreachable yet they and their people access everything. Politics is another major problem in Uganda, people venture in politics with selfish interests; if someone lost in elections that means confusion for the constituency. More especially those who have made it a home not giving a chance to fresh ideas. Democrancy has failled us, we just need a person of Iddi Amin to revamp the country. His ministers wouldn’t be implicated in open corruption and get away with it just like is the order of the day.

  2. the motto of uganda haz been changed from”FOR GOD AND MY COUNTRY TO FOD AND MY FAMILY,
    this is so bad even our leaders has forgotten us,they re thinking of them selves only, thus why the LATE LUCKY DUBE left us with his message that NO TRUTH IN THIS WORLD.for sure there is no truth in this world,

  3. A fairly honest assessment of Uganda’s key challenges and an accurate account of Ugandan beauty and warmth. Unfortunately, all these diplomats come and go without providing Uganda any serious solutions to the challenges that continue to haunt the country.

  4. Abbey Ssembatya

    I do appreciate all the observations,however according to the report or document we still lack the element of accepting to Learn,Re-learn,Un Learn. We don’t refer to the past to work out for the best future of our country , this brings us back to the concern that Uganda has never had a government that takes its people as a priority.

  5. bakundukize Fabien

    he seems to be sympathisig with Ugandans and depomatically avoiding to be rough

  6. Despite of the spirit of the Ugandan people he mentioned positively and with reason, there are widespread habits which I would explain as “not taking and accepting to take responsibility”. It leads to corruption, overpopulation, environmental pollution and weak economical and political performance. An exception here is the attitude towards refugees especially as the resources in Uganda already suffer from overpopulation.

  7. Until Uganda is able to rid itself of this dog-headed regime, there won’t be peace in this beautiful land.

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