The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
We have naively embraced Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) as the strategy for our development and international competitive bidding as the method for selecting those who build our infrastructure. Hence, foreign firms own the commanding heights of our economy just as they win all major construction contracts. This is largely because we believe that foreigners can manage and/or build things better than ourselves. This lack of faith in ourselves is much more damaging to the long term prospects of developing our country and asserting our African identity than Miss World Africa wearing an Indian weave on her hair.
The reader should not mistake me to be suggesting that we abandon English, chase foreign investors and contractors and drop our foreign names. Indeed, I am a proud bearer of the name Andrew, often dress in European clothes and English is the only language I am fully fluent in. The Japanese, Koreans and Chinese wear Western suits and speak English but have not lost their identity. As Aime Cesaire put it in his essay, `Discourse on Colonialism’, civilizations that withdraw into themselves end up suffocating themselves in their self-enclosure. And as Ngugi Wa Thiongo has argued, cultural contact is the oxygen of any civilization.
The real question is how do we adopt, digest and use foreign cultural, political and economic resources for our benefit? We should attract FDI not to supplant but supplement our local investors.
For example, Kiira Motors can partner with Hyundai (giving them a 20% stake) in order to benefit from their capital, skills, technology, experience, global market networks etc. Foreign construction firms are welcome if we can ensure they help us develop our skills and diffuse their technical knowledge locally. But Museveni has presided over a state that has handed the entire economy to foreign firms, displacing existing local firms and/or stifling their growth.
So the fundamental question is: who chooses which aspects of the African identity we should uphold and which should we ignore? I have not seen Museveni wearing traditional Kinyankore/Hima dress leave alone the kanzu (tunic) in decades. Our president treats traditional Africa religion as superstition as if Christianity is not equally superstitious. I, therefore, found his emphasis on the hairstyle arbitrary – not so much aimed at promoting some “authentic African identity” (whatever that would mean) – but rather to conform to his tastes.
Therefore, to address hairstyle and ignore language and religion, ideology and institutions in identity is to chase the rat and ignore the elephant in your plantation. The use of foreign languages and religions is more culturally damaging to the African identity than wearing a “non-African” (whatever that means) hairstyle. The overzealous reliance on foreign investors and contractors, often at the expense of local ones, is more damaging to our economy than wearing foreign hairstyles.
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amwenda@independent.co.ug
I strongly believe that Ms.Abenakyo was crowned Miss Africa in the recently held Miss world beauty contest in China because of Uganda’s economic ties with China. It was more of a reward for Uganda for having been a reliable and loyal business partner.
Is there anything wrong with artificially enhancing one’s looks especially if they feel insecure about their appearance absolutely no Why do do want to appear in public with cracked tooth Rajab?.Most celebrities like Kim Kardarasian,Tina Tunner,Meliana Trump,Janet Jackson all look good coz they are cautious of their appearance.
In Ankole for example, a lady with a dark teeth gum is considered beautiful,in Buganda a lady with a gap between her teeth is considered beautiful yet some dentists think she has a dental problem.
Back to the article about corruption how come the biggest economies in Africa like Nigeria,S.Africa,Kenya have the highest rate of corruption yet their economies are big?Have you Adhola and Rajab ever heard of any Ugandan whose bank accounts have frozen in the Virgin Islands or in Swiss Banks?
But Winnie you must be smoking shisha in some hole in Katanga. Rajab who you address was mentioned in a case I don’t recall but most likely a mosque in Katwe and a woman who was killed. Anyway the entire horde is in Murchison bay and whenever they are brought for mention they talk of wanting mbu special check-up by high-cost medics and the judge sends them back.
Adhola must be retired, he will go before UPC you bet and UPC is on last painful leg to disintegration.
African Models like Awek Lek,Deng have made lots of money from international designers like Chanel,Christian Dior,Lactose,Trump Models just coz of their unique features however of late, African/Ugandan women suffer from inferiority complex which is as a results of pressure from men and society. In Buganda for example, 95% of the women have bleached their skin coz most Baganda men prefer light skinned women for example ;the wives of most prominent Baganda men are light skinned for example Bebe Cool,Chameleon ,Kabaka,Bobi Wine. Bambi women are under alot of pressure to be light skinned men need to balance their preference for light and ebony skinned ladies.
The Origin of Breaching was as follows:Back then,the most marketable prostitutes were Russians coz they were pretty and of course light skinned so African women who wanted to the join the booming prostitution market in Dubai couldn’t compete favorably coz of their skin tone ever since, that mentality has never left our minds.
It is pretty evident that this room is so lonely and empty…….
And it is is also pretty evident that the boredom is deafening……
The topic is ‘Abenakyo’ (be natural) and the theme is ‘hairstyle’ but pull in ‘Rajab’ to lighten up the room. President Museveni must have borrowed this prank from an old tale of ‘Beauty and the Beast’ (Jeanne Marie 1748). The story goes that once upon a time there lived a humble family that lived in indigent conditions. It is told that one day the father of Beauty was caught picking a flower for his daughter from the garden of the Beast. The Beast was actually an enchanted prince whose beliefs in true love had led him to his current outlook. He believed that true love existed beyond material wealth. The Beast decided to play honesty with the Beauty. This led the Beauty to grow fonder and she finally fell in love. The trick had worked for the Beast and he regained his ‘Prince hood.’ With due respect to the first lady, President Museveni could be playing the game of the ‘Beast and the Beauty’ on Abenakyo. At 75years old, President Museveni could be playing’honesty’ on Abenakyo in an attempt to be ‘Prince Charming’ once again.
My name is Rajab Kakyama and I am the “lightbulb” of this empty room.
Hahahah –
Winnie, thanks for ‘resurrecting’ Rajab – oba from where —–.