A Vote of No Trust: Coffee Bill 2024 unveiled ‘The Lost Public Trust’ in NRM Ugandan Government

 

‘Transparency, accountability and indiscrimination of all citizens and political tolerance are Critical to minimising distrust as an underrated cause of unconstitutional change of governments and anarchy’

 

 

 

By Robert Kigongo.

 

Kick boxing, Karate, punches left, right and center in the temple of Democracy and the Rule of Law.

 

The Parliament of Uganda passed the national Coffee amendment Bill 2024 but I noticed that the whole rationalisation program just exposed lost public trust in the NRM government even when it meant well.

 

This was most vividly justified during the attempt to merge National Forestry Authority and Uganda Coffee development Authority.

 

Ugandans across the spectrum have for long been accusing the NRM government of wasteful expenditures, duplication of work, impunity, lack of coordination.

 

It eventually succumbed to constructive criticism and dissenting voices thus introducing government rationalisation with Uganda Coffee Development Authority becoming a statistic.

 

The government of Uganda has decided to transfer UCDA duties to the main stream ministry of Agriculture animal industry and fisheries sparking national wide reactions from different sections of society.

 

UCDA’s role included regulation, quality control and pricing policies thus making Uganda the largest coffee exporter in Africa behind Ethiopia earning Uganda 819 million US Dollars and employing close to 5 million Ugandans in Coffee value chain with approximately 1.8 Million households growing the crop.

 

The contributions of coffee value chain t Uganda’s economic growth are equally shared by National Coffee Research Organisation in Kituuza Mukono and National Agriculture research organization under Ministry of Agriculture animal Industry and fisheries.

 

Therefore my whole attention has been blown to level of Mistrust and distrust in the NRM government by its own citizens from parliamentarians, cultural leaders, elites to commonest person in Elgon Mountains.

 

Despite the National coffee amendment Bill attracting the media attention and citizen’s keenness but the most heated debate was during the attempt to merge the National Forestry Authority.

 

Legislators across the spectrum unanimously agreed that they cannot trust a monkey with sweet bananas (national forest reserves) thus refusing to transfer the roles of NFA to ministry of water and environment.

 

Ignorantly all these Ugandan law makers and citizens forgot that they playing in the same backyard and front yard of the same very NRM government because NFA is still part and parcel of Ministry of water and environment, with the budget allocation, Board and Executive Director coming by same water and environment ministerial administration.

 

According to Global Forest Watch from 2002 to 2023 Uganda has lost 77.1 kha of humid primary forest still under the supervision of National Forestry Authority therefore deforestation is still continuing.

 

Massive encroachment forests reserves has happened under the watch of National Forestry Authority.

 

Whether we trust NFA and distrust the Ministry of water and Environment deforestation is still continuing because Uganda is still under the Kyankwanzi patronage ideology.

 

National Forestry Authority survived the rationalisation exercise unlike the UCDA despite all efforts from economists like professor Ezra Suruma and Buganda Kingdom to saved it from being merged into the parent ministry of Agriculture;

 

However the glaring distrust and mistrust in NRM government can’t be swept under the carpet.

 

The rationalization comes at the back drop of privatisation that left regrettable errors and economic setbacks.

 

For example, President Museveni himself has publically regretted the privatization of Uganda Commercial Bank despite being advised by Professor Ezra Suruma an economist and former minister of Finance, planning and economic growth.

 

Such history and regrettable past has over time led to the mistrust has overflown into rationalisation exercise and other well interventions by government.

 

Fortunately unlike the UCB incident of giving it away the services to private multinational company UCDA services are still retained by the government.

 

The undertone and public statements by Buganda Kingdom officials, televised political talk shows, Religious leaders, Radio and print media just don’t trust government with their coffee dear income generating commodity but the truth UCDA has been delivering for this same NRM government.

 

The NRA 1986 establishment has deeply entrenched in each and every cell of society and beyond boarders just to earn trust.

 

For examples the NRM invests so billions of money in religious leaders, sports music and art just to earn public trust.

 

But fact is Ugandans we just don’t trust enough the NRM government with our coffee, forest reserves, welfare, natural resources and taxes even when it has a social contract with the citizens.

 

Without fear of contradiction there are same great strides by the NRM government like peace and security, political stability, press freedom, healthier bilateral and multilateral diplomatic relations, digitising some government services, regular elections, women empowerment, agro markets, improved roads network and hospital infrastructures.

 

However, Gloss inequalities, unfair distribution of government top jobs and opportunities, health care disparities, repression of political opponents, torturing dissenting voices, unemployment and underemployment, militarising elections and most critically the North Korea fashion style of life presidency scheme have all contributed to loss of public trust.

 

Just imagine a humble living Ugandan who can’t receive justice over the rich under the current judicial system! No matter the amount of credible evidence presented.

 

Parliament the legislative arm of government has deteriorated into a dubious deals house and clearing agency which doesn’t care about interests of an ordinary Ugandan.

 

The executive continues to abuse the doctrine of separation of power overriding and micro management.

 

The level of industrial scale corruption and gloss impunity in government offices has skyrocketed the mistrust and distrust in NRM government.

 

The social uplifting programs like Emyooga, Parish Development Model have been polarised into NRM political campaigning tools.

 

On contrary all governments across the world guided by the constitution are meant to serve all its citizens regardless of their political shades, gender, race tribes, social status and religion and sex orientation.

 

Failure to serve all citizens equally risks any composition of government to distrust and mistrust which may expose it to civil unrest, disgruntlements, diatribe, and disunity and ultimately escalating into political instabilities and economic setbacks.

 

The reactions during the national coffee amendment bill should be a benchmark of mitigating and minimising distrust and mistrust of government.

 

Sorting out the underlining factors of mistrust has a huge potential of a united country and steadfast economic growth without leaving any one behind.

 

The effectiveness of government ombudsman and tribunals in addressing grievances is equally paramount to lessening of distrust and mistrust.

 

‘Transparency, accountability and indiscrimination of all citizens and political tolerance are Critical to minimising distrust as an underrated cause of unconstitutional change of governments and anarchy’

 

Otherwise disgruntlements, unattended to grievances, mistrust and distrust and mistrust in NRM government will one day escalate into civil tensions without an alarm.

 

Robert Kigongo is a Sustainable Development Analyst.