CREATING A FUTURE OF PROMISE AND PROSPERITY A 2015 YEAR MESSAGE FROM CIVIL SOCIETY

Forum for Women in Democracy represented by Executive director Patricia Munabi joined the rest of Uganda’s civil society to pass on the 2015 New Year’s message. She through our community radio station Speak FM, passed on the message to the people of Northern Uganda.

The message recapped the milestones, major fault-lines of 2014, aspirations and commitments for 2015. In 2014, momentum and consensus on the need for Free and Fair Elections was gathered, this year saw “one of the most formidable citizens’ efforts towards building the momentum to advocate for free and fair elections in Uganda.

Milestones

Civil society did not relent in the campaign against theft of public funds.  The Black Monday Movement sustained the campaign against theft of public resources. The overall objective of the Black Monday Movement is to mobilize citizens to mount a sustained assault against the injustice of corruption. The Black Monday Movement’s flagship newsletter has gone far and wide and mobilization of citizens through popular music and other types of popular forms of communication represents an unrelenting effort that is keeping the fight against corruption a major issue in the development terrain. We are proud to say that in March, during the women’s month, we spear headed the production of the black Monday newsletter and we continue to put on black every Monday.

Key to note is that Uganda in 2014 was that Uganda assumed the Presidency of the UN General Assembly. This is an achievement that should be celebrated by all Ugandans and more so because it puts our country in a driving seats to shape the post-2015 global development agenda. The opposition to our candidate assuming that position taught Ugandans that individual consequences have consequences and that living a life of honesty and integrity has value for us as individuals but also for our country.

In 2014, citizens continue to speak out on actions to shape political and economic future of the county. Several Young people across the country expressed concerns about the fact that many of them were unemployed and they demanded that the government listens and takes actions. Within civil society, there was also the recognition that it is no longer tenable to expect politicians to be the only ones to continue defining the future of Uganda. The Citizen Manifesto, the Youth Roadmap to 2016, the Women’s Agenda 2016 and several other initiatives must thus be celebrated and encouraged for heightened engagement of citizens as the true expression of the resolve and commitment by each one of us to build a better Uganda.

Major Fault lines

Even as achievements were being celebrated, Civil society acknowledged that there were a number of challenges that we must not loose sight of, knowing these will held shape the future.

Crisis of Institutions: Uganda in 2014 saw a further slide back in key institutional performance. For a second year running, we saw the Judiciary straddle without a substantive Chief Justice, The Parliament consistently failed to raise quorum but also passed some of the most anti-civil liberties legislation. The infighting within the major political and generally the absence of internal democracy among our political parties clearly undermine their emergence as important pillars of our democracy. The deployment of all the military assets of the country: the special forces, the regular forces, all the elements of the Uganda police force, and the RDCs to secure the delegates conference of the ruling party and the associated cost on the Ugandan taxpayer raises fundamental questions as to the character of the ruling party and its apparent fusion with the state.

The Continued theft of public funds, The Office of the Auditor General and other accountability agencies have tried to lead the fight against the theft from the taxpaying public; Mukono-Katosi Road or the Standard Gauge Railway is clear evidence of lack of political will on the part of the executive to confront the cancer of corruption.

Assault on Freedom of Association and Expression, where Disagreements within parties and other institutions were met with threats and isolation and intolerance was evident. The break-up of some meetings especially up country convened by political parties especially in the opposition reminded us of the dark times in Uganda’s history.

Youth unemployment continued to bit hard in 2014, yet the Government continued to give cash handouts and other patronage programmes that can only provide short-term solutions and postpone the problem.

Increasing militarization of society, no matter the justifications by Government, the increasing militarization of every aspect of our public life is a major fault line that will impact significantly on our future as a country. Over the last three years, we have seen the military take over the command of the Uganda Police Force and the delivery of agricultural extension services; the Constitution Square has become a no go area for the public, while the Kololo ceremonial grounds have been nearly turned into a military garrison. The clear diversion of our security forces from the basic constitutional mandate is a troubling development.

Re-affirm that the Citizen is Central: As we pointed out in 2014, citizens in Uganda have for long faced situations of civic deficiency.  Promoting countrywide awareness campaigns of the necessary electoral reforms, advocating for parliament to adopt the reforms and consider them in discussion of electoral management and implementing all actions as stipulated in the compact

Engaging with citizens on the question of transition especially that Uganda has had one president for over 28 years now. As tha anxiety over this question rises, discussions should not be delayed.

Reclaiming the integrity of institutions. Even as the country faces a major institution crisis, the Civil Society acknowledges that a strong, credible and accountable state institutions. There is therefor need for separation of powers and institutional development of three arms of government; Parliament, Judiciary and the Executive, so this year hopefully will see a new chief justice appointed in the first quarter of  2015