Uganda Can’t See Peace for Absence of War

Benedict Ntambaazi

SUBSCRIBING to the welfare of people requires great thinking that at times makes one go an extra mile to search for the reality. But, this is a great fear of many. This is one of the reasons I feel peace still eludes Uganda, even though we are not at war.

There is need to heal the world, to make it a better place for those coming after us. A sustainable provision of the welfare of people, particularly the youth, is to that end, very important in efforts to ensure peace.

There is need to understand that even without the express exchange of fire, live bullets, or humiliating words in the political arena, or the cat and mouse scenarios of government officials and members of the opposition, there may not necessarily be peace.

A number of events have happened, which I think were just powered to terminate our much-needed tranquility. Should it be of surprise to anyone that blame of the curtailment of peace is more apportioned to the economic and political state of the country today?

In the yester years, it was right to say the regimes of the day were simply anarchical, that they instilled fear in their own citizens. Then, came the liberation in 1986, when virtually all the country breathed a sigh of relieve. But, then tension is mounting yet again, between government and sections of the country, like Buganda, for instance.

As they say, “you cannot see smoke for fire,” the relations between the great nation of Buganda today and the bigger nation of Uganda, as a whole, indicate a deep-seated problem, that can only antagonize peace, now and then, if it continues unabated.

Let us recall the September 2009 riots in Buganda, which claimed tens of lives and left several souls languishing in jail, without bail. Really, why would any person block another from
traveling to any part of the country, called our country? And indeed, why, if not for the hidden animosity – a time bomb if you ask me – would it be of any concern to anyone to the point of rioting, if someone is disallowed access to a corner of the country?

Interestingly, we look at politics as the main cause of our absence of peace. But, we cannot rule out also the salient contribution of the cultural, social and economic aspects, when tampered with. Peace as a human necessity, embraces a lot of issues.

It pertains the wellbeing of people, in all aspects. People have unalienable rights to economic, social, cultural and of course civil stability. It must be sustainable, especially for the energetic, but unfortunately marginalized, youths who are prone to being used into destabilizing a peace. Only with that can we expect peace.

That is why easily the young people are readily at the front when any chaos breaks out. They seem to have nothing to lose, yet feel they can gain from the chaos. They will put their lives on the line in protests, incarcerations, and any other kinds of situations, which unfortunately only make them hardcore, just because the ingredients for peace, such as jobs, fair distribution of national resources and generally their wellbeing, continue to lack.

When we look at situations in other countries, we are convinced that the wellbeing of young people contributes a lot to peace. In Europe and America, young people are catered for in almost all aspects, by the state. In Africa, they live by the peripherals of national resources. That is why, because they are in their prime, youth are webbed up by Africa’s spats of insecurities, which are the main fuel for the absence of tangible pacifism.

Peace has disappeared in this former British Protectorate, because we are still deaf to the wants of people, especially the youth. On top of that, we are seeing the other vices threatening our treasured morals, being backed by powerful donors, just because for us, government has more concern for the wants of foreign powers, than its people. The case in mind is this pending Bill on homosexuality, which has unnecessarily become controversial, just because donors have a particular interest in it.

Uganda has often stressed the factor of ‘democracy’. Even the constitution explicitly states how all power belongs to the people. Yet, when the people express this power, they are either told off, or threatened to abandon their expression of power. To me, this is one of the reasons I see no peace for the absence of war in Uganda.

There is a need to redefine this power that belongs to the people. For example, do the people, particularly the youth, have power to ensure their health, education or other wants like belonging? If government finds a problem, for example, for one radio station to associate with the Kabaka, do the many youth have power to associate with their king, in any way, without fear of victimization?

Uganda is not at war, but it is not at peace either, because people still lack that constitutional power. Tears are always rolling down their faces, with the many road accidents taking their loved ones, but the accidents continue day and night, blamed on poor roads, reckless driving and the like. Yet, people have no power to bring someone to stop the bad roads or inconsiderate use of vehicles.

Blood has been shed in ritual murders, severally of children. But, only now is government thinking of a Commission of Inquiry. Meanwhile, witchcraft still thrives, under the protection of the constitutional right to freedom of worship, faith or belonging. All these have eroded the peace that Uganda is in dire need of.

I suggest, we start afresh, taking great care to be stewards of our country men. Only then shall Uganda be at peace.

The writer is a youth member of the Archdiocese of Kampala
(ntambben@yahoo.com)