Many will, therefore, wait eagerly to see whether she will maintain the status quo that made Tanzania shine on the continent, clinching the middle-income status amidst imperial threats and economic embargoes.
According to the latest report of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, Tanzania is the only East African country that uses the smallest portion (8.4per cent) of its export revenue in debt repayment.
With 23 million internet users, Tanzania is ranked seventh in Africa, making it a fertile destination for digital investors. In a bid to kick out corruption and halt massive exploitation by foreign companies, the late John Pombe Magufuli renegotiated government contracts, especially in the mining sector.
Leaving behind a stable country both economically, socially and politically, Magufuli’s successor has to keep swimming against the tide precisely like her predecessor in order to maintain the status quo and remain relevant to people.
The route which enemies of development previously exploited to fleece Tanzania has to remain shut. She has to accept to become unpopular to Europe and the United States because her predecessor proved that what pleases foreigners is not necessarily beneficial to citizens. Like the English adage says, someone’s trash is another person’s treasure.
Andrew Bakoraho,
bakoraho@yahoo.co.uk
Compensate Kibiro oil spill victims
Government through ministry of Energy and Mineral Development on November 11, 2019 contracted M/s Royal Techno Industries Limited to drill and test 16 temperature gradient wells in Kibiro and Panyimur areas.
On March 22, 2020 as the company’s operations were underway in Hoima district at Kibiro landing site, an explosion at the well led to an oil spillage. This led to socio-economic and environmental impacts.
The oil spill was estimated to be less than 300 meters between Lake Albert shores and the historical and cultural Kibiro hot springs. The drilling of the Kibiro wells went on without an environmental and social impact assessment study, a violation of the National Environment Act of 2019.
The Kibiro oil spill comprised a mixture of clay, water, crude oil and smelling gas, which contaminated waters of Lake Albert, fishing nets, the sand soil and one household’s property and land. Government officials from NEMA, the Petroleum Authority of Uganda and Hoima district local government visited the site and evaluated the damage on soil and water.
However, one household of Julius Kiiza Rubanjwa, which was affected, has never been compensated up to date. This has put at risk the lives of the family and the neighbours.
In a press release issued on April 15, 2020, the ministry of Energy and Mineral Development directed the contractor to halt her activities, clean up and establish remedial mitigation efforts to restore the environment, among others.
The ministry of Energy did not commit itself to compensating the affected household. One year down the road, nothing yet has been done.
Sandra Atusinguza
atusinguzas@gmail.com
Govt needs to counter NUP lies
Since NUP’s inception into Uganda’s political space, their biggest weapon has been social media, making unconfirmed allegations against anyone with a different view.
This tactic has won them millions of supporters who do not take time to verify their messages and intentions. Their disinformation strategy is characterized by the millions of fake social media accounts pushing a NUP narrative and continuous flashing of graphic videos and gruesome pictures attaching them to their struggle and blaming the government.
Some leaders in the opposition continue to fake some of the alleged atrocities by the government. Their messages are shockingly believable because those in government have created a huge information gap, and this has given rise to many online (Facebook and Twitter) manipulators spreading misleading information to the public.
The government supporters have until now not understood this disinformation strategy because many of the government officials are not active on these social media handles.
It’s time for those in government and NRM supporters to appreciate the power of media and skillfully take advantage of the heavy audience of Ugandans on social media platforms to publicize their achievements.
Arthur Tumwesigye,
Kampala.
Parliament needs to produce great leaders
For over 59 years since independence, Uganda’s parliament produced great brains and leaders.
However, throughout this period of time, it has been hard for any of these promising leaders to break through and advance their political careers to something bigger and more demanding like becoming a president.
In many democracies, former parliamentarians have gone on to become formidable national and international political figures and opinion leaders. In the last 30 years, we have seen many sharp, young and promising eloquent men and women in the parliament of Uganda, only for them to end up being so comfortable with the monies and deals in parliament.
They ditch the opportunity to grow into formidable national leaders. Parliaments are places of political growth. Many people are expected to develop their leadership potential from there and move on to a higher level, thus advancing growth of democracy in a young country like ours.
In Uganda, many of these people have grown old and stagnant from parliament, with their only option being leaving the House when defeated in the general elections.
Therefore, I would like to see our leaders using parliament as a source of growth and development of Uganda’s democracy through nurturing future productive national leaders and enforcing the rule of law and constitutionalism.
Joan Atuha
atuhabumali@gmail.com
Africa needs good leaders
There is an ongoing discussion on the effectiveness of foreign aid in helping the economic development of Africa. One thing is obvious: the results are not exactly what Africa’s development partners have expected, and the reasons are not far-fetched.
Dambisa Moyo, global economist and author, contends in her book Dead Aid that while foreign aid that addresses humanitarian needs caused by drought and conflict is helpful, most of the aid given to African countries is rather harmful.
It has become obvious that it is politics that drives the economies of nations. Acemoglu and Robinson assert in their seminal book Why Nations Fail that the major difference between developed countries and developing countries is in their political evolution.
Developed countries have political and economic systems that are inclusive and o er opportunities for most people to create wealth. However, most developing economies have political and economic systems that are extractive.
Those in the ruling class have a strong hold on political power, and use it to channel economic resources to bene t themselves and those close to them. Foreign aid, when channelled through such extractive systems, almost never reaches the most vulnerable in society.
We need to rethink the form of aid Africa needs and the platforms for distributing or offering it. The problem is leadership. The cultivation of leaders with exceptional character and skills is critical to Africa’s development.
Africa’s development partners should recognize that it is too late to teach someone who occupies a high position in government how to lead during side talks at global events. Incompetence in leadership in most African countries is not only the problem of people who occupy positions in government; it is a reflection of the leadership culture.
Many citizens have leadership potential, but several factors inhibit their leadership development, such as bad governance, poverty, corruption and religious bias. Most young people in Africa are hungry to learn and to realize their potential.
They seek respected mentors and resources to help them navigate the complex life challenges they face. However, there is a dearth of institutions and curricula to help them realize such desires.Â
Ambrose Byamugisha Muhoozi
ambrosoli.consult@gmail.com
letters@observer.ug