Oulanyah’s Death and the Media in Uganda Today

REMAINS of the late Speaker of the 11^th Parliament of Uganda, Rt. Hon. Jacob L’Okori Oulanyah arrived back home today, this Friday 1^st of April. Oulanyah 56 died some 12 days ago at a US Specialized hospital of Seattle in Washington City.  He was also MP for Omoro County, Omoro district in Northern Uganda.

This magnanimous politician from Acholi land will be laid to rest next Friday 8^th at his ancestral home in Ayom-Lony village, Lalogi Sub-County, Omoro district. Oulanyah will enjoy a decent send off because of the position he held in the Country but also because of his national influence.  He is among other things credited for turning northern Uganda yellow and championing a national reconciliation agenda for the Country. Oulanyah envisioned a Uganda where the ruling and the opposition political parties work together. He believed that leaders ought to put interest of the Country ahead of those of their political organizations.  

The media has been crammed with both sentimental and cynical stories around Oulanyah; his suffering, his eventual demise and the politics of it.  This is going to dry up as soon as his casket is lowered into the ground. I also hope that Oulanyah’s burial will close the chapter of incomprehensible media stories about him.

The media today is quite terrifying than never before. They stretch one event until its original taste is altered. For a good story, they keep squiggling on it until it's blurred. They will drag the story from all ends until it turns chaotic, then it’s repaired a little and suddenly shut down forever.

In Uganda today, it’s no easy to come by stories that do deeper surgery on critical national issues. Somewhere else, the death of such a giant could have evoked media to do thorough analysis of previous speakers by citing significant moments and making valuable contrasts. These would help citizens to understand where we came from as a Country, where we stand and how tomorrow looks like.

Unfortunately our media has become so casual; they no longer trace historical facts in order to appreciate the present and guide on the future. In brief, most published stories are not well conjugated with archived facts.

Yes, in the case of Oulanyah’s sickness and death, our media really played phony. At first, they ran conjectures about the speaker’s condition, which impelled idle souls to protest against Government decision to save the speaker's life. This was unpatriotic to say the least.  

The media went on to do repair services as soon as the speaker was pronounced dead on 20^th March. This time, every publishing house lionized the deceased for his; intellect, devoutness, benevolence and professionalism.   Along the way, again the stories got mixed up with stones and mud. The burial budget was depicted unpleasantly; it demonized the innocent MPs from greater North where Oulanyah comes from.

Nonetheless, Oulanyah was celebrated by many Ugandans. People from; Churches, Mosques, Schools, Health centers, sporting arenas, entertainment and many more will miss Lanywen (Oulanya’s pet name). His supporters in Acholi tagged him so, I guess because of his intrepid character. A man who never gives up easily, a man who changes tactics until success is attained.

Unfortunately, death doesn’t die. We curse it every day, but death is immortal. So we can never celebrate death, but life. As the country goes on with the celebration of Oulanyah’s life for the next couple of days, I call unto the media to do more by taking advantage of archived information to weave better stories instead of limiting news to political statements and strange occurrences. May God grant Jacob everlasting life.

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What a Nasty 'Love Making' Spectacle!

THERE was that bloodcurdling rattle, that enraging, vexing bang to the opposite direction as soon as Nancy and I trod out of the pick-up-truck for some restorative window shopping inside a super market in the heart of Moyo, a town in Uganda’s West Nile sub region.

Frightened to the bones, I found myself stuck on this West Nile Queen as though I were her spoilt child. I grew up in the North and Karamoja at the peak of gun violence and so such a sound naturally brings back recollections of broad daylight cattle raiders or those bizarre arrivals of the Lord’s Resistance Army attackers. 

In the case of what perforated my nerves, such a terrifying sound would be instantaneously succeeded by screeches, and melees of; men, women and children looking for hide outs or temporal barricades against the scattering live ammunitions. This is how some of us grew up anyway, up there, far there.

Ashamed of what I was doing on this chilly morning and in the presence of people who seem unbothered, I let go of Nancy’s golden arm and slowly joined everyone by protracting my neck towards where the sound came from.  No panic registered here, no commotion, no more sound, just a build-up of people; quiet, agitated men, women and children.

Traffic was interrupted for some 10 minutes on this dusty marram street, yet not a voice could announce the problem. The point of attraction was an entangled lifeless body of a young man, a teen-ager held tightly to a SENKE motor bike that twisted itself on the boy like a living thing. “This is a love making spectacle”, I told myself.

It took stretched muscles of two fellow boda-boda men to unlock the seemingly enraged automobile from the boy and guess what! The boy’s eyes were alive and bright and streaming with clean tears; his neck could struggle hard but his limbs were dead.

There is something excess about the young men who drive motorcycles in most West Nile districts except Arua, the city.  The districts of; Moyo, Koboko and Yumbe take the day. Firsts, I noticed that at least 8/10 boda-bodas in these districts do not have driving (side) mirrors at all, we can't even talk of a driving license; second, they are always rushing even if they are going to a 100-meter destination. Most of them are always chewing something throughout the day, could this be some sort of drug? The other attribute shared with their colleagues countrywide is their right-of-way assumption. This kind of pointless impudence has killed many riders and including their innocent passengers.

World Health Organization estimates that road traffic accidents in Uganda account for close to 30% deaths per 100,000 people. Statistics at Mulago National Referral Hospital confirms that some five (05) to 20 victims of traffic accidents get admitted on a daily basis and that 41% of these victims are linked to boda-boda. A study by Makerere University School of Statistics and Planning established that 32.5% of motorcyclists use alcohol or psychoactive drugs while on duty; moreover 54.6% of the boda-boda men learnt how to ride casually through friends or relatives and another 37% taught themselves how to ride.

There is an urgent need to bring commercial motorcyclists in this country to order through an intense behavioral change intervention before their conduct turns into a critical public health phenomenon for the Country.  

Mobile Phone Cancer is Real and Dangerous

HAVE you ever experienced the exasperation that come with someone addressing you while on phone? I mean, while listening to you and as well following another speaker on the phone? What of a spectacle when someone is knocked down by an automobile because she/he could not let go of the phone while crossing a road? Then there are those who go to office and spend eight hours busy on their smart phones. You shouldn’t like it at all. I hate it.

There are several bad things nowadays, - bad manners in fact I should say, that arise from being a careless, non-sensitive aficionado of a mobile phone. I think a mobile phone is one thing that has spread so fast without precautions on its downside being equally widely shared by the manufacturer.

The World needs to catch up on this missed opportunity if we are to save money, time, integrity, and lives. Personally, I just made some tough, really very tough resolutions on the use of my mobile phone, the World may call me names, but, I don’t care the names, all I care for now are essentially my restorative tenacities.  

Just the other day, while in Mbarara City, I went to give my head a better shape in some striking barber shop. This was necessary after a fortnight focus on the hustle. Guess what? This bloke unconsciously does it to me until, - the ulcers! First, it was his excitement over a WhatsApp message. His smart phone carried him away, to the girls and other young people within this beautiful interior. The boy wanted them to see the message, and you know what? He spent his neck on forwarding it to his contacts. At least when I asked, he said, (without business sense) “boss let me just share this message first”.  Although my body looked comfortable and flexible to allow a nod, the ulcers were biting from my internal. Had it not been for the soothing interior, I could have fled!

More annoying realities about poor phone etiquette are seen in the streets every day. Motorists divide their concentration into half, with the other being on the phone. So, you find a responsible looking fellow holding the phone with one hand and the car steering wheel with only one, or use the shoulder to hold the phone –obviously straining the neck and making very deadly mistakes that can cost lives. Many have died, their stories told, but we never learn at least. I normally surprise motorcyclists who pick up calls when am passenger.  I simply say, “boss, stop for a moment…”, then I drop off just like that with the hope that they pick lessons.

The ‘smart phone cancer’ has equally invaded offices. Some employees simply fail to deliver on their daily outputs because of this malignancy. The first things people kill their eyes, necks and backs on in the morning when settled at their office desks is phone. WhatsApp messages, Facebook buzzes, twitter craze etc. eat up time for most officers. Do you know that even meetings these days do not enjoy full participation of members just because of addiction to mobile phones? Yes, married people have had to divorce because the phone has put them aside.

Global statistics reveal that 23% of road accidents nowadays are caused due to phone use while driving. This is too high and yet we know that a car forces drivers to give it maximum attention always. Let’s imagine the percentage loss in terms of delivery of outputs in an office setting. Some employers have gone ahead to put in place mobile phone use policies to reduce on this damage. Before such restrictions are imposed on you, it might be wise to personally redeem yourself. We need to shift gears and sidestep the impending helplessness coming up from the detestable use of mobile phones. We can defeat it easily because it’s merely a mindset disease. www.owiny.blogspot.com 

 

 

Mindset Change is Crucial for Parish Development Model

THE Parish Development Model (PDM) is for now the Government of Uganda (GoU) new kid on the block joining several other initiatives to fight household poverty and cruise Uganda to middle income status by 2040.

Before the launch of PDM last July, GoU has been tackling poverty through numerous programs such as; National Agricultural Advisory Services (NAADS), Northern Uganda Social Action Fund (NUSAF), Operation Wealth Creation (OWC) and recent ones like; Development Initiative for Northern Uganda (DINU); Development Response to Displacement Impacts Project (DRDIP) among others, all guided by the National Development Plan III (NDPIII).

PDM is therefore a hybrid GoU poverty reduction weaponry joining the above projects to ignite economic growth through a multifaceted approach whose journey starts from the parish level so that villages and households are easily tapped in.

As we already know, the PDM methodology is anchored on seven strategic pillars: 1) Production, Storage, Processing and Marketing; 2) Infrastructure and Economic Services; 3) Financial Inclusion; 4) Social Services; 5) Mindset change; 6) Parish Based Management Information System 7) Governance and Administration.

Of the seven pillars; mindset change is to me the foundation that if well executed could easily springboard Uganda to middle income status even before the 2040 stretch. For starters, most, - if not all GoU implemented projects have been delivering massive outputs in order to change lives of Ugandans, however these yields dissipate off as soon as the projects close.

The reason is quite simple, - peoples’ attitudes ought to be developed concurrently with project execution so that they can own these projects and continue building on the knowledge, infrastructure and related project outcomes.

A sneak peek into some government projects shows mammoth achievements that could have by now uplifted Uganda out of poverty had the beneficiaries’ mindsets been tickled during previous interventions.

According to a NAADS performance report of 2020, the program supported food security interventions through procurement and distribution of 2,434,437 tons of maize seeds to 125 districts enabling 121,722 households to benefit directly within the 2019-2020 financial year alone.

NAADS further initiated a tractorization program where 560 tractor operators across the country were trained on proper operation and maintenance of tractors, procured and distributed 280 tractors to beneficiary groups in 119 districts. NAADS gave out several agricultural inputs such as maize mills, fruit processing facilities etc. These tangible and visible interventions were aimed at empowering citizens and enabling them take off and grow independently.

As for NUSAF3, its proposed directly targeted beneficiaries were 2,995,500 persons mainly nominated from poor and vulnerable households in Northern Uganda. According to the project evaluation report of April 2021, NUSAF3 surpassed its target by reaching out to 3,031,690 (101.2%) individuals without considering reciprocal beneficiaries.

NUSAF3 funded over 10,000 income generating community enterprises achieving 123% total reach way above the 7,700 target. NUSAF3 also tested the village revolving fund (VRF) approach which informed the design of the PDM by giving out 10,000 dollars (UGX 37,000,000) per village as capital for groups to borrow and pay back.

The VRF reached 425 villages and 1470 groups in Northern Uganda. This enabled growth in household monthly incomes from UGX 98,636 in 2017 to 178,147 and spiked voluntary savings by communities to an accumulated figure of over 41 billion shillings as at April 2021.

These government interventions were capable of sustainably uplifting most Ugandans out of poverty if they had an effective integration of mindset change approaches. A well-developed mindset empowers beneficiaries to keep hold on project achievements and carry on even without government or donor support.

The unwanted reality on the ground to demonstrate mindset gap is that communities keep referring to their sub projects by the name of the funder. For instance; NUSAF garden; DINU road; NAADS’ goats; DRDIP schools, etc. They simply disassociate themselves from such initiatives as if it’s not meant for them.

These misconceptions are equally exacerbated by prevailing social cultural believes and norms in our communities. In Karamoja for example, there is a belief that mixing faeces in a pit latrine engenders conflicts in homes. Some cultures forbid women from eating certain nutritious foods for unclear, unscientific reasons.

The prevalence of these myths and misconceptions pose critical barriers to projects’ desired changes and affect sustainability efforts. Thus, an overarching Social Behavioral Change Communications (SBCC) strategy based on formative research is necessary to ascertain existing barriers for the implementation of the mindset change aspect under the PDM.

The probable SBCC theory to guide community mindset change would be the Social Ecological Model which advises on how to tackle behavioral issues both for community and individuals, but this ought to be well informed by preliminary formative research in the different communities.

A summarised version of this article was published in The Daily Monitor Newspaper of Tuesday 9th Nov. 2021.  Mindset change is crucial for the parish devt model | Monitor

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Let’s Stay in the Farm Until Christmas

TRAVELLING upcountry is always such a delightful experience because it offers chance to interact with and appreciate change of environment in different ways. It offers apparent occasions to interface with diverse creatures. Remarkably are people we chat with during stoppages to answer calls of nature; thirst and inexorable seepages. Sometimes we simply stop to fill up car boots with goodies from roadside venders or to do mechanical checks on our automobiles.

Travelling the Eastern Uganda route all the way to Karamoja is no exception to these elations and immersions.  There are normally plentiful of things to enjoy while on this beautiful route.  Fresh and affordable foodstuff are usually flooded at the roadsides, from Iganga to Katakwi before one enters Napak district in Karamoja.

Surely, one needs no entry into a supermarket for fresh foods while going or coming from home via this route. Things we enjoy along this road are quite many. They range from reasonably priced local chicken to clean and glittery rice and beans. Others are; fresh water melons, sparkling and spotless mangoes, oranges and passion fruits. The thick-weighty and fresh tubers mainly; sweet potatoes, Irish, yams and cassava.

My own experience as a frequent East-wards traveler, has enabled me befriend several members of the roadside vending communities. One of them is Elizabeth Akiror (I use Eliza) from whom I always buy sweet potatoes and tasty cassava. Eliza is an Itesot woman in her late 60s if not early 70s, at least looking at her facial mien.

While travelling home a fortnight ago, I found Eliza selling mangoes instead of potatoes. This was strange. Strange, because this elderly woman has been dealing strictly in fresh tubers or sliced and dried sweet potatoes and cassava. Under normal circumstance, this is the season for fresh harvest of sweet potatoes, groundnuts, maize and beans. So, I stopped at Eliza’s spot with expectations of picking up some fresh tubers to take away for my girls.

Reader, I noticed that no roadside vender had most of these goodies by the roadside. At first, I thought it was the effect of the 42 days’ lockdown that the president had imposed in a bid to flatten the COVID-19 infection and death rates in our beautiful Country. No, not really, I realised quickly that the president actually gave exceptions to dealers of foods or produce generally.

The only challenge that the small scale food dealers could grapple with is transportation to the market. Wait, but again, the motorcyclists were given heads ups to do transportation of foodstuff. The last condition was that market vendors should spend nights within market premises, yet also, this wouldn’t affect my good friend Eliza and her colleagues who simply walked some five to 10 meters to get to the roadside with their merchandise.  So, what is the real issue? I had a short interaction with Eliza who shared with me what I now believe is the real problem.

With her blood flecked eyes beaming miraculously from a craggy skull, this woman of chocolate and rugged complexion, predicts a desolate future full of hunger and death. “We need to pray to God my son, if not, I see we shall all die of hunger this year”, she said while shrugging to the sky. “Eheehee, this year, there is no life, even the mangoes have not done well, don’t you see?” Eliza continued, “how do I sell what is not there my son. I tell you, next time we shall come here to beg instead of selling”.

Eliza told me that the first rains deceived farmers by making them plant and then it disappeared suddenly resulting to drying up of crops. “Maybe if this current rains continues up to November, then we may get some sweet potatoes, but I have lost hope”.

Indeed, this year, most farmers who planted early and are expected by now to be controlling space in the markets, have really bungled. The promising drizzles in the early month of March stirred farmers into early planting, but vanished off suddenly. The months, April -May were under full sunshine that burnt off most of our crops.  

According to the Uganda National Metrological Authority (UNMA), the period from June, July and August is normally characterized with a dry spell over most parts of; South-Western, Central, Lake Victoria basin and Eastern regions.  This period usually marks the end of the first season and is as well a time for harvest of most crops in the Country.

UNMA postulates that some physical conditions are likely influencers of the current unpredictable pattern. These includes; the neutral state of EL Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) over tropical Pacific Ocean and the current neutral and weak Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) expected to develop between the months of July to August. The other factor is the influence of regional circulation patterns, topographical features and large inland water bodies.

We need to keep trying in the last half of the year. Our farmers need to be told to remain in the farm until Christmas. The current rains in most parts of Eastern and North Eastern region might be sustained for the next three months. The message should thus, go to our farmers not to lose hope, but take advantage of the drizzles to plant first growing crops that might end up rescuing the situation.

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UCE Results, 2020: The Good and Bad News in Abim District

THE Ministry of Education and Sports alongside Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) last week, released results for the Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) examinations for the year 2020 amidst a COVID-19 lockdown. This has since remained one of the key contents for most (both) traditional and social media platforms in Uganda.

According to UNEB, a total of 333,889 candidates sat for this examinations from 3,935 registered centers.  UNEB informed media outlets that there were more female students comprising 50.1 percent compared to their male counterparts who accounted for 49.8percent. There were also more candidates from non-Universal Secondary Education(USE) program than those under the USE, at 185,754 and 148,135 respectively.

Generally, apart from those candidates whose results were withheld; 39,968 candidates (12.1%) passed in division one, and 69,782 (21.2%) got division two, while 81,428 (24.7%) landed in grade three. Another whooping 120,055 candidates (36.4%) made it in the fourth division, while some 18,414 (5.6%) regrettably settled in the ninth grade.

Considering that the students sat for examinations in a COVID-19 tainted environment, I think the performance is fair, compared to the previous normal years.

Until now, there is continuous analysis of the results and specifically the performance of schools by different concerned people within the Country so as to try and share good lessons from schools that excelled, but also to sieve out critical challenges that could have affected the ones that plummeted.

New media (social media) has made it possible to have decentralized discussions where different regions or districts, Sub Counties, Parishes or even villages easily focus on their zones and dichotomize the issues.

Back home in Abim district, the performances of the few Secondary schools were received with mixed reactions characterized by amazements, agitations and vilifications.

A school like Abim S.S that had never been serious despite being the oldest secondary school in the district, surprised her critics by performing fairly better.  Abim S.S was able to have 11 candidates (11%) in grade one, 40 candidates (41%)in division two and 47 of their candidates (48%) fell in the third ranking.  Look here, for a school that has been having first grade drought for centuries, this is a great show and it clearly animated most people.

The other schools within the district simply tumbled. Above all, Morulem Girls’ Secondary that used to top the district in UCE has gradually waned. This school only afforded 02 candidates or (4%) in division one, 13 (25%)in the second division and a roaring 21 candidates (40%) in the third grade. There is also a contribution of 16 candidates (30%) in the ugly fourth grade and, 01 candidate (01%) settled in the abominable division nine.

 Formerly viewed as a symbol of hope for the girl child in the district as it remitted highly graded students than no other school, we can for now say that Morulem Girls’ has gone far down low.

According to local commentators, Morulem Girls’ has nosedived because of three critical reasons: The indifferent and languorous teaching staff, the category of students admitted and the droopy parents.

Decriers of Morulem Girls’ think that the teachers have lost focus in their work and redirected energies to other things including political activities that has partly divided them and equally provoked mistrust and disrespect from the learners and the community. I hope it’s not true.

The other notion is that the school has of late focused more on offering second chance education, where more of the school dropouts are the ones gathered and forced back to class as long as they are sponsored by a good Samaritan. This is a very good initiative but, where there is no will, there can’t be a way.  Cases of these ‘girls’ climbing over the school fence to escape back home or to meet with their better halves or to drink alcohol, look for dance parties etc. are said to be rampant in this school. With this, I may not blame the teachers.  Critics might need to understand this scenario and look for a better way of benchmarking Morulem Girls’ nowadays.

The third concern is the disinclined parents who do not spare resources (could be just time) to learn and support in solving the issues at the school.  Parents are important in all schools. They might need to be woken up and shown where they can come in. I hope something will be done.

Schools that have continued to perform well have built strong systems for teacher motivation, attracting students of better grades and strengthening coordination with parents and the Old Students’ Associations. Morulem Girls’ and all other schools in Abim district could do better by forging a way along the above lines too.

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South Western Uganda is Blessed Beyond Repair, Says My Travel Notes

WE started off on a day that usually belongs to my laundry, to my Kitchen, to my phone, to my Mom, to Daddy, to Norah and our flowers; Mercy and Fenella.

Saturday. It was late afternoon of it, when we pressed the start button. I was full of exhilaration because I was visiting for the first time despite the tasks involved. Poor me, I could not see them at all! I mean, I could not set eyes on the things that would excite me most during such moments as a little boy, back then in the 1990s.

                 

 The steep hills and valleys of Isingiro                    

With the weight of darkness taking its toll on this beautiful day, I had to painfully miss my childhood travel entertainment. I missed them all. The flying clouds, the racing trees, the houses, the people full of what to do. The millions of automobiles cruising to the opposite direction, and so many more. These were what enthused my journeys as a child. Just know, travels nowadays simply make me young.

Childhood reminiscences aside. What pre-occupied my mind all the way through the journey was the imagination of how the green guys might treat us. Our Country is under lockdown. Lockdown due to the oddest of visitors of our time. Due to Mr. deadly Corona Virus. Anyway, our journey hit finishing line at 8: 30 PM. The green guys were tired and paid less attention.

Mbarara. What a city! A city of compliance. Apart from dozens of roasted maize cobs we grabbed from Masaka, we had no options but to rush into our hotel rooms and snuffle peacefully until the next day. We were late for business. Did you see my tweet that night? It reads, “Mbarara, the City of strict adherence to COVID-19 SOPs. You can’t mess here…”.  We slept hungry.

A trip from Mbarara early morning to catch up with business in Isingiro district was another new experience. Isingiro is beautifully situated at the borderline of the Republic of Tanzania. Here, we are separated from Tanzanians by the dirty, but attractive and economically significant river Kagera. Lovely steep hills and deep valleys are key geographical features of this Ankole district. The people are welcoming. Did you know that Isingiro district hosts a number of refugees? Don’t forget that Nakivale Refugee settlement in Isingiro is also the oldest settlement in Africa.

            I was thrilled by both living & non-living things                  

My next destination was Kamwenge district, another sweet place to be proud of as a Country. The natural attractions of this district bring home an estimated 12,500 tourists annually. Kamwenge is blessed with numerous wetlands, grasslands and woodlands. Kamwenge shares the pride of Queen Elizabeth National Park with Kitagwenda district. Other attractions to this district includes; Lake George, River Mpanga, Rwenshama Falls and Katonga Nature Reserve.

There was more work to do, but I cannot forget the feeling of passing through Kyenjojo district to cross over to Kyegegwa another district with excess beauty of nature. Despite the shortage of infrastructural development here, I fell in love with the attitude of the people of Kyegegwa. Calm, friendly and generous Ugandans. The two nights I spent in Kyegegwa brought back memories of my life in Bunyoro Kingdom. Now I know why the Batooro and the Banyoro are identical twins. Let me reserve more for another day. Shooting back home was through Mubende and Mityana districts.