What you need to know:
- ‘‘Uganda has unfortunately degenerated into a tale of two countries, one rich, prosperous, happy and well catered for.”
On July 20, Sabalwanyi addressed the nation on burning issues, including the dire economic crisis facing most Ugandans and a deteriorating security situation. Ugandans expected him to announce concrete and credible measures to solve many serious problems facing millions who are starving in places such as Karamoja where hundreds of people have died, or are dying, of hunger and malnutrition.
Against this background, much was expected by wananchi from the President on Wednesday. Did he deliver or did he not? That is the six million dollar question.
According to a story titled, ‘Museveni offers no solution to rising commodity prices’ published in the Daily Monitor of July 21, President Museveni provided no short-term solutions to the skyrocketing fuel and food prices Ugandans are grappling with. While invoking the Bible, he said Ugandans should take the narrow path which would lead them to salvation.
Sabalwanyi argued unconvincingly that government interventions, such as cutting taxes or giving subsidies, would mislead Ugandans to continue to consume without economising, thus plunging the country into more trouble.
“Because when we subsidise, people will continue buying more and more. You will create an artificial comfort to the people for them to think things are normal when they are not normal and you do that by bleeding yourself,” he said.
Most Ugandans feel that their government is out of touch with the objective realities which wananchi face daily. In our sister and neighbouring country of Kenya, President Uhuru Kenyatta, who appears to empathise with wananchi, has done the exact opposite of what is happening in Uganda. President Kenyatta has given Kenyans a fuel subsidy, reduced the cost of household electricity by 15 per cent, reduced prices of cooking gas and drastically reduced the price of maize flour. By Harold Acemah, Daily Monitor
