This 02nd of May, I turned 40 years of age. It was planned to be a great celebration― four decades of life on this mother earth, but because of Covid-19, my birthday was a low-key ceremony, almost unnoticed.
Fast-forward, this month, I became a grandfather for the first time― my first nephew, twenty-six year old Simon Singiza Mukama and his wife, Daphne gave birth to a bouncing baby girl- Ariana Singiza Nyakusinga at Kampala Hospital.
In just about two days, the young couple was in and out of hospital.
Naturally, as an excited 40-year old grandfather, I, and my wife (now grandmother) went to meet our granddaughter. As I held the young Ariana, I got a sort of epiphany- a moment of sudden and great revelation or realization. I do not know why- but holding the little peaceful soul in my hands- got me reflecting deeply on my very own life and how blessed I have been.
You see, unlike little Ariana, I never had a chance of being born in an upscale healthcare facility like Kampala Hospital. The 9th born of 10 children, I am told, that I was born at a much smaller Kitagata Hospital in present day Sheema District. My younger brother, Mark Rukundo, was even less lucky, he was born in the home of a one, Perazi Rutabingwa, a semi-skilled birth attendant – under a candle/the moon.
Although she doesn’t know yet, Ariana will be the second-generation child in the greater Kyamutetera family, that is being born in a largely well facilitated healthcare facility, surrounded by doctors. Around me- in my village, amongst my peers and my networks, I know so many other people who are now into a second generation that is living a much better life than they themselves had as kids.
One would be quick to dismiss me as being one of the lucky few elites in Kampala- and prefer to say, the rest of Uganda is wallowing in poverty, characterized by malnutrition, disease, school dropping out and all the many other ills associated with life.
But numbers do not lie!
It is therefore no wonder that in Uganda, maternal mortality ratio (per 100,000 live births) reduced from 506 in FY1986/87 to 336 in FY2016/17 while under-five mortality rate (per 1,000) reduced from 147 in FY1986/87 to 64 in FY2016/17.
And again, I do not want to believe that these numbers (I know we can do better though), has been because of sheer luck. It certainly has been a result of years of consistent investment in the health sector- immunizations, mosquito nets, training of healthcare workers and of course investing healthcare infrastructure. According to Ministry of health statistics, the number of hospitals in Uganda have grown by more than three-fold from 49 hospitals in 1986 to 156 hospitals- 14 regional referral hospitals and 137 general hospitals. These are supported by 226 Health Centre IVs (HCIVs), 1,755 Health Centre IIIs (HCIIIs), 3,178 Health Centre IIs (HCIIs) as well as 1,601 clinics. As a result, today 86% of Ugandans live within 5km of a health facility.
It is therefore not surprising that Uganda’s life expectancy has increased by 20 years in one generation from 43 years in 1995 to 63 years in 2017.
Is this the best we can do? Certainly not. There is room for improvement and certainly we can do more- but this can only be a process and within our means.
However, to ignore the good that has been done and over-focus on what is yet to be done, especially by politicians is just selective amnesia. I do believe every politician, and yet including the opposition, can speak truth to power.
Let us look at the other numbers, for like they say, numbers don’t lie.
I am free, skilled and ready for take off
Before I get lost in the numbers and the macro-economics, first things first- I do not think President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni is a saint- I am fully aware of his many mistakes and failures- but again, don’t we all have our very own mistakes?
Plus, does President Museveni work alone in government? His mistakes are in one way or another, our collective failures and similarly, if we all pulled up our socks, we can together do a greater job.
Like I have mentioned earlier, I know poverty so well- right from losing a father at a tender age of three years, to the great famine of 1984 and walking to school barefooted on a murram road; not by choice but because after my father died in 1983, it would take me another almost 5 years before my next pair of shoes. I am very familiar with a story of sharing makeshift bed with four of my siblings- in a room shared by 3- other adults, including my widowed mother.
But I also know our story of resilience- a mother that never gave up on us- supported by well-wishers, and later alone, my older siblings. But now that I am old enough to understand, I also fully appreciate the role played by a functioning government- the NRM government.
I do think in all honesty, I should give credit where it is due, without being afraid to point out what is wrong.
For a very long time, I used to think I am one of those lucky chaps- may be I am, otherwise having lost my father at a tender age of three, and being able to make it through school- through some of the country’s best schools- St Joseph’s Vocational School in Mbarara and Namilyango College and finally Makerere University and having a job, a business and raising a family of my own- albeit some challenges, is no mean feat. To think that all this was out of my own sweat and perhaps God’s blessings, and forgetting about the role of government in my education, healthcare, creating peace, investing in transport and energy infrastructure, enabling quick and swift business registrations etc.- is being selectively forgetful and dishonest with my self.
Inside Uganda’s Property Market: Broll Uganda’s Moses Lutalo on Sector Realities and the Signals Investors Can’t IgnoreAnd this is not just me, I was raised in a family of 10 children- 09 of whom have been to University and are largely self-sufficient is no mean feat. But maybe it is not luck- for I know so many families in my village and villages beyond who have undergone a similar fundamental change, this surely can’t have been a matter of luck alone.
Yes, it is true that I also know a number of families who have fallen off the train and are looking down the jaws of poverty- but by and large- you can say for every 2 or 3 poor families that I know of, I also know 10 others that are much much better than they were 30 years ago.
According to the World Bank, poverty (the percentage of population below national poverty line) reduced from 56.4% in 1992 to 19.7% in 2012, although it slightly increased to 21.4% in 2016.
Again the world Bank says that most of the poverty reduction- 79 percent happened in agricultural households and this is explained by two factors- favorable prices and weather. While good weather by and large cannot be claimed by anyone, the World Bank says that the favorable prices were a factor of sound policies- investments in infrastructure, economic liberalization, and better trade services. Peace across the country, but specifically in Northern Uganda has also contributed to poverty reduction by allowing farmers to take advantage of stable and favorable prices and to double their crop income.
Increased Education levels- e.g. because of UPE, which started in 1997, and USE in 2007, the literacy rate has improved from 43% to 76.63% in 2018, it has been associated with income growth, higher resilience to shocks and diversification from agriculture, and higher migration from rural to urban areas.
Do I have to mention the obviously evident government role in this?
Numbers Don’t Lie Gwolabyeko ye mwana
One of the other key drivers and perhaps the hallmarks of the NRM Government investment strategy in the last 10 years, and at the insistence of President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, has been investment in energy and transport infrastructure.
On September 4th 2018, at the Forum For China – Africa Cooperation, President Museveni told the world his major reason for investing in energy and transport infrastructure sometimes at what seems like at the expense of other sectors.
“Currently, the rate of return on investment in East Africa is 11%. However, with the improved supply of electricity and lower transport costs, the rate of return on the investment will go to 15%,” Mr. Museveni told the meeting.
And it is no brainer, with higher returns on investment and lower costs of production, Uganda will be able to attract more investments, create more jobs and put more incomes is the pockets of its people.
And so far, so good.
For example in the electricity sector, the NRM inherited a country with hydroelectricity generation capacity of 150 Mega Watts (MW) in FY1986/87 but with only 60MW being generated.
As of this year, Uganda has grown its generation by more than ten-fold to 1,237.49 MW as of October 2020. When Karuma Hydropower Dam and other projects come on board next year, this will grow to over 1830 MW! With increased capacity, there has been increased access. The number of legally connected electricity customers has grown by more than 9 times from 180,000 customers in 2001 to 1,643,288!
According to the Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERA) with more reliable and readily accessible power from a diversity of sources- large hydro, small hydro, solar and bagasse co-generation, the cost of generation has been reduced by between 20%-30% which benefit is being passed on to end users, especially manufacturers. As a result, Uganda today has one of the lowest off-peak Industrial Tariff at 168/= per kWh, one of the lowest, if not the lowest in the region- but for some reason, most of us will only remember to make noise about the slightly higher domestic tariff.
The same story has been observed in the transport sector, especially road transport. The total national paved network of the whole country has grown from 1,000km in 1986 to 6,348.7km at the end of FY2018/19, against the NDP II target of 6,000 Km by 2021. The National Roads network in fair to good condition was 93% for paved roads and 75% for unpaved roads against the target of 85% and 72% respectively, according to the Annual Transport Sector Performance Report FY2018/19.
A 2016 study by UNRA on 22 road projects found that there was a 10-30% increase in farm-gate and or market prices for farmers, partly supported by a boom in small scale industries as a result of the roads. There was also a reported 20% decline in the cost of public transport and a 10-20% reduction in the costs of transport of goods. Average travel time for some roads fell by between 48 and 68 percent, exceeding the target of 30 percent, while vehicle operating cost decreased by 36 percent, exceeding the target of 20 percent. If you consider that in some sectors like trade and manufacturing, transport accounts for between 30 to 40% of the final cost of imported and manufactured goods, then you understand why it is important to invest in roads infrastructure.
I have every reason to believe that these and the other achievements of the NRM government in various other sectors, form a very solid foundation on which the NRM can build its current promise- Securing Your Future to take Uganda to greater heights.
This promise sits on 5 fundamental pillars, namely: creating jobs and wealth; delivering education and health; ensuring justice and equity; protecting life and property as well as achieving economic and political integration.
It is for this reason that I have decided that for the first time in my life, I will be putting all my support, my skills and my vote on President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.
Maybe it will make a difference, maybe it will not- but I will still do it.
