Presidential candidate Amama Mbabazi launched his campaigns in Masaka on Monday, where he told a huge crowd to vote him into power so he deals with corruption.

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6.30pm:  ‘Do you want change?’

Mbabazi tells his large audience: “We have enough money to do what the country needs, but the people in charge do not know how to use it. There is also the problem of corruption. If you vote me, you will not hear of corruption again. We shall give back Buganda land, and the land that belongs to other regions such as Ankole, Toro and Bunyoro. The power is in your hands. If you want change, you will have it. So, don’t listen to what these other people are telling you. You know I have been in the army before and I have been minister of defence. I know someone cannot refuse to leave power because the army is for the people. If you want change, we should all go forward.

“The big question for 2016 is: ‘Do you want change?’ If the answer is yes, put your hands up. May the Lord bless you.”

6.20pm:  ‘Police for people’

“The best police is the one that works for the people. Our police is good, but the problem is the leadership. The army has remained loyal and friendly to the people. That’s the kind of police we want. I know the problems that we have with our schools, hospitals, roads and we shall work on all that. We want our people to get jobs as well,” says Mbabazi.

6.10pm:  ‘In your hands’

He continues: “So those who say I have been in government and I have been working under him should know the difference. In a few days, I will launch my manifesto. I want my people to have the rights to think, act and do what they want.

“So, if you vote me, know that every decision will be in your hands. You will see change in just 100 days of our government coming into power.”

5.55pm:  ‘Change is the only constant’

Amama Mbabazi, the man in the light in Masaka today, addresses the huge crowd thus: “Please forgive me for arriving late. But I have seen excitement on my way and it showed me that people want change. When I saw you people here, I knew change was coming.  People are asking themselves questions such as ‘Mbabazi has spent 30 years in NRM, why is he doing this?’ I know when you are in politics, time comes when people want change. In life change is the only constant and we can do nothing about it.

“I know what I am telling you because I have seen and heard things. What forced me to do this was because we tried to get change in a good way ever since we got independence, but it has been hard and you also know that,” he says.

“And the kind of change we have been getting is the kind where we shed blood and destroy people’s property, but the change I want is different and peaceful. That is the change I want to bring. All the power in this government is in the president’s hands and all those who work for the government just help the president because you cannot do what he has not ordered you to do.

5.40pm:  ‘Roof is leaking’

The Masaka rally is attended by the likes of Mathias Nsubuga, Norbert Mao (Democratic Party president), Brenda Nabukenya, Florence Kiyingi, Medard Lubega Ssegona, Solome Kabanda, Dr. Joseph Bossa, Dick Odulu, Michael Mabikke. Mbabazi has been given a spear and a shield by a DP official.

Speeches on. And first up . . . . Nobert Mao

“We thank the NRM supporters for trying to disorganize our rally, which they failed to do,” says the DP leader.

“During the nominations, I am sorry I was out of the country. I was in South Africa and failed to get a plane back to Uganda. However, I was with you in spirit. All of you who are still in NRM should leave.

“All of us have tried to hit the snake, but we have only inflicted wounds on it and failed to kill it. I believe it is Mbabazi who is going to hit the snake on the head. All the heads in NRM have run away and the bus has lost meaning because its roof is leaking.

“Kizza Besigye left with the steering wheel, Salaam Musumba left with the lights and now Mbabazi has left with the engine. I don’t think the bus can still move.”

5.30pm:  But much earlier than that . . .

. . . NRM party supporters from Lukaya in Kalungu district expressed their support and loyality to President Museveni before the procession of Mbabazi at Bukulula near Lukaya town NRM party offices located at the Masaka-Kampala highway.

DP vice Chairperson Denis Mukasa Mbidde and his wife, who is the Bukomansimbi district woman MP, Susan Namaganda, expressed might and solidity as they passed by Lukaya town.

5.20pm:  The time when . . . .

 . . . . Mbabazi arrived in Masaka . . .

4.20pm:  Mbabazi campaign underway

The stage is set, entertainers are doing their thing on stage. We have a rally. It’s the first of many to come . . . a whole three months of that ahead.

4.00pm:  Earlier . . . in Nyendo

2.40pm:  Are we there yet?

Oh yes, finally! Amama Mbabazi enters Masaka town. But there is a lot of traffic jam as his conyoy snakes into the town. He will address his supporters at the Golf Course grounds, about a kilometre away.

2.00pm:  Hungry? . . . almost there

Amama Mbabazi is making a stop at every trading centre en route to Masaka and making it a point to come out of his vehicle and buy foodstuff like roasted meat, gonja (plantain) and sweet bananas. He is now at Lukaya. Not far off from his destination. Unlike fellow candidates President Yoweri Museveni, Dr. Kizza Besigye and Dr. Abed Bwanika, Mbabazi is a first-timer on such a trail.

1.50pm:  At Mbizinnya

1.40pm:  Feel like mchomo?

You don’t? Well, someone else sure does . . .

Urban TV’s Edward Muhumuza snaps Mbabazi’s group stop over at this market in Kayabwe to catch a skewer or two of ’em juicy meat. He’s got quite a handful of them! When you pass by this market, be sure to eat some of the gonja and liver and chicken and . . . oh my, the list goes on . . .

1.20pm:  Early afternoon jog?

Did you have an early morning jog today? Or is it that you lack a tad bit of inspiration to get down to it? Well, if these men on Mbabazi’s security detail (pictured earlier while still in Kampala) aren’t inspiration enough, then I don’t known what else would be?

Cummon boys, let’s get moving!

12.50pm:  Getting set in Masaka

By 10.00am today (almost three hours ago), Mbabazi was still at his home in Kampala, getting ready to hit the road. But where he is destined to, his Go Forward crew has been busy building the stage from where the former Prime Minister will kick off his campaigns.

12.10pm:  Anger?
Meanwhile . . . why is Democratic Party (DP) member from Masaka Municipality, Peter Mutesasira, ripping off this poster of presidential candidate Amama Mbabazi along Elgin street in Masaka town?

Well, he is angry. He accuses Mbabazi of dropping him and instead choosing Masaka Municipality MP, Mathias Mpuga as his coordinator for Masaka. Posters of Mbabazi were pulled down in many places in Masaka town Sunday night.

While some look on, perhaps clueless, and in amusement . . .

Others decide to invade the one-man episode and become confrontational . . .

11.20am:  Voters’s concerns in Masaka as they await Mbabazi

By Joyce Nakato

Today officially kicks off the presidential campaigns that will see eight successfully nominated presidential candidates traverse the country for the next 90 days seeking support ahead of the 2016 elections that are going to be held on the February 18.

One of these candidates is John Patrick Amama Mbabazi who is expected to kick off his campaign rallies in Masaka town this morning. However, as Mbabazi writes up his first campaign speech, the people of Masaka have already spoken out on some of the issues that they want him to address in his campaign and these among many others include the following;

The first issue that the people want addressed is poverty with 62% of the people surveyed by the New Vision saying the poverty had become an issue of concern to them because of its adverse effect on their lives.

The second issue that the want addressed in this campaign is the issue of health services. 39% of the people surveyed complained about the poor state of the government health centers, the lack of drugs and medical equipment in addition to the minimal health staff that found in these health centers. Many want to know how Mbabazi is going to address this issue.

37% of the people surveyed also expressed dissatisfaction with poor or no access to energy. Many of the people surveyed here say that poor energy has affected their businesses and the running of their own personal lives. In addition to this was also the issue of poor energy use, with many people claiming that alternative energy sources like biogas and solar are too expensive and government has refused to subsidize them.

37% of the people want Mbabazi to address the issue of poor road network in Masaka.

Although they appreciate the tremendous effort that has been undertaken by government to improve their road network, many believe that a lot of work still remains to be done to improve the roads which they say are a main stay of their lives. Many of the people surveyed noted that the poor state of the roads had not only affected their businesses but also access to other social services like health centers.

Among other issues that they want addressed is agriculture. As the backbone of the country’s economy, 23% of the people in Masaka believe that government has done little to boost this sector which has in turn left to languishing behind in spite of the fact that it is the major employer of many Ugandans.

So in that regard, they want to see what Mbabazi has in store for them.

10:12am:   Mbabazi leaves home

The former Prime Minister with the ambitions of becoming Uganda’s next president, sets off on his journey to Masaka. At Busega, his convoy meets many supporters who block the road, prompting his security team to clear the way for the convoy. He briefly talks to them.

9:00am:    Let’s get this started

Mbabazi wearing a white shirt emblazoned with the Go Forward logo, has emerged from his house in Kololo raring to hit the day  ahead of a busy schedule. But before setting off, he talks to his supporters, who include boda boda riders. He tells them the rally is at Golf Course in Masaka town and that they will  not be able to travel with him, but says they will go to other rallies. He says he was leaving them with Hope Mwesigye.

By 7:00am, Mbabazi’s supporters had already converged at  his home.

Parliament will next week meet to consider the Public Finance Management (Amendment) Bill, 2015.

A notice issued by the Clerk to Parliament, has called the House to sit on Tuesday, November 10 at 2.00pm local time.

In the notice, Members of Parliament have been asked to prepare for the consideration of the Public Finance Management (Amendment) Bill, 2015 among others.

The Bill seeks to amend the Public Finance Management Act, 2015 to provide for virement by a vote of no more than 10 percent of the budget of the vote; to provide for further financing of supplementary estimates; and to provide for guarantees and advances by the Bank of Uganda without Parliamentary approval.

The Bill also seeks to repeal the provision on the requirement to represent a certificate certifying that the policy statements of the votes are gender and equity responsive.

In a sitting called to consider the Bill in mid-October, the Speaker of Parliament asked government to make further consultations about the proposed legislation before the House can approve it.

Parliament broke off for recess last month after consideration and approval of the Presidential Elections (Amendment) Bill, 2015 and the Parliamentary Elections (Amendment) Bill, 2015. Government withdrew the Electoral Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2015.

During the recess, in which legislators took part in party primaries, MPs have been recalled twice for special sittings to honor the late James Mutende (ex-officio), the former Minister of State for Trade; and the late Stanley Omwonya  (NRM),  MP for Okoro County in Zombo district.

As the general elections draw closer, media personalities have been tasked to hold candidates of both the opposition and the ruling party accountable for the promises they make in their manifestos.

Ofwono Opondo, the government spokesperson, says the media, especially journalists and political talk show hosts, should ensure that politicians first account for their promises to ensure the country has a credible election process.

“Most of these politicians make endless promises that only excite voters, who end up making wrong decisions. Once they make their pledges, ask them to account – like where they will get resources and what they intend to work upon,” said Opondo.

He was addressing journalists from Budekea, Elgon and Teso.

The meeting was also attended by Resident District Commissioners (RDCs) Rex Achilla from Jinja, Martin Olwoch from Tororo, John Stephen Ekoom from Soroti and James Shilaku of Mbale district.

The meeting, organized by the Media Centre at Mbale Sports Club, was aimed at empowering media personalities to ensure independence while covering the coming elections rather than depending so much on politicians, which jeopardizes their work.

Opondo warned that the media should drive national issues in the right direction rather than depending on politicians who will use the media for political gains.

Most radio stations, he said, are owned by both politicians and business-oriented people, which leads to biased and misguided reporting.

“As government, we shall bring this to the attention of the Uganda Broadcasters Association to lobby for balance of airtime and space for the various candidates both from the ruling party and the opposition,” said Opondo.

Meanwhile, he advised talk show hosts and news anchors to form an association that has rules and regulations and also be recognized by the government.

“Once you have an association registered with guiding principles, it will be the duty of government to recognize your work in building the society. However much each personality is partisan, it will also help you reduce on bias and also not tarnish the image of your media houses.”

On getting information, Opondo cautioned media personalities to verify the information they get from social media, adding that some ill-minded people have many social media accounts that they use to post information aimed at confusing the masses.

On his part, Jinja RDC Rex Achilla the RDC from Jinja, cautioned youths to stop isolating themselves from security operatives, but instead work closely with them.

He asked the participants to have love for their country to promote peace and stability – to avoid a similar post-election occurrence witnessed in Kenya where thousands of people lost their lives.

“Don’t isolate yourselves from us while carrying out your work because you give sensitive information and it’s our duty to protect you and also the nation,” he urged.

Ekoom, the RDC from Soroti, urged media personalities to clearly identify themselves to security operatives and also to avoid mob justices.

Electoral commission boss Eng. Dr. Badru Kiggundu has warned all successfully nominated presidential candidates and all other people aspiring for elective offices in next year’s elections to comply with the set rules and guideline so as to avoid instigating election violence.

Kiggundu was attending the state of the nation platform debate organized by Advocates Coalition for Development and Environment (ACODE) in Kampala on Friday.

He pointed out that election violence has in most cases been propagated by those who are seeking to be elected in the elections.

Kiggundu particularly singled out FDC candidate Dr Kizza Besigye who on Wednesday after his nomination launched a “campaign of defiance”.

Kiggundu said such a declaration is against the law and may actually result into electoral violence.

“We must be prepared to promote peace in this country. We now have eight candidates and only one of these will be the eventual leader.

“We must learn to accept the results of these elections. If you are not satisfied with the outcome, then go to the courts of law,” said the EC chairman.

Meanwhile, NRM electoral commission chairperson Dr. Tanga Odoi laid the blame at the door of the politicians who he said have turned elections into a do-or-die matter which has in turn affected the country’s political processes.

“They are the ones who propagate violence and not only at the presidential level but also at the local level. The moment you have people turning elections into a do-or-die matter, then the country is in danger”.

Residents within Kisoro Municipality are prepared to vote for either President Yoweri Museveni of NRM or Rtd Col. Dr. Kizza Besigye, come February 2016.

In a poll, majority believe Museveni still has the edge over his political rival and three-time challenger Besigye.

Those that support the NRM leader point at contributions like peace, free education and good infrastructure, while those on Besigye’s side feel he has what it takes to lead Uganda.

Nyakabande LC3 chairperson for FDC Archangel Nshimiyimana recently told KFM that many people are shifting allegiance to FDC because NRM is no longer the powerhouse it used to be. Instead, she said, it is filled with corruption and intrigue.

New Vision reached out to Kisoro NGO/CBO Forum Coordinator Rev Emmanuel Biguri Mfitumukiza who said that as a civil society organization in Kisoro, the politics in Uganda shows a leveled ground for all candidates to compete.

He said all candidates should be given equal opportunity to campaign countrywide and deliver to the masses their manifestos.

Early this week, eight presidential hopefuls were nominated by the Electoral Commission and will in the next three-and-a-half months traverse the country to drum up support in the race for State House.

Electoral commission boss Eng. Dr. Badru Kiggundu says critics of his commission have failed to appreciate the efforts that his commission has undertaken to maintain its integrity and independence.

He says that his commission does not have the power to make its own laws to govern its affairs and therefore has to rely on those that are passed by parliament and the executive arm of government.

Kiggundu further points out the he also submitted his own proposals to the electoral amendments that called for greater autonomy of the commission, but his proposals were never taken into consideration.

He however says that his commission only implements electoral laws that promote fairness and equality for all political aspirants and participants even though these regulations and laws come from parliament.

At a press conference moments after his nomination on Wednesday, FDC presidential candidate Dr. Kizza Besigye was critical of the current EC, calling for an independent national electoral body.

“In 2005, we took the brevity of nominating Dr. Kizza Besigye in absentia because he was in jail,” said Kiggundu.

“But we did it because we knew it was the right thing to do and up to now, no one has ever come out to question our decision. So, how can you say that we are not independent?”

Kiggundu’s team nominated eight presidential hopefuls, including one female, early this week at Mandela National Stadium, Namboole.

On Friday, he met with the candidates (some were represented), during which a memorandum of understanding was signed by the candidates.

The EC boss also made it clear that the vehicles given to the teams upon nomination are not for carrying candidates, but their guards, during the campaigns which begin on Monday, November 9 and end on February 16.

Two of the candidates – Maureen Kyalya Walube and Joseph Mabirizi – who are both independents, announced Friday that they would hold joint rallies across the country.

The presidential election is set for February 18.

‘I will close all fundraising drives’

Meanwhile, Kiggundu has threatened to ban fundraising activities in elections as part of efforts to promote transparency in the process.

He noted that aspirants take part in various activities to fundraise money for their campaigns but then fail to account for it at the end of the political period.

The Electoral Commission, he said, has also found that some people do not actually use the money that they raise for electoral purposed but instead use it for other things, which are sometimes even illegal.

“I am very soon going to close off fundraisings. All aspirants should get the money out of backdoor activities and utilize it efficiently. Some people want to use this money to build schools instead.”

Independent presidential candidates Maureen Kyalya Walube and Joseph Mabirizi have decided to hold joint rallies throughout the country.

The two were nominated on the same day – Wednesday – by the Electoral Commission (EC) at Mandela National Stadium, Namboole.

They announced their plan to campaign together at the Electoral Commission offices on Jinja Road, Kampala, where they had gone to sign a memorandum of understanding regarding their campaign programme.

The EC had called all candidates to their offices to harmonize their campaign schedules.

Kyalya and Mabirizi said they found it fit and more beneficial to move together so that they reach the same people with the same message of regime change.

PEOPLE’S MANIFESTO

Unemployment was the eighth most important issue the voters raised. They want their elected leaders to address it in next year’s general elections Tracy Gwambe writes

Clad in an over-sized Kitengi dress, and wearing worn out cornrows on her head, Justine Nalubega, 44, a single mother of four, narrates her frustrations of being unemployed. “It is 10 years since I lost my job. I have had a few short contracts here and there, but I cannot call that satisfactory employment.”

The struggling single mother was not being paid after working as a teacher for six months at a school in Kazo. “We had a free meal of posho and beans daily and we were promised salaries at the end of the month but I waited in vain,” she adds. “I quit.”

To survive, Nalubega opened a small restaurant in Kawempe, a Kampala suburb, but it was suffocated by the pressure of rent, school fees and daily needs. “When the business collapsed, I moved back to the family home for support,” she says.

Nalubega’s story mirrors the findings of an opinion poll conducted by Vision Group in June among Ugandans of voting age.

About 7,000 people were sampled out of the 15.4 million Ugandans eligible to vote. Unemployment was the eighth most important issue that the voters raised and which they want their elected leaders to address after next year’s general elections.

Specifically, the voters complained about the lack of jobs. Seventy-four percent of the respondents, or 11.4 million voters, cited the issue. They were also concerned about corruption, bribery and nepotism in the process of trying to find a job. In the few cases where jobs exist, the voters were concerned about the low or non-payment of salaries or wages.

The voters also want poor working conditions and delayed payment sorted.

UNEMPLOYMENT CONCERNS AND OVERVIEW

The Uganda Bureau of Statistics said in a report in 2013 that unemployment was highest among the youth. The population of Uganda is estimated to be just under 35 million, 80% of whom are the youth, or people aged between 18 and 30 years as defined by the Constitution.

Current estimates put the population of the youth of working age at 6.5 million, representing 21.3% of the total population. With an annual growth rate of 3.2% (1.3 million people), the youth population is expected to grow to 7.7 million this financial year.

The civil service was first reduced by half from 300,000 to 150,000 during the 1991 civil service reforms. By 2008, the numbers had climbed again to over 255,000 as a result of decentralisation.

ActionAid says 62% of Uganda’s youth are jobless. It says the situation is worse in the urban than rural areas. In a survey of 1,100 youth from 11 districts selected from the four regions of Uganda in 2013, ActionAid said: “Unemployed youth were likely to become a source of instability if the Government did not plan for them”.

“The majority of the youth out of school have no regular work or income. Some 61.6% of them were not in employment,” the report noted.

As if to confirm the predictions of ActionAid, a group of youth under their umbrella organisation called the Unemployed Youth brigade, has had run-ins with the Police. In one incident they smuggled piglets to Parliament in protest against what they said was the Government’s failure to create jobs for them. They painted the piglets yellow, the colour of the ruling NRM party.

The Uganda Bureau of Statistics report said rural youth were faring better than their urban counterparts because they have the option of subsistence farming. The report said Kampala, the central and the eastern regions had the highest unemployment rates of 15%, 6% and 8% respectively.

It said unemployment was higher for females than males. Experts say most youth subsist on the margins of the economy or have jobs that do not provide them with adequate means for survival. This situation is aggravated by the huge imbalance between the supply and the demand for labour, making the youth and job-seekers vulnerable to nepotism, low or non-payment and appalling conditions of work.

“A beggar has no choice,” says Lawrence Okimait, a graduate of computer science who has not been steadily employed since he completed university six years ago. O

kimait survives on odd jobs. “When you are desperate and your choices limited, you fall for far too less than your worth,” he said.

Okimait is hopeful the 2016 elections will bring the issue of unemployment to the top of the agenda of politicians as they look for votes. He said at 32, he should be settled with a family and a steady job. “But all I see is a void ahead of me with no hope in the horizon.”

NRM PROMISES

During the last election, the NRM came out strongly on the issue of unemployment. Its manifesto was titled, Better Service Delivery and Job Creation, which laid down strategies to bring hope to young people like Okimait.

The Government promised to attract more investors and enhance job creation. It said it would address the constraints faced by Medium, Small and Micro enterprises through training, access to financial services and to improve the business environment generally.

To end joblessness among the youth, the hardest-hit by unemployment, the Government pledged to empower them to be job creators and not job seekers. To this effect, it promised to establish the Youth Enterprise Capital Fund for start-up capital for the youth.

In relation to the funding, the Government promised a youth business skills training programme to impart entrepreneurship skills.

EFFORTS TO FIGHT UNEMPLOYMENT

Some of the suspected idlers netted in a Police operation in Kampala. Many youth who are unemployed are engaging in criminal activities

Despite these promises and the achievements scored by the Government in addressing unemployment since 2011, the voters are still complaining and want more and better solutions.

And rather than wait for miracles to happen, some have taken matters into their own hands and left the country for odd jobs. The commonest destination is the United Arab Emirates, Iraq and Kuwait where Ugandans work as security guards thanks to the Government’s policy of exporting labour.

In fact, exporting workers has become a profitable business. Milton Turyasima, the assistant commissioner at the ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, said as of October 1, at least 43 agencies had been licensed to export labour.

Dr. Sam Lyomoki, the Workers MP and Secretary General Central Organisation of Free Trade Unions of Uganda, admits that unemployment is a big problem but it will not be resolved through finger-pointing, or blaming the Government.

“All of us must fight the problem. The opposition is pointing fingers yet they have not made any form of progress in fighting unemployment. They should work towards the good of the country,” he said.

Prof. Augustus Nuwagaba, an expert in poverty alleviation, agrees with Lyomoki. He said employment opportunities in government service are too few to meet the huge demand. He says the private sector needs to fill the shortfall.

Unfortunately, according to Nuwagaba, the private sector has been growing slowly which has “inhibited its ability to absorb the huge number of graduates that leave university annually”.

He also blames the education system which he said is not skills-based. “Uganda’s problem is not lack of educated people; we have so many highly schooled people, but they are not skilled.”

He said there was a huge disconnect between what the private sector wants and graduates universities produce.

Matovu Musoke, the executive secretary of Skilling Uganda Reform Task force, says to bridge the skills gap, Ugandans must embrace vocational training. He said other countries across the globe had beaten high unemployment through practical training, rising to become economic powerhouses. He cited Germany, Japan and South Korea.

“Ugandans must embrace this if we are to become a mid-income country by 2040,” Matovu says.

Another issue about unemployment is the mindset of the youth who want only white collar jobs. Matia Odoi, a mechanic at a garage in Luzira, a Kampala suburb, is frustrated by this mindset. He tried to interest two nephews to join his business, in vain. Most youth today, he argues, want to work in air conditioned offices, yet opportunities abound in vocational areas.

“They do not want to touch dirty oil. I cannot understand their thinking. Can’t they see I am doing well?” Odoi believes this attitude among the youth can be changed and urged leaders to launch a massive campaign “for the benefit of our young people”.

Workers MP Sam Lyomoki echoes Odoi’s sentiments. “We want to introduce apprenticeship programmes in Uganda so that graduates spend the first two years after university attached to organisations to get skills.

Observers, however, fear the sheer numbers of unemployed people will overwhelm the available places given the size of the economy.

Indeed, the Uganda Bureau of Statistics says universities and tertiary institutions churn out over 410,000 graduates annually, yet the labour market absorbs just 120,000. To address this, there must be a radical shift in the way young people are trained right from the home to the classroom, says Luciano Mawanda, the head teacher of Nakasero Senior School in Kampala.

He says children are raised to expect a job on a silver platter after school and not to use the knowledge acquired to create and take advantage of opportunities. “Change this, and you are on the right track,” he said.

DELAYED PAYMENTS

Delayed payment also featured prominently in the poll.

Shakirah Nansikombi has bitter memories about this. She worked at a job for a year before throwing in the towel. “I was elated to get a job as an administrator,” she said.

“However, in my fourth month, my pay started coming in late. I would go for months without pay. I had no appointment letter. I had not signed a contract so I did not know where to run for help.” After pressing her bosses for her four months’ salary, Nansikombi was instead sent on forced leave and told she would be called to pick her money.

She is still waiting for the phone call five months since. Herman Katende, an HR practitioner, says Nansikombi’s case is dead because she cannot prove she was employed by the company.

He says, perhaps in her desperation, she took on a job without signing a contract and was being paid in cash. “We advise people who get placements to sign contracts and insist they are paid through the bank so there is proof of employment,” he said.

Katende says the documentation can be used to sue for wrongful dismissal or nonpayment.

A man taking a nap at the Constitutional Square in Kampala. Many idlers always loiter around the square during day

NEPOTISM AND CORRUPTION IN JOB SEARCH

Given the scarcity of jobs, desperate job seekers become vulnerable to exploitation and other abuses. No wonder the Vision poll cited nepotism, corruption and bribery among the evils that come along with scarcity of employment. Take the case of Rose Male, a mother of four, who has sat many interviews for jobs but was segregated.

“Many offices have jobs that can be taken up by the youth but then if you have no connections, then you miss out even if you have the qualification,” she said.

It appears nepotism is so entrenched in Uganda that one of the first laws that the NRM passed when it took over power in 1986 was the Anti- Sectarianism Act. The Act made it a criminal offence to discriminate people and deny them opportunities, including employment, on the basis of religion, tribe or political affiliation.

Despite the Act, the vice persists and appears to be gaining acceptance across the population, Lyomoki says. “I was once attacked by the people from my home village blaming me for not employing my tribemates,” he says.

“I do not have to look at the tribe when I am recruiting. Mindset and productivity are key.”

MINIMUM WAGE

Some experts argue that a minimum wage would mitigate low pay and protect workers. Pius Bigirimana, the permanent secretary Ministry of Labour, Gender and Social Development, on June 2, announced to an International Labour Organisation conference in Geneva, Switzerland that the country was preparing to set up a minimum wage for workers.

Dr. Sam Sejjaaka, the chairman of UDB and a former professor at Makerere University Business School, says a minimum wage is undesirable and counter-productive in the current state of the economy. “It is not practical. You cannot talk about a minimum wage in a situation where there is no full employment. It is putting the cart before the horse,” he said.

“First create jobs, skill the workers and raise awareness and they will agitate for increments. It is one thing to set in law and another to enforce. In fact having such a law which is counter to the state of the economy will create greater insecurity for the lower worker because businessmen will make them casual labourers rather than put them on staff and put them on a minimum wage.”

In 1984 the Government set the minimum wage at sh6,000. And in 1995 the minimum wage advisory council recommended sh75,000 a month.

INTERVENTIONS

Aware of the challenges of unemployment and associated evils, the Government has come up with some solutions.

In 2013, it earmarked sh265b to empower unemployed youth countrywide under the Youth Livelihoods Programme. President Yoweri Museveni launched the programme in 2014 and is being implemented jointly with the local governments.

The funds are advanced to the Youth Interest Groups (YIG) in form of a revolving fund in order to increase outreach and enhance sustainability of the Programme. Bigirimana said 71,866 youths have so far benefited.

Of these 45%, or 32,113 of the youth were female and 55%, or 39,753, were male. They received sh38b for 5,507 projects. “Many people thought the youth were not interested in agriculture but the projects show that the majority of projects are in agriculture. We also have university graduates getting the funds. Those who have received the funds have also started paying back,” Bigirimana said.

Makerere University graduands celebrating. Few graduates get jobs after school

Another intervention has been the upgrade and expansion of training institutions to equip students with skills to beat off poverty. This is being undertaken through the Skilling Uganda taskforce which was launched in 2012.

Arnold Twebaza, the management adviser, said: “We want to equip students with skills that can get them out of poverty, but that is only if they receive quality training from highly trained instructors.”

He also said students must also interact with the right and up-to-date technology and be trained by the best tutors to be relevant in the market. Although the voters want more, these efforts appear to be paying off. Uganda is among the 10 most improved economies globally and the top 5 in Africa in the latest World Bank ease of doing businesses rankings.

Uganda is ranked 122nd out of 189 economies. Uganda is ranked ahead of Tanzania and Burundi but behind Kenya and Rwanda.

This means that it is easier to invest and do business in Uganda than it was in 2011. Matovu says more successes will be registered when Skilling Uganda strategic plan which runs up to 2021 is implemented. Top in the strategy, he said, is the plan for the Government to work with private investors and private training providers so that the two sides agree what skills are needed in the economy.

“International experience shows that effective and relevant skills development systems are built on strong alliances with employers and the business sector,” he adds.

Notable examples include the construction and oil sector.

“It is for this reason that immediate priority has been put on developing and putting in place skills development programmes for the oil industry, construction, manufacturing, agriculture and tourism.

“Over 13,000 jobs are expected to be created directly and indirectly during the initial phase of oil extraction in the country. The construction of the standard gauge railway is also expected to create lots of job opportunities,” Matovu says.

THE WAY FORWARD

Prof. Nuwagaba says these interventions are good but corruption should be tackled and made a risky venture to indulge in. He says Uganda needs to change the education system from theoretical to skills development.

He said the Universal Secondary Education was misplaced because it doesn’t add value “It would have been Universal Technical Education so that it builds skills needed by the private sector. This would increase the employability rates in the country,” he explains.

He further notes the need for equal pay for work of equal value so as not to demotivate employees.

He hoped that the Salaries and Remuneration Commission which is to be introduced in the next financial year will help address the huge salary disparities that exist in Uganda’s employment environment. For the unemployed Okimait, the time for talking is over. “Act now; we have waited too long for the promises,” he told leaders.

WHAT OTHER POLITICAL PARTIES PROMISED

FDC

The Forum for Democratic Change manifesto had job creation high on the agenda. It promised to provide investment incentives in priority sectors that employ the Ugandan youth and those willing to offer apprenticeship to facilitate experience. They also promised to protect workers from unfair dismissal from work and bad working conditions by implementing labour laws. FDC also promised to introduce a living wage for all the workers so that they can meet their day-to-day needs.

UPC

The Uganda people’s Congress promised to invest in high jobyielding projects, particularly in the rehabilitation and reconstruction of roads, schools, railway, hospitals and public health programmes. They promised to create two million jobs within four years, by investing in high job-yielding projects, to rehabilitate existing technical colleges and vocational institutes, and build new ones to provide practical industry-oriented skills directly related to reconstruction projects and labour market needs.

COMMUNITY & EXPERT VIEWS

Allan Sempebwa, media officer URA: Many university students should receive guidance before they choose a course. There is a mismatch between the students’ abilities and the courses that they study. Many students go for courses which they think will lead to lucrative careers at the expense of pursuing courses they are passionate about and good at.

Vincent Mugaba, the head of public relations, Uganda Tourism Board: Unemployment is one of the biggest risks this country faces. We spend so much money sending our children to school but the labour policies are not fair to them. The Government should amend the labour policies to ensure that foreign companies do not simply ferry in expatriate workers at the expense of Ugandans. The Uganda National Roads Authority should employ uneducated youth to work on up-country feeder roads instead of using machines.

Jackie Kihuguru, UTL head of customer operations: Youth unemployment is a big issue because companies tend to look for experience when hiring workers. Companies prefer to employ people from other organisations because they do not have training budgets. We employ interns and graduate trainees at UTL, but only a handful of companies are doing the same in Uganda.

Cerinah Tugume, Vivo Energy corporate communications manager: Young people need to be taught how to create income from any lawful work they come across and not to look down on any job. Most young people wait for a good job to find them and are not willing to do whatever work they can get their hands on. They need to be taught not to focus on money but on building skills and experience.

Godfrey Ssali, a policy officer, Uganda Manufacturers Association: The Government holds the greatest power to change the situation. It could start by levying high taxes on sports betting to discourage it and to also provide funds to repair the damage that sports betting has done to the youth. The Government should carry out a human resource survey to determine manpower gaps in line with the Vision 2040 master plan and to make appropriate plans to fill those gaps. Also, all universities should open vocational arms to train the youth in practical skills like engineering and plumbing.