Jubilee Celebrations for Ugandans Living in Aberdeen, Scotland Independence 9th October 2012
“Uganda at 50; Lessons not learnt; moving forward for Uganda’s elite in diaspora”.
Speech at Jubilee Celebration of Uganda’s 50th year of independence at Wavell House, Hillhead, Aberdeen, Scotland on 9th October 2012
By,
Patson W. Arinaitwe
Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen.
“Uganda at 50; Lessons not learnt; moving forward for Uganda’s elite in Diaspora”.
Our invited guests tonight, our guests from the host nation and this beautiful granite city of Aberdeen, brothers and sisters across the globe. You are most welcome to this triumphant occasion as Uganda’s celebrate fifty years post independence. To my fellow Ugandan citizens, happy independence and good evening to you all.
Facts about Uganda.
Some of you may have known Uganda through our past personalities like the Olympic legend John Akibua, the former dictator Idi Amin, the recent youtube documentary Kony2012, or our Olympic marathon gold winner Stephen Kiprotich. Uganda is much more than that. Uganda became a British Protectorate in 1894 until 9th October 1962 when it gained independence. Uganda is located in the great lakes region neighbouring Kenya in the East, DRC in the West, Tanzania in the South, Rwanda in South Western and the world’s youngest nation of southern Sudan in the North. Uganda is more than just people with warm and welcoming hearts of approximately 30 million, adulating hills of the west with the equator lying Snow capped Rwenzori Mountains, the third highest mountain peak in Africa, plain savannah of the North, gashing waters of river Nile, the longest River in the world, with its source in Uganda, massive fresh waters of Lake Victoria, 3rd largest lake in the world and thick rain forests of Bwindi. It is more than just a chaotic paradise of motorcycle taxis commonly known as boda boda’s in East Africa or Okada in Nigeria, potholed roads, power cuts and resilient communities. Uganda has nine major national parks and other game reserves where you can be able to see the rich fauna and fora you may not see any where else in the world, especially the big four animals (elephant, lion, hippopotamus and giraffe) and mountain gorillas that are only found in Uganda. It is a country rich in food and located in heart of Africa with one international airport Entebbe that would link you to major international destinations. Uganda is located right across the equator and only has two seasons, the wet and dry. It is either raining or shining with temperatures ranging between 20-28 degrees Celsius.
I cannot describe it any better than how the former British Prime Minister, Sir Winston Churchill while on a trip to Africa visited Uganda around 1908 commented,
“No where in Africa will little money go so far. No where else will results be more brilliant, more substantial or more rapidly realised. Uganda is from end to end one beautiful garden where the staple food of the people grows without labour! Does it not sound like paradise on earth? It is the Pearl of Africa” (Churchill, 1908).
The ‘Pearl of Africa’ brand helped position Uganda as a good tourist destination. Not much was known about Uganda prior to Winston Churchill’s comments. In fact, Uganda was ranked by Lonely Planet as the world’s most preferred tourism destination for the year 2012. Lonely Planet is the world’s largest Travel Guide Book and Digital Media Publisher. Uganda emerged number one out of 10 other countries surveyed, followed by Myanmar (Burma), Ukraine, Denmark, Bhutan, Cuba, New Caledonia, Taiwan and Switzerland.
But that is just one part of the story,
Challenges;
As Ugandans, we are not proud of our history. Immediately after independence, Uganda went into political chaos, especially in and around the capital city, and then in 1971-1979, Uganda saw one of the world’s re-known dictators Idi Amin. Uganda witnessed murder, economic depression, expulsion of Indians, and many Ugandan elite group that had returned home from abroad after their further studies were forced into exile. Some of them have never returned home since then. Even the period from 1979-1985 was not any different. The country was engaged in a liberation war. In 1986, President Yoweri Museveni came into power and has been since then. Much as Uganda enjoyed some bit of economic recovery since 1981, we have had chronic political instability with war in northern Uganda led by Joseph Kony and major challenges on the democratic front. With undesirable attributes like inflation, malaria, HIV/aids, poor education system, illiteracy, poor infrastructure, corruption, break down of rule of law among others.
As we celebrate fifty (50) years of independence, I would like to pose some questions to you, the Ugandans
a) Are we celebrating or commemorating?
b) What lessons have we learnt from our history?
c) Are we growing or transforming?
d) As people in diaspora, what contributions can you make to your home country?
I will leave questions (a-c) as food for your thoughts. It is the last question that is dear to me and very critical in this 21st Century. Much as we put governments into power by the power of our vote or otherwise and expected them to deliver services, we have been deceived, denied and betrayed at some point. We keep hoping and praying that things will get better. True, we must hold out Government accountable, but is that all? Do we sit back and coil ourselves near fireplaces and wait? At this point, I am reminded of the inaugural speech of US president John F. Kennedy on Friday 20th January 1961 "Ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country".
My fellow Ugandans, brothers and sisters from Africa continent, you are blessed to be here today in Aberdeen, at least I am. I am advised that many of us are pursuing our postgraduate studies. Most of them highly specialised in oil and gas both in science and humanities. Count yourselves blessed. Many came before you either in this city or other parts of the world in search for education. But what has your country benefitted from it?
We need to go back to the drawing board. As Africans, we are held back because of our inability to conquer the basics. The western world has largely conquered the basics and thus freed their people to innovate, research and invent or even climb mountains. They are now concerned about discovering new knowledge while we are still concerned about food security, basic health care, poor reading culture and educational services et al. We will do justice to our home nations if we return home having captured the basics. Conquering the basics will lay a firm foundation for a democratic society, a society that is more concerned about advancement rather than daily survival. We would not have to flock western capitals to attain a good or specialized education if we would get the same from our own universities and other institutions of higher learning back at home.
Much as it has not started with us, there is an ever growing demand for pursuing higher education abroad from Ugandan nationals in a bid to become globally competitive and make progress in the field of knowledge. From both the public and private sector. Probably that is the reason we are all here in this Granite City, Aberdeen. Uganda discovered oil a couple of years ago. There is now international focus on Uganda. However it comes with increased responsibility to optimally exploit this god given natural resource. However, there is also an increased demand for skilled labour internationally which has attracted a large number of Ugandans to move abroad. This ever increasing brain drain has had more skilled labour lost than the country receives. For those who heard the speech of Professor Mondo Kagonyera, the chancellor of Makerere University at the dinner to congratulate the Tullow oil group scholarship winners , there plenty of opportunities to serve your country. The harvest is a lot but the labourers are few. Probably the international community will pay you more. But you owe your country a duty. It is ingrained in our motto, “for God and my Country”.
Uganda faces critical skills shortages especially in science and management. Learn as much as you can during your stay here. Get exposed to new way of doing things. If our hearts are still back in Africa, we shall do what is right and take back what we have learnt in this country. We will go back as learned fellows and not just having added unto our academic qualifications but new ways of learning and doing things. You will leave this place possessing a wealth of skills and expertise that you can harness to promote joint ventures, technical consultations and knowledge exchanges for short term and long term return opportunities. I hope and pray that as we celebrate 50 years of independence, we will learn to put our country first.
The second point is that of rediscovering our identity as a people. Cross cultural diplomacy is now considered as an adoption of western cultures and ours only for touristic purpose, a sort of barbaric and archival stuff; not an equal.The Japanese’ culture of negotiation is well documented and respected. Such identity has been critical in negotiating some of the multinational and bilateral agreements. However, we have neglected and/or abandoned our identity. We have lost our identity as a people. Since independence, there has been gradual erosion. We must reclaim that identity rather than fit into the whiteman’s even at the risk of a heavy Runyankole or Acholi influenced English. There is a joke back home that a Ugandan goes to India for further studies and after one year, he/she comes back with an American accent!!! While it is important to learn as many languages as you can, rediscover your identity as a people. Integrate with the culture of this host nation but constantly interact and keep connected to our roots. The west is now involved in protecting their inventions and geographical indications (intellectual property rights). The Cancun negotiation of the same is a case in point. What are we as a people bringing on the table; nothing. We must assert our uniqueness in much the same equal footing as those of the global west.
We have been blessed to come into the country that celebrates individuality amidst diversity. We have been able to meet people of all races, religions, diverse political backgrounds and heritage. They have embraced us and welcomed us in this Granite City, Aberdeen. We must take that back home. We must break the tribal barriers that have created hatred and violence. One columnist in one of the leading Ugandan daily, the Daily Monitor of 8th October 2012 opined, which I agree with, that Uganda must count itself blessed. Despite the simmering ethnic and religious tension, the nation has never plunged into large scale conflict as has been the case with the Nigerian Christian and Muslim standoff, the Kenyan largely ethnic post-election violence of 2008 and the Rwandan ethnic genocide of 1994 that also carried religious undertones. As we celebrate the jubilee, let it be a symbol of rebuilding, healing from our ragged past and committed to building country based on brotherhood, forgiveness and shared prosperity. To echo the words of Martin Luther King Jr, now is the time to lift our country Uganda from the quick sands of tribal divisions, regional segregation and political immaturity to the solid rock of democratic principles and sustainable development.
For our brothers who have been here before us and those who don’t intend to go back, change the community and lives of those you have left behind. Support them financially. Many lack the basics. Those in search of education, give them a helping hand. Diaspora community is no longer Nkuba-kyeyo(causal labourers) because they have contributed to poverty reduction in their families and the national economy through remittances and other investments. Some have established themselves as reputable entrepreneurs’, expatriates, academics, civil society leader, musicians and cultural performers. Let us see local dishes served here like matooke, kalo and other traditional delicacies. Without forgetting the spirit of Uganda “Uganda Waragi”. I hope next time I visit Aberdeen on my year vacation, I will be able to listen to or attend a Ugandan church here.
Attracting direct foreign investment to Uganda has not been an easy task due to the country’s negative imagine. Like I mentioned earlier the political instability of 1970-1985, expulsion of Asians, Kony war, Ebola etc has tainted the imagine of our Pearl of Africa. As a land locked country it also suffers the disadvantage of remoteness and limited access to international markets, global trade and investment opportunities. Attempts to re-brand as a country “gifted by nature” in a 2005 publicity campaign done on CNN television network has achieved little success in trying to shift impressions from the old stereotypes of the country’s international image. The image may not be very helped by some current political environment.
Thus, we are the human face or image around which our host nations form their perceptions and attitudes about Uganda. Good behaviour, achievement and reputation amounts to benefit of Uganda’s imagine while bad behaviours, crime and negative reputation harms Uganda’s imagine. It is also a good opportunity for us to increase Uganda’s networking with international community to promote trade and investment through contacts we make in our host nation.
As I conclude, I would like to share the words of Uganda Investment Authority Board chairman in 2008, Mr. Bitature that Globalisation will spare no one in this knowledge based economy. We find ourselves today at an age of muddled concepts, misguided values and pervasive ignorance. More than ever before, we stand in dire need of a fresh vision and we have to re-define our goals to meet development priorities.
Aberdeen gives us a chance to empower ourselves with knowledge which is a critical tool to influence policies and decisions that frame the future of our country. We cannot talk of empowerment and participation when we are absent from the room where important decisions are made. We need to be involved in every major event and ensure that we are at the table when the cake is being distributed. It might take some years to build networks and relationships that enable you to be invited to these events. It does not happen overnight. But if we want to be players, we must be ready to participate. Play an influential role in the politics and governance of Uganda. Work in partnerships with non-state actors like NGO’s, media houses, think tanks and civil society in influencing public opinion which in turn influences government policy. If it need be, run for political office.
This is a call to all of you to step up and be counted in all your nations. Again I remind you, "Ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country".
For God and my Country.
Thank you for listening.
Patson Wilbroad Arinaitwe
Robert Gordon University- Aberdeen, UK
