The Politics of Who Gets What, When, Where and How Much
by Being A Politician in Africa is getting extremely shameful these days. During the Nkrumah and Lumumba days, polticians in Africa still had conscience…not these days am afraid.
Politics has variously been defined as “who gets what, when, where and how much”. There is no place in the world where this corruption loaded definition is more practically applied as it is, in Africa. During my school days as a student of political science, I used to laud this particular definition rather naively without giving it the real understanding that it cheekily carried about.
African leaders could be bandled as a collection of corrupt and insatiable megalomaniacs who never get content with money, power and authority. Their averice for political power and control has bred a cycle of corruption that has become unstoppable almost every where on the continent.
It all starts off with men who pick up the gun, allegedly to liberate their countrymen from the shackles of misrule, corruption and nepotism. They tantalize the population and thumb chest about as true liberators. In Uganda, we saw the rule of law take over a banana republic when the current government made up of clear headed Socialist leaning intellectuals came to power in 1986. Then, there came droves bureaucrats in high positions of government appointed not because they had any merits to showcase, but mainly because of the powerful connections they had with those in power. Relatives, friends and in-law ties became the critical determinants of officialdom.
Look at this scenario. In Uganda, the President comes from Western Uganda-He is the Commander in-chief of the Ugandan Armed forces. The Army commander comes form the West, the Army spokesman comes from the West, the Head of the Police comes from the West, the Head of the Prisons services Come from the West. About 80% of Permanent Secretaries of major Ministries come from the West, the Uganda Revenue Authority is headed by a Westerner, National water Coorperation comes from the West, the Coffee Authority is headed by a westerner, Bank of Uganda is headed by a Westerner,and over 40% of Key Cabinet Minsters come from the West. This heavy brand of tribalism and regionalism define in a very systematic way, who gets what, when, where and how much and it makes me marvel at the corrosive nature of power on the intelligence of great men-My President Yoweri Museveni must be asking the question..”what happened to me?”.. because these were the vices that took him to the Bush between 1981-1985!
Liked it
