Uganda needs a government that listens, renews itself, and delivers

By Nyanzi Martin Luther

The biggest question Ugandans should be asking is not whether the government has policies, programmes and institutions. It is whether those institutions are delivering the results citizens deserve.
For many ordinary Ugandans, the answer remains disappointing.
The reasons are not difficult to identify. Corruption continues to weaken public institutions, while young people — despite being one of the country’s largest and most energetic sections of the population — are still not given enough room to contribute ideas and participate meaningfully in national programmes.
Corruption is particularly damaging because it not only steals money. It steals opportunities. Money intended for schools, hospitals, roads and other public services can fail to reach the people it was meant to serve. When this happens repeatedly, citizens lose confidence in government.
But corruption is not the only problem. Government must also examine whether its institutions are adapting quickly enough to a changing world.
Education provides a good example. Technology has transformed classrooms in many countries, yet large numbers of Ugandan learners still depend heavily on traditional methods of teaching. A country preparing its young people for a digital economy cannot afford to leave them behind technologically.
We should therefore stop asking only how many schools we have built and begin asking whether the education system is preparing learners for the economy they will enter.
Leadership renewal is another issue that deserves serious attention.
Public offices should not become permanent territories. A minister, MP or other public official should remain in office because he or she is delivering, not simply because there is no pressure to leave.
Regular renewal can bring new energy, new thinking and new approaches to longstanding problems. Where a leader performs well, citizens and the appointing authorities can have reasons to retain that person. Where performance is poor, replacement should be possible.
I therefore welcome changes in government because they can create opportunities for new ideas. The movement of leaders between ministries can also bring different perspectives to institutions that may have become comfortable with old ways of doing things.
However, changing people alone will not solve Uganda’s problems. The country needs a culture of performance.
This is where young people must come in.
Uganda has a large youth population with ideas about technology, education, governance, entrepreneurship and public administration. Yet young people are frequently treated as beneficiaries of government programmes rather than as people capable of helping design those programmes.
That approach needs to change.
Young people should not only be invited to attend conferences where officials speak to them. They should be given opportunities to develop proposals, participate in policy discussions and test practical solutions.
A young person’s idea should be judged on its quality, not dismissed because of the age of the person presenting it.
I have personally developed proposals on governance and public policy, and I have seen how difficult it can be for young people to get their ideas taken seriously. But the lesson should not be that young people should remain silent. The lesson should be that government needs stronger channels through which citizens can present ideas and receive serious consideration.
The same principle should apply to Parliament.
Democracy is not simply about having a majority capable of passing legislation. Parliament should also be a place where competing ideas are examined. Government and opposition have different roles, but both are necessary.
When the opposition objects to a government proposal, that objection should not automatically be regarded as hostility. If the argument is good, government should consider it. If it is weak, Parliament can reject it.
That is how stronger laws are made.
Uganda must also be honest about the gap between what is taught about governance and what citizens experience. Students are taught about the principles of a republic, the role of Parliament and the separation of powers. Those principles should not remain classroom definitions. They should be reflected in how institutions actually operate.
The fight against corruption therefore requires more than arrests and public statements. It requires institutions that can hold people accountable regardless of their position.
I also believe the security sector has a role to play in national development, particularly where discipline, professionalism and accountability are concerned. The emphasis by Chief of Defence Forces Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba on improving the Uganda People’s Defence Forces and addressing issues affecting its operations demonstrates the importance of leadership that sets clear expectations.
But the same expectations should apply across government.
A public office is a responsibility, not a lifetime entitlement.
Uganda does not lack ideas. It does not lack young people with ambition. It does not lack officials capable of making a difference. What is missing is a system that consistently rewards performance, punishes corruption and takes citizens’ ideas seriously.
The government should therefore make three commitments: fight corruption more seriously, create meaningful opportunities for young people to participate in governance, and make public leadership more accountable through performance-based renewal.
Ugandans do not expect perfection from their leaders. They expect effort, honesty, accountability and results.
If government can provide those four things, public confidence will grow. If it cannot, no amount of new programmes or political slogans will convince citizens that the country is moving in the right direction.

Nyanzi Martin Luther is a media entrepreneur and youth civic leader.