Monique and I had the privelege of going to dinner with some Ugandan Members of Parliament the night before we went to Rwanda. Claude Nikondeha, the organizer of Amahoro Africa, invited us to join him and several other conference attendees for some interesting dialogue with the a few of those with an inside perspective of Ugandan government. Claude is a Burundi native with a US citizenship who has aspirations of getting into African politics. Therefore, he has connections.
With African governments being notoriously corrupt, I was interested to hear what the MPs had to say. I spoke mostly with Edward, who represents a territory in the south. We discussed the way decisions are made, which many times are arbitrary. For example, Uganda is a major grower of coffee. Have you ever tasted a cup of Ugandan coffee at Starbucks? Me either. Edward explained that there had been a coffee processing plant, but it was sold by the government during one of the many civil strifes. The new owner from India turned it into a clothing warehouse and later abandoned it. The building is now vacant and of no use. Why? Because the government needed the instant cash to be spent on whatever the crisis-at-hand was at the time.
Edward explained the current structure of parliament has expanded to the point of gridlock. There are 240 members representing Uganda's population of 80 million. This number has risen in the past few years from 156 due to a revision in the law to encourage affirmative action. Yes, there is affirmative action happening around the world!
My other interesting discussion was with an MP's wife who works for an American non-governmental organization (NGO). Her last job was with a British NGO. She observed that the Brits discussed everything, thought through every decision and looked at things from every angle. The Americans take action and let the chips fall as they may. There are certainly benefits and drawbacks to both methods. Her musings supported my limited interactions with the British. I understand why the first American settlers left. To be fair, the Brits have left their positive mark and systems around the world, including the States. They also have a wonderful sense of humor.
With African governments being notoriously corrupt, I was interested to hear what the MPs had to say. I spoke mostly with Edward, who represents a territory in the south. We discussed the way decisions are made, which many times are arbitrary. For example, Uganda is a major grower of coffee. Have you ever tasted a cup of Ugandan coffee at Starbucks? Me either. Edward explained that there had been a coffee processing plant, but it was sold by the government during one of the many civil strifes. The new owner from India turned it into a clothing warehouse and later abandoned it. The building is now vacant and of no use. Why? Because the government needed the instant cash to be spent on whatever the crisis-at-hand was at the time.
1 comment:
Suzanne-you are one amazing woman! You go girl!
Love you-- Rhonda
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