The Case for Term Limits in Uganda

The succession talk is in fact a clever way for the NRM rank and file to say something that they couldn’t dare do previously — that Museveni is tired, and his time go has come.

A newly elected parliament that has many members who are the age of Museveni’s son, possibly younger, see him as a dinosaur who has lost moral authority by failing to deal with corruption over the years.

His attempt to slap down his party’s rebellious MPs on the oil issue was met by defiance from several of them. A few years ago, when he stared down his party, everyone turned tail and run.

The president has not helped himself by a spate of perplexing utterances. He often refers to the recently discovered oil fields as “my oil.” He slams critics of the increasing cost of food, saying it is a great opportunity for farmers to grow rich.

However, at the same time, he refuses to increase public sector wages of those who would buy the food, so less of it find its way to dinner tables.

One old Ugandan observer noted that the effect of all this is to inflate the cost of patronage. Museveni has stood by Mbabazi. But in a Uganda where the executive has to buy votes in the house, it might cost to restore calm in the party.

My source argues that several of the MPs will only be silenced if their election expenses are reimbursed, perhaps at double the rate.

Museveni will also need to find juicy pork for the army of unemployed or underemployed former party functionaries, to avoid their joining the restless ranks.

Yet it would overly cynical to say that all the clamour is just the sound of ruling party politicians increasing the price of loyalty.

For the president, it is probably like trying to buy health insurance when you are well past 60. Many insurers will refuse to take your money.

However, it also true that the few that do, will charge you exorbitant premiums. In that sense, it is cheaper to die young. If Museveni, who has now been in power for 25 years had been a good businessman, he would have left power at least five years ago. But then he isn’t.

The Case for Term Limits, away forward after M7

REQUIRED GOVT REFORMS:

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1) Disband the office of RDC & empower DPCs to do the job. Review the role of DISOs/GISOs to establish why an empowered Special Branch with in the Uganda Police cannot do its work.

2) Disband the office of Presidential Advisor & empower the National Planning Authority to be the nerve center for central government strategic planning

3) Reduce the size of Cabinet from 70 Ministers to 25. Abolish some Ministries such as Teso, Bunyoro, Luwero or Rwentobo, amalgamate some ministries while others into Commissions. Enhance the capacity of technical units such as commissions to deliver results complete with a performance management codes.

4) Review & Audit all government financial management protocols, internal controls & establish the cause of systemic corruption in th public sector with a view of establishing punitive sanctions for offenders.

5) Audit Uganda Revenue Authority internal controls, tax collections & disbursement to the Govt for the past 10 years to establish compliance to eliminate possibility for under declarations of revenue collections due to lack of political independence.

6) Establish a Constitutional review commission & where possible a referendum to ensure constitutional changes meet public expectations especially where parliament might need to be disbanded and sent home.

7) Amalgamate all fragmented districts into single parliamentary constituencies to reduce the size of parliament from 400+ to 120MPs.

8) Review all powers of the Presidency in the Constitution & delegate these to various State institutions to ensure full separation of powers and enhance the over sight functions & accountability with in government and State Instititutions.

9) Conduct a review of the UPDF & UPF to establish strength and formation with a view of increasing efficiency, accountability in procurement processes and identify potential areas of demobilization of redundant personnel.

10) Conduct a forensic audit of the entire civil service, establish strength, identify areas for enhancing efficiency, accountability, retrenchment based on credible criteria with the object of having a small but efficient and accountable civil service.

11) Conduct an HR review of the entire Public Service including State House and office of the President to establish strength, role of personnel, competences and establish areas for retrenchment, streamlining and alignment with government priorities of service delivery.

12) Conduct a review of all the past National Development Plans, review performance, establish cause-effect logic for poor performance with the object of ensuring all government departments and the State are aligned to deliver the NDP.

13) Review Bank of Uganda Management & Operational business processes and audit compliance with relevant regulation. Identify gaps and strengthen laws to maintain independence from political interference.