Summary:
- The country is full of hardworking people who just want the basics good healthcare, proper roads, and quality education. Instead, they face potholes, empty hospitals, and underfunded schools.
OP-ED: Imagine Uganda’s public resources as a lake that sustains an entire community through fishing. Responsible fishermen use proper nets designed to catch only mature fish, ensuring that younger fish can grow and maintain the lake’s productivity for future generations.
They fish with foresight, always leaving enough behind to reproduce, knowing that this shared resource is vital for everyone’s survival.
These are the people who prioritize the greater good building hospitals, improving schools, fixing roads, and securing a future for our children and grandchildren. To them, public resources are sacred and deserve protection.
Then there’s the other group. You know the type. They arrive with substandard nets that catch everything big fish, small fish, even the young ones too tiny to harvest. They disregard sustainability. Once they’re done, the lake is left empty, offering nothing for the community or future generations. To them, the lake is merely a resource to exploit, with no thought for tomorrow.
These individuals don’t see public resources as something to be managed for the common good. Instead, they view them as prey, much like a lion pouncing on an antelope, consuming resources in an instant.
Now, let’s discuss roads. If you’ve ever driven in Kampala or better yet, navigated one of those potholes that could double as small swimming pools you know what I’m talking about. You might wonder if those responsible feel the same pain we do, because clearly, our suffering isn’t prompting repairs.
Picture this: you’re driving through the city, dodging potholes like a character in a video game. You swerve left, you swerve right, and just when you think you’ve made it BAM! You hit the mother of all potholes. Your car dips so low, you swear you’ve hit the Earth’s core. Meanwhile, someone sits comfortably in a plush office, sipping imported coffee and patting themselves on the back for allocating road repair funds. In reality, the money has vanished into a “consultancy trip” to Dubai, where they were “studying” road repairs in the desert.
And it’s not just roads. Let’s talk about healthcare. Patients in government hospitals are paying bills that should be covered, facing understaffing, a lack of ambulances, and no basic medicines in rural health centers. And why? Maybe Dr. Atwine can shed some light on this. Meanwhile, the government has decided that intern doctors should sponsor themselves. Yes, you heard that right. Imagine being told to finance your own efforts to save lives. It’s akin to asking a firefighter to bring their own water to extinguish a blaze. Sure, it’s possible but is it practical? Is it fair?
But don’t worry while hospitals run out of supplies, someone is building their third mansion in Munyonyo, courtesy of the “healthcare budget.” When questioned, they’ll insist the money is “safe” just waiting for the right moment to be spent. It’s like that chicken that crossed the road but somehow never reached the other side. Where did it go? No one knows. But rest assured, the money is “safe.” Safe in someone’s pocket, that is.
What about education? We’ve all heard the stories: classrooms without desks, students sitting on the floor, and teachers going unpaid for months. Yet there’s always that one minister whose children attend a prestigious international school overseas. When asked, they’ll casually say, “Oh, it’s just a small scholarship!” Yeah, right. A “small scholarship” that covers tuition, housing, and maybe a yacht for weekend getaways.
These individuals don’t just take their share of the public pie; they consume the entire thing and then ask for dessert. While we’re left licking crumbs, they’re out there living their best lives, claiming to work for the “betterment of the nation.”
Let’s not forget the infamous line: “We are investigating the matter.” Whenever a public scandal breaks, you can bet someone will appear on TV, looking serious, and proclaiming, “We’re investigating.” This is code for “We’ll sit on this for a few months until everyone forgets, then quietly drop it.” If we had a shilling for every time someone said they were investigating corruption, we could probably fix all the roads ourselves.
It’s almost laughable. This country is full of hardworking people who just want the basics good healthcare, proper roads, and quality education. Instead, they face potholes, empty hospitals, and underfunded schools. Meanwhile, those in charge are busy “investigating” their next trip abroad.
Imagine running a household like this. Your child says, “Dad, the roof is leaking.” And you reply, “I’ll look into it after my consultancy trip to the Bahamas, where I’m studying tropical storms.” It’s absurd, yet that’s our reality.
While some of us wait and hope for change, others are busy consuming everything without a second thought. By the time they’re done, there will be nothing left for the rest of us no fish in the lake, no roads to drive on, and no healthcare to rely on.
While some of us cling to hope, dreaming of a better future, others are plundering everything in sight. By the time they’re done, there will be nothing left.
The writer is the LC 5 Male Youth Councillor for Rubanda District.
Wilfred Arinda Nshekantebirwe
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