By Jumah Kakomo
Last Thursday 6th June 2024, the President of the Republic of Uganda H. E. Yoweri Kaguta. Museveni exercised his constitutional mandate and delivered a State of Nation Address (SONA) to the Parliament at Kololo Airstrip Grounds.
On Wednesday, the opposition Uganda people’s congress (UPC) party highlighted that they hold the view that the citizenry stands out as the most important asset for the country and therefore the State of the Nation Address ought to have their interests at heart and how best their general welfare can be improved as opposed to what was addressed.
According to the party, it is its hope that the budget speech for 2024 will give a clear direction to this country.
The party spokesperson Arach Oyat Sharon said in the address, the President indicated there is a surplus of milk production in the country and that we need to make use of the East African Common Market for its consumption, and recently, the same Government instructed both the school authorities and parents/guardians to start feeding pupils and students on a daily milk diet without considering in mind that it is (milk) out of reach to majority of the people in the country and this caused an uproar from the public. She adds that the only way this can be a reality is to establish farms across the country with high yielding breeds, pastures and good animal husbandry practices which include routine vaccination.
Sharon revealed that the figure of government funding for a primary and secondary school child under Universal Primary Education (UPE) and Universal Secondary Education (USE) respectively is abnormally very low for a term which she says affects the quality of education in the country hence producing half-baked products whose foundation is very poor.
“The learning environment is not only unconducive to learners, but also to teachers whose welfare is very wanting as well as facing salary disparities. At the extreme a good number of teachers are failing to take their children to school due to ever rising school needs. This is equally the same with other parents/guardians who are still repaying old term’s school fees on top of the new term that has just commenced,” Sharon stated.
Now Sharon discloses that UPC reiterates its call to government to harmonize salaries of teachers and the special treatment given to science teachers should equally be extended to arts teachers as well. The Government should be cognizant that people have different skills and with the struggling economy, they both face the same socio-economic challenges that are highly demanding. The UPE and USE funding should be revised upwards.
About health sector, Sharon said it is confusing that there are persistent reports of expired drugs that the government has to destroy in the wake of scarce drugs to the people in health outlets which she calls for a functioning health system whereby the medical staff are well facilitated with both a good pay and conditions of welfare that includes accommodation within the medical facility.
As regards to the ideas of reducing the tax burden to manufacturers and traders, Sharon says there is a need to industrialize as quickly as possible. She adds that UPC agrees that domestic production offers many benefits; use of local raw materials and offering maximum employment opportunities which can stimulate real economic growth and development.
“The local manufacturers and traders need to be supported with friendly loans and avoid high abnormal interest rates which is a recipe for high cost of goods and services, and inflationary thus distorting the economy. Therefore UPC urges the government to get more involved in domestic banking and restore our key traditional institutions like Uganda Commercial Bank and Uganda Cooperative unions if we are to progress well,” Sharon added.
The party head of media and communications Faizo Muzeyi articulated that there is still a need to improve on infrastructure especially transport links saying the roads should be in good shape and meet the standards in the region of East Africa.
“Both the Meter Gauge and Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) give the cheaper cost of transportation of goods and movement of people. However, as a country, we are terribly lagging behind in rolling off these projects. Regional integration is easily achieved when you have a sound transport system, and this can lower the cost of production of goods,” Faizo added.
According to Muzeyi, UPC has noted with concern that the excuses of corruption and misuse of taxpayer’s money boggles down service delivery and reduces the integrity of the institutions which affects the various stages of nation-building. He says UPC considers corruption as a cancer! Once allowed to persist, it can eat up the whole country hence putting the livelihoods at stake which therefore calls for a head-on approach to rigorously fight corruption without any hesitations.
“Let us be nationalistic and patriotic in real senses when it comes to our motherland, Uganda and Africa. We want to emphasize the message of the Party President Hon. Jimmy Akena said that as UPC, we are going to have a serious conversation on the future of this country in 2026,” Faizo said.
