Regress or Progress: a film series drawn from a continent a far off

Its been a few months since black history month. I am planning to attend the event at the U.S Embassy in Uganda, thrilled that I have access to an impressive library of books and other resources. 

To get to the venue, I will have to negotiate Kampala's interesting transport and infrastructure system. One taxi from Mengo to Kla. The driver pulls a first one and decides to go through Lubaga instead of going down Namirembe Rd. there are some complaints in the Taxi but the driver and his healthy assistance are without response. 

We disembark many of us rather disoriented. The crew that had promised to take us to one destination have changed their minds and their route. I need a quick route to the taxi park that has been designated to take us to the Kansanga, Bunga, Ggaba area. I chose a boda boda. 

The chauffeur will use a complex route of interwoven streets interspersed with white chalk like covered males in narrow stretches of visibly prosperous but not so obvious business places. 

This is a hub of business for millers of maize. It is also home to a large Somali community as well as the headquarters of one of Kampala's most popular Christian ministries. 

Halfway in the chaos, I spot a young lanky dark lady bent and searching for something on the ground. She is barefoot and wrapped in dark clothes and picking beans and corn right behind the massive trucks that are transferring grain into the millers. 

This is not the first time I have seen a similar scene. I have seen this before in Owino Market or St. Balikudembe (they are in a state of peace). 

In another setting an louder lady is doing the same thing and collecting precious beans which she will evidently sell or at least cook for the young one who is not too far from the scene. 

Both women, if I am to go by there garb are Karamojong. A long way from home and living way below the level that Citizens of this country are supposed to live.

Then I remember that I am on my way to see a series covering slavery and it's history in the seventeenth century. 

Leadership Suggestion Box

Its been ages since the last reshuffle. Ok...its been
about a year. Strange that i did not notice this last time
around...but clearly our UN Representative made a come back
to the office of health. Yes indeed although he was then referred to
as Ndugu or brother or Comrade (in those former communist
and revolutionary years).
Anyway we are not certain if there will be similar shakeups in the
royal kingdom but what we are almost sure of is that there will
be more suggestions about the possibility of some shrinkage.
On another note we are hopeful that there will be more moves
to ensure the safety of our citizens that that we will make few heroic
moves that place ordinary men in the face of fire.

When we last talked i hinted on some changes that i would make in
the cabinet and in the Ministers of State where to a great extent there was an overreach in form and function. Knowing well your tendency to think of leadership in
military terms i thought long and hard on the challenges you would
continue to face in the process of administration when you were having to
deal with so many sources of information.

For those who are charged with the task of advising you on various issues of
governance, i made the suggestion that these pieces of information be published
for all to see in regular columns in state sponsored newspapers for records sake
and also in your well designed web portal. Maybe all of this would go under the planning ministry which would be used by future presidents...God Forbid!

While i recognize the challenges you may be facing in splitting up your cabinet
to include sectors of development, I would prefer the creation of sectoral clusters
like Energy, Agriculture(Fisheries, Animal Industry), Regional-Internal (Teso, Luwero triangle, Northern, Central, Karamoja), Regional-External (EAC, AU,) Economic (Privatization, Micro-finance, Investment, Finance, Planning,Trade, Industry) Lands (Housing, Transport, Roads)Internal Affairs (Defence,Local Government,Public Service)Education (Primary, Secondary, University)Sports, Gender and Culture (Youth, Elderly).
. 

Cabinets and Cards

It seems the man at the head of the table has chosen to shuffle the cards in this amazing gamble. The use of the word shuffle is appropriate in the sense that most of the pack is still the same.

We see a group that is fighting desperately to be meritorious in nature but the complexities of African governance are coming into play.

Last year i wrote about what i thought the major trends would be in 2015 and one of the 'P's was Propaganda. We have seen the use of social media (an effective tool in modern day to bring about agitations in governance) to stir up leadership in the Ruling Party.
As a result few of us believe anything unless it comes from the horse's mouth. And maybe that is a unique skill which we will attribute to big hat. His manner of forcing all those with influence to deal with him directly and to have him at the center of all dispute resolution issues.
You are right in calling this micromanagement effective for some but exhausting for others.   

Interesting in the reports from the press regarding some of the figures in the reshuffle.  The local daily Bukedde (the sun has risen), referred to the Attorney General's time in office and some of his experiences as battles. It is rather tragic that ones tenure in office in an age in which we are learning to do what we love can be characterized in similar terms as warfare. And maybe this is a description of what is at stake. 
They mentioned about five major battles:
A battle with the Ministry that handles Roads with special emphasis on the recent Katosi scandal (reports from the anti corruption coalition describe deficiencies in finance totaling up to 165 Billion UGX) , The Uganda Law Society with regards to his ability to advise government, The Inspectorate of Government on Karuma (a dam project), and then a skirmish regarding the case against our Embattled mayor Elias Lukwago.  

Given some of his past experience as an Advocate, State Attorney, Member of Parliament, and counsel for the office of Inspectorate of Government, we can only expect or believe for bigger battles.
There is a gap in the seat of the office of Chief Justice. This would be a major blow in the hands of the Uganda Law Society which would then be forced to call him his worship and to in effect pay obeisance. All his challenges with the ULS notwithstanding, it is probably time for him to step up into a new strata-the league of judges.   

I doubt that the new Attorney General will have time to enjoy his new office. While we are wrestling with the best of corruption, our western allies (and i use that term loosely) have dished out a fresh new anti-corruption training program and turned their attention to the Director of Public Prosecutions. The new project aptly named SUGAR Strengthening Uganda Anti-corruption Response) will focus on technical mechanisms and involves about 78 Billion UGX.

Interestingly, while all of this is happening, our friend is commissioning (and campaigning) some new roads and capturing the headlines....

So what are the take aways?
1. If you are fine where you are, do not accept a job offer. You might be better off handling your business on the side lines.
2. If you take the job, be strategic about it and use that time well to serve but also to consolidate your power.   
3. Try as much as possible to differentiate between service of the party and service of the nation. In the current case, the two seem to have become one and prying them apart will be very difficult.

Another major trend that in my view would characterize 2015 is the concept of Proxies. Put simply, this involves the use of others to fight your battles. This will and has affected political appointments. What is does is give you a false sense of worth and authority when power really lies elsewhere.  Because a seat in a place of influence is rather 'crowded', the only way to get anywhere close to enjoying any privilege is by enriching uranium (which is why the Iranians must stick to their guns and if opposed must fight for a more open and better use of the non-proliferation treaty).

We can see and expect to see a need for money to finance the campaigns of the ruling party. Obvious sources for these funds will probably be some of the more obvious ministries many of which will prove to be a challenge for the new faces at the top. Even if the idea of having to leave office is a challenge, it is better than being locked up and being in charge in an election season and knowing that your powers over your finances are limited!

A Repeat of History-Some thoughts on the race for the white house

As we or the Americans for that matter begin to prepare for the race to the White House, we can already see a certain coagulation of power
around some rather familiar families.
We are speaking here about the Bush Family and the Clinton Family. From the latter, we are expecting Hillary-A seasoned diplomat to take the front row
seat and to at least return the family to the oval office.
Her husband and colleague an obvious asset to the Democratic Party will be by her side advising and helping steer the campaign. We are not certain if the drive for change that swept B.H.O into the Oval Office will bring
about yet another change-this time in favour of Women.
We are quite sure that she will have her detractors which is why in this regard i have pushed for the emergence of another of the Clinton family...much younger and with her own share of experiences but untested in the political sphere.
If the American were to rally any of the Clintons, surely this one would be it. But that would mean waiting in the tow and earning a little more experience.
The Bush family has also experienced quite a revival partly caused by some of the residue from Junior speech in which he reminded the Americans that they were addicted to oil.
 The Question is whether or not the country as a whole is ready for another Bush and if the republicans can trust this version of the famous family to take the seat.

We have seen few candidates with Military Experience which will prove valuable in the days to come, and the system as it stands seems to be be readying itself for a lot more engagement.

So maybe this time around the people will make a choice to move further and deeper with the change as they saw it communicated in 2008 or on the other hand though,they could decide to return to those things which are
more predictable and stable.

But the emergence of a candidate from Florida (Bush) and the Historical Swing states will still prove as valuable as they have continued to be in all of the recent previous elections. We also think that the minorities will play a major role. We are not certain which party will benefit from the changes that have taken place in Cuba and if as before the Supreme Court will be asked to step in. 
Only time will tell but what is interesting is the cover of the International Economist dated April 22nd-28th 2006 in which we see a democrat in the background and a fight on the whole against the Bush Family.

Silicon Valley or the valley of the shadow of death

http://www.fastcompany.com/3037940/a-different-kind-of-valley-life#

You have heard of race relations with regard to African Americans and other races but have you ever examined the relations between Africans and African Americans?

My thoughts are a collection of ideas that range from politics to business to religion. There are certain aspects of me in this discussion (a life in the U.S from the end of the Clinton presidency to the end of the George Bush's Jr. last term) as well as a new life in Uganda (2005 to the present day). 

What I have tried to do is gather the full gamut of my thoughts and experiences in an effort to make sense of a rich and diverse albeit rather sad life. 

If you go back to the sixties, you notice that there was a massive immigration surge to the U.S of a best of the best of African culture. These were the days when the current president's Father moved to the U.S and found a bride. The same were promising young people who were in a sense challenging the establishment in their respective countries and who were therefore identified as potential recruits or students in their new nations of adoption. It is very difficult to go past your teacher and so the American and British hold on Eduction via IV league will continue to enjoy expression even in the physical absence of similar institutions. 

This is why the destruction of Timbuktu is so tragic and this is why there will be a revival of the ancient discord between slave and slave trader. 

There has been to some extent much more of a conversation between slave and slave master but there is very little talk about the relationship between the latter. 

Perhaps we need here to examine our relationship with the Arabs and their faith and it's affect on us. Maybe we need to decide what we really believe in light of present truths and if we are in a position to truly embrace other faiths. 

What has happened instead I argue, is there has been an adoption of religious practices and culture which has brought about a loss of memory. 

My decision to use your site (fastcompany.com) was fueled by some thoughts about recent activity on the web about some startups in my current nation of residence and their subsequent success. I therefore did a generic search for black perspectives on business in the silicon valley. 

This reminded me of the victory speech by B.H.O and the tears shed by Jesse Jackson on that incredible day and the idea that in a strange sense the Hard Core African Americans had been bi-passed in the presidency in favor of a mixed race president and of all things one from Africa. 

I asked my question about conventional views about Africa and its inhabitants with this in mind knowing to some extent that in many African American Eyes, this is still the dark continent and that visits here by prominent black people usually have Ghana at their core (and her ancient slave routes). 

So even if I have suggested a conversation between 'traders' and their 'cargo', we still need to find methods of bridging the gap between the cargo and those who made its trade possible. 

In other words two ancient brothers need to meet to talk about what really happened four hundred years ago. 

The rise of a new religion-human rights it's priests are called activists.

This week I heard an interesting program on the BBC in which an interview was done with a former British intelligence officer whose level of expertise seems is in ISIL. 

He made some important references to U.S work in Iraq and the errors that were made in dismantling the former presidents state machinery. His view was that those who had formerly served the Iraqi president had now coagulated and gathered around the new core (ISIS). This made sense because I was beginning to see a revival of Baathist tendencies especially with the attack on Yazidis. In my view therefore the former president was not dead...not in the complete sense. 

One could see the same happening in Libya even if the forces that displaced the Colonel in that country seem to have been more home grown. What one should therefore follow is the after effects on Libya and if marginalized groups will begin to suffer abuses from the past as in the case with Iraq. If the same happens, then one might as well rewind all the way back to 2011. 

The conflict here rises out of what we can loosely refer to as established authority and the broad subject of Change. What I have also found and what I ascribe to is a belief that nations are just like people. When they are hurt or wounded, they often cease to grow or at least begin to limit resources to those areas that are wounded until those parts are healed. 

If they have unanswered questions or dilemmas, these often cause deep questions which after a passage of time will result in a loss of confidence in their systems or a birth of doubts and fears and negative attitudes. 

So the natural flow of questions in this regard then is this? Are Americans ready for change and what does this mean for the next administration? 

Will it take the rapid form as it did in the early 1900s so that suffrage predates the struggle of the sixties with the civil right movement? 

Was Hillary meant to be first and is America ready for the return of the Clintons to the white house (after the primaries we can see how the Clinton family played the role of king maker in B.H.O's election). 

As power begins to centre more along family lines, will we see the return of the larger Bush Family to the white house too? Is Florida going to play a significant role in the elections? What role if any will the new dynamics in the U.S-Cuban relations play in the coming elections. Do these changes benefit the republicans or do they favor eye democrats?

Have recent development in the petroleum brought about a sea change in the machine that is government? Are we going to see something similar to what happened in the Seventies when the Saudis tightened the note on foreign relations?

The Christian faith calls these strongholds, or you can call them mindsets.

You could say, that the sixties were a prime example of this challenge on the American Psyche. The Vietnam war, the Kennedies and Martin Luther on one hand and the drive to the left which was characterized by the Jesus Movement, the hippies and the rise of experimental drugs. 

While we are still dealing with the subject of our relations, another group has arisen whose prime focus seems to be on the elimination of western education. 

In my most recent post (trends and prediction) I wondered aloud why we seem unprepared for an event which we for such a long time had predicted. 

Could this be the case now too? 

Do we now have a solution to the problem of endemic corruption?

A forceful return to faith (sharia) and a complete revamp of the education system? 

Have you ever silently cheered for someone who challenged authority even if you did not approve of their actions. Did you ever wish that they succeeded and fought for a position once they did even if you were unwilling to engage as deeply as they did?

There are some aspects of this in the faith struggle that seems to accompany all major faiths especially those that have proselytization as part of their doctrine or that insist on some sort of hell fire message. 

In addition to this there are some references to what Zacharias calls man's responsibility versus God's sovereignty which in summary questions, tries to differentiate between those activities for which men must act and those for which God bears full responsibility. 

The result of this is the creation of two distinct groups of believers those who act and those who wait for God to act. Maybe some groups draw inspiration from the book of Genesis in which God places men at the heart of his garden and commands them to subdue and dominate the earth. 

2014 the year in review.

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There are some who view the world we live in as being rather linear and continuous. I think it is much more complex and has a rather cyclical manner in which it seems to revolve. As such you will find repetitiveness in  certain events which you think you have seen happen before. What you might realize is that there are really no prophets just analysts with a pure and working knowledge of history and a very clear picture about human nature. Maybe there is some truth about what the writer once said we he noted, "...He has placed eternity in the hearts of men...". It could be that this unique feature gives us the ability to walk to and fro across time merging past and present and future in a complex mix without much difficulty. 

So based in this idea instead of leaving 2014 behind, I will attempt to find some unique features that stood out and defined this year with the hope that they might shed some light into the year to come. 

Incidentally they all seem to have the letter P.

1. Prime Ministers

We saw and realized the value of the prime ministers office and to some extent watched at least in these parts a clipping of wings. Reports in the press if they are to be believed spoke about challenges in this office from Somalia, Kenya, South Sudan and Uganda. In Uganda's case, I argue that we really have had a struggle moving from the challenges we faced in the sixties when there was a reported clash between the Ganda King and his Langi Prime minister. We normally have very different manifestations of the power struggle between president and prime minister because of the amount of sway that the prime minister holds over his respective ministers. Weak or inflexible constitutions do not allow much room for take overs but we saw how easily threatening much of these issues can be. 

2. Permanent Secretaries

We also watched as a few rising stars emerged from the civil service. They were stars mainly because of their respective offices and their working knowledge of the system as it stands. This also makes them vulnerable and the list of past casualties is endless. Ministries that were recognized as valuable and potentially large in terms of their attractiveness to donors therefore attracted more attention and drew super star secretaries. We see and will probably see more of characters like Muhakinizi and Bigirimana. 

3. Pastors 

We also after a lot of time began to see the rise of pastors and shepherds as they are referred to here as key contact people. It is no wonder that the great book chose to place these men at the centre of the debate and arrival of the historical messiah. What better group of people than a group devoted to livestock. Bound to protect living creatures under the cover of the sky. Strange too that it is with this group or to this group that heavenly beings chose to present certain aspects of their message. Maybe it is because they represent or are descendants of Abel whose historical clash with his hoe yielding brother Cain are part of the rivalries we continue to see. The battle for lands and the nature of sacrifice.

All that and the realization that for his bed our messiah chose a menger instead. 

4. Petroleum

A self-fulfilling prophecy? After so much excitement about alternative means of energy we finally have a result and we are frustrated!

The price of oil seems to be plummeting and those who were championing the rise of alternative fuels seem to be caught off guard. I this not what you wanted and were planning for?

Have we become a collective group of seers whose mighty predictions are too much for them to deal with?

Where are the champions of solar energy, hydro power, wind energy farms and gas?

5. Propaganda

Some of us have found it difficult appreciating the dawn of the information age. It is possible even under these circumstances to argue that there has always been an information age. In all of this though, it has emerged that those who have claimed a right to certain bits of information and those who have managed to claim a right over the ownership and right to that information have duped the rest of us into giving them quite a lot of authority. We no longer feel educated without their degrees or and approval. We ow invest vast amounts of energy, money and time in getting educated. Naturally this has resulted in the need of greater and control and manipulation of information and This is a trend we will continue to see. 

6. Parasites and pests

We also saw the emergence of the small over the big. The rise of creatures to small to see but powerful enough to exert their influence and cause massive devastation. We faltered and wavered at what to call the new force or power that confronted us but it seems to represent a new form of biological warfare which makes use of microorganisms. We realized a strange balance in power which brought our country to the fore in a fight against a frightening disease and placed our experts right smack dab in the middle of the fight. Unrelated battles regarding intellectual property and the defense of trade (which have defined developed and underdeveloped world relations) could hinge of how we exercise our hold on this latest battle. 

7. Populations 

We were finally able to come up with some figures. We had debated about the rationality of the head count and even asked for special permission to include our cattle (a taboo in these parts where the cow is more sacred than the child). We will continue to see he the numbers which we control will continue to define how well placed we are in the fight for prominence, position and power. We like the Chinese might find ourselves resorting to iron fists which will gradually give way when we have learned how to harness the power of our markets. 

8. Proxies

Not only in the sense of wars but epic religious battles fought by and large by people who bear names that are not there own. Here we saw and will continue to see a clash between religions until the forces behind these religions will come to the fore. I spoke about a revival of tribal beliefs which have suffered the fate of all things primitive. In these parts we will see a return to tradition and naming systems which have existed since time past.