What if?
Dear President, I refer to you as a Patriot, Freedom fighter, Courageous, Workaholic and a Parent to this great country that we love. We grew up watching your airplane pass above our roofs in villages while we chant your name louder as little as we were; ” Museveni, Museveni, Museveni”. Every time your name was mentioned, it came with a feeling of a guaranteed safety and protection only a father can provide to his children. That speaks volumes to how popular you were, are and continue to be in our country and beyond.This was never just about love but a strong belief that you were in control of our country’s affairs and that you continue to be in control todate. The history of Uganda can’t be complete without your name being mentioned as the pillar of hope, whose determination has shaped the destiny of this country that we love and cherish.
On my own behalf, and on behalf of my late father, Mr. Geoffrey Rugambira who told us stories of your great leadership during the liberation struggle, stories of how our late Uncle Mr. John Bagaire of Kabale supported you and your fellow comrades during the bush war and on behalf of my family and all those that recognize your footprint on the face of Uganda _ in restoration of peace, serenity and prosperity, I would like to take this only golden opportunity to thank you for the life long and well lived in liberating this country and propelling it to this far. I am deeply aware that due to need for favoritism and self enrichment, people have disguised as appreciating you, while wrongly informing you, wrongly advising you, and worst of all, doing the contrary of what you send them to do so that they let you and your system down for their selfish interests. I am sure am not the first person to whisper this into your ears.This token of appreciation would not have come at any better time than this, especially at a time you seek yet another term of office extending your rule to 45 years. I have watched you campaign enthusiastically across the country, from the North to the East, to the West, South West, and Central Uganda. The turn up of the masses is overwhelming, a testament that your hard work, resilience and determination to this country’s well being is noticeable. I felt I have to give you your flowers when you still can receive them. Thank you, thank you and thank you so much.That said,I would like, on behalf of the people of Uganda, the Youth, those that support you and those that think we can do better as a country(friends of Uganda), to address you on the following, What if? What if in your next term of office, if re-elected, these were re-considered?
What if you listened to us and we speak to you?What if the size of parliament was reduced, and all those expenses channeled to development of our infrastructure and country at large?
What if MPs’ salaries, allowances were trimmed and taxed as any other government workers to generate more revenue?
What if we revised the credentials for an aspiring member of parliament to be self- sufficient, well educated- at least Bachelor’s degree level, travelled, financially stable and abolished car gifts, rent allowances, travel allowances in disguise of benchmarking etc etc?
What if government workers were the first consumers by law of government services in government facilities i.e hospitals, schools, etc so that they feel the mess therein? And they sort it?
What if teachers, doctors, nurses, pharmacists, men and women in Uniform (police and army) were well paid, their welfare improved to offer satisfactory services to Ugandans?
What if ministers and MPs stood in jam to feel the impact of poor road network and planning?What if we put up flyovers on jam prone/hotspots or junctions in Kampala and Wakiso, with emphasis on one way double lane roads to reduce delays in movement ?
What if single sourcing of service providers like was the case of Hoima City Stadium was applied on all government projects to defeat those profiting from them by asking for bribes from bidders while undermining the credibility, authenticity of the services to be offered thereafter?
What if we established efficient and integrated systems in procurement of public assets products and services to defeat those that ask government contractors/ government service providers to add extra money on top of their charges for goods supplied, which is later withdrawn upon payment and given in cash to these procurement officers and their circles they eat with?
E.g, goods worth 100m supplied, government bill scaled to 150m, service provider gets 100m, 50m withdrawn and given in cash to these officers.
What a joke! What if domestic arrears were reduced to enable government service providers provide better services but also profit from doing business with government?
What if we provided special banking and loans facilities for industries, big government suppliers and contractors to defeat those lending them money at exorbitant interests thus hiking the cost of production and /or of goods?
What if we abolished permanent contracts for public workers and renew contracts every 2 years after appraisal on performance and their conduct ? Can’t this solve the problem of poor performance and mishandling or stealing of dugs and other public goods?
What if public service commission were weeded of all the corrupt officials, recruitments made electronic, human interference in the selection exercise reduced and jobs awarded to individuals based on training, competence and experience(know how) and not on the “know who” or highest bidder for better and dedicated work force?
What if we prosecuted the corrupt and swindlers of tax payers’ money and set heavy penalties for those found guilty including death penalty and ensured this is implemented without fear or favor to send a strong warning to those planning to touch tax payers money?
What if national borrowing and dependency on external banks for loans is reduced or abolished to encourage lean but functional budgeting? After all, this borrowed money is stolen and a Ugandan is left to pay heavy interests plus principal amount for money that never fulfilled the purpose it was borrowed for.
What if the rich and investors (local and foreign) paid their taxes without tax holidays and tax waivers to increase government income through taxation? And instead small businesses, struggling businesses and starting businesses be given these favors to grow and pay better taxes in future?
What if the informal sector, which forms the biggest percentage of the sectors was supported to develop and hence integrated into tax base with realistic taxes imposed?What if the tourism industry was supported and developed to improve our revenue as well as our foreign exchange?
What if all tax policies were reviewed to identify double taxing on goods, and services and such is harmonized? Remember, a landlord paying ground rent, property rent, and now rentals tax, transfers all this burden to the end consumer, by hiking rent for tenants who happen to be common Ugandans, further making their lives hard.What if Inflation was controlled to allow businesses in Uganda to make profits and henceforth be good and better tax payers?Can’t this address the problem of tax aversion which is the only way business are resorting to to survive apparently in Uganda?
What if we introduced express 24 hour courts to reduce the case pile in courts of law so that we don’t delay justice, remember justice delayed is justice denied. Charge a little fee as express fines for those able to pay and the country collects revenue from the same while ensuring that justice is not only administered but seen to be administered timely?
What if the inspectorate of criminal investigations of Police streamlined their operations and worked on strict timelines for complete of investigations to reduce on exploitation of persons affected by such investigations while delaying the already investigated cases intentionally ?
What if we reconciled as a country and reviewed all files of political prisoners and those not found with other offences released unconditionally?
What if we funded food security and soil rehabilitation organizations like NARO, established Irrigation schemes in semi arid areas of Pallisa, Soroti, Lira to enhance agriculture , fruit and vegetable production, cereals like rice to safeguard our population from hunger and famine, while also enabling them improve their household income through growing and selling of cash crops?
What if PDM funds were channeled to banks and the process of acquiring such loans made simpler for a common Ugandan to access the money individually while defeating those middle men at parishes stealing this PDM money disguising to form groups which are even at times crafted with non existing members, or asking for a bribe for one to be added to such a beneficiary group?
What if national medical insurance is introduced to ensure that Ugandans can individually make an affordable contribution annually and receive best medical care anywhere in any hospital in the country ?
What if rates for services that every Ugandan must consume such as rent fee, transport fare, school fees in Private schools, government aided schools, government schools, electricity, water, etc were regulated to safeguard Ugandans from exploitation by these exorbitant service providers?
What if individuals acquiring land where they have been briefed/tipped by their fellows working in government projects planning departments to quickly acquire land where planned government projects like roads are to be done, to later ask for exorbitant compensations, fail or delay or cripple project progress were investigated, arrested and prosecuted or compensated exact value for the land In such areas without extra money rewarded to them for their wrong doing?
What if the Uganda National Population and housing census that informs the National planning authority on the population parameters of our country for better planning, did the actual work and provided actual values to guide proper planning as opposed to forging data on their tablets?
For example , In my village, in Wakiso, I was never counted, my neighbors were never counted. We all stayed home that day, no numerator showed up, even in the following days up to close of exercise.How are we represented in the national planning and budgeting?
What if the National budget appropriated 50% of the budget to development, service delivery to Ugandans and 50% on other expenses as opposed to 18% on development, and 36% on payment of salaries, unnecessary allowances, Merry making trips abroad etc and the rest on recurrent expenses? Doesn’t this bother the Parliament where the party that you have dedicated time to nature, NRM forms the majority?
What if the meaning of competence based curriculum is not only said in board rooms but practiced in schools?What would be wrong with adopting a system like is in China where a child is trained from Childhood to perfect what they would later become, including development of talents in sports, athletics, fashion and design, art, music and drama etc?What if we developed football, netball and related sports to the pride of Uganda, exported such talents abroad and in turn collect taxes from them as they equally market our Country on the global stage?
What if you reviewed and accordingly changed your advisers for at least once in your time as president?
I believe there is something in the details they aren’t telling you right. As the country heads to polls on the 15th of January, 2026, I pray for peace before, during and after elections. I wish you the best of luck as we look forward to seeing you take on the above “what ifs” head-on once re-elected to leave a lasting mark on your legacy and history will surely judge you as a leader who not only listened to the echoes of your people but also took appropriate actions.
For God and my Country I thank you.
Atwine Yusufu yusufuatwine@gmail.com (A Patriot, friend of Uganda)
