The Central Government of Uganda - Essay Example

UGANDA Our country is a one of a presidential system under President Yoweri Kiguta Museveni who has been the president since 1989. The central government under the leadership of the president is directly responsible for defense, law and order, banks, land, mines, mineral and water resources, citizenship, foreign relations, taxation, national parks, national elections and national plans. A Resident District Commissioner represents the President and central government in the district. The Resident District Commissioner is responsible for the coordination of the administration of government services (Leggett, 2001). The Resident District Commissioner monitors and inspects Government services and may sensitize the populace on government policies and programs; advise the District Chairperson on matters of national nature that may affect the district; draw the attention of the Auditor General to the need for special investigation audits etc. The local government system is based on the district as a unit under which there are lower local governments and administrative units. Local government councils in a district are the District or City Council, the Municipal Council, the City Division Council, the Municipal Division Council, the Sub-County Council, the Town Council. The administrative unit councils in a district are the County Council, the Parish or Ward Council and the Village Council. Indigenous Communities are distinct tribal groups indigenous to a particular area. In Uganda there are Sixty-five indigenous communities in Uganda. These are the Acholi, Aliba, Alur, Aringa, Baamba, Babukusu, Babwisi, Bafumbira, Baganda, Bagisu, Bagungu, Bagwe, Bagwere, Bahehe, Bahororo, Bakenyi, Bakiga, Bakonzo, Banyabindi, Banyabutumbi, Banyankore, Banyara, Banyaruguru, Banyarwanda, Banyole, Banyoro, Baruli, Barundi, Basamia, Basoga, Basongora, Batagwenda, Batoro, Batuku, Batwa, Chope, Dodoth, Ethur, Gimara, Ik (Teuso), Iteso, Jie, Jonam, Jophadhola, Kakwa, Karimojong, Kebu (Okebu), Kuku, Kumam, Langi, Lendu, Lugbara, Madi, Mening, Mvuba, Napore, Ngikutio, Nubi, Nyangia, Pokot, Reli, Sabiny, Shana, So (Tepeth) and Vonoma. (The Constitution of Uganda – Schedule 3) There are diverse ethnic groups in Uganda who are mainly Bantus and Nilotes. The nilotes include the Lango and the Acholi, Iteso, and Karamojong who occupy the Eastern and the Northern part of the country. Lake Kyoga forms the northern boundary for the Bantu speaking peoples. The main Bantu speaking communities are the Baganda, Ankole, Toro, Banyoro, Basoga and the Gishu among others. Baganda is the largest community with about a fifth of the whole population. Most regions are organized into traditional kingdoms such as the Baganda kingdom, Basoga kingdom etc. The main religion in Uganda is Christianity which makes up to 85.2% of Uganda’s population. They are either Catholic or protestant (Mwakikagile, 2009). Until 1972 when Idi Amin sent them away there was quite a considerable number of Asians though they are now returning after an invitation by Museveni. Muslims make up 12% of Uganda’s population. We are strong in our faith and we do not conflict as far as religion is concerned. Traditional beliefs and practices have also been incorporated in our religious practices. Many shrines, oracles and healers are still in active use. Drug abuse and homosexuality are highly condemned. We have been in the limelight in the recent past for our stance stand as far as homosexuality is concerned. Since 1992, photography has been allowed in all areas except airports and military I installations a permit from the ministry of communications. There are areas which are sensitive and one needs to seek advice before taking photos in such places. Photography for commercial purposes require permits from the ministry of communications (Mutibwa, 1992). We are arguably among the most hospitable people in Africa the climate is equatorial tempered by cooling breezes from the mountains and the lush green vegetation is as a result of plenty of rain in two rainy seasons in April and November. Greetings are very important and it is considered rude to ask anything before greetings. We have also won seven medals at the Olympics and 39 at the Commonwealth Game in athletics and boxing. There are at least 40 languages in usage. The most commonly used language is Luganda and the East African lingua franca Kiswahili is also widely used as a trade language. Kiswahili and English are the two national languages. With the increasing Asian population Asian languages are spoken. French, Arabic and German is taught in various institutions. The Kanzu is the national dress of men in our country while for the women it varies in various parts. The family is the basic societal unit. In Uganda, there are nucleus families that comprise of father, mother and children. These are closely linked with the extended families. However due to changes in society over the years including political turbulence and the HIV/AIDS pandemic, other forms of families have begun to emerge. These include the single parent families and child headed families. Research findings also indicate that there is a substantial increase in dysfunctional family relationships. In the pre-colonial period, traditional communities were closely knit units. Their social, political and economic organization revolved around the family, clan and the institution of the traditional leader. The daily activities of men, women and children, whether as individuals or as groups were determined by cultures. However the exposure to various influences, cultures as well as foreign rule at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century led to the weakening of traditional socio-political setups. Aspects of culture such as indigenous knowledge and traditional health care systems were ignored. In this way, innovativeness and the whole social fabric were undermined. In spite of this, many communities continued to attach great value to their cultures and endeavored to conserve, inculcate and sustain it. Culture is defined as the sum total of the ways in which a society preserves, identifies, organizes, sustains and expresses its heritage. The cultural heritage of Uganda includes artistic and cultural expressions. These are; Language and literary arts, performing arts, visual arts and handicrafts, indigenous knowledge, cultural beliefs, traditions and values, cultural sites monuments and antiquities. Language is the means of expressing the creative arts of orature and literature. The performing arts include; dance, drama, music, theatre, motion pictures, opera, traditional sports and the marching arts such as brass bands. The performing arts in Uganda are used for self-expression, education and sensitization of communities as well as for entertainment. In the communities, traditional and modern performing arts have been popularized as a means to facilitate participation by communities in development. In addition, cultural, educational institutions and the private sector has supported the performing arts. The visual arts and handicrafts include among others; basketry, mats, ceramics, beads, pottery, hand-woven textiles and products, toys, jeweler, bags and ornaments, leather products, batik, wood carvings and paintings. The raw materials used in the production of visual arts and crafts are readily available in the country. Visual arts and crafts are produced in almost all regions of the country with product differentiation based on culture and history. This has promoted the identities of the various communities and created avenues for income generation. Ugandans have different beliefs and traditions that are deeply rooted in their cultural and religious values. The beliefs, traditions and values have contributed to the propagation of social harmony and development. These beliefs, traditions and values sometimes conflict with modern laws. Some of these Include; widow inheritance and female genital cutting (Jelmert, 1981). Uganda has several cultural sites and monuments. Some of them are man-made while others are natural. These sites, monuments and antiquities are important for socio cultural and educational purposes. They promote tourism and consequently create employment for people. The natural sites also enhance the protection of the environment. Traditional/cultural institutions include kingdoms, chiefdoms, clans and the family. Kingdoms existed in Uganda until they were abolished in 1966. However they were reinstated in 1993. Article 246 of the 1995 constitution of Uganda provides for the revitalization, strengthening and support of traditional/cultural institutions. To date government recognizes and supports some of the traditional/cultural institutions (Hutchinson, et. al, 1999). The process of recognition of these institutions is continuous. Communities look up to the traditional/cultural institutions for their identity. Statutory institutions in education include Ministries, Local governments, educational institutions and semi-autonomous bodies such as the National Library of Uganda and the Uganda National cultural Centre. These organizations are charged with the responsibility of promoting culture. There are four levels of Education starting from: (i) Pre-primary Education, (ii) Primary Education, (iii) Secondary, (iv) Technical, Vocational and Business Education, and (v) University or Tertiary. Typically, Education in Uganda is provided through multiple approaches including the Formal, Non-Formal and Informal Systems. The National Constitution in operation mandates Government to be responsible for leading in the provision of Education. However, individuals, private sector and NGOs are all encouraged to join Government to educate Ugandans. Within the formal sector, Government encourages a diversity of opportunities including general, Vocational and Technical structures. The Government White Paper recommended in 1997 the Macro-structure of the Ministry of Education and Sports to improve on its efficiency. The new structure in (annex i) includes 7 or 8 departments headed by Permanent Secretary and Director of Education. The Ministry also has one Minister and three other Ministers of State as political leaders. Primary and Secondary Education are legally transfer services to Local Government. The decentralization of services is aimed at bringing services closer to beneficiaries. Since the attainment of independence in 1962, Uganda has improved on its record pertaining to increasing access and quality of Education. It is a policy of Government to evaluate all aspects of reforms. The evaluation includes formative evaluation and summative Evaluation. Within the Ministry of Education there is Monitoring and Evaluation Unit. However, as a matter of principle, External Evaluation is also encouraged. In 1997, Government declared that it would provide free Education for four children per family. Where applicable, 50% of this number was to be girls. Government continues to encourage families to send all their school going age children to school Entry requirements and conditions for candidacy in the Primary Leaving Examination and certificate include ability to sit for all the four papers namely English Language, Social Studies, Integrated Science and Mathematics. The Uganda Primary Leaving Certificate will be awarded to candidates who achieve a given criteria. We have various export commodities. The most important ones are flowers (mainly roses), fresh and frozen fish (Nile perch), fresh fruit and vegetables (cooking and apple bananas, hot pepper, chili, okra, green beans, passion fruit and others), hides and skins (raw and wet blue), vanilla, sesame seed, maize and beans. Like in most African regions, tribal music is very popular. For example the Baganda people of southern Uganda have a traditional dance called the Baakisimba. Though the date of its origin is unknown, the story behind it is that of an early kabaka who drank a local beer made from ripe bananas. The kabaka got drunk, but since according to Ugandan musicians it is taboo to call a king “drunk,” the people said he was “happy.” He praised the abaakisiimba, (those who had planted the banana trees), and became “so happy and relaxed that he began to move and dance.” The women imitated the kabaka’s swinging hips, and the men, copied his steps. This dance is now performed by every generation of the Buganda tribe to celebrate the abaakisiimba who had pleased their kabaka (Tripp, 2000). Another value-driven ritual dance of the Buganda warns against involvement with witch doctors, showing a triumph of both Western and traditional medicine over the evil witch. In a region where witchcraft is a very real concern, music communicates the need to avoid what is thought to be inherently evil. As in many African Countries dance is an important part of ceremonies and occasions in our country. Each community has its own special dances for various occasions like weddings, welcoming new borns etc. For example in the Eastern region a dance referred to as Tamenhaibuga which promotes love and friendship is performed among the Basoga literally means ‘good friends drink together and don’t fight in case they break the gourd holding the drink. The most widely recognized dance here is the Kiganda which requires great skill in keeping the upper torso controlled as one rotates from the waist down. References Hutchinson, P., Habte, D., & Mulusa, M. (1999). Health care in Uganda: Selected issues. Washington, DC: World bank. Jelmert, J. J. (1981). Uganda, A modern history. New York, St. Martins Press. Leggett, I. (2001). Uganda. Kampala, Uganda: Fountain Publishers. Mutibwa, P. M. (1992). Uganda since independence: A story of unfulfilled hopes. Trenton, N.J: Africa World Press. Mwakikagile, G. (2009). Uganda: The land and its people. Dar es Salaam, Tanzania: New Africa Press. Tripp, A. M. (2000). Women & politics in Uganda. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press. Read More