OPINION: To transform, Uganda needs a benevolent dictator

All we need in Uganda right now is a leadership style of the likes of Gamel Nasser of Egypt, Sheikh Maktum of the Gulf, Lee Kwan Yu of Singapore, Mahathir Mohamed of Malaysia.  We simply need a benevolent dictator.

There should be no problem whatsoever to dictate over us but at least you not only develop but you transform the country from peasantry to modern social and economic society. That is what the benevolent dictators of the Asia, the Gulf and North Africa have been able to achieve.

 That is what Uganda needs not rhetorics, not "kugumaaza", not pragmatism, not fish mongering, not "buzanyo", not procrastination, not ping ponging, not blame gaming, not scapegoating, not escapism, not sloganeering, not lamentation.

What we need is whip and action.. period. 

Too much valuable time has been lost in all sorts political expeditions that haven't resulted in practical economic and social emancipation of all our people. 

Yes, the cattle corridor people have been able to be drastically transformed from the previously known cattle nomads to currently relatively prosperous and enviable society. They are now cattle farmers and not of cattle keepers. 

You no longer see any grass thatched huts or people walking in "lugabires". The entire community were transformed to extent that you only see beautiful tile roofed country homes lit with grid power or solar. On the roads, you see the "mpenkoni" or Range Rovers and Maybach Mercedes Benz. 

You no longer see people draped in "suukas" loitering all over the countryside.

They no longer fetch water from dug wells or water springs but all get their water from piped taps or water tanks on their homes.

That is what is called transformation. This achievement must be applauded. This transformation has taken place in the last 3 decades. It is remarkable and is irreversible.

However, this transformation has happened only to a small section of the country and of the people of Uganda. 

Similar cattle keepers in the other parts of the country continue to pursue the old ancient ways of life. No transformation has taken place to these other parts of the country!

They continue to live the nomad way of life. They continue to live in manyattas or grass thatched "busisira". They continue to move from one place to another in search for water and pasture. 

Some actually still don't see value of education in this 21st century of things, so they don't attend school. Others are still going on with their odd ways of getting married. Rustling is just on the rise so is domestic violence. Female genital mutilation is still rampant.

Worst of all, hunger and starvation continue to wreck havoc. 

Social and economic impoverishment is raging on. Hope among these communities seem to have dashed away. It is becoming common to see death of both the people and animals in these areas due to constant draught. Effects of adverse climate change are so real and glaring.

In summary, no transformation has taken  or is about to take place in these areas!

The stretch of this sad story is long and wide. It stretches from Luwero - Nakasongola - Kayunga - Namasagali - Buyende (cattle corridor), Teso, Sebei - Karamoja.

For those places and communities to be able to transform and experience the transformation that the Ankole axis has achieved, there is need for leadership benevolence coupled with dictatorship of carrot and stick.

Transformation in the rest of the country won't come out of rhetorical development programs.

 It will only come with practical measured and ambitious programs implemented with a tough and strict hand.

No body should be allowed to play with tax payers' money. No body should be considered untouchable. No amount of massaging corruption, abuse of office, impunity and patronisation will bring the desired transformation in this country.

We need a benevolent dictator. 

Ugandans have been massaged for far too long with no desired outcomes. Time to change course.

Uganda no longer needs the so called farce of multi party democracy. What we are practicising right now is simply a fallacy that takes no where except re-routing us to societal polarisation, inequitable growth, acrimony, destruction and impoverishment.

What we need is a Special Purpose Vehicle for National Transformation. 

This vehicle certainly won't and can't  be the many political parties that we have in Parliament or registered in the country. The pride shouldn't be in how many political parties that are registered or how many pressure groups that are lurking around.

We have tried all that for the last 3 decades. It has failed us. The country is more polarised on account of these political parties than we were before their introduction.

The solution is to go back to the system that worked so well for us, where meritocracy was the actual yardstick in service, where political shades didn't determine an opinion of an individual on any matter of national importance.

This is a system where no political actor felt threatened by the opinion of another. It is a system where love for the country and patriotism didn't have to be imposed by coercion or to be bought but was automatic and induced by what the wananchi experienced.

We should revert to the MOVEMENT SYSTEM of governance.