INDEPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATIONS

Uganda ended British colonial rule on 9 October 1962. Independence meant and promised that Ugandans would govern themselves, choose their leaders, own their resources and be treated as citizens, not subjects.

Sixty-four years later, many Ugandans are still waiting for that promise. To us, independence has just been a change of guard, from white colonialists to black ones.

However the colonial administration somehow built roads, schools, Hospitals and railways which the black Colonialists have failed to do.

Instead the have killed the Health system, Health centres lack medicine, staff and beds. Mothers still die in labour, and families sell land to pay for treatment.

Roads in many districts are impassable, and farmers lose their harvest before it reaches the market. Citizens are arrested, beaten and detained for not supporting the black administration. Public money is lost to corruption while essential services go unfunded.

Our country is being run as a personal estate of one family that colonized us that now wants to rule from father to son, and then to the next generation.

A republic that has independence does not work this way.

The FDC calls on Ugandans to remember that independence belongs to the people, not to those in power. We will continue to demand free elections, accountable leadership,

working public services and an end to the abuse of citizens.

 

THE NEW MINISTRY OF EDUCATION POLICY TO CENTRALIZE TEACHER TRAINING

We have learnt that the Ministry of Education and Sports has crafted a new policy to be presented to Cabinet, seeking to centralize all teacher training in Uganda.

Government intends to create a few gazetted National Teacher Training Institutions fully controlled by the Ministry and phase out all existing institutions – 33 Primary Teachers Colleges (PTCs), 5 National Teachers Colleges (NTCs) of Kabale, Mubende, Kaliro, Unyama and Muni, and stop both public and private Universities including Makerere, Kyambogo, Muni, Gulu and Busitema from training teachers. The official reason given is to create a uniform curriculum and uniformity in training.

 

We reject this move for the reasons below

1. It will produce fewer teachers and worsen the crisis. Uganda has over 15 million learners and only about 300,000 teachers. The pupil-to-teacher ratio is already 1:58 to 1:60 in many UPE schools against the recommended 1:45. Closing dozens of colleges to remain with a few centres will drastically cut annual output. This gap will never be closed if this arrangement is fast-tracked by government.
2. It destroys decentralization and access. PTCs and NTCs were spread across regions to bring training closer to the people. Centralization means long distances, higher costs, and locking out poor but talented Ugandans.
3. It will kill institutional capacity. Kyambogo University (ITEC) is the historical pillar of teacher training. Makerere and other universities have invested billions in infrastructure for teacher education. Phasing them out is pure wastage and destruction of institutional memory.
4. On the Shift to Competence-Based Curriculum (CBC): The Ministry is using CBC as justification for centralization. We in the FDC, support CBC in principle, but it is being implemented upside-down. You cannot shift learners to CBC while teachers were trained under the old knowledge-based system and have not been retooled. CBC requires facilitators and practical mentors, not teachers from a rushed centralized programme. What is needed is retooling all tutors in CBC pedagogy, re-aligning the teacher training curriculum itself to CBC so that every trainee from Kabong to Kanungu graduates CBC-compliant, and not closing colleges.

 

We reject this centralization. We call upon government to:

1. Abandon the plan to phase out PTCs, NTCs and teacher training in Universities.
2. we call upon the ministry of education to improve the existing arrangement by designing and enforcing a uniform national curriculum that is aligned to the Competence-Based Curriculum.
3. Prioritize Continuous Professional Development (CPD) for the over 300,000 teachers already in service who are struggling with CBC to improve competence and morale.
4. Invest in quality teacher education; equip colleges with labs, ICT, practical facilities and improve tutors’ welfare and remuneration.
5. Subject this policy to wide consultation from the stakeholder s and the public participation involving UNATU, teachers, universities, colleges, parents, students and local governments.

Uniformity does not need monopoly. UNEB standardizes examinations without closing schools. The Ministry can achieve uniformity through one national curriculum and strong quality assurance.

Education is not a military barracks to be centralized by command. It needs diversity, access and innovation.

We call upon all Ugandans to reject this retrogressive policy.

 

SUCCESS TO ALL CANDIDATES SITTING EXAMS THIS YEAR

The UCE candidates will be starting their exams this week on Thursday 8th October while PLE candidates will start at the end of the month on 30th October. The UACE examinations will also start on 7th November.

To all candidates, we wish you Success and we call upon UNEB to organize credible, secure and fair exams that favors all candidates, including those with special needs.

 

BAD TAXATION IS A THREAT TO INVESTMENT AND ECONOMY.

The FDC is concerned that the bad taxation policy of the NRM government is now the biggest threat to business expansion and investment in Uganda.

Too many taxes, both direct and indirect, have driven Ugandans away from business, killed business acumen and entrepreneurial skills, and are now killing the economy itself.

This how bad Taxation is killing business

1. New Taxes on Mobile Money: Mobile money is the bank for the common person. Taxing it is taxing poverty and financial inclusion. It discourages savings and transactions.
2. New Restrictions on Rental Income: This is intended to suppress Ugandans more, who are already stressed. Those who invested their retirement savings in rentals are being punished through double taxation.
3. Draconian URA Fines: The new fines presented in Parliament and approved by the NRM majority are meant to finish Ugandans. Small traders in Kikuubo, Owino and across the country are living in fear of losing all their capital to a single fine.
4. TIN to NIN Conversion: Changing TIN to NIN means everyone will be tracked for tax, even those who do not engage in any business activity. This is intimidation, not tax administration.
5. EFRIS Without Education: We have previously raised concerns about the manner in which EFRIS was introduced and enforced. We reiterate that position. The EFRIS system is sophisticated and not known to all Ugandans. Government is enforcing it before teaching the population. You cannot punish people for a system they do not understand.
6. Double Taxation – A Return of Graduated Tax: Ugandans already pay taxes every day when they buy goods and services – soap, sugar, fuel, airtime, cooking oil. What government is doing now looks more like the return of Graduated Tax (Omusolo) that was abolished for being oppressive.

 

Where do our taxes go? Why the debt burden?

In 1986 when NRA took power, as Gen. Museveni always reminds us, government collected less than one billion shillings. Today, URA collects over 40 Trillion Shillings.

Yet Uganda keeps hitting the debt ceiling. Our national debt is now over 100 Trillion Shillings.

Most of the main projects we see in health, roads and other infrastructure are funded by donors, World Bank and loans.

Why do we keep borrowing when Ugandans keep being squeezed? Why borrow when we collect over 40 trillion? The answer is misuse, extravagance and theft of taxpayers’ money.

 

We call for a progressive Taxation System

As FDC, we believe Uganda does not need MORE taxes, but FAIR taxes.

We call for a progressive taxation system where those who earn more pay more, and those who earn less pay less. The small trader and peasant must be protected.

If taxes are fair and not many, government through URA will be able to collect enough taxes – even more than the current 40 trillion. Tax administration will not find problems in collecting from Ugandans because compliance will be voluntary. Businesses will not collapse because of too much taxation, and investment will be encouraged, not discouraged.

A fair tax system expands the tax base. An unfair tax system kills the base.

We in the FDC, we demand the following;

1. Government must scrap the new oppressive taxes on Mobile Money, rental income and the draconian URA fines.
2. Suspend mandatory EFRIS enforcement for small traders until nationwide sensitization is done and gadgets are provided free of charge.
3. Stop turning the NIN into a tax trap for every citizen.
4. Adopt a progressive, fair, and pro-people taxation system – few, fair and predictable taxes.
5. Stop the misuse and theft of our taxes and use them to provide infrastructure, roads and social services to Ugandans.

You cannot develop an economy by killing the entrepreneurs who are supposed to build it.

 

Thank You

 

One Uganda, one people!

 

 

Mulindwa Walid Lubega

DEPUTY SECRETARY FOR PUBLICITY – PUBLICATION AND DOCUMENTATION