“Drought is good because as a Country it has woken us up,” President Museveni is reported to have said. An insightful epiphany on climate change he seems to have had. One, however, is befuddled by President Museveni’s policy direction on matters climate change.
Yes, drought conditions are revealing. One of the things that drought has revealed in the rural districts of Teso in Uganda is that the land is choking from polythene packaging bags. Now that drought is raging, there is no grass cover and so it is quite easy to see the negative effect of those polythene bags, popularly known as kavera, you know, the ones that are effectively banned in Rwanda.
Yes, at one time they were banned in Uganda too, but the ban stayed on paper. And then the investors complained and then the ban was reversed, something or rather, because the investors had invested a lot in setting up factories to make polythene and were demanding compensation from government. One’s head continues to spin, searching for the logic in this.
How in the world of logic does it make sense to expect wealth creation from land choked with kavera? How in the world of logic does it make sense for a nation to prioritise the interest of those who are destroying its environment, those investors?
In as much as destruction of wetlands damages the environment, so does kavera. And moreover there is a clear example of Rwanda of how making a Country kavera free is viable economically and environmentally.
Sadly, Uganda’s current policy in kavera seems consistent with the neo-liberal ‘modernisation’ narrative that plagues the central logic of Uganda’s policy framework. Yes, the drought is good for it is revealing.
nowaraga.com 
8 responses to “Drought is Good?”
Good job ressurreating that issue. We need to be #HakunaMchezo about the kaveera ban.
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Yes, it should be priority number one on the #HakunaMchezo list!
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chocking, not joking
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Yes, I edited afterwards
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But the institutions are not helping the matter – not really keen to fully exercise their mandates instead blaming the invisible ‘power from above’ as reason for failure to act
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kimbowarichard, yes, the institutions are not helping the matter. In fact it is the institutions making matters worse not only by failing to exercise their mandates, but also being accessory to those detrimental acts.
Case in point: With the blessing of the Ministry of Health, Sayana Press (Depo-Provera) is given to our women as a safe contraceptive – http://www.path.org/projects/sayana-press.php
But the fact of the matter is that Depo-Provera is NOT SAFE and has many serious side effects including some known to be fetal (e.g. Anaphylaxis and Anaphylactoid Reactions) per Pfizer, the drug manufacturer. – http://labeling.pfizer.com/ShowLabeling.aspx?id=522
Investors in setting up factories to make polythene demanded compensation from government, and the government gave in and turned the other way. My suggestion is for the citizens to sue the government for failing to enforce the law by not closing those polythene factories as well as suing individually those polythene factories for breaking the Law.
After all, National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) banned them. The ban covers selling, manufacture and importation. – http://www.busiweek.com/index1.php?Ctp=2&pI=3255&pLv=3&srI=75&spI=116
Unfortunately the problem with our government officials is their inability (by intention or otherwise) to fallow the law by claiming policy confusion surrounding the future of plastic bags. – http://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/news/Uganda-in-plastic-bag-ban-dilemma/2558-2683982-4oll4l/index.html
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If you want to know the true definition of drought, go to Teso. The goats and cows hardly have what to eat so what we do before take them the bush, you first give them water to drink. Our fruit trees are drying up and very soon the next generation may not what ecomai looks like.
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“And then the investors complained and then the ban was reversed, something or rather, because the investors had invested a lot in setting up factories to make polythene and were demanding compensation from government.” – Norah.
Norah, that assertion can be applied to almost every problem emanating from the so called investors and/or NGOs and yes, in collusion with some government officials.
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