tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6321272880913128238.post1683667709895516419..comments2024-03-26T21:37:21.719-07:00Comments on ANDREW MWENDA'S BLOG: Need for alternative visionIndependent UGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00597910260410335839noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6321272880913128238.post-86879661063069188822013-02-06T15:07:41.319-08:002013-02-06T15:07:41.319-08:00It is very refreshing that you have attempted to q...It is very refreshing that you have attempted to question your own biases and also gone ahead to encourage fellow pundits to reevaluate theirs.<br /><br />I agree that Museveni's achievements are not something that can be swept under the carpet, because he has undoubtedly delivered palpable transformation on most crucial fronts in public life. <br /><br />But I also dare argue that, while both the polls you refer to in your article assert the existence of willful coherence within the electorate in Uganda, I strongly doubt this actually exists. I think polls, political commentators and opposition figures read too much structure into the dynamics of elections in Africa. <br /><br />Why does the Ugandan electorate only reward Museveni at every election cycle? Why does there continue to be a high "mortality rate" among NRM apologists at other elective levels apart from the presidency? If your argument were entirely valid, this support would in most instances be extrapolated at least to the people who appear to peddle the NRM ideology, or at least those who directly implement the transformation.<br /><br />In December 2012, I conducted a survey to assess the current affairs knowledge of 125 randomly selected students of Makerere University on their knowledge of the institution and the composition of the current government.<br /><br />Results indicated that 62 students (~49%) had no idea who the institution's chancellor was. An appalling 73% did not know who the minister of education was! Further, on a less obvious matter that requires a little research, only 5 students (4%) had any idea how the university's senate is constituted. You might be interested to note that 78% of the respondents had completed at least 2 semesters at the university at the time the survey was taken.<br /><br />My conclusion was that a lot of Ugandans do not really base their choice of leaders (or even the schools they take their children to) on empirical facts such as the statistics you referred to in your article. <br /><br />I'd like to think that in our societies, the reason why a certain political narrative becomes dominant over the others has little to do with willful thought and rational evaluation of the facts that pertain to the situation. You will notice, for instance, that there are random individuals (artistes, cultural leaders, trivial politicians and, indeed, media personalities) who enjoy wide-spread endearment for no apparent (let alone logical, results-based) achievement. <br /><br />Alternative explanations for the trends in elective positions must, then, be sought. Your article is a good beginning.asiimwefxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02590298688340408983noreply@blogger.com