Lessons from 2016 elections

A few days after the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) declared the results for the 2016 presidential election, two parents faced a similar question from their nine-year-old children. The children wanted to know who had won the election. To the casual observer, the question seemed simple but the parents found it difficult to give a straight forward answer. On further reflection, the two parents realised that there are a couple of lessons that Ugandans ought to learn from the conduct of the 2016 elections.

Topping the list of lessons is the importance of good character. Parents often advise their children to be honest and not cheat in exams and school work; to follow the rules whether it is school rules or rules of a game, to be responsible and engage in fair play and not foul play. Unfortunately, it is alleged the election showed adults engaged in doing the opposite such as falsifying results, hobbling opponents and the like.

Another lesson is that political or if you prefer security, actions affect the economy. During the election week and afterwards, a lot of things were done in the name of national security. This included shutdown of mobile money, social network services, arrest and detention of opposition figures and heavy security deployment in main urban areas. While the efforts could have yielded the desired security dividends, they also negatively impacted on perception of Uganda both locally and internationally.

In business and economics, perceptions matter a lot and there is a fine line between strong government action and arbitrary action. It was ironical that the very week when a report was released stating that Kampala is the best city to live in East Africa is the time when local and international media were awash with the ugly news from the Uganda presidential and parliamentary election.
We are all like monkeys deriving livelihood and enjoyment from the forest called Uganda. The sensible thing is to work for the sustainability of the forest.

James Abola is the Team Leader of Akamai Global, a business and finance consulting firm. Email: james.abola@akamaiglobal.co.uk