DVS 2105 POLITICAL ECONOMY

OF UGANDA
THE NRM 10/15 POINT
PROGRAMME
 The NRM 10 Point Programme
• Readings
(1) Museveni Y.K (1997), Sowing the Mustard Seed: The
Struggle for Freedom and Democracy in Uganda, London,
Macmillan.
• There is second edition of this book.
(2) NRM Publications
(i) Ten Point Programme, 1986
(ii) Two Years of Action, 1988
(iii) Mission to Freedom, 1990.
 Readings
(3) Kabwegyere, T.B (2000), People’s Choice,
People’s Power: Challenges and Prospects of
Democracy in Uganda, Kampala, Fountain
Publishers.
(4) Mutibwa Phares (1992), Uganda Since
Independence: A Story of Unfulfilled Hopes,
Kampala, Fountain Publishers
(5) Journal articles that assess the NRM’s
performance will be shared.
 Introduction
• Over the five years of the protracted liberation
struggle (from February 1981 to January
1986), the National Resistance Movement
(NRM), together with the High Command and
Senior Officers of the National Resistance
Army (NRA), under the chairmanship of Yoweri
Kaguta Museveni, worked out proposals for a
political programme.
 Introduction
• This formed the basis for a nationwide
coalition of political and social forces which
could usher in a better future for the long-
suffering people of Uganda. This programme is
known as the Ten-Point Programme of the
NRM.
• In 1998, the 10 point programme was
expanded to 15 point programme with an
addition of extra 5 points.
 Point No. 1-Restoration of Democracy

• Since Uganda’s independence in 1962,

Ugandans have not enjoyed “government of
the people, by the people and for the people”.
• Although the NRM believes in free and fair
elections held at regular intervals, it asserts
that democracy cannot be meaningful without
a reasonable standard of living for all people.
Point No.2-Restoration of Security
• Over the first 24 years of Uganda’s
independence, Milton Obote and Idi Amin
between them were responsible for the
deaths of over 800,000 Ugandans. The NRM
pledges to restore security of person and
property to all Ugandans.
 Point No.3-Consolidation of National Unity
and Elimination of all Forms of Sectarianism
• Politics in Uganda has been manipulated by
past politicians along sectarian religious and
tribal cleavages. The NRM asks: “What enmity
can there be between a Muganda peasant and
a Lango peasant? Or between a Christian
peasant and a Muslim peasant?”.
• These manufactured divisions have ensured
that people could not unite to confront their
common enemy-underdevelopment.
 Point No.3 Cont’d
• The NRM will not tolerate any sectarian
opportunities of any shade. The fundamental
causes of Uganda people’s suffering must be
ended.
• One’s religion, colour, sex or height is not a
consideration when new members are
welcomed into the NRM.
 Point No. 4-Defending and Consolidating
National Independence
• Although there were many external forces
which hindered real African national
independence, post-independence politicians
in most of Africa were intellectually,
ideologically and morally unequal to the task
of consolidating, even those odds.
 Point No. 4 Cont’d
• Many merely used their offices for enrichment,
thus making a mockery of the very idea of
African self-determination and political
development.
• The NRM concludes, however, that provided a
country like Uganda has a clear headed
leadership- given our considerable resources
and a dynamic people with traditions of
relative civilization,
 Point No. 4 Cont’d
it can deal profitably with countries of
divergent social and political systems.
Point No. 5-Building an Independent, Integrated
and Self-Sustaining National Economy
• The point involves the structural
reconstruction of the present asymmetrical
economy. Most African economies are
dependent on the export of one or two crops
like coffee, tea or cotton, which are not even
processed in their countries of origin.
• There are very few manufacturing industries,
and the few that do exist are heavily
dependent on foreign inputs.
 Point No. 5 Cont’d
• To compound all this, our commodities are
always losing value, while manufactured goods
we import become ever more expensive.
• For example, a pound of coffee was worth 340
US cents in 1977: in 1989, it had fallen below
90 cents.
• Also there is no linkage between the different
sectors of the economy.
 Point No. 5 Cont’d
• The following steps must, therefore, be taken to
change this situation:
(i) Diversification in agriculture away from the
present narrow cash crop base;
(ii) An extensive process of import substitution in
order to cut down on our import bill, especially
of basic consumer goods;
(iii) Processing of export raw materials so that
more value is added;
 Point No. 5 Cont’d
(iv) Building of basic industries like iron, steel and
chemicals.
• On this point, the NRM concludes: “With an
independent, integrated and self-sustaining
national economy, Uganda will never stabilize.
Much of the present turmoil is as much due to
political mismanagement as it is to a narrow
economy that cannot accommodate the
aspirations of the many groups within our society.”
Point No. 6-Restoration and Improvement of Social
Services and Rehabilitation of war ravaged areas

• Because of the backward condition of our

continent, the majority of African people live
wretched lives. They are illiterate; they have
no clean water or adequate housing; and they
have low levels of calorie and protein intake.
• In the case of Uganda, many of the required
social services are within the country’ means,
provided it has the right kind of leadership.
 Point No. 7-Elimination of corruption and
the misuse of power
• The prevalence of corruption and misuse of
public office compound the many problems
outlined so far.
• The diversion of hospital drugs of corrupt
officials, for instance, means that patients,
already living inadequate lives, will not get
cured of their ailments.
 Point No. 7 Cont’d
• In order for us effectively to tackle the
problems of our backwardness, corruption
must be eliminated once and for all.
Point No. 8-Redressing errors that have resulted in
the dislocation of some sections of the population

• Three groups in Ugandan society came to the

NRM’s attention:
(a) People displaced by land grabbers or
through erroneously conceived
“development” projects.
• Uganda has a population of only 17 million
and yet is almost the same size as the UK,
which has a population of nearly 60 million.
 Point No. 8 Cont’d
• In spite of this, there is an emerging problem
of landlessness. This is caused by misuse of
land, which has brought about food shortages
in some areas. If the land was intensively and
optimally used, it could support a much bigger
population.
(b) The long suffering Karamojong people
 Point No. 8 Cont’d
• The people of Karamoja have suffered greatly at
the hands of the various post-independence
governments.
• The provision of potable water would be a
crucial element in helping them settle down
and stop their nomadic way of life which
hinders their development.
(c) The salary earners who have become
impoverished by inflation of 1970s & 1980s.
 Point No. 8 Cont’d
• The real solution here is to broaden the
country’s production base so that the
availability of more goods will lower prices.
Point No. 9-Co-operation with other African
countries
• The balkanization of Africa has turned its
nation-states into small, unviable economic
units with small markets and a narrow
resource base; African economic unity (along
the lines of the PTA, SADC and ECOWAS) will
provide larger markets and a greater diversity
of resources.
 Point No. 9 Cont’d
• For example, with reinforced capacity, Owen
Falls Dam could supply power not only to
Kenya, but also to north-west Tanzania,
eastern Zaire, and Southern Sudan. This would
earn Uganda foreign exchange and, at the
same time, give our neighbors relatively cheap
power.
 Point No. 9 Cont’d
• A united Africa will play a more active and
effectively role in defending the human and
democratic rights of African people in general.
• Without ensuring democracy and human
dignity for all African people, the continent
cannot develop in any meaningful way.
Point No. 10-Following an economic strategy
of a Mixed Economy
• This strategy means that most economic
activity will be carried out by private
entrepreneurs, with the government taking
part in crucial sectors, while steering the
economy to the set goal of an independent,
integrated and self-sustaining national
economy (Point No. 5).
 Point No. 10 Cont’d
• These methods will avoid laissez-faire
capitalism, as well as the over nationalization
that burdens the state at micro-economic
levels. A mixed economy thus combines the
best of both worlds.
• As already noted, in 1998, the programme was
expanded to 15 points (adding 5 points to the
10 points discussed above).
 Point No.11-The financing of public infrastructure using
internal borrowing & creation of employment in the country

• The Movement has a vision to change Uganda

into a country that will enjoy reasonable basic
infrastructure in the form of schools, health
centers, clean water supplies, electric power,
tarmac roads, libraries, telephone
communications throughout the country,
preferably at a lower level of a parish.
 Point No. 11 Cont’d
• The process of building this infrastructure will
generate substantial jobs for the people,
provided that the finances have been
mobilized through internal borrowing from
the public by issuance of government bonds
for identified projects.
• This method of infrastructure development
shall not be unique to Uganda.
 Point No. 11 Cont’d
• As a matter of fact, countries like Japan, UK,
the US have built and financed both
infrastructure and even wars through the
reliable method of borrowing internally from
the public.
• The Movement, while pursuing this strategy
that aims at reducing overdependence on
external sources of financing development
projects/public infrastructure,
 Point No.11 Cont’d
will use a gradual method and shall, therefore,
consider other options such as:
(a) Continued privatization of infrastructure
provided such private entrepreneurs are
regulated to prevent exploitation of the public;
(b) Sourcing of soft loans from external sources to
fund specific infrastructure.
(c) Intensifying domestic revenue collection.
 Point No. 11 Cont’d
• The Movement, using its organs and the
leadership, shall devise ways of encouraging
individual and institutional savings in the
country, to create a basis for infrastructure
financing through the purchase of bonds as
well as stimulating investment and
development of a capital market.
 Point No. 11 Cont’d
• People shall be mobilized towards change of
attitudes to reverse the culture of
extravagance to a culture that promotes
savings.
• The Movement shall, under the strategy of
increasing employment opportunities for
Ugandans, deliberately target programmes
which promote development of skills and
capacity through vocationalization
 Point No.11 Cont’d
• and other training programmes in order for
the local population and firms to take
advantage of contracts and other employment
opportunities which will be generated by
financing of large scale infrastructure in the
country.
 Point No.12-Focused human resource
development & capacity building in the
technical and public service sector

• The Movement has already embarked on a

massive programme to eliminate illiteracy
through UPE. However, the over-riding
strategy goal is to develop the human
resource who is skilled and capable of
surviving by such vocational skills.
 Point No. 12 Cont’d
• It is important that our education system
begins to emphasize practical and technical
aspects as the best way of developing a labor
force that can compete in the labor market.
• Quite often investors resort to hiring foreign
labor force simply because the local market
does not have adequate skilled manpower.
 Point No. 12 Cont’d
• The erroneous view that the Ugandan Civil
Service was one of the best has been proven,
through the ineffectiveness of the civil service.
• The Movement shall pursue a policy of
deliberate capacity building in all technical,
professional sectors of the civil service.
• It should be noted that apart from the
strategic importance of vocational education,
 Point No. 12 Cont’d
the Movement shall also carefully plan for an
expanded post primary comprehensive
education, to ensure that as many Ugandans
access such education at an affordable cost.
Point No. 13-Preservation and development
of our culture
• As a people, it is important that we take pride
in the attainment of our ancestors. The
attainments in the form of material and
spiritual culture are a symbol of any societies’
levels of development and they give any given
people an identity.
 Point No. 13 Cont’d
• Therefore the Movement encourages the
preservation of those cultural values and
material attainments which strengthen our
own identity.
• Such attainments in music, art, drama,
literature, technology, traditional sciences,
ought to be appreciated and preserved,
 Point No. 13 Cont’d
• and should be a basis of inspiration to the
young generation to know that as Africans
they can also make a contribution to
civilization, just like our ancestors did.
 Point No. 13 Cont’d
• However, the Movement shall carefully guide
the masses to differentiate retrogressive
cultural practices from the acceptable and
non-harmful cultural practices.
• People ought to know that cultural revolutions
only take advantage of the positive aspects of
the values, customs and practices, while to
retrogressive aspects are negated.
 Point No. 13 Cont’d
• The Movement shall promote cultural revival
through recording of the cultural pieces,
availing study materials, preserving and
disseminating of the ancestral heritage of our
communities and the preservation and
popularizing vernacular languages especially in
the primary schools.
• A people who are de-culturised are a people
with no pride and identity.
 Point No. 13 Cont’d
• It is important also to preserve culture for
purposes of retaining some traditional ethics,
which are not embedded in the modern
industrial culture.
Point No. 14 Consolidation of programmes
which are responsible to gender and
marginalized groups
• The Movement’s record of emancipating the
hitherto marginalized groups is quite clear. The
NRM as a liberation movement has all along
recognized the need to emancipate all the
oppressed.
• In Uganda there has been a dramatic
empowerment of women, the youth, persons
with disabilities and the workers. Where
necessary affirmative action has been applied.
 Point No. 14 Cont’d
• This policy of defending the oppressed has
clearly shown that there is a lot of potential
which can be tapped if gender and
marginalized group-responsive programmes
are emphasized.
• The Movement is, therefore, committed to
these policies and shall ensure that the
marginalized groups have access and benefit
from the development process.
 Point No. 14 Cont’d
• The Movement shall ensure that the hitherto
oppressed groups, participate actively in the
political, social and economic activities. The
affirmative action shall be maintained in as far
as it is necessary.
• The Movement through the land law shall
pursue a policy that guarantees matrimonial
property and the right to inheritance by the
girl child.
Point No. 15-Environmental protection and
management
• The Movement has all along been sensitive
about issues of our environment, and the
importance of environmental management for
sustainable development.
• In 1986, soon after the NRM came to power, it
demonstrated its commitment to
environmental management, by establishing
for the first time a full fledged Ministry of
Environmental Protection.
 Point No. 15 Cont’d
• Since then, a series of policy guidelines have
been developed culminating in the enactment
of an Environmental law for the country. To
date there is a full fledged authority in the
names of National Environmental
Management Authority (NEMA)
• However, despite the above glaring political
commitment to the question of environment,
 Point No. 15 Cont’d
the technical and bureaucratic officials charged
with implementing the environmental law
have any little to show on the ground.
• Save for the halting on the encroachment on
the forest reserves and to an extent reducing
the destruction of the wetlands, NEMA is yet
to evolve a grand plan to halt other numerous
forms of environmental degradation,
 Point No. 15 Cont’d
which argued from continued deforestation
without systematic afforestation, soil
degradation which affects the water points-
lakes and rivers which are heavily silted, air
pollution, to name but a few.
• The Movement’s commitment to the
protection and proper management of the
environment remains unshaken,
 Point No. 15 Cont’d
and shall continue to remove such
bureaucratic bottlenecks to environmental
management through popular methods of
mass mobilization and community
programmes.
 Assessment of the NRM
• Class Discussions on the performance of the
NRM in achieving the above 10/15 Point
Programme