Frederic Bastiat in his all time classic “The Law” categorically states that “the law is perverted” and guilty of committing crimes it’s supposed to punish. Its values have been altered and it no longer confines itself to its proper functions. Its motives have been destroyed, placing power into the hands of a few unscrupulous individuals out to better themselves at the expense of the vast majority. In Uganda, this is official and stark clear. The national cake belongs to the patriots and freedom fighters, while the rest of the population scramble for peanuts, residues or nothing at all.

The revelations unearthed by the commission of inquiry into the gross mismanagement of the global fund by members of the Project Implementation Unit (PMU) under the Ministry of Health, a grant meant to fight Aids, tuberculosis and malaria in the country, is a clear indication that corruption is still the most serious singular curse on African soil. This annoying practice has left a minority rich with fat bank accounts, while over 6 million Ugandans die of Aids and are buried in extreme poverty and destitution each year.

The progress of the probe elicits various emotions as the disgraceful members of PMU and the three smartly dressed Ministers of Health with utmost arrogance, supercilious attitudes and zero remorse give sickening excuses and incontrovertible evidences of abuse of office funds.They defend their positions in total disregard of cries for them to apologize, abjure and resign. In his full “Ministerial boots, belt and Jacket, the “honorable” Minister of Health, Jim Muhwezi even challenged the lead judge and chairman of the commission Justice Ogola, asking him where he was when patriots were called upon to show up 20 years ago.

The whooping $20 million fund which should be correctly labeled “Gift fund” or “Global Fraud” has no wonder set blood veins on high gear to have a field day.  It is unimaginable that a hefty sum of cash, well able to construct a clinic in one of the many internally displaced people’s camps, is spent on treating a single big shot outside the country from a disease which can be cured within the country using simple drugs; all in repayment for not hiding in a tree branch when real men were called to action. Patriotism has been equaled to favoritism. Scumbags, armed with this archaic thinking fiddled with the global fund cash, with unrealistic expenses and giving inexcusably lame accountabilities.

The entire country is stale with greed as politicians out for self aggrandizement deliberately use their positions and unquestionable powers to reap the country’s resources, tearing it down piece by piece. Public servants behave like juke-boxes. Tender boards, customs, exports and imports departments, and the police, all reek with bribery, resource diversion, blackmail, intimidation, protection of culprits, favoritism, use of public utilities for personal gain, political interference in public office operations and presentation of false documents of accountability. Uganda has become a luxurious abode for untouchable criminals who have set a clear pace for others to commit all kinds of felons in the future.

The biggest puzzle is the attitude of the population as huge sums of money disappear. Where is it as plunderers run down the country? Ugandan citizens have crawled under the rocks or simply stand and spectate in complete abasement as the “main men” who have clearly mastered the art of “legal plunder” use their “private codes” of patriotism to satiate their greed.

We have chosen egoistic, cold hearted and shameless individuals to lead us to the land of poverty and lack. They cannot be trusted even with a public needle. For example, the “honorable boss” of the Ministry of Health has been censored before due to bent accountability of public funds. But what do we do? We hug and thank him for impoverishing us by giving him votes each time he lifts a finger to ask for a third term as a member of parliament. We have even handed over the leadership of our entire capital city to a reknown fraudster overlooking the likely consequences, right below our noses.

The nation has become an accomplice to corruption as citizens silently watch and cheer with no one playing referee to reprimand and punish the criminals. The civil societies raise their voices from a distance. Is it that we do not understand the magnitude of the situation?  

What is our nation smoking? What exactly are our citizens high on? The answer is simple, “foreign Aid”. We have become lazy, vulnerable and totally addicted to it; we do not even complain when some few people chop off some huge chunks. This drug has removed every sense of humanity among African leaders who not only make excuses to get it but scramble to have a potion each time its availed.

The grant suspension in Uganda has been lifted following the signing of an aide memoir, and its management changed. However, the bitter truth here is that the walking cash cow has merely changed hands and a whole new set of big shots have been presented with an opportunity to milk to their fill. They are eagerly waiting for their turns to dip their fingers into this public bowl of cash.

Why should we borrow huge sums of money, at high interest rates, in the name of “foreign aid” only for some ill-motivated individuals to load them away in their personal bank accounts? Bastiat is clear about this, all humans are endowed with the special gifts and faculties that they can use to produce and sustain themselves through all times. These virtues precede all human legislation and transmit the fact that the human mind is superior and capital. There should be a free and fair ground for everyone to practice what they can do best, without any form of manipulation or control.

To put our people on the right track to development, prosperity and self sustainability, Africans should consider a complete rehabilitation, first by putting a halt to the idea of borrowing and doing a general clean up of the leadership. “Once bitten twice shy”, we cannot be tested, bullied and shut down as if we do not have the ability to halt these illegitimate acts. Is it that we do not understand the power of our votes? The criminals should not be left to go Scot free. Without punishment for such depraved behavior, these predators will reign on top of the food chain and gorge themselves at the expense of everyone else.

The million dollar questions henceforth are; where are the true African executives? Is anyone ready to eat a bullet to prevent parasites from vapourising our nation? Let’s save our nation. As for the plunderers, they simply do not imagine in their mind’s eye that “whatever goes around comes around”. Whoever thought the Sadam Husseins and Charles Taylors of this world come down years ago! Even the strong, high and mighty fall, only that they hit the ground harder.