REQUEST FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND INVOLVEMENT
Activists For Change (A4C) is a non-partisan pressure group that uses nonviolent, peaceful action to hold the government accountable for its actions and policies; and we are writing to ask for your support during our next campaign against rising cost of living, inflation and wastage of public resources. The peaceful protests that we will engage in, with your support, will address the two most pressing issues today: the economic crisis and corruption. The economy is in crisis, with rising inflation, escalating unemployment, and soaring fuel and food prices. It is becoming harder and harder for Ugandans to feed their children and provide for their good health and education.
When we started protesting over cost of living in April 2011, the annual inflation rate was at 14.1 per cent, it is now at 28.3 per cent. The shilling has depreciated to an all-time low and is now trading at UGX 2850 to one US dollar from UGX 2170 to the US dollar last April. Yet as you know there has been no adjustment in the salaries for workers to cater for inflation. The purchasing power for middle class Ugandans and workers has diminished drastically yet the increase in cost of essential commodities like household goods, fuel, health care and education is unrelenting. In April petrol was UGX 3,400= per liter, it now goes for UGX 3,900=. Sugar was UGX 2,800/- a kilo, now it is UGX 6,000/=; charcoal was UGX 25,000/= a sack, now it is UGX 75,000/=.
Government has responded to our appeal for austerity measures with arrogant denial of the harsh economic reality. It has chosen instead to brand those who speak up as ‘terrorists.’ There have been no serious policy interventions that match the seriousness of the current economic situation. The cosmetic attempts at lowering taxes on kerosene and sugar in the budget for the current fiscal year had no impact at all on escalating prices of food and fuel.
As Ugandans struggle to keep up with the rising cost of living they learn of billions of shillings lost in shoddy government contracts every day. Taxpayer’s money is stolen and ends up in people’s bedrooms. When teachers went on strike for increased salaries, government’s response was that there is no money, but a week later Parliament was presented with a supplementary budget of 190 billion for State House and soon thereafter, billions of shillings went missing from State House vaults! Government continues to encroach on taxpayers resources through secretive deals like the sale of shares in Kinyara Sugar Works and the oil deals whose magnitude we are yet to fully grasp. We pay special tribute to those among you who have worked tirelessly to expose the rot in government. Government’s attempt to whitewash corruption and wastage through selective prosecution of public figures, is ineffective and an affront to the people of this nation.
HOW CAN YOU SUPPORT OUR CAUSE?
This month, activists from across the nation will once again be working together to focus the attention of policy makers on the harsh economic realities and on the wastage of public resources. A calendar of our events will be released shortly so that you can prepare to participate directly by not driving or riding on campaign days. We invite you to participate in the campaign as an important way of showing solidarity with an increasing number of people who walk to work every day. We appeal to everyone to speak up loudly and clearly when we resume the Walk to Work campaign this month. Your voices will strengthen advocacy for the ordinary people of Uganda and also save lives and protect the rights of activists and innocent people. .
Thank you for supporting the cause for economic justice and responsive government.
Sincerely,
Hon. Mathias Mpuuga (MP)
National Coordinator, A4C
Where are Uganda's patriots? The country is being looted, torn apart with impunity on our watch!It is heartbreaking and shameful especially that it is the same bunch of mafia gang holding 33 million citizens at ransom.Do we really have to pray to the almighty Garekyezi to grant us permission to change the situation? Did the Libyans, who have finally gotten rid of the tyrant seek permission? my guess is No! The price has to be paid. There will never be priceless liberty, freedom and democracy. The bleeding of Uganda will never stop no matter what is said and done in our Paliament, unless the mafia gang is swept away for real. The mafia has no money to raise the teacher's miserable salaries, but listen to deliberations in paliament today! Think of what we will tell our children and grand children when they ask us what we did. The opposition should come together and follow Syria's example of looking beyond Museveni and his gang, and forming an administrative arm, with the intention of replacing the gang. It will not be far fetched if I say that we will generate a lot of sympathy from international community because of what is happening in Uganda now. We should not wait in the hope that the gang will crumble sooner than later because dictators are known to live long.
ReplyDeleteThe commendable efforts by MPs will be made to bear by the participation of the voters who sent them there. Mass people actions must follow, to cause the government to grind to a halt - then we can sit down to reconstruct the future of our nation. It is progress enough that the country will soon have no internal Affairs Minister (Onek is likely to resign); No foreign affairs minister and the government side has no Whip. Any civilised government would just resign enmasse - the whole of it. Now,if any real progress is to be recorded, the next few days should see Amama out, whatever it takes.
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