Browsing by Author "Ssentongo, Jimmy Spire"

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‘The District Belongs to the Sons of the Soil’: Decentralisation and The Entrenchment of Ethnic Exclusion in Uganda
(An Afro-Asian Dialogue, 2016) Ssentongo, Jimmy Spire
Abstract: La décentralisation a été idéalisée comme l'un des mécanismes de gouvernanc eessentiels pour rapprocher les citoyens des services. En Afrique, celle de l'Ouganda a été considérée comme l'un des modèles permettant d'atteindre les idéaux de la décentralisation. Il y a été généralement admis que la décentralisation des pouvoirs décisionnels et la gestion des ressources par les petites unites améliorerait la prestation des services. Cependant, le potentiel de la decentralisation s'est avéré conditionné par le contexte, en particulier ses ramifications politiques. Parmi les particularités malheureuses de la décentralisation en Ouganda, on peut citer, comme l'a fait l'administration coloniale, que les districts (unites décentralisées) sont principalement issus de groups ethniques, ancrant ainsi la politique d'identité ethnique et les tendances conflictuelles d'exclusion. Une source potentielle de conflits reside dans la concentration du pouvoir sur les ressources au niveau du district, qui rend les positions politiques du district très attractives, ce qui augmente la concurrence. En accentuant la concurrence pour les ressources, la decentralisation paradoxalement déclenche l'obsession de l'appartenance, créant une dichotomie conflictuelle entre ceux qui appartiennent et ceux qui appartiennent moins. Ce document illustre cette trajectoire en utilisant le cas d'un district ougandais connu sous le nom de Kibaale qui a connu des tensions ethniques depuis sa création en 1991. La création du district pour traiter les «injustices historiques» est venu avec une psyché de propriété de la part des «autochtones», mettant ainsi en mouvement des revendications politiques basées sur l'autochtonie. Les dynamiques émergentes reconstituent la citoyenneté en créant des classes de «vrais citoyens» et d '«étrangers», détruisant ainsi la logique de la décentralisation. Le document plaide ainsi pour un cadre décentralisé qui, tout en étant sensible aux questions contextuelles, transcende les clivages ethniques pour des structures de gouvernance plus inclusives.
Gender Equality in the Staff Composition of Higher Learning Institutions in Uganda: Gaps and Possibilities with Specific Reference to Uganda Martyrs University
(Journal of Science & Sustainable Development, 2010) Ssentongo, Jimmy Spire
This paper analyses gender equality in the composition of Uganda Martyrs University (UMU) staff—as of the close of 2008. The analysis focuses on the University’s policy and its implications for gender equality; the composition of the University’s staff by gender; and explanation of the possible reasons underlying the gender setting in the University. The paper employs Turner (1986)’s typology of equality in analysing equality. This is backed by social interactions approaches, which serve as the theoretical framework. Data were collected through informal interviews with staff of the University; observation; and analysis of the UMU Personnel Handbook 2008/2009 and the UMU Staff List as of 2008. The findings were that contrary to stereotypical exemptions of women from high positions in society, women occupy key positions in the University’s structure. Notwithstanding, representation of women in top management is far less than that of men and the composition of some job categories in the University’s establishment is indicative of the gender stereotyping typical of the Ugandan society. Like many institutions of higher education in Uganda, the University has no gender policy but mainly runs on an equal opportunities policy. Recommendations towards the resolution of these gaps are made.
Higher education for African challenges of the 21st century :
(Uganda Martyrs University Press, 2018-11) Ssentongo, Jimmy Spire; Byaruhanga, Aloysius
Living with Ethnic Difference in Uganda: Reflections on Realities and Knowledge Gaps with Specific Reference to Kibaale District
(Cultural Foundation of Uganda, 2014-01) Ssentongo, Jimmy Spire
Contemporary Uganda is embroiled in a number of inter-ethnic challenges at varying degrees of intensity and complexity. Kibaale presents a curious case that is grounded in a complex history of pre-colonial inter-ethnic rivalry; colonial ethnic manipulation; a colonial legacy of strained ethnic relations; and contemporary trends of massive immigration into the area with attendant immigrant-phobia catalysed by memories of foreign domination and humiliation. In 2002, the ethnic tension in the area peaked with the outright rejection by the Banyoro of an ‘outsider’ (immigrant) who had been elected to the post of District chairman. While the Banyoro feel threatened by the rising number and influence (political and economic) of immigrants in their area, the immigrants are also insecure about their future in the area without a political power base. Moreover, it is their constitutional right to stand for political office as legitimate residents of the district. The above situation raises nagging questions about the possibility of pluralism in the area. Within the painful memories (history) of the Banyoro in relation to domination by the ethnic other (Baganda), do possibilities remain for living in ethnic difference even when the ‘new other’ becomes politically or/and economically influential? It raises a query on how the different ethnic groups in the area feel and what they make out of the situation. This query is further raised by the observation that the people of Kibaale have harmoniously co-existed at some points of their history (1960s – 2000) when they went to the same schools, churches, markets and even intermarried (Schelnberger 2005). This paper particularly focuses on explaining the realities of living with ethnic differences that the Kibaale case presents and the questions raised by those realities. The questions specifically concern the possibilities of pluralism in Kibaale and the conclusive suggestion is that these are best answered through a study that focuses on the perceptions of the people themselves. This suggestion is grounded on the researcher’s constructivist theoretical outlook by which social reality is viewed as constructed by the people through whose agency meaning and relations are formed
Mainstreaming Education for Sustainable Development in Uganda Martyrs University: A critical analysis of the strategy
(Rhodes University Environmental Learning Research Centre, 2015) Ssentongo, Jimmy Spire; Byaruhanga, Aloysius
It has been observed by several scholars, commentators, and sustainability-related bodies that one of the most important ways of realising sustainable development is by integrating it in both what is taught and how it is taught (pedagogy). This is because education is very important in shaping people’s attitudes and informing their choices. The approach of mainstreaming Education for Sustainable Development in our education systems should rise above the traditional boundaries that build walls, which tend to limit communication between different disciplines and faculties/ schools. Yet, for this to be realised, managers of education institutions and teachers ought to be coopted into the sustainability ideals. This chapter explains the steps that have been taken by Uganda Martyrs University towards mainstreaming Education for Sustainable Development in the university’s ‘way of doing things’. It also explains the challenges met, some of the achievements realised so far, and what still needs to be done
Religious (de)politicisation in Uganda’s 2016 elections
(Taylor & Francis Group, 2017) Ssentongo, Jimmy Spire
Religion has influenced Ugandan politics ever since colonial times. While the interrelations of religion and politics have altered since the coming to power of president Museveni’s National Resistance Movement (NRM), religion continues to influence Ugandan public culture and formal politics in important ways. Building on ethnographic fieldwork in Kampala and Acholi, as well as analysis of media reporting and discussions in social media, this article focuses on the role of religious leaders during Uganda’s 2016 parliamentary and presidential elections. We argue that the striking differences between Ugandan clerics’ teaching on politics relate in part to genuine differences in religious beliefs, but also to patronage, intimidation, and ethnicity, and to the strategic calculations religious leaders make about how best to affect change in a constricted political environment. In discussion with previous research on religion and politics in Africa, and utilizing analytical concepts from the study of publics, the article proposes a model of religious (de)politicisation, whereby both the politicising and depoliticising effects of religion are acknowledged. To do so, the analysis distinguishes between NGOised and enchanted planes of religion, and shows that on both planes, religion contributed simultaneously to enhancing and diminishing the space for public debate in election-time Uganda. While many religious leaders actively or silently supported the incumbent regime, religious leaders also took vocal public stands, fostered political action, and catered for vernacular imaginaries of political critique, by so doing expanding the space of public debate. However, by performing public debate that remained vague on crucial issues, and by promoting a religious narrative of peace, religious leaders participated in the enactment of a façade of political debate, in so doing legitimising the autocratic facets of Museveni’s hybrid regime. Acknowledging religion as an important constituent of public culture contributes to more nuanced understandings of election dynamics in Eastern Africa.
Rethinking Anti-Corruption Strategies in Uganda: An Ethical Reflection
(University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2020-07-01) Okok, Samuel; Ssentongo, Jimmy Spire
Corruption continues to be one of the key challenges to the governance and development of many African countries. In Uganda, despite the existence of various anti-corruption strategies, several scandals can be cited in recent times involving the loss of colossal sums of money in embezzlement, bribery, influence peddling and other underhand manoeuvres. Several explanations for its persistence have been propounded in existing literature, helping us to understand the multifaceted phenomenon at various levels. However, many still fail to get to the core – especially due to largely focusing on secondary factors without delving into analysis of the dynamics of moral development that inform the shaping of human character and that, therefore, should be the focus of anti-corruption strategies. The above observations raise questions such as: What do the rampant corruption scandals reflect about the wider value systems and moral set-up in Ugandan society? Are State institutions mandated to fight corruption founded on appropriate theoretical perspectives and principles to guide their operations? In answering these questions, the main purpose of this paper is to present an ethical critique of the anti-corruption strategies used in Uganda and to suggest an alternative approach mainly grounded on a virtue-ethics-theoretical stance.
‘Which journal is that?’ Politics of academic promotion in Uganda and the predicament of African publication outlets
(Routledge Taylor and Francis, 2020-09) Ssentongo, Jimmy Spire
Research and publication are some of the practices that define university work and therefore are part and parcel of the key considerations for promoting university-based academics. Whereas this promotion standard is widely appreciated in view of the importance of knowledge production, it raises several questions about the subtexts of its practice and their implications for publication in Africa. Through an empirical qualitative study of two Ugandan universities, this paper examines how promotion policies shape publication outlet choices and Africa-based publication initiatives. I show that promotion processes in Ugandan universities are driven by complex quality checks that are sometimes characterized by rationalized malice against individual academics in settling personal scores and biases against publications from African outlets. With the partial aid of theories of (post)coloniality and Southern theory, I explain the root of Afro-pessimistic biases in promotion criteria and argue that both the genuine quality checks and other neo-colonial biases incentivise publishing in the West and lead scholars to avoid African options. This exacerbates the already challenging circumstances of African publishers, limits local access to marketplaces of knowledge, and shrinks space for epistemic pluralism
Youth, Social Heritage, Political Manipulation and Pluralism in Kibaale District, Uganda
(Uganda Martyrs University, 2013) Ssentongo, Jimmy Spire
Considerable research has been done about ethnic conflict in Kibaale. However, in spite their active role in the conflict, the youth as a category hardly feature in the studies so far done. Such omission leaves a knowledge gap that would cripple any analysis on the possibilities of co-existence in the area. This paper tries to explore the ethnic intricacy that the youth of Kibaale District are faced with and to discuss some of their views on the causes of the existing tension and possibilities for pluralism. The study is based on a single-site casein order to allow for in-depth analysis, basing on the researched people’s own accounts, and it is qualitative in approach. Data was collected on youths both in and out of school through triangulating one-to-one interviews, observation and focus group discussions. In the youth’s perception of the causes of ethnic tension in the area, political manipulation featured as one of the key factors, thus explaining why tension often escalates around election time. Other causes include memories of oppression, exploitation and marginalisation of the Banyoro by the British and the Baganda. Some elders use these painful memories to mobilise the youths‘to claim their time’ and not allow history to re-occur. The non-Banyoro, on the other hand, fear that they could be evicted from Kibaale, yet it is their new home. In this mazelike situation, the youths’ agency is seen in claiming their space in dealing with issues that concern them.