In the recent months, tensions have risen in the East African community over the need for accountability among leaders. The “fearless, tribeless and party less” youth feel betrayed by those they sent into power due to their exorbitant expenditures coupled with increased levels of unemployment, limited access to services among others.
The cause of the tensions is a plague that is eating up our societies, eating away moral fabrics, undermining trust in institutions and leaders. It undermines democracy and the rule of law, leads to human rights violations and allows threats to human security to flourish. A great betrayal to society. According to the United Nations, every year, $1 trillion is paid in bribes while an estimated $2.6 trillion are stolen through corruption.
The people are demanding for accountability, transparency, reduction in taxes among other things. Does it however have to reach this extent?
Just like Uganda, African countries have constitutions in place. These being the supreme laws of the countries give the people the sovereignty to be exercised in accordance with the Constitutions. The question is, Do the people still have this power?
As young people, we envision societies with working processes. Societies with good governance. Good governance is mere accountability, transparency, participatory, responsive, effective and efficient, inclusive, equitable and follows the rule of the law.
Good governance is ensuring that legal frameworks, institutions, political, managerial and administrative processes respond to the rights and needs of the population.
We desire for societies where fair legal frameworks are enforced impartially with protection of human rights. Where a Judiciary is independent both in the Constitution and in practice and incorruptible. Where the law is enforced, people uphold the law not out of fear but because they have a stake in its effectiveness. Is that too much to ask?
The youth desire for transparency where decisions taken and enforcements are done in a manner that follows rules and regulations. This calls for official business being conducted in such a way that substantive and procedural information is available to, and broadly understandable by, people and groups in society, subject to reasonable limits protecting security and privacy.
The youth desire for accountability. As leaders and citizens, everyone should be held accountable to the public. Through this, we require officials and those seeking to influence to follow established rules defining accepted processes and to demonstrate that they have followed the rules.
The Youth desire just a functioning state.
AKELLO PATRICIA.