ISSN 3135-1069 (Online), 0047-6293 (Print) Mawazo (sing. wazo) is a comprehensive Kiswahili word covering the following activities of the mind: meditations, reflections, thoughts, opinions, and ideas. Mawazo is a multidisciplinary international, peer reviewed journal published in English by the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Makerere University. It is a scholarly journal of research and opinions in the Humanities and Social Sciences. Mawazo was first published in June 1967 as a publication of the Faculties of Arts and Social Sciences, Makerere University to promote national consciousness and pan-Africanism through the promotion of basic research in the humanities and social sciences. Mawazo seeks to disseminate cutting-edge research and opinions relevant and reflective of African realities. The thorough multidisciplinary character of the journal enables it to analyse the African conditions in a more holistic manner.
Philosophical foundations of democracy: a challenge for Africa
Democracy is people’s power of self-governance. Where there is selfgovernance, the people themselves have the power to determine the kind of politicians and political institutions they desire to adopt. The question is whether this or not is the case in Africa; and if not, why? This article hypothesizes that to get the right answers to this question and to address the many challenges facing Africa’s political landscape, Africans need a better understanding of the concept of democracy and its origins. This article discusses the foundation of democracy in Greece, which is rooted in the principle of “self-rule”, while in Western philosophy, it is the principle of “lawful political competition”. Political competition is meant to bring about checks and balances, control unlimited political egoism, and create political stability. The foundations of democracy in traditional African societies were the principles of cooperation, individual merit, and consensus. Moral integrity and acting within moral principles were central to democratic practice. Since modern Africa has inherited its modern democratic principles and practice from the West, without taking into due considerations their pristine philosophical political principles, Africa faces several challenges in the areas of constitutionalism, ethics, merit of political parties, and political leadership.
Copyright (c) 2019 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0
The politics of reporting reportable diseases: a methodological review of the state-researcher clash
In December 2016 the media in Tanzania was preoccupied with questions on the presence or not of the Zika virus in Tanzania. The debate was sparked by a National Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) report which pointed out that traces of the Zika virus had been identified in Tanzania. Within a short time, the government refuted the report and asked NIMR to retract the findings, arguing that the reporting process did not follow established procedures. Two central questions demand a close review: first, why did the government demand that the report be retracted? Second, what are the procedure that should have been followed? In this methodological review of the reporting of reportable diseases, an attempt will be made to examine the raison d’etre for the tag of war between the two sides and highlight the procedures that the announce of such findings should have followed. The review concludes with a methodological note to researchers and reporting of findings in health-related studies.
Radio drama ninde for development in Burundi
This article examines how Kirundi radio drama Ninde ‘visualizes’ sensitive everyday life issues for an invisible audience through the medium of dramatic sound to prompt development. Ninde is a new style of communication borne from the interaction between tradition and modernity to communicate artistically to the Burundian community in order to lead abandonment of beliefs and practices that are considered old-fashioned, dangerous or harmful. The question this article attempts to answer is “how is Ninde framed as a radio play form?” The argument that the article advances is that radio Ninde is framed as a theatre of the mind whose main purpose is to correct people by means of satire especially its inflection – ridicule. The empirical material on which the argument is based is a sample of Ninde plays from Burundi. The analysis employs Erving Goffman’s concept of framing whose major premise is that particular frames instil a specific worldview in peoples’ minds through priming and making a piece of information more noticeable, meaningful, or memorable to audiences. The article concludes that Ninde relies on dialogue mostly: the comedic, exaggeration, metaphor and a formulaic approach, often one that simply contrasts characters of good moral standing against those of dubious repute to influence the imagination of its imagined audiences. It is an edutainment genre (entertainment content designed to educate) through which the bitter pill of verbal correction of human follies and foibles is sugared with amusement to trigger social change. To use Ninde in communication for sustainable development objectives can pass well because narratives are something into which people realise themselves. As a recommendation, radio drama projects need to be financially supported very much like other local development initiatives.
"I would be married now if I had cut it...": the lived experiences of women with no genital modifications among the Pokot on the Uganda-Kenya border
This article explores the lived experiences of women who have not undergone female genital modifications (traditionally known as “Mutat) as a symbol of marriage worthiness among the Pokot of the North-eastern part of the Uganda Kenya border. Using inductive and content analysis, the article coalesces its synthesis around the dilemma of mama Chemket, a woman in her twenties who lamented her earlier decision not to undergo female genital modifications (FGM) in one of the ethnographic group discussions (EGDs). This synthesis is reinforced by corroboratory evidence from another EGD with FGM surgeons, seven ethnographic interviews (Ethno-Ints) and hermeneutics conducted at the same border. Evidence explored associates the lived experiences of women that have not undergone “mutat” in Pokot with rare marriage prospects, great pain from lack of trust on their fidelity by spouses and ridicule and ostracism they are subjected to by their co-wives, if married. The article locates the source of these experiences on the Pokot notion of “mutat” as a symbol of marriage worthiness and it’s supporting beliefs that leave non-“mutat” women with no or rare prospects for marriage.
The Kenyan judiciary, the doctrine of 'substantiality' and the resolution of presidential election disputes
This article assesses the continuities and discontinuities that have attended electoral law reform in Kenya since the enactment of the 2010 Constitution. Using the presidential elections of 2013 and 2017 as main frames of reference, the paper examines the extent to which the vision of electoral justice established under Kenya’s transformative Constitution has been realized in law and in practice. Ultimately, it suggests that beyond the legal contestations which periodically emerge during electoral cycles, lie important socio-political struggles which have their roots in the history and structure of the post-colonial Kenyan State. It is this broader, and more fundamental, political question which must be addressed if true electoral justice is to be achieved in Kenya.
Peasantry and self-reliance in Eritrea: state management of labour and land
In the aftermath of thirty years of war for independence, the Eritrean state has pursued self-reliance strategy of development that relies on national resources, human and natural. It has disregarded international capital due to the risks it comprises. Instead it has put land and labour, the two major national resources, under full management of the state. Focusing on the current peasantry mode of production, the objective of this article is to analyse the impacts of self-reliance strategy on rural agriculture. Using qualitative data gathered between January and April 2017 through ethnographic fieldwork and interviews, the article concludes that state management of labour and land exhibits mixed outcomes. To begin with, the land policy has circumvented the development of land market; two, it has saved peasants from capitalist dispossession; three, it has eradicated the historical inequality created by the imbalanced land ownership. On the other hand, the labour policy has drained labour from agriculture; and secondly, it has increased rural-urban and international migrations. In a nutshell, the policy has introduced new non-capitalist social configurations in the rural area, and has converted the state into a major force of depeasantization of rural labour.
Copyright (c) 2017 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0
Double identity clients: reality of non-disclosure and its implications for HIV and AIDS treatment in Uganda
Uganda, ravaged by HIV and AIDS started administering Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) in public health facilities in 2004. Being a new phenomenon, several things were not known about ART in resource limited settings. This paper presents challenges and implications of inaccurate identity and addresses of ART clients to different HIV care and treatment interventions in the country. Specifically it presents a challenge of tracing ART clients in their homes when they miss their scheduled clinic appointments, especially in the early days after enrolling on ART or when they finally drop out of care. Using a longitudinal study design, most data used in this paper was collected using exit interview schedules (at baseline in October 2008) and in-depth interviews (administered twice in 2011 and 2013) with one hundred ART clients. Supplementary data used included document reviews and key informant interviews conducted in 2016. The study participants were ART clients accessing treatment from Mbarara regional referral and Iganga district hospitals. Findings show that twenty five of the one hundred clients could not traced. It turns out that these twenty clients were “double identity clients”. Existence of double identity clients is not only a recipe for disharmony between sexual partners but could also lead to sub- optimal or non- adherence if doses are missed. The study arrived at the conclusion that stigma and discrimination of HIV+ individuals still exists thirty five years into the epidemic. Double identity ART clients casts some doubt on the accuracy of national ART figures.
The contested role of civil society in the democratization of Uganda: are state and civil society organizations bedfellows?
Civil society organizations (CSOs) have played key roles in bringing about democratization in several countries in the world. Civil society organizations in Uganda largely operate around social spaces such as markets, churches, cooperative societies, common resources, and other social forms of organizations mainly because the formal economic sector is small. Civil society-state engagement in Uganda in the area of democratization is characterized by complacency and cohabitation. Like in many parts of Africa, authoritarian tendencies of the state have forced civil society to operate underground, further weakening this timid and feeble sector. A close examination of civil society in Uganda indicates that it has been active, championing the cause for the democratization process by engaging and monitoring state institutions. Nevertheless, CSOs-state relations remain unclear, suspicious and many times, antagonistic.
From expulsion to exclusion: revisiting race, citizenship and the ethnicity conundrum in contemporary Uganda
Post-independence Uganda history is pock-marked with the expulsion of both citizen and non-citizen minority and migrant communities. While the best known of such was the Asian expulsion of the early-1970s, large numbers of Kenyan Jaluo and Rwandese indigenous and migrant communities suffered a similar fate. Although the phenomenon of expulsion has ceased to be deployed as a tool of government policy and action since accession to power by the National Resistance Movement (NRM) government in 1986, this article argues that various forms of exclusionary practice have been subtly deployed as a means to achieve similar objectives, that is, the marginalization and discriminatory treatment of communities who allegedly have no claim to indigeneity. Such exclusion is manifest in the very manner in which a citizen of Uganda was defined in the 1995 Constitution and its relevant schedules as well as in recent developments around the recognition of dual citizenship, the treatment of long-term refugees, and the law and practice on national identity cards.
A Chronicle of Language Policies in Uganda and the Status of Kiswahili
Uganda’s history regarding the search for a national language has been characterised with by different language policies across different historical periods. These include both macro and micro policies that have had an impact on the promotion and development of Kiswahili in Uganda. Mainly, in the pre- colonial period, there was an unwritten policy in Buganda which gave Luganda, Kiswahili, and Arabic official language status, but following the declaration of Uganda as a British protectorate in 1894, the language policy changed from Kiswahili, Luganda, and Arabic to English as the official language. This examination of historical evolution of language policies demonstrate the bottlenecks that Kiswahili language has encountered in its promotion and development in Uganda. This is mainly attributed to colonial language policies that have influenced policy decisions across the different periods of time in Uganda’s history. This article, therefore, examines a historical narrative on different language policies that have been proposed in Uganda across the different historical periods, namely, the pre-colonial period (1844-1894); the colonial period (1894-1962); and the post-colonial period (1962-2005). These periods represent historical milestones during which different language policies were proposed about Kiswahili. The article critically examines those different policies and how they affected the Kiswahili Language, and it seeks to demonstrate that language policy in Uganda needs re-thinking.
Copyright (c) 2020 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0
The Anglo-American Newspapers’ Reportage of the 1976 Entebbe Hostage-taking and Israel Raid
Several high-profile hijackings occurred in the 1970s and were covered by the media. One such hijacking was of the French Airbus A300 Flight 139 by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) on 27 June 1976. In this article, I examined the causes of the nature of newspaper reportage of the June/July 1976 hijacking and hostage-taking involving an African state under President Idi Amin whose actions in the affair drew international attention to Uganda. Drawing on archival data, the paper article analyses the four newspapers’ portrayal of the Entebbe hostage-taking from 28 June to 3 July 1976 and the subsequent Israel Raid on 4 July 1976. The newspapers’ focused on are, the New York Times, The Guardian, The Times (London) and the Christian Science Monitor. In this article, I argue that the four newspapers’ reportage ranging from hostage-taking to the rescue depended on the political and social contexts under which they operated at the time, namely, the Cold War politics of the time. The newspapers focused covered more about on the rescue and its aftermath than the events leading to the hijacking and hostage-taking which obscured a clear understanding of the deeper causes of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict that used Idi Amin and Uganda as a pawn.
Beyond Diagnosis: Framing Family Planning in Uganda’s Print Media
Family planning promotion through the press is a popular development strategy in Africa. However, few studies have examined how print media content on family planning is framed. Premised on the framing theory, this article examines how two newspapers, namely The New Vision and the Monitor in Uganda frame news on family planning. A summative content analysis was conducted on 45 articles using pre-determined diagnostic frames that define a problem, prognostic frames that offer a solution and motivational frames that call for action. The findings reveal that most news adopted the diagnostic frame yet more motivational and prognostic news framing could stimulate the demand for family planning services.
Catholicism in Buganda: Exploring the Early History of the Indigenization of the Mission, 1879-1913
The ordination of the first two Baganda priests: Bazilio Lumu and Victoro Womeraka Mukasa at Villa Maria (Buddu County) on June 29, 1913 has been hailed in much of Uganda’s Christian historiography as the ‘beginning’ of the indigenization of the Catholic mission in Buganda and Uganda as a whole. In this article, I use a historical and descriptive approach and draw on archival sources, field interviews to argue that the indigenization of the Catholic mission in Buganda began almost as soon as the first Catholic missionaries arrived in the country in 1879. I further argue that the early indigenization achievements of the Catholic mission in Buganda were occasioned by the vision, attitude, and evangelization methods of Charles Cardinal Lavigarie and members of his White Fathers’ Congregation, the zeal of the first Baganda Catholic converts who were ready to evangelize their kinsmen and the religio-political events that unfolded in Buganda between 1884-92. The article illustrates the earliest intersection of Kiganda culture and Roman Catholicism, and how this shaped the unicity of the mission that emerged in Buganda in the first three decades of the Catholic missionary presence.
Men, Marriage and Women’s Land Rights: Reflections on Customary Land Tenure Relations in Rural Uganda
In broad activist and policy formulations, customary land tenure is cast as severely inimical to women’s land rights. This article makes a case for closer interrogation of the reality of customary land tenure as an overly fluid nature in Uganda’s land governance. This article seeks to contribute to the debate on the gendered complexities of land rights in the realm of customary land tenure and its multi-layered dynamics especially in the context of marriage. The article’s core argument is that the reality of the fluidity Uganda’s gendered land access and ownership rights, labelled as a customary tenure, requires careful interrogation. Ultimately, there is need to avoid orthodox perspectives that might end up masking the multiple layers of agency available to women and men in specific contexts.
Who is a Homosexual? Rhetoric and the Construction of Ugandan Gay in Selected Ugandan Op-Eds
Leading scholars of media and public discourses such as Nancy Frazer (1992) and Michael Warner (2002) have variously argued that the media cannot be neutral when the issue under debate is an explosive subject such as sexuality, race, or gender. Deploying textual analysis, I apply Frazer’s and Warner’s point that the media advances particular points of view to a collection of op-eds that discuss homosexuality in one Ugandan newspaper and one news magazine – Daily Monitor and The Independent – to uncover the image of this subject that emerged from these texts between December 2013 and June 2014. My textual analysis concludes that while most of the op-eds allegorised homosexuality in order to comment on ‘larger and more important’ issues affecting the Ugandan polity, some texts depicted homosexuals as either pariahs or perverts.
Mythologizing Mwalimu Nyerere and the Kagera War in Banyakyusa Narratives
Mwalimu Juilius Kambarage Nyerere is widely regarded as the advocate of peace and stability in Tanzania and beyond. However, the critics of his legacy claim that the Kagera War between Tanzania and Uganda of 1978-1979 represents a contradiction with Nyerere’s commitment to peace and harmony. As Commander in Chief, Nyerere led Tanzanians and (some) Ugandans to fight the war against Idi Amin Dada. A lot that has been written about Nyerere’s motives for waging the war in the official narratives about the war. However, little is known about the perception of local Tanzanians on the nature of the war and Nyerere’s actual role in it. This article, uses a Banyakyusa poetic narrative “Ubwite bwa Kagera” (The War of Kagera) to examine Banyakyusa process of mythmaking about Nyerere’s perceived involvement in the Kagera War. The article argues that the Banyakyusa narratives present Nyerere as a superman, a demi-god who had mystical abilities, which enabled him to defeat Idi Amin decisively, but also as one who desired a peaceful settlement of the conflict. For the Banyakyusa, it was Idi Amin’s murderous disposition that made Nyerere declare the Kagera War to protect the innocent people of both Tanzania and Uganda.
Reading Two Ugandan Sketch Comedies as Social Critiques1
YouTube, Facebook, and WhatsApp – among other social media platforms – circulate many sketch comedies by Ugandan artists, such as Siraje Sebbanja (stage name: Muzei Kalali), Allan Mujuni (stage name: Amooti Omubalanguzi), Dickson Zzizinga and Anne Kansiime, to mention but a few. This article investigates the manner in which two of these comedies – “Embaga ya Mayor” and “Kwanjula kw’Omuyaaye Ganja” – offer social critiques on pertinent issues in the Ugandan society. Through a close reading of the comedies, while cross-referencing them to other Ugandan oral and written literary texts, and interviews with selected people, I tease out what I consider the major critiques of some aspects of Ugandan society. In the two works I focus on, as well as the major dramatic techniques the directors of the works use to carry their message across to the intended audiences, I discuss each comedy’s major theme and the techniques used to develop it. It is my hope that this article will draw attention to Ugandan sketch comedies as material worthy of scholarly investigation.
Kiswahili in Contact and Conflict: The Case of Namanga Border Town in East Africa1
Language conflict is commonly studied and understood as an outcome of contact between speakers of different languages. In this article, we explore language conflict in the conversations of speakers of a sole language – Kiswahili. We argue that language conflict can as well occur among speakers of the same language. Using sociolinguistic data collected ethnographically among ordinary speakers of Kiswahili at the Namanga border town in East Africa, we show that these conflicts arise as a result of issues such as (i) citizen mobility, (ii) existence of several varieties and labels, (iii) varying attitudes of people towards different varieties, and (iv) demonstrating linguistic power. Consequently, we demonstrate that contrary to the assumptions of many scholars of Kiswahili and others, the Namanga border town bares a perfect example of a space in East Africa where meaningful and informative studies relating to different sociolinguistic aspects of Kiswahili, such as contact and conflict can be undertaken.
Shifting Identity: A Historical Evolution of the Nubi Indigenous Ethnic Community in Uganda
The article examines how the Nubi who arrived in Uganda in the 1890s as a British colonial regiment of hired Sudanese soldiers, evolved into an indigenous community of Uganda by 1995. The article attempts to answer a key question: What caused the ever-changing Nubi identity during different historical situations in Uganda? Using oral narratives and information from different archival documents, the article argues that by the time the Nubi were recognized as one of Uganda’s indigenous communities, various factors under different historical contexts, accounted for their ever-changing identity.
Ethnicised Politics and the Changing Lwo Identity in Eastern Africa: A Case of the Acholi of Uganda
There is an astonishing difference between the image of the Acholi as portrayed by the early European visitors to eastern Africa and that offered by Uganda’s post-colonial politicians. Modern scholarship on the Acholi has generated prejudices, stereotypes and occasionally, damaging ethnic categorisations and labelling. Similar scenarios have been reported about other Lwo peoples in South Sudan, Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Kenya. This research analyses the ways in which divisive-regional and ethnicised politics have affected the image of the Acholi of Uganda over the years. I have reviewed relevant literature, conducted archival research, and key informant interviews to investigate the ways in which divisive politics have been damaging to Acholi identity.
Leveraging the jua kari rather than the Ivory tower to situate the Sangoan Techno complex at Sango Bay
The paper evaluates the concept of public archaeology practices in relation to archaeological work undertaken in Uganda, especially at Sango Bay. The article explores the forms of engagement between academia (ivory tower) and the local community (jua kali) to establish if archaeology was done for, by, and with the communities in Uganda. Three specific objectives guided the paper, namely;) to discuss the concept of community archaeology based on work done at Sango Bay;) to historicise the Ugandan community’s participation in archaeology outside Sango Bay, and) to discuss the importance of community engagement and why the ivory tower relinquished its mandate to the jua kali in archaeology. Using primary data from archaeological surveys, excavation, archival data, field notes, interviews, and modern plant sample collections; and secondary data from documentary reviews, it is clear that the non-professional archaeologists or the jua kali determined the agenda. The results suggest that the Ugandan jua kali participated in archaeological work as either individuals or as part of institutions, such as the Uganda Museum and the Uganda Geological Survey Department. Ugandans prior to the 2020 Sango Bay field work mainly constituted the lower cadres in the archaeological fields serving as interpreters, sieving, trowelling and cooking. University students, especially, from Makerere University formed the bulk of the ivory tower locally in Uganda’s archaeology fieldwork. In conclusion, the nonprofessional archaeologists or jua kali determined the agenda before the full involvement of the ivory tower staff.
Copyright (c) 2023 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0
Perceptions about Female-Perpetrated Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) in Uganda
Violence and coercion, including physical and verbal threats in intimate relationships, is a serious global problem. Although statistics reveal that women are the predominant victims of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV), they are by no means the only affected gender. IPV research trends indicate growth in male victimisation by their female intimate partners. Yet, despite the growth, widespread disbelief of actual occurrence of female-perpetrated IPV against men still exists. The current status quo presents a contrast between what emerging research shows as a growing problem and the way ordinary societal members perceive the issue. This paper, thus, explores prevailing perceptions about violence perpetration by women against their male intimate partners in a variety of contexts. It further examines the implications of such perceptions about male victimisation on society’s general understanding and recognition of IPV against men. Narratives on perceptions around female perpetrated IPV and male victimisation are presented and illustrated with direct quotes drawn from the interview transcripts. While men share their individual experiences of victimisation, they reveal how gendered notions, histories, structural, cultural and other social factors have negatively influenced societal perceptions about male victimisation in intimate relationships. These perceptions have consequently resulted in the under-recognition of men as legitimate IPV victims; thus, the limited provision of male-specific victim support services and resources.
Social-Cultural and Historical Milieu Surrounding Youth Empowerment in Buganda: Lessons from Community and Lay Perspectives
Youth account for more than 70% of Uganda’s population. Empowerment of this youthful population is at the forefront of the country’s agenda. Contemporary studies of empowerment in mainstream psychology focus on a Western and individualised conception of the self that is at odds with the African view of the self. African philosophy views the self as socially situated and developing in discourse with others that inhabit the same social-cultural and historical space. This worldview underpins the rationale for understanding the social-cultural situatedness of youth empowerment discourse as is argued in this paper. In an exploratory qualitative study, I elicited the views of 41 respondents from within three districts in Buganda region of Uganda concerning youth empowerment processes. I used in-depth interviews and focus group discussions. I transcribed the interviews verbatim and thematically analysed them. The results of this study revealed that problematic assumptions, attitudes, and practices which have worked against youth empowerment in Buganda are woven into language, daily discourse, and narratives but have been normalised and accepted. Such discourses need to be problematised again and targeted for change as vigorously as other barriers to youth empowerment, such as lack of education and employable skills. This calls for psychology scholars to interrogate empowerment discourse from jua kali, the “lay citizen” using theoretical frameworks that are able to appreciate, resonate with and critically assess the dynamics of the African experience.
The Criminalisation of Indigenous Social Control Systems among the Lugbara by the British Colonial Administration in Uganda
Social control systems based on established customs, traditions, practices, beliefs, and values, handed down through generations by word of mouth and practice still exist in African societies. It aims at bringing social order through healing relations, reconciliation, repairing the social fabric, protecting the peace, and preventing the recurrence of conflict. Since the introduction of modern law under colonial rule, society continues to experience a rise in crime and social injustice; a paradox which this study attempts to explain. This article attributes crime in contemporary society to the historical developments during the colonial and post-colonial periods. Colonialism introduced a modern state and law with a dual legal system that invented crime and criminalised aspects of African customs and culture. It further codified African customs into the native customary law which had the effect of disrupting social order. This work calls for rethinking aspects of modern law as a means to resolve the paradox of increased crime to emancipate the Africans from the continued existence of the errors of colonialism in the post-colonial state.
Re-defining Local Content: How VJs are Changing the Concept and Appreciation of Television Local Content in Uganda
Video Jockeys (VJs, Veejays) are popular in Uganda, and are an integral part in the advancement of television local content. However, the current definition of local content does not recognise the work of VJs, and treats them as a threat to the industry. Yet, these contribute to the country’s popular culture, through influencing consumption of audio-visual content and the meaning of local content to the audience. This paper argues that VJs have re-defined local content and that it might be a mistake to disregard them. It examines their contribution to the industry, which contribution is ignored and sometimes even fought because of the current definition of local content. Despite a general feeling in local content regulation that VJs are illegal and infringe on copyright and in many cases promote foreign content, this paper argues that formalized and properly regulated VJs can promote local content, if the concept is revisited. This paper is a result of 5 key informant interviews (KIIs) with key players in the television industry, and four focus group discussions (FGDs) with television viewers. Guided by Paul du Gay’s Circuit of Culture, I discuss how the meaning of local content is shaped by the VJ’s, and why a re-definition may lead to the achievement of local content quotas.
Quality of education in Uganda: A narrative from a common man’s view
Uganda started the implementation of Universal Primary Education (UPE) policy in 1997, purposely to allow access to all children of school-going age. However, during the implementation phase, many institutional and structural issues emerged that impacted the quality of education provided. This paper focuses on the views of a common man on the quality of education and particularly UPE in Uganda. In other words, how doses a common man who goes about his daily businesses in the markets, on the streets (informal sector) hustling to make ends meet, including payment of school dues view the quality of primary education in Uganda? Data was collected using interviews and focus group discussions (FGDs) from a total of 110 respondents spread across the five divisions of Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) area. Results indicate that the common man is fully aware that the different challenges affecting UPE have compromised its quality; and these range from inadequate funding by the government, corruption by government officials both at national and local levels but also headteachers and teachers in schools to issues of insufficient infrastructure in schools, absenteeism by both pupils and teachers and a curriculum that is not focused on local realities and needs. All these challenges in the eyes of the common man have affected the quality of UPE in Uganda. As a way forward, the paper recommends that there is a need for government to review the entire UPE policy with a view to understanding the implementation challenges in detail and seek for solutions. The curriculum too needs to be reviewed to match the community needs. Equally important, government needs to increase education budget and fully fund the education sector.
A Mythical Recreation of Nyerere and the Lake Nyasa Conflict in Banyakyusa Narratives
For decades, Tanzania and Malawi have been discordant over Lake Nyasa border. Apart from its colonial history, the conflict became stiff in the post- colonial era, especially between 1967 and 1968 when Tanzania under Nyerere officially submitted to Malawi their intention to rectify the border line from eastern shoreline of the lake to the middle. This article examines the 1967- 1968 phase of the conflict by focusing on local perceptions on Nyerere’s involvement in the conflict. The article specifically looks at Banyakyusa whose position on both sides of Tanzania-Malawi border placed them at the centre of military and political matters during the conflict. The article examines the depiction of Banyakyusa voice, beliefs, and point view embedded in their myths to recreate Nyerere’s image with reference to his involvement in the conflict. As per Banyakyusa, Banda’s desire to extend his leadership beyond Malawi was a key reason for the outbreak of Lake Nyasa border conflict. The article establishes that Banda claimed that the whole Lake Nyasa belongs to Malawi. He also claimed that Tanzanian regions along Lake Nyasa: Mbeya, Iringa, and Ruvuma are part of Malawi. Banyakyusa perceived that without Nyerere being supernatural and mystically endowed, the conflict would have led to the outbreak of armed war between the nations. With his mystical powers, Nyerere was able to know and stop all incidents which would have led to physical battle.
Efficacy of Students’ “Body Stories” on Novice Dance Students’ Training at Makerere University
Whereas both scientific and humanistic experiences are essential for effective dance teaching and learning, the lack of prior knowledge about students’ movement experience inhibits pedagogical excitement. Looking at mindfulness observation as a science to perceive, recall and develop methods for teaching and learning (about) dance, the purpose of this study was to examine the impact of students’ body stories on dance teaching and learning. I precisely shared my transition from non-formal practice to dance academia. This enthused my students to write their lifelong body stories during our dance class. A systematic reflection on these qualitative inquiries illustrated an influence for authentic dance teaching and learning at Makerere University. Twenty-three students (15 females and 8 males) participated in the study.
Adult Education at Makerere University College (1953-1962): Motivations and Provisions
Makerere University College opened in 1953, established the Department of Extra-Mural Studies following the recommendations of the 1945 Asquith Commission. The Asquith Commissioners hoped that university adult education offered through centres of extra-mural studies would serve the remote areas that were unreachable by the university colleges through offering adults opportunities for part-time study. The end of World war II and the subsequent creation of the United Nations (UN) Organisation led to pressure being mounted by the Organisation on its member states to enhance efforts to prepare colonies for self-government. Focused largely on foreign content delivered through weekend classes, public lectures, evening classes, one-day schools, and annual study vacations, extra-mural studies targeted English- speaking adults. This paper identifies some contradictions in the starting of extra-mural studies. Extra-mural studies promoted the Eurocentric lifestyle. It was disguised as preparation for self-government and yet the colonial officers became suspicious of the work of tutors as though worried that they might lead to increased nationalism. They seemed worried about the impending loss of empire and change of the status quo.
Reflections on Folktales in the 21st Century: Perspectives from Bakiga Youths
Characterised by technological advancement, urbanisation, and cultural changes, the 21st century presents a variety of documentation, both in print and digital forms. These different media forms provide different ways of entertainment, communication, and education. Consequently, traditional forms of entertainment and education, like folklore, that were popular in previous centuries, especially in the African traditional communities are seemingly less utilised; thus, given less attention. Yet, the role they play in handing down cultural values from generation to generation cannot be overlooked. This paper, therefore, presents the reflections and perspectives of the young generation among the Bakiga on how the role of folktales can be revitalised in society. The study was carried out in Rubanda and Kabale districts, in southwestern Uganda. Data was collected through documentary review as well as the use of informal and unstructured interviews with four focus group discussions composed of ordinary youths, aged 14-20 years, both male and female. These youths were interviewed to get their perspectives on folktales, their role, their translation, and how they can be preserved and/or revived in their communities in the present times. The study reveals that although changing times have negatively affected the propagation of cultural values through folklore, the youths, working with language scholars, can do some literary work to reincorporate them in education.