During the recent presidential and parliamentary campaigns, all contesting candidates had manifestos. The word manifesto originated from Latin manifestum meaning clear or obvious to the eye. Today manifestos are generally understood as public declarations of principles and intentions, often political in nature. These principles and intentions can originate from individual political candidates in a non-party political system or from a group of members within a political party. As such, manifestos clearly indicate priority areas which must be tackled by the political candidate. Most of these areas include health, roads, education, agriculture, security and good governance free of corruption. There is a tendency by some people to think that individual politicians can fulfill whatever they promise in their manifestos without a collective effort.
One former US president John F. Kennedy once said “My fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country”. If this remark was to be made at every political rally, supporters of a political candidate would know that before they ask their candidate to produce a manifesto, they must first have theirs. A collection of individual manifestos make a community manifesto. Community intentions, desires and needs have an impact on the national development.
Quite often, some politicians seeking re-election find it difficult to convince their electorate why they did not fulfils me promises. Surprisingly, one finds that at the community and household level, there are people who did not fulfill their obligations. It is common to see some parents who do not sent their children to school yet there is free primary and secondary education for all. Even when the government establishes garbage collection centres, some people choose to throw garbage wherever they choose. When the government established health units at the parish level, some people continued with their old ways of visiting witch doctors for simple illnesses like cough and malaria. Politicians can design and implement very good manifestos. However, without a collective effort, and realizing that development starts at the individual level, little success can be attained.
In respect of this therefore, every responsible citizen must have an individual manifesto. Individual manifestos can make corporate organizations flourish. Communities can move forward with everyone implementing their manifestos. Objective personal manifestos can help to eliminate all the evils in society.
Individual manifestos that spell out personal or household priorities enhance accountability at that level. If households can account for their plans, activities and expenditure of family resources, then accountability at the political levels is simplified. People tend to be vigilant about issues affecting their affairs when they understand the implications of certain courses of action. If they do not have individual manifestos, they become passive. They sit on the development band-wagon without knowing the next destination.
Manifestos have financial implications as they depict sources of funds to implement the plans. At the household level, manifestos would act as a driving force towards resource mobilization. If the government has introduced NAADS or constructed a feeder road, how do families intend to make use of such initiatives? I have travelled on some Ugandan roads especially Iganga-Mbale and Tirinyi roads only to see people drying cassava and maize on these roads. Such roads can be made more meaningful than just drying cassava.
Apart from assisting households to assess themselves, manifestos provide a time frame within which to implement certain plans. In this direction, individual citizens can assess themselves after a given period of time to see if they fulfilled their promises before blaming politicians. However, as supervisors of government programmes, politicians should keep an ear to the ground in guiding communities and participating in assessing their development challenges.
Everest Turyahikayo
Human resource Consultant
Kampala
Monday, February 28, 2011
Sunday, February 27, 2011
REDUCING RETIREMENT AGE IN UGANDA CREATES HUMAN RESOURCE GAPS
Many job seekers in Uganda feel that reducing retirement age in the public service can help to create more jobs. I wish to differ from this thinking because of the fact that in some government departments, manpower has never been enough. The health sector for example, has always had fewer doctors than the required number. At the moment, the doctor-patient ratio is 1:20,000 patients. This is rather an absurd situation. Even if a doctor worked for twenty four hours, it would be impossible to handle 20,000 patients a day. Reducing the retirement age for doctors may create personnel deficiency in Uganda.
Ugandan institutions of higher learning have never had enough qualified academic staff. The title Professor in Uganda is associated with a grey haired old man or a wrinkled old woman who has excelled in research and teaching in universities. These professors are engaged in teaching instead of enabling them to research and publish. This is because involving them in purely research and administration will create manpower gaps on the academic staff line-up. Moreover, most of the professors in Uganda are nearing the current retirement age or have already reached it. This however does not mean that most of them have out-lived their effectiveness in academic performance. Professors who have joined private universities after retiring from the public service have excelled in their work. Reducing the retirement age of university academic staff to 55 years could weaken public universities.
The Ugandan judiciary is another sector that will be affected. Whereas the retirement age for judges and justices is a bit high compared to other public servants, there is a growing tendency among young lawyers to join the private practice. This is the area where there is more money. If the retirement age of state attorneys, magistrates and judicial officers in various public departments is lowered to 55 years, Uganda will have to borrow additional lawyers from other countries. Any policy on retirement age in Uganda should provide for the introduction of fixed term contracts of employment in some departments like health, education and judiciary. The contract should cover only staff who have reached the retirement age but are still capable of performing in their profession.
Everest Turyahikayo
Kampala
Ugandan institutions of higher learning have never had enough qualified academic staff. The title Professor in Uganda is associated with a grey haired old man or a wrinkled old woman who has excelled in research and teaching in universities. These professors are engaged in teaching instead of enabling them to research and publish. This is because involving them in purely research and administration will create manpower gaps on the academic staff line-up. Moreover, most of the professors in Uganda are nearing the current retirement age or have already reached it. This however does not mean that most of them have out-lived their effectiveness in academic performance. Professors who have joined private universities after retiring from the public service have excelled in their work. Reducing the retirement age of university academic staff to 55 years could weaken public universities.
The Ugandan judiciary is another sector that will be affected. Whereas the retirement age for judges and justices is a bit high compared to other public servants, there is a growing tendency among young lawyers to join the private practice. This is the area where there is more money. If the retirement age of state attorneys, magistrates and judicial officers in various public departments is lowered to 55 years, Uganda will have to borrow additional lawyers from other countries. Any policy on retirement age in Uganda should provide for the introduction of fixed term contracts of employment in some departments like health, education and judiciary. The contract should cover only staff who have reached the retirement age but are still capable of performing in their profession.
Everest Turyahikayo
Kampala
YOUTHS SHOULD DESIST FROM VIOLENCE
It is perturbing to observe that the youths in Uganda dominate groups that engage in violence. Whenever I watch news on TV and there is a violent demonstration, it is common to see youths on the front line. Pictures of people clashing with police are always flooded by the youths.
The youths, for example, dominated in the violent demonstration against the Mabira forest give away. When the Kabaka was allegedly stopped from visiting Kayunga District, I watched on TV majority of the youth clashing with police. Some of these youth did not even know why they were demonstrating. They jumped on the ‘band wagon for leisure’ without knowing that they could get injuries.
When the Kasubi Tombs caught fire, I saw the youth dominating and causing insecurity for people who had visited the scene to express their sympathy to the Buganda government. The same youth participated in the violent demonstrations against Kisseka market give away to an investor. Surprisingly, some youth did not even know where the market was located. They just rushed to participate in the clashes with the police.
I have watched news on TV of the ‘Kiboko squad’. It has always made me wonder why all the youths holding big sticks are youths. The most recent shock to me was that of terror suspects of July 11. Most of them looked youthful. And even when they were being brought before the courts of law, they were rather jovial and not remorseful. Could some of them be addicted to violence? This is an unfortunate situation that must stop.
The following strategies can help the youth to live a violent free life in Uganda.
• The ministries of Education and that of gender, Labour and Social Development should register youth in their various urban areas and train them in entrepreneurship skills. Such training should equip the youths with skills of managing small businesses, brick laying, urban farming, weaving, carpentry and pottery.
• The government should buy land and lease it to the youth in the major urban areas where they can start income generating projects.
• Youth who are already in small businesses like boda boda cyclists, wheel barrow pushers, hawkers, and market vendors should be encouraged to run and manage SACCOS. They can be encouraged to utilise micro-finance institutions available in most urban towns in Uganda. Through the ministry of finance, the youth should be equipped with knowledge of behavioural finance. This will help the youth not to extravagantly spend their hard-earned cash.
• The youth who have not attained primary and secondary education should benefit from the government programmes of Universal Primary Education and Universal Secondary Education. These programmes are offered free and can generate long term benefits to the youths. These programmes should be made compulsory so that every Ugandan attains an elementary level of education.
• Urban- rural migration should be encouraged. The youths should be encouraged to return to their villages and participate in agriculture and agribusinesses. This should be done through imposing development tax. This tax should be paid by every Ugandan of 18 years and above. Unlike the graduated tax, this should be paid by both men and women. With this, the youths will move to areas where they can engage in meaningful production.
• When these strategies are fully implemented, Ugandan youth shall be occupied most of the time. They will have not time to engage in violent demonstrations. Uganda will be peaceful, productivity will increase and there will be an accelerated national development.
Everest Turyahikayo
Human Resource Management Specialist
Kampala
The youths, for example, dominated in the violent demonstration against the Mabira forest give away. When the Kabaka was allegedly stopped from visiting Kayunga District, I watched on TV majority of the youth clashing with police. Some of these youth did not even know why they were demonstrating. They jumped on the ‘band wagon for leisure’ without knowing that they could get injuries.
When the Kasubi Tombs caught fire, I saw the youth dominating and causing insecurity for people who had visited the scene to express their sympathy to the Buganda government. The same youth participated in the violent demonstrations against Kisseka market give away to an investor. Surprisingly, some youth did not even know where the market was located. They just rushed to participate in the clashes with the police.
I have watched news on TV of the ‘Kiboko squad’. It has always made me wonder why all the youths holding big sticks are youths. The most recent shock to me was that of terror suspects of July 11. Most of them looked youthful. And even when they were being brought before the courts of law, they were rather jovial and not remorseful. Could some of them be addicted to violence? This is an unfortunate situation that must stop.
The following strategies can help the youth to live a violent free life in Uganda.
• The ministries of Education and that of gender, Labour and Social Development should register youth in their various urban areas and train them in entrepreneurship skills. Such training should equip the youths with skills of managing small businesses, brick laying, urban farming, weaving, carpentry and pottery.
• The government should buy land and lease it to the youth in the major urban areas where they can start income generating projects.
• Youth who are already in small businesses like boda boda cyclists, wheel barrow pushers, hawkers, and market vendors should be encouraged to run and manage SACCOS. They can be encouraged to utilise micro-finance institutions available in most urban towns in Uganda. Through the ministry of finance, the youth should be equipped with knowledge of behavioural finance. This will help the youth not to extravagantly spend their hard-earned cash.
• The youth who have not attained primary and secondary education should benefit from the government programmes of Universal Primary Education and Universal Secondary Education. These programmes are offered free and can generate long term benefits to the youths. These programmes should be made compulsory so that every Ugandan attains an elementary level of education.
• Urban- rural migration should be encouraged. The youths should be encouraged to return to their villages and participate in agriculture and agribusinesses. This should be done through imposing development tax. This tax should be paid by every Ugandan of 18 years and above. Unlike the graduated tax, this should be paid by both men and women. With this, the youths will move to areas where they can engage in meaningful production.
• When these strategies are fully implemented, Ugandan youth shall be occupied most of the time. They will have not time to engage in violent demonstrations. Uganda will be peaceful, productivity will increase and there will be an accelerated national development.
Everest Turyahikayo
Human Resource Management Specialist
Kampala
Identifying the right Job Candidate for Top positions in Uganda is a nightmare
Despite the increasing numbers of graduates in Uganda today, it is very difficult to identify and hire the best qualified job candidate. Move around Kampala’s corporate organizations, you will find most of the Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) coming from outside the country. What is perturbing is that Uganda has the best education system in East Africa. There are more east Africans studying and working in Uganda than Ugandans in their countries. Yet, one would expect the reverse due to the attractive training Ugandan Universities offer. What then has gone wrong? Why should foreigners be head hunted to manage Ugandan corporate organizations? What are the possible remedies to this problem?
Much as many graduates in Uganda complain of scarcity of jobs, and accuse employers for divulging in recruitment malpractices, it can be said that some jobseekers have made it difficult for the employers to select the right job candidate. Dishonesty is one of the many challenges employers face in selecting the right employees who can handle the task. It can be costly on the part of the employer for example to offer a job opportunity to an applicant on the basis of the presented good grade, only to reap losses due to incompetence arising from forgery of working experience and the degree certificate.
Sometimes the police have arrested people who forge organization’s seals, stamps and documents. It is not surprising to find some job seekers who forge appointment letters, work identity cards and recommendations. These events signify dishonesty among the labour market in Uganda, yet it is not much reported in other east African countries. This is not to say that every job seeker in Uganda is dishonest. However, it is unwise for a Christian to marry from the family of a witch doctor on the basis that a daughter of that family is not necessarily a witch, when there are other marriable girls from families that do not practice witch craft. Likewise, a job seeker from a dishonesty environment may not be infected with dishonesty but affected by it. The saying goes that a devil you know is better than an Angel you do not know. It is this thinking that correctly guides Ugandan employers in recruitment.
The level of dishonesty seems to be on increase and spreading like cancer in recruitment.
Job seekers tell lies on their CVs which include magnifying designations in their previous employment. Others claim they left the previous jobs because the contract ended, when actually they were fired due to theft, dishonesty and incompetence. Hiring dishonest employees brings devastating consequences on to the organization. Such employees will inflate accountability, they will personalize the company’s property, are likely to continuously tell lies to their bosses, can infect other honest and trustworthy employees, and every evening you will find a company’s property in their vehicle as they leave work. All these issues negatively affect the organization’s image and cause unnecessary expenditure. What then are the possible remedies to this problem?
• Employers should ensure that short-listed job applicants undergo vigorous recruitment processes including conducting background checks about candidates in their previous employment and academic institutions where they studied.
• Institutions should be encouraged to teach ethics in every profession. This should be a continuous training right from child up bringing through primary education.
• Organizations should have comprehensive performance appraisal systems and implement the appraisal findings expeditiously.
• There is need for constant managerial and financial auditing in Ugandan public organizations.
Everest Turyahikayo
Kampala
Human resource Specialist
Much as many graduates in Uganda complain of scarcity of jobs, and accuse employers for divulging in recruitment malpractices, it can be said that some jobseekers have made it difficult for the employers to select the right job candidate. Dishonesty is one of the many challenges employers face in selecting the right employees who can handle the task. It can be costly on the part of the employer for example to offer a job opportunity to an applicant on the basis of the presented good grade, only to reap losses due to incompetence arising from forgery of working experience and the degree certificate.
Sometimes the police have arrested people who forge organization’s seals, stamps and documents. It is not surprising to find some job seekers who forge appointment letters, work identity cards and recommendations. These events signify dishonesty among the labour market in Uganda, yet it is not much reported in other east African countries. This is not to say that every job seeker in Uganda is dishonest. However, it is unwise for a Christian to marry from the family of a witch doctor on the basis that a daughter of that family is not necessarily a witch, when there are other marriable girls from families that do not practice witch craft. Likewise, a job seeker from a dishonesty environment may not be infected with dishonesty but affected by it. The saying goes that a devil you know is better than an Angel you do not know. It is this thinking that correctly guides Ugandan employers in recruitment.
The level of dishonesty seems to be on increase and spreading like cancer in recruitment.
Job seekers tell lies on their CVs which include magnifying designations in their previous employment. Others claim they left the previous jobs because the contract ended, when actually they were fired due to theft, dishonesty and incompetence. Hiring dishonest employees brings devastating consequences on to the organization. Such employees will inflate accountability, they will personalize the company’s property, are likely to continuously tell lies to their bosses, can infect other honest and trustworthy employees, and every evening you will find a company’s property in their vehicle as they leave work. All these issues negatively affect the organization’s image and cause unnecessary expenditure. What then are the possible remedies to this problem?
• Employers should ensure that short-listed job applicants undergo vigorous recruitment processes including conducting background checks about candidates in their previous employment and academic institutions where they studied.
• Institutions should be encouraged to teach ethics in every profession. This should be a continuous training right from child up bringing through primary education.
• Organizations should have comprehensive performance appraisal systems and implement the appraisal findings expeditiously.
• There is need for constant managerial and financial auditing in Ugandan public organizations.
Everest Turyahikayo
Kampala
Human resource Specialist
ADVICE ON LEGALIZING ABORTION SHOULD COME WITH BALANCED TRUTH
I respond to the Articles published in the Monitor of 13 Monday, September, 2010 titled ‘Legalize abortion to save babies and mothers, says health expert’. In the article it was claimed that over 6,000 deaths every year result from unsafe abortions which mainly result from stigma. And that forty six per cent of mothers in Uganda have unplanned pregnancies and as a result many of these opt for abortion to get rid of the unwanted babies. Unfortunately, the article is silent on the lives of aborted children! Whenever an abortion occurs, life is lost! This life lost should also be a matter of concern to Ugandans.
Another article published in the New vision of Thursday 22, July 2010 titled 'Uganda yet to ratify women's automatic right to abortion' reported that if Ugandan ratified the Maputo protocol, it would be possible in Uganda to have an automatic right to abortion. The supporters of abortion front two main arguments. First that some women are raped and conceive against their will. Second, that some women die while in labour due to a complicated pregnancy. Therefore such women should abort according to pro-abortion women groups. This second argument I think should not be debatable, neither should any state labour to legislate on it. Doctors should have discretion to take an ethical decision depending on the condition of the expectant mother.
Research has proved that the effects of abortion create a grave harm on any society and everything possible should be done to avoid this vice. These include genital track infection, haemorrhage, uterine and urinary perforation, bleeding in the first three months of future pregnancy, the likelihood of the next baby dying in the first few months, the next baby being born prematurely, more miscarriages, hatred of medical personnel who help the mother to abort, harm from future children who demand from their mother to produce their sister or brother she aborted, frequent visitation of the aborted baby in the former mother's dreams, psychological torture on every anniversary day of the aborted baby, ten times more likely to commit suicide after failure to fit in the society, child abuse by the mother of future children because she fills they are getting love which she denied the aborted child, memory impairment, depression, too much love for children which could result into stealing children from hospitals, likelihood of sterility and higher failure to get a partner than if she were a single mother. Most of these effects destroy a mother whom abortion is meant to save.
Supporters of abortion must put themselves in the shoes of those to be affected. Giving the other side of abortion is important. If the number of drug addicts increases in Uganda, does the government legalize drug trafficking? If the number of rapists shoots high, does the government decriminalise rape? It defeats logic to presuppose that abortion should be legalized because many expectant mothers are aborting?
From the Christian, Islam and African point of view, human life begins when the woman's egg is fertilized by a male sperm. For example, Genesis 25:21-22 mentions children and sons in the womb. Luke, 1:41, 44 talks of the baby who leapt for joy in the mother's womb. Luke 12:42-46 reminds us that we are stewards of our children. Islam (Almaidah, 5:32) teaches that whoever saves a life has saved all mankind. And according to Surah 17:31, we are warned not to kill our children. Man is a procreator not a destroyer. Africans by nature have a strong respect and love for children. Fathers and Mothers have always waited in happiness, joy and excitement upon knowing that the wife is pregnant. Basing on all these factors, I think Uganda should go slow on legalizing abortion. Wide sensitization workshops are necessary
Everest Turyahikayo
Another article published in the New vision of Thursday 22, July 2010 titled 'Uganda yet to ratify women's automatic right to abortion' reported that if Ugandan ratified the Maputo protocol, it would be possible in Uganda to have an automatic right to abortion. The supporters of abortion front two main arguments. First that some women are raped and conceive against their will. Second, that some women die while in labour due to a complicated pregnancy. Therefore such women should abort according to pro-abortion women groups. This second argument I think should not be debatable, neither should any state labour to legislate on it. Doctors should have discretion to take an ethical decision depending on the condition of the expectant mother.
Research has proved that the effects of abortion create a grave harm on any society and everything possible should be done to avoid this vice. These include genital track infection, haemorrhage, uterine and urinary perforation, bleeding in the first three months of future pregnancy, the likelihood of the next baby dying in the first few months, the next baby being born prematurely, more miscarriages, hatred of medical personnel who help the mother to abort, harm from future children who demand from their mother to produce their sister or brother she aborted, frequent visitation of the aborted baby in the former mother's dreams, psychological torture on every anniversary day of the aborted baby, ten times more likely to commit suicide after failure to fit in the society, child abuse by the mother of future children because she fills they are getting love which she denied the aborted child, memory impairment, depression, too much love for children which could result into stealing children from hospitals, likelihood of sterility and higher failure to get a partner than if she were a single mother. Most of these effects destroy a mother whom abortion is meant to save.
Supporters of abortion must put themselves in the shoes of those to be affected. Giving the other side of abortion is important. If the number of drug addicts increases in Uganda, does the government legalize drug trafficking? If the number of rapists shoots high, does the government decriminalise rape? It defeats logic to presuppose that abortion should be legalized because many expectant mothers are aborting?
From the Christian, Islam and African point of view, human life begins when the woman's egg is fertilized by a male sperm. For example, Genesis 25:21-22 mentions children and sons in the womb. Luke, 1:41, 44 talks of the baby who leapt for joy in the mother's womb. Luke 12:42-46 reminds us that we are stewards of our children. Islam (Almaidah, 5:32) teaches that whoever saves a life has saved all mankind. And according to Surah 17:31, we are warned not to kill our children. Man is a procreator not a destroyer. Africans by nature have a strong respect and love for children. Fathers and Mothers have always waited in happiness, joy and excitement upon knowing that the wife is pregnant. Basing on all these factors, I think Uganda should go slow on legalizing abortion. Wide sensitization workshops are necessary
Everest Turyahikayo
SKILLS DEVELOPMENT CAN REDUCE FAKE GOODS
I read an article titled “Lawyers join battle against counterfeit goods” published by the new vision on 17 February, 2011. It stated that over 60% of the goods in Uganda are counterfeit and 90% of these goods are substandard. Every Ugandan who has bought one item or another agrees that almost everything is fake in the country. The most common fake items are drugs especially Coartem, electric appliances, mobile phones, cosmetics, computer accessories, plastic products like pens, toothbrushes, sanitary products, detergents, soap, shoe polish, carbonated drinks and electrical appliances. There are other fake items regulatory authorities have not paid attention to especially computer software. Recently I downloaded window 7 software only to find it was fake.
Much as attention is put on fake products, it is also a fact that many professionals deliver fake services. It is likely that a fake professional will produce a fake service or fake product. Some Ugandans have lost their lives to the collapsing buildings due to fake engineers. Fake engineers have no ability to determine whether the soil on a plot of land can support a six storied building. They cannot evaluate the impact of constructing a building in the middle of other structures. In the end, fake engineers manufacture fake construction materials which are later used by fake construction engineers. These fake construction engineers lose their lives at the construction site as their employers and clients lose billions of money. There are also fake ICT technicians who claim to possess required skills. But when you ask them to repair your compute or install for you a software, they create many faults on the computer out of ignorance.
One major challenge in fighting the problem of fake products and services on the market is the presence of fake laws. Many law makers in developing countries assume political positions through fake means especially voter bribery, intimidation and rigging. Since they use fake means to enter parliament, they become fake law makers. Because they are fake law makers, they make fake laws. These fake laws are supposed to provide a yardstick, measure or guideline to the fake manufacturers or providers of services. In the end, one finds that the laws are too fake to provide a regulatory legal frame work and an enabling environment where fake business people can operate. The vicious cycle of producing fake products and services continues.
There is also a problem of fake second hand items on the market. These are counterfeit products which were reused in other countries and resold in developing countries like Uganda. All markets selling clothes, footwear and electrical appliances have such fake goods. You buy a trouser or skirt from St. Balikudembe market, by the time you reach home it is torn and you have to visit a sewing machine on a daily basis. If research was conducted about the impact of these fake items in the country, perhaps we would get shocked at how much Ugandans are losing money and time due to these fake items.
Although the proliferation of fake products on the market can be attributed to many factors including unethical practices, inadequate skills play a big role. Countries which do not have strict policies on skills development are likely to have fake industries, fake manufacturers and fake products. Most of these countries are in Africa and Asia where education systems are theoretical. I have never seen fake products made in Germany, France or UK. These countries are superior in industrialization because skills training is highly professionalized.
Research also shows that countries which have strict examination laws do not have many cases of fake products. Countries where examination malpractices have been reported have had many incidences of fake products. This is because, students obtain good grades through cheating and employers hire them basing on glittering academic papers. In the end, organizations are filled with workers who cannot invent anything. Factories are dominated by employees who lack innovative and creative skills. These workers resort to coping genuine manufacturers. Any professional who has got a combination of good theory and practical training may find it easier to invent a new product and avoid counterfeiting.
Any attempt to fight fake products on the market should move along with skills development. Uganda should prioritize skills development. University academic programmes should be made more practice. Students should be assessed on the basis of the skills gained while at university. They should not be assessed on the basis of how best they reproduce theories in exams.
Everest Turyahikayo
International Human Resource Consultant
Kampala-Uganda
Much as attention is put on fake products, it is also a fact that many professionals deliver fake services. It is likely that a fake professional will produce a fake service or fake product. Some Ugandans have lost their lives to the collapsing buildings due to fake engineers. Fake engineers have no ability to determine whether the soil on a plot of land can support a six storied building. They cannot evaluate the impact of constructing a building in the middle of other structures. In the end, fake engineers manufacture fake construction materials which are later used by fake construction engineers. These fake construction engineers lose their lives at the construction site as their employers and clients lose billions of money. There are also fake ICT technicians who claim to possess required skills. But when you ask them to repair your compute or install for you a software, they create many faults on the computer out of ignorance.
One major challenge in fighting the problem of fake products and services on the market is the presence of fake laws. Many law makers in developing countries assume political positions through fake means especially voter bribery, intimidation and rigging. Since they use fake means to enter parliament, they become fake law makers. Because they are fake law makers, they make fake laws. These fake laws are supposed to provide a yardstick, measure or guideline to the fake manufacturers or providers of services. In the end, one finds that the laws are too fake to provide a regulatory legal frame work and an enabling environment where fake business people can operate. The vicious cycle of producing fake products and services continues.
There is also a problem of fake second hand items on the market. These are counterfeit products which were reused in other countries and resold in developing countries like Uganda. All markets selling clothes, footwear and electrical appliances have such fake goods. You buy a trouser or skirt from St. Balikudembe market, by the time you reach home it is torn and you have to visit a sewing machine on a daily basis. If research was conducted about the impact of these fake items in the country, perhaps we would get shocked at how much Ugandans are losing money and time due to these fake items.
Although the proliferation of fake products on the market can be attributed to many factors including unethical practices, inadequate skills play a big role. Countries which do not have strict policies on skills development are likely to have fake industries, fake manufacturers and fake products. Most of these countries are in Africa and Asia where education systems are theoretical. I have never seen fake products made in Germany, France or UK. These countries are superior in industrialization because skills training is highly professionalized.
Research also shows that countries which have strict examination laws do not have many cases of fake products. Countries where examination malpractices have been reported have had many incidences of fake products. This is because, students obtain good grades through cheating and employers hire them basing on glittering academic papers. In the end, organizations are filled with workers who cannot invent anything. Factories are dominated by employees who lack innovative and creative skills. These workers resort to coping genuine manufacturers. Any professional who has got a combination of good theory and practical training may find it easier to invent a new product and avoid counterfeiting.
Any attempt to fight fake products on the market should move along with skills development. Uganda should prioritize skills development. University academic programmes should be made more practice. Students should be assessed on the basis of the skills gained while at university. They should not be assessed on the basis of how best they reproduce theories in exams.
Everest Turyahikayo
International Human Resource Consultant
Kampala-Uganda
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