I have come to the conclusion that Ugandans are just badly
behaved people. We just have bad manners. This can be seen if one spent a few
minutes studying Ugandan society and their behaviour. Why is it that we must
always seize every opportunity to behave badly? Look at our politicians, social
leaders, justice system, business men and other various sectors of society?
What went wrong with us that we must just act badly in every single situation?
And what’s worse we glorify this behaviour and are shocked when someone goes
out of their way to do something nice and to simply do the right thing! Do not
get me wrong, I am no saint and this is no rant. In a bid to understand human
nature, and as such further understanding about one’ self one must study and
analyze one’s society, surroundings, behaviour and the factors that lead to
every situation. I realise that “bad manners” could seem as a childish and non
classy way of describing the situation but I am at wits end. I look at what’s
happening and I just go...”those are just bad manners! Nothing more, nothing
less!”
When the policeman stops you and you both exchange that
little conversation, what I call the Bribe jazz, what is the first thing that pops into
your mind? Do you pray that he lets you off the hook? Or do you start mentally
counting the money in your wallet to see how much is enough to let you off the
hook for an offence that you may have or may haven’t committed? Corruption in
itself is a disease that has penetrated Ugandan society that it has become a
way of life. When our politicians and various people in public office misuse
Government funds, we feign surprise. But if we are honest with ourselves, we
really aren’t surprised! Those “bad manners” of using Government coffers as one’s
personal bank, those “bad manners” of using money meant to develop your country
to build yourself a luxurious house, those bad manners of putting your personal
need above the need of many, of misusing an office that you were meant to
uphold...bad manners!! And it doesn’t stop at corruption, oh no! Everyone has
been in a taxi and someone picks up their phone and blatantly lies about their
location! Or you are still at home dressing but you have convinced your friend
that’s waiting for you that you are somewhere in the crowd...complete with
asking them to raise their hands...ati you can’t see them! Time keeping...it
has reached a point where we actually refer to poor timekeeping as keeping “Ugandan
time!” Really?!? "Ugandan time?!!Bad manners I tell you!
All these are just a few examples of how terrible manners
have permeated our society. We grimace when someone sneezes in public without covering
their nose and then turn around and hand the Policeman, kitu kidogo to look the
other way?! Is there a difference in these situations?! Our moral compasses
have become so skewed that we can no longer differentiate between what is right
and wrong. We have assigned a measure to how wrong some situations are and yet
we completely overlook the fact that it is still wrong. And it is getting worse
by the day with Ugandans. I believe we need to re-examine our behaviour because
we cannot claim we are under developed as a country and yet we allow even the
small things to slide. All these small acts of bad manners build up into one
ugly creature. We should not allow ourselves to be defined by such acts. Ati
Ugandan time...we shouldn’t allow our pride as Ugandans to be damaged that way!
It starts at the grass root. Teach the little ones what is right and wrong. Don’t
act a certain way infront of them. Are you being a hypocrite by doing this, perhaps?
The line is rather blurred there. But what you are doing is weeding out the
generation of bad mannered people. What you are doing is creating a generation
of people who actually look above individual interests and make decisions based
on intelligence! Again, this is not a rant...
Just musing...!
