Contradictoiy outcomes from solutions for the agrarian crisis in the Great Lakes Region: the case of Kigezi,Uganda

Rutanga Murindwa Dr. is Alternate Representative for Eastern Africa on the CODESRIA Executive Committee, a Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Basic Research (CBR) and its Founder Member, Chairperson of CBR’s Research Policy Committee, Member of CBR Governing Council and Chairperson of Network of Ugandan Researchers and Research Users (NURRU). He is former Head of the Department of Political Science and Public Administration, Makerere University. He studied for his BA and MA at Makerere University, did a one-year pre-PhD Research Training Programme at the Centre for Studies in Social Sciences, Kolkata (CSSSC), before pursuing a PhD program at Jadavpur University, International Relations Department, Kolkata. He is a permanent member of the Jadavpur University Alumni Association.

Rutanga Murindwa (1999) “The Agrarian Crisis and Peasant Struggles in Kigezi 1910-1995”. Kolkata: Jadavpur University. PhD Thesis. (Unpub).

Rutanga Murindwa (2009) Politics, Religion and Power in the Great Lakes Region. Dakar: CODESRIA (Forthcoming) ——— (1991) “Nyabingi Movement: People’s Anti-Colonial Struggles in Kigezi” CBR Publication, Working Paper No. 18. ——— (1996) “A Historical Analysis of the Labour Question in Kigezi District” in Uganda: Studies in Labour. Edited by Mamdani Mahmood Published by CODESRIA & CBR, Dakar, pp. 53–135.

National Resistance Movement (1986) NRM: Ten Point Programme. Kampala: NRM Publications.

Akampumuza James (2007) “The Management of Privatisation in Uganda Since 1982”. University of Land: PhD Thesis (Unpub).

See articles by Chatterjee Partha Bardhan Pranab Bhattacharya Dwaipayan Dasgupta Rajarshi Majumdar Manabi on “Local Government in Rural West Bengal” Economic and Political Weekly, February 28, 2009.

Bureau Uganda of Statistics (2007) 2002 Uganda Population and Housing Census. Kampala. ——— (2007) Nature, Distribution and Evolution of Poverty and Inequality in Uganda 1992-2002. Kampala.

Examples include the agrarian question in East Africa. The Colonial Office (1955) East Africa Royal Commission 1953 – 1955 Report” London: Her Majesty’s Stationery Office. Also see Rutanga Murindwa (1999) Op. cit. and Mamdani Mahmood (1996) Citizen and Subject. Princeton: Princeton University Press.

Spenser Lynda Gichanda “Hey KCC9, Don’t Fuck with my Zombies” Displacing the Dead from Lugogo Bye-Pass Cemetery in Kampala, Uganda. Paper Presented to CODESRIA 12th General Assembly at Yaoundé, Cameroon, December 7-11, 2008.

“Government Objectives for. the Agricultural Sector” quoted in A World Bank country Study (1993) Uganda Agriculture. Washington DC: The World Bank.

Ministry of Planning and Economic Development, “Way Forward,” August 1991.

Uganda Government, Production Zones And Targets 1992-1995. Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, Uganda, July 1992. Chap. One: “Agricultural Zones in Uganda - Uganda Potential Zones for Agricultural Development.” Kigezi was zone No. 9 to produce maize, finger millet, sorghum, bananas, field peas, sweet potatoes, kigezi potatoes, beans and ground nuts. The three districts were to produce tobacco, tea, Arabica coffee. Rukungiri was also to produce Robusta coffee and cotton, Kabale was to produce pyrethrum and vegetables while Kisoro was to produce horticultural crops.

Akampumuza James (2007), op. cit.

Bazaara P. Nyangabyaki (1997) “Agrarian Politics, Crisis And Reformism in Uganda, 1962-1996.” Ph.D. Thesis: Queens University. Also see Nabudere D. (1980) Imperialism and Revolution in Uganda. Dar es Salaam: Tanzania Publishing House.

This article is informed by the researcher’s experience in agrarian India and Lesotho, where irrigation agriculture was being carried out even in hilly and high mountainous ranges. A clear lesson from this experience was that all lands even in seemingly complicated terrains can be harnessed if the state is interested in promoting agriculture and guaranteeing food security.

This reflected exploitation based on gender and age differences.

Task Force Secretariat, “Working Paper One.”

Republic of Uganda (1977) The Land Reform Decree, 1975. Also see Rutanga Murindwa , (1999).

Mamdani Mahmood (1984) Imperialism and Fascism in Uganda. Nairobi: Heinemann.

New Vision, Daily Monitor and Red Paper Newspapers from 20th March and April, 2009. President Museveni launched this crusade at Mary Hill High School, Mbarara and Kabale National Teacher Training College. New Vision of April 16, 2009 reported that President Museveni had initiated the formation of patriotic clubs in secondary schools and these would be formed in 5,000 schools. It was reported that he was the association Patron, they would be coordinated by a Secretariat under his office and that they would receive funding from the state. The Daily Monitor and New Vision of April 21, 2009 reported that the NRM government had asked for Shs. 3.5 billion for the teaching of patriotism in schools across the country in the 2009/10 Financial Year. Shillings one billion was supposed to run a Patriotism Secretariat at the Security Ministry while the rest would finance patriotism lectures. Government had also allocated Shs. 6.86 billion for the 80 Deputy Resident District Commissioners who would guide the Patriotic clubs. While these are being opposed as being conduits for embezzling public funds, the main aim comes out through the locus of the secretariat and the funding of these clubs. Being under the President’s office, Security Ministry and Resident District Commissioners clearly shows that they are being created as active arms of the ruling NRM government This is creation of an enlightened Youth Movement for NRM’s political project.

See CODESRIA publications on education under globalisation. Also see Mamdani (2007) Scholars in the Market Place. Kampala: Fountain Publishers.

The 1995 Constitution of the Republic of Uganda. Also see the 1975 Land Reform Decree.

The National Investment Authority was one of those institutions that the state set up to facilitate the quick and smooth implementation of neo-liberal policies like liberalisation of the economy and privatisation of public enterprises. Resistance to this state-ordained expropriation has been high-pitched over Mabira Forest, Namanve Forest and Butamila Forest; Shimoni Primary Teachers College and Shimoni Demonstration School (a UPE School) and Uganda Television and Broadcasting.

Banyankore are an ethnic grouping from Ankore Region. Much of the NRM leadership including the President and most of the Military Generals hail from that ethnic grouping. The Baganda have come up strongly, arguing that the Banyankore are changing the law to steal their land.

New Vision of Sunday 27th April 2008.

This was when the Central Government attacked and destroyed Lubiri – the Palace of the Kabaka of Buganda. The Kabaka fled to Buganda. The leader of UPC abolished the kingdoms, confiscated their property and it declared republicanism over Uganda.

The Sunday Vision of April 19th, 2009, the New Vision and Daily Monitor of April 20th and 21st 2009.

See correspondences from the DAO to Minister of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries of 10 April 1997. Also see communication of Kabale LC V Chairman on bean root rots, dated November 28, 1997.

1996/97 Document by the District Agricultural Officer, Kabale.

Ibid.

1996 Kabale District Agricultural Officer Report. The Department had held 278 one-day courses and 135 demonstrations. A total of 13,900 peasanis had participated.

1996/97 Document by the Agricultural Officer, Kabale. On legislation, the District Council was making bye-laws in regard to the identified problems and solutions. The most crucial one was the bye-law for soil conservation, which was made in 1990. The Council revised it in 1996 and increased the fines for the violators.

These supportive programs included zero grazing by Heifer Project under SWRARP and international Heifer Project; Research by ICRAF on identification of agro-forestry trees, use of contact farm in seed potato production and adaptive research in SWRARP programmes.

Rutanga Murindwa (1996) Op. Cit.

1996 Kabale District Profile, Op. Cit. The ratio of extension staff to the peasants in Kabale District was 1:2292. The situation was far worse in the districts of Rukungiri and Kisoro.

These range from buying new seeds every planting season, laborious cultivation, purchasing of pumps and different chemicals for spraying, fumigation to fertilisation.

Ebibiina (PL) Ekibiina (sing.) means self-help co-operative society, or association.

Asaju Adebakin Simen (2002) “The Internal Dynamics of Peasant-Based Co-operatives and Democratisation in Nigeria” in Romdhane Mahmoud Ben Moyo Sam Eds. (2002) Peasant Organisation and the Democratisation Process in Africa. Dakar: CODESRIA.

Moyo Sam (2002) ibid.

Information from the respondents.

The Civil Appeal No. MKA 40/93: J. Senzonga and E. Twinomugisha Versus Jack Kabakyenga. Kigezi District Chief Magistrate’s Court, Kabale.

Civil Appeal 56/92: Mrs. Leonia Bahinyoza Versus Tirikwendera & Others. Kigezi District Chief Magistrate’s Court, Kabale.

Civil Suit No. MKA. 14/97: Plaintiffs: T. Besig???e and C. Twine for Lyamujungu Savings Credit Society Versus J. Ensegumire, hied on March 7, 1997. Kigezi District Chief Magistrate’s Court, Kabale.

Civil Suit No. MKA 14/96: Centenary Rural Development Bank Ltd. (Plaintiff) Versus G. Besiime (Defendant). Kigezi District Chief Magistrate’s Court, Kabale.

Kigezi District Annual Report, 1914-1915 and Western Province Annual Report 1914-1915. Also see Kigezi District Annual Reports of 1916-1917; 1920.

Report of the Department of Agriculture, Kabale, dated 15 February 1984.

Kabale District Administrator, 1993.

Civil Suit No. MKA 23/94. Kigezi District Chief Magistrate’s Court, Kabale.

Civil Suit No. MKA 24/94. Kigezi District Chief Magistrate’s Court, Kabale.

Civil Suit No. MKA 32/94. Kigezi District Chief Magistrate’s Court, Kabale.

Mamdani M. (1992) in Bernestein Henry et al (eds.) (1992) Rural Livelihood: Crises and Responses. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Foucault Michel (1991) on Governmentality in Graham Burchell et al (Eds) (1991) The Foucault Effect: Studies in Governmentality. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Engels F. (1970) ”The Agrarian Question in France and Germany.” Selected Works of Marx and Engels, Vol. 3. Moscow: Progress Publishers. Also see Lenin V.I. (1956) on the development of capitalism in Russia.

See the recent reports of Transparency International Global Corruption Reports; and Reports by Commissions of Inquiry into Different Government Departments, and the Ssebutinde Commission Reports. Okello Martin (2007) “Fighting Corruption in Public Institutions: An Assessment of the Performance of Uganda’s Inspector General of Government, 1995 – 2005” Makerere University: MAPAM Dissertation (Unpub.) Ismail Ranny (2007) “The Role of African Parliamentary Network Against Corruption (APNAC) in Uganda 1994 – 2004”. Makerere University: MAIRDS Dissertation, (Unpub.) Also refer to the New Vision, the Daily Monitor and the Red Paper Newspapers.