A WHOLE NEW WORLD!

 Sometimes events totally define a particular period in human history. It will be difficult to remember the year 2020 in any other way except as the year of “Lockdown” as it has been characterized by Lockdown. Sometimes one wonders what this lockdown was really all about. Of course, it was not about Covid-19 much as that was the trigger event. I would rather think about it as God's way of giving the world a commercial break and resetting the timers; a time to re-steer and change course.

Many people are leaving the lockdown only to go back to their previous way of life and to their old agendas'. I personally wonder why I would cut out some of the things and habits established during the lockdown. Currently my life is healthier and more balanced. Each one must examine their lives and see the positive things that the lockdown brought into their lives and keep it that way. It would be a mistake to default to the old life after such a divine intervention in our lives.

The way we do church has significantly changed. The way we work has as well totally changed. The way we shop to a great extent too has changed. Family habits too have changed. Of course, human beings cannot survive without physical contact. However, there is new methods of reaching out that we have grown accustomed to over these couple of months which we must incorporate well in our lives; we only need to become better at it. Church schedules have changed somewhat to accommodate more online prayer meetings; in fact, church configurations in many cases have changed as well. Generally, many social meetings as well have become easier with online provisions meaning that we can actually do more with the same time. Literally the day has grown to almost feel like we have more than 24 Hours! So we can achieve more with some of the new methods of interaction that we have learned. Physical meetings and engagements must be left strictly for those things that demands that kind of interaction.

 Most people I know have been churning out more work and more hours of productivity during lockdown due to the online engagements, yet without the stress that sometimes comes with physical engagements. Of course, some will disagree with me, but I guess it is asking too much for me to expect otherwise.

Old habits die hard. For some people, once the countries started opening up, they have tried to do things the same old way they were doing them before. I muse sometimes as I watch these episodes; people trying to find round pegs in a world that now has square holes. This really shows you the true meaning of adaptation and how evolution eventually throws the non-adaptors out and very soon makes them extinct. I have seen churches trying to do things the same old way. I see many employers struggling to "normalize" the workplace. Many businesses are trying to get their old mojo back. One thing many of these non-adaptors don't realize, there is nothing normal about the events of lockdown 2020. The kind of switch that was flipped is the kind that has no reverse gears.

My personal resolution is not to revert to stuff I was forced to leave by the lockdown. There is a lot of good habits I have built up during this period that I now wonder why previously I found it hard to adopt. The world is now a totally different place than it used to be before the lockdown. Bringing old tools into a new type of battle today only leads to eventual defeat. Covid-19 has reconfigured the world and changed the battle field; this is not going back to the way it used to be. So, you had better re-configure, re-align and accept that the Covid-19 normal in many ways is really now the new normal.

A whole new world it is. The challenge is to relearn how to live. Will you?

DO WE DESERVE THESE LEADERS REALLY?

 It is said that people will often get the leaders they deserve. Election time in Uganda is around the corner. In fact literally we have 2 months to go to the ballot! Looking at the candidates that are presenting themselves, the pot is mostly disturbing.

Watching the second U.S presidential debate between Trump and Biden one can't help thinking of when we shall get there as a nation. Something Trump said resonates with my perspective to Politics; in criticism of Biden he made reference of him as "these Politician's" considering himself an outsider. When Trump campaigned the first time I remember telling some friends that he would lead the U.S like some corporate institution and not like any common politician. Those that expected political correctness rather than work soon found themselves outside the arena where the action was; as spectators! Trump has totally challenged the political landscape in the U.S and his opponents are always blind sided to his moves as they have tried to view him in the mould of a politician. They still don’t get it; He is not! he is a leader and change agent. Trying to see Trump as a politician creates serious fog and you will soon have him flanking you and before you know it overrunning your outposts.

This brings me to dear Country. I watch with angst the caliber of politician that the Ugandan populace has allowed into this arena. Many of these men and women have nothing to show in terms of personal achievement and competency. And yet, we thoughtlessly elect them to office expecting them to bring about change. I don't believe one's achievement ought to be in the field of politics for them to make a great political leader. In fact I think it is important the one proves themselves in other spheres before they present themselves for elective office. That is the only way we shall break the leadership Jinx of Uganda.

You find men and women whose only objective is to get into the office to "eat", running for these positions, and the electorate voting them in. Issues-based politics is still a long ways off as these types will oppose someone for the sake of opposing them, even when their opponent is proposing solutions that take the nation forward.

I have a few thoughts on my mind on this; almost none of us would ever give our precious house construction project from hard earned income to a builder that is not tried and tested; but we almost always do that when it comes to the politicians we elect. No wonder we are where we are and yet we keep mourning about why we make little to no progress as a nation in many things. How many of us would sign off on the disclaimer form and go under the operating knife of a surgeon that has never been proven? Yet we do that all the time with these leaders whom we choose and elect. How many of us whilst you are undertaking a major agricultural investment would accept advice from an agricultural extension worker that has unproven competency, and take them on to manage a multi-million-shilling project where we are investing our hard-earned money? Yet we do that all the time with the politicians we choose without weighing them and their competency and abilities as leaders. Remember, it doesn't matter the sphere; what matters is that someone has proven that they are an achiever.

Is it any surprise therefore that we are getting a raw deal with the short end of the stick being served to us? Mourning about it won't change the situation but doing something about it will. The competent people no longer want to run for these offices because it has sadly become an arena of unrealistic expectations which are now placed on it. It is about money politics; just take a look at what is going on right now. The voter buying is on a totally different level lately that even within the parties themselves there is no more democracy (mostly). Turn on any political discussion and the shouting matches will turn you off, with the panelists shouting at each other and almost no substance being discussed. The one that outshouts the other is the hero of the day. There is many uninformed people talking authoritatively about what they know nothing about. The lying is all over the place; one only has to listen carefully, and you will pick it up being presented as an authority. Sadly, the good people opt out as this is too muddy and unnecessarily expensive on all fronts, money and otherwise.

This problem won't fix itself. We have to fix it by taking action. Let's say no to incompetent politicians and yes to leaders. No to talkers that have nothing to show for it, and yes to achievers that can show something they have done. No to liars that confuse the population with small "cheeses" on their "mouse traps". No to un-invested men and women that present themselves for elective office to lead other men and women that have heavily invested in themselves and in their communities. It is one bad apple that will spoil the barrel, and yet we have far too many of them right now fighting to jump in. Let us get rid of them.

We must raise this standard so high that if anyone wants to run for any elective office in Uganda, they must prove that they have paid the price in proven personal achievement and in good social standing as well. 

It is time to make the change!