George Musinguzi Calls for Realistic Approaches to Growth and Accountability in Uganda’s Pursuit of Sustainable Development Goals

The development journey of Uganda is indeed replete with challenges, ranging from accumulation of debt and mismanagement of resources to inefficiency in project implementation. UNAU’s President, George Musinguzi, is advocating for all stakeholders in this country’s development sector to operate policies that are more realistic to the situations at hand, together with saving on resources. In one of the sessions that mirrored Uganda’s progress toward SDGs, Musinguzi called for comparative analysis, accountability, and judicious resource allocation as stimulants toward real growth.

Musinguzi’s message comes at a critical time when Uganda faces serious hurdles in achieving its SDG targets. The country has a wealth of natural resources but has struggled with misallocating them. The President of UNAU called for a shift in perspective on development, urging Uganda to learn from countries that have successfully overcome similar challenges but to adapt those lessons to its unique situation.

We have everything in Uganda, but we are supposed to use our resources efficiently; it is not all about money, it is management and proper utilization of the resources.” Explained Musinguzi. “We can’t copy everything from Norway because we also have to consider what exactly works out for us, from which we base our capabilities.

One of the key issues Musinguzi addressed was the country’s increasing reliance on debt to finance infrastructure projects. He criticized the long delays and inefficiencies associated with these projects, pointing out that delays not only increase the cost but also prevent the country from fully benefiting from these investments.

For instance, if a road project valued at $200 million was to take two years, but it takes ten, the interest that accrues and the business opportunities lost are enormous,” Musinguzi said. “We have to question these delays and their economic consequences.

He also showed concern with the government’s expenditure that includes classified expenditures and expenses from less important projects which grow day by day. He called upon the media and civil society to question the State Budgets, what actually the money is being utilized for, and whether this should be spent.

If a huge chunk of the budget goes to classified expenditure, then we must ask why, yet the core functions of government such as health are underfinanced,” Musinguzi said. “Every item in the budget should have its justification. We also need to benchmark our budget against other countries and see if we are efficient in resource utilization.

Musinguzi also called on journalists to get out of their comfort zones and start digging deeper into what government spending translates to in terms of development. He said this in the context of how public services, like health, are characterized by huge inequalities, with patients who need urgent care waiting for hours, while funds are being used in less important areas because the hospitals are understaffed.

Cancer patients are spending hours in understaffed hospitals while funds go to less urgent areas. The media must highlight these discrepancies and push for the prioritization of essential services,” added Musinguzi.

He also admitted that Uganda was already lagging behind in realizing some of its SDG targets, which he attributed to weak planning and poor resource management. Musinguzi emphasized the need for a collective effort to realign the country’s development strategy if it is to achieve its long-term goals.

In order to make significant strides in the next five years, we need to work wiser. Media plays a critical role in raising awareness, questioning inefficiencies, and putting forth actionable ideas on how to improve development outcomes,” he said.

Richard Baguma, the Secretary-General of UNAU, applauded the media for creating awareness among the public about the SDGs and holding stakeholders accountable for their implementation. He, however, called on journalists to go beyond event-based reporting and provide more in-depth analysis of development issues, especially in understanding how policies affect ordinary citizens.

The media has done a good job of holding people accountable, providing platforms for discussion, and disseminating important information,” Baguma noted. “But we need to take it a step further. We need journalists to break down complex issues like human capital development and flagship programs such as the Parish Development Model into language that everyone can understand.

Baguma added that corruption was still one of the major problems facing the development of Uganda and said that it was high time the media stopped mere reports, which do not reach the roots of inefficiency. He emphasized that interpretive journalism is important, as it helps communities grasp the wide ramifications of government policy and programs.

Development is not an event; it’s a process. The media must explain these processes in a way that resonates with the average person and helps them feel a sense of ownership in the country’s growth,” Baguma emphasized.

He further hailed the media, which, according to him, easily disseminated big development terminology in a vernacular language-for instance, Gross Domestic Product and Sustainable Development Goals-easily explainable in communities at grassroot level. He spotlighted the efforts of media to help the Ugandans who cannot understand any English so that they participate in conversations related to the country’s development processes.

Looking ahead, Baguma urged that there was a need for continued collaboration between government, civil society, cultural institutions, and the media; he argued that such a partnership would be instrumental in advancing grassroots development and making the country’s growth agenda both accessible and beneficial to all Ugandans, irrespective of their geographical location or mother tongue.

As Uganda moves forward with a new development plan, the media must retain its role as a critical driver of national development. We need transparency, accountability, and informed discussions to move forward,” Baguma concluded.

If Uganda is to develop in an appropriate way, in keeping with all SDG imperatives, it calls for collective action from various actors: the government, civil society, media, and the private sector-to implement a common vision that embodies sustainable development. Only through transparency, accountability, and efficiency in resource utilization could Uganda realize its full potential toward the path of harnessing prosperity for all.