Abstract:
The arguments in this book derive from the risks of
putting up with an untempered government. In this connection,
Chapter One deals with philosophical views regarding the type
of government that is necessary for the construction of a well
organised, orderly, or civilised society in which the people are
free and can pursue and obtain happiness. Specifically, the
Chapter contains a discussion on Thomas Hobbes’ and Robert
Filmer’s intellectual defences and prescriptions for an absolute,
unlimited, and untempered exercise of governmental power. It
also delves into John Locke and Rousseau’s theses on the need
to moderate or to temper governmental power.
Chapter Two deals with self-interest and explains why
it is man’s seminal condition for rational action. In the
Chapter, it is argued that rationality is a relative fact that
guides people’s actions variably, and that if not moderated, it
may lead a government to act in its own interest in lieu of the
interest of the public. In this Chapter, it is further contended
that self-interest is generated by love. It is also argued in the
Chapter that selflessness is a flagrant fallacy.
Chapter Three is dedicated to the historical
illustrations of the disorders, misdeeds, and the ramifications
of untempered governments that have obtained in Uganda
since independence.
In Chapter Four, various constructions of politics are
rejected on the premise that they may have been responsible
for the misapplication of politics in Uganda, including; the
popularly held conception that is imputed to Idi Amin that
‘politics is a dirty game’, and Museveni’s idea that politics is
the science of managing a society, among other conceptions. In Chapter Five, the non-cynical and sound concept of
politics is explained, that is to say, the view of this book that
politics is “any activity that leads to the moderation of all
actors within a State for the general public good.”
Chapter Six is dedicated to the corruption discourse;
and contrary to the conventional view, it is argued in the
Chapter that corruption in government is extant because
officials who engage in it are not only patriotic, but also
rational people who love themselves, understandably, more
than they love others, and not because they are less patriotic as
conventional wisdom holds. In the Chapter, it is argued that
patriotism is first, the love for self then the love for others and
not the other way round. The thesis that theft of public funds
leads to economic development if the funds are invested in the
economy is rejected. In the alternative, it is explained that such
analysis is non-pragmatic and may lead to economic collapse
and State failure. Further, it is argued in the Chapter that
nepotism, which is a form of corruption undercuts effective
accountability, and finally in the Chapter, the idea that
corruption in Uganda persists because of a deficiency of
political will is rejected.
Chapter Seven is about the concept of patriotism and
its general benefit to a State. It is argued in the Chapter that a
patriotic person is selfish and the idea that Uganda’s
‘liberators’ who resisted Amin, Obote, and Lutwa’s ‘bad
governance’ did so out of selflessness, is countered. In the
alternative, it is explained that their principal motivation was
their self-interest and that the resulting benefits Ugandans
enjoy are just incidental. In the Chapter, it is also shown that a
patriotic person can be one who supports a government or one
who resists it, depending on whether such resistance or support
causes the attainment of the public good generally. In Chapter Eight, the idea of sovereignty, its historical
development, and mutation over time is explained and traced.
In this context, the classical sovereignty, which was claimed
by tyrannical kings and their divine right to rule without limit,
is discussed. The Chapter traces how that changed and how
kings lost the right to rule absolutely. It also contains a
discussion on how parliament claimed the sovereignty from
kings, and how the people ended up being the sovereign.
In Chapter Nine, the author discusses the idea of civil-
military relations in which he shows why the military, despite
being more powerful than civil institutions must be subservient
to civil authority. The Chapter contains an explanation of why
the military should not be represented in parliament or serving
military officers appointed to head civil institutions, and why
the army should not be used to stop peaceful demonstrations.
Chapter Ten is about the philosophical theories of
separation of powers and checks and balances. It deals with the
logic of separating the functions and powers of government,
the dangers that attend the separation, and the correctional
purpose of checks and balances.
Chapter Eleven is dedicated to the executive arm of
government. It is shown in the Chapter that the executive in
Uganda exercises intrusive power, which makes him a tyrant.
The role of party caucusing in creating an imperial president or
a dictatorial executive is discussed. It is also explained that it is
undemocratic for a vice president to be senior to a speaker of
parliament and a chief justice in the hierarchical order. In the
Chapter, the concept of presidential immunity, which derives
from the doctrine of sovereign immunity, although
internationally practiced, is intellectually challenged.
Chapter Twelve is dedicated to the presidential term
limits debate. The arguments for and against term limits are considered, and a conclusion is held that term limits are
necessary in some societies in which electoral democracy is
crudely applied.
In Chapter Thirteen, it is explained that the judiciary
in Uganda lacks judicial legitimacy, is unaccountable, and
unindependent. It is argued in the Chapter that judicial officers
do not derive their power from the people, although Article
126 of the Constitution assumes so. The chapter calls for a
popular election of judges in order to enable the judiciary to
legitimately exercise judicial power, and to be accountable to
the people and independent of the executive.
In Chapter Fourteen, it is explained that the legislature
is by normative and structural weakness, not independent.
Specifically, it is argued that a combination of party caucus
and the unicameral structure of the legislature in Uganda is
responsible for its weakness, and recommendations to that
effect are furnished. A case is made for internal checks and
balances within the legislature.
Chapter Twelve is dedicated to the discourse on
electoral democracy in Uganda. In the Chapter, the dogma of
universal adult suffrage is contested, and its ruinous effect on
governance in emerging democracies and civilising states like
Uganda is explained. In the Chapter, the appointment of
persons to the Electoral Commission by the executive is
contested. The possibility of having an ‘independent’
commission is also contested in this Chapter. In the alternative,
it is shown that it is possible to have a “balanced” electoral
body. It is also argued that it is possible and necessary for an
incumbent president to resign before seeking re-election as a
way of ensuring fair elections.