Before You Write Off Uganda, Ask What You Have Contributed

They say travelling is one of the few things you will never regret spending money on. But why do some of us travel? Why do I travel?

I travel to learn, to experience, and to see what the world has to offer in terms of economic progress, infrastructure, governance, and development. I travel to benchmark. We study what has worked elsewhere, identify the lessons worth learning, and explore how to adapt them to our own circumstances and the needs of our people.

It is our responsibility to contribute to the development of our country.

And then there are people like Dj City Gal, in an engagement with renowned Ugandan rapper Big Tril. Watch here: Everything she said may be true, but what was the purpose of this? Beyond pointing out what is wrong, what has she done that can be counted as a contribution to Uganda’s development?

She referenced Singapore. But does she understand where Singapore came from and what it took to become the country it is today?

Does she know the circumstances surrounding Singapore’s separation from Malaysia in 1965? Does she understand the challenges Lee Kuan Yew and his government faced, the policies they pursued, and the difficult decisions and institutional reforms that helped transform Singapore?

China has also studied and drawn lessons from Singapore’s economic development experience. But who did Singapore itself learn from? What countries, systems, and ideas influenced the people who built the Singapore we admire today?

These are the questions people with a development mindset ask. We do not simply admire successful countries; we investigate their journeys. We look at the people who inspired them, the systems they adopted, the mistakes they made, and the lessons we can apply to our own circumstances.

Uganda will still be here long after we are gone. The question is: What will your contribution have been?

It is perfectly fine to criticise individual Ugandans. You can love them, dislike them, agree with them, or disagree with them. But do not confuse the actions of particular individuals or those in positions of responsibility with the entire country.

Uganda is not one person. It is all of us.

Lumping an entire nation together in criticism because of the actions of a few is neither fair nor constructive. Direct your criticism at the people responsible, the decisions they make, and the systems that enable them. Do not make every Ugandan a defendant in a case they had no part in creating.

Finally, development begins at home. To everyone in that video, I have a few questions. What meaningful development have you contributed to your home? What have you done for your neighbourhood? Your village? Your parish? Your district? Your region? And beyond all that, what have you contributed to Uganda as a whole?

These questions are not meant to suggest that individual effort alone can solve every national problem. Government has a responsibility to provide leadership, build infrastructure, deliver public services, and create an environment in which citizens can thrive. Holding leaders accountable is necessary. But so is recognising that we, as citizens, also have a role to play.

Before writing off an entire country, consider what you can do to make your own corner of it better. Nobody has stopped you from contributing to the development of your home, your community, or your country.

And if you genuinely believe that your future lies elsewhere, you are free to seek opportunities beyond Uganda’s borders. But leaving should not be confused with contributing, just as staying should not automatically be mistaken for patriotism.

The real question is not simply what Uganda has failed to do for you, but also what you are doing, within your means and responsibilities, to make Uganda better.