The old adage the 'beggars cann't be choosers' applies. Donors, on who charity Mu7 depends for over 55% of the budget, have every right to have a say as to how their money is spent.
If the political situation were more liberal, and corruption curtailed seriously, citizens might have an incentive to increase their productivity, and in the long run, decrease dependence on international charity.
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Subject: ugnet_: Museveni Warns Donors On Defence
Date: Fri, 14 Feb 2003 22:17:44 EST
Museveni Warns Donors On Defence
The Monitor (Kampala)
February 13, 2003
Posted to the web February 14, 2003
David Kibirige
Kampala
President Yoweri Museveni has once again warned donors against meddling in
his defence plans.
The Financial Times, a British daily, yesterday reported that President
Museveni had also said if the donor community was not meddling in his defence
plans Joseph Kony's Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) rebels would be history.
The Financial Times' David White interviewed President Museveni on Wednesday.
"They are not serious. I'm really tired of people who are not serious," the
president is reported to have said.
President Museveni blamed aid donors for aggravating security problems
through their "implicit alliance" with Sudan, which previously supported the
anti-government guerrillas.
"Because of that they interfere with our plans to develop our army," he said.
"If we had built up our forces rapidly without interference, we would have
solved this problem."
Senior Presidential Advisor on Media and Public Relations John Nagenda
confirmed that the president had shown his displeasure with the donors during
the interview.
Said Mr. Nagenda yesterday: "Yes, the president showed displeasure with the
donors. He said if they had not laid a law on how much of the budget should
be spent on defence we would have a better prepared army which would deal
with Kony and his people.
"He also said that such resources would be fighting terrorism. He said
terrorism has to be fought. He asked if terrorism is good why Al Qaeda is not
allowed in Washington or Britain."
Nagenda further said that President Museveni said he still talks to donors
because they are Uganda's partners in development.
Britain, the Netherlands and Ireland are all understood to have told Ugandan
authorities that they plan to cut grants because the government is
overshooting agreed limits on military expenditure.
Donors providing direct budget support have demanded that the government
should spend no more than 2 percent of the country's gross domestic product
on defence.
