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Dependency is a Tragic Syndrome

New Vision (Kampala)
OPINION
January 19, 2005
Posted to the web January 19, 2005

By Pecos Kutesa
Kampala
There is a phenomenon I have watched over a time and I hope most Ugandans have,
but nobody has ever tried to address it. When driving towards Queen Elizabeth
national Park around Kyambura, one has to slow down because of the baboons on
the road.
These close relatives of man, cut a pathetic but serene picture as they sit and
pose in the middle of the road on both sides. They do not show any fear of
human presence, like one would expect of wild animals.
They are not necessarily tame, yet they are no longer wild in the actual sense.
The same scenario is evident once one crosses Karuma bridge when going to Gulu.
These cousins of man just sit majestically, usually holding their cheeks in
their palms as if in intense meditation or serious discussions about the war
and its after-effects.
When one is on the Uganda-Kenya highway around Busitema, the same animals block
the road in their never ending meetings, maybe assessing the international
trade between Kenya and Uganda. What has made these wild animals change their
behavioural pattern and mode of living to be almost tame or as if they are
paid-up tourist attractions?
Baboons are by nature supposed to be wild animals, fearful of all their
predators, man being one of the worst predators of wildlife as any
environmentalist will tell you. How then did these primates from three
different locations start behaving in such a uniform manner?
It was from the casual observation of the behaviour of these baboons that I
came upon this thesis: Dependency Syndrome can and does change behaviour both
positively and negatively but mostly negatively.
The baboons left their way of life of surviving by hunting and gathering to
become 'high street beggars' because of the free fruits and other edibles
travellers throw to them. These animals started reasoning that it was easier to
get free food than climb trees and maybe encounter baboon killers like leopards
and other predators by staying near highways! This changed their behaviour and
outlook at how to tame nature to fit their needs - food and security.
In the same vein, I have observed human beings (no insult intended) behaving in
a similar manner in the advertisement of the ADF rebels in the Rwenzori
mountains. The indigenous people, the Bakonjo and Bamba left their mountainous
environs and moved down. These short, stout and strong people whose bodies had
adapted to climbing steep cliffs, now became lazy, idle and lambering
humanities around Bubukwanga and Bundibugyo town centre! The Bakonjo and Bamba
women whose stamina and endurance was phenomenal (a woman used to carry a load
of more than 100kgs on her back and climb three or more kilometers up a
mountain while her body weight was merely 50kgs). They used to over take UPDF
soldiers, most of whom were young and able-bodied as if they had engines in
their chests while the lanky soldiers trudged behind and watched in awe! Now
these women had to come down the mountains and adapt to town life.
A woman who had been used to tying a strong string around her head to heave an
unbelievable weight now had permed her hair or had an artificial wig, bleached
her skin and this would not allow her to climb to her original abode and style
of life. The men did not fare any better. they were introduced to illicit
liquor (waragi) and other soft ways of living. In my work of road construction,
I had a tough time employing these otherwise hard-working people to do even the
simplest work, no matter what pay I promised. These people had lost the need,
urge and interest in work since there was now free World Food Programme (WFP)
food to feed them!
In Acholiland, this phenomenon has gone beyond what would be reasonably
acceptable. The Acholi are or were a hard-working people who not only used to
feed themselves but were proud of their industrious nature. now after 18 years
living on free food from WFP, it is pathetic when you see all the lost
industrious culture. I have tried to employ some of the young men from IDP
camps at very competitive pay compared to even Kampala wages but nobody is
willing to lift his hand. they would rather wait for the next WFP convoy!
In Karamoja, I have watched young able-bodied men line up for mugfuls of some
illicit brew they make from wheat and other cereals donated by WFP. These
heavily-armed and naked youth get up at cockcrow and line up while in other
circumstances they ought to have been taking their cattle for pasture or as is
their norm, to raid. I do not condone raiding but I know that dawn attack is
the best time to raid cattle, not lining up for mugs of brew.
Human culture and behavioural patterns are always by circumstances external or
internal.
The same goes for animals. In the Ugandan context these changes have been
brought about by the dependency syndrome of food handouts. Whether those
changes were brought by bad politics or the incompatibility of the groups that
form Uganda as a nation, the fact remains the same. These changes have
happened, the question now is how to curb them or utilise them for the benefit
of the nation. I may have my views on how to go about this, however, I would
request other Ugandans to contribute on the matter.
The writer is a senior UPDF officer

   

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