100 Weeks of Black Monday and still counting!
Corruption has for long been a constant narrative in Uganda’s political sphere but in 2012, the Ugandan Society were unanimous on the new and worrying state that the Pearl of Africa found itself mired in. Ugandans had grown seemingly weary of cases where taxpayers’ money is siphoned off by well-connected government officials, often walking away scot-free. But the scandals that rocked the apex of government ministries, the Office of the Prime Minister, and the Public Service ministry in 2012 re-ignited public interest. On its part Civil Society organizations decided to close shop for one day and took to the streets to show public dissatisfaction with the lack of decisive action on theft of public resources.
The mass protest, on 12th November, 2012 and many other public actions that were to follow helped pave the way for two years of citizen action against theft of public funds. Our rallying calls were to wear black every day as a sign of our resolve; speak to at least 5 Ugandans about the dangers of corruption and action needed. Further, there was a call to shun the corrupt starting with ourselves so that we have authority to remove the “peck”; isolate and denounce all thieves wherever they were encountered and boycott all business and enterprises of the corrupt.
The Black Monday Newsletter has been a tool of rallying and converging citizens to fight corruption and to this end, there have been interventions by those in authority courtesy of the Newsletter.
The 100 weeks journey has not been an easy one as it has been characterized by several arrests, police excesses, and attempted ban and with several activists frequenting the Police station with endless bonds. Notwithstanding this, the Civil society initiated a meeting with the police to clarify the intention of the Black Monday and for some time, the Police excesses have since reduced.
It is against this background that this Month’s edition is exploring the journey of Black Monday right from its inception up to date, examining the achievements, challenges and way forward. The centre of focus has been placed on citizens of all walks of life who have expressed their opinions about Black Monday and specifically drawing personal impact, lessons and way forward.
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