KAMPALA – The Member of Parliament for Kampala Central Division, Mr Mohammed Nsereko, has said that President Museveni’s plan to buy radios and TV sets for Ugandans to promote virtual learning is a non starter.
The radio and TV sets, which will be distributed at village level, are meant to be used by learners before schools reopen.
But Mr Nsereko says just like with the facemasks deal, radios and TVs will become another deal for a few foreign owned companies to make another kill with “their feeder parasites in the government network.
“Why talk of Televisions or radios when only 2 million homes or less are connected to Power or electricity. Won’t these gadgets become decorations? Most villages have no power. In any case if students in a village can gather then why not open up a school for a teacher to teach? Otherwise where will they gather? On whose furniture will they sit, whose toilets will they use? etc. it’s not only a TV. Stop trying to slice one problem by creating more problems,” he wonders.
“Incase of radios, in villages not all people can afford batteries. Will they be solar powered? How long will the distribution process take. You have seen the challenge of food, masks and now that radios and TVs are highly fragile and not available immediately. Did some of your advisors tell you that the small phones like the “katouch or kabiriti ,“ are multi-purpose and also have radios. Slowly people have bought these and have them in nearly every home in Uganda,” he adds.
Regarding education, the legislator says let the finalists be examined based on what they were taught in term 1 in candidate classes or last semesters for institutions of higher learning.
“If you choose not to open, let the rest be promoted automatically to the next class or year. This happens in international curriculum where assessment is not exam based alone. Otherwise no with these money challenges I don’t support the opinion of making parents have their children repeat a full year,” he says.
Mr Nsereko advises the President on what he believes are the actual needs of Ugandans.
“Finally be aware that over 5 million parents have lost their jobs and they don’t need these handouts, what people need are.
1. 20% of their Nssf
2. Loan interventions
3. Rent waivers
4. Utility bill waivers during lock down
5. Help for private school teachers etc
6. Let UBC waive charges of Signal for other small TVs and in return they carry content of education. These charges have made cost of broadcasting high.”