CHANGE: THE WHAT, THE WHY and THE WHEN

If you study the history of this nation, the 25yrs or so that Museveni (H.E) has been in power are justifiable. Ugandans know where they have been and how this man has contributed to their exodus. The East African community too is a beneficiary of the service of this president.

Ugandans now have grown and meanwhile outgrown their past foes and predicaments, it is time to think about CHANGE OF LEADERSHIP. However, my concern is not about whether we should change or not, after all Museveni (my love) is not eternal and neither is he perfect. My concern is about the three Ws (WHAT, WHY, WHEN) of change.

WHAT

What is the problem and what is the solution? Should be the preceding question of any idea of change. Is Museveni the problem and so and so the solution? Then you change. Is it Museveni (leadership) or those he works with (us) that is the problem!!? If we bring another person and not fix US won’t we have brought in another Museveni? As anyone bothered to ask the WHAT of the change….what have we changed, or what are we about to change. Is the problem the leaders or the ideology (politics). How sure are we individuals will be different if the ideology remains a constant. Leaders come from us the constituency, if we have not changed how can we have better leaders, from which source? CHANGE, BUT CHANGE WHAT, FOR WHAT?

WHY

It is important to understand that change might not equal progress. If your why of change is progress then you have to understand that change in leadership might not always result into progress. When the Israelites switched Moses for Aaron the plan of the new leadership was to go back to Egypt. There is some wisdom in the old adage, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Mistaking change for progress is similar to the common problem of mistaking activity for productivity. Every organization can be improved, no matter how well it is performing, but a manager should always ask the question, “How is this proposed change going to improve my organization’s ability to achieve our key goals?” Before we change leaders let us ask: What are the KEY GOALS that we cannot achieve with this leadership!?

WHEN

Change if not timely can cost us. Change is never free…as we gain from the new management we must also be aware of what we have lost. And this why the WHEN of change is important. A leader like Museveni with all his achievement and sacrifice to this nation shouldn’t be just tossed around and switched like gas station attendants have their shifts. We must look at who he is, where he is going, and his stake in the politics and leadership of this country while in retirement. Timing becomes important here.

In one of my fellowships, the Seventh-day Adventist, I have seen elections changing leaders for the sake of change, and in the process we have lost more than we have gained. Every change has opportunity cost; spending your human resource untimely means that you have lost the positive acumen. You must assure us that the team you bring in will manage fundamental issues (security, international relations, economy) as well as the incumbent has. Wrong timing has intangible costs such as morale, internal conflicts, and project interference. Determine whether the cost of a change is outweighed by the benefit that change will create.

Otherwise am happy that CUC has an evangelist as the president and it has shifted from the hands of the Administrator, developer and project planner. I hope the voters considered the Gospel work a more important issue than project orientation. Am a gospel man and while am excited, the political institution should tread carefully. For it does not live by the word of God alone, but basically by bread and its acquisition. So the voters should tell us the WHAT, THE WHY and whether this was the right WHEN of the CHANGE.

I T White: 0775822833