By Okurut Timothy
The School of Social Sciences at Uganda Christian University (UCU) is set to hold a public lecture on donor-funded governance as part of an assessment for the students pursuing a Master of Governance and International Relations (MGIR). The lecture is set to take place on Thursday, 16th April, from 7:30am to 11:45am at the Joel Senyonyi Building in the Kampala Campus.
According to Dr. Jonathan Tumwebaze, the Dean of the School, the lecture is being conducted in line with the competence-based model of learning and evaluation. “It is a way of responding to innovative ways of teaching, assessment, and presenting knowledge.”
He also indicated that the call is open for students from other disciplines to come and participate given that the issues that will be addressed are common societal problems. “The conversation that we’re having is broader than social sciences; it’s one that encompasses all human life and disciplines.”
The topic comes shortly after the Shadow Cabinet of Uganda presented the alternative budget while criticizing governments heavy interest in borrowing. According to the presentation made by the Shadow Minister for Finance, Hon. Semujju Ibrahim Nganda, government is planning to borrow upto shs. 32.075 trillion which is 44.3% of the full budget figure. Moreover, the Ministry of Finance reported that Uganda’s debt burden is over shs.126 trillion with the debt to GDP ratio standing at 52.7% as of December last year.
With some of these gaps and missing links in the country’s economic condition, it’s critical for development scholars to underscore the merits and demerits of foreign donations while exploring alternative sources for national funds. Political scholar and commentator Dr. Yusuf Serunkuma is expected to give the keynote address in this engagement.
