You have worked your hands to the bone to eke out a living in our tough region. Many a time you have put up with unreasonable demands from your employer, for the sake of keeping that small, steady income to maintain family and self.

You have sacrificed to save some money after paying for expensive schools, rent, food and clothes. By denying yourself any luxuries, you accumulated a reasonable amount and finally bought that coveted piece of land.

You drew up a plan to plant some high value crops and raise some poultry. You thought you have it all figured out, until you employ your nephew who has graduated with a degree in “business something systems” to run the project on a day-to-day basis for you.

The trusted nephew does not buy all the fertilisers as required. He does not pay the workers on time, despite your sending the money as soon as he asks for it, using the mobile money network.

The yield is far lower than projected, and the unpaid workers are pilfering most of it to pay themselves. Soon the project is on its knees. You go and inspect the land and that is when stories start filtering through to you — how the young man has been having a ball with your capital, spending it on drinks and the local girls. In short, the trusted nephew has blown your hard earned savings.

Logically, you sack him and you swear never to employ another relative of yours. He goes accusing you to his parents and they in turn curse you for being insensitive and lacking clan solidarity. After a bitter showdown with the silly boy’s mother, you maintain your resolve never to entrust your hard-earned money with another relative.

Foreign employers

Next day you open a newspaper and you see an advert by a foreign investor seeking to hire mid-level employees, including an accountant. The Dutch company says the applicants should be non-Ugandans. You hit the roof. You go to social media and fire off a tirade against “these racists who are abusing our country’s hospitality” plus some choice expletives you can immediately think of.

Your campaign with other fellow nationalists pays off, and the relevant parliament committee summons the managers of the company.

The MPs blast the managers — it is an easy topic for anyone to sound tough and patriotic about. They don’t even ask how many Ugandans are working in the Dutch capital and if they are dispensing skills that are critically lacking in Holland.

The foreign company withdraws the advert and is forced to apologise to Ugandans. You thump your chest; you have shown them.

Logically, you should also revoke your resolution not to employ any members of your clan, apologise to the relatives and recall your to thieving nephew to resume his job as farm manager. Right?

You should not abuse and discriminate against your own clan, should you? Hire their children even if it means ruining you financially and ensuring you enter old age without any investments.

And before you started the social media campaign against the Dutch company, did you first find out why the contract of the last MD, say a Norwegian, was not renewed? Do you know that probably the new MD, say a Ghanaian, has chosen not to hire a local accountant after his predecessor was “showed Kampala,” as the local saying goes? Do you know the targets the new MD has been given?

Joachim Buwembo is a Knight International Fellow for development journalism. E-mail: [email protected]