Ugandans are like Americans — they know next to nothing about other countries, especially those where they have not deployed their armies.

And so last week, when I made a casual reference to Tanzanian Works Minister John Pombe Magufuli on social media, most of my compatriots in the thread had never heard about him.

The topic of the thread was actually about an academically challenged Ugandan Member of Parliament, and I cited the example of Mr Magufuli, who did his PhD on the job without compromising his performance as minister, presiding over the infrastructural development of our huge southern neighbour.

First, the Ugandans were instantly amused at the minister’s middle name which, even with our limited knowledge of Kiswahili, everybody knows means “beer.” To add to their amusement, I informed them that even his surname has a double meaning – “padlocks.”

They weren’t so amused when I told them about the phenomenal road construction that has taken place on Magufuli’s watch.

We Ugandans have resigned ourselves to the idea of Rwanda being better than us in building roads, consoling ourselves with the observation that it is a small country anyway, so building and maintaining roads is no big deal.

What we cannot fathom is the notion that a vast country like Tanzania can challenge Rwanda in roads construction.

As I was labouring to describe Magufuli’s stellar performance, Ndugu Amanya Mushega, former secretary general of the East African Community, briefly weighed in and confirmed that yes, Magufuli is indeed impressive.

It sank in that yes, a minister can take on a portfolio and a few years down the line, everybody can see a big improvement in his sector. Someone even suggested that Magufuli should take Ugandan citizenship (and presumably seek leadership).

The brief exchange set me wondering: If informed Ugandans don’t know John Pombe Magufuli, then whom do they know in Tanzania? Bushoke? Ray C? Mwisho? Mr Nice? Lady Jay Dee?

What kind of information do East Africans seek about their neighbours? If our region had been among the most developed in the world, it would be understandable if individual ministers’ performance were not distinguishable. But in a place where almost every sector is backward, serious ministers should be able to post major positive changes a few years after taking on a docket.

Which is why Magufuli stands out, and also why it is surprising when neighbours who are always crying about roads have not heard about him.

In situations of little hope, it helps the spirit to dream a little. So I switched into dream mode, picturing Magufuli taking up Ugandan citizenship and being appointed Minister of Works. Immediately, he calls up all the ongoing roads contracts and reviews the bills. He gives the contractors a week to reduce the cost by three quarters and do the same job or quit. After a week, they return and confess, and agree to use the balance to do more kilometres of roads.

But my dream ends badly when Ugandan officials gang up and plot to kill him. He escapes narrowly and returns to Tanzania, where he is offered his old job back. I shake myself out of the dream and go to take my car to the garage so the new shock absorbers I put the other day can be replaced after they got damaged by our potholes…

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