Commission for Africa: Kasozi Lubega

We asked eight Africans for their views on the UK-sponsored Commission for Africa following the group's second meeting since it was launched.

Godwin Emejuobi: Port Harcourt, Nigeria "God is the help of Africa" Kasozi Lubega: Kampala, Uganda "Gain power without conflict" Ousman Njie: Cairo, Egypt "Reaffirming British interests" Samantha Smit: Lusaka, Zambia "Teachers and textbooks"

Iqbal Jhazbhay: Pretoria, South Africa "Development and stability" Yared Mussie: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia "Uncompetitive in business" Trevor Simumba: Freetown, Sierra Leone "We have to help ourselves first" Amboka Wameyo: Arusha, Tanzania "Africa should be trusted"

Kasozi Lubega

Blair's Commission for Africa is a way for African people to look forward to be salvaged from the bondage of poverty, disease, ignorance, HIV/Aids, civil strife and human right abuses.

MEET THE PANEL Name: Kasozi Ibrahim Lubega Age: 27 Lives: Kampala, Uganda Occupation: Research Assistant, Makerere University Born: Banyankore, Uganda Religion: Muslim Ethnic group: Muganda In 10 words or less: Self-driven, highly motivated, love seeing under-privileged achieve their potential

Instead of the Commission taking Africa as a whole though I think they must work in regional blocs.

Similar to how the Southern African Development Community (SADC) does.

Then they will have big negotiating powers to bargain for their equal share on the international scene.

Institutions like the IMF, World Bank, and World Trade Organization need to be confronted by African blocks opposed to mere small countries like Uganda, which experience shows, have been side-lined and ignored.

This is why I think Africa is lagging behind.

The need for democratic institutions is important for Africa to be salvaged by the golden opportunity available in Blair's commission for Africa.

Mr Museveni assures me the conflict is ending Click here to read Africa diary: Uganda's enduring war by the BBC's world affairs correspondent, Peter Biles

The African leadership should be informed that its population is more important and that there is a need to have strong institutions rather than strong individual presidents who hold power in their hands for their own ends.

The Commission should invest a lot of resources in building civil society institutions, which should champion the cause of the poor and marginalized.

An opportunity for people to think that they can gain power without conflict should be opened.

Sitting presidents need to know that others may have interest in leading the country so there is need to provide an opportunity for entry and exit otherwise civil strife may not come to an end easily.

African voices: See where our panel live

Enlarge Image

I have a conviction that lets say in Uganda if there was change of leadership after a period of time, this would provide a window of opportunity for ambitious young men and women to get to power.

Issues of conflict could then be minimized.

Not to say that we don't love the current president but if today Uganda got a new leader I think the war in the north would come to an end.

The problem is that today neither of the two groups can trust the other.

A new entrant would provide room for negotiation and the end of civil strife where many before have perished.

I hope and believe that Blair's Commission can open a window of hope for the Africans.

Remember my brothers and sisters that golden opportunities are not tried but utilised and so let's take this opportunity to save the origin of humanity.

---

Your comments:

I wish I knew the tangible achievements by the commissioners in the field of poverty alleviation. What percentage of Tanzanians has Mkapa and Tibeijuka lifted out of poverty? How about Kalema in Uganda? What else? How about Meles Zenawi? The Botswana leader seems to be doing well and yet nobody mentions him.
Kenda Kotiina, Kabale, Uganda

The Prime Minister must desire to help Africans to help themselves Paul

Africa is confronted by many problems as diverse as the continent itself. These range from the HIV/Aids epidemic, senseless and costly conflicts/wars, deterioration of the environment and grinding poverty. And Africans are denied basic human rights. These will certainly feature in any finding. Solutions won't be easy. The commission is a noble idea. The commissioners seem to be diverse and representative. Investigating is not a big deal, implementing is. How many commissions have been set up before in each African country?

The genocide in Darfur continues without end in sight, and Sudan sits in the Human Rights Committee. To do what? Mr Blair must reach out to African leaders and together cobble up a road map for development for the only continent that has become poorer in the last two decades. He should seek the participation of the international community, not go it alone as the US has done in Iraq. The Prime Minister must desire to help Africans to help themselves.
Paul, Harare, Zimbabwe (currently in Tokyo, Japan)

True, Mr Blair's initiative is in the right direction, but if we allowed the same old foxes who have robbed us our dignities to guide the chicken coops, then, I'm afraid we will end up with the same horrible results.
Agyenim Boateng, USA/Ghana