Uganda Archives - GUJRAT INDIA

So You Want to Start a VOIP Business in Uganda?

I have recently been reviewing the business model for a company that is dealing in VOIP. For the uninitiated, VOIP stands for Voice Over Internet Protocol(VOIP). It is basically a technology/ies that allows telephone calls to be made over the internet rather than over traditional telephone lines.

I set out my simple and straight forward observations.

First the cons (of course)

1. Internet stability.

Internet in Uganda can be very unreliable and where it is reliable it is very expensive. Now this is very critical as to make calls over the internet you need VERY RELIABLE internet and so this is the starting point for anyone looking to invest in this sector. It is however not uncommon for an ISP to charge $1400 per month for 64 kbps. That’s not a lot of bandwidth as a typical telephone call requires about 8kbps at any time and so 64kbps supports only about 8 simultaneous conversations or less depending on internet conditions. The good news of course is that this is changing with fibre optic cables being laid all the time and so internet costs reduce. My best advice, use ADSL and shared bandwidth. UTL does a good job here, with a great value and generally reliable product if you can get the telephone line.

2. Competition

VOIP prides itself in being cheaper than the traditional telephone companies and many a VOIP provider will give you rates that are much cheaper than the networks. That was until recently. Many telecom providers in Uganda for example Orange have great international calling bundles that give the VOIP provider a run for their money. The VOIP provider is therefore having to compete with the telecom companies in offering customers international calling services. You have to therefore be prepared to look at your financials closely and constantly lest you fall into losses so do yourself a favour, get a good accountant!

3. The Exchange rate

The Uganda shilling is depreciating against the dollar and this may continue to be the case. In 2006 for example the rate was Shs 1,700 to the dollar. In 2011 at the time of writing, it is Shs 2800. For VOIP,this is critical as the main purchase is “digital airtime” from international VOIP providers. This is purchased in dollars and as such the prices charged to customers need to factor in the exchange rate, in addition to ensuring remaining competitive against the BIG BAD WOLVES (I mean the telecom companies).

4. Technology know how

VOIP is a specialised sector and so it of course requires someone with interest but this is not such a significant matter as employing an IT person will help reduce the entreprenuers need to worry about this.

5. Start up capital

From my rough estimates, a typical VOIP business (say a phone shop to support 6 phone booths) can ideally start up business from as little as UGX 8.7m. This should cover; rent at 500k per month (including 2 month deposit bringing it to 1.5m), internet installation and subscription; 700k, purchase of the VOIP and computer equipment; 1.975m, furniture/ fittings; 1m an inverter; 2m, legal and related costs; 700k and signage(to advertise); 500k.

From my analysis, a VOIP business on its own is however not profitable and therefore it is ESSENTIAL to also have an internet cafe running side by side. The costs of the internet cafe side plus the VOIP side stripping out the shared start up costs like rent and inverter will be 20,383,275. I have written about an internet cafe set up costs separately in the article on the internet cafe. The total start up cost is therefore about Shs 20m

AND NOW THE PROS

1. Profitability and quick return on capital

Like the rest of Africa, In Uganda there are tremendous growth opportunities in the ICT/ communications sector and per Uganda Investment Authority, this is one of their key sectors for investment. Call traffic continually increases as Ugandans enjoy higher incomes. Despite the biting inflation, there is a continual increase in call traffic. VOIP is not being left behind and assuming ICT sector growths averaging 25% per year turnover averaging Shs 53m would not be an exaggeration. On the basis of my knowledge of this sector, I set out a summary profitability picture as well as the return on capital (this includes a diversified model which includes an internet cafe). All estimates are in UGX. The exchange rate to the USD is about 1 USD = Shs 2,700.

Gross profit

1.Revenue- calls: 65,520,000. Assuming 7 days a week at 180k per day.

2.Revenue- internet: 13,884,000. Assuming Shs 290k per week from 4 computers and multi purpose maching.

3.Cost of sales: -49,140,000. Assuming it is 75% of revenue for calls on basis of exchange rate and reseller margin.

4.credit transfer cost: -1,228,500. Assuming 2.5% of cost of sales

5.Franchise fee: – 655,200. 1% of revenue-calls.

Gross profit: 28,380,300

Overheads

Rent: Shs 4,800,000

Internet: Shs 3,840,000

Staff costs:Shs 6,000,000

Other overheads: Shs. 1,800,000

Total overheads: 16,440,000

Net Profit: 11,940,300

Capital investment: 20,383,275

Return on Investment: 1.71 years.

2. Return on capital

On the basis of the above profit picture therefore, this business should be able to have a return on capital of 1.71 years. A word of caution here. The model above assumes full capacity growth and so may not necessarily reflect a start up business in say its first few months. In addition the model assumes the internet cafe and call shop will run side by side and concurrently. I have done a separate analysis of the VOIP model on its own and from my analysis it will take 90 years to get a return on your capital! In Uganda, there is therefore no alternative for a VOIP investor but to integrate the call shop and the VOIP services.

3. Diversified services

Despite the fierce competition, a VOIP business can survive by being diverse. Many VOIP providers do not only provide low cost international calls. They also provide other related services like cheap calls on your internet enabled phone, a foreign number(for example USA) even while in Uganda and use of VOIP in homes/offices. Some like http://www.telebm.com provide a special Uganda rate. In addition many integrate an internet cafe within their models as well as selling telephones and accessories. The diverisifed services spread the over head costs and enable continued profitability. In the profitability analysis above, I assume this business is diverse offering both VOIP and internet cafe services.

4. Franchise model.

The beauty about a VOIP business is that it is very scalable meaning you can keep on expanding to other towns, other urban centres, other countries. The typical VOIP provider will give you a software management system which can be accessed anywhere on the internet (after all since calls are made over the internet, call logs are likewise internet based). This gives a key advantage of remote monitoring for the business owner. You don’t have to necessarily worry about revenue as you can remotely monitor the sales(calls) on a real time basis because the call logs display calls(and costs) as they occur. The model can therefore be replicated by having you the business owner setting up agents who also get access to your system. I believe this is the model that http://www.mafudian.co.uk a Ugandan VOIP company is promoting.

SUMMARISING AND THE FINAL WORD

First the numbers

On the basis of my analysis:

* Capital investment(internet and VOIP equipment) (A): Shs 20,383,275

* Revenue per year: Shs 79,404,000

* Profit per year (after all expenses (B) is Shs 11,940,300

* Return on capital(years to get capital back)(A/B) is 1.71 years

Now the basics you must get right before investing.

* Internet stability and reliability. Get a good ISP who supports VOIP

* Diversification of services. Don’t only do the VOIP services, consider an internet cafe, multipurpose machine, WIFI hot spots or even selling cell phones and related accessories.

* Location, Location, Location. This business best thrives in an urban setting with heavy traffic particularly of business users.

* Get an IT person, VOIP can be tricky to continuously configure.

FINAL WORD, YES OR NO?

This is not an easy sector to invest in with internet stability as well as the fierce competition with local telecom companies who now offer some good international calling bundles. Furthermore the exchange rates are continually changing due to the falling shilling hence potentially eating into the profit. I know many VOIP businesses that have failed and so to invest in it you need to have not only technology know how but like looking at the financial numbers as the margins can be very tight! A business which has taken off can however enjoy a significant amount of turnover and diversifying and expansion through franchising seem to hold the key to success.

Uganda Opens Avenues of Growth For Indian SMEs

Over the years, Uganda has made a successful transition from an agriculture-based to an industrialized economy. Since 1987, the Ugandan government has actively undertaken economic reforms to facilitate overall economic development.

As a result, Uganda has recorded an average economic growth rate of 6.5% per annum in the last decade.[1] Today, this country is ranked as one of the fastest growing nations in the African continent.

The economic policy changes initiated by the Ugandan government have played an important role in boosting production and export earnings. Significantly, Uganda’s gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate in 2008 was pegged at around 6.9%.

Uganda’s business-friendly environment, diversified economy and openness to foreign direct investment (FDI) are making it a lucrative destination for Indian SMEs.

Trade relations

India is one of the most prominent trade partners of Uganda. It exports coffee, tea, sugar, inorganic chemicals, automobile components, sports goods, plastic and rubber to Uganda.

Alternatively, Uganda’s export basket for India comprises commodities like spices, cocoa, wood, wool, cotton, ceramic products, leather, copper, boilers, machinery and mechanical appliances

In recent times, there has been a sharp rise in Indo-Ugandan joint ventures and trade collaborations. Notably, Indo-Uganda bilateral trade has increased from $112.06 million in 2006-07 to $168.76 million in 2007-08.[3] Riding on this stupendous growth witnessed in recent times, industry experts opine that Indo-Uganda bilateral trade will double in less than 5 years.

Areas of trade and investment

Given the high demand for Indian products in Uganda, Indian SMEs can tap the business opportunities present in sectors such as textiles and garments, pharmaceuticals, glass, paper, leather and food processing.

Indian SMEs can further make inroads into the Ugandan market by exploring the mining sector. Uganda has large unexplored deposits of minerals such as gold, tungsten, cobalt, iron ore and kaolin.

In addition, Indian SMEs in the hospitality and tourism sectors can cash in on the surging demand for luxury resorts, serviced apartments and business hotels in Uganda and expand their operations in the African nation.

Considering that there is nearly 50% bed capacity deficit in the 3-5 star hotel categories in Uganda, Indian hoteliers can venture into this market to bridge the demand supply gap.

Realizing the abundant scope of growth for both Indian and Ugandan SMEs, governments on both sides have agreed to facilitate increased cooperation between the SMEs in the two countries.

At a recently held India-Africa business summit in New Delhi, India has committed U$500 million for Ugandan projects from its Aid to Africa budget.

Starting a Taxi Business in Uganda? There Is More Than Meets the Eye

A typical investor in the taxi business in Uganda is going to encounter two key issues even before they start making their first shilling. I explain these issues below.

When I first bought a used taxi from my grandparents, I took it for repair to a mechanic in the Wandegeya suburb. He “over hauled” it and told me it was in perfect condition. One week later, the differential had developed a few problems. Next the crank shaft had a few issues. I eventually over came these issues but then came the witchcraft story.

A typical Ugandan reader is probably surprised that I haven’t raised the issue of business and witchcraft before. It seems many Ugandans firmly believe that going to the witch doctor and giving your last white goat(and with no spot of black) is going to turn your business into an overnight success even if you cannot differentiate(no pun intended) between cash as profit(which you can use as dividends) and cash from sales(which you should not use until all expenses are settled).

So the witchcraft story is this; I hired my cousin John [not real name for obvious reasons] to work as the taxi’s first conductor. He according to the family rumour mill “bewitched” the taxi because:

*Day 1. The suspension broke.

*Day 3: The crank shaft developed further problems.

*Day 5. The differential was shaking again.

*Day 7: The taxi knocked someone crossing the road at Ndeeba.

In the 1 month that the taxi was in business, I made only Shs 7,000! Oh, I used that to bail out the driver at the police station. I am not one to consider the validity of the witchcraft story but that brings me to the taxi business and factors to consider if you are to invest in it.

First the CONS (of course)

1. Mechanics without ethics

There is a possibility that when I took the taxi for refurbishment, the mechanic to whom I entrusted the repair provided me with a pro-forma invoice for parts he didn’t install, obtained them second hand or third hand or even that he didn’t carry out all the necessary repairs. How could I verify that with no knowledge of the intricacies of a car, let alone a second hand taxi from Bungokho?

You can of course get round this issue by instead taking your Toyota Hiace (the predominant model used for taxi business in Uganda) to Toyota Uganda’s repair workshop. Don’t expect of course to pay Shs. 7,000 for repair. They use computerised diagnostics and their mechanics use a logging system to bill you by the hour. Oh and of course they use new and genuine parts so forget that used crank shaft your mechanic Kakooza will find you from Kisekka market. As per the Toyota Uganda website, you can expect to start paying for servicing for a Toyota Hiace Model from Shs. 183,900.

2. Difficulty of revenue verification

Unless you are driving the taxi yourself or install cameras just like the London Buses or National Express buses in the UK, it is virtually impossible to ascertain passenger numbers on any given route at any given time. I know many a business owner will circumvent the issue by not paying the driver/conductor wages an instead demanding a fixed daily/weekly sum say 6 days a week with Sunday being the “driver’s day”. The driver’s day being the day he doesn’t pay you as all revenue will go to wards earning their keep. This may work to an extent until the driver/conductor tells you:

“Mukama wange, Walk to work etuletedde bizibu” [My Lord, we were unable to make sufficient money today owing to the “Walk to work” demonstrations].

He then proceeds to hand you half the agreed fee. How do you verify that driver’s story?

Oh there will be numerous of those stories. Next time it will be that Uganda Taxi Operators and Drivers Association (UTODA) is fleecing them and they have fought back, then another day; Traffic Police “search and stop” operations have resulted in massive delays followed the next day by a strike by drivers. Of course you as their “Lord” cannot be inhumane and continue to demand the fixed sum can you?

Like I have hinted, if you are seriously considering investing in this sector, perhaps you can find a supplier for on board cameras. However for simplicity and line with the norm in Uganda, I will therefore propose that the potential investor stick to the common practice of agreeing with the driver a fixed “contractor” rate for a given route. I would however recommend that this rate be verified through corroborating with different drivers of the route the taxi will ply.

3. Starting capital and cost of financing

Owing to a vehicle being considered to be a key asset in Uganda,it is pretty common for this investment to be financed by a commercial bank loan or lease financing from companies such as DFCU Leasing Limited. In addition many car dealers are happy to provide loan financing. You can get a decent used taxi (complete with stripes and fixed seats) for about Shs 17m going by my research information from autotrader.ug.

Now the key issue in respect of cost of financing. Following the recent increase(November 2011) by Bank of Uganda of the Bank Rate to 29%, I can expect that the commercial banks will increase their lending rates to an average of 31%. The Bank rate is the rate at which commercial banks can borrow from the Central Bank as a lender of last resort. The significant cost of financing will as we shall see later on will have a significant impact on expected return on capital.

4. Long period over which to realise profitability and to recover your investment

I now set out my analysis of the estimated profitability for this business.

I have estimated that the investor is purchasing a taxi to ply any one of Kampala and its suburb routes. I am using the most common model which is the “contractor model”. The model being that the driver provides the investor with a fixed agreed daily sum for 5- 6 days a week with the 7th day for the driver/conductor to earn their keep.

In this model, the driver/conductor therefore incur all day to day expenses that is; fuel, daily and monthly UTODA fees, loading fees,KCC fees, stage fees et al. The owner will however incur costs of repairs and maintenance as well as insurance costs.

Summary of profit position:

Revenue per month: Shs 750,000 (estimated at Shs 30,000 per day for 25 days)

Repairs and maintenance per month: 183, 900 (estimated from Toyota Uganda workshop information)

Financing costs: 439,167. (estimated on interest rate of 31% on a 17m car. The rate is estimated on Nov 2011 Bank of Uganda Bank rate plus a 2% margin)

Insurance(3rd party): 4,167

Monthly net profit: 122,767

Annual profit(A): 1,473,200

Capital cost(1994 Toyota Hiace, used)(B): 17,000,000

Return on capital(B/A): 11.54 years!

As can be seen from the above analysis, forget your money in this sector. You can of course now at this stage if you like go visit the witch doctor who will perhaps use his spells so that customers prefer your taxi to all others and he will also magically my analysis above to give a return in perhaps 1 month. [Please note that the last statement is made in jest and I wouldn’t expect a serious investor to consider witchcraft for business success].

5. Saturation of the market and related moves.

There are too many taxis in Kampala or almost anywhere else in Uganda. It seems every where you turn there is a taxi and so I don’t even need to go into the details of this but it is certainly worth noting the trend for this sector. As there are too many taxis in Uganda, judging by several reports from UTODA, eventually the politics surrounding this industry will be played out and then the several government initiatives to try to de-congest the new and old taxi parks in down town Kampala; and instead move taxis to out of town satellite taxi parks like Ndeeba will become a reality. Alternatively we may finally see a move to commuter buses instead of taxis as promised by former Mayor Nasser “Seya” Sebagala.

And Now the PROS

1. Fair return on capital, assuming no financing.

The main advantage for this sector therefore is for the investor who is going to invest without incurring the cost of borrowing. I set out below the projected return on capital without the cost of financing:

Revenue per month: Shs 750,000 (estimated at Shs 30,000 per day for 25 days)

Monthly Repairs and maintenance: Shs 183, 900 (estimated from Toyota Uganda workshop information)

Insurance(3rd party): 4,167

Monthly net profit: 561,933

Annual profit: 6,743,200

Capital cost(1994 Toyota Hiace, used): 17,000,000

Return on capital: 2.52 years

As can be seen from above, the return on capital without cost of financing reduces to a 2.52 years from the onerous 11 years in the first analysis.

2. Security for further financing

Assuming you have not borrowed to purchase the taxi then a further advantage is that in Uganda, vehicles are preferred assets to use as collateral for borrowing owing to the fluidity of the used car market.

3. Alternative one off uses

The advantage of the taxi of course is that you can use it for one off uses like private charters or for example for private uses of advantage to the investor for example; taking the children to school, for funerals or; like me in Uganda who in 2005 mustered the courage to take the taxi on a test drive in the night by going to visit that “Mzungu” girl I wanted to impress.

I think John’s witchcraft was already at work because when I returned home from visiting the girl, I crashed into the neighbour’s wall as I tried to reverse the taxi so as to make the tight turn into the home gate. I insist it was the witchcraft at work and of course not the fact that I had no experience whatsoever in driving a long vehicle!

SUMMARISING AND THE FINAL WORD

First the numbers.

On the basis of my analysis:

*Capital investment(A): Shs 17,000,000

*Revenue per year: 9,000,000

*Profit per year (revenue excluding all expenses and interest) (B) is Shs 1,473,200

*Return on capital(years to get capital back) (A/B) is 11.54 years.

*If you however don’t incur the cost of financing then this return period is estimated at 2.54 years.

Now the basics you must get right before investing:

*Research on a fair contractor rate. As the preferred model in Uganda is to hire out your taxi to the driver/conductor, it is worth spending time speaking to various drivers and perhaps even UTODA to establish a fair price for your route and ensuring you get the agreed rate without any “mukama wange” stories.

*Consider cheaper financing options. Too often we ignore the advantage of pooling funds say from family members and friends. This can provide equity financing(interest free credit) rather than the crippling commercial bank loans.

*A decent and trustworthy mechanic is a must. Best of luck!

FINAL WORD

By principle I am wary of business models where you are unable to understand or verify the intricacies of the revenue recognition and can hardly verify the costs to establish efficiencies and so on that basis, for me this would be a “no-no” sector.

It however has the key advantage of simplicity of revenue stream and perhaps that is why this has resulted in the over investment in this sector including by [financially] illiterate people.

If you are therefore drawn to the simplicity of this type of investment plus the advantage that the vehicle is security for further borrowing then by all means invest in it and then all you have to ensure is that you do not hear tales from Kakooza of the “differential is shaking.”

A Review of Governance In Uganda: How Do We Move From Here?

Uganda’s political parties are important platforms for generating ideas from ordinary citizens and developing programs to mitigate them, through advocacy, legislative, legal, economic, and political means. They all matter in championing good governance in Uganda. However, for successful operations, exhibition of internal good governance practices is key. Leaders of political parties are servants of the members and citizens at large. Any shortfall in how best they have resolved to serve members and Ugandans implies collapse of the covenant that binds them with the people the look to serve. Of course, the consequences are severe and leaders of political parties pay heavily, either in a short run or long run.

The country has evolved to a level, where stakeholders in development take parallel paths, unwilling to compromise, and insensitive of the wishes of the people they lead.‎ This is not a new phenomena. The difference between the actions then and now are boldness and lack of remorse like gods of life, who control whatever consequences that comes with their actions.

The country has come a long way to where it is now. The country was found without strong control systems to guide leadership. The country was at stake, without direction‎, and a known future. At that time the country was experiencing the worst levels of economic and political crises in the history, largely self-propagated by elites of the day. This was a period of time stretching from Amin era (1971 to 1979), shortly after his fall (1979 to 1980), and in the early 1980s. From the same elites, more organised ones, enforcement of order and peace in a Uganda was done, which majority citizens yearned for, celebrate, took pride in, and worked hard to support for the country to prosper. The country has since 1986 been run on bases of ideological sanity, discipline of men and women in the forces, and elective offices, where citizens contest for the highest offices in the land, and elect leaders of their choice, only until concerns about increased foreign interests in governance distorted trust in countries own products of the struggle -democratic governance and rule of law. Otherwise, the country was liberated from lawlessness, political decay, and collapsed economy, to one of the fast developing economies it will in the region. This changed as priorities changed to invest in security more as ‘basis of good governance’ rather than in improving the quality of life of Ugandans as best measure of stability. However, looking back from where the country was in the 1980s to, moreso, around 2011, a lot of pride was felt by majority of Ugandans, appreciative of the instrumental leadership of the National Resistance Movement and Army. Even leaders across the political spectrum were proud and found a great foundation to build on towards a greater Uganda.

The National Resistance Movement leadership is undisputed at offering the most impacting leadership on country’s development since independence. However, time has come for us to reflect on ourselves as leaders and determine how much effort and influence on citizens we still having in terms of reducing inequalities, alleviating poverty, eliminating corruption, and saving collapsing business‎ of indigenous Ugandans, and recovering weak institutions of government. Also, we need to ask ourselves as leaders if, individually, there is any value added for our respective roles in the last 10 years, or if new values and leaders can be found to accelerate growth and development of the country. And, if not, what succession plan do we have in place for peaceful transition from less effective leaders to more visionary and results-centered one?

At the moment, we see a change of mandate from a pro-people to a cluster of groups of ‘governments’ that are constantly conflicting and stalling development programmes and service delivery, or simply determined to undermine central government’s efforts to operate effectively all-together. The atmosphere has not only hindered work and development, but given rise to worst forms of corruption in terms of nepotism, siphoning of public funds, and bribery to gain office or favour, yet these elements are almost unstoppable. The government of the day turns out to be toxic and an enemy of democracy. This means that political parties and alternative leadership will be no more in Uganda. As a consequence, this erodes same achievements Ugandans died for and labored to gain for over 40 years.
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Still, it is Ugandans with keys to save the country from the sharp downturn and pending destruction of the very beautiful country – Uganda. The future of the country is taking the path of its predecessors -Uganda Peoples’ Congress and Democratic Party, which at their peak, lost democratic values and took a crashing dive into the ground. This will potentially mark the demise of the ruling party, which its leaders are reluctant to see. Fortunately, the ball is still in hands of the same leaders, who sacrificed tens of thousands of lives to dethrone ideologically corrupt governments, have all resources at their disposal to ensure that the worst does not happen to the governing political party, our people, and achievements from the same mistakes of oldest political parties and their leaders. Every election should be able to each us one or two things, especially understanding the wishes of the people and humility in service.

The country must confront new challenges with new solutions and drivers of the change Ugandans want to see. We can not afford rely on old ideas and rhetoric that have proved worthless in the previous 2 decades. It is impossible and experience has showed this dilemma. We have to own up the dilemma and take responsibility over where we want our political parties and country to be. We cannot keep resisting good change, good proposals, and cries of Ugandans dying from preventable diseases, poverty, and starvation, simply because they painfully remind political parties and leaders about how miserably they failed. At the end of the day, it is the people of Uganda, who always suffer because of corruption, election violence, poverty, inequalities, and marginalisation. We need to reform our political parties, return them to members and reflect wishes of citizens, whose membership and vote justifies their existence. We need to identify mistakes and consistently replace actors responsible. Above all, we may have to reconsider the 10 point programme and implement it without deviation. It is still a solid programme, which does not require alterations and challenging to implement. It was well intentioned and purposed, born out of consensus between patriotic Ugandans. The historical challenges since independence were taken care of by the same document -the 10 point programme. Indeed, reconsidering implementation of same document is direct remedy of current socioeconomic and political issues the country is facing. It will reduce tensions within political parties and among Ugandans. We do not have to look any further than his document. The agenda that came after it have proved worthless to Ugandans.

Also, it is important that we look beyond ourselves when discussing matters of national concern. The cries of the ordinary citizens are what should concern us most. The greatest mistake today is the use personal interests to influence national policies instead of participatory democracy and civic roles and actions put together. If we continue taking a parallel line with the people, the citizens of this beautiful country, we risk throwing it into the undesirable past, where leadership and grievances are met by violence and deaths. Surely, this is not what we need to see happen, well-knowing what they mean to us as leaders and the people we claim to lead.

We need to ‎address urgently the greed and violent attitudes mong ourselves. This politics of elimination is unsustainable as much as the consequences to such barbaric tendencies. After all, the life of the human terminators of life too comes to an end, either through revenge or natural death.

Therefore, it is pertinent for leaders and political parties to open up to the inevitable change that keep knocking on our doors: changing greed and violent attitudes, restoration of the rule of law, responsive leadership, and work towards transparent elections and accountable leadership. It is the wish of all Ugandans that political parties and leaders offer the much-needed change that nearly 1 million people died in vain for, a pro-people leadership, an accountable leadership, a leadership by consensus, guided by a citizen’s constitution, and a leadership that protects rather than kill or steal from Ugandans.