Letter From Kireka: Retirement age should be scrapped

 

 

By Don Wanyama

In Summary

Wine may turn sweeter the older it gets, but Ugandans become wiser, which is why raising the retirement age of civil servants from the mandatory 60 years to 75 years should be a cause for celebration.

Ndugu Eddie Kwizera, I must salute you with both hands. Finally, something serious comes out of our Parliament. I was humbled reading that you are in the process of tabling a Bill which will raise the retirement age of civil servants from the mandatory 60 years to 75 years.

But before you could even put ink to paper—the usual suspects were at it—haranguing you, calling you names and even threatening you. I find these developments most unfortunate.

Who cannot see the logic in your proposal? In fact, this matter came up in our Kireka Bar last week and the views were as varied as the drunkards.

First was our waitress, Rusaniya. Her view was that Hon Kwizera was the best thing to have ever happened to us: “As someone who has served in this bar for ages, I know that Ugandans are like wine. They get better with age. For wine it is the older the sweeter, for Ugandans it is the older the wiser. And that exactly is Hon Kwizera’s argument. Why should we discard our civil servants simply because they are 60 when most are just beginning to enjoy their lives?”

Araali was quick to chip in. “I have heard that these amendments are targeted at helping the Chief Justice Benjamin Odoki stay on even after clocking 70 years. But what is problem? Just look at Justice Odoki, he is as fit as a fiddle. In fact, I struggled to notice any strand of gray hair on his head. Let us just let him continue the job.”

Masaba, the guy who gulps beer like he is eternally thirsty, then threw in his view: “But even if I were Odoki why would I not fight to retain that job? Imagine for the 12 years he was chief justice, he took home a paltry Shs5m a month. He once said that was money lawyers in private practice blew away in a single night of drinking. Then look at what happens—as he prepares to leave—the CJ’s salary is raised to Shs40m a month. Who would not want to stay?”

Hon Kwizera, as chairman of the drinking club, I thought it wise to get the matter back into proper focus. That is why I told the group: “Members, I think Hon Kwizera must be applauded. This Bill takes care of our senior citizens. Look, if people leave work at 60 years, they spend the rest of their lives chasing their pension which is gobbled by some chaps who are still below 30. Since we have bungled the retirement benefits scheme, let people work and earn until they drop.”

Next was Iculi’s chance to contribute. “And it is not just about pension. In fact, this proposal is more relevant in the light of politics. It is the truth universally acknowledged that Africans start politics at the age of 70. Now, if you ask someone to leave at 60 or 70, it is like asking someone to commit infanticide. Look at Robert Mugabe, the late Kamuzu Banda, Mwai Kibaki or even Senegal’s Abdoulaye Wade. This last one even hid his primary school report card just to try and ensure no one knew his exact age as he tried to change the constitutional clause on age and term limits.”

Iculi was not done. “But why should we subject these visionary leaders to unnecessary obstacles like age and term limits? Leadership is a blessing from above, we must be grateful that we have leaders willing to sacrifice their retirement just to serve us.”

When we seemed to have agreement, Musoga threw a spanner into the works. “Ok, so you all agree we do away with retirement age. You are the same people who argue that the country is getting younger, with close to 70 per cent of the population being 35 years and below. What happens to the youth eyeing jobs that the old should be vacating? Shall we not cause a jam?”

However, Rusaniya was quick to respond: “You know what causes jams. Many times it is the police who are trying to manage traffic and instead become a problem. They will hold one lane for long while ignoring others. But whenever drivers have been left to their own devices, somehow they manage.”

Hon Kwizera, unable to follow Rusaniya’s argument, I asked her to be less philosophical. “This is what I mean,” she said. “Let us not pretend to care about youths, unemployment blah blah the way the cops pretend to care about traffic. If we can’t build wide roads, fix public transport then let us not pretend about jams. Similarly, if we can’t plan our human resource, fix our curriculum then let’s stop worrying about unemployment. Like the drivers who operate best minus traffic cops, the youth and the old will somehow survive if left to their own devices.”

Most guys in the bar could not understand what Rusaniya had said but we all agreed that you Hon Kwizera deserve one of the medals we give out in Kireka.