By Brian Kwesiga
We believe that any
contentious issues should be presented fairly and accurately to UNAA’s
membership during the next Annual General Meeting so that a consensus
can be reached.
Anyone following recent media reports, activities and discussions
within the UNAA community would have cause to think that the
organization is in eminent danger of demise. However, this could not be
further from the truth.
The fact is that UNAA is undergoing yet another metamorphosis; the
kind that it has undergone many times before and will, as always, emerge
bigger, better and stronger.
UNAA’s membership remains solidly behind its elected and completely
functional Executive Committee, as evidenced by the record
registrations for the 26th Annual UNAA Convention at the Hyatt Regency
La Jolla Hotel, August 29th – August 31st 2014. We are outperforming the
previous three UNAA conventions in registrations, UNAA Memberships,
hotel bookings, etc.
Recent media reports purported to be from a section of UNAA’s Board
of Trustees are but pure political posturing in response to the
significant gains and advances UNAA’s new executive team have registered
and its continued commitment for a full audit of UNAA’s finances over
the last several 5 – 7 years as a start.
This is a typical growth symptom, a diverse and large Ugandan
association like UNAA will experience from time to time. In this case,
however, it is unfortunate because the content and spirit of the media
reports were devoid of the slightest ingredients of truth and appeared
to be attempts to conceal potentially fraudulent activity.
Over the past 14 years, several individuals and groups have
attempted to emulate the success of UNAA. Rival organizations have been
started and conventions hosted. But in each and every instance, UNAA
emerged bigger, stronger and better.
UNAA has experienced and survived 4 major potentially cataclysmic events in its 26-year existence.
1. In 2000, the then UNAA leadership took the annual UNAA
convention to Uganda. In so doing, the organization left a vacuum back
in North America which resulted in the formation of two new competing
organizations. All three organizations hosted conventions the following
year in different cities and the organizers of all three conventions
suffered significant financial losses. The future of UNAA lay in the
balance. A flurry of negotiations in the ensuing months saw a very
chaste, but once again united organization and there was only one
convention in 2002 – the UNAA Convention. However, there was a very
noticeable departure of some prominent members who never returned to the
organization
2. The process of organizing the 2006 UNAA convention in New
York was so contentious that the organizing committee literally split in
two and both groups proceeded to host separate competing functions in
the same city over the same weekend. Here also both groups suffered
significant financial losses and UNAA suffered the permanent departure
of yet another segment of its membership
3. A third disruption occurred following the 2009 convention
when yet another segment of members parted ways with UNAA and formed a
competing organization. However, as opposed to the first two splits, a
vastly overwhelming majority of UNAA members remained with the
organization and this support was reflected in a record-setting
attendance at the 2010 convention in Washington, DC. But here also,
some members left and never returned.
4. The fourth event was more insidious. Following the Denver
convention in 2011, a small but very determined group made a very bold
attempt to actually take over UNAA by exploiting some minor weaknesses
in the organization’s constitution and, for a while, publically
represented themselves as the UNAA leadership. While the effectiveness
of this plot failed, a few remnant members of this group still persist
to this day. The number of members who left in this instance was
negligible.
In all instances, UNAA overcame the challenges of the moment and
emerged bruised, but ultimately stronger. So, as has happened many times
before, this challenge too shall pass and UNAA will emerge bigger,
better and stronger - albeit with the now almost inevitable departure of
some of its “Old Guard.”
So what is the cause of this upheaval in UNAA? It is my opinion
that the principal cause is a significant change in the generational
demographics of the organization. From this can be traced various other
factors such as an inability to accept the results of last year’s
elections by some members of UNAA’s “Old Guard.” This group has since
mounted a campaign to drive out UNAA’s new leaders and retain their grip
on power over the organization.
We will highlight, as an example, the events that took place during
UNAA’s Annual General Meeting at the 2013 UNAA Convention in Dallas,
Texas. After significant debate and drama, the final measure to be voted
on was who would be allowed to participate in the general elections the
next day.
The final outcome saw one side almost exclusively peopled by
members of the “Old Guard” who supported one of their own and an
opposing side that was easily twice as large and peopled almost
exclusively by members of the “New Generation” who supported opposition
candidates. No one in that room could have been left in any doubt that a
quantum change in leadership was about to take place.
Sure enough, the next day UNAA members overwhelmingly voted in a
new Executive Committee comprised almost exclusively of members of the
“New Generation.”
So do we think this generational change is bad for UNAA?
Absolutely Not! Do we concur with the doomsayers who are predicting
that UNAA is in eminent danger of total destruction? Emphatically No!
What we do believe is that with the ever increasing number of young
professional Ugandans joining the organization, this change in
leadership was bound to happen at some point.
We are, however, greatly disappointed that in their quest to retain
control over the organization, some members of the “Old Guard” have
gone so far as to attempt to break away from UNAA and establish a
completely new organization with the grapevine awash that they will
attempt to host a competing function less than a mile from the planned
official UNAA convention venue.
We are particularly disappointed by the fact that many of the
leaders of this “rebel” faction are now engaged in the exact same
unethical attacks against which they defended UNAA in the past.
A cursory review of UNAA’s immediate history proves that such
experimentally endeavors will always suffer misfortune since they are
not inspired by principle or planned with the experienced and dedicated
professionals that align with UNAA.
The consequences are disastrous financial losses and I have the
duty to warn the general public against signing up for such experiments.
Meanwhile, UNAA is available, vibrant and open for business.
The leadership of UNAA is in very capable hands and its future is
bright. It is a testament to the maturity and competence of UNAA’s new
leaders that they have reached out to many past UNAA leaders and
supporters across all generations.
In so doing, they have gathered around them advisors and a support
structure comprised of individuals who have successfully defended the
organization against similar attacks in the past and helped grow the
organization over the years.
The question that is yet to be answered is whether or not the
generation that gave birth to UNAA and has shepherded it over the past
25 years, is prepared to reverse course, let go of the reigns of
leadership and both help usher in, and embrace a new generation of
leaders into the organization.
Brian M. Kwesiga is the President and CEO of UNAA (2013-2015)
Contributors: Eng. Nicholas K. Wakou, PE, Austin, Texas is the current Speaker of the UNAA Council
Eng. Moses R. Wilson, PE, Los Angeles, California is a
member of the UNAA Board of Trustees and a past president of UNAA
(2009-2011)
Ms. Rosette Serwanga, Boston, Massachusetts is also a
member of the UNAA Board of Trustees and also a past president of UNAA
(2003-2005)
Eng. David K. Mureeba, PE, Dallas, Texas was a member
of the 2010 UNAA Constitution Review Committee and UNAA’s very first
president (1990-1995)
Mr. Moses Ocen Nekyon, Boston, Massachusetts is a two-term past Vice President of UNAA705 087715 773 590 721
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