In contrast to Modern Economics, “Musevenomics” is a branch of other perplexing ancient rural and modern economics, all playing along and sometimes in contradiction to eachother.
Most Modern Economic theories as applied by modern Planners and developers are derived from studies of success and failures in places that the implementer may not have had the chance to experience in Africa.
For example, Mr John Wool, the New British Governor of Occupied Honolulu forcing a Native Population of American people to adopt a New Currency would be a different experience from trying to do the same thing to an African Traditional Society at the same point in time or even today.
This article is aimed at distorting the usual Common popular view of Development Economics as applied by modern scholars to African Societies so as to give way to free-minded critical thinking.
In his Oxford University Press book, “Factors affecting Industrial Employment” , a study of Ugandan experience 1954 to 1964 by Baryaruha, the total recorded employment in Uganda in 1964 was 224,894 out of a Total population of 7.3 million Ugandans. Earlier, Barya had asked a question, probing and even doubting that it was even possible, why Ugandans would produce more Human Beings well-knowing that their own Nation wouldn’t have the Capacity to Employ them. So the thought of what am going to say did not really appear in Barya’s mind then as it seemed ‘very stupid” to even imagine.
Just a few days before this census 2024 Figures are released, Uganda now has an estimated Population of 45 million, and indeed none of our Parents listened to AZARIAS BARYARUHA of the East African Institute of Social Research. Though most read his works.
Since Barya warned, Ugandans still continue to give birth faster than River Nile Rabbits but their own Planners in every successive government can’t seem to Keep Industrial Growth fertilizing itself at the same pace or faster than the rates of childbirths of Human beings (Labour, in Economics).
Barya’s Research figure of 224,894 formally employed Ugandans out of 7.3 million by 1964 represented 3% of the Population employed in formal sectors and public service. The rest,,,, Mukyalo. Village Economy.
Of those formally employed, 3,136 were Europeans, 9,385 Asian, 212,346 were Africans of which 57,724 were Non Ugandan Africans e.g From the East African bloc due to EAC common labor rules. The largest Employment sector was as usual, Agriculture, followed by Local Government and Construction, in the order.
Below is the breakdown of the Origin of Ugandan African Employees by Regions according to Baryaruha.
Buganda. 94,636
Eastern 49,347
Western 48,442
Northern. 19,921
Since you now have an idea of what most like to call the ‘glorious past” are. Let us compare a few factors of this story with the ‘bad today’. From the above Table, I guess you are wondering since when Eastern Uganda produced so much Skilled labour for Uganda and what it must be today. That is a topic for another day. Labour Moves along with times.
Then, as you can observe , over 97% of the population lived and worked on privately or communally owned rural farms; as Barya stated that the number of Ugandan in informal and semi skilled works was Negligible and not worth even reporting. See how Uganda has changed as the number of those seeking unskilled labour cannot even be absorbed today. Then, in 1964, you were either earning on your Farm as a Peasant subsistence Farmer or a Skilled Employee (defined as P.7 graduate and above).
The Main Problem in Barya’s book was how to attain enough Skilled labour e.g Graduates since his other worry was that Uganda’s Industry would grow faster than the ability of the Nation to graduate Skilled laborers. Now imagine. Today, Graduates are FULL in unskilled labour roles, and the Industries have Not in anyway grown faster than Uganda has Educated her labour force.
The issue could be that Barya underestimated an African’s capacity to Produce children and thrive even without even a Single Industry or Tarmac road or Electricity in place.
The problem of the 97% is what he forgot. That as long as Peace, Security and rural subsistence African Economics still exist, African people will always LIVE. The rest is history.
The usual argument that Only Modern industrial Complexes should be planned for and that the sociology of humans must be moulded to suit only such so-called modern trends of planning, human and societal growth and development, is as failed as an aborted wasp brood shell.
I have often wondered what makes Modern Planners like Baryaruha who is most likely the “tutor type” of today’s typical African development Leader, to think that a Rural Africa cannot be grown and Developed as-is.
Imagine even with a “stagnated everything” due to wars from 1964 to 1995, Ugandans just kept Producing children, feeding them and expanding, but without any meaningful industrial Growth or even any Change in Modern Economics, roads, health care, insurance, security, transport etc. Now tell me. Why are Humans these ‘poor and underprivileged’ not Collapsing in Numbers as Modern Economic theories Predict?
African Economists are therefore urged to consider more Research in African Subsistence Economics. We need to ascertain why it is “so Successful and sustainable” in maintaining Human Populations than Modern Economic Development models, even though it is the most criticized and utilized by Modern Planners to imply societal Retrogression, to be rural and proudly African of economy.
When you build a Mansion in your rural Village, many modern People will call you Backward, but is this really True economics?
African scholars need to begin thinking “out of the Box” most times when studying Socio-Political Economics therefore, as it’s apparent that at this point, very few of what Modern Planners planned or doomed for us Africans have come to pass, be it politically, socially, economically, biologically and even religiously and physically.
Today, much as Uganda’s rural surviving and thriving population is 68%, it represents an obscene Sharp increase in the Numbers of Rural Subsistence Ugandan Survivors. The remaining 32% of the 45 million (14.4m) are spread out allover several hundreds Industries, services, local and central government and even in Diaspora, but all retire to be BURIED in the Village, not Modern Cemeteries like true Modern People.
The Rural Subsistence Economic Population of Uganda however on the other hand has grown from 1964 to date, from about 7.1 million to 30.6 million happy, living, surviving, thriving, consuming, and Still Over -multiplying citizenry. They are forecasted (with of Without Economic Growth (DONGO LOBO) or Personal wealth growth (LONYO) as defined by ‘Modern’ Economists, to reach 100 million by 2050,,, with or without Money in their Pockets.
What the Successful Subsistence Economics!
But How!!??
Prof Makombo Jago Minyang
Global Socio-Political, And Economic Strategist-The ACUP and Asst RDC of Masindi.