The Walk-to-work protest: From a poet’s perspective.

By: Silver M Kayondo

Very early in the morning, they set off to work on foot

Their 4 wheel drive air-conditioned vehicles left parked

For a noble cause; in protest of high fuel prices

Peacefully, courageously and calmly –they set off.

Tip, tap, tip tap, tip tap destined for their respective places of work

To struggle and make ends meet,

Provide daily bread for their families, share with loved ones; and

Identify with the common Ugandan who can’t afford his transport fair anymore

Who works so hard; day in-day out, Week in-week out, Month in-month out

But all he receives at the end is peanuts.

The Government takes the lion share of the peanuts in taxes and social security fund

The biggest whale in the sea takes his portion

To finance elections, purchase more military artillery

To consolidate its position as the biggest whale in the sea

Hardly had they reached their places of work when the police appeared

‘‘Stop. I have said stop. Where are you going? Today, walking is illegal.’’ The police commander shouted on top of his voice.

‘‘We are going to work.’’ They humbly and innocently answered.

Some of them dignitaries-very high profile people in the country

Members of Parliament, distinguished members of the noble learned profession, senior politicians

Their chief; a seasoned medical doctor and other respected professionals.

‘‘Why are you walking?’’ the police interrogated

One of them replied innocently, ‘‘we can’t afford the fuel. Prices are very high.’’

‘‘You are under arrest.’’ The senior police officer barked

The junior officers, with the index fingers tight on the triggers of AK 47 assault riffles

Ready to pull, spit venom and spill blood, came closer and ring fenced their catch

Brutally, in the most inhumane manner they mugged their catch

Bundled him on their police patrol pick up vehicle purchased with part of the catches’ taxes

Off they drove him to the police station

In the coolers of solitary confinement he was locked up

‘‘This is unconstitutional!’’ his respected learned advocate lamented

‘‘He is exercising his constitutional right. He was peaceful, unarmed and did not interfere with anybody.’’ He pleaded

On deaf ears the pleas fell

He was arraigned before court-a holy sanctuary. A temple of justice

And charges of inciting violence preferred against him

He vehemently denied the accusation by the state and was granted bail

He at last had partial freedom and was ready to go back home

Amidst sighs of relief and thunderous chants by his followers.

‘‘ Give us, us free. Give us, us free. Give us, us free. Give us, us free. Give us, us free.’’ Joseph Cinque (1813-1879), a West African who led a slave mutiny on the Cuban Amistad ship in 1839. It led to a celebrated trial in United States courts, which held that slaves escaping from illegal bondage should be treated as free men.

 

The writer is a Law student at Uganda Christian University, Mukono

 

© This is copyrighted material. Any violation will be pursued vigorously to the fullest extent of the Law at the violator’s detriment and embarrassment. Prior, express permission from the author must be sought before any use. For academic purposes, correct citation and acknowledgment must be indicated.

REASONS TO OPPOSE THE ATTACK ON LIBYA

REASONS TO OPPOSE THE ATTACK ON LIBYA
By: Silver Kayondo


– Humanitarianism is a pretext for action which actually seeks to establish a new Libyan government which shares western neoliberal economic ideology

– The attack on Libya is a military operation in support of the army of the Interim National Council in its civil war with the Libyan government

– The attack on Libya is motivated by Libya's resource wealth and the opportunities for
western corporations

– The attack on Libya is hypocritical in light of western support for other dictatorships and western state's own history of attacking civilian populations

– There been no concern expressed by western governments regarding the racist violence of the rebels towards the large black african population in Libya. Blacks are fleeing Libya in terror, in fear of attacks from rebels. As of 17th March, the International Organisation for Migration reports that 300,000 migrants have fled Libya with 13,000 stuck at the border.


The attack on Libya has been conducted under the pretext of humanitarian intervention to protect civilian populations but it is actually an intervention in a civil war in support of the rebel army. The Benghazi-based rebel Interim National Council is committed to a neoliberal agenda of economic reform, privatisation and opportunities for Western corporations.

UN resolution 1973 makes no mention of the rebel council but the use of the resolution to impose a onesided ceasefire is clearly supportive of the rebels. The rebels had no reason to abide by a ceasefire. The destruction of the Libyan government's military equipment, including ground vehicles, is also clearly of assistance to the rebels. Whilst the resolution forbids the use of an “occupying force” is does not prohibit the
use of ground troops, it is possible that ground troops, particularly special forces may be used to fight alongside a rebel army.

The UN resolution allows “all necessary measures”. Implementation of the resolution and decisions as to what is necessary is left in the hands of those carrying out military action. The resolution does not call for regime change but allows supporters of the resolution to pursue such an aim. Following the passing of the resolution, all the key supporters of the resolution spoke of the need for Gaddafi to go.

The bombardment of Libya is in stark contrast to the treatment of many other regimes, in the Middle East and elsewhere, who have attacked civilians in recent years. Considering the history of western powers in the region it is hard not to see motivations of economic self-interest and greed behind the veil of humanitarian concern. When humanitarian concern is so selectively directed it seems blatant hypocrisy.

Where was the enforced no-fly zone during Israel's brutal Operation Cast Lead? Where was the west's humanitatarian concern for civilians being bombarded from the air in Gaza in 2008-09, when hundreds of noncombatants were being killed by Israeli warplanes in furtherance of an illegal occupation?

Where is the enforced no-fly zone in Pakistan, where missile attacks from US drones have killed many hundreds of civilians?

Where is the humanitarian concern for civilians in Bahrain, where the dictatorial regime is allowed to violently repress the local uprising without condemnation and with the military aid of Saudi Arabia, another western armed dictatorship?

Humanitarian concern is a selective policy that is subordinate to issues of economic and strategic self-interest. The west has a long history of supporting dictators when it is in their interests to do so and then switching allegiance when they see a successor who they can better do business with. The Interim National Council is the successor to Gaddafi who the west can do business with.

This not about democracy or revolution. We will not hear the western leaders calling for democracy or revolution in other Arab states. The military coalition against the Libyan government includes the antidemocratic dictatorships of United Arab Emirates and Qatar.

This is about oil. The west fears a long drawn out conflict with Libya. They have no desire to impose an embargo on Libyan oil. An embargo would keep oil prices at a high level at a time when, particularly given the state of the global economy, this would have major adverse consequences.


THE WEST & THE INTERIM NATIONAL COUNCIL - PLOTTING BEFORE THE ATTACK...

4th March - The Independent newspaper reported that the UK were to send experts to give military advice to the opposition forces in Libya.1

5th March - The Interim National Council (INC) announced its official establishment in the city of Benghazi and declared itself “the only legitimate body representing the people of Libya and the Libyan state”.2

6th March - The international development minister Alan Duncan, a former oil trader, warned the price of crude oil could double due to the unrest in the Middle East. He said, "I've been saying in government for two months that if this does go wrong, £1.30 at the pump could look like a luxury. 200 dollars is on the cards if... anyone is reckless and foments unrest. It could be very serious. If crude oil doubles, you're going to have a serious spike (in petrol prices). Try living without it for a week."3

7th March - The Independent newspaper reported that Obama had requested Saudi Arabia to supply the rebel army with weapons.4 On the same day it was revealed that SAS soldiers and MI6 agents had been in Benghazi with the rebels. This came to light when the soldiers and secret agents flew from Benghazi to meet up with a MI6 field officer at a nearby farm. British Foreign Secretary William Hague said, “I can confirm that a small British diplomatic team has been in Benghazi. The team went to Libya to initiate contacts with the opposition”.5 A source from UK special forces told the Telegraph newspaper that the MI6 agents were carrying a personal letter from David Cameron to the rebels.6

10th March - France formally recognised the INC and said it would shortly be sending an embassy to Benghazi.7 Sarkozy's office said that France is keen to help the INC "politically”.8 The same day, a UK Foreign Office spokesman told Reuters “The interim council are valid interlocutors, with whom we wish to work closely. We've made it clear that Gaddafi must go now. We are working closely with international partners to achieve this.”9

Both Hillary Clinton, William Hague and other western government representatives also met and spoke with Mahmoud Jibril and other representatives from the INC in the days leading up to the attack on Libya.10 What was the purpose of the numerous meetings? Was it to plot a military attack with the aim of creating a new client state and protecting and expanding western economic interests in Libya?


WHO ARE THE INTERIM NATIONAL COUNCIL?

The INC consists of former government officials and members of the Libyan establishment who are colluding with the US, UK and France to achieve power. Members of the interim council include:
- Abdul Jalil, former justice minister
- Abdul Hafez Ghoga, former president of the Libyan Bar
- Ali Issawi, former ambassador to India and also former minister of economy, trade & investment
- General Abdul Fattah Younis Obaidi, the former interior minister
- Mahmoud Jibril, former chairman of the National Economic Development Board

Mahmoud Jibril has been acting as the INC's special envoy and has been negotiating with western leaders. A leaked US diplomatic cable dating from November 2009 reveals the American embassy view of Mahmoud Jibril as "a serious interlocutor who 'gets' the US perspective".

"He is also not shy about sharing his views of US foreign policy, for example, opining that the US spoiled a golden opportunity to capitalise on its 'soft power' (McDonald's, etc) after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1989 by putting 'boots on the ground' in the Middle East. As for opportunities for U.S. companies, Jibril said Libya was "opening widely and very fast" and that the world economic crisis had not hit Libya. He characterized the economy as being "in a liquid phase, and not yet solidified," with many opportunities for foreign companies willing to take the risk to come here. He recommended U.S. firms focus on strategic projects, i.e., ones that touch people's lives, such as education and healthcare. Libya would also need help managing facilities, such as airports. He contrasted Libya to the Gulf area, which he thought would remain unstable for the next ten years due to tensions with Iran. Libya, on the other hand, has a stable regime and is "virgin country" for investors.”11

The writer is a Law student at Uganda Christian University, a researcher, a social and political commentator influenced by Pan-Africanist thinking.

______________________
1 THE GUARDIAN, 4th March 2011,  http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/mar/04/libyan-opposition-leaders-advice

2 NATIONAL INTERIM COUNCIL, 5th March 2011,  http://ntclibya.org/english/about/

3 LONDON EVENING STANDARD, 4th March 2011,  http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23929117-petrol-prices-may-hit-pound-2-at-pumps.do

4 THE INDEPENDENT – America's secret plan to arm Libya's rebels, March 7th 2011,  http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/americas-secret-plan-to-arm-libyasrebels-2234227.html

5 THE GUARDIAN, 8th March 2011,  http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/mar/07/sas-mi6-released-libya-rebels

6 THE TELGRAPH, 8th March 2011,  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/libya/8367824/Libya-MI6-officer-seized-in-SAS-mission-fiasco-wascarrying-letter-signed-by-David-Cameron.html

7 BBC NEWS – Q&A: Libyan National Council,  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12699785

8 THE GUARDIAN , 10th March 2011,  http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/blog/2011/mar/10/libya-uprising-gaddafi-live

9 THE GUARDIAN, 10th March 2011,  http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/blog/2011/mar/10/libya-uprising-gaddafi-live

10 BBC NEWS, 15th March 2011,  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12741414

11 THE TELEGRAPH, 31st January 2011,  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/wikileaks-files/libya-wikileaks/8294558/HEAD-OF-LIBYAN-THINK-TANK-OUTLINES-HUMANDEVELOPMENT-STRATEGY.html

Are we heading for ''Republic Dynasties'' in Africa?

In the past 10 years, four sons have succeeded their fathers directly as presidents. For others, it hasn’t been easy, writes Mwaura Samora.

The political culture of dynasties is very much alive in Africa even where there are no kingdoms. In Uganda the opposition has claimed that President Museveni is grooming his eldest son Lieutenant Colonel Kaneirugaba Muhoozi, 36, to succeed him.

Museveni has already placed his presidential guard under the Special Forces, an elite army unit commanded by Colonel Muhoozi. The Special Forces is tasked with, among other duties, guarding the Lake Albert oil fields. In its ranks include commando, infantry, artillery and air force units.

“Already there has been an outcry from Ugandans about the president’s habit of putting his relatives in strategic positions,” opposition defense spokesman Hussein Kyanjo told Newswatch magazine. “What President Museveni has done confirms Ugandans’ worst fears. He is making the Ugandan presidency monarchical and is clearly anointing his son to succeed him”.

But Army spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Felix Kulayigye has defended Muhoozi by saying: “He has equal right like you and I and he didn’t chose to be born to a person who was later to become president of Uganda. He’s an individual Ugandan with rights, including contesting for the presidency if he wants”.

After the Presidential Brigade Guard was placed under his charge, the UK and US trained Lt. Col. Muhoozi is now said to have the sweeping powers of any commander-in-chief.

However this elevation did not come as a surprise since in recent years the Ugandan head of state seems to have developed a penchant for appointing his kinsmen to high office. The president’s stepbrother General Caleb Akandwanaho (Salim Saleh) is the senior presidential advisor on defense, brother-in-law Sam Kutesa is the foreign affairs minister, daughter tary to the president and the first lady’s nephew Justus Karuhanga is the president’s private secretary for legal affairs.

First Lady Janet Museveni is the minister for Karamoja region while her relative Hope Nyakairu is the finance under-secretary at Uganda’s State House.

Not alone
But President Museveni is not alone in the game. Although Swaziland, Lesotho and Morocco are the only de facto monarchies in Africa, the culture of dynastic political succession is breeding a class of “republican kingdoms”.

“Rulers prefer sons over alternative figures more inclined to hasten the succession through assassination or coup attempts. Concern about assassination by son is less in a hereditary successional arrangement than if the designated successor is a high ranking official of the existing regime,” writes Jason Brownlee, a political scientist.
Hereditary succession is common in autocratic regimes whose long-serving rulers have cultivated strong personality cults by eliminating rivals and hoarding power around themselves and a clique of elites. With no institutionalised power structures outside the leader, the state security machinery is used to whip the masses into accepting the preferred successor.

Africa has seen four sons of former heads of state ascend to power in the past 10 years, three of them inheriting leadership directly from their fathers. Ali Bongo of Gabon and Faure Gnassingbe of Togo succeeded their long serving fathers in bloody and hugely discredited elections.

In DRC, Joseph Kabila was appointed at the tender age of 28 by the military to replace his father who was assassinated in 2001. In Botswana President Ian Seretse Khama, son of the country’s founding father, came to power after the former head of state abdicated before the end of his term.

The street protests that toppled Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak are said to have been triggered by, among other things, the prospect of his three-decade rule being extended through his son Gamal.

The fact that Mubarak was grooming his son to succeed was so obvious that some quarters in the west and the donor community were already warming up to his presidency.

“To the IMF and the World Bank, a few European capitals and even certain sectors of Washington Gamal looks like the future of the Arab World,” wrote The Weekly Standard, an American opinion and analytical magazine.

But with 60 per cent of Egyptians living on less than $2 a day, Gamal’s economic wizardry was far from evident. Now a Mubarak presidency is history following a successful uprising.

Inspired by the fall of Mubarak at the hands of unarmed citizens, Libyans have risen against Col Muammar Gadaffi. Despite the dictator’s vow to crush the revolt and die “a martyr” in his home soil, protesters are in control of eastern regions of Libya.
Although not officially endorsed for several years, it has been rumoured that Gadaffi’s son Saif l-Islam is the strongman’s most preferred successor. When protests broke out two weeks ago, Saif came out strongly declaring the regime will “fight to the last bullet” to stop the uprising.

Appointed by his father to the highly visible role of negotiating with the West and heading a number of key organisations in Libya, the 39 year-old London School of Economics graduate is so influential in Libyan politics that analysts believe he played a critical role in persuading Gadaffi to abandon the ambitious nuclear weapons program in 2003.

Described by many in his homeland as confident, charismatic, outspoken but sometimes naïve, Saif is also known for tinkering with liberal political concepts alien to his father’s Jamahiriya system like creating a constitution, instituting political freedoms and free-market reforms. To defend his deviant philosophies, most of which have rattled the older generation of the ruling elite, Saif used to explain that he was he was merely expressing the hopes of ordinary Libyans.

However when a revolt broke out a fortnight ago, Saif’s democratic pretensions disappeared. He is now leading an onslaught against rebels in eastern Libya.
But with people driven revolution reportedly less than 100 kilometres from the capital Tripoli it’s very unlikely that the “King of Kings of Africa” will have the opportunity and time to impose the scion on Libyans.

In Senegal President Abdoulaye Wade has similar plans. His son, Karim, “already holds the Senegalese government’s most senior position, as what the Dakar press calls ‘Super-minister’ in charge of International Cooperation, Air Transport and Infrastructure. But on 4 October, he added yet another string to his bow by taking over the most strategically vital – and potentially most lucrative – portfolio to become Energy Minister,” writes Africa Confidential.

The Concept of Servant Leadership

Kayondo M Silver

Uganda Christian University Honours College

Bachelor of Laws and concurrent Diploma in Leadership 

Abstract

This paper seeks to discuss how adopting the concept of Servant Leadership would be beneficial to the Community at Uganda Christian University. Consideration of and comparison with other leadership styles like autocratic, democratic and laissez-faire will also be taken into account during the course of discussion.

Introduction

The phrase ‘‘servant leadership’’ was coined by Robert K Greenleaf[1] in ‘‘the servant leader’’, an essay he first published in 1970.[2]

Servant Leadership is a practical philosophy supporting people who serve first in their life and work and then, as a way of expanding that service to individuals and institutions, they choose to lead, whether in a formal position or not. In either capacity, they encourage collaboration, trust, foresight, listening, and the ethical use of power. Servant-leaders also have the courage to become the change they wish to see in the world.[3]It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead. This is sharply different from the person who is leader first, perhaps because of the need to assuage an unusual power drive or to acquire material possessions.[4]

Servant Leadership has also been defined as a lifelong journey that includes discovery of one’s self, a desire to serve others, and a commitment to lead.[5]

Since Greenleaf’s death in 1990, his propounded concept of servant leadership has gained increasing acceptance in the leadership and organizational literature as largely evident in Covey, 1994; Laub, 2003; Russell & Stone, 2002 and many other scholarly works.

However, it’s imperative for me to note that since we come into leadership with who we are, Servant-leadership begins with the desire to change oneself. Once that process has begun, it then becomes possible to practice servant-leadership at an institutional or community level because there are vivid examples of those who have grossly abused the whole concept of servant leadership due to various misconceptions they held about this leadership style. (Enroth, 1992; Farnsworth, 1998) Albeit this abuse, the chief aims of Servant Leadership are the desire to serve and developing the potential of followers.[6]

Leaders with different kinds of personality and temperament can acquire the servant leadership style but some personalities are more compatible with the Leadership style than others. For example, individuals who are very generous, compassionate, and interested in helping others are more likely to be attracted to Servant Leadership than those who are very authoritarian and egotistic.

The origin of this leadership style is secular, and has its roots from reading fictional work in 1958, but albeit this background, Greenleaf’s definition of leadership is the clearest statement of his belief that the needs of followers are holy and legitimate and the leaders’ use of power arises from the consent of the followers who willingly, and without any form of coercion or duress allow to be led by that leader they have vested the power and authority in towards  a well defined and given vision that the leader has for the community, institution or organization.

 This style is so relevant and held with very high esteem in many Christian circles and organizations (Millard, 1995; Winston, 2003). It’s a reflection of the style of Jesus Christ and has scripture back up. This is seen in Jesus’ teachings in Matthew 20:25-28 

25 Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 26 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”[7]

This was furthermore illustrated in John 13:3-17. As Jesus knelt to wash his disciples’ feet, he provided an indelible example for generations of leaders to follow. In order to lead, one must serve others.

The Characteristics Servant Leaders have been outlined by Larry Spears[8]and these include; Listening receptively, Acceptance of (and empathy with) others, Foresight and intuition, Awareness and perception, Highly-developed powers of persuasion, Ability to conceptualize and communicate concepts, A healing influence upon people and institutions, Ability to build a sense of community in the workplace, and Practice contemplation and Willingness to change.[9] These ten characteristics of servant-leadership are by no means exhaustive, but they serve to communicate the power and promise that this concept offers to those who are open to its invitation and challenge. Leadership experts and scholars such as Bolman and Covey have associated themselves and fully concurred with these characteristics as essential components of Servant Leadership. However, Servant Leadership may be considered as an outgrowth of participative leadership which advocates empowerment and involvement of many members of the organization, institution or community.[10]Servant Leadership also shares some of the same characteristics with transformational leadership. For example, Bass specifically points out that servant leadership is close to the transformational components of inspiration and individualized consideration.[11]Servant Leadership is also similar to steward leadership because both emphasize the need to replace self-interest with service to others as the basis for using power.[12] What sets servant leadership apart is that in addition to its service-oriented leadership style, it also practices situational leadership.[13]

The following are the benefits that would accrue from the adoption of the concept of servant leadership in leading to the community of Uganda Christian University. However, they are based on an assumption that the aforementioned leadership style is exhibited in its true sense/form and consistently practiced over a long period of time.

It would encourage the development of new leaders in the community. This is because the leaders would support and mentor their followers to assume the leadership positions. This would encourage the development of a new cadre of leaders who can offer good leadership to the community. This is not the case with some leadership styles like autocracy where the ‘‘leaders’’ control and exploit their followers. Servant-leaders believe that people have an intrinsic value beyond their tangible contributions as followers. As a result, the servant-leader is deeply committed to the growth of each and every individual within the institution or community. The servant leader recognizes the tremendous responsibility to do everything possible to nurture the growth of his/her followers.

Servant leadership would be a good control measure against corruption. There have been a number of corruption scandals especially in the students’ guild office. One notable point in case is where one Kenneth Mulemi, the former Minister of education was suspended by the University disciplinary committee and ordered to refund 2.6 million shillings he misappropriated while holding office.[14]Servant leadership encourages truthfulness and honesty, and matters of financial accountability are not exceptional. This would promote the reputation of the University Community and promote efficient use of resources.

Such a leadership style would facilitate the development of self-management in the community. This is attributed to the fact that both the leaders and followers know their role and what is expected of them in the discharge of their duties, and everyone would work diligently to fulfill their duties and responsibilities. Blanchard notes that Servant-leadership is all about making the goals clear and then rolling your sleeves up and doing whatever it takes to help people win. In that situation, they don't work for you, but as a leader, you work for them.[15]

Servant Leadership would encourage the development of a wide variety of skills and abilities in the Uganda Christian University Community. This is because the leadership style demands a lot of skills like excellent interpersonal skills, communication skills, and strong inner qualities so as to influence followers towards the leaders’ vision. This is not the case with other authoritarian leadership styles which promote barbaric and primitive ‘‘skills’’ like use of intimidation and force to attract recognition and loyalty from followers.

Servant Leadership would promote peace and harmony in the community since it encourages open, truthful, and honest communication between the leaders and the followers. University policies would easily be communicated and discussed while the followers give true feedback about the policies and the quality of service delivery. Due to the inefficiency in this aspect, the University has witnessed some demonstrations from the students’ fraternity. A notable example was on March 26^th2009 when students demonstrated against what they saw as an unfair tuition policy.[16]

It would provide a more fertile ground for the development of Uganda Christian University as an institution. This is because all the leaders and followers would put aside their personal and selfish agenda and pursue the common goal of developing the institution. This would be a positive development since both the leaders and the followers offer their best effort to realize this development. Larry Spears propounds that the servant-leader senses that much has been lost in recent human history as a result of the shift from local communities to large institutions as the primary shaper of human lives. This awareness causes the servant-leader to seek to identify some means for building community among those who work within a given institution. Servant-leadership suggests that true community can be created among those who work in businesses and other institutions.[17]

Servant leadership would build the self esteem and encourage individual growth of all the leaders and followers. As Blanchard notes, Servant leadership is easy for people with high self-esteem. Such people have no problem giving credit to others and have no problem listening to other people for ideas. They have no problem in building other people up and they don't feel other people's success threatens them in any way. . . . Servant leadership builds self-esteem and encourages Individual growth while obtaining the organization's objectives.[18]

Furthermore, Servant Leadership would promote humility in the community because the servant leaders would see themselves as servants and stewards and voluntarily humble them to serve others. Jesus tells us that, ‘‘the greatest among you will be your servant.  For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.’’[19] One of the greatest problems in our community is pride, and servant Leadership would be a good avenue to weed it out among both the leaders and the followers.

It would encourage empathy in the community since servant leaders are empathetic not only to their followers but also to the entire community at large. They understand the weaknesses and problems of their followers and community members and also empathize with them. This trait has sometimes not been exhibited in the Uganda Christian University community. For example, a first year Law student was told to leave the University premises because of an alleged fees balance of Shs 27,000.

In another case of a similar nature, two students from the Information Technology department were also told to leave the university after they were denied full registration for defaulting by balances of Shs 5,000 and Shs 20,000 respectively.[20]Clearly, on these two occasions, the University leaders were unfair to these students. The money in question was too little to warrant dead semesters for the students. Larry Spears once said that most successful servant-leaders are those who have become skilled empathetic listeners.

The adoption of servant leadership would help the Uganda Christian University community members put into practice what their religion (Christianity) professes. This leadership style is compatible with and complementary to Christian doctrines and dogmas of love, honesty, and truthfulness, among others. Since the majority of the people in the community are Christians, such a leadership style would create avenues for them to put their faith into practice through manifestation of love, care, and empathy to even those of low rank or those whom may have been labeled as ‘‘insignificant’’ members. This would be a powerful tool for spiritual growth and practical Christianity.

It would also encourage and promote the ethical standards in the community since servant leadership requires strict observance of the established ethical norms of society. This would promote the external image of the whole community. On some occasions, some members of the Uganda Christian University Community have expressed unethical conduct. For instance, one of the members of the teaching staff was exposed by one of the media houses for taking nude photographs.[21] This of course gives a bad example to the students and tarnishes the image of the entire community. Servant Leadership demands that Leader, followers, and all members of the community should hold themselves in a respectful manner.

However, much as Servant Leadership would to the greatest extent be the most appropriate leadership style at Uganda Christian University, it is also associated with some loopholes.

It involves high risks, because by adopting a humanistic and empowering approach, it may provide an opening for some unscrupulous, scheming, and ambitious individuals to exploit the situation for selfish gains. Once such people penetrate the system and acquire leadership positions, the entire community would feel the pinch of their unscrupulous dealings, and if they are not detected and weeded out in time, the institution may collapse tremendously.

It is difficult to implement Servant Leadership unless the senior management have undergone a personal transformation and are totally committed to Servant Leadership. As an old African adage says, a fish begins to rot from the head; the same can be said of leadership. Once the very top people are not committed to the cause of servant leadership, little or no impact would be made on the lower leaders, followers, and all members of the community and thus, the entire scheme would be a failure.

Servant Leadership is also hard to implement if the leaders are inexperienced and feeling insecure because they would fear to lose their positions to their junior followers and since Uganda Christian University is a young institution established in 1997, this would be detrimental to its growth and development.

By and large, the above would be the benefits of adopting the Servant Leadership style to the Uganda Christian University Community. As Kouzes and Posner point out, Leaders we admire do not place themselves at the center; they place others there. They do not seek the attention of people; they give it to others. They do not focus on satisfying their own aims and desires; they look for ways to respond to the needs and interests of their constituents. They are not self-centered; they concentrate on the constituent. Leaders serve a purpose and the people who have made it possible for them to lead. In serving a purpose, leaders strengthen credibility by demonstrating that they are not in it for themselves; instead, they have the interests of the institution, department, or team and its constituents at heart. Being a servant may not be what many leaders had in mind when they choose to take responsibility for the vision and direction of their organization or team, but serving others is the most glorious and rewarding of all leadership tasks.[22]

SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY

Bass, B. (2000). The future of leadership in learning organizations. Journal of Leadership Studies

Blanchard, K., & Hodges, P. (2003). The Servant Leader: Transforming your Heart, Hands & Habits. Nashville, Tennessee: J. Countryman.

Block, P. (1993). Stewardship: Choosing service over self-interest. San Francisco, CA Berrett-Koehler Publishers

Enroth, R. M. (1992). Churches that Abuse. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

Farling, M. L., Stone, A. G., & Winston, B. E. (1999). Servant leadership: Setting the stage for empirical research. Journal of Leadership Studies

Frick, Don M. (2004). Robert K. Greenleaf: A life of servant leadership. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler Publishers.

Greenleaf, R. K. (1977). Servant leadership: A Journey into the nature of legitimate power and Greatness. New York: Paulist Press

Greenleaf, R. K. (2002). Servant leadership: A journey into the nature of legitimate power and greatness (25th anniversary Ed.). New York: Paulist Press.

Greenleaf, R.K. (2003). The servant-leader within: a transformative path New York: Paulist Press.

James Kouzes and Barry Posner on Credibility: How Leaders Gain and Lose It, Why People Demand It.

Larry Spears; Practicing Servant Leadership

Internet sources

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Greenleaf

http://www.amca.com/sl/index.html

http://redpepper.co.ug/index.php/home/headlines/322-varsity-dons-nude-photos-leak.html

Newspapers

Weekly Observer 30th March 2009

The Standard; Uganda Christian University’s Community Newspaper 11th -05-2010

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[1] Robert K. Greenleaf (1904-1990) was the founder of the modern Servant leadership movement. He was born in Terre Haute, Indiana

[2] . According to his essay, Essentials of Servant Leadership, Greenleaf’s most important work, Servant Leadership (1977/2002), is subtitled A Journey into the Nature of Legitimate Power & Greatness.

[3] What do we mean by Servant Leadership? http://www.amca.com/sl/index.html

[4] Robert K Greenleaf; Supra, 2

[5]Centre for Servant Leadership at the Pastoral Institute in Georgia

[6] Supra 2

[7] New International Version

[8] Larry Spears served as the President and Chief Executive officer of the Robert K Greenleaf centre for Servant Leadership

[9] Larry Spears; Practicing Servant Leadership pg.3-6

[10] McMahon, J. T. (1976). Participative and power equalized organizational systems. Human relations, 29

[11]Bass, B. (2000). The future of leadership in learning organizations. Journal of Leadership Studies, pg 33

[12] Block, P. (1993). Stewardship: Choosing service over self-interest. San Francisco, CA: Berrett-Koehler Publishers.

[13] Blanchard, K., & Hodges, P. (2003). The Servant Leader: Transforming your Heart, Hands & Habits. Nashville, Tennessee: J. Countryman.

[14] The Standard; Uganda Christian University’s Community Newspaper 11th -05-2010

[15] Ken Blanchard: Servant Leadership, The Management Forum vol 4 number 3.

[16] Weekly Observer 30th March 2009

[17] He highlighted this as one of the characteristics of the servant leaders.

[18]  Ken Blanchard, Convene (February 1998) p75.

[19] Matthew 23:11-12 (New International Version)

[20] Supra, 16

[21] http://redpepper.co.ug/index.php/home/headlines/322-varsity-dons-nude-photos-leak.html

[22] James Kouzes and Barry Posner in Credibility: How Leaders Gain and Lose It, Why People Demand It.