Due to the continued increase in commodity prices, some political leaders have warned of
possible hoarding and other illegal economic practices that may plunge the country into crisis.
The observation was made by Alliance for National Transformation (ANT) leader Major General
Mugisha Muntu.
In the 1970s, a political crisis led to a dip in the economy, and subsequently high prices of
commodities. Hoarding, locally known as magendo, became the order of the day, as citizens
struggled to access the basic commodities, further plunging the country into a dark period.
Mugisha Muntu fears the country may be headed back to this as escalating prices for basic
goods drive citizens to do anything to survive.
“Everyone is worried because we seem to be heading back to those days of the 70s where
people used to wash clothes with paw paw leaves. If nothing is done and very quickly, then
there’s no guarantee that economic practices like hoarding won’t return as people look to fill this gap that has been created by the harsh economic environment,” Muntu said.
Some sections of the public have suggested emergency interventions that include temporary
tax exemptions and emergency relief aid as this may be a short term solution to the crisis.
“This problem has been created by the NRM. Every time we have an election, the national
reserves are raided to rent support and buy votes for the NRM. This is not the first time and
we’re therefore paying a price for having the wrong people leading this country,” Muntu added.
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