The symbolic ‘Pig’ and Uganda’s politics and economics

By Julius Mwesigye and Henry Mulindwa

The world over, the pig aka Sus Scrofa Domesticus elicits mixed
reactions. Indeed, ardent Christian followers of the Bible and
Muslims do not eat pork or any of its by-products. But while
this is a reality, there are those who enjoy ‘pig meat’ and would
take offence at anyone who deridingly refers to their delicacy,
for which they have coined several affectionate names among
them Mutambuza Ddembe, Enva, Mutabani wa Daudi,
Munaaba gookya and Tractor.

It was therefore not surprising that recently when President
Yoweri Museveni, whose loathe for the pig, (‘Swine’), is
legendary, drew a flurry of comments when he called the
criminals who killed social worker Maria Nagirinya, pigs.
Many took to social media with unfriendly banter, complaining
about the President who, over the years, has referred to his
adversaries including former Presidents Apollo Milton Obote
and Iddi Amin Dada, as swines. Interestingly, even before
Museveni, Amin used to refer to his political opponents as
‘pigs’, in the process making the Sus Scrofa Domesticus part of
Uganda’s politicking and political lingo.

In his satirical publication, Animal Farm, first published in
London in 1945, Irish author George Orwell portrayed the Sus
Scrofa Domesticus as a very clever animal, capable of
mobilizing other animals to effect change. To satirise the works

Orwell graphically depicted how the pigs: Old Major, Squealer,
Snowball and Napoleon planned the overthrow of Mr. Jones,
the owner of the Manor Farm, who they said had subjected all
the animals on the farm to suffering.

That said, despite the orgy of cunningness and shrewdness as
depicted by Orwell, the pig has over the years been revered by
many as a delicacy, while still many more have reared and
earned a living from selling pork and other by-products like
pork sausages.

Making the case for livelihood, in Mukono several impoverished
people living in Buteyongera Village might take long to ‘forgive’
the National Resistance Movement (NRM) government for
deporting Dutchman Kristian von Hornsleth who, in June 2006,
embarked on a project to give them pigs in exchange for them
to adopt his surname, ‘Hornsleth’. It is important to note
however, that despite the ‘340 Hornsleths’ saying they had
benefitted from the project, in October the government halted
the project’s operations, with then Ethics Minister Dr. James
Nsaba Buturo describing the Dutchman as a cultist bent on
lampooning the villagers for personal and selfish gain.
But despite Hornsleths ignoble intentions as noted by the
government and President Museveni’s deriding remarks about
pigs, there are several Ugandans who have seen the silver lining
in the Sus Scrofa Domisticus and used latched onto its
compenses to improve their income, among them the State
Minister for Works General Edward Katumba Wamala, who is

said to be minting billions through the exportation of pig
products to China.

Indeed, the pig is playing a surprising ‘role’ in Uganda’s
economy, with several politicians, among them Hajji Abdu
Nadduli, urging peasants to rear pigs as a source of income. In
fact Nadduli, a Muslim, who at the time was the Luwero LCV
Chairman shocked many of the faithful when he offered to give
out one piglet to every poor peasant family in the district in
exchange for them to bear many children. In effect, pigs in
Luwero and elsewhere were nicknamed ‘Aka Nadduli’.

Notably, due to the Pig’s ‘importance’ that also involves giving
birth to several piglets at ago, it was not surprising that the
government’s poverty alleviation programmes like National
Agricultural Advisory Services NAADS and later, the Operation
Wealth Creation (OWC), took to giving out pigs to the rural
peasants in a bid to improve their household incomes and
livelihood.

In almost similar fashion, a number of people are making a
killing opening up pork-selling and roasting joints, scattered in
every nook and cranny in the country.

In fact, on a ‘good’ day one will find some of our
Parliamentarians even driving to as far as Njeru to find their
favorite pork sticks, while elsewhere other human species of
‘lower status’ go to Wantoni (At Anthony’s in Mukono);
Namataala in Mbale; Nakibizzi along Kampala-Jinja Highway;
Mbizzi Nnya along Masaka Road and in Ntungamo ‘to eat this

animal’ which, at its time and space, has turned out to be the
sole unifier of the poor and the rich in Uganda!
Not surprising therefore, several pork joints all over Uganda are
strewn with lavishing names like ‘Pork Talk, Mujje Tulye
Embizzi, Kabagarame and Pork Generals, to name but a few.
Indeed, owing to the pigs’ popularity, Ugandans have for the
last couple of years been recognizing ‘Pork Day’, with the most
interesting gala baptized Pork Expo Africa, held between May
17-19 2018 at Namboole Stadium, and World Pork Day 2019
held last month at Hakuna Matata beach in Wakiso.

That said, the Sus Scrofa Domesticus continues to play a major
role on Uganda’s political scene. Indeed, just like Orwell
illustrated in his book where pigs plotted the overthrow the
‘government of the Manor Farm’, even here several politicians
are using the pig to fight their political battles.

For instance, during the 2016 parliamentary elections in
Ruhinda County, former journeyman-turned-serious contender
Capt (rtd) Donozio Kahonda, as is wont for a military man, did
not employ guns to dislodge NRM strongman Maj. Gen. (rtd)
Kahinda Otafiire from the constituency.

Instead the Captain, who was at the time also battling a raft of
charges, had to employ ‘the pigs prowess’ to outmaneuver Maj.
Gen. (rtd) Kahinda Otafiire, with the Captain distributing several
piglets to homesteads, ostensibly to improve on the family
incomes of the wanainchi in Ruhinda.

Then enter the Jobless Brotherhood, a group of anti-
government crusaders led by Norman Tumuhimbise who, at
different times have been throwing around piglets ostensibly to
demonstrate the ‘greed and corruption’ they claim has
characterized the NRM government. Most prominent, in their
unwavering quest, the Jobless Brotherhood threw the piglets at
the Parliament and at State House-Nakasero, to denigrate top
political glitterati.

Interestingly, the pig battles also made it into the sports arena,
with Uganda Cranes fans accusing former FUFA president Denis
Obua (RIP) of ‘spending more time eating pork ribs, hooves and
ears’ at Nicodemus Pork Joint in Nakulabye, than helping then
under-performing Cranes improve.

But the pig in Uganda has also ‘found another enemy’ in
culture; among the Bantu a pig cannot be listed among dowry
items!

It is, therefore, not surprising that President Museveni also
evokes the ‘power of the pig’ to stress his upsetting loathe, in
the process passing over his message to his political nemeses.

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