by AUGUSTINE RUZINDANA
The phrase “To the victor belong the spoils of the enemy” was first used in 1832 by Senator William Learned Marcy of New York, in reference to the patronage system of President Andrew Jackson, when on assuming office on March 4, 1829, gave many jobs to his supporters as a reward for his victory. The emphasis on loyalty rather than competence would have a long-term negative effect on the efficiency and effectiveness of the federal government. It took the assassination of President James A. Garfield by a rejected office-seeker in 1881 to intensify calls for the end of the spoils system at the federal level leading to the passage of the Pendleton Act in 1883 which created a Civil Service Commission to evaluate job candidates on a merit basis. In the old days of war, the winning army looted the countryside and took wealth, women, slaves, agricultural products and animals, whatever was available. Those were the spoils of victory. In modern times, the winner of whatever contest gets whatever benefits go with the actual winning of the title, prize money, medal or office. However, in Uganda the concept of spoils or loot has not yet been abandoned. The relevant phrase “falling into things”, “lucrative post” capture the prevailing expectations of “spoils” when someone is appointed to a political or public service office. A post is lucrative if it offers opportunities for “fraud,” “bribery,” “embezzlement,” “eating” and “plunder,” i.e. spoils or loot.
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