Politics in Bundibugyo

Our district is not settled.  Health workers tell us daily that their salaries are not being paid.  They believe that top elected officials somehow stopped payment at the bank, in order to create chaos and discontent, a ripe situation for mass action against the central-government-appointed administrator who is investigating the finances of the district.  It does make sense in a Bundibugyo-logic sort of way.  If a locally elected official has been siphoning funds for years, and then someone comes with the authority from the central government to ask questions and put their nose into the records, what better way for the local politicians to protect themselves than to create mayhem and focus it on the investigator, trying to get him thrown out!  The man at the crux of the conflict is the main central-government appointed official who supported Dr. Jonah.  He may not be completely clean of corruption, but sentiment in the health system is that he is the lesser of the evils, and being persecuted by those locally-elected officials who are more corrupt.  On Monday mass protest was averted when the official who was threatened called in riot police with tear gas, and the agitators dispersed their meeting peacefully.  So life goes on.  But for those of us who have been praying for a shake-up of business-as-usual, for uncovering of corruption, for accountability, this may be the beginning of real change.  Jesus said, be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.  That sounds like good advice for living in Bundibugyo where we work with the serpent-hearted while trying to keep our own hearts dove-like.