Our president is indeed a man of solid vows…

Compiled by Stephen Twinoburyo

Our president is indeed a man of solid vows… and we are a vowed nation.

• New Ugandan Leader Vows to End Terror: “No regime has the right to kill any citizen of Uganda. No regime has got a right to beat a citizen of Uganda,” Museveni said. “As for the killing, this is absolutely out. You soldiers kill a citizen, we kill you. Any individual, any group or persons who threaten the security of our people should be smashed without mercy. The people should die only from natural causes beyond our control, but not from fellow human beings.” – Washington Post, 30 Jan 1986.

• Museveni vows to take coffee war to Nestle on Agoa’s backMuseveni said Uganda would take on Nestle by using the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa), which gives African exports duty-free access to the US market, to sell to US consumers. Asked later exactly how he would do that, Museveni said: “That is my secret.” – IOL (S.A.), 12 Jun 2002 [WEF].

• Museveni vows to end poverty – New Vision, 13 Jan 2006.

• Museveni Vows to Reduce Poverty: Poverty will be greatly reduced by the year 2015, President Yoweri Museveni has promised – New Vision, 25 Oct 2009.

• I will stop corruption, President promises – Daily Monitor, 26 Oct 2010.

• Museveni vows to fight corruption: “In the coming five years, corruption will stop. Don’t fear these local thieves (corrupt official and leaders). I will not tolerate anybody who doesn’t adhere to the laws. Anybody who is corrupt, we should fight,” said Museveni [after his swearing in] – Bulawayo24, 26 Feb 2011.

• Uganda’s Museveni vows to quash food price protests: Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni on Saturday warned he would not allow protests against food and fuel price rises led by opposition leader Kizza Besigye. – Reuters, 16 Apr 2011.

• Museveni vows to crush corruption. – New Vision, 19 Jan 2012.

• Museveni meets donors, vows on corruption – New Vision, 19 Nov 2012.

• Museveni vows to fight corruption in 2013 [New Year message] – New Vision, 01 Jan 2013.

• President Yoweri Museveni, who is on a poverty eradication drive in Luwero district, has vowed to make Luwero Triangle, a model zone where the rest of the country can learn modern commercial agriculture from. “I want to make Luwero distric a model zone in Uganda as far as creating wealth is concerned. I will establish a barracks in every Saza to ensure the implementation” – New Vision, 11 Jul 2013.

• Museveni vows to jail critics of army on Naads: Mr Museveni said the soldiers have a clean record as far as corruption is concerned, adding that he does not want to hear anybody associating them with it. “These soldiers know they have to be disciplined. I do not want to hear anybody saying they have taken bribes because those who do will be arrested and taken to prison,” he said. – Daily Monitor, 19 Nov 2014.

• Museveni vows to arrest errant politicians. – NBS, 19 Aug 2015.

• Uganda’s Museveni vows to pull out of “partisan” ICC. – Sudan Tribune, 14 Feb 2016.

• Museveni vows to crush protesters: Mr Museveni told those who want to protest his victory to do it in their homes or playgrounds but not on the streets, vowing that those who will fail to heed will be crashed. – Daily Monitor, 04 Apr 2016.

• Sixth term: Museveni lashes at ICC, vows to fight corruption – The Observer, 13 May 2016.

• President Museveni vows to lower electricity tariffs. The President emphasised that “this tariff is only for manufactures and maybe people in the hotel industry and not for preachers at night, Nsenene (grasshoppers) hunters and dancers in night clubs.” – ESI Africa, 17 Oct 2016.

• Museveni vows to limit freedoms on booze, gambling. He noted that it’s that freedom which Ugandans are enjoying that is luring Kenyans to flock the country to have a test of it…. “I think I need to revise some of these laws,” he said. The President said he feels sad to hear a cross section of Ugandans complaining that they lack freedom when Kenyans come to Uganda to enjoy it. – New Vision, 10 Dec 2016.

• President Museveni vows on corruption, “its an open war” – State House Uganda, 13 Apr 2017.

• Museveni vows to clean police – NBS, 02 Jun 2017.

• Museveni vows to make Uganda Airlines a success. – NBS, 04 Jun 2017.

• Museveni Vows to Fire Striking Doctors and Recruit New Ones. – ChimpReports, 16 Nov 2017.

• Museveni vows to jail rogue security chiefs. – Daily Monitor, 15 Feb 2018.

• Museveni vows to crack whip corruption – NTV, 16 Apr 2018.

• ‘Down with the pigs’: Museveni vows to eliminate assassins of Ugandan MP – Africa News, 11 Jun 2018.

• Museveni vows to crash criminals destabilising Uganda. For the first time in the last 500 years, Museveni said Uganda is now enjoying total peace within all its borders thanks to his National Resistance Movement government. – The Observer, 21 June 2018.
2018 – 500 = 1518.

It’s safe to say Uganda had last had peace in 1517.

If we assume Uganda got peace in 1986, then we subtract another 32 years and it would then even be safer to say the country had last had peace in 1485 AD. That was even before Vasco da Gama hit the Southern African shores.

• President Museveni has vowed to get rid of the current Electoral Commission which he accused of being corrupt, and said he will replace it with cadres of his ruling NRM party. “The Electoral Commission is full of rotten people,… I am going to get rid of them [EC]. Why should we suffer with corrupt election officials when NRM has got so much manpower?” – Daily Monitor, 28 Aug 2018.

• President Museveni has vowed to re-activate bush war tactics to deal with criminals and mafia in Uganda – PML Daily, 09 Sept 2018.

• Museveni vows to sack incompetent officials – NTV, 11 Sept 2018.

• Museveni vows to make Kampala a safe city within 9 months – KFM, 17 Sept 2018.

• Museveni vows to sack corrupt officials, again.. – NTV, 13 Dec 2018.

If he vows to himself to rule us for the rest of his life because we are good vowees, won’t we be grateful?

 

Our president is indeed a great philanthropist..

Compiled by Stephen Twinoburyo

Our president is indeed a great philanthropist that donates without bound.

Our president is indeed a great philanthropist that donates without bound.

Since the cheques featured in almost all these donations bear Bank of Uganda (BOU) headings (Central Bank for those who don’t know what Bank of Uganda is), are signed by two other people (presumably BOU officials) and are delivered by Pres Museveni physically or in his name, I’m mathematically trying to figure out whether Mr. Museveni is a sum, multiplier, divider or subtractor of the two variables – the people and BOU (the republic).

Topic Exercise:

1. Prove that,

Probability {(These Donations)n(Absence of Corruption/Misuse)} = 0.

i.e that the two events are mutually exclusive.

2. Taking X to represent accountability, solve:

(X/billions + billions) = billions

3. Seeing that several of the recipients receive the cheques while wearing the president’s party colours, determine the suction coefficient between the party and Bank of Uganda.

You may use the following to find your answers:

• President Yoweri Museveni has donated Shs 500 million to Old Taxi Park Taxi Operators Association. Museveni also donated Shs 100 million to the Nakasero Market Main Sacco and promised to give each small Sacco in the area Shs 10 million. – The Observer, 05 Oct 2018

• Museveni advises youth to develop saving culture, donates Shs260m – Daily Monnitor, 17 Nov 2018.

• President Museveni Donates Equipment to Youth: President Yoweri Museveni this afternoon launched a donation drive, giving out cash and equipment to select youth groups in Kampala and Wakiso district. – NBS, 13 Sept 2018.

• Museveni donates Shs100 million to Paimol Martyrs Shrine – Daily Monitor, 21 Oct 2018.

• President Yoweri Museveni has donated an assortment of 40 vehicles to different beneficiaries. The pledges included station wagons, buses, trucks, tippers, minibuses, saloon cars, single and double cabin pick ups and tractors – ChimpReports, 29 Aug 2018.

• Museveni donates Shs500m to Uganda Martyrs University – PML Daily, 10 Nov 2018.

• Museveni donates 200 million to St Henry’s collage – KFM, 12 Nov 2018.

• President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has donated a vehicle to the Seventh day Adventist (SDA) Archbishop – New Vision, 17 Sept 2017.

• President Yoweri Museveni has donated a new Pajero car to Bishop Leonard Sserwadda, a leader of the new South Buganda Diocese Pentecostal Church to enable him travel in his Diocese to fulfill evangelization work – SpyUganda,10 Dec 2018.

• President Museveni donates (Shs 20) millions as Moroto Catholics celebrate 50 years – Uganda Vanguard, 23 Aug 2018.

• H.E the president Of Uganda Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has donated 25 billion Uganda Shillings to the Walimu Sacco – The Cooperator, 07 July 2018.

• President Museveni Donates Cash And Equipment To Kkubiri Furniture Makers. The president donated donated common user machines worth Shs294 million to the group and Shs100 million for their SACCO operations. – NhillFilms, 25 July 2017.

• Museveni donates bus to SC-Villa at 40 celebrations – Eagle, 31 July 2015.

• President Yoweri Museveni has donated $300,000 to the ‘Meles Foundation’ which was established in honour of Ethiopia’s late Prime Minister, Meles Zenawi. The Foundation was officially launched at ceremony held at the African Union (AU) headquarters.. – Uganda Correspondent, 08 Apr 2013.

• President Museveni donates Shs20M to Pastor Mutebi of Entebbe Miracle Centre Church – The Campus Times, 12 Oct 2014.

• President Museveni donates ambulance to Semuto health Centre – KmaUpdates, Apr 2018.

• Uganda President Yoweri Museven has donated $200,000 (Sh440 million) for the victims of last week’s earthquake in Kagera Region. – The Citizen (Tz), 18 Sept 2016.

• President Museveni has donated $200,000 (about Shs600m) towards the construction of a school in Rwanda. According to a State House statement, President Museveni made a cash payment of $100,000 (about Shs300m) with the balance of $100,000 (about Shs300m) to be paid later – HelloUganda, 08 Mar 2018.

• Museveni donates Sh320m towards re-construction of 1961 cathedral (In Soroti) – Uganda Christian News, 03 Oct 2017.

• President Museveni donates 46 heifers to Zombo youth leaders – West Nile Web, 08 Jun 2018.

If he donates himself to rule us for the rest of his life because we are good donatees, won’t we be thankful?

 

Our president is indeed a great giver (or blesser as they say in S.A.)…

Compiled by Stephen Twinoburyo.

As you can see, a lot of the giving reported below happened this year. We have indeed be very blessed in 2018. If we were to include all the blessings of the other years, we wouldn’t have hands big enough to carry them.

• Museveni gives Kampala NRM youth Shs 2.5bn – The Observer, 09 Nov 2018.

• Museveni gives All Saints Shs500 million…. Mr Museveni while handing over Shs50m in cash said he had only come with the little amount because he did not know the magnitude of the work – Daily Monitor, 05 Nov 2018.

• Museveni gives Uganda Cranes $1 million AFCON qualification bonus – futaa.com, 22 Nov 2018.

• Museveni Gives Nine Landcruisers To Busoga King, Chiefs – The Ugandan, 09 Nov 2018.

• Museveni gives out shs100 million to Bobi Wine”s Kamwokya ghetto youths – Nile Post, 24 Sept 2018.

• President Museveni gives Nakaseke residents land titles – NTV, 16 Dec 2018.

• Museveni gives Shs2b to city traders, mall owners – All East Africa, 07 Oct 2018.

• Museveni gives Uganda Broadcasting Corporation (UBC) Shs20b – Igihe, 26 Nov 2016.

• Museveni Gives Egyptians Land to Start Electricity Distribution Company – Chimp Reports, 26 Jan 2018.

• Museveni gives (musician) Radio of Radio & Weasel 30 Million Shillings – Pulse Live, 31 Jan 2018.

• President Museveni Gives FUFA UGX 660M To Prepare Cranes For Game Against Ghana – Fufa.co.ug, 01 Oct 2016.

• President Museveni gives Kyebambe Girls School Shs 300m – The NRM National Chairman, 02 Dec 2018.

• Museveni gives Kipsiro house and sh20m (for winning gold at Commonwealth games) – Jamil Forums, 19 Oct 2010.

• Museveni Gives Out Heifers to All Youth Leaders – Kampala Post, 02 Feb 2018.

• Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni handed over a plain white sack containing a personal cash donation of 250 million shillings ($100,000) to a local youth group. The donation (which also included a truck and 15 motorbikes for good measure) was broadcast on national television – qz.com, 23 Apr 2013 (feature photo).

• Museveni gives out sacks of cash: Just over two weeks ago, while touring eastern Uganda, President Museveni donated approximately $100,000 to the youth of Busoga region. That adds up to 250 million Uganda shillings – The East African, 04 May 2013.

• Museveni Gives Shs 200m Cheque To Market Vendors – Journalism@mak, 31 Aug 2016

• Museveni Gives Shs 360 Million To Church That Kept His ‘Date Of Baptism’ Records: Museveni praised the church for keeping records, which even hospital of birth did not have – The Tower Post, 08 Aug 2017.

• Museveni gives 300 land titles to Nakaseke tenants, warns judiciary, police, RDCs and other public officials over land – UBC, 18 Dec 2018.

• Museveni gives Shs 500 million to Sseninde Foundation at graduation – UBC, 15 Dec 2018.

• Museveni gives Shs500m to Archbishop Lwanga’s Sacco – Daily Monitor, 18 Apr 2018

• President Museveni has for the second time extended the lifespan of Justice Catherine Bamugemereire-led land probe, and directed Finance Ministry to give the commission an extra Shs7.8 billion to complete business – Daily Monitor, 26 Apr 2018.

• Museveni donates Shs5 billion to 110 groups in Rukungiri – Daily Monitor, 16 Apr 2018.

• President Yoweri Museveni has given permission to the health ministry to purchase diagnostic medical equipment worth €49m, from Philips Africa (Pty) Ltd, a Dutch company based in Johannesburg – New Vision, 09 Sept 2017.

• President Yoweri Museveni has given sh10m to the parents of the late Edson Nasasira Kakuru who died on Wednesday when the Police was dispersing an FDC gathering in Rukungiri at Rukungiri main stadium – New Vision, 20 Oct 2017.

• Museveni Dishes Out 400m to Mityana Dioceses, Urges Christians’ to Emulate Jesus – SpyReports, 27 Oct 2018.

• [While meeting Kampala traders and taxi operators] He [Museveni] admitted he had ‘deserted’ his supporters in Kampala for the last 20 years after they elected mayors belonging to the Opposition political parties… The President, however apologised for abandoning them for that long and promised to pay back for the lost time by contributing to improving their household incomes. The President moved with his finance minister, Matia Kasaija, who excited the traders whenever he was introduced, calling him the ‘money bag’….he assured them that since he is still alive, they should count their financial problems sorted. – New Vision, 06 Oct 2018.

If he gives himself to rule us for the rest of his life because we are wonderful receivers, won’t we be grateful?

 

Our president is indeed hard-working… to create order.

Compiled by Stephen Twinoburyo.

• Museveni orders Uganda traffic police off highways (and orders a new unit based in State House to handle the matter) – Daily Nation, 16 Dec 2018.

• Museveni orders officials to buy locally made products (and threatens to sack govt officials caught importing locally manufactured products) – Daily Monitor, 02 Nov 2018.

• President Yoweri Museveni has ordered the army to protect Chinese companies – BBC, 15 Nov 2018

• President Yoweri Museveni has ordered all illegal gold miners from the neigbouring countries like Congo and Tanzania to leave the gold mines in Mubende district and return to their countries – The New Vision, 17 Nov 2018

• Only employ scientists for planning jobs, Uganda’s Museveni orders (govt ministries) – The East African, 12 Sept 2018. ~ [I’m now hopeful for a job]

• Museveni directs Uganda tax agency to monitor all calls, money transactions (so as to properly tax telecomms companies) – Business Daily, 28 Nov 2018.

• Museveni Orders Army Snipers to Guard Ugandan MPs – The Monitor, 12 Jul 2018

• President Museveni orders boda bodas and cyclists off the new Jinja bridge – Galaxy FM, 18 Oct 2018.

• President Museveni orders Auditor General to investigate Kutesa – NTV, 11 Dec 2018.

• Museveni Orders Appointment of Bigirimana on (electricity power utility) Umeme Board – Chimp Reports, 10 Oct 2018.

• President Museveni orders diversion of road funds to help hunger victims – Daily Monitor, 12 Dec 2016.

• President Museveni orders Makerere university to suspend 10% fees increment policy – CampusMagUg, 23 Aug 2014.

• President Museveni orders indefinite closure of Makerere University – Journalism@mak, 02 Nov 2016.

• President Museveni Orders for Payment of Arrears of Striking Public Universities’ Staff -NBS, 17 Aug 2016.

• Museveni orders refund of mobile money ‘error’ tax – The Observer,13 Jul 2018.

• President Museveni orders security officers to shoot suspicious boda boda riders following them – Capital Radio, 20 Mar 2017.

• President Museveni orders Electronic Tracking devices for all boats on Lake Victoria – Region Week, 26 Nov 2018.

• President Yoweri Museveni has ordered the sacking of a ministry of health official over alleged bribery – KFM, 22 Aug 2014.

• Museveni orders sacking of URA staff over Shs4b tax row (The officials of the tax collection body reportedly blocked a Chinese investor from bringing equipment into the country over non-payment of taxes) – Daily Monitor, 22 Aug 2018.

• Museveni orders (police chief) Kayihura to fire police ICT director – Sunday Monitor, 18 Feb 2018.

• Museveni orders Justice Bamugemereire to investigate Wakiso land – NTV, 16 Oct 2018.

• Museveni ordered all government ministries and agencies to henceforth procure all their internet services from Uganda Telecom (UTL) – The Observer, 29 Jan 2018.

• President Museveni Orders AUC Mining Company to Relinquish 30 Percent of Mubende Gold Mines to Asms (Artisan miners) – AllAfrica.com, 05 Jun 2018.

• Museveni halts Lwera evictions, orders cancellation of titles – New Vision, 08 Oct 2018.

• Museveni orders for new salary scale for public officers – New Vision, 20 July 2017.

• President Museveni has ordered the police chief to withdraw the Field Force Unit from Kampala Metropolitan Police (KMP) area and instead deploy the General Duties Department – Daily Monitor, 14 Sept 2016.

• President Museveni has ordered the removal of royalties on gold in order to limit the amount of gold that is smuggled through Uganda unprocessed – Daily Monitor, 22 Feb 2017.

• President Yoweri Museveni has ordered the Minister of Energy and Mineral Development Irene Muloni to immediately suspend three top engineers – New Vision, 18 Dec 2018.

If he orders himself to rule us for the rest of his life because we are unrulable by any other person, will we blame him?

 

LA, the Jozi of California

By Stephen Twinoburyo

Having lived in Johannesburg (Jozi as we call it) for many years and now finding myself in Los Angeles (LA), both large cities in their regions, I cannot help but draw parallels between the two.

Both cities have got large black African and foreign national populations. For Jozi, the foreigners come mainy from the rest of Africa through South Africa’s northern border while for LA they come mainly from the South American countries through the US’s southern border. In California, Spanish is the second language to English, being found on major official documentations and signage in leading stores next to English. I’m told chances of getting a job in California are enhanced if one is able to speak both languages the same way it used to be with English and Afrikaans in South Africa.

Next similarity – fear of crime in both cities. I have been advised by a number of people not to venture into LA on my own. The dangers one is warned of in LA are similar to those we used to hear of in Joburg. I have encountered people who live just outside the city and never want to venture into the city just like there are people in Sandton or Midrand that would never wish to step in Jozi. I have been told there are guys in LA that can shoot for no reason and that I could be attacked for being in the wrong place, being in the right place at the wrong time, saying the wrong thing, saying the right thing to the wrong people, being different or even wearing a different colour. This is how Joburg used to be and though some of those things still remain, it has greatly changed. Outside LA, one usually gets the impression that the city is a no-go area and with my Jozi backround, I know very well what this means.

When one visits LA, there is that inner feeling that one may see a film star just like people come to South Africa and ask where Mandela is. The truth of the matter is that LA is so vast, everybody minds their own business and super stars are seen by people who move around their circles. Similarly, people in Jozi hear of Mandela the same way people in LA or London do.

As for infrastructure – roads, highways, shopping malls, shops, suburbs, airports e.t.c, it’s the same in both cities except that they tend to be so big in LA due to its size. Motorists drive on the left in South Africa and on the right in California, something I am with much difficulty getting used to, but the rules are pretty much the same – with one notable distinction, one can turn right at a red traffic light in California (and I guess the rest of US) if it’s safe to do so. Also people respect traffic rules to the dot because traffic fines are given without mercy and are unflatteringly steep.

The other area one would be concerned about in a city is service. When one is being given a service in LA, they are attended to more than they are in Jozi and service is given with more courtesy. One enjoys the service they are given. Public transport is almost equally poor in both cities and is despised as much in LA as it is in Jozi. London is miles ahead of both cities in terms of public transport and the help one would get in moving around the city. If one asks how to get around in Jozi, he will be directed – but in the wrong direction. In LA, the most likely answer will be ‘I dunno’, with a shrug of the shoulders. In both cities, people know very little beyond their areas of operation.

People around LA will advise you to go to places like San Diego, San Francisco and of course Vegas but never LA. Las Vegas….. everybody asks ” you haven’ been to Vegas…? Meeeen…. you gotta go to Vegas!” Indeed I will, and that will be my story for another day.

As somebody who hasn’t watched many movies in my life, I’m struggling to understand the accent of especially African Americans due to the speed of the words. While being dropped at a shopping mall this morning, I was told by the friend who dropped me that the area is called ‘Sanita’. It’s when I looked at the signage later that I realised it is Santa Anita. Right now as I’m writing this story, I’m at Sanita.

 

This article also appears on: https://issuu.com/expatriate/docs/tap_final_sp

 

 

 

 

 

Lessons for Uganda from South Africa’s Defiance Campaign

By Stephen Twinoburyo

The post-1948 period in South Africa saw the African National Congress (ANC) abandoning its traditional reliance on tactics of moderation such as petitions and representations. The 1950 -1952 period in particular saw the reshaping of opposition to apartheid and culminated in the Defiance Campaign, the largest scale non-violent resistance ever seen in South Africa and the first campaign pursued jointly by all racial groups under the leadership of the ANC and the South African Indian Congress (SAIC).

On 6 April 1952 while white South Africans celebrated the arrival of Jan van Riebeeck at the Cape in 1652, Africans and Indians boycotted the day and instead held rallies in major cities under the theme “A National Day of Pledge and Prayer”.

Sunday 22 June 1952, a “Day of the Volunteers” was held and Volunteers signed the following pledge:

“I, the undersigned, Volunteer of the National Volunteer Corps, do hereby solemnly pledge and bind myself to serve my country and my people in accordance with the directives of the National Volunteer Corps and to participate fully and without reservations to the best of my ability in the Campaign for the Defiance of Unjust Laws. I shall obey the orders of my leader under whom I shall be placed and strictly abide by the rules and regulations of the National Volunteer Corps framed from time to time. It shall be my duty to keep myself physically, mentally and morally fit.”

On 26 June 1952, the Defiance Campaign was officially launched where the first group of volunteers, including Nelson Mandela and Walter Sisulu, defied apartheid laws in Johannesburg and other major city centres. During the campaign more than 8 500 people went to jail for defying apartheid laws and regulations. The resultant repression by the apartheid government only contributed to building momentum for the campaign as more and more resisters joined the struggle. The Campaign generated a mass upsurge for freedom and the ANC’s membership rose by tens of thousands. Nelson Mandela, President of the ANC Youth League, was appointed Volunteer-in-Chief of the Campaign.

It was during the Campaign that the late Chief Albert Luthuli was deposed from the chieftancy to which he had been elected, for refusing to obey the orders of the regime to dissociate from the ANC. He was elected President-General of the ANC in December 1952 and earned the respect of world opinion for his steadfast resistance to apartheid until his mysterious death in 1967

The Campaign led to the foundation of the Defence and Aid Fund for South Africa by the late Reverend Canon John Collins in London and the American Committee on Africa by the Reverend George Houser in New York, initiating the international solidarity movement with the South African struggle.

The Defiance Campaign and the subsequent bus boycotts and other acts of non-violent resistance in South Africa were an inspiration to the black people in the United States in launching the Civil Rights Movement under the leadership of the late Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr.

Although the campaign did not immediately overturn apartheid laws, it was successful in making the United Nations recognise that the South African racial policy was an international issue, saw the movement of the ANC from moderation to militancy, demonstrated the potential power of African leadership, organisational skills and discipline, and marked the beginning of non-racial co-operation in the resistance to apartheid. As the apartheid regime cracked down on the Defiance Campaign, its brutal nature became more noticeable to the rest of the world. This Defiance Campaign planted seeds that bore the fruits of freedom in the later years.

A major tactic employed by the resisters was choosing to be imprisoned, rather than paying a fine, after arrests. This allowed demonstrators to burden the government economically, while giving them a theater to voice their opinions on apartheid when they were tried in court.

Seeing what is happening in Uganda, more especially the manner in which the 2016 presidential election was conducted – described by EU and Commonwealth observers as falling below key democratic benchmarks, I think it is high time that Ugandans took a leaf from South Africa’s struggle history and in particular the methods applied to help the country to freedom. During President Obama’s last State of the Union address, he rightly said that America cannot put out all the world’s fires wherever they flare up – and definitely cannot physically uproot every dictator in the world. We should realise that much as America will issue statements expressing “grave concern” at human rights violations, they can only support local people who are advancing freedoms of their nations on their own and America should not be expected to do the job them.

Protesters burning Museveni’s posters in Kampala

After every election, Ugandans will lament, a few will be shot, opposition leaders will be arrested but eventually life will go back to normal with the hope that things will change after 5 years but it’s an illusion that such will ever happen. Instead repression at the hands of Museveni’s government increases. The bottom line is that Ugandans will have to rise up and take the destiny of their country in their own hands.

 

Much of the information in this article was derived by the author from:

• South African History Online: http://www.sahistory.org.za
• African National Congress: www.anc.org
• Global Non-Violent Action Database: http://nvdatabase.swarthmore.edu

 

Can Uganda’s 2016 Elections Produce a Legitimate Outcome?

By Stephen Twinoburyo

At the time Museveni changed the constitution, he had so much credibility and was highly respected both within and outside the country.

Him and the country had so much to lose and many people (including Mandela) begged him not to change the constitution. After the constitution was amended, I told people that if Museveni was willing to sacrifice all that to meet his personal ends, nothing else was going to convince him to leave presidency. Uganda has never been the same and 20 years on, we are still stuck in the same mired gutter.

We have been going through the motions of elections, often with torture, terror, blood and questionable results, to legitimise his incumbency. Ugandans need to accept that elections under the current leadership will never reflect the will of the people. From where I stand, the 2016 elections and the conduct of the electoral commission, the president, the military heads, the police boss and any NRM zealot that holds any office of some sort, make the 1980 elections look too good.

Below is an amazing statement by the Chairman of the Electoral Commission about the main opposition leader. How will such a man act impartially towards the candidate?

There is a big difference between winning an election and being declared the winner. Sadly in Uganda, the declaration is everything.

From the results already declared, at a polling station in Museveni’s home area, he is reported to have got 760 votes, his main rival, Kiiza Besigye, got 2 votes and all the other candidates got nothing. It’s interesting however to note that the number of votes cast reportedly exceeds the names on the voters, register by 325. Maybe this gives meaning to the joke that always makes rounds after every presidential election that in that area, even cows vote.

Another bizzare thing is that in the Kampala and Wakiso area, where the electoral commission is headquartered, almost all the polling stations opened late and it took more than 8 hours for voting material to get to some polling stations. Is it a coincidence that this densely populated area happens to be the opposition stronghold?

We are of course being asked to respect and accept the result that will finally be announced by the Electoral Commission chair. That’s indeed a big ask considering what’s been happening. Listening to results is one thing. But respecting and accepting them is another. If the 1980 elections could not be accepted, I wonder how much more these should. If I stand out to say I don’t accept and respect the outcome of an electoral process out of the way it has been managed, I’m at liberty to say so.

Elections have become the best gift to have come into the hands of African dictators. They give legitimacy to their repressive and corrupt regimes, and endlessly keep them in power.

If Ugandans rejected the 1980 outcome, they can still reject this one if they believe it does not represent their will. It doesn’t mean they have to go to the bush like Museveni did or act violently but they can still reject an outcome that does not represent them. I am ready to be counted among those who stand and will stand against any unfairness and injustice of the electoral process.

 

We prefer being in the dam, not the swimming pool

By Stephen Twinoburyo

When a frog lives in a bucket and it’s thrown into a swimming pool, it’s easy to convince it that it’s living the best life ever and should forever be grateful.

If it finds other frogs, it’ll be difficult to convince them that they can actually live better in their natural dam nearby but the proprietor is keeping them in the pool so as to harvest fish in the dam – and show other animals that these frogs are living a superb life.

When by a matter of chance, I started looking at Ugandan stats recently, I was horrified to find that much as we have moved from a bucket to a pool, we are doing badly – even in the region.

The graphs below show the number of people living below $1.25 as well as the poverty gap at $1.25.

The trend shows a worsening situation – i.e more people living under $1,25 while the rate of reduction of the poverty gap has almost come to a stop.

It appears as if Ugandans have been lied to in various ways and we’ve swallowed everything that has been thrown at us. For instance, along we’ve been told that Universal Primary Education (UPE) was the creation of NRM. This is however a UN project across many countries and Uganda has not managed its part well. UPE is the second goal of the UN Millennium Development Goals that was aimed at “ensuring that by 2015, children everywhere, boys and girls alike would be able to complete a full course of primary schooling. Of course this target has been missed. According to the Global Competitiveness Report of 2015-16, out of 140 countries, we are number 88 in the primary education enrolment rate and number 113 in the quality of our primary education.

The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) estimated that 68% of children in Uganda who enrol in primary school are likely to drop out before finishing the prescribed seven years. Last year it was reported that since 1997, the government had not revised the amount of money it paid to educate a child annually, which stood at 7,560 shillings. A 2012 study found that in primary seven, two out of 10 pupils could not read a primary two-level story. This is compounded by the low salaries paid to teachers.

In 2007, Uganda became the first country in sub-Saharan Africa to introduce universal secondary education (USE), a very commendable step. At the time, a UN report said Africa had the worst secondary school enrolment rates in the world. Only 34% of secondary school-age children were enrolled in class.

It’s the management of USE that has been our problem.

According to the 2014-15 Global Competitiveness report, our secondary school enrolment rate stood at 27.6% putting us at number 138 out of 144 countries and at number 132 out of 144 in the quality of education.

A year later, the 2015-16 Global Competitiveness report put our secondary school enrolment rate at 26.9%, showing a drop to 138 out of 140 countries (only Mozambique and Chad were worse than us), while the quality of education dropped to 133. Note: Note: only 133 countries were recorded in this section and we were last. On a scale of 1 – 7, with 7 being the best, we scored a 1.

Some of the challenges USE faces are inadequate teaching space and materials, improper teaching infrastructure, a shortage of properly trained or knowledgeable teachers, a poor quality education, low pupil achievement, and inadequate and late disbursement of government funds. Of course there is also corruption and red-tape. As such, standards have fallen. However, it remains an important development if only it can be well managed.

When I was in Uganda recently, I was happy that we no longer in the tiny waters of the bucket and were now in the sparkling blue waters of the pool. Having subsequently looked at the bigger picture, I’m now convinced that the pool is not where we should be.

 

 

Uganda’s Troubling WEF Stats

By Stephen Twinoburyo

I got up the morning of 22 January 2016 to write about Uganda’s positive development stats because it’s important that we look at the positive strides the country has made over the past years.

I started by looking at the World Economic Forum (WEF) report of 2014-2015. My findings were very depressing. I struggled to find something positive to report about Uganda.

According to the World Economic Forum (WEF) report of 2014/15, Uganda’s GDP per capita grew from approx US $120 in 1990 to $626.03 in 2013. Of course we are glad that there was growth. If, however, we compare with Angola that grew from approx US $2, 200 to $6, 000 during the same period, we then realise that we have a long way to go. In the same period, we have consistently been about $1, 000 below the Sub-Saharan average.

The 2015-16 report actually shows the gap widening:

Let me look at the key findings of that report where a total of 144 countries were assessed and ranked. Our overall rank was 122/144 but I’ll delve into some individual findings:

• In public institutions we were ranked at 115 and we are on a declining trend i.e getting worse. Rwanda is number 1 in Africa followed by Botswana and then South Africa.
• In ethics and corruption, we were ranked at 131. This is course not surprising. I shudder to imagine how the 13 countries behind us are.
• In wastefulness of government spending we were ranked at 109. This is also another non-surprising finding.
• In the burden of government regulation, we were ranked at 42
• Quality of overall infrastructure: we were ranked at 104 and we are hardly growing.
• Quality of roads: we were ranked at 105 and the rate of growth is very low. The top 5 countries in Africa in descending order are Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Rwanda and Morocco.

• Quality of air transport infrastructure: we were ranked at 124. I was actually surprised that there are 20 countries that we beat.
• In mobile-cellular telephone subscriptions /100, we are ranked at 134 (I found this surprising because I thought we are way ahead of this). We beat Madagascar, Chad, Malawi, Ethiopia, Burundi and Myanmar, in that order. Surprisingly Gabon is number 2 in the world, after Hong Kong SAR. Botswana surprisingly is at number 11.
• In overall health and primary education, we are at number 122, with health alone at 128 and primary education at 105. In the quality of primary education, we are at number 115 and this is either stable or declining. And here I thought UPE was a saviour.

Nyakika Primary School

 

The block that contains the office at Mukokye primary school Ndorwa East Kabale Distrit (Source: Redpepper Uganda)

 

• In quantity of enrollment for higher education and training, we are at number 132, and the quality of maths and science education at number 117. However, in the quality of the education system (secondary & university), we come at an impressive number 78 behind Kenya, Zambia, Gambia, Lesotho, Rwanda, Cape Verde, Ghana, Cameroon, Swaziland, Senegal, Tunisia and Ethiopia in descending order in Africa.
• In the number of procedures needed to start a business, we rank number 141 out of 144. No wonder many Ugandans resort to informal businesses or simply ‘kuba njawulo’. In buyer sophistication, we are number 136 out 144. In short, apart from bargaining and pretending to drive off when we actually want that item badly, we are unsophisticated buyers, period!
• In technological readiness, we are at number 119, in ICT use at 130 (Prof Barya please help) but in technological adaption, we are at 88.
• In employee productivity, we are at number 126 (that says a lot about how productive we are at work) and in our willingness to delegate authority, we are at 124. I wonder if this has a relationship to reluctance to hand over leadership within political parties.

We do fairly well in the macroeconomic environment. In the government budget balance as a percentage of GDP we are at number 87 (here I need economists to help explain to me because we are ahead of S Africa at 97 and US at 130). In inflation annual percentage change we are at number 97 and in government debt as a percentage of GDP, we are at an impressive number 49. We are at number 131 for exports as a percentage of GDP and one will naturally expect countries whose GDP relies a lot on exports, like some Arab countries with oil, to appear in the upper segment.

In labour market efficiency, we are at number 27 and at number 2 for flexibility of wage determination (i.e ease of employers to determine wage – probably an indication of no wage guidelines).

I had an utterly disappointing start to my day due to my choice of reference – WEF reports. I will nevertheless continue searching for positive stats and I hold hope that there must be some out there.

 

 

Vital Stats of Uganda’s Health Sector

By Stephen Twinoburyo

Recently the state of Uganda’s hospitals and health sector in general has become a hot topic of discussion and more especially after opposition leader, Dr Kiiza Besigye, visited Abim hospital in Teso.

There’s an argument, which I even heard Pres Museveni himself putting forward, that Besigye chose to visit Abim Hospital instead of ‘good’ health centres in the area. The fact however remains that Abim hospital exists, it has got patients and is under the condition we saw on TV.

I passed by Kiboga Hospital last month and it didn’t give a good sight. It doesn’t matter if there was a good health centre somewhere else in the region.

But let me look at Uganda’s health stats in perspective.

Infant mortality rate is 59.21 deaths/1,000 putting us at number 21 in the world, just behind Burundi (OMG!). This means that we are among the top 21 countries in the world where a child is likely to die before the age of 1. Our neighbours Kenya, Tanzania and even Sudan are far ahead of us.

The Maternal mortality rate is 343 deaths/100,000 putting us at number 37 in the world. This means that we are among the top 37 countries in the world where a woman is likely to die during pregnancy, at childbirth or immediately after childbirth. This rate is way above the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) target of 131 for 2015.

Life expectancy at birth is 54.93 years putting us at number 211 in the world. Only 13 countries are below us, the only non-African one being Afghanistan. Even the people of DRC live longer than us. According to World bank danta, we are below both the Sub-Saharan average and the low income countries’ trend.

World Health Organisation (WHO) defines a health system as “as comprising all the organizations, institutions and resources that are devoted to producing health actions. A health action is defined as any effort, whether in personal health care, public health services or through intersectoral initiatives, whose primary purpose is to improve health” and goes on further to describe health systems as having six building blocks: service delivery; health workforce; information; medical products, vaccines and technologies; financing; and leadership and governance (stewardship). The analytical summary of WHO states that “The overall health status of Ugandans remains poor, with a low level of life expectancy and a high level of mortality.”

The MDG Report for Uganda 2010 coming at a time of assessment of strides towards the Millennium Declaration in the last five years leading to the 2015 deadline acknowledged the achievements of the Ugandan government in the health sector. It however also noted that “for several MDGs, the progress has been too slow to meet the national and international targets—and, for some, there has been outright reversal. In some cases, improvements in national averages mask inequalities in progress, e.g., among the various regions of the country.”

The 2015/16 budget allocation to health (Sh. 1.27 trillion) is just over 5% way below the 15% agreed to at the Abuja Declaration 15 years earlier – and this share seems to have been continually dropping over the years.

We are lagging behind in the region and it’s important that we stop priding ourselves in mediocrity or comparing ourselves with low achievers. We should instead acknowledge that we have underachieved and aim higher. We are currently at a very low level social-economically, even in the region where we live except war ravaged South Sudan and eastern DRC.

The country’s 9.8% of GDP expenditure on health as of 2013 (including private health care) putting the country at number 53 in the world is very commendable – never mind that our annual GDP growth rate, even in 2017, is forecast by the World Bank to be lower than the Sub-Saharan average.

 

 

NRM Should Bear the Parliamentary Loss of Expelling Its MPs

By Stephen Twinoburyo

Earlier today, I had an intensive debate with Mr Rugaba Hussein Kashillingi regarding the position of the four ruling party Members of Parliament, Mr Theodore Sekikubo (Lwemiyaga county MP), Mr Muhammed Nsereko (Kampala central MP), Mr Wilfred Niwagaba (Ndorwa East) and Mr Barnabas Tinkasiimire (Buyaga), that were expelled from the party for expressing independent opinions in a party where this is anathema.

I have been wondering if the NRM for some reason took a leaf from South Africa’s African National Congress that expelled its Youth League members last year. The circumstances though are completely different and few people in Uganda would regard these MPs as indisciplined while in South Africa, there was near unanimity on the indiscipline levels of the expelled members.

Rugaba Hussein Kashilligi’s argument is that these people should now vacate their seats since they no longer represent the NRM, and that’s where we disagree.

These MPs were not appointed to parliament by the NRM but rather elected by the people in their constituencies. In my opinion, the only thing that the NRM can do now is to count their losses in parliament and wait for the next elections. The other option is for the people that elected them to recall them – not the party.

  Two of the expelled MPs.

I took a look at Chapter 6 of the Uganda constitution which deals with the establishment, composition and functions of Parliament.

As for the composition, I only concern myself here with the election of members, as the other parts are not relevant to the matter at hand and this is what it says:

78. Composition of Parliament.
(1) Parliament shall consist of—
(a) members directly elected to represent constituencies;

In short, it’s the people’s power:

However, the most important part pertinent to this matter is the section below that explains the circumstances under which a member of parliament may lose his/her seat:

83. Tenure of office of members of Parliament.

(1) A member of Parliament shall vacate his or her seat in
Parliament—

(a) if he or she resigns his or her office in writing signed by him or
her and addressed to the Speaker;
(b) if such circumstances arise that if that person were not a member
of Parliament would cause that person to be disqualified for
election as a member of Parliament under article 80 of this
Constitution;
(c) subject to the provisions of this Constitution, upon dissolution of
Parliament;
(d) if that person is absent from fifteen sittings of Parliament without
permission in writing of the Speaker during any period when
Parliament is continuously meeting and is unable to offer
satisfactory explanation to the relevant parliamentary committee
for his or her absence;
(e) if that person is found guilty by the appropriate tribunal of
violation of the Leadership Code of Conduct and the punishment
imposed is or includes the vacation of the office of a member of
Parliament;
(f) if recalled by the electorate in his or her constituency in
accordance with this Constitution;
(g) if that person leaves the political party for which he or she stood
as a candidate for election to Parliament to join another party or
to remain in Parliament as an independent member;
(h) if, having been elected to Parliament as an independent candidate,
that person joins a political party;
(i) if that person is appointed a public officer.

(2) Notwithstanding clause (1)(g) and (h) of this article, membership
of a coalition government of which his or her original political party forms
part shall not affect the status of any member of Parliament.

(3) The provisions of clauses (1)(g) and (h) and (2) of this article shall
only apply during any period when the multiparty system of government is
in operation.

From the above, it appears to me that a Member of Parliament may only lose a seat out of reasons due to his/her making, like incompetence or criminal activity, or as a result of the electorate recalling him/her.

The only part that would have affected the expelled MPs is 1(g) above. However, these MPs have not left the NRM to join another party or become Independents. The NRM has decided to expel them from the party and they the NRM should bear the parliamentary loss and cannot make a choice for the people that elected them. If they had left the party out of their own volition, then that would be another case. The other alternative the NRM has is to go to those MPs constituencies and ask the people that sent them to parliament to recall them.

Some people have argued that we should look at what the NRM constitution says. Firstly, the NRM constitution is subordinate to the Uganda Constitution. Secondly, the role of the NRM constitution stopped at the expulsion of these members (not MPs) from the party. As far as parliamentary matters go, it’s that Uganda Constitution that applies.

Summarily put, the Uganda Constitution does not provide for a party removing a member from parliament. I guess the people that drafted it didn’t see this. The NRM too at that time must have been more interested in putting as many members into parliament as possible and did not foresee that a time will come when some of their own will turn against them as they slide further away from the people.

From my assessment therefore, the NRM members in Parliament are four MPs less.

 

Memorandum by Ugandans to President Jacob Zuma, 08 June 2012

Our Ref: HURVI Memorandum to President Jacob Zuma, June 2012.
HIS EXCELLENCY JACOB ZUMA
PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA
UNION BUILDINGS
PRETORIA

Dear Mr President.

RE: MASSIVE HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES BY THE UGANDAN AUTHORITIES UNDER THE DICTATORSHIP OF PRESIDENT YOWERI KAGUTA MUSEVENI.

1 . BACKGROUND

The Human Rights Voice International in South Africa, on behalf of its members from Uganda living in South Africa, submits this Petition to you against Uganda police and military brutality on Ugandans.
This Memorandum is intended to bring to your attention and the government of South Africa the brutality of the Ugandan regime and urge you to urgently reconsider this country’s foreign policy with regard to the government of Uganda and specifically President Museveni. Human rights abuses have permeated all spheres of life for people living in Uganda and even affect some that live outside the country.

2 . CURRENT

The prevailing human rights abuses by the government of Uganda have worsened since the 11th April 2011, when Ugandans embarked on the walk-to-work campaign to express their demands for respect of human rights. The response by Uganda government has been that of systematic and consistent brutality on unarmed vulnerable citizens, with the help of some of the arms and armoured vehicles purchased from South Africa.

Arbitrary arrests, torture and death of opposition supporters, harassment of opposition leaders and intimidation of the general population by the police and military forces are daily occurrences. Media groups, both the local and international, have been at the receiving end too.

All this state brutality using the police and military forces has been widely covered by both the Ugandan and international media as well as many human rights organisations. This was also brought to your attention in a petition handed to your office in May last year by the Uganda Civil Alliance Network (UCAN). The same organisation sent a letter to the South African parliament’s Defence and International Relations portfolio committees in December last year regarding these abuses and the role of South African products in the repression of Ugandans. In both these documents, the situation in Uganda and its broader reach were widely narrated. The situation in Uganda has remained that of despair.

This memorandum adds onto UCAN’s previous documents and seeks to reinforce to you the gravity of the current situation in Uganda.

Furthermore, this brutality has had the consequence of increased influx of Ugandan refugees into South Africa, thereby having a ripple effect on this country’s residents, politically, socially and economically. Sometimes the Department of Home Affairs officials have tended to misread the Ugandan situation when dealing with Ugandan asylum seekers but the reality is that the situation in the country is forcing many Ugandans to flee their country.

Though the country holds elections, Ugandans have lost faith in them under the current arrangement as they are mainly an exercise to put a face to the country’s dictatorship and do not express the true will of the people as has been shown by instability following the previous elections.

3. OUR REQUEST

Your Excellency. as the leader of South Africa, a modern democratic and human rights respecting country, whose democratic principles are underpinned by Human Dignity, Equality and Freedom, we Ugandans wish to emulate these principles in our country, Uganda.

3.1. Your Excellency, we would appreciate if you would address the issue of human rights abuses carried out by the Uganda police and military forces, with President Museveni.

Ugandans want President Zuma to wield a stick instead.

3.2. We request the South African government through you to urgently reconsider/revise its foreign policy and approach when dealing with the government.

3.3. We request that you put a stop to the sale of arms from this country to Uganda because of the misery these arms visit on ordinary Ugandans through the havoc they wreck.

3.4. We request that you review the training of the current Ugandan military personnel in this country.

3.5. We request that under the prevailing situation in Uganda, Ugandan political asylum seekers should be dealt with in relation to the existing brutal political situation in the country.

Your positive take on these concerns of Ugandans and in their struggle for their basic human rights, is a massive step forward in the international contribution to desperate Ugandans to obtain their rights and the same rights as enjoyed in South Africa today.

We thank you very much Mr President.

Convener: Dennis William Kyazze …………………………………………………….

Deputy Convener: Timothy Mugerwa…………………………………………………

 

Uganda: Strong ‘Unfettered’ Private Sector vs Weak Public Sector

By David Bikaako

I spent a week in Kagutaland (Uganda). Great experience and couldnt pass up the opportunity to do a bit of sightseeing and do a street-view weigh up of ‘NRM’s development.’

There is no doubt that there has been positive and huge change overall. My observation though was that a lot of what is going on is really private sector development. This, from the huge new commercial properties in Kampala, to the booming residential property market, the hundreds of new retail outlets, the new hotels/restaurants, the banking sector and loan sharks, the vibrant telecoms sector, petty traders and food vendors on the streets, private schools, health clinics, and of course, the ubiquitous boda-boda services. It is private sector all the way, and no doubt, impressive.

Kampala Suburbs

By comparison, the public/state sector is conspicuous by its absence. One does not get the sense that all the private sector growth and change is being driven or regulated by a fully functional public/state sector. There is not a sense that the state is acting effectively to support and nurture the booming private sector. Hence, there is a largely chaotic feel to all the change evident in Kampala and other towns.

It was fascinating to see the new huge multi-billion shilling buildings mushrooming in downtown Kampala but alongside these are shacks, slumy dwellings, old decrepit buildings, and of course poor access to them via Kampala’s dusty, narrow, potholed roads. Rubbish, of course, remains strewn everywhere and drainage poor. I am told Kampala City executive Director, Ms Jennifer Musisi, has done a good job cleaning up the city streets, but there is certainly a long, long way to go. Thanks to the weak state/poor urban planning, it is no wonder that issues like flooding remain a concern in the city.

Perhaps the greatest show in Kampala, and one that displays this booming or unfettered-private-sector vs weak-state-sector situation is played out on its roads. Thousands of boda bodas (taxi motor-bikes) ply every single route, battling for space with millions of private cars, taxis, and bustling human traffic. The narrow and potholed roads of course add to the mix, and ‘poor driving’ seems like an absolute must! Mayhem is how to describe it all. Yes, there is the odd policeman attempting to bring about some order to traffic flows, but even they realise that it is a pointless task.

Kampala taxis

For a country that has such a weak export base, surely, it cant be right that it wastes valuable foreign exchange on importing millions of secondhand cars, boda bodas, and of course, even more in fuel import bills to keep all those vehicles on the roads. A mass transport system – buses, mainly – is what Kampala needs. [I’ll say nothing about Kampala’s shops which are filled to capacity with cheap imported goods vis-a-vis the anaemic local manufacturing sector. That is a story for another day]

It is only a miracle that there are not more accidents and deaths on Kampala’s roads.

In a nutshell, there is almost a sense that government is happy to largely abdicate responsibility to the private sector. This, except for national defence/policing, taxation and the small, bureaucratic and largely inefficient public administration.

The private sector, on other hand, has chosen to march forward and is largely succeeding despite the state/government and not because of it.

Response by Philip Nsajja

Kulikayo muganda wange. I’m glad you got a chance to soak in some of the impressive and not-too-impressive goodies that Kagutaland has to offer, albeit under very difficult circumstances.

Only a hawk-eyed guy like you, with a knack for noticing the finest of details can be trusted to do this justice. This is a very fair and balanced assessment. If Kaguta and his cohorts continue to shamelessly take all the credit for this admittedly impressive private sector development, so be it. I guess there really isn’t anything that can be done about it. They will obviously argue that the strides that have been made are a result of the “peace” they ushered in a quarter-century ago that has enabled businesses to thrive.

Now how their abdication of responsibility for the things that government is supposed to do – like fixing roads and urban planning – can be reconciled with the unencumbered spirit of free enterprise, I honestly do not know. But if I have to venture an opinion, I think there is room for both. Just this morning as I was driving to work I listened to an interview by the President of the American Enterprise Institute – a conservative think tank – who was making the argument that whereas capitalism should have a moral credo and must be fair, government is a hindrance to free enterprise and should just budge out. I am obviously philosophically at odds with that point of view, but if you get a chance, listen to what he has to say.

http://www.npr.org/2012/05/22/153259424/road-to-freedom-moral-argument-for-free-enterprise?ft=1&f=1032&sc=17

The powers that be in Kampala are obviously not grappling with these deep philosophical and economic models; they just don’t give a damn. As long as they have powerful security forces protecting their grip on power, they wouldn’t care less about the daily inconveniences and indignities which the people who have made Kampala thrive have to endure daily. They are however quick to take credit for the “success”, and that’s a damn shame.

 

Did some Bahiima carry their traditional traits onto the national arena?

By Stephen Twinoburyo

From time to time, I have seen debates mainly on social media, but sometimes in mainstream media, referring to Uganda’s ethnic groups and this has often turned fiery whenever the discussion has been about the ‘ruling’ Bahiima ethnic group. The most recent hullabaloo concerns comments attributed to an NTV presenter.

I, as a Munyankole, and having partly grown up in a predominantly Bahiima area, Nyabushozi, wish to give my own opinion/analysys with reference to Bahiima viz-a-viz transition from the traditional pastoralists to the national role-players.

Most of my blood relatives live, or used to live, in the Kazo-Kiruhura area in the former Nyabushozi, after my great grandfather migrated into the area according to the history presented by my father in his book “Ruganyirwa’s Grandchildren”. Following on his ancestoral belonging, my father acquired land in the then very rural Kiruhura and went ahead to develop the land i.e fencing it, clearing the shrubs, digging a dam and building the first tile-roofed house that I knew then in Nyabusozi. Most of this happened in the early 1980s when President Museveni was then in the bush. Much as this should have been a good development, the Bahiima neighbours were infuriated that this private land had been developed and fenced off. I remember one time a group of Bahiima pastolists standing by the roadside gazing at my father’s farm and saying “Ekyata kyomwiru eki kikurize obunyatsi! (i.e this mwiru idiot has really nurtured pasture!).

That farm became a nightmare to us as a family, mostly after President Museveni’s NRA took power. Countless times, the pastoralists would cut the fence and graze their cattle within my father’s farm, armed with spears, and later guns. While my father had troughs for properly watering the cows, they would push their cows directly into the dam, hence causing damage to it. This became a hot issue often with people that were then said to be ‘connected’ to State House ‘backing’ the pastoralists and in fact issuing threats. Eventually my father, on our advice for our safety, abandoned his farm, being bought at a throw-away price by an afande (army officer). We were by then no longer living on it due to threats to his life and he in fact survived death at one point from a group of Bahiima by a whisker. Our family left Kiruhura and hopefully I will never live in Nyabushozi again. President Museveni kept promising to meet my father over this matter and resolve it but like many things he has promised, this remained that – air. My father not being a person used to the almost gutter-level lobby environment that has been established around Museveni, let the matter pass. I, a while back, sent a letter to President Museveni to remind him of these events.

So why am I narrating all this, especially making reference to the events surrounding my family? According to history, Bahiima were purely pastoralists and according to them all grazeable land belonged to them. Any place with good pasture was open to them and they had a right to graze that land. Possibly our Bahiima neighbours genuinely felt entitled to the results of my father’s work. After all he was a Mwiru and by default meant to sweat – for them. In the old times, a Muhiima man was recognised according to the number of cows he had and some Bahiima believed that all cows belonged to the Hima race. There was in fact a joke that when the Bahiima were being taken to Teso and Karamoja to fight after Museveni came to power, they were told that the purpose was to recover their ‘stolen’ cows. This traditional belief of being ultimate possessors may in a way have given some Bahiima a nortion they had a right to possession of anything good that belonged to a non-Muhima. In fact some did not consider a non-Muhima to have a human status. For instance, when a Muhima would enter a bus full of people and see no Muhima among them, he would exclaim “egi baasi ketarimu muntu!” (i.e how come there is no person in this bus!).

My narration here is not meant to denigrate Bahiima in any way but to rather give perspective to some of the behaviours I notice. I have close Bahiima friends, some dating from our childhood days, and have had family linkages with Bahiima.

The Bahiima have largely immigrated from these cows but some of their traits seem to have remained.

Over the last two decades most Bahiima have immigrated from their pastoral traditions into modern means of living and in the process taking on other skills, for instance, in governance, commerce, the military, professional services e.tc. This is very commendable because any government needs to develop its citizens. However my analysis winds down to reports we hear that under Museveni, Bahiima occupy all top resource areas in the country. They are said to occupy all top army or security positions and those who have acquired wealth, have acquired it massively such that they may not even know what they have. The wanton plunder of national resources by those in power or those connected to them has reached unprecedented levels. There is a belief among some people that those who are in positions of authority don’t care what happens to the country but are rather interested in plundering it as much as they can irrespective of how much they already have and what poverty levels the rest of the Ugandans will sink to. Most of society seeing this as the trend of the rulers seem to have adopted it as the modus operandi and it’s the default position of almost any youth raised in Uganda in the last 30 years.

This brings me to the question that came to my mind and motivated my writing: Did some Bahiima carry their traditional traits onto the national arena?

Maybe.

 

The Uganda government is responsible for the civil breakdown

By Stephen Twinoburyo

The death of Ugandan police officer, Assistant Inspector of Police Ariong was unfortunate and unnecessary. His death should never have occurred and more so the manner in which he was murdered. That he was on duty is non-debatable. Whether he was on a mission to protect civilians or terrorise them is debatable. However whatever mission he was on, the people he was deployed among could not view him as a friend considering the violence the police force he served has come to be associated with. Probably the current police force is the most brutal, most politically abused, most inhumanely treated by their masters yet daftly compliant and most disliked in Uganda’s history.

Now all and sundry within the NRM government are suddenly noticing a death that has occurred during a demonstration – in fact a walk that was supposed to be peaceful. These are people that have been masters of killings and to them a single death hardly raises alarm – and in many incidences celebrate deaths that have occurred on their hands. Now we hear this nonsense of them being very concerned. What utter rubbish! Everybody who wields authority, from the president, to the prime minister and so on, are now issuing threats and talking violence. This is a language that they have come to be associated with for years now. Don’t they realise that their language and actions lead to the situation we are seeing now? Don’t they realise that that Ugandans are fed up of the violence and threats of violence that are constantly rained from the top?

The president appeared in a shack that his government provides to a senior police officer as a home and, as Ugandans have come to know him, went on to allot threats to whichever direction he rolled his eyes to and appeared unashamed at the squalor surrounding him that he provides his police officers. The entourage of his security personnel could have easily outnumbered the immediate slum neighbourhood, with his motorcade of 50 plus vehicles dancefully negotiating their way over mud and potholes to the slain policeman’s home. One shudders to imagine how the constables live. Yet these poor souls are released almost on a daily basis to wreck terror on their brothers and sisters in the name of the leadership that has lost touch not only with the masses but even with itself.

If the government were concerned about the police force, they would have not only respected them, but they would have also provided better for them. Now all they are trying to do is gain political capital out of this man’s death and get an leeway for random clampdowns simply because the demonstration he had gone to reign terror upon was organised by the opposition. The president is now urging the police to deal with the opposition ruthlessly. Then there’s this excuse of a minister (of State for Internal Affairs, James Baba) that was calling upon the slain officer’s body to be taken to parliament for display. Sometimes one gets a sense that some of these people are simply picked from the gutters and made ministers to yap whatever they think will sound pleasant to their out of touch master. Would taking the body to parliament have brought peace to Ugandans or joy to the bereaved family?

The Uganda government are the number 1 instigators of violence in the country and many of the problems we see in the country begin with them. It is them to change first if the situation in the country is to improve.

 

Give ‘Juba’ a chance

By Daniel R Ruhweza

Imagine being called to a scene where a woman has just been bitten by a snake. Imagine that you have two options – either run into the bush and start hunting the snake down, or rushing the lady to the nearest health clinic before or after you have administered first aid. Of course there is no knowing what option many will choose – will it be option A? Option B? Both? Or will some even go ahead to become innovative or ingenious by Option C probably calling out for help with the snake while attending to the injured lady? The last option seems to be the preferred reading of the Juba Peace Process 2008.

For all its shortcomings, the Juba Peace Process was a breath of fresh air in the minds and livelihoods of many people who had suffered for long at the hands of the Lords Resistance Army insurgency. The parties at Juba however, not only sought to attend to the needs of the victims of the insurgency, but also sought the help of International Partners to do so. The lobbyists that participated and continue to participate in the aftermath of Juba came from all angles – local, international, religious, traditional, economic, political, NGO world, UN, name it. As such it can be fairly asserted that Juba was an example of international justice at its best.

Agenda Item 3 in which I am most interested was a true representation of what happens when ideas come together to forge the way forward. Parties agreed to promote traditional justice mechanisms (TJMs) as practised in the communities affected by the conflicts albeit with their ‘necessary modifications’. This was to be ‘a central part of the framework for accountability and reconciliation.’ Therefore, whereas Juba acknowledged that “formal criminal and civil justice measures (would be) applied to any individual who (was) alleged to have committed serious crimes or human rights violations in the course of the conflict,” it did not hamper the use of TJMs. This is because Juba had been lobbied to realise that in finding sustainable solutions to the LRA war, there was need to end the ‘immense pain and suffering of the victims, as well as the ‘socio- economic and political impacts of the conflict.’ The call was therefore for a nuanced understanding of Justice – one which not only answered the demands for retribution, but also sought to heal the wounds of the past, reconcile warring tribes, reconcile the government and ‘its’ people, compensate those who had suffered, facilitate the medium for truth, healing and memory, while attending to the psychological needs of the victims who often doubled as perpetrators. In essence challenge the notion that peace and justice are unable to walk hand in hand.

It is for this reason therefore that one wonders why the trial of the former rebel commander Thomas Kwoyelo has taken its current path. Kwoyelo is alleged to have been abducted by the LRA rebels and then recruited into their ranks. He was arrested in the DRC in 2009 and his trial started on the 11th of July 2011 at Gulu. He however challenged his trial on the grounds that he applied for Amnesty which was denied although other rebels have been granted amnesty before and after his application was made. The Constitutional Court agreed with his arguments and ordered his release. Kwoyelo however remains in custody since the State insists that he has other ‘civil crimes’ he committed which were not covered by amnesty.

The aforementioned actions by the State are self defeating. It is possible that international partners will look at non – prosecutorial justice as a form of impunity, but the examples of South Africa, Mozambique Rwanda and Sierra Leone should show that judicial remedies come in all shapes and sizes. This is the opportune time for the nation to test the feasibility of Juba and give credence to the long sleepless nights which the negotiating teams spent in the Garamba forests of the DRC. It is expected that many will argue that since Joseph Kony as leader of the LRA failed to sign the comprehensive peace Agreement, then the rest of the agreements are nugatory. However, there is nothing in law or fact that prohibits these agreements from being performed since they were executed by duly authorised officers whose principals have not reneged on the authority they bestowed. More over, former rebels continue to be granted amnesty by the Uganda Amnesty Commission ( inspite of the fact that the Attorney General argued that its own Act is unconstitutional) and formerly abducted children continue to return home where attempts are made at rehabilitating and reconciling them. Equally, the various programs such as the Northern Uganda Rehabilitation Action Plan which is supervised by the Office of the Prime Minister as assisted by other NGOs continue to be performed – albeit with challenges.

All these show that there is a willingness by the State to perform its obligations under the Agreements through the mainly national institutions. Although the government has controversially continued to pursue its military campaign against the LRA, evidence has always shown since 1986 that the results have been a backlash on the populations as seen in the December massacres in DRC after the failed ‘Operation Lightning Thunder.’ The death toll, forced migrations, abductions as well as the high numbers of injured people in the DRC, Central African Republic as well as the South Sudan all seem to indicate that there is need to re-think the merits of this military campaign since it has now become a regional problem. However, that is a discussion for another day.

However, it is the TJMs that the government seems very reluctant (or unable?) to use. For example, Kwoyelo has remained in custody in spite of the decision of the Constitutional Court and the International Crimes Division of the High Court of Uganda setting him free. IIn so doing, the State ignores its obligations under Juba which calls it to use ‘alternative justice mechanisms’ which include ‘customary processes of accountability’ as mentioned in the fourth Preamble to Juba. It is doubtful that a successful prosecution for other ‘civil crimes’ for which Kwoyelo is held is likely. One can only wait to be proven wrong since courtroom cases – with all their complexities- tend to have a life of their own. The government should instead facilitate the processes that will enable traditional justice mechanisms to take place as prescribed by Juba. Kwoyelo is arguably the most viable opportunity for the other arm of Juba to be used especially in light of the increased criticisms by African governments of the International Criminal Court. Kwoyelo is a unique case in which a former abductee’ (victim) turned rebel (perpetrator) gets to test the feasibility of traditional justice systems in helping to achieve a holistic and heterogeneous form of justice.

These mechanisms are said to be all inclusive – they are diverse, reconciliatory, retributive, compensatory, rehabilitative and help in achieving social reconciliation. Kwoyelo’s case would therefore be the first opportunity to learn about these mechanisms as well considering their ‘necessary amendments’ as alluded to by Juba. In light of the fact that Kwoyelo was allegedly abducted as a child by the LRA and rose through the rebel ranks, it will be interesting to see how the DPP successfully prosecutes him for a crime he committed while he was not in a state of rebellion. The Government rather to give a clear signal that its commitments to Juba were real and not Realpolitik. It should make it clear to those rebels who are still in the forests of Garamba that it is still committed to having a peaceful and holistic resolution to the conflict and that they should not give up their bid to escape the clutches of Kony and the LRA. However, should the government miss this opportunity, it will have taken confirmed that Joseph Kony was right after all – that the Government of Uganda does not honour its word.

The snake of atrocities has bitten Uganda. Help was sought and obtained. We ought now to treat and save the lives of the injured victims -using all possible means instead of only insisting on looking for the snake in the thickets.

The writer is a doctoral researcher on international criminal justice and blogs at

http://danielruhweza.blogspot.com

 

Journalists should ask tasking questions

By Amon Mbekiza

President Museveni has repeated it countless times: Africa must resist recolonisation. The latest is during the state visit of the current AU Chairman, Obiang Nguema of Equatorial Guinea, whose term at the AU Museveni has hailed as exemplary, citing Nguema’s ‘stand’ on the Libyan and Ivory Coast issues. The AU had  a ‘stand’ which constituted disparate hurried ‘summits’ here and there, and that was just about it. The same on the Ivory Coast issue. aNd the media reports it as said, and we continue.

I am not a journalist, so I am not versed with  the ‘protocol and etiquette’ of presidential press conferences. Is it against best practices and good journalism during presidential press conferences, to pose questions such as

-Your Excellency, the AU took a stand, but NATO went ahead and had their way in Libya, even to the extent of  preventing African presidents from flying into Tripoli? Doesnt this mean that the AU is toothless against foreign powers?

-It was Africa’s two strong nations, South Africa and Nigeria that voted to allow NATO strikes and infiltration into Libya, wasn’t it this a sign of cooperation with the ‘aggressors’?

– In the case of Ivory Coast, it was the French troops that were in charge of the whole process, where was the AU?

-We need only 10,000 troops to pacify Somalia….why has the AU failed to raise the troops, leaving the financing of the few Ugandans and Barundi to the EU and US?

-A substantial  budget of the AU, and the national budgets of individual governments are funded by the same powers we regard as coming to colonise us. Doesn’t this blur the line between imperialists and development partners?

-Most African leaders do have hidden wealth in European and American capitals and dominions. Aren’t we partners in our own exploitation and oppression?

These and related questions are what should put presidents to task during these presidential press conferences. The nearest to this was in a ‘wrong’ forum to the wrong person: Andrew Mwenda’s question to Thabo Mbeki during the Makerere Institute of Social Research (MISR) Symposium. Everything in Africa, from war crimes to learning how to drink milk is foreign determined, funded and managed: so is Africa worth anything? And talking of symposia and the intelligentsia takes us to the other angle of Africa’s derailment: the role of the intelligentsia, which has been interpreted as stopping only at ‘analysing and synthesisng issues’, which exactly is what was the case of the MISR symposium that hosted Mbeki: a coffee-break, most invariably foreign funded, with theories expounded, pleasantries exchanged, jokes cracked, a few pent-up emotions released, et voila… Katanga transforms Makerere instead of the reverse!!

Africa can resist recolonisation. Only one key precondition: taming and resisting our greed. In the biggest  sense of the word. And it applies to us all, with the intelligentia and ‘politicians’ taking the lead. Else, we keep quiet and each one pays allegiance to highest paymaster. For instance, look at the source and purpose of the much-publicised  bursaries and sponsorships in Kampala!!!

 

The Story of Golola Moses (of Uganda)! Our Golola Moses!

By Philip Nsajja

Author: Thinks Golola's stamina is only in words

According to the World KickBoxing Federation website (http://www.kawowo.com/index.php/kickboxing/450-wkf-declares-nagy-champion.html). Hungary’s Andras Nagy is the new Inter Continental Super Middleweight Champion.

I had saved most of my comments on this Golola Moses (of Uganda) shenanigan but it s come to a point where I can’t hold it in any longer.

This Hungarian chap walked into our house and essentially bitch-slapped our homeboy. And as if to prove the point that Golola Moses (of Uganda) was a mere showman, he didn’t even bother to take the belt along with him. The Ugandan gets to keep the hardware (and a very bruised ago) while Nagy gets all the accolades. Nagy was by all accounts very technical while our local boy was more brawn than brain. Guys who were there stated that you could see Golola Moses (of Uganda) rush in (‘ekigwo’ fashion) only to be met with deadly elbows by the savvy Nagy. Indeed Golola Moses (of Uganda)’s ability as a professional wrestler ought to interest many an investor!

Those who are now claiming that Golola Moses (of Uganda) won the fight must have smoked something. Matter of fact, the referee almost stopped the fight in 3rd round when Golola Moses (of Uganda) was dizzy and bleeding. But his management team sees things differently after agreeing to a rematch next year. The same management team that’s the source of this story:

According to the New Vision:(http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/314821-golola-in-financial-dispute-with-managers.html). Golola Moses (of Uganda) is demanding UG Sh30m from gate collections at the fight but his manager and promoter insists less money was collected because the fighter’s family commandeered the entrance to the venue of the fight and therefore caused losses.

“I can confirm that there is a dispute involving the promoter (Patrick Kanyomozi) and Golola’s brother Pastor Evans Mayambala. They brought bouncers to take over the gate and many people watched the fight for free,” Rafsanjani said Monday afternoon.
“However the promoter has told me he is still working out the money and Golola would be paid. It was a mess. I gave up my responsibility to keep my name,” Rafsanjani added. The boxer is reportedly stuck at Hotel Africana waiting for the money. Golola and his promoter agreed to share 40 and 60 per cent respectively. Mayambala addressed a press conference today insisting that Golola Moses (of Uganda) is the rightful winner of the fight with Andras Nagy.

Pastor Mayambala? I tend to be very leery of stories that involve Ugandan Pastors. That right there may be part of the problem.

Meanwhile, more reports out of Kampala claim that because Golola Moses (of Uganda)’s promoter and UBC sports journalist Patrick Kanyomozi, ran away with the money, the management of Hotel Africana is still holding the fighter, whose handlers claim is still bleeding with no medical attention.

But this may yet be another publicity stunt by Golola Moses (of Uganda)’s very media savvy PR team. An old friend of mine in Kampala actually called Golola Moses (of Uganda)’s number a few hours ago and it was picked by a man who claimed he was Golola’s manager who then stated that Golola Moses (of Uganda) was indeed still in his room at the hotel. Clearly, cash was a big issue leading to the fight and after it. It may even explain why the kickboxer wasn’t very focused in the ring.

But seriously, would Hotel Africana manage to hold back this man, the only man who:

• Can pocket while naked?
• Jogged from hospital at birth, leaving the mother behind?
• Can look at woman and she gets pregnant?

I don’t think so. If Golola Moses (of Uganda) really wants to storm out of his hotel room, he would do so, without lifting a finger. His steely gaze would be enough to send folks flailing for cover! Well, at least that was the case until some Hungarian dude rolled into town and showed us that it takes more than ‘lwali’ to win a fight. Actually, methinks the reasons for his loss are more mundane, as the attached picture of him weightlifting, clearly shows. But I digress!

Finally, from what I have heard from people who attended the fight, Golola Moses (of Uganda), exhibited typical power (African style) with little skill and tactical awareness to talk home about. His stamina/endurance was lacking putting into question his preparations for the fight. The much talked about and over-hyped training in the high altitude of the Kabale hills, apparently didn’t help at all. He definitely looked a much improved figure from the one who fought the Sudanese months ago, but was no match for the Hungarian. Final verdict: work on the fitness levels, improve tactical and technical awareness, improve skills and yes, back up your braggadocio with performance in the ring – the way Mohammed Ali did.

In my humble opinion, Golola Moses (of Uganda) was absolutely outclassed. Gracious acceptance and moves to improve on his skill might have gone a long way to save the brand. Now he’s gone from a hero who made us laugh and hope, to a mere laughingstock and the subject of many comedic punch lines (no pun intended).

Trust me; this is not the end of Golola Moses (of Uganda). He is still ranked 15th internationally and with a motor mouth that big, he can still yak his way into people’s hearts and wallets.

• Golola Weightlifting.jpg
  

World KickBoxing Federation declares Nagy ‘Champion’

www.kawowo.com

Uganda KickBoxing Federation sets new date for Moses Golola rematch with Andras Nagy

 

‘Kabasuma’ and the UBC mast: the learned analysis.

By My Learned Friend

Let me add my legal knowledge to some of the queries people have been posing on the issue of Presidency Minister, Kabakumba Masiko, and the stolen Uganda Broadcasting Corporation (UBC) transmission mast.

How did a broadcasting mast under the ministry she oversaw end up with her FM station?

MINISTERS IN BUSINESS

I agree that in order to LIMIT(we can never ERADICATE) incidents of corruption, abuse of office and other conflict of interest issues, ministers should be expected to make major decisions when asked to serve in government. This is because they oversee and ‘politically supervise’ govt policy in their various ministries. The Leadership Code is supposed to address some of these issues. If a Minister is conflicted,he/she shd make this known – the idea is that however slight the conflict might be – let it be disclosed. Let the people know that -like in the case of Syda Bbumba, she runs Apex Drycleaners and I am actually one of her clients. However since she uses polythene paper (kaveera) to wrap the completed tasks, how do you expect her to implement the kaveera ban? This would certainly injure her business. I recall her making a comment to this effect and probably that is why we couldn’t totally ban the kaveera let alone ensure that the existing ban applies. I am not saying she alone is to blame for this though.

Point is – declare your interests so that you can be judged fairly. Yes – we need stricter rules like for the Judges, pharmacists, etc. The deeper problem though is that since there is no living wage and there is poor remuneration, and until or unless we address this, we shall continue to see lecturers , teachers, doctors, nurses, etc either stealing materials, drugs et al or working in multiple locations to make ends meet.

CRIMINAL INTENT ON KABAKUMBA

Much to the chagrin of many who will read this, one of the reason why lawyers are hated is because they are able to punch holes in evidence. The legal system expects that the concept of truth must be water tight. That there should be a LOGICAL, almost scientific, explanation for things. One must be able to trace the ‘chain of evidence’ from point A to point Z. Failure of which, then the truth has not been established ”beyond reasonable doubt”. Note the words ‘ reasonable’ and ‘doubt’. Should there be a more plausible or possible explanation, then the case will be thrown out. There in lies the challenge. I think that is why the police is now looking at alternative offences if they fail to prove theft, much to the chagrin of others. See http://www.monitor.co.ug/OpEd/Commentary/-/689364/1286208/-/12ocgjlz/-/index.html

DEFINING INTENT OR CAUGHT under Section 20 PCA

When proving the case normally for joint offenders, my understanding is that there should be a chain of evidence which shows that the two were in cohorts. For example in the Mureeba case where a prison warder was convicted of killing her mulaamu and the unborn child, evidence showed that the lady brought witchdoctors to cleanse her from harm afer the shooting and there were telephone conversations and celebrations – as testified to by the housegirl. Mureeba might not have pulled the trigger but she was equally guilty of murder having planned and facilitated it – joint offener.

Similarly with Katuramu’s case – the former Toro PM killed Prince Kijjanangoma if memory serves me right by facilitating the actual murderers/shooters. The point am trying to make here is that when the evidence shows that the two were in cohorts, then they are taken as joint offenders.

Proving INTENT is a very interesting thing in the criminal law. The facts speak for themselves (Res ipsa loquitur). In the law of torts, we sometimes apply the ”but for” test in which we ask -if it wasnt for the actions of X, would Y be in the position they are in today?

Back to criminal intent – as i understand it -( or shd i say in my humble opinion)…
When establishing say the offence of murder, normally we look at where the injury was exacted – if it was the neck, heart, head, chest area, we say that the injury was meant to terminate life. If it was on the hand, leg, bum, knee etc then clearly there was no way such injuries would possibly have caused death unless one knew that that was the Achilles heel of the deceased. So intent is normally proven by the facts – did the accused run away, tamper with evidence, abscond jurisdiction, profiteer, benefit, get political expedience, etc – at least that is how i see it.

When dealing with theft or receipt of stolen goods – how does one deal with them? do they hide them? openly display them? What do they do that would normally be seen as ethical business practice as opposed to smuggling/stealing tactics?

Section 32 says “….every act in furtherance of the commission of the offence defined or every act of conspiring with any person to effect that purpose and every act done in furtherance of the purpose by any of the persons conspiring shall be deemed to be an overt act manifesting the intention….”

So in the cases at hand, we need to see these ingredients ….was the thing capable of being stolen? Was it moveable or not?

Section 254 (2) says

(2) A person who takes or converts anything capable of being stolen is deemed to do so fraudulently if he or she does so with any of the following
intents—

(a) an intent permanently to deprive the general or special owner of the thing of it;

(b) an intent to use the thing as a pledge or security;

(c) an intent to part with it on a condition as to its return which the person taking or converting it may be unable to perform;

(d) an intent to deal with it in such a manner that it cannot be returned in the condition in which it was at the time of the taking or conversion;

(e) in the case of money, an intent to use it at the will of the person who takes or converts it, although he or she may intend afterwards to repay the amount to the owner, and “special owner” includes any person who has and charge or lien upon the
thing in question or any right arising from or dependent upon holding possession of the thing in question.

Thus, as we debate, we should see the challenge before the prosecution in the situations above – failure to prove one thins would mean the collapse of the entire case and whoever is charged will walk scott free.

JOINT OFFENDERS

Facts vary in establishing who is or isnt a joint offender. The role is always with the police/prosecution to prove this. They need to investigate thoroughly since what the law requires is more rigorous than what the court of public opinion requires. It therefore should be clear that the chiin of evidence should be show to court in a way that eliminates ALL OTHER POSSIBILITIES of explanation.

A mast is stolen(UBC shd show that it owned it and it was stolen), the mast is actually a UBC mast (identification needed), the mast is transported to masindi(whoever drove it or supervisied its installation can be quizzed here), the mast is installed in masindi(the regulator must have sent someone to supervise this and say all is well), the mast is connected and the radio enjoys the profits/advantages of the mast. The shareholders are happy.

Thus, if it can be shown that Princess Kabakumba in one way or another facilitated the transportation or release of the mast from point one to Z or that the said mast somehow appeared in the area when she was minister, she will be put to her defence to explain how such a mast would have been stolen under her watch as minister. If the mast was already in position when she bought into the company that would have been a different story – the facts seem to suggest otherwise.

See the wording of the Penal Code

Section 19. Principal offenders.
(1) When an offence is committed, each of the following persons is
deemed to have taken part in committing the offence and to be guilty of the
offence and may be charged with actually committing it—
(a) every person who actually does the act or makes the omission
which constitutes the offence;
(b) every person who does or omits to do any act for the purpose of
enabling or aiding another person to commit the offence;
(c) every person who aids or abets another person in committing the
offence.
(2) Any person who procures another to do or omit to do any act of
such a nature that if he or she had done the act or made the omission the act
or omission would have constituted an offence on his or her part, is guilty of
an offence of the same kind and is liable to the same punishment as if he or
she had done the act or made the omission; and he or she may be charged
with doing the act or making the omission.

POSSIBLE DEFENCES

In my view the best defence for Kabasumba Masiko will have to be –

Claim of right.

A person is not criminally responsible in respect of an offence relating to property if the act done or omitted to be done by the person with respect to the property was done in the exercise of an honest claim of right and without intention to defraud.

Note that under Section 2(t) “person” and “owner” and other like terms when used with reference to property include corporations of all kinds and any
other association of persons capable of owning property, and also when so used include the Government;

Theft of a mast has become abuse of office and causing financial loss – Commentary |monitor.co.ug

www.monitor.co.ugThe media reported that the Police recovered a UBC “radio tower mast and a transmitter” used by Kings FM at Tigulya in Masindi District and Police spokesman Asuman Mugyenyi said “there is no information to show that there was any contract signed between UBC and Kings FM in 2009.

 

Ms Nabusaayi, Ugandans can tell the situation

By Amon Mbekiza

Deputy Presidential Press Secretary, Linda Nabusaayi writes castigating opposition politician, Mr. Ken Lukyamuzi, for demonstrations against electricity provider, Umeme, when it is the same Lukyamuzi and Co. who ‘sabotaged’ the initial Bujagali Power Project. If Lukyamuzi, with his ‘Bukyamuzi’ could be listened to by the World Bank, then Umeme and police should listen even more.  Linda, this material you are writing  is misdirected. Perhaps it would work well if aired over a village community radio, whose transmission radius is 20 metres from the ‘mast’ on which its loudspeaker is pendant.

World  Bank cancelled the project…and why didn’t the mighty NRM government proceed on its own, with its own funds?  To shame the ‘saboteurs’, your mighty government should have proceeded and financed the dam from its own resources….WHY COULDN’T IT?  This is what you miss or rather sweep under the carpet and think you are writing for peasants. Uganda’s problems are rooted in the grand thievery we are witnessing. If Uganda was a priority to the powers that be, then we would have over 90% of the country with electricity today. We would be traveling in bullet trains, powered by electricity. The trillions and zillions of billions stolen are enough to light up the entire country. Given your office, you are more privy to these matters than  we do, ordinary mortals.

Ask Ethiopia, how they are funding their mega projects?
Ask Rwanda, how they funded their Lake Kivu Methane Gas project?
Ask Kenya, how it is funding its geothermal power programmes?
Ask Tanzania, how it is funding its Songea Gas project? Many of the vehicles in Dar es Salaam now have hybrid engines, gasoline and gas.

Even the Bujagali you are piping and pampering, is Aga Khan’s private investment.Power will even be more expensive, we shall see more government ‘subsidies’ to the ‘investors’….

What the ‘Vampire  Clan’ sucking our energy sector siphons out of Uganda per month is enough to provide more than 50 MW monthly. Simply put, each year, we should be adding 700 megawatts to our grid. These are facts and figures that even a blind man can see.

Are you simply doing your job? Perhaps…MATA G’ABAANA!!!!!!!!!!!