“Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago warns the newly appointed minister for Kampala Beti Kamya to stick to her assignments and not sabotage his work if they are to have a better working relationship. Kamya who is also the President of Uganda Federal Alliance while reacting to the news about her appointment however downplayed suggestions that she has abandoned her political party” (NTV Uganda, 2016)
Month: June 2016
My letter to the Jubilee Gov. after CS Nkaissery and Prof. Mulgai today outlawed “Anti-IEBC Demonstrations” and this is becoming your Achilles heel!

7th June 2016, Oslo
Dear, all of you in charge of the Kenyan Government!
This is my sincere plea from the ice-cold north of Scandinavia, where mandazi and pilau is not a thing. Well, I know that it taste splendid, but I am not writing to you because of I enjoy a good Kenyan supper and tea; I write because of today recent action.
There are amounts of questions that are raised after CS Joseph Nkaissery and Prof. Githu Mulgai today again outlawed Coalition of Reforms and Democacy (CORD) demonstrations against the Independent Electoral Boundaries Commission (IEBC), who seems to be a sensitive issue for the Jubilee Coalition and the JAP. That means that for you in Jubilee, the President Kenyatta and VP Ruto. You seemed to be more about you keeping the power by any means, then trying to be reasonable.

The CORD might be wrong at times, they are doing what they are doing to you; because the Okoa Referendum bills to change and amendment the constitution. At this referendum you totally gave it no chance and blew the ability and the level of groundwork that we’re done from the Opposition. That you have not given real space to Hon. Raila Odinga, Hon. Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka and Hon. Moses Wetan’gula.
You in the Jubilee are acting the big-men who were born to rule, and everybody else is supposed to step aside. The Achilles heel right now is the IEBC and the selected men in the leadership of it. Not because you have done wrong yourself, even with the inherited Electoral Commission and new Constitution. That are the reason and near epitome of your lawful assembly. So it is not well-established, the entities and the regulatory electoral procedures and regulation of the ballots; not to talk about what happens to the ballot after it is cast and what kind of independent tallying that exist.
You in the Jubilee are responsible for all the Kenyan Citizens and the Kenyans who does not support you and the ones who do. All Kenyans are your responsibility as you are the legislators and the ones that set the laws in Parliament; you regulate and assure the pay for all civil servants and level of security. With that comes responsibility.
A responsibility you have not honoured of late, not that the CORD demonstrators throwing stones and looting supermarkets are not correct. Henceforth does not justify the Police Officers lit up streets with flair, block streets and rally venues, use rhetoric of fear and actually beat up fellow citizens into pulp in the streets. That is not enough the Police use live bullets, kill the demonstrators or even kill by-standards as they are walking to pick-up cash in bank branch. Also when the Police Officers uses their water-canons, the devious actions of tear-gas and hitting people at random with sticks while trying to disperse the fellow citizens who actually demonstrates for the matter.

So with that in mind, as the Constitutional right for a Kenyan Citizen to go out and demonstrate in peace, without being shot, tear-gassed and even dispersed by violent behaviour and Police brutality. The Demonstrators does not have the right to loot, but when the Police uses violence and even kills, the Government and Police; should rethink that their actions spark reactions from the demonstrators, as the impunity and illegal killings, injuries and hurts of the violent police officers; doesn’t create a level of trust between the Police and the Citizens. As the Citizens already have little trust in Police Officers, as proved with their low ratings in a Poll in 2015; and with that in mind the Jubilee Government, President Kenyatta or VP Ruto together with CS Nkaissery should act a bit Nobel, instead of big-men who are ruling with impunity.
You in the Jubilee are responsible for the killings in the streets, for the vendors closing their shops and the CORD demonstrator’s aggressive reactions to the violent police. IGP Joseph Boinett should get direct guidelines and educate his fellow Anti-Riot Police also learn proper language as respectful manners as address the demonstrators, the same goes to Nairobi Police Commander Japhet Koome, who sounds like a mad dragon instead of a man who respects fellow citizens.
The CORD is not correct on all they do, neither are all their supporters, the same goes to you and your actions as in the Jubilee, you cannot just outlaw ‘demonstrations’ against the IEBC who have not cared for keeping clean sheets and accountable affairs, as their Chickengate and other activities can be question. The IEBC as long as it is in this state, will be the Achilles heel of the Jubilee, and do you want to be remembered for creating the turmoil and stalemate over ballots; and not creating peace and development in your term and reign in Power. Peace.
Best Regard
Writer of MinBane
DRC: #Telema Coordinator Jean Marie Kalonji arrested in Dec 2015 are still detained!
“Jean Marie Kalonji is the coordinator of a citizen’s movement by “Democratic” Republic of the Congo. He was arrested on 15 December 2015 in Kinshasa by agents of the non-identified, sequestered in a military camp, then delivered to the national intelligence agency, (l’Agence Nationale de Renseignement) ANR, three days after. He has been transferred from the dungeon of the RDA in the prison of Makala since 28 April 2016.” (Kambale Musavuli , 07.06.2016).
More on his arrest:
“#DRC – #Congolese youth demand justice for their colleague Jean Marie Kalonji during a press conference today in Kinshasa. The Youth for a New Society (JNS), the Friends of Nelson Mandela and Quatrieme Voix along with other youth groups called on the Congolese government to either charge Jean Marie Kalonji or release him. On December 15, 2015, armed men snatched Jean Marie in broad daylight in Kinshasa. He has since been held by Congo’s intelligence services (ANR) without a trial” (Friends of the Congo, 14.04.2016).

“After spending more than four months in secret detention at Congo’s Intelligence Services (ANR), Jean Marie Kalonji was transferred today to a justice/state facility in the Gombe commune of Kinshasa, where he will face a judge on Tuesday, April 26th. After several reports of his death in the hands of Kabila’s intelligence services, Jean Marie’s fellow youth activists held a press conference last week to demand that the government present Jean Marie to the public to demonstrate that he had not been killed by the Kabila regime Jean Marie’s fellow youth activists in La Jeunesse Pour Une Nouvelle Societe and Quatrieme Voix said that they will not stop until Jean Marie is completely released!” (Friends of the Congo, 25.04.2016).
Peace.
DP Press Statement: ” If Ugandans expected something different from business as usual they were badly disappointed” (07.06.2016)

Kampala June 7, 2016.
The long awaited cabinet list is finally out. If Ugandans expected something different from business as usual they were badly disappointed. True to its dominant nature of putting partisan loyalty above the public spirit and competence, the cabinet is another dose of more of the same. Apart from the laudable gesture of retiring those who were long overdue for retirement like Henry Kajura, Tarsis Kabwegyere and Dr. Nyiira, the cabinet doesn’t represent any change in political path. The tendency to entrench family rule and hegemony in our polity is still visible no matter the efforts to disguise it.
To the politically gullible, the inclusion of some members of opposition parties in the cabinet may appear to represent a spirit of inclusion. However to the adept and keen observers, the inclusion of people like Betty Amongi (UPC), Florence Nakiwala Kiyingi (DP) and Beti Kamya (UFA) in the cabinet is nothing but despicable tokenism and falls far short of any expectation Ugandans may have had that following a disputed election marred with unprecedented rigging and post election brutality and continued repression, an inclusive government based on a consensus reached through a national dialogue process. In a dialogue process, the direction of the country would be negotiated. We reject tokenism because it simply means trading a few crumbs for a fair share of the loaf of political power. As the Igbo of Nigeria say “No one gets a mouthful of food by picking between another person’s teeth”.

Uganda is a country that is deeply divided and hurting. The nation is badly in need of healing. Museveni’s one man rule ensures that no alternative voice will be heard in cabinet, parliament, the judiciary or even the streets. In terms of democracy, Uganda in the next five years will be nothing more than a political graveyard.
We therefore denounce the new cabinet as yet another lever in Museveni’s power arsenal. Museveni and his cabal are presiding over a malevolent and capricious state capture which is clearly seen in the tyranny of the majority in parliament, the elevation of so called cadre judges in the judiciary and the suppression of civil dissent. This cabinet therefore doesn’t represent a new direction. You cannot make an omelette by shuffling around rotten eggs.

On the State of the Nation Address delivered on 31 May, 2016, we await the National Budget. That is when we will give a comprehensive response. But we have something to say in the meantime. As expected the address skirted around the issue of governance without acknowledging the political logjam we have in Uganda today with an illegitimate government in place led by a person whose victory will continue to be questioned for ages. With characteristic arrogance Mr. Museveni declared, “Having followed closely world and historical events over the last 50 years, I am not aware of any society anywhere in the world that is more democratic than Uganda as far as the forms and structures of democracy are concerned….Democracy is one area where we do not need aid”. We note that this is a qualified statement. It is an admission that Uganda Is democratic only in form. In essence and substance Uganda is a totalitarian state.
The heart of the address was the economy. Mr. Museveni assured Ugandans that by 2020, that is in four years time, Uganda will be a middle income country. This may be an impressive jargon but let’s unpack it. That term is based on the so called Atlas Method that the World Bank uses to rank the economy of countries. Low Income countries where Uganda falls have a Gross National Income per capita of US$1,045 or less. Middle income countries have a Gross National Income (GNI) per capita of between US$1,045 and US$12,736. (Of course middle income countries are further subdivided into lower middle income and upper middle income countries. Lower middle income countries have a GNI per capita of between US$1,046 – US$4,125. Upper middle income countries have a GNI per capita of US$4,126 – 12,735). High income countries have a Gross National Income per capita above US$12,735.

Even without waiting for the National Budget we can say for certain that the absurd proclamation that Uganda will be a middle income country by 2020 is a political hoax smacking of deception and gimmickry. With a balance of trade of minus US$164.6 million, global business confidence of only 54 percent, military expenditure of US$340 million, inflation of over 6 percent and growth at only less than 4 percent, Uganda’s ambition of attaining middle income status under the current NRM economic framework is a pathetic pipe dream that no one can take seriously. This is coupled with an unsustainably high external debt of over 14 Trillion Uganda shillings which costs Uganda a lot of money to service. Then there is the lack of fiscal discipline, high military expenditure, unattractive wages that fuel brain drain, high unemployment of over 60 percent and the run away corruption. This is what constitutes the hemorrhage that Museveni dwelt on during his dull and unimaginative address to a demoralized nation. It is this hemorrhage that is responsible for the heavy tax burden under which Ugandans agonize. What the Uganda Revenue Authority is attempting to do is thus akin to a person collecting water using a basket. Unless the leakages are plugged the whole thing is an exercise in futility. The strategy of fighting corruption using the methods he used to fight indiscipline in the army will not work against corruption. It will be like treating a cancer using Vaseline. While indiscipline in the army is not profitable, corruption has grown into an institutionalized and highly profitable activity. Museveni will not win the war against corruption unless he becomes born again and offer leadership by example. You cannot exhort your flock to drink water while you gorge yourself on wine! Sooner or later the flock will follow your bad example. Therefore the fight against corruption requires a level of moral authority that Museveni lacks. He cannot point out the splinter in the eyes of his followers because he has a log in his eyes. As I have stated before, fish rots from the head. Today, I wish to advise Museveni that when you are sweeping a staircase you start from the top. Let him start from himself and those closest to him then move downwards. Fighting corruption is the one thing in which the bottom up approach cannot work because the bottlenecks in the war against corruption are in the top of the table.
Fortunately, for Ugandans there is a political party called the DP which shuns corruption, violence, dictatorship and militarism. We shall continue to illuminate our political space with viable alternative policies that shall be cogently presented in all platforms. Our impact shall not depend on our numbers but rather by the superior quality of our ideas and the firm foundation on which we stand.
We call upon Ugandans not to lose hope. We shall work hand in hand with other democracy seeking forces in our motherland to see that the NRM, like all totalitarian regimes that have persecuted and oppressed people throughout the ages, ends up in the dustbin of history. We will continue to speak out without fear or favor against all ills that afflict our country and continue to keep hope alive that we shall overcome. The darkest part of the night is just before dawn. Let that hope for a better future keep us focused on the tasks of the present.
Hon. Norbert Mao
President
KenGen – Press Release: National Power Supply is Restored: “Monkey caused overload at a ‘Power Station’ and triggered a national blackout!” (07.06.2016)

Uganda: Reshuffle of Military Attaches abroad

Surely Mzee didn’t see this coming, as the Government of Uganda, can’t hold their secrets until their official. The are certain men who release the information. The Nepotism and the value of NRM loyalty. As it been promised to so many during the election. Now the deals and promises are beeing revealed. That is why I say it is unfortunate.
Mzee, can play some men and play the guards, but this term will hard to keep business as usual, as the tension between the men who really wanted change, and the men who still wants to serve his brown-enevelops. Peace.
Footage: Government outlaws anti-IEBC demonstrations (07.06.2016)
Mathews Phosa: ANC must stop ‘protecting corruption’ (Youtube-Clip)
“In an exclusive interview, journalist Melanie Verwoerd talks to anti-apartheid activist Mathews Phosa about the road travelled by the ANC, the Constitution and the expulsion of Julius Malema” (Eyewitness News, 2016)
Statement by Dr Tarek A. Sharif, Head of the AU Defence and Security Division at the 6th Biennial Meeting of States to Consider the Implementation of the Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapon (07.06.2016)

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, June 7, 2016 – New York, USA 6-10 June 2016 – Mr. Chairman, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentleman, It is an honour for me to speak on behalf of the African Union and wish to take this opportunity to congratulate you on your election as the Chair of the 6th Biennial Meeting, and commend you for the manner in which you are steering the meeting. The African Union assures you of its full support.
Mr. Chairman,
The African Union fully aligns itself with the statement made by the African Group and wishes to underscore that Africa is among the regions most affected by the illicit proliferation, circulation and trafficking of small arms and light weapons.
These weapons have caused unspeakable death and suffering over the decades and remain a serious impediment to peace, security, stability, and development on the continent and globally. This is why the AU is strongly committed to regional and global efforts to eliminate illicit small arms, and we firmly believe that the Programme of Action remains a critical and comprehensive policy framework to achieve this end.
The Member States of the AU have made significant progress in implementing the different components of the Programme of Action and the International Tracing Instrument. In this regard, I wish to express the AU’s sincere thanks and appreciation to all the international partners for their continued commitment to support our Member States.

Mr. Chairman,
The AU recognizes that some challenges to the full and effective implementation of the Programme of Action and the International Tracing Instrument still remain. These include limited financial and human resources and also the declining levels of international assistance and the lack of effective assistance coordination at the regional and global levels.
The AU wishes to seize this opportunity to call on all international partners to reboost their assistance in order to preserve the gains that have been made thus far. It is also imperative that the international community re-considers and improves the current funding modalities. While the AU commends the support provided through the UN Disarmament Trust Fund and UNSCAR, these funds do not match the existing and growing needs and gaps.
In this regard, the AU will support regional coordination and synergies in the implementation of the PoA, the ATT, and other regional instruments. The AU is also particularly keen to promote and support sustainable action that is fully owned and led by Member States. It is, therefore, critical that the relation between donors and recipient countries is transformed into a strong partnership that is based on a shared understanding of the priorities and where both parties are committed to institutional and capacity building and long term impact, in accordance with best practices and mutual agreements.

Mr. Chairman,
The important role of regional and sub-regional organizations in combating illicit small arms cannot be overstated. Over the years, their programmes and initiatives against illicit small arms have led to significant milestones. This makes them key potential partners in global efforts, and their role should be capitalized on in order to close the gaps in implementation as well as coordination.
The AU calls upon international partners to ensure that regional and sub-regional organizations are consulted and involved in project planning and implementation in order to ensure that regional dimensions and border security aspects of illicit proliferation are considered and addressed. Furthermore, the AU encourages a central role for regional and sub-regional organizations in coordinating resource mobilization and assistance.

Mr. Chairman,
On its part, the AU is ready to provide a regional forum for States, the UN and international partners to discuss modalities to enhance the capacities of Member States to meet their obligations under the POA and ITI as well as on the strengthened role of regional and sub-regional organizations in this regard. In concluding, the AU delegation hopes that this meeting agrees on substantial and results-oriented recommendations to reinforce the Programme of Action.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman
Gianni Pittella on Ongoing Violence in Congo (Youtube-Clip)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_PnxjmwV0Q
“The President of the Socialists and Democrats Group Gianni Pittella expresses his great concern about the ongoing violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo. European Parliament, Strasbourg, 07/06/2016
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The S&D Group stands for an inclusive European society based on principles of freedom, equality, solidarity, diversity and fairness” (Socialist & Democrats, 2016).

