[Disclaimer] 68% needs to wake up in the Republic, apparently!

“In order to produce something you need four things; land which is a natural resource, labour which we have in plenty, capital money and entrepreneurship, the spectacles to see where the opportunity is and turn it into profit. You can’t have 68% of the homesteads (eating what they produce) and you think you’re an economist. You’re just a total failure. Infant mortality rate, how many children are dying when they are still young? Why are they dying? Because they have problems, mainly because of problems of having no money. What does it mean that 68% of the homesteads are outside the money economy? We have a few modern farmers who are part of the 32% and other entrepreneurs. Those will continue but let us wake up this 68%.” Museveni said” (URN – ‘68% of Ugandans are poor because of sleeping – Museveni’ 12.08.2019).

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni have just ended his campaign and Wealth Creation Tour after a few months of steadily traveling across the Republic. In the final days of this he was a part of Investment Symposium 2019 in Arua.

What his saying isn’t new, he has used this message before, that the public is lazy, that they are not working hard enough. That they are not as hardworking and smart working like himself. Because, everyone should aim for being the photo-copy of the President. That is how you move ahead in the Republic.

That this is an insulting message from someone who had 33 years to make a difference. For someone who has had three decades to change the institutions, state owned enterprises and organisations run by state.

If the President really worked for this, strived to make the finances good and economy booming. He would have delivered that already. His party has reigned supreme, had the majority of Parliament, had a One-Party state for a decade as well. So, if someone should have the ability to get his vision through, it should have been him.

However, spoiler alert. His been working for himself and his wealth. Not the wealth of the public, his using the state as racket. That is why the state gets into debt, while himself and his family is running successful businesses. This is the mere reality, a reality he doesn’t touch. As well, as the open laisses faire approach, while only partial subsidizing whatever defunct enterprise that is in the wind.

President Museveni can put the blame on the public. If not he will blame the opposition, the lazy bureaucrats or anyone who doesn’t cut it. Because, that is something this man does. Right now he blames the majority of the public. However, he has had 33 years to wake them up and get into the economy. Still, its not like his succeeded or even tried, except with schemes that the Kitchen cabinet have earned funds from.

Therefore, maybe just maybe, Mr. President its your failure, its your lack of policy and will, which is the reason for the people sleepwalking to their inevitable death. You could have done something, but you didn’t, that’s the fact. Peace.

Sril Lanka: Ahimsa Wickrematunge letter to Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe (13.08.2019)

Update on Ebola drug trial: two strong performers identified (13.08.2019)

Two out of the four drugs being tested are more effective in treating Ebola.

GENEVA, Switzerland, August 13, 2019 -The co-sponsors of the Ebola therapeutics trial in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have announced advances that will bring patients a better chance of survival. Two out of the four drugs being tested are more effective in treating Ebola. Moving forward, these are the only drugs that future patients will be treated with. Details of the changes are available in this WHO/NIAID/INRB release.

This WHO initiative is the first-ever multi-drug randomized control trial aimed at evaluating the safety and efficacy of four drugs used for treatment of Ebola patients. Initially developed as a multi-outbreak, multi-country study, PALM (“Together save lives”) was launched in November 2018. It is part of the emergency response in DRC, in collaboration with a broad alliance of partners, including the DRC’s National Institute for Biomedical Research (INRB), Ministry of Health, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), which is part of the United States’ National Institutes of Health, Alliance for International Medical Action (ALIMA), Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), the International Medical Corps (IMC), and other organizations.

In addition to researching the best treatments for Ebola, other efforts by team members and partners in the field are also critical in impacting survival rates. Teams of epidemiologists and community members work with communities to identify cases and provide care as quickly as possible. The teams ensure contacts are vaccinated against the disease and that their health is monitored for three weeks. Active case finding, contact tracing, and community acceptance of these teams are vital to ending the outbreak.

WHO is committed to continuing to work closely with the ministries of health of DRC and neighboring countries, and other international partners to ensure the outbreak response remains robust and well-coordinated. We will continue to conduct rigorous research and incorporate findings into the Ebola outbreak response through a variety of prevention and control strategies.

RDC: ECIDE – Lgue des Jeunes – Message de Soutien a la Jeunesse de l’Est de la RDC (12.08.2019)

RDC: Alliance Des Forces Democratiques du Congo et Allies “AFDC-A” – “Objet: Information: Organisation d’une marche par les Federation de la Villa Kinsahasa, ce jeudi 15 aout 2019” (12.08.2019)

Burundi: Association Burundaise pour la Protection des Droits Humains et des Personnes Detenues “A.PRO.D.H” – Prosition de Sortie de Crise pour le Burundi (12.08.2019)

Zimbabwe: APA’s Statement on Heroes Day (11.08.2019)

Cameroon: Social Democratic Front (SDF) – Position Statement (10.08.2019)

My 2 Cents: On Mzee’s final lecture from the OWC Tour!

Well, I am sure we should break down the whole speech, the whole history lesson and look into the madness, the repetitive and usage of facts that is President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni in 2019. As the National Resistance Movement (NRM) had the Sole Candidate Endorsement trip across the republic. Since, he needed to show relevance, as his opposition is growing in strength, because of the tiredness of the captivity of the NRA/NRM leadership in the republic.

However, he still has to show relevance, by addressing the colonial time, Idi Amin and even his basic structures. Like he has never written or spoken about it before. It is time for this man to retire either to one of his farms as a cattle keeper or become a honorary history lecture at Makerere University. Because, that suits him more than governing at this point.

Nevertheless, let me drop a few snippets of his recent letter, before addressing it!

First Paragraph:

Therefore, the Ugandan economy is one of the fastest growing in the World on account of the NRA/UPDF ensuring peace, the NRM ensuring reconciliation and democratic empowerment of the Ugandans, the NRM ensuring macro-economic stability as well as the NRM ensuring some limited infrastructure rehabilitation and development. It would have grown faster if the 6th Parliament had not delayed the construction of Bujagali dam and if we did not have corrupt actors asking for bribes before delivering services or those corrupt officials doing shoddy jobs and inflating costs. The corruption issue, however, is a software issue and not a hardware one. Given our transparent democratic system, the corrupt always get exposed and, on account of our massive educational system, nobody is indispensable” (Yoweri Kaguta Museveni – ‘Comment on my just concluded wealth creation countrywide tour’ 06.08.2019).

Second Paragraph:

How do the 68% move forward, following the present campaign? My answer is that there are already four funds for Wealth and Job creation. These are: the Operation Wealth Creation (OWC) Fund; the Women Fund; the Youth Fund; the Micro-finance fund and the Innovation Fund. This is a total of Shs437.2bn. This money has been there every year, in some cases, even since the year 2001 as NAADS money. The complaints are now that, this money is given to the ones “who already have”. The have-nots do not get. It is the “haves” that access this support. This cannot be a big problem. The big issue is that the money is there. If the routes through which it is passing have a problem, then we shall get better routes” (Yoweri Kaguta Museveni – ‘Comment on my just concluded wealth creation countrywide tour’ 06.08.2019).

The President does what he does best. Complain about others and saying they are indispensable. But when is himself so indispensable himself? As everyone else can be changed but not himself? How about that, Mr. Sole Candidate since 1986?

Well, that was the cheap and easy shots at the President and his own reasoning. Let me dig a bit deeper. As when concerning Bujagali dam, the European Investment Bank and the EU didn’t want to invest in the dam. There was even sent a complain to the EIB in 2009, but the EU said the project didn’t meet its standard for substantial development goals in such investment project. Still, the government pushed for it and even needed refinancing of it 2017. Surely, the expensive project has been a prestige project for the President, while putting blame to other leaders. That is what he does, instead of questioning, why foreigners didn’t want to invest in it in the first place.

Lastly, the Ugandan version of democracy isn’t that democratic, as there is no level playing field. If your a true opposition you get pinned with charges and spend time in court, even tortured if your a true threat to the Presidency That is why, the rigging, voter tourism and pre-ticked ballots is a steady act of the democratic values of this regime. Therefore, if he believes in his words, his surely deluded.

The last part, which I won’t use much time on. But there has been a Parliament report on the OWC and the President haven’t followed any of the recommendation from it. Neither, has he ever criticised or critically said anything about Gen. Salim Selah. Well, his part of his family and his kin never does anything wrong. They are legends because of their bloodline. That is why everyone else is indispensable, but his own is not.

So, if the President was serious about changing the OWC, maybe he should look into how the OWC is run by Gen. Salim Selah. But don’t expect that. It is cardinal sin to ask for that.

Well, enough of this nonsense. Peace.

Ethiopia: EPRDF is cracking down on media and limiting the free speech!

Internet is not water, internet is not air,” – Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali on the 2nd August 2019

Well, the supposed reformist and the hope for the Federal Republic of Ethiopia is showing his true colours. As the state is attack the media houses and the journalists as previous leadership has done. During the recent time they have now arrested several of journalists. This been done for various of reasons. But most likely to silence them and stop them from doing their job.

Democracy dies in darkness and the EPRDF is clearly aiming for that. They only want FANA BC/EBC and government friendly media to operate. The rest has to struggle and do not have leak or expose the rot within the EPRDF. As they are gearing up for “elections” or selections within the EPRDF system. Which was the way PM Abiy was selected within the same system and now they are evolving that before his up-coming term. That is why the media houses that writes or release pieces, which is putting the EPRDF in a bad light, got to go.

It is no other way to take this. In August this has happen. Take a look!

Reported on the 8th August 2019: Journalist Berihun Adane, Editor-in-Chief of the privately-owned Asrat Media and the weekly Berera newspaper, was arrested on 26 June, 2019 for false accusation of 22 June assassination of the army.

Still now by the 11th August Adane is still in jail and by the 1st August he had been detained for a month. Clearly, the regime plans to keep him behind bars. His is behind bars together with Elias Gebu.

Reported on the 9th August 2019: “Misgan Getachew, editor of Ethiopis newspaper and another individual named Adam Wujira are detained today at Arada 1st Instance Court where they went to follow cases of Berihun et al. They are detained for “filming the suspects”” (…) “Misgan and Adam appeared to court earlier today. Police claimed suspecting of them for ‘terrorism’ acts. Court granted police 28 days to held them detained ‘for further investigation’”(𝙱𝚎𝚏𝚎𝚀𝚊𝚍𝚞 𝚉. 𝙷𝚊𝚒𝚕𝚞, 09.08.2019).

So with these actions, the EPRDF and the Prime Minister. Shows the reality of their governing. That there is no change in guards. That is surely only PR at this point. As the aftermath of the coup has been to install puppets and friendly faces of the PM. Also, ensure grand good press, as the ones critically reporting is challenged behind bars. Just like it has happen in the past.

PM Abiy is showing that freedom, liberty and justice is still not a given. That the EPRDF is only playing the facade and not really trying to reconfigure the system. Surely, they will do like in the past, that they will force the voters and make way for their system. That is why the EPRDF and its allies, cannot have an unfavourable press. A media which questions its every move and even expose its dirty secrets. That needs to be hidden and the ones leaking it. Has to pay a price and spend time behind bars. Like the ones mentioned today.

Surely, if this persist, there will a long line of journalists, radio host and whatnot that will join these fellas. As the EPRDF want their message across, want their results and their view to the world. And especially to the public as whole. It does not accept noting but praise and YES MEN of the Prime Minister. He needs to praised for his actions and his vision, because he is greatest man ever. We had hope that he would bring change, but we are clearly disappointed. His just like the rest of them.

Power eats you, if it hadn’t eaten the man already, it has surely taken control of him. As he accepts and says that this is a good thing to block the internet and arrest journalists. He only wants the glory, but not the sad story. Peace.