Zimbabwe: Beltbridge District Hospital – Memorandum – Temporary Suspension of Mortuary (09.11.2019)

Opinion: In Mwenda’s mind, everyone will turn into Jajja

Andrew Mwenda a former critique of the National Resistance Movement and President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni. Has become his closest writer and supporter in his own media house, the Independent Magazine. Andrew is so positive to Museveni that it’s like he works directly for the State House and defends him without any sense. Especially, while telling that Dr. Kizza Besigye nor Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine are not up for the cut.

Today’s piece is more of the same, I will not address it all, because that’s a wast of time. Yours as a reader and mines as a writer. We only live ones, and the shade of one patron of the dictatorship shouldn’t steal to much of our precious time. So, I have only taken the last part of it. Because that shows his non-common sense, which is his staple.

Ideally Besigye and Bobi Wine can distance themselves from such social groups and start to continually condemn the behavior and conduct of their uncouth supporters. They could make it clear daily that they seek a politics of moderation and tolerance. But they haven’t and cannot. This is not because Besigye and Bobi Wine are bad people. Rather, both know that to take such action would alienate the base. To keep their supporters, they have embraced radical extremism and its sister politics of hate and intolerance. The defenders of both Besigye and Bobi Wine claim these two men will tame these forces once in power. In fact once in power, the forces of intolerance that today dominate Defiance and People Power will consolidate and drive the forces of moderation from the government and party. This is what has happened to the NRM over years. It is the logic of power that those who seek to strengthen it are those who win in any power struggle” (Andrew Mwenda – Uganda’s democratic delusions, 11.11.2019, The Independent Magazine).

What Mwenda has forgotten is that the NRM didn’t want to unleash the multiparty system in the first and needed two referendums to get it going. Secondly, NRM didn’t want to hold elections and suspended that after the coup in 1986. Therefore, the sudden change of high on power was from the on set and only changed because the donors and rebels to the first rebellion wanted to have a fundamental change, which the NRM never delivered.

Mwenda is forgetting that the NRM is using the tools of the previous dictatorships. That is their laws, the police force and the army to silence the opposition. Making it impossible to use their tools and using the authorities to get them into trouble for assembling, campaigning and building parties. That is why Mwenda is a bit wrong. It is not a power struggle and a dwindling values of the NRM over the time. It has been partly static, the difference is how it goes viral and how it can be reported.

Mwenda is implying that everyone will be corrupted and destroyed by the office. That is because, his blinded by the NRM. Not that it cannot happen to them, but not letting them get office is showing the lack of openness, tolerance or even democratic values itself. That because, one fella is just right for the highest office, like he was born for it and the others will become him.

Just because, the liberator became the oppressors. Doesn’t mean the next generation of leaders will not learn from the mistakes of the past. Especially, when they have tasted the brutal force of this one. It’s like he thinks that experience doesn’t change the pattern too. Since, his lack of judgement thinks everyone will turn into Jajja and emulate his hat. They will misuse the arms, guns and law enforcement to oppress dissidents of the state.

Andrew thinks this packaging is smart. That he brings the rabbit out of the hat. The only thing he exposes, is his narrative that everything is fucked the day Museveni leaves the crown. That’s sort of like a zombie apocalypse, which is only Armageddon and other prophecies of total destruction of society. That is what’s his initially saying. Because, that is to scare the possible peaceful turnover of power. What he should ask for is better institutions and rule of law. Andrew should wonder why everything is going through the State House and orders from Yoweri.

That’s what’s bugs me out. That he thinks the other side will turnout to be Museveni 2.0 when they get into office. Is what saddens me to see that. But that what gives, when someone has to defend the inevitable and the indefensible. As he now does and doing it so diligently over time. Peace.

Zambia: President Lungu Pardons 5 Inmates as he marks 63rd Birthday (11.11.2019)

Tchad: Communique de Presse de la familie Manavel (10.11.2019)

Uganda Episcopal Conference: Statement of the Catholic Bishops of Uganda on recent episodes of excessive use of Force and Brutality by Security Agents (08.11.2019)

Rwanda National Police: Press Release (10.11.2019)

IGAD: Communique of the 66th Extra-Ordinary Session of IGAD Council of Ministers on the Situation in South Sudan (10.11.2019)

Opinion: VP Leni Robredo joins a battle she cannot win

Vice President Leni Robredo cannot win this anti-drug war. Even if she now becomes the Co-Chair at the ICAD. The President and his actions on the drug-war alone will reside, even as she has the helm of the ICAD. President Rodrigo Duterte has through the Executive Order No. 15 of 2017 and the Memorandum Order No. 17 of 2017. Already put the strains and the wordings in.

Where ICAD mandate and role is already put. The Philippines Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) by these documents are still the overall lead agency, while the Dangerous Drug Board (DDB) will remain as the policy making one.

The ICAD is a monitoring mechanism to ensure all the various agencies and government organizations are implementing all the policies, laws and issuances pertaining to the government’s anti-illegal drug campaign. That means the ICAD will monitor and supervise these organizations: DILG, DDB, DOJ, DOH, DepED, DSWD, DTI, DA, DND, TESDA, PIA, PAO, OSG, PCG, PNP, NBI, BOC, BI, AFP and AMLC.

That means the ICAD will secure the implementation of the DDB and ensure the PDEA are working accordingly. The ICAD shall then again prove their work and report to the Office of the President. This all means, the ICAD is a formal board following the works, but not directly doing it.

The task of becoming the Drug-War Czar of Robredo is a failing one from the get-go. The ICAD by the stipulations in the Executive Order and Memorandum of 2017 shows the intention. Just like the NBI, PNP, AFP, BoC, Philpost and all other agencies and existing anti-illegal drug task forces shall resume to provide active support to the PDEA in the conduct of anti-illegal drug operation. Therefore, the ICAD will provide support of PDEA, just like the other agencies are supposed to provide support of PDEA.

Therefore, if she wanted to change something. That was not being the chair of the ICAD. That would be directly involved in the DDB or PDEA. The other agencies are following the order there. The ICAD is just a supervising and monitoring unit. It is not the directing authority. Not by how the paperwork of 2017 says.

In this regard, Duterte has done a bargain. He let the PDEA chair of the hook. Gave the OVP more responsibility. While she has really less control, than how it looks. No matter how the OVP plays this out. The DDB and the PDEA might screw her over. The reports to the Presidency better be more joyful, than the ones whose been presented since its inception in 2017.

Robredo has gotten the short end of the stick. She is played before she’s touching the ground. The agency should have gotten ordered and co-chair in, wasn’t ICAD but PDEA. If she was there, should could have stopped killings and murder of civilians. However, she’s just monitoring and ensuring the implementation of the DDB policies.

OVP Robredo seems like she doesn’t understand that herself. But I cannot see her winning in this manner. Not happening and Duterte outplayed her. Robredo cannot be the winner. Not in this bargain. Unless, she has a magical wand and change the realities from the get go. Peace.

Opinion: Ruto missed the off-ramp on the Kibra By-Elections

Deputy President William Ruto wants to be the kingmaker and the biggest political player in the Republic. Ruto wants to be the importance and the one people look up too. William wants to be loved everywhere and be respected too. However, that’s not how it works.

The Jubilee Party sent in their unknown man McDonald Mariga to stand as an MP Candidate. Who we still don’t know his real age and that’s his interest of politics only came when he could aspire for office. Not that he as a candidate would have had any traction, if it wasn’t for him standing as a flag-bearer for the government party. If he was running for FORD-Kenya or anything else. He would have gotten abysmal results.

Ruto fielded him and did the risk. He invested time, money and all of the TangaTanga politicians joined in and camped at the Kibra By-Election. They all pulled all their power and promises. The Jubilee pledged jobs, houses and everything else. The sweetest gifts if they elected Mariga.

However, the public didn’t buy that stick. They didn’t buy those promises. Even bribing voters on election day didn’t work either. Still a lackluster 36% to Mariga. This was a stronghold and a base for the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) and Raila Odinga. Therefore, the candidacy of Benard Imran Okoth was a sure win. The results proved that too.

Some might say, that Jubilee and Ruto getting one third of the votes is a victory. Is it? Really? They again claim the ODM incited violence, but Ruto has incited to violence in the past. He has been in-charge and let the authorities brutalize opposition strongholds after the previous Fresh Presidential Elections in 2017. I remember several of deaths in the timeline of the Fresh Presidential Elections. Where big-men died, where innocent civilians was killed and the Police Service had procured body-bags for Kisumu.

Therefore, Ruto and Tanga-Tanga should be a bit more reflective on their own activity for their gains. Because, now the most famous picture was of Senator Boni Khalwale, who was throwing stones on election day. Not that ODM is innocent either, but none died in this. While when Ruto and Jubilee is behind. It is usual fatal for someone. That’s why all Post Election Violence sponsored by the men of Ruto will end up bloody, while the ODM wasn’t like that.

This Kibra Election is a lesson. But also a warning, because the Jubilee and TangaTanga is gearing up at amp speed. They want to challenge the narrative. That they were not losers, that they were not violent and that they didn’t try to rig this results. When they throw stones, tried to buy voters and pledged ridiculous huge projects that would never happen. Just more of Ruto’s Ghosts.

Ruto has so many ghosts and promised start-ups. William has surely enough plaques all across the Republics for something that isn’t in the budget nor any tender on it. The hustler will not say that, because he has the photo-op and the PR stunt for a road, a school, computer lab or whatnot. But the man will not find the money for it. He rather buy a congregation and dole out gift than actually doing some work.

That’s why this failed. Why Ruto isn’t trusted either. He comes with flamboyant speeches, big-PR and huge campaign budgets, but his real standing is weak. He is screwed and is clever enough to trick the trade, but his not loved. That’s because his shown his true character again and again.

Ruto will have to muster some magic to be sincere before the next election. Unless, he wants cats, dogs, chickens and kids to vote for him. To bring up the numbers to scratch. William doesn’t have it in him. Neither had Mariga who seemed like a lost soul, fishing and testing waters he never knew. The dude couldn’t even vote for himself nor had he voted for anyone else in the past. His just been modelling for companies and a friendly face after a successful football career. Though, not a champion of the people nor a born representative of them either.

That’s why the best candidate won in Kibra By-Election 2019. The Jubilee and Ruto might cry foul. They even asked to open the servers, like NASA did in 2017. It shows that karma is a bitch. And the system is cranked up. But the Ruto infused elections wasn’t that grand. Only an imposter and a tragic Greek comedy. There is nothing to see here, except for sore losers and lack of empathy. Peace.

Economic Fighters League: Stop Brutalising Makerere University Students in Uganda (10.11.2019)