

Kenya Press Statement on the Ongoing Crackdown on Contraband Goods (22.06.2018)








Yet again, more things are revealing the dire consequences of the new Exercise Duty tax that the Parliament voted through. This time it shows the significant amount of money that is already exchanged through the Mobile Money, as this is the sole way of transferring it without having bank-accounts or being involved with banking sector in general. This is made for the ones who doesn’t have a local bank and needs to transfer money to relatives, friends or even to pay-off bills through the phone. Therefore, these services are vital.
This is numbers taken from the Bank of Uganda, in their fresh Annual Supervision Report. Where the rates and usage nation-wide is presented. It shows significance. Also, the massive amount of taxation it really is.
“Mobile money services
As at end-December 2017, there were seven mobile money service providers and these included; MTN, Airtel, Uganda Telecom, Africell, M-Cash, EzeeMoney and Micropay. The number of registered customers across the networks increased by 8.4 percent, from 21.6 million as at December 2016 to 23.4 million as at December 2017. Mobile money activity continued its growth, during 2017. Transaction values increased by 44.0 percent to USh.63.1 trillion in 2017, up from USh.43.8 trillion recorded in 2016. The number of transactions rose by 23.8 percent over the same period” (Annual Supervision Report December 2017 | Bank Of Uganda).
Because if the whole you of 2017, the total mass of funds transferring through Mobile Money are on the levels of 63 trillion shillings, that means that if this was taxed with the new Exercise Duties, it would be about 630 billion shillings in direct taxes on the money. That is because the new tax is 1% on every transaction. That means that the total value being delivered from one to another is slimmer, as the one percentage of the transmitted funds will be collected as direct tax. That means if someone is sending a 1000 shillings somewhere, that means 10 shillings are directly taxed and leaves behind 990 shillings to the ones receiving it. There are also other taxes, but on this alone, there is certain amounts to be eaten by the state.
If this amount of tax doesn’t stop the growth nothing will. This is sort of amount will stop the amounts, maybe even people will send less times than before. Because they have to consider the added taxes on every single transaction. They want to make sure their money goes where it is supposed to and not give a too big of a slice to the government for the usage of the mobile money services.
Clearly, the state has hit a growing industry, but instead of making it increase, these sort of measures make it decrease and the cost will be carried by the consumers and not by the banks. They are still amassing in profits and taking their costs for the services as it is. Not like the consumer is transferring the money for free. They are not in it for charity, but for profits.
So just think about the massive cost it will be with the transactions and the lack of consideration the state had when they voted it through parliament with lack of due diligence. It wasn’t only the expensive social media tax, but it is this on top of it. To earn revenue on the hard earn cash that people are transferring through their phones. Peace.

You know that the repercussions of the activity from last year is now in full affect. When the Members of Parliament, the staunch supporters and ones who was the mega-phones for the will of the President. Needs the added security because they are afraid of their lives. They know that the people are not in favour of a President for life. That is why they are now encircled with the Presidential Guards.
“According to sources, the MPs and government officials’ security was enhanced last Friday. They each got additional soldiers from the Special Forces Command, an elite presidential protection unit. The beneficiaries include; Government Chief Whip Ruth Nankabirwa, State minister for Privatization Evelyn Anite, MPs; Raphael Magyezi (Igara West), Jacob Oboth-Oboth (West Budama South), Grace Balyeku (Jinja West), Simeo Nsubuga (Kassanda South), Peter Ogwang (Usuk) and Doreen Amule (Amolator)” (Namuloki, 2018).
Clearly, the Movement MPs are feeling the hatred and the local dismay over the decision to make the President for Life. They have tarnished the Constitution in favour of one man and his lifestyle. They have given the NRM regime the life-line by a thread and is now afraid of meeting the people. That is what this is all about. All of them knew what they we’re up to in the end of 2017, when they we’re ushering this and their legacy will be remembered for this. They cannot run away from the status quo they have created.
The Movement are fixated and doing the bidding of the President, the most loyal now needs the Presidential Guards to shield them from the people. A real sign of the state of affairs, how they are not the people’s candidates and their flag-bearers, but instead the King’s Men. They are the loyal servants of the President and is part of his court. That is the reality and they cannot run away from that.
The Movement MPs have to responsible for their actions, they have to able to go to the Constituents and answer for what they did. They are in charge and threw behind their names in the name of abolishing age limit for the Presidency, and that is why they have to answer for that as well. Therefore, they should man-up and set it straight.
This is the aftermath and this MPs are afraid of their own community, that says more about their behaviour, than the community itself. The Community are just addressing their disbelief that the so-called representatives are opposing what the people want. That is why they are angry and displeased when they meet. Clearly, this is now addressed.
That is why they are hiding behind the Presidential Guards, since he sends them that as a token of their loyalty to him. Peace.
Reference:
Namuloki, Josephine – ‘Age-Limit MPs get more SFC guards’ 20.06.2018 link: http://www.observer.ug/news/headlines/57990-age-limit-mps-get-more-sfc-guards.html



The former Trump Campaign Manager and former Ukraine Agent Paul Manafort has been denied and lost his case against the Court on the collected evidence from his storage unit. After the Judge today ordered that Court Denied Defendant’s will to suppress the evidence obtained in the search of his Storage Unit. That is yet another blow for his case and within the bounds of the Russian Probe. Yet, another victory for the collective case of Special Counsel Robert Mueller and his team.
Because the Manafort team has tried every single way to stop the investigation. Stopping the scope of the investigation, they had to get orders to look into the Communications like the BlackBerry’s and such. Now they got the order from the Court, that they can without anything justified not collect and assemble evidence in what Manafort had in the Storage Unit. Whatever sort of documents and such which are there must be important and vital for the operation of Manafort’s businesses. As he didn’t want the investigation to look into it. Because he knows what is there and how that will be in significance with the indictments towards him.
We can just imagine what sort of documents and such the team has seized from the man. If they have found the traces and connections into money laundering, the Trump Organization and whatever else the Russian Oligarchs has served him with. Who knows what sort of business transactions and offers of questionable works the FBI has on him now. As Manafort knows all of this and therefore, didn’t want Mueller’s team to get their hands on it.
This investigation is far from over, everything here is showing the reality and the need for the Manafort team to think otherwise. All of his secrets will be revealed. There are already some questionable activity and counts of criminal behavior by the man. So as he lingering in jail to testify, the documents from the warranted searches are studied and connected, so the dots of activity can be proven beyond reasonable doubt.
Manafort is in a sea of trouble, there are no signs of safe haven to land the ship. Only more jail time is awaiting him. That is truly a clear sign of what the President knows, as his long time associate and former Campaign Manager are behind bars awaiting trial. Peace.

Its been a week where the Democratic Party MP for Mukono Betty Nambooze has been charged and arrested for offensive communications in the case of deceased politician Abiriga. So since 13th June 2018, the troubles has been heavy for the Member of Parliament, she was even taken from her home and dispatched between police stations before she was supposed to be allowed on bond. However, she has been buried in cases.
Where she with her heart condition has not gotten the needed treatment, even seen enough doctors and be to the hospital. So her condition is deteriorating. Not that it matters to the law and the authorities. They don’t care if her body and mind is failing, if the sickness are creating more weakness for the MP. Because they are building a case and showing force.
So finally, yesterday, because what she wrote after Abiriga was assassinated. She has deserved treatment and if she had violated any law. It could be postponed until her health was better. That she would be normal and not bed-ridden in uncertainty like now. This is really showing the lack of understanding and needs of the citizen.
That on top of this, they are now ceasing her phones, tablets and computers to be used in investigation as per Court Order on the 20th June, as well as prolonging the investigation by 14 more days. That means the state will use in the first part of the discovery and to investigate the matter, a total of 22 days or a little over 3 weeks. This while her heart condition is making her life worse. That is punishment in itself and harming her.
The Police have even used Court Order to storm the Kirudu Hospital where she is bedridden to get the collect the evidence, as she was for over 48 hours in Police Stations. Before she was taken to the Hospital by the lawyers and also with help from the Uganda Human Rights Commission. Clearly, this shouldn’t be this hard and the state should be ashamed of how they are charging and investigating a fellow citizen.
It is like Nambooze is the biggest terrorist and the one that is the biggest threat to the state. With the acts of the Police, you would think that she was cousin of Kony and if she was the offspring of the ADF. Because that would make sense. However, common sense is that she is pinned and a picked victim of the failing insecurity in Uganda. They are pinning her and using her statements to show the people what is justice. Instead of actually considering her words, they are detaining and ready to suffer for her comments.
The state is ready to violate human beings and misuse their powers, that is the signal of the activity and oppression that the MP is going through. This will not bring Abiriga back and she is not the killer. There is someone out there laughing at this and thinking how foolish the Police are, as they are pinning offensive communications on someone as they please. Even Museveni has said much worse about random state subject since 14th June 2018. Therefore, the law is justified. Peace.

