Press Release: TDA Statement on Flag-Bearer as the Joint Presidential Candidate for the oppisistion(24.09.2015)

Mbabazi Besigye

The Summit of TDA has not arrived at a consensus on a TDA Joint Presidential Candidate.

The Summit has not been able to build consensus on either Rt Hon. Amama Mbabazi or Col (Rtd) Dr. Kizza Besigye.

It is therefore clear that the membership of the Alliance will take different paths in respect to the matter of a presidential candidate.
CP and FDC have endorsed the candidature of Col (Rtd) Dr. Kizza Besigye; while DP, Go-Forward Pro-Change, PPP, UFA, and UPC have endorsed the candidature of Rt Hon Amama Mbabazi.

JEEMA and PNU have not recorded their preference for Presidential Candidate. Their Presidents were not present in the Summit at the time of the decision.

The Summit of TDA will convene at an appropriate moment to consider the other aspects of TDA work, in respect to continuing to explore unity and cooperation in pursuing the goals and objectives of the Alliance.

The Proposed changes and added amendments on the Election laws that can be seen as preparation for the Election in 2016 in Uganda.

Fred Ruhindi

On the 25th September 2015 three amendments will be read for the parliament. These Amendments are the President Elections Amendment Bill of 2015, Parliamentary Elections Amendment Bill of 2015 and the Electoral Commission Amendment Bill of 2015. They are all interconnected and will be a part of the preparations to the election that is happening in 2016.  All the Amendments comes from the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs Hon. Fredrick Ruhindi

The Main parts of the Presidential Elections (Amendment) Bill of 2015:

Parts of the bill with revise the requirement for a candidate to campaign in every district in Uganda and to stop the polling stations at 4:00PM on the polling day. Another main part of the bill is that nominations fee for the candidate will go from Shs. 8Million/= to the the new fee of Shs. 20Million/=.

The first issue with the candidate is that with the surge of districts make it difficult for a candidate to be in all the new districts before the polling day while campaigning. The second one is for fitting the economic environment that is different than in 2005.  The third issue is that the polling time is set from 5:00PM to 4:00PM to give the Electoral Commission more time to count the votes.

And a new amendment to proof the voter’s identity:

“a fourth table located at least ten meters from the ballot boxes where every voter, after deposing the ballot paper into the ballot box, shall proceed and the thumb or other finger on the voter’s right hand determined by the commission marked with or applied with inedible ink as one indicators that the voter has cast the ballot”.

The Main parts of the Parliamentary Elections (Amendment) Bill of 2015:

First part of the bill is to get four representatives of persons with disabilities to be elected by Electoral Colleges Constituted in accordance to the four traditional districts: Central, Eastern, Northern and Western regions. The second part of the bill is on the nomination fee for the candidate will go from Shs. 200k/= to new fee of Shs. 1Million/=.

The Main parts of the Electoral Commission (Amendment) Bill of 2015:

First part of new amendment is: “The commission shall, not later then two weeks before polling day, transmit to every political party and organization and independent candidate taking part in the election, an electronic text based copy of each voters’ register which the commission shall use on polling day”.

Second part is that the Commission has to employ one a District Election Administrator and an Assistant Election Administration. The District Election Administrator has the supervision, is in charge and custody of the voters’ in the district, and also seeing through the manner of the voters registers. Important character that the Administrator need is integrity, high moral and also “a person taken to have behaved in a corrupt manner in relation to his or her duties if he or she commits any act of dishonesty in connection with his or her duties, whether or not it constitutes a criminal offence”.

Third part is: “the Commission shall, before the display of the copy of the voters’ roll publish in the Gazette and in the print media, a list of all the places at which a voters’ roll is required to be displayed under this section”.

Aftermath:

The Presidential Candidate first gets more expensive to pay the nominee fee as a candidate it goes up Shs. 12Million from the 2005 to the total of Shs. 20Million and was at 2005 set to be Shs. 8Million. Everybody understands that’s a viable and big fee change and the argument is for the economic climate that has changed since 2005. If the value of the shilling has devalued that much in about ten year period that the candidate must pay over double of the fee, then the economic system has server issues.

The Second change is the time that is set from 5:00PM to 4:00PM on the polling station at the Election Day to give more time for counting. I am sure that this will be more of a statuary fix. The counting will have enormous ability to be manipulated after the votes are cast. The time set or fixed times is just an small tweak.

The third change in the Election laws are the thumb print that each voter has to get before casting the ballot. This will be sign of ink on the thumb proving that the voter has cast his or hers ballot. It’s a nice fix especially thinking about how the reports was a last election that people and military personal was bussed between voting stations to vote multiple times. With the ink on the finger it should be harder to dupe this one and the officials should easily see the print of ink on the thumb if a person tries to vote twice.

Fourth change is that a nomination fee for representatives for the disability goes up to Shs. 1Millon. There will also be four representatives one each representative from traditional districts: Central, Western, Northern and Eastern. This is in general a nice gesture to the community with applying that the Parliament gets people with special needs to the Parliament from now on.

Fifth change is that each political parties and independent should at least receive the voters register before two weeks before the polling day.  This is good thing to give them time to see the registers and check it. Might even give feedback to the Electoral Commission on shortfalls for the registration of voters in districts and municipalities that is necessary, though two weeks are little, if the registers are big who would have the capacity to oversee and scrutinize the register?

Sixth change is the additional new staff each district need. The new staff by the law is now District Election Administrator and Assistant Election Administrator who will look over the Polling and Election in the District. The person who will be hired has to have a moral compass, integrity and not act in a corrupt manner. All of the ones that are put into law are not exceptional this is what they should be as members of society and also professional people delivering and serving their nation and government so that the citizens can be sure of a valid result. A result and poll that is efficient and following procedure so that the tally can be justified and also being correct. Because if the Election Administrator doing their job and picking the right people, not letting the Electoral Commission having ability to trick the numbers or anybody else. Then the ballots and elections would be less rigged and actual have trustworthy people doing their jobs. If not, this is just a nice on paper and we still see the same issues in the Districts and clear the ballots for a free and fair election in 2016.

Seventh change is the publication in the Gazette or in print media. Where the Voters roll will be published, that is just a good thing. And proving to the public that the results getting official and can be explained. That should have already been there and is basic of official and public order, with this the Electoral Commission proves that it does it actual job in the election.

This all should be seen as interesting and see if this get voted in. If this gets official law it will have some effect on certain aspects on the coming election and the later by-elections as well. Since the signs of the public and local display will be visual with the thumb print and the District Electoral Administrator getting a vital role in procedures of the polling. Also the establishment of higher nomination fees for Presidential Candidates and also Special Disability representative which is total 4 representative one from each traditional regions. That is a great sign of all of the laws.

I don’t want to write for the third time what the laws says, but the issue is that it’s really patchwork and also quick fixes. If they will play big in the election is time to tell. And see if the next Commonwealth Report of 2016 will be as harsh as it was on Presidential Election in 2011. Peace.

Press Release: A quarter of a million homes now on M-KOPA in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda (23.09.2015)

M-Kopa

23rd September 2015 Nairobi, Kenya… M-KOPA Solar, the world’s leading ‘pay-as-you-go’ energy provider to off grid homes, proudly announced reaching 250,000 homes across Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania today.

Alex Kivuva Nduati became M-KOPA’s 250,000th customer when he purchased an M-KOPA III solar home system at the M-KOPA Shop in Athi River: “I am so excited to take home a solar system that will give me much more value than kerosene, and with M-KOPA’s daily payment plan it is affordable for me,’ said Alex. “I purchased this system for my rural home where there is no access to electricity. M-KOPA will save me a lot of money to use for school fees for my two children and in my business.”

Jesse Moore, Managing Director and Co-Founder, M-KOPA Solar, says, “Last September we celebrated 100,000 customers, and a year later we are already at a quarter-million. With hundreds of great customers like Alex coming on board every day, we are helping East Africa leapfrog over the grid to enjoy cheaper, cleaner, and more reliable solar power.”

Kenya is emerging as a hotspot for off-grid solar power.  A 2014 study by M-KOPA Solar and InterMedia shows that 14% of the surveyed population use solar as their primary lighting and charging source. M-KOPA is one of the fastest growing power providers in the region, connecting solar to over 500 new homes each day. The battery-powered 8W home system has three lights, a phone-charging facility and a chargeable radio.

The savings generated by using off grid solar over kerosene are substantial for individual households and the broader East African economy. Each M-KOPA Solar home is calculated to save US$750, compared to using kerosene over a four-year period. This means that the combined projected savings by the 250,000 households using M-KOPA Solar is US$187 Million.

Nairobi-headquartered, M-KOPA Solar now has a network of over 1,500 direct sales agents and 100 customer service centres across Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.

Press Release: “ENGIE Rassembleurs d’Energies”, the ENIGIE Group intiative supporting sustainable energy access continues its work with its 13th investment, in support of PEG Ghana (22.09.2015)

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Anxious and bickering about tomorrow’s decision to know who runs as the TDA Flag-bearer!

Amama Besigye

The Democratic Alliance has postponed the decision to decide the matter of whom of the big-men from all the parties and independent men will have the ability to run as flag-bear under the opposition against the long-serving President Museveni.

We all knew all along that this would be a grand finale; it was just the matter of whom the lucky contestants would be. It would be natural the one of the main candidates for the position would come from the FDC, DP or UPC, even JEEMA if he had some character or flash behind him.

The unexpected one is the one that makes the decision harder is that Amama Mbabazi turned away in the last minute from the NRM, because he knew that he would never beat Museveni in the NRM. The power-move to be independent where in the cards when he wanted to be the new Mzee! Well, he had to fall a bit more out of the party. It was already starting when he lost his position as the PM.

There will be reasons why he is not fit and the Go Forward Team not matching the standards of the parties that has run for ages against the NRM Regime and the Election rigging lobby. As I has said before there has to be a strong candidate to prove the validity of the opposition, somebody that has the unique character that can bring the citizens together and prove that there is more than one man in the land with a vision.

There will be coming accusations after the result when the TDA has picked their man from both camps. That Amama Mbabazi is a theif and corrupt fellow and you can question his loyalty. We all knew that already, but his coffers must sure be a blessing to the newfound operations and organization who plans to campaign against the machinery and well-oiled crony system that leads to the Mzee winning with big margin over who ever who goes against him.

The attacks that will be on Dr. Kizza Besigye for not being suited is that he has run three times before and have lost those. We all knew that also, for those who didn’t should have checked the Peoples President track-record from before 2011. But I guess you didn’t?

We have to candidates in the TDA with rich history, what should matter is what their beneficial line is in the run-up? Can one of them actually go through the harassment and still look like a Nobel Presidential candidate?  The candidate that will run for the TDA in the race will he get support from all the parties in the coalition? If not, will he have a majority support? Last question will the candidate actual have a moral point and place against the Mzee?

Because if the candidate that runs against Mzee has no moral or ethical back-work and knowledge, if the candidate doesn’t be real change from the current leader. Than it would be a lousy election. It would be in general just switching names and titles. And Uganda need more than that in this day and age.

We have heard the accusations from the JPAM camp towards the FDC camp and so on. That should not be visual things going into the main choice of Flag-bearer of the coalition. Because that is futile and not worth a hot damn! So my point is, who is suited to beat Mzee in a fair fight? If it ever was – I am sure that it will be more or same wrongdoings as in the Commonwealth Report after the 2011 election in the 2016 election.

So if it will be same, than the issue of who the other candidates will just be mockery. If it wasn’t so and it was a pure multiparty system, then the upcoming election would be interesting. And the TDA candidate would be a man on fire since he has all parties from the Opposition under one umbrella against the ruling party. Which in any ways would be a interesting move of play. So the like in Chess, the King stays the King, and the pawns just get lucky to switch if they comes to the other side of the board. I don’t expect the TDA candidate to get to the other side of the board. Only to capped early and left astray. That’s my fear that will happen again. We just get to see the opposition as pawn on the chess set so that Mzee can show the world that he has opened elections for many parties, but the counting get controlled by his men in the Electoral Commission and by his laws that is beneficial for NRM.

But I hope that the TDA does a wise choice and pick somebody that has the honor and pride of the people, not just the monies and quick fix. The elections don’t need that flag-bearer! Peace.

Press Release: 2015-200-EN – Development banks confirm multi million dollar backing for African Renewable Energy Fund (18.09.2015)

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  • Fund headquartered in Nairobi
  • Reaches final close at its hard cap of US$200m
  • Mixture of DFI investors and private capital, including European Investment Bank (EIB) and the Global Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Fund (GEEREF)
  • Cornerstoned by African Development Bank with seed funding and active support from SEFA and concessional contributions from SEFA and GEF
  • Promoted in partnership with African Biofuel and Renewable Energy Company (ABREC)
  • Already invested and developing 4 renewable energy projects with an additional pipeline of projects

The African Renewable Energy Fund (AREF), a dedicated renewable energy fund focused on sub-Saharan Africa successfully reached its final close today at its hard cap, with USD200 million of committed capital to support small to medium scale projects, with investment at the final close from European Investment Bank (EIB) and the Global Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Fund (GEEREF), among other investors.

African Development Bank (AfDB) is the fund’s lead sponsor, bringing US$55min an equity investment package from its statutory resources as well as climate finance instruments such as Sustainable Energy for Africa (SEFA) and the Global Environment Facility (GEF) to leverage commercial and institutional investment. SEFA has additionally committed a US$10m Project Support Facility (PSF), which will provide resources to be deployed at an early stage to structure bankable deals.

The fund which is headquartered in Nairobi held its first close of $100m in March 2014 and since that time has been investing capital in grid-connected development stage renewable energy projects including small hydro, wind, geothermal, solar and biomass.

AREF is the first dedicated sub-Saharan African renewable energy fund and is managed by Berkeley Energy, a fund manager focused on developing and investing in renewable energy projects in emerging markets. Berkeley Energy also manages dedicated renewable energy funds in Asia. Berkeley Energy has more than 30 staff in 5 offices globally, shortly expanding into West Africa.

The final investor group also includes West African Development Bank (BOAD), Ecowas Bank for Investment and Development (EBID), FMO, Calvert Investments, CDC Group, BIO, OeEB – the Development Bank of Austria, Wallace Global Fund, Sonen Capital, Berkeley Energy, ABREC and now the European Investment Bank, the Global Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Fund, and a number of other private investors.

AfDB had originally selected Berkeley Energy as the fund manager for AREF following a global competitive procedure and with the fund having reached its hard cap as well as successfully closing a number of transactions in its initial period, Berkeley Energy has justified the AfDB’s selection. The Berkeley Energy team comprises Managing Partner TC Kundi; Partner Alastair Vere Nicoll; Chairman Andrew Reicher; Investment Director and AREF lead Luka Buljan, Project Director David Hastings; and Investment Committee members Thierno Bocar Tall, Chief Executive Officer of ABREC; and Eddie Njoroge, former Chief Executive Officer of Kenya Electricity Generating Company (Kengen).

Berkeley Energy’s Partner and Co-Founder, Alastair Vere Nicoll said: “We are very pleased to have reached our target fund raising and look forward to continuing our work focusing on the technical delivery of our projects with our project partners from concept to generating reality”.

“AfDB is pleased to see that AREF is now fully capitalised to deliver on its pan-African mandate. We are also equally excited that SEFA and GEF participation have been catalytic in mobilizing significant amounts of commercial capital into AREF over a short time-frame; this is key for accelerating deployment of modern, clean and affordable energy in the continent” said Alex Rugamba, Director of Energy and Climate Change Department.

“As one of the world’s largest investors in renewable energy the European Investment Bank is committed to ensuring that new projects can be implemented around the world. This engagement is demonstrated through our support for the Global Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Fund, GEEREF. Our combined backing for the African Renewable Energy Fund will provide both financial support and share technical experience essential for smaller renewable schemes being implemented for the first time,” said Pim van Ballekom, European Investment Bank Vice President.

2016/082/AFR: World Bank Approves a Social Safety Net Project for Madagascar (17.09.2015)

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More than 162,500 vulnerable people are targeted 

WASHINGTON, September 17, 2015 – The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors has approved a US$40 million credit for a social safety net project in Madagascar.

“This operation will support the government in increasing the access of extremely poor households to safety net services and in laying the foundations for a social protection system,” said Andrea Vermehren, Lead Social Protection Specialist at the World Bank.

The economic and political crises in Madagascar coupled with the country’s recurrent exposure to natural disasters have had adverse effects on food security and human development. The enrollment rate for children between 6 to 10 years old dropped sharply from 80 percent to 75 percent between 2005 and 2010, and over 40 percent of Malagasy children under the age of 5 suffer from chronic malnutrition, one of the highest prevalence rates in the world. “In response to this situation, the Government’s General Policy (Politique Générale de L’Etat) has made it a priority to develop the social protection sector” reminded Onitiana Realy, the Minister of Population, Social Protection, and Promotion of Women.

This three-year project will focus on five regions selected jointly by the Malagasy Government, the National Nutrition Office and the Intervention Fund for Development (FID), based on data related to the poverty level, malnutrition rates, school attendance rates, food security, productive potential and complementary programs/interventions. Following this process, the project will be implemented in Atsinanana, Atsimo Andrefana, Haute Matsiatra, Vatovavy Fitovinany and Vakinankaratra. It will target 32,500 extremely poor households, thus reaching more than 162,500 individuals, with an overall equal participation of men and women.

The Social Safety Net Project will help establish a systematic and programmatic approach to social protection, focusing on investing in the human capital and productive assets of Madagascar’s extreme poor in addition to supporting the government’s leadership capacity.

“This project is in support of the Malagasy Government’s goal to promote inclusive growth by giving work opportunities to the poorest families and helping them in sending their children to school. The World Bank shares this goal which is at the core of its mission to eradicate extreme poverty and is proud to help the poorest gain livelihood and dignity”said Coralie Gevers, World Bank Country Manager for Madagascar.

Press release: Drought in Somaliland (17.09.15)

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September 17, 2015: More than 240,000 people in Somaliland are severely food insecure due to a continuing drought in the region.

Somaliland is currently experiencing an acute drought that has affected more than 240,000 people (40,000 Households) due to the shortfall of the Gu (April-June) rains in 2014 and 2015. The most affected regions are Awdal, Maroodijeeh, and Gebiley, which are traditionally the main food producing regions. Other regions affected include Selel and Sahil.

Uganda – Road to 2015: “High Level Scenario-Building Colloquium on the Run Up to and Beyond the 2016 Elections”

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