Amuru Land Grab: What is ours, is OURS; What is their’s, is OURS; and Whatever is your’s, is still OURS

YKM Amuru Land Deal

There has been a lot of news and articles on this matter because of the sensitive issue of owning land. Land can secure families and secure the heritage of the local people in the area. The issue is how to deal with wish of growing society and also keeping traditions. Also settling people in after years of war with the LRA and settle especially the ones that are seen as Internal Displaced Persons (IDPs). Another issue is if the government tries to deal with big monies and doesn’t include local patrons or community. That disfranchises the people and also grows a bigger distrust from the community about the government institution. That also shows the true color of especially some of that is, also the matter in the Amuru Land grabbing. I will not look into the local squats between families and also IDPs and local farmers stealing land from each other. That is equally important. But don’t have the space to write and find a good way to put it into this one. NRM-Regime has from day one been laisses faire economics and not governmental business orientated even if the President of 29 years was into communist thinking in the 70s. Also into business that gains the government, but not actually the public and citizens always. Therefore we have the heavy prices and expenditure of roads. The deals and arrangements hasn’t been made in sincerity of the public, therefore has also the MPs from the area in now bot the 8th Parliament and the 9th Parliament has reacted to deals that been set in fruition. The Madhvani deal is the big one and the one with the most flesh and grants. Also the Apaa village dispute over the land becoming a hunting ground instead of being a village for the people who actually live there. Then I will show other deals that have been questioned. This was the gist!

Professor Ogenga Latigo spoke his mind:
“While referring to the process of land acquisition for the project, Professor Ogenga Latigo, the former Member of Parliament for Agago county and Leader of Opposition in the 8th Parliament indicated that ―Government mishandled the Amuru case, while others informants argued: ―”The idea is not bad but the approach of establishing the sugarcane factory [was wrong, and besides the project] is imposed on the people, the project should be started when the people have returned to their land. The priority should be to give chance to the locals to resettle before establishment of the sugarcane factory” (Serwajja, 2012).

Basic information from 2005:
“Gulu district in her endeavor to alleviate poverty and promote development is committed to mainstream environmental concerns in its implementation strategies. The district continues to rely on the natural resources as important sources of income. It is been noted that over 82% of the population depend on agriculture and this can call for immediate up-date on status of the natural resources in the district” (Langoya & Ochora Odoch, 2005).

Land Law information about in Uganda:
“Tenure arrangement:
Until 1995, customary tenants did not legally own land they occupied. The land belonged to the State, and the tenants were merely permitted to live on it (Tenants at Sufferance). According to its preamble, the Decree was intended to provide for the vesting of title to all land in Uganda IN TRUST for the people of Uganda. The Constitution of 1995 vested land in the citizens of Uganda as opposed to land vested in the State, as was the case with the Crown Land and consequently Public Land.
Therefore:
• Customary tenants on Public Land were empowered to own land occupied.
• Three quarters of land in Gulu falls under customary tenancy hence Communal Land Management.
• The Land Act 1998 favoured the Acholi customary land holding e g. communal cultivation, communal grazing, and settlements” (Langoya & Ochora Odoch, 2005).

Important land law:
“Section 92 of Uganda’s Land Act (1998, Cap. 227) states that “a person who…makes a false declaration in any manner relating to land” or “willfully and without the consent of the owner occupies land belonging to another person”… “commits an offence.” Notably, however, the Penal Code Act does not mention land-related crime or theft, robbery, or grabbing of immovable property” (Northern Uganda Land Platform, P: 6, 2014).

Alternative dispute resolution (ADR), or ‘mediation’ as it is known, is not as technical, costly, or time-consuming as formal court processes, and aims to promote harmony among community members rather than naming a winner and a loser” (Northern Uganda Land Platform, P: 18, 2014).

“Migration characteristics:
Virtually, there are no refugee settlements in the district. However, large number of people in rural areas has moved to the forty six Internally Displaced Persons’ Camps and urban areas (RUM). It is noted that the Population in camps have risen from 291,000 people in 2001 to 438,765 people in 2004 and those in the urban centres from 38,297 people in 1991 to 113,144 people in 2002. Due to the same insurgency, there is also movement of people from Gulu district to the neighboring districts of Nebbi, Adjumani, Apac, Lira, Masindi and other Districts, not mentioned here” (Langoya & Ochora Odoch, 2005).

“Three criteria are found to be reliable indicators of bad faith. These reveal themselves as the ADR process unfolds, and include:” (…)”RIGHTS: Land rights of each party. These are determined by family ties, marital status, and transactions (gifts and sales)” (…)”INTENT: Parties’ demonstrated willingness to (not) respect these land rights. Usually evidenced by the presence of any “warning signs” and/or similar actions, body language, and statements” (…)”POWER: Parties’ perceived ability/opportunity to deprive opponent of land rights. This is context-specific, and may be assessed through probing” (Northern Uganda Land Platform, P: 7, 2014).

amuru-disctrict-shannon-tito

Some information on the Area Land Committee(ALC):
“A major point of breakdown apparently concerns the integrity of the Lands Administration itself. Although Area Land Committees are the “eyes and ears” of the District Land Board—thus vital to the process of land surveying and registration at the grassroots—these bodies remain under-facilitated, unsupervised, and unsurprisingly corrupt” (Northern Uganda Land Platform, P: 75, 2014).

Witnesses from the ALC:
”There’s no supervision of ALCs. So they go and do the work the way they want… because they’re human, sometimes they’re stubborn. On the basis of relationship… they can favor somebody. There may be a boundary dispute that was really not resolved – but in their report they say the dispute was ‘decided” (…)”“…a nightmare. The Kakira Sugar Works Limited overdemands money! Your file can be lost if you don’t pay them. I have to be very bold with these people, and tell applicants what really goes on. The corruption is highly coordinated, you can’t penetrate it. They look at you as if you are stupid if you don’t hand them extra money. I think the reason why no official fee structure exists has to do with the people behind private survey firms. If survey rates become fixed, then they lose business.” (…)”If I want to do something, you have the knowledge, I have the money. Money is very evil. However principled I am in my work, there’s some degree to which I will bend. All government offices are strained. No department says they have enough facilitation to do their work… We need to agitate, put it to the government that resources be looked at. Facilitating the ALCs alone will not solve the problem. Instead of centralizing the court, where people cannot afford travel costs (80-100km away), can we facilitate departments to do their work?” (Northern Uganda Land Platform, P: 75, 2014).

One set of background for Acholi land grab:
“To a number of locals in Northern Uganda, the issue of Customary Land Titles/ Certificates continues to evolve, and the rush to pilot this project has raised a number of questions and concerns about state involvement in land-related issues” (…)”In 1995, the Constitution of Uganda gave the right to own land to Ugandan citizens and any Ugandan could settle anywhere following due procedure. Following the passage of the 1995 Constitution the customary land tenure system was uplifted to the level of freehold tenure” (…)”As such, a clear definition and understanding of public land becomes imperative to securing access to land rights. One such example is the act of Amuru District Land Board allocating 40,000 hectares of land to Madhvani Group of Companies for sugar cane plantations. This allocation was made in the understanding that the land was public land. To community members this was a clear mismanagement by the land boards and manipulation of customary land rights by state institutions” (Otim, Ina & Cody, 2012)

“Lending credence to the perception of threat was highly public pressure from central government (including the President personally) for the opening up of Acholi land to investors, large-scale commercial farming, and other forms of ‘development’. From early 2007 this pressure was focused on giving land – originally 40,000 hectares, later reduced to 20,000 – in western most Amuru District to the Madhvani-owned Kakira Sugar Works Limited for a sugar cane plantation” (United Nation, 2013).

Main issues in Acholiland on land:
“Many Acholis oppose the project not only because Acholi cultural land is not to be sold, but also because many of the owners of that land are still in camps and, because of displacement due to war and the consequences, have not yet been able to return to their ancestral birthplace” (Kligerman, P:28, 2009). A World Bank report in July 2008 recommended a moratorium on land titles to investors in Acholiland until residents had residents had returned home from camps and people had been “sensitized” to land issues (Atkinson, R, 2008). The report also recommended that the government demonstrate its commitment to protecting natural resource rights (Atkinson, R, 2008); this is remarkable support for the Acholi people, particularly considering that the World Bank is one of major promoters of land privatization globally” (Kligerman, P: 29, 2009).

Insecurity when it comes to Land in Acholiland:
First one:
“Previous and on-going attempts by private individuals to acquire private interests in land which is perceived to be owned communally. Acholi leaders believe that Government is engaged in designs to help well placed and politically influential people from other parts of the country to access and enclose land in Acholi land. Common Property Resources are particularly targeted by individuals as well as government agencies” (Rugadya, P: 3, 2009).

Second one:
“Investor interest in the region; Pursuit of land access by large-scale commercial interests, speculators and grabbers was also causing tension particularly in the Acholi sub-region. The concern is that commercial agricultural interests will be cavalier in their treatment/understanding of land rights and land use issues. A number of highly publicized multiple attempts to acquire land in the sub-region presumably for investment and potential government development programmes, while some of these proposals may have been legitimate investment programmes to help re-establish peace and spur economic development activities in the region, the absence of a clear national policy and institutional framework for pursuing these initiatives has fueled the suspicion that “government” or investors as trying to usurp their land” (Rugadya, P: 4, 2009).

On Land Policy:
“Hostility towards government land policy is acute. MP Reagan Okumu asserts that there is a kind of ‘scramble’ for Northern Uganda, accompanied by a deliberate effort to deny Northern Uganda any development by scaring away investors. He says that because people in Northern Uganda are poor, whenever one flashes money around, they will sell their land at even low prices” (Otim & Mugisha, P:9, 2014).

Continuation on land and allocation of it:
“In Uganda, land is the single greatest resource for which a large majority of the population derives its livelihoods – because of the importance attached to land in all communities, conflicting interests in are unavoidable” (…)”Okoth-Ogendo describes land as a political resource which defines power relations between and among individuals, families and communities under established systems of governance” (Mabikke, P:6, 2011).

Allocation Part II:
“These land allocations dominate in the western area of Amuru district. These concessions have spurred major discussions on land grabbing in Acholi land. Central to these concerns has been highly public pressure from central government for opening up of Acholi land for “development” since early 2007 to allocate” (…)”land in Amuru district to the Madhvani Group for a large-scale sugar cane plantation. Reports from aggrieved Acholi Parliamentary Group (APG) – a group of Acholi parliamentarians accuse the GoU for assisting investors to grab land in northern Uganda. According to APG, the Central Government’s support for alienating land for commercial sugar cane farming in the north has been accompanied by powerful individuals gaining, or attempting to gain, private title to land that overwhelmingly belongs to communal landholding groups” (Mabikke, P:19-20, 2011).

Amuru

On IDPs and Returnees:
“Some returnees allege that the government grabbed large tracts of their land while they were in the IDP camps and offered these tracts to private investors. For example, in March 2008, the Madhvani Group submitted an application to the Amura District Land Board for 20,000 ha of land near to the Nile River for a sugarcane plantation. The local government approved the application with an initial allocation of 10,000 ha for a period of 49 years. Some of this land is claimed by returnees. In November 2008, several parliamentarians from the Acholi sub-region filed an application in the High Court in Gulu and obtained an ex-parte (temporary) injunction against the Madhvani Group, Amuru District Land Board and other respondents for interfering or encroaching on the disputed land. In ensuing court hearings, the Amuru District Land Board was forbidden from issuing new leases on the disputed land until the hearing and determination of the main suit. As of June 2010, the suit is still pending in the High Court” (Veit, 2010).

The Land Matrix database indicates that four large scale land deals amounting to 76,512 hectares were concluded in Uganda. In 1992, the government of Uganda signed an agreement with the Libyan government to allocate three large chunks of land, i.e. Bukaleba Beef Ranch (4,000 hectares), Aswa Ranch (46,000 hectares) and Maruzi Ranch (16, 376 hectares (Okello, 2006). Meanwhile, Egyptian government planned to establish grain farms on land totalling to 840,000 hectares (Kugelman and Levenstein, 2009) and Agri-SA holds about 170,000 hectares of arable land in Uganda (Mabikke, 2011). Similarly, the Ugandan government tried to allocate 7,100 hectares of land to the Sugar Corporation of Uganda Limited (SCOUL) to produce more sugar although the civil society resisted the allocation through massive demonstrations and appealing to donors to block the proposal (NAPE and Friends of the Earth International, 2012)” (Serwajja, 2012).

First information on Sugar factory in Amuru district:
“Box 1. Madhvani Amuru sugar works proposal:
In 2006 news began to emerge of a planned sugar works to be built by the Madhvani Group on 40,000 hectares of land in Amuru district. The proposal envisaged a joint venture between the Amuru Sugar Works (owned by the Madhvani family) and the government, with a projected cost of US$80 million (Shs 162 billion) and included construction of a factory, a power generation plant, a water treatment plant and reservoir, workshops, stores, fuel stations and administration blocks, staff housing and amenities including hospital and educational facilities, etc.34 Amuru Sugar Works anticipated employing up to 7,200 people (25 foreign and the rest local) directly at the factory and some 5,000 on outgrowers’ farms, providing a livelihood to around 70,000 people in total. Five villages to accommodate 200 farmers each were to be built in the nucleus estate. In these villages, farmers would benefit from education and health services, while extension and credit services, agricultural equipment for land clearing, ploughing and furrowing, and a development fund would be used to support outgrowers. According to the proposal, 200km of road network would be built on both the nucleus estate and surrounding areas.5 Despite the proposed benefits of the project, a political storm over the proposal quickly grew, with the Acholi Parliamentary Group (APG), under the leadership of MP Hon Livingstone Okello-Okello, arguing that the investment should not proceed until all internally displaced persons (IDPs) had safely returned and that the required land of 40,000 hectares was too big to be given out for a single investor, since the population was growing fast and in the process of returning from camps.6 Madhvani Group representatives, accompanied by President Yoweri Museveni, visited the north at the end of 2007 in a bid to gain support for the project. Museveni asked the Acholi paramount chief, His Royal Highness Lawii Rwodi David Onen Acana II, to undertake a consultative process by setting up a committee to assess the land in question, research the sugar industry and gather community views. The proposal has subsequently been reduced to 20,000 hectares for the nucleus estate and 10,000 for outgrowers. In July 2008 newspapers reported that during a meeting organised by the APG, residents resolved unanimously not to give their land to any investors. Most recently, following dissatisfaction regarding the ruling of the Amuru Land Board in favour of the Madhvani Group, a group of residents from Amuru district, led by MP Hon Simon Oyet, secured a court order stopping any transactions on land in the district, with the deputy paramount chief of the Acholi, Rwot Otinga Otto, calling on clan leaders and cultural heads to resist giving land to Madhvani if they are not consulted, saying: ‘Just rise up against whoever gives away land without your consent’” (International Alert, 2009).

The background to deal:
“The first public indication of Madhvani’s interest in a sugar cane plantation in the ‘north’s central part’ of Uganda – that is, Acholi – came in a New Year’s Day New Vision Business article, ‘Madhvani to set up second sugar factory’ (1 January 2007) . By July, this interest had become specifically identified as a 40,000 hectare tract of land in Amuru District – see, for example, two New Vision articles from 30 July 2007, one from the Local North section, ‘Acholi MPs asked to support sugar factory’, the other an Opinion piece by Gulu District
Chairman, Norbert Mao, ‘Sugar is sweet but Acholi cannot afford a raw deal’. It is important to note that the land sought by Madhvani is situated in an area cleared of people by the colonial government almost a hundred years ago and made a game reserve. But evidence of various Acholi group’s historical claims to customary land in the area, and its continued use through most of the 20th century for hunting by groups with recognized customary rights is extensive. It is also worth noting that this is also a part of Amuru where preliminary research indicates possible oil reserves, and where Government has given out licenses for oil exploration – as confirmed in a letter dd. 4 September 2008 from Daudi Migereko, the Minister of Energy and Mineral Development, in response to a request for information on the matter by J.J. Okello-Okello, Chairman of the Acholi Parliamentary Group” (United Nation, 2013).

“The project entails acquisition of 40,000 hectares of land in perpetuity and at zero cost, implicitly the people of Lakang are meant to give away the land for development of the sugar industry. Half of the land, 20,000 hectares, will be used to establish a central business district (nucleus estate) of the factory that will entirely be under the management of the Madhvani Group and the remaining land will leased to the communities to grow sugarcane under the out-grower scheme. At the same time, the Madhvani Group will acquire a title deed to the land in question (40,000 hectares) in a quest to secure additional funding of about US$50 million from the African Development Bank” (Serwajja, 2012).

A review of the feasibility study report for proposed sugar project in Amuru district revealed that the area was preferred because of availability of permanent source of water which would provide water for irrigation and proposed factory. The proposed project is located about 6 kms is near the river Nile. Other suitable conditions for sugar cane growing identified included suitable topography with undulating plains, reliable rainfall of 1029 mm annually and fertile soils (sandy clay loam and loam) and availability of spear type of grass which is easy to clear (Madhivani Group March 2007). For the investors acquiring land from the UIA, they had to ensure that the land had no conflicts. For investors who acquired land from the UIA and DLBs, there are guidelines that prescribe all the processes for acquisition” (…)”In Amuru district, an investor had fenced off land cutting off adjustment villages from a health centre and a weekly market. Similarly, in the Kaweeri coffee plantation, the community complained about restrictions of movement through the plantation to access their villages. Since part of the process of land acquisition does not require understanding a gender analysis, its implications on women and men will not be understood and therefore such scales and effects will not inform planned actions“(Kanyesigye, P:13 & 15, 2014).

Amuruland

On the 11th December 2014 Attorney General Peter Nyombi wrote this in a letter:
“In a cabinet meeting presided over by H.E. the President, while briefing cabinet on the progress made so far by regarding the above project you informed cabinet that the survey of the project land would be done after the by-elections in Amuru District” (…)”Could you therefore have the land surveyed and the occupants of the same established and their property on the same recorded and valued so that the project can go ahead” (Nyombi, 2014).

Two other cases:
First case:
“According to the minister’s letter dated 7th January 2008, Major General Julius Oketa had applied to be issued with a certificate of title for approximately 10,000 hectares of land located in Amuru district for a sugar industry. The letter shows that there was no functional
Area Land Committees (ALC) in place which would inspect the land before issuing the title” (Mabikke, P: 20, 2011)

Second Case:
“A similar case of alleged land grabbing is cited in the petition presented to the Speaker of the Parliament, filed by Hon. Okello-Okello John Livingstone – chairman APG. Okello reported several attempts of land grabbing involving senior government officials in northern Uganda.
In 1992 the GoU signed a protocol with the Government of Libya giving away the following large chunks of land namely;
• Bukaleba Beef Ranch 4,000 hectares,
• Aswa Ranch 46,000 hectares
• Maruzi Ranch 16,376 hectares” (Mabikke, P:20, 2011).

A third case:
“The case of land in Apaa Village (Amuru District) illustrates the suspicions of local people concerning the acquisition of large tracts of land. In 2005, when people were still living in the camps, land was given to Bruce Martin from South Africa who was investing in game reserves for sports hunting. When resistance from the community intensified, it is claimed that the government changed tactics and asked the neighbouring district of Adjumani to contest ownership and claim that this land actually lies within Adjumani District. The Adjumani District authorities then passed a council resolution giving the land away to the ‘investor’. Some participants in this research argued that the boundaries between the two districts of Adjumani and Acholi are clear, and that some district politicians are manufacturing the boundary conflict. During an interview with the District Chairperson of Adjumani, he showed a map of the area in dispute claiming the area belongs to Adjumani District” (Otim & Mugisha, P: 8, 2014).

Fourth Case: 

Omoro County Suvey of Land

On the 9th of September of 2015 the police arrested the Amuru MP Hon Gilbert Olanya. Residents has reacted to buy of land and grabbing of Apaa village. The Villages and the MP was forced into the Police car even with the NTV camera crew in the place.

The TDA press release said this: “Three people are now confirmed dead by sources in Apa. Several people suffered grave injuries and are being treated at Amuru health centre. The Member of Parliament Gilbert Olanya was arrested and is believed to be detained in Masindi police station” (Minbane, 2015).

Afterthought:
I think I have said enough. If you’re not enlighten and gotten more clear information on the subject and the issue that these people are living through, then I am sure you should read more reports and dwell on the matter at hand. It is a sensitive matter that by my reckoning hasn’t been dealt in the best way. The arrangement and deals has been beneficiary for the government and state institutions, but not in favor of the demand in the districts. Also it has not put into an account what the local area needs or settlement of the IDPs after the long war in the war-torn area of the Northern Uganda. So many people are still in tents in the camps instead of building themselves into a stabile life. That is really growing prosperity and not just short and quick bucks with the sale of big areas located to foreign and not local merchants. Also fertile land is being sold to either facilitate a giant sugar-factory or as another big time deal to become hunting grounds instead of a place where the citizens can live and earn a livelihood. When this kind of actions happen from the government officials in Kampala and not directly with due diligence locally, then there will be frictions and anger towards the men who gave the businessmen the opportunity to occupy the lands. There are already as seen in many of the reports many smaller incidents between neighbors and family members to allocate lands in the Amuru and Adjumani district. Therefore this will be a sensitive issue that will not be over, especially not over until the next sunset. There will be many moons and even more hot air before a certainty is there. Especially when the Government overrules and sells the land without doing proper procedure and allocations, without checking the status of the area as it unfolds. They the government officials are just pocketing money quick and then send police to get rid of those who live there. At the same time having citizens in the camps as IDPs without a possibility to land and harvest, to find work to sustain them and live. That should have been the priority and not the businessmen from a far. Which is also the main reason why the locals reacts that strongly towards this land grabs and how they feel overrun and not listen to by the powers to be. In this case of the Government of Uganda and their LDC and certain ministries that have put the allocations into effect. An in this particular cases might put the quick monies before the additional and usually most important feature of any government institutions the people and the citizens before the contracts of selling the lands. Henceforth it’s understandable why people react and demonstrate when they feel wronged by the ones that supposed to serve you and secure security and care so you earn your livelihood. And that shouldn’t be too much to ask from the NRM-Regime, though it seems more likely that the big sums of monies matter more than the public reactions at this present time. Also that the continuation of disfranchising the northern districts of Uganda continues, especially with the Oil findings in Western/North Western Uganda – Bunyoro while Amuru and Adjumani will lose more to that area than even before. Peace.
Reference:
Kanyesigye, Juliet – ‘Hearing the other Voice: Investor perspectives on Protection of Women’s Land Rights in Large scale Land Acquisition in Uganda’, Submitted to the World Bank Conference 2014 on Land and Poverty 23-27th 2015, Washington D.C.

Kligerman, Nicole – ‘Alienation in Acholiland: War, Privatization and Land Displacement in Northern Uganda (2009)

Langoya & Ochora Odoch, Walter – Gulu District Local Government – ‘District State of Enviroment Report (2005) – Gulu, Uganda

Mabikke, Samuel B – ‘Escalating Land Grabbing In Post-conflict Regions of
Northern Uganda: A Need for Strengthening Good Land Governance in Acholi Region’ (08-11.04.2011) – Paper presented at the International Conference on Global Land Grabbing, University of Sussex

Minbane – ‘Press Release: TDA condems the violent and forceful eviction in Apa Uganda’ (08.09.2015) link: https://minbane.wordpress.com/2015/09/08/press-release-a-condemns-the-violent-and-forceful-eviction-in-apa-uganda-08-09-2015/

Northern Uganda Land Platform – ‘Power & Vulnerability in land Dispute Resolution – Evaluating Responses to Domestic Land Grabbing in Northern Uganda’ (Lira, May, 2014)

Nyombi, Peter – ADM/7/168/01 – ‘Re: Land for the Sugar Project in Amuru District’ to Hon. Daudi Migereko, Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Kampala

International Alert – ‘Contributing to a Peace Economy in Northern Uganda:
A Guide for Investors’ (06.2009)

Rugadya, Margaret A. – ‘UNVEILING GENDER, LAND AND PROPERTY RIGHTS IN
POST-CONFLICT NORTHERN UGANDA’ (November, 2008)

Serwajja, Eric – ‘The Quest for Development Through Dispossession: Examining Amuru Sugar Works in Lakang-Amuru District of Northern Uganda’ (17-19.10 2012) – Land Deal Politics Initiative (LDPI)

Otim, Denis Barnabas, Ina, Jahn & Cody, Emily – Refugee Law Project MUK – ‘Conflict Watch: “Land and Investment” – Balancing Local and Investor Interest’ (August 2012)

Otim, David & Mugisha, Police Charles – Saferworld: ‘Beyond the reach of the hoe: The struggle for land and minerals in Northern Uganda’ (April 2014)

United Nation – ‘LAND CONFLICT MONITORING and MAPPING TOOL for the Acholi Sub-region – Final Report March 2013’

Veit, Peter – ‘Focus on LAND in Africa – Breif: CONFLICT, DISPLACEMENT, AND LAND RIGHTS IN UGANDA: Uganda’ (December, 2010)

Bank of Uganda’s Monetary Policy Statement for October 2015 (20.10.2015)

BOU MPS OCT P1BOU MPS OCT P2

11th Northern Corridor Integration Projects Summit – Joint Communique (17.10.2015)

11th NCIP P111th NCIP P211th NCIP P311th NCIP P411th NCIP P5

What does the Amendments to the Public Finance Management Bill of 2015 intially mean “Government of Uganda not needing approval for short-term loans”

Matia Kasaija

Today there are planned voting for the Public Finance Management (Amendment) Bill of 2015. This is confirmed through the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development Hon. Matia Kasaija. I will first quote the bill itself then comment on the matter at hand.

“An Act to amend the Public Finance Management Act, 2015; to provide for the preparation of Budget Framework Papers by Sector; to repeal the provision on the requirement to represent a certificate certifying that the policy statements of the votes are gender and equity responsive; to provide for virement by a vote of not more then ten percent of the budget of the vote; to provide for further financing of supplementary estimates; and to provide for guarantees and advances by the Bank of Uganda” (P3, 2015, PFMA).

Amendment of Section 13:

“The Minister or another person responsible for the vote, as any case may be, shall base on the priorities identified in the Budget Framework Paper of the sector of the vote, cause to be prepared for the vote, a policy statement for the vote, for the proceeding financial year and shall submit the policy statement to the Parliament by the 15th of March” (P4, 2015, PFMA).

Amendment of Section 17:

“A vote that does not expend money that was appropriated to the vote for the financial year shall by the 31st July of the following financial year, repay the money to the Consolidated Fund, except where the Secretary to the Treasury authorized the vote to retain money” (P4, 2015, PFMA).

“The authority given by the Secretary to the Treasury under subsection (2) shall be valid up to 31st of October of the financial year” (P4, 2015, PFMA).

Amendment of Section 20:

“The functions of a vote may be transferred to another vote or a vote may be assigned additional functions” (P4, 2015, PFMA).

“Where the functions of a vote are transferred to another vote or where a vote is assigned additional functions, the functions of the vote shall be financed accordance with sections 25” (P4, 2015, PFMA).

Amendment of Section 25:

“(4a) Where the funds in the Contingencies Fund are not sufficient to finance the supplementary budget, the supplementary budget shall be financed by a reallocation of the funds of the annual budget” (P5, 2015, PFMA).

Amendment of Section 36:

“(5a) In addition to subsection (5), a loan raised by the Government as a temporary advance by the Bank of Uganda, which does not extend beyond a financial year shall not require to be approved by the Parliament” (P5, 2015, PFMA).

Amendment of Section 82:

“(1) The bank may with the approval of Parliament, make temporary advances to the Government and local governments in respect of temporary deficiencies of recurrent revenue” (P:6, 2015, PFMA).

“(1a) Notwithstanding subsection (1) the bank may take a temporary advance to the Government, without approval of the Parliament, where the advance does not extend beyond a financial year” (P:6, 2015, PFMA).

“(5) The bank shall not guarantee a payment to any person on behalf of Government or make any advance to any person on behalf on of Government without the prior approval of Parliament” (P:6, 2015, PFMA).

Afterthought:

It is reasonable that you have dates for the Budget Framework for the next financial year as they are switching dates in the new amendment. From the 15th of March until the set date of the 31st of July, also by the end of the year pay the money that was voted for into the Consolidated Fund with an exception that the Treasury Secretary has a vote to retain that money. The first changes to the law aren’t really scary or worrying it’s the parts that I come to now seems scary!

In Section 36 the government will have the ability to take up loans without having vote by the Parliament. The Government can henceforth take up advances without being questioned as long as it is set into a certain timeframe. When this continues into the Section 82 where the Government doesn’t need a stamp of approval from the Parliament to take Advances from the Bank of Uganda to secure funding where there is “deficiencies of recurrent revenue”, which means that if a sector of Government is lacking money. They can go directly to the bank and extract funding without having approval from the Parliament. This is to secure balance of funds and to stop the deficiencies in the Government. Still it’s a worrying that the Government can get this ability. (1a) under the same sections is giving the same kind of advance within a financial year without an approval of the Parliament. While the last Section (5) is telling the bank can’t guarantee a payment to any person without approval of the Parliament to a person which represent or are a part of the Government. So With this means that a person or affiliated to the Government can get an advance or loan from the Bank of Uganda without approval of the Parliament, but still not allowed to get a direct payment form the Bank of Uganda. You do get that right? Some of it is if there is a deficiency in the Government. Are there so often missing funds now that the Government has to act in this way, because the lack of funds is so big now that they don’t want approval of the Parliament to fix their own deficiencies? And does the Government fear that giving the information and stamp of validation from the Parliament will show the current loans and advances that the Government does for the moment or need?

The Government must be needing loans towards the election of 2016. That must be reason why the Amendment is happening now and the deficiency is happing now. Also why should it be so hard to get the approval and show the country what the advances and loans are going to during the Financial Year! This is just proving what state of affairs has turned in the country and why people should address it. That this kind of laws get into effect shows how little oversight the Government wants to show and secondly shows how the Government want to loan money without proving paperwork for where the money is going. Since its still short time loans that is to withstand a Financial Year still that this is not looking good, should be visible. The Public Financial Management Amendment of 2015 is surely made to make life easier for the Government and not have to question their actions through the Parliament when it comes to short-term loans and advances. Something is surely up. And we’ll see over time how fruitful this will be and I wouldn’t be surprised if the inflation starts to rise after this amendment to the law get into effect. Peace.

Press Release: Bank of Uganda takeover of Imperial Bank Uganda Limited (13.10.2015)

Imperial Bank - BOU

Press Release: Uganda and Tanzania sign Crude Oil Export Pipeline Framework (12.10.2015)

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Prof. Gilbert Bukenya kissed the ring of President Museveni.

Bukenya A

TDA loose yet another pivotal man:

Mr. Mahogany or should I say his Christian name Gilbert Balibaseka Bukenya the former VP of the Republic of Uganda who himself went independent after being kicked out of NRM. He has today or very recent for some reason kissed the ring of his former leader Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.

The professor has said this: “TDA was poisoned and people who are there are very greedy. President Museveni has the right qualifications to lead this country” (…)”On four occasions, I met four different people who came to ask me to go back to the NRM. On the first and second time, I was not convinced. I was convinced on the third and fourth time, when they told me president Museveni has some good ideas. President Museveni promised me to fight poverty and land matters” (Daily Monitor, 2015).

For a brother who turned independent after losing his position in the NRM. President Museveni took him down and changed leadership because he had a plan in 2011 to go against His Excellency. His journey and saying now that President Museveni is the right guy in 2015 seems weird. Even for a man who has been loyal and kept close to the President.  

NRM

Reasons for this turn around are very dire:

“Sources say the group listed to Bukenya’s grievances against Museveni and later agreed with him that some of the issues he had raised were reconcilable” (…)”However sources told the New Vision that the two agreed that President Museveni would support Bukenya to defend his Parliamentary seat and campaign for him on top of securing for the former VP a position in the NRM highest decision making organ, Central Executive Committee” (…)”In return Bukenya would support and campaign for the President. Sources also said that former Vice President also requested he be appointed to cabinet in the next term” (Etukuri, 2015).

When you see this there will be more supporting of Pakalast-NRM ticket of Museveni. In turn he will go away for the unity of TDA that becomes smaller and smaller. With the FDC and Bukenya left the fold months before the actual event. Wonder if Norbert Mao, Akena, Otunnu and the other ones who still is a part of Alliance feels betrayed.

Bukenya has been bought for loyalty. He has done that before with CHOGM money. The indictment from 2011 says this:

“PROF. DR. GILBERT BUKENYA being a person employed as Vice President in the Government of the Republic of Uganda and Chairman of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) Cabinet Sub-Committee, on various dates between December 2006 and November 2007 within Kampala district did unlawfully and high handedly direct to be done arbitrary acts prejudicial to the interests of the Uganda Government, in abuse of his office; to wit; influencing and directing the award of the Contract for Supply of Executive Vehicles intended for use during Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) 2007, to Motorcare (U) LTD in total disregard of the laws, regulations and practices governing Public Procurements in the Republic of Uganda”.

If that tells what he can do and get gains then it isn’t a new thing from Prof. Gilbert Bukenya that he now will be bought by the NRM-Regime and in the end now get a position in the NRM CEC, the price his loyalty and support on the road on the Campaign for the Presidential Election for 2016. And all of this is a sad view for TDA and opposition that a deflected candidate can turn back to his fold again. This shows the weakness and also the power of reach that President Museveni still has over some of his former cadres. And for an outsider who was running for the Flag-Bearer for the Opposition Alliance of the TDA and when Amama Mbabazi got it. Then later totally go back to his former boss. This is a scary scenario and proves how little strength there is left in the TDA. Prof. Gilbert Bukenya has become a crony again. Become a part of the set-up of the NRM-Regime and given up. Mr. Mahogany is now going back for a secure paycheck. Sure I hope he has kept parts of the Exclusive Vehicles because this is just another foolish turn of events. On Independence Day of all days, proves that the Professor can’t be independent at all. Especially that he and some other can be bought with promises of positions in NRM-Organization.

Oh golly, this is from the same man that said this in February 2015:

““I am a professor of medicine and I am supposed to gesture while stressing a point. As a teacher, I am supposed to communicate well. There is no way you can say that I am the one copying Museveni. May be its President Museveni copying me. I am a professor and he is not. Who should copy the other?” (…)”I remember in 1986, President Museveni said the biggest problem of Africa is leaders who overstay in power. Unfortunately he has become that very problem. He is now Uganda’s biggest problem. The President should avoid killing the legacy he has struggled to build throughout his life” (…)”We went around the country asking voters to give Museveni one more term. But now, there is every indication that he is set to become a life president” (…)”President Museveni has been in power for over 29 years but our hospitals are in a terrible state. He has failed to even repair the 29 hospitals Dr. Milton Obote built. Whereas he calls him swine, Obote did better than Museveni in this area” (Mulondo & Oryema, 2015).

When a brother can say this and months later kiss the ring! You sure know that Museveni can bring everybody back or get them soften their approach against him. I am sure if Museveni wanted and could bring a sweet enough meal Amama Mbabazi would turn back. Though I know and others should by now know that Mbabazi was also a part of the CHOGM scandal as Bukenya.  He has gone from being in opposition fighting the NRM-Regime for a little second. When he even in February this year said he was “Uganda’s Problem” to now in October he is saying “President Museveni has the right qualifications to lead this country”. There are surely shows the powers of what a few pieces of silver can do. Peace.

Reference:

Daily Monitor – ‘Prof Bukenya makes U-turn, pledges support for Museveni come 2016’ (09.10.2015) link: http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Prof-Bukenya-makes-U-turn-pledges-Museveni/-/688334/2906144/-/9qem5wz/-/index.html

Etukuri, Charles – ‘Bukenya makes U turn, supports Museveni’ (09.10.2015) link: http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/674310-bukenya-makes-u-turn-supports-museveni.html

Mulondo, Moses & Oryema, Kennedy – ‘Museveni is Uganda’s biggest problem – Bukenya’ (11.02.2015) link: http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/664720-museveni-is-uganda-s-biggest-problem-bukenya.html

Uganda – 53rd Independence Day Message from Yoweri K. Museveni, Dr. Kizza Besigye and Amama Mbabazi!

YKM 53 Ann Message

(YKM will hold a speech later today on Kololo Airstrip. Sure it will give even more “insights”)

But before that, enjoy the message from the FDC Flag-bearer!

Dr. Kizza Besigye Independence day message:

Independence Is not about just changing flag. In this county, Ugandans do not control the means of production. production is governed by two cardinal factors.
One land
We have Ugandans who are completely landless, they have no rights to land. They don’t have control over their natural resources including the most basic one which is water. The only natural resource they control is air.

Ugandans do not control the capital assets and they don’t control their labor. They are toiling for free. Govt has failed to put in place policies. Those who are lucky are exploited. They are modern slaves.
They don’t have control of technology.

The majority of Ugandans have no say in the trade and exchange policies. Wat ever little they make is taken for less.
We have no control over our taxes and expenditures.
We have a citizenry who are powerless after more than a quarter of a century.

The unprecedented poverty and unemployment.
These conditions will not change until the people of Ugandan acquire their power..

As we mark the 54th independence, Ugandans must regain their power. This is the most fundamental tasks of our people.

A powerless Citzen has no business in an election. Ugandans are still defrenchised as when they didn’t have votes.
You have a piece of paper without power.

I would like to invite our fellow citizen to rethink their role and how they determine it in the next election.
We are refuges in our country.

To gain power we must do three things.
We must realize that we don’t have power and without it, nothing will change.
We must regain our confidence as Citizens that this is our country.
With a confident citize we must get power the rest is easy.
We must stand up and say no. We are not going to be dominated again.
That unity is a unity of purpose. We need to get together inorder to regain our power. Not to get together to comply with our oppressor.
Some people want us together to comply with our oppressor.
We must defy our oppressor.
Those who want to organise to defy the oppressor to regain our power, am going to join them all the way.
Those who want to comply with the oppressor, I won’t be on their side.

Am happy on the Eve of Independence, am excited about the young people who are setting the agenda.
Am excited about the young people in MUK who are saying NO to the 100% tuition payment. We shall set the agenda.
The young people will lead the way to our liberation.
Am joining the 54th year of independent with hope. Am only disappointed where everybody is up for sale.
When I was moving around the country, poor Ugandans were giving me money to liberate our country.
We shall use our meager resources to liberate our country.
God Bless You.

(And the last Amama Mbabazi and the TDA:)

Amama 53rd

Recent Corruption cases: “It was part of being an insider but it was a very corrupting business”

Hapers

“He did not care for the lying at first. He hated it. Then later he had come to like it. It was part of being an insider but it was a very corrupting business.” – Ernest Hemingway, For Whom the Bell Tolls

You who follow my blog know I does this once in a while to prove that corruption isn’t a one area thing, it’s international and got no borders. Always somebody who want to pocket some easy and quick money, that is because it’s easier then actually work for the money in the end. This time around there is a few Island cases two cases on the Dominican Island and one that origins from Mauritius. The World Bank president is addressing taxation and how bad practices can destroy economic situation in low-developed countries. In South Africa there been a shady deal between Statehouse and the Hitachi, the ANC are continuing to do this and the old cases that has hurt the regime like he army deal in not to distance past. And a UN environmental negotiator who has a few counts of tax fraud so that the United Nation has even some people who got questionable actions. No place in the world you can walk anymore without insider, but it was a very corrupting business. Seems like a worry from Dominican Republic to the New York UN office. Take a quick look!

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In the Dominican Republic:

“The alleged bagman in the State Works Supervisory Engineers Office (OISOE) on Monday said the money provided to contractors to conclude construction of schools came from the beleaguered agency´s technical director, Jose Florencio” (…)”Alejo Perez said the money was sometimes handed out at the schools or at OISOE headquarters, in presence of de los Santos´ and the engineer in charge of the work. “These payments were sometimes made in cash or checks.” (…)”When asked what de los Santos did with the money he gave to Florencio, Alejo said: “They gave it to the engineers on loan to finish the work, which was withdrawn from a line of credit” (Dominican Today, 2015).

There is even another recent case on the island:

“The embezzlement case against ruling PLD party and senator Felix Bautista has unleashed a crisis of confidence among Supreme Court justices Frank Soto and Miriam German, who in a letter dated September 21called her colleague unfair, disrespectful and abusive” (…)”The Supreme Court on September 22 set a hearing for Oct. 21 to hand down the ruling on the prosecution´s appeal against Bautista´s acquittal by a lower court” (Dominican Today, 2015).

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More trouble in another Island Paradise:

“Senior figures from the island’s new government visited Britain in the summer to lobby for a National Crime Agency (NCA) investigation into the 68-year-old British passport holder for alleged corruption in Mauritius” (…)”The NCA is believed to have contacted the island authorities for details of credit cards found in Mr Ramgoolam’s safe that included two Centurion American Express cards given only to high-spenders. Mr Rangoolam, who owns a Rolls-Royce with a personalised number plate in London, has vowed to open his accounts to independent scrutiny in an attempt to persuade the NCA that he owns no property in Britain and only legitimately amassed savings. Banks in the UK shut down his accounts after the arrest in February” (…)”Any British investigation into Mr Ramgoolam would fit the profile of the more than 20 high-profile politicians being targeted by the National Crime Agency’s International Corruption Unit (ICU)” (Fellstrom & Peachey, 2015).

Statement from the World Bank president Jim Yong Kim:

“Some companies use elaborate strategies to not pay taxes in countries in which they work, a form of corruption that hurts the poor” (…)”We reject “trickle-down” notions that assume that any undifferentiated growth permeates and fortifies the soil and everything starts to bloom, even for the poor” (…)”Developing countries must also construct more equitable, efficient and transparent tax collection systems.  IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde and I pledged a few months ago that our organizations will do all we can to help countries collect more taxes more fairly” (Tax Justice Network, 2015).

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In South Africa:

A deal between Hitachi Ltd and the Government of South Africa:

“SUMMARY OF ALLEGATIONS

Hitachi allegedly sold a 25-percent stake in a newly created South African subsidiary to Chancellor, a local South African company serving as a front for the ANC, South Africa’s ruling political party. This arrangement allegedly gave Chancellor and the ANC the ability to share in the profits from any power station contracts that Hitachi secured. During the bidding process, Hitachi was allegedly aware that Chancellor was a funding vehicle for the ANC but nevertheless continued to partner with Chancellor and allegedly encouraged Chancellor’s use of its political influence to help obtain the government contracts” (…)”Hitachi was ultimately awarded two contracts to build Medupi and Kusile power stations in South Africa and Hitachi’s lax internal control environment allegedly enabled its subsidiary to pay Chancellor approximately USD 5 million in “dividends” based on profits derived from the contracts. Through a separate, undisclosed arrangement, Hitachi allegedly paid Chancellor an additional USD 1 million in “success fees” that were inaccurately booked as consulting fees and other legitimate payments without appropriate documentation” (Trace International, 2015).

RATIO OF IMPROPER PAYMENTS TO BUSINESS ADVANTAGE

 Approximate Alleged Payments to Foreign Officials  Business Advantage Allegedly Obtained
 USD 5 million in “dividends” based on profits derived from the contracts & USD 1 million in “success fees” inaccurately recorded as consulting fees  Awarded of two contracts, worth approximately USD 5.6 billion, to build power stations in South Africa

(Trace International, 2015).

“HOW CONDUCT WAS DISCOVERED

On 10 November 2006, the Mail & Guardian published an article, entitled “the ANC’s New Funding Front,” exposing Chancellor as a business front set up by the ANC to seek profit on its behalf, generally by acquiring “empowerment” stakes in a wide range of businesses seeking state procurement” (…)”On 19 January 2007, Financial Mail published an article, entitled “Finacing the ANC, Untold millions,” quoting the admission by Kgalema Motlanthe, ANC Secretary General, that Chancellor was an “ANC vehicle” that existed for the sole purpose of funding the ANC” (Trace International, 2015).

A little more of the case:

“The story of how Hitachi bought political influence, in order to win a $5.6 billion power station contract, calls into question not only the integrity of a massive company with a global reputation, but also the integrity of the South African government” (…)”A $19m fine for a company of Hitachi’s size, when they have won a $5.6 billion tender, is laughable and certainly does not help with law enforcement efforts to stamp out corruption” (Kenney, 2015).

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In the U.S.:

Chicago the place of Al Capone and other villains of old there are new corrupt faces:

“Charges that Byrd-Bennett steered more than $23 million in work to Supes and Synesi Associates “in expectation of hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes and kickbacks,” according to Fardon’s office” (…)”Byrd-Bennett, 66, faces 15 counts of mail fraud and five of wire fraud. Solomon, 47, faces those charges, plus alleged bribery and conspiracy, as does Vranas, 34” (…)”Her attorney confirmed that plan in a brief statement:”Barbara Byrd-Bennett will plead guilty to charges in the indictment,” Michael Scudder, a partner in the Chicago office of law firm Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom,” said. “As part of accepting full responsibility for her conduct, she will continue to cooperate with the government, including testifying truthfully if called upon to do so” (Hinz, 2015).

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Even in the UN:

Who knew that a negotiator in the UN for clean-energy and environmental issues has been getting accused on 5 counts on Tax fraud, here are brief information on the case.”A former president of the U.N. General Assembly “sold himself and the global institution he led” by allegedly pocketing more than $1 million in bribes to finance a luxury spending spree, according to a federal prosecutor” (…)”Ashe is accused of underreporting his income by more than $1.2 million, prosecutors said” (…)”ASHE also then began soliciting additional payments from LORENZO to pay for the installation of a private basketball court at ASHE’s house in Westchester County. In addition to agreeing to pay for ASHE’s family vacation and basketball court, LORENZO began paying ASHE’s wife, as a “climate change consultant” for NGO-1, in the amount of $2,500 per month” (Greenfield, 2015).

Afterthought:

If this wasn’t interesting then something must be missing. The corruptness is worrying that now even cracks in the UN system, that the World Bank President talks like he does is natural, that their been shady deals in South Africa isn’t new anymore; More like how much the deals are between the Government of South Africa between a Certain Company and then which MP or Minister who earns extra for it. The Mauritius clear-out is happening with a former PM having issues while the former President is behind bars, something is fishy on that island. Another island has two brief and new cases of corruption and that is on the Dominican Island. But the whole total of money discussed in these matters is big and terrifying for the state of the places and people involved in the matter. Like the quote from Hemmingway, I am sure that the persons are over time more easily doing the corrupt business and actions. Because over time it got easy and made the persons feels like insider. Though it still not right! Thieving and stealing is the same, and corruption is a malpractice and a form of stealing money. Peace.

Reference:

Dominican Today – ‘Suicide uncovers widespread graft at notorious agency’ (06.10.2015) link: http://www.dominicantoday.com/dr/local/2015/10/6/56703/Suicide-uncovers-widespread-graft-at-notorious-agency

Dominican Today – ‘Supreme Court justices bicker over embezzlement case’ (05.10.2015) link: http://www.dominicantoday.com/dr/local/2015/10/5/56695/Supreme-Court-justices-bicker-over-embezzlement-case

Kenney, Martin – ‘Hitachi’s South Africa $19m bribery fine’ (02.10.2015) link: http://www.martinkenney.com/articles/hitachi-south-africa-19m-bribery-fine/

Fellstrom, Carl & Peachey Paul – ‘Ex-Prime Minister of Mauritius under investigation by UK anti-corruption unit’ (04.10.2015) link: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/ex-prime-minister-of-mauritius-under-investigation-by-uk-anti-corruption-unit-a6679111.html

Greenfield, Daniel – ‘MAJOR UN CLIMATE ACCORD, AGENDA 21 NEGOTIATOR ARRESTED FOR CORRUPTION’ (07.10.2015) link: https://www.frontpagemag.com/point/260376/major-un-climate-accord-agenda-21-negotiator-daniel-greenfield

Hinz, Greg – ‘Ex-CPS chief Byrd-Bennett indicted on federal corruption charges’ (08.10.2015) link: http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20151008/BLOGS02/151009840/ex-cps-chief-byrd-bennett-indicted-on-federal-corruption-charges

Trace International – ‘Trace Compendium – Hitachi Ltd’ (28.09.2015) link: https://www.traceinternational2.org/compendium/view.asp?id=686&utm_source=TRACE+Compendium+Alert%3A+Hitachi+Ltd.+9.28.15&utm_campaign=COMPENDIUM+ALERT%3A+Hitachi+Ltd.+9.28.15&utm_medium=email

Tax Justice Network – ‘World Bank president: corporate tax dodging ‘a form of corruption’’ (02.10.2015) link: http://www.taxjustice.net/2015/10/02/world-bank-president-corporate-tax-dodging-a-form-of-corruption/

Up for Grab: The true soul of Christmas version 2.1

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It’s time to write about Christmas again, I know it’s early, but hey the Christmas products are dropping and Black Friday is arriving quicker than the wind. We all know what that means, we can see the chocolates with Marzipan and specialized packed foods for this part of the year. The sodas, beers, meat, horseradish, crab-legs and all the ho ho ho. Not to forget the Oranges and ginger-mixed cakes with spiced up sugar-glazing.

I’m just waiting for Itunes and the radios to play the Christmas tunes and mosh the sad songs of Mariah Carey and Bing Crosby. The strange faces on the billboards on the trams and also on the Clear Channel posters all around town like the Grinch stole the whole town!

I just wonder if our societies have forgot why we celebrate it. Because for some reasons it’s more important to have an Iphone under the tree, then crossing your lips for a prayer and celebrate a birth of Christ! Something is missing in that picture. Something is really missing in that picture. The gingerbread cakes wasn’t it in the Middle Earth, wait! Sorry, the Middle East, where Jesus Christ was born. Either wasn’t a birth made so we had to run to some Supermarket and buy the new mops or laptops made from a sweatshop of factory in the middle of China, which is more like Mordor, then jolly Christmas celebration place of work, who has seen BBC One’s ‘Apple’s broken promise’?

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It’s like Scrooge is saving Christmas. Then do yourself a favor eat some more of the gingerbread and hope you’re not to bubbly after it. Still the earliness of Christmas products is coming right before Halloween or All Saints day. So before we celebrate the ones who has built our lands and men of faith of the past – we have to run down the shopping center’s and buy a few limited editions kitchen products that has to be made with either Danish design or Made in Taiwan. Nothing is Christmas as a kitchen machine making popcorn or spatula from Jamie Oliver.

We can all be a little goodie-good and grand hearted even long while before the Christmas preparation starts we have even said our prayers for the saints before we supposed to be sugarcoated and ginger-breaded up to our ears and eyes. Sure that a few of those Christmas tunes want make the day sweeter. Only make you wonder, how quick can ordinary days come back into effect?

The Companies sure want to earn on our nostalgia and good-heartedness towards our loved ones and friends. Because this is the crunch time of the year (Fourth Quarter!) If this sometimes doesn’t kick-off well then the business or shop are not settled to survive into 2016. But that isn’t an excuse to sell me Christmas cookies before November kissed the Calendar.

Home-Alone-1990

I am sure the CEO is not Home Alone or busy bodies trying to keeping up with Scrooge. Still their finding their ways of making ordinary products Christmassy, like I am waiting for the Christmas designed toilet paper for sale in my grocery store from Lambi and it will be limited edition.

I wonder why we have to release their special products before All Saints day and make Christmas time or Advent, where we supposed to celebrate the birth of Christ. Not waiting for yet another edition of chocolate in wrappings reminding of Santa’s Red Noosed Deer. Would you buy your summer barbeque special edition products in the middle of January? Still we accept to eat the special wrapped goods from before either versions of Christmas Carrol is on TV.

We can’t soon turn our beamy eyes on social media before every company between Hawaii and Kazakstan who has a Black Friday will jump upon you and wish you to be a part of their event, especially on Facebook! And your friends will invite you on it to hope that they will win a coupon or price for yet another piece of merchandize that either them or me need. But that’s what Christmas time is all about right?

We all have to feed these multi-national companies with our hard-earn monies to secure their parachute payments of their leaders when they resign. So we can be assured that they might only that their Santa Claus will be jolly all the way to bank for kidding ourselves with the wrapped mockery they have sold us since October. That most of doesn’t really want to have before the actual days of Advent. Unless we are the Gingerbread figure in the Shrek movies to be inspired to become Stallone’s Rambo and has his own franchise. Now that I said it, can I pitch a idea? It will be action packed while smashing down people in Ginger-city and kill the ones who try to steal the M&Ms that was supposed to be glazed on him with the working title “The Gingerman runs the mob”.

Christ

Instead we’re in the Christmas bonanza and will until new-years like the recent years. I am sure that very few are waiting for new Christmas-products. That as usual got nothing to do with the actual holiday that everybody supposed to wait for. Not anything about waiting or symbolic of the supposed Christmas. It’s like Christ himself is a side-character instead of the main act and coming with one-liners, when the actual plot maker does something stupid. So here we are in the middle of and also start-ups, the yearly prequel of the Advent that has set the real life Scrooges and Grinches into life. They push any kind of products instead of what we are really celebrating. Though the Scrooges do what they are born to do as well, earn money and sell us sweatshop products on Black Friday, instead of giving hope and joy that the day is supposed to celebrate. The Advent is the waiting for the long awaited day that we celebrate, though so many just celebrate the ability to open a present and gifts from friends and family. There is nothing wrong in that, though the day has more value than that. That is like a forgotten story and it wasn’t Scrooge, Coca-Cola-Santa or the Grinch alone that stole Christmas it was our culture, that now lives on the special-limited-edition products that is a part of that time or the year. Instead of actually celebrate what really is Christmas.

It is not that I myself enjoy a special kind of Christmas soda, because though who knows me, knows how much I enjoy it. The thing that I am trying to say: is that we should not be enticed and forget it in the run for products that is symbolic edition and gifts. So we may not forget the main issue of the Advent and Christmas. Because if we forget that then we need help and ask ourselves why we running between stores at the mall and being in rush. Instead of being we actually there for our loved ones and spend our time with them. We are instead using so much time going to these shops and standing in ques. We should use less time on that and spend it with the ones we care about. That is something that has more value than newly fresh pressed money or imported Grincy-Scroogy-Gumball-Dumbo-Dumbledore-Delux Drier that none in the family needed. Peace.