Local EU Statement on Alleged Fraud and Corruption Cases in Refugee Settlements in Uganda (05.02.2018)

The starting point of a Political Stalemate in Kampala: Luwkago Vs. Kamya!

This had to come at some point, especially by the one that inherited the Minister Post from Frank Tumwebaze, this being Uganda Federal Alliance and best friend with the man in the Entebbe State House Beti Kamya. She is now taking the place of Tumwebaze and doing exactly like he did back-in-the-day. He stifled the powers of the elected Local Councilors and Divisions Mayors. By all means going against the opposition leader and Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago. This is deja vu. We have been here a few years ago. We can just wait to KCCA Executive Director Jennifer Musisi to jump behind Kamya and say Lukwago is all wrong in his acts. That is what we can anticipate. I just wonder when Presidential Advisor Singh Katongole will advise Musisi and Kamya. This will just start a fire, where usually the elected leaders get into the burning flames and not the selected people of Museveni. That is what history has learned us.

Therefore the news coming from Kampala today, wasn’t surprising:

City Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago has suspended the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) council meetings indefinitely following a stalemate between the technical and political wings. KCCA directors have so far boycotted three consecutive council meetings. The impasse started on January 25 when the directors refused to participate in a council meeting that had been described as “null and void” by the Kampala minister, Beti Kamya. Kamya argued that argued that there is nothing called “resumed meeting” in the KCCA Act. The resumed meeting is a continuation of previous meeting’s agenda. Councillors blocked the directors for over an hour when they decided to walk out of the “resumed meeting”, saying they are only answerable to the minister” (URN, 2018).

We clearly knew this would happen at some point. That it took this long time was rare. Since Hon. Tumbewaze went in after the General Election in 2011. So he got the Lord Mayor impeached and removed in 2013. So he had grievances before entering his chair as Lord Mayor as incumbent in 2016. When he tried to get the lost salary between 2013 and 2016 returned. However, the new Minister Kamya dismissed that early in a letter. Therefore, the relationship between Kamya and Lukwago was settled from the start.

We know that Kamya is a wild-card, most likely why she was appointed this position. Since she can run fire and she is power-hungry. So we will not respect any Ward Mayor, Division Mayor or Lord Mayor. Even the Executive Director Musisi seemingly seems more distance and having less of appeal after the appointment of Kamya. Musisi had more say during the years of Tumbewaze. That is not so for now. She is more ceremonial and galleon figure in the spot-light, but not the real power. Kamya has all of that and shown that with directives and decisions within the City. This without consultation in the other boards, other than directives from the State House and such. That is why traders and hawkers has kicked out of important trading places for development projects. This is proven during 2017. It is now becoming now hostile. It is now lit between them .

Musisi seems happy that Kamya are attacking and making life harder for Lukwago. Seemingly, that will be next step. Since Lukwago has suspended meetings, which Kamya hasn’t honored. She is supposed to follow and write yearly reports to the Parliament, also she could veto if she disagrees. However, she has decided not to show up. While the other mayors of Kampala has done so.

This here is the proof of the tangled deliberate attempt of not only undermining Lukwago, but all sort of opposition to NRM in Kampala. That is why the Minister is trying to take control and that is why the KCCA came into function. So that the Lord Mayor whoever opposition candidate to NRM would be caught under fire and could be dismissed to the dogs. So that one of the appointed leaders could takeover and take credit for the development of Kampala. If that isn’t visible, why are even the Division Mayors and Directors of Kampala undermining Lukwago? Who just most like trying to make sure there are checks- and balances. The only thing mattering to Minister is her loyalty to NRM and State House. That is why this is good news for the State House.

If this is the first step for the second trial and taking hostage of the Lord Mayor. I wouldn’t be surprised. The whole build-up of political framework and organizations are built to destroy and deplete the Lord Mayor. The City Hall are supposed to be controlled directly by the Minister and KCCA. Not by the political committees or others. Who are just there because the President needs someone there, but they are not his cronies. Peace.

Reference:

URN – ‘Lukwago suspends KCCA Council indefinitely’ (05.02.2018) link: http://observer.ug/news/headlines/56822-lukwago-suspends-kcca-council-indefinitely.html

Dr. Ruhakana Ruganda (OPM) Government Statement: On Allegations of Possible Abuse of Refugee Funds (05.02.2018)

Uganda: The Medical Interns Executive Committee letter to Ministry of Health – “Re: Concern about the Payment of Allowance for January” (02.02.2018)

Why did Dr. Tedros Adhanom bill the Ethiopian government for his Hospital Bill in Singapore in September 2016?

We know that the new World Health Organization Director Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who has already did some controversial assignments since become the Director there. Dr. Adhanom has a history as Ministry of Health in Ethiopia. You should think a man who represent his own nation and in cabinet cared about the Health Care there. However, he himself went for treatment abroad and billed the Ethiopian government for it.

Dr. Adhanom had an official meeting with officials from Singapore on the 9th September 2016. This was the story of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the 13th September 2016:

Dr. Tedros Adhanom meets Dr Mohammed Maliki Bin Osman, Singapore’s Senior Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Defense Minister at his offices today (Sept. 9, 2016). Discussions focused on strengthening bilateral ties between Ethiopia and Singapore, in areas including industrial parks development, tourism, education sector and inter-parliamentary diplomacy” (The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, 13.09.2016).

Even if the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has deleted this on their web-page. Still, it is still online and can verify this. Therefore, that the billing of a hospital bill of Dr. Adhanom was billed with $986,50. It isn’t a big bill, but still instead of paying it himself. The Ethiopia-Beijing Embassy was asking the Consulate General of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia to cover this. This was asked for by the Embassy of Ethiopia-Beijing, who covers Singapore and dozens of other Asian nations. We can just imagine what else he has gotten covered during his stay in Singapore in 2016 as a dignitary. Since, this is the one document leaked. This document asking for a payment directly to an account at United Overseas Bank Limited, Singapore on the 6th September 2016. This is just days in advance of the meeting with Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr. Maliki Bin Osman.

So seemingly the Minister of Health of Ethiopia did a routinely check-up or something. Since the bill isn’t big. But its the principal of making a good health care system back home and secondly, also putting this on the taxes of your citizens. When your the Minister of Health. That he is representing the whole Health Care in his Nation, but he still uses the state reserves and bills it on the public.

Dr. Adhanom misused it and got the Embassy of Ethiopia-Beijing to refund his visit at a Health Care facility days before having a meeting with the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs. Seemingly, it could be a coincidence, but its a bit to good to be true. Though in the scheme of things, a grand of US Dollars are pocket change. However, it is the principal of good governance. If he has done with this small one, what has he done one the budget funding yearly as a minister from Addis Ababa. Would he care or is he careless, since he knows the state will takes his bills and he will eat?

We can just wonder if he has done similar stunt and misused bigger funds for personal profits, because this is just a proof of a minor incident. Where he used a 1000 USD for personal health. We don’t know what he has done with the budgeted funds for the Health Care Ministry, but if we cannot trust you in the minor things. How will you act when your supposed to control the bigger things?

Peace.

Opinion: President Kabila uses the argument of financial restraint to postpone the elections; Any tricks to stay I assume!

There was scheduled Presidential Elections in November 2016, as the end of the second official term of President Joseph Kabila would end on the 19th December 2016. However, we are in January 2018 and days away from February 2018. Still, there are no credible movement or changes within the leadership or the government to prepare for a genuine exercise of a new election. It’s unlikely that CENI will deliver, not matter sort of international pressure. That is proven by the first Press Conference in ages or years from the President himself who said this:

“The election budget is 1.2 billion dollars, and I say it quite often, the elections in this country are starting to cost us a lot more than even the development of the country. And at some point we will have to make a choice, will it be necessary to be cited around the world as the most democratic country, or is the development that counts?” he said” (…) “Today, we are nearing the end of enlistment operations in Kasai. We are more or less 46 million voters enlisted. The elections in this country is a vast operation,” said Joseph Kabila” (…) ““We must take the most courageous options and decisions not to fall or fall back into the situation with a budget of 1.2 billion for elections, while we have a total budget of 6 or 7 billions,” added the Congolese president” (Xuequan, 2018).

What is striking that he is using the defense of budget and funds. While his own Republic who had scheduled this ever since he won in November 2011. Could have planned funds ahead for a coming election. If they are a serious government and if it is such a big operations, why did the Kabila government plan it earlier?

A thing that the President should be careful about, is that United Kingdom has already spent funds on Electoral Operations and Electoral Organizations in the years ahead of the 2016 and still supports it with funding. This they do together with United States Aid (USAID). The Development tracker proves that the UK has already donated £6,6m in April 2015 to technical support to the National Electoral Body (CENI), from the same donors £3,5m in April 2015 to civic education, also in April 2015 gotten £2,5m to Election Observers through the Carter Center. In October 2016, the UK donated to promote woman participation in the Election a total of £1m. The DFID has already also pledged for supporting the Electoral Process in total £14,5m. This is just from one Nation to another. That is funds that is already spent and misused. While he is crying foul.

President Kabila should be careful playing with fire, especially since he is creating insecurity with his position. That someone is speaking of delaying election into April 2019. There was already rumored in August 2017 that it would either be in 2019 or 2020. So it is not to far off, after the new timeline was released in November 2017. That was a year after the term ended. Still, there was no international outcry, neither was anyone really supporting the CENCO initiative or trying to force Kabila out.

Kabila has been allowed to stall for time, to buy time and awaiting his next move. Since he didn’t change the Constitution like many other clinging to power Presidents. That was one of his foolish moves, since he really doesn’t want to step and give way for a legitimate President in the Republic. His term already ended 434 days ago or 1 year two months and 8 days ago.

So the saga continues and the postponed election will continue. If it is insecurity or lacking of funds continue. He will use that for his own gain, as reasons not to step down. That if there is coming militias or militants from Burundi, Rwanda or Uganda. While refugees are fleeing from the Republic to Uganda and Angola. Because of the insecurity in North and South Kivu’s, also in Kasai Province. This has not let go.

So I don’t expect any election in 2019 or following the timeline of November 2017. The CENI or Kabila administration has no plan to achieve a new Presidential Election, where Kabila has to step-down. I don’t expect a President who has already registered himself twice for the elections. That he uses expenses and that its a big operation as an excuse. Shows that since he first talked about it now, that he wants to make sure the world knows he is struggling. Even if he could have planned it together with CENI all through 2014 to 2016. Where the timeline could have been met and also fixed the succession. However, President Kabila had no interest of securing his own self leaving power. Therefore, nothing has happen.

Now he has extended his time and showed up in public for a press conference after using brutality and killing demonstrators. Had to show the world he cared and was working on solution. Even if he isn’t, it’s hard to believe he is doing anything when he is already 1 year and 2 months over his ended term. So the ones who has supported the DRC with financial aid between 2015 to 2017 for purpose of Elections, you have been tricked and given money for nothing. That is proven.

Kabila is stalling and using all tricks in the book. Expect Kabila to have more trouble with militias and insecurity, as he is the only key to stop the violence. Even if he initially sponsor it or has connections to the ones who make sure it happens. That is what is very ill about the whole situation. Peace.

Reference:

Xuequan, Mu – ‘ DR Congo: President Kabila calls on politicians to choose between elections and development’ (27.01.2018) link: http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2018-01/27/c_136927896.htm

Burundi: All Civil Servants will involuntarily pay a tax for the “Election 2020”!

Today from Bujumbura, the CNDD-FDD (The National Council for the Defense of Democracy–Forces for the Defense of Democracy), the ruling regime of Pierre Nkurunziza who is preparing for his fourth term. His ministers has since the New Year, the government have worked to gain funds for the “Election 2020”, even if that meaning volunteer funds from Civil Servants and Public Officers. The first was the order of the Felix Mpozeriniga, the Minister for Public Service, Labour and Employment, who ordered the volunteer funds on the 18th January 2018.

Today, the are further works by two more cabinet ministers. This being Finance Minster Dr. Domitien Ndihokubwayo and Minister of Interior Pascal Barandagiye, who both have ordered that the contribution to “Elections 2020” will be natural “Wage Scale” on all civil servants pay from now on. That meaning it is added tax or taken off. So what is left after the contribution will be net salaries. This will be done with changes of law. Following Decrees made in 2015 and in 2016. Today this was done as a joint decree between both ministers, so that the salaries will be cut to facilitate the scheme itself.

So within a very short time, the CNDD-FDD has gone from “volunteering” funds to the elections, to be taxing the salaries of their employees by a decree made by Ndihokubwayo and Barandagiye. They are clearly loyal to the President. Since, they are following guidelines and protocol to make money needed for the President. Their loyalty is their patriotism. So, they have no trouble making sure the citizens who are working for the state will get less pay, because they are all contributing to “Election 2020”.

So from now on, that the legal remedy for the added tax and initially the cut off their salaries. It cannot be seen as volunteering. When its put into a WAGE SCALE or a “barème des salaires”. That is impressive by two ministers to say so, while pushing for changes of article 4 of Joint Decree from 11.12.2017, which the Ministers wants to change in that regard. This meaning that it will be wages will be cut, because three ministers has ordered it differently. The citizens and the employees of the state will involuntarily pay a new tax.

It is just that the state want to mask it differently, but everyone should know this is a taxation. This is adding a new fee on their salaries for a new purpose. These Ministers have made the orders to fulfill the needs of the President. That he needs additional funds and the best way to so, is to add a special tax. Peace.