Dadaab, Kenya: Return of Refugees to Somalia in Current Conditions ‘Inhumane and Irresponsible’ (13.10.2016)

Dadaab Refugee Camp

NAIROBI, Kenya, October 13, 2016 – As the announced closure of the world’s largest refugee camp draws closer, and thousands begin the return to war-ravaged Somalia,[1] Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is calling for other alternatives to be urgently considered by the Government of Kenya and the UNHCR, supported by donor countries.

In a report released today by MSF, ‘Dadaab to Somalia: Pushed Back Into Peril,’ more than eight out of ten refugees surveyed say they do not want to return, with the main concerns cited including fear of forced recruitment into armed groups, sexual violence and the non-availability of healthcare. [2]

In the report, MSF also highlights the severe medical consequences of such a massive return.

It is clear that refugee camps are not the best way to manage a protracted 25-year crisis but closing them now without offering other durable solutions pushes them back to a conflict zone, where medical care is dangerously absent,” says Bruno Jochum, MSF General Director. “This decision is yet another blight on refugee protection globally, where again we see total failure in providing safe haven for people in danger. The UN itself has recently declared that five million are at risk of hunger inside Somalia. Sending back even more people to suffer is both inhumane and irresponsible.”

Somalia: an acute lack of medical care
In Dagahaley, one of the five camps which make up Dadaab, MSF medical teams have seen children arriving from Somalia having not been vaccinated against a range of preventable diseases, a telling indication of a health system torn apart by more than two decades of war where even basic care is barely existent. Pregnant women will have minimal care, putting their own lives and their unborn babies under threat. People with chronic medical conditions are also at risk – whether they are diabetics who need life-saving insulin, or people with hypertension who need ongoing treatment.

Additionally, mental health patients are in danger. In Dagahaley, 70% of MSF’s mental health patients are on medication. “If a patient with psychosis is forced to come off their medication, their cognitive function and behaviour development goes into reverse. Stuck in a country where mental health services are basically non-existent would put their lives in severe jeopardy,” says Liesbeth Aelbrecht, Head of Mission for MSF in Kenya.

A call to Kenya, the UNHCR and donor countries: other solutions urgently required
Eighty-six percent of surveyed refugees in Dagahaley do not want to go back to Somalia. Fears around insecurity were acute with nearly all – males and females – stating that the risk of sexual violence is high. MSF is therefore questioning the ‘voluntary’ nature of the returns that the UNHCR is helping facilitate.

“The fears that the refugees tell us about are real,” says Aelbrecht. “It is crucial that any return is voluntary, and refugees must have all necessary information about the services and conditions which will meet them in Somalia.”

MSF reiterates that setting up Dadaab style camps across the border is shifting responsibility and abandoning the protection of refugees. Other more durable solutions, such as smaller camps in Kenya, increased resettlement to third countries, or integration of refugees into Kenyan communities, should be urgently considered. Additionally, MSF appeals to the international community to share the responsibility with the Government of Kenya.

“It is unacceptable that – without any other solution being offered – thousands are essentially being pushed back into conflict and acute crisis: the very conditions they fled,” concludes Aelbrecht.”Kenya should not shoulder this burden alone. Funding from donor countries needs to be directed to providing sustained assistance in the country of refuge, not to supporting what will essentially be a forced return to a warzone.”

MSF does not accept any government funding for its project in Dadaab – all funding is provided by private donors.

MSF first started working in Dadaab in 1992 and is currently the only provider of medical care in Dagahaley camp. Staff are working in the 100-bed hospital in Dagahaley camp and at two health posts, providing outpatient and mental health consultations, surgery, and antenatal, HIV and TB care. Overall in 2015, teams carried out 182,351 outpatient consultations and admitted 11,560 patients to the hospital.

[1] Some 30,000 refugees have returned to Somalia since a tripartite agreement on voluntary repatriation between the Governments of Kenya and Somalia and the UNHCR was signed in November 2013. The majority of these – 24,000 – have left during the course of 2016.

[2] To understand the refugees’ concerns and needs, in July and August 2016 MSF conducted a series of discussions and interviews, and a household survey, with refugees in Dagahaley camp about their current situation and the prospect of a return to Somalia. Focus group discussions involved 75 people (42 male and 33 female) in Dagahaley camp. Interviews were carried out with 31 people including patients, MSF incentive workers and community members. The survey polled 838 heads of households (53% male and 47% female) in Dagahaley camp, with households totalling 5,470 individuals.

On Hon. Nsereko: he is an Imposter of the Yellow, not so “independent” apparently!

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The former National Resistance Movement Member of Parliament in the Buganda Caucus cannot be seen as anything else than a skeleton of political figure after the reason actions by the man. He has been in the 9th Parliament into squabble with his mother-party NRM as he fought against it and even won as NRM Rebel MPs like Hon. Muhammed Nsereko tried to find a new “home”. That ended up sort-of being affiliated with the Forum for Democratic Change as he was running as an “Independent”. Nsereko had to take his rebel case all the way to Uganda’s Supreme Court and won over the State of Uganda there in midst of October 2015. Something that is just a year ago, now!

So after winning a seat in Parliament again, he ran wild on trying to upset the NRM rule of the August House of Parliament with ousting Hon. Jacob Oulanyah, he tried to do what the wifes of Hon. Oulanyah does, without making it apparently because Oulanyah came this time. Hon. Nsereko wanted to be the Deputy Speaker and be the underling of Hon. Rebecca Kadaga.

That was flawed from the get-go as the NRM Machine was working overtime and giving money for new suits and such to bribe the MPs into submission and get the MPs that Mzee trusted to follow the guidelines of his MPs. So Hon. Nsereko who tried with his posing as the Opposition candidate and the man to stand for FDC, DP and UPC to be the man for them to have, as the August House of Parliament deserved his service and his work ethic to keep the Parliament in order. That was something that wasn’t working as the service rendered from the bribed MPs came into order and his candidacy as flawed it could be.

After this and just being an MP and working as normal, even as the wealthy business man, who even these days have proven his wealth. He even showed up on the Independence Celebration of Mzee at Luuka District all smiling with the First Lady Janet Museveni and all of his noble clan of dignitaries. Where they we’re celebrating the independence in the name of greed and glory of the Movement.

So when he did so and when this week started as the man under Buganda Caucus was expecting money the Caucus to silence the Opposition and even trying to persuade the MPs there to go for working for the Ruling Regime. This was happening as an event we’re given directly from the State House 500m shillings. That we’re partly directed by the “Independent” man Hon. Nsereko who had been smiling in Luuka. The proof is right there…

Nsereko 19.05.2016

If you cannot believe it now, it is right there and visible like a the sun is shining. The former NRM Rebel, isn’t really a NRM Rebel as his cash-cow and money hungry soul who owns a parts of Football Club and even apartments’ in Zambia doesn’t’ want to divorce himself from NRM, that is just a play of guards and to look good in public. In reality with all of connections and with the knowledge that you need to know people and grease people to do business; the Hon. Nsereko must use the entire extended network for his personal gain. As he did in the Opposition, something he really wasn’t when you look into it.

So the pictures of his acts, his words against the Defiance and the Jobless Brotherhood another way of seeing that he isn’t really a opposition or wishing to be so. He we’re just there because he rebelled and now he tries to get back into the mother-party and good graces. Therefore smiling with Janet on the Independence Day and acting all sort of giddy while the affiliated with the FDC during the campaigns who he supposed to represented we’re detained, house-arrested and silenced at that moment. Though Nsereko we’re initially running as an “independent” because of his past aggression and misbehaving in Parliament: so this independent candidate isn’t that independent as he now could just become Yellow again if he was honest with himself and his stature; though that is in the mercy of Mzee and his NRM Electoral Commission.

We can now see his true Yellow colours, they are waving as flags in the wind. There are no questions that the rebel isn’t as rebellious as his greed and guts are more important that standards and development. His own personal interests and wealth is more important, just like the monies for cars, expenses and extra engorgements through the Parliament as MP is vastly more peculiar to him than delivering any policy or change that matters for his Buganda Constiuency. Trust me, he will only be a puppet for the NRM machine in this 10th Parliament, that is why he is there, though in fake pretence as a “Independent” because nothing about this man is “independent”. He is currently a stooge under the portfolio of Mzee. Peace!

Murang’a County on the Northern Water Collector Tunnel (12.10.2016)

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Prof. Joe O. Onyango calls Mzee an ATM; the same day reports of doling out money to a SACCO and to the Buganda Caucus!

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I been saying it too for a while… that the Presient Yoweri Kaguta Museveni spends money where the mouth is. That is for the ones loyal to him and the ones he wants loyal to him. So that hearing a Professor Joe Oloka Onyango from the Makerere University saying the same. Thank you Professor for describing the truth… surely that must not give him peace as he walks home.

Because the National Resistance Movement doesn’t like dissidents and pays to silence critics; President Museveni cannot enjoy being called an ATM, even if it is true. Mzee, gives money to anybody who is loyal or to the Elite. He is taking money from the Bank of Uganda and spending as he pleases and where he see fit without budget or allocations. Therefore we saw straight after the General Election needed addition funding in Trillions upon Trillions.

Here is two stories from one SACCO and the Buganda Caucus, one to pay-off opposition through a fiscal funding and the other to keep loyal MPs in Buganda Caucus.

Mzee gives money to a SACCO:

“The drama was captured during the launch of Muyoka Sacco last week where Mr Museveni handed members Shs100m to mobilise themselves into income generating activities” (…) “NRM members were challenging President Museveni’s action to hand money to people, majority of whom were recently drafted into NRM from the Opposition” (…) “Muyoka Sacco is composed of more than 3,000 members who were recruited by a former DP member Rose Kafeero ahead of the February 18 elections to consolidate NRM’s support in Kampala” (Wandera, 2016).

More Money from Mzee:

“Watchdog has been reliably informed that President Museveni through NRM chief whip Ruth Nankabirwa and Kampala Central MP Mohammed Nsereko, spent sh500 million on the event in order to determine who goes through” (…) “The president paid for the full board accommodation at the hotel. Every participant however received a million shillings in transport reimbursement and Sh100,000 for night entertainment. Ssenyonga, a first term MP, replaced Godfrey Kiwanda who was appointed Tourism state minister. Buganda Caucus is the largest regional caucus in Parliament, and if led well, it can offer a strong voice for regional issues in the House” (Watchdog, 2016).

nsereko-money

Museveni State House is a ATM:

“Prof Joe Oloka Onyango said every crisis in this country is being solved by way of brown envelopes, a scenario he described as being sad and far below the rule of law in the country” (…) “In early 1980s, when this country was under the leadership of Godfrey Binaisa Lukongwa, State House was like a market place. Today, State House has been converted into an ATM,” he said amid cheers” (Wesaka & Adengo, 2016).

Mzee, has been giving away to his men for a long while not caring about budgets and such. Therefore we have heard both Bank of Uganda and the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development (MoFED). Its reasons for the amounts of government debt and inflations that can come from this kind of behaviour and the rising prices on the goods; this is the effect of reckless spending without implemented plans or budgets. Therefore the funds are taken from wherever at amp speed just like an ATM and not with allocated budget or references as where it was supposed to be used. Peace.

Reference:

Watchdog.co.ug – ‘MUSEVENI SPENDS SH500 MILLION ON BUGANDA CAUCUS ELECTIONS’ (11.10.2016) link: http://watchdog.co.ug/museveni-spends-sh500-million-on-buganda-caucus-elections/

Wandera, Stephen – ‘Drama as Museveni gives Shs100m to former opposition members’ (11.10.2016) link: http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/688334-3411950-ooaqhy/index.html

Wesaka, Anthony & Adengo, Jonathan – ‘State House turning into ATM, says Mak don’ (11.10.2016) Link: http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/State-House—ATM–Mak-don-/688334-3411968-1155d8t/index.html

Zimbabwe Youth Council Statement on the Support Rendered by the Minister of High & Tertiary Education through ZIMDEF (11.10.2016)

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South Africa: Statement by Gildenhuys Malatji on behalf of Minister Pravin Gordhan (11.10.2016)

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South Africa: The Inkatha Freedom Party questions the summons against the Minister of Finance (11.10.2016)

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South Africa: MoF Summons Issued against Minister Pravin (11.10.2016)

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The Presidency – Announcement of the NPA on the Minister of Finance (11.10.2016)

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South Africa: SACP statement on the Hawks’ summons against Finance Minister (11.10.2016)

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