Opinion: Must be boring to fight the same fight for over 3 decades and fail!

The NRM struggled to usher peace in the country. Peace ignited infrastructure development. The remaining task is wealth creation mobilisation at household level. A person with a reasonable piece of land is able to handle any agricultural practice” – President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni on the 5th August 2019 in Bundibugyo district

If there is anyone who promotes steady progress, must see the last three months as free-fall and as a weakness. The Museveni Wealth Creation Tour, which needed billions upon billions extra paid for, as he opened municipal roads built on donor funds and other projects, which is minor. But big enough for photo-ops.

The President usually came with the same swagger and talking-points, its sort of the same statements, as the citizens will create wealth on small farming with the usage of the right cash-crops. This has been spread to all sorts of initiatives and state sponsored agricultural benefits. Not that they have worked and have failed, one after another. Just like it was meant to be, than the state launches another one battling rural poverty, another donor funded enterprise and gets seedlings, tractors and whatnot to Gulu/Lira. Two years later, the whole cooperation is dead and the President has to come a revive the dead.

This is happening again and again. He comes with small donations, some insignificant changes, promise challenging different. Blames leaders, the Residential District Commanders, the Opposition politicians and even some of the locals ones get caught in the blender too. Until it makes a badly tasting stew, that he serves with a little bit of ignorance of the actual needs. Because, if he had cared about that, the President would have served that a long time ago.

The state has enough schemes, Operation Wealth Creations, NAADs and SACCOs, but none of these is cutting the chase. They are just not up to it and it seems they are there to create a money laundering operation. Because, the state is never up to it and seems to be keen to deliver. They don’t have the needed expertise, the allocations in time or even ordering the right type of crop for the right soil/climate or historical production in that area. It seems something fails, neither the hook or by the crook.

Therefore, it must be boring to scream the same message, that he has spoken of for 3 decades, the message and the promise of greener pasture. The promise, that if you follow me and plant these green seeds, your will grow profits. You grandchildren will eat and they will be able to sell. But we have seen how the state functions.

As the state supported the Soroti Fruit Factory, however, the local farmers produced the right type of fruits, but the factory couldn’t handle the amount and the fruits got wasted. Therefore, the state cannot manage to deliver or even compensate the lost investments of the farmers. Still, he comes around like a King and promises golden roads to heaven. If you follows him.

The same message, that if you grow the right thing as he says, it will pay off. That is his way of fighting poverty. Not educating their kids, not enlighten them with knowledge or skills for the future. No, plant the right type of coffee or sorghum and vote the NRM. This is what the President has spoken of, again and again.

It must be so sad. So brilliantly waste of time. That he speaks of the same, promise the same deliverance from poverty. Pledges the same sort of stories and with the same punchline. And don’t see the foolishness of it. That he has failed, time and time again. The President has had 33 years to fix this. Still, he hasn’t achieved it. His fighting the same fight, as he started in the Bush.

Clearly, the President haven’t managed, haven’t been as visionary or carefully crafting the ministries, the districts, the sub-counties and the agricultural welfare, to be able to follow up, upon the message that he spread since the inception of the NRA. The man of the mustard seed, the man who could conclusively state all the ills of the leadership in Africa. Has clearly lost his touch, his supposed brilliance and uniqueness.

Since, he got to recycle, got to go in circle and never ever win. He has got to use the same methods, the same sort of fight and not winning. Surely, his failed and a giant failure. The peasants are still peasants, they are not middle-class, they cannot afford Benz’s and Lexus, they can barely afford millet and matooki. That is how it is. Utter total failure of policy, of implementation and revision of it.

That can be said, because his track-record says so. If it was working so well, why would he bring the same remedy and same message all-over again? Peace.

Zimbabwe: Movement for Democratic Change letter to ZRP – Harare Central – “Re: Notice of Public Demonstrations in Terms of Section 25 of the Public Order and Security Act” (05.08.2019)

Uganda Telecom Limited: Hon. Evelyn Anite letter Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Finance Planning and Economic Development – “Re: Audit of Uganda Telecom Limited” (02.08.2019)

Miseducation of Yoweri: An insincere backslap by the President

“’I became a soldier not to acquire a profession, but because of the bad situation that existed in my country. I saw no reason why anyone should terrorize me with a gun, so I learned to use the gun and used it to immobilize the terrorist. Neither would I describe myself as a politician. I believe every Ugandan should be involved in politics in order not to be manipulated by clever people who call themselves politicians. I entered the sphere of political leadership in order to help eliminate manipulation from politics in my country” – President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni (from a biography published by Uganda Investment Authority during 1994).

Here we go again. Another day, another backfiring quote from the fountain of honour. From the commander-in-chief and His Excellency President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni. It is like his forgotten himself and his own political career. Even in the midst of the bushwar, as journalists and such was following his trail in Luweero. Even then he spoke of economically liberating the peasants. Something, that sticks to me. Because this is his legacy, that he was supposed to deliver together with the 10 point programme.

Still in his bright mind, he speaks like this:  

“A serious person does not mix politics with the livelihood of the people, all leaders irrespective of their political inclination should go back to the people and awaken them to kick poverty out of their homes” – President Museveni on the 1st August in Kasese District (Daily Monitor – ‘Do not politicise poverty, Museveni tells Opposition groups’ 02.08.2019).

As we see, without further delay, he himself have not awaken people, he has had 33 years and counting to do so. The President has spoken viciously about this since the early 1980s and still not configured the details. Therefore, he doesn’t want others to intervene, because he lack control and leadership to figure it out himself.

That is why its ironic, that he said this 21 years earlier:

“What needs to be done is to educate these people, have them understand how to develop their economies in their own humble way. The people need to be politically educated to understand abuse by their governments” President Museveni at the Addis Forum on the 8th March 1998.

So, he has kept his same message, the Freedom Fighter, that was supposed to lecture and educate the public out of poverty. The man who was supposed to change, a fundamental change if you may, the correct line, the one vision out of financial distress. Still, this man has not been able or tried to do so.

Since, were in 2019 and he blames others for not doing it well. He blames the other leaders, not himself. Who has been at the helm and had all the opportunities in the world to make a difference and actually change things. Still, he hasn’t, because that hasn’t been his main concern. That he has pushed to the donors, the NGOs and whoever who could cover his basics. Not that he needed to look into it. If he did, then it would be a scheme where he get rich and his patronage too.

Therefore, he should start to educate himself, finds way out of the maze and not put blame on others; as his own record of accomplishment isn’t that brilliant. Peace.

Uganda: Fresh report states that the debt-service has grown 129% within one financial year!

 

The Republic of Uganda’s economy is really reeling, it cannot be sustainable as the Government of Uganda is growing their debt like there is no tomorrow. While the fiscal growth is substantially lower than their rate of debt-service. As the growth of debt combined with lacking growth to substantiate the shortfall.

In addition, with the knowledge of added expenses, growing shortfall of funds in the upcoming Financial Year of 2019/20 and the election year of FY 2020/21. There will be more add-ons on the need for debt service, as the state already had loans outstanding, which the grace period ends and the debt-service begins on. Therefore, the amount of loans will transpire even more, than what is in this report. The endless cycle of debt and growth of it, is worrying, as well, as the state thinks that the magical wand of oil-money will clear this debt. Even as the first operational oil field and such has been postponed yet again.

Just look!

“The total Government of Uganda external debt service by end of FY 2017/18 amounted to US$275.75 million, which was an increment of l29% compared to US$120.62 million in FY 2016/17” (…) “Debt service of Uganda’s external debt is on the rise and outstripping growth of the country’s income, currently at 6%. This poses risks for future debt repayments, especially as the country continues to acquire external debt at less concessional terms, especially to finance the oil development programme” (P: 6-7, 2019)

“It follows that as interest rates increase, the debt service obligations of Government also increases. The rise in external debt interest costs attests to the fact the government is increasingly contracting non-concessional debt, which will increase the repayment burden” (P: 24, 2019)

“However, this may not be the most likely scenario, as most projects have been discounted and some excluded in the macroeconomic framework. With the development of the NDP III, additional project and other pipeline project related to the oil developments and other infrastructure, will increase the financing requirement of government in the medium term. The inclusion of the above projects will re-classify Uganda from low risk of debt distress to moderate risk of debt distress or high risk if the export shocks materialize. A downgrade would have significant implications for the program with the IMF, where Uganda’s credit risk rating will worsen; implying that accessibility of nonconcessional financing will be limited. This will limit credit to Uganda to only concessional and grants financing.” (P: 28, 2019)

You don’t need to smart about it, as the state has bigger budgets with higher shortfall in the economy, combined with debt service and higher interest payments on the growing amount of loans. You know sooner or later, the economy will tank, as the fiscal responsibility is taken for granted and that fresh funds are lacking, because these are taken out of the economy to finance the payments of the old debts. Instead of generating growth and actually naturally grow the economy, by spending and investing as a state. The money is taken away to service debt, instead of building the state. That is what they are doing and at a alarming rate. Peace.

Reference:

NEC1-19 – ‘REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON NATIONAL ECONOMY ON THE STATE OF INDEBTEDNESS, GRANTS AND GUARANTEES’ June 2019, Parliament of Uganda

The crazy and mandatory exercise called the Huduma Bill of 2019!

Here we are, at this moment and time, where the Jubilee government, where the Kenyatta administration has no issues to launch a bill so draconian. That the state are forgetting their role for the citizens in their drive to pursuit the registration of all with Huduma Numba.

As the bill states: “AN ACT of Parliament to establish the National Integrated Identity Management System; to promote efficient delivery of public services; to consolidate and harmonise the law on registration of persons;to facilitate assigning of Huduma Namba and issuance of identity documents;to facilitate registration of births and deaths;and for connected purposes” (The Huduma Bill, 2019).

This sounds legit, but at the same time, the registration for these reasons should already be in other parts of the legislation. Not for a NIMS or Huduma Namba but for a commercial ideal, which is an agreement between Mastercard and the Government of Kenya.

As explained here: “Nairobi, Kenya – February 7, 2017 – Mastercard commits to supporting the roll-out of the Huduma Card in Kenya as the technology partner of choice for the local government organisation. The secure payment solution supports Kenya’s Vision 2030 that calls for reforms in public services to enhance accountability, transparency and efficient service delivery, with focus on developing a cashless economy. The Huduma Card is a prepaid card with chip and PIN technology that will connect all Kenyans to the formal financial sector by providing a secure, reliable and flexible payment option. The Huduma Card, powered by Mastercard, is currently being issued by Commercial Bank of Africa (CBA), Diamond Trust Bank (DTB), Equity Bank and Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB), with no bank charges being allocated to citizens when registering for the smart card” (Mastercard, 2017).

Clearly, this should be a voluntary exercise, as the commercial aspect of this shouldn’t make this mandatory. However, with this law, they are really showing no regard for the public. As they are not asking people to accept a commercial agreement with Mastercard, but doing it mandatory.

As stated in the law here:

8.(1) Every resident individual shall have a mandatory obligation to present theHudumaNambain order to—

(a)be issued with a passport;

(b)apply for a driving licence;

(c)register a mobile phone number;

(d)register as a voter;

(e)pay taxes;

(f)transaction the financial markets;

(g)open a bank account;

(h)register a company or a public benefit organisation;

(i)transfer or make any dealings in land;

(j)register for electricity connection;

(k)access universal health care services;

(l)benefit from the government housing scheme;

(m)register a marriage;

(n)enrol into a public educational facility;

(o)access social protection services;

(p)register or transfer a motor vehicle; or

(q)any other specified public service” (The Huduma Bill, 2019).

As you see from this, most of the state services are bound by having the Huduma Numba and the Mastercard connected to it. If you don’t have it, you are not getting access to government services. They have even more of them too, even passports:

(2)The requirements for applying or replacing a Passport are—

(a) Huduma Namba;and

(b)prescribed fee” (The Huduma Bill, 2019)

So, by this state, even passing by a road-block, the Police Officers needs to see your Huduma Numba to let you pass by. To prove that your not a felon, but an innocent citizen.

To top this off, the legislators plans to sanctions the ones who doesn’t want to comply to this: “48.A person who carries out or permits the carrying out of any transaction specified in section 8 without a Huduma Namba commits an offence” (The Huduma Bill, 2019).

It is actually an felony to not comply with previous part of law. They are not only stopping people from getting government services if they don’t have the Huduma Numba and Card made by the Mastercard, but also making it a felony not to register it properly.

The giant lie of this bill, is this sentence in the ending of it:

The Bill does not limit any fundamental right or freedoms” (The Huduma Bill, 2019).

Well, if you cannot access any of the government functions or get the needed services because of not having the Huduma Namba and Huduma Card, than your kind of limiting the fundamental rights or freedoms. The liberty of the person is taken away, as they got to do this. This is taking away people’s freedom, to put them into a government scheme, as they have signed off together with Mastercard. They could have done this with VISA and it would have been the same issue, even for Gods sake, American Express.

So, when CS Fred Matiang’i wrote that this bill doesn’t limit any fundamental righ or freedoms of its citizens. I believe he was high or drunk, because he couldn’t write that with a clear mind. Unless, his heartless and doesn’t understand the basic components of the bill. You don’t need to be a legal scholar to get the gist here. Peace.

Opinion: There are two type of leaders in government I never trust… the warlords and the gangsters!

I feel there is two type of leaders in government, that I can never trust. They might never see themselves as this, but their act are like this. These leaders are fitted in other fashions, than of statesmen. They are leaders who could really be part of the Costra Nostra or even some armed militia. The only difference is that they have the power as head of states and is “elected” officials.

The two types I have to pin-point is the warlords and the gangsters. There are plenty of these in our time. They use the time in power, either to steal, kill or undermine the citizens while being in power. They are not serving the public, no, they are eating and destroying the state, bit by bit.

The warlords are military leaders, who has taken over the civil government, they are using the military for all sorts of actions, instead of building institutions. They are misusing the force, the intelligence and all parts of the security organizations of the state. All done to spread fear and control the public. If the public interfere or question the authority, these sort of government uses the army to arrest, detain and sentence the ones challenging them. This is what they do and the army can solve all trouble in society. That is what the warlords do, other than creating conflicts elsewhere, to be consistent warfare and using their skills in the military field. Instead of really generating peace.

The gangsters are the parties and groups of politicians, who uses the government as a racket. They are racketeering. Meaning, they are eating of the plate of the public, they are overtaxing them and not giving them services. They are expecting to be men-of-honour and deserve honour, even if they are emptying the reserves, creating fake problems and making laws, which takes away opportunities of the citizens, as they are expected to blindly follow the Don and his mafia. There will be extra-judicial killings, corruption scandals and continuously embezzlement. Therefore, the gangsters are working and earning of the plate of others. But don’t expect them to give you anything. If they do, they expect to get returns.

However, if they don’t, you will get in trouble for making deals with them. You should have known better, but maybe you had no other choice. Because, they run the government and they supply the tenders, so you had to deal with them. Expect to be extorted or taken advantage off, they are gangsters for a reason. Men for every season.

So, surely, if you follow the news, you will see these characters. They are maybe in the headlines, maybe making pledges and greeting you on the screen. Remember, that you cannot trust them. They are warlords and gangsters, there for self-serving and only there to misuse their power. If you don’t follow their codes, you will get got. If you don’t listen or try to fight these men. Than, your their prey and they intend to use your citizenship as a pawn in their game for ill-gotten wealth.

This is the way it is. Not that its right, but we let it happen. Time to make it right. Peace.

Opinion: New strict campaign finance limits in the new Electoral Reforms…

I got to go at this law one more time, as there is one more consequential thing in it, that cannot be understated. This is real worry, because, this really limits the reach for the candidates, as they have to prepare in advance all the funds and everything before the elections. They have only two weeks to declare how they have raised funds, by whom and also the amount to able to campaign.

That is vital information, as this limits indirectly, the reach of the opposition and their campaigns. This should also stop the National Resistance Movement (NRM) from finding new funds, new money to suddenly have gifts, voter tourism and whatnot, which they didn’t announce two weeks after the nomination.

Take a look!

Section 22:

“(1b) candidate shall declare to the commission, within fourteen days after nomination day, the source of funds for financing his or her election.

“(4) (a) A candidate or candidate’s agent shall not- obtain, solicit or receive any financial or other assistance from any foreign Government, institution, body or person which or who has demonstrated an intention to overthrow the lawfully established Government of Uganda, or to endanger the security of Uganda;

(b) obtain, solicit or receive any financial or other assistance from an organisation which has been declared a terrorist organisation under the Anti-Terrorism Act, 2002” (Presidential Elections (Amendment) Bill, 2019).

The law is also scary vague on key components like the issue of financial or other assistance from foreign government, institution, body or person, whose intention is to overthrow a legal established Government of Uganda. This means, any sort of organization, whose funding is foreign and who works with governance could get into trouble to finance NGOs and others, which implies in a Multi-Party Democracy, that someone else than the incumbents should actually have the possibility to win. Alas, we know, in an Ugandan election that is impossible. Because, the House always WINS, sort of like the rigged Casinos.

This amendment is clearly stifling the ideas like we saw in the previous election, where the citizens gave gifts and donations all along, as Kizza Besigye travelled across the Republic to give small donations here and there. Clearly, because, the NRM and their allies want to underscore and know how much they have on the books and verify their sources. Since, we know, they will not tell how much of the State House budget, the OPM or others goes directly to the President and his team of associates. No, they will make a way to be the smooth operator, but this law is get more strings attached to the opposition.

By all means, no political party or candidate should be used a foreign party to intervene or to overthrow an government, neither should money or funding play into it. That is fine, but that the Electoral Commission needs to know 14 days after the nomination, are really limiting the scope for fundraising, especially with all the conditions put into play.

The rest of the law is straight forward and understandable by all accounts, it is a measure to secure where the funding is from and not laundering money from unsolicited sources, which can be connected to terrorism and other illegal activity, which is fine. That shouldn’t be the case anyway.

But it’s the rest that put real strains on a campaign and ensures, that the candidates have to have a vault of funds to able to campaign and be running in 2021. That is if this goes through parliament and becomes actual law. Peace.

UNICEF must triple budget to combat Ebola outbreak in DR Congo; complex crisis impacting unprecedented number of children (31.07.2019)

The UNICEF expert said there were 2,671 confirmed cases of Ebola as of 28 July including more than 700 children.

NEW YORK, United States of America, July 31, 2019 -With an unprecedented number of children affected by the Ebola virus outbreak in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) on Tuesday said it would need to triple its budget to tackle the complex crisis, which included intensifying the overall public health response and launching measles vaccinations.

“This Ebola response is far more complex because it is in an active conflict zone,” Jerome Pfaffmann, a UNICEF health specialist, told reporters in Geneva, just back from his third visit to the country.

He underscored that “people in the (eastern Congolese) provinces of North Kivu and Ituri are facing humanitarian and public health crises,” and in addition, half the health facilities in Ituri had been damaged or destroyed over the last two years.

The UNICEF expert said there were 2,671 confirmed cases of Ebola as of 28 July, including more than 700 children, more than half of whom – some 57 per cent – were under five years of age.

“When I left, there were 12 new confirmed cases, five were alive and will have the chance to access treatment, but seven had died in the community. This is bad. Having this number of community deaths means we are not ahead of the epidemic,” he said.

“It is unprecedented to have such a [high] proportion of affected children,” Mr. Pfaffmann continued, adding that both provinces were also facing a measles outbreak.

So far, UNICEF has vaccinated more than 40,000 children against measles, but a massive scale-up was needed to protect them from various health risks.

With all this in mind, UNICEF planned to carry out a new strategic response plan to address acute humanitarian and social needs.

“UNICEF will need to triple its budget to respond to this crisis,” said Mr. Pfaffmann, stressing that “we need desperately the international community to back us up.” 

This budget would include about $70 million for epidemic control activities, $30 million to build community capacities in at-risk areas, and another $70 million to deliver essential services.

Meanwhile, the UN agency was continuing operations with “colleagues and communities on the ground who are fighting the outbreak tirelessly.” 

Just two days away from the one-year milestone of the Ebola virus disease outbreak in the DRC, the UNICEF expert said it was critical to make the investment to keep the epidemic under control.

“This is a wake-up call. There must not be a second-year milestone,” Mr. Pfaffmann declared, stressing that community mobilization was critical to curbing the spread of the disease because “they are capable of best doing the things that matter.” 

RDC: Initiative Bonne Gouvernance et Droits Humains – Communqiue de Presse No. 04 (27.07.2019)