Young Lawyers Association of Zimbabwe: Statement on Police Brutality outside Morgan Tsvangirai House – 20 November 2019 (20.11.2019)

Opinion: Lt. Col. Nakalema aim wrong with her 4th December march

Lt. Colonel Edith Nakalema has today launched the first public march sponsored by the outfit she’s running. That will be a state owned march on the 4th December 2019 with the special guest, His Excellency, the Fountain of Honour, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.

What is really colourful about this enterprise is the message and the slogan of it all. That is the beautiful wording of “A Corruption-Free Uganda: It Starts With Me”. It is really rich coming from the State House. Really ironic and special, that the unique Anti-Corruption Unit of the State House are usually catching the small fishes, but not touching the kitchen cabinet nor anyone in close association with the President.

That’s why its very rich of the State House and its outfit to have a theme like this. Like the people don’t know whose doing it and whose letting the grand corruption happen. The President has even accepted the Presidential Handshake. He has accepted that businesses get started, get tax-holidays as long as he gets kickbacks. Not like he will let any opportunity of a short-sighted funds go away. Even if it means selling the most prominent building in Kampala, Mabira Forest or anything else. As long as he can get something out of a deal, he will do it eventually.

President Museveni and his handlers will secure that, that’s why his not touched, even with abundance of agencies combatting and securing the government tenders, procurement and budget. However, none of them have ever had the capacity to arrest or charge Amama Mbabazi, Sam Kuteesa, Kahinda Otafiire, Elly Tumwiine and so-on. They are all living lavish, but came out of the bush-war piss-poor. You go figure how their wealth got started.

With this all in mind, the theme should be rewrote, “It Starts with the President”. That would have been accurate. It would have targeted the National Resistance Movement (NRM) and their cronies. Instead, they go after the chicken-thieves and the ones that has no power, no suction or connection within the deep administration. The ones who are rightfully wrong in their actions, misusing local government tenders, creating ghost teachers and whatnot. Still, the biggest culprits, the ones who does it on large scale, the ones who has made and forged the system. They are walking beside the President, they are appointed by him and are untouchables.

That’s why, if the Anti Corruption Unit was sincere, they would have targeted not “me” but the President, Museveni himself. But she did so, she wouldn’t see another day in her office. So, we do understand. She doesn’t want to bite the hand that feed her. We all get that, but if they wanted to be honest. The aim should be at the King, then you best not miss. Peace.

Cameroon: Presidence de la Republique – Secretariat General – Objet: Recruitement de 500 Traducteurs et Traducteurs-Interpretes (20.11.2019)

Zimbabwe: Press Statement on China’s Bilateral Support to Zimbabwe (20.11.2019)

RDC: UDPS – Presidence du Parti – Communique de Presse (20.11.2019)

Burundi: FENADES – 20 novembre 2019: Communique de Presse a l’Occasion de la Celebration du 30eme Anniversaire de la CDE (20.11.2019)

RDC: Les Democrates Nationalistes (LDN) – Objet: LDN (Demande de l’Agrement) – (20.11.2019)

Burundi: Communique de Presse du Movement FRB-ABURUNDI No. 02 (19.11.2019)

RDC: Assemble Nationale – Communique Officiel (19.11.2019)

Opinion: Another bad Ad-Hoc Policy from Museveni – 20 Police Officers to 1671 sub-counties!

President Museveni has directed the police leadership to deploy 20 policemen per sub-county and facilitate them with two motorcycles for patrol and easy mobility. This as he castigated the Uganda Police Force for sticking to the conventional methods of policing amidst dynamic modern crime trends. This as he closed the 25th police council meeting at police headquarters in Naguru” (NBS Television, 19.11.2019).

Before we look into the new directive of President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, we can by the statistics of the Electoral Commission in 2016, estimate that there is 1403 sub-counties, as there is 112 official districts by 2016 alone. There been since then more created and awaiting more before the 2021 general elections.

By this its 1403 times 20 police officers, the grand total of 28,060 police officers. Which should be trained, stationed and paid for. By 2015 statistics there is already, all in all 44,897 police officers. That means half of them will go to sub-county level. Also, in 2015 there was a total of 1399 police posts all across the republic, which there is a lack of enough stations for all the ones whose suddenly deployed elsewhere. As well, as by the 44,897 officers only about 7,000 had supported housing. The Police Force is already underpaid and understaffed for the amount of work it has. With the new directive, the Police Force needs more police posts and more accommodations.

If we follow the Electoral Commission of 2018, then the numbers of districts are 122 and the amount of sub-counties is 1671. By the measure of police officers is then 33,420 who has to be deployed sub-county level. With that in mind, the numbers are even worse. We can imagine the even more lack of housing and police posts for them to be in. Not to think about the movement of them all. Not to imagine all them who are in special units, special training and whatnot. As there are detectives and whatnot in the police force. Not like these wants to end in Kagadi, Serere or in Lira.

With the knowledge of deploying 20 per post, which exists now, there is only capacity of 27,980. That’s with the knowledge of the 1399 posts, which exists now. But the ability to build more, must be a priority and also station it sufficiently across the sub-counties. If this policy should make any sense.

Unless, this is a political gamble and a election ploy to gain rural voters. Because, this is not only to combat crime, but show the needed amount of force. From the same presidency, that already lack the funding to pay Local Defence Units (LDUs). The same one that didn’t do enough for the Crime Preventers in the previous election cycle. This is a continuation of that.

With that in mind, I have to quote Finance Minister Matia Kasaija:

We have discovered that many politicians simply agitate for the creation of new administrative units for creations of jobs. We already have 300 new sub-counties and 200 town councils, to get money for them to operate is a big problem” (Wilson Manishimwe – ‘Gov’t stuck with 300 newly created sub-counties’ 18.09.2019).

Seems like the President is busy creating jobs, but not having money to operate them. There are enough things that lacks funding and with this, is yet another government post, which lacks fiscal funding. Unless, the State House breaks the bank and use less on travel expenditure or payments of salaries for any of the Presidential Advisors. The Police Force might have some added funding. I am just smirking, but we know the gist.

The President is acting all out, doing quick-fix orders, ad-hoc without any thought of the budget nor implementation. It is just a snap of a finger and then suddenly things start to move. Peace.