RDC: Eveil de la Conscience pour le Travail et le Developpement (E.C.T) – Communique de Presse (19.03.2019)

Government of Uganda (GoU), World Food Programme (WFP) investigate Super Cereal issue in Karamoja (19.03.2019)

The Ministry of Health received an alert through its surveillance teams on the ground in Karamoja about suspected food poisoning and began investigations.

KAMPALA, Uganda, March 19, 2019 – The Government of Uganda and United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) are investigating whether there is a connection between recent illnesses reported in two districts in Karamoja and Super Cereal, a fortified blended food distributed by WFP for prevention of malnutrition.

On Tuesday, 12th, 2019, the Ministry of Health received an alert through its surveillance teams on the ground in Karamoja about suspected food poisoning and began investigations.

Some 262 people have been affected since 12 March with symptoms of mental confusion, vomiting, headache, high fever and abdominal pain. A total of 252 of those were discharged following successful treatment at health facilities in Amudat and Napak. No new admissions have been reported since Monday 18 March.

Seventy-seven of the 262 people were admitted in Alakas, Lokales and Karita health centres in Amudat district while 185 were admitted in Lotome, Lorengechora, Kangole and Apeitolim health centres and Matany Hospital in Napak district. The admissions took place between 12th and 16th of March.

There are unverified reports of three deaths, one of them at Matany Hospital, Napak District and other two in the communities. One male passed away in Lorengechora,Lookit village, Napak district and another female in Amuna village in Karita Sub County, Amudat district. All the deaths took place on 16th of March, 2019. The Government’s investigative team are in the communities to verify the two none facility deaths.

Samples of Super Cereal stocks and water were taken from the affected areas including blood, vomitus and urine from patients and are currently being analyzed at the Directorate of Government Analytical Laboratory and the Central Public Health Laboratory. Food samples have been sent to a laboratory in Mombasa, Intertek Kenya LTD and another in Johannesburg Intertek Testing Services, S.A. LTD, for further analysis. Preliminary results of the Government investigation are expected in the next 24 hours. While results from abroad are expected within the next 5 to 7 days.

The Minister for Karamoja Affairs, Mr. John Byabagambi, the Director General of Health Services, Dr. Henry Mwebesa, the Country Director of WFP, Mr. El Khidir Daloum, and officials of the Uganda National Bureau of Standards visited the affected villages, in Amudat and Napak district on Monday 18 March, and spoke to the affected people and health workers. The team found that the problem remains localized in only two of the eight districts of Karamoja.

Investigating teams from the Ministry of Health and WFP food technologists remain on the ground carrying out surveillance and epidemiological mapping to establish the associated factors and possible causes of this recent illness.

On Friday 15 March, WFP, working with the Government, ordered the immediate suspension of Super Cereal distributions in Karamoja and the refugee hosting districts where it’s distributed. This is as a precautionary measure until investigations are concluded. WFP is working with district authorities to retrieve all Super Cereal stocks from health centres and communities.

An intensive communications campaign is ongoing, advising people not to consume SuperCereal until further notice. Communities have been advised to observe proper hygiene and sanitation, for example through handwashing with soap and drinking boiled water.

Working through Government health systems, WFP has provided Super Cereal in Uganda for more than 10 years. The current coverage of Super Cereal is at 252 locations in Karamoja in addition to many sites across the 13 refugee hosting districts. Refugees receive Super Cereal in the general food basket.

Super Cereal is also distributed in many countries and has a robust record of fighting malnutrition and protecting pregnant or nursing women against malnutrition during the first 1,000 days of their child’s life. Super Cereal undergoes all the verifications of quality control before being distributed. No previous complaints have been reported about the product in Uganda.

Super Cereal is a key component in WFP’s support to the Government’s nutrition programmes that aim to prevent stunting or life-threatening malnutrition.

The goal of The United Nations World Food Programme is saving lives in emergencies and changing lives for millions through sustainable development. WFP supports governments and works in more than 80 countries around the world, feeding people caught in conflict and disasters, and laying the foundations for a better future.

The Ministry of Health, Ministry of Karamoja affairs and WFP commit to conclude all investigations and share results with the public.

We appeal for calmness as investigations are going on and request the communities to report any suspected illness to the nearest health facility or call our toll free line 080010006.

RDC: Cabinet du President de la Republique – Communique Officiel (18.03.2019)

President Museveni: Eight Time the Charm?

I thank my Colleagues in CEC and the NRM Parliamentary Caucus for forwading my name to continue adding more steps on our mission-oriented journey. Am therefore very pleased with your confidence in me and since am still very able and I happen to be among the most conversant with this journey, I happily agree to serve”Yoweri Kaguta Museveni on the 18th March 2019 at Kyankwanzi Summit

I am tired of reading in the media, both local and international, that President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni is running for the Sixth Term starting on the 2021 to 2016. I beg to differ, because like last time before the General Election in 2016. They we’re stating and saying he was going into his fifth term, which for me was also false. I am the sort of man, that claims this President is already serving his seventh term and going into his eight.

I have in the past explained it thoroughly, today I will be more relaxed, because this should be common knowledge. If it isn’t let, me enlighten you about this old man with the hat. There is a reason why he has a magical date of 29th January 1986, when he was sworn in for the first time after a brutal civil-war to seize power. Something, the President have never intended to leave ever since.

That is why he stopped elections until 1996, even if that a “No-Party” Elections and a part of the Movement System. This is where people start to count, as there was elections, but by doing so. Than, your deleting without thinking the decade between 1986 to 1996. That is disgraceful to the civil-war or the Bush-War and even to the ones fighting to hold elections in the mean time.

As the President ushered his constitution the year before in 1995, an Constitution he has amended plenty times since. So that he would be eligible for a re-election. Therefore, with all of this, we have a decade before the first election after seizing power and knowing the Republic have 5 year terms. Meaning, that before the 1996 elections. The President have practically had two terms already. So his third was between 1996 to 2001.

His fourth term was the 2001-2006, which was the term where the President abolished the Presidential Term Limits, so that he was eligible for another term and also had a referendum for a Multi-Party Democracy, meaning more parties than the National Resistance Movement (NRM) could run. Because, the government lost that Referendum, the other parties was able to run as well. So, that the Movement System, which was announced with the seizing of power had to be abolished.

From here, he went into his fifth term between the 2006 – 2011. He continued to push it to his sixth on the 2011 – 2016. It is here things started to get hectic. As he continues to be in power. A sixth term should be more than enough, than he had already had 30 years in power. However, this President is still power-hungry. Because of this he went on for the 7 term, which is between 2016 to 2021.

In the midst of this term, he has changed the Constitution to abolish the Age Limit, just like he terminated the Term Limits, he ditched the Age Limit, so that he is eligible for the up-coming election in the year of 2021. Which in is my opinion, the eighth term.

To recalculate and show by short list:

1986-1991 First Term by seizing power/coup d’etat,

1991-1996 Second Term by suspending elections.

1996-2001 Third Term by first elections after the coup d’etat.

2001-2006 Fourth Term, Second Elections. Abolishing Presidential Term Limits.

2006-2011 Fifth Term, Third Election – First Multi-Party Elections since the Coup d’etat.

2011-2016 Sixth Term – Fourth Election.

2016-2021 Seventh Term – Fifth Election. Abolishing Presidential Age Limits.

2021-2026 Eight Term – Carrying on Traditions, I suppose.

That is the simplification of the hardships, the toils, the sweet and the tears of dictatorship, where they are trying to make it look like he has spent less time in power.

His reign has been active since 1986, even if there was no elections, that time before the 1996 should still count. If not, the international media and others are only validating the time after 1996, which is foolish. That is distasteful.

That is why, his not going for sixth term, that was already done by 2016, before the recent term, which is his seventh. Now, as he is the not so breaking news, the sole candidate of the NRM. He is running for the eight time. Surely before his dead, he will have run for 10 terms and seen more American President, than the Queen of England. Peace.

Turkana Drought: State Officials knew about the drought, but didn’t act!

Today is a day of warning, where the government, the local government and its authorities haven’t been prepared or cared for it. In its ignorance, the citizens of Turkana and its draught is happening, because their representatives and the state haven’t prepared for the shortfall of food nor water in the region. Even if there was waning signs months ago.

This is not just made up that Governor Josphat Nanok of Turkana County, CEO of NDMA James Odur, CS of Ministry of Devolution and ASALs Eugene Wamwalwa and so on. Can put the blame on everything else, but not on the intial inaction of their own government post. Even if that is true, because the FEWS warned about this in August/December 2018, because of lack of rain. Still, the government kept pumping like there was no tomorrow. Did nothing about it or didn’t handle it all. Since, who would make a fuzz anyway, right?

FEWS Network Warning Des. 2018:

“Performance of the October to December short rains was highly mixed across Kenya, leading to below-average crop performance and inadequate replenishment of rangeland resources in rainfall-deficit areas. In many pastoral and southeastern marginal agricultural areas, rainfall was below 85 percent of normal, while rainfall in the rest of the country was above average. Stressed (IPC Phase 2) outcomes are likely to persist in most pastoral and marginal agricultural areas through May, and an increase in the number of poor households in Crisis (IPC Phase 3) is expected in localized areas of Turkana, Wajir, and Garissa by February” (FEWS Net, 31.12.2018).

Kenyan Government response:

“The National Government has provided total of Kshs. 1,351,196,000 for response during the period of February, March and April 2019 as follows: Food and safety net Kshs. 601,196,000. Support to household irrigation water storage program (excavation of small water pans) Kshs. 600,000,000. Support to water trucking, maintenance and rehabilitation of boreholes Kshs. 150,000,000. Water trucking by NDMA in Mandera, Wajir, Turkana, Garissa, Marsabit and Tana River and maintenance of water points in selected areas. Hunger Safety Net Programme cash transfers by NDMA in Turkana, Wajir, Mandera and Marsabit” (…) “Nevertheless, the below-average short rains have slightly increased the food insecure population from 655,800 in August 2018 to current number of 1,111,500, with the top 12 counties having a total of 865,300 food insecure people” (Government of Kenya – ‘BRIEF ON CURRENT DROUGHT AND FOOD SECURITY SITUATION IN ASAL COUNTIES, MARCH 2019’ 15.03.2019).

What is sad is the amount of people starving in a midst of draught, in region, where the state could have acted more swiftly and with more manpower. Because, they knew perfectly well that this was happening. This is in a region where Tullow Oil Company plans to drill oil with over 300 oil wells. Meaning, there is money and resources, which should lead to progress and development. So, that the region and county isn’t as impoverish as it is. However, there seems to be little or none of the seeds of the oil to go to needed projects or facilities to help out the locals.

Instead, the international oil companies, which reached an agreement last year in 2018. Have had the ability to drill for oil and the leaders have been pocketing money. While the state and the local county officials haven’t secure the public. That is what is the initial bargain in all of this. The public officials have been busy eating and now the public aren’t even getting bread-crumbs of the spoils. That’s what is even more sad about this situation. Knowing the region had hopes for the oil adventure and now seeing a drought, which brings even more despair.

Lochikar Basin haven’t brought anything to the local community, other than foreign investors pumping out their valuable resources, while the deal between Tullow and Government remains secret. As well, as the scarcity of water and other needed components of life, continue to run rampant in a region, which should have gotten some of the spoils of the wealth that is created there. Instead, the government cartels and public officials, who does not want to associate with the demise of the people in the drought, eat that up.

This could have been avoided, the state could have acted and the Turkana with their Oil should have had the resources to cope with it and be able to buy the needed imports of food and water. Alas, someone else is eating that, as long as the oil trucks are driving to Mombasa and the public see less or little of trade of it all.

While the sun is burning, little or no rain, while they await for a handout, when the government could have footed the bill, by the earnings of the oil alone. Peace.

The State of Health service delivery and financing: CSO perspectives (17.03.2019)

RDC: FCC – Communique du FCC (17.03.2019)

My Letter to President Duterte: Do you got something to hide?

Oslo, 17th March 2019

Dear Sir, His Excellency Rodrigo Roa Duterte, the President of the Republic of Philippines.

I am writing today to you and yours for a very simple reason. Not that I have the answers, but I am seeking those. Because I am worried about you and your administration. Since, the act of withdrawal from the Rome Statute and leave the International Criminal Court (ICC) came to affect today.

A quick brief about the ICC and the Rome Statute: “The primary mission of the International Criminal Court is to help put an end to impunity for the perpetrators of the most serious crimes of concern to the international community as a whole, and thus to contribute to the prevention of such crimes” (…) “On 17 July 1998, a conference of 160 States established the first treaty-based permanent international criminal court. The treaty adopted during that conference is known as the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. Among other things, it sets out the crimes falling within the jurisdiction of the ICC, the rules of procedure and the mechanisms for States to cooperate with the ICC” (…) “ The mandate of the Court is to try individuals (rather than States), and to hold such persons accountable for the most serious crimes of concern to the international community as a whole, namely the crime of genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and the crime of aggression, when the conditions for the exercise of the Court’s jurisdiction over the latter are fulfilled” (ICC – Understanding the International Criminal Court).

The reason for writing this is very clear as an outsider, a man who follows the Republic and sometimes worried about the state of affairs. I’m writing to you President Duterte, because this is a serious gamble. Your risking more than just some mere donations or bilateral loans, you are risking more than that.

Mister President, your actually taking yourself out of institution, whose prosecuting for international crimes and crimes against humanity. Which is a very specific court, not just any tribunal. Why I am asking, because your administration accepted the verdict of another international court, which ordered a verdict in your favour. That was the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague on the 12th July 2016 [The South China Sea Arbitration (The Republic of the Philippines v. The People’s Republic of China)]. Therefore, the administration your running has accepted this and didn’t question the sovereign of this nor the laws it used for the ruling of this court.

If you as President are saying the ICC shouldn’t have any grounds of investigation you, than the same Republic and the same administration accept the verdict of another international court either. That is just an easy assessment, Mr. President.

As we are seeing the Republic leaves the ICC, could there be another reason for leaving it? Are you afraid of cases built up against you? Would you be afraid if they really investigated or looked into the anti-drug war? Are you afraid of what you did as Mayor of Davao?

I just got to ask. Since there has to be something, a reason why you are afraid of the ICC. If you had nothing to hide, if you had nothing to look into or questionable activity. You wouldn’t have revoked the Rome Statute and run away from the International Law?

I am really questioning it, since the same state had no issues accepting one International Court, but leaving another one. Are you leaving the laws and statutes of the Permanent Court of Arbitration at the Hague too? That would have been a bit fair, especially if your a supreme sovereign and not wanting any interference. This is a weird argument using against one, but accepting the other one.

I just had to ask. I don’t anticipate any answers, but the Filipino should get to know. Just not some PR Stunt and sample of the Withdrawal of the Rome Statute. There should be released an legal argument released to the public to read and with justified explanation. If not, we can wonder, if the you as a President is afraid of the ICC and what they could find.

I hope you could answer to that and also show grace. Not that I expect any, but as an outsider. This is just weird. No one is running away from something unless, they got something to hide. That is just ordinary fashion in these manners.

Best Regards

Writer of Minbane

NRM MPs Kyankwanzi Resolution: Shows there is no free thought in the Movement!

Lead from the back — and let others believe they are in front”Nelson Mandela

The National Resistance Movement (NRM) have resolved nothing during the Kyankwanzi Summit in 2019. They have implemented the resolution, which honours the NRM Central Executive Committee (CEC), which had already on the 19th February 2019 endorsed President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni as the sole candidate for the General Election in 2021.

Today, the NRM MPs or Caucus at the Kyankwanzi have resolved that the future needs the leadership of Museveni, not only for the 2021 Election, but also beyond. That is two months apart, that the NRM MPs shown their token and loyalty to the almighty President. The President for life. That they are now promoting and directly saying:

We need Mzee more now, than ever before”, also to top it off, like anyone who is blind and not having ability to think freely, the NRM MPs states: “We need his firm guidance in mentoring and growing ideological, political and technical cadreship for protecting the gains of our revolution, as well as securing the future of the Ugandan and African people”.

That is what these people are able to say, they are Members of Parliament, the lawmakers and the elite of the Republic. Still, they are as worshipping their leader, like he is a cult leader, a deity, who has to guide them and lead them to redemption. They are awaiting his teachings and knowledge, because they don’t know where else to seek it. They are just awaiting the enlightenment from Mzee, the Bosco, the Mr. Sunday or Yoseri even.

Now they are waiting to get a vision, a sight and clear themselves from the desert and into a mirage; they want him to save them from hell and bring them into heaven. Because, that is the initial message from the latest NRM Kyankwanzi Resolution of 17th March 2019.

These MPs cannot ever be taken as free thinking individuals after signing off to this document and accepting the wording. They are all blind slaves, all minions of the President, these people doesn’t have any idea of leadership, neither what guidance is.

The NRM MPs doesn’t have the capability or mind to cope without the President. Since, they are just existing because the President. Therefore, they got to show him submission, praise him and be his servants. That is who they are, if they claim otherwise, just show their resolution. Nothing else matters, that is their ideas put into print. That is their life, this is their leader for life and they cannot see anyone else. This is why they are blind as bat and cannot see anything, not even how this sort of resolution or decision to again make the President a Sole Candidate.

Nothing is showing progress, nothing is showing excellence or integrity. They are just showing, that they cannot function or see a future without Museveni. Like there have been no Uganda before him. That is cult like behaviour. If the MPs don’t like it, that is fine, but this how it seems.

Mzee can do whatever, say whatever, act like whatever and still these people will praise him. No matter what happens, he is the guiding star, the man who has the answers. That is why they are never wearing hoodies and wanting snipers in their cars, as they drive through Bombo Road in Kampala. Peace.

RDC: Vital Kamerhe – Communique (16.03.2019)