A fresh Parliamentary Report on the newly created Town Councils and Sub-Counties: Say they lack funds to run them!

“A government which robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul.”George Bernard Shaw

This January, the Parliament made a Report (REPORT ON THE STATUS OF FUNDING FOR SUB-COUNTIES AND TOWN COUNCILS, January 2019) into the creation of new Town Councils and Sub-Counties, the Local Governments if you may. As the National Resistance Movement (NRM), have with swift haste over the recent years split up the Republic in record speed. As they are continuing to do so. There are added expenses and more salaries to pay, even more officials and public buildings to procure or facilitate. As the Local Government does gain revenue over night either.

Therefore, the release of this report is a story been told before, about how the Parliament are enacting more districts, but doesn’t have the pocket to facilitate it or the fantasy of thinking of the costs of doing so. In the same vein comes this report, that is rewind of the previous ones, but still important to address.

“Government created 108 Town Councils to commence operations on 1st July 2017 and 95 Town Councils to become effective on 1″1 July 2018. Government also created 204 Sub-Counties that became in FY 2018/ 79 (refer to annex 1). However, the operationalisation of the newly created local governments units has not been matched with the requisite budgetary resources”.

Government created a total of 203 Town Councils and 196 Sub-Counties which have not received operational funds. However, during the FY 2017 118, a provision of Ush. 2bn in the budget was made to cater for startup activities for the 35 Town Councils. In FY 2018/ 19, government released Shs. 2.5bn to cater for startup activities for 50 Town Councils. However, the Committee notes that some Town Councils received partial funding against what had been approved by Parliament”.

“The funding requirement for operationalization of the newly created 203 Town Councils and 196 sub-counties is estimated by Ministry of Local Government at Shs. 108.5bn and Shs. 30.7bn respectively and this excludes costs for public administration such as establishment of a police post, health and education facilities in line with the current government policy

The final quotes from the report, which is the recommendations is worth to mention as well: “The government should provide Shs. 139.2bn for operation of all approved Town Councils and Sub- Counties in FY 2019 l20” (…) “The government should review the policy of creation of new, districts and other local government administrative units in view of the constrained resource envelope”.

Surely, we can see that the state is not sufficiently ensuring the creation of the new Town Councils and neither the Sub-Counties. This is the costs of office equipment, the payment of salaries of the local government and all the procurement that needs to be done.

That is if these entities matters or supposed to govern locally. If not it is just made up areas before the elections to garn voters and spilt the districts to ensure problems for the opposition. Which seems more likely. Since the state, haven’t done much to facilitate or even tried to make them functional.

Even with the funding proposed by this Parliamentary Committee, they are still not discussing the other needs for public administration, police posts, health care or education facilities. Which should be the basis for these entities in general, if not their offices with no portfolio in the districts. That is how it seems.

Surely, the Memo on this matters are the same as before, a ploy to gain voters and promise patrons and cronies of a job after elections, but not having the bank balance or the funding to actually do it. That is how the state operates in these matters and that is why this is a recurrent issues. That is always coming up to discussions about the splitting of districts, sub-counties and town councils. It is just reappearing like the monster of the past and the government acts clueless about to get rid of it. Peace.

Zimbabwe: Statement from the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Hon. Lt. Gen. (RTD) S.B. Moyo on the U.S.A’s Renewal of Sanctions on Zimbabwe (06.03.2019)

Cameroon: Ministere de la Communication – Communique de Presse (05.03.2019)

Kenyatta’s Battle Cry: Oh dear, we can only trust the dead!

This (corruption) is not a war against individuals or communities, it is a war against a crime that robs us the opportunity to build a nation with shared prosperity for all” (…) “Don’t threaten people at funerals. The dead will not help you. The only place where you can get help is at the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI)” – Uhuru Kenyatta (05.03.2019).

This should be tiring for a man, an executive and the Head of State to repeat, to send the same MEMO again and again. This is the same President that has promised to fight corruption and graft all his career. His tough talk on Corruption has been a driving part behind his political life. Even so, the campaigns, the drives and the assaults on it has been futile, because as long as he has ruled. The Corrupt behaviour have become worse.

President Uhuru Kenyatta have come all out before. He has promised and sent bullets the way of civil servants, cabinet secretaries and public officials should be careful with their actions. Because if they are taken with some ill deeds done.

While the President speak like that, the Cabinet Secretaries, Principal Secretaries, Under-Secretaries and others can get away with it. They are the loyal cronies and their businesses forging a tender, contract or ghost projects are cool. However, if some local nut-job is doing the same in wild-card district out of bound of Nairobi. Trust, that man will be taken down.

We know why the President and Deputy President William Ruto will be allowed to create a vast corporate empire, such greatness and growing altitude, while the state is more corrupt and growing loans. This is surely why the President has more stakes in this and so has closest patrons too. However, they cannot be touched, just like the cartels, who are controlling their respective industries.

Kenyatta knows this, Kenyans knows this, they are not stupid. They can not buy into this stick anymore. This is the second term. This is not the first time at the rodeo. This is the second time and this has been repetitive. The same story, the same issues and the same venting. The rants, the attack on the judiciary, the EACC and whoever fitting the bill. Sooner or later, someone else crosses the path and get pushed into the fire.

We know that the dead cannot help to fight corruption, but the living at this point isn’t helping either. The living might be breathing, but the state is not even having a heat-beat in this case. They are only rigging the machines to show a pulse, but they are clearly not living it. This is just another PR Stunt. They are not really fighting this corruption thing. Then, there businesses, their stratospheric growth during their tenure would be in question. However, they are untouchable. So, they got to play it out this way. Only sounding fierce while doing it. Peace.

Zimbabwe: ZANU-PF – Press Statement by the Secretary for Information and Publicity Cde. Ambassador S.K. Moyo on the Extension of Sanctions by the United States of America (USA) – (05.03.2019)

Statement by the Minister of Foreign Affairs Hon. Sam Kutesa on the Rwanda/Uganda Situation (05.03.2019)

U.S. House Judiciary Committee starts a Massive Probe into Trump & his associates!

See, ya are what ya are in this world. That’s either one of two things: Either you’re somebody, or you ain’t nobody”.- Frank Lucas

Today is a really special day in Trump World, as the U.S. House Judiciary Committee has sent letters and requested documents into the investigation in President Trump and his associates. No, I am not releasing a list of family and friends of the U.S. President today. No, this is a magnificent list of the ones that has up to 18th March 2019 to deliver documents to the Judiciary Committee of the House of Representatives. So, that they can pursuit their investigation into the possible collusion and electoral violations done by the Trump Administration and Campaign Team. That is why 81 individuals/organizations been hit with this.

This is a rare day, when so many people in and around the President have been hit with the letters and document requests, that digs into the financial contributions, financial ties with Russia, with all communications of such and so on. It is really digging deep.

As the Document Request states:
“Please produce the documents set forth in Schedule A, provided, however, that in order to
facilitate production of documents on an expedited basis, you may limit your production at this time to documents you furnished at any time after November 8, 2016 to: (a) the Special Counsel’s Office established by Department of Justice Order No. 3915-2017 (May 17, 2017); (b) the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York (“SDNY”); (c) any other federal or state regulatory and/or law enforcement agency; (d) any congressional committee; or (e) in civil or other litigation. This includes but is not limited to documents that were voluntarily provided, produced under compulsion, or seized. Instructions for producing documents appear in Schedule B, and definitions appear in Schedule C” (Document Request – Schedule A, 04.03.2019).

The various people and organization get various of different arraigned questions to produce set of documents, depending on their closeness to the President and the known meetings between the Trump Campaign/Organization/Transition and Presidency in regard to the Russians. That is why, today is a real special day. The U.S. House Judiciary Committee are asking for all of this. They are really showing what the Republican Party and the ones henchmen of the President didn’t do before the Mid-Terms, as they shut this down, prematurely out of own interests. One man should be happy he isn’t on the list today and that is Devin Nunes. His only guy missing.

Here is the list of people under investigation by the U.S. House Judiciary Committee:

Alan Garten, Alexander Nix, Allen Weisselberg, American Media Inc, Anatoli Samochornov, Andrew Intrater, Annie Donaldson, Brad Parscale, Brittany Kaiser, Cambridge Analytica, Carter Page, Columbus Nova, Concord Management and Consulting, Corey Lewandowski, David Pecker, Department of Justice, Don McGahn, Donald J Trump Revocable Trust, Donald Trump Jr., Dylan Howard, Eric Trump, Erik Prince, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Felix Sater, Flynn Intel Group, General Services Administration, George Nader, George Papadopoulos, Hope Hicks, Irakly Kaveladze, Jared Kushner, Jason Maloni, Jay Sekulow, Jeff Sessions, Jerome Corsi, John Szobocsan, Julian Assange, Julian David Wheatland, Keith Davidson, KT McFarland, Mark Corallo, Matt Tait, Matthew Calamari, Michael Caputo, Michael Cohen, Michael Flynn, Michael Flynn Jr, Paul Erickson, Paul Manafort, Peter Smith (Estate), Randy Credico, Reince Priebus, Rhona Graff, Rinat Akhmetshin, Rob Goldstone, Roger Stone, Ronald Lieberman, Sam Nunberg, SCL Group Limited, Sean Spicer, Sheri Dillon, Stefan Passantino, Steve Bannon, Ted Malloch, The White House, Trump Campaign, Trump Foundation, Trump Organization, Trump Transition, Viktor Vekselberg, Wikileaks, 58th Presidential Inaugural Committee, Christopher Bancroft Burnham, Frontier Services Group, J.D. Gordon, Kushner Companies, NRA, Rick Gates, Tom Barrack, Tom Bossert and Tony Fabrizio.

All of them are implicated or has information on the matter at hand. The FBI, DoJ and other government organizations are just to facilitate the investigation as they have various connected investigations going on through the Special Counsel Robert Mueller and the case in Southern District of New York (SDNY). However, that will not stop the U.S. House Judiciary from gathering intelligence and information about the possible obstruction of justice, Russian interference and so-on.

They are really starting a massive probe, that will span and really gather information at a level, the Presidency and his associates didn’t envision at this point. All of this people have to follow the guidelines and produce it. Therefore, the coming weeks will be interesting, as also to see if they all are interesting in complying and following the guidelines.

Because, the Committee and the U.S. Representatives will be awaiting answers. The public will see, if they are complying or stalling for time. Since, this is the start of a serious probe, where the Judiciary Committee have already gathered information, but wants more. As it was to dig deep into the organizations and people around Trump. To ensure the state have good actors and also people who are following the codes of conduct, not to talk about following the rules of law.

It is not a good day to be Gangster in Government. Since, the NY Gang is really under scrutiny now and the world is watching. With anticipation, with what they will do with the Trump associates and in the President Trump himself. As the people around are getting indicted and catching felony charges. Falling like flies and now, yet another broad probe is hitting the NY Gang. Surely, they cannot catch a break. Peace.

Philippines Senatorial Mid-Terms: 12 Slots Open, Duterte is gunning for 11!

On Thursday 14th of February, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte announced his endorsement of 11 Senatorial Candidates in San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan. As there are up 12 Senatorial Slots in the Mid-Terms Elections on May 13th 2019. This is a clear sign, that the President are willing try to take a landslide of the senatorial position. So, that he gets more favourable Senators. Whose on his side.

What we do know already because of the release of list of Senatorial Candidates for the re-elections. The Senate will lose the like of Sen. Antonio “Sonny” F. Trilianes IV, Sen. Loren B. Legarda and Sen. Gregorio “Gringo” B. Honasan II are not running for re-election this season. Therefore, their time in the chambers are now over. Surely, they have served, the biggest enemy of Duterte is leaving his role. As Trilianes is not going for re-election. In that regard, the President has a victory already before the polls starting.

Also, the President have endorsed the likes of Christopher Lawrence TesoroBong Go” Go , Aquilino Pimentel III (re-election), Francis Tolentino, Zajid Mangudadatu, Freddie Aguilar, Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara (re-election), Allen Peter “Pia” S. Cayetano (re-election), Joseph Victor “JV” G. Ejercito (re-election), Imelda “Imee” Marcos (re-election), Cynthia A. Villar (Re-Election) and former senator Jose Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada.

Surely we’re seeing that Duterte is picking people loyal to him whose already in the Senate like Pimitel, Aguilar, Ejercito, Marcos and Villar. That is why his trying to get 5 people in again. What are seeing also, is that Duterte really are endorsing the political families of the Republic. Because in this midterms alone he is supporting a Marcos and an Estrada.

What is special about Jinggoy Estrada is that his been out of jail just for a short time before this election. He has been indicted and served time on plunder charges, as there been cases going back a decade in time on him. Therefore, the President endorsing him isn’t a strong sign in fighting corruption and such, more a validation of a political dynasty.

The same can be said by the Imee Marcos, the daughter of Fernando Marcos, also has some questionable things in her past. Like in November 2018 a civil forfeiture case on her was seeking to recover the amount of P200 Billion, which was a 31 year case. She was supposed to serve several years in jail over this, but still is able to run for senatorial run now. With the blessing of the President. This is the second candidate, whose part of a political dynasty. Also, that she was also know for corrupt behaviour.

We can clearly see, that this is strategic manoeuvrers of the President. Not only to get loyal people in the Senate to further his agenda and get his will there. Out of the 12 Senate Slots, 6 are for re-election within his coalition. There are many other who wants to run for these open positions. Also, in the opposition, but the ones here are people to look out for. Because of the popularity of Duterte in the Philippines. His endorsements means something.

Seemingly he is gunning for 11 out 12 slot directly. Surely, he doesn’t think he can sway people away from Sen. Grace L. Poe and Sen. Maria Lourdes Nancy S. Binay. But that means one of them got to go. Either Binay or Poe, if the ones that Duterte wants in. Surely, the public will decide and go to the polls. No matter what the stats or the polling is saying now. It is a long time to May 2019. However, that Duterte will get a stronger grip over the Senate is most likely. Since some stark opposition senators are not running. While there are friendlier faces, that is up- and coming.

Surely, the Mid-Terms will be interesting, but the Presidency has really put his stakes in it and have his people within the Senate. Peace.

Opinion: A staged opposition in-fighting is a automatic victory for Bosco!

Yesterday’s unneeded drama and heckling outside of CBS Radio Station as Dr. Kizza Besigye left the station. It was speculated that the ones doing this was associated with the People Power Movement and Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine. However, he has disassociated and said that isn’t the way.

We have to reconfigure something, as the radical people will always surface in any bracket of the public. In any part of a party and in a movement. That is a natural feature within any party and for all sorts of reasons. That is why we get days like yesterday. This is not a vindication of Mwenda’s attacks on the Bobi Wine and Defiance Campaign of Besigye. No, it is just a reality check, because, it matters everywhere. The majority isn’t like that, but a selected few.

What we do know now, is that these who went there yesterday might be staged or hired to do so. They were not directly ordered or behind it, as it has been speculated that a James Mubiru is behind it. Which hired people to carry on with the slogans of Bobi Wine and his movement, while heckling and addressing Besigye yesterday. This is then not an direct attack of Bobi Wine or his people, but instead a hired man, whose using money to get people to create a staged fuzz.

Therefore, the disassociation of Bobi Wine makes sense, but as it is staged. It is important that this is supposed to make these two look like enemies in the public perception. Even though that is far from true, as these two has been close and also talked on various occasions. Both Opposition leaders are working for the same cause. However, for the NRM to look strong, the Opposition needs to be infighting and needs to weakening itself. Because, then the NRM is the only viable avenue, even when the side-roads are better. Since, it looks hectic and filled with blockades, instead of a straight road to redemption.

That is what is up. That the NRM and the President is having a quick victory if the People Power and FDC is fighting. If Besigye and Bobi Wine is fighting too. If the NRM gets the DP, UPC, JEEMA, FDC and People Power all against each other. Than, the NRM will easily win. Not that they need it peaceful and friendly atmosphere. Because, the NRM will rig the up-coming elections.

Still, for the public perception sake, the NRM needs the infighting and the bickering, where the Opposition seems more fragmented than it is. Then the President can proclaim that he is only viable way out and the Opposition is just mess. That he is the only saviour and the NRM only has the solutions, because the Opposition is making havoc, even without power. This is the ambition of this sort of play.

Not that the Opposition needs a new The Democratic Alliance (TDA) or an Inter-Party Coalition (IPC), but an cohesive strategy to show progress and ability to be significant better; than what is currently ruling the Republic. That doesn’t mean that they should follow the DP idea of challenging the NRM with Joint Candidates. With that the Opposition is not showing strength, but creating a two-party system. Because, they lack faith in their own candidates and want to ensure less costs for a possible victory.

Instead, the Opposition should field all candidates and prove their value to the voters. Even if that fragment the votes. Because, that is natural, but at the same time work together with common goals, as they are all supposed to want to show supremacy and better political platform than NRM. That should make sense.

That is why we need to see Bobi Wine and Besigye working together in a cohesive and in a manner, where the public trust their agenda. Where the public perception is positive and where they are showing progressive means to further their work. They don’t need bickering and in-fighting. That is something the NRM can do themselves, as they usually does in their Primaries. We can just await the chaos coming up in the Road to General Elections of 2021.

That is why they stage this sort of operations. To make the Opposition look bad. Make someone a victim and blame someone else. Even if it is a ploy to play the public. They might think they are able to succeed, but when you look through it all. Then you see why and know the agenda. That is why you know it is deliberate by the regime to make a fool of the opposition. Instead, they are looking like Tin-Soldiers on the streets.

What we are seeing is more of the power of Besigye and Bobi Wine, their supporters and their vision. Instead of making them look foolish, which was the goal. Peace.

Uganda-Rwanda Tensions: It Escalated this Weekend

This weekend sparked with closure or blocked border points on the Rwandan side, ensuring that the trucks with goods from Uganda was blocked from entering Rwandan territory. This has been happening since 1st March 2019. They have deliberately made it harder for business and export to happen from one to the other. Because of this.

The Rwanda Revenue Authority has claimed it is for building a One Stop Border Point and wanting the Ugandan Nationals and Businessmen to move their vehicles to other borders points, instead of Gatuna Border Points. This is happening, while state officials on both is escalating the crisis between them.

The Rwandan Minister for Foreign Affairs and Government Spokesman Dr. Richard Sezibera been saying: “We have advised Rwandans not to go to Uganda because we cannot guarantee their security in Uganda” (James Munyaneza & Collins Mwai – ‘Rwanda warns citizens against travel to Uganda’ 02.03.2019, The New Times – Rwanda).

While Executive Director of Uganda Media Centre Ofwono Opondo stated this yesterday: “All vehicles coming from Rwanda enter well into Uganda but it’s the opposite on the Rwandan side. Rwandese aren’t being allowed to travel and enter Uganda but Ugandan nationals are. What is being stopped are only vehicles because of the blockage” (Uganda Media Centre, 01.03.2019).

Therefore, the Ugandan is indirectly saying that Rwandan are being blocked. While the Rwandan is already warning about them travelling and entering into Uganda. To top it off. Because right now, Rwanda is blocking and denying trucks and goods from Uganda. While Uganda is blocking Rwandan nationals, therefore, the the border squat has escalated with this.

It cannot just be fixing the infrastructure at the Gatuna Border Point. Now, it is something more underneath. As there are alleged arrests, detaining and torture of Rwandan nationals in Uganda. While Rwandan rebels in Democratic Republic of Congo are supported by Museveni, who fights against the Kigali regime of Kagame. That is why there are a lot of speculations and also stirring waters. It is rising into a storm in a water glass.

What we have is to Presidents who are involved in shady business and exports from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Of vast minerals and usage of rebel outfits to be able to do so. As they are earning fortunes on the misfortunes of the Congolese people there. They are sponsoring, training and also weaponizing the conflict there. This is done from Kigali and Kampala and been going on for over two decades. The gentlemen in power knows this, and they are trying to have spies on each to configure who can come on top. However, its now and then it backfires. The intimidation and the plans get disconnected, as the DRC and the other party are able to capture the rebels. Just like what happen with the RNC and FDLR agents visiting Uganda before Christmas 2018 and extradited to Kigali recently.

Therefore, this isn’t about the border point or the Rwandan nationals crossing into Uganda. This isn’t about a blockage of goods and trucks from Uganda. No, this is about political games and also power. This is about two men, two Presidents who wants it all and grab it. Want to outsmart and also lurk in the shadows without getting caught. It is two President that are trying to salvage something, but only loosing out. As both parties are losing valuable time and assets, while playing hide- and seek like this.

President Museveni and President Kagame needs to talk and settle their grievances, before it gets out of hand. These are weapon-brothers who has built their careers together and also went into ventures together elsewhere. Therefore, these two should be able to talk. Instead of letting their citizens and their population suffer, because they have fallen out. That is how it is seems and that is not showing leadership, but greed and lack of diplomatic efforts to settle; whatever these two needs to settle. Peace.