Kagoma County By-Election: FDC Surge the crowds, while the NRM believes in Voter Tourism!

There is a by-election going on in Kagoma County in Jinja District. This is in Busoga region and inside the Busoga Kingdom. In the recent days there been campaign rallies in the towns and villages of the county. As the candidates together with the leadership of the parties has arrived to spell their program and get their candidate into the 10th Parliament.

That the President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni together with the NRM has held rallies in the district isn’t surprising, neither is it that today only he has hold 4 rallies in the county. What is more common is the proof of bribery and in general using intimidation as well. Therefore, the reports that the NRM used violence against FDC mobilizers. On the 5th May the pictures of innocent party organizers bloody t-shirts we’re spread on the internet. Therefore, the proof that the NRM cannot win without violence or use money, is yet another proof.

Another typical trick of the NRM, has been how the buses has been driving around in the county and district, giving away t-shirts, offering 10k shillings and food; if they participate to the closest rally of President Museveni and his coming Candidate Moses Walyomu Muwanika. This one is supposed to stop the Forum for Democratic of Change (FDC) candidate Timothy Batuwa. Instead of like the FDC who gather natural crowds with their leadership and convoys.

The NRM uses buses and payments, giving away T-shirts, beating up Independent Candidates supporters, which happen earlier this week. There are certainly double standard in this, as the NRM uses intimidation, harassment, than condemning violence, later knowingly paying for supporters and getting support by bribery. Than, sending buses (Voter Tourism) and picking up crowds, while the other parties scraps people together honest. Therefore, the ruling regime and ruling party uses all tricks of the trade. To get the MP for the area elected again! Certainly, the NRM has no honor, only cheating and rigging to win.

If there will be pre-ticked ballots on the 11th May 2017 and sudden ballots taken away with Police Officers during the tally wouldn’t surprise anyone. Also, that the late release of the Declaration Forms and the Return Forms, which the NRM will comprise as they have already started to do. That with the bribery of citizens and the ways the buses rides to pick-up and give food. This is all manipulation and selling the ballots for scraps. Certainly, the electoral process isn’t respected when the NRM trades the ballot for 10k shillings and rallies to elect their man. Peace.

Kenya: USAID – “Suspension of Activities and Assistance to the Ministry of Health” (08.05.2017)

Kenya’s Political Parties Vulnerable to Cartels? (Footage)

Ethiopia: Translated Criminal Charges during the State of Emergency!

UNMISS Deploys Peacekeepers to Aburoc to Enable Delivery of Humanitarian Aid (08.05.2017)

Currently up to 50,000 people are sheltering in and around the town of Aburoc on the west bank of the River Nile after a series of clashes between Government and Opposition forces.

JUBA, South Sudan, May 8, 2017 – Peacekeeping troops have been urgently deployed to Aburoc in the Upper Nile region by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) to help enable the delivery of much needed humanitarian assistance.

“The aim is to provide humanitarian groups with the confidence they need to resume the provision of urgent assistance to tens of thousands of people in Aburoc who are fleeing the ongoing violence,” said the Head of UNMISS, David Shearer.

“This short-term deployment is in response to an immediate need and will provide a light, but robust, temporary peacekeeping footprint in the area.”

Currently up to 50,000 people are sheltering in and around the town of Aburoc on the west bank of the River Nile after a series of clashes between Government and Opposition forces. The most urgent humanitarian need is to provide drinking water.

“Without a secure supply of clean water, there is a risk of an outbreak of diarrhoea or even cholera which has the potential to kill thousands of vulnerable people. It is vital that our humanitarian partners are able to get this water and other aid through to alleviate the suffering,” said David Shearer.

“I also note that the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) has acknowledged UNMISS’ intention to help facilitate the provision of humanitarian assistance to the people of the Upper Nile.”

The peacekeeping troops’ immediate task will be to secure the base from where humanitarians are providing water and other assistance. The road between Kodok and Aburoc will be checked for old landmines by the UN Mine Action Service and cleared as necessary. Protection may also be provided for water trucks using the road if that is required to enable people to move freely.

Security Council Condemns Attack Against UNMISS (08.05.2017)

The members of the Security Council further condemned the continued violence committed by all parties in South Sudan.

NEW YORK, United States of America, May 8, 2017 –  The members of the Security Council strongly condemned the attack against the United Nations Mission in the Republic of South Sudan (UNMISS) on 3 May in Leer, South Sudan. The members of the Security Council expressed appreciation for the actions taken by UNMISS peacekeepers to repel the attack.

The members of the Security Council recalled that individuals who, directly or indirectly, engage in attacks against United Nations missions, international security presence, or other peacekeeping operations, or humanitarian personnel, may be designated for targeted sanctions.

The members of the Security Council further condemned the continued violence committed by all parties in South Sudan, including the ongoing military offensives, and called on all parties to immediately adhere to the permanent ceasefire as called for in the Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan and to remove all obstacles to delivery of lifesaving humanitarian assistance.

Suddenly, President Kenyatta want to deal with souring food prices, but has no solution outlined!

You know something is wrong when the basic food items like Maize flour, Rice, Milk and Sugar are going up in Kenya. This has happen during the term of President Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy President Willam Ruto, the Jubilee Coalition. That the President takes so easily on it during the campaigns, proves that he has forgotten the common plight. This isn’t just a drought that brought the higher prices, there is systemic defaults that the government has to be concerned about. Therefore, the President coming out and saying this!

In his speech the President also criticised the opposition, which he described as a coalition crafted to get job for its four leading figures. He described the leader of the opposition as “a man who does not know how to solve problems but only knows how to talk about problems”. The Head of State said the Government is working on an appropriate plan to deal with the rising cost of maize flour. He revealed that Parliament will be recalled soon to come up with legislations to deal with the issue of food prices. We have been quiet about this issue but we have been working on a plan and soon Parliament will resume soon and it will come up with a lasting solution,” said the President” (The Presidency, 2017).

That he says the Opposition only talks about it, it is him who has the power and have the majority government. President Kenyatta has had all the possible time to create and make sure the citizens and businesses could thrive. Instead their been years of problems for Mumias, corruption scandals and in general not the sort economic policies that the Kenyan people or businesses needs. Therefore, the news of 10 coastal hotels closed in the recent months. The higher prices on electricity and other basic food items. Proves that the government has not facilitated it for citizens.

This can be proven with the added debt and deficit that the Kenyan government has risen. That the loans have been misspent as well as corruption scandals, which has proven that it isn’t only the Port of Mombasa where it is, but the central government has certainly their mismanagement. There been chickens inside the IEBC, NYS Scandal, JKIA, and so many others.

Inflation in the month of Aril has been reported to have increased to a record high of 11.48 percent. This was as a result of the ongoing drought that has hit most parts of the country and therefore forcing commodities to increase in prices so as to reach the markets set target” (Shawiza, 2017).

Just as Barclays has spelled gloom over the Kenyan economy, because the President cannot like going into a tight and highly anticipated campaign when the state struggles with this:

In various supermarkets around major towns, shoppers are being met by empty shelves. Those who spoke to Nation lamented that the increased prices had hit them hard, forcing them to forego some meals in the day, especially to save for school fees. In a country where maize remains a staple food, the price increase has left many households suffering. Even with the government intervention, the prices of a 90kg bag of dry maize is still high at Sh5,200 in Kisumu, Sh4,700 in Mombasa and Sh4,500 in Nairobi” (Daily Nation, 2017).

There we’re reasons for this, since the rise of prices doesn’t come in vacuum, the President and his government knows that, but has stayed ignorant, because they seem to confident that they will be in-charge after the coming election. Therefore, he should trade the waters more careful, unless the Jubilee is rigging it. However, the prices are hurting the citizens and the people who are supposed to support the party.

They have already struggled with months of uncertainty with the IEBC and the Doctors strike as they both have proven the systemic problems inside the republic. This is something that the Jubilee government has festered and not cleared the shop. Instead of building trust, they have tried to stop it like they detained doctors, they tried to silence the demonstrations against the corrupt IEBC board.

So with the rising state debt, the rising prices on food stuffs and the mismanagement of government funds. That the Jubilee attacks the NASA for their deals is the only good thing they have, but it is not sustainable as their own are awarded. So I cannot believe in that, that the NASA only favors and give jobs to their own. There are similarities there, but the Jubilee shouldn’t complain about giving favors, when they have built their own system doing so. Also, giving credits and envelopes to smaller parties for their support!

President Kenyatta should not for populism, but for the concern of the issues of the higher prices on the basic foods. Since this affects all citizens and their pockets, as well as stores and shops are getting empty on the shelf’s, not only Nakumatt who has struggled for months, but also others. Therefore, the are grand issues in the economy, if it wasn’t so than the banks like Kenya Chase Bank Limited taken control by the Central Bank of Kenya. If all of this issues are not handled, together this all proves there are governance structures and policies who needs changes. Since the state are clearly forgetting their sole purpose to facilitate life for their citizens, not secure wealth for the elite. Therefore, the Jubilee, has to prove they really care, as the inflation and debt ratio is rising to levels that the President should anticipate. Not try to control after it hit the fan! Peace.

Reference:

Nation Team – ‘Kenyans tighten their belts as prices of goods soar and shortages bite’ (03.05.2017) link: http://www.nation.co.ke/news/Families-hit-by-soaring-food-prices/1056-3911702-pigm45z/index.html

Shawiza, Vera – ‘Cost Of Living: High Food Prices Reason For Increased Inflation’ (03.05.2017) link: http://sokodirectory.com/2017/05/cost-living-high-food-prices-reason-increased-inflation/

The Presidency – I will work tirelessly for Kenya’s prosperity, President Kenyatta pledges’ (06.05.2017) link: http://www.president.go.ke/2017/05/06/i-will-work-tirelessly-for-kenyas-prosperity-president-kenyatta-pledges/

South Sudan: Progressive Democrats – “Appointment of Muslim Gore as Secretary of Information” (04.05.2017)

Somalia: Dadaab Youth Statement on the Murder of the Slain Minister, Abas Siraji (05.05.2017)

In the Teso Region they are eating termites to survive the famine!

There are something deeply wrong, so sincerely wrong when the citizens doesn’t get needed food relief and have to eat termites and insects to survive. This is the state of the famine now in Teso Region, in Katakwi, Amuria, Bukedea and Kaberamaido district.

Mr Robert Okitoi, the Amuria District council chairperson, said “The situation is bad, people are now eating termites. I think the government should just declare a state of emergency for the regions of Teso, Karamoja and Lango.” (NTV Uganda, 01.06.2017). On the 26th April 2017 the Parliament has passed a motion to declare ‘State of Emergency’ in Uganda, but the President and the State House has not done anything about it.

Still, a local farmer wrote a piece to the Chimp Reports that has some valuable assessments:

The current hunger in Teso has largely been attributed to drought, while this assertion may hold some truths; there is increasingly evidence that the Ministry of Teso Affairs has not done its part. Hunger in Teso is as a result of both internal and external factors. For many years, the region has been experiencing declining productivity and this was recently worsened by drought. For districts like Ngora, Bukedia and Kumi, land fragmentation has heavily affected productivity” (…) “Clearly besides drought, Teso food systems are in a crisis and our expectation was that the Ministry of Teso affairs working with other stakeholders would work to address this problem. Our view is that hunger should be among the ‘affairs’ that Ministry of Teso Affairs should be engaged in.Agriculture remains a major livelihood for our people in Teso and therefore we require urgent response from Ministry of Teso Affairs on its plans to help our people get out of the current hunger crisis”(Akorikin, 2017).

This here proves that the drought is just the last piece of the straw in a bigger problem, that even the State Ministry has not been in-charge and had the oversight of the Teso Region. There are lacking the support they need. Still, the government still have done something now and then. Like this one relief to Kaberamaido district: “Kaberamaido district has finally received 12, 000 kilograms of relief food from government valued at Shillings 33 million. Kaberamaido is among the districts battling a severe food crisis resulting from crop failure due to prolonged drought. The most affected areas in the district are Ochero, Bululu, Kobulubulu, Kaberamaido, and Apapai sub counties. With over 5,000 households facing starvation representing about half of the total population in the district, the 12,000 kilograms of flour delivered is far from solving the food crisis” (Odongo, 2017). That means on the 30th April 2017, the government delivered 12.000kgs of flour that is estimated to be 231,000 citizens in the district alone. Therefore, you don’t have to be rocket scientist to know that this food relief to the one district isn’t enough…

The minister for Relief and Disaster Preparedness, Hilary Onek, has offered a bit of advice to the hunger-stricken; stop selling the little food you have left. Onek said the weather has become so unreliable for Ugandans to hold on to the little hope for better yields. “They should consider family needs first before selling all the food. Districts like Lira had a lot of food but it [food] was sold to traders from Kenya, South Sudan and even Rwanda because people want money,” he said in an interview. Asked whether government would consider banning the sale of food to outsiders, Onek said they wouldn’t, in the spirit of the East African Community. “That is not an option we will consider; we only want people to behave responsibly to take care of their family needs before they sell all the food,” he said” (UMDF, 2017).

So now the Minister Onek gives advice to the impoverished citizens, so that they are careful with their food stocks, as the relief of the districts are not up-to par. Therefore, that they didn’t stock the extra foods and now they tell the families to take of it. The government could have used their resources and built food-stocks, instead of living hand to mouth. The small-time farmers in the Teso-Region certainly, needs more than fear of selling what they don’t have, they need support and food relief.

The state also has to facilitate the farmers, not in Operation Wealth Creation or Jerry-Can irrigation, but real projects, storage of food-stocks and recreate farmers Co-Ops in the districts and sub-counties to collectively earn and work together to get better yields and also productivity in general. But that isn’t a scheme and way the National Resistance Movement can corrupt or thieve the funds from. Therefore, that will not happen and is the reason why the similar institutions are gone during the decades of President Museveni.

The Teso Region and these district needs help, the man-made famine together with the drought that has worsen it. So the Government has to charge and actually make a difference, not just thieve monies away from Kampala. Peace.

Reference:

Akorikin, Francis – ‘OPINION: Government Should Review the Relevance of Ministry of Teso Affairs’ (05.05.2017) link: https://www.chimpreports.com/opinion-government-should-review-the-relevance-of-ministry-of-teso-affairs/

Odongo, Ronald – ‘Kaberamaido Receives 12,000 KGs of Food Relief’ (30.04.2017) link: https://ugandaradionetwork.com/story/govt-delivers-12000-kilograms-of-posho-worth-ugx-33m-to-famine-hit-residents

Uganda Media Development Foundation (UMDF) – ‘HILARY ONEK TO HUNGER VICTIMS: DON’T SELL FOOD’ (01.05.2017) link: https://www.umdf.or.ug/?q=content/hilary-onek-hunger-victims-don%E2%80%99t-sell-food