
Uganda: “Re: Withdrawal of Kamateneti Ingrid Turinawe, Candidate for EALA” (23.02.2017)



Ingrid Turinawe’s responce online when the news of the letter broke: “I am in the race, the author of that letter has no authority to withdraw me. I have not seen my copy though, waiting for it so that I reply” (23.02.2017).
This will be interesting and Gen. Mugisha Muntu has either done a trade-off or is playing his card very high. Certainly, this is not said or done, as the FDC with their fractions will not all accept this. Especially after the peaceful elections done in the Primary, compared to the ruling party NRM’s chaos. EALA slots are few, but this here is foul play from the Party President! Peace.

The Republic of Uganda has certain areas that have been affected with the drought and the lacking rain, which has affected the yields and output of food. The areas that has been in dire straits since El-Nino is in Teso, Karamoja and West Nile; these areas are in different stages, but all as worrying as the 1.6 million people are in a crisis situation, while 26% of all population or 9.3 million people are in a stressed situation. Let’s take a deep breath and look at the numbers coming from the offices of Prime Minister Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda. That has delivered this numbers and they are worrying.
“An estimated 1.6 million people (5% of the total population) are in Crisis situation. Those populations are found in Central 1 (0.58 million); Karamoja (0.12 million), Teso (0.2 million), East Central (0.38 million) and South Western (0.31 million) regions. This population has widening food consumption gaps with deteriorating dietary diversity and high malnutrition rates. They are found in Central 1 (0.58 million), Karamoja (0.12 million), Teso (0.2 million), East Central (0.38 million) and South Western (0.31 million) regions. The affected population includes the poorest households with poor food consumption score, low meal frequencies of up to 1 meal a day and low dietary diversity of less than 3 food groups. They have poor purchasing power as their incomes are low and no food stocks at household level. They are mainly coping through food assistance, remittances from relatives, begging, stealing food, wild food gathering and irreversible sale of productive assets to buy food. This population currently needs assistance to bridge the widening food consumption gaps and avert worsening malnutrition” (Office of the Prime Minister, 2017).
You can wonder what is the plan of the Republic when they know that the people have poor purchasing power, while the dwindling yields of the small-farming in these regions, doesn’t have the purchasing power of central regions. The trades and lacking production has equally hurt these citizens in Teso and Karamoja. Therefore the drought and lacking rain-fall has made the situation worse, as much as the rising refugee camps also getting aid and support from United Nation organization. While the republic have not galvanized agricultural structures and supported the citizens in dire need. This shows that the state has forgotten the reason for its existence. But there are more!
“An estimated 9.3 million people (26% of the total population) are experiencing Stressed situation. Those populations are in East Central (1.88 million); South Western (1.24 million), Teso (1.1 million) and West Nile (1.04 million) regions. This population has minimum adequate food consumption, employing insurance strategies and are unable to afford some essential non-food expenditures. The prolonged dry spell due to La Nina phenomenon coupled with increasing incidences of crop and livestock pests and diseases such as Cassava Brown Streak, Cassava Mosaic, maize stalk borer, striga and Banana Bacterial Wilt grossly affected production reducing the availability and accessibility of food for this population. The low crop and livestock production negatively impacted household food stocks leading to increased reliance on markets for food. Increasing demand from external markets has induced food price increases, making it difficult for poor households to access food from the market. Deteriorating water and pasture conditions mainly in the cattle corridor have resulted in migrations of livestock keepers, reduction in livestock production and increased spread of livestock diseases. The over whelming influx of refugees from South Sudan has increased demand for food and services in West Nile region” (Office of the Prime Minister, 2017).
So it is bad that 1.6 million people are lacking resource, possibility to produce food, but also that the state doesn’t deliver help or aid to the people. The other numbers of affected people, shows even more the systematic defaults of the state to achieve good production of agricultural output, as the problems with crops, livestock and diseases that shown with Cassava Brown Strak, Cassava Mosaic, Maize Stalk Borer, Sriga and Banana Bacterial Wilt. All of these should be worked on and nourished by the state, through agricultural programs that stops the spread of diseases. This should be important at this stage by not only the Office of the Prime Minister Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda. Minister of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries Hon. Vincent Bamulangaki Ssempijja should have used the institutions to find solutions to the added strains in the agricultural industries, together with one of his State Ministers.
That the Ministry of Agriculture and Hon. Ssempijja has been lacking guidance as well as funding, most been shown when the millions of affected citizens are the result of little or no plan on important industry as it is. Where so many work and could need state structures to help and guide. There are lacking instruments and use of government institutions to help out in the dire need. Even find out ways to stop the growing problems that makes such a big part of population affected. When a state has 26% of it affected by various issues and the State can find ways to sort it out, than that should be priority, not to buy airplanes and cut taxes for the MPs, but to fix the agricultural yields and water-irrigation that needs. Peace.
Reference:
A Publication of the Office of the Prime Minister – Department of Relief, Disaster Preparedness and Management – “The Official Government of Uganda Inter- Ministerial/Agencies Monthly National Integrated Multi-Hazard Early Warning Bulletin
15th FEBRUARY to 15th MARCH 2017” Volume 01. Series No. 01. Issues No. 04.



A report released by PricewaterhouseCoopers limited has delivered this month is clearly seeing what others has seen with the economic situation and the use of funds by the National Resistance Movement (NRM) and their regime. This report by a company which is an international company who works with other businesses and civil society organizations who needs economic advice and advisory services for taxes and such; therefore the report from PwC on economic situation is telling. Their speciality on their outlook will be saying with auditors and financial analyst whose words means a lot. They are professional analysts in this field are writing and saying this on the economic climate. The Economic climate is worrying and that has been visible. The liability of the growing debt in the republic has been a hazard together with the lacking internal revenue for the state as well. Just take a look!
Sluggish economy with higher debt:
“This bulletin comes at a very crucial time for the Uganda economy when growth is slowing down, private sector credit is on a decline, consumer demand is low, implementation and execution of critical public infrastructure projects is very sluggish, and the public sector debt burden on the economy is at the highest it has ever been” (PwC, P: 3, 2017). “If the domestic revenues collections continue to underperform, the government will be forced to borrow more from the domestic market. The increase in government borrowing may result in a substantial increase in yields on government securities, which may result in an increase in borrowing rates, which may constrain the private sector credit growth even further” (PwC, P: 7, 2017).
Growing debt:
“The Uganda’s public debt burden has risen by 12.7% in the past four years from 25.9% of GDP in FY 2012/13, to 38.6% of GDP in FY 2016/17. The debt burden is projected to continue rising to 45% of GDP by 2020. Debt as a percentage of revenues has risen by 54% since 2012 and is expected to exceed 250% by 2018. The country’s ever increasing debt burden has resulted in a deterioration of the debt affordability situation” (PwC, P: 8, 2017). “Uganda’s capital expenditures are still too reliant on external finance. Currently debt servicing constitutes 11% of the total government expenditure, one of the highest debt burdens in sub-Saharan Africa. This is expected to increase to 16% of the total government expenditure by 2018. Uganda’s debt burden has risen faster than the government’s own resources, resulting in a debt-to-revenue ratio of 236%, one of the highest amongst B-rated countries. This has prompted Moody’s recent down grade of Uganda’s long-term bond rating by one notch to B2 from B1” (PwC, P: 8, 2017).
An Economy with challenges:
“2016 was an economically difficult year for Uganda. The economy faced numerous challenges due to the continued uncertainty surrounding the recovery in global economic growth, weak commodity prices and geopolitical events in our key trading partners. As a result, of these numerous challenges, our export earnings, FDI flows and remittances to Uganda all went down. These developments, together with a slowdown in the execution of public investment projects and weaker than expected private sector demand, had a major effect on the economy” (…) “Other internal risks include delays in the implementation of public infrastructure projects such as the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) linking Uganda to its East African neighbours, and the key infrastructure projects critical for the commencement of oil production” (PwC, P: 4-5, 2017).
If you are worried by the Republic and their economy after this, than you haven’t followed the class since this signs have been there for while! The state of the economy is fragile and the debt rise should concern all the ones inside the Republic and also outside. However, this could change, but that has to be done by the government and steer in another direction as today. The greed and the common sense of developing the economy is forgotten, as they are fixated on infrastructure projects and oil developments, while borrowing to fill the losses of donor-aid and internal revenue. This could be done in many ways, but that would not be easy. Peace.
Reference:
PricewaterhouseCoopers Limited (PwC) – ‘Uganda Economic Outlook 2017’ (February 2017)

There are many budget posts in a National Budget, but as there are talk of lacking international support of the budget in the Republic of Uganda. The certainty is that even as the donors are fleeing the National Resistance Movement (NRM) and the President Museveni own way of saying he doesn’t need them. Still, I want to show the world collectively what the NRM government have donor sponsored projects through the National Budget, these are projects and development of infrastructure that the NRM needs to show something after over 30 years reign.
Like take Japan the donor funding to the Northern Uganda Farmer Livelihood Improvement Project in the next Financial Year gives to the project Ush. 31.33bn. also donate funds to is the Nakawa TVET Lead Project got Ush. 4.69bn. Japan also donates to Kampala Flyover Construction and Road Upgrading Project with Ush. 155.44bn.
World Bank itself is donating funds in different ways to two other projects, which is African Centeres of Excellence that got Ush. 13.36bn. and Albertine Region Sustainable Development got Ush. 9.35bn. On the other hand the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia donated to the Construction of 5 Regional Technical Institutes with funds of Ush. 6.98bn.
Belgium has also offered their donor funds into the Ugandan state through various projects, like the Program/Project Support to Improve the Quality of Teaching and Learning with Ush. 11.97bn. also the Rehabilitation of the National Teacher Training Centre Kaliro allocated Ush. 15.16bn, they also gave to Rehabilitation of the National Teacher Training Centre Muni funds of Ush. 15.16bn. another project that Belgium was behind is the Support to the Implementation of Skilling Uganda with Ush. 15.96bn.
The Democratic People’s Republic of China has donated to new development projects in Uganda, like they are donating to Industrial Substations Ush. 91.74bn. they also donated to Isimba Hydro Power Plant Ush. 407bn. and also Karuma Hydro Power Plant where they have pledged Ush. 1,305.07bn. or Ush. 1.3 trillion to that alone! The Chinese is also involved in Entebbe Airport Rehabilitation where they have funded Ush. 148.13bn. the pledged funds for Standard Gauge Railway will first come next Financial Year 2018/2019 and not this financial year.
African Union (AU) funds to the UPDF Peace Keeping Mission in Somalia with total Ush. 256.66bn. United Kingdom pledged funds to the Road Infrastructure for Delivery of First Oil with Ush. 252.63bn.
The pledged funds for Kampala-Jinja Highway are first for FY 2018/2019, but no official donor or loaner of funds. Therefore the estimated funds come from thin air. What is also relevant is to see that the Funds from Austria and Denmark has been suspended for different development projects. Still, which I haven’t mentioned is the funds from African Development Bank, also GAVI and Global Funds still gives to health care development, even with the knowledge of the rampant corrupt behaviour in the Ministry of Health.
Therefore if the NRM are contemplating that they are themselves giving these sorts of projects to the people, I hope the donors are putting up boards or signs in the entrance or hallways, even start of the roads where it says what sort of amount of funds they spent on it. So that President Museveni or any other crony can take all the credit, because the credit and the footing the bill to somebody else! Peace.

I haven’t been much focused on the budget for 2017/2018 because the more I know, the sadder I be for the citizens of Uganda. Since the revelations of the use of funds and allocations are usually not in sync. The allocations and maladministration is so rampant that the allocated funds are most likely spent on other projects than we’re they was anticipated to be. Either saves a Bank with owners tied to Museveni or to pay for gasoline for his Presidential Jet. Who knows right?
Well, we know that over the past few months and year President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has attacked the hypocrisy and the West for interfering in his democracy. Mr. I-Am-Not-A-Civil-Servant, but I am your President. Since there are some questionable things in Uganda National Budget Framework Paper of December 2016. That are putting numbers for how they see fit for the government use of funds.
Key numbers:
| Area | FY 2016/2017 | FY 2017/2018 |
| Budget Support | 926,6bn | 33,8bn |
This numbers says a lot of the usual donor-friendly regime of Museveni, which has been since he was the new-breed of African leaders that was even praised by Bill Clinton during the 1990s. Therefore the revelation that over a year period the donor-funding to direct budget support is scrapped says something. That of 30 Trillion budget of 2017/2018 is only getting meagre sum of 33 billion. That is just a few Presidential Handshakes to loyal cronies an then they are spent!
President Museveni must really angered and made them tired of throwing monies at his regime since they are not as friendly with their taxpayers monies as before. I am sure they have another cause and another country that they are doling their budget aid funds to. Now they are not directed at the NRM or the Mzee who certainly eats more alone. Peace.

Dear Members of Parliament!
I know by now that you doesn’t’ care much about the National Economy or about Transparency as you excluded yourself from the citizens you represented when you gave yourself a giant tax-break with no-income tax. That is the way you are I guess, reckless misbehaving children who are creating havoc in the candy store pointing at all the different kinds of treats and wants them all, even if it make them sick of sugar; they still want it all!
You guys, ladies and gentleman, the so called nobles, the so-called honourable citizens of the Republic have no totally forgotten your place and your reason for co-existing in the Republic. You might think that your above the people, the citizens, the one that you represent exist because of. Even if you think you exists and breathes eats and have pleasure because of President Yoweri Museveni, let’s be clear he is just using you!
I am not mad that you want to have air-conditioner in the North or the Eastern Building of the Parliament, it’s hot and you guys doesn’t want to turn into hot-air or Wokoloso. I know that, you want to peaceful creatures, which doesn’t kill Kasese or support arms for the rebels in Democratic Republic of Congo. You want to keep cool and be great support of the Republic.
I am furious over you wish to grand yourself 4 station wagons for whatever purpose of trading socks at Kololo Airstrip or having secretaries to drive some of you around on your shopping spree at Game or Garden City. That is all up to you and the use of the Station Wagons that you acquire to Parliament. You already have a massive fortune in Car money and doling it out when you started your terms as MPs because your official duty needs that the public offer you luxurious transport. Not take Taxis, Specials or boda-boda’s to Parliament Avenue, which is beneath you. You just like eating the monies of the public who would so!
I understand that the Parliament isn’t built for nor have the facilities for all the MPs now. Since you’re Executive, the chief of Rwakitura and the whole nation has let the nation sore with districts and parishes since his dire beginning of power in the 80s. It was nearly any districts when he entered the building as a Defence Minister under Dr. Milton Obote, now it is more than pages in the Kampala Eye and whatnot Tourist Information brochures that are delivered at Entebbe International Airport. Therefore the amount of MPs has soured with the amount of districts; a cow hasn’t been butchered as many ways the districts in Uganda has been during the last decades under Museveni.
So that the MPs needs office space and rebuild their accommodations is responsible acts of the Parliament, though costly because the share amount of MPs created under the President all of his terms. The MPs are in this one reacting with sense, but they should question the need for all of their services, even if it means giving up their wealthy new acquired lifestyle in the Capital.
What makes doesn’t make sense to me, in a nation where the state doesn’t have enough funds to allocate for the Presidential Jet or Helicopter of the farmer of Rwakitura. So when the current reflection of that in mind, the 10th Parliament are allocating funds and finding ways of giving Speaker Rebecca Kadaga and Deputy Speaker Jacob Oulanyah. Because these noble creatures and honourable minds needs to take into air and land wherever. Since their roles in Parliament is damn important that they need to follow the Presidential Jet and Helicopter that the State House cannot allocate enough funds too. So they can all stand still at the Helicopter Landing-sites in Kampala. At the Merry for the Kadaga and Oulanyah who dearly need them for their service of the country. They need to be mosquitos who can travel in the air and suck funds out the taxpayers coffers like the mosquito suck blood of their pray. If the Speaker and Deputy Speaker are lucky they will give the nation malaria as of the purchase and maintenance so the inflation keeps rising and the dwindling economy needs more debt to feed the fiscal imbalance of the state budget. The same state budget the Parliament allocated funds to their helicopters. Their needed helicopter that they will silence the MPs and show their way in Parliament; the Parliament will controlled by the waving wings of silence and the blood sucking drones the Speakers have become.
If you don’t understand the spending is of the chain, when the Mulago Hospital still lacks needed equipment, when other state institutions is depleted and civil servants not getting salaries. At that moment of time… the Speakers doesn’t need more perks, they need to be fiscal responsible and show the Executive just ways, since he is not caring about the Bank of Uganda’s hard work to stagger Inflation and the running debt rate. So when they are using public funds as their playground, these runs rapid wild in spending to be sure they can play all the cool games and be spoiled kids. That is what the Parliament and MPs are right now. Time to stop, rehash ideas and think of accountability, transparency and being fiscal responsible! Peace.

Written
By the Writer of this Blog!

