We know by now, that former Reverent Simon Lokodo, the Minister for Ethics and Integrity is struggling and his whole ministry is flawed. The basic needs and the promises made are undercut, if not existing; why do I say that? Well, his Pornographic Machine to detect browsing and what else of that content has now been scrapped, that is promise that haven’t been kept. They cannot afford this sort of machine and therefore, has to figure out new ways to moral superior to the citizens.
Why where you lying in August 2016, promising this fancy machine would be delivered in September 2016? It has now gone 2 years and still nothing but empty promises. Not that I want the Republic to have that sort of equipment, because if people want to see porn. Let them see porn, it is their minds and their bodies that is enthused, not the whole public. It is not as if they are having public viewing like cinemas with it. Unless, the Ministry is fearing for that sort of activity.
In August 2017, the same Ministry said the Machine was coming soon, but it never did. That was year in and still nothing materialized, except for more lies from the Ministry of Ethics. Such a Noble place to be lying.
However, now in April 2018, the Ministry is saying it will buy software to monitor it instead, so the privacy breach is still important, but they lying itself isn’t? Double standard much, aye?
Therefore, it is bad to watch porn, but sanctioned by the state to lie. How convenient right? That the reverent is paid to lie and is doing it with a steady pace, surely he is running a marathon on this lie. Both in 2016 and 2017, as he was knocking down on the Porn Addicts. Instead of tackling the problem head-on, he has succumbed to narrowing in on software. The hardware has to wait, because of technical difficulties.
It is beautiful to have caught the magnificent gentleman and minister of Ethics in lying. Especially, when he has been so involved in catching other people and making a lesson out of people reactions. How he has attacked Stella Nyanzi for her demonstrations of oppressive behaviour. Therefore, it is about time someone says it.
Instead of backtracking, just say you lied and ask for forgiveness, I am sure there as some Catholics who can take you in for a while, so you can repent and ask for your sins to cease. The Confessions would uplift your soul and cleans your ways for the bad habit you clearly have.
It doesn’t matter at this point if the Uganda Communication Commission (UCC) or the National Information Technology Authority (NITA), haven’t helped procure the machine, the software update to block pages is benign from the actual promises made. Therefore, time to repent from the lying ways. You cannot have a man preaching how sinful other people are and he is caught in lying. That is just bad and gives a sour taste in your mouth, doesn’t it?
Rev. Lokodo, please confess, it would be healthy for us and for you. That you would humbly ask the public for forgiveness and confess your sins. I don’t even ask for cash, for side-tracks or reasoning, just that you tell the truth. You are the head of Ethics in the Republic, we should expect you could have your tongue in check, if anyone in the Republic should, it should be you! Peace.
The Presidency and Regime under Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy President William Ruto, must have some grand issues with Mombasa and Coast Region as they every week for the last month has attacked with all sorts of tricks against the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Deputy and Governor Hassan Ali Joho. That the Jubilee Alliance Party (JAP) and their cooperative measures to marginalize the opposition figure isn’t really working.
They have detained the man for wanting to see the first relaunch of the ferries as the Jubilee held rallies in his back yard as far back as the 13th March 2017. They have since then blamed his government for lacking accountability and transparency, like the Central Government haven’t had enough issues with corruption scandals.
So President Kenyatta should be cautious attacking fellow peers in midst of re-election rallies, but it isn’t like he cares. Since he feels like he is Teflon and cannot be touch. When they attack his educational background, as they have attacked him before his accountability as a Governor. Therefore, all we see is steady attacks on the character of Joho.
Also said he was meddling with drug-dealers and importers, as they we’re having drug cartels, like the sugar cartels supporting Jubilee and Kenyatta. But hey, not that anyone really looks into the donor funding to the Jubilee from the Sugar and Coffee Cartels to the Kenyatta government. Still, all problems of crime in Mombasa County is Joho’s fault. As the corruption of the Ports is Joho’s fault, not that this has been issue since the independence. That even Jomo Kenyatta was working against the corruption on the Ports of Mombasa, even President Daniel Arap Moi we’re complaining when needed about the graft at Mombasa.
So after decades upon end with independence and second generation Kenyatta, the problems are still there. If they seriously wanted it to change, than John Githongo would still have a job and not been kicked-out the door by former President Mwai Kibaki! But that is a story the ruling regime doesn’t want to eat, still they easily eats of state coffers and thinks side-stories of undressing leaders of opposition makes the world and Kenyan citizens forget that.
I am sure Cabinet Secretary for Interior Joseph Nkaissery is trying to find the next charge he can put on the ODM Governor, as he has tried to revoke his guns and take away his security guards. So, there aren’t that many tricks left in the basket of peddling nonsense into the public sphere. They have used all sorts of demagoguery and misused their place as key leadership. Instead of being noble and show character, they have gone straight for the heart and attacked the character instead of the polices.
So the Jubilee has misused their opportunity to gain and show that they are better than Governor Joho, they have lost on public display, they have used the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) looking into his tax-record, Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC) looking into his educational history and also the added accountability, where the leadership of Jubilee claimed his county got 40bn shillings instead of the 16 billions shillings Joho claims the Mombasa County received from the Central Government.
The Jubilee under Kenyatta and Ruto have used all tools and tried to destroy the legitimacy of the leadership of Joho. Just like they fear him more than Raila Odinga, Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka or Musalia Mudavadi. Since they are all walking around like kings, while all of business of Joho is on the front pages.
That the state and their top leadership continues to pound on Joho, shows how little character themselves have, that they have to go after a governor when themselves going into National Elections. That they are going after a local politician, when they should go against the faces who could be Presidential Candidates. Since they are not touching the NASA/CORD leadership, instead they pick Joho as prey, but instead of clearing the flesh of the bones. They are instead creating their own wounds. Peace.
Dear Honourable Simon Lokodo, the right reverend father and now Minister for Ethics and Integrity. I write because of your intent of making the country with cleanliness and righteous in religious, sexually and all of personal matters. I am sure the ones eating snot in Parliament will soon get fine or have to wash themselves in holy-water after preliminary hearings at the humble halls you are now one part of.
Your actions and your decrees have been in the public spotlight ever since Dr. Stella Nyanzi undressed herself as an action of getting her stuff and position back after a political firing of her; because of faith in the Forum for Democratic Change and their Presidential Candidate Dr. Kizza Besigye. The advisory to your current boss, whom you are underling to President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni; I think you already knew that, but some who read might not know that.
Simon, Simon, Simon; hear ye, hear ye! Eh! The ways of getting machinery to stop nudeness and sexual explicit content or might revealing behaviour on Television and Online sounds more like KGB, MI6 or CIA; even the FinFisher Software of the Special Investigation Unit in Kireka should be sufficient if somebody watch or subscribe to naughtiness somewhere on the dark-side of the internet. The spider-webs and the extent of content as it is legal anywhere else, not anywhere, but there aren’t State Organizations under Ethics Boards that follows all citizens to make sure of their behaviour. That the ‘Ministerium für Staatssicherheit’ or hte Ministry for State Security (MfS) of the Soviet Republic of East German followed all their citizens and had spies anywhere to make sure of no dissidents or actions against the communist state. Is that what you are seeking Reverend Lodoko?
Simon, Simon, Simon; hear ye, hear ye! You are going after the LGBTQ community in Uganda sending the police after them after a planned Pride Event at a Club in Kampala during the early of August 2016. Not that I am giant fan of their ways, the LGBTQ, I still am democratic in the sense they can do what they please as long as it doesn’t hurt anybody or they go do their thing everywhere. Just like I prefer not going downtown and seeing teenagers screwing each at the mall or like the knowledge of students screwing their sugar-daddies at the offices; supposed to write on the offices and do business instead laying pipe. That should be more worrying that students do that to get the funds for the student-fees, than the LGBTQ having a Pride event at a Club. But that is just me, check the Campus Bee page Mr. Minister and you might not need the expensive machine to see the madness. You should also talk with Honourable Janet Museveni to fix the funding of these Student-fees and such so the scholarship makes these female student doesn’t need to hook to read books. That should worry the Ministry of Ethics more than explicit content online or the Gay’s doing their thing.
Hear Ye! Hear Ye! Honourable Minister Reverend Simon Lokodo, you are not making this easy as you attack and undermine anybody who is not you. You might think that is wise, but in the end nobody can do anything in the Republic without begging for mercy by one of the Civil Servants in their area. Than everything can become questionable and will by the time the government look into it; have an ability to create malicious and destructive for the moral manner of society. So NTV Uganda, UBC and kind of radio station will be seen to broadcasting or distributing ethical and moral content that can be set under question. Therefore any kind of writing with certain content will also be disarmed and banned as the sensitization of society happens, but also moral tyranny where the certain elite and such paternalistically describes to their citizens as children with no moral backbone. Is that you Hon. Lokodo?
Are you the paternalistically on society and wants to shield from everything, than soon the citizens cannot do anything. The censorship of media houses and citizens will be staggering as the state has to have more than a monitoring machine as the spies and the whistle-blowers will be hurried to give intelligence to the Commissions who follow these acts of fellow citizens. Do you want a snitching society like the East Germany of 1960s? Is that your final goal Hon. Lodoko as the guilty in your mind are anybody with a working libido and anybody who shows or explicitly explain sexuality in text. Isn’t that true Mr. Simon?
Should you be nicknamed Honourable Reverend Simon “Uwe” Lokodo? Or am I wrong.
McNULTY: “West Baltimore is dying and you empty suits are running around to pin some politician’s pelt to the wall. Thought you was real police, brother” (The Wire Season 2, Episode 13).
There is in this day and age lots of appointed government officials, they work supposed to be diligent and with honour of the codes of their work, not work directly for the ones that appointed them. That cannot always be easy as the station and the position would not been opened or given to the person if the appointee didn’t give that extended hand or blessing for the job. When you have that situation you need a strong state and strict regulatory regime that counter the possible backhand and kickbacks to the ones that appointed them.
Why do I discuss this at this point? Because it is a vital part of our government regimes and is a question that can be asked in nearly all parts of the globe. As all jobs in the branches of government does not automatically goes to the most educated, relied on or the one person who has the most integrity in the position. Instead the man or woman who gets appointed is an “empty suit”.
What some of them might do?
“What typically saves the empty suit is the tenuous relation between what he or she does and any actual business results. This may be a function of the job he’s in: a staff post, with lots of power to nix others’ initiatives but no responsibility to make or sell anything. Or a pocket of avoirdupois in a still-too-fat corporate bureaucracy, the kind of position that causes underlings to scratch their heads and wonder, ”Gee, do we really need all these vice presidents?” Or the empty suit may have come up through a system that rotates fast- trackers through a new job every 18 months, even though the effects of his tenure don’t become evident for two to three years. He hardly had time to get any grounding in the work his people do, and he may have royally screwed up the few decisions he was compelled to make, but when the chickens come home to roost, he has flown. If somebody has the bad taste to try to assign responsibility, the suit can easily fuzz the matter over by suggesting that the blame rests with his successor or former subordinates” (Kiechel, 1989).
There certainly similar like the ones described in our time in every department, every corporation and every single institution we know of. This might be the Electoral Commission of Uganda and the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission of Kenya. As much as the regulatory chairs of the banking industry of Kenya must feel like empty suits these days as the confidence at that is low-key as well. The Chase Bank, The Imperial Bank and National Bank of Kenya have fallen from grace. The most likely selling of the Barclays Bank African Group might also make the fragile banking sector into more disarray as the leading regulators seems like the extra board-members instead of people who uses their position and chair with care and uses the mandate to make a difference and even square.
The situations are different when the appointed is not hired for their knowledge of their field, but the loyalty of the regime or government that is running in the country. The likes of Ministry of Health in Uganda for the moment where the hospitals are creaking and the machines are criss-crossing between life and death. Electricity and other cases of depleted. As the missing extra blood for surgery, the copy-medication and the loss of necessary equipment; that shows the lack of management and reasons for empty suits. The highest empty suit for the moment must be State Minister for Health Hon. Dr. Chris Baryomunsi who seems to be more concern with catching checks then doing his job at this point. This point comes with the correlation of Minster of Health Hon. Elioda Tumwesige and the State Minister for Primary Health Hon. Sarah Opendi Ochieng. One of the three must generate a valued pay-check and makes sure that the NMS delivers the Global Funded projects and the other government funded health care, but either Chris, Elioda or Sarah, one of them or more must be a hired“empty suit”as the three of them are put into ministerial position working for initially the same thing.
It is just like the same mess with the KCCA where you have KCCA Executive Director of Jennifer Musisi. You have Frank Tumbewaze who is both Minister of the Presidency and Kampala Affairs. Then you have the third person who got a mandate the Presidential Advisor for Kampala affairs Mr. Singh Katongole what he does is surely only him and the Executive of Uganda who knows, since his appointment in December 2015 his silence must mean a envelope and letting Hon. Tumbewaze and Hon. Musisi does what they like. To make it more hectic you have the actual people’s elected through the ballot who supposed to run the Kampala Capital City Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago. So you have hon. Musisi, Hon. Tumbewazi, Hon. Katongole and Lord Mayor Lukwago. All of them are supposed to central people in the running of administration and regulate the divisions of Kampala politically and create policies that builds and secure the functions of KCCA. That must be hectic one of these men and woman must be a empty suit. Unless Hon. Katongole who I haven’t heard a word from since appointment is an ear-to-the ground and talking or addressing letters directly to the Executive or Head of State as his role has still not been served. As the accountability of the NRM-Regime is not strong they prefer keeping people in the dark. Hon. Tumbewaze seems more to be the ones who was appointed to turn opposition Lord Mayor on his knees and therefore also gotten a permanent Executive Director in Musisi to shut down the elected person. But the end-game is that one of them must be an “Empty Suit” as the basic needs cannot be that big, and one of them is catching the brown envelopes without doing anything.
There are certainly more empty suits in the system as I started with the appointed men who is not educated for the position, but are there for the loyalty not because of the office is needed or there for a general purpose. That is the same as extra board-members in a corporation who is hired to vote for the general consensus in the board, but not to generate profits in some sense. They are there because the Corporation and LLC need useful idiots to be paid to follow the remarks of the stakeholders and shareholders, not the common-sense of their position.
We can all question the value of these leaders and honourable men-or-woman in a representative or appointed position by the President for instance. The level of credible men and woman and the need for expertise in the government organisations, into the department and the civic care from the road-development to the health care facilities need men and woman who knows the trade. As long the men does what is needed for the President or for the Stakeholders. The ones that lose are the ordinary person, employee or civil servants as they will either work under them or have to pay them tax-money to keep them. As they have to be paid an envelope to be the empty-dress. The person who is an empty dress doesn’t become that for free. Somebody has to be charge to keep him there. Most likely it is me or you. We can just ask ourselves. Who of the appointed leaders in government is an empty suit? Who in the corporate world are the extras?
Lastly, why does the Minister Without Portfolio. Hon. Abraham Byandala gets away and is not questioned by the opposition or anybody else. Why is this man the free-man the invisible creature in the parliament that does not have scruples? This since this position is the epitome of a Empty Suit. He is a MINISTER, but does not have an OFFICE, Department or a MINISTRY to run. Hon. Byandala can do as he pleases and still get paid. You cannot check his ministry or running government portfolio as it is non-existence from the get-go. The Government Official without any oversight and anything to initial control or say in other words the official Minister of Nothing (MoN). Hon. Byandala is running the Ministry of Nothing.The Minister of Hot-Air and the checking the chapattis’ in parliament is fresh enough for Hon. Oulanyah’s taste.
Well, what do you think? Are the somebody you feels are an Empty suit? Somebody you question or wonder if really have anything more than pay-check from the Tax-Payers money, but does not use it’s office or even delivers anything. Then that person might be an empty suit who just nods the head to the Executive and the general leadership without exercising power or determine the future of the government institution, department or ministry. Even if the person is really doing anything in the boardroom or a needed voter for the stakeholders; if it is only the needed majority to follow procedure then the scheme need a check or reform.
There will certainly be more stories and the existence of similar men and woman who can be described as “Empty Suits” and be stooges needed by any administration and corporations as they viciously need structure to control the citizens and the policies without questions from the inner-circle. Even if that means not procurement of needed medicines, fuel, transformers or building bridges to easier access the missing Okor Bridge in Kumi District: “This project was intended to connect Nyero and Mukongoro sub-counties in Kumi district” (MoFED, March 2015). A bridge that does not exist or is built by now so the sub-counties is not yet connect because of the altered situation and have to run long roads around the area than crossing straight over the river. So a project like this says there some empty suits as in 2009 as company was hired to build the river, by December 2012 the works by the river had stopped. Even if the departments to UNRA gave reports of progress of the project was last monitored in 2014 and by 2016 there not been done more to build the bridge since the monopoly of the Chinese Contractor have stifled the progression and in the end wasted government funds into a building a bridge who does not exist. Just like the Ministry of Nothing Hon. Byandala.
Dear His Excellency President Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma!
I hope you are okay, not really though, but the human parts of me does. As I know you eaten for long while and is far from starving. I am not somebody you or your loyal cronies in the African National Congress listen to, as I am the man you had hired to wash your Amphitheatre or clean away the grass there or painting part some of the walls that need a fresh paint at Nkandla village. I am sure you would hire me to clean your fire-pool. So I understand if you will not listen to my reason, but I hope somebody does.
I know that you have gotten rid of the people who also wanted access to power, as you have done with Julius Malema as he was young and vibrant, while you we’re busy getting married and getting new children with the new wives. That is why you have a village in Nkandla. You have so many house and private clinic there for your service. You even swallowed Thabo Mbeki the intellectual, who muffled his career and said yes to let the finally ANC eat, and eat heavy. As you have done for a while now, maybe time to let go of the plate? The gig is up?
President Zuma you we’re able to get rid of Mbeki and make is legacy be mixed up in a bad-deal and PR for supervision of Zimbabwe and their Government of National Unity (GNU) where President Mugabe (ZANU-PF) still where the Executive, why the winner of the election became his deputy Morgan Tsvangirai (MDC-T). That helped to tarnish the powers of Mbeki and make you rise as the deputy of Mbeki to block his place as the executive of South Africa. The way you did it was to sell the “the Arms-Deal” to Mbeki, and let him swallow the scandal.
You have always used reason to get away from scandals, corruption cases and maladministration of government funds and procedures. You have always stead steady with the allegation and able to deflect it. The share amount of cases and the times you’re named in curious cases is staggering for an Executive of a Nation. If you we’re a famer I would expect you to act respectfully to your animals and use your dirt to produce quality food. But you happen to be the Executive, the President and His Excellency! With those titles comes the certainties of honourable acts that are expect, not only by your constituency, but also by the rules and laws of Parliament, as well as the famous guideline of the nation, a constitution.
As you know the Constitution set precedence for you role and position Honourable Jacob G. Zuma. You have certain abilities and opportunity with that position, but at the same time; which is hard for you to see the extent of that power.
The Nkandla is a promising corrupt case and all, but you have not honoured the power you have had; Honourable Zuma you should have emulated late President Félix Houphouët-Boigny of Cote d’Ivoire or Ivory Coast in 1983, the honourable Houphouët-Boigny moved the Capital of the Country to his village Yamoussoukro from the well-known town of Abidjan and build a majestic town out it. By two years even LA Times said there was more traffic-lights then people in Yamoussoukro. You might have built a village in Kwa-Zulu Natal for yourself, but in the prospect of other rulers of recent times. So when you first were corrupted you could have staged something more out of it.
You have already displaced arrogance towards the rest of the Parliament or the National Assembly. As you have over a few years deflected this case, as you also does not discuss the matter of how you got rid of Mbeki. Even if you proclaimed near the end of his last tenure that you we’re his man. Something you we’re not.
Other than Nkandla, you have spoils with the Gupta Family and their involvement into politics. As there been said and asked for covering if the Gupta family and their Oakbay Resources and Energy; especially when we can consider the sudden axing of Nene Nhanhla as Finance Minister, while David Van Rooyen had the position for three days or so, before a third Minister Pravin Gordhan was the excellent choice. All happen under two-weeks in December 2015, and made the already fragile markets react and also suspect business from the government and executive into lights.
As the questions for a Private Jet for the Executive for 4bn Rand in November 2015, that Minister Nhanhla would not accept. Some says that the reason for his axing, what do you say Honourable Zuma? Or was the Gupta’s behind it all?
There should also be worrying for a President, at this day and age: to have over 500,000 searches on google for you if you type “Zuma Corruption”.That is worrying isn’t it honourable Zuma?
Though I am sure you will deflect it all, it is a western paradigm and that you should not be in court as you deserve the same honour as Richard Nixon in his time. Well, Nixon didn’t build a village for himself with tax-money, didn’t have shady business connections with Gupta investors, Swaziland connections and so on. You have treated the Executive Position to earn money and eat for yourself.
Your legacy will not be how you established ANC as more as liberation movement, but a fully-fledged political party. Instead like so many liberation movements, you have started to eat and forgotten why they fought against the oppression. So as you can now payback the monies used for “Security Upgrades” of Nkandla homestead. While you might gotten enough votes in the National Assembly as the ANC members of Parliament is loyal to you and not the Constitution apparently. But I am the guy who you hire to paint your walls at Nkandla, so I don’t expect you ever to listen or read my words. I am a pundit and nobody. As I presume my existence in the shadow, let it be certain, if you even survive your career as the Executive while sophisticated stealing of government funds. You still will not leave a legacy and the name Zuma will not be standing in for-front of well-renowned character those parents wants to teach their kids to emulate.
Why I say this is because the amount of scandals, the way you brought yourself to power through the ANC and the way you have used the government organizations to access wealth. Creating networks for your own gain and not the general public as you’re supposed to as an Executive. Also by facilitate and use all courts and time of the state in your name.
I got to recommendations to you, though I know you only listen to Court judgements or verdicts, as this is merely a suggestion to what you could do now. And with that in mind, I know you won’t listen to any of the advice. As they are suggestions and not something you should follow as the constitution, but hey; parts of that you don’t follow either. Let’s skip that and give you the advice.
Here are my two recommendations to you:
First: You should have followed the EFF and DA motion and stepped down, resigned and leave with valour of honour, as possible to give space to your party to sort itself out after the debacle with the Nkandla and Gupta connection you have. As the Con-Court set standards for you and that you did not listen to Public Protectorate considering the case.
Second: Following President Houphouët-Boigny of Ivory Coast, continue to build Nkandla into a magnificent city with more streetlights then people in Nkandla, Kwa-Zulu Natal. So if you’re really corrupted Honourable then ever President Zuma you should make the home and town more extravagant. Extravagant for Nkandla in the sense send in a motion to the National Assembly to move the Capital from Pretoria to Nkandla; as a gift to the proud folks of Kwa-Zulu Natal. So you can prove the value of the constituency you reside. Be a truly African President that South Africa ever has had. So quit that meagre estimated building of Nkandla Village Project and secure that instead becomes Nkandla Metropolitan City Project. So the ANC big project before next election will be to make Nkandla a City and trading centre, not just a hangout place for the wives, kids and grand-children of the Executive.
Honourable President Zuma, as I expect you not to ever read it or the loyal cronies in the inner circle of the ANC. But it should be put into consideration as the expected ANC Stalwarts and ANC Veterans who has spoken against the presidency and the Executive asked politely to step down. So I am sure the ANC Party and ANC Organization listen more to them then to me. An you should listen to them, because their vocal about their grievances together with Civil Society Organizations, Churches and Opposition Parties feels about the codes of conduct and justice of your part in the National Assembly and continuing to be their Executive. Peace.
This happens in the same time period that Gado the cartoonist at Daily Nation has been under fire for his cartoons of Kenyatta and later was finally sacked for a cartoon mocking President Museveni. So there were already issues between editorial freedom and the government control of media in Kenya under President Kenyatta, as this story will show.
Denis Galava the former editor Daily Nation who got fired for speaking up towards the President of Kenya Uhuru Kenyatta. This here is outtakes from his affidavit and is interesting as he was fired or sacked in the end of January 2016. The gaging of Kenyan Media comes to the surface and makes an impression!
Problems of November 2015:
“Earlier in November, the Editor-In-Chief called me to his office for what I presumed was a routine discussion on the investigation docket. We had lined up stories on Eurobond, Jubilie’s Mega Scandal, the death of the manufacturing sector and the collapse of the coffee sector. While not disagreeing with the merit of the stories, he said timing was tricky. For that the Aga Khan was scheduled to visit Kenya in December 2015 as a State guest and the presidency accused the Nation of malice for interesting scandals in government” (…)”Mr. Mshindi also asked me to ask popular Saturday Nation columnist David Ndii to stop writing about Eurobond and NYS Scandal because of his provocative analyses had angered the government and cost the company business. I out rejected the proposal, saying the columnist had struck in the letter and spirit contract of his contract and the reputational damage of us gauging him was not worth the risk” (…)”And the Editor-In-Chief, instead of defending our editorial independence, had chosen to gag us” (…)”My experience with the senior editors and we concluded that the Editor-In-Chief had privilege political sensitivities and personal biases over good journalism”.
How it all started:
“Completed the Editorial at 05:30pm and alerted the acting editor of Saturday Nation to revise it. He told me it was hard-hitting, but truthful. Since the paper was in the midst of a staffing crisis, I also took on a few other tasks that evening – editing the special reports section and ‘Page one’. I left shortly thereafter for the night” (…)”Woke up on Saturday morning to a social media fest over the editorial” (…)”Around midday, the Group Managing Editor (GME) Weekend editions called saying the editorial was hard hitting but objective. He received many calls, most compelling the Nation for finally speaking truth of power and a few from State House officials saying that the editorial was a declaration of war against the president”.
This continued with reactions from the State house:
“It also learnt that there had been a call from a senior State House official later that afternoon which was to be the first rumble the thunder in the brewing storm. The official asked why the Nation was ambushing the President in the New Year. He said the President was angered by the Editorial and intended to take it up with the Nation’s founder, the Aga Khan, who had been a state guest at the 12. December 2015, Jamhuri Day celebrations”.
State House Kenya
Calls on Sunday:
“the calls had become more frantic in tone. I learned from the GME Weekend Eric Obino that the Editor-in-Chief Tom Mshindi had called him from India saying the government had threatened serious sanctions over the editorial. That NGM board chairman Wilfred Kiboro and called and also written to the CEO Joe Muganda and Mr. Mshindi demanding immediate action to appease the government. Matters were complicated by the fact that for three years, the Nation board and the local Aga Khan network had been trying to reach out to State House in vain”.
On Monday:
“The Acting Saturday Nation editor Kariuki Waihenya and GME Weekend informants told me they had received emails from the editor in chief asking them to show cause why disciplinary action should not be taken against them over the publication of the editorial”
On Thursday – 5th January
“That morning, the HR director returned from leave for a conference call with the Editor-in-Chief, who was in India, and two Group Managing Editors for Weekend and daily editions (Mr. Obino and Mutuma Mathiu, respectively). After the discussion, the acting editor for Sunday Nation was given a first warning letter over the editorial, while his Sunday counterpart was also cautioned over the cartoon published on the January 3 that infuriated State House”
Later on the same day after picking up and taking his niece to school he got a call:
“the GME Weekend editions called asking me to join him at the responding to mounting fury, added to the prevailing bewilderment. According to his statement expressing the official position of the paper, I had not been suspended but rather advised to stay away for a few days”
On Friday – 6th January:
“the BBC interviewed Mr. Muganda over my suspension. Mr. Muganda said I been suspended for not following procedure in writing the editorial and went ahead to compare me to a bank teller who steal cash”.
On Thursday – 14th January:
“the HR Manager in charge of editorial Ms Jane Mkituri(Not sure) called me to invite me for a disciplinary hearing at 2pm on January 18. She also invited me to respond in writing to the issues raised in my suspension letter”.
On 18th January:
“In my response letter dated January 18, I protested that the procedures and guidelines referred to in the suspension letter were communicated to me for the first time in the suspension letter” (…)”While I had in the past either written or authorized editorials based on my judgement, the issue of procedure had never come up”.
Reaction to the letter:
“I was surprised to learn that two hours after submitting my response stating from there were no written procedures for editorial writing, the Editor-in-Chief issued – for the first time – comprehensive guidelines and timelines for writing editorials”.
On the disciplinary hearing:
“I was surprised that I had to defend myself to the very people who has accused me and suspended me unheard – the Editor-in-Chief, GME Weekend, HR Director and Company Secretary (Mr. Joseph Kinyua). I had expected a different, independent panel compromising at least one peer and individuals unrelated to the suspension the law states” (…)”The hearing turned out to be more of a dialogue of the deaf than even my initial cynicism anticipated” (…)”Every question started and ended with the word procedure, with an occasional dose of “disrespecting the presidency and endangering company business”. In 58 minutes, the duration of the hearing, I repeated 17 times that I not flouted procedure since, in actuality, there was no procedure to flout”.
The answer on the matter at the hearing:
“A panelist offered that he would be more cautious if he were in my shoes. Here I stood, he added, both having upset Kenya’s President and the Aga Khan, and risked the business of the paper, and yet here I also stood seeking justification rather than groveling for mercy”.
Continued part of the hearing:
“I explained that this section spoke of content and not procedure. None of the panelists cared to listen to me” (…)”Pushing the file I had given him aside, the Editor-In-Chief said I had hurt him, the tone of the editorial was disrespectful and it was risked the company business. The Company Secretary weighted in with similar comments, adding that this was the most disrespectful article on the presidency he had ever read and that I should be apologizing instead of defending the indefensible”.
Later on the 20th January:
“About 10am on Wednesday, January 20, the HR Director called and asked me to see him in the office at 4pm. He gave me the termination letter for “willful disobedience of the covenants and laid down process and procedures”. I protested this was unfair because in whole of my career at Nation”.
Together with the Gado sacking and this story of how the Editor-In-Chief dedicated the stories and silenced the newspaper and their columnist to fit the State House,is a worrying sign when we think about the up-coming elections in 2017.
That the media have to worry about writing articles to step on their toes and not be able to make stories that they can cover, as the President and his advisor will call the Nations Editor-In-Chief or CEO. As the State House want the investment from the Aga Khan and the State House want to look decent, and not have the story of corruption or scandals out! Peace.
I will here go through the piece of the Communication Act of 2013 sub-section 93 Regulation, where the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology (MoICT), the man who is the sponsor behind the new amendment of the act in 2016, happens to be the Minister of ICT Hon. Eng John Nasasira, he is now repealing a sentence from the law; he is not rewriting the law in a big part or changing the whole law. He is just crossing over a sentence, but that sentence gives the Minister less power, as if he uses the Communications Act of 2013, he have together with the UCC go to Parliament to get it approved for using the act; That is the major fact! And Hon. Nasasira want to do as he please without questions, open accountable actions or with the consent of other people than himself, he want this to be like the Public Order Management Act or the Public Finance Management Act; where the Police or Ministry can go into the Bank of Uganda without having approval of the Parliament to use those laws, this is the same Hon. Nasasira wishes to do. Take a look!
The Communication Act of 2013:
“93. Regulations.
(1) The Minister may, after consultation with the Commission
and with the approval of Parliament, by statutory instrument, make
regulations for better carrying into effect the provisions of this Act
(2) Without prejudice to subsection (1) the Minister may make
regulations relating to—
(a)fees payable upon the grant or renewal of a licence”.
The new Uganda Communication Act Amendment of 2016 says this:
“1. Amendment of Act No. 1 of 2013.
The Ugandan Communication Act 2013 is amended in section 93 (1)
By the repealing of the words “and with the approval of Parliament”.
(I am just saying) If they do repeal it, since it is not yet voted in the amendment of the law.
Then it would be written like this:
“The Minister may, after consultation with the Commission, by statutory instrument, make regulations for better carrying into effect the provisions of this Act”.
Afterthought:
That makes the simple matter that the Uganda Communication Committee can act without the approval of the Parliament and under regulation of the minister. That gives the minister the opportunity to act on his or her own without asking or questioned by the Parliament, that means that the powers of the minster is getting stronger, as the Minister of Information and Communication Technology, does not need the contact as the repeal of the law will give way to the Ministry of ICT.
The man behind the amendment is Hon. Eng John Nasasira he is the Minister of Information and Communication Technology (MoICT), so the man who support the amendment wants to give himself a bigger mandate without having to talk his arguments for using the Communication Act of 2013 can use with consent of the UCC, but does not need to get approval or tell anybody in Parliament! So the representative of the people and elected people does not have to power to question the MoICT and UCC for their actions, as the Ministry can on their own use the Act as they please, not according to the Parliament as a lawful provider and the custodian of the laws, as it is supposed to be.
So if you catch my drift the amendment will give more power the minister who oversees the law and the UCC, can use the act as they please, if they amend this amendment. The repeal of words gives the opportunity for the minister to use the extended law without questioning or accountability from the Parliament. So the Parliament should not accept this as this is a way of grabbing more power in a ministry and gives the minister more power. This is an example of draconian law where the minister eats the cake, control the cake and dispense the cake, without being questioned about how he share and show the cake. Hope you follow? Peace.
Reference:
The Ugandan Communication act 2013 – 18.01.2013
The Ugandan Communication (Amendment) Act 2016 – 11.03.2016
MinBane 