My letter to President Magufuli: A foolish son brings grief to his mother!

30th April 2020 Oslo

Dear President John Pombe Magufuli

We are in troubling times, we are in times of a worldwide pandemic and the truths of your labour will be fourth-coming. The reality Mr. President is that your actions, your choices and your decrees will be detrimental for the people. Your decisions can save lives, your actions can make a difference.

You decide Mr. President, if you want to make a difference or let God’s will happen willy-nilly. That is up to you. However, I doubt God is that stupid and neither are you. God has blessed you with a mind and spirit. A functioning brain, your an educated man with a degree and you know science in your field. Therefore, its weird that you cannot combine those and see the wisdom of both. You can be both a Christian man and follow the wisdom of men. It isn’t that hard.

Let me recite a proverb to prove myself Mr. President:

A wise son brings joy to his father,

but a foolish son brings grief to his mother” (Proverbs 10:1, New International Version).

Right now Mr. President your not bringing joys to the fathers of the United Republic. You are bringing grief to the mothers. As they are burying their loved ones. Seeing their sons and daughters, mothers and fathers, grandmothers and grandfathers dying, because of your in-action. There is talk of a number of 50 dead in Dare-Es-Salaam alone today. Second MP who died and 10 prominent persons of nation. This is worrying, as you haven’t put in social distancing measures and other regulations to safeguard the public.

You are bringing grief to your mothers. You are the President. The man who could bring joy the fathers. Mr. President, you could act wise and do something. The prayers aren’t everything. Yes, God wants us to show faith in both spirit and action.

So, let me recite another proverb from the same chapter to you:

The wise store up knowledge,

but the mouth of a fool invites ruin” (Proverb 10:14, New International Version).

Why do I say this, well you could have used the knowledge of the world. Taken into account what happened around you with lockdowns and closure of public spaces. Where people are staying home, washing hands and social distancing. That has been the main objective, that is why quarantining and only doing needed shopping has been the norm. So, its weird that a man of high education and degrees who became a politician doesn’t store up knowledge and use it. Instead runs your mouth and invites ruin.

It is like the proverbs are fitting for you Mr. President. It shouldn’t be that easy. You have a Parliamentary lockdown, but not a national and neither acting towards the citizens who are worried. There are videos of citizens buried in the night to hide the realities. That is not good Christian. Neither is it bringing joy, but grief. A proof of lack of storing knowledge and your mouth invites ruin.

I’m writing because, this should worry you Mr. President. The more the spread of the coronavirus. The more death will come. The more heartache and suffering. You can decide to do something and make a difference. That’s all up to you.

You where known as the bulldozer and been such a tyrant towards your opposition. Why cannot you use that will towards battling the virus? Where the results could be saving life, instead of saving your office?

So, please do something. Use your knowledge, bring joy to the fathers and avoid bringing more grief to the mothers.

Best regards

Writer of Minbane

Republique Centrafricaine: Communique du Gouvernement (30.04.2020)

Opinion: Mzee donates some beans, but should have slaughterted some cows…

President, Yoweri Museveni, through the first lady, Janet Museveni, has delivered his contribution to the National Task Force against COVID-19 and its effects. The President has donated UGX 1.4 Million which is part of his salary” (SpyReports, 30.04.2020).

For a big-man and a President for 34 years, giving a half-month salary is only symbolic. It is trying to make a statement, but not a for-real. It is not like this will hurt the pocket of the President or even matter to him. His not afraid of that this will be detrimental for him nor his family. If it would, he wouldn’t do this now.

Why do I say this? Well, the President is estimated worth of USD $4 billion. Not like he needs help financially. He owns big farms, has state houses all across the Republic. The President owns hotels and other businesses. So, does the rest of his family. They are owning everything from Garden City to other well-known businesses. Not like the donation will hit them at all.

Plus, the President is covered by the funds spent on the State House budget, Office of the President and Classified Expenditure. There is always an escrow account or other measures to secure that the bills will be paid and expenses will be covered. It is just another scheme to get things out of the way.

I’m sure a man with a ranch and 1000 cows can afford more than a million shillings. Especially, if he do care and wants to be noble. Some will cry foul for me. Because, the gesture is on his own. However, when your know his richer than God and has more money than most will see in their lifetime. To be honest, the amount of money we would have the ability to run through if we was incarnated a 1000 times. We might be lucky to get close to a billion dollars. Until then, the President is giving away breadcrumbs and expecting praise.

The President has had the ability to get businesses, ownership of hotels, malls and whatnot. Factories and ranches. Not like the President doesn’t have the opportunity to spend more on the COVID-19 Fund if he wanted too. The President could cover the whole thing, but his not doing so. This is “his money” and only previously been state funds to enrich himself.

If he was an up-and-comer, who rose like a phoenix out of the ashes. However, the President is far from that. His the socialite and big-man of Kampala. The almighty kingpin of the Republic. The man who runs by decree and by his words. Not like he doesn’t have enough cash to double or triple the COVID-19 Fund. If he did that, he would have shown some sacrifice. Nevertheless, the act made by him is only a symbolic affair.

This is a PR Stunt. Not a big deal. That would be if he sold one of the estates he owns or donated a hotel to it. Even if he slaughtered a few cows and gave some of the Sameer Dairy Corporation milk to the COVID-19 Fund. However, he didn’t do that. Because, that would have hurt his pocket and he doesn’t want to do that.

He could even donate one of his cars from his convoy, maybe the luggage car? Show a little flex. That would have shown something. Until then, his only given breadcrumbs and wants praise. Who are you kidding?

He has billions of dollars and only gives a 1 million shillings? It is good, but not real. Only a tear-drop into the giant ocean. Peace.

Update: The Kenya COVID-19 Fund raises over Kshs 2.7 Billion for Emergency Response (30.04.2020)

Rwanda: National Bank of Rwanda reduces the Central Bank Rate (CBR) to 4,5 percent (30.04.2020)

Ethiopia: Notification Note on COVID-19 Situational Update (30.04.2020)

Kushner’s delusional narrative: Success is apparently utter failure…

The federal government rose to the challenge and this is a great success story” – Jared Kushner on Fox and Friends on the 29th April 2020

I don’t know if this Senior Presidential Advisor, Son-in-Law and close associate with the President, Jared Kushner is delusional or even stupid. Maybe, his a mix of both. The only difference between him and the President. Is that he can make coherent sentences and actually not sound like a toddler when he speaks on the microphone. However, that shouldn’t be enough to be a part of various of important roles within the administration and neither have the hand in so many projects.

Kushner supposed to solve the Israel-Palestine conflict. His supposed to fix the opioid epidemic and so fourth. Jared was to go-to-guy in the White House. The man the President called, before he calls the Ghostbusters. He has Jared numbers on speed-dial and he comes running like a dog for a bone. That just who Jared is.

So, with the knowledge of that, the trusted hack and family member is clearly a part of the COVID-19 Task Force and also Re-Open America Council too. Because, there is nothing this man cannot do or cannot understand. Jared is the ultimate genius, the man who make Einstein look like a spoiled brat and is the most loyal of them all. Kushner is so loyal that he can never betray Trump. That’s why his everywhere.

With that in mind. His the back-up, the man who toys with all of the pet pees of the President. He now says on Fox News ‘Fox and Friends’ that the response and works of the Trump Administration is a success story. Which is foolish, dumb and mind-numbingly arrogant. Knowing that there 60,000 people who died of this and over 1,000,000 cases. There is not sufficient testing, not enough PPE and not a coherent plan for ventilators to the various of states. The patchwork and love-thy-President scheme isn’t how a functioning government works. However, the Trump Administration is running like that.

Your just awaiting a knock-off Godfather person – “I’ll Give You an Offer – He cannot refuse”. So, if the Governor refuses to kiss the ring. Than, his citizens dies, and if he does he loses all self-respect. Because, this is government and not gangsters. No matter if the soft-ball and sleaze-ball of President thinks so. He wants favours, and they supposed to trade that like Besties. Well, that is not how its supposed to work either.

Therefore, Kushner is brazen in this. Foolish and obnoxious. Not that its new from him. Just the new normal. The low bar of moral and work ethic. That is why his even there and is allowed to be there. Because, there is no standard approach, no care for procedure nor protocol. Only, the narrow mindedness of the President and his men. Who was golfing and campaigning. Not following advice, memos or anything else.

They were skipping by and not acting upon the worries of CDC or any other advisor. Just looking into vaping and whatever else the donors of the GOP needed fixed. Since, that is how you stay ahead. Now, they can only bleach the messages and hope they are not poisoning the crowds with false information. However, that is what the White House does and therefore, propaganda peddling on Fox News will not change the reality.

The Trump administration failed. Kushner, Pence and Trump all failed. It was doomed from the get-go. Trump doesn’t have it in him. He only wants to watch TV, play golf and dismantle everything that Obama did. Therefore, they couldn’t win. They had already a losing hand before starting. Because, the even got rid of Pandemic team within the Administration, because Obama started it. So, there was no will or intent to act upon it. That is why all sort of miracle cures has to come and make it vanish.

Well, the only thing that can vanish is a water-stain on a table, not a virus like this and clearly not the way this administration does it. They will make a second come quick. The way they force re-openings. Not like there haven’t been heartache and pain. Well, that suffering isn’t hitting the White House nor GOP hacks. So, they can let it all go.

Calling this a success. I understand that Trump has bankrupted things and called himself the kings of loans. Therefore, having a record amount of death in peace-time and massive amount of people sick is victory. Surely, what will be a defeat with these guys? Peace.

Eswatini: Ministry of Health – COVID-19 Update (29.04.2020)

Opinion: Hope COVID-19 doesn’t hit Kenya hard

The 3rd Progress Report of the Senate Ad-Hoc Committee on the COVID-19, which is dated to the 28th April 2020. What it says is really reliable and also the status of the Health Care system in the Republic. I will just take a gist from it, but what it s says is really powerful.

The Republic has 518 ICU beds, where already 448 ICU Beds are already in used by non-COVID-19 patients who needs critical care services. There are a total of 297 ventilators in the Republic, but only 90 ventilators in the public hospitals. The state has bought another addition of 30 ventilators on the onset of the COVID-19. However, it is not sure of the distribution of these when the Report was written.

The worst case scenario would be 300,000 Kenya’s citizens losing their lives. While, the republic has this amount of trained health care workers, that needs to be shielded in this pandemic. These are the 188 medical officers, 72 medical specialists, 94 clinical officers, 235 ICU nurses, 94 chest physiotherapist sand 20 epidemiologists. So, it is not that many and these needs to secured, as they can get sick, as they are trying to heal the ones catching the virus. We are seeing it is not that many and they need a long education to get there. It is not like you can overnight become a qualified ICU nurse or medical specialists.

Just these stats should be worry. Even if the numbers right now is officially low, as the amount of verified COVID-19 is at 384, recoveries are at 129 and 14 deaths. Also, they have Ministry of Health has tested 19.491. Therefore, the numbers aren’t that big yet, but if all spread is high or lack contract tracing. Than, there might be lacking the full picture. This is something the whole world is struggling to do. Therefore, the Kenyan government is not alone with this.

That is why I showed the numbers from the Senate Report from yesterday. Because, that is the most accurate you can get. That is not random numbers and showing a picture, which is needed at this point. Especially, as the lockdown and the importance of it.

Since, if it is not followed, if the quarantines and the staying at home orders not followed. If people congregate and goes social, the thing most likely to be spread. Than, asymptomatic people, who caught it without knowing is spreading to other without any symptoms. This is why, this is needed. The Ministry of Health isn’t that prepared.

That is clear by the report. Showing the neglect of the state, as it hadn’t a giant amount of specialists or ICU beds. Just like the report of about 1,4 ordinary hospital beds per 1,000 citizens. That is why its worrying. Because, it is even less of ICU beds compared to ordinary hospital beds.

Maybe, that’s just me. As this shows how the lack of priorities from the state is clear. Since, they are not having either equipment, trained personnel or ICU beds. They have very few ventilators, many in a private hospitals, meaning the person has to afford the services. Not only get to a public hospital, where the state covers more. This is why there will be aftermath after this too. Since, some will struggle to pay for family members into private hospitals, as they are maybe not space in the closest public hospital. That should send a red-flag.

We just have to pray, that COVID-19 doesn’t hit Kenya hard. I really hope not. Just adding the numbers and showing the worst scenario. It says how bad it could go. What we can say is that the MoH and the state wasn’t prepared for it and didn’t have a robust Health Care system in-case. It have the bare minimum and only buy a small addition of ventilators. They will have little value if the few who are specialists or trained nurse gets quarantined or sick. Which usually occur… Peace.

Ethiopia: Notification Note on COVID-19 Situational Update (29.04.2020)