Turkana Drought: Ruto knows how to insult an Nation!

There is a lot of fake news about what is happening. We have been told that 11 people have died but that is not true. No one has died as a result of the drought and we are working round the clock to ensure that no one dies of hunger” – Deputy President William Ruto

The Deputy President William Ruto better just shut-up, listen to some advice and do something sincere, if it is first time in his life since he left the role as a wandering preacher. It is time for the hustler, the grand standing man of big PR Stunts to act swiftly and actually coordinate the government combined with the whole Nairobi machinery and all authorities. To ensure that the 1 million whose in jeopardy over a warned drought in Turkana gets help.

This is if the DP cares or even has a heart, unless he wants to continue to live lavish and enriching himself on others tragedy, because that is what he does. He sits in air-conditioned home, with a nice green garden, big pool and expensive cars. While fellow citizens go without food for days, because the DP cannot do his, neither any of the other Cabinet Secretaries.

This is really insulting to the people of Turkana. A people who deserves the state to act upon this. Even some people have suggested that its happen every ten years in the region. This means, the state has known about this, as this has happen every ten year. Not only the possible FEWS NET warning in December, which stated this and the state didn’t upon that. Not the Local Government, neither the National Government. They both didn’t act or see it fit to act differently, as the drought, the shortfall of rain was on the horizon. Still, they didn’t think of the consequences, because they are living good, secured and has a pantry with food, anyway.

There been reports of dead in various of villages and counties, however, the state does whatever it can to downplay this. Which is a disgrace, not only to the deceased, but to the public, which knows better. It is insulting to the ones who are struggling and lacking the basics, because the state didn’t plan to grain storage, education in caring for the environment or lean months. Alas, the state haven’t prepared or secured, the food insecurity, which it should have. Instead, they have busy scheduling corruption scandals.

The Jubilee, the DP and the cabinet combined with the local government in the drought hit region. Got to act, wisely and with measures to secure the lives at stake in Turkana. That is, if they really care or more preoccupied with keeping power by any means, while citizens are starving… it is happening on their watch. Still, they are trying to deflect that, its one million citizens who struggles to eat. They got nothing and awaiting handouts, because the state haven’t been concerned about their food insecurity.

DP Ruto, shut-up, listen and take some advice. DP Ruto, please open your ears, get some valuable advice and do something. Not try to PR Stunt this away. That is demeaning and insulting to the public of not only Turkana, but anyone who cares about humanity. Every single person dying because of this, is a foolish death. Because, you and your people could have ensured and facilitated the public and region. So, that it would be prepared for the upcoming dry-season, the shortfall of rain and the IPC 3 level. However, you where busy doing everything else. Peace.

Uganda: Announcement of the National Dialogue on Compulsory Land Acquistion (20.03.2019)

South Sudan Independent Boundaries Commission: Call for Submissions (19.03.2019)

Opinion: Museveni, a man of accidents…

Greetings from the people of Uganda and from myself. I am writing to let you know that by accident, I, at last, had a meeting with a Rwandan who admitted to being a member of the group you told me about – Rwanda National Congress (RNC)” Yoweri Kaguta Museveni letter to Paul Kagame on the 10th March 2019

I am sure there was an accident that got him into the Bush-War in the 1980s, the Electoral Commission filled the wrong form and left Milton Obote at the helm by accident. They should have just given the throne to Yoweri Kaguta Museveni at once.

Another accident was him actually winning the war by the Luweero method, he never thought it would be successful. However, it worked by him duping the Baganda and promising them streets of gold. The only thing shining in the faces is having a symbolic kingdom and eating matooke.

This is the old accidents, it is time for some fresher ones. There are accidents that the President are meeting people in his State House and that his brother Salim Selah is investing in questionable business enterprises. That is just what life gives you.

Even if that means that the state is accidentally giving away passports and making rebels working against Kigali. That is just an accident too. Just like it is an accident of having meetings with the same rebels, offering weapons, crossing borders of Kisoro into the Democratic Republic of Congo and suddenly seeing the beneficiary people behind this group getting extradited after such meetings. Is so accidental.

Other random accidents are that the Gold Refinery in Uganda are producing tons more than the Republic can produce, but cannot verify its sources. Even as the porous borders to the DRC are never in question and that is just an accident too. Just like the illegal logging of wood from rainforest, ends up as toilet paper in the same republic. That is just what life gives Jajja and his businessmen, I suppose.

There are surely plenty more accident beholding the emperor and his cronies at Entebbe and beyond. Certainly, his holding accidental meetings with arms-deals trading weapons to South Sudan, offering help to Nkurunziza in Burundi and who knows elsewhere. It is all accidents happening anyway. We can never know, if it has a purpose, it is like driving over to many potholes. Sooner or later, the tires gives way and you fall astray.

That is just the way Mzee governs, especially, if you believes his recent leaked letter to New Vision. I don’t believe that, but accidents rarely happens alone. So, who knows, if he will have an accident tomorrow happening to him. Peace.

Rwanda: Mouvement Rwandais pour le Changement Democratique (M.R.C.D.) – Press Release (19.03.2019)

Burundi: ALUCHOTO – “Objet: Nos proccupations a la veille des elections de 2020” (18.03.2019)

President Museveni: Eight Time the Charm?

I thank my Colleagues in CEC and the NRM Parliamentary Caucus for forwading my name to continue adding more steps on our mission-oriented journey. Am therefore very pleased with your confidence in me and since am still very able and I happen to be among the most conversant with this journey, I happily agree to serve”Yoweri Kaguta Museveni on the 18th March 2019 at Kyankwanzi Summit

I am tired of reading in the media, both local and international, that President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni is running for the Sixth Term starting on the 2021 to 2016. I beg to differ, because like last time before the General Election in 2016. They we’re stating and saying he was going into his fifth term, which for me was also false. I am the sort of man, that claims this President is already serving his seventh term and going into his eight.

I have in the past explained it thoroughly, today I will be more relaxed, because this should be common knowledge. If it isn’t let, me enlighten you about this old man with the hat. There is a reason why he has a magical date of 29th January 1986, when he was sworn in for the first time after a brutal civil-war to seize power. Something, the President have never intended to leave ever since.

That is why he stopped elections until 1996, even if that a “No-Party” Elections and a part of the Movement System. This is where people start to count, as there was elections, but by doing so. Than, your deleting without thinking the decade between 1986 to 1996. That is disgraceful to the civil-war or the Bush-War and even to the ones fighting to hold elections in the mean time.

As the President ushered his constitution the year before in 1995, an Constitution he has amended plenty times since. So that he would be eligible for a re-election. Therefore, with all of this, we have a decade before the first election after seizing power and knowing the Republic have 5 year terms. Meaning, that before the 1996 elections. The President have practically had two terms already. So his third was between 1996 to 2001.

His fourth term was the 2001-2006, which was the term where the President abolished the Presidential Term Limits, so that he was eligible for another term and also had a referendum for a Multi-Party Democracy, meaning more parties than the National Resistance Movement (NRM) could run. Because, the government lost that Referendum, the other parties was able to run as well. So, that the Movement System, which was announced with the seizing of power had to be abolished.

From here, he went into his fifth term between the 2006 – 2011. He continued to push it to his sixth on the 2011 – 2016. It is here things started to get hectic. As he continues to be in power. A sixth term should be more than enough, than he had already had 30 years in power. However, this President is still power-hungry. Because of this he went on for the 7 term, which is between 2016 to 2021.

In the midst of this term, he has changed the Constitution to abolish the Age Limit, just like he terminated the Term Limits, he ditched the Age Limit, so that he is eligible for the up-coming election in the year of 2021. Which in is my opinion, the eighth term.

To recalculate and show by short list:

1986-1991 First Term by seizing power/coup d’etat,

1991-1996 Second Term by suspending elections.

1996-2001 Third Term by first elections after the coup d’etat.

2001-2006 Fourth Term, Second Elections. Abolishing Presidential Term Limits.

2006-2011 Fifth Term, Third Election – First Multi-Party Elections since the Coup d’etat.

2011-2016 Sixth Term – Fourth Election.

2016-2021 Seventh Term – Fifth Election. Abolishing Presidential Age Limits.

2021-2026 Eight Term – Carrying on Traditions, I suppose.

That is the simplification of the hardships, the toils, the sweet and the tears of dictatorship, where they are trying to make it look like he has spent less time in power.

His reign has been active since 1986, even if there was no elections, that time before the 1996 should still count. If not, the international media and others are only validating the time after 1996, which is foolish. That is distasteful.

That is why, his not going for sixth term, that was already done by 2016, before the recent term, which is his seventh. Now, as he is the not so breaking news, the sole candidate of the NRM. He is running for the eight time. Surely before his dead, he will have run for 10 terms and seen more American President, than the Queen of England. Peace.

Turkana Drought: State Officials knew about the drought, but didn’t act!

Today is a day of warning, where the government, the local government and its authorities haven’t been prepared or cared for it. In its ignorance, the citizens of Turkana and its draught is happening, because their representatives and the state haven’t prepared for the shortfall of food nor water in the region. Even if there was waning signs months ago.

This is not just made up that Governor Josphat Nanok of Turkana County, CEO of NDMA James Odur, CS of Ministry of Devolution and ASALs Eugene Wamwalwa and so on. Can put the blame on everything else, but not on the intial inaction of their own government post. Even if that is true, because the FEWS warned about this in August/December 2018, because of lack of rain. Still, the government kept pumping like there was no tomorrow. Did nothing about it or didn’t handle it all. Since, who would make a fuzz anyway, right?

FEWS Network Warning Des. 2018:

“Performance of the October to December short rains was highly mixed across Kenya, leading to below-average crop performance and inadequate replenishment of rangeland resources in rainfall-deficit areas. In many pastoral and southeastern marginal agricultural areas, rainfall was below 85 percent of normal, while rainfall in the rest of the country was above average. Stressed (IPC Phase 2) outcomes are likely to persist in most pastoral and marginal agricultural areas through May, and an increase in the number of poor households in Crisis (IPC Phase 3) is expected in localized areas of Turkana, Wajir, and Garissa by February” (FEWS Net, 31.12.2018).

Kenyan Government response:

“The National Government has provided total of Kshs. 1,351,196,000 for response during the period of February, March and April 2019 as follows: Food and safety net Kshs. 601,196,000. Support to household irrigation water storage program (excavation of small water pans) Kshs. 600,000,000. Support to water trucking, maintenance and rehabilitation of boreholes Kshs. 150,000,000. Water trucking by NDMA in Mandera, Wajir, Turkana, Garissa, Marsabit and Tana River and maintenance of water points in selected areas. Hunger Safety Net Programme cash transfers by NDMA in Turkana, Wajir, Mandera and Marsabit” (…) “Nevertheless, the below-average short rains have slightly increased the food insecure population from 655,800 in August 2018 to current number of 1,111,500, with the top 12 counties having a total of 865,300 food insecure people” (Government of Kenya – ‘BRIEF ON CURRENT DROUGHT AND FOOD SECURITY SITUATION IN ASAL COUNTIES, MARCH 2019’ 15.03.2019).

What is sad is the amount of people starving in a midst of draught, in region, where the state could have acted more swiftly and with more manpower. Because, they knew perfectly well that this was happening. This is in a region where Tullow Oil Company plans to drill oil with over 300 oil wells. Meaning, there is money and resources, which should lead to progress and development. So, that the region and county isn’t as impoverish as it is. However, there seems to be little or none of the seeds of the oil to go to needed projects or facilities to help out the locals.

Instead, the international oil companies, which reached an agreement last year in 2018. Have had the ability to drill for oil and the leaders have been pocketing money. While the state and the local county officials haven’t secure the public. That is what is the initial bargain in all of this. The public officials have been busy eating and now the public aren’t even getting bread-crumbs of the spoils. That’s what is even more sad about this situation. Knowing the region had hopes for the oil adventure and now seeing a drought, which brings even more despair.

Lochikar Basin haven’t brought anything to the local community, other than foreign investors pumping out their valuable resources, while the deal between Tullow and Government remains secret. As well, as the scarcity of water and other needed components of life, continue to run rampant in a region, which should have gotten some of the spoils of the wealth that is created there. Instead, the government cartels and public officials, who does not want to associate with the demise of the people in the drought, eat that up.

This could have been avoided, the state could have acted and the Turkana with their Oil should have had the resources to cope with it and be able to buy the needed imports of food and water. Alas, someone else is eating that, as long as the oil trucks are driving to Mombasa and the public see less or little of trade of it all.

While the sun is burning, little or no rain, while they await for a handout, when the government could have footed the bill, by the earnings of the oil alone. Peace.

Burundi: Even the unemployed is getting taxed for 2020 elections!

You know that the CNDD-FDD and President Pierre Nkurunziza is hungry for money and for “contributions” from the citizens. When the state uses all means to strike at their citizens and their pockets to prepare for the Elections in 2020. This have started in other fields, where the salaries of the government employees have been deducted and also students are forced to pay.

On the 14th March 2019, the honourable Pascal Barandagiye, the Minister of Patriotic Training and Home Affairs have stated from now on, that the unemployed or the “Citoyens non-salaries” should be commissioned with an Ad-Hoc Provincial Charge as their Contribution to 2020. This should be secured by the Commission, whose in charge of collecting the funds and also be tracked by the governors of the Provinces, that shall report of the collections to the Ministry.

The ever loyal minister is clearly sending yet another signal. That even the ones without an official job, without proper work or earning money. Have to push blood out of stone. So, that the President and his party can have a lavish lifestyle and secure all the funds needed for an up-coming elections. This is just a continuation of what they are doing to the public.

If the state isn’t intimidating, limiting the public space and also controlling all paths of life. They are now ensuring more taxation and bleeding the citizens pockets for the up-coming elections. Like there is tomorrow.

It is really special, that the Ministry and Minister are proposing and actually wants to tax the ones whose has no job. They are thinking these people are having funds and valuable assets, which can give added funds for the state. That is the initial idea behind it, because the non-working still have to cough up funds like the bayliffs are coming on their door and expecting to get court ordered funds paid in full. That is what the state is doing here.

This is clearly a sign, that the matters of the state are more important, than the well-being of the public. Just like the orders of collecting funds from students, if they didn’t comply, they could get suspended or kicked out of school. That is why this is the next level in sense.

That if you have no job, no work or no current occupation. The state can still collect supposed taxes for the elections of 2020. That is what it does. That is what the proud patriotic ministry is doing to its citizens. Just a full fledged paternalistic over-stretching big-brother with a big-man with a to huge ego on the top. Who just got to get your change, even when you got no balance. Peace.

Rwanda: FDU-Inkingi – Another Opposition Leader Murdered by Rwanda Security Forces: Donors UK, US and EU Should Stop Rwanda Descending into Hell Again (15.03.2019)