Opinion: Took 34 years to ensure food security

“The time is right for Uganda’s leadership and technocrats to take heed and ensure a transformed food system which responds to all the four dimensions of food security and nutrition” – Justine Kasule Lumumba on the 16^th October 2020 (Farooq Kasule – ‘NRM secretariat champions food security’’, New Vision, 17.10.2020).

The National Resistance Movement (NRM) is proving why there are on a due date. Their deadline of being in power should be passed the expiration date. Since, they are still in power over all this years. You would think they had fixed the basics. Alas, that is not the case.

The NRM who are always praising their track-record and achievements since 1986. It is really brilliant, that a government of this calibre is still not succeeding in the basics. To ensure the citizens and the grand public having food. That is an issue for all governments since the early beginnings of man kind. This why even in Roman time, the tyrants ran the regime with bread and circus. Giving the public food and entertainment. So, they the elite could enjoy the spoils of the empire.

The NRM is surely lacking, when its time to fix this issue now. Food security should have been ensured long time ago. The party has had decades to fix this, have safety nets and ensured the public had food during crisis. However, the multi-nationals and UN Organizations are feeding the system. So, that the NRM can be lazy for years, because they are covering for their misgivings. They are coming with funds and logistics to pick up the slack of the state. This shouldn’t be shocking, because that is the sad reality.

If it wasn’t for donors and others, the pressure would have much stronger to fix this. The NRM can lean on them and anticipate them to cover it. That is why it has taken this long. Still, it is shows their lack of care and concern. Since, this has been an issue since 1986 and not fixed by the year of 2020.

The President, the whole regime should be horrified of themselves. That they haven’t been able to secure all citizens. This is sort of the backbone, the thing that keeps people alive. The same with lack of shelter and water. All of these basics are the sort of thing this state haven’t properly prioritized. Since, there is always a war to cover, an election and new police units to use funds upon. If not another prestige project of the regime, which will not cover the needs of society in general.

That is why yesterday’s statement from the Secretary General of the NRM is insulting, infuriating, but also showing lack of care of the citizens. This isn’t just a regime who started to rule last year. No, they started mid-80s and still haven’t fixed this. That is how little concerned they are about this. Why?

Because, someone else is always footing the bill and taking over for the slack of state. There is always some happy go-lucky CSO/NGO/UN Organization who can patch the hurt. They will come anyway and will have budgets, logistics and the needed expertise to run the operation. Not only in the middle of a crisis, but in ordinary life too.

The NRM should know better, they have had all the tools, the time and the capital, if they cared about this. However, there has always been some other priority, which isn’t about the basics to spend the fortunes on. Peace.

Nakumatt Applied to the High Court to go into Administration (30.10.2017)

Statement by Knight Frank Uganda on Nakumatt Stores Closures at Acacia Mall, Village Mall and Victoria Mall (01.07.2017)

Nakumatt: Internal Memo – to all Employees – “Re: Payment of Salaries” (30.06.2017)

Worrying that many lacks food in Tanzania as the Staple food prices are increasing!

“Ask not what you can do for your country. Ask what’s for lunch.”
― Orson Welles

There are worrying signs of higher prices on staple foods, as reports of the added price for Maize and Sorghum. With the likes of Maize that has skyrocketed over the last few months, the same has happen to Sorghum. The Central Government needs to stop the inflation of prices as this is key in the staple and adds strains to many of citizens.

Maize prices per 100 kg was 65,103.5 Tanzanian Shillings in December 2015 and by December 2016 it cost 85,159.8 Tanzanian Shillings. In a years time the prices on maizes has gone up 30 %. That is a worrying sign!

Sorghum prices per 100 kg was 81,638.1 Tanzanian Shillings in December 2015 and by December 2016 it cost 104,545.1 Tanzanian Shillings. In a years time the prices on Sorghum has gone up 28 %. That is not something anyone wants to see.

Just as the prices are rising, the dwindling levels of foods that has no been confirmed by the Minister:

“Reports of food shortages were initially denied by top levels of government, but were later accepted. At the end of January 2017, the Minister for Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, Dr Charles Tizeba, told parliament that a study conducted by the Ministry, in collaboration with various partners, had found that 55 districts (out of 169 in Tanzania including Zanzibar) were facing food shortages, and

that “35,491 tonnes of food are required for supply between February and April 2017 to combat a shortage facing 1,186,028 people’’ in these districts” Sauti za Wananchi, 2017).

What is more worrying is the stats from the survey done by Sauti za Wananchi:

“The key findings are:

• Eight in ten households report that their income does not cover their daily needs

• Eight in ten households usually keep a stock of food in reserve in case a food shortage

arises

• A huge majority of Sauti za Wananchi respondents (78%) report food shortages in

their locations

• The price of maize has doubled in the past two years, even accounting for general

price inflation

• Seven in ten households worried about running short of food in the past three months

• The household food security situation has worsened between September 2016 and

February 2017” (Sauti za Wananchi, 2017).

When you have rising staple food prices, little or no reserves in the homes, as well as lacking income to combat the running prices on food. Set the citizens and the inflation into a devastating spiral that no republic want to go through. The United Republic of Tanzania Government needs to act swift and clear on the important issue and lack of safeguard, as the running expenses and lack of food security that is rising. Not only the prices, but this has all happen in the term of President John Magufuli, who needs to take charge and make sure his citizens can eat and earn enough to have a healthy living. The households needs a revamp and the structure with agriculture and food imports needs to change to significantly, these sort of number and amount of people lacking food is a dire situation. Peace.

Reference:

Tanzania – ‘Sauti za Wananchi – Brief No. 39’ (March 2017)

Illinois State Representatives prepares for a Zombie Apocalypse!

“Zombies, what are you going to do with them? Just keep chopping them up, shooting at them, shooting at them” – Martin Scorsese

This is actually a serious legislation in the United States, in a smaller State Representatives Emanuel Chris Welch, Grant Wehrli and Tim Butler. All of them must really fear ‘the Walking Dead’ and ‘the Night of the Living Dead’. Certain Tim Burton or other film makers must wonder what the Representatives in Illinois have been watching the last few months. Surely they might fear what happening in the Washington D.C. as the first of month of President Trump has made the American legislature problematic. Also with added protest and other created issues, the Illinois Republicans want to be prepared for the worst case scenario.

Here are parts of the House Resolution from yesterday:

“WHEREAS, If the citizens of Illinois are prepared for zombies, than they are prepared for any natural disaster; while a Zombie Apocalypse may never happen, the preparation for such an event is the same as for any natural disaster; and” (…) “WHEREAS, Disasters disrupt hundreds of thousands of lives every year and can have lasting effects, both to people and property” (HR0030, 2017).

So the state that has their assembly and capitol in Springfield, are afraid that the violence and uncertainty of a coming disaster. That the whole state has to prepare them for a coming Zombie Apocalypse, certainly the people of Chicago must be ready. Also because of this the representative has further stated:

“RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that all Illinois residents are encouraged to participate in preparing for a Zombie Apocalypse, and have a plan that includes, signing up for local texts and weather alerts, developing emergency communications for the household, collecting significant documents and storing them in a safe place, and gathering emergency supplies” (…) “RESOLVED, That we designate October 2017 as “Zombie Preparedness Month” in the State of Illinois, and urge all Illinoisans to educate themselves about natural disasters and take steps to create a stockpile of food, water, and other emergency supplies that can last up to 72 hours” (HR0030, 2017).

So the State Representatives wants the citizens to prepare for ‘Shaun of the Dead’ get enough weapons, food and water inside their homes, enough canned food and make sure they can see the different between the living dead and the ones that still ordinary human. Therefore the ones on vials and looking like just barely living in the suburbs or public housing in Chicago might be reported to the Police as they could become Zombies without the State Officials and Law Enforcement knowing. The State Representatives should also create laws to secure the stocks of food and quality of water, as the damage it could have if the Zombies seems walk silently or disorderly from Lincoln Park towards Williams Boulevard. We never know what they might be up too.

What we certainly know that Wall-Mart and other bigger stores might get a big buy in October of canned goods, water-barrels and other needed products for the Zombies arriving close to Bloomington or even Rockford for that matter. Certainly even Colts or 380s will be a top seller in the closest guns-and-ammo shops in Champaign. What we don’t know if the Zombies will prefer the Route 72 through the state or the route 57. However, weapons and food must be necessary for the Illinoisans to buy, as they want to secure themselves and their grandkids. Peace.

Reference:

Illinois General Assembly – ‘HR0030 ZOMBIE PREPAREDNESS MONTH’ (09.02.2017)

Nakumatt Statement on lacking stocks of products in their shops (30.01.2017)

Uganda: MP Ruhunda – Name the Powerful Officials implicated in Snatching Compensations Money (Audio)

Ugandan finances are struggling and the evidence of the recent acts are showing it…

“We are struggling, the situation is not as easy, but we are not desperate and the situation is under control. For us [government] we are ready to listen and to learn” (…) “The economy is not receding, the disposable income for drinking may not be there but we are not in recession” (…) “To avoid having arrears, we have to budget appropriately and the money budgeted for has to be absorbed” said Finance Minister Matia Kasajja earlier today (Oketch, 2016).

Nakumatt Holdings is apparently struggling as evident today of their Corporate Statement, that they have to even state it to the Nation, even after the takeover of Shoprite Supermarket Limited; they are still not financial stable. This news is coming days after the Crane Bank got into Administration by the Bank of Uganda (BoU). That after the bank tried to subdue the public together with the BoU in September, telling that the Bank we’re not looking for new owners. This is happening while the troubling times for Cairo International Bank and United Bank of Africa (UBA) Uganda… this is known as the Prof. Emmanuel Tumusiime-Mutebile of BoU said they we’re under notice.

Just as this is known in March 2016 the Exim Bank Uganda, that is a subsidiary of the Exim Bank of Tanzania. That bank took over Imperial Bank of Uganda and also Imperial Bank of Kenya. This is banks licenced by the BoU.  So there have already been issues for the banks in Uganda, just more silent movement as the Investors of Exim Bank wanted it to die down.

Cancelled funding from Exim Bank:     

“The major funder of Karuma and Isimba dams has withheld money for the country’s two biggest hydro-power projects until the legal disputes in Ugandan courts about the two ventures are resolved. The Export-Import Bank of China has written to Uganda’s Ministry of Finance, asking the Secretary to the Treasury, Mr Keith Muhakanizi, to explain why the ministry submitted to them documents of due diligence on the two dams and confirming the tendering process had been properly concluded yet the power projects are now a subject of litigation in court” (…) “Mr Muhakanizi was in State House yesterday for a meeting with President Museveni, but after consulting him, Ministry of finance spokesperson Jim Mugunga said: “It is true that the Export Import Bank of China like any other responsible party, expressed concern about the court case by a concerned Ugandan citizen which listed the bank among defendants. The Government of Uganda, through the Attorney General, secured a court order dismissing the case against the Exim Bank. The bank, therefore, is no longer party to the suit and the PSST Mr Keith Muhakanizi this week communicated the same to the bank.” (…) “Mr YuMeng expressed concerns that the outcome of the case in question would affect the commercial contracts related to Karuma Hydropower Dam and Associated Transmission Lines Works and Sub Stations Project, the 183MW Isimba Hydropower Project and the Isimba-Bujagali Interconnection project under Preferential Buyer Credit facility” (Mugerwa, 2016).

This is new that the Exim Bank is answering with postponing the building of the dam. Something that is the Markie and big Infrastructure projects that the Movement needs to shine a light into the dim situation of the Government. Certainly this answer from them could not be anticipated by President Museveni and his friend in the State House.

This is not the first blow this year as Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) has been under fire all year ever since first response from World Bank on the 8^th January 2016:

“Following the cancellation on December 21, 2015 of the World Bank-supported Uganda Transport Sector Development Project, overseen by the Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA), the World Bank has suspended the disbursement of funds for civil works in two other projects in Uganda. Those projects, overseen by the UNRA, are the North Eastern Road-Corridor Asset Management Project and the Albertine Region Sustainable Development Project which are suspended pending a review and strengthening of the capacity of UNRA to adhere to the required  environmental and social standards” (World Bank, 08.01.2016).

If you though it wasn’t demeaning enough the World Bank continued later in the year with this statement: “UGANDA, September 13, 2016 –The World Bank Group took a decision to withhold new lending to Uganda effective August 22, 2016 while reviewing the country’s portfolio in consultation with the Government of Uganda.  We continue to actively work with the Ugandan authorities to address the outstanding performance issues in the portfolio, including delays in project effectiveness, weaknesses in safeguards monitoring and enforcement, and low disbursement” (World Bank, 13.09.2016).

This is now evident that they used all the months from December 2015 to September 2016, that means the suspended funds for the projects been delayed for 10 months already, which is a close to year. Certainly that must hurt the UNRA and Government of Uganda really, really hard. The World Bank has because of this made the UNRA change how their work, as the Director and staff has sacked at a point. Now in October the agreement made between UNRA on behalf of GoU has been looked over and seen that some has been fraudulent and not made with due-diligence.

And your know there is issues in the finance market when even the states own National Social Security Fund (NSSF) have to explain where they invests their funds after social media spreads rumours of buying a mall in Nigeria and borrowing heavy funds from the Banking Sector of Uganda. This is happening as there 3 banks under fire and struggling already and if you forgotten they are Crane, Cairo International and United Bank of Africa. So the citizens and costumers of Uganda are already worried, they have been there before with the Greenland Bank and other who has lost confidence and gotten into receivership.

Yesterday even the IMF has answered the financial issues of the republic under the Movement:

“The mission notes the difficult environment for fiscal policy in FY15/16. While revenue collection increased as a share of GDP, it fell short of program expectations, reflecting lower than projected nominal GDP growth. At the same time, current spending was higher than anticipated. Taken together, the overall deficit target was missed by 0.4 percent of GDP, and the government partly relied on BoU advances for its financing needs. The execution of externally financed projects lagged behind target” (…) “the financial sector remains well capitalized, though non-performing loans have edged up. This has prompted a tightening of lending standards and a slowdown in credit to the private sector. The third largest domestic bank had become undercapitalized, and the BoU appropriately took over its management to protect deposits and safeguard financial sector stability. As a next step, the financial position of the bank needs to be established, and BoU will look for a strategic investor” (IMF, 2016).

If you see all of this and wonder how can this be, that one government has all of this just months after a General Election, than you know something isn’t as it supposed to be. The Government of Uganda are not running a steady ship when a bank is trailing, 3^rd biggest commercial in the nation by 19^th October into Administration, Cairo and UBA under the watch-list of the BoU; World Bank suspending loans for the Infrastructure Projects that is needed. While the BoU are fixing some financial stability it is not helped by the giving ways of the President Museveni and his dropping funds like a Walking ATM.

“Prof Joe Oloka Onyango said every crisis in this country is being solved by way of brown envelopes, a scenario he described as being sad and far below the rule of law in the country” (…) “In early 1980s, when this country was under the leadership of Godfrey Binaisa Lukongwa, State House was like a market place. Today, State House has been converted into an ATM,” he said amid cheers” (Wesaka & Adengo, 2016).

So for the once that do forget, the ATM Museveni is the cause of the issues that are now; this is his fiscal responsibility and Monetary Policies that made this happen. This is the reactions to the overdue and overspending of the Presidential Campaigns. These reactions should also lead to higher Inflations that it has done before after the elections. Therefore the Finance Minister Kasajja and Executive director Tumusiime-Mutebile have made some progress from previous elections in the Republic. Though the aftermath is now vivid for the citizens who are costumers at Cairo, UBA and Crane… there visible proof and the evidence are in the reaction of the Campaigning as the fraudulent and maladministration of the Banking Sector. This comes into mind as the State House had this message after February:

“As parliament’s budget committee tussled with an avalanche of supplementary budget requests late last week, which totalled Shs 1.04 trillion, some officials confessed that they emptied their initial budget allocations in order to sustain President Museveni’s campaign expenditure. State House comptroller, Lucy Nakyobe, whose office tabled a supplementary budget request of Shs 49.7 billion, told the parliamentary budget committee on April 1 that her coffers were depleted by the so many inland travels of President Museveni, who addressed four campaign rallies daily on average for the campaign period” (Namuloki & Oluka, 2016).

So the debt has to repay and taken from somewhere as the Central-Government, Banks and Multi-National Organizations are stepping off from the Ugandan Government, the Movement are running in circles taking care of their own while the citizens is now trailing and falling off. That is why businesses are giving in.

Just as people might have forgotten the paying of businesses connected to the family and General Salim Selah: “Prominent businesses in the country might soon run out of business if a decision that could see the use of Shs1.3 trillion taxpayers’ money to bailout companies in distress is not taken in their favour” (…) “Talking to Daily Monitor on condition of anonymity, a source privy to the talks revealed that “there is concern that bailing out companies without correcting the economic situation in the country will not resolve the problem.” (…) “The economy is not growing fast enough to generate activity for these companies to perform at full capacity. A bailout will not deal with the core problem. That is the argument being fronted by several government technocrats against the bailout,” the source said” (Muhumuza & Adengo, 2016).

So with this in mind, there are some sound imbalance about the bailouts months before one of the great banks put into Administration, NSSF has to answer for Social Media outbursts, two more Banks on a stroll, State House being broke months ago, UNRA projects suspended by the World Bank, IMF are seeing that infrastructure projects are lagging behind, Exim Bank suspended pay to the two dam projects and the strange bailout. There are too many evidence of lacking financial sound practises…  Even Nakumatt the Supermarket are having troubles. There just more pawns on the set ready to move, but how they fall only the kings knows; because the Kings stay King. Peace.

Reference:

IMF Communication Department – ‘IMF Staff Concludes Review Mission to Uganda’ (26.10.2016) link: http://www.imf.org/en/News/Articles/2016/10/26/PR16462-Uganda-IMF-Staff-Completes-Review-Mission

Mugerwa, Yasiin – ‘Chinese bank holds back Karuma funds’ (27.10.2016) link: http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Chinese-bank-holds-back-Karuma-funds/688334-3431376-qxr194/index.html

Muhumuza, Keith & Adengo, Jonathan – ‘FULL LIST: 65 loan-stressed firms line up for Shs1 trillion taxpayer bailout’ (22.07.2016) link: http://www.monitor.co.ug/Business/65-loan-stressed-firms-line-up-for-Shs1-trillion-tax/688322-3305166-d6h193/index.html

Namuloki, Josephine & Oluka, Benon Herbert – ‘State House broke after spending on Museveni campaign’ (09.04.2016) link: http://www.observer.ug/news-headlines/43556-state-house-broke-after-spending-on-museveni-campaign

Oketch, Martin Luther – ‘Economy is struggling – Minister Kasaija’ (27.10.2016) link: http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Economy-is-struggling—Minister-Kasaija/688334-3432534-t8dv3c/index.html

Wesaka, Anthony & Adengo, Jonathan – ‘State House turning into ATM, says Mak don’ (11.10.2016) Link: http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/State-House—ATM–Mak-don-/688334-3411968-1155d8t/index.html

Nakumatt Corporate Posistion Statement (27.10.2016)