Press Statement: IMF Executive Board Completes Sixth PSI Review for Uganda and Approves One-Year Extension of the Program (07.06.2016)

Bank notes Uganda

WASHINGTON D.C., United States of America, June 7, 2016 –  The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund today completed the sixth review of Uganda’s economic performance under the program supported by the Policy Support Instrument (PSI).1.

In completing the review, the Board approved the authorities’ request for a one-year extension of the current PSI arrangement to facilitate policy continuity and allow sufficient time for ongoing structural reforms to progress and also granted a waiver of the nonobservance of the end-December 2015 assessment criteria on the overall deficit of the central government.

The PSI for Uganda was approved by the Executive Board on June 28, 2013 (see Press Release No. 13/78). Uganda’s program under the PSI aims at maintaining macroeconomic stability and alleviating constraints to growth. The program supports the authorities’ objectives on reforms to the monetary policy framework, tax revenue mobilization, public financial management, and financial sector development. It also backs efforts to improve the business environment, including by preparing the economy better for oil production.

Following the Board discussion, Mr. Min Zhu, Deputy Managing Director and Acting Chair, made the following statement:

“Despite external shocks, and amid election-related uncertainty, Uganda’s economy demonstrated resilience, with robust growth, low inflation, and strong international reserves. However, structural reforms have lagged and need to be revitalized to enhance competitiveness, promote economic diversification, and foster sustained and inclusive economic growth.

“Economic policies will remain focused on keeping inflation low and boosting growth. Fiscal priorities include shifting public spending toward infrastructure and poverty-alleviating expenditures, boosting domestic revenue mobilization, and enhancing public investment efficiency. Continued fiscal prudence could facilitate further monetary policy easing, which would help ease tight credit conditions.

“More progress is needed on key structural reforms. Prompt parliamentary approval of the Public Financial Management Act regulations in line with international best practice, decisive action to reconcile and validate the stock of domestic arrears, and finalizing the charter of fiscal responsibility are paramount steps to further improve governance and strengthen the budget process. Final approval of legal amendments to the Bank of Uganda Act will strengthen the central bank’s independence and support the inflation targeting regime.

“Vigilance is needed to ensure continued financial stability. Plans to further strengthen prudential supervision in line with the Basel III guidelines are welcome. Ensuring that regulatory oversight keeps pace with financial innovation will help preserve financial stability. Prioritizing prompt parliamentary approval of the Amendments of the Anti-Money Laundering Amendment Act and the Insurance Act should help Uganda exit from the FATF gray list, further strengthening the investment climate.”

1 The PSI is an instrument of the IMF designed for countries that do not need balance of payments financial support. The PSI helps countries design effective economic programs that, once approved by the IMF’s Executive Board, signal to donors, multilateral development banks, and markets the Fund’s endorsement of a member’s policies (seehttp://www.imf.org/external/np/exr/facts/psi.htm). Details on Uganda’s current PSI are available at imf.org/uganda.

My letter to Electronics Producers who are responsible for supplying money to militias and guerrillas of the DRC!

Illegal Mining DRC

Dear Electronic Producers of end-products as Mobile Phones and such, I write to you in haste!

Then I mean the likes of Foxconn of China, Apple, Hitachi, Sanyo, NEC Tokin, Kemet, AVX, Vishay, Flextronics, Celestica Sanmina, Asustek, Jabil, Hewitt-Packard, Dell, Acer, IBM, Samsung, Motorola, Canon and Nokia. Also other suppliers who deliver the needed products for you too label and sell to the global market.  

I write too you with urgency, do you want your names to mentioned in blood, as your greed for the profits are no embedded with warlords and thieves of East Africa, as the exported mineral resources as Coltan, Tin, Tantalum and Tungsten. These minerals are needed in your production to make your phones, your electronics and others.

There been warlords, been warriors and presidents that have looted the Southern and Northern Kivu of Democratic Republic of Congo. They have all used AK-47 and other weapons while taking territories, towns and villages. These are the places, where the militias and guerrillas are raping the woman, burning villages and taking over mines even with child-labor if needed.

All the deaths and wars since the fall of Mobutu Sese Seko in the end of 1990s, where the proxy war of Uganda and Rwanda in the Kivu’s where the mines are; and you have accepted this as you vouch for their armies and their militias taking the area, eating of the minerals, eating the stones and lifting the burden they have to buy ammunition to continue their thieving. The thieving and capturing the miners, destroying and taking the minerals, the minerals you use in your products, the end-products you want to sell to me and the world.

DRC Minerals

What is the pride of your fiscal profits, knowing you were securing payments, securing buying of small-arms and killings of fellow men and woman, on your watch, on your payment and your production? The initial end-game of Electronic Products is that as long as we know that, the Laptops, Smart-Phone and others are tainted with blood; they are tainted with the operation of warlords.

That cannot be gone away in silence, as long as the President of Rwanda, Uganda and Democratic Republic of Congo, they are all in on it, and enjoy the monies with their proxy armies controlling various mines and different minerals, the issues and stages of exploitation of the Kivu’s.

If more people care, they would be aggravated, they would wonder if there was ways of producing the smart-phones and laptops without the minerals that are fueling the guerrillas and militias of Kivu, which is not extending the reign of Kabila, Kagame and Museveni. They are the reasons for these killings and these groups who extort this violence.

Kagame-Museveni-Kabila

The nonsense non-action, the deliberate assault for these minerals, and your plenty of usage, while knowing where it came from, with the extent of the force that it taken from the ground and into the factories, before sold with pop-song on the local TV-Station with a fancy name and image; that image should be tainted with the knowledge of how the minerals for it came to light of day, with the injustice, the impunity and dissolved society where the fear of violence, reckless warlords, relentless soldiers and murders keeping at bay the illegal logging of minerals of the Kivu’s. That is what the price of the profits.

The brave and Nobel men of the boardrooms of the companies, the men and woman of the PR firms, and the consumers, should be enlighten, should take a stand and we all should try to find ways to absorb and not buy the tainted electronics, or least spread the names of them who take the supply of blood-tainted minerals and make products for profit. That should be stopped, as the killings, the continued presence of militias and guerrillas, they are all been kept and fed by your money. The money you have supplied them, so they can continue to get guns and ammunition.

FARDC Beni May 2016

This money comes from the people, the citizens of the world, they should now and should extend their hands, if they about the atrocities and violence of the Kivu’s. They are serving your profits, the profits made on the guerrillas and militias controlling the mines and exploitations of the provinces with the enriched minerals of the Democratic Republic of Congo. That is what should be known, the silent and sudden killer of it all, the ones that responsible for the presence of modern technology, are militants and guerrillas who are fed on the violence as they export to industries that take it without questions.

It should be questioned and the people should care, the knowledge of these actions should be in the open and spoken more about. Last time the blood-diamonds movie and Leonardo DiCaprio played a reckless man who sold diamonds in Sierra Leone… maybe if they did the same with blood tainted minerals from the DRC, then the world citizens might care and asked for change of policy, but the average man don’t, they just want to enjoy 3G and 4G while surfing to read Tabloid papers and other madness, instead of using their waste opportunities to gain the needed knowledge of the affairs that is happening from afar with the technology at hand.

There is time to question; there are and been more than enough massacres and deaths happening in Beni, in Goma and in Kivu’s for the needed minerals. Time to ask the Electronics Companies and the Suppliers of these minerals to take actions, as their need for this is the reason why the atrocities and killings are happening. They are happing on our watch and with our knowledge. It is time to do something and ask for change, to pressure the DRC Government, to pressure the Electronic producers to use other suppliers if possible and stop fueling their profits into the warlords of East Africa, as they are responsible for their existence, as they are the ones giving them money and plenty to continue to harass and kill their fellow brother and sisters.

Best Regards

The Writer of Minbane

Congo On The Gilchrist Experience: Prof Yaa-Lengi Exposes Real Causes of Genocide in Congo (Youtube-clip)

“While Congolese people are being killed by Rwandese (Paul Kagame) and Ugandans (led by Yoweri Moseveni) with the complicity of some the western powers in order to get access to some abundantly known strategic raw materials and minerals in Congo (DRC) such as Cobalt, Coltan, Uranium etc., the rest of the world is kept ignorant of the true causes of this Holocaust that is ongoing in the Great Lakes Region of Africa. Professor Yaa-Lengi, Historian and writer shades some light in details on the true perpetrators of these crimes of genocide and crimes against humanity commited against Congolese people in total silence of the UN, the EU and the rest of the international community. Prof Yaa-Lengi is on the guests of the “Gilchrist Experience Show” which is aired in the US” (APARECO, 2016)

No Remedy Mentioned (NRM) is continuing to run, while they block the FDC with the Calvary and in the Courts!

Lukwago 02.06.2016

“Am short of words to express my disillusionment with this level of impunity and bastardisation of the country” – Erias Lukwago

There have been a few nights and few days with sorrow for the Forum for Democratic Change and their leadership, that is far from over, as long as President Museveni and National Resistance Movement exist. So with this in mind, there are still Courtship for FDC MPs, FDC Leaders and Activist that are involved in the Defiance Campaign of the 2015-2016.

Just as the IGP Kale Kayihura written a Motion and Affidavit on the 30th May 2016, as they will continue with the “Interim Ex Parte Orders in AG V. Besigye (Constitutional Petition No. 13 of 2016)”. This happens after the suspended orders went out on the 1st June, as they got this served yesterday at the FDC Headquarter on the 1st June 2016. So with that in mind, the Uganda Police Force together with Deputy Chief Justice Stephen Kavuma, the man who was officiating or swearing-in President Museveni on the 12th of May. In the midst of the period that the Political Party of FDC was sieged and even the FDC HQ was at one point a crime scene by the Police Force.

While Dr. Kizza Besigye who is still in Luzira, was supposed to be tried first day on his “treason charge” against the Republic of Uganda, to be correct dishonoring President Museveni. Since he is such a problem for the state of affairs, he is National Security threat as he can weakens all transport in Kampala, not in the same way as the jams recent days with Turkey VIP Erdogan and South Korean President Park Guen-Hye, as the central Kampala and roads to Entebbe International Airports was closed. The Same Police Force could not also as they we’re on standby for the President and his guest, be able to see the KCCA Councilors and Lord Mayor Lukwago, as another excuse of the matter.

Well, today the Police and Judiciary continues with the struggle against Opposition, as the incumbent Mayor Lukwago had to show up at Makindye Magistrate Court, where 7 persons from FDC was represented to answer to the Interim Order of Stephen Kavuma, but Dr. Kizza Besigye for the second day in row couldn’t be produced to Court.  The action of today’s court was the actual extension of the ban of “Defiance Campaign”. Because Lukwago and Besigye at one-point was charged with “Illegal Assembly” at Nsambya Sharing Hall in 2015; a trial that happen today without one of the main suspects as he is supposed to answer and the continuation of the suspension order of the “Defiance Campaign”.

Museveni 31.05.2016

This happens in the same space as the President Museveni in his speech in Parliament, at the State of the Nation Address, is saying this:

“The only pollution to this glorious and massive Liberation Movement has been the mistake of the careerists introducing the use of money in electioneering.  We shall also struggle against that.  Therefore, democracy is one area where we do not need aid because that is what we fought for here and in the rest of Africa for many decades”.

Ingrid Turinawe 01.06.2016

This happen while certain close in the leadership of FDC Doreen Nyanjura and Ingrid Turinawe was arrested around the Nakawa Court yesterday. While the level of tortured FDC leaders and youths have also been showed to the world in the recent months. As there was at one point a dozen FDC Youth detained in a Container on the Outside of the Rukungiri Police Station, they we’re charged with “Terrorism”. As their leaders was also detained and not charged for days in this May 2016. Hon. Moses Byamugyisha, was working for their freedom for days upon days. As the Police even when Rukungiri Court Order their withdrawal of justice, they still lingered in the Container there.

Now with this in mind, there are still charges on Dr. Kizza Besigye served in Kabale Magistrate Court together with Erias Lukwago, the same is surely also in Kasangati Magistrate Court, where he has served charges against the State for their unlawful house-arrest of Besigye himself, days upon days without charges in February and March in 2016, when they we’re besieging his home in Kasangati in 40 Days straight. Something that IGP Kale Kayihura should answer for!

Besigye Detained

There are reported that Besigye will be produced at the Constitutional Court as they will answer to affidavit of IGP Kayihura as he had intelligence of FDC Supporters was supposed to make problems around Nakawa Court, yesterday, apparently. There are also reports that the Police have sealed of Constitutional Court, as he is set to come there from the Fairway Hotel Junction down to Mulago-Wandegeya routes are closed as the Black Van with Besigye supposed to pass. So that the Judge presiding, surely Deputy Chief Justice Stephen Kavuma will continue the “Interim Order” with the passage of National Security as the DPP Mike Chibita couldn’t produce him yesterday as the passage would counter the news of Turkish President and President Museveni smiling on the front-pages on New Vision today. It would look foolish towards the new donors and allies from Turkey. Therefore they had to wait until today when both Presidents had left the Central Business District of Kampala and could siege the roads for the return of Besigye  to the Constitutional Court, where he last time we’re in late April 2016.

What I expect is that it will be continued as he is now by the Authorities and Legal forces seen as a “National Security” issue and a man who creates havoc and problems. Even when that is not true or proven; as much as the President wants to silence the FDC and hope that the population soon forgets the General Election of 2016 and the shameful rigging of Presidential Election 2016. That with the Army deployment and the continued stronghold of Police, as they continue to detain and harass the opposition, therefore the Democratic Party and Uganda People’s Congress is so silent, except that Hon. Jimmy Akena had to take his last shot at Dr. Olara A. Otunnu and blame him for the election. Not for his maladministration and agreement with NRM led to people despising the UPC, as they are now a branch of the NRM-O.

Fred Ruhindi TV

The Attorney General of Uganda Fred Ruhindi is issuing the extension of the Interim Order today because of this:

“The Attorney General wants court to declare both Besigye and FDC’S defiance activities as unlawful since they are not in conformity with the prescribed processes of challenging a presidential election. In the affidavit supporting the Attorney General’s interim order application, the Inspector General of Police Kale Kayihura says unless court stops FDC’s activities, the country will go back to political unrest and insecurity” (The Street Lawyer UCU, 02.06.2016).

So with this in mind, we know the tale will go, it is not all of sudden that the NRM Regime going to work against itself or going to contradict itself, more than President Museveni does with his speeches and development agenda, as that is the same in 1980s, he just don’t know that himself. The Constitutional Court will today continue to ban the Forum for Democratic Change and their Defiance Campaign as the “National Security” will come first. Because that “National Security” is meaning the continuation of the rigged coup d’état from President Museveni and his NRM Elite have done on the 20th February 2016. So the Police Force and their tear-gas brigade fear the people who supported Besigye and the true state of electoral violence created under their reign and their initial Police brutality against civilians. Therefore the Attorney General and Inspector General of Police wants to make sure he is silent behind bars and that his party is muffled; because if so they can continue prosecuting the leaders and head-activist of the FDC party without interference of the population. That is securing the NRM elite and Ruling Party for continuing with some sort of business as usual.

There is now reports that AG Fred Ruhindi: “Attorney General withdraws application for an interim order (incl. an extension) against defiance” (The Observer, 02.06.2016).  So the hardwork and paperwork delivered together with IGP Kayihura will not be worked on.

FDC Lawyer 02.06.2016

Reasons for why they did so: 

“According to the FDC legal adviser and lawyer Rwakafuzi Radsrus,attorney general sought it important to withdraw the case on grounds that they government could not hold the million people who could invade the court and that even Dr. Kizza Besigye as the accused had written to appear in person without being represented by lawyers. Before at around 02:45 Beisgye’s Ernest Kalibala brought a letter signed by the accused (Besigye) himself requesting for his personal presence as by law for the accused to be available in court on such charges. In a letter signed by the Director Civil Litigation Denis Bireije quotes that under section 2 (2) of the court of appeal rules with orders for the government cost and a copy has been sent to FDC and Besigye Kizza. Rwakafuzi further says that the main application of attorney general seeking for the constitutional court to interpret the laws that ban defiance still stands but that it is useless since there has never been any where the government petitions the constitutional court against its citizens on constitutional interpretations” (Mukose Arnold Anthony, 02.06.2016).

Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago statement on today’s affair:

“Today midmorning, Hon. Mp Bakireke Nambooze, Kasibante Moses, Ssemujju Nganda and I visited Dr. Beside at Luzira Maximum Security Prison. We compared notes on the bizarre political developments in the country, including the current legal gymnastics in courts of law. I was personally shocked to learn that the prison authorities were never issued with a production warrant, requiring them to produce him before the Constitutional Court this afternoon, to respond to the AG’S application seeking to extend the ban on the defiance campaign. Besides, I think it is abuse of court process for the State to seek for injunctive orders against a citizen languishing in prison. Little wonder that they opted to withdraw all such applications. on a positive note, our legal team is working around the clock to ensure that Dr. Besigye regains his freedom. Aluta continua” (Lukwago, 02.06.2016).

Still there are enough cases in courts and acts from the Police, even if they are not officially banning “Defiance” they are still monitoring and detaining FDC leaders and activists. While also silencing the Opposition.  Even with the Defiance Campaign partly legal, it is still court cases and charges awaiting, not only Besigye, but many of the other close leadership of the FDC and the Youth Leaders in the Country.

There are nothing set in the stones that they will act differently, but they will follow orders from up-high and from their President, the man that feeds them and continue to inflict electoral and violations against multi-party democracy to protect their master. That is the only thing they know and they are bending their knees to supply the President with orders and tear-gas to assure that they are silencing the people, who are supposed to be sensitized for his ruling and his vision, and nobody else. That is the KEY to the RESISTANCE of Ugandan politics, to be unison agreement with Mzee Museveni and nobody else. Therefore people like Besigye, Lukwago and other have to be silent or not be questioning Museveni, because Museveni is always right and acting correctly. Even if his speech yesterday proves that even with 30 years in Power and Rule, he has the same problems in the Republic of Uganda, as when he took power. Peace.

FDC Defiance Campaign Court Documents of 30.05.2016: “Defiance campaign is unconstitutional and illegal”- Kale Kayihura affidavit, signed on Monday 30th May, 2016

FDC Affidavit 30.05.2016 P1

FDC Affidavit 30.05.2016 P2

FDC Affidavit 30.05.2016 P3.1

FDC Affidavit 30.05.2016 P3

Here is the Notice Motion:

FDC Notice of Motion 30.05.2016 P1

FDC Notice of Motion 30.05.2016 P2

FDC Notice of Motion 30.05.2016 P3

Press Release: “5 acquitted, 2010, Kampala terror suspects, have today, 6/1/16 been charged over fresh allegations of terrorism” (01.06.2016)

UPF Terror 01.06.2016

Press Statement: Traffic Disruptions on Highways to and from Kampala (30.05.2016)

UTB 30.05.2016

Museveni State of the Nation Address 2016: Guns and Glamour, but nothing worth listening too…

museveni and his gun

“I’ve been dealing with guns a long time, I know the cost of an AK47 in China and Yugoslavia. You can’t cheat me of that” – Yoweri Kaguta Museveni

I should listen and care about what President Museveni says in the State of the Nation Address today, well, I don’t he will proclaim to be the most genuine democrat, the grand master who have made such progress, and on the way to middle Income Country. He will proclaim the soon added revenue of Petroleum Money. That he and his cronies are fighting corruption, while buying suits to vote in Hon. Oulanyah for Deputy Speaker in Parliament.

He will say that Uganda is the epitome democracy, where we all can learn from and where Human Rights are respected. When he speaks of democracy is that his words are law and his action becomes regulation of state. That has secured the nation and boundaries. The level of growth, the growing levels of cash crops like Coffee, Tea and others are steady growing.

State of Nation 2016 Uganda

“IN PROTEST: Opposition MPs Allan Ssewanyana (Makindye West) & Mubarak Munyagwa (Kawempe South) walk out of the hall after being ordered by the speaker to put down their placards. The placards had words “Release Besigye”” (Daily Monitor, 31.05.2016).

As he continues he will speculate and say that it’s the citizens or politician that is the blame for the corrupt behavior, not him or his allies. Because the resistance will clear that out in the Army, civil servants or politicians; Well, he have run the nation for 30 years, but still have issues with the same as when he came in. Now the name has changed, it isn’t Yugoslavia anymore. President Museveni either buys from Serbia, Montenegro or Croatia for instance, but that European Politics isn’t important. The place only matter as long as he gets his weapons to a fair price. And can use them against opposition or made-up opponent in the land. Maybe even for some of African Union Peacekeeping missions.

Not forget every-time he speaks he have to come with close advice for small acre farmers who needs to handpick certain vegetables to become wealthy, as the Operation Wealth Creation and other schemes he have made and hired Gen. Salim Selah to run is the best option for the Nation.

Ugandan state is good, as long as they don’t question his government. As long as they are nodding to his words of wisdom; because his vision and his changes is the healthy ones, not what the other people they are talking nonsense, they are not resistance fighters! You need Resistance Fighters and need Bush War ego to run Uganda and President Museveni have that.

Just as he was saying this today:

“Some commercial banks and money lenders use unethical methods to steal Ugandans, we will deal with them” (…)”There is the problem of Government not paying arrears of private companies that supplied to Government” (…)”Companies that supplied to the Government of South Sudan but were not paid, I’ve already directed government to help them” – Yoweri Kagtuta Museveni

Because it is not the Ugandan Government who is the problem and how they are handling their procurement or the use of money, it is the banks that are the problem in Uganda. If not there are examples of South Sudan Government that have not made amendments with their imports from Uganda. So the President Museveni and his regime have to clear the slate for their misgivings, because he doesn’t make anything wrong, it is everybody else. He is never at fault and that is consistant with every move he have ever done. It was Idi Amin who was the problem, it was Obote who was the Issue. Now it is the Western Powers and Aid that is the issue, while he doesn’t complain with new-money and aid from South Korea or others as long as they doesn’t put strings on the money!

I will not release the whole State of Nation this year, because, why bother? He is a blatant totalitarian ruler, who uses his police state to apprehend opposition and detain his arch-enemy in Luzira while he proclaims democracy. A man who does that does not deserve to get his voice and his whole speech delivered online. That is waste of energy, right?

So he would speak of what I talked about and I found some wonderful quotes that shows the arrogance and the rigid mind of Museveni of 2016. Who has all the answers and blames others when the system doesn’t work, even if he has been behind the project since 1986. That is the irony and sadness of the matter. Peace.

Press Statement: Coalition of activists chart Bidco abuses on new platform No2Bidco.org (31.05.2016)

IFADPalm P1

Bidco Truth Coalition unites groups to demand accountability for Bidco

KAMPALA, Uganda, May 31, 2016 –  The Bidco Truth Coalition, an online activist organisation, has launched No2Bidco.org, a platform dedicated to charting the human rights and environmental violations of Bidco Africa, the Kenya-based edible oil producer headed by CEO Vimal Shah.

No2Bidco.org includes a catalogue of Bidco’s violations, including illegal labour practices in Kenya, deforestation in Uganda and tax evasion across East Africa. The platform also provides visitors with the ability to add their voices to a global campaign of petitions and letter-writing to reveal Bidco’s business practices.

No2Bidco.org’s central archive of independent reports about Bidco provides activists, businesses, governments and NGOs unfiltered access to information free from Bidco’s influence on the media.

No2Bidco.org includes a catalogue of Bidco’s violations, including illegal labour practices in Kenya, deforestation in Uganda and tax evasion across East Africa

The platform’s anchor organisation is the National Association of Professional Environmentalists (NAPE), the respected Uganda-based Friends of the Earth affiliate. Other organisations include the Bugala Farmers Association, a Ugandan group of more than 100 farmers who lost their land to Bidco; Citizens for Tax Compliance, a Kenya-based group that advocates corporate tax compliance; the Association of Non-aligned Bidco Workers.

Founded in 1997, NAPE has been instrumental in giving a voice to farmers displaced by Bidco’s deforestation on Uganda’s pristine Ssese Islands. NAPE and its dedicated staff have a history of exposing corporations and governments that collude to earn vast sums of money at the expense of poor individuals.

The Bugala Farmers Association, which has successfully challenged Bidco in court for more than a year over its members’ loss of land, recently submitted a petition to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for partnering with Bidco. As a result, UNDP has launched an investigation into its partnership with Bidco.

The Association of Non-aligned Bidco Labourers is a group in Kenya and Uganda that gives informal representation to aggrieved casual workers at Bidco’s factories. Most workers supported have been terminated illegally, experienced abuse by Bidco management or been injured at the workplace.

The Bidco Truth Coalition invites other like-minded organisations to join the No2Bidco.org platform to demand change at Bidco and accountability for those who support the company.

FDC letter to 10th Parliament: “Re: Appoinment of Leadership in the 10th Parliament” (27.05.2016)

FDC SG 10th Parliament