

Mulago Hospital: “Re: MakCHS Postgraduate Doctors’ Posistion on the Closure of Makerere University” (07.11.2016)









07/11/2016: An increasing number of South Sudanese will continue to face difficulty in meeting daily food needs in the coming months despite harvests, the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization has warned.
The end of the lean season and start of harvests in South Sudan are traditionally associated with a reduction in food insecurity due to more food stocks and lower food prices in the markets, bringing much needed relief. According to recent FAO assessments, the number of severely food insecure people at this time is 3.7 million people – 31 percent of the country’s estimated population and an increase of an overall 1 million people compared to the same period last year.
Though harvests have provided some reprieve, FAO experts warn that the benefits will be short lived as local stocks will deplete rapidly. Following seasonal patterns food insecurity levels in 2017 is destined to rapidly deteriorate to massive proportions. The risk of famine is increasingly real, especially for South Sudan’s most vulnerable communities.
“The renewed violence has had severe repercussions on agricultural production and stability needs to be restored to enable farmers to return to their fields. We are seeing an unprecedented number of food insecure people at harvest time and many more people at risk of starvation in the months to come as stocks run out. There is a need to act now to prevent a catastrophe,” warns Serge Tissot, FAO Representative.
The Equatoria region which is responsible for over half of the country’s net cereal production has been severely impacted by the recent violence. In active conflict areas, an estimated 50 percent of all harvests have been lost and even more farmers were unable to plant for the second season due to insecurity. The displacement of people from those areas is also due to have profound effects on agricultural production, FAO experts warn.
Moreover, of grave concern is the most fragile areas Northern Bahr el Ghazal where the structural drivers of food insecurity – including the protracted economic crisis, market failure and the loss or depletion of livelihood assets – have continued to escalate. FAO’s harvest assessments findings show that farmers in this area have produced less than last year, with some areas being hard-hit by flooding and dry spells, raising their vulnerability. The report highlights Aweil East where sorghum production almost halved, dropping from 0.9 to 0.5 tonnes.
Since the outbreak of fighting in South Sudan’s capital Juba and other parts of the country, cereal prices have increased by more than 500 percent compared to the same period last year. Trade has been crippled by rampant insecurity along the main trade routes and traders’ inability to access hard currency for imports forcing them to close-down their businesses.
“With the market collapsing and many families having little to no safety nets to cope, we must empower them with the means to produce their own food. With this we want to structurally strengthen their livelihoods and boost their resilience,” explains Tissot, FAO Representative.
During the forthcoming dry season campaign, FAO aims to target 1.2 million people with distributions of vegetable and fishing kits and provision of trainings to farmers on modern farming techniques to increase yields. At the same time, FAO is preparing to meet the country’s greatest needs for the main planting season; this includes the provision of much needed agricultural inputs so that the most vulnerable can produce their own food. For this to happen, the food agency requires US $ 28 million by the end of the year.

This report has been targeted by the Kenyan Government becomes of the sections that we’re about the leadership of UNMISS Peacekeeping Operations in South Sudan. The UN House and other activity in Juba as the crisis sparked in July 2016. These words we’re too much for the Jubilee Government, President Uhuru Kenyatta and the overzealous Vice-President William Ruto. Therefore I had to go through it; it’s a short one and quick fix to read. This here is the key and they give you the ability see what the Independent Special Investigation coming in after serious reports happening in Juba in July. This is important to look at.
As the UN said: “Commenting on the report at the daily press briefing at UN Headquarters, Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric announced that in line with the report’s recommendations, the Secretary-General has asked for the “immediate replacement” of UNMISS Force Commander, Lt. Gen. Johnson Mogoa Kimani Ondieki” (UN, 2016).

Here is the aspect of the report that people should look at:
“In the weeks prior to the violence, UNMISS and the humanitarian community saw timely and accurate warning signs of the resumption of hostilities in Juba between the Sudan Peoples’ Liberation Army (SPLA) and Sudan Peoples’ Liberation Army in Opposition (SPLA-IO). Despite the early warning that fighting would take place near UN House, the Mission did not properly prepare for three critical and foreseeable scenarios” (Independent Special Investigation, 2016).
“The Special Investigation found that a lack of leadership on the part of key senior Mission personnel culminated in a chaotic and ineffective response to the violence” (…) “The JOC and the Security Information Operations Centre (SIOC) were not co-located, as required by UN policy, contributing to a fragmented security response” (…) “The Force Commander appointed the Chinese Battalion Commander as the Incident Commander, commanding all the forces at the UN House in addition to his own battalion. Furthermore, the Force Commander ordered the Incident Commander to retain an explicit and ultimately confusing command link to Sector South headquarters in Tomping, which was physically cut off from the UN House for the duration of the fighting. This confused arrangement, in combination with the lack of leadership on the ground, contributed to incidents of poor performance among the military and police contingents at UN House. This included at least two instances in which the Chinese battalion abandoned some of its defensive positions at POC 1 on 10 and 11 July. The Nepalese Formed Police Unit’s performance to stop looting by some IDPs inside UN House and control the crowd was inadequate” (Independent Special Investigation, 2016).
“At approximately 15:30, when the soldiers began looting and forcing their way into the accommodations, the residents immediately notified UN Security and UNMISS. During the attack, civilians were subjected to and witnessed gross human rights violations, including murder, intimidation, sexual violence and acts amounting to torture perpetrated by armed Government soldiers” (…) “The JOC made multiple requests to stand up a quick reaction force to respond but each UNMISS contingent turned down the request, indicating their troops were fully committed. The situation at UN House remained chaotic at this time, with thousands of IDPs in the staff accommodation area, armed men still threatening the perimeter of POC site 3, and large numbers of armed Government soldiers still on Yei road in front of UN House’s main gate” (Independent Special Investigation, 2016).
“The Special Investigation found that the lack of preparedness, ineffective command and control and a risk-averse or “inward-looking” posture resulted in a loss of trust and confidence—particularly by the local population and humanitarian agencies—in the will and skill of UNMISS military, police to be proactive and show a determined posture to protect civilians under threat, including from sexual violence and human rights violations” (Independent Special Investigation, 2016).

If this wasn’t damning for the UNMISS leadership and the peacekeepers where the investigation team clearly saw that the leadership we’re inward looking and not prepared. That shows that in country that is war-torn the leadership of UNMISS wasn’t prepared to secure their facilities or keeping the peace. The communication between the different battalions we’re chaotic with double roles and that was between the Chines Battalion and the Tomping PoC camp.
So with this there must be better than what they found and that the Kenyan Government feels sorrow for volunteering is understandable. It’s a slap on their face, but it is one Military Leader not prepared for the operation and facilitates the other battalions. Therefore when the violence came, they wasn’t on the alert, instead they we’re scattered. Something that the Protection of Civilians camp, Civilians, NGOs or the people around UNMISS sites.
Peace.
Reference:
Executive Summary of the Independent Special Investigation into the violence which occurred in Juba in 2016 and UNMISS response (01.11.2016)
UN – ‘South Sudan: Ban to put in place measures to improve UN Mission’s ability to protect civilians’ (01.11.2016) link: http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=55448#.WB-jP_nhDIU










UNHCR is deeply concerned about the well-being of Mr James Gatdet Dak, SPLA IO Spokesperson, who was returned to South Sudan from Kenya on Monday, 2 November. Mr Dak had previously been granted refugee status by the Kenyan authorities.
Mr Dak’s forced return is a violation of the principle of non-refoulement, which is the cornerstone of international refugee law.
We also regret that UNHCR’s interventions with the Kenyan authorities to stop Mr Dak’s forced return were not successful.
We urge the Government of South Sudan to ensure that Mr Dak is treated in accordance with human rights law and standards.

“This is Kisanja Hakuna Mchezo. We are not going to tolerate this kind of indiscipline” – Yoweri Kaguta Museveni (NBS TV Uganda, 03.11.2016)
There are a weird day when President Museveni called the teachers or lectures has been called childish by the Executive of the proud nation, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has now called them childish as they have not been paid or gotten their deemed salaries. Not like his fellow banker friend who has by all means been bailed out by the same President.
Makerere University is an esteemed and diamond in the nation, or it was at one point as the meagre investment and expenditure used by the NRM Regime. The insulting part is that the government has diverted the funds from the University to other projects or benefactors as the loss of funds has occurred. The same as the planned earlier in the year to adopt a policy of 100% tuition fee that we’re planned in March 2016. As the lectures and teachers have now gone for 9 months without pay, without salaries! So they are for striking for their righteous pay is now “Childish”?
Mzee, the big-man, the president who has been eating of the government plate and secret deals since 1986, calls the lectures and teachers childish. Just like he called out all the other Presidential Candidates for saying they though being President we’re easy during the Second #UGDebate2016. Who forgot that, I didn’t, he uses the same rhetoric against his own civil servants, they are at blame and not his accountability. He is more precautious have two men helping his boda stable while carrying a jerry-can in Luweero. Oh, gee I went there.

“MP Onesmus Twinamastiko (Parliament Accounts Committee (PAC)): “There is a lot of rot Makerere University. Over UGX700m was illegally transferred to private accounts. Another UGX500m is unaccounted for. PAC has summoned Makerere University officials to appear on Nov 29 to explain all this. Makerere University is not explaining where money from the printery and guest house is. Individuals will be asked to repay” (NBS TV Uganda, 2016).
Just as this has happen the hostels and living quarters has been closed as well. This happen after the President Museveni order the closure of the until further notice; this is the likes of Muhika and Bridgeton Hostels has decided also to kick-out the students. This is happening J On the 2nd November his own AIGP Andrew Kaweesi said all hostels should close. Even as the students we’re not noted on the moving matters as the strikes for pay for their lectures and teachers we’re not happening anytime soon. This was the day after the IGP Kale Kayihura on the 1st November went all in and made the University look like a War-Zone. So the Police has practically take-over of the Security Organization, while they decided to kick-out students.
So on the 3rd November President Museveni had to call them “Childish” for asking for something that is theirs. Certainly they have worked and honoured through their contracts; they are bystanders’ for the conflict of maladministration and mismanagement from the Central Leadership of the University. That is why the allocated funds have gone away into accounts that aren’t the lectures and teachers, as they we’re supposed to.
In this taunting game, the Makerere Lectures aren’t childish, but the President is, since he cannot within reason fix the ones that has either done a fraud, racket or embezzled the funds away from the Educational Institution.
Vice Chancellor Ddumba Ssentamu says “the institution doesn’t have money partly because students pay little as tuition fees“ (NBS TV Uganda, 26.10.2016). Well, if a 100% rise in a year that we’re scrapped and claiming the students are to blame for not willing to be robbed for getting a degree. Than they can be childish for that matter of paying a decent price for their intuition fees; the issues the VC should have is the funds that went into private accounts instead of paying of the staff and people working to make the Makerere what it is.

The issue of the childish or indiscipline of Makerere comes from the top, it’s the structure he has made in his image. This is the proof of his system of constant greed and constant eating on other people work without putting effort in and hoping donors or willing investors will fix it all. That is the same way Makerere is run together with the same corrupt acts as the State House. But if the discipline is coming back with water-canons and tear-gas from the Yoda of Uganda Kayihura, than President Museveni is wrong. He has already let the facility not caring for their staff for 9 months. Not cared and not payed, not show interest in the ones actually educating the future Uganda. This proves how badly wrong the Government is run. Not only is Mulago as a hospital failure as proven over the recent months and now the second has grand issues Makerere.
The one that is the grand indiscipline walking ATM who sometimes eats of others plate, is the President Museveni who has only the Police as his friends to clear the fire. Not like he is real diplomate, he is now used to paying off men and woman as he does in the Parliament to get legislature through the Preliminary Sessions. Now, he has to fix the lacking payment of the Makerere…
It is not indiscipline or childish to react to lacking pay, it is childish to complain to the men and woman who has worked and not gotten their deserved ends. The ends never came as they we’re diverted instead of being allocated correctly. So it is time for President Museveni to go-off his boda and lead brigades with honour and bravery, actually talk and not just fire tear-gas. Firing tear-gas at innocent civilians is easy, it’s harder to negotiate with people who have already been bushwhacked; he has already stifled them and let the institution staff in the wind.
If Museveni we’re serious he wouldn’t close it, but find some of the same “Save-the-friends” of the Junta fund that he used to the bailout of Crane and all the other companies that Gen. Salim Selah is connected too. We can all wonder why he doesn’t want to give and honour the pay of his civil servants at Makerere. That shows that he is a coward who cannot talk and has to braze the gun. Peace.

The Directive from the President of the Republic of Uganda to Close our University is greatly damaging, harmful and unbearable. The President in exercise of his powers may have not been accorded the required advise on what the consequences of his action could be. Makerere University needs to be Open
It should be noted that whenever the University Management, MUASA and Government fail to harmonize their position, it’s the Students and our Parents that suffer. We also note that these continued interruptions have now got a ripple effect towards the reputation of Makerere University globally.
As the Students Guild, we are saddened by this decision and have not agreed to it. The Directive has come with a very unbearable cost to the University, Students, our Parents and Guardians, Development Partners, Researchers and Africa as a Continent.
Pursuant to the provisions of the Constitution of the Republic of Uganda Article 30 which guarantees our right to Education, We have petitioned the Minister of Education and Sports demanding immediate opening of the University to avoid gross damages to our students.
We are also seeking remedies for the damage caused to all students. Therefore we are preparing to sue all stakeholders and have them compelled to compensate Students for the damage they have suffered.
Roy SSEMBOGGA
Guild President, Makerere University.