Uganda: The Arrested Makerere Students including the Guild President Roy Ssemboga and Guild Clerk have been released on police bond (10.11.2016)

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Famine continues to run rapid in Isingiro District!

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“I am buying a second belt for my stomach in addition to the one for my trousers” says a man in Isingiro, in the district that is hunger stricken, famine and drought.

Isingiro District Veterinary Officer Dr Bruhan Kasozi told a radio that the district is currently experiencing what could be its worst dry spell in a decade.

The continued reports of famine and draught in Isingiro District happens and the Government tries to react, but with very little effect. The relief is mediocre at best, not even well-prepared even as the draught has been steady since mid-year in 2015. The Livestock and water issue is rising, there been reported that 8 kids has lost their life during the recent week because of the starvation. This is the people of district that is in the hands of government doesn’t have effort, will or care to really change the pattern of the famine in Isingiro District. Here is what I collected of the continued situation. Something that is not what it’s supposed to be, the Police still over-react in the nation as even Local Councillors are detained for opening a Livestock market in the needs in the district.

This is happening as the State Minister for Relief and Disaster Preparedness Hon. Musa Ecweru said: “The hunger situation in the country is serious especially in the cattle corridor. We are starting the relief program from Isingiro district because of the magnitude of the problem” (NBS TV Uganda, 01.11.2016).

“The State minister for relief and disaster preparedness, Musa Ecweru, is calling for serious interventions to tame adverse weather conditions causing calamities in the country. The minster said this Yesterday while in Isingiro district where he was distributing food relief items to residents hit by famine due to the long drought” (91.2 Crooze FM, 05.11.2016).

As the reported deliver on the 4th November after months of draught and famine, was this:

“In Isingiro District where famine rages on, government has delivered food aid, each recipient got at least one cupful of flour and beans. There are reports that a number of people and animals have died of starvation” (NBS TV Uganda, 04.11.2016).

Like again on the 5th November the LC2 Chairperson of Kayonza Parish in Isingiro District. Here the locals lined up for more posho and beans… to fill their cups of starving tummies in the parish.

Detained for opening the Livestock market:

The chairman LC 5 for Isingiro district has been arrested and put to prison after attempting to reopen the animal markets that were closed down by the government following the outbreak of foot and mouth disease. He’s been arrested under the orders of the area RDC Mr Herbert Muhangi citing defiance of the district leader. The chairman Kamurari Jeremiah Birungi has been planning to reopen the markets and has been informing the public that today Thursday is the day to operationlise the markets regardless of the central government’s directive and the quarantine. He was found in Endiinzi sub county where he had gone to open the market” (OMO Blaze Media House, 03.11.2016).

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Preparation from the Iqra Foundation:

“Asalam alaykum brothers and sisters preparations for for Isingiro district relief in progress areas to be visted are saa no 260, Rukungiri 278, Mbale 334, Kashariira 270, Mule mâ 480 ….families thanks to Mr Amin from Kotecha family Eng Fahir , Beejay,Fred Kafooko etc now at Iqra foundation mbarara mosque with 20 tones maize flower and 3.5 sugar please send more we are leaving tomorrow at 7 am may Allah the Almighty bless you all”.

Good Donations:

Muslims in Western Uganda have extended relief to several families in Bukanga County – one of the most drought-hit areas. It`s addition to donations coming from various humanitarian organizations. Among the food items, were posho flour, rice and sugar, handed to some 1,700 households” (Urban Television, 07.11.2016).

And you know the draught is serious when the prices of Jerry-cans of water cost up to 1, 500 shillings. Before the draught the price of water in Jerry-cans cost about 200 or 300 shillings. So this proves that the starving and lack of water is striking the prices of the necessary. The biggest delivery are from a NGO and not the Government. So the Iqra Foundation is doing much more than the State, which is really the epitome of this Administration under President Museveni who is reckless policy on his own behalf. This is as the Second Minister Kibazanga

“The nation’s northeastern Karamoja region is the worst hit with two in three people having access to only half a meal or less per day, Christopher Kibazanga, minister of state for agriculture, said in an e-mailed statement from the capital, Kampala. Teso sub-region and the western district of Isingiro are also badly affected” (…) “There is fear if individuals and families do not manage the available food stocks at household levels well, the situation can quickly deteriorate to the emergency and famine stages of food insecurity within the next two months,” Kibazanga said” (Ojambo, 2016).

So the Ministers Kibanzanga and Ecweru are saying that this is serious business and how hard the area is hit. Still, the deliverance of emergency relief has been meagre from the government as even Local Councillor has complained at the rate; still the good news is that the Muslim relief has come. This is coming as the lack of rain and continues draught at the area. Prices of livestock have fallen and the price of water from the Jerry-Cans has gone up 5 times recently.

More on the Livestock market:

“According to Kangwagye, once the livestock markets are reopened people would easily sell of their animals and get money to meet their other needs. Kangwagye told URN that he intends to join other leaders to ensure the livestock markets are reopened. Kangwagye’s statements come a day after Agriculture, Animal Industries and Fisheries Minister; Vincent Bamulangaki Sempijja accused Isingiro leaders of undermining the livestock quarantine. On Saturday, Sempijja accused the local authorities for politicizing the livestock quarantine, which compromises efforts by Ministry to eliminate the foot and mouth disease from Isingiro district. According to Sempijja, instead of backing the quarantine, politicians in Isingiro district are mobilizing livestock farmers to reopen the closed livestock markets. The Animal Diseases Act only mandates the Commissioner in Charge of Animal Health to lift quarantine. Any person who defies the quarantine faces a fine of Shillings 2 million or 2 years in prison or both” (100.4 Hills FM Kabale, 07.11.2016).

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So the continues hunger and issues are coming to the surface as the Livestock issue is not stopping, the management and administration from the government is really weak. Therefore the Ministers are even criticising their government response to draught and deaths in the districts.

What is striking is how the Ugandan People through help is now starting to donate money to get food for the Isingiro, both Muslims and Christian NGOs are doing and planning to deliver food to the needy. The interesting is that the NGOs are giving more than the Government. The report of one cup of Beans and Posho is really not a real relief in the midst of a famine and draught that lasts months on end.

The ends have to come and the state has to deliver, also show plans of progression, if not to talk about new plans of collecting water and serving these communities; which should be priority, this problem where even there when the President and his team went on campaigns in the district.

So the reality is bleak and what is worse is all the men and woman, even kids are starving because of the continued draught. The Famine has to be sorted and the Government actually act responsible to the citizens of the district.

Peace.

Reference:

Ojambo, Fred – ‘Uganda Says 1.3 Million People Are Facing Hunger Due to Drought’ (04.11.2016) link:   http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-11-04/uganda-says-1-3-million-people-are-facing-hunger-due-to-drought

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

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Uganda: Victoria University has not paid salaries for their Academic Staff in October

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Uganda: The list of the Appointed Permament Secretaries in the Ministries by President Museveni (04.11.2016)

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Opinion: President Museveni show’s indiscipline for not being able to facilitate remuneration for the Makerere University Staff!

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“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.

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“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.

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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.

Statement by the MUK Guild President on the Suspension of the Makerere University until further notice (03.11.2016)

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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.

President Museveni suspends Makerere University until further notice (01.11.2016)

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RDC: “Detournementes des fondes des menages destines aux policiers de le Leni/Beni (31.10.2016)

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Kizza Besigye’s document on Police ‘Acknowledgement of Prisoner’s Property’ (31.10.2016)

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