Mzee is missing a “Presidential Handshake” to maintain the Presidential Jet!

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Long live the almighty President Yoweri Museveni, who can spoil his fellow cronies and mismanage funds in a splendid way that even his Presidential Jet is lacking funds. He is the only Executive and President who has this capacity and this arrogant ignorance to pull this one off without any consideration to the current state of the economy or the implications of where the funds has to be taken from. There are certain lack of fiscal policies and holding procedures as the constant scrutiny from Auditor General and other Government Officials are steady on the allocated funds used without supervision or proof. Therefore a Presidential Jet and Helicopter at the State House budget is not overwhelming, it is more of the same. Apparently, the maintenance of the Jet and Helicopter is underfunded and need to get money.

As the Parliament Watch so wonderfully stated today:

“State House is seeking for Shs 6.2 billion shillings to facilitate routine maintenance of the presidential jet and helicopter. State House Comptroller, Lucy Nakyobe, while presenting the institution’s budget for the 2017/2017 financial year before the Presidential Affairs committee on January 23, 2017, told legislators that the current budgetary estimates are meager to fund maintenance of the chopper and jet. Nakyobe presented the budget before the committee, in which under unfunded priorities, Shs 4.6 billion is provided by the Ministry of Finance, out of Shs 10.8 billion budgeted for by State House. Committee chairman, Fred Mwesigye acknowledged the need for money to maintain the presidential jet to be provided. “These machines must be properly maintained so we need to get the money,” Mwesigye said” (Parliament Watch Uganda, 24.01.2017).

Certainly, the President needs to shake his own hands and find the needed funds. Because there are apparently enough there to pay the cronies and “winner” of the Heritage Oil and Tullow Oil drilling tax case. Still, there is not enough to buy parts and fuel for the Presidential Jet. Which is ironic that it is about the same amount of monies that are spoiled on the Presidential Handshake. If the President was wise he would see this malfunction, but I think he rather take monies from a ghost-SACCO or ghost-NAADS than actually take the ill-given funds to his own Presidential Jet.

President Museveni surely would be reckless to take the funding from Health Care and allocations there, as the state of Ministry of Health is dwindling, not only with fires, but also with lacking medicine and procured machinery for their treatment. It is reasons why the rich and the elite fly abroad to salvage their health. Still, the State House really needs money for this plane, they do not want to be in charge when the Presidential Jet falls from the sky and the reason is a knock-off unit from a Ukraine Airplane instead of the real-deal fresh from the factory without any defects or even been used in 10 planes before.

We can surely see the headline: “Museveni dies in Plane Crash: Cheap parts for the wings are the reason for the crash”. First line of the article reads: ‘Let us wait for the black box to determine outcome of preliminary results of the crash-site, which is look after by the Police and Interpol’. That would be dangerous and misgiving that the lack of oversight was the reason for the technical deficiency because of his own Presidential Handshake. That the President are his own worst enemy, the sole reason and sole candidate for the lacking funds to his own airplane. Sounds like a bad movie, but still very real.

President Museveni has a Presidential Jet that lacks funds, that lacks maintenance and needs new fresh funds. Certainly all he needs is a Presidential Handshake! Peace.

Motion for a Resolution of Parliament to Investigate the Circumstances under which Rewards were made to 42 Public Officers for Winning the Tax Arbitation Case between the Government of Uganda and Heritage Oil and Gas (09.01.2017)

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Food Insecurity still high in Uganda

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There are certain aspects of governance that is still weak in Uganda, as the Food Insecurity in major parts of the Republic is still high. The knowledge of the Famine and lacking food in big regions of the Cattle Corridor and Northern Uganda; the pastoral areas have been hit hard after the El Nino and the draught. This has left many small-farmers behind and left their crop to die on the fields. This as the lacking irrigation and building of proper wells has also stopped the constant use of water. Therefore what the Hon. Vincent Bamulangaki Ssempijja, the Minister of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries has some words to say. Here are the important aspects of the findings of the Ministry and how the lacking levels of food is reported from him.

Falling Crop Levels:

“The Food Security Analysis done by MAAIF in collaboration with other stakeholders in July 2016 indicated that at national level, the country experienced an average crop loss of approximately 40% for pulses (beans, groundnuts, peas) and 80% for cereals (maize, millet, rice, sorghum) from the first season harvests. The most affected crop was maize”(Ssempijja, P2, 2017).

Food Crisis:

“Colleagues the latest Food Security situation (2nd November, 2016) that was a result of rigorous scientific analysis indicated that the most affected areas are the districts that lie in the cattle corridor, stretching from North Eastern up to South-Western Uganda. This information was later confirmed by the follow up of the National Food Security Awareness Campaign that was undertaken by Inter-ministerial teams led by Cabinet ministers and/or Ministers of State and coordinated by the Prime Minister in late November 2016. The sub regions of Karamoja, Teso, Lango, Acholi, Bukedi, West Nile, Parts of Busoga and most districts along the Cattle Corridor including lsingiro, Kiruhura, Rakai, Ssembabule witnessed massive crop failure, leading to little or no harvest. This has resulted into the food crisis we are experiencing” (Ssempijja, P: 3, 2017).

Market Price on Food on the rise:

Harvests of cereals, Matooke, bananas, cassava, sweet potatoes, Irish potatoes and beans are on markets but the supply is low and the demand both domestically and regionally (Rwanda, Kenya, Burundi, Southern Sudan, DRC-Congo, Tanzania, and Central African Republic) is high. Market prices for all food commodities have increased” (Ssempijja, P: 3, 2017).

Current affected areas with mass food insecurity:

“The current estimates however, indicate that 25% of the population in lsingiro District are in an emergency phase of food insecurity; meaning they access half a meal or nothing at all in a day” (…) “65% of the population in Karomoja sub region are in a crisis phase of food insecurity; meaning they access one meal or half a meal in a day” (…) “35% of the population in the districts of Katakwi, Amuria, Kumi, Bukedia, parts of Serere and Kaberamaido are in the same phase with Karamoja sub region (Crisis); meaning they access one meal or half a meal in a day” (…) “50% of the people of Koboko, Yumbe, Moyo, Maracha, Arua, Zombo.Nebbi, Adjumani, Amuru, Nwoya, Gulu, Pader, Lamwo, Kitgum, Agago, Soroti, Ngora, Amolatar, Pallisa, Buteleja, Rakai, lsingiro and Tororo are in a stressed pahse of food insecurity; meaning they access one and half meals in a day” (…) “the total population that was in need of relief food, as of November, 2016 stood at about 1,300,000 people (the sub regions of Karamoja, Teso , Lango, Acholi, Bukedi, West Nile, Parts of Busoga, lsingiro, Bukomansimbi, and Kalungu)” (Ssempijja, P: 5, 2017).

Allocated funds to Food Security:

“Note the need to continue providing Food relief by the Ministry of Disaster preparedness costed at 52.65 billion to the affected families, this was already alluded to by the District Local governments during the recently concluded food security awareness campaigns” (…) “Note the need to re-allocate and frontload funds from the NAADS Secretariat/OWe equivalent to UGX 26.63 Billion to avail quick maturing food security planting materials such as: maize, beans, cow peas, cassava and banana suckers to rehabilitate destroyed plantations (especially to farmers in lsingiro district) in season one of 2017 as soon as the rains are established” (Ssempijja, P: 9, 2017).

The regions that are hit says a lot of the lacking resources and the government programs that are supposed to control, the worst hit areas are still in Isingiro and Karamoja regions. The other ones those are also hit, but not as bad in Katakwi, Amuria, Kumi, Bukedia, Serere and Kaberamaido. These shows the level of food insecurity, but the final number dropped from the Minister shows the amount of people who are need of food relief, they we’re 1,300,000 people. That is the people of the Republic. This is happening as the food prices are souring as the food insecurity is happening in the nations around Uganda. So they are not in a secure vacuum, the need of food relief around Uganda is also growing.

Therefore the draught and death of the pastoral farming is showing the lack of government support to crisis. Certainly there are needed allocations and institutions to bring the needed relief and also revive the agricultural use of water and also systems to secure the citizens. This is what the Ugandan Government is missing. To keep food stocks and secure that the citizens, the farmers are sufficiently harvesting and securing their fields for any sort of changes. Peace.

Reference:

Ssempijja, Vincent Bamulangaki – ‘Statement on the Food Security Situation in the Country’ (09.01.2017)

Burundi: Célestin Ndayizeye est nommé Ministre de l’Eau, de l’Environnement, de l’Aménagement du Territoire & de l’Urbanisme (23.01.2017)

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Uganda: Government Statement on M23 Rebels (19.01.2017)

Somali National Army training at Bihanga Military Training School, Uganda
Somali National Army training at Bihanga Military Training School, Uganda

The Uganda Government would like to inform the public and the international community that the M23 rebels that have been cantoned at Bihanga Military Training School in Ibanda District since the Agreement of 2014 have been quietly escaping into the general public and some to unknown places.

Last night, the Uganda Security intercepted four (4) vehicles at Mbarara that were carrying 101 former M23 combatants who were travelling on their way to Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

These had disguised themselves as ordinary travelling passengers upon interrogation, it was established that they were part of the M23 former combatants who had been cantoned at Bihanga Barracks. These were stealthily leaving their gazetted place of abode contrary to the Agreement of 2014 and the protocols signed with the DRC Government.

Consequently, they were apprehended and are now being detained at Makenke Barracks, the second division Headquarters near Mbarara town. These 101 were following an earlier group of 40 that were discovered to have escaped seven (7) days ago and their whereabouts are not known.

Uganda would like to inform the public and international community that currently there are 270 former M23 combatants still cantoned at Buhanga.

We would like to restate our commitment to live by the agreements and obligations that were entered into in 2014.
Uganda will not and does not support any armed activities to distabilise the Democratic Republic of Congo.
We invite the media and observers to go to Makenke and conduct their own verification of these 101 former M23 detainees

Ofwono Opondo
Executive Director Uganda Media Centre and Government Spokesperson

CJ Bart Katureebe – “Protest Note against the Suffocation of the Work of the Legislature by some Elements in the Civil Service” – ‘His defence of the #PresidentialHandshake’ (13.01.2017)

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Mzee defends his “Presidential Handshake”

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“Do not malign the good people. You know i will defend them because I am the one who gave them the money. You are abusing them, I do not want to hear that anymore.” – President Yoweri Museveni (Daily Monitor, 19.01.2017)

We know by now that you are corrupt and keep your cronies satisfied with crony capitalism and loyal services rendered through paychecks instead of good governance and accountability. Since that has not mattered since 1986. What matters is loyalty to you first and then the knowledge that. That pays off!

They could be similar to Mother Theresa, Jesus and all the other good people, but it is the principal that they get a payout for serving their nation and their republic. That because the Republic won a case against a Petroleum and Oil Drilling Company, which justify the means of transactions to various accounts of different civil servants and leaders in government institutions. It is not abusing them; it is questioning the reason for the increased salary as an effort of awarding without practical procedure. That is what counts Mr. President.

I know it is a hard concept for you to grasp as you see the public coffers and taxes as free fund to salvage as much wealth as possible while you are breathing and leave behind as much property for the next generation of the clan of Museveni to live happily until oblivion. Therefore, a few extra shillings is a small bargain in the end.

I understand why you do not want to hear more about it, it makes you look like a fool. As a fool who allocated funds without proper procedure and spent unwise tax-money that in effect. It seems like a chaotic situation, where you are orders a cash-bonanza. A cash bonanza of free government funds ending up in the pockets of loyal cronies. These funds could been used on government institutions or payed ordinary civil servants salaries. Instead, they are inappropriately gave away to the fellow loyalist in disregard of the public. So I understand why you don’t want hear about that anymore, just like you are happy that people have forgotten about CHOGM monies and other sagas of theft from your administration. Because there are enough tales of maladministration and corrupt behaviour when your been in-charge of steering the wheels. It is well-known and common practice. What was not known before this was that the knowledge of “Presidential Handshake” as a common thing? Certainly, what was we could not know was that you sanctioned these handshakes and gave them away as a rewarding system to keep men and woman loyal to you?

So now matter who you gave this money too. The issue is not the people who got the money. They are “innocent” to a certain degree, but your act of doling the monies away with no regard of the citizens. That is the insulting part of your handshake. That the people have so little value compared to your highly paid elite. If you cannot see that issue, you cannot see anything, because that blinds your efforts and acts of accountability. Which is not something you have flexed since coming into power in the 1980s. Accountability and Transparency is two things you hate… we know it and so do you know very well. Peace.

Mzee gives the government officials double or triple salary rises in the Ministry of Public Service!

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A letter dated from the 12th January 2017 from the Ministry of Public Service is estimating the current salaries and then the new salaries of certain civil servants. These are interesting as the first one mentioned in this letter where the salary of the Chief Justice Bart Mugunda Katureebe who had a salary of 11,560,150 UGX per month in 2016. But from now on he will get the double salary of 20,000,000 UGX per month. Certainly it is service rendered for the positive judgement and also accepting the rigged election results. This means by a full year wage as CJ will earn UGX 260m.

The other lucky guy who gets new pieces of gold every month is his underling, the Deputy Court Justice Stephen Kavuma went from a decent 10,532,581 UGX per month to the gracefully 18,000,000 UGX per month; which is very close to the double salary for his acts against defiance and proven loyalty to the regime. DCJ would then earn in a year’s salary UGX 116m.

Then you have one who walks in the shadow who also got a decent pay rise John Mitala, the Head of Public Service goes from earning 4,952,059 UGX in 2016 to earn the loads of 17,600,000 UGX. Mr Mitala surely has worked his loads of paper to be so well compensated the year after the elections. He gets his new salary increase which can be calculated up to a triple of what the current one is, that means that his current new yearly salary will be about UGX 211m.

Under the well paid Mitala, there is the Deputy Head of Public Service Vincent Opio-Lukone who also deserves recognition it seems by the regime. His meagre monthly salary until now has been UGX 4,099,486. So the government will give him better conditions for his hard work and labour so they raise the salary up to UGX 15,500,000 per month. That means the Deputy Head of Public Service earns per year UGX 186m.

So when all of these men has gotten their pay rise and the key civil servants under the State Minister and Minister of Public Service, the Permanent Secretary Catherine Bitarakwate Musingwiire deserves a rise from the meagre monthly pay UGX 3,768,835. So the Secretary gets a salary to the levels of UGX 15,400,000 per month. Yearly salary will that will be UGX 184m!

So we can see that the National Resistance Movement (NRM) and President Museveni can afford to pay handsome wages to loyal cronies as the “Presidential Handshake” make him dole out more funds on his allies. The regime does what it can to pay for loyalty. This is happening while the government are getting more in debt and troubles with interests on those loans. That is certainly a evil spiral of bad spending government funds. Peace.

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Opinion: On the day ECOWAS forces are fighting for the Gambian Democracy; What if other Regional Bodies like EAC, IGAD or SADC did similar in their regions?

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In this days we see the strength of one collaborate effort from Economic Community Of West African States (ECOWAS), which has the strength of the Nigerian Army and other ones in the unity. The trading partnership of these nations involved in the regional group are now showing strength by supporting the The Gambian Republic and their wish for a change of an executive as they have put a joint operation from Senegal to invade and put the newly elected President Adama Barrow. The President, the incumbent Yahya Jammeh doesn’t want to step down, even as his army are filled with deserters and his loyal ministers who have resigned. Soldiers are even said be to be staying in the barracks instead of being in the field battling the joint operation. The others have fled to Senegal if they we’re legal counsel or minister, where the President-Elect where Barrow are sworn-in today.

What we should wish if there we’re other regional efforts who cleared the way and paths for nations to be free from their dictators and leaders who don’t stepdown. This would be a step up for international bodies where they actually have the ability to do something quickly without too long procedures. The United Nations Security Council and the African Union Peace and Security Council usually tend to use to long time to be able to fix it or even get voted mandate to engage in the troubled nation.

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Gambia has had an election and now the ECOWAS have their army besides the borders. This is happening as the reports from Banjul hasn’t been hopeful as there still Presidential Guards around the Mansion of Jammeh today. The capital is also said to be a ghost time as the fear of the coming ECOWAS army arriving with the newly elected President. If they will come they will bring something new to Democracies around the world. That with or without mandate from the United Nations; the Regional Effort would deal with a thieving of a nation from one man. There reports that ECOWAS are sending the fighter jets over Gambian land, to prove that their behind Barrow and not Jammeh. This proves their will of standing behind the will of the citizens of Gambia. The warships have also blocked the waterways out of Gambia, so the incumbent should feel fenced in.

So what if these we’re common acts when people stole power and wouldn’t leave the Republic’s or nations. Like if Southern African Development Community (SADC) had gone in after the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) and opposition presidential candidate Morgan Tsvangirai won the election over incumbent Zanu-PF leader and President Robert Mugabe in Zimbabwe in the year of 2002; that after a fraudulent election where the incumbent did ballot stuffing and other tricks to secure mandate for another term. If SADC had been honest and had military power they could have come with a joint operation of armies of Angola, South Africa, Botswana, Tanzania and less battalions from the other representative nations. As they would be stationed in South Africa and covered the borders with jet planes and tanks to settle grievances between a rigged election and the citizens who demands democracy in Zimbabwe.

Just as we could wish Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) would do something when they have lingering Presidents in power, which they would use their levels of experience and armies to prove that the people’s wishes should matter. The IGAD could have used their forces on the border and taken acts against civilians as acts against humanity, where the IGAD structure would shield their people like in the Republic who has the headquarter in Addis Ababa, so that means that Djibouti, Eritrea, Sudan and South Sudan would have armies besides the border for the violence and killings in Oromia and Amhara in 2016. The same would be for the Kenyan, Ugandan, Sudan and Ethiopian who would act against the civil war and killings inside South Sudan. The same as people have been claimed that President Museveni has cheated himself into power and therefore an illegitimate government. This is something that could have happen and has already happen; would the IGAD act upon it?

Than we have the Eastern African Confederation (EAC), which is based in Arusha in Tanzania. That one has the co-operation between East African Countries. If this one really cared about invalid and illegitimate elections would the EAC have voluntarily sent troops to Burundi to stop the internal bloodshed and the assault on liberties; as the illegitimate government of President Pierre Nkurunziza came into power through a farce of an election in 2015! This could also been done from the EAC when we are thinking of the acts of the TGoNU in South Sudan as the violence escalated in 2016 after they had become a member state in the EAC. That would be of legitimate concerns and not with monetary gains as the UPDF went into the Republic to shield President Salva Kiir Mayardit before the new peace-agreement with him and Dr. Riek Machar. This time around they could go in shield the nation from both parties as they are victims of a power struggle against SPLM and SPLM-IO.

Nigerian Army in Senegal 18.01.2017
Nigerian Army in Senegal 18.01.2017

So the SADC, EAC and IGAD doesn’t have the reach or the wanted play to stand by the citizens, it’s more like it is a Presidents clubs where they can lounge and drink tea abroad. They should be unites and cooperation for the benefit of all the member states and their citizens. These ones shouldn’t just be for general trade and infrastructure projects between the nations. If they would be functional they would serve the people when needed. Still, this is a dreamful wish. Not that I wish them to have functional army, but joint operations like the one in Gambia happening today in the favour of the winning President Barrow. We should hope for more of these engagements and operations to besiege an already illegitimate regimes in nations, where the neighbours and the cooperatives their parts of are taken matters into their own hands. This is ten times better than when the United States, France, Germany or United Kingdom is sending their mercenaries to overpower and to overthrow a foreign power. This acts of today in Gambia, will not be seen as a neo-colonial relic put into our present day, instead it will be remembered for the collective effort of fellow nations on the continent acting on their own will and for the best of the Gambian democracy. That is rare and hopes for the best of humanity, not the last as the citizens of the world deserve a fair beating of the tyrants who clings to power. Peace.

OAG Muwanga reports that the Local Government misuse of public funds, while Court Awards are going unpaid!

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Parts of this has been reported before, but that was as reports of the coverage from Parliament as the Auditor General John Muwanga we’re attending preliminary sessions and delivering OAG Report of 31st December 2016, which is the end of year report from the OAG. That one has stories to tell. Parts of this are known, but they are proving that words in Parliament had other numbers than the report that is released later on online. Still, the vast waste of funds and the unallocated or unaccounted funds proves questionable use of public coffers in the Local Government, the districts, parish and municipalities. These funds are important that is well spent and accounted for, because the funds are supposed to go to local government salaries and investments for the citizens. Therefore the mismanagement of this is thieving or maladministration from the civil servants or the locally elected officials. Take a look!

Outstanding Court Awards:

“Government had outstanding amounts in court awards, compensations and other liabilities totaling to UGX.684Bn as at 30th June 2016. The outstanding amount in Court awards and compensations has been accumulating over the last five financial years raising from 54Bn to now 684Bn. I observed that as a result of government’s failure to pay these court awards on time, the awards have accumulated interest and in some instances the interest has exceeded the principal award. As at the close of the year outstanding interest had accumulated to UGX.175.3Bn” (OAG, P: 12, 2016).

Local Government issues:

“The amount is comprised of UGX .1.310Bn which lacked procurement files, UGX.21.225Bn where there was breach of procurement procedures, UGX .4.695Bn involving inadequate contract management and UGX.0.315Bn of unauthorized contract variations. Conse­quently, it becomes difficult to ascertain whether value for money was achieved” (…) “Expenditure amounting to UGX.3.896Bn was identified as funds unaccounted for. Consequently, I could not confirm that the funds were utilized for the intended purposes. The delayed submission of accountability may also lead to falsification of documents resulting into loss of funds. This was caused by failure of Accounting Officers to enforce accountability controls and lack of an advances ledger to monitor advances” (…) “Regulation 32 of the Local Governments Financial and Accounting Regulations, 2007 requires Councils to ensure collection of all budgeted revenue in an approved manner. Review of revenue performance revealed significant under collection of Local revenue in 161 Councils amounting to UGX.17.165Bn” (OAG, P: 31, 2016). “Out of 307 Local Governments, 148 entities representing 48% of the Local governments lacked land titles for the land where council properties are located. There is a risk that council land is exposed to encroachment and disputes which later leads to litigation in courts of law arising from land disputes between the Councils and the Communities” (OAG, P: 33, 2016).

Here you can see the numbers and it is dozens of Presidential Handshakes, the handshakes of the President could go unaccounted for a dozens of times. That the Government have learned from the Parliament and Central Government is clear, since this is rampant and seems to indicated in many local governments. It cannot be okay that the lacking of documentation and of how the monies where spent. Of how and where the documentations went before the allocation of the funds. That shows malpractice and maladministration in the Local Government. Something that is also evident in the Courts, the Courts hasn’t paid out their awards on time and adds extra interests, which the government have to pay as well. Peace.

Reference:

Office of Auditor General (OAG) – ‘Extracts of the Summary of Key Findings of the Annual Report of the Auditor General for the Year Ended 31st December 2016’ (31.12.2016)