Burundi: Presidence de la Republique – Secretariat General du Gouvernement – Communique du 30/04.2018

Opinion: Museveni has to assign the RDCs new tasks if he see them as irrelevant!

You budget for it. Have like one hour of abusing Museveni and then spend the other hours giving news and educating people. It’s also a problem of RDCs; they are turning out to be to not such a useful group”Yoweri Kaguta Museveni in Lango Sub-Region on the 25th April 2018.

It was through the Local Government Act 1997, the Residential District Commissioners became a thing. Where the specification for their role is set, as they are appointed person with their duties in the districts. The law is saying, that the person is not only representing the President in the District, but also monitoring the District Chairman. Help to coordinate the district administration, advice the chairperson, if this is plans and programs, also inspect local government works. Therefore, the perimeter of the workload is put in that. Other than notify other government leaders and make sure the reports from the district. Then the works of the RDC isn’t put in stone. Not if this the final law and the one that is making the reason for the appointments of the RDCs.

President Yoweri Museveni blasts Resident district commissioners (RDC’s) saying they are becoming irrelevant. The president who is yet to meet District leaders from Lango sub region said RDC are not doing enough to implement gov’t plans as he tasked the technical staffs in the Army to explain the gap in operation wealth creation in the region” (NBS Television, 25.04.2018).

Therefore, I have to beg President Museveni a favor, if they are becoming an irrelevant group in the district. Then, it is time to amend the Local Government Act of 1997. That was a law made 11 years after the takeover in 1986. If not, he do one thing more, but first his own self-praise of the law back-in-day. 

What is interesting that you said this on the 10th October 1998:

For the first time in our electoral history many losers admitted defeat outright and congratulated those who had defeated them. In the past only victory was admissible. Admission of defeat was a giant step forward in the internalisation of the norms of democracy. With the election of local governments, devolution has truly come of its own. I appeal to all the elected local government and the district civil service officials to study and internalise the Local Government Act 1997. The wheels of local governance will move much move smoothly and quickly if those in charge are well acquainted with the law governing local governments” (Yoweri Kaguta Museveni – ‘Museveni outlines achievements’ 10.10.1998).

This is just two decades ago! When he told that everyone shou read and understand the law. The law of 1997, that perfectly states this part, which I will quote. That the RDCs can: “(e) carry out such other functions as may be assigned by the President or prescribed by Parliament” (Local Government Act, 1997). So if, the President see the RDCs are irrelevant, then he have to assign them differently. Something he has power to and the law also states. That is if the President remembers the law he signed 21 years ago.

If, the President sees it fit, he can assign other tasks than monitoring, inspect and advice District Chairman and Government programs in the district. That is very vague… so the steps of the works of the RDCs are to less extent, except if they have a lot of notifications to the Auditor General, Inspector General and the other Ministries to comply with Government Policy.

It isn’t that hard, if the President sees it fit, he can send a letter to all RDCs and assign them new tasks. If that is working directly with SACCO’s Operation Wealth Creations, Universal Primary Education or even just the Police Force’s Fika Salama campaign. All he have to do, is to write that letter or order a decree. Then they have to comply with the assignment.

I thought that the President didn’t care about and only hired empty suits, the long arm of cronyism and make sure the patronage got enough slots, that was why the President had appointed these people. Because their role and lawful position in government is vague. Therefore, he got one thing to do. Assign them more tasks. Peace.

Burundi: CNARED-Giriteka – Declaration (22.04.2018)

Burundi: Ministere de la Justice – Communique de Presse (24.04.2018)

The Creations of districts: Shows growing expenditure, not only at Parliament, but also at local level!

Local governments are supposed to be financed with 30 per cent of the national budget but this has never been possible; sometimes it is as low as 15 per cent. This continues to stifle service delivery,” said Mr Cuthbert Felix Esoku, the Mbarara District chief administrative officer” (Mukombozi, Rajab – ‘Government lacks political will to improve district funding, say local leaders’ 09.11.2017, Daily Monitor).

Sometimes I wonder, if the government understand what it does, or if the sins of the 9th Parliament is hitting the 10th Parliament hard. Also, that the President is lax on caring, because he wants his cronies well off, just like former Prime Ministers and Vice-Presidents are getting 20 million Shillings Yearly as a Pensions, without the perks they are getting too. Therefore, the silence from them, as they are highly paid without doing anything for the NRM. Their ills and the growing Local Government is costing. Not only in Parliament, but in the districts itself. Today, the issues of Parliament is hurting, but none is addressing the local issues. Which is the reason for the lack of money and needed supplementary funds for the Members of Parliament (MP). Take a look!

Parliament is seeking Shs 3.3 billion for the emoluments of twelve more legislators starting July 1, 2018. According to the parliamentary service commission, the number of MPs will increase from 453 to 465 at the start of the of 2018/2019 financial year when new districts and municipalities come into effect” (URN – ‘ Parliament seeks Shs 3bn for 12 new legislators’ 22.04.2018, The Observer).

I am amazed about the amounts of districts and the rise of cost. This not only the share Members of Parliament, the lack of space for their seats and the possible rebuilding of the Chambers. Because the amounts of MPs wasn’t built for this amount of people at the same time. Therefore, the Parliament needs funds and budgets to fit. That says the foolishness of the new districts in that regard alone.

We know, by recent news that the state cannot afford to hire civil servants to Local Government that as is, and that is without the new enclaves or districts created by the state. That is not just the salary of the MPs whose recently elected, while the Electoral Commission are stretched in getting the by-elections and the MPs their seats. That is just beginning, as the growing debt and the interest are growing. While the Parliament is lacking space and the infrastructure and the local hires are not there.

That the state has under President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni gone from 33 districts in 1986 to about 136/7 after 1st July 2019. Which was ushered in July 2015, a year before the General Election 2016 and fitted the needs of the National Resistance Movement and keep up with pledges made by the President. So every single town is a District and none is inter-connected it seems. Every hill and top is Sub-County. Just the way NRM Regime like it.

In 2017, the Parliament gave a tender about 260 Billion Shillings to ROKO to build a 500 seat size of chambers there. So the payments and monies are there, when needed, as the state can configure and find money for this. But they are usually lacking funds for the civil servants and for the ones serving in public offices in low-level positions. Even not hiring the needed ones in the districts, schools and so on, as there are thousands of jobs that the Ministry of Public Service is not allowed to hire by direction of Keith Muhakanizi, the Secretary of Treasury said there was no funds for that.

But now, suddenly, just like there is funds to athletes, there are funds for new MPs. This is happening as the new possible Social Media tax and also the Tax on Mobile Money. So not like they don’t have projects to use it on. It is all of them districts that needs mansions for District Police Commanders and Residential District Commanders, who all need a palace to live in. Also the need for a local government building and facilities, they cannot run the district from a shack. If that means all citizens has to bleed, that is okay, they deserve this cronyism.

This is the pile of bills made by the amounts of districts, the running costs isn’t just the 3 billions supplementary for the MPs there, it is the new civil servants, buildings and develop these districts. Unless, they want to be ghosts on the paper like schools, teachers, students, refugees, roads and development projects in general.

So, if you don’t see the issues I see, then your either in on it or your just thinking. Its a lost cause, because the President is ushering it in and sanctioning it. This to feed off his cronies and making sure they get jobs locally. Instead of building good districts, he has just chopped them in two or made new ones. So the development and local changes can be made right before elections. That to secure his own candidates for the Parliament too. So for the President its a win-win.

Nevertheless, this has clearly stretched the budgets, the need for public officers and civil servants, as well as more appointed local leaderships. All of these needs salaries and pensions, which means the grows and becomes more expensive with the growth of expenses like these. This is happening at a rate and time, as the growing debt and interest rates are rising. Therefore, the negative affects of it all needs to be put in perspective. However, that is not interesting to the NRM as they cannot question their king, without insulting his intelligence or his will of staying there. That is shown too…

Well, this was a bleak and sad story, but needed this perspective, since the cost of 136/137 districts should be discussed, not only the cost of MPs and the cost of building a new chamber at the Parliament. Peace.

Burundi: Decret No. 100/039 du 23 Avril 2018 Portant Ouverture de la Campagne Electorale pour le Referendum Constitutionnel de 2018 (23.04.2018)

Dr. Kizza Besigye: the President, Uganda never had!

Today is the 62nd Birthday of the founder of Forum for Democratic Change and the predecessor Reform Agenda. Before he became the biggest voice against the National Resistance Movement (NRM), he had joined the Bush War in 1982 and became Minister of Interior at the age of 29 years old in 1986. He has since his fallout with the regime, been a strong and hardworking voice in the midst of trouble since 1999. Because he hasn’t feared the regime, but been a voice of reason in the midst of trouble. Never giving in or giving way, but tried within reasonable doubt to make changes. 

When he wrote the piece ‘ An Insider’s View of How the NRM Lost the Broad Base’ in 1999, which he wrote this: “All in all, when I reflect on the Movement philosophy and governance, I can conclude that the Movement has been manipulated by those seeking to gain or retain political power, in the same way that political parties in Uganda were manipulated. Evidently, the results of this manipulation are also the same, to wit: Factionalism, loss of faith in the system, corruption, insecurity and abuse of human rights, economic distortions and eventually decline. So, whether it’s political parties or Movement, the real problem is dishonest, opportunistic and undemocratic leadership operating in a weak institutional framework and a weak civil society which cannot control them. I have shown that over the years the “Movement System” has been defined in the law in a certain way, but the leaders have chosen to act in a difficult way. This is dishonest and opportunistic leadership. I have also shown how changes have been made to the Movement agenda, and other important decisions have been made outside the Movement structures” (Besigye, 1999).

Why do I post this part today, because it seems important to remember, that he has been on the barricades for decades, that he has stood in the good fight for the rights and rule of law. He has been charged with treason steadily since 2001. It isn’t without a reason, that Besigye is the biggest enemy of Museveni. The reason why he has a record-breaking amount of time spent behind bars, house arrested and abducted by the government. The Police Force knows his home and his gate to Kasangati, Wakiso, better than they know the Police Force Headquarters at Naguru in Kampala. Because, that is partly true. This is not how it supposed to be as a politician, not supposed to be jailbird, but a man of policy and possible programs leading to better tomorrow.

You know that Besigye is powerful politician, who you should respect for his vision and his stamina. When the dictatorship makes the Public Order Manage Act, which is nicknamed the Anti-Besigye-Act. That one was made to give the Police possibility to monitor all political activity and have reasons for arbitrary arrests of the man. This was made to make sure the FDC and other opposition parties didn’t act with disobedience or unlawful assembly. That is something that have been made because of the activities of the FDC and Besigye. NRM wouldn’t have enacted this sort of law, if they didn’t fear Besigye at one point. If they didn’t fear his rallies of demonstrations, the Walk to Work and others. That they had to stop him and house arrest him, as he rallied behind the Defiance Campaign of 2015 and 2016. Even if it didn’t change it all, he still have to show up in Court for what he did. That means, the regime fears his activity and his message.

That is why he should be celebrated. Besigye deserves to be celebrated, a President that Uganda never had. He is not alone in this fashion, for me Paul Ssemogerere and Olara Otunnu could also been people who deserves to be in that bracket of people, who never got reign. Musveni destroyed their chances, but today I am praising Besigye. For his resilience, his fighting spirit and his voice in darkness. Many would have bow down and give-up after being detained, cars destroyed, house raided, house-arrested and charged with treason. Others would have given-up and left for exile forever. He went into exile, but came back. He has run as a challenger in 2001, 2006, 2011 and 2016. His fight is not over, his campaigns are still on.

Besigye deserves credit for the message of hope and change, the message of values and governance of the government. That has been eaten by the Movement and the Presidency of Museveni.

I will finish with Besigye’s own words written in October 2017: “We live in a country that is controlled by guns since independence no leader has ever handed over power to another peacefully. So we are hostages of those who have guns. Mr. Museveni came to power 32 years old using guns, he has kept power largely using those guns. Now he is in the process of changing our 1995 Constitution, to remove the last check which is the age limit, having removed term limits in 2005. If the age limit is removed then he becomes a life president and this process continues” (Dr. Kizza Besigye, 03.10.2017).

BTW: Happy Birthday, Alutia Continua!

Peace.

Opinion: In the mind of Museveni, there is no need for a succession plan, just because…[Insert excuse]!

Again, again and again, he retort and blaze fire to show that he is the only one with a vision, the only one who can run Uganda, because no one else has the capacity he has. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, the one who has run the Republic since 1986. Has to understand, even if it is hard, that his isn’t the only leader capable of running the Republic. Even if his deluded mind is destroying that vision, because everyone else makes mistakes and doesn’t do things correctly, so Mr. Sunday can come in and save the day. That is just how it is, and how it has been. Here is a report of what happen at a National Resistance Movement meeting on 20th December 2017, when the heist of the century occur, as the state and NRM was launching his Life Presidency, though the abolishing the Article 102(b) of the Constitution. Those was the days, and at that day, Mr. President aka Sunday had to defend himself.

According to an NRM MP who was part of the meeting, Baryayanga waited for Museveni to conclude his speech before he dropped a question that made the president lose his cool. “You have talked about so many things, and we would really want to support you on this [amendment] but in all your statements, you are not talking about the transition; when you intend to leave power yet some of us would want to be President of Uganda. When are you planning to retire?” Baryayanga reportedly asked Museveni” (…) “Museveni shot back; “You Baryayanga? You think you can be president? I don’t want to be president, I am only sacrificing myself for you.” (…) “Soon, he was back to the issue of the presidency. “Baryayanga, you think you can be president? You think you can manage my Generals? You? You?You think you can manage my Generals?! You think you can manage Tumukunde, Muhwezi… you? You?” Museveni asked Baryayanga” (…) “The MP remained silent for a while before he responded, “Your Excellence, with your help, I think I can manage. I am still a young and vibrant man, I really think I can manage.” In response, Museveni said, “Unless those Generals are dead, you can’t manage.” (…) ““I used to see [Godfrey Lukongwa] Binaisa posing around that he is a former president. What impact did he create? Then you see [Kizza] Besigye with walk to work…Besigye can’t be president for even three months,” Museveni said” (Kabuubi, 2018)

We can see that Baryayanga is just asking a fair question, that the President is losing his cool over. Like the paternal leader and eternal God of all, the only one that can manage it all is President Museveni. Mr. Sunday, Mr. The Only Man with a Vision. Couldn’t keep his cool and his temper. Surely, it is tiring to defend himself and always runs to the guns if people oppose him. It is like he thinks he is the only one who understand the NRM 27 Guns and the NRM Historicals and Stalwarts! It is insane, but that is how deluded he is at the moment. That he is the only one with the keys and no one else has the capacity or the strength to turn the door-knob.

Therefore, the President had again to back in history, to revisit the dead, because the ones who used to rule is all gone. He defeated them all and never gave anyone else a chance. Succession is poison to the blood-vessels of Museveni. It is like he thinks he himself will become an issue for a successor, he said it with comparing Godfrey Binaisa with fellow man Paulo Muwanga and Dr. Milton Obote, who all shared the throne during the year of 1980. The year and rigged General Election that brought Mr. Sunday to the Bush. Oooh those where the days. Well, he has to go there, to get legitimacy to still sit on the Throne.

Well, if Besigye cannot rule, who can expect you? What sort of rigged paradigm shifting focus of militarism are you implying Mr. Sunday? Why are you so special? There are nation of leaders and upcoming men, whose not Besigye, who can rule and can delegate people. I am sure they have more than enough skills to push the UPE to the next level and actually get proper use of UNRA and UMEME. Something you are not capable of Mr. President.

The issue is that you have created these Generals, but they will not stop following orders if someone else pays and comforts them. Unless, you give them reason to use the Crime Preventers as a militia and start war-lording against someone else who gets grip of power. Because that is the only thing you know, that is why Gen. Muhoozi, has been in the military and ran the Special Forces Command. To learn the tricks you needed in the 1980s. Oooh, you think we didn’t see this coming, did you?

We are not deluded Mr. President, you are and someone has to say it. I am sitting miles away with no fear. You cannot raid my living-room or touch my mind. But I can tell you, its long gone the time of your retirement. Besigye could run Uganda, Mbabazi could have run Uganda, even Otunnu or Ssemogerere could have been a possible men to become successors. But you have destroyed all of them and rigged yourself in.

I think there would be a learning curve and the need to find their way, they wouldn’t run it like Mr. Sunday, but they would be able to administer and to delegate the priorities needed to be Statesmen. Neither, of them got the ability to even try, so it is all just mere say, because we have no evidence. But we have the long history of mismanagement, patronage and rigging from Museveni. Therefore, it is foolish of him now to not try to sway people, that he has a plan for succession, but his EGO and his deluded mind is in his way. Peace.

Reference:

Kabuubi, Gyagenda – ‘When Museveni told MPs; Besigye can never be president’ 22.04.2018, link: http://intelpostug.com/2018/04/22/museveni-told-mps-besigye-can-never-president/

Burundi: OLUCOME Communique (19.04.2018)

Opinion: Mr. Sunday should remember that he spoke ill of the Clergy, not blame the media for reporting it!

President Yoweri Museveni has warned religious leaders against meddling in national politics. He said everybody had a specific role to play in the development of the nation and asked the clergy to stick to the saving of people’s souls. I thought that the role of the clergy was to preach and deliver the souls of people to heaven but not politicking, Museveni said” (Allan Turyaguma – ‘Leave Politics, Museveni Advises Church Leaders’ 26.08.2002, New Vision).

It’s isn’t new that President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has issues with people speaking up against him. That is because in his narrow mind, he is the only one with a vision. The visionary has never tolerated that people has spoken up against him or challenge him. That is treason and that is the reason why Besigye is court-side now and then. Museveni cannot stomach critics, especially not Clergy or Christian leaders, they should all bow down to him. So again, he is addressing the Clergy, but now blaming the media. Because he hasn’t himself blamed them before for addressing political matter.

Kampala. President Yoweri Museveni has warned newspapers against publishing false information aimed at causing confusion. “I want really to warn some of these newspapers that we are here to build our country. As Christians, we work for peace not for discord. They should not make it a business to spread discord,” said the President. President Museveni made the remarks this afternoon at Hotel Africana in Kampala, where he was a guest of honour at a conference organised by the Wekembe Group” (PPU – ‘PRESIDENT MUSEVENI WARNS MEDIA AGAINST FOMENTING CONFUSION’ 17.04.2018).

That is why he is separating them, the Newspapers are now the issues. During campaigns before 2016 elections, he said the Newspapers was trash then too. So this follows a pattern. If someone writes something intelligent or inside information from the NRM. You can expect to be in Court, detained in Nalufenya and closed papers for days, even months. The same as happen to Red Pepper recently and with the Sejusa Letters to Daily Monitor. What is weird is that the Observer hasn’t been touched in that regard.

The President would like anyone to be as submissive as the Seventh Day Adventist President Ted Wilson, who said while being with His Excellency: “work is to preach to the people and show them the right way to heaven and not involve ourselves in politics” (Samuel Kamugisha – ‘SDA President Ted Wilson: Church Should Stay Away From Politics’ 18.02.2018, The Pearl Times). It is a reason why the SDA Church Leader got to bask in the glory of Museveni. He spoke his message and his words. It was going back to 2002 Museveni. That must have made the holy ghost flee the building. Because, this was praising the works of the oppressive dictator who controls everything.

Part of me still believes that Museveni are still in the bush and believes what people said about him then: “Privately Ugandans will only refer to ”Sunday” or ”two-plus-five,” code for Mu-seven-i. Some peasants believe he cannot be hurt by bullets” (William Pike – ‘Uganda can’t seem to crush guerrilla leader Museveni’ 20.09.1984, CS Monitor). Since he still thinks he cannot be hurt by bullets or wisdom for that matter.

He continues to blame everyone else. He is saying the media is spreading false news about him. The thing is, that he has steadily attacked the clergy when they have addressed his shortcomings. Something he cannot stomach. Just like he cannot manage to have opposition that cannot be bought. Those are the worst in his opinion. They should go back to village and work, not speak up and ask for things. That is not patriotic. That is how simple minded the President is.

He thinks he is wise, he think he can be untouchable, maybe because of the 1980s mythical figure he created around himself. If not how he built an army and built a fraud of an affair where he pay off his cronies. Later get rid of them, when he has no use of them. That why he is bothered by the media and the clergy. You cannot pay them all off, many you can, but not everyone.

The problem with Museveni. Is that for someone who has been in charge since 1986, he clearly doesn’t remember what he has said in the past. How he has reacted and how easy it is to find countering statements from his own lacking-visionary mouth.

The first thing the President could do, was to look into himself. Ask himself, what have I said in the past, what could be found in the archives and what would not fit my own words. Before opening up with a grand speech, acting holier than God and thinking you have the answer to life, the universe and everything. Certainly, that is 42, even though in the in the mind of Museveni it is 86. Everything returns to 86.

He can secondly blame the media or thirdly the clergy, but the problem is always him. Because he is the one saying these words and others are reporting it. If he don’t want these reports. Maybe he should be inside the State House or on one of his farms. Not speaking to people or handle meetings, not having speeches and not being interviewed. Maybe then, the reporting would be different. However, he cannot keep himself away from the spotlight.

Maybe Mr. Sunday could wake-up on Monday, smell the coffee and know that he created the issue himself yesterday. I doubt he will, but it would have been healthy. Peace.