Uganda: “Re: Media coverage of the achievements of Karuma Project”

#UGBudget17: Half borrowed and a third paid back in Interests!

Today the Ugandan government, the National Resistance Movement finally read the Shs. 29 Trillion budget for the 10^th Parliament. However, it is not necessary the size of funds and all, which is allocated, but the way it is funded. Like “Government hopes to raise sh14.6 trillion in revenues to fund the 2017/2018 budget” (Uganda Debt Network, 08.06.2017). Of the 29 Trillion, they expect to get close to half of that, but the monies has get from somewhere and also be of use. What is left are relieved like this: “The balance sh14.3 trillion (49.5%) of the National Budget will be raised through internal and external borrowing” (Uganda Debt Network, 08.06.2017). With this in mind, half of the budget is adding more debt. So if a nation already having lots of debt and debt repayment, it still adds another half budget. This is a bad cycle of events.

There lets us put things in perspective: “Our concern is sh9.9trillion, which is 35% of the total budget, will be spent on debt repayment” (…) “Amount of money spent on debt repayment has escalated in the recent past now at 9.9 trillion for fy2017/18” (Uganda Debt Network, 08.06.2017).

Therefore, the state and the NRM are clearly getting funds through loans to pay-off their interests. AS the 35% of spending is on interest in the coming fiscal year. This should worry, even if the corruption, misspending of obnoxious amount of funds through the paradise of Okello house. Still, that 1/3 of the coming budget is paid interest on old loans, which are been made by this government and by this President. What it show is the lack of concern of the future and how sound fiscal policies. At this state, the government of Uganda are clearly footing the bill. They are filling in the blanks for where they in the past had happy donors filling the envelopes.

The NRM and President Museveni is overspending and misusing state reserves, as the revenue and the state coffers do not sustain this massive overspending. Certainly, it is visible, also the worry of the running interest rates and growing debt as close to half of this year alone are by loans. Neither if it is local, by foreign or multi-national financial institution does save the fact, that the state has a problem.

That of the coming fiscal year, the state is borrowing half, and repaying that with 35% says a lot. IT says the fiscal policies needs change and it is dire. The state are clearly walking the wrong path. And remember this, there will be supplementary budgets during the fiscal year, that will expose the overuse of funds and needs for more loans. Therefore, they are surely going to exploit the faith in future, without having the funds for it today. Peace.

Uganda: Civil Society Position on Tax Revenue Measures for FY 2017/18 (21.04.2017)

Uganda: CSBAG – “Reducing Wastage and Curbing Inefficiences to Finance our Priorities for the FY 2017/2018 (09.04.2017)

A look into the proposed International Contribution to the National Budget of Uganda for the Financial Year 2017/2018

There are many budget posts in a National Budget, but as there are talk of lacking international support of the budget in the Republic of Uganda. The certainty is that even as the donors are fleeing the National Resistance Movement (NRM) and the President Museveni own way of saying he doesn’t need them. Still, I want to show the world collectively what the NRM government have donor sponsored projects through the National Budget, these are projects and development of infrastructure that the NRM needs to show something after over 30 years reign.

Like take Japan the donor funding to the Northern Uganda Farmer Livelihood Improvement Project in the next Financial Year gives to the project Ush. 31.33bn. also donate funds to is the Nakawa TVET Lead Project got Ush. 4.69bn. Japan also donates to Kampala Flyover Construction and Road Upgrading Project with Ush. 155.44bn.

World Bank itself is donating funds in different ways to two other projects, which is African Centeres of Excellence that got Ush. 13.36bn. and Albertine Region Sustainable Development got Ush. 9.35bn. On the other hand the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia donated to the Construction of 5 Regional Technical Institutes with funds of Ush. 6.98bn.

Belgium has also offered their donor funds into the Ugandan state through various projects, like the Program/Project Support to Improve the Quality of Teaching and Learning with Ush. 11.97bn. also the Rehabilitation of the National Teacher Training Centre Kaliro allocated Ush. 15.16bn, they also gave to Rehabilitation of the National Teacher Training Centre Muni funds of Ush. 15.16bn. another project that Belgium was behind is the Support to the Implementation of Skilling Uganda with Ush. 15.96bn.

The Democratic People’s Republic of China has donated to new development projects in Uganda, like they are donating to Industrial Substations Ush. 91.74bn. they also donated to Isimba Hydro Power Plant Ush. 407bn. and also  Karuma Hydro Power Plant where they have pledged Ush. 1,305.07bn. or Ush. 1.3 trillion to that alone! The Chinese is also involved in Entebbe Airport Rehabilitation where they have funded Ush. 148.13bn. the pledged funds for Standard Gauge Railway will first come next Financial Year 2018/2019 and not this financial year.

African Union (AU) funds to the UPDF Peace Keeping Mission in Somalia with total Ush. 256.66bn. United Kingdom pledged funds to the Road Infrastructure for Delivery of First Oil with Ush. 252.63bn.

The pledged funds for Kampala-Jinja Highway are first for FY 2018/2019, but no official donor or loaner of funds. Therefore the estimated funds come from thin air. What is also relevant is to see that the Funds from Austria and Denmark has been suspended for different development projects. Still, which I haven’t mentioned is the funds from African Development Bank, also GAVI and Global Funds still gives to health care development, even with the knowledge of the rampant corrupt behaviour in the Ministry of Health.

Therefore if the NRM are contemplating that they are themselves giving these sorts of projects to the people, I hope the donors are putting up boards or signs in the entrance or hallways, even start of the roads where it says what sort of amount of funds they spent on it. So that President Museveni or any other crony can take all the credit, because the credit and the footing the bill to somebody else! Peace.

Letters on Karuma and Isma Dam and they “Quality of Work” from the Construction Company there.. Not looking good!

“Karuma dam is going to produce electricity that is four times that of Jinja. These are things the media should focus on and not trivia” – President Museveni. 

There is movement on the Karuma and Isma Dam. Now are the two letters that are clarifying the situation and the works of the dam. I have said one or two words about it before. But I prefer that the letters says it all and express what is needed. This here is yet again a public fueled funding into a massive construction and energy project to prove the ability of the NRM to do something for the state.

Here is the first letter:

Here is the second letter:

Also this one – Energy Officials Ignores Warning on Karuama and Isma Dams, Written on 4th April 2016: 

Energy Infratech, the company said to be responsible for supervising works at the plants says that they have written over 1000 letters about shoddy work being done and the ministry officials seem to be giving a deaf ear, according to Mr.Velusamy Vasu, the Chief Executive officer.

ISO chief, Mr.Balya managed to commission a team to follow up the non compliance and they gave the report to President M7 who reffered the matter back to the Ministry. According to sources from ISO, they found out that the consultant kept raising the red flag to the contractor but Ministry officials kept covering up Sinohydro, and they suspect that they are shy bse there must have been money which crossed hands.

IMPLICATIONS

Should the work go on, we are likely to see a scenario wen Gilgel Gibe 111 dam high roller compacted concrete dam in Ethiopia and critical water passage tunnel collapsed. Should the works stop,there might be high litigation costs and tax payers money will be wasted. Ugandans will also suffer with low capacity of power since our target was 600MW frm Karuma and 183MW frm of Isimba.

We shall also experience constant repairs and faults in the plants. As youth leaders of this country for example Youth League, National Youth Council, what is you input? What is your role? This is a youth project of which you should be fighting for. Why wait for the old generation to plan for your future?

Youth power Research will be carrying out independent audits to all govnt projects and we shall always be giving our findings to the President’s office, Youth Ministry and other relevant stakeholders for action.

The writter is the Team Leader,Youth power Research Uganda,SG Uganda Poor Youth Movement and candidate for EALA.

My short take on it:

I think that is enough about it for now. Peace.

Here are some of the current issues in Uganda; my quick opinion on them without organizations or order; just as my mind is adressing them; from Yiira Republic to Sipi Falls, until the Butabika Hospital and so on.

We all know lots of things is happening as the Police Force is monitoring every movement of the Opposition and closer than ever before. The squad cars and the flying squad is more active than the government facilities in the country. There is only one brain who speaks to motion of the Don, which is Ofwono Opondo who I am soon think is a blood brother of Museveni; because they are two people, but they are argument and ideas are just the same. If not then the Don have messed with the mind of Opondo and made into his clone. Something he did not manage with Tamale Mirundi, but Mirundi is shooting at everybody like a AK47 does, and Opondo knows that. Therefore he sounds like you Don. Museveni, but let’s look at the current things that are clearly active issue after this rigged elections.

Rwenzori and Rwezori Sub-Region and the Yiira Republic it must stain the mouth of Mzee to utter those words. Yiira Republic of the proud mountain tribes of Rwenzori, eh! The one nation resurrected every time there is violence in the area. Kind of like every time Louis Suarez, Neymar or Messi scores the trio of MSN works to perfection for the Catalonian team of FC Barcelona.

The newly insurgents in Kasese and Rwenzori Sub-Region have claimed to work for this Yiira Republic, that preposterous idea that have no substance. That Don Museveni even claims that Dr. Kizza Besigye have promised the locals this, is not true, even Dr. Kizza Besigye says so at once on his Facebook status. And it is not strange, when the Yiira Republic is a made up NRM needed excuse for militia works in the region. To put blame on locals instead of taking in the Police Force who has been killing royal guards of the Rwenzururu Kingdom. But that will not happen, as they are associates and close connected in some ways to the NRM Mafia.

There are some wonder of the word, there is Sipi Falls and Murchinson Falls, and ten there are the Karuma Dam who is not well-made at construction, so before opening the grand project the issue of the construction are falling apart – and that happens from the get-go. That can only be seen as symbolic relic of the empty promises of the current regime. The contractors have not worked well for the state and delivered quality construction.

The Regime have been loose on the money as the UNRA have fired most of their staff recently as the World Bank suspended most of their budget support for their road buildings during late 2015. So there been reported that the Kampala Northern Bypass the new extension of the carriageway was set to cost $2,5m per kilometre instead it cost $9,4m shows the placement of government funds and the NRM Regime let the contractors easily eat the money without any consequence. But hey, this is not a monumental dam, where the construction is weak and not well made.

The Ugandan Government cannot help them to attack Dr. Kizza Besigye of the FDC. He is the main target first for offering the Rwenzori the Yiira Republic, which was made as a suggestion and proposal from the kingpin of Museveni. Second attack on him personally was from CP Fred Enaga of the Uganda Police Force, who claim that Besigye disobey Police Orders because of the Illegal Procession. If you read the Police Bond it was saying a “Illegal Prossession” which I am not sure what is a “Prossession”. If Besigye was in a Pros-Session like skaters usually are in the U.S. then he would skate away from the matter, something CP Fred Enaga should do. Since they have more to answer, as Besigye was illegally under house-arrest for over 40 days, when the laws of Uganda, gives it max over 40 hours! 40 hours is like 2 days in my calculation, and means that the Uganda Police Force have violated Dr. Kizza Besigye for over 38 days and CP Fred Enaga, IGP Kale Kayihura and the Don Museveni should ask for forgiveness for their hatred towards Besigye and the political party of the FDC.

You also have Cobalt 60 Teletherapy Machine have been down for a month at Mulago Hospital Complex at the Ugandan Cancer Institute. And there issues are the neglect and missing funds for the supposed building and procurement of the new Cancer machine for Chemotherapy and happen to be the only one in Uganda, and it has not gotten any new since 1995. There only been slight repairs while the patients are expected to be charged 30,000 shillings for going there. Still, there are no funds for getting a new machine, even if there been steady funds and a procurement already paid for. There is someone who is eating the money that was supposed to facilitate the cancer sick!

There isn’t only Dr. Jackson Orem of Mulago who is working under torn mechanical issues, even at Butabika Hospital Director David Basangwa told Parliament today that their 400m shilling machine broke down last month. But this is just scratching an itch for the ruling regime, as they recently fixed more money, but not for the health care that has dire need for it!

As recently the Uganda Police Force have been lucky for their great work of keeping Besigye under siege in Kasangati and gotten supplementary budget of 34 Billion Shillings in the 2015/2016; then there is the Ministry of Defense gotten the supplementary Budget of 253 Billion Shillings in the 2015/2016. State House because of being broke after using the funds for the Presidential Campaign and buying votes they got supplementary Budget of 21 Billion Shillings in the 2015/2016. This is not enough for the President as he has not eaten enough yet, therefore the Office of the President getting also supplementary budget of 8.6 Billion Shillings in the 2015/2016.

You also have the fight for the Speaker in the Parliament under the 10^th Parliament that is for the Rebecca Kadaga and the Jacob Oulanyah works both to become Speaker and Kadaga as Incumbent feels that she is deserves to be it again. While again Hon. Sam Kuteesa says he doesn’t want the special chair and respected position there. As Hon. Kuteesa are happy to be an unopposed MP for the NRM this coming term. Certainly there will be some action between Jacob and Rebecca as they both wants the Nobel task in Parliament.

There will be happening more of this; because the NRM can’t help not to deliver to other things than to their Executive, their paid elite and again praise the Don! On his quest through the playground and total control of the Government of Uganda and their funds; with his racketeering through the NRM and hope to be not questioned how he does use the funds or take it when he needs. Peace.