UPDF: “Arrest of Murder Suspects” (21.01.2018)

Opinion: Should we be worried about the power-struggle between IGP Kayihura and CMI’s Gen. Tumukunde?

We can think of the recent days as a visible power struggle between two loyalist to the Ugandan President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni. This weekend has filled with stories and captures of the men and woman behind the Boda Boda 2010 syndicate. A Syndicate and organization who has followed orders of the Inspector General of Police Edward Kale Kayihura. He has supported them and used their services. That is why the leadership of Abdallah Kitatta felt safe, not only as a NRM Chairman of the Lubaga (Rubaga) Division in Kampala. So he had connections to power.

Still that power was not enough the visible actions, the violence it followed has been questioned and people have struggled to believe the reason for having outlaws running the law. That was sanctioned from the IGP. Now, this weekend its enough for some reason. Chief of Military Intelligence and General Henry Tumukunde have now gone in and settled the case with the Boda Boda 2010. Kiatta has even been interviewed after the arrest by Intelligence Security Organization (ISO), therefore, the organization supported by Kayihura is now publicly dismantled.

If this is sanctioned by the State House, then Kayihura should really worry. As well as all the men and woman who is Crime Preventers too. They might be the next group that the state is dismantling through arrests and investigations. Because, this has all been useful tools of the Police Force to quell demonstrations and rallies. Both, has been used for that and the NRM could need to save the costs of having them. Instead of using political means, they could use CMI and ISO to silence them.

Gen. Tumukunde are now using his power to silence the extra organizations of Kayihura. This is happening in broad daylight and Kayihura cannot do anything about it. The men and woman of Boda Boda 2010 that has been used to enforce orders from Kayihura is now going away. We can just wonder if the CMI or the Police Force who knows who really killed Andrew Kaweesi or the one behind the murders of innocent woman in Entebbe last year. Since none of the murders has been solved, they are just a left stain on the Security Forces.

We know now that Boda Boda 2010 has killed for cars and equipment by the released information during this week. Who know what else crimes that has been sanctioned by this criminal syndicate. It is far from criminals to police officers, that is maybe a reason why the courts are extra botched. They cannot see the difference between criminals and the police. That isn’t a sign of hope or of peaceful society. That is destroyed security organization, that has to use military enforcement to stop criminals.

Gen. Tumukunde might win support over this and also shows his strength towards a man he despises. That is known and there been criticism of each other in public, with spats in the papers and even on TV between the men. It is well-known. These men has disputed and also questioned each others methods. Tumukunde is using his good standing with Sarah Kagingo, the NRM spokesperson of some sort, who owns the Soft Power Communications LLC and the Softpower.ug, to spread the positive message of the arrests and actions of Tumukunde. Just check the track-record, the friendliness of Softpower to it all is staggering.

We can know that these sort of stories will make the actions of Tumukunde sound like masterpieces of intelligence, even if the CMI and ISO are doing this as retribution for something Kayihura has either said or done. Because the Boda Boda 2010 was not an for Tumukunde in 2016 or 2017. But suddenly became so in 2018. We know that this is a sign of power-struggle between the two leaders under Museveni.

We will follow this and we should worry if this escalates, if Kayihura will try to take allies and leaders close to Tumukunde for something criminal. Even establish sort of monitoring over his men like he did to Besigye. We never know. Kayihura is surely blocked and under fire. As his supportive group has been taken down by the military and their operatives. Peace.

The NRM continues their evil financial circle, as the state debt grows to 31.2% in the FY 2018/19!

The National Resistance Movement (NRM) have over created a growing the debt. This meaning parts of the Financial Year of 2018/2019 is directly going to repay debt. NRM Regime is clearly paying more and more on the debt, than what they are paying for government services and also interest payment. The citizens of Uganda should be worried about how the NRM is projecting and using their funds, how they are adding debts to pay old debts. They are really disrespecting the wise people and the Republic. Since, they are over the time, not making the economy more healthy, but making it more sick. The signs has been there the last few years, as they are projecting petroleum profits. Even before it hits the ground running. It is worrying, that they are showing it this month in the numbers from the Parliamentary Budget Office.

The Present Value of public sector debt to GDP stood at 27.1 percent in FY 2016/17 and is projected to increase to 31.2 percent in FY 2017/18 below the thresholds of 50 percent stipulated in the Charter of Fiscal Responsibility” (Parliamentary Budget Office, P: 2, 2018).

If you wouldn’t worry that the debt in the public sector rises with 4.1 percent in one year. I don’t care about the charter. When a state is able to make it rise with 4.1 percent in budget year, it shows that the economy is not fiscal responsible, neither healthy. It’s like continue to super-size burgers, when you already fat and having high blood-pressure. It will weaken the system with the continued eating of the super-sized burgers, instead of trying to find a healthy diet. Which will change the blood-pressure and how the body will feel with a balanced diet. However, when it comes to economy, the NRM doesn’t believe this.

Domestic refinancing (borrowing to finance domestic debt) will account for 22 percent of total domestic resources” (…) “Domestic borrowing for purposes of financing the deficit is projected to

amount to UGX 939.9 billion” (…) “Project support will account for 97 percent of the total external resources while budget support will account 3 percent (from the World Bank and part of the PTA loan)” (Parliamentary Budget Office, P: 4, 2018). “Interest Payment projections include UGX 2,279bn for domestic securities (Treasury bills and bonds) and UGX 422bn for interest on external debt” (Parliamentary Budget Office, P: 5, 2018).

This here shows how the state is financing the debt and the repayment. Also how high they are pushing the domestic resources to repay domestic debt. This is clearly hitting the economy hard, when so big parts of the budget and resources is spent on repaying debt. This is all destroying the possibilities, since its taken a giant slice of the budget and using it on debts instead of paying salaries of teachers and civil servants.

This are the numbers, that people should take to heart. Because this debt and the rising debt is eating the budgets. The state is making it grow and is not containing it. That should worry anyone. Especially, the NRM who is in-charge and the President who has created this avenue and has to make sure this get payed. Peace.

Reference:

Parliamentary Budget Office – ‘INDICATIVE BUDGET AT A GLANCE – FY 2018/19’ (January 2018)

It was a late birth for the New Cancer Machine at UCI, Mulago Hospital: The Saga lasted from 2013 to 2018!

Yesterday was supposed to be celebrated, but however, I can’t. Not honestly, not, no, not knowing that this process of procurement and knowledge of possible unnecessary demise of dozens of cancer patients, while waiting between March 2016 to January 2018 for possible treatment. It is insane.

Therefore, when I read crap like this yesterday, when the Machine was launched by Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda, I don’t celebrate:

“The Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda has commissioned the new radotherapy machine at the Uganda Cancer Institute Mulago. This follows the purchase of a new radiotherapy machine after the old one crushed in April 2016. According to Dr Daniel Kanyike the head of the radiotherpay department at Mulago, 80 patients are attended to per day and they suspect the number will increase after the commissioning today” (Sudhir Byaruhanga, 19.01.2018)

Because, I have a letter dated back to IAEA from Dr. Byahagaba from 28th May 2013, where the funding of 325,297 Euros was deposited to the UniCredit Bank, Austria, Vienna on the 22nd May 2013. To start the procurement of a new Cobalt 60 Cancer Machine to Uganda Cancer Institute at Mulago Hospital. However, this has been lost in the story, that suddenly NRM moved swiftly in 2017 and got it ready for 2018.

It might be true that old one from 1995 – finally gave way and broke down in April 2016 before the General Election, the same fall. However, that doesn’t mean, they started procurement and facilitating the funds for a new one. They used longer time and awaited the destruction of the old one, before getting a newer model that actually worked.

They didn’t act quickly or swiftly in this affair. They moshed it together in a stew and hope to get gold, instead they are boiling bones and hope to taste the real deal. It is a mess and was a mess.

Because I still remember this:

“Cancer patients receiving radiotherapy treatment at Mulago hospital may have to wait until next year when the new cobalt 60 radiation machine will be installed, after the old one broke down three weeks ago. According to Dr Jackson Orem, the director of Cancer Institute at Mulago hospital, it may be difficult to repair the radiotherapy machine, procured in 1995, to render efficient results” (EA BIZ INFO, 08.04.2016).

Secondly, when NRM says April 2016, well, Dr. Orem speaks about three weeks before April, that means it broke down in March 2016. So the NRM cannot hold one piece of the story correct. Not even when it breaks down!

Therefore, the promise waited on results because of hardships to make a new space and have a new machine in where the old one was. The Uganda Cancer Institute had to wait and secure funding for a new one, even if they had already started procurement in 2013. Something they should have focused one, before making sure the old one crashed. This has clearly cost lives, since the Cancer patients have not been sent in drones in Kenya. They got some promises to Aga Khan in Kenya, but that was only for a few lucky ones. We can imagine how many cancer patients lost their ability for treatment between March 2016 and January 2018. It is insane, but also the structure and carelessness the National Resistance Movement (NRM) is known for.

So this has been a long await, which could have fixed before and was already in the making. Who knows why the authorities and the NRM didn’t fix it in advance, when they already paid partial payment in 2013. Years before it broke down. It is foolish and nonsense, when this is the only type of this machine in the whole Republic. Then, not being able to for-see its demise.

Well, NRM can think of this a propaganda victory, since no-one is questioning much and just is happy. The public shouldn’t be, because why didn’t they fix it earlier and made sure for a transition from one machine to another? Peace.

SPLM-IO: Response to IGAD Special Envoy – Ismail Wais (19.01.2018)

Uganda: PM Ruhakana Rugunda letter to Ministers – “Restriction on Clearance of Public Officers to Travel Abroad and Authoriy to Purchase Foreign Exchange (16.01.2018)

Burundi: The Ministry of Labor adds stoppage on the civil servants salaries from January to secure funds for the 2020 Elections!

As the Burundian Government, the CNDD-FDD (The National Council for the Defense of Democracy–Forces for the Defense of Democracy), the ruling regime under President Pierre Nkurunziza are clearly gearing up for the Constitutional Change for securing a fourth term and also elections in 2020. Since he had a controlled election in 2015, that ushered in his official third term, which was questionable already. Therefore, creating insecurity and protest. That has led to refugees and to crisis, which is still until today. The Burundian government are really grasping everything and also stopping the any possible progress in the Inter-Burundian Dialogue, since it would mean that Nkurunziza had to step down. Something he is clearly not intending to do.

Today, on the 18th January 2018, the Ministry of Labor or “State Functions” has announced that every single state employee will be submitting their contribution through their salary from this month (January 2018), which will automatically be taken from their salary as a tax. The tax can be called “Contribution for 2020 Election”.

The Minister says this is their patriotic duty in a sense, that this can be seen as stoppage from the payment on the salary, since the Ministry of Labor is making this patriotic duty to secure funding for the coming election and changes of Constitution so that the President can run in 2020. This proves how messed up the Burundian government is. When the Minister for Labor Félix Mpozeriniga have announced this to all public servants, civil servants or government officials.

So we can officially know that Pierre Nkurunziza plans a fourth term, as his party and regime is even adding taxes on the state employees, through the stoppage in patriotic view, as the “Contribution for 2020 Election”, which this is and they are doing it because they know they will not be questioned or have anyone who discuss this internally.

The levy, the added tax and the stoppage is a proof of the plan and we can just await the days of a change of the constitution, so that the Nkurunziza government can continue to rule without any doubt. For the doubters that he would ever leave, should know question their own brilliant mind. Nkurunziza has no interest in stepping down. He will only leave if someone ends his life. Nkurunziza will keep this post until someone do a coup d’etat against him. Because he will change the laws and use the position until he stops breathing. Anything else, is a lie against the narrative he has already created.

That is why CNDD-FDD and Nkurunziza will pursuit anyway necessary to stay in power. This is yet another proof of that, not only interfering and controlling the Inter-Burundian Dialogue, so that the real opposition and the ones who is seen as enemies will be detained, assassinated or flee to exile. That is the state of affairs.

This is what Nkurunziza does and what he wants to continue by any means. Now adding extra taxes to make sure that happens. Peace.

South Sudan: SSNMC – “News of a thwarted kidnapping attempt on SSNMC Chairman Bangasi Joseph Bakosoro (18.01.2018)

UPDF: “Allegations by Lt. John Harrison Obote” (18.01.2018)

South Sudan: CTSAMM Report 2018/03 – SGBV in the Juba Area, Central Equatoria (15.01.2018)