Not Breaking News: The Supreme Court Validated the Age Limit Amendment today!

If you ever thought the Supreme Court would allow the appeal on the Age Limit or the abolishment of the Article 102(b) your wrong. The 1995 Constitution is a document that is to change, as the President see fit or as he is in need.

The ones that believed that the Supreme Court would dismiss it. The result 4 Judges to dismiss versus 3 to appeal. Seems more like trying to make it balanced, than it really is. Because, the judges could have just made it 7 to dismiss or even 6, maybe even 5. Since, the result is practically the same. Close, but no cigar.

There are nothing that is changed, only that all legal remedy before the General Election 2021 is gone. The road for the sole candidate of the National Resistance Movement. Nothing will stop him, yet again. Like it is child’s play, which it is. Because, everyone around him plays to his tune. The ones who doesn’t end behind bars for silly reasons like Besigye. That is just life in the republic.

Again, and again, all the remedy, all the legal and Parliamentary steps is taken to secure the Self-Styled dictatorship of the President. In the vision and way of Museveni. If you think it is brilliant. It is not, it is just misuse of state institutions and ensuring one man get everything.

This isn’t validating a constitution or rule of law. This is validating the Presidency and his cronies. There is nothing noble or justification of it. Except keeping the status quo and the misuse of the power, which the NRM and the ones around the President already does.

If you think the verdict of 18th April 2019 is splendid and worth celebrating. Than celebrate the arrests of opposition members, the assaults on civil society organizations, political rallies ambushed, concerts blocked, journalists silenced, radios losing their licenses and everything else that is used to stop the opposition from organizing. It will only get worse, before it gets better.

For one reason, there is less and less reasons for Museveni to play around. He has everything and all laws is in hands. All the security organizations is following his memos and the Parliament is doing as directed. There is no one questioning or stopping him from doing what he says. Even if it failure and foolish.

Don’t anticipate this verdict to make things better. It won’t, it will just give the President all the reasons to continue his run. To continue his persistence of stealing, dealing and killing everyone else seeking office. Ensuring overpower and control. Giving no way. Just being him. There is no other way to look at it.

This is again, giving all the powers to the same man, that has run the republic since 26th January 1986. We could joke, may even say Bosco is out of his mind. But he isn’t, his just using the Supreme Court, like he has used everything else for 3 decades.

He just got the final nudge, the final nail in the coffin. He has abolished the term limits, now he officiated the destruction of the age limit. Who knows what is next, but this man will do whatever it takes to be in power. To think otherwise, is a lie or you haven’t gotten the whole picture. If not you are naive and thinks this is a good. Which is not.

This is validating the corruption, the arrest of democracy and also the ability of others to compete. As it is yet another fixture ready for the victory of Team Museveni. Peace.

Uganda: Anti-Corruption Unit – Request for Your Intervention in the Delayed Confirmation of Officers in Acting Capacity and Irregular Recruitment of Inspectorate Officers into the Inspectorate of Government (20.03.2019)

BoU Scandal: AG Muwanga letter to Deputy Governor of BoU – “Special Audit on the UGX 479bn Injected into Crane Bank Limited by BoU” (04.04.2019)

Budget Bonanza for the UPDF: A possible fresh $100m Loan for Classified Expenditure(!!)

Again, the state is spending recklessly, as the state is already not fiscal responsible or planning to behave like that. Instead of living within the means of the state. They are continuing to loan from either international sources or local ones, to balance the budgets. This is nearly impossible, as the National Resistance Movement and their Supplementary Budgets are breaking the bank.

What is really worse about this is that this goes to secret accounts and secret operations, which the state doesn’t trust to explain or even be transparent about. These funds are supposed to go to a Classified Division of the Uganda People’s Defence Force, the Permanent Secretary and Ministry of the Defence and Veteran Affairs are allowed to spend it, as they see fit. But how is that looking and where is these loans going?

The supposed motion says this:

i. To improve the capability of Uganda’s defence and security forces ; and

ii. To enhance Uganda’s defence and security infrastructure” (P: 3, 2019).

What does that mean and where does that go? It could everything and nothing, it could be more ammunition, it could be paying off rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Who knows, right? Could be training of rebels in Kisoro or anywhere else, as the UPDF and the NRM see fit. That is why the funds are confidential and whatever the UPDF and President see needed is these manners. Because, I have a hard time believing these sorts of funds are spent without the knowledge or acceptance from the high above or within the chambers of the State House.

It should be noted that defence classified expenditure has been growing over time – from UGX 347 billion in FY 20l7/18 to UGX 640 billion earlier on approved for FY 2018/19. This additional borrowing will see the budget for classified expenditure grow to UGX 1020 billion representing 34% of the total defence budget for FY 2018/ 19 (incl. now proposed borrowing)” (P: 3, 2019)

The project will be implemented by the Ministry of Defence and Veteran Affairs, with its Permanent Secretary as the Accounting Officer responsible for managing the supply contract” (P: 4, 2019).

Consequently, this will see the budget deficit grow by additional UGX resulting in growth in Net Domestic Financing requirement to UGX 2,163 billion in the FY 2018/19 from UGX 1,783 billion earlier on approved by Parliament. In addition, the domestic interest cost will increase by approximately UGX 39 billion from the 2,132 billion approved for FY 2018/ 19 to UGX 2,171 billion” (P: 4, 2019).

Here is some more of the information from the Ministry of Defence and Veteran Affairs. Still, it doesn’t say much. Except the levels of debt the state will have, how much interest the state will pay as it follows this possible loans. The rest of the Report, states that the Committee sees it fit to get a Bill on the Loan. Not just a motion to explain more. That should be needed. Because, the Ministry and Minister cannot have been specific on what they plan to spend the loans on. Whatever projects or where ever that might be.

It is not just the Members of Parliament (MPs) who should worry about this, but the citizens as the state are piling up loans for various of projects and even some like this whose a total confidential expenditure. It could be spend on whatever the UPDF or State House see necessary. That can be awful lot. Peace.

Reference:

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON NATIONAL ECONOMY ON THE PROPOSAL BY GOVERNMENT TO BORROWING USD 100 MILLION (APPROXIMATELY UGX 38O BILLION FROM THE DOMESTIC MARKET TO FINANCE CLASSIFIED EXPENDITURE UNDER MINISTRY OF’ DEFENCE AND VETERAN AFFAIRS FOR FY 2018/19, March 2019

Bank of Uganda: Monetary Policy Statement for April 2019 (01.04.2019)

Operation Wealth Creation Handles No Procurement, No Money (26.03.2019)

UPC: Press Statement – UPC Hands Over IPOD Summit/Council/Chair To DP (27.03.2019)

The Judiciary – Uganda: We have not closed any Court – Judiciary (25.03.2019)

Uganda: Announcement of the National Dialogue on Compulsory Land Acquistion (20.03.2019)

Government of Uganda (GoU), World Food Programme (WFP) investigate Super Cereal issue in Karamoja (19.03.2019)

The Ministry of Health received an alert through its surveillance teams on the ground in Karamoja about suspected food poisoning and began investigations.

KAMPALA, Uganda, March 19, 2019 – The Government of Uganda and United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) are investigating whether there is a connection between recent illnesses reported in two districts in Karamoja and Super Cereal, a fortified blended food distributed by WFP for prevention of malnutrition.

On Tuesday, 12th, 2019, the Ministry of Health received an alert through its surveillance teams on the ground in Karamoja about suspected food poisoning and began investigations.

Some 262 people have been affected since 12 March with symptoms of mental confusion, vomiting, headache, high fever and abdominal pain. A total of 252 of those were discharged following successful treatment at health facilities in Amudat and Napak. No new admissions have been reported since Monday 18 March.

Seventy-seven of the 262 people were admitted in Alakas, Lokales and Karita health centres in Amudat district while 185 were admitted in Lotome, Lorengechora, Kangole and Apeitolim health centres and Matany Hospital in Napak district. The admissions took place between 12th and 16th of March.

There are unverified reports of three deaths, one of them at Matany Hospital, Napak District and other two in the communities. One male passed away in Lorengechora,Lookit village, Napak district and another female in Amuna village in Karita Sub County, Amudat district. All the deaths took place on 16th of March, 2019. The Government’s investigative team are in the communities to verify the two none facility deaths.

Samples of Super Cereal stocks and water were taken from the affected areas including blood, vomitus and urine from patients and are currently being analyzed at the Directorate of Government Analytical Laboratory and the Central Public Health Laboratory. Food samples have been sent to a laboratory in Mombasa, Intertek Kenya LTD and another in Johannesburg Intertek Testing Services, S.A. LTD, for further analysis. Preliminary results of the Government investigation are expected in the next 24 hours. While results from abroad are expected within the next 5 to 7 days.

The Minister for Karamoja Affairs, Mr. John Byabagambi, the Director General of Health Services, Dr. Henry Mwebesa, the Country Director of WFP, Mr. El Khidir Daloum, and officials of the Uganda National Bureau of Standards visited the affected villages, in Amudat and Napak district on Monday 18 March, and spoke to the affected people and health workers. The team found that the problem remains localized in only two of the eight districts of Karamoja.

Investigating teams from the Ministry of Health and WFP food technologists remain on the ground carrying out surveillance and epidemiological mapping to establish the associated factors and possible causes of this recent illness.

On Friday 15 March, WFP, working with the Government, ordered the immediate suspension of Super Cereal distributions in Karamoja and the refugee hosting districts where it’s distributed. This is as a precautionary measure until investigations are concluded. WFP is working with district authorities to retrieve all Super Cereal stocks from health centres and communities.

An intensive communications campaign is ongoing, advising people not to consume SuperCereal until further notice. Communities have been advised to observe proper hygiene and sanitation, for example through handwashing with soap and drinking boiled water.

Working through Government health systems, WFP has provided Super Cereal in Uganda for more than 10 years. The current coverage of Super Cereal is at 252 locations in Karamoja in addition to many sites across the 13 refugee hosting districts. Refugees receive Super Cereal in the general food basket.

Super Cereal is also distributed in many countries and has a robust record of fighting malnutrition and protecting pregnant or nursing women against malnutrition during the first 1,000 days of their child’s life. Super Cereal undergoes all the verifications of quality control before being distributed. No previous complaints have been reported about the product in Uganda.

Super Cereal is a key component in WFP’s support to the Government’s nutrition programmes that aim to prevent stunting or life-threatening malnutrition.

The goal of The United Nations World Food Programme is saving lives in emergencies and changing lives for millions through sustainable development. WFP supports governments and works in more than 80 countries around the world, feeding people caught in conflict and disasters, and laying the foundations for a better future.

The Ministry of Health, Ministry of Karamoja affairs and WFP commit to conclude all investigations and share results with the public.

We appeal for calmness as investigations are going on and request the communities to report any suspected illness to the nearest health facility or call our toll free line 080010006.