WFP stops distributing blended food in Uganda as people fall sick in Karamoja (16.03.2019)

Jajja’s eight time the charm: 2021 and beyond!

This upcoming election isn’t about reforms, isn’t about progress or about the ability to go forward. This up-coming election isn’t about the legacy nor the options or selections of candidates. That sort of ship has sailed, as the Age Limit bill enacted into law. Fixing the 1995 Constitution into the image, which the President needed.

We can all fool say, that Robert Kyagulanyi or Dr. Kizza Besigye have a shot this time. We can all joke around and think that the Forum for Democratic Change, Uganda People’s Congress, Justice Forum or the Democratic Party have a possible outreach to challenge the Movement. We can all mock ourselves, thinking that Norbert Mao, Asuman Basalirwa and James Akena will push the boundaries for this up-coming election. However, we all know that is a lie.

It is not that I am again change, not that I am against any of the opposition parties. I am not, but the cynical and free thinking spirit in me is saying, that this election is already pre-rigged, prepared and settled. There are no bounds for victory elsewhere. That is false-hope, which is fiction. It is political suicide to think that you can conquer or even beat Yoweri Kaguta Museveni in 2021.

The only thing that can conquer him at this point is either that the military, the generals and the ones closest to the army are turning against him. If not its his age and his health that will go into default stages because of his advanced age. Therefore, when concerning ballots, campaigning and all the rest is a farce for the façade.

The façade of a democracy and an election of some sense. That the public are in-line awaiting their turn to throw their ballot into the boxes. Where the party and candidates hold rallies and come with manifestoes and pledges. They all can promise new and fresh days, all new roses and chapattis, not to talk about working out the bottlenecks and getting the country into a middle-income nation. However, how much of a mirage that is at this point.

We know they will do this, will come out, guns blazing and fuming with fire. They all will come as statesmen and nobles, stand up tall and smile, glace at the crowds and mysteriously be gone in the next hot-minute after the polls. Because, that is just what they do. They came all in, but forgotten the next moment.

As that is happening, as the 2021 elections are getting prepared. Let us not fool ourselves. We already knows who wins, who will have the margin in the Parliament and who will have the elective officials behind him. Not because he is the best candidate, neither the second best either, but he is the only alternative, because he cannot lose. Since the system is built on his image and his vision. It is all him and everyone else is supposed to bow down to his majesty, the royal king and this is his domain. The Republic and its citizens are his servants and they should be humble and oblige him for another term. Even if that means his eight shot to strike Royal Flush.

Clearly, the Movement, the President and the whole state apparatus will act like it is a fair game, when its not. It’s rigged and settled before even the ballots are procured. This game isn’t changing anything. This election could have been similar in 1996, 2001, 2006, 2011 or 2015. Even in 1980, but then there was another master who rigged that election. Now, it’s his time, yet again. Peace.

BoU Scandal: Office of the Leader of the Opposition – Recommendations of the opposition on COSASE report (28.02.2019)

Opinion: Katuntu now have to bite the bullet!

Abdu Katuntu got to keep the position and chairman of the Parliament’s Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (COSASE) on overtime to finish a report on the closure of 7 defunct banks in the Republic. He got the lifeline by the Speaker Rebecca Kagada in Parliament in January, as he wasn’t ready to deliver the report.

Katuntu as the MP who ran the committee decided on when to drop the report, which the report was dropped on the 19th February 2019. Now, today the IGG letter of the 19th February 2019 asked the Internal Security Organization (ISO) to look into the investigations and the possible kick-backs for a lenient report, which this was. The Report dropped was sleek, soft and guarded. Therefore, the question of what the COSASE is shielding or didn’t dig into could come into question.

If there was some bankers, some inside Bank of Uganda or anyone else of the Stakeholders of the defunct banks would enforce kick-backs to the Chairman and the Committee wouldn’t be surprising in relations to this is the Republic of Presidential Handshakes. In the Republic where the MPs are paid for voting in favour of favourable bills and motions of the Presidents agenda. Therefore, the initial idea of the IGG fits the state of affairs.

BUT, this is a hit-job, as this is leaked as the COSASE is getting new leadership, as the report has been delivered to the public and to the Parliament. The IGG and AG could act upon the work that Katuntu delivered. Nevertheless, there are more stakes at hand, as there are invisible hands overshadowing, as the cronies and investors, whose could be close to the President could be implicated. That is why the President was so adamant statements about the whole investigation and that it should have been done behind closed-doors. However, that didn’t happen.

Katuntu thought he did good, thought he delivered for the ones he made promises too. He thought with the extended time and promise of leverage, that he wouldn’t be hit. However, the President and his security organization is still on a vengeance. They are retaliating now, because the state suddenly looks into it. Because, the state is trying to save face.

It is weird timing that they are starting to investigate now, as they could have looked into the issues within the BoU before this, as there was plenty of banks closed wrongfully. Still, it didn’t matter then, but now it does. That looks weird and looks like a hit-job.

That Katuntu is now the latest victim… not the last, whose being used, tricked and later discarded. Peace.

BoU Scandal: IGG letter to ISO – Alleged Misconduct of Members of the Parliamentary Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (COSASE) – (19.02.2019)

Uganda Debt Network: Letter to Parliament – “Re: Reject Government Proposal to Issue Promissory Notes USD 379,9M for Construction of international Specialized Hospital in Lubowa (22.02.2019)

COSASE: Parliament of Uganda – “Re: Documents laid before the Cosase by Hon. Odonga Otto and Hon. Elijah Okupa during the inquiry into the Auditor General’s Special Audit Report on closure of Commericial Bank by Bank of Uganda (21.02.2019)

A brief look into the COSASE Report: Digest the lack of due diligence!

Well, sooner or later this report was bound to happen as the deadline of the Parliament’s Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (COSASE) report into 7 defunct banks in the Republic. It had to be interesting to see how the National Treasury or National Bank, the Bank of Uganda handled it, as the Bank have been going around all cowboy and not with protocol. As the proper guidance nor minutes have arrived to the COSASE as the months of investigations has gone on.

As well, the lack of trust between the parties, lawyers and stakeholders itself. Therefore, the report, had to stinking of it, the lack of due diligence and care for delivering proper craftsmanship, where the profession and their ethics are shining true.

Instead the process of investigation have shown utter contempt of honesty and transparency, as documents have gone missing and people have taken trips away, while they were supposed to testify to the Committee.

That is the introduction. Let’s dig into the mess, which was unleashed today on the 21st February 2019.

The committee further observed that there are no documents relating to the post closure and management of Teefe Trust Bank assets and liabilities. This further complicates the process of winding up including resolving claims and some securities still in possession of the Central Bank” (COSASE, P: 9, 2019).

No inventory report was availed in respect of ICB but an inception report for liquidation by the Liquidation Agcnt (KPMG) dated 30th September 2001” (…)”without a proper inventory report, BoU did not know what it was taking over in terms of entirety of assets and value. Accordingly, BoU acted in breach of section 32 (3), of the FIS, 1993” (COSASE, P: 10, 2019).

Sold on the Same Day:

What further the report states is that the National Bank of Commerce was closed and sold on the same day. This being done on the 27th September 2012. The takeover and sale took only 6 hours time and was in convention of the FIA. The same actions happen to Global Trust Bank (U) Limited, which was closed and sold on the same day, on the 25th July 2014. This was also done in convention of the FIA.

While on Crane Bank:

The auditors produced the inventory report on 21st of December 2016 however, BoU had invited DFCU to bid for the purchase of assets and assumption of liabilities of CBL on 9nd December 2016 and subsequently DFCU submitted the bid on the 20th December 2016 a day before the production of the inventory report” (…) “BoU did not carry out valuation of the assets and liabilities of CBL. BUT relied on the inventory report and due diligence undertaken by DFCU to accept their bid to arrive at the P&A. However, the final inventory report was submitted on 13th January 2017. In essence, the final inventory report was never used in evaluating the bid for the purchase of assets and assumption of liabilities of CBL” (COSASE, P: 12 & 13, 2019).

Selling assets on discounts:

In the case of ICB, Greenland Bank and Co-operative Brank, the total loan portfolio sold of UGX 135bn included secured loans of UGX 34.5bn which had valid legal or equitable mortgage on the real property and were supported with legal documentation BUT were sold, to M/s Nile River Acquisition Company at 93% discount” (…) “Whereas the GTB and NBC discount percentages of 20 and 30% respectively appear reasonable, the 93% discount in respect of the loan portfolio of ICB, Greenland Bank and Co-operative Bank acquired by M/s NRAC was incredibly outrageous” (COSASE, P: 23-24, 2019).

Winding Up:

The winding up process of all the defuct banks has taken an unjustifiably long time to settle creditor claims. For Teefe Trust Bank (26 years), Co-operative Bank (20 years), ICB (21 years), Greenland Bank (20 years), NBC (7 years), GTB (5 years) and CBL (2 years)!!! Regrettably, many of the creditors and shareholders have and indeed continue to die” (…) “Due to absence of documents, it was not possible to ascertain whether the UGX.9 1 .22bn used to settle customer claims of ICB, Cooperative bank and Greenland bank went to the bonafide beneficiaries. The absence of documents could among others be attributed to the long delay in concluding the winding up process” (COSASE, P: 39, 50 2019).

This is really just a proof of some of the mismanagement and quotes that proves how the Bank of Uganda didn’t do due diligence. They didn’t fix the issues, neither the work that was needed for the distressed financial institutions, the BoU didn’t follow the laws and statutes. All of the banks seems to be closed without protocol. Without proper documentation, neither overlooking assets and the securities.

Therefore, the Bank of Uganda … have not acted as the Central Bank and having the supervisory role over the financial market. They have surely acted in ill-will and not like they are supposed too. If not, these seven banks shouldn’t been closed like this, even closed and sold within 24 hours. Peace.

BoU Probe: Lukwago statement – “Re: Salient Matters Concerning The Parliamentary Probe Into The Closure of Greenland Bank and Other Defunct Commercial Banks” (12.02.2019)

Opinion: Mzee, its your system that let the Minister’s sleep!

Do not blame people and their attitudes: the problem is not corruption or greed, the problem is the system that pushes you to be corrupt. The solution is not, “Main Street, not Wall Street,” but to change the system where Main Street cannot function without Wall Street.” Slavoj Zizek

That this is an issue now isn’t strange. The National Resistance Movement have run the Republic since 1986. The growing amount of cronies, corruption and filled with useful idiots around the President. The President are clearly acting out. The NRM knows this, because they have made the entitlement, the ones who are eating, but not talented or anything. They are appointed, not on merit, but by either family or loyalty. That is why the Ministers and Presidential Advisors are like they are.

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni knows this perfectly well. He could have sacked all of them. The growing level of the Cabinet, which is about 81 Ministers in total and 146 Presidential Advisors. They can all chill-out, as they can rarely be changed or even sacked. Cannot remember that in a long while. If something is happening, there are some minor changes or they end up in the NRM Party Organizations, like Dr. Tanga Odoi ended up with NRM Electoral Commission for the Primary Elections. That is how the NRM does and the President knows. Therefore, there are no need to overwork or do to much. Because, there are no sanctions or such. Since they are all secured and eating as they are in office under this President.

Many of my ministers are sleeping. They are selfish and only think about themselves. Ugandans know how to listen if they are told the right things, that is how we managed to build the Movement by learning and listening to others” Yoweri Kaguta Museveni while addressing investors during the sixth Presidential Investors Round Table (PIRT) at State House on the 8th February 2019 (Misairi Thembo Kahungu – ‘Museveni: My ministers are selfish, sleep on job’ 08.02.2019, link: https://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Museveni—My-ministers-selfish–sleep-job/688334-4971964-60mn1qz/index.html).

There are reasons why they are sleeping. There are Ministers for small or minor Ministries with Micro-Budgets, where they have a lax mandate or not even enough Principal Secretaries or Organization that matters to fulfil the work they need. The Ministries are inter-connected and doesn’t have the funding or the manpower. As there are so many Auditor General reports, where the open post of lacked hired staff comes up, again and again.

There are so many systemic defects, but surely that is done deliberate by the President. As he offers the most funds to the Ministry of Defence, State House, Office of the Prime Minister and so on. The others are getting less, as well, as the amounts of funds that goes to pay back loans that the state has collected. This is known, as the deficit are filled not with donor funds, but loans, which they are now paying more and more by every year.

The President can complain about his Ministers. But he appointed them and trusted them. He has made their positions and made them responsible. They are supposed to answer to him and follow the mandate the government have given them. The possibilities to do so, are made by the budget and funds given. Also, the strategic and willing to let them develop it. However, the President usually goes for quick fixes and not for long-term planning, as his erratic micro-management style. That is well-known. As well, as the President always blame others, but take all CREDIT.

Therefore, this President is not someone who will stay behind his people, but push them to the crocodiles, if they are not doing their thing or if they become to ambitious. Certainly, the President can complain, if they don’t do enough. He should sanction the ones or give them a carrot to act. Peace.