Opinion: State Minister Kiwanda indirectly saying, the Republic got Curvy Woman for Sale!

“In his efforts to upheave Uganda’s Tourism , Minister Kiwanda Suubi has launched Miss curvaceous Pageant where Ugandan Hot Ladies will unleash what their Mama gave them. Women with Body Curves will get into competition in the name of Boasting Tourism in Uganda” (87.7 Kampala FM, 06.02.2019).

When, the State Minister for Tourism Godfrey Kiwanda, whose been busy appointing different Tourism Ambassadors over the last 6 months. Has now fresh ideas to spark interest and create more tourism to the Republic. However, it is a bit worrying, the initiative and the idea itself.

“We have naturally endowed nice looking women that are amazing to look at. Why don’t we use these people as a strategy to promote our tourism industry?” – Godfrey Kiwanda.

What this really shows is how the State Minister objectifies the woman, the ones of his preferences, as he has proven that with who he appoints as Ambassadors under his ministry. That Kiwanda likes woman is now public. That he enjoys their company and hires them. That is more than proven. The reason why he changes and appoints new ambassadors for various of reasons.

Whatever that strikes his mind, that the Miss Curvy Pageant would be a good idea? Who knows really, but he is already in a Republic with Miss Tourism Uganda and other pageants for international shows of similar kind. What he has created is after his preference and what he looks for in woman.

But what is even more striking is that he is proclaiming, that Curvy woman is a product to sell the Republic. That the woman is a perk and speciality of the Republic. He is indirectly saying their sexiness and beauty is something that will attract tourist. So, is the State Minister indirectly saying, he is looking for Sex-Tourism and the ones going to the Red-Light Districts to solicit woman?

Because, when you make a person, a individual as a product, they usually tend to deliver a service and get paid for it. In this instance, it is disgusting, if that is the idea or the ideal of the Minister. That he wants to use the beauty of woman to allure people, who comes there to get laid. That is how it seems to me. That is if he really claims the curvy ladies should be a promotion tool to gain interest in tourism.

Woman are not tourism attractions, they are not objects for sale. That should be so simple and not hard to understand. Whatever way Kiwanda is looking at it. If he thinks this is smart move, he is foolish and makes his Ministry looking like an open-air bazaar.

Ugandan woman, woman in general deserves better. They deserves to handled and talked about in whole another manner. They are more valuable, than being a promotional tool. They are not for sale. That should be so easy to see and say.

Kiwanda should know this, because he is really out of bounds here. He should apologize and scrap the idea. This is chauvinism and also paternalism at its worst. Kiwanda isn’t honouring the culture or celebrating woman, but he is trading them away for some foreign exchange. That isn’t romantic or even noble, that is demeaning and disgraceful.

Time to step up and take a bow, Mr. Kiwanda. Peace.

Opinion: Rev. Lokodo need to look into Kiwanda’s business – Off hiring and firing Tourism Ambassadors!

Reverend Simon Lokodo, whose the Minister of Ethics and Integrity soon has to challenge and look into Godfrey Kiwanda, the Minister of Tourism. Because, this man is really into ladies. In a way that no other Minister in the National Resistance Movement (NRM) is, except for Godfrey Bukenya whose leaked online photos with younger ladies all the time.

However, this more about how Kiwanda uses his position, not only to promote Uganda, but also handpicks a set of woman to titled and honourable work, like Tourism Ambassador of the Republic. That is what he has been working on lately.

There is already a yearly Miss Tourism Pageant, but none of them there has been hired for post. Which should be a natural thing. However, the Minister having been doling the Tourism Ambassador around. He has been hiring and firing for the last six months.

First, it was Zari Hassan, the socialite was hired and went all around with the Minister to Photo-Ops, even got a famous picture with guards with AK-47s as she was posing. That was just natural for the one and only Tourism Ambassador.

Second, in the middle of January 2019, as Miss World Africa of 2018 Quinn Abenakyo kicked Zari Hassan to the curb and became the newly appointed Tourism Ambassador.

However, that wasn’t as long or with anything memorable done. It was like a short-fling, nothing serious. Just puppy-love for the Minister, who lost interest very quick after the appointment.

As of today, it has been announced, that the busy-body of a Minister. The man, who always has a beauty on payroll. Has changed his mind. The Miss World Africa wasn’t up for the gig of Tourism Ambassador after all.

Therefore, he had to appoint the NBS Television Katch Up Host Anita Fabiola aka Fabiola as the newly minted Tourism Ambassador.

There has been more changes in this position as in any given other institution in Uganda. You would think that this is the most prestigious, the most honourable and best paid. That this what to aim for, as if you want to be somebody. You got to have on your CV, that you were the Tourism Ambassador. That is just it.

I’m wondering, when is Shanita Namuyimba aka “Bad Black” appointed, maybe by March 2019? Or anyone else for that matter?

Seriously, the Minister is too busy appointing these people for this one position. Is that the only thing he does? Haven’t he a Tourism Board and Wildlife to ensure? Doesn’t the Minister have enough Museums and Heritage sites to take care of?

We all know that those tasks cannot be as fun for a man, as the opportunity to bask in the glory of beautiful woman. That must be the reason why he does this and that is why Rev. Lokodo has to look into his ethics. Because, he has now passed through three ambassadors and for unknown reasons fired two of them. Therefore, Simon, you got a task to handle.

For the rest of us. Lets continue to watch the show. Peace.

Bosco, it isn’t UTB fault Tourists sway away, its yours actually!

If it was a different world, the Republic of Uganda could have been a haven for tourists and tourism. Where the wealth could have been generated and also shown the magnificent republic, which it is. It being the beautiful Kabale, the green valleys of Ibanda, the National Parks, the historical town of Jinja or bursting bubble of Capital City of Kampala. That is just for starters. However, the ruining this image isn’t Uganda Tourism Board (UTB), that is what the National Resistance Movement has done with the use of the army to quell riots, to meet opposition politicians and even lack of possible political associations without being arrested. This are the memo’s that get to the tourists.

They know that insecurity, the extra-judicial killings and the lack of trust between the state and its citizens are getting the world on worry. That scares away citizens, as well as the hardships against the Forum for Democratic Change and their Defiance Campaign, while now also using the army every time Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine. These sort of activity will not make the Republic more marketable. As people are worried if these sort of activity will interfering in their vacation hot-spots and make their peaceful existence turned into a war-zone with road-blocks, soldiers on posts and possible police brutality as they visit Mengo or even The Square in Kampala.

“The president said Uganda has a lot of potential from its natural resources but there is a general lack of efficient marketing which falls directly under UTB. “The UTB has not been doing a good job, I don’t know why. You find other countries Which have nothing to show, attracting more tourists. Therefore, that area of promotion is still weak. If you hired me as promoter for just six months you will see the results,” he said. “The UTB and our embassies should market our country’s uniqueness. We must work towards increasing the numbers of tourists visiting Uganda from the current two million annually,” he added” (Nelson Bwire Kapo – ‘Uganda Tourism Board doing a bad job at promoting Uganda- Museveni’ (30.09.2018, link: http://nilepost.co.ug/2018/09/30/uganda-tourism-board-doing-a-bad-job-at-promoting-uganda-museveni/).

If the President and Bosco wanted it to be great tourist destination, why has the roads and the transport infrastructure been not invested properly in, as these projects are big borrowing operations, where the money has gone into cronies pockets instead of road-quality. Neither has there been well thought of planning of transport between the regions or towns. As there is hectic ways of traveling for the ones who doesn’t know or cannot afford to use specials across the Republic. Therefore, the expensive transport across from Entebbe to a National Park is huge cost for anyone. It doesn’t help with posters by Clear Channel across Europe, if it cost a dozens of bobs to travel and plan to do so.

The UTB is not in-charge of insecurity and the state of affairs. It is not their campaigns or their motivations fault for the situation on the ground. That is all Bosco, as he is the head and has run the Nation for so long. He should take charge and take blame. That would be new for him, because he always blames and says other people are not doing their job.

First. Generate trust abroad, than the people might come. If they know its safe and reads more positive stories. But the tourists will not come there, if the Entebbe International Airport is known for being the place, where the opposition leaders are arrested and detained after arriving. That is what the world knows now. Bosco has ordered this and his trying to destroy opposition is known. The torture and the preventative arrests is known. That is why people fear Uganda. They know that Bosco is a vindictive President, without any other cause, than promoting himself.

That is why this isn’t UTB fault. It is the NRM and Bosco’s fault, who has played this all wrong. He has neither made it easier to be tourist or gained their trust. That is why they pick other destinations like Botswana or Kenya for similar activity and safaris. Peace.

Association of Uganda Tour Operators Ltd: Sudden Increment in Rwanda Gorilla Permit Fees (08.05.2017)

Revealed: The Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiques in Uganda have not appointed needed boards for their agencies!

The Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiques came to sort of revelation in Parliament, that shows the lack of governance and institutionalism that is too common in the Republic of Uganda. That the National Resistance Movement has established agencies under the ministry, but have no-one running them. They have not even appointed boards or even have procedures to select the appointments to them. What a special event. Just take a brief look at the assessment that the Parliament Watch describes from the session today!

“The Committee on tourism trade and Industry has learnt that the different agencies under the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities have no Boards. For example, Uganda Tourism Board, Wildlife Education Centre, Uganda Hotel, Tourism and Training Institute. Members have urged the Minister to inform the Prime Minister and the President in the next Cabinet meeting that the Committee will not consider the budget unless the Boards are instituted by the Ministry. Committee observed that it is a deliberate move to control agencies through the line ministry” (Parliament Watch, 25.04.2017).

A definition of a board from Meriam Webster says this: “a group of persons having managerial, supervisory, investigatory, or advisory powers” (Meriam Webster – Definition of board). So the ministry do not at the current state have the capacity to involve people to have a managerial or a supervisory role over agencies beneath themselves. That must be the true definition of steady progress, as state affairs goes, aye?

Like Uganda Tourism Board was already established by 1994. So the NRM has had the time to handpick the men and woman fit for the works and roles, still they have none. So the one agency involved in marketing and promoting the republic as a travelling destination does not have a board. Even the web-page of UTB says this: “The Minister of Tourism Wildlife and Antiquities, appoints the Board of Directors for Uganda Tourism Board on a 3 year term. The Board has an oversight and advisory role over the work and plans of UTB. The Board of Directors is headed by a Chairperson supported by members representing public and private sector tourism stakeholders” (UTB – Board of Directors link: http://www.corporate.visituganda.com/about-us/board-of-directors/ ).

So the Ministry themselves should have the ability to make decisions fitted for appointing the needed personnel, without having the blessing of the President nor the Prime Minister. This is just one of the agencies and it didn’t take long time to look into it, the funny thing was, when you tried to go to the “Management Team” link on page, the only thing coming up on the page was “Bad”. So the knowledge of missing links and personnel is even visible to the tourism flagship page.

That the Minister Ephraim Kamuntu has work to do and people to employ certainly, also to get budget to keep their salaries in balance, as the agencies does need funds. Certainly, he has a State Minster Godfrey Kiwanda Suubi, who must have some insights and knowledge of some heads to collect. In addition, the Permanent Secretary Doreen Katusiime got know somebody fitting the program and vision of the agencies. If none of these three smart and bright, fellow appointees of the President can pick someone to the boards. Than the Director James Lutalo, should be able to find someone, educated and experienced in the field to envision the progression of the tourism industry and the wildlife experience in Uganda.

With the abundance of Presidential appointments to the Ministry, they should have the capacity and the ability to get the boards up and running, as well as a check-and-balancing act, to see that they do what the Ministry are supposed to do. So that the destination Uganda, can be a splendid travel for tourists. To make sure that they can have the best time while being there. Peace.

Government Statement on the Resettlement of the Landless Benet People in Seibei Sub region of Mt. Elgon (31.01.2016)