Opinion: Mzee isn’t a voice of reason…

“Many of the people who are being urged to be patient for two years are buckling under the weight of a very high cost of living. Most of them can hardly put a decent meal on the table or meet the costs of education, healthcare, utilities and rent. It must, therefore, hurt that provisions are being made for a makeover of the President’s wardrobe when so many people are really struggling. Parliament has not listened to the voices of the masses. This, therefore, calls for the intervention of the person for whom we are providing; he does not need the provisions. Only his voice can help end such wasteful expenditure” (Daily Monitor – Editorial – ‘Museveni’s voice required to end wasteful expenditure’ 21.05.2023).

I don’t know what the Editor of Daily Monitor thought when he or she wrote today’s piece. However, to say it is utter garbage is just a mere fact. The ideals and the thought that President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni would be the voice of reason in 2023 is absurd.

To believe that a man who has built a vast entourage, duplicated institutions and created a bloated government. Will ever… ever ever… be concerned about public expenditure. A man who needs confidential budget post and lack of oversight. A man who spends money like no tomorrow and hope that someone else will capture the fiscal shortfall. That he can either get a donor or a loan to cover the deficits.

Therefore, reading this text… how naive are you? Have you seen how many districts that has been created since 1986? Have you seen how many MPs that been added in the recent years?

Or have you missed that or isn’t obvious to the fact. It isn’t connected and part of the plot. That a man has created government units, institutions and commissions that are cross-checking each other. While his busy eating, investing and ensuring the future of his own grand-kids. Seriously, the proof is in the pudding.

That’s why the State House and the Office of the President got vast funds. This is why the UPDF and Ministry of Defence has massive budgets. That’s why the Police Force is well funded. Because, if the security detail isn’t paid and isn’t in order. Well, then the grand corruption and the heist of the state cannot continue on the “low”. It is low hanging fruits, but certainly edible.

“Only his voice can help end such wasteful expenditure” (Daily Monitor, 21.05.2023).

He will come with words of fire and fury, but it won’t amount to anything. That’s why we are seeing thieves getting away, but the pickpockets are lingering behind bars. The President knows and he knows of various of schemes. He knows who is “investing” and who is “benefiting”. It is his system after all. Therefore, believing this man will be a reasonable dude in 2023… Please… get your mind correct. Please and do it fast.

Enough nonsense. The 1986 brigade got enough “yes-men” and paid microphones to defend its cause. I didn’t think I would see that in the Daily Monitor. However, that is where we are. This piece belong in the New Vision. Not in the Daily Monitor… Peace.

Opinion: Mzee’s reckless spending spree

The Minority Report of the National Budget for 2023/24 is out. Not that it’s shocking or anything. It is just showing how the President and his inner-circle is spending money like there is no tomorrow. While the state is busy borrowing funds and lacking domestic revenue. You would think the President who often speaks of moderation and use within your means would live within those words.

Alas, that is not the case. The President has a massive portfolio. The Office of the President and the State House are two bloated out units. They are Ministries in themselves and has far out reach of the buildings, which they are supposed to reside.

Yes, the State House isn’t only functioning as a residence and as a ceremonial grounds. No, the Office of the President and the State House budgets is an inner-cabinet in itself. It is a wild beast that breeds on everyone else. That’s why the billions upon billions of shillings are spent there.

That’s why Museveni needs vast budgets for vehicles, furnitures and clothes. He doesn’t need to beg and his salary is maybe “scraps” but the budgets for his office or home is lavish. The President can live like a King on those terms. People can defend and say this is well spent resources.

I am sure the Senior Presidential Advisors and the Units of the State House appreciate the spending. They are benefiting for the wealth and usage of funds. Also with the “classified” and “donations” budgets… the President has two secret ways of fund himself and his closest associates. Because, these funds won’t be traced and can be used as he deems fit.

The Office of the President is getting 250 billion shillings in the budget year. While the State House is getting 454 billion shillings. With those two major budget post the President is spending around 700 billion shillings and that’s before the Supplementary Budgets, which we knows goes in his direction. There is always a shortfall and lack of funds, which just have to be covered in the calendar year.

Therefore, even if Museveni and his inner-circle is budgeted to get 700 billion shillings. We know they eventually would need more. Either to buy a helicopter, a plane or even pay for Muhoozi’s adventures. God knows where the money goes, but millions of shillings doesn’t go to upgrade the President’s wardrobe. His wearing the same jackets, fatigue and shirts we have seen for years. The old man isn’t a fashionista.

We know he can be on a spending spree, because he has 38 billion to the Office of the President as classified and another 120 billion to the State House. Meaning out of the 700 billions in total, there is around a 150 billions he has no oversight or no need to account for. It is all secret and he can spend where-ever he deems fit.

That should boggle your mind. The President has such a money pit and such a vast enterprise. Yes, we know he has 100s of Presidential Advisors and a huge team at the State House. His broaden the mandate and the workplace. However, spending 700 billions on it… in just one year. It is just ridiculous.

Especially coming from a man who speaks of moderation and speaks of living within the means. He is living large on the public’s dime and he clearly doesn’t care. This is his throne and the citizens got to pay for his party. Peace.

Opinion: Museveni prefers his own rules…

“The economy is growing. The other day, I had some arguments about whether we have gone to middle income or not. We reaffirm. I do not know where the World Bank is getting their data from” – President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni (14.07.2022).

The former donor darling of the West and the Self-Styled President for Life, Yoweri Tibuhurwa Kaguta Museveni has yet again signalled the World Bank. That comes after the bank dismisses the claims of have becoming a “Middle-Income Country”. The Government of Uganda and it’s agency cannot trick the World Bank and their standards. Museveni can hoodwink his supporters and his fellow associates. However, the World Bank… not so much.

President Museveni is the sort of man that makes his own rules along with where his walking. His not the sort of fella to follow it himself, but expect everyone around to comply. He can talk of ethics and moral rights, but breach them himself on a regular. Secondly, laws and rules are for others to follow. He himself, not so much.

That’s why when there is stipulations and mechanisms for giving the stature of Middle Income Country from the World Bank. The Government of Uganda, and it’s Ministries should work to achieve that. Not just throwing numbers at the wall and hoping it sticks. That’s how this looks like. His just using figures and imprinted numbers to look extravagant. When the President should know that his far from achieving it.

The Republic cannot build a road without a loan, donation or sort of scheme to ensure funding to make it happen. The aid agencies has to come and intervene on the basics of structures. The bloated government structure is eating of the funds, the massive parliament and it’s expenses in combination of the State House and the Office of the Presidency. Is all accounts, which is having huge expenses, but not generating any sort of generational wealth or influx of foreign exchange into the economy. However, that is just draining the state budgets together with the interests on old loans and the growing debt ratio of the state. So, with that in mind….

I don’t know where his figuring out at the year of 2022 that the Republic has become a Middle-Income Country. Because, there is no signs of it. Unless, he has a screw loose or just wants to prove that he achieved something. Even if he sleep-walked to the destination and was more pre-occupied with destroying his political enemies. If the state has used half of the energy and resources it uses on locking up, monitoring and detaining political opponents. Maybe, it would have a shot of a better economy, but it is instead building prisons and buying tear-gas.

That’s why Museveni just making up the rules as he walks along. He thinks that’s how the world works, because he has done that for over 3 decades now. As President he has gotten away with it too and with little to no consequence. However, in this regard.. don’t expect the World Bank to budge. Because, Museveni needs the World Bank more than the World Bank need him. His a debtor and a man who needs grants from the World Bank. It is not the World Bank that needs validation from Museveni.

This is why this enterprise is futile. He cannot bushwhack this one. He cannot trick it and make it work. The shilling is the shilling. The economy and the finances is as dire as the people say they are. The Deficit financing and the lack of domestic revenue is a proof of that. His made up numbers and schemes to get grandeur isn’t helping either.

Museveni, you can chill on your farm and look after livestock. The sort of game your playing is only making a fool of yourself. So, do you want another rap? Peace.

Malawi: Government to distribute over 430,000 bags of maize to food-insecure households (22.09.2018)

The Government of Malawi, through the Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DoDMA), will from the month of September 2018, undertake a once-off maize distribution exercise targeting acute food-insecure households in 26 districts of the country, pending the final Malawi Vulnerability Assessment Committee (MVAC) report and development of the 2018/2019 Food Insecurity Response Plan.

Speaking in Blantyre when he presided over the launch of the once-off distribution, Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development Joseph Mwanamvekha said a total of 432,729 bags of maize [21,636.5 tonnes] will be distributed to 432,729 food-insecure households in 26 districts of the country.

“Each food-insecure household will receive a 50kg bag of maize and this will be followed by the MVAC response,” said Mwanamvekha.

The once-off distribution comes after the country experienced prolonged dry spells and a severe outbreak of Fall Army Worms, which rendered many households food-insecure.

The relief maize will be distributed to households in Blantyre, Neno, Chiradzulu, Mulanje, Thyolo, Phalombe, Mwanza, Machinga, Mangochi, Balaka, Zomba, Chikwawa, Nsanje, Karonga, Mzimba, Rumphi, Chitipa, Dowa, Mchinji, Kasungu, Ntchisi, Dedza, Ntcheu, Lilongwe, Nkhotakota and Salima.

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) Begins Unprecedented Emergency Food Relief Operation in Drought-Hit Malawi (20.07.2016)

Malawi is one of the countries in southern Africa worst affected by El Niño-related drought.

NEW YORK, United States of America, July 20, 2016 – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has begun a new round of life-saving relief operations in Malawi where as many as 6.5 million people – nearly 40 percent of the population – may require emergency assistance in coming months. This is set to become the largest ever emergency food relief operation in the country’s history.

Malawi is one of the countries in southern Africa worst affected by El Niño-related drought. Its food security crisis is not only due to this year’s unprecedented drought but to the impact of severe flooding and prolonged dry spells last year.

Across southern Africa, as many as 18 million people will require emergency assistance in El Niño affected countries between now and March, with needs peaking in January. Of these, WFP is planning to reach 11.9 million people with food assistance. Malawi is one of half a dozen nations in the region which has declared drought-related disasters in recent months.

Malawi’s already strained food security situation is worsening following the most recent harvest which suffered widespread failure, particularly in the south. Some 80 percent of the affected people are smallholder farmers who rely on what they can produce to feed themselves and their families. This is a country with high levels of stunting – low growth for age – as a result of malnutrition, as well as high rates of HIV/AIDS infections and related deaths which have left many orphans and child-headed households.

“This is a dire situation, one that the world needs to take notice of right now before it’s too late”, said WFP Executive Director Ertharin Cousin who today concluded a three-day visit to Malawi. “I’ve talked with women in rural areas who told me they have enough food for just a few more weeks, after which they will have nothing. We must urgently assist the people of Malawi and those affected by the drought in neighbouring countries, before food insecurity spirals into hunger and starvation.”.

WFP concluded its last round of food and cash-based relief in Malawi in April. Seasonal relief for the poorest and most vulnerable is normally offered between January and March at the height of the lean season – that period preceding the harvest during which domestic food stocks become increasingly depleted.

Following floods and drought last year, WFP responded to needs during the last lean season as early as October.  This year, however, emergency relief is starting now – that is because the lean season has already begun in many districts or is soon to start in others. The number of people currently in need in Malawi is two and a half times higher than last year, already a bad year.

For part of her visit, Ms. Cousin travelled with Dr. Jill Biden, Second Lady of the United States, who has been visiting Malawi as part of a three-nation African tour focusing on economic empowerment and educational opportunities for women and girls, and on partnerships on global health and food security.

Dr. Biden and Ms. Cousin together visited a primary school in Zomba district where students receive WFP school meals which are funded by the United States Department of Agriculture. They met farmers whose harvests have suffered badly because of the drought. The WFP Executive Director also met Vice President Saulos Chilima and other government officials.

“It’s very important that we save lives in emergency situations.” said Cousin. “But it’s also vital to offer people hope and opportunities so that they’re better able to withstand shocks and cope for themselves in the future. That’s why we’re working with government and other partners including the UN Food and Agriculture Organization on programmes like school meals and support for smallholder farmers – these are initiatives that change lives in the long-term.”

WFP’s regional funding requirements for the most drought-affected countries from now until April next year is US$ 535 million; US$217 million of this is required to cover Malawi’s needs alone. There is a particularly urgent need for funding for Malawi to ensure that food stocks can be procured, transported and pre-positioned before seasonal rains start in November, making many roads in remote areas impassable.

Press Statement: Malawi – Result of the 2016 Food Security Assessment (10.06.2016)