32 Years of Recycling: The Vital Moments of Uganda at 56 Celebration in the words of Bosco!

Well, there wasn’t much news or much breaking news in the midst of this Independence Day Speech. However, when it comes to Bosco or Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, he is the king of recycling. I will not even go into that. I don’t have the time or the bother to address it. We want to live and breathe too. Museveni is himself to a T, but that is not securing the state, but solidifying his position. He is really showing his revenge and his wish for all control in this speech. This wasn’t a speech of statesman or a father of a nation. Not that he is either of those, he is the guy that made a coup d’etat and wasted what he inherited by the ones he overcome.

So, with that in mind, Yoseri from Ankoli, what’s up?

A Snippet of the Independence Day Speech:

“On the side of stability, I want to assure Ugandans of their security. The country is generally secure and peaceful, save for the persistent threats and incidents as well as violent criminality. Uganda had a lot of challenges even after the NRM took power. Eventually, by 2007, the UPDF totally defeated Kony, ADF, the other rebel groups and disarmed the Karimojong. Some of the terrorists of ADF as well as other criminal elements, seeing that they could not survive in the rural areas, infiltrated into the towns where we had not fully focused in terms of developing intelligence capacity. As a consequence, we had 7 Sheiks assassinated as well as Major Kiggundu, Joan Kagezi, AIGP Kaweesi Susan Magara, Abiliga and Kirumira of recent” (Museveni, 09.10.2018).

That he said he has defeated Kony and LRA is not true, they are just not in his territory. The LRA are still existing to a degree and causing havoc in the Central African Republic. Neither is the destruction of the ADF, which he always blames for crimes and terrorism in the Republic. They are even blamed for the death of Kirumira and who knows for Abiriga, when that comes up. ADF are still in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Therefore, these security measures are not fulfilled, secondly all these assassination and killings are not proving that the Republic is safer, but otherwise. Certainly, no one can say that Operation Thunder in the DRC in 2008 was a success, only if you rewriting history and forget losing a military helicopter over nothing.

An extract of what was said at the CCTV Launch:

“These killers must be afraid that Uganda is rising, which is why they are murdering our people to scare us. However, we shall defeat them. People who trust God like me are never shaken by lice. When you want to wage war, you should come and declare. The Killers have touched the Leopard’s tail and the will see. But as they sailed He fell asleep. And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water. They came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!”…But He said to them, “Where is your faith?” The killers in town do not have the capacity to fight, but to hide like mosquitoes. This forced us to install cameras, to be our nose, ears and eyes. I was even able to see those who eat sugar canes and litter the streets.” (Museveni, 09.10.2018).

Certainly, he pounds on security and today he unveiled the CCTV Cameras and the Surveillance Centre of the state, which was new on Independence Day. It is a nice effort after promising for dozens of elections and plenty of rallies over the years. That he finally could show it off. However, this is not the ones that solves all crimes. If so, in the city of most CCTV Cameras there wouldn’t be crimes committed or even unsolvable crimes, alas, there is and the Kampala Metropolitan Police should co-operate with London Metropolitan Police to learn from their years of experience and how to use the CCTV. Because they are the city with the most cameras.

Clearly, this has all hurt his pride, as he knows these killings are leaving a deadly stench on his hands. As the old sins are buried, but not forgotten, however, easier to get away with. Now, the fresh wounds are in the open and these mechanisms can make him look a bit good, however, that train is a bit late. The flight has already taken-off and his time is over. It is just like he doesn’t accept that, as the President thinks he can still micro-mange things. Nevertheless, he cannot, because he even back-talk what people are doing.

He even talked down people eating sugarcane and if your complaining about littering and garbage in the streets, why haven’t you made a substantial budget, put in the efforts to give money and polices to clean Kampala and secure that the waste is already gone? You haven’t even invested in bins or garbage trucks. So, let this people eat their sugarcane, not like you cared before you watched for a hot minute today on the screens.

Bosco, should get serious, but that opportunity has left us a long time ago. He is just winging it and hoping it doesn’t fail him. Spending on cronies and wasting government funds like there is no tomorrow. Peace.

My letter to President Museveni: Uganda at 56, what is there to celebrate today?

Oslo, 9^th October 2018

Dear honourable, His Excellency, the fountain of honour and anything else, high and mighty, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni!

I am writing this simple and short letter to you, as the Republic is celebrating that it went from being a protectorate of the British to become an own independent state. These 56 years has been rocky, and you have been the longest lasting leader and the only one being supreme for this long. You have had all control since 1986. That is 32 years of the 56 years. Which is a long time in power.

Today is a hard day to celebrate, as the problems of the independence are still there, the same issues. Maybe people have cell phones and internet, maybe some have businesses and there are more influence from abroad, but development as whole isn’t that bright. The weakest currency in the area, growing debts and lack of a positive future. As the black gold and the secrecy of deals, is the stuff that only you know off.

If they stand up to you, they get imprisoned, get detained and arrested, they get tortured and charged for crimes against the state, your security forces quell demonstrations and riots, your security forces kills civilians and you accept that. It is hard to see freedom in that, as well, as all agreements and transactions has to be accepted by the State House, meaning you.

Nothing is done without you, the orders from high above, the orders of destruction, the orders of loans and the orders of arrests. These are all done on favours for your and the company you keep.

The citizens aren’t free today, they are limited and the limitations you have given them. It is your boundaries and your micro managing that controls them. Mr. President, they are not liberated. They are liberated from the Crown of England, the Commonwealth of the United Kingdom, but they are not free from toils, sweat and tears. They are not free from tyranny and oppression. Instead of being an white man who is sanctioned from London to monitor the Protectorate, there is a guy in the State House doing the same. That is why Besigye was detained like a colonial criminal in Moroto, to get him away from the Baganda. That is the reality.

Instead of developing a better future for the generations to come, you will be remembered as the man who did the same as the ones before him. Just for his own personal greed of power and wealth, while keeping the public poor. Instead of remembering the achievements and programs like the Ten Point Program, you will be remembered for the tyranny and the oppression, the acts of contempt for rule of law and justice. The rigging and the lack of succession.

They will never really be free as long as everything is by decree from you becomes law, the other institutions and government organizations are your mere foot soldiers. That is maybe what you wished for, when you said your were the only man with a vision, now everyone is following your visions blindly.

Best regards

Writer of Minbane

The Gods Must Be Crazy: That Museveni deserved bigger responsibilities!

“The Christian does not think God will love us because we are good, but that God will make us good because He loves us.” – C.S. Lewis

I don’t know about you, but me and Bosco’s God must be two different animals, different deities or even another spiritual power. Because the God he talks off, cannot be the same God I am worshiping and praying too. That the President has to power to know and explain of other people’s lies, but not his own. As the President should be blessed, because he took a chance and joined Nyerere’s war against Idi Amin. That is the story he is telling. The Pre-Bush-War of the 1980s, was a God-Given opportunity for him now. That is really something else. Not that we mere mortals are able to understand gods ways, but the way of war, the way of killings and civil war that went on for years. Doesn’t seem so holy, unless your in the same evil spirit as Joseph Kony and his Lord Resistance Army. Alas, he is praising God for giving him the power of taking parts of FRONASA and later making NRA to defeat Obote and UPC/DP with the guns.

Just look!

“Museveni said it was because of this diligence, that God looked at him and thought he would be deserving of bigger responsibilities.” “Because I fulfilled that little trust of Mwalimu, taking a big risk, God said; ‘I think this man should get more trust.’” The President added, “When we talk of oversight don’t think of these MPs. Think of God because he is looking at you, whatever you do, whatever lies you tell.” (Wasawa, 2018).

That is why I have a big issue with this statement, because who is he to say, that God would give more trust in him, because he took a risk? Where in what scripture is this mentioned? In what sort of warfare passage and lack of love was this mentioned? Was it the Shiva who said this to him?

That he mismatches God with his ego, says how much he believes in himself. When he uses spirituality and faith to base his place. That is like saying it is Gods will for him to still reign, even if that is surpassing all his promises to step-down and his promises not to change the Constitution. This is from a man who lies constantly and not keeps his promises. A man who micro-managing and not trust an another living human being. That person is saying God said he should get into a position of bigger things.

And the method he has done that, has been by guerrilla warfare, been by manipulation and deceptions, been by corrupting and consolidating all powers within himself. That is what he has done. Therefore, instead of trusting in people, he know is saying his powers is in-directly God given. Even if he took it by the gun and living by the gun. That is the mere fact and he should accept that.

Bosco shouldn’t involve God in it, he knew what he did and what purpose for his actions. That isn’t Godly, but because of human attributes of greed and ego. Because he was the only man with a vision, the only man who could and since then. No one else have had the ability, because he has stifled them, arrested them, tortured them or sent them into exile. This is the man, that says God saw bigger things in him.

Bosco isn’t King David, neither is he King Solomon, no, he is just Yoseri or Yoweri who took it all and trying to make himself holy. It doesn’t work. We can all see and we all knew what went down. The bodies are buried and gone, but we have to remember them. Because they are the reason for why this man is in power. Peace.

Reference:

Wasawa, Sam – ‘God Made Me Leader Because I Was Trustworthy – Museveni’ 08.10.2018 link: https://chimpreports.com/god-made-me-leader-because-i-was-trustworthy-museveni/

A look into the fear-mongering in modern day politics; while showing politicians who believed in building inclusive and unified nations; as a counter to the fear-mongering politicians!

This here is not easy write as it is such a fearful debate; I will discuss the matter of fear in politics. I have taken it in pieces here and there because the militarization is a distinguished part of politics these days as they have always been. Military and armies have always been influential of how the political movement has been and how the structure of power has been established. But today I will not discuss the militarization of politics that I can do another day. Certainly I will discuss it more closely as it is ever present in politics. While today the main topic is the other part of politics who is the rhetoric of spreading fear about foreign influence, immigrations or the foreign people in the country! While I will counter them with leaders who wanted to build countries, and this in countries with many tribes and creeds as they have to work together to build the nations; these are the men I look up to, not the ones who spread fear, as that is the simplest and easiest tool to get the masses behind without showing a proper political policies or framework that can define a parties groundwork or ideology as the one goal is to do something fruitful as a politician.

FEAR and fear is a tool that many politicians use all over the globe. Usefully to gain political advantage and create a platform for their framework or even just cease the power the politicians wish to achieve. This piece will not be about Donald Trump even if he thrives on racial hatred and fear of the non-American value without being able to say what that is, which is from an outsider laughable, as it usually is the once spreading the fear use one Markie technic. He will still have a space as he is so visible by doing it and how he uses that technic.  

The first Markie technic from the politicians is finding the enemy, or if has to create the enemy. Usually a foreign forces, foreign people or foreign investments, as all of them will create a unstable environment and that these people, investors will take away the freedom and liberty, even steal the jobs that are there. This technic is used because the politician initially doesn’t have a political framework or policy on how to create the space of economic sense to find other solutions to make the laws, policies or the country’s budget to make a difference.

This will be most often by the biggest group of the people, neither the elite nor the educated; instead the majorities who have less education and more blue-collar work or industrial workers and the men and woman from both smaller towns and rural areas; as the capitals and central regions usually are more open and have more open approached to people and are more liberal in general. As the rural and smaller towns are further away therefore the people usually doesn’t get the same level of information as the central regions. Even in the digital age and watching TV and tabloid news gives the masses quick-feeding news instead of the deep diving information. This leads the masses and population into the levels of not checking the information or questioning the forces who spread certain information to the people.

Farage of UKIP has unemployment of British people because of immigration, and Romanians are the greatest criminals in the UK:

The fear they spread is like that East-European people are stealing the jobs in the United Kingdom as the party of United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) leader Nigel Farage fears portrayed in his owns words: “I would rather we had communities that were rather more united and we had a situation where young unemployed British people had a realistic chance of getting a job, so yes I do think the social side of this matters more than the pure market economics” (Wintour, 2014). He also said this in 2013: “There have been an astounding 28,000 arrests in the Metropolitan Police area of Romanians in the last five years alone…92 per cent of ATM crime in the capital is already being committed by Romanian gangs” (Worral, 2013). This here is just typical living on fear as the place will only stay united if the British people is employed and chance of getting a job. That is not because of the market economics, but because of other reasons, that is typical rhetoric of men who thrive on fear, as he did the year before. As he then blamed Romanians for thieving as the Police had not the statics or proof of this number. It is as this is simply a matter that cannot be pure market economics. This proves the levels of fear that UKIP spreads with their words. Let me show you other people doing the same.

Wilders of the PVV believes the Western hemisphere will not survive with the influence of Islam:

As in Netherlands the level of fear spreading and finding the once creating issues there in words of Geert Wilders of his Dutch Party for Freedom (PVV) who has built a career on thriving the fear of foreign faiths and beliefs as his own exclusive piece he stated this: “Islam is an existential threat to our Western freedoms and our Judeo-Christian civilization. It also threatens the Atlantic partnership between America and Western Europe. It is our duty to limit this threat. It is our mission as patriots to protect our nations. The first measure we must take to stop Islam, reduce the risk of terrorism and save our civilization, is to stop all immigration from Islamic countries. It is a matter of survival” (Wilders, 2016). He proves his fear here that the level of problems coming to Europe through the Islamic faith is survival and if we don’t succumb to it we will be killed. This is demonetization of something else they yourself as it easier then unifying the countries and citizens. As the faiths are dangerous in his opinion as he does not have a framework or structure to regenerate or rejuvenate anything. Therefore he uses Islamic faith as a tool to spread fear for it as the immigration and immigrants from the countries of this faith is dangerous. That is rhetoric suited in the fear based policies.

Le Pen’s National Front fears a barbaric invasion of France:

In France you have Marine Le Pen of the National Front who has as her father lived on the fear in the French population and thriving on it as well. She has said this: “Migrants are now wandering in our neighborhoods, around the train stations or in the slums, the cause for France of immense security and public hygiene problems” (…)“In the coming years, we could be in the presence of the invasions that were lived through in the Fourth Century,” said Ms. Le Pen, referring to the Barbarian invasions of Western Europe” (Nossiter, 2015). She proves the level of fear as the immigrants even invading the country and create hygiene problems. This sound more like of a past parties that nobody really want to be associated with. Let me give you an example: “In 1935, Dr. J. Goebbels, Nazi Minister of Propaganda, made the unconsciously sardonic statement, “National Socialism has simplified thinking for the German nation and brought it back to its earlier and primitive form” (Krzesinski, 1945). It is nearly the same the fear level of Le Pen as the fear of the nation back to the primitive aggression of the barbarian invasion will come back, if they don’t take care of the society.

Siv Jensen of Norway does not want to the state of Malmø to Norway:

There leaders like this in Norway as well, take for example Siv Jensen of Fremskrittspartiet (The Progressive Party) who said this in 2013: ”If we permit this, Oslo and other Norwegian cities may approach the state of Malmö [Sweden], where emergency service personnel do not dare to enter certain parts of the city, and where Sharia law has entirely taken over. That is the reality in Sweden; we are not attempting to scaremonger” (Alm, 2013). She proves that ability as the counterparts in Europe to put Islamic people and their faith in one basket and expect everybody to be the same. It’s ironic that she is saying she is not scaremonger, while portraying a bleak picture if we let them come and we will create Malmø in Norway as well. That just proves to what an extent she goes to establish an enemy to generate votes.

Donald Trump having issues with Mexicans:

Let me take Donald Trump as well, the American who also uses them versus us rhetoric to gain votes. See here: ““When Mexico (meaning the Mexican Government) sends its people, they’re not sending their best. They’re not sending you (pointing to the audience). They’re not sending you (pointing again). They’re sending people that have lots of problems, and they’re bringing those problems to us. They’re bringing drugs.They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people! But I speak to border guards and they tell us what we’re getting. And it only makes common sense. They’re sending us not the right people. It’s coming from more than Mexico. It’s coming from all over South and Latin America, and it’s coming probably from the Middle East. But we don’t know. Because we have no protection and we have no competence, we don’t know what’s happening. And it’s got to stop and it’s got to stop fast.” (…)”The Mexican Government wants an open border as long as it’s a ONE WAY open border into the United States. Not only are they killing us at the border, but they are killing us on trade … and the country of Mexico is making billions of dollars in doing so” (Walker, 2015). This here proves the fear mongering technic of Trump as he has nothing else, as the Mexicans are the issue, they creates the bad business and trade, they bring the wrong people to the United States and so on. This here is just like the right-wing politician who uses this level of fear to generate votes. He thrive on it and get the afraid white votes in United States, as they can’t check if this is true or not.

Now I want to go to something positive as the ones above has just spread the words of fear and that the world we are living is going to hell if we let our neighbors and refugees get a place to stay our whole system will collapse and Armageddon will come quicker than a Mel Gibson racist rant. This here is one part of the politicians that are out there and they are gaining and getting crowds; people are following it and respecting them. As fearful it is. But let me prove the different men and woman who creates unity and implement proper politics and framework, not FEAR as the only tool to build support. The healthy political venue and also show how to respect and create peace In between people and tribes.

As one of greatest statesmen ever (in my opinon) wrote about unity for his fellow countrymen in Tanzania in 1967:

“A truly. socialist state is one in which all people are workers and in which neither capitalism nor feudalism exists. It does not have two classes of people, a lower class composed of people who work for their living, and an upper class of people who live on the work of others. In a really socialist country no person exploits another; everyone who is physically able to work does so; every worker obtains a just return for the labour he performs; and the incomes derived from different types of work are not grossly divergent. In a socialist country, the only people who live on the work of others, and who have the right to be dependent upon their fellows, are small children, people who are too old to support themselves, the crippled, and those whom the state at any one time cannot provide with an opportunity to work for their living” (…)”The development of a country is brought about by people, not by money. Money, and the wealth it represents, is the result and not the basis of development. The four prerequisites of development are different; they are (i) People; (ii) Land; (iii) Good Policies; (iv) Good Leadership. Our country has more than ten million people1 and is are; is more than 362,000 square miles” (Nyerere, 1967).  This man shows the real material and values of somebody uniting the people even if he does not even want the nation into classes, some people might see it socialism and Marxism. And the maxim does not need be in that way to become peaceful or uniting. Let me take a man who speaks peace between people and not having socialist feeling, still proving the possibility of unification between people.

How Dr. Kenneth Kaunda united the tribes of Zambia:

“Interviewer: United 72 tribes together was a major challenge. How did you manage, as the First President of Zambia, to overcome such thing?” His answer: ” It was very important and a difficult situation for us as a country. We still had our small tribes and we still did not know what was coming ahead of us. We had to build all this up into ‘One Zambia, One Nation’.  Living this slogan is not just something that was talked about, but something that Zambians believed in, and they began living and behaving in the spirit of unity as quoted in the slogan” (Winne, 2015). His other important question: “As the First President, you have implemented humanism and nationalisation of the economy. What were the main reasons for doing so?” His answer to the question: “Humanism formed a basis to guide everything that was done or implemented in the country. Moreover, the economy has to be nationalised to help raise the standards of living for the poverty stricken people” (…)”At the time, there was racial segregation and the challenge was to tackle this situation. It was important for people to understand that it was not their colour that mattered, but rather the behaviour of the person. As such, humanism became important and it helped us overcome racial segregation.  The concept of humanism meant that all human being lived united according to how God wants them to live” (Winne, 2015). Dr. Kenneth Kaunda does something important and says that the value is the people of all the tribes belongs to the country and pride in the idea of one Zambia. Not segregating, that was the matter with humanism and let the people be united. It proves the greatness in believing in that if people unify they will be stronger.

Let me take the new Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau who speaks totally different on cultural differences than other in western hemisphere:

“Canadians have proven that a nation can be strong not in spite of our differences but because of them, and we all have a responsibility to be custodians of this country’s character. Canada’s success is rooted in its unique approach to liberty through inclusive diversity. While we have built vital institutions like the Charter, sustaining this liberty requires continued political leadership” (Liberal, 2015). He believes that the diversity through liberty is a reason for success for Canada, while his counterparts in Europe fear the diversity and sure the world will fall into abyss, he differ; as he continues on his victory speech: “To her I say this: you and your fellow citizens have chosen a new government, a government that believes deeply in the diversity of our country. We know in our bones that Canada was built by people from all corners of the world who worship every faith, who belong to every culture, who speak every language” (…)”We believe in our hearts that this country’s unique diversity is a blessing bestowed upon us by previous generations of Canadians, Canadians who stared down prejudice and fought discrimination in all its forms. We know that our enviable, inclusive society didn’t happen by accident and won’t continue without effort. I have always known this; Canadians know it too. If not, I might have spoken earlier this evening and given a very different speech” (Trudeau, 2015). He proves his faith in the diversity and how that built the country and an inclusive society. The positive belief that people of all kinds can build a society together; as the Canadians can and that all of them can build the country no matter creed, language or faith that is telling that nobody is enemies of the idea of Canada. That is a strong unifying message!

Another hero with a unifying message to his people was first ANC President in South Africa, Nelson Mandela on his inauguration on the 10^th May 1994:

“That spiritual and physical oneness we all share with this common homeland explains the depth of the pain we all carried in our hearts as we saw our country tear itself apart in a terrible conflict, and as we saw it spurned, outlawed and isolated by the peoples of the world, precisely because it has become the universal base of the pernicious ideology and practice of racism and racial oppression” (…)”We trust that you will continue to stand by us as we tackle the challenges of building peace, prosperity, non-sexism, non-racialism and democracy” (…)”We deeply appreciate the role that the masses of our people and their political mass democratic, religious, women, youth, business, traditional and other leaders have played to bring about this conclusion. Not least among them is my Second Deputy President, the Honourable F.W. de Klerk” (…)”We have, at last, achieved our political emancipation. We pledge ourselves to liberate all our people from the continuing bondage of poverty, deprivation, suffering, gender and other discrimination” (…)”We have triumphed in the effort to implant hope in the breasts of the million of our people. We enter into a covenant that we shall build the society in which all South Africans, both black and white, will be able to walk tall, without any fear in their hearts, assured of their inalienable right to human dignity – a rainbow nation at peace with itself and the world” (…)”We are both humbled and elevated by the honour and privilege that you, the people of South Africa, have bestowed on us, as the first President of a united, democratic, non-racial and non-sexist government” (…)”We understand it still that there is no easy road to freedom” (…)”We know it well that none of us acting alone can achieve success” (…)”We must therefore act together as a united people, for national reconciliation, for nation building, for the birth of a new world” (Mandela, 1994). He has faith that the white and blacks could build a country on a road to freedom, as a united people, not that it would be easy, still wanted the country to be a rainbow nation and let everybody walk with dignity. Mandela does not make anybody enemies, but says the people and the government must be united for a reconciliation and building the nation, as a united people. That gives not only a certain people the responsibility, but both people and government. Also that he earlier says that not only the former ethnic difference has to be changed, but also the economic bondage and other discrimination, therefore he sees the whole society.

Afterthought:

I wanted to show the difference between those who spreads fear and the ones who see multiculturalism as the fear levels certain politicians are sending is just horrific. They disrespect the intelligence of the audience and society. Not to talk about the long living history of different people living in the same area, different religions in the same dominion and so on.

I hate the way the fear of other people being used and the way it supposed to destroy the nations and governments, the reason for unemployment and so on. The fear is just a given from this men and woman because they don’t have a political framework or political policy worth listening to. The people don’t need to look at the basic parts of their plans. They can see that the ideal that they carry is a fairytale story, instead of building nations and a legacy that they really will be remembered by.

While the once had a faith the people of the country and their support too actually to address the way ahead, instead of finding an enemy and creating a problem to fight together. That proves certainty of leadership, instead of making up and saying that people are coming to steal, invades or take the jobs; because the men who say that the people could unite and become one has tried to generate positive development and made history by doing so. Even though the Canadian Prime Minister has just recent one the campaign in 2015, so he needs some time. While Nelson Mandela, Julius Nyerere and Dr. Kenneth Kaunda did their countries, good, still Nyerere and Kaunda also made wrong decisions, but their initial try and their vision has created peace between the tribes and made the country envisioned in the idea of Zambia and United Republic of Tanzania. That shows the great work of these men and their level of starting to build a state. That does not come easy.

I will another day look into the way certain government uses militarism to generate fear in the population, as this is the fear of an invisible enemy or an enemy amongst the citizens. That the citizens should be aware and that the unity will be gone if they get to be a part of the people and united together. As differs from the people who tries to build their nations, or even believe that the multiculturalism is a reason why the country is succeeding as the Canadian PM says. I am sure if we had an discussion between Trudeau and the Wilders it would be heated, even with Le Pen and Trudeau would make a general fight of ethics and how to make society great. As Le Pen and Wilders has another view and uses the fear to generate votes in their countries. While Trudeau salutes multiculturalism. Donald Trump even massively lives and thrives on throwing immigrants under the bridge, while he marries immigrants (that is a side-note check that fact yourself).

That is enough for today. Remember we are as strong as our friendships, as we united against hatred and those who create fear. We the rest who really see through their shenanigans and racist behavior, even pro-nationalism men and woman who address fellow human beings as lesser people, should think more through their words. As we all have the same needs and needs the same kind of childhood, livelihood, education and life. The difference is the staple-food, the environment and so on. So that they establish the other people as significant different is just ignorance and also wrong. As the thing you can learn from other cultures can enrichen your life and your thoughts as the world really get smaller and at the same time more complex. But the men and woman who speaks fear and thrive on it does not have the interest for that. I would doubt that.

Last thought, a reason why the fear-mongers get a big space in society:

I am one of them who stand by the men and woman who believes in multiculturalism and also in the possibility of unity and unifying the countries. Not that is easy, but the constant dialogue and the continuation to listen, and come to a consensus can bring hope between all groups of society instead of looking for enemies or blaming other people in society. As the other people looks for and can’t find a way to build or rebuild society, they find immigrants and Islamic faithful as the men and woman that creates the social issues, not the basic wrongs in government or free-market thinking, even in post-modern Europe, but that is not a question for now. This here is something that should be considered; as there might be a vacuum of power and levels of from central government and the citizens, and that is why this politicians who spreads fear get a the giant microphone and place in society, instead of the people who has certainty thoughts and ideals to build peace together and not creating fear of each other in society! Peace.

Reference:

Alm, Christina – ‘Siv Jensen of the Norwegian Progress Party – embattled and popular’ (06.06.2013) link: http://www.d-intl.com/2013/06/06/siv-jensen-of-the-norwegian-progress-party-embattled-and-popular/

Krzesinski, Andrew J. – ‘NATIONAL CULTURES, NAZISM AND THE CHURCH’ (1945) – . Rare Books and Manuscripts. Book 17 link: http://digital.kenyon.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1016&context=rarebooks

Liberal – ‘Statement by Liberal Party of Canada Leader Justin Trudeau on the anniversary of multiculturalism’ (07.10.2015) link: https://www.liberal.ca/statement-by-liberal-party-of-canada-leader-justin-trudeau-on-the-anniversary-of-multiculturalism/

Mandela, Nelson – ‘Nelson Mandela at his inauguration as President of South Africa, Pretoria’ (10.05.1994) link: http://mandela.gov.za/mandela_speeches/1994/940510_inauguration.htm

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President Museveni’s statement: On the recent attacks by some schemers in Kasese and Bundibugyo

Statement

by

H.E. Yoweri K. Museveni
President of the Republic of Uganda

on
The recent attacks by some schemers in Kasese and Bundibugyo

7th July 2014

Nantabulirwa yasabala na bwabbumba:  Whatever a man sows that is what he will reap.

Uganda started off her Independence, in 1962, on a very weak foundation.  This was, mainly, because of bad politics pushed by opportunistic sectarian groups and manipulated by external interests.  The sectarianism, as we have pointed out many times, was based on religion, tribes and gender chauvinism (marginalizing the women).  There were only three women that I remember in the Independence Parliament of 1962 to take one example.  Within four years of Independence, the then Prime Minister had to abolish the 1962 Constitution because of the contradictions that were getting ever sharper.  Earlier on, there had been the conflict on the “lost counties” of Bunyoro.

A lot of blood was shed in the 1966 crisis, resulting in the abolition of the Kingdoms.  Eventually, Amin made a coup detat in 1971 and more sectarianism was generated and much more blood was shed between 1971 and 1979.

The late Mwalimu Nyerere, writing about Uganda, said of that period as follows:  “If the Ugandans thought they were on the frying pan under Obote, they found themselves in the fire proper under Amin”.  That was the perfect description of that time.

Some of us have the advantage of having been old enough to know and understand everything that was going on and yet we were young enough to live for long after 1962 as we have done.  Initially, we, as youth, belonged to those sectarian parties ─ I being in Democratic Party (DP) and some of my colleagues being in Uganda Peoples’ Congress (UPC) and Kabaka Yeka (KY).  However, by 1965, we had started developing grave doubts about the direction of that blind, irresponsible, opportunistic sectarian politics. As students, that is how we founded the nucleus of the third force ─ a non-sectarian student body.  That student Movement, during Amin’s time, metamorphosed into FRONASA that was part of the coalition that fought Idi Amin and, eventually, evolved into NRM.  Right from the beginning, we opposed and despised sectarianism because it was illogical and, obviously, run counter to the interests of the people.  As we have said, repeatedly, the core interests of the people are prosperity and security for each individual family and for the entire society.  When we talk of prosperity and security, we mean prosperity through production, not through parasitism.  When we talk of security, we mean security in pursuing one’s legitimate interests.  Legitimate interests mean working, utilizing our legitimately earned assets and enjoying the fruits of your labour.

There are, of course, other interests such as cultural, spiritual, etc.  However, the core ones and on which all the other interests depend, are prosperity (especially economic) and security of person and property.  Prosperity through production means producing and selling what you produce.  Your allies in that battle are the people who buy what you produce.  The recent insecurity in South Sudan showed the importance to producers of markets.  Many businesses suffered.  The prices even went down.  The insecurity in Eastern Congo or Kenya usually has similar effects on the producers’ prosperity. Recently, I was in Kanungu and found there prospering farmers because there is now, again, some security in Eastern Congo.  Even before colonization, there was interdependence among the tribes ─ as far as the forest of Congo, South Sudan and the East African Coast.  It was only some of the tribal chiefs that were inconveniencing this trade as was observed and recorded by the early European travelers ─ John Speke and Henry Stanley.

Therefore, those who have been in the habit of pushing for sectarianism are the real enemies of not only security but also the prosperity of the African Peoples, the Ugandans inclusive.  It is this firm belief of ours that propelled us to sow the mustard seed of non-sectarianism that, eventually, became the mighty tree of NRM/NRA and the present peace in the whole country.  It was on account of our non-sectarianism and always working for the unity of the people that, starting with a small force, we were able to build a very powerful force.  That force enabled us to win all the wars we fought, bring democracy to Uganda as well as peace and development.  In bringing democracy, we also restored the rights of the different cultural groups in Uganda, if they so wished, to restore the traditional cultural institutions or even create new ones on condition that they did not meddle in partisan politics, administration and legislation.  Why did we insist on this?  It was for two reasons.  First, in a democracy, the population govern themselves ─ through elections.  They are not governed by anybody else except themselves.  Yet, when you hear some of the spokesmen of the cultural institutions that we restored speaking, they speak as if it is not the people that govern themselves.  Worse still, some of the cultural institutions have, for some time now, been acting counter to our message of non-sectarianism.  They have been actively fomenting sectarianism and tribal chauvinism ─ acting and talking as if the only thing that matters are certain tribes to which the respective traditional leaders belong.  Yet, the NRM, the Bible and the Koran as well as common sense hold that all people are born equal and must be treated as such.  We have repeatedly and politely pointed out this point.  Yet, some elements among the cultural institutions have also been repeatedly uttering sectarian and chauvinist words and also acting in that manner.

This now brings me to my two statements above ─ the Luganda proverb that says: “Nantabulirwa yasabaala na bwa bbumba” and the Biblical statement that “whatever a man sows, that is what he will reap”.  The Luganda proverb refers to somebody who defied all the advice and decided to use a clay canoe to cross a body of water.  The consequences were disastrous for him and for those who travelled with him in the clay boat.

Last Sunday, a group of people in the Rwenzori region carried out coordinated attacks against security forces and civilians.  Altogether, they carried out 13 attacks as follows:
(i)    At 3.00 pm, they attacked policemen at the weigh bridge, killed 1 policeman, injured another one and took 2 SMGs;
(ii)    At Bigando, a UPDF soldier that was on leave, was killed and all his family burnt in a house;
(iii)    In Bigando, they also killed 6 Basongora civilians;
(iv)    At Karugutu Police post, they injured one (1) policeman and took one (1) SMG
(v)    At Kikyo Police post, they took one SMG;
(vi)    At Kirumiya Police post, they took 1 gun;
(vii)    At Ntandi they took 2 SMGs from Uganda Wild Life (UWA) personnel;
(viii)    At Kibuku, they ambushed soldiers who were taking re-enforcements to Bundibugyo, killed one of them, and took 1 SMG but 3 of the attackers were killed including their so called commander;
(ix)    In Bundibugyo town, they attacked Bundibugyo Police Station, killed the OC station and one policeman and took one SMG;
(x)    They attacked Stanbic Bank but three of the attackers were killed;
(xi)    They, then, attacked, Lakwena style, the camp of 39BN at Kanyamirima, injuring one Captain and killing one soldier but 45 of the attackers were killed and the attack was repelled;
(xii)    Attack on the Palace of the Bamba King saw one gun being taken and one policeman being injured; and, finally,
(xiii)    The attack on the shrine where 2 soldiers were killed and one gun was taken.

This means that 8 members of the security forces were killed and 51 attackers were also killed.  This is a total of 65 Ugandans killed last Saturday by the schemes of some confused or selfish bunch of people.  Fortunately, today Uganda has got a capable State that is able to deal decisively and expeditiously with such schemes although, of course, there was a failure of intelligence.   How did these people weave such a scheme without being pre-empted?  What were the GISOs doing?  However, their main effort, which was to enter the camp of 39BN was decisively defeated.  In their limited thinking, they thought it was a light matter to attack UPDF.

How did all this start?  It started with Mr. Charles Mumbere, now HH Omusinga of the Bakonjo, coming to see me some years ago.  He is the son of the late Isaiah Mukirane who, together with Kawamara, the father of the new cultural leader of the Bamba and Mupalya who died recently, started the Rwenzururu Movement in 1962 against the Batooro domination.  Mukirane, eventually, died in the mountains and left his young son Mumbere.  When Mr. Mumbere came to see me, he wanted to be the King of the Rwenzururu.  I told him that the Rwenzururu had been a Political Movement for equality.  Why did he want to turn a political resistance movement into a monarchy?  His group, however, kept on insisting on the issue of monarchy although there was a big group in Kasese that also opposed the idea.   Eventually, in order to create harmony, we withdrew objections to Mr. Mumbere becoming Omusinga especially after people like Dr. Kiyonga and a large group of people who were opposed to the idea of monarchy, withdrew their objection.  However, the Bamba leaders of Bundibugyo were totally opposed to the idea of the monarchy.

In agreeing to Mr. Mumbere being Omusinga, we, therefore, agreed that that cultural institution should operate in Kasese.  Those of Bundibugyo and other areas that were interested in the Obusinga could go to Kasese.  Even within Kasese, there are other indigenous groups that did not support these ideas.  These are the Basongora, Banyabindi and Bagabo.  We encouraged HH Omusinga to have dialogue with these groups.  I do not know how far that dialogue has gone.  I have, however, been hearing of some chauvinistic positions from some of those who claim to be supporting Obusinga.  They seem to insist that the Omusinga, apart from the Omukama of Tooro in his area, should be the only cultural leader in the Rwenzori region.  Yet, there are other ethnic groups in the Rwenzori region: Bamba, Basongora, Banyabindi, etc.  They have different ideas about this issue and have, in several meetings with me, made this categorically clear.

On account of those chauvinistic ideas being banded around for so long, it seems some groups hatched this criminal scheme that has caused the death of so many people.  Apart from killing 51 of the attackers, we have captured 65 others.  We shall get to the truth and will punish those involved.  In the meantime, the country should not get anxious about this scheme.  It was defeated right on the first day of its execution even before the full potential of the UPDF has been mobilized.  This scheme is doomed to total failure.  It is amazing how wrong ideas coalesce into wrong actions.  Nantabulirwa ya sabaala na bwa bbumba.  Whatever a man sows, that is what he will reap.

I thank you.

Yoweri Kaguta Museveni Gen (rtd)
PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF UGANDA

Link:

http://www.mediacentre.go.ug/press-release/president-musevenis-statement-recent-attacks-some-schemers-kasese-and-bundibugyo

 

President of Uganda: Yoweri K. Museveni – State of Nation Adress. (Tenker dette er spennende lesing!)

H.E. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni,
President of the Republic of Uganda,

At the Uganda International Conference Centre, Serena, Kampala, 6th June, 2013.

His Excellency the Vice President,

Rt. Hon. Speaker,
The Rt. Hon. The Chief Justice,
Rt. Hon. Speaker of EALA,
Rt. Hon. Prime Minister,
The Leader of the Opposition,
Hon. Ministers,
Hon. Members of Parliament
Hon. Members of EALA,
Members of the Diplomatic Corp,
Ladies and Gentlemen.

I greet you and thank you for all the positive things you have been doing since I last addressed you on the 13th December 2012, at the Special sitting of Parliament when I was talking about the Oil Industry.

My main concerns, as you may by now know, apart from peace, are socio-economic transformation of our society and economy and the integration (both economic and political) of the African continent.

In the battle for socio-economic transformation, I have identified the ten (10) strategic bottlenecks that I have been repeatedly talking about. Even yesterday, I repeated them to the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA).

They are: ending ideological disorientation; building the State pillars to ensure that the State is capable of governing people and protecting them; developing the human resource through education and the improved health for all; promoting the Private Sector, which is a more efficient vehicle for enterprise identification and growth rather than persecuting them as used to happen in the past; developing the infrastructure (especially electricity, the railways, the roads, ICT, etc); modernizing agriculture; modernizing services; integrating the African market to assist the Private Sector; and ensuring democracy.

As you can see, integrating the African market is part of removing the strategic bottlenecks that I, normally, talk about. The East African Community (EAC) broke down in 1977 because of the incompatibility between the principled Mwalimu Nyerere and Idi Amin. Investors, however, cannot invest if they are not sure of the market.

As soon as we had a chance to lead Uganda, along with Presidents Mwinyi and Moi, we revived the EAC in 1999. The EAC does not only aim at Economic Integration, it also aims at Political Integration leading to the creation of the Federation of East Africa. This is a commendable step. Rwanda and Burundi have also joined the EAC, thereby expanding the Union. We (Uganda) are also members of COMESA and we are working for the Common Market of the whole of Africa. A federated East Africa will belong to those wider markets as one Political Unit. Therefore, on the bottleneck of fragmented markets, on account of colonialism, we are moving well. We could have moved much faster but, nevertheless, this is good enough.

Since 1987, we started tackling the issue of the human resource development when we launched Universal Immunization with vaccines against six preventable diseases. These were: measles, polio, tuberculosis, tetanus, whooping cough and diphtheria. We have recently broadened the list to eight (8) vaccines, by adding the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) Vaccine and Pneumoccal vaccine (PCV). The additional diseases to be prevented by immunization are pneumonia, diarrhea, meningitis, human papilloma virus (HPV). If the Ugandans, individually and/or collectively, could add hygiene, nutrition and personal discipline (e.g. avoiding umalaya, alcohol, smoking and obesity), the total disease burden eliminated would amount to 80%. We would only remain with 20% of diseases and traumas to deal with.

Nevertheless, that residual percentage of diseases and traumas include accidents. These accidents are caused by reckless driving which contributes 20% to the hospital cases. I do not know where the water-borne diseases belong. Do they belong to hygiene or do they belong to their own category? The Ministry of Health will have to help me on this.

These contribute 20% of the sicknesses. Therefore, continued programme of providing safe water is a crucial element in disease elimination.

The district of Mukono recently came up with a good idea of buying its own borehole drilling equipment. This would enable them to make a borehole at a less cost compared to the money they spend when they private contractors. Even before borehole water is available, let everybody boil all the water that he/she uses. It is as effective as borehole water.

In 1997, we introduced Universal Primary Education (UPE), in 2007 we introduced Universal Secondary Education (USE) and we have now introduced free education for A-level as well as for vocational schools. In the coming budget we are going to introduce the Student Loans Scheme on top of the free education for the top 4,000 best performers admitted to Government Universities. The challenge, then, will remain, first of all, the diligent implementation of these schemes, eliminating all the corruption – especially the enforced collection of school fees. If you want voluntary contribution to the school, let the community contribute to the building of the school through labour. Then, those who are able to contribute in cash voluntarily could do so. Non of that should affect the student’s attendance.

The issue of lunch should also be handled in a voluntary manner – although my preference has always been for the parents to provide packed lunch in their own way (entaanda, peke, etc).

The second challenge with universal education is, then, giving the students vocational skills – technical skills as well as science education. One issue that is still lagging behind is the issue of maternal mortality. It is still 438 per 100,000. It must be brought down. What are the causes of this level of maternal mortality when we have got a health unit at every sub-county? When I was growing up in the entire district of Ntungamo plus Rwampara, there were only four Health Units at: Kinoni, Rubaare, Rwashamaire and, in 1959, Rwenyangyi or Kitwe, as I hear the present groups calling it, was added. In spite of these huge distances, I was born in the hospital in 1944 (at Mbarara), My sister Dr. Kajubiri, was born at Rubaare in 1949, etc.

That same area now has the following Health Units:

HC IVs 3

HC IIIs 11

HC IIs 25

Plus Itojo district Hospital.

All these total to 40 Health Centres in Ntungamo alone which in my time had only four Health units.

Therefore, the hardware facilities are there. What is not adequate are the soft-ware facilities; full staffing which we dealt with the other time. We decided that 19 health personnel be put at HCIV and 39 health personnel be at HCIII; female midwives instead of having men delivering women on account of our culture; underage marriages and pregnancies that turn children (abaana) into mothers (abazaire); etc. Let the Ministry of Health sensitize the population on these issues using the radios that spend endless time talking lies. The radios could be used positively to educate people about these challenges.

The remaining big health challenge is malaria. Malaria accounts for 40-50% of out patients and 20% of the inpatients of all the deaths in Uganda. We must get rid of the mosquitoes. There is the effort of bed-nets distribution. This is good. However, the real answer is to get rid of the mosquitoes through the use of larvicides. Our scientists are working on this.

I am, therefore, proud that the NRM has expended quite a bit of energy on the issue of human resource development – education and health – the very low base we started with notwithstanding.

Let everybody else do their assignment. Results will be much better. Even, however, with the failure of some of the actors doing their assignments, the results are good. That is why the population has grown from 14 million people in 1986 to 35 million now. That is why you can hardly see a youth or child below the age of 26 years crippled by polio. These are not mean achievements.

The other big bottleneck is infrastructure (electricity, the roads, the railways, water works and ICT). The issue of the underground and undersea cables has been handled. Telephones should become cheaper in time especially the international calls.

We are working aggressively on electricity, the railways and the roads. Karuma will be built. There is even the possibility that we may get good and cheap funding for it so that we can switch our own money to something else – e.g. the roads.

Karuma (600 mgws)
Ayago will be built (600 mgws),
Oryang will be built (392 mgws),
Kiba will be built (288 mgws),
Isimba will be built (188 mgws) etc.

We have got good offers for all these.

The railway will be built. We have got good offers from some reliable financiers. Besides, we have trained the UPDF Engineering Brigade to build the railways.

Some of the roads will be built by the use of our own money and others by financing from outside. The Minister of finance in her budget speech will give the details. I am, however, very confident that the infrastructure envisaged in the 2040 Vision will be built.

Then, there is our oil and gas. It has taken long because we have been haggling with the oil companies. Our plan is clear and unequivocal – it must include a right sized refinery of 60,000 barrels per day, built in two phases according to the dictates of the market.

When more reserves are discovered, provided the internal market so dictates, this refinery will be expanded. Although we did not, initially, have interest in a pipeline, our commercial Partners, the Oil Companies seem to have a big interest in it as do their financiers we are told. Their position seems to be based on their failure to understand the new dynamics in Africa and what was, previously, called the Third World. 

The groups in the West should know that this category of people categorized as Third World are an endangered species. In the next 50 years, certainly, Uganda will be a First World Country and a middle income country by 2017. You cannot have a country with 10 million of its children in schools continuing to be a Third World country for long. On account of their fundamental misunderstanding, they under estimate the consumption level of the Ugandans and their purchasing power. That is why they are desperate for a pipeline to insure their investments. They fear that they may invest and, then, nobody buys the finished oil products in Uganda.

Hence, the desperation for a pipeline. I have agreed to this re-packaging because, whatever the packaging, much of the money is ours – whether it goes through the refinery or through the pipeline. Of course, with this pipeline, the coastal countries deduct some money for transit and there is the fee for the use of the pipeline. Nevertheless, paralysis is also costly. We need the money to build our infrastructure and to do other important things.

I recommend that we all support the addition of the pipeline provided the refinery gets the first call on the crude oil if the internal and the regional market justify it. A number of groups have shown interest in building and financing the refinery.

Of course, oil and gas will also contribute to the electricity generating capacity of Uganda. These infrastructure projects will boost our growth and expand our GDP by a factor of 9%.

With the battle for an integrated market, for a developed human resource and for infrastructure going well as shown above, we need to conclude the battle on another front – a conducive atmosphere for the Private Sector-led growth. I call this concluding because we long ago started this battle in 1987 when we liberalized, de-regulated and privatized many activities in the economy. We put in place a Code of Investment and a one-stop-centre for registering and enabling investments to be implemented. The one-stop-centre has, however, never worked properly. I will insist that this Investment Authority becomes a real one-stop-centre. I will also bring amendments to the Investment Code to criminalize malicious sabotage of investments in Uganda.

The achievements and struggles enumerated above will be in vain if we do not attract and retain private investments. Nobody should obstruct private investments out of malice with impunity. A request for an investment should not take more than three days. Why? It is because these processes are well known. They are not new science for most of the time. What does a leather processing plant need, for instance? What does a maize milling machine need? Etc. Does it have those requirements or does it not? UIA, NEMA, should have these standard requirements and should be able to approve or disapprove quickly.

While market integration, the human resource development and the infrastructure development are enablers, the real wealth creation is effected and created by the Private Sector investing in real estate, services, manufacturing, agriculture, ICT, etc. Everybody must promote this and not obstruct or delay investment. It is the Private Sector that will create jobs, produce more goods and services for domestic consumption as well as exports and expand the tax base. The investors may be local or outsiders. They are all, however, doing one job of expanding the GDP of Uganda.

The ignorant but really subversive talk I normally hear must stop. You hear people talking of “factory y’omuyindi” – an Indian’s factory; or “factory y’omuzungu” – the European’s factory. When I was commissioning Coca Cola factory in Namanve recently, I told those present that there is not a single Muyindi’s factory or Muzungu’s factory in Uganda. All the factories in Uganda are Ugandan whether they are owned by Ugandan citizens or outsiders. If a Ugandan African built a factory in India, that factory would not be Ugandan, it would be Indian. Sometime ago, we had a Ugandan that was getting wealthy, the Late Chris Mboijana. He had businesses and properties in Kenya, in Mombasa. Those properties were Kenyan and not Ugandan. To prove they were Kenyan, when he died suddenly, I heard some wrangles about those properties but I could not easily follow up precisely because they were in Kenya and not in Uganda.

Apart from the small investments that will be attracted by the conducive atmosphere created by us, especially if UIA and NEMA correct their ways, there are big projects that we have for long been promoting without success. There are two in particular – the Phosphates factory in Tororo which will also produce Sulphuric acid and iron ore and the Muko iron ore near Kabaale. We seem to have, finally, identified capable investors who can get these huge projects going. These will add significantly to the size of our GDP and also feed into the other sectors of the economy – fertilizers into agriculture and iron ore and steel into construction, dam building, manufacturing, etc.

The sector that can reach many Ugandans and quickly is agriculture. Let us work on the 68% of the homesteads that were found by 2002 census to still be in subsistence agriculture. What is amazing is the lack of seriousness by many of our actors. Since 1996, we talked of a cluster of enterprises per household per zone – the 18 zones of Uganda. Where this has been implemented, the results have been dramatic – in the Bundibugyo area, in the Kanungu area, in the Kiruhuura area, in the Kapchorwa area. Yet the other day, when I was in Asia, I heard some of our people talking of Asian Model of “one product per village”!!! Maybe that is a good model. However, before you go for that model, what about our own model of several products per zone? Where it has been implemented, it has done miracles. Why not implement it elsewhere? Let each home of 4 acres of land do the following according to the respective zones: an acre of coffee, an acre of fruits, an acre of bananas and an acre of elephant grass or other pasture. In some variations, you can plant cassava, Irish potatoes or rice instead of bananas or you could have two acres of fruits instead of giving one acre to coffee. At the level of processing, you will then have all those products to deal with. In the courtyard, behind the house, you will, then, add chicken as layers, Pigs, Improved goats, apiary in one corner of the land and fish farming in the valley. Then, there are the six or so cows fed by animal fodder in the shelters (what we call zero grazing). This will work. It has already worked in some parts of the country.

There are two disappointments in the sector of agriculture and fisheries. One is the problem of over fishing on Lake Victoria and the other is the mismanagement of tick control in Uganda. African communities have been specializing in their respective activities over the millennia – crops, livestock, fishing etc. Normally, these specialized communities develop conservation practices that ensure sustainable use of these resources even in very difficult circumstances. These practices get ingrained in the culture. Banyankore, being cattle-keepers and crop people, have practices that have preserved certain activities, the neglect and discouragement by the colonial and subsequent governments notwithstanding. That is why the Ankore cattle, this bananas and the millet, for instance have been preserved. A Munyankore will, for instance, never slaughter a female young cow (enyena) under any circumstances. Even today, in spite of the commercialization of the economy that has forced Banyakore to sell female cattle, they still sell the middle aged ones (ejigija) and not the young ones (enyena).

I was sure that the Bassese and other fishing communities of Lake Victoria had such deeply ingrained cultural practices to preserve the resources of the lake. Who, then, was destroying the resources of the lake by eating the young fish? It is called mudeeke in Lussesse dialect. If only you allow the fish to survive for 9 months, it will have laid many millions of eggs. The lake will always be well stocked. Who, then, is so uncivilized, so unconcerned that he/she eats the mudeeke? I am beginning to get information that the people causing destruction to the resources off the lakes are not indigenous people around the Lake. That it is immigrants who come from other areas of Uganda and/or other parts of East Africa, push aside the locals and inflict such damage to our heritage. One thing I cannot compromise on is our heritage. Those who do not respect our heritage should not be tolerated. What should we do with this situation? We are going to discuss it in the cabinet and in the NRM Caucus and find a radical solution.

In the meantime, the many factories we attracted on Lake Victoria, 21 of them in number are closed or are operating far below capacity. This is not acceptable. Our earnings from fish had gone to US$ 196 million in 2005/2006, they have now declined to US$ 142.6 million in 2012/2013 because of these parasites. This is not acceptable. The Banyakore have a superstition regarding preventing lightening strikes (enkuba). It is called okugangahura. When the lightening damages something, the most indigenous resident of the area is the one that can perform the ceremony and rites that will stop the lightening from causing damage again. Riding rough against indigenous practices can sometimes, lead to serious mistakes. We should all assist the Minister Nankabirwa to solve this problem. It is a big shame. It is a type of suicide. Polluting the Lakes must also stop. People who dig gardens up to the edge of the lakes or the rivers should be stopped. The Minister of Environment should ensure that. I flew over Luzira Bay the other day. The whole lake is full of algae, a sign of pollution. This should also be addressed by the Minister of the Environment.

The other bad phenomenon is drug resistant ticks because of the laxity of the veterinary department. There are four categories or classes of acaricides. These are: Pyrethroids, the amidines, the organophosphates and the co-formulations. Each class kills ticks in specific ways. However, ticks develop resistance after about three years. The correct thing is to change to a different class after three years. Unfortunately, the technical staff never told us about this. We, therefore, ended up, including myself, using the same class of drugs for up to 15 years, in my case. When the ticks became resistant to the drugs, recently, the cattle started dying. Although the good news here is that the Ankore cattle and the other indigenous cattle are still immune to the tick-borne diseases. One of my cattle, Kiremba, was found with 154 drug resistant ticks and it was still up ticking and kicking. Anyway, I have moved from pyrethroids to the amidines and all the ticks have disappeared. We have instructed the veterinary people to sensitize the farmers on this issue. I, recently, went to Ireland (UK) specifically on this issue and the drug manufacturers have solution to these drug resistant ticks.

In any case, we are also working on vaccines with other African countries – such as Kenya and Malawi.

Yesterday, I read the malicious self-deception of the Daily Monitor. I am told that the so-called “The East African newspaper”, which is a sister to the Daily Monitor, was similarly jubilating that Museveni will have a hard time making the State of the Nation Address this year, because the things he talked about last year were not fulfilled. Of course, not all the things I talked about last year have been fulfilled because many of them take time and, in any case, the resources are limited. Does the Daily Monitor and the East African paper and some members of the opposition in the Ugandan Parliament, think that Ugandans cannot understand that? Mao Tse Tung once said: “It is still better if the enemy attacks us wildly and paints us as utterly black and without a single virtue; it demonstrates that we have not only drawn a clear line of demarcation between the enemy and ourselves but achieved a great deal in our work.” Therefore, it is a compliment when the Daily Monitor and the East African paper attacks us because it means we are right. However, unfortunately for the anti-NRM groups, Uganda is moving forward. The performance of the economy this year has been as follows:

GDP rate of growth is 5.1%;
Inflation rate is 3.6%;
Foreign exchange Reserves are US$ 3.3 billion;
Export earnings are US$ 4.9 billion;
Remittances from Ugandans abroad are US$ 767.26 million;
The total size of GDP of Uganda is 54.7 trillion shillings;
The total size of GDP in US$ (exchange rate) is US$ 21.2 billion;

This is reasonable given the difficult situation created by the past mistakes caused by the anti-NRM elements prior to 2011, when inflation went up to 30%. I said that the difficult situation will be reversed and it has been reversed. We are also resolved to resist firmly those who block investment programmes, delay development and when difficulties arise they turn round to criticize. The bottlenecks are clear to us. They will be solved partly using our money, partly using money from our Partners outside or through a sovereign bond using regular financial sources because Uganda’s credit rating is good at B+. Besides, our oil money is not very far off.

The evil of corruption is being handled. You saw what happened to the officers who were accused of stealing money in the office the Prime Minister and in the Ministry of Public service by holding ghost seminars, in 2011. In the past, NRM has handled bigger problems than bunches of thieving public servants. These are easier to handle. I promise to give a special address on corruption.

Madam Speaker, it will be recalled that the Second Session of the Ninth Parliament commenced on 7th June 2012. As at 14th February 2013, Parliament had been able to transact business as follows:

Bills passed – 11
Motions passed – 12
Reports considered and concluded by Parliament – 6
Petitions considered and concluded by Parliament – 5
Ministerial Statements presented to Parliament – 13
Other statements – 2
Questions for oral answer presented – 3

Among the Bills which Parliament has passed are the following:
The National Council for Older Persons Bill, 2010;
The Finance Act 2006 (Amendment) Bill, 2012;
The Income Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2012;
The Excise Tariff (Amendment) Bill, 2012;
The Value Added Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2012;
The East African Excise Management (Amendment) Bill, 2012;
The Uganda Communications Regulatory Authority Bill, 2012;
The Supplementary Appropriation Bill, 2012;
The Petroleum (Exploration, Development and Production) Bill, 2012;
The Accountants Bill, 2011;
The Geographical Indications for Bill, 2008;

In the coming session, the Government will present a number of Bills including the following anti money laundering Bill, Public Finance Bill, etc. The Rt. Hon. Prime Minister will communicate these Bills to you.

I thank you very much.

6th June 2013 – UICC, Serena

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