Opinion: Another Kaveera ban….

We have been here before and its a déjà vu. The polythene bag or kaveera ban have been a thing in the past. The National Resistance Movement (NRM) and the Government of Uganda have proposed this before. They have enacted and said the ban was happening. It is nothing new …. and the 11^th Parliament aren’t doing anything different than others.

The 9^th Parliament did it too. It is most likely that the 10^th Parliament did something too. The cabinet who did this recently is following up where the previous people left-off. The NRM and the Cabinet isn’t revolutionizing things. They are just re-issuing old policies, which the state and the authorities haven’t been able to implement.

That is the tragic here and not the final of these. During the next few months. Don’t be shocked if the Cabinet or the NRM is re-issuing other old pet-pees as well. We can soon see something we have heard before, because the government haven’t had the ability or the priority to the implement it.

It would be a possible step, but the government, the traders, importers and everyone needs a another alternative. There is a need for something else… and that’s not happening. The NRM and the ones who says it’s happening will not do anything about it.

It’s so easy to print a statement and come in bold letters. Have a cool title and be vibrant. The fresh words and be within the dogma of the climate change era. However, all of that has no value, when the logistics, the traders and everyone in the food-chain isn’t changing patterns. Nothing will ever happen and the consumer will need to pick up another kaveera at their local shop.

This is why this new edition of kaveera ban is without substance, unless they plan another alternative, which doesn’t seem plausible. Peace.

Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda letter to Parliamentary Committee on Presidential Affairs – “Meeting With the Prime Minister on the Bulambuli Resettlement Project” (05.12.2018)

Bududa Landslide: Bosco’s Empty Promises to help the district since 2010!

With age and time, you can see how a government returns with same empty promises and pledges. It is like President Yoweri Kaguta Musveni and his allies comes every time after a disaster. However, they are not planning to do anything. They are talking of making differences, that is why they had made a District Development Plan in April 2011. Where the district planned both tree-planting and building the road, which was promised the year before. Also, in National Policy for Disaster Preparedness and Management in 2010, which stated who had responsibilities concerning landslide. Therefore, the state has worked on plans and securing the area, but they have not acted upon it.

Today, I am just compiling a few promises over the years to the district, to prove the lack of act and lack of following up on promises. If this was a district the government cared about, they would have acknowledge the dangers and the landslides. As the death-toll is happening nearly yearly after the rainfall and the knowledge of this common. It is not like this is new problem. The state could have built the roads and could have ensured the earth erosion wouldn’t worsen, but never cared for doing so. Therefore, I have listed the promises since 2010 until today.

Promised a road in 2010:

“President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has directed for the immediate construction of a road leading up to Nametsi village in Bududa, the scene of the landslide disaster which claimed more than 300 people last week. The Lack of access roads to Nametsi village has severely affected the rescue efforts as earth moving equipments can not be transported to the disaster scene. The village which is located on Mt. Elgon can only be reached on foot as vehicles stop more than ten kilometers away” (Joseph Elunya – ‘President Museveni Orders for Construction of Road to Landslide Scene in Bududa’ 08.03.2010, link: https://ugandaradionetwork.com/story/president-museveni-orders-for-construction-of-road-to-landslide-scene-in-bududa).

Presidential Directive in 2012:

“The directive by President Yoweri Museveni to have survivors of Monday’s landslides in Bududa district relocated to other places within the country has drawn mixed reactions among the locals in the area. President Museveni through a message by Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi, on Wednesday directed that all those living in high risk slopes of Mount Elgon should be unconditionally relocated. The President suggested that the government could also construct urban settlements within the district to have them settled there. The directive followed the June 25 landslides that buried at least two villages in Bulucheke Sub County, Bududa district. It is still not clear how many people have died, with government putting the figure at about 18 while local leaders saying the dead could be over 100. Some of the survivors welcome the idea of having urban centers constructed within the district, but many equally say they would not move to any place outside Bududa” (Michael Wambi – ‘Mixed Reactions to Museveni’s Bududa Directive’ 29.07.2012, link: https://ugandaradionetwork.com/a/story.php?s=43316).

Promise of a road in 2015:

“The President announced that the road from Magodesi to Lwakhakha will be tarmac and adding that the work is slated to begin in February 2016. He also said that Manafwa road will be extended to Bududa but called for patience as the government implements these projects in phases according to the availability of financial resources. “Money is not like the sun. We do government work step by step because not all programmes can be undertaken at the same time,” he explained” (Uganda Media Centre – ‘“Mass Industrialization to Solve Youth Unemployment”- President Museveni’ 27.08.2015, link: http://www.mediacentre.go.ug/press-release/%E2%80%9Cmass-industrialization-solve-youth-unemployment%E2%80%9D-president-museveni).

Promise of a road in 2017:

““There are very many stones on this mountain waiting to kill you people, but instead of these stones being a problem, we are going to blast them to make good tarmac roads,” he said, adding that government has also for funds to tarmac the Mbale-Sironko road” (…) “In September, this year, at least 10 people were reportedly buried alive after the mudslide occurred in Sironko and several houses were also left buried in Bududa district” (Max Patrick Ocaido – ‘President Museveni Visits Landslide Victims’ 22.11.2017, link: https://kampalapost.com/content/news/president-museveni-visits-landslide-victims).

Today:

“On government’s behalf I apologize for the delayed resettlement of those living in landslide-prone areas to safer places, and commit that this process will be fast-tracked to avoid any further casualities. I was let down by my people. I apologize on their behalf. A plan was made and the people had agreed to move but it seems there was lack of coordination in government. I apologise for this, we are now going to move very fast” (Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, 14.10.2018).

We can really see how the President promises and doesn’t keep them. That is why the Bududa District Plan of 2010 wasn’t even followed, neither the National Policy for Disaster Preparedness and Management of 2011, both wasn’t followed. That shows the contempt of the district and their needs.

That is why it is special that the President comes with the same promise after a landslide in 2018, as he did in 2012 and until last year he promised a road to help out the area. Clearly, the National Resistance Movement (NRM) are not prioritizing the needs or the costs of lives that is happening here. As it is happening yearly and still the state doesn’t act upon it.

That is time to stop and actually follow up on the pledges, the promises and the needs of the District. That he also have visited several times of AK 47 and military fatigue, shows how he acts concerning the pains of the citizens. He didn’t do that today, but has done that in the past.

When, he promise quick progress and apologize for lateness, that is at least 6 years ago since he written a directive on relocation that the state haven’t been able to follow upon or allocate the funds. Peace.

Bududa Landslides: Who is really responsible for securing the land?

There has been a real tragedy again befallen on the Mount Elgon Region, as the Budabuda District was hit with another landslide. This is a district that is known for this and has had fatal landslides in the past, as the rain of October and November can create landslide in the eroded land and in the slopes of the hills, where people reside and have their small farms. Therefore, this isn’t a new problem. There are reports on the matter, but still this week was hit with it again and new losses of lives. Which is such a tragedy. In 2010, there was estimated 100 dead in Namesti Village in the district. By today, in the district the Red Cross says the number of dead is up to 42. All of which is a lot, as there are supposed to be safeguards and warning systems, also funds to secure help as the disaster happens.

After the last big landslide, the district MP Olive Wonekha wrote this: “Putting a system in place to cater for all the emergencies has not been easy. The Government of Uganda together with many well-wishers including the Red Cross Society which is at the forefront of the humanitarian aid, Development Partners are grappling with the medium and long-term solution to the issue” (AAH Uganda, 02.04.2010).

As we have sadly seen from this week, that haven’t really been put in place and in order. As the government nor the stakeholders has taken charge, as they all know this. What is special is that the Bududa District even made a Development Plan in April 2011, which stated this:

“Factors responsible for this phenomenon include; Human activities (steep slope cultivation, cultivation on river banks, deforestation) and excessive rains” (Bududa District – ‘Five-Year District Development Plan’ 27.04.2011). In the same plan, they have a plan for adding more forest and trees in slopes to stop erosion in the soil, we can wonder if they ever got the one road they needed and the seedlings to do so. That they could do one thing to secure the slopes and hills. As the rain pour is steady and known about in the region.

We understand why the Local Government and District has little say in the matter of disaster, as the Office of Prime Minister says they are number 12 on the list of responsible in 2010, but a technical note from 2015, says it is local government who is legal obligation. Its not strange, that their will confusion and uncertainty who has the final say and who should step into action.

OPM report on ‘THE NATIONAL POLICY FOR DISASTER PREPAREDNESS AND MANAGEMENT’ from 2010 states: “Community settlement on steep slopes and other uncontrolled land use practices increase the likelihood of landslides and mudslides prevalence. The areas mostly affected by Landslides are Mt. Elgon region, Ruwenzori region and Kigezi”. Than later it says who is the responsible institutions: “i. National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) (lead Institution)

ii. Ministry of Water and Environment

iii. Department of Geological and Mine Survey

iv. National Forest Authority (NFA)

v. Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA)

vi. Makerere University, Geography Dept.

vii. Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries

viii. Ministry of Lands and Housing and Urban Development

ix. Ministry of Local Government

x. Ministry of Works and Transport

xi. Office of the Prime Minister – Department of Disaster Preparedness and Management

xii. District Local Governments

xiii. NARO and other Research Institutions

xiv. Community and Private Sector

xv. Ministry of Defence and other Rescue Agencies

xvi. UN Agencies and NGOs

xvii. Ministry of Health” (OPM – ‘THE NATIONAL POLICY FOR DISASTER PREPAREDNESS AND MANAGEMENT’ 2010).

A technical report commissioned by the UNDP on behalf of the Office of the Prime Minister in August 2015 states this about landslides: “Herewith each district environment committee is responsible to take necessary measures to minimise the risk of environmental degradation of riverbanks and shores. Similarly section 38 highlights the identification of hilly and mountainous areas and also places a legal obligation on local government for the assessment of such areas in terms of environmental degradation. In light of the significant landslide risk within Uganda, this element should go along way in addressing landslide risk” (OPM – ‘Governance of disaster risk reduction and management in Uganda: A literature review’ 2015).

What I have been looking into is what the reports of old is saying. Not looking into the issue of Contingency Fund, but showing a final Press Statement from CSBAG to show the lack of care from the government concerning this:

“We want to applaud government’s proposal of allocating UGX 77bn to the contingency fund; this being the first time the provision of the PFMA of constituting a contingency fund is being implemented. However, the proposed allocation is below the 0.5% of the previous financial year’s budget as provided by Section 26 of the PMFA 2015 as amended, we pray that an additional UGX 66 bn be provided to fully implement the provision of the PFMA. We demand that Government respects the percentage towards Disaster response and management as required by the law under the Contingency Fund” (CSBAG – ‘UGANDA IS NOT FLOOD RESISTANT… IT’S TIME TO ACT’ 26.03.2018).

When we see it like this, the state is clearly not managing the disaster response or the funds for possibly coping with it. As the landslide this week is showing, is that the government of Uganda isn’t prepared and their citizens are paying. As well, as the local government doesn’t have the funds or ability to ensure their own 5 year development plan. Which was made a year after the biggest landslide in the recent decade. Therefore, the state knows about this, but still doesn’t act upon it.

We have to question the OPM and the other government institutions, not only the Local Government who hasn’t acted, but they might lack the budget and the expertise, that all the other responsible institutions in this manner.

What is sad is the loss of lives and the knowledge of plans and lack of inadequate funds… which could have saved lives and ensured a better disaster response. Something everyone deserves, as the government knows this region is hit with this, as the rains of September and October can make the land erosion. Therefore, time to push for the government to really act, so next time there be less loss of life and more action to ones in need when it do happen. Peace.

Kenya: NEMA – “Enforcement of the Ban on Plastic Bags-Drop-Off Points” (29.08.2017)

The NRM Regime have during the FY2015/2016 fallen behind on paying out UGX 2.7 trillion!

Today I am dropping numbers that are devastating, as the numbers of debt that the National Resistance Movement (NRM) isn’t paying, show’s sufficient motives for malpractice when it comes to budgeting and the structure of payments. There are certainly not enough transparency and clear audit of the state reserves, as the State is misusing seriously amount of funds. The NRM Regime and their President should be ashamed by their record.

Emmanuel Katongole is the Head Information Technology in the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development (MoFPED) in Uganda on the 12^th April 2017, he dropped a document on their web-page that show’s the domestic arrears of the Republic of Uganda in the last Financial Year.

If you wonder what Domestic Arrears means: “The amount by which a government has fallen behind in its payment of interest and principal on debt to lenders within its own country” (Encyclo.co.uk). So Katongole will literately show how bad the National Resistance Movement is on paying their bills and expenditure. All the sums of this report is in Ugandan Shillings (UGX).

Like under the Office of the President and the Internal Security Organisation (ISO) who itself leaves arrears in the margin of 3.8bn shillings and 8bn shillings in other payable arrears. That one part of the budget and current audit of the Office of the President as the total of verified arrears at June 2016 was 37bn shillings alone. So the Office of the President owes a lot of funds that it hasn’t paid, not only for the ISO!

The State House by the verified arrears at June 2016 was 1bn shillings. What is more unsettling is that the Pensions and Gratitude for Veterans are the sum of 183bn shillings, Survivors 315bn shillings, EXGRATIA 10bn and UNLA 26bn shillings. The Ministry of Defense by June 2016 verified arrears was 718bn shillings! So the MoD are a lax payer of their expenses and expenditure.

Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs owes verified arrears by June 2016 the amount of 684bn. Shillings Court Awards unpaid by the Ministry is 203bn shillings. The Electoral Commission has growing verified arrears by June 2016 because of Unsettled penal insterest for URA in the total sum of 3.2bn shillings. Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) has by June 2016 billed up verified arrears by 283bn shillings.

This is just some of the government that has not paid their dues and their expenses, their salaries or pensions, even their lacking covering of funds to pay debt, either internal or external. So the National Resistance Movement are clearly running an economy and fiscal policy that isn’t healthy for the republic.

Just to drop the total sum that the Government of Uganda has failed to pay or failed payments on their debt are by June 2016 the total of 2.7 Trillions of Uganda Shillings! Which is an insane number and amount of misspent monies by the state. The strategy by the Republic to fail so miserably cannot be sustainable, as the invoices and the target to pay their debt should be the most important. Still, the NRM doesn’t seem to think so. They are surely missing steps to having a sound economy when the verified arrears are hitting 2.7 trillions by June 2016. So the Financial Year of 2015/2016, the Ugandan government failed to serve out over 2 trillion of their needed expenses!

What is troubling that the year before, the total state had not paid on their debt and failing expenses in the Financial Year of 2014/2015 as by June 2015 we’re totally 1.389 or close to 1.4 Trillion shillings. So the miss-match between FY2014/2015 and FY 2015/2016 are 1.3 Trillion shillings. So the clear picture is that the Election Year for the NRM is very, very expensive.

Just think about that… eat the bill and pound on the amount of lost monies in the system. Peace.

 

UNDP: Decision on SECU Case No. SECU0002 – On Bidco connection to UN Global Compact (13.03.2017)

U.S. Department of the Army Corps 24 hour notification letter to continue building the Dakota Access Pipeline (07.02.2017)

Jay Smooth: “Thoughts On The Women’s March That Already Feels Like So Long Ago Because These Are The End Times” (Youtube-Clip)

Trump, the Great Dictator has entered the building!

Congratulation Mr. Donald J. Trump you act like Dictator and behave like a tyrant. Your legacy is built over and days. You complained and whine like a bitch that Barrack Obama as President made lots of Presidential Orders, but the first thing you do is to make a dozen’s of them yourself.

Like this one:

“The Secretary of Commerce shall conduct outreach to stakeholders concerning the impact of Federal regulations on domestic manufacturing and shall solicit comments from the public for a period not to exceed 60 days concerning Federal actions to streamline permitting and reduce regulatory burdens for domestic manufacturers. As part of this process, the Secretary of Commerce shall coordinate with the Secretaries of Agriculture and Energy, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, the Administrator of the Small Business Administration, and such other agency heads as may be appropriate” (MEMORANDUM FOR THE HEADS OF EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES, 24.01.2017, Donald J. Trump).

What a noble gentleman you are that you’re gaging the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), they are not allowed for staff on Social Media and talk to the Media. So your making blackouts of government institutions before you have been in power a month. Even Gadaffi your friend who rented your land in New York back in the day would be proud, Vladimir Putin must see the vision in your ears and the glowing ignorance in your eyes.

You have already tried to subdue the media with false tragedies and stupid made of stories, while the worst is happening inside your coming cabinet, your hiring of men and woman who is billionaires that couldn’t be more far from the voters who elected you into office. You’re a billionaire who apparently doesn’t care much about acts as long it gives you and your men profits.

Trump MoU on DALP: “The Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) under development by Dakota Access, LLC, represents a substantial, multi-billion-dollar private investment in our Nation’s energy infrastructure. This approximately 1,100-mile pipeline is designed to carry approximately 500,000 barrels per day of crude oil from the Bakken and Three Forks oil production areas in North Dakota to oil markets in the United States. At this time, the DAPL is more than 90 percent complete across its entire route. Only a limited portion remains to be constructed. I believe that construction and operation of lawfully permitted pipeline infrastructure serve the national interest” (SUBJECT: Construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline, 24.01.2017, Donald J. Trump).

You speak of being environmental, but open up the petroleum pipelines of Dakota Access Pipeline and Keystone XL. You are such an ass, at the same time deletes the reality of water-quality and other truthful information on your government web-pages. You are gagging the EPA and USDA that looks into the reasonable environment hazards the pipelines would do in dozens of states. But you only see the cash monies and even some of the businesses your sons are running might benefit. You couldn’t care-less.

“In accordance with Executive Order 11423 of August 16, 1968, as amended, and Executive Order 13337 of April 30, 2004, the Secretary of State has delegated authority to receive applications for Presidential permits for the construction, connection, operation, or maintenance, at the borders of the United States, of facilities for the exportation or importation of petroleum, petroleum products, coal, or other fuels to or from a foreign country, and to issue or deny such Presidential permits. As set forth in those Executive Orders, the Secretary of State should issue a Presidential permit for any cross-border pipeline project that “would serve the national interest.” (SUBJECT: Construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline, 24.01.2017, Donald J. Trump).

EPA on DALP Pipeline Route before Pre-Trump Era!

Trump, your acts now are peril with the ways of democratic behavior, you are silencing your own government institutions, not giving to craps about the honest truth. Not that truth ever matters to you as long as you are winning!

That your Presidential Spokesman Sean Spicer and Presidential Advisor Kellyanne Conway feel your coverage is biased and wrong, well, you are the one acting and doing executive orders. You are the one behind the madness called the Trump Era and the Trump administration. I am sure you will soon blackout more institutions, silence the Congress and Senate. As your sinister plans get into effect, because you cannot handle the truth or facts; facts are lies and deceptions to you, they are not useful, because they damage you. Facts are the thing that you hate more than anything else. Therefore you cannot handle that the EPA or USDA are telling the truth about the pipelines and their possible environmental damage.

Trump cannot handle his own government agencies and doesn’t know how they operate, doesn’t know the laws, therefore he orders things he like and been told by his donors like a drone. Being a dictator and dictating the state to be silenced for 60 days. Trump has so little courage and bravery that he doesn’t believe that he can work the system. He has to rig it and make order it to command, because he is the Executive. Surely he will drop more orders daily  than at a busy Chinese takeaway restaurant in Manhattan, New York.

Donald Trump you’re the coming GRAND Dictator, I am sure you haven’t seen the movie or understand the play, but you’re the next up! You don’t care about the implications on the Presidential Orders or Memorandums of Understanding that you’re signing these days. You only see your vision and stature. The only thing mattering is that you’re the man.

Donald Trump, dictating son-of-bitch from Queens, who doesn’t care about the rules or regulations, not even who will become in the people’s eyes; he attacks the media, but he has created the monster and that is himself. Himself is the man who silence EPA and USDA so he can push through environmental dangerous industrial building that has been demonstrated against through the United States Presidential Election 2016. That apparently by default you won, President Trump!

The Executive, the President, the almighty bastard that silence environmental institutions so they doesn’t say the truth about the massive disturbance and possible damage to rivers and destroy the environment… but does the new American President care about that. He only cares about himself.

You are a son-of-a-bitch! Future tyrant and so-far from democratic value Executive the United States has ever had. You as a man cannot even handle staff and institutions to speak their mind while the pipeline constructions are happening. Trump cannot handle that, Trump is little muffled dog under pressure from donors to do this and not caring about the effects it will have. He is 70 years old, so not that his life will be long enough to see the damage or feel it. Not that he is ever travelling in North Dakota near the towns that are affected; neither is he visiting Keystone XL. Trump doesn’t have the heart.

Welcome world, Trump the Great Dictator has entered the building! Peace.