Tag: National Resistance Movement
Seemingly the Ugandan Government bailing-out corporations… or is it way of Mzee to give monies to his loyal cronies?

There are talks of bailing out businesses or corporations in Uganda, as the failing; it is not only the Republic of Uganda or the Government of Uganda is striking more and more debt to fulfil the budgets. As that happens, the businesses together with Ugandan Banks are sustaining investments and fiscal monetary situation for industries and businesses; something that is occurring with a steady pace.
The Steady Progress from the National Resistance Movement comes with a price of loyalty of the cronies and the elite; that happen to be fundraising for the NRM-O before the General Election of 2016 and building the famous “NRM-House”, for some strange reason never sees the light of day. Dwindling away in T-Shirt Money and other ways of funding the expensive campaign of ruling regime.
Here is some of the companies and some information on them. There are many more, but this shows certain levels of questions and also, the needed for funding should be gone, except if the owners have allegiance to the NRM-Regime. So it seems like the Executive wants them to have debt and all of a sudden he needs to save them.

Shumuk Aluminium who has failed on loans; these loans are Shs. 8.2bn to DFCU Bank, Shs. 6.6bn to Baroda Bank and Shs. 17bn to Crane Bank. The Shumuk Group have been an industrial manufacture that has made everything from steel to plastic bottles in Uganda since 1984. That is now troubled in debt, has also gotten donor-aid or grants through Danish Aid in 2008 on the level of USD 170.102 and in 2006 a total USD 167.940.; Still with time been able to get unsustainable, really?
Roofing Steel Mines have failed loans; Shs. 201bn to IFC and Shs. 8bn to Diamond Trust Bank. Company’s assets supposed to be Shs. 15bn. It’s a company that has existing since 1994. “Mr. Sikander Lalani, Roofings Group has recently completed its ambitious expansion plan by commissioning Roofings Rolling Mills (RRM) limited, a Ugx320 billion(US$127 million) mega project which is set to change the face of steel manufacturing in the East African Region. This state of the art complex is located in Kampala Industrial Business Park, Namanve” (Constructionreviewonline.com, 2013). In 2014: “Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi and his wife Jacqueline were the chief guests at the Serena event, hailing the Lalani family for creating jobs for Ugandans in their business empire and contributing to economic development of Uganda” (Scoop.co.ug, 24.01.2014). Apparently now the business of Lalani is creating a debt issue and not jobs.
BM Steel has debt of Shs. 66bn. President Museveni said this about the company in the 2015: “The recycled steel that is being produced by Casements, Roofings, Tembo Steel, BM Steel (Mwebesa), Modern Steel etc. cannot be used for very high-rise buildings, hydro-power dams etc. It does not have that strength” (Museveni, 29.04.2015). With this in mind the quality of the steel is low, but their debt is still raising, and the same apparently with Roofing as well, who has debt. Worrying sign?

Namunkekera Agro Processing Industries Ltd (NAPIL) has an outstanding debt of Shs. 4.8bn to the Uganda Development Bank. It was incorporated 25.06.2007. It is a business run by the family member of President Museveni, General Salim Selah. In 2015 Gen. Selah said this: “made these remarks as he toured 40 agriculture projects under the umbrella of Namunkekera Agro Processing Industries Limited (NAPIL) in Kapeeka” (NTV Uganda, 20.03.2015). So the Government will on this bail-out the family member for his miscalculation on the Agricultural investment.
Job Coffee got a debt of Shs. 21.3bn to Stanbic Bank. In the month of September 2014 number 7 exporters from Uganda, with 7,960 bags of coffee. Total market share of 2013/2014 we’re 1.97%. What has happen since is not easy to know, but what is certain is that they have accumulated debt.
Simba Group owned by Patrick Bitature has debts of Shs. 210bn. In 2012 Forbes wrote this about him: “Bitature is the founder and chairman of Simba Telecom, East Africa’s largest mobile phone retailer with over 100 modern retail outlets in Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya Telecom. The company is also the largest mobile phone airtime distributor in the region. Bitature owns Protea Hotels Kampala, a 5-star hotel located in the upmarket suburb of Kololo in Kampala. He is also chairs the Uganda Investment Authority and Umeme, an energy distribution firm which is gearing up for an IPO on the Uganda Stock Exchange” (Nsehe, 06.11.2012). In 2015 in the African Report said this: “When asked about his net worth, he says: “That I don’t talk about. I have shares in listed companies in London, Johannesburg and here. The share prices keep changing. All I know is that I have a portfolio of different companies.” He says Simba Group employs more than 1,700 people” (Mbanga, 19.06.2015). Certainly he should talk about his net-worth now as his being bailed-out in Uganda, maybe he should sell some of the companies in London and Johannesburg, if he is as rich as that or maybe it is just big-talk?

Grapes Construction has a debt of Shs. 100bn to Stanbic Bank. Who owns the Freedom City Mall in Kampala; The owner of Grapes Construction is subsidiary of Grapes Group who is owned by John Ssebalamu. In 2014 he had an issue with the Kenyan renter at the mall of the Company UCHUMI: “At the end of last year, it emerged that Ssebalamu the owner of Freedom City had sued UCHUMI for failure to pay him arrears amounting to over Shs340million” (Red Pepper, 2014). In 2015 he had monies to spend on the NRM: “John Ssebalamu shs100M”. This Shs. 100m was going to build the NRM House, so the coins given seems to give back profits. (Xclusive.co.ug, 28.06.2015).
Sojovalo Hotel has debt of Shs. 8.3bn to the Kenya Commercial Bank. The owner William George Kajoba also gave Shs 50M to the NRM House(Xclusive.co.ug, 28.06.2015). So with this new project from the government, the pledge in 2015 gave a hand back to the businessman and his Hotel close to the Kabaka in Kampala.

Krone Uganda Limited owes Shs. 2.5bn to the Tropical Bank; the business has 3.000 empolyees. Krone Uganda Ltd is the largest miner and exporter of wolfram (tungsten). In the Daily Monitor in 2015, this was written about the company: “the ministry refused to allow them export three containers – 20 metric tons of wolfram worth about Shs1.4 billion ($450,000) that is stuck in various warehouses. They are charged Shs640, 000 ($200) every day as “demurrage” (charges that the charterer pays to the ship-owner for its extra use of the vessel) since February” (Musisi, 18.07.2015). So the government own policy on mining and Value-Added Producing is the reason behind the debt growth of Krone Uganda Limited.
MS Frank Ssonko Ltd owes Shs3.5bn to the Crane Bank, but got assets worth Shs. 9.9bn. Another one is Ahmed Zziwa owes Shs. 10bn, but has assets worth Shs. 20bn. Ahmed Zziwa are the owner of Anglo Fabric (Bolton) limited who imports and sells soap in Uganda. Steven Mukasa owes Shs. 10bn. While having Shs. 40bn in assets. Even owning land on Makerere University, at the level of 8 Acres and even at one point was putting Prof. Baryamureba for stealing Shs. 140m of building material from him in 2010. So he must be NRM guy!
I hope this was enough for now. Not to talk about too much tax-money given away in the name of saving them, instead of making the rich even richer! Peace.
Press Release: Suspended elections of Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson for the AU Commission (18.07.2016)

Gen. Katumba: We are not in South Sudan to support Kiir (Youtube-Clip)
Message from the Governor of Mityana to Mr Longo (Youtube-Clip)
IGP Kayihura vows for violence against citizens; while blaming media for portraying it!

There are some ironies, there are some sad days, and then there Deja-vu moments like these. When certain leaders and Commanders put upon themselves to justify their wrong doings and blaming anybody else; something a Certain Police Chief entitle himself all the time and especially in another part of the Election Road Map. Now that it is business as usual, the drive for violence is different, as the regime tries to legitimize their stay.
Though the Police violence that occurred happen after the Opposition leader got released on bail and was driving through Kampala out to Wakiso and his home in Kasangati. The Opposition leader in question was the FDC Presidential Candidate and the man who the State have charged with Treason. After two months incarcerated without any big evidence or affidavit, the man was released, as he was driving the Police and their Men was beating on the people cheering for the passing by of Opposition leader Dr. Kizza Besigye.
While that is not a new situation for Besigye or the Police Force in question, as they tend to use violence when the Opposition are coming with higher numbers and movement than the Movement actually running the country under the current leadership; it hurt their pride when the People crowds around the Opposition and not the actual President. Therefore to save face the Police who works for the Ruling Regime and defend the Ruling Executive, they are using their force to occupy the land, instead of securing the land, therefore they have to tend to violence to show their power. As IGP Kayihura so brilliantly states in his own words yesterday!

IGP Kayihura said this yesterday:
“The use of teargas, rubber bullets and of course bullets has been eliminated. The only options remaining for the commander at scene is use of water cannons or baton charge,” (…) “The images that were shown on television and social media were selective. They did not show the whole incident where crowds threw stones at the police. That is not journalism,” (…) “We have foiled many crime incidents with help of ordinary citizens. We also have overt and covert operations. I think what matters is how it has been done. Covert officers should not be involved in the beating” (Kato, 2016).
IGP Kayihura uses any sort of excuse at this point, into the oblivion, and his partial media has been a narrative since the crashing of FDC nominal meetings before the Election Road map when they destroyed several cars in the West of Uganda. So his partial policing for the Ruling Regime is and is only in the state of sufficiently dislodges any character of faith in the people supporting the Opposition.
That he is also saying it is biased and that the people we’re creating problem, well in the mind of Kayihura the citizens are the issue and in his way. Instead of being community policing, they are more creating a distance between the Police Force and the Citizens. He could be a Police Commander who respected and worked with the citizens, but that is not his way. What he is doing is making the citizens his enemies and the ones becoming criminals, by association and not by actions. They are civilians who just happen to appear and cheer when a politician pass-by, instead of securing the citizens from occasional criminals, instead the Police are making them criminals! The IGP should be so proud of his progress making by-standers and men on the sidewalk into vermin and so-called Mafioso. They are guilty apparently before honoured by society before the Police are making them innocent. The Innocence of citizens is only if the IGP see them silent in Lira or Mbarara, but the rest are possible villains. This is the view of the current Police Chief, not only in action, but also in words.
This is just one out of many where he has addressed and blamed the citizens as the Police Force gotten away with violence. The Violence blamed on all kind of actions, instead the Police who used brutality against the citizens, as well as live-bullets, tear-gas and beating them with sticks. So the IGP Kayihura, should be more careful and also forget his image. He should not care at this point with the continued force against the opposition and detaining citizens for their affiliation and not their crimes. While the Police Officers can beat on citizens without getting any questions… that should worry and should be an enquiry in Parliament, not to talk about get the Ombudsman to look into the lost files of oppressive behaviour from the Police Commander and his men. Peace.
Reference:
Kato, Joseph – ‘Police okayed beating of citizens, says Kayihura’ (15.07.2016) link: http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Police-okayed-beating-of-citizens–says-Kayihura/-/688334/3295338/-/8werarz/-/index.html
Uganda Law Society Statement on the Abuse of Human dignity by the Uganda Police Force (14.07.2016)


Kizza Besigye addresses press at FDC’s headquarters in Najjanankumbi (Youtube-Clip)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cm55l9j3yaA
“Kizza Besigye: Before my arrest, I had been under illegal detention at my house in Kasangati for quite a while. He says police is “incompetent” despite the resources they “waste”. Says he defied acts of impunity when he escaped to town
Kizza Besigye narrates his arrest ordeal:
– I was taken first to Nalufenya in Jinja from where I was removed and taken to Moroto.
– In Moroto, strange things happened. All inmates were transferred to other police stations. I was the only inmate at the CPS.
– Counter-terrorism unit officers (the ones who wear black uniforms) were in charge of the Moroto CPS while I was there.
– I was in Moroto CPS for two nights before being charged on the third day.
– At Moroto CPS, the cell door was left open. At night, I noticed some movements. The fellow was masked but he rushed out.
– Charging me in Moroto was irregular. When I was brought to Nakawa, that is why I was charged again for the same case.
Kizza Besigye: Those of us who chose to oppose must know the dictator’s wrath will be directed towards us. Arrest. Torture. And sometimes death. Whenever I am arrested, I am at ease with myself. I am always psychologically prepared for arrest and torture. I am never stressed.
Dr. Kizza Besigye: Biggest challenge is when you are still in police custody. Police is a direct extension of the dictator. It’s his arm.
I was relieved when I was taken from Moroto CPS and taken to the prison. Biggest challenge with our prisons is overcrowding. Besigye: At Moroto Prison, we were 174 inmates in a not-very-sizeable ward. At night, every space was occupied
Kizza Besigye: Prison orders for prisoners on remand aren’t fault of prison officials but fault of the law which dates back to the colonial times. These prison orders dating back to colonial times are unconstitutional. They must change.
Kizza Besigye: Prison orders for prisoners on remand aren’t fault of prison officials but fault of the law which dates back to the colonial times. These prison orders dating back to colonial times are unconstitutional. They must change.
Kizza Besigye: In Moroto where I was held, there hadn’t been a hearing for any criminal case in over 2 years. This is serious and it needs to change. The judiciary is underfunded. The money is spent by these Kifeesi you see running and bludgeoning citizens
Kizza Besigye: I commend the Uganda Red Cross, especially the International Red Cross. They have made the lives of inmates bearable by providing basics
Kizza Besigye: There are those remanded on minister’s orders; you are on remand until the minister orders your release or commits you to be tried. Some people have been in prison on minister’s orders for 20 years. This needs to stop.
Kizza Besigye: Sometimes, police go to prisons and take out suspects illegally for interrogation. Some are taken up country
Kizza Besigye: I thank all those who came to visit me in prison. Going to visit any prisoner in Luzira is not an easy matter. You pass through five check points. At some, you are undressed and deprived of basic dignity. You must set aside a whole day
Kizza Besigye: Some people are saying I have put on weight. I have been eating a lot without doing much. I tried doing some exercises
KIzza Besigye: The struggle we are in is not to simply get a new government i.e. replace NRM with FDC. We want to change our country. We want to change our country from a country where leaders are masters and the would-be masters, the citizens, are subjects
Kizza Besigye: We have criminals masquerading under the police. The institution of the police must be a different institution. Greatest of our policemen, soldiers are very unhappy with what’s happening. That is why we won at polling stations where they voted
Kizza Besigye: We want a country of masters, not subjects. We want a country where leaders are servants. In the country we’re working for, government institutions must be of the people not of the master/dictator.
Kizza Besigye: Ugandan citizens who are masters of this country are just being given handouts. There is a war between the rulers and the citizens. That is why they beat up the citizens. The regime sees citizens as enemies
Kizza Besigye: What happened in the last election wasn’t mere stealing of votes but a coup d’etat against the voters. People who want us to join the government in the name of serving Ugandans, serve them under which framework?” (NBS Live, 13.07.2016)
Besigye Excites Crowds on His Way to Najjanankumbi (Youtube-Clip)
Dr. Kizza Besigye statement after release on bail from Luzira (12.07.2016)

Praise be to God! I am glad to be back home after two months in detention! I am free for now but I can never be really free until our country is free.
I am grateful to all of you who braved the war-like atmosphere around High Court to attend the court proceedings.
I am grateful to all who enthusiastically welcomed me back along the way home & at our home, the unprecedented police brutality towards you notwithstanding.
I’d like to thank greatly all who visited me in prison; all who have been praying for me; and all who’ve courageously sustained the struggle for a free Uganda.
I am grateful to the excellent legal team that fights hard to ensure my freedom.
I’ll be appearing at Nakawa Court at 9am tomorrow, Wednesday 11th July as required. Thereafter, I’ll address the press at the FDC Hqs, Najjanankumbi, at 11am.
The struggle continues and, without any doubt, we shall overcome!

