IGP Okoth Ochola orders to shield the media: However, as long as they enforce POMA, will it matter?

In a Police Circular of 16^th May 2018, the Inspector General of the Police Okoth Ochola has ordered a shift of policy towards the media. This is a change, but if we only see it on paper or in reality. Time will tell, because the laws that the Police use are still the same, they still have the Public Order Management Act (POMA), which has been used as a tool to oppress and silence opposition. Where the Police has interfered in journalistic endevours and political party works all across the Republic. All of that is well-known, as the Police needs to engage and give consent if anyone is gathering. That is so they can either stop it before it happens or have knowledge of any activity of any party, that is happening in public.

What is key from the message from the IGP was this:

“Unit commanders must observe the safety of journalists very critically and no journalist or citizen should ever be abused or tortured. Torture is a criminal offence according to the law and whoever will be found to be involved in the crime shall be expeditiously investigated and prosecuted. The constitution calls upon us all to preserve, protect and promote media freedoms” (IGP Okoth Ochola, 16.05.2018).

CEON-U reported this from the General Election and Campaigning in 2016:

“At the (media content) producer level, journalists reported pressure from government, security and ruling party officials, which sometimes saw the cancellation of critical radio programmes as well as suspension of presenters and talk show hosts for entertaining opposition candidates, especially Besigye. There were also increased cases of assaults and intimidation of journalists, self-censorship, and bribery” (CEON-U – ‘UGANDA GENERAL ELECTIONS 2016: REVISITING THE DEMOCRACY CONSTRUCT’ P:76, 2016).

It is not long ago, when Besigye was planning to hold a Radio Tour all-around Uganda, but the State sanctioned the radios holding him, but at the same period in time, the President could do the same and on the same topic, as Besigye was planning too. It is not many months ago. Therefore, the state is continuing to oppress and silence the other voices, than of the President.

Museveni likes to own the media, own the message and control it, therefore, he has lecture anyone to follow his voice and pattern, not question it, because then your not patriotic. That is what is well-known, so it is good idea that the Police are supposed to respect the covering of the journalists and their work. However, if they start to be to critical or get sources, which is questioning the Musevenisms, then know they will be besieged, be detained and lose their license. That is what Museveni does, so even if the journalist wouldn’t be arrested while on Live-Broadcast, like the police did in Kasangati in the recent year. Still, the NRM and Uganda Police Force has a long walk ahead.

It is nice that the IGP wants things to change, but they should also abolish POMA, so people are allowed to participate and be political active, without having the police breathing down their necks or coming with tear-gas, every time they congregate. This will certainly his a journalist, a camera-man or anyone covering it. They will not be totally shielded, I doubt the Police would do so. They usually cover all angles and anyone in the nearby passage get touched.

The Police can order and say they will leave the journalists be, but will they really follow through, when there are laws like the POMA in affect. That will not change the dynamics, unless, the Parliament makes other laws, that gives the provisions to the Police to act differently. Peace.

Here is the circular:

OO: Do us a favor, please, shut up!

“If everything is amplified, we hear nothing.” – Jon Stewart

Man, I am tired of his shit. Pardon me, but I am. I have seen and heard enough of the Musevenism and the giant National Resistance Movement (NRM) apologist Ofwono Opondo, the Director of Uganda Media Centre, which is under the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance, therefore, he is also employed now by the Minister Frank Tumwebaze. Therefore, the famous OO are far of the left-field and everywhere. He is steady on Capital Gang and NBS Frontline. I am tired of him. Today he even written a piece.

He is defending the NRM and Museveni at a rate, that is extensive, that his blood-pressure isn’t out of whack is strange. Because his level of lies and deception that he plays. If he is proud of his work, I would feel sorry, but everyone wants to eat. I am sure the hypocrisy and the tarnish of reality must hurt his brain-cells. Since it is long inbetween any truthful statements and the reality. That is because he has to play to his master. The reason why I am tired of his crap.

“So, those like Besigye, opposing NRM by propagating outright lies perhaps need to trade very carefully because Ugandans know the truth, otherwise, voters may not be kind to them at elections” (Ofwono Opondo – ‘NRM is Delivering on most of its Election Promises’ 10.05.2018).

It’s kinda hard believing that OO had to go this and say these words. When he knows the reality, but trying to make the numbers and the words fitting the paradigm of success. That always going back to the 1980s, always going back to a time with nothing and with inflation after a bush-war. Because that is the standard the NRM every single time seeks to. That they secured peace and made progress. But after doing, they haven’t delivered to the public, that is proven with the schools, the health care system and the unemployment rate. The lack of delivery of service, the rampant poverty, the debt level of the state and the lack of development in the state. All of that is the serious mess that the NRM are leaving behind, combined with a growing elite eating of the dying and rotten state, which is created in the image of Museveni. He has created this with all of his cronies and his self-control, that OO always say is right and doing the right thing.

OO is off the wall and high as a kite, when saying that, as the state is levying more tax on the public, the government loans are maturing and the oil revenue is still not hitting the fan. The giant development projects they have borrowed monies for are not to be sure off and the Rural Electrification Projects are still continuing. There are so many things missing and so much funding taken away, creative financing and creative spending of funds. That makes roads more expensive, more projects taking longer time and more cronies paid off, while land-grabs and grace periods to foreign investors, which makes sure the state earns less, but someone gets a favorable kick-back for so.

That OO is still praising all this is beyond me, that he is professing to a state that intimidate its citizens, that messes up the Sim-Card Registration for over a year and make a mockery out of the media. A state that is disconnected with the community, as they are not engaged delivering the needed services or state programs that actually could bring development. Instead they are looting and eating on the public plate. To say otherwise, is to look outside the window and lie.

That is why I am tired of the likes of OO. He can lie about his amount of hair on top of his head to his side-dish, he can lie about how many cups of tea has during the day, but he cannot lie about the reality and the state of affairs. Which he does everytime in public.

So, please shut up, OO stop lying, your bad at it! Peace.

Opinion: EU Envoy Schmidt are an speaking like an NRM apologist similar to Ofwono Opondo over Besigye’s 2016 Election defiance!

I feel sorry for European Union Envoy Kristian Schmidt who are now sounding like a National Resistance Movement (NRM) apologist, instead of an independent spirit and understanding of the short-falls of the NRM Regime. He seems to been misunderstanding what happen during the General Election 2016. Surely, he wants the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) and Dr. Kizza Besigye, to say it just water under bridge and let it go. Since the Supreme Court followed the orders of the 31 Years and counting President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni. First introduce some of the beautiful words of Ofwono Opondo, before the Kristian Schmidt’s foolish interview with Daily Monitor, before enlightening fellow European of his ignorance or forgetting the blatant impunity towards Besigye and FDC in and around the General Election 2016. Since he has forgotten while drinking Nile Brew in the Embassy and going on Safaries with his dignitaries. Surely, Schmidt must feel good about himself!

““In this election, Besigye gained 1.5 million votes compared to two million votes he got in 2011 while Museveni’s gain was a paltry 500,000. To the NRM strategists, this is the most shocking, indeed worrying trend, and having located the cause as being our messaging, strategy, campaign style, internal laxity, occasioned fraud and widespread bickering. We shall not blame anybody else except ourselves. Actually, to be frank, we were almost swept away by our collective failure to robustly respond to the Opposition demagoguery on issues of youth unemployment, despair among the urban population, poor and yet expensive public service delivery and bad public relations, especially to distribution of soft campaign cash that often got stolen along the way among other issues. This, to the Besigye camp, should give hope that with better strategic organisation, not only falsehoods, they can in the future topple NRM through the ballot instead of being bad losers” (…) ““The claims of rigging, especially at the last minute through alleged intimidation of candidates’ agents, ballot stuffing, falsification or alteration of results on tally and declaration sheets and at announcements are perturbing and incredibly unbelievable. These could pass as truth if the peddlers could at least adduce some verifiable evidence from eyewitnesses and documents in their possession that differ from those of the EC, which ought to be available from the multiple sources, including the media that observed these elections” (Opondo, 2016).

So when a NRM spokesperson and Uganda Media Centre director had to come in defense of his master. In the aftermath and with the current illegitimate government. Who has no problems in misusing the government funds and had no problem rigging the election in their favor. As the FDC had massive scores of leaders behind bars, had people with Declarations Forms from Polling Stations at Gun-Point, had their Headquarter barricaded and sealed off, Besigye was under house-arrest and the story goes on. Not an adventure, but a true theft a nation. Still Schmidt says this to the FDC and former Presidential Candidate:

“He added: “That is of course an issue that is dividing but I think it would have been good to come together and discuss. It has not happened and election reforms seem to be not going forward.” (…) “The law of Uganda is what it is: the conditions of petitions are what they are, and for a petition to be successful you have to do a lot of homework. Under your Constitution I believe you have little time, 10 days. I know one of the recommendations of the Supreme Court is to extend that time which I believe makes sense.” (…) “ He said “I think if Dr Besigye was convinced before elections that he would not be happy with the outcomes and the process, he should have been the one to petition. He should have prepared for that but he decided before that he was not going to and under the rule of law.” (Musisi, 2017).

EU Envoy to Uganda Kristian Schmidt, I know you visited him while on undetermined house-arrest. Since the Police Force had been stationed in Kasangati, Wakiso for so long days before the election and until May 2016. When he was able to escape and have his own swearing-in ceremony, before air-lifted to Moroto, where the state charged him with Treason charges. Which he still carries today, he is an arch-criminal and seen as an enemy of the state. Than after all of this, you talk about rule of law, justice and courts. Like Dr. Kizza Besigye haven’t had his time in court, haven’t been detained on more occasions than ordinary thief, even more than average murderers in the Republic.

So, the FDC was unable to counter with a petition, Amama Mbabazi was the only one able to fill in a form or petition. Because FDC has done so after General Election 2011. So it is like the EU Envoy for Uganda Schmidt is not in concern anymore of all the breaches that happen to Besigye. Like the whole House-Arrest period, the whole part of the general assault on the rule of law considering the elections and polls. The self sufficient pre-ticket ballots and Badru Kiggundu’s own special math-class. The statistics and the vicious attempt of forging the whole election in favor of President Museveni.

It like he wants the one on Treason Charges since May 2016, since the coup d’etat in February 20^th 2016, when the Electoral Commission announced the result. That as the whole NRM and state organization was behind the whole ordeal. Even the European Election Observation Mission and the Commonwealth Election Observation Mission was explaining the massive flaws of the General Election. Still, the EU Envoy want Besigye just to let it go.

Let’s take his first reasoning, since it is shows his true passion, the Danish dignitary: “Now if this was in any other democracy, like in some European countries, it would be unacceptable that the Opposition party does not then recognise the winner of the elections” (Musisi, 2017). If this was an election in Europe, all of these ploys of the NRM wouldn’t have happen. Not normally, that the army is used to intimidate, that local leaders are paid-off with new cars, that ballot are pre-ticket ballots and all powers to be to silence the FDC. Together with the obvious rigging and mismatch of acts in favor of Museveni. If this would not have happen in a European elections and EU Envoy to Uganda knows this. That why it is remarkable that he says about Besigye.

Besigye knows better and the Ugandan people knows so. They are not fools, even if Schmidt is sounding like Ofwono Opondo and has taken lectures from Andrew Mwenda. He surely has hanged in the same bars in Kampala as these two. To sound so blatant ignorant and so forgetful. Peace.

Reference:

Opondo, Ofwono – ‘The media shouldn’t parrot Opposition false claims’ (28.03.2016) link: http://www.monitor.co.ug/OpEd/Commentary/Media-parrot-Opposition-false-claims/-/689364/3135890/-/2m2g7v/-/index.html

Musisi, Fredric – ‘Besigye refusal to recognise government not helpful – EU envoy’ (09.07.2017) link: http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Besigye-refusal-recognise-government-not-helpful-EU-envoy/688334-4006606-er8gyr/index.html

“The media shouldn’t parrot Opposition false claims” – Ofwono Opondo; I beg to differ and address his claims; and discuss he defense for the so-called Election Victory of his beloved NRM!

“If voting made any difference they wouldn’t let us do it” – Mark Twain

When we speak of Ugandan election it is not often Mark Twain comes to mind, but he should be spoken about like folklore and around the bonfires and around the charcoal since it exactly what happen. Mr. Opondo has yet again come to the defense of his party and his master. Last time I addressed him on the 1^st February 2016, when he attacked the Media and the FDC. He does the same thing again, now in another manner, but still needs to comment and arguments need to be sealed and show how the misleading words of the NRM spokesman are. If these arguments from the NRM spokesman are true, then I say that the voting done in the Presidential and Members of Parliament Elections in mid-February wouldn’t make a difference, since the NRM just let the citizens do it. But we would hope the value of the votes mattered more right?

“I take issue broadly with the Ugandan media’s coverage of election campaigns and results so far. It surprises me that more than a month after the public declaration, official release and gazzettment of the election results by Electoral Commission (EC) the mainstream media of radios, television stations and newspapers continue to parrot the false and absurd claims by Dr Kizza Besigye of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) that he was ‘robbed’ of victory at the last minute by the NRM in connivance with the Electoral Commission and other State organs. FDC lost 17 of its 35 MPs in the 9th Parliament, and the party hasn’t made any gains at all!” (Opondo, 2016).

Well, the reason why everybody can claim what surprises you Mr. Opondo is that the men and woman with the Candidates Declarations Forms from the Polling stations from other parties have been detained, the amount of polling stations counted in the official announcement and results are small, the pre-ticked ballots evidence have been massive, even polling officials have had ballot-boxes pre-made before the Election Day; therefore with the massive amounts of the rigging the claims that surprises you shouldn’t Mr. Opondo, but I know you would say anything that your master command you to. As you are not allowed to think on your own right Mr. Opondo? I know that hurts, but by now it must be facts. If a rigged elections and the results from the elections is seen as verified then the might be a loss for the FDC, but even though they might not have lost, since there was no crowds celebrating your grand victory and the country was mourning while the soldiers was heavy deployed and the army was standing around Namboole Stadium and the Electoral Commission Headquarter unto the time for petition the elections on the 1^st of March. So your victory can’t be that big when you need all security organizations, the army and the police at standby, if the public wanted your victory they would catch chicken thieves and not having Dr. Kizza Besigye under house-arrest ever since the day before the Election Day.

“In this election, Besigye gained 1.5 million votes compared to two million votes he got in 2011 while Museveni’s gain was a paltry 500,000. To the NRM strategists, this is the most shocking, indeed worrying trend, and having located the cause as being our messaging, strategy, campaign style, internal laxity, occasioned fraud and widespread bickering. We shall not blame anybody else except ourselves. Actually, to be frank, we were almost swept away by our collective failure to robustly respond to the Opposition demagoguery on issues of youth unemployment, despair among the urban population, poor and yet expensive public service delivery and bad public relations, especially to distribution of soft campaign cash that often got stolen along the way among other issues. This, to the Besigye camp, should give hope that with better strategic organisation, not only falsehoods, they can in the future topple NRM through the ballot instead of being bad losers” (Opondo, 2016).

Well, the NRM Task Force and Campaign Team have used large war-chest and monies on the election, ferrying more voters than ever in history. The cause doesn’t seem important as the recycling pledges from the leader of NRM and the President. There been internal problems that are visible ever since the Executive decided to cut ties with Amama Mbabazi. With that the Party has struggled through a strange internal election called the NRM-Primaries, and even in the end payed to have the losing incumbent as “NRM Independent” in the General Election. You can claim stolen campaign funds while you have scandals of money from the Bank of Uganda used for campaign, getting money from the Government of Kenya and giving away UGX 250k to every village in the last days before the Presidential Poll on the 18^th February. If the FDC came with only “Falsehood” and still feeling the need to defend the ballots, the ballot and pre-ticked ballots and the statistically strange results of 100% for the NRM candidate at certain polling stations. There are too many issues from the Election Day and the late release of Election Material in Wakiso and Kampala while the Kaabong Town and Lira Town could vote from the early morning on the Election Day seems like rigging to me, as the EC Headquarter are just besides the Polling Stations in Kampala and Wakiso. So Mr. Opondo the deal with feeling bad about losing is that there to many factors in the pot to make a to tasty stew for the matooki, it is not just beans, it is leafs, onions, spices and water mixing well to feed the pundits and commentators with enough to question the elections. If the FDC could topple the NRM, then the NRM should not worry about defending all the Electoral Malpractices during the Election and Pre-Election Period proves the problems that the NRM Spokesman struggles with. That must be the reason why he had to defend yet again the Election Announcement and Declaration. But Mr. Opondo does not have the heart to discuss that and suggest the issues since that really weakens the argument he needs to justify the so-called “win”.

“The claims of rigging, especially at the last minute through alleged intimidation of candidates’ agents, ballot stuffing, falsification or alteration of results on tally and declaration sheets and at announcements are perturbing and incredibly unbelievable. These could pass as truth if the peddlers could at least adduce some verifiable evidence from eyewitnesses and documents in their possession that differ from those of the EC, which ought to be available from the multiple sources, including the media that observed these elections” (Opondo, 2016).

Mr. Opondo, when you got footage, got reports of officials, even police officers having ballots, when you got so many FDC officials and Go-Forward Officials detained, is not “incredible unbelievable”; that sad thing Mr. Opondo is that it is true, if not the FDC would might have had the opportunity to file a petition of this fraudulent Election you claim to valid. The Police have rounded up and taken amounts of opposition officials in jail and at gun-point. I know that you don’t believe that Mr. Opondo, that is because you’re sitting safe in your home and reading while “sighing” and “cursing”. Mr. Opondo I know you wish your party and leadership that pays you creates a “fairytale”, but without your knowledge apparently the Party you’re speaking for and working hard to defend has become the Orwellian. The Election Observers and Monitoring Teams have come with both good and bad. Even said that the Electoral Commission didn’t reform as asked to do after the General Election 2011, the CCEDU and CEON-U were not taken in or even gotten a place in the Petition. Commonwealh was not giving a good preliminary statement; the COMESA/EAC/AU gave a counter-statement that was positive; while the European Union also asked questions; as much as the American Mission in Kampala has also asked for the copies of the forms, with the Electoral Commission complying to the request proving that there are questions to be asked! That is something you don’t even bother to think about, Mr Opondo? Or is that reasoning blowing your mind and boggles the brain-cell that operates your reasoning?

“But, it appears the candidates, observers and media did a shoddy job and are now embarrassed that they cannot provide any credible documentary evidence of fraud hence the generalised allegations of cheating and unfairness. The local media in particular, appear to have been overtaken by the early rumblings in the campaigns perhaps by the way Mbabazi was hounded out of NRM secretary general position and the subsequent obstruction of his initial consultations outside NRM party rules by the police. Unfortunately, Mbabazi’s would-be most loyal and vocal supporter, his wife Jacqueline has been reported indisposed throughout the campaigns and, we wish her steady recovery.  The media silence has left Besigye to make bogus claims, thereby inadvertently lending false credence that indeed he was cheated and fanned public anxiety. Surely, the Uganda media can do much better” (Opondo, 2016).

The Embarrassing part Mr. Opondo with all the knowledge you still attack the opposition who has been detained and struggled. While the NRM has had police by their side, the NRM have ordered the Police and even used them to silence the Media. And when you as a spokesman uses the end of statement implying them to tell the story as you do; you wonder why people are claiming what they do? If it was “Bogus Claims” from the FDC wouldn’t you just let the FDC come with a Petition with the Declaration Forms and witnesses instead of doing what you did? The only good thing you did during the whole statement was to defend the election and attack the FDC. And as a NRM Spokesperson you’re supposed to speak up for the Party, so if you did anything else Mr. Opondo you would do a crappy job, but defending this in this display and rhetoric is not winning or defining the opposition or the announcement of the result.

The reason Mr. Opondo why I have not discussed the numbers and percentage of this election, as that is not necessary as your constant attack on the media. Because of it was fair and the justification of the victory was unnecessary your piece would have made more sense. This was not a piece of clear message and clarifying the victory, more a meager display of trying to defend the election and the winning result. Mr. Opondo if it was a clear victory wouldn’t he be happy people around the streets of Kampala and all over the country? As it has been in the early history of your beloved NRM-Election?

The silence of the media is because of the mourning and understanding of their audience and have followed the UGPetition16 and the actions around that; the other issue is that the NRM have attacked the media from pre-election period, the police has shot a journalist in the head, detained a dozen, confiscated the equipment, taken broadcaster of air, shut of the transmitters of radios, closed stations when opposition leaders comes to scheduled programming, gotten NTV banned from the campaign trail and so on. The NRM is responsible for the climate that the media is in, the censoring and silence is made by the irresponsible and irrational leadership of the NRM and their Executive. But Mr. Opondo could never say that because he has to praise and kiss the Executive ass right?

I think that is enough for tonight. The reasoning from Mr. Opondo is yet again missing and his analysis written by a blind mind, but a hungry tummy as he wants a bigger paycheck; just like Eng. Dr. Badru M. Kiggundu got before the Election. Peace.

Reference:

Opondo, Ofwono – ‘The media shouldn’t parrot Opposition false claims’ (28.03.2016) link: http://www.monitor.co.ug/OpEd/Commentary/Media-parrot-Opposition-false-claims/-/689364/3135890/-/2m2g7v/-/index.html

Bebe Cool & Dr. Jose Chameleone Congratulates President Museveni!

Message after declations of Victory from Bebe Cool:

Yeeeeeeeeeeee NRM oyeeeeeeeee.
Congratulations Your excellence YOWERI KAGUTA MUSEVENI and the entire NRM.
I also wish to thank the Ugandan opposition for the part played during this period but mostly FDC candidate Dr KIZZA BESIGYE for representing the the minority with a different opinion.
I must thank Ugandans in general for participating even strongly than ever.
I thank the members of the press and security that have worked tirelessly to see this process through.

Congratulations to the Elected President of Uganda 2016 – Y.K.Museveni.

And for all society condemning each other on who voted and supported who it’s not Primary now. It’s time to reconcile and together build our nation with the greatest of our abilities.

To all Friends and Fans who have thrown unkindness to me for practicing my fundamental right of choice, please stop threatening to boycott my Showcases that shows how conditional your support to me is. I have never insulted your love for other artistes simply because such is life.

If I offended any of you in that manner,Stay home next time I have a Show and wait for those you support unconditionally.
I am Ugandan,We are Ugandans.

We are all relevant to the building of a Peaceful and prosperous Uganda.

LEONE ISLAND MUSIC EMPIRE

NRM – Picture of day: “Money, Cash, and More Cash Money!”

I am sure Nyombi Thembo is somewhere involved in this, as he is famous for giving away millions to LCVs during all of 2015. When the NRM gave money to the local government members of the party, millions after millions. This here pictures surfaces as the report in recent days of the grassroots funding of each village in the country, as they are expected to get 250k by the NRM-O. This here must be real and not photoshopped as the amount of Kampala program and village program comes up in the billions. This here is small-fry. I just wonder which district is this and who are the lucky lottery winners in the NRM donation program? As these people got giant donations from the NRM organization. The picture says enough of in it’s own. Mzee must be so proud! Peace.

NRM flagbearers for parliamentary seats to receive 20M each (Youtube-Clip)

NRM Press Release: Clarifying NRM SG Lamumba quote circulating in the Social Media recently (29.01.2016)

The adventures towards the polls 18th February; how the last days might go

We are in time and days where the government will be questioned for all their actions and all their misbehaviour towards its citizens. Not anymore that it is some foreign NGOs who complain first, no it’s public and opposition that discuss it in viral formats online. That makes the government and its regime look weak since they can’t spin those stories.

It is truly special times in the Pearl of Africa, voter tourism will be the new word of 2016 unless Mun G or Radio & Weasel makes up a new word for catching babes in Kabalagala. Until then remember the magic word of VOTER TOURISM. If you don’t know what that is about, that is about Mzee, the ruling president of 30 years who wants to have big crowds, but not pulling them. So to get that he pays attendance, gives them food and t-shirts, pay for rental of buses and get them to the campaign venues. Just like certain corporations does with foreigners when they travel in packs to National Parks to see the wild animals, they get that while the local public get to hear the recycled pledges of the old man with the hat. And for a free t-shirt, food and transport, it might be worth it, to listen to the old man for two hours… and that ladies and gentleman is Voter Tourism. Ferrying of voters and ferrying of crowds. A beautiful industry co-owned and run by the ruling NRM Campaign machine and Mike Sebalu. He must be so proud.

Other activity that doesn’t stop during these elections times is either the blatant attack on media and journalist. Like throwing cameras, shooting them, banishing them, getting them to delete pictures and get media houses to shun campaigns or campaign trails. The NRM have been vocal against radio stations for hosting Dr. Kizza Besigye and Mbabazi have seen their issues with Radio stations. NTV has also had issues early for not showing favourable pictures from the campaign. They we’re even detained together with Daily Monitor at some point. Now the barrier has been broken and the NTV cannot follow the campaign trail of Mzee anymore. Also if Mbabazi is at a radio stations like in Karamoja he couldn’t attend the radio station, other places they have shut of the transmitter after the airing of Mbabazi. The media and journalist have had hard treatment and been costly to follow the campaign trail, with the ones being in the middle of melee like the journalist covering the first planned campaign rally for Erias Lukwago in Kampala was actually shot, but not killed. There been violence in Northern region against Mbabazi and Besigye convoys as they have also hit against media. I assume that this will not stop without a big bang, like the Ntungamo clashes. It has be in those levels if there will be a total shut down.

Well, when we speak of violence we do not speak about specialized in failure like Arsene Wenger, sorry, I am not supposed to speak about football, and the man who said that was sacked for the second time in that club, so Mourinho is really the special one or the sacked one. Let me get back on the campaign trail. Violence isn’t coming from one man or one party. It usual contributed to the acts of the Police who interfere as NRM Police force, and not a political partisan unit, that was even seen in the primaries in Northern Region where fully uniformed police officer voted. So there traits are there and the IGP Kayihura was on second delegates conference in Kololo to vote for Mzee sole candidacy project, as he does, he just follows orders.

The violence of Ntungamo is the epitome of the violence during the campaign trail. There been violence pre-campaign trail when the opposition tried to hold meetings and get delegates to come forward as the police couldn’t accept this. They went fully fledge armoured with tear-gas and guns against people with not even a blade. As they we’re petty criminals instead of bank-thieves. The irony of that is that certain Police has during the campaign trail actually robbed a bank and is now jailed by the government. So there been actions from certain police and police interference into politics. Just like before the presidential campaign trail when IGP Kayihura told the world about the journalistic integrity, this was before his men was undressing opposition woman on the way to Rukungiri. Well, the Police have interfered though silent before Papal visit. It was so scary peace, a unusual peace. Now that the Pope is only sharing the #VoteSevo poster on some roundabouts around in the country; the police have after he left started with ordinary actions towards anybody else then NRM. We can see that they jails people for talking about partial voting, human rights activist for talking about human rights in up-country, detain people for pinning over NRM posters, while the Police help pinning up NRM posters, the police tear-gas late venues, they shut down hospitals for opposition leaders to see, the schools guarded, so guarded that the police stations or post are empty when the Mbabazi or Besigye is in the area. The proud police is busy containing the elements of opposition and even majors are shutting down opposition office in districts! The Police and army are busy being loyal to the NRM-Regime.

While this is happening the opposition have been busy at the #UGDebate16 while Mzee was moving his mouth and brain in the districts, because he couldn’t discuss his policies or be questioned by either TV moderator or fellow Presidential Candidate, that is because Mzee is Carte blanche from those events, even if it is the first of its kind in Uganda. That is why Mbabazi was sounding like NRM spokesman. Something that has continued ever since for some strange reason!

Mbabazi is curious pickle in the mix right now. He is neither nakati nor posho. He seems to want to be both at the same time. He can’t decide on the matter. Mbabazi is running as independent candidate with an independent mandate, in a independent party in a an independent coalition called the Democratic Coalition. The one coalition where Uganda People’s Congress went out off, and also Forum for Democratic Change went out of when Amama Mbabazi became their joint Presidential Candidate; the independent candidate Amama Mababazi; who still sees himself as part of NRM and as a NRM member is an independent presidential candidate. That is hard matrix of thought and also hard equation, even a PHD in math can’t get the numbers to be correct. There is a mix of check and balance that doesn’t add up. Mbabazi is political schizophrenic and can’t be both NRM and Opposition, though he struggles with that… Seems like he want to be friend of Mzee still, even if his friend Dr. Ruhakana Ruganda has taken over his place in NRM-Regime, that must be sad sight.

The other piece of hardships is the accidents of Go-Forward convoy, the deflections of his MPs and candidates, the little piece of men who turns over to him. The way it seems to many NRM moles in the Go-Forward camp, while he has been trying to capture big-fish from NRM without succeeding. Even if certain members leave in the villages there is many big-men and Woman MPs who has left his fold and regretting standing by him on nominations day. Something that hasn’t happen in the same fashion for Dr. Kizza Besigye during the campaign trail; the trying of fetching the NRM Primaries losers; who also was already MPs and Ministers proved to be meagre failure for the Go-Forward. So that he still get crowds and people behind him is good, but not in the extent of Besigye.

NRM have continued to trail and travel around the country. With their Voter Tourism, paying people to show up and using government institutions and facilities, also travel methods to show the beauty of their campaign. NRM have also used a fortune on the campaign compared to the opposition. The report that came in January showed the massive amount of war-chest that the President has. Hiring also and paying in towns that they didn’t have rallies so that the boda-boda drivers and other local’s transporters would be able to be used by Go-Forward or FDC in the area.

Fear-mongering rhetoric comes from the NRM-regime and their cronies, not only Mzee, but their spokesmen and loyal party officials. That is either Police or Secretary General, even members and former members, talking coup d’état or vote rigging. Even shooting and killing the opposition if they feel the election was stolen away from them. IGP Kayihura wanting to arm his Crime Preventers to secure the NRM-Regime, while one of the Generals says to the media that he will not turn down and give away power if they lose the elections. Proves that the fear they are spreading to the public is staggering. Mzee has told for long he is the only one who create and keep peace within the army and to the public, Mzee has said he still isn’t done with his project; the one is his been doing for 30 years. While this is doing so the Police and Electoral Commission will go after the FDC for using the Defiance, while the Police are detaining and blocking them from travelling on while they are campaigning. So it is some kind of justice happening, but only against opposition, while supporting NRM. Who knew?

NRM has been campaigning under the #VoteSevo or #SteadyProgress, while the Opposition has gone after this ones at every turn, especially when showing the schools and other government institutions who has deteriorating during his three decade tenure. Like Aswa bridges and Abim Hospital, that has been the epitome of the neglect of the government to serve the people. While NRM have come with the same pledges and same kind of attitude as they have done in two last campaigns. So people are tired of it, even in the place called Isigniro the people was so tired that they left in the middle of the speech of Mzee, that must hurt him, the ones left behind was crime preventers and paid crowd, the locals left the venue when they heard enough of the same kind of empty promises. As the rest of public is, not everybody, but a big bunch seems to be; since the crowds for Besigye isn’t going down and Mbabazi get decent crowds, and the two other ones doesn’t pay them to attend or use the tool called: Voter Tourism.

The initial scare is the coming rigging and the partiality of the Electoral Commission as the chief got a heavy pay check to stay as boss. Loyalty pays when it comes to Eng. Dr. Badru M. Kiggundu. He has gotten ballot-papers from South Africa, biometric-machines and promised to have enough people to make impartial voting process happen. As well as COMESA and the EU have sent monitors, the Commonwealth was monitoring the last election, not that; that made a difference. It was more we can now show after the rigging that the election was filled with malfunctions during counting, fraud and also buying voters as they did in the General Election 2011. Why should not Mzee use the same tricks now? If the NRM Primaries are a story of what can come then there will be a “Circus” as Kahinda Otafiire said then. As the pre-ticked ballots, stuffed ballot-boxes, MPs and winners in prison while the results coming, as the candidates comes into the tally offices and takes the register and the ballot-papers. This happen so that the NRM-EC couldn’t validate the result from the area. They we’re also using security officers by the polling station to make the voters afraid and scare them to vote for their candidate, so democratic of those NRM big-men who used this tactic.

While the reports of further deployment of troops in Kampala of 5000 soldiers to secure the peace of the election, or to shut down if the people reacted to the result and claim the rigging for the NRM-Regime, as they have done before, last time was in 2011. Something they want to be sure about. The General Katumba Wamala has said that the army will take control if the people are not accepting the result; I know I am paraphrasing, but that is initially what he meant. It is similar to the NRM-Regimes scary rhetoric, but he got the guns to blast Kampala into oblivion.

There rumours of more ballot-papers coming in the once who came to Entebbe on 28th January 2016, there rumoured that their will come a second batch ballot-papers from the Island state of Seychelles or Mauritius on the 4th February, to deliver and be able to pre-ticket them before arriving in Uganda, to secure the NRM and their men their seats in Parliament. We would not be surprised if this would happen, they have done something like this before.

The next days will be more police around the opposition rallies, they will block the people and be rowdy as the tension and fear of losing grips will take its toll on the police. While the NRM will portray the perfect picture and look beautiful towards the Election Observation Missions from COMESA and EU, while they will do the opposite to the opposition. Tear-gas venues, block venues, stop processions in towns, stop pinning up poster or detaining people for pinning posters or affiliated with the opposition. We will see more radios losing their transmitters, TV stations taking down content questioning the regime as the NBS Sunset did recently questioning the IGP Kayihura, TV-Stations being banished from the NRM or talked about in a vicious way. TV-Stations will either lose their licences or transmitter for having Mbabazi or Besigye, even if they have messages that are negative on the governance levels of NRM. If the NRM-Regime could they would have shut me down… but that is another story.

We will see coming and coming general election that will be questionable, the cringes to power… they will not let it go easy, President Museveni feels he owns the people and the country, even if the people doesn’t feel the same, as seen in Kiruhura district yesterday, his home area was totally blue and no people ferried there. As the FDC doesn’t have the budget of NRM or War-chest of the long-serving president. That will continue until the people goes to the polls. People will try to be bought before going into the voting booth, villages will be visited by NRM millionaires and billionaires who will lose their wealth if the NRM loses their power; so the way to keep their riches is to pay the locals to vote for NRM candidates and sole candidate Mzee. We will see and hear about giving goats, cows and gasoline to boda-boda drivers, as they will give away soap and other merchandize in town-centres from Tororo to Lira. We just know they will go to any measure to secure the power yet again.

So if there will be some other stories then the ones I accessing is because the Orwellian monster will not turn overnight, especially when they have built the King Kong monster over 30 years. So it is a giant who makes the Presidential Palace at Nakasero and Entebbe Statehouse wealth looks tiny. We can’t expect anything else, therefore FDC have to continue with defiance, and the opposition have to stay strong, because the Police have already funds for the post-election violence, and the UPDF is starting to prepare their security of the NRM-regime force of keeping power. So there is little to see unless the people goes back instead of reacting and then goes back to the villages to feed their families. We can hope for something else, but the fear to lose life for the power and seeing how it has turned; an also become after the people demonstrated in 201 P1. So there will be issues in the coming days and the police will show its flex and the army is starting deployment. This here  is not looking positive with the knowledge how this regime is keeping power and wanting to reign as long as possible.Peace.

Capt. Francis Babu speaks out on 30 years of NRM (Youtube-Clip)

“26th January has for long been a contentious day especially within sections of the opposition who claim that NRA’s assent to power in 1986 following five years of guerilla warfare against a legitimate government cannot be labeled as Liberation Day for the country.  Within the ruling party itself, the last decade has seen many voices depart from the near religious attachment to the struggle to a more liberal stance seemingly cognizant of the socio-political and economic aspirations of the time.  Capt. Francis Babu is a longtime NRM diehard but as you’ll hear in the following report, the veteran politician says 30 years is too long for an individual but a drop in the Ocean for a country.
What does he mean? WBS TV has had a one-on-one with captain Babu on his take on the day and its significance” (WBS TV Uganda, 2016).