The new cabinet isn’t that sharp [Museveni’s most intriguing Minister’s for 2021-26] Part I

When you have 80 Members of Parliament or the ability to appoint 80 people for various of Ministers. You should have a field day in appointing the geniuses and the wise to any of these ministries. There should be a capacity and ability to hand-pick the ones who are fitted to various of ministries. However in 2021 that’s a saga long forgotten.

President Yoweri Tibuhurwa Kaguta Museveni have now released the whole cabinet yesterday. I looked into to the two high profiled roles last night. However, I had a series last term, but doesn’t see it fitting this time to continue with the “Royal Court” series.

It is clear with this Cabinet that the loyalists, the ones who sought and fought for the Age Limit is still getting appointed. The ones who are close and abide the principals of the State House. They are getting rewarded and getting retained. That is clear here and it is visible.

Clearly, Gen. Moses Ali can never do anything wrong. He is just a forever presence. The agreement he made with the National Resistance Movement in 1986 must give Museveni reasons to retaining him. That agreement must give him a office and be viable character in government. In the year of 2021 and beyond.

The former Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga was demoted, but still got an office. She is the First Deputy Prime Minister and will still have some power. Also, be the Minister for East African Community Affairs.

Wife(y) Janet Museveni retains her control of the Ministry of Education and Sports. We know it is buy peace in the Middle East. Oh wait, it is to give her a Gucci bag and call it a day. This is her slush-fund and we are not seeing teachers or lectures getting a better life in their profession.

Then we have the return of Jim Muhwezi. His a forever stagnate fellow within the NRM. His gotten the Minister, Office of the President of Security. A man who was sacked several of time. The ex-Spy have gotten into scandals and been part of grand corruptions cases. This man is as corrupt as it gets and he will eat this term.

The former Secretary General of NRM, Justine Kasule Lumumba have now gotten appointed as Minister in Charge of General Duties/ Office of the Prime Minister. This is a smaller role and sort of unofficial “spokesperson” for the government and will not handle anything serious. Not like the previous person there had a lot of things to do.

Then you have Thomas Tayebwa, who has been an MP since 2016. Other roles than in Parliament is the Director of Cholmat Investments. His appointed as the Government Chief Whip. Last year he got known on social media for beating a UMEME staffer. Who happened to work on a line or transmission, which was illegally connected to the MPs house. Therefore, Tayebwa MP have some answers to give and not only ask forgiveness after. Especially, if the praise of Don Wanyama is true. That Thomas is a Christian and being generous. He should have shown that generosity towards the contracted worker of the UMEME. Not only show up at public functions and showing his giving hands.

Frank Tumwebaze MP had to be retained. He has had several of Ministries and he gets another one now. His a loyal man and was elected without any polls. As he was a unopposed MP in the General Election of 2021. This man is the Minister of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries. He will have three Minister of State underneath him. This is giving him vast power…

In no surprise Matia Kasaija is retained as the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development (MoFPED). He surely must have a strong grip on the Ministry and the President trust him blindly on this. Since he has had this for years and continues to stay in office.

For some strange reason, which I cannot phantom. Gen. Jeje Odongo is becoming the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Somewhere is Sam Kuteesa laughing and wonder what happened to him. That the sanctions on his corrupt ass finally hit home and took away one pay-check from all the others his getting. Gen. Odongo is the most defensive minister that’s appointed. His so defensive and willing to defend the indefensible. That this man will blame the pen, but not the ones shooting the bullets. He will dismiss the ones writing about extra-judicial killings, but defend the ones shooting the innocent civilian. That is the sort of man Odongo is and expect that in his work this term.

This is enough for now. There will be a follow up. There is enough characters to make your mind implode on the spot. The Cabinet of 2021-26 will not generate greatness …. It is there to serve Museveni and that’s it. These folks are there because of their loyalty and they will follow him until he pushes them overboard. That’s why people get used and dropped like nothing. Expect someone to cry havoc in the coming days. It is inevitable. Peace.

PS: Part II is on its way, but will dig for every soul mentioned … just like always.

Opinion: Kutesa lives in an alternative reality [and I needs to know how he got there]

Foreign Minister Sam Kutesa yesterday published a press release where he addressed Western Powers and the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). Which in itself is a natural thing to do for a Foreign Minister. Especially, when you want to address or explain certain situations for context to the international community. However, his so far from planet earth. He must either already entered Akon City or gotten a VIP ticket to Wakanda. Where I want to join him in the near future. Because, it must be bliss to live like him.

Kutesa is really out of line and lying out of his ass when his saying abductions doesn’t exist and arrests only happening through due process. The minister needs a reality check and maybe someone should enlighten him. He must living on pink cloud and drinking some powerful juices to not be able to apprehend the truth.

The Minister should connect himself with the Jeje Odongo and Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine. Even have a talk with the IGP Okoth-Ochola , Lt. Gen. Muhoozi Kainerubaga and others who are associated with the abductions, kidnappings and unlawful detentions. There are several of reports and security outfits, which has been in direct connect with the “drones” or “Panda Gari’s”. That is the state effort before, during and after the elections this year. Therefore, Kutesa needs to get his mind right and corrected.

He knows perfectly well that this has occurred and happened in the Republic. His just hoping the International Community and these dignitaries are naive. That these folks knows nothing and will eat the lies of his hands. While civilians are getting court martial like soldiers. People are abducted and the state doesn’t even produce the proper list of the ones who is taken away. That is why its disrespectful to the relatives and the loved ones of these individuals that the Minister says this.

Kutesa should know better, but rather live on a lie, than speaking the truth. That is the character of him and the regime he serves. The Minister is a reflection of how the NRM operates and how they think they can whitewash the sinister acts they do. That is just the reality of it all and its tragic.

Sam Kutesa needs to produce does tickets and ways to get Wakanda. If not how he already has entered Akon City. Since, with this sort of statement he cannot be sincere. It is false and a lie. The minister needs to chill or apologize about this.

The Minister needs to get an understanding or back-off. Because, the lies is easy to decipher in 2021. It is not like the grapevine is silent and the truth isn’t leaked out. This isn’t the bush and where you can control all aspects of information. That is impossible at these days and he cannot pull up a smokescreen to hide the facts.

Kutesa needs to call up Odongo and get some knowledge. Clearly that’s not happening. If not, his trying to deceive the world and that wouldn’t be shocking in 2021. Peace.

Opinion: Ogwang, what behaviour do you mean?

“The government is investigating Ugandans, whom it says have been misusing internet and social media platforms before reconnecting all of them back. Appearing before the Information and Technology Committee of Parliament chaired by Dokolo South Legislator Paul Amoru, the State Minister for ICT Peter Ogwang said the full reinstatement of the internet will be dependent on how Ugandans online behave” (NBS Television, 21.01.2021).

The Media Blackout and Social Media Blackout was direct orders from the state directed through government authorities to block all internet gateways. The state has also blocked all social media apps and sites online. The ones accessing these are using VPNs or Virtual Personal Networks to circumvent the blockade of state.

The Foreign Minister Kutesa said they had blocked Facebook and Twitter for “equalities” sake, as the foreign companies had blocked pages and persons affiliated with the government. Today, the Staet Minister for ICT Ogwang says its depends on “behaviour”. What sort behaviour do the honourable minister mean?

Hon. Ogwang by what law and what statutes are you basing this on?

That is something I wondering about. Since, you are not only indirectly blocking all voices on social media and on the internet. However, you are also putting in conditions, which cannot be verified. These conditions is based on certain parameters, which the public cannot get the gist off. Because, what does it mean?

The Minister should really come out with a proper statement and reasoning behind this. As this was a measure not based on actions made by the citizens, but by the powers of the state. Because, the state wanted to keep things in the black. They wanted the truth to be hidden and not expose the obvious election rigging this month. It wasn’t about language, posts or anything in particular.

I was expecting the state minister would say he was afraid of “tribalism” or “inciting violence”. However, he talked about behaviour like the citizens are kids. This is a paternalistic of the minister, but nothing new from this regime.

This is deliberate by the state to silence and ensure several of voices doesn’t come online. If they were sincere. They would have used other arguments and reasons to do so. However, this is just bonkers and ridiculous. The minister knows it and the citizens should know it too.

We know why they did it and this is just excuses to continue it, instead of reinstating it. Which they should have done yesterday or even the day before that. Peace.

Uganda: Minister of Foreign Affairs meets Chinese Ambassador on situation of Ugandans in China (11.04.2020)

Inter-Religious Council of Uganda: A Call for Dialogue to Resolve the Conflicts that led to the Rwanda – Uganda Border Closure (07.03.2019)

Statement by the Minister of Foreign Affairs Hon. Sam Kutesa on the Rwanda/Uganda Situation (05.03.2019)

Uganda: Press Statement by the Minister of Foreign Affairs on the UN Decision on Regional Service Center Entebbe (07.07.2018)

Opinion: The Liberation Day can only be celebrated with Mzee and with no one else!

The NRM Day, the National Resistance Movement (NRM) day, the Liberation Day. The day that the National Resistance Army liberated Uganda. Are in the making and being prepared so that the President can hold his speech and be crowded by his soldiers, his Crime Preventers and who ever he has bought out from obscurity in the recent months.

So the news today, was rare or unique. It is more of the same. That other people are not allowed. It is just like when he hold the State of Nation Address, all channels and broadcast on TV and Radio had to send his speech. The same can surely also happen in this instance. Because the only man who is clearly free and can be opinionated is Museveni. The rest have to follow his suit and his orders. The State House commands. So that the President and his men, are now putting orders on how they are celebrating the 32^nd Liberation Day isn’t surprising. It follows a pattern of control from above, from His Excellency, who cannot be that excellent, when he has to micro-manage every detail and get everyone in-line for every event. Every function and every order, has to be rubber-stamped by him. It’s just his despotic mind, who speaks democracy, but orders everyone around and wants everybody to accept his hollow mind. That is just the way it is, so when Daily Monitor says this today:

“The government has cautioned the opposition and any other groups against any plot to hold parallel liberation day celebrations. The caution was sounded by the minister for presidency Esther Mbayo during a press conference at media centre ahead of the celebrations slated for Friday January 26, 2018. She said every time government organizes a national function, there are groups that threaten to organized parallel arrangements. She said this will not be tolerated this time round. “I am just warning whoever is organizing to stage a parallel function to desist from it because the long arm of the law will catchup with him,” minister Mbayo said. She said there will be only one national function accepted that day and it will be held at Boma grounds in Arua Municipality. “So whoever wants to stage parallel arrangements should stand warned,” Mbayo said” (Jumbe, 2018).

This is the memo, the gist and the story. That the Minister Mbayo is warning and coming with stern signals of how to behave. The public can only have one key celebration, nothing in Kololo or on another field. The only one matter at Boma Ground in Arua. The rest has to cease, where the President is, is the only place to be liberated, the others have to follow orders and be under the spell of the President. No freedom, no celebration in Kampala, Jinja or Mbarara, no no, only celebrate in Arua at Boma Ground.

The Liberation Day celebration only matters at the function of the President. If he isn’t there, it doesn’t matter. It is not about liberation, if the supposed liberator isn’t there. The kingpin of the NRA has to be at the function if it supposed to have any value. President Museveni have to show up and be graceful, spill his beans and everyone got to listen to his wisdom. If not, they are not liberated. The liberation was for him and his men, not for the republic. The people was just tools for his liberation. Therefore, a party is only a party, if he started or joined the party. Peace.

Reference:

Jumbe, Benjamin – ‘No parallel liberation day celebrations shall be allowed – govt’ (26.01.2018) link: http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/No-parallel-celebrations-shall-be-allowed-govt/688334-4276634-ioin6/index.html)

Opinion: Not surprised Hon. Kutesa is implicated in an FBI bribing case; He is one of the untouchable in the Kitchen Cabinet!

Well, when the news broke that the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) of the United States of America, actually had a case implicating a “Ugandan Scheme” involving Honourable Sam Kahamba Kutesa, the current Minister of Foreign Affairs and previous President of the United Nations General Assembly. So clearly, even with all of these titles it is not enough for the brother-in-law to the President Museveni. As he wants more funds and more money without any consideration of the implications behind it.

The recent developments shouldn’t shock anyone. Kutesa has been in the rear-view of the corruption for decades, sometimes riding on a red-light for long, you wonder when the car was about crash into something. He has been walking on the edge and proves again to use his title and status, to again bribe and soliciting money without have proper guidelines behind it. So that the “investor” actually corrupted to get better deals in Uganda. It happen within 2016, but Kutesa has done similar within the energy and oil industry in 2012 and it goes beyond that too. Therefore, the breaking news this week, is that the U.S. Court are implicating Kutesa. Not that Kutesa is corrupt, that is open non-secret for the ones following Ugandan politics. Therefore, Kutesa or Kuteesa himself are part of an untouchable group of people, that has even been reflected upon in the past. Just take a look at the information, that fits the paradigm of what the FBI is investigating these days.

“Allegedly, there is an established cartel of untouchable individuals whose business is the president and who use his name to seek business opportunities for their gratification while at the same time seeking to perpetuate the regime that provides them with the opportunity to enrich themselves. A list that includes some of the president’s relatives and close friends would include, Sam Kuteesa, Salim Saleh, Odrek Rwabwogo (who is married to one of the president’s daughters), Moses Byaruhanga (who is married to a relative of the first lady), Bob Kabonero (the proprietor of Kampala casino), Haji Habib Kagimu (a business man and close friend to President Qadaffi), Noble Mayonbo, Jim Muhwezi and a few others. These people practically decide what to do, and then the president calls in the ministers to sign. These people constitute part of the group that is commonly referred to as the kitchen cabinet. It could actually be possible to do a power mapping in Uganda that identifies the power brokers in the country. (Interview with the Director for Economic Affairs at ISO, Mr. Cheeye, October 2005)” (Amundsen, 2006).

ENHAS Part I:

“For example, Museveni refused to take action against Sam Kutesa who had been accused in a parliamentary report, of using his position to defraud Uganda Airlines Corporation. The President said the evidence against Kutesa was not conclusive. However, many people attributed Museveni’s defense of Kutesa to their joint family connections. Kutesa’s wife is a sister to the First Lady, and Museveni’s eldest son, Muhoozi Keinerugaba, is expected to marry Kutesa’s daughter. (Keinerugaba was, until recently, the manager of his uncle Salim Saleh’s business empire). The damning parliamentary report on privatisation was released in December last year while a meeting of European donors was taking place in Kampala. The public expected Museveni to take tough action against the ministers and other government officials implicated, if only to demonstrate to the donors that he was serious about fighting corruption. Instead, he told the donors that those shouting about corruption were «malicious and opportunistic,» trying to settle personal scores or gain political advancement. The censure motion against Kutesa is expected to be tabled shortly. Museveni is quick to enumerate the various institutions set up under his government to deal with corruption, including the inspectorate of government, the Public Accounts Committee, the vice-president’s office, and the Ministry of Ethics and Integrity” (Kirungi, 1999).

ENHAS Part II:

“Muhwezi’s counterpart and Minister of State for Finance in charge of Privatization, Kutesa, was charged with overseeing the divestiture of the cargo-handling operation of the Uganda Airlines Corporation (UAC). UAC had a 50 percent stake in Entebbe Handling Services (ENHAS), the company that handled its cargo operations, while Kutesa—in an apparent conflict of interest—owned the rest of the shares in the same company. In addition to being a shareholder, Kutesa was also chairman of the board of directors of ENHAS. This conflict of interest was contrary to clause 8(1-3) of the Leadership Code. A Parliamentary select committee, charged with investigating the privatization process, produced a lengthy report accusing Kutesa of directly influencing the decision to sell the airline’s 50 percent share to ENHAS, falsifying the company’s accounts, and evading taxes” (Smith, 2006).

ENHAS Part III:

The Paradise Papers has already proven that ENHAS profits has been tax evaded again as it has gone to a Shell Company in the Seychelles, which was a deal agreed upon in 2012. This was from ENHAS to Katonga Investment. We do not know much funds that is sent between them, but the reporting of the agreement and deals. Show that the ENHAS is a key component in the shady dealing Kutesa does. As he has previously used it to get ill-gotten gains.

As Global Witness is reporting it as: “Sam Kutesa, Uganda’s foreign minister, set up a discretionary trust in the Seychelles in 2012. Appley identified Kutesa’s companies a “high risk,” given his political role and media reports of alleged corruption and bribery involving Kutesa, during a routine review in 2015. In his response to ICIJ’s partner in Uganda, the Daily Monitor, Kutesa said “I don’t have anything to hide…”and that he established the companies, but “I have never done anything with it at all. I told Appleby to close it many years ago.” (Global Witness, 2017).

From Dorsey and Whitey Corruption Digest of January 2012:

“President Museveni has announced to members of the National Resistance Movement’s Central Executive Committee that he is investigating Justice Minister Kahinda Otafiire following an intelligence briefing that the minister masterminded the leaked oil bribery documents which accused Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi and ministers Mr Sam Kutesa and Mr Hilary Onek of taking bribes to influence the award of oil deals. As reported in the November edition of the Corruption Digest, the ministers maintain their innocence. However, Parliament has resolved that those involved step aside until the validity of the documents has been investigated. According to President Museveni, the intelligence report accuses Mr Ottafiire of masterminding the oil bribery scandal to disorganise perceived detractors in government. President Museveni has vowed to investigate the matter in his own capacity before briefing the National Resistance Movement Central Executive Committee”(Dorsey and Whitey Corruption Digest, January 2012).

Recent Bribe for Energy Deal:

“In or about February 2016 – after the Ugandan Foreign Minister had resumed his role as Foreign Minister of Uganda, and his in-law had been reelected as the President of Uganda – the Ugandan Foreign Minister solicited a payment from HO, purportedly for a charitable foundation that he wished to launch. HO caused a $500,000 payment to be wired to an account in Uganda designated by the Ugandan Foreign Minister, through a bank in New York, New York. In his communications, HO variously referred to this payment as a “donation” to the reelection campaign of the President of Uganda (who had already been reelected) and as a “donation” to “support” the Ugandan Foreign Minister. In fact, this payment was a bribe to obtain business advantages for the Energy Company in its efforts to secure contracts and ventures in Uganda’s financial and energy sectors. HO also provided the Ugandan Foreign Minister, as well as the President of Uganda, with promises of future benefits, including proposing to partner with both officials’ family businesses in potential joint ventures. In exchange, the Ugandan Foreign Minister assisted the Energy Company in obtaining business in Uganda, including by facilitating the Energy Company’s interest in potentially acquiring a bank” (DoJ, 2017).

The Foundation that Kutesa used the bribe through from the HO has no headquarters, no email and is not registered. So the bribe was fueled through an organization not existing in 2016. That is solicited through the checks by the investigators from the United States in November 2017. It was Special Agent Thomas P. McNulty who was looking into the case concerning Kutesa.

Clearly, there are enough scandals involving the Kitchen Cabinet Member Kutesa or Kuteesa. He has a history of corruption and misusing his position for monetary gains. He is one of them and will be surely continue to do so. Even if the United States charges him with money laundering and soliciting ill-gained funds or bribes for energy deals within Uganda. That is not surprising, as he has done that not only in 2016, but back in 2012, as well as other speculative deals getting state reserves and other funds to put in his own pocket.

If we really took a deep dive into his estates, his businesses and into his accounts. I am sure we would find more shadow agreements and more questionable money that has been earned by him and others. A man who has been used to getting bribes, surely, will appreciate it and expect so. Since the power is within reach and he can grate favors for the investors. Therefore, better pay up to get license and possible markets for their trade. This is done by paying in advance the Minister and secure profitable resources and advantages, that others wouldn’t. While also getting an okay and giving a call to the President. To make sure this is okay. Certainly, Kutesa could have maneuvered this way, all along. Peace.

Reference:

Amundsen, Inge – ‘Political corruption and the role of donors (in Uganda)’(January, 2006) – CMI Commissioned Report

Department of Justice – ‘Head Of Organization Backed By Chinese Energy Conglomerate, And Former Foreign Minister Of Senegal, Charged With Bribing High-Level African Officials’ (20.11.2017) link: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/head-organization-backed-chinese-energy-conglomerate-and-former-foreign-minister

Kirungi, Fred – ‘Uganda – The fight against corruption at a crossroads’ ANB-BIA Supplement (March 1999) link: http://ospiti.peacelink.it/anb-bia/nr367/e06.html

Global Witness – ‘THE PARADISE PAPERS: TRUST TRANSPARENCY IN THE EU’ (November 2017)

Smith, John – ‘Case Study on the Role of Parliament and the Media in the Fight against Corruption’ (2006)

Tired of President Museveni’s “1986”!

I know I am born in 1985, but I am tired of the year of 1986 and the year National Resistance Army (NRA). The now National Resistance Movement (NRM) and President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni. The liberation movement that has run the republic since 1986. This war lasted from 1981 to 1986, the NRA went out of the Milton Obote II government after the illegitimate election of 1980s. Which from then on has been used as the scapegoat and the ones to put to blame for ever since.

The 1986 is the magical year that Museveni entered into supremacy. The Supreme kingpin and mastermind of all it. Sowing the mustard seed and creating a newer safer Republic. The one time the peasants was supposed to have their say in government and make the republic a democracy. The Republic of Uganda was going from strong-men and big-men to run the Republic. Instead, it has been now three decades with manufactured democracy in-line with the vision of Museveni.

President Museveni have used all techniques to fix election results, paying villagers and making new government forms to fit his paradigm. Instead of releasing his promises he has built elite around him that is loyal to his brown envelopes or public fearing his security organizations. This is a special coming from the man promises all the possible governance and government structures needed, if he got into power. Instead, he has done the opposite.

It was supposed to get into a middle-Income Country instead of the Less Developed Country, which is the state is in now. The LDC that Uganda now is because of the state of government that President Museveni has created around him. That can be seen with amounts of debt, the massive overspending on the State House and the pledges around the President. Government of Uganda, GoU have been built around Museveni, instead of institutions and procedures. Therefore, the state are following the orders of the President and his Presidential Handshakes.

That is why, every-time in a speech at any sort of occasion the President will mention 1986 and how the state used to be. As of today 1 out of 5 in the Republic or 21% are between 15 to 24 year old. And by 2016 there we’re only 2% who are older than 65 years old. Which means that the President are part of a minority age bracket. President Museveni 30 years old rule are older than many of the youths in the Republic. They should also wonder what is so special about the years they never we’re living and about governments they never lived under. There are big proportions of the population who cannot remember or has been apart of the first years of the NRA or the civil-war during the 1980s.

They would be like me, they would feel the same fatigue of the NRA and Museveni rule, the extension of the liberation from Obote and Amin. The ones that Museveni mention whenever he needs someone or somebody to blame. Certainly mention 1986. The 1986 that are the most important year since independence, therefore, the NRM Day, the 26^th January 1986, liberation day. Instead of the Independence Day 9^th October 1962. That one is not so often mentioned by the President, since he didn’t get them out of the British Empire and not be a British Protectorate anymore.

Still, the 9^th October 1962 doesn’t seem to be important for Museveni, the 26^th January 1986 is the most vital one. The one that sets the standard, the day that changed everything and gave him total access. Therefore, the celebration of 1986 is so key and be levied at any occasion, and at any speech. President Museveni praises his overthrow of Amin, Obote, Okello and Biniasa.

They all just had to be overthrown, he had to make coup d’etat and make folklore out of it. So his name can ring out and be praised. Let it be clear, the President sings 1986… 1986… 1986… like a jingle never stopping. Peace.