Uganda Police Force Investigates the Red Pepper (21.11.2017)

Age Limit: President Museveni letter to NRM Rebels – “Re: Constitutional Amendment of Article 102(b) to lift the Age Limit for President” (07.11.2017)

Uganda: Red Pepper Search Warrents as their Offices are Raided by Police (21.11.2017)

South Sudan: SPLM Press Release (21.11.2017)

Minister Okello Oryem Meets Troika Representatives (17.11.2017)

 

The meeting addressed the current political situation in South Sudan and the resultant refugee crisis in the neighboring countries, especially in Uganda.

KAMPALA, Uganda, November 17, 2017 – On November 15, 2017 the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Hon. Henry Oryem Okello met with Representatives of the South Sudan peace-guarantor Troika member countries (Norway, United Kingdom and the United States) at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kampala. The Troika Representatives were Mr. Paul Sutphin (USA), Mr. Chris Trott (UK) and Mr. Ering Skjonsberg (Norway).

The meeting addressed the current political situation in South Sudan and the resultant refugee crisis in the neighboring countries, especially in Uganda.

The members of the Troika reiterated their strong support for the combined efforts of the African Union (AU), Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), and United Nations to end the conflict in South Sudan, and joined their recent calls on all armed parties, including the Government of South Sudan, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition, and other armed groups, to commit to a ceasefire.

They emphasized that the dire humanitarian crisis in South Sudan is the direct result of the conflict and called on all parties to cease violence against humanitarian workers and obstruction of humanitarian assistance.

The Troika endorsed the ongoing efforts by IGAD and praised Uganda’s peace initiative which aimed at bringing the warring parties to the negotiating table, positively noting that this initiative was endorsed by both parties to the conflict. The Troika expressed pleasure that Uganda is in full support of the IGAD process. In addition, they endorsed the work of the UN Mission in the Republic of South Sudan, and the deployment of its Regional Protection Force.

Hon Okello welcomed the visiting team and stressed the importance of the support being extended towards all the peace initiatives. He reassured them that Uganda will continue playing a mediatory and conciliatory role between the belligerent parties to ensure that an agreement is reached.

In attendance at the meeting were the Heads of Diplomatic Missions of the Troika resident in Kampala and senior officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Opinion: Minister Tumwebaze flawed defense of lifting the Age Limit!

 

Well, Mr. Minister Frank Tumwebaze, my view is seen your eyes as propaganda, but coming from you. That is props in my ears, because that means I have understood the world differently from you. In this aspect the lifting of the Article 102(b) from the 1995 Constitution. I know it hard for you to understand, because your eating of the plate served by the President. That is the reason for you suddenly long written article of sorts. Which I only quote on part of, because I don’t have the time to waste commenting on the rest. Need to live life, not only discuss already basic facts. Facts that you dismiss and blatantly undress, when the king is already without clothes. The change in the constitution isn’t to create a better republic or create progress. It is to secure President Museveni’s long rule and give him more time to become as old as Mugabe. That is the reason. Not to build a better and richer country, no, it is secure the stay of Museveni last as long as possible. That is why I don’t care for exposing the rest of your wasted energy on writing about my type of propaganda. Thanks for honoring my words and others, who address the madness of Life Presidency and entitlement to one-man over all in the Republic. Let’s you have the word for a little moment. Before I address the matter at hand!

The claim that removing the age-limit will institutionalize life Presidency of Mr Museveni is also hogwash. The power to vote in and out any leader is not being taken away by the amendment bill. Instead it’s being reinforced by the same Magyezi bill. Removing limits makes the power of the people to vote in and out any leader the ultimate limit. So how can life Presidency be so in this case? It’s true that If a leader is good, he/she will be voted for many more times. That can only lead to longevity but not life Presidency. Longevity perse isn’t bad. It has its known advantages. Famous Amin didn’t need 30 years to cause the havoc he did and neither was he a creation of having no age-limit. With or without term/age-limits, dictators can wreck havoc. The sustainable way therefore, to fight dictators is not by putting term or age-limits in the constitution, but by civically empowering citizens to choose leaders of their choice and be able to resist bad in favor of good at all times. That is how NRM with the support of the Citizenry was able to defeat the dictatorships of the past. Full involvement of the citizenry in determining the affairs of their governance and not symbolic term or age limits; is the permanent therapy to the emergence of dictators. This is what the NRM government invested in. Even before full take over of government in 1985, the NRA then, immediately mobilized people in liberated zones to form their own elected village councils called Resistance Councils(RCs) so as to manage their own affairs. All interest groups of the citizenry(Youth, women, disabled, elderly, workers and army that hitherto was used as anti-people tool) were catered for in the governance structures by the NRM. This is what civic empowerment means” (Tumwebaze, 2017).

That you call it hogwash is endearing of you, but you know that this is cater made and right before Mr. President turns 75 years old. This is not done a decade ago, when he needed to change the term-limits to fit his official “elected” terms. That you talk about elections filled with armed aggression, pre-ticket ballots, bribed officials and rampant rigging, that you talk about people choosing the sole-candidate is just a disgrace of the whole proceedings. That is why the President has less legitimacy and has little authority as he frighten of Besigye and other oppositions. Who can easily show their popularity, while Museveni pays with food and equipment to the voter tourism. Alas, your fake and fraudulent elections are the barring for his existence and now soon also change the Constitution to his aging body.

That you speak of “choice” of leaders and “favors”, the way NRM beat dictatorship of the old times, it is one right now! The NRM uses arbitrary arrests of opposition leaders and charge them for everything possible. The real opposition to the NRM are usually inciting violence and doing something illegal, since they are not following the NRM party line. So Tumwebaze are in effect living in the standard of a dictatorship. The NRM got rid of Amin and Obote, but has created their own dictatorship, where Museveni is the key and the master, instead of the ones of old. So, the NRM hasn’t created something better, they have just changed the laws and using similar tactics to silence opposition.

That you then talk about citizenry of the NRM, while opposition rallies are banned, political parties are stopped from campaigning, while the NRM are holding rallies. It is just selected part of the people who can campaign and can consult. There aren’t a democratic values or real acts of the state, it is handpicked for the NRM. The NRM can pay 1000s of shillings to citizens for just getting them to vote in favor of the Constitutional Amendment. Even the Prime Minister Ruhakana, just like during the General Election of 2016, been seen giving money directly to constituents. So Tumwebaze your words are not really valued, if he was just looking briefly at the conduct of his government.

Let’s be clear and settle this ones and for all. The AGE LIMIT is about Museveni, has always been about MUSEVENI and will die with MUSEVENI. The whole problem and reason for the change is because of Museveni. The reason for the consultation meetings and the party actions, are because of Museveni. No matter what part of the age limit you talk about, it is because of Museveni. Museveni, Museveni or Museveni that is the answer. Nothing else. Tumwebaze you can misuse words, rhetoric and try to disgrace history, still it is all about your master. You are his loyal subject and servant. Hope your pay and your loyalty is rewarded, because we see through you. Peace.

Reference:

Tumwebaze, Frank K. – ‘How Propaganda against Hon Magyezi bill is Losing Ground’ (15.11.2017)

South Sudan: Letter showing the state repaying debt in Crude-oil – “Subject: Payment of Outstanding Bills for Al Cardinal Investment Company Limited” (24.10.2017)

The Police continue with their arbitrary arrests of FDC leaders!

Nathan Nandala Mafabi: There is patronage. Yesterday they arrested Besigye in Mbarara and teargassed people. The expenditure alone to teargas people is a lot” (NBS Television, NBS MorningBreeze, 14.11.2017)

Since the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) are holding inner-Party Rallies around the Republic. The opposition party and the hardliners within the party, the ones who are not so compliance and more defiance against the state orders has continued to not follow Police Order and Protocol to do it in smaller venues and not in stadiums. Even so, the FDC and the FDC Presidential Consultation Rallies has tried to be hold at bigger venues this November.

A few days ago it created chaos within Lira Town. Where the Police arrested several of FDC Leaders and also Besigye escaped from Prison. Yesterday there was scheduled rally in Mbarara at a stadium there. Clearly that is illegal so the FDC leaders was detained in Mbarara. With tear-gas and scattering the crowds making ready for rally. Ingrid Turinawe was taken from Mbarara to Rubanda District for a ‘Gender Sensitive’ detention centre. Dr. Kizza Besigye was also moved from Mbarara and detained at Kabale, also arrested Fred Kato the driver and Ronald Muhinda. So the Police Force was busy with their partisan work.

Sidebar:

This is just a continuation of what the Police Force has done for months and years. Been involved and blocking Besigye and other opposition parties from gathering. While the NRM are holding consultation meetings, bribing constituents and delegates for the support of the lifting of the age lifting. Since there is nothing else to waist money in Uganda, like on salaries for doctors or nurses. That is a total waste, so the UPDF and Police are instead sending their medical personnel to Mulago to help out during the strike.

Still, with this in mind, the Police has enough support and funds to continue to follow, monitor and detain the opposition leaders. Not “just” Besigye. But everyone else, who is against the NRM and the Museveni line. They can be detained whenever and for whatever reason the police see fits. Some other FDC leaders was arrested not for the Party rally in Mbarara, but for visiting Besigye. These we’re Patrick Amuriat Oboi and Mubarak Munyagwa. Moses Byamugisha came also for a visit there to see the situation, but he was not arrested.

This here will not end. There will be more, as long as the NRM regime exists and are allowed to assault on political freedom and liberty. Besigye has been a bit to many detained by the authorities, he must have world-record and be written into the Guinness Book of Records. No-one can be detained on so many arbitrary charges as he has been over the years. It is just insane how many times the Police Force has detained him and his loyal allies. His aides are even lingering in jail in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) like Sam Mugumya.

That the police are blocking stadiums, throwing tear-gas and aiming at the leaders with live-bullets should worry anyone, as the reckless attitude and deep rooted violence is eminent and this is systemic, at every part of the republic. All walks of life who appear near one of these venues can get hospitalized and even lose their lives. That for the cost of showing up to a political rally. Something that has happen several places over recent years. This shows how little mercy and little democratic space there are in the republic.

Enough of this sad meager display of democracy. It is a disgrace, that Besigye and FDC leaders behind bars, yet again. Peace.

Ministry of Health letter to Uganda Medical Association: “Invitation for a Consultative Meeting” (14.11.2017)

South Sudan: “Subject: Resignation as Justice of the Supreme Court, of the Judiciary of South Sudan” (14.11.2017)