Alabama’s impeachment report airs out Governor Bentley moral turpitude!

The Alabama Constitution of 1901 expressly provides five grounds for impeachment: willful neglect of duty, corruption in office, incompetency, intemperance in the use of liquor or narcotics, and “any offense involving moral turpitude while in office, or committed under color thereof, or connected therewith.” It provides almost no guidance, however, and much less any mandates, as to how either house of the Legislature must conduct its respective part of the process” (House Committee of Alabama, P: 44, 2017). What is Moral Turpitude: “Moral turpitude is a legal concept that refers to any conduct that is believed to be contrary to the community standards of honesty, justice, or good moral values. While there is no one exact definition of acts that are considered under moral turpitude, they are typically described as any acts of vileness or depravity, or of sexual immorality, whether in a private or social context. One example of moral turpitude is murder. To explore this concept, consider the following moral turpitude definition” (Legal Dictionary – Moral Turpitude)

There are interesting times in Alabama, United States, a grand corruption case and impeachment of the Governor Robert J. Bentley, because of the Trump Administration and their scandal this has been silently going on. Even if it is interesting as the precedence for this trial is misuse of his office and of campaign funds. That the House of Representatives in the State was able in 2016 to put forward the case and file it. Proves that the other representatives in Alabama want the state to be just in front of their citizens, not just a place for the Governor Bentley to eat.

As Gawker itself noted in March 2015: “That the Bentleys are making sure they can the suppress details of their divorce is not a surprise—they had already been doing it for months. According to documents filed by Dianne Bentley, the two have been separated since January—things appear to have been so bad that the First Lady had to be convinced to attend Bentley’s inauguration on January 19—but as AL.com notes, the two have “gone to great lengths to hide [that] fact.” For instance, on July 24, more than seven months after their separation, both Robert and Dianne used their Twitter accounts to wish each other a happy anniversary, with Dianne writing, “God has blessed us w/ 50 years of marriage.” (Sargent, 2015).

That the two term elected Alabama Governor Bentley has misused his position, not only been unjust to his wife with the affair at the Alabama State House, he had also let his unelected adviser Rebekah Mason, who could use her close relationship to control the Governor. Therefore, she was de facto Governor, as she had to be in the room when decisions we’re made. This proves alone, not only the misuse of public funds and use of state budget on her place inside his campaign team and as consultant firm.

Those in Montgomery who work with the governor said Mason, 43, is an integral part of his team and that her influence has continued to grow” (…) “You can’t get to the governor unless she clears it,” said one legislator, who asked that his name not be used. “Some people resent that.” (…) “Earlier this year, Mason was named one of “The 50 Most Powerful and Influential People in Alabama” by the conservative site Yellowhammer.com, who described her as “part of the very small circle of the governor’s closest advisors.” (…) “From crafting State of the State Addresses to coordinating external efforts to advance the governor’s agenda, Mason is involved in all of it. No one has the governor’s ear more than she does. No one,” the site noted” (Gore, 2015)

The consultant firms that Governor INC hired to work for him. The Alabama House Judiciary Committee’s report, even as the Governor has worked to deliver as little information as possible, there are clearly evidence of the misuse of the Executive power in the State. Not only falling in love with another woman, than the ones who the Governor was married to. Just take a look!

Entitlement:

By insisting that Governor Bentley is entitled to due process under the federal Constitution, he implicitly asserts that he owns the Office of the Governor of the State of Alabama and that his suspension or removal from office is a deprivation of his property. This is wrong” (House Committee of Alabama, P: 14, 2017).

Impeachment:

The very purpose of impeachment – to protect the public from an abusive official – would be undermined if the Executive were shielded from the full reach of the Committee’s investigative authority in this circumstance. Thus, the “alleged misconduct of a chief executive that is sufficient to warrant an impeachment inquiry should not, as the [Governor’s] contention suggests, present a reason for exempting him from accountability; rather it should have the opposite effect.” (House Committee of Alabama, P: 23, 2017).

Governor Bentley withheld documentation:

Leaving aside for the moment the question of the applicability of that privilege as asserted by a Governor against a co-equal branch of government in an impeachment investigation, Governor Bentley certainly should have produced all non-privileged documents responsive to the Committee’s request. In most circumstances, it is the burden of the subpoenaed party to support specific claims of privilege by describing the nature of the documents withheld” (House Committee of Alabama, P: 30, 2017).

No disclosing his Cell-phones:

Despite multiple witnesses stating that Governor Bentley has consistently used three cell phones, Governor Bentley provided no documents responsive to the Committee’s request for a list of his cell phones or mobile devices (Item 29). He objected that the request “seeks information outside of the possession, custody or control of the Office of the Governor.”109 The Committee sought, without success, to determine if Governor Bentley was drawing a distinction between an “Office of the Governor” cell or so-called “burner” phone and a “Robert J. Bentley” cell or burner phone. The Committee noted that the document labeled OTG009338 (Ex. 5-CC) is a cover page for a selection of text messages from a phone that is referred to as “Governor state phone.” At a minimum, Governor Bentley’s “state phone” was in the possession, custody or control of the Office of the Governor” (House Committee of Alabama, P. 32, 2017).

Witnesses and Governor refused to testify:

On October 24, 2016, the Committee, through Special Counsel and pursuant to Amended Committee Rule 6, sent to the Office of the Governor notices for the transcribed testimony under oath of Governor Robert J. Bentley, Zach Lee, Wesley Helton and David Byrne. Despite follow-up requests, the noticed persons have declined to testify” (House Committee of Alabama, P: 34, 2017).

Secret relationship:

A number of law enforcement personnel and other staff members we interviewed were suspicious that the confidentiality agreements were designed to conceal the Bentley-Mason relationship. On the other hand, Seth Hammett maintains that the agreements were not intended for that purpose and resulted entirely from his concern that the Office of the Governor did not adequately control who attended meetings, or the flow of information in those meetings. Hammett was concerned that this lack of information control could result in the leak of sensitive information from the Office. He claims the agreements were specifically designed to address that concern. Information security was a consistent theme of the changes Hammett made after he took over as chief of staff, and according to him, such concerns were his primary motivation for the structural changes he implemented in the Office” (House Committee of Alabama, P: 57, 2017).

Rebekah Mason’s employment:

As noted above, Rebekah Mason joined Governor Bentley’s 2010 campaign and then transitioned into his Administration, first as Communications Director and later as Communications Advisor. Beginning February 2011, she was paid a salary of approximately $98,000 per year, which was reduced after March 2012 to approximately $48,000 per year” (…) “In July 2013, Mason left formal employment with the Office of the Governor to begin work on Governor Bentley’s re-election campaign, although she was at the Capitol in Governor Bentley’s office on a regular basis, having maintained a parking space and keycard access. While working on the campaign, Mason was paid through her company, RCM Communications, Inc., which was incorporated on July 19, 2013. A review of publicly-available campaign finance records reveal that RCM Communications received money from Bentley for Governor, Inc., and was not paid by any other political candidate in Alabama. Bentley for Governor, Inc.’s publicly-available filings reflect that RCM Communications was paid monthly for “Consultants/Polling” and received reimbursement for transportation, lodging, food, and administrative expenses. From July 31, 2013, through November 13, 2014, Bentley for Governor, Inc. paid RCM Communications $426,978.43, which included $184,515.00 for “Consultants/Polling” and $220,346.00 for “Advertising.” (House Committee of Alabama, P: 57-58).

Lewis on the Mason’s connection with the Governor:

Lewis had never met the dermatologist from Tuscaloosa who was on the verge of becoming Governor that November, but he accepted an offer from the commander of the DPU to serve as Dr. Bentley’s protective detail leader should he be elected Governor. Lewis met Dr. Bentley and his family on Election Day and was immediately impressed. Lewis saw Dr. Bentley as a family man and recalled that “he just expected us to handle things above board, to be responsible in what we did. And, you know . . . he was a religious man. He was a Christian, and he had that reputation already so you knew that you had to toe the line when you were around him.” (Ex. 9-B)” (…) “After Robert Bentley was elected Governor, the relationship between the two men grew close. Lewis recalls: “[T]he governor was like a father figure to me when we first started. We’re very close. We would talk about anything.” (…) “As Governor Bentley’s affair with Mason evolved, Lewis noticed that Governor Bentley “started to change.” Lewis’s relationship with Governor Bentley soured, and Lewis ultimately came to distrust Governor Bentley. He noted: “I knew that if the governor would betray his own family, there’s nothing to stop him from coming at me.” (House Committee of Alabama, P: 62, 2017).

Nonetheless, on multiple occasions, and with a frequency that increased as the relationship between Governor Bentley and Mason grew, Lewis found himself overruled by Governor Bentley. Lewis recalls one occasion when he instructed Governor Bentley’s Director of Scheduling Linda Adams, while planning for a trip, not to put Mason on the State plane. Later that day, Governor Bentley called Lewis and ordered him to put Mason on the flight. Lewis recalls telling Governor Bentley: “Sir, I disagree with that, but you’re the governor and I will respect your wishes.” Lewis believes this conversation was the beginning of the deterioration of his relationship with Governor Bentley” (House Committee of Alabama, P: 79, 2017).

Using the Wallace elevator:

Mason also often came into Governor Bentley’s office without the staff’s knowledge. It is believed this occurred because she was allowed to maintain keycard access to the capitol even though she was no longer a State employee. It was also reported that she was able to arrive in Governor Bentley’s office through an unobserved elevator that moved directly between Governor Bentley’s personal office on the first floor of the capitol and the press office in the basement. (Ex. 5-I at 3-4). This elevator was put in by Governor George Wallace after he was shot and is referred to as the “Wallace Elevator.” (House Committee of Alabama, P: 67, 2017).

Control of 2015 budget:

A stark example of Mason’s control was her role in State budget negotiations in 2015. Spencer Collier told us that in years past, the budget process was initiated by a meeting with State Finance Director Bill Newton and his staff. At the conclusion of that meeting, Collier would meet with Governor Bentley to discuss strategies for addressing any potential cuts. However, in 2015, ALEA was required to meet with Mason and Jennifer Ardis to set budget priorities” (House Committee of Alabama, P: 69, 2017).

The report show’s the connection between Rebekah Mason and Governor Robert Bentley is clear, where the involvement went passed the employee and employer. The details that comes through the report proves the close relationship and the Mrs. Bentley divorce as she understood, because the Governor wasn’t a James Bond. He couldn’t keep himself away from the consultant and the campaign contributor. That even she had to be on the State planes, even as she wasn’t anymore a state employee, the security detail had to accept it. So Lewis said many times it was a bad idea, still the Governor had to have her with him. Just as she had to give him advice on the State Budget. This here proves that an unelected lover can become important.

The First Baptist Church of Tuscaloosa has expelled Republican Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley and a female staff from its membership amid a raging controversy over an inappropriate audio recording that suggested the governor had an extramarital affair. Bentley was a deacon in the church” (…)”While church discipline is a church family matter, both Governor Robert Bentley and Mrs. Rebekah Mason are no longer members of First Baptist Church Tuscaloosa. I continue to pray for each of them,” Senior Pastor Gil McKee told Christian News Network on Friday” (Hicap, 2016).

So in last month the Church that both cheaters comes from have expelled them, the place they met before they went to Montgomery to become State Officials. Therefore, the Christian Family man because of love life and is extramarital affair, can not also lose all his credibility, but also expelled from his Christian fellowship. That shows the consequences of the Conservative Republican state that Governor Bentley has run.

Therefore, the State impeachment and the clear report proving the misconduct and misuse of power. As well as his unethical affair that also has implicated his office as the Executive, proves how Bentley got hooked on power and on the newfound love. So the former deacon is clearly not following his own teachings when it comes to an affair on the outside of his marriage, as he did what he could to have the consultant close and also keep the divorce silent too. Since he wanted his image to stay relevant. Certainly, the maladministration and the possible use of State property to usher in the relationship can be seen as “involving moral turpitude while in office” (Alabama Constitution 1901).

So that he misused the Alabama state to have an affair with Rebekah Mason, she was apparently married woman, so them both was having affairs for different reasons. The Governor Bentley is bad enough for selling his Christian Family Values, while being unfaithful and having an affair with a married woman, also misusing his position as Executive to get her on trips and get her hired through straw-companies, as campaign consultant, instead of directly in the State House. That shows the level of extent and that the Governor hired and sacked people to keep it secret as well. Even if he bad at keeping it low-key… Peace.

Reference:

Legal Dictionary – ‘Moral Turpitude’ link: https://legaldictionary.net/moral-turpitude/

Gore, Leade – ‘Who is Rebekah Caldwell Mason? Gov. Bentley’s advisor paid $426,978 in 2014 election’ (03.09.2015) link: http://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2015/09/who_is_rebekah_caldwell_mason.html

Hicap, Jonah – ‘Baptist Church expels Alabama governor, female staff over admitted explicit calls’ (29.03.2016) link: https://www.christiantoday.com/article/baptist.church.expels.alabama.governor.female.staff.over.admitted.explicit.calls/82816.htm

Representatives House of Alabama – ‘ THE IMPEACHMENT INVESTIGATION OF GOVERNOR ROBERT BENTLEY PRE-HEARING SUBMISSION OF SPECIAL COUNSEL’ (07.04.2017)

Sargent, Jordan – ‘Alabama Governor Robert Bentley Won’t Say Whether He Fucked a Staffer’ (09.03.2015) link: http://gawker.com/alabama-governor-robert-bentley-wont-say-whether-he-fuc-1728112971

Opinion: “Presidential Handshake” Vs “Bribe”; Why is one legal and the other illegal?

There are something serious malfunctioning in the National Resistance Movement (NRM), their whole operation and their idea of Government. The reason why is a Minister is now caught in the mix, though strange that he is in hot-water. Why do I say that? Since this is the government that has sanctioned the Presidential Handshake, the billing of profits from the Tax Case with Tullow Oil. So for me this is weird, that this one get illegal, while the other get rubber-stamped by the same government. Like a rabbit isn’t a rabbit, that these two is two of a kind. Take a quick look!

Days after the story of this accusation went public, police on Saturday arrested and detained three people including a State Minister, for allegedly receiving a Shs30 million bribe from the businessman” (…) “The police this afternoon arrested Hon. Herbert Kabafunzaki, the state minister for labour, employment and industrial relations who is also the MP Rukiga County in Kabale district. He is arrested together with Mr Brian Mugabo, a clearing agent. He was allegedly soliciting a bribe from the proprietor of Aya Group,” Mr Kayima said in a statement” (Monitor Team, 2017).

Can someone please tell me difference between Aya Group and Tullow Oil, certainly different types of businesses and also reach. That Tullow Oil got middlemen inside the Uganda Revenue Authority and got accepted through all forms of government before the corrupt arrangement of the Presidential Handshake, but why doesn’t Hon. Kabafunzaki get off the hook, when half of the civil service and the leadership involved in the handshake gets to kiss ass. There are something unjust about the whole case.

When contacted to confirm or deny president Museveni’s involvement in the arrest of the minister, Senior Presidential Press Secretary Don Wanyama said: “When the President said this is Kisanja Hakuna Mchezo this is what he meant. The message is clear, the fight against corruption has been taken to a new high and there are no sacred cows. Once you’re involved, you’ll be arrested irrespective of position. Corrupt government officials have been put on notice.” (Monitor Team, 2017).

It is ironic and strange to see the President involved in it and taking a strong stance on it, as he government and his officials are let’s say bluntly very corrupt. His former cronies like Gen. Jim Muhwezi and Amama Mbabazi was often on the list of most corrupt men in East Africa. Therefore, these words coming from Okello House is not really trustworthy, as the big business and decisions comes from the State House before they are sanctioned. So if the grand-corruption is appearing, than the President has said “Okay” and signed the agreement.

When we see stuff like this now, we know that if there are grand corruption or corrupt behavior it is either sanctioned by the State House or not accepted by the NRM cronies. Therefore, if they are arrested it is to make the world believe that the institutions works against this sort of economic transgression in society. For people like me this is not believable, that the NRM Regime cares, as the corruption scandals and the people walking free in mansions bigger than malls. So why should we mind?

Well, as long as the Presidential Handshakes are accepted and a way of giving illegal bonuses, which is a sort of corruption and eating of the state coffers. Why should this 30m shillings be an issue? Peace.

Reference:

Monitor Team – ‘Sex scandal adds twist to Minister Kabafunzaki’s arrest’ (08.04.2017) link: http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Minister-Kabafunzai-arrested-taking-30M-bribe/688334-3882728-lr2slwz/index.html

MBS Espisu defends Secretaries role at rallies; Is the Secretaries role to be loyal to the President or to the People?

It isn’t everyday there is election and that the Spokesperson for the Presidency of Kenya are benign and default by the values of governance and who the government are. Therefore, the defense from the spokesperson proves how little they care for accountability and transparency, as the Cabinet Secretaries and Permanent Secretaries takes parts of Election Rallies in Kenya, as the Jubilee Government doesn’t care about their neglect of opposition and that they are supposed to represent all Kenyans, not just the voters of the Jubilee Party. But hey! Manoah Esipisu the spokesperson is clearly seeking a pay-rise and bonuses for his loyalty to Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy William Ruto.

The Kenyan Public Service Act of 2015 says this in the Subsection 8 (1A and 1B):

“Transparency and provision to the public of timely accurate information

(1) A public officer shall not—

(a) give information that the public officer knows or ought to know to be inaccurate; or

(b) unduly delay the provision of any information where required to provide that information” (Laws of Kenya, 2015).

Why do I start with that enacted law of Public Service, since the Manoah Esipisu, feels like it is okay that the ones in Public Office, as Principal Secretaries and Cabinet Secretaries attending the Election rallies, as they are still giving away information that counters with the Public Service Act of 2015, would that be justified by the Spokesperson of the State House. Please take a look at his genius reasoning!

Public servants participating in politics

Second, Let me respond to your questions on whether public servants are playing politics by speaking at public barazas or interacting with citizens and talking about the direction our country is heading. First, public servants, including Cabinet Secretaries, Principal Secretaries and other senior staff cadre have a duty of accountability to the Kenyan people. They have to account on the progress the administration of President Uhuru Kenyatta has made since taking office; they have to account for the trillions of shillings in taxes collected from the Kenyan people and invested in infrastructure development and other services; and they have to account for the confidence invested in them by the Kenyan people. Why are they supporting the President and the Jubilee administration, some of you have asked? Because they are accountable to the President who appointed them in the first place, and whose vision of service to the Kenyan people it is their duty to operationalise. And why would they appear to be directly campaigning for the President? No, they are not campaigning. They are merely describing the investments made under President Kenyatta and the impact thereof, and why therefore it is important for the President to be re-elected to continue with the task of transforming Kenya. For us, it is really a question of accountability. It is precisely because public officers are speaking more that the country acknowledges that Kenya is irreversibly transforming” (President.co.ke, 2017).

I agree with the State House Spokesperson that the Cabinet and Principal Secretaries has to account to the citizens. That is necessary and is expected. Therefore, they have other duties than standing on stage and promoting their jobs, instead of working tireless for the citizens. It is hard to say they are not campaigning, when they are taking parts and participating at the rallies. Are the appointed secretaries fish out of water? Since they are swimming in the sea, but not feeling the water. That is the reasoning of the Spokesperson, wouldn’t they defend Kenyatta and Ruto on the podium in Eldoret, Nakuru or Thika.

The disrespectful idea that they first have to be accountable for the President and therefore has to show up at rallies, is what he said at one point. A point he used before “no, they are not campaigning”, still they are firstly representing the people, secondly their appointed by the President. The President is also representing people and gotten his place because of the citizens. So they are all not really playing their parts, as secretaries as they supposed to be there as civil servants and not as subjects under the President.

As the Constitution of Kenya of 2010 Stems for Section 152. (3) says: “A Cabinet Secretary shall not be a Member of Parliament”. With this statement in the law, means that the Cabinet Secretaries nomination as all a favor of their merits and their judgment in their field. If they we’re qualified, the President wouldn’t appoint the person. Therefore, the decision to take part of the rallies, show they are more loyal to the President, than to the Kenyan people.

Because if they take part of Jubilee Rallies only and not even parts of Cord/NASA rallies, than their respect as representing all citizens of Kenya is gone, than they are just loyal subjects to Kenyatta who appointed them. Is the message the Kenyan voters needs to know months ahead of the coming elections? That they are not obligated to inform the Cord/NASA electorate, only the Jubilee? Isn’t that the mere effort and effect of having the Cabinet Secretaries and Principal Secretaries attending rallies, to show flex and have the strength that the opposition parties doesn’t have?

I have to ask a very stupid question to the Spokesperson Manoah Esipisu, who pays the Cabinet Secretaries and Principal Secretaries? Is the President and his Political Party or is it the State Coffers and the tax-payers monies? Since the initial loyalty shouldn’t be to only the man who saw faith in you, but also to where the paycheck comes from. The Secretaries are paid by the guidelines of Public Service, means they are serving the public first with needed services. They are not existing because Kenyatta needs people to greet and pose with at Voi, Kitui or Lodwar. That could happen, but shouldn’t be their sole mission as public servants.

That the Secretaries has a mission to the state, as effect of the works of the ministries, because of that be accountable to the citizens, is clear-cut, since they represent the people in the works and their efforts at their respected fields. Still, they shouldn’t be participating in partisan rallies for either the ones seeking re-election or the ones trying to force them out.

So I cannot support the efforts made by MBS Manoah Esipisu, who serves Kenyatta diligently, but does not serve his purpose as civil servant. Esipisu shows loyalty to Kenyatta, before the best of knowledge to the Kenyan people. Peace.

Reference:

President.go. – ‘Spokesperson’s Weekly Briefing, Eldoret State Lodge, 2nd April 2017’ (02.04.2017) link: http://www.president.go.ke/2017/04/02/spokespersons-weekly-briefing-eldoret-state-lodge-2nd-april-2017/

Laws of Kenya – ‘PUBLIC SERVICE (VALUES AND PRINCIPLES) ACT’ – No.1A of 2015

 

 

Maj. Gen. Muhoozi, says “he has no ambition for Presidency”, but the meteorically rise seems like ploy to usher him in!

No, I do not have the ambition to be President. I am very happy being in the military and that is where I intend to stay for some time,” Maj Gen Muhoozi said (NBS TV Uganda, 31.01.2017).

Major. General Muhoozi Kainerubaga spoke out in an interview yesterday, not that it out of water now that he has gone through the ranks in the military, had years of specialized training in the United States and we’re running the Special Forces Command or the Flying Squad. That he is the son of the President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, do show that family matters and the reason for the meteorically rise. Maj. Gen. Kainerubaga can claim otherwise, but deep in his heart he knows that is the reason.

Muhoozi Kainrubaga has been a project in the making, that when revealed documentation from Gen. David Sejusa aka Tinyefuza who leaked it to the Daily Monitor. “Gen. Sejusa has kicked up a storm after the Daily Monitor last week published a letter he wrote to the director of the Internal Security Organisation, asking that he investigates claims of plots to assassinate top government officials opposed to the “Muhoozi Project”” (Splash Radio, 13.05.2013). So the questionable rise to power and to become a Senior Presidential Advisor after years inside the army. Therefore, the letter didn’t just stir troubles for Gen. Sejusa, but also closed the Daily Monitor after the release of the letter. Like the Government and Army didn’t like the release of this information.

So if the army and government didn’t like this internal plan come into the public. Than, why was their an issue with the closure of a newspaper and the leadership? One of who is today the Presidential Spokesperson Don Wanyama, who know is crony instead of an opposition voice inside the Monitor journalist.

In 2016 to the Observer he said:

As you heard, I don’t have the ambition to be president. I am very happy being in the military and that is where I intend to stay for some time. It [Muhoozi Project] doesn’t exist, non-existent – that is a red herring. You have never heard of a message where I promote myself, it is always from the promotions board. That is the process in the military” (David Muhumuza – The Observer, 25.05.2016).

So that the Maj. Gen. Muhoozi could easily now be the giant plan the President has in the making, as the years goes and his age sinks in, he needs somebody to carry the torch. Still, the Ugandan Republic isn’t a family company or LLC. Even if the President acts of the state funds and Bank of Uganda is his coffers.

That their has been less of questionable reporting of the acts of the Flying Squad or the Special Force Command as they have violently oppressed people, can be understood that the Maj. Gen. Muhoozi has even had a close relationship and it could be romantic with Journalist Sheila Nduhukire, who has traveled with the general to Somalia and other UPDF missions with him. So the comforting news instead of questing the UPDF and rise to power, haven’t really been there.

Therefore, the son of the President except for the dossier released by Gen. Sejusa has skated by and enjoyed the rise. While other in his generation haven’t gotten to his place or had the possibilities. They have all been left behind or is still in lower level in the army. If it wasn’t for being groomed and made ready for bigger stage. The army is also so he should be rougher and experienced in battle, as the father was a bush-warrior and general. The father wants the same for his son and therefore the Special Force Command was to check if he could do operations and could carry out assaults on the ones who needed to be silenced.

However, he continues to play the role of I have “no plan” and doesn’t want to be President. Still, the rise to power and the senior adviser role is made for him to be the next in line. Gen. Muhoozi, the Presidents son certainly has the initial hope to keep the torch lit. Still, this is not family business, even if the President acts like it is.

President Museveni as all fathers wants the best for his family and sons. That means that Gen. Muhoozi has gotten special treatment and own parts of the army to lead. Therefore, he went from Special Force Command into the Senior Adviser role, proves that the father wants him to learn the political game too. So that he knows the guns and commando operations. Now he will learn to venture into politics.

So this is yet another step into the reigns and the control of the National Resistance Movement, as the father and son plans away to make it natural change. How it will happen, but surely Gen. Muhoozi has no plans to dwindle into a village and be a farmer, just like the father has no plans to run one of his farms. As the NRM Regime plans to subtly subdue and suddenly over night change from Museveni to Muhoozi. Like we didn’t know and forgotten the dossier in 2013.

The Presidency in Uganda isn’t a family matter, even if the current President thinks so. He can even switch the constitution and amend it. So that Muhoozi by law has the rights, soon the President might do as they have worked for long change the age-limit. Museveni has no legitimacy and would use all tricks to stay in power. Therefore, using his son as sideshow could possibly be a sort of play of the old man. Still, he would also see that Muhoozi takes over for him when he is done.

We can just wait and see, if like the first lady becoming a minister in the cabinet, the son could soon in the next shuffle in Parliament become a Minister for Defense, so that he follows the family line. Museveni was a Minister for Defense, before becoming a rebel and going against the then Obote government. Peace.

Opinion: Uganda government doesn’t need a Presidential Handshake Committee, it needs a strong IGG, PPDA and AG!

In this times and days with the Oil Cash Probe, there are talking of making more government bodies, instead of using the legal authorities and institutions that is already there. We can that as the stalwart organization that even signed a Memorandum of Understanding between Public Procurement And Disposal of Public Assets Authority (PPDA), Office of Attorney General (OAG) and the Inspectorate of Government (IGG) on the 25th January 2017 as these offices wanted to collectively investigate the corrupt and ill behaviour in government.

Justice Irene Mulyagonja Kakooza, the Inspectorate General of Government (IGG) is part of the agreement, still the mission of the IGG is this:

“The Inspectorate of Government is an independent institution charged with the responsibility of eliminating corruption, abuse of authority and of public office. The powers as enshrined in the Constitution and IG Act include to; investigate or cause investigation, arrest or cause arrest, prosecute or cause prosecution, make orders and give directions during investigations; access and search – enter and inspect premises or property or search a person or bank account or safe deposit box among others” (IGG).

So when the IGG has this mandate, should determine the procedures and the abilities to the institution and the legal authority to look into corruption inside the government organizations. Therefore it is worrying when the Ministry of Finance Planning and Economic Development (MoFPED) and the Minister Matia Kasaija who had to say this about the Presidential Handshake!

“Kasaija also proposed guidance on presidential favours and donations, saying there should be a system to ensure that the president’s directive does not break the law” (…) “We need to develop a system that can quickly tell the authoriser that one; you are authorising this money it is in accordance with the law. Being busy, and I have to sign almost 100 documents per day that could be a problem. You might find something has escaped [through unchecked]. On presidential favours and donations, I think also there should be a system when the president orders me or directs me particularly to pay, there should be a system that verifies that what the president has asked doesn’t break the law. Maybe it can be instituted on his own side before he writes to me, but I doubt if he has that kind of system. [His directives shouldn’t] break the law and that it is in order according to government policies and practices”, Kasaija said.

So with the recent financial laws there still needs amendments and need more structures as the Public Finance Bill of 2015 Act and the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA) of 2015, these bills and acts has set the financial regulation, also opened the financial systems for less accountability, therefore the idea from the Daily Monitor editor is fine idea, but shouldn’t be needed!

“Executive practice could repeat its departure from known policy and established procedure, since Uganda is teeming with vampires constantly plotting to exploit a generous ruler who is too busy to study every case in detail. Why not develop a hi-tech gadget to aid the President?

The Concept: A piece of digital hardware on which the President’s cash handouts over the last 10 years are listed, indicating those that have and have not been fulfilled.

Filed, too, are the implied (financial) numbers computed from the current national Budget.

Filed, too, is a map of the citizens’ socio-economic condition.

Filed also are a range of constitutional alarm and barrier-wall features.

Applying the latest algorithmic wizardry, installed software would rapidly survey the data and resolve whether a cash handout the President had just announced was fair, legal and viable. (Voice recognition technology is of course on board.)

Linked to State House, Parliament, Finance and the Auditor General, when the gadget clears or blocks a presidential gift (wherever he announces it), the signal is instantly fired to those destinations” (Tacca, 2017).

So the Daily Monitor wants a direct digital archive of the Presidential Handshakes and instant check-up of the funds. The Oil Cash Probe has revealed lots of inaccurate practices of payments and bonuses to civil servants. Certainly, Presidential Handshake Committee would be nice idea, but isn’t there enough institutions and enough government bodies to fill the void.

That the Inspectorate General Kakooza should have an idea and should fill her mission of the government body she has been running since 2012. There is also the PPDA and their Executive Director Cornelia.K. Sabiiti should use their mandates to stop the corrupt behaviour of government officials and civil servants. Either when it comes through the mandate of the IGG or the PPDA, they are both looking over the government institutions and their use of the public coffers. Why should it then be needed for a separate unit who looks into the handshakes at the State House, unless the President was opting for creating laws accepting the presidential bonuses at any given time for any given work for the government.

A PHC over a IGG, PPDA and Attorney General, is just confusing the mandates, the legal authorities and also, the meaning of what is actual just behaviour. MoFPED has proven they do not have the capacity or the will to show their true records, if so the IGG and other agencies of the state would have found out about the transgression and the will of doling out oil cash willy-nilly. Therefore, to create another unit to counter this specific way of misusing funds seems far-fetched, shows really the weakness of the leadership and the will to question the legality of maladministration. However, if you get even more hands into the cookie-jar, than there are less will to investigate, as the hopes that you are next up to get a free cookie. That is how this seems.

IG Kakooza, should have the focus and the mandate to investigate the Oil Cash probe, unless the Attorney General William Byaruhanga has taken the case or said his authority will investigate the ill-intent themselves, instead of the IGG. So there should be enough hands, and bodies to make sure the breaches of trust and breaking of laws should be taken through tough and just action. That shouldn’t be too hard when all of this already created to be safeguards of society and of the laws. Still, when men of the nations doesn’t trust this and needs to make specific committees for certain types of maladministration, than you know there is weakness of leadership and lack of will to fight the misuse of power. Might even be fear to question the old man with the hat. Because if you do so, you might lose your job and you might not be hired again. Peace.

Reference:

The Inspectorate of Government – ‘mandate’ link: https://www.igg.go.ug/about/mandate/

Tacca, Alan – ‘And now… a Presidential Handshake Control Unit!’ (12.03.2017) link: http://www.monitor.co.ug/OpEd/Commentary/689364-3845488-t492pv/index.html

The Observer – ‘Oil probe: MPs query double payment to US-based law firm’ (12.03.2017) link: http://observer.ug/news/headlines/51726-oil-probe-mps-query-double-payment-to-us-based-law-firm.html

Opinion: Forget the Presidential Handshake, the Oil Revenues not been remitted since 2010; so what value have the Norwegian Oil Development Programmes in this mess?

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“Oil Cash Probe: About 2.4 trillion shillings of oil revenues received since 2010 has not been remitted to Bank of Uganda” (NTV Uganda, 01.03.2017).

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, the National Resistance Movement and all the other civil servants that has been working and living with the knowledge of the unaccounted funds. The 2.4 trillion shillings is above $ 663m dollars. That is massive amount funds that could be used to all sorts of government programs. However, there been programs to secure the revenue and the progress, which is done in collaboration with the Norwegian government. I address these programs and wonder if they only exist on papers to make the ugly truth look decent. Since, the revelation of the funds that gone missing without a trace.

This misdirection points to another explanation for the oil curse that is gaining favour: politics. Because oil money often flows directly from Big Oil to the Big Man, as Africa’s dictators are known, governments have little need to raise revenues through taxes. Arvind Subramanian of the IMF argues that such rulers have no incentive to develop non-oil sources of wealth, and the ruled (but untaxed) consequently have little incentive to hold their rulers accountable” (The Economist, 2005).

Norwegian Funding for transparent Oil development:

Cooperation between Uganda and Norway on capacity and institutional development has a long history through several successful Programmes. Norwegian assistance under Oil for Development in Uganda started in 2006 under the programme “Strengthening the State Administration of the Upstream Petroleum Sector in Uganda”. This programme ended in June 2009 after three and a half years of successful implementation. Total funding for this Programme was NOK 21,294,650” (…) “The Programme had three Pillars – Resource Management, Environment Management and Revenue Management Pillar, in addition to a Programme Management, and was allocated a total funding of 80,000,000 NOK for its five year duration (2009 to 2014). However, during the second and third Annual Meetings for the Programme that were held on 27th January 2011 and 31st January 2012 respectively, the need to expand several activities of the Programme and the addition of new ones due to the rapid growth of the oil and gas sector in the country, was presented and approved by the Embassy. Additional funding of 67,000,000 NOK was allocated during September 2013 and the addenda to the Programme Agreement and Institutional Corporation Contract were signed” (MoEMD, P: 7-8, 2015).

Oil Press Statement 01.03. P1Oil Press Statement 01.03. P2

Supposed Revenue Administration:

The Program supported the development of a system (the petroleum tax manual) which will be used to identify and harmonize activities in the petroleum sector for taxation purposes. This activity is in three (3) parts and has been supported by the Oil Taxation Office (OTO) in Norway. Consultative meetings were held and Part II of the manual was completed in April 2014. Parts I and III have been reviewed and will be completed in next phase of the program with support from OTO” (MoEMD, P: 16, 2015).

That means that the Ugandan Government gotten by the Norwegian Government the amount of 168,294,650 NOK, which if you convert it is the total 71,879,499,032.99 UGX or 71bn shillings. If you translate it into dollars it is above $18 million dollars. That is massive sum of donations for some common good. Therefore, it is insulting that the Oil Cash Probe is showing massive amount shillings are unattained or even can verify where the oil money is.

Therefore, that the Norwegian state continues to fund the Ugandan government with the new agreement of continued oil development on the 15th May 2015. That was in a signed agreement between Hon. Matia Kasaija of Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development (MoFPED) and the Norwegian ambassador Thorbjørn Gaustadsæther. This was an continued effort to as the agreement stated: “The Impact of this programme will thus contribute to achieving the goal of the Uganda National Oil and Gas Policy (2008): “To use the country’s oil resources to contribute to early achievement of poverty eradication and create lasting value to society”. “The Program that the states agreed upon for the years from 2015 was 19 million NOK, in 2016 was 18 million NOK and in 2017 supposed to be 16 million NOK. In total the Norwegian Support for these three years are 53 million NOK” (Agreement between the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Government of the Republic of Uganda regarding development cooperation concerning “Strengthening the Management of the Oil and Gas Sector in Uganda – Phase II, 15th May 2015).

The Norwegian government have supported the Ugandan government over two periods with funds to secure the Oil Development for human resource, drilling technic and revenue stream. Therefore with the recent revelations shows that the works of the cooperation have been very fruitless or pointless; then even as the programs are in the works, you see the massive amount of petrodollars disappearing in thin-air. This is just to establish the amount of funds together before 2015 and after, that being the amounts of 221,294,650 NOK or 94,516,067,983.63 or 94bn Uganda Shillings. That is insulting lots of monies when the knowledge of missing 2 trillion shillings!

I start to wonder what they really did on this one and how they duped their European counterparts, as the results of the bidding is that funds dating back to 2010 is unaccounted for and not allocated in the funds their supposed to be at Bank of Uganda. This is a dozens loads of handshakes and giant robbery of the reserves.

presidential-handshake-2015

So now I am not so concerned with the “Presidential Handshake” worth 6bn shillings, which is bad enough that the NRM regime has been doling away to all civil servants and other loyal subjects after the “historic” tax settlement that we’re won in the courts. So 6 billion shillings turns into 2.4 trillion shillings, which is vast fortunes misspent by regime that clearly doesn’t care for accountability or transparency. The oil-deal between the government and the licenced in the Lake Albertine Basin!

Other than the little knowledge that was dropped in the 2014 report made by the NGO Global Witness that stated this: “Consequently it is not currently possible to track payments by international oil companies into government accounts with Tullow Oil being the only company voluntarily publishing disaggregated payments to the Ugandan Government. This creates the risk that any theoretical tax avoidance by companies or embezzlement by government officials may go unnoticed (Global Witness makes no claim of any such wrongdoing in relation to the contracts we have examined in this report). This will be increasingly important as oil production begins and more and bigger payments begin to flow into government accounts” (Global Witness, P: 35, 2014).

So this report alone states the fact that world and citizens of Uganda cannot know where the revenue ends. The state supposed petroleum revenue is not visible since 2010. The Ugandans people should be terrified and be mad of the obvious thieving. When the licenced public resources get squandered away and the black gold gets tricked away. So that President Museveni have within his powers and with his cronies made sure the fortunes made on licencing oil in the Lake Albertine basin goes to his or other associates accounts, instead of into government accounts in the Bank of Uganda.

2. Trillion shillings are not a chicken or a small fee easily to lose, it is not something that get earned over a hot minute. The citizens are kept in dark with the funds earned and taken away over years into secret accounts through sophisticated financial instruments. Certainly, Museveni and his bands of brothers who squeezed the government for decades and this is the final nail of salvaging any good reputation. The rep of the Museveni is already barely legal; still this here is just insane that the little 6 billion “handshake” to a bunch of civil servants and NRM elites revealed the madness.

So there was one guy in court who actually had the courage to reveal the greatest crime in decades. Even as the rigging of elections is thieving the country of their representation and of their true leaders, the government isn’t represented by legitimate people, but the ones there is now thieving the whole oil fund. This is not okay, this is thieving the future and the present development, as the Museveni regime and the NRM does not care about their citizens when so much revenue of the petroleum went missing. Peace.

Reference:

The Economist – ‘The curse of oil – The paradox of plenty’ (20.12.2005) link: http://www.economist.com/node/5323394

Global Witness: ‘A Good Deal Better? Uganda’s Secret Oil Contracts Explained’ (2014)

Republic of Uganda – Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development – ‘Strengthening the Management of the Oil and Gas Sector in Uganda –  Phase II – 2015-2018 –  A Development Programme in Co-operation with Norway’ (March 2015)

Uganda: Congratulations Hon. Chris Opoka-Okumu and Farewell Comrade Edward Segganyi (01.03.2017)

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Opinion: EALA Parliamentary Election ended expectedly with massive win for former Movement MPs!

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“Politics is like monkeys’ dance, if you do not want the tail of monkeys to touch you, you don’t join their dance”Fred Mukasa Mbidde

Who thought this would be race for the opposition to get golden tickets to the Star-ship and fly-away to moon? Who thought that the Movement would act like gentlemen and give what is proper to the opposition, than you haven’t followed class or known the Movement’s way of doing business. Surely it was all fixed at the State House, the result was pre-fixed and the time it took in Parliament was made to make the charade look like an open bazaar, when it was a closed session for the chosen few that the kingpin had decided.

The ones winning were these ones:

Mukasa Fred Mbidde (DP),

Akol Rose Okulu (NRM),

Mathias Kasamba (NRM),

Mary Mugyenyi (NRM),

Paul Musamali Mwasa (NRM),

Dennis Namara (NRM),

George Steven Odongo (NRM),

Christopher Opoka Okumu (UPC),

Suzan Nakawuki (Independent)” (New Vision, 28.02.2017).

The official results and votes don’t really matter, the winners out of the 49 candidates, two who was from Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) and none of them was elected. Surely, the FDC didn’t trade or give ways to the Movement. Therefore, the sudden resignation of Fred Mukasa Mbidde as Deputy President of Democratic Party (DP) before the EALA elections and he was even parts of the NRM EALA Primary Elections at the State House. Nevertheless, the man who was parts of the party that Museveni once a point in the time wanted to destroy dearly together with the Uganda People’s Congress, he has given one candidate from each party.

So who is this Christopher Opoka Okumu, the Nebbi representative who apparently was good enough for NRM MPs to vote for a another term for the UPC candidate, who wants James Akena to run for President in the next election, though that would alter the paradigm agreement done with Museveni. That is how the UPC-NRM agreement and why the UPC got even cabinet members this go around. Therefore, Museveni offers the UPC another slot in the EALA as thanks.

Dennis Namara is the former NRM Youth Chairman and Presidential Advisor for Youth, George Steven Odongo the former Resident District Commissioner (RDC) of Lira, Rosa Akol Okulu, the fomer Minister for Internal Affairs, Mary Mugyenyi, the former MP for Nyabushozi County and former State Minister for Animal Husbandry, Mathias Kasamba, the former Kakuuto MP, who lost in the NRM Primary in 2015.

Susan Nakawuki is a former UPC member of EALA, but this time around she went as an Independent candidate this time around. Last time she was representing UPC and as MP for Busiro MP, who even wasn’t believed to be an MP because of her dress-code in 2009, also been in trouble with the law in 2011. So after the issues, she still had capacity to get elected for EALA in 2012. So now she soon starts her second term in EALA as part of the Ugandan Delegation.

So the opposition that isn’t really opposition is the ones that one a slot to the EALA, because the ones been in EALA delegation there, are not rocking the boat or using the title to pressure anything vicious in the East Africa Community (EAC). Therefore, that Mbidde who was part of the celebration of the movement in Masindi and even parts of the Primary in the State House, the other UPC candidates are already spoiled by the wealth of EALA, that they do not want to cut their pay-check and lose their livelihood.

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The others are old-timers and former leaders who certainly have traded favours with the president, as some of these lost out at the NRM Primaries in 2015. We the knowledge of the pay-checks coming with the service at the EALA, the price of getting the offer and lose out on being a MP for the NRM. Must seem decent for the loyalist that Museveni can count on to continue his trench-hold on all most of the seats anyway!

Like Nabilah Naggay Sempala wrote on a secret meeting in Parliament:

“The meeting scheduled at Parliamentary building for 10am according to sources at the Government Chief Whip’s office, is to strike a deal with the leaning independent Members of Parliament to vote for all the 6 NRM candidates. The NRM would also in turn vote an independent candidate who is yet to be agreed” (…) “In politics nothing is done until it is done. We need any potential ally at this time to comfortably secure victories today,” a source from NRM said. The independent members are 66 accounting for 16 percent of the total members and bigger than the combined opposition members” (…) “NRM has 6 candidates in the race including former ministers Rose Akol and Mary Mugenyi, former Government Chief Whip’s office Policy Analyst Paul Musamali, former RDC George Innocent Odongo and former NRM National Youth boss Denis Namara” (Nabilah Naggay Sempala, 27.02.2017).

So with this in mind that these members we’re mention in regards, plus the amount of fixed movement MPs there wasn’t hard to see how this would go. As well, the ones that one today are proven to be former losers in the Primary, therefore the meetings that was at the State House was making sure the loyal MPs of the past would get a secured livelihood after their days in Parliament. However, there are now also Youth League leader, RDC and Political Analysts that are now paid with a heavy salary in Arusha. You can just know that there have been a trade-off and Museveni offered it for creating no issues during the campaign of 2016. That has been visible as the NRM stalwarts was offered plenty. Expect other NRM former MPs to be hired as Envoys or even Ambassadors to the UAE or any other place with a Mission.

Enough of the mellow yellow brown envelope fellow! Peace.

ULS Response on Invitation to meet the Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Entreprises (COSASE) – (23.02.2017)

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Bunyoro: “Re: Clarification on the newly appointed Bunyoro Cabinet and the alleged dissmissal of the Principal Private Secretary to Omukama (22.02.2017)

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