
Press Release: “Rt. Col. Dr. Kizza Besigye will be sworn in as a President that will establish a transitional government of national unity to restore the control of national resources and state institutions to the people of Uganda” (11.05.2016)



Oslo, 9th May 2016.
Dear His Excellency Yoweri Kaguta Museveni!
I write to you again as the Uganda Police Force is busy with rounding up and detaining all of these men and woman who are either parts of the leadership in the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) or members of this Opposition Party. I am sure you heard words on the men and women who are detained on your word, after a loyal judge Stephen Kavuma written-up an interim order of the ban of Defiance in the land.
I know you are preoccupied with making the best and controlled Swearing-In ceremony as possible, while your henchmen and made-men are making their effort to silence all other opposition that can make you look foolish through international press. There are rumours of shutting down social media and banning Facebook and Twitter totally on 12th May 2016. Just as you did in on the Election Day in February in 2016; so you can have the control and send the message that you want the world and your citizens to hear, not some words like mine.
I know I have written hard about you and your regime, and it is been justified. The Justification is now clear as the Opposition are being detained in their homes and even charged with terrorism and getting objectionable charges to spread fear and control the rest of the population; as nobody want to be taken away without their family members knowledge or being detained without warrants or reasons for their custody in the hands of the men of the law.
There are reasons for those actions, you are worried Mzee, you are worried for how these opposition members and leaders can spread the news and views on how society should be. I am talking about this, Mee, a Ugandan society where you doesn’t detail control or usher in the leadership as you do now. Just as you did with the Swearing-In of High Court judges on the Entebbe State House steps earlier today and later in the day had meeting with Kampala NRM Councillors who we’re asking for guidance and their roles under you.

As you are the president, the people are yours and they are supposed to follow you blindly. You are the men with vision and they don’t have the vision as you. At that point your right Mzee, they don’t have the vision as you anymore. You have deflected and neglected them and forgotten what the State does and what a Statesmen are supposed to do. A leader is supposed to groom succession and people who are taking over and have the ability to make better result than him. That is succession you have forgotten as the power have totally eaten your soul up and your family up.
The legacy you leaves is not that you ushered Uganda out of dictatorship, you will be remembered for trying to liberate the Ugandans and ending up being the same as before, only difference you got 30 years of rule, while they got one or lucky two terms in power. Dr. Milton Obote and you is much of the same. Idi Amin Dada and you are much of the same as you use Spies and Safe-houses to keep the opposition silent. You use the army to hold the people intimidated and you have rigged the elections. You’re much of the same of the men you took down. Now you are the same as the man you got rid of together with President Nyerere and Obote to Coup D’état the Amin regime. You are now the same as him and Obote, you may not have the absolute killings of Amin, but you have and left many men in shadow and gotten rid of your enemies. Mzee you have done silently and over time, as they had shorter time and fewer morals. Because you started doing it in bush as guerrilla and being a liberation movement gives you an edge; a momentum to give you space to do as you like.

There are many dead who is not accounted for and many who has never been on trial for, not only men and woman of the guerrillas that have been created to bring you down, but the men and woman who has become your enemies and suddenly fallen of poison or other special “accidents”, even hit-men hired by not-known persons in due time for the murders of these persons. They are not forgotten Mzee, as all men and woman are equal under God, though you feel extra special and with a magnificent vision, Mr. President.
There are one thing though, you might are able to charge, house-arrest, preventative-arrest and detain opposition. Silence them for a hot-minute, but the legacy and the name you have will not be a name remember for liberation. As you are alike the masters before you or worse, because you knew better and you condemn the actions you are doing now. The man with knowledge, but did not act upon it. You are the leader who knew the contemplated scenario, but never decided not to do anything about it. So certainly the pain and horror of the men and woman who have their life’s in the mercy of police and army, as your orders to silence them, you know exactly how it feels to be a powerless citizen under this type of regime. Still, you do the same without mercy and without questioning.

Your Army leaders and your Inspector General of Police follows you decrees and orders to word and execute them with brutal perfection as the Courts are diving into the lawful behaviour you have built up. As the economic malpractices you accept as you can skim the top and make giant funds for the generations of Museveni’s to come. Instead of these funds used to build government institutions as you we’re supposed to do. A forgotten practise and forgotten procedure from your chambers as the embezzlement and the cleaning the coffers so that the men and woman working closest to you can get “free Toyata LandCruiser Prado” to they want to follow your orders. That is why the Regional District Commanders gotten new cars days before the Election and the same with other men who you wanted to silence.
But the money for the Cars and other gifts to get loyalty have to come somewhere… they happen to come from the government funds that was supposed to keep the upkeep of schools and hospitals, but they doesn’t give you loyalty as much as the Police Commanders and Army Leaders who sufficiently keeps the civilians and citizens under tight control. Therefore they have to be paid first and the other can scatter. Mzee, the gig is up and your mind should have been preoccupied by baby-sitting grand-children and not detaining Forum for Democratic Change leadership and activist around the country for phony charges. You should be busy serving matooki to fellow family members not finding new ways of thieving money from the budget of 2016/2017 fiscal year.
Mzee, there is time to step back and give way to new leadership. I know it is not easy as you are making ready to swear yourself in to 7th Term, to run the country in the 30 years to the 35 years in Power and Control the State, the Republic and the Kingdoms of Uganda. You have had your hour.

You have had the ability to sell the vision of liberation, but now you’re following the steps of leaders you left behind and beaten with either force or tricks. And you know this as Dr. Paul Ssemongerere could have told the effects of your leadership and what it did to his opportunities to topple you in a peaceful manner… But that train has gone as so many former leaders and men fallen in your time, therefore the President that was new breed with you are either gone or become totalitarian as you. You know Mzee and feel the sting as you are not as respected and honoured as you we’re. That is your own making Mzee and the actions of latest years proves the control and the state of affairs you delivered. Not the ones promised, but the ones you found feasible as it gives you Power and let you keep that.
You can imagine the tales and stories you could have told if you had already left office to somebody else and left in peace. Instead you’re clinging onto Power without question and without impunity. Leaving scourged earth and detained citizens for their political affiliation and not for killings or thieving as the normal prison population have. Mzee the tales are told and your name is now synonymous with dictatorship, dictator, totalitarian, Police State and Oppression of Opposition. Your name does not cling anymore more with liberation, freedom, liberty, freedom of speech, democratic values, progress or industrialization. That must be downer, I know your YES-MEN and LOYAL Cronies would say this to you, but I will, because I don’t fear being thrown into jail or being beaten by your Police Force while trying to get a pass from the Police Officer to be allowed to walk to work. That is something I don’t need as I live in a free society.

Mzee, His Excellency Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, I know you would never read this, but hope some of your Citizens does and that it makes them think a second. As the FDC Leader/Activists/Members are detained because of the word “Defiance” and their campaign as a viable Political Party in the country, Mzee, that was not expected of you and your regime.
That your battle against Defiance comes from the man who have proclaimed Resistance, is just mind boggling and feels like mockery of a dictionary. And you know that Mr. President as you are former student at a Tanzanian University in the 1970s. That is why you went from Patriotic Movement to Resistance Movement over time. You did it with a reason back-in-day. You Mr. President have might forget this and the value of the state of affairs you’re in charge of. So the end-game is now that you are in charge of a state apparatus that have a ‘Modus Operandi’ to detain fellow citizens with impunity and take them from their homes in the name of “Defiance” and shut down a Political Party as the Swearing-In day is coming up the 12th May 2016. I never though a man would sink this low to stay in Power… but you have and scores of detained are over 200 men and woman, and that is the few I can calculate, and not the current I haven’t heard of yet. The liability and the feasibility of these actions cannot be strengthening the Nation or your Rule. You are the Commander-In-Chief and the Executive, Mr President and you are without questions arresting fellow citizens for their political place and not on direct crimes.

You have forgotten why you came into power, or the power ate your soul and took your heart, your mind and the ethics you spoke of in the bush. You wanted to be the kingmaker, the Nyerere of your time, you wanted to be the man people remembered with nostalgia and honour like Mandela, instead you and President Mugabe will not be remembered for the liberation of the countries from tyranny, but will be remembered for the liberators who turned into the worse Tyrants then ones before them. Why? Because you knew the pain and the suffering under the men and woman before you; an you knew the heart-breaking defeat and discouraging election rigging, still your machinery does now the same to fellow citizens of the country. So President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, the tale and the mercy of the land, the oppression and the dictations of orders from you to uphold the rule and control of the land have in the eaten all of the things that could have made you great. Instead you’re the cancer and the one that kills the institution and opportunity to rebuild and create a better future for the Ugandan nation. You embezzle and oppress people, get state to silence the media and stops the truth from being free, as the truth is hidden the lies that comes from the State House and is the official communique the State gives out. Peace.
Best Regards
The Writer of MinBane.

Today on the 8th May of 2016 there is continued oppression of the Forum of Democratic Change as their Defiance Campaign continues!
FDC Mobiliser Ingrid Turinawe have been followed by the Police, and also been monitored by them. She first drove out of their home as they then stalked after her. Ingrid then drove down to Gayaza Trading Centre as the Police followed her. She was arrested around Kyetume Road in Gayaza as the Police surrounded her and have arrested her there.

He is not arrested by he has been monitored and followed in the recent days by the Police, the FDC leader Wafula Oguttu. The Police have been spying on his movement and not given him peace. As of last evening they even drove around his gate at 10:00 AM on a Saturday evening!
In Entebbe the Express Football Club coach Alex Gitta Mulibanga was arrested on the 5th May as the demonstrations was happening. Yesterday the Police continued his detaining him (7th May), but now put him behind bars at Kigo Prision.

As the levels of arrests in Rukungiri yesterday; there been reported that 20 FDC activists was arrested and charged with terrorism at local courts without evidence or any affidavit as the authorities wanted to silence the Political Party in the area. Today as a reaction to actions of the Police Force towards the local Political activist, have entered into anger. There are now reports of the Burning of the Electoral Commission offices in Rukungiri. The media is not allowed to see the offices as the Police are denying entrance to the area where the office is. So the media cannot verify it…

It’s also been said from the official media that all the Presidential Candidates was invited to the Swearing-In of President Museveni at Kololo on the 12th May. But here was the answer from Dr. Kizza Besigye on the matter:
“I haven’t received the invitation yet but if receive it, it will go directly to the nearest dust bin. I will not attend a fake function”.
So the Opposition are still under fire as the Ruling National Resistance Movement is not delivering them peace or taking care of the citizens instead making them criminals for their peaceful assembly and their civil disobedience. Therefore we can feel the tension that is created between civil society and the Police Force, who has all the violence and powers to apprehend fellow citizens as shown in recent days.
This will continue. Peace.

Let me clear this is my view and not a general view as there might be seen as fellow counterparts have the same. There is hard to have peace, a general peace and neutral peace when fellow citizens are made enemies. You can’t have in a territory both enemies and neutrals. That doesn’t work, as the enemies of the state will be hunted down at one point. Something that happens as the National Security values will counter to bring down the enemies.
When you have come to the Point as you have made the Opposition to the worst enemies in country and therefore want’s to crush them. In a nation where the Ruling Party set the standard and have the rights first, the Human rights will be the norm. As the newest law that strengthen the government power instead of giving more back to the citizens. Citizens get quicker behind bars for nothing with the new laws; also with keeping the old laws from Colonial times gives the Police possibility to Preventative arrests and even detain without court order within 24 hours. Something that the Opposition parties have felt time and time again.

The initial ones that are saying that the National Security goes before the Human Rights are the ruling elite who earn the money by running the system. The Ruling Elite does not want to the system to change as they earn massive profits on it. Why change something that is currently working right? Well, is it? When you have to prosecute and make fellow citizens criminals, opposition members, opposition leaders from Councilors to Members of Parliament, that happens without questions and that is not a healthy society.
This way of working is making the opposition criminal and their activity criminal. That the society nearly or bravely saying assembles them for prayers are illegal says something of what that rule of law in the country. And it is illegal since it is a part of Defiance Campaign of the FDC that is by Interim Order of 29th April 2016 by Deputy Justice Stephen Kavuma.

So that a National Political Party from the Opposition should not be enemy of the state; as they come with peaceful demonstration and disobedience. President Museveni has used guns and fear to keep himself in power. Together with buying alliances and paying to silence the ones who is hungry. Not everybody can be paid for silence as Bishops and Jimmy Akena of the UPC. Therefore he makes the ones enemies as he did with Dr. Milton Obote and Tito Okello. He has done the same with others and people have eaten it up, but now he shows that his colors are the same.
The National Security of the country is now meaning that the President is secure and his ruling elite. Not that the Security of the nation and all citizens of the country. If it was so then that would be different and would make a difference.

Human rights as free movement, demonstrations and free speech shouldn’t be so hard for the National Resistance Movement, but if they we’re a legitimate ruling party they wouldn’t had an issue it with it. They wouldn’t have used the Police to detain peaceful demonstrators in the streets around an Opposition Party Headquarters in Kampala. The Police Force wouldn’t have put the regulatory of who could enter the premises or not. Even detaining fellow staff of the Headquarters… if that is not flabbergasting and boggles your mind then you don’t know to what extent the NRM Regime goes.

The National Security aspect isn’t for securing the safety for the citizens, it is for securing the riches for the elite and their businesses. As they earn monies over fist and have to keep it that way, even meaning that that they earn money on embezzling the government funds here and there. But that is not a value worth to consider. As the human rights and the justice for all men is not considered, only considered when it matters for the NRM elite. That should be a worry for the media, for the state and for the citizens.
Dr. Kizza Besigye and his new house-arrest is not biggest breach of human rights, it is just the epitome of how the government does not care about human rights, justice or rule of law. He is illegally detained by the Police Force as he is a criminal for defending his belief and the judgement of Electoral Commission that was fixed to fit the Ruling Party. So he couldn’t even counter the announcement made by the EC this time around because of the harassment of the opposition from the Police. The reason why Opondo and Museveni have sounded like wounded dogs while defending the announcement and victory. Even the double victory after the Supreme Court ruling on the Election Petition! They did not sound like proud winners, more like they knew what they did and wanted to clean their hands from the dirt.

As said the Human Rights at this point should come first, as the Government and Police Force is used to target fellow citizens, tax-payers who pays money to the Members of Parliament who doesn’t in the near future pay tax. That is not justice or free society. That is “man eats man Society” of late Julius Nyerere. We this with the men who represent the citizens, eats all the money of the citizens as they do this without taking actions to defend the citizens. The Government and the Police should shield the public, not make parts of the public its enemies. That is the idea that National Security goes in the front of the Human rights paradigm.
If you let the Human rights be stepped on, will you step on all liberties; all kinds of justices will be brought away from court to keep the streets clean in the name of the National Security. If the Human Rights are respected then the citizens; would have rights to not have issues in court unless they violate the criminal codes, but otherwise the civil liberties and the freedoms of the people is not worth anything.

The Human Rights of the citizens and the people supposed to have this. So their place in the society is safe and their principal right to live as private persons and not criminals. That the State is making fellow citizens criminals for doing peaceful actions as praying is saying to what kind of a Police State the Ugandan Citizens are under.
But at this day and time the National Security is not for the citizens, but for the ruling elite. Then the obstruction of Human Rights is nonsense and the values of attacking this in the sake of National Security are obsolete. The thought of destroying the freedoms of the citizens and the liberty of the citizens are than gone. Not in the name of National Security, but for the NRM Regime. That is not worthy and not righteous. Peace.

The Ugandan Police have monitored and been a political engine for long but the recent days and months to prove to what extent. As the realization of how embedded in the ruling it is. There is not only the ways the Uganda Police Force is detaining Opposition and Monitoring Opposition leaders. That with the knowledge of the Democratic Party members, Forum for Democracy leader and supporters; the way the Police uses it’s time to cause havoc around Besigye every time he kicks his shoes on the outside of the compound of Kasangati, Wakiso.
We are at the point as I have realised something that is not only a Police State where the Police is embedded with the Political Framework and monitoring the Opposition. That is bad enough. It is nothing positive when you know that the Police is Preventative Arrest and dropping more charges on the Opposition leaders then there are Malaria Medicine at the Yumbe Referral Hospital. Not that says lots of the state of Yumbe Hospital, more about the state of Police who has the time to add charges on every movement from the several citizens who have a mind of not being parts of the National Resistance Movement, henceforth challenging the freedoms and liberty of these individuals deserve.
Well, the Police Force have taken the liberty to involve themselves directly in the Politics. As the Inspectorate General of the Police have taken decisions that he shouldn’t have. Not in an ordinary state of affairs, as his job should take criminals not decide political issues. The IGP Kayihura have taken the decisions to crash consultations meetings and stopping the opposition from having ordinary work and assemble in districts and towns around the country. Well, that is under framework of the Public Order Management Act. That is not what made me think today. It is because as the Councillors of Kampala was sent to the Executive or President Museveni, with the cover-up of the involvement of the Police in that shin-ding.

“He [Kayihura] made telephone calls to some councilors who were having second thoughts about attending the meeting,” one of his aides told us” (Kiggundu & Lubwama, 2016). This proves his involvement in politics and using his networks of security organizations in Kampala together with talk to bring them to the State House. That is not the job of them, but in the regime these days it is…
What made me think was the knowledge of the existence of a Senior Super of Police Susan Kasingye Commissioner Electoral & Political. That the Uganda Police Force need a person to commission the Electoral and Political offenses and the admission of doing political work in the country as she must have a Commission who monitors and decisions of the Political Parties as she can’t be as useless as Hon. Byandala the Minister without Portfolio. Ms. Kasingye the daughter of Kayihura must have something to do, as she must be involved in the care of collecting information and spying on the Political Parties. If Norbert Mao thinks of drinking in Gulu or Padre; If Mbabazi thinks of filling gas on the only car he has in his driveway and so on.

But to have Directorate and Commission on Electoral and Political should boggle your mind and send the “Yes, Minister” squabble and crass reality as if a man throws the egg to the wall and think that it still be a whole egg. An egg is fragile and will break on the moment it hits the wall. That is something we knows as we know how weak the eggshell is before throwing it into the air.
As we still remembers how the public shunned the local councillor elections and the tiny numbers as the Electoral Commission was tallying the results. In midst of this there was waiting for the final call from IGP Kayihura to verify if Makerere Division of Kampala where the results was showing that Doreen Nyanjura was the winner, but the EC didn’t verify and accept the result before Kayihura had given his thumbs-up; as there was speculated that he tried to trade the position to somebody else and the deal went through. And if it is so, then the Political system is totally infiltrated by the Police Force.
When you also knows that the Daughter of Kayihura is a SSP Kasingye and works with the Political Aspect of Policing then you can start to wonder what they are up-to and to what extent as the Police Force have already destroyed and inflicted their presence into the sphere of the opposition parties and their assembly. The other is the way the IGP Kayihura have all through the Pre-Election period and Campaigning either stifled the opposition or ushered the stage for the ruling party. That is evident through the stages, radio-closing, guarding the government buildings, anti-riot police following the campaign trails and detaining opposition members and electoral monitors right after polls. The Police involvement is embedded in the structure of the state. It is not the equation that they should be in, they should catch and secure that their no theft, killings and crimes done, not what Mbabazi or Besigye is up to as citizens of the Republic of Uganda. Peace
Reference:
EDRIS KIGGUNDU & SIRAJE LUBWAMA – ‘Inside story of Museveni, KCCA Entebbe meeting’ (27.04.2016) link: http://www.observer.ug/news-headlines/43917-museveni-meeting-with-councillors-attacks-musisi
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JI5mRc3iz5M
“FDC Announces Peaceful Demonstration” (NBS TV Uganda, 2016)


McNULTY: “West Baltimore is dying and you empty suits are running around to pin some politician’s pelt to the wall. Thought you was real police, brother” (The Wire Season 2, Episode 13).
There is in this day and age lots of appointed government officials, they work supposed to be diligent and with honour of the codes of their work, not work directly for the ones that appointed them. That cannot always be easy as the station and the position would not been opened or given to the person if the appointee didn’t give that extended hand or blessing for the job. When you have that situation you need a strong state and strict regulatory regime that counter the possible backhand and kickbacks to the ones that appointed them.
Why do I discuss this at this point? Because it is a vital part of our government regimes and is a question that can be asked in nearly all parts of the globe. As all jobs in the branches of government does not automatically goes to the most educated, relied on or the one person who has the most integrity in the position. Instead the man or woman who gets appointed is an “empty suit”.

What some of them might do?
“What typically saves the empty suit is the tenuous relation between what he or she does and any actual business results. This may be a function of the job he’s in: a staff post, with lots of power to nix others’ initiatives but no responsibility to make or sell anything. Or a pocket of avoirdupois in a still-too-fat corporate bureaucracy, the kind of position that causes underlings to scratch their heads and wonder, ”Gee, do we really need all these vice presidents?” Or the empty suit may have come up through a system that rotates fast- trackers through a new job every 18 months, even though the effects of his tenure don’t become evident for two to three years. He hardly had time to get any grounding in the work his people do, and he may have royally screwed up the few decisions he was compelled to make, but when the chickens come home to roost, he has flown. If somebody has the bad taste to try to assign responsibility, the suit can easily fuzz the matter over by suggesting that the blame rests with his successor or former subordinates” (Kiechel, 1989).
There certainly similar like the ones described in our time in every department, every corporation and every single institution we know of. This might be the Electoral Commission of Uganda and the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission of Kenya. As much as the regulatory chairs of the banking industry of Kenya must feel like empty suits these days as the confidence at that is low-key as well. The Chase Bank, The Imperial Bank and National Bank of Kenya have fallen from grace. The most likely selling of the Barclays Bank African Group might also make the fragile banking sector into more disarray as the leading regulators seems like the extra board-members instead of people who uses their position and chair with care and uses the mandate to make a difference and even square.

The situations are different when the appointed is not hired for their knowledge of their field, but the loyalty of the regime or government that is running in the country. The likes of Ministry of Health in Uganda for the moment where the hospitals are creaking and the machines are criss-crossing between life and death. Electricity and other cases of depleted. As the missing extra blood for surgery, the copy-medication and the loss of necessary equipment; that shows the lack of management and reasons for empty suits. The highest empty suit for the moment must be State Minister for Health Hon. Dr. Chris Baryomunsi who seems to be more concern with catching checks then doing his job at this point. This point comes with the correlation of Minster of Health Hon. Elioda Tumwesige and the State Minister for Primary Health Hon. Sarah Opendi Ochieng. One of the three must generate a valued pay-check and makes sure that the NMS delivers the Global Funded projects and the other government funded health care, but either Chris, Elioda or Sarah, one of them or more must be a hired “empty suit” as the three of them are put into ministerial position working for initially the same thing.

It is just like the same mess with the KCCA where you have KCCA Executive Director of Jennifer Musisi. You have Frank Tumbewaze who is both Minister of the Presidency and Kampala Affairs. Then you have the third person who got a mandate the Presidential Advisor for Kampala affairs Mr. Singh Katongole what he does is surely only him and the Executive of Uganda who knows, since his appointment in December 2015 his silence must mean a envelope and letting Hon. Tumbewaze and Hon. Musisi does what they like. To make it more hectic you have the actual people’s elected through the ballot who supposed to run the Kampala Capital City Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago. So you have hon. Musisi, Hon. Tumbewazi, Hon. Katongole and Lord Mayor Lukwago. All of them are supposed to central people in the running of administration and regulate the divisions of Kampala politically and create policies that builds and secure the functions of KCCA. That must be hectic one of these men and woman must be a empty suit. Unless Hon. Katongole who I haven’t heard a word from since appointment is an ear-to-the ground and talking or addressing letters directly to the Executive or Head of State as his role has still not been served. As the accountability of the NRM-Regime is not strong they prefer keeping people in the dark. Hon. Tumbewaze seems more to be the ones who was appointed to turn opposition Lord Mayor on his knees and therefore also gotten a permanent Executive Director in Musisi to shut down the elected person. But the end-game is that one of them must be an “Empty Suit” as the basic needs cannot be that big, and one of them is catching the brown envelopes without doing anything.
There are certainly more empty suits in the system as I started with the appointed men who is not educated for the position, but are there for the loyalty not because of the office is needed or there for a general purpose. That is the same as extra board-members in a corporation who is hired to vote for the general consensus in the board, but not to generate profits in some sense. They are there because the Corporation and LLC need useful idiots to be paid to follow the remarks of the stakeholders and shareholders, not the common-sense of their position.

We can all question the value of these leaders and honourable men-or-woman in a representative or appointed position by the President for instance. The level of credible men and woman and the need for expertise in the government organisations, into the department and the civic care from the road-development to the health care facilities need men and woman who knows the trade. As long the men does what is needed for the President or for the Stakeholders. The ones that lose are the ordinary person, employee or civil servants as they will either work under them or have to pay them tax-money to keep them. As they have to be paid an envelope to be the empty-dress. The person who is an empty dress doesn’t become that for free. Somebody has to be charge to keep him there. Most likely it is me or you. We can just ask ourselves. Who of the appointed leaders in government is an empty suit? Who in the corporate world are the extras?

Lastly, why does the Minister Without Portfolio. Hon. Abraham Byandala gets away and is not questioned by the opposition or anybody else. Why is this man the free-man the invisible creature in the parliament that does not have scruples? This since this position is the epitome of a Empty Suit. He is a MINISTER, but does not have an OFFICE, Department or a MINISTRY to run. Hon. Byandala can do as he pleases and still get paid. You cannot check his ministry or running government portfolio as it is non-existence from the get-go. The Government Official without any oversight and anything to initial control or say in other words the official Minister of Nothing (MoN). Hon. Byandala is running the Ministry of Nothing. The Minister of Hot-Air and the checking the chapattis’ in parliament is fresh enough for Hon. Oulanyah’s taste.
Well, what do you think? Are the somebody you feels are an Empty suit? Somebody you question or wonder if really have anything more than pay-check from the Tax-Payers money, but does not use it’s office or even delivers anything. Then that person might be an empty suit who just nods the head to the Executive and the general leadership without exercising power or determine the future of the government institution, department or ministry. Even if the person is really doing anything in the boardroom or a needed voter for the stakeholders; if it is only the needed majority to follow procedure then the scheme need a check or reform.

There will certainly be more stories and the existence of similar men and woman who can be described as “Empty Suits” and be stooges needed by any administration and corporations as they viciously need structure to control the citizens and the policies without questions from the inner-circle. Even if that means not procurement of needed medicines, fuel, transformers or building bridges to easier access the missing Okor Bridge in Kumi District: “This project was intended to connect Nyero and Mukongoro sub-counties in Kumi district” (MoFED, March 2015). A bridge that does not exist or is built by now so the sub-counties is not yet connect because of the altered situation and have to run long roads around the area than crossing straight over the river. So a project like this says there some empty suits as in 2009 as company was hired to build the river, by December 2012 the works by the river had stopped. Even if the departments to UNRA gave reports of progress of the project was last monitored in 2014 and by 2016 there not been done more to build the bridge since the monopoly of the Chinese Contractor have stifled the progression and in the end wasted government funds into a building a bridge who does not exist. Just like the Ministry of Nothing Hon. Byandala.
Think that is enough for today! Peace.
Reference:
Kiechel, Walter – ‘HOW TO SPOT AN EMPTY SUIT This breed of modern manager looks good and gets along splendidly with the brass. But is he contributing anything?’ (20.11.1989) link: http://archive.fortune.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/1989/11/20/72761/index.htm
Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development – ‘NATIONAL BUDGET FRAMEWORK PAPER FY 2015/16’ (March 2015).





There been written a lot about the General Elections in Uganda of 2016, myself is guilty for doing so and with that in mind. I have read through the newly released Report of the European Union Election Observers Mission of 2016. That is worthy of taking what I see fit to broadcast and what the Europeans who went quick, took a safari and also spent some time at the Polling Stations. Here is what they said about the elections!
An important factor in what the EU thinks about the General Elections of 2016:
“Vital electoral reforms did not take place prior to the 2016 elections. Proposed amendments to the electoral legislation, compiled under the ‘Uganda Citizens Compact’, aimed at enabling the conduct of democratic elections, including to increase transparency in the appointment of the EC’s members, to restore presidential term limits and to improve parties’ financial accountability, were disregarded by the executive. Consequently, the legal framework contains gaps and ambiguities and therefore, in several instances, falls short of international principles for holding genuine democratic elections” (EU EOM, 2016).

Election Verification of Voters:
“The newly introduced voter registration system improved inclusiveness and accuracy of the voter register (VR). The final VR contained 15.277 million voters. However, establishing the cut-off date of 11 May 2015 for inclusion in the voter register disenfranchised approximately half million potential voters who turned 18 after this date” (EU EOM, 2016).
Lack of Transparency:
“While legislation contains provisions on reporting and disclosure of political finance, these are neither followed by parties and candidates, nor enforced by the EC. This lack of transparency weakens the credibility of the elections” (EU EOM, 2016).

Maladministration of the vote:
“Voters showed remarkable determination on election day, waiting long hours to cast their ballots. The markedly late arrival of electoral material in certain areas marred an otherwise calm election day. The EC failed to address growing tensions among people deferred from voting. Instead, an imposing presence of police in the vicinity of polling stations was observed. Further shortcomings, such as unsealed ballot boxes in 20 per cent and compromised secrecy of vote in 11 per cent of polling stations visited, were observed by the EU EOM. Positively, party agents and domestic observers were mostly present in polling stations visited by the EU EOM” (EU EOM, 2016).
Talley Centre mishaps:
“In 85 per cent of the District Tally Centres (DTCs) observed, the printed sub-county results, broken down to polling station level, were not handed out or publicised. The Electronic Result and Transmission System, used to transmit the collated results from districts to the EC, did not contain key anti-fraud measures. In several districts, the electronic transfer did not take place; the results were brought to the EC by the district returning officer in person. The final tallying for these districts could not be observed, further undermining the integrity of the process” (EU EOM, 2016).

The Badru Kiggundu’s soul:
“The chairperson of the Commission expressed regret that he had nominated an opposition presidential candidate; made public remarks on a candidate’s family member, and on another occasion described him as not “exactly being a fountain of honour” (EU EOM, 2016).

Police intervene in the Election:
“On a number of occasions, opposition candidates, particularly from the FDC and TDA/Go Forward, were denied access to campaign venues, restricting their ability to campaign freely. The EU EOM received reports and observed extensive use of force by police, including teargas and assault rifles, to disperse crowds during Kizza Besigye’s and Amama Mbabazi’s rallies in Bukwo, Kasenge, and Ntungamo, among others.25 On 15 February, police detained Besigye twice, preventing him from addressing scheduled rallies in Central Kampala, and used teargas and live ammunition against his supporters, resulting in one death and several injuries” (EU EOM, 2016).
Government officials intervene in the Election:
“The orchestrated use of state resources and personnel for campaign purposes was observed. Government officials took an active role in the NRM campaign, with several Resident District Commissioners and high-ranking security officials openly endorsing the candidacy of President Museveni and the NRM campaign. Thus, candidates’ equality of opportunity was not respected” (EU EOM, 2016).

Intimidation during the Election:
“In Bukwo district on 6 January, the police dispersed the campaign rally of FDC presidential candidate Besigye in Toriet Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp using teargas and assault rifles. Several senior FDC figures received minor injuries. The police stated that Besigye diverted from his planned route without justification and thus provoked acts of public disorder” (…)”On 25 January, the IGP stated that all critics who are simply ‘political opportunists’ can ‘go hang.’ On 27 January, he was also quoted saying ‘power shall not be handed over to the opposition to destabilise the peace the country has fought for.’ In a press release, the police later claimed that the media had misquoted the IGP” (…)”EU EOM observers received reports of intimidation of opposition and opposition supporters in Amuru, Bujenje, Buliisa, Gulu, Isingiro, Kamwenge, Kapchorwa, Kasese, Kiruhura, Kisoro, Lira, Masindi, Mbarara, Moroto, Mukono, Nakapiripirit, Nwoya, and Wakiso. Intimidation of voters was reported from Kiboga, Lira, Luweero, Moroto, Nakapiripirit and Sembabule districts” (EU EOM, 2016).

Bad rhetoric during the Election:
“On 9 October, the President was quoted as saying that anybody who attempts to oppose him will, ‘Be smashed completely and no trace of his remains will be found on the ground,’ and on 20 December that ‘The thugs who attacked NRM supporters in Ntungamo will pay dearly.’ NRM secretary general Justine Kasule Lumumba was quoted on Radio Simba on 25 January saying, ‘We shall shoot anyone who will come on the streets to demonstrate against vote rigging.’ On 1 February, the deputy RDC in Jinja was quoted saying: ‘Whoever will be found disrupting the February 18 elections in Jinja District will be shot dead.’” (EU EOM, 2016).
Campaign funding disclosure:
“The total amount of money jointly spent by presidential and parliamentary candidates is not independently calculated and verified. According to presidential candidate Amama Mbabazi, he funded his three billion UGX campaign from his personal funds and received no donations. Kizza Besigye disclosed that his expenses totalled one billion UGX, of which 96 million UGX were donations. Incumbent president Museveni’s campaign team refused to disclose the amount/value or sources of his campaign funds” (EU EOM, 2016).

Media Freedom during the Elections:
“The NRM, with more funds at its disposal, admits to frequently using paid-for pseudo-journalism to boost its visibility and enhance the reputation of both the party and its candidates. An edifying example of the system in place occurred in Rwenzori, where 17 outspoken journalists were compelled to attend the President’s briefing in Masindi state lodge. The President not only instructed journalists to campaign for the NRM at grassroots level, but also provided them with financial ‘facilitation’. Consequently, the line between advertisements and editorial content was blurred and the impartiality of information offered to the electorate was eroded” (…)”Hostile statements targeting outlets owned by the country’s largest commercial media house, Nation Media Group (NMG), were repeatedly made by the President and reiterated by the state’s top executives. This reverberated at the local level, with the RDCs and other state actors orchestrating measures that encourage self-censorship on issues that might be perceived as critical to the President or the government. Intimidating phone calls, “guidance meetings” for journalists and editors chaired by the law enforcement bodies, as well as requests to submit the radio’s programming to the RDC or local UCC representative prior to broadcasting were the most wide-spread measures applied to put media under pressure. The EU EOM received reports on such occurrences in 20 districts” (…)”On 24 January the President stated: “Monitor and NTV don’t know that there is a good, they just tell lies…. NTV is an enemy”. The President voiced a similar statement on 31 January. On 29 January the minister of Information and National Guidance: “There is no media house that can take the law in their hands…we definitely shall close them down”. The government/NRM spokesperson criticized media on 1 February. On 9 February owners and editors of all leading media houses were invited to the dinner hosted by the EC and the UCC where all were warned that UCC will “without a hesitation sanction the media outlets” (…)”Media monitoring findings correspond the parties’ and candidates’ assessment of the balance and quality of local radio coverage of their campaign. While 78 per cent of the NRM’s local leadership believes that media featured them fairly, the FDC’s assessment of radio’s impartiality is diametrically opposed, with 78 per cent of local party representatives listing examples of biased coverage. In 21 districts, opposition candidates were denied access to radio broadcasts or stations, and in 32 districts, biased coverage against FDC, Democratic Party (DP) or Go Forward was reported” (EU EOM, 2016).

Election Day:
“In at least four cases, the police used teargas to disperse voters at polling stations. Only shortly before the official closing of the polling stations at 4 PM did the EC chairman announce the three-hour extension of voting in Kampala and Wakiso district. This was poorly communicated to the polling staff in affected areas, and EU EOM observers reported polling stations being closed at first and only after some hesitation did the polling staff improvise and try to re-open voting sites” (…)”Unauthorised persons were present in eight per cent of polling stations observed, and in none of them did the presiding officer requested them to leave. Essential election material was missing in 12 per cent of polling stations observed. Typically, the missing material was seals, but in a small number of cases also ballot boxes, ballot papers in sufficient numbers and the voter register was not available” (…)”In one quarter of the polling stations, observers encountered voters being turned away for not being on the voter register. Such a high percentage of voters not being aware of the location of the polling station indicates the lack of voter information prior to the elections. Only in two per cent of the polling stations visited were voters deprived of voting without lawful grounds” (EU EOM, 2016).
Counting:
“In 37 per cent of polling stations observed, the Presiding Officer had difficulties completing the Declaration of Result Forms (DRF), and in almost half of the polling stations the filling in of the Accountability of Ballot Papers Form proved to be problematic. In 20 per cent of polling stations where closing was observed, the numbers in the DRFs did not reconcile. This can be attributed to malpractice, negligence and/or numerical errors. The latter two were widespread since there were neither provisions nor even proper guidelines on how to conduct the reconciliation at the polling station level. Moreover, after filling in all forms, the safety and integrity of the DRF was not ensured in 30 per cent of polling stations observed, as they were not put into the tamper-proof envelope as prescribed by EC instructions. Intimidation of polling staff during the counting was reported from four polling stations observed by the EU EOM observers. In 93 per cent of polling stations observed at closure, results were not posted outside the polling stations, as required by law. Nevertheless, party agents were given copies of the DRFs in 93 per cent of cases” (EU EOM, 2016).

Tallying:
“The ban on social media on mobile devices was not lifted for four consecutive days. The overall environment created by state actors during the final stages of the tallying of results curbed voters’ right to access to information as called for in Uganda’s international and regional commitments” (…)”Further constrains on the public’s access to information originated from the EC’s statement de facto prohibiting media to publicise results announced at the polling stations. Such live reports on results by polling station is a habitual and defining feature of Ugandan media’s election coverage as it enables each voter to independently verify the results in his or her polling station. With the FDC’s leadership being detained, the police surrounding Mbabazi’s home, and with critical media being effectively silenced, the EC held a monopoly over both the content of electoral results information and the pace of its disclosure” (EU EOM, 2016). “The results, however, did not contain data from 1,787 polling stations, affecting 43 districts, eight of them strongly” (EU EOM, 2016). The EC eventually updated the final result on 22 February, adding the results from 1,658 polling stations. The EC also nullified results from 129 polling stations in 34 districts due to various malpractices, including disruptions during voting and the number of votes cast exceeding 100 per cent of registered voters. However, the list of affected polling stations was not published, thus compromising the EC’s accountability” (…)”These were Jinja with 388 polling stations (PS) out of 399 missing, Rukungiri with 273 PS out of 276 missing, Kyenjojo with 277 PS out of 337 missing, Kabale 190 PS out of 478, Kampala with 162 PS out of 1,338, Wakiso 119 PS out of 1,359, Isingiro with 88 PS out of 385, and Ntungamo with 78 PS out of 432 missing. These eight districts account for 1,575 or 88.5 per cent of the missing PS” (EU EOM, 2016).

It is good to see that the Elections Observers is saying the same as so many other people have said about it. This here counters the words of Andrew Mwenda, Ofwono Opondo and President Museveni. The words that should stick to into President Museveni mind is this:
“Consequently, the legal framework contains gaps and ambiguities and therefore, in several instances, falls short of international principles for holding genuine democratic elections”.
Because he said this after the elections was over: “am glad that my people here have seen the mistake of listening to foreign meddlers.” (…) “If the international community has lost confidence in us, it is a compliment and it means we are right”.
So in his mind because the European Union now saying he is wrong and that the framework is co-operative with free and fair elections; then in the mind of President Museveni means we’re right. The President Museveni has now “won” the 7th Term and is ready for his 31 years of power. He is double the age of average aged Ugandan. So there is something missing and wished for. Therefore the ending of the tension and the presence of security outfits in nearby area. The Army and Police Force is close by and the ones that keep him in Power. Not the loyalty of the people or the legitimacy of the way he became the incumbent again! Peace.

P.S. Mr. Eduard Kukan I will be honest I had little faith in you and your mission as the fraudulent and praising foreign missions to express faith in the government they are funding through donor-aid and direct-budget funds. Therefore I thought that you would naturally say it was free and fair without hesitation. Because you went from Slovakia to go on Safari, drink some sodas and have matooki and be merry. But I am glad you did your job well, not because of your view, but because of sense observations and reports been told. That seems genuine as your concern for the maladministration and fraudulent elections you observed.
Reference:
European Union Election Observation Mission – ‘Uganda Presidential, Parliamentary and Local Council Elections, 18 February 2016’ (April 2016)