President Museveni proposes a Social Media Tax: Good luck enforcing it!

I know that President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni will not go door-to-door getting the cash-in, he will not issue the tax directly or levy the tax on each single individual who is on Social Media, but his letter to Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development Matia Kasaija on the 12th March 2018 on “Re: Lack of Seriousness in Tax Collection”. That is the letter that propose to task some taxes on Twitter, Facebook and WhatsApp. Where every single user of these are paying 100 shillings each per day. That is specialized task to gain huge revenues for the state. This is really to secure more funds to the Republic.

That President Museveni hasn’t thought this true, but will he get the names, does his CMI knows all who has WhatsApp, Facebook and Twitter, do they know how much these are used? Will these taxes be put when they are used and not levied the other days. The Uganda Revenue Authority, needs a mandate for this sort of tax, because this is also the privacy, since these are programs that people download on their free will. Not all have these. Is his plan to pay a 100 shillings for each days, so if you have three apps, will you pay 300 shillings per day?

This sort of ideas opens wormholes, is it that the Republic of Uganda, will through the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC), National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA), Uganda Revenue Authority (URA), Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development (MoFPED) and Ministry of Information and Communications Technology (MICT). Should all be involved in finding he ways to levy these sort of things. Should they get all the companies who are servicing these apps to put a pay-wall that you have to register to pay each day you enter? Is that the sort of plan?

That the MICT, MoFPED, URA, NIRA and UCC are sending letters to Facebook, Google, Apple, WhatsApp, Twitter and so on. So they can figure out how to get this tax. Because it needs a technical feature, unless the CMI and Intelligence at SIU Kireka has it all. Unless, the state has gathered it all in secrecy or if the Telecom companies has this registered in their records.

You can wonder, if the MTN, Airtel or any of them has been considered here, as they are paying taxes on all the added value of the airtime, the trade of the phones. That the state is trying to do this, is to force a tax, that should be taken on directly every phone-call and SMS. That your paying 5 shillings for picking the phone and 10 shillings for receiving. Also 5 shillings for every SMS and 10 for MMS. That is the nonsense of this.

But I don’t think the President has considered the implications, neither the invading of the privacy, unless he wants to order the companies to put a pay-wall for using social media, that will have to subtracted by credit-card, mobile-money or out of the air-time. That is how it is supposed to be. But than, this is a grand-old man. Whose not that sophisticated or smart enough to understand, what he is implicating. Unless, someone is trespassing on his lawn or going to close to his cows.

This idea should be scrapped in the country, that has struggled to register the Sim-Cards and have them registered correctly. That all Social Media should be monitored and levied tax on is insane, but fits the Modus Operandi of Museveni.

Ready, Set and Bogus. Peace.

Yumbe Riot: Conflicting reports, but seemingly authorities created the havoc and it got public reactions!

What can we can conclude is that the Police Force in Yumbe District has arrested about 60 people and two individuals seriously injured (some reports dead) after bullets hit the scene. The Police Force statements and the Uganda Revenue Authority statements doesn’t add-up. While the Police are saying the URA had an enforcement operation there, the URA counter-claim it and says there was none.

However, there has imports of illegal rice in this case, that created the havoc seen today in Yumbe, as both statements refers to it. The URA legal team, who encountered the boda-bodas with it, who was stoned for interfering with it. While the Police Force are not addressing directly the illegal rice, but that URA was looking at the number plates and lack of tax on the motorcycles.

Before the crowd and masses of people rioted, burning both motorcycles and a car belonging to the Danish Aid in the town. The end of the statement clarifies that the URA was there to collect taxes on the imported rice, and that the motorcycle drivers has to pay the state. Also that URA will continue this operations in the West Nile region.

The Police has said they will engage with the Boda Boda Industry and community, as of this incident. What is special, is one saying it was not paid for the motorcycle, the URA saying it was because of the lack of taxes on imports on the motorcycle. It is a small difference, but still one. We can wonder what was the truth.

What we do know, is that the Police has arrested a dozen of people and two killed, some say they were just hurt. Hard to know what is the fact. 103.2 Open Gate FM reported this earlier in the day: “Two people are reported dead in Yumbe District following a protest by youth in the area against operations of the Uganda Revenue Authority-URA. The protests were sparked by a URA operation against unregistered bodas bodas, in the event apprehending residents in the business. The operation became sour when the URA vehicle knocked down a bodaboda cyclist, making bodabodas to become rowdy by burning several vehicles prompting police to fire bullets. URA Manager Public and Corporate Affairs, Ian Rumanyika said the Authority was cracking down on unregistered boa bodas as well as those smuggles from South Sudan without reverting tax” (103.2 Open Gate FM, 28.03.2018).

So it wasn’t a peaceful initiating, as the URA Management followed and tracked the Boda Boda down. Knocked it and the Police intervened in the operation. The report of Open Gate, also say the URA was doing both, not just stopping the smuggling from South Sudan, but also look into the tags, which hadn’t paid tax. Secondly, they are saying that the URA team drove after the Boda Boda and actually knocked one down. That isn’t just fining and taking the tags, not only checking the products or rice, but actually nearly impounding it. This has been done without forewarning or local knowledge. If not this wouldn’t have happen.

So the URA are now combating illegal imports and also unregistered boda boda’s. Clearly, there have to be better methods, since this became violent, and the following after and knocking down. Was a final spark, since the URA Management created havoc on the way and than the Police intervened with guns, as the youth was throwing stones. When the violent activity transpired they addressed it with throwing stones and also burning cars.

Whatever it was, it shows the lack of oversight and the lack of basic understanding. It is natural for a state to tax imports, also serve taxes on plates, yearly pay for being able to drive on the roads. Both actions are normal, but if the URA Management did the right thing, if the Police Force did the same. Can be questioned and should be.

What should also be asked, would there be a better way to collect the missed tax and also secure the porous border points, so the Boda Boda can pay the levies when entering into Uganda again. Secondly, the URA should be able to notify the drivers of their missing payments and not knock them down for doing so.

We will see with time, if the stories are changing or if they will stay the same. However, this is worrying sight of the state of affairs. When collecting taxes becomes a stand-off, you know something is wrong. Peace.

URA: Clarification on Riot in Yumbe (28.03.2018)

Opinion: Today Mzee said he will have the Crime Preventers as a reserve army, what will he use it for?

October 26, 2015 – Crime Preventers

Democracy is not simply a license to indulge individual whims and proclivities. It is also holding oneself accountable to some reasonable degree for the conditions of peace and chaos that impact the lives of those who inhabit one’s beloved extended community.”Aberjhani, (Splendid Literarium: A Treasury of Stories, Aphorisms, Poems, and Essays).

After the hectic usage of the Crime Preventers in the run-up for the General Election in 2016, they are suddenly relevant again. Even after the state are failing with funds and such. The National Resistance Movement, still seems to need several more guns and soldiers out there walking in the streets of Uganda. That is how it seems, but however now it has changed from being part of the Uganda Police Force, into a brigade from the Uganda People’s Defence Force (UPDF). That means the Generals will control it and order it, not the Police. That is very different animal if this happens.

Reported by 411UG today: ““I now regard you as a reserve army for UPDF. My idea is to have a small army which is equipped but with a big reserve”, Museveni stated in his address at Lugogo Arena. However, before saying so, President Museveni refuted rumours surrounding ‘who owns them’ he said; “Anybody who had an idea that this was a Kayihura project, please, get it out of your head. But Kayihura was an active cadre who executed that aspect and I congratulate him.” (411UG – ‘I now regard you as a reserve army for UPDF — Museveni tells crime preventers’ 28.03.2018).

What President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, is distancing himself from the statements the Uganda Police Force did during campaigns of 2015, when the UPF stated this: “Uganda Police Force has learnt with profound disappointment that a Facebook group called Team JPAM 2016 has referred to ‘Crime Preventers’ as a militia force, as if that was not enough, they have also drawn comparisons of it with the infamous Rwandan genocidaire group called The Interahamwe who were responsible for some of the most heinous crimes against humanity in the history of mankind. Amid this outrageous ill-motivated accusations, we thought it was important that Ugandans understand that the concept of community policing has always been there and contemplated for implementation, as way back as 1990. It is a metamorphose of the ‘Nyumba Kumi’. Those who are old enough will remember that Nyumba Kumi works on the premise that each community must be able to be self-reliant on security matters. In fact though Nyumba Kumi means ‘ten houses’ in Swahili, the concept is not rigid in its implementation. Again those of pertinent age will remember that visitors and or any new person in a given community was required to register and deposit their IDs with the chairman or the police” (Uganda Police Force – ‘CRIME PREVENTERS ARE NOT A MILITIA FORCE’ 22.03.2018).

So if they are reserves to the UPDF, that means Amama Mbabazi was actual going forward, because the accusation is now true. That means the Crime Preventers will become a brigade, another force under the UPDF. They are militia under the army, they are secondary army and brigades when in need. That means they shouldn’t be involved in policing, but national security. That is if the difference between the police and army is respected. This also means, that the Police Force getting less extra officers, since the changes of program should come swiftly, also the change in mandate of the Crime Preventers.

This is also not in line what he himself said in 2016: ““In all modern countries, there is an Army and Police Reserve. Crime Preventers are a Police Reserve. They do not have any political affiliation. Anyone who wants to become a Crime Preventer should join,” he said. Mr. Museveni reassured the country that there will be no violence during elections. “The law guarantees a peaceful election. It says what is wrong and should not be done during elections. If you do what should not be done, we will arrest you. Soldiers are not yet deployed but they will soon be,” he said” (PPU – ‘ President Museveni: Crime preventers are a Police Reserve Force’ 14.02.2016).

So two years ago, they we’re a Police Reserve, now it has changed, the army needs reserves, the army needs to be bolstered for apparent reasons unknown to mankind. The UPDF needs the extra personnel, that the UPF cannot pay for, the UPDF has budgets for extended personnel and firepower. Certainly, there is something underlining the will of the President. That he is willingly using the Crime Preventers as military reserves. That means, they will follow orders from the military and not from the new leadership of UPF. Meaning they are going from one security organization into another, where the mandate and meaning is different.

This means the Police are now having less people associated with it, this is winging the organization and establishing another norm. We can wonder if the brigade and that the National Crime Preventers Forum (NCPF), that was established in 2013, meaning that the mandate and will of this organization too, needs to change if it supposed to make sense. The Community Policing will not make sense, if they are a military brigade, unless he want to show military force and spread fear. That tehe soldiers will be with guns and ammunition in the streets, to show that the NRM has big enough force to continue their rule, therefore, you never know when you meet a UPDF Crime Preventer. The former Community Policing officer who coordinating directly with the Police. Should now be in direct line with the military. That is because their mission changed.

We can wonder what the need for a military reserve, how come? Is there a war brewing the world doesn’t know about? Does Museveni plans to invade the Democratic Republic of Congo, again? Does Museveni plan to intervene with soldiers in South Sudan, again? What is the use of extra and more soldiers in reserve, that was previous community police officers through the Crime Preventers Program.

Because, it doesn’t make sense to conduct fighting internal policing and being military at the same time. They are two vast different approach to both organizations within the community, the army to secure the borders and people from outsider invading, also being a securing element. That stops the neighbors from wanting to cross the borders. While the police who has the allowed space of investigating and combating crime within the territory, they are also securing the safety directly in the territory. Therefore, seeing the Crime Preventers becoming part of the army, means that the mandate change.

This means that Museveni is up to something. I don’t know what, but it smells fishy. I just don’t know what. Peace.

Uganda Police Force Press Release: Riots in Yumbe District (28.03.2018)

UPF want clarify about the closure of Nalufenya (23.03.2018)

Minister Jeje Odongo’s MPS on the NCIC is revealing!

Minister of Interior Jeje Odongo own Ministerial Policy Statement of 15th March 2018 are very standard sort of document, but certain statements from there is telling. Especially on the Vote 120 on National Citizenship and Immigration Control, what it is, is apparently, reasons for why it need to be addressed, because it is a real lack transparency and not taking care of the Republic.

The NCIC is compromised of: “Deployed 300 Immigration Officers and Immigration Assistants at the borders and regional offices. This recruitment and deployment has improved border control and post entry management of aliens. This has improved representation of the ethnic groups of Ugandan and staff gender ratios” (…) “Insufficient funds to undertake constructions: Immigration offices are in very small single room measuring less than 8ftX8ft which accommodates more than 5 immigration staff. Furthermore, the Headquarters is housed in what was formerly a warehouse with some services provided under tents. Limited Staff accommodation. Some borders operate in wee hours which necessitates presence of accommodation for staff. This limits space for offices, e-services and board meetings. The Directorate requires UGX25.8bn for constructions. Porous Borders: Uganda has 52 gazetted border points along 2729 km borderline operationalized through the cluster approach. This leaves part of the borderline unmanned which compromise security and revenue generation. The Directorate requires extra UGX1.9bn for border operations” (MINISTRY OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS – MINISTERIAL POLICY STATEMENT FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR 2017/2018, P: 62, 71, 2018).

It really is showing that something is lacking when you have 52 borders and staffed three hundred officers. That means that each border post would have about average 5 officers. Just think about that, when the border needs to be open 24/7 and there would be more on certain border-posts, also at Entebbe Airport as well. Since lots of the ones entering Uganda come by planes, not only by foot. Therefore, the NCIC is underfunded, but also understaffed.

The 300 officers are not only keeping track of the foreign workers, visitors of the Republic, but also issuing passports. Therefore, the NCIC is even more important to be staffed, because of the need of control of the borders. The republic cannot have open borders and have control of the revenue and neither also population control. It is seemingly bad planning and at random. But the porous borders and the gazetted borders should have officers. Since they are issuing in the last year over 65,000 passports last year. The Officers are really busy doing and not only looking into the ones moving across the borders.

If this body is supposed to control the migration, register and secure that no-one overstays their welcome. They need bigger funding, more officers and more training. Since that must be lacking, when the borders are seen as porous. Peace.

Uganda Police Force: Police Message – “Ref: HRM/141/225/01(.) Force Re-Organization Order” (18.03.2018)

Opinion: Government Whip Nankabirwa claims Museveni is God-Sent, I beg to differ!

Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch” (Matthew 15:14 (KJV).

Another day, another drama, and another praise that is out of bound with scripture. This was normal in the last years of the rule of Robert Mugabe. Now the National Resistance Movement (NRM) are turning to the scripts of ZANU-PF. It is sad to see it, because it show how cult like the party is. How they are spending narratives to build Museveni into almighty and transcendent spirit, that has all right to rule forever. I am waiting for the time, when they say he can run for President when he is already dead. Because that happen in the case of Mugabe and now the path of NRM is similar. Seriously, this has happen elsewhere and now the NRM is copying. Really really, sad state of Affairs, but lets judge it for a moment.

““He is a very devoted man. Like Jesus, he left the comforts of the world and decided to use his life to help Ugandans out of poverty and misery,” said the government whip” (Tugume, 2018).

I don’t know about you, but the Chief Government Whip Ruth Nankabirwa has another view of what it measns to leave the comforts of world, when rough estimates by several sources in 2016, estimated the net wealth of President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni to be about $4bn. Which by converting it to the Uganda shillings it is: UGX 14,627,996,745,075 or over 14 Trillion Uganda Shillings. The total of the 2017/2018 Yearly Budget for the whole Republic was 29 trillion Shillings. Meaning he has the estimated amount of cash, which is half of the State Budget. Your not leaving poorly or leaving beneath the level of office. When your having an amassed wealth that could be close to half of the State Budget. That isn’t the initial wealth, because what is hidden beyond the books, beyond knowledge and what is subsidiaries run by straw-men is hard to know the total liabilities and estates owned by the President. I doubt the estimates from 2016 is accurate, but it gives a feeling. Therefore the devotion is not really, it is get rich-scheme.

She told residents that now that Parliament had removed the only hurdle for people with stamina Museveni to run for President, She and other women around the country would ask him to run again in 2023. “Women in the country are set for war with President Museveni to ask him to stand again in 2023. It is the belief of Ugandan women that this man is God-sent. We know that he will not disobey God.” (Tugume, 2018).

We knew that this was coming, the Age Limit abolished from the 1995 Constitution, as the Article 102(b) was taken away, therefore, the National Resistance Movement and the ones around him. Are doing their best to make sure he can run again. If not they wouldn’t have acted as they did in 2017 and also now after in 2018.

If you ever wonder, the Musevenist are strong and they starting to use similar fashion and rhetoric, like they did in Zimbabwe. They are now starting to making the President Godly, just like the ZANU-PF and the G-40 did to Mugabe. The only difference is that the President is Ugandan and not Zimbabwean. It is the same kind of revolutionary party that is eating itself and becoming its own enemy. Now that the President is God sent.

How can a man like the President be God sent? Did he come from the gates of Heaven with 27 Guns and reinvented salvation with the bullets and with the killings in Luweero? There are so many questionable actions and orders by Museveni, when did they become blessed by the Almighty? He has done vicious and vindictive things? There haven’t been much mercy or grace by him? Museveni if you turn against him, he destroys you. That is more of the devils work and out of Jobs Book, than out of any of the book of the Gospel’s. Since the forgiveness and mercy comes on those asking God, because of the acts of Jesus, that offer redemption to the human kind. Therefore, it is hard to see the significant similarities with Museveni. Who hasn’t saved any or if he has it has been done for his own goodwill, if anyone has ambition he will retribution and discipline them.

It is insulting to the intelligence, to the believers in the Republic to put this in order of God and Jesus. Putting Museveni in the same regard, when he hasn’t acted as a Noble man himself. He can be forgiven by God if he asks it and wants redemption. That is up to God to decide on the day of judgment, but as fellow human being. He has to answer for the violations, the thievery and the assault on the Republic as a President. Whose now serving for life and not planning to step down.

The Chief Government Whip Nankabirwa is wrong, he is not heaven sent, neither is he hell-bound. That is up to God to decide not me, but I can tell, that he is not choir-boy and an innocent Executive and Commander-in-Chief. President Museveni has enough dirt on his hand, to ever to be able to just wash it off. He has to answer those, people can try to deflect everything and try to alter the image, but that doesn’t make it true. Peace.

Reference:

Tugume, Godfrey – ‘Museveni’s IQ Next to God’s, Says Ruth Nankabirwa’ (17.03.2018) link:http://chimpreports.com/musevenis-iq-next-to-gods-says-ruth-nankabirwa/

Opinion: The NRM need to send Snoop’s Gummy Bear Army to the next By-Election!

There is something seriously wrong the National Resistance Movement (NRM), it is so systemic, so rampant and self-destructive, even more than 50 Cent. It is as if the NRM needs to find itself out and understand what it is. Because right now, they are trying to blindfold the public, trying to subdue the masses and lie on a grand scale. They are trying to put all blame on the opposition that won, when they ordered the soldiers into the streets. When they put the police in-charge and detained over 50 Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) activists and Campaign Officials. It is time to look at it 20/20 and get a new perspective, because right now, it is dumb, dumb dumb and dumber.

Time for the NRM to use the Sour Patch Kids of Method Man to dance on the tables, even use the Gummy Bear Army of Snoop Dogg from the Katie Perry song back-in-the-day. Because this is not cool anymore. That the party using intimidation, the ones collectively pre-ticketing ballots are complaining about the FDC. After they lost, a fourth round in a row they lost in Jinja East Constituency.

It is vindictive and very rare moment, that the by-elections swings this way, most of them has gone in favour of NRM. The one most significant before this was Kyadondo East, where Bobi Wine won the election over a NRM candidate. Therefore, this is a blow to the supremacy, but it was a narrow escape, in Kyadondo, the numbers was with such a margin the NRM couldn’t rig it, even if they tried. They did, but the public wouldn’t have it, just like they didn’t in Jinja East.

If the NRM should complain about the narrative of the fraudulent affair from the FDC. Why did none of them end behind bars? Why did none of them have issues with the soldiers? Why did they do whatever? They even pre-ticket ballots to the staggering numbers of 8,000 for their candidate, while walking away like nothing. Therefore, it is hard to defend that the FDC did something wrong, other than contesting and actually proving that they have the public behind them.

It is hard to take the NRM serious in this matter, when they are attacking the FDC for the same reasons, everyone else could question the state. The misuse of the police, the soldiers should be evident enough, that the state was ready and spent massive fortunes to win it. While the FDC hold campaign rallies and had help from FDC Central Executive Committee, as they camped there the week ahead. That is natural, when the NRM shots off all cylinders to take it.

It is time for the NRM to send the Gummy Bears, if they want to cry foul, not send highly trained military personnel into a civilian area, unless they want to cease local government and annex it directly to the State House. It just don’t make sense, the amounts of mambas and soldiers. Therefore, the NRM Secretary General Lumumba, should just have delivered the petition to the court and get a fifth round in Jinja East. Which, they will also loose, because their man isn’t any good. That is why the President want him just to sleep in the parliament and send him to India if he get sick.

Send the Gummy Bears and stop the nonsense. Peace.