Tag: Uganda
Letter PO/23: Appointment of New Prime Minister (in Uganda)
Ugandan government positions and the share between the regions.
Here is a short list of how the different regions have employed people in the main position in Government. This tells a story on either where the quality of those employees or where their related to. This can be either a sign of nepotism or favouritism, it could just be luck. But when you have had a stable government running since 1986, it can’t be pure luck how the picture is painted today. The clear picture is telling it all. The Western tribes are having the most significant positions and that happens to be the area where the president reside and have has big farm. In the NRM Ten-Point Program – point number three: “Consolidation of national unity and elimination of all forms of sectarianism”. We can all see that unity started in the West and Centrals has also some great positions.
Ministers:
The total amount of them is 77. The Westerner regions have 35 and that is about half of them. East have 20 so they have a great amount of them nearly one-third. Central have 15 of them. Northerners have 12. So you can see that there are more of the Western and Eastern has in total 55. So they to regions together is 2/3 of all ministers. This tells the whole tale, but also might tell how many more people lives in this regions compared to the North and Central who has 27 combined.
Presidential advisors:
It is 88 of them. Of this the Western and Central has 69 of them, but the Western has one more then Central. But there are really in charge of the advice to the executive. North and Eastern has 19. Eastern has 12 of this, so you can easily calculate that Northerners have only 7. The percentage of the Western and Central has surely a big piece of the pie.
Ugandan People’s Defense Force (UPDF):
Even like all history of Uganda, Northerners has been fitted into the army. If you read some history about the British King’s African Rifles then you’ll see that the British picked the Northerners into the army. But the biggest positions in UPDF are still to the West and none in Northerners. But the lowest mid-level positions are delegated to them.
Ugandan Police Force (UPF):
When it comes to the Police when you merger West and Central of the 15 positions they have 10. The East has 4 and Northerners has only 1. Even if it comes to the Prisons you can see that the Western has 3 positions while the Central has 2. North and East has one each. So you can see the favouritism.
Corporations, Commissions and Authorities:
The Western has 19 alone, the Central has 14, the Eastern 4 and the Northern has 1. This shows that Western and Central has 33 of the 38. Eastern has a percentage but not of any significance considering the Central has double of that one. The Northern has 1 person who the lucky one representing them. It has a meagre and nearly not existence in the further away parts of the government, and the corporations that has ownership in it.
That was my résumé on the matter. Hope it makes sense.
Peace.
PO/29 – Letter: Development of the Uganda Standard Gauge Railway Network
Press Release No. 14/403: IMF and the East African Community Launch Collaboration Program to Assist East African Partner States Develop Government Finance Statistics
August 29, 2014
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the East African Community (EAC) this week launched a collaborative program to improve the compilation and dissemination of Government Finance Statistics (GFS) for Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda. The inaugural workshop was held in Arusha, Tanzania, from August 25-29, 2014.
The workshop provided an opportunity for statisticians and economists from the EAC region to identify the needs for technical assistance (TA) to strengthen GFS to be provided by the IMF. The program will assist the EAC Partner States to meet the fiscal data requirements associated with the East African Community Monetary Union (EAMU) protocol, signed by EAC Heads of State in November 2013.
Dr. Enos Bukuku, EAC Deputy Secretary in charge of Planning and Infrastructure, welcomed the opportunity to host the workshop and launch the GFS program. “The intervention is timely in facilitating production of robust statistical data required for the establishment of EAMU and transition to EAC single currency by 2024,” noted Dr. Bukuku. He added that GFS compiled in accordance with internationally agreed methodological standards would not only provide the EAC region with an important framework for comparing, analyzing and evaluating fiscal policy, but also an opportunity to improve government and public sector performance.
Mr.Barredo Capelot, Director of the Government Finance Statistics and Quality Directorate in Eurostat, said “solid and comprehensive fiscal statistics are essential for regional integration and preserving macroeconomic stability.”
Mr. Sukhwinder Singh, Coordinator at the IMF’s East Africa Regional Technical Assistance Center (East AFRITAC), noted that “as part of the collaboration program, the IMF will provide TA through hands-on sessions during visits by experts to participating countries, as well as regular workshops to provide practical training and allow countries to share experiences.”
During this inaugural workshop, country representatives from the EAC discussed their national fiscal data development plans that will guide the work of improving compilation and dissemination of regionally comparable GFS data in accordance with international standards. This is to be done by 2018, which is within the timeline of the EAMU protocol.
IMF staff shared their expertise in developing systems for compiling GFS and government debt statistics. TA needs were drawn up based on national priorities and work plans are also already underway. This work reflects the initiative and migration to the use of the Government Finance Statistics Manual 2014(GFSM 2014) methodology in reporting fiscal data related to the EAMU macroeconomic convergence criteria, which would be compatible with international standards and best practices and consistent with other macroeconomic statistical systems.
Background
East AFRITAC, located in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, is one of nine regional IMF technical assistance centers around the world, serving Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda. It provides capacity-building assistance in core areas of expertise of the IMF such as: revenue administration; public financial management; macro-fiscal analysis; financial sector regulation; monetary policy and operations; and economic and financial statistics. Its Steering Committee, composed of the member countries, the IMF and representatives of the donors, oversees and provides guidance on the Center’s operations.
Link:
CABINET APPROVES THE KASESE DISASTER RECOVERY PLAN 2014/2015
August 14th 2014
On 1st May 2013, three rivers of Mubuku, Nyamwamba and Nyamugasani in Kasese district burst their banks causing massive flooding and devastation of Kilembe Mines estates, Kasese town and the surrounding villages. The disaster had far reaching effects resulting into the death of eight persons, destruction of property and displacement of more than 3000 persons, many of whom were forced to live in emergency camps. Cabinet therefore, noted the magnitude of destruction that had occurred as a result of heavy rains which caused floods in Kasese district on May 1st 2013 and directed the Ministry of Finance Planning and Economic Development to avail funds amounting to Shs 39 billion to facilitate the relocation and resettlement of people in all areas that were highly prone to landslides and floods.
This was because Cabinet realized that emergency operations and responses to the medium term development initiative aimed at restoring basic services, the recovery needs of the affected populace are still immense and require a more comprehensive approach for full recovery.
Therefore, the Kasese District Disaster Recovery plan 2014/2015 is a comprehensive response to the recovery needs of the affected areas and surrounding communities by reducing their vulnerability and enhancing their resilience to possible disasters of a similar nature.
The floods affected several sectors including Agriculture where food security of the people remains threatened. It will take approximately two planting seasons for the affected people to recover their livelihoods. Indeed more than 100 livestock perished, about twenty nine fish ponds were destroyed and 731 acres of agricultural land with crops were washed away by the flooding rivers.
The transport sector was not exceptional. The disaster resulted into the destruction of 20 bridges in the area including, mubuku, bridge along Kasese-Fortportal Road. Both murrum and tarmac roads were damaged cutting off communities and rendering access to different points difficult. This immensely affected the local economy and delivery of social services especially health, water and sanitation and education.
The floods washed away most of the inhabited houses with people’s belongings rendering the communities helpless particularly in Kyarumba, Maliba, Bulembia and Nyamwamba Divisions. Kilembe Mines Hospital, a 200 bed health facility and a main referral hospital was affected with a number of medical equipment and property including 50 housing units for staff destroyed. A number of classroom blocks and sanitary facilities in various schools including Bulembia, Road barrier, Nyamwamba and Kasese Primary Schools were destroyed.
It’s on the basis of the foregoing concerns, urgency and sensitivity of the issues that cabinet approved the Kasese District Disaster Recovery Plan 2014/2015 that spells out measures aimed at recovery of the area focusing on the key affected sectors as well as addressing some of the root causes of river flooding.
The Recovery plan also aims at reducing vulnerabilities and enhancing the resilience of the district and its populace. The recovery plan takes cognizance of the prioritized needs of the affected communities arising out of the local consultations. It will also promote recovery of Kasese District after floods, rebuild and promote business in Kasese, restore people’s livelohoods and to build their resilience to disasters and enhance early warning systems on natural disasters in the district. Cabinet therefore noted the humanitarian challenges caused by flooding in Kasese District in May 2013 and the colossal damages occasioned to varous sectors in the district.
It also noted the need to redirect recovery and development of Kasese District through implementation actions in the Recovery Plan and approved the Kasese District Disaster Recovery Plan 2014/2015. Cabinet also directed the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development to frontload the money contained in the budget for FY 2014/15 to various sectors to facilitate the implementation of the critical activities of Kasese District Disaster Recovery Plan 2014/15 to prevent recurrence of floods likely to result from the El-nino rains expected in September 2014.
FOR GODA AND MY COUNTRY
Namayanja Rose Nsereko (MP)
MINISTER OF INFORMATION AND NATIONAL GUIDANCE
Link:
Uganda: Private Sector Post Budget Concerns FY 2014/2015
The main focus of the Private Sector for FY 2014/2015:
- Reducing the high cost of doing business to enhance Private Sector Competitiveness.
- Stimulate and cause increase in disposable income to help improve local demand so as to stimulate the creation of wealth.
- Monitoring and ensure that services are delivered in time and value with money. More importantly a well-coordinated system within Government itself, which can take advantage of supportive partners and resources of the private sector to spur growth.
(Private Sector, 2014)
Private Sector concerns:
They see issues with Infrastructure development, transport, Energy, ICT. The concerns about improving business regulatory climate, also the increasing access to affordable business finance to the agribusiness. Find a new focus for National Growth strategy on export of niche products. Get a new tax regime that is predictable and encourages growth for both production and development processes. A good management model of public resources to follow planned actions and implementation (Private Sector, 2014).
Proposals according with the new Tax measures:
Income Tax: Initial Allowance on capital expenditure on eligible plant and machinery has been removed. With the termination of exemption on the interests income that is on agricultural loans (Private Sector, 2014).
Value Added Tax (VAT):
The tax is now set on exemptions on certain levels of products. Like feeds for poultry and livestock. It’s also exemption for machinery for agricultural and dairy machinery. There is also lesser tax for packaging materials to both diary and milling industries. Then there is also special tax on specialized vehicles, plant, machinery, services and civil works that is on infrastructure construction, water, education and health (Private Sector, 2014).
They wish a termination of the Zero VAT rate supply:
The products that are not under ordinary VAT is Cereals (grown, milled or produced in Uganda), Processed Milk and Milk products, supply of machinery and tools for agriculture, seeds, fertilizer, pesticides and hoes. This is also for printing services for education materials. They are set VAT of 0 % but the Private Sector wish it to be 18 % (Private Sector, 2014).
After thought to the concerns from the Private Sector on the FY 2014/2015:
To cook this all down, it’s basic Chicago-School of economics. It’s the liberalistic dreamland where everything is free and liberal. That’s where the government stops all subsidies of education and agriculture. It’s the place where the government is a little player on the market – the strong beat the little guy in every instance. It’s fearful that the Private Sector wish to get VAT on Fertilizer, Seeds, Processed Milk and Machinery to the agriculture, pesticides and hoes. This will lead to issues for the struggling farmers of the hinterland and far far away from the streets of the rich Kampala. So therefore when the issues from the Private sector is just to earn simple money and earn on the poor farmer in the districts who can’t pick or choose his tools, fertilizer and seeds. They also mark the difference in between Kenya and Uganda. Even though there similarities between the nations. Still Agricultural business is different. The export from Kenya is in another league. The export of Kenyan coffee is famous compared to the Ugandan beans. The same with the Tea, I say that and I still wished to Garden Tea.
So for me the suggestions from the Private Sector are too silent and will kill the agriculture driven business. The Tourism tax is wise, because that will be used for promotion and marketing. They have good ideas even if they fear for the exemption for the lodging outside of Kampala. When it comes to Education is the removable of exemption of income tax from private schools. Government believes that the exemption will help investments in schools in the greater Kampala areas and also the improvement of education upcountry. This means that the private sector wants to blow this off. It tells that the private sector cares more for profit then the education system. This is also making the state or governments smaller, which usually are the tools of the Chicago-School of economics.
The Government of Uganda should not follow this advice. It will weaken the state and marginalize the structure of it. The ideas from the Public Sector won’t benefit either the public or the state. Both parties might earn a coin of silver dollar in the beginning, but in the long run the crippling of the education and agricultural business will not drive it. The reason why I still publish the document and pieces of it is to show the Public Sector who must be driven the USAID and their powerful basket of money. Views of state and business: Where nothing is to collide between the state and public sector. The dreams of freedom and big business with no power to big government, except a strong police and military. The rest, that can the public can pay for or handle themselves on their own. That’s why they want taxation and VAT on all this items and cut the whole idea of Zero VAT exemptions. That’s totally against their belief system. It’s true I been beating on the government for their lack of payment of their civil servants and teachers. Still, it’s necessary to tax and get sufficient cover for the supposed running of the state and the civil service. Not only monies to the mighty UPDF and UPF. Also not forgetting NSFF.
Peace.
Uganda: Still civil service payment delays &missing funds for the EC ++
Now again, I will address the matters of civil servants salaries in Uganda. There are still issues with withholding pay for certain groups of society. Like in Kibale District 85 persons we’re affected by this. Electoral Commission is missing money. The good news is that teachers are promised Ush50.000 hike in pay. Last but not least the loans for civil service are back on after been suspended for a while.
In Kibale district there been issues of non-paid civil servant staff. The state hasn’t paid 85. In June it was up to 200 who were affected by the same matter. Human Resources Officer Vincent Kyaligonza says “only 85 out of a total amount of 3200 servants have not been cleared to seek assistance from the CAO’s Office” (ChimpReports, 2014).
The Electoral Commission where recent comments have been made before the next general election in 2016. That Dr. Badru Kiggundu fears this “Salaries for our technical staff have remained stagnant since 1999. This has continued to erode the morale of staff. Through this committee, I appeal to Government for special consideration regarding this dire disparity because increased adjustments were made for all other public servants” (…)”This has put us in a danger of losing our capable and experienced staff and we may not conduct free and fair elections. The commission may not also be able to attract and maintain competent personnel in order to deliver its mandate because of this. In the recent salary revision, increment was only accorded to specified officers and the technical staff was not considered”. The other issue is the budget for the election. Wage bills is set to be sh16.5b this financial year, there is only been given sh8.2b, this means that there is missing sh8.3b. Kiggundu says: “We project to have 30,000 polling stations during 2016 elections and the costs of each voter verification system to be deployed per polling station is approximately $1,000 (about 2.6m) excluding logistics, training, hire of expertise and other concurrent costs” (Kashaka, 2014).
Director of Operation in the Electoral Commission Leonard Mulekwa says: “This is since these councils and committees form electoral colleges for election of Members of Parliamentary and Councillors representing these special interest groups in parliament and local government councils due between February 12 and March 13, 2016” (…)”This period is crowded in the field to permit election activities of Youth, PWDs and older Persons committee to run concurrently and smoothly. Therefore it is logistically prudent to complete these elections before commencing on the presidential and other polls” (Kashaka, 2014).
Good news:
Certain teachers in the level of Primary school can expect a pay-raise up to 25 % that will be in effect by this month. The lowest pay of a school teacher will now be at shs279.145. Minister of Education Jessica Alupo says: “The increment for teachers’ salaries was provided as promised. The ministry of Finance and Economic Planning factored the increment into the MTEF (Mid-Term Expenditure Framework) where the wage component for primary increased by Shs202 billion from Shs619.68 billion in 2013/2014 to Shs822.07 billion in 2014/2015,” (Nalugo, 2014).
Good News II:
After describing earlier how the government of Uganda suspended loans to their teachers. There is now opened for trade again. Secretary to the Treasury Keith Muhakanizi says: “The control enforcing a maximum of 50% for payroll deductions per individual will be activated on the integrated personnel and payroll system”. Uganda National Teachers Union (UNTU) Spokesman James Tweheyo says also: “The revision of the policy means a lot to us. Most public officers survive on loans” (New Vision, 2014).
Peace.
Links:
Chimreports – ‘Kibaale Civil Servants Miss July Salary’ (11.08.2014) Link: http://chimpreports.com/?p=2150
Kashaka, Umaru – ‘2016 polls: Kiggundu decries lack of funds’ (06.08.2014) Link: http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/658450-2016-polls-kiggundu-decries-lack-of-funds.html
Nalugo, Mercy – ‘Primary teachers’ salaries increased by Shs 50,000’ (06.08.2014) Link: http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Primary-teachers–salaries-increased-by-Shs-50-000/-/688334/2409532/-/36j37vz/-/index.html
New Vision – ‘Government lifts ban on salary loans’ (03.08.2014) Link: http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/658331-government-lifts-ban-on-salary-loans.html
Letter from MP Mary Karooro Okurut on Cultural Leaders (Uganda Gazette 303 of 2014)
WikiLeaks – Relations between Uganda and Libya (Saga of Gaddaffi and Museveni)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9C4JPgVvsc
Museveni start as President in 1986:
On the 29th of January 1986 Yoweri Museveni was inaugurated as president, who in the last week battled for the capitol city Kampala and overthrow of Tito Okello. Museveni himself on the matter: “Mere Change of Guards” (…)”Nobody is to think that what is happening today, what has been happening in the last few days is a mere change of guards” (…)”This is not a mere change of guards. I think this is a fundamental change in the politics of our government” (…)”Any individual, any group or person who threatens the security of our people must be smashed without mercy” (…)”The people of Uganda should only die from natural causes which are not under our control” (Rule, 1986). Museveni’s thoughts on democracy: “the right of the people of Africa” and about government: “the masters but the servers of the population”. He continued: “The solution is to have enough strength to ship the whole garbage and put it where it belongs, on the garbage heap of history” (Rule, 1986).
Libyan support for NRA/NRM:
“Idi Amin’s former Minister of Finance, Brig. Moses Ali, along with an economist, Dr. Suleiman Kiggundu, Ugandan Muslim clerics Shiekh Ali Kulumba and Shiekh Obeid Kamulegeya, and a businessman called Habib Hassan Kagimu are the men who introduced Yoweri Museveni, the leader of a news fighting group the National Resistance Army (NRA), to Gaddafi in 1981 and so started the Libyan sponsorship of the NRA guerrillas” (…)”Libya then started air dropping heavy field guns and rocket launchers into the NRA camps in Luwero Triangle in central Uganda in 1982, greatly boosting the NRA guerrillas and making possible their victory in Jan. 1986” (…)”Brig Ali was in jail in Kampala when Gaddafi first visited Uganda led by Museveni in 1987. Ali had to be taken out of jail after Gaddafi asked about his whereabouts” (…)”In the early days of the new NRM government, several officers and men of the new national army, the National Resistance Army (NRA) were sent to Libya for military training. Gaddafi also helped supply the Rwandan guerrillas, the RPF, with weapons in 1990 in the early stages of their invasion of Rwanda. The Libyan weapons were airlifted into Uganda and then the Museveni government passed them on to the RPF rebels” (…)”When Uganda failed to repay money she owed Libya, the debt was swapped for Libyan shares in the Uganda Telecom phone company, the Crested Towers and National Housing and Construction Corporation housing estates in Kampala and the Windsor Lake Victoria Hotel in Entebbe” (Dispatch, 2011).
In the 1986 – Creating an oil company:
Libyan has sent a trade delegation (both medical and financial teams). President Museveni has discussed to have a Joint Holding Company with Doctor Mukhtar. Both Government of Uganda and Government of Libya announced that their examining opportunities to set up an Oil Company. Since 1979 war against Amin the Libyan Peoples Bureau had 6 six employees, the staff has now a higher profile in Kampala. Ugandan government is naïve about it, but the largeness of Libyan interference in the oil company, Uganda can still control it through. Government of Uganda is in to secure oil supply and also setting up a company, because of NRMs distrust in the operations of the multinational capitalism. This company is to secure the supply of oil, in that they also would like to be a part of the Mombasa Refinery from the Government of Kenya (WikiLeaks, 1986).
Suits Museveni well:
The Libyan style of leadership where it’s all centered on the president. If Museveni need to be accommodated in any manner, he can just pick up a phone and call the Cornel Gaddaffi. The Americans describes the Libyans as radicals and calls Museveni’s action towards them as a risk, for him and also the interest of USA (WikiLeaks, 1986).
Relation between Uganda and Libya in 2007:
Libyan Africa Portfolio (LAP) bought shares of 51% of the Uganda Telecom Limited (UTL). The shares were bought from UCOM a German, Swiss and Egyptian consortium. LAP has also bought other assets in Uganda. They gotten 60 % of the textile company Tri-Star and also was awarded with the tender to build the oil-pipe that goes from Uganda to Kenya. Museveni has promised Coronel Gaddaffi that he will not sell the unrefined oil. He has also praised Gaddaffi for his collaborated effort to support Uganda (WikiLeaks, 2007).
Relation between Uganda and Libya in 2008:
President Museveni said Libyan president Gaddaffi: “is a problem” and for his wish of making the “United states of Africa”. He also commented on Gaddaffi’s “imitations” towards smaller and tinier African nations with bribes and pressure. This has led to that these nations haven’t participated as strongly or corporative in international forums, organizations like United Nation and international meetings. Because of the tension between Gaddaffi and Museveni, this has led to him having radar on his plane when he flies international airspace to get additional information of the airspace (WikiLeaks, 2008).
Relation between Uganda and Libya in 2009:
TamOil the Libyan owned company who is run by director Habib Kagimu. The company hopes that it gets the contract to build the pipeline between from El Doret, Kenya to Jinja, Uganda (WikiLeaks, 2009).
Museveni on Gaddaffi in 2011:
In his own words said Gaddaffi was wrong to support Idi Amin with weapons and arms. This he could use during the battles of the 70s (Museveni, 2011).
Mistakes:
He knows that Gaddaffi supported him because he was seen as Muslim country oppressed by Christians. The second mistake Gaddaffi did after Museveni’s reckoning: he was not polite in AU and respected the regional collaborations in Africa. If he could he would ‘Overrule’ it. The third mistake by the Cornell was to interfere in internal matters of others. Like his actions towards the kings in Uganda. Fourth mistake is that he was like other Arab leaders and did not support the cause of South Sudan. Also not a direct mistake but he commented that as a radical Gaddaffi didn’t distant himself enough from terrorism (Museveni, 2011).
Positives:
First is that Gaddaffi always has had an independent approach to foreign affairs. Not being an Western countries, where he also did an effort to get rid of British and American Military bases. Second positive was how we able to use and rig the oil-prices, from the meager 50 cents a barrel to 40 dollars a barrel. Fourth is the economic progress of Libya. With that was the current time Museveni wrote in the value of GDP of $89, 03 Billion, which is the same size of South Africa in 1994 and the same time Spain (Museveni, 2011).
Thanks for reading. Peace.
Links:
Dispatch.co.ug – ‘Uganda’s long complicated relationship with Gaddaffi’ (07.04.2011) Link: http://www.dispatch.ug/ugandas-long-complicated-relatioship-with-gaddafi/1745/
Wanock, Frank & Conway, Patrick – ‘Post-Conflict Recovery in Uganda’ (1999) International Bank for Reconstruction and Development/World Bank
Link: http://siteresources.worldbank.org/WBI/Resources/wbi37152and37153.pdf
Rule, Sheila (NY Times) – ‘REBEL SWORN IN AS UGANDA PRESIDENT’ (30.01.1986) Link: http://www.nytimes.com/1986/01/30/world/rebel-sworn-in-as-uganda-president.html
Yoweri Kaguta Museveni – ‘Article on the Libyan crisis’ (20.03.2011) Link: http://www.scribd.com/doc/51285348/Museveni-attacks-West-over-Libya
WikiLeaks – ‘MUSEVENI AND THE RADICAL MUSLIMS’ (16.07.1986) Link: https://wikileaks.org/plusd/cables/86KAMPALA2314_a.html
WikiLeaks – ‘UGANDA: MARCH ECONOMIC REVIEW’ (14.03.2007) Link: https://wikileaks.org/plusd/cables/07KAMPALA457_a.html
WikiLeaks –‘A/S FRAZER’S JUNE 13 MEETING WITH UGANDAN PRESIDENT MUSEVENI’ (18.06.2008) Link: https://wikileaks.org/plusd/cables/08STATE65820_a.html
WikiLeaks – ‘UGANDAN PRESIDENT SEEKS OIL SECTOR SUPPORT IN IRAN’ (04.07.2009) Link: https://wikileaks.org/plusd/cables/09KAMPALA561_a.html

















