“In his efforts to upheave Uganda’s Tourism , Minister Kiwanda Suubi has launched Miss curvaceous Pageant where Ugandan Hot Ladies will unleash what their Mama gave them. Women with Body Curves will get into competition in the name of Boasting Tourism in Uganda” (87.7 Kampala FM, 06.02.2019).
When, the State Minister for Tourism Godfrey Kiwanda, whose been busy appointing different Tourism Ambassadors over the last 6 months. Has now fresh ideas to spark interest and create more tourism to the Republic. However, it is a bit worrying, the initiative and the idea itself.
“We have naturally endowed nice looking women that are amazing to look at. Why don’t we use these people as a strategy to promote our tourism industry?” – Godfrey Kiwanda.
What this really shows is how the State Minister objectifies the woman, the ones of his preferences, as he has proven that with who he appoints as Ambassadors under his ministry. That Kiwanda likes woman is now public. That he enjoys their company and hires them. That is more than proven. The reason why he changes and appoints new ambassadors for various of reasons.
Whatever that strikes his mind, that the Miss Curvy Pageant would be a good idea? Who knows really, but he is already in a Republic with Miss Tourism Uganda and other pageants for international shows of similar kind. What he has created is after his preference and what he looks for in woman.
But what is even more striking is that he is proclaiming, that Curvy woman is a product to sell the Republic. That the woman is a perk and speciality of the Republic. He is indirectly saying their sexiness and beauty is something that will attract tourist. So, is the State Minister indirectly saying, he is looking for Sex-Tourism and the ones going to the Red-Light Districts to solicit woman?
Because, when you make a person, a individual as a product, they usually tend to deliver a service and get paid for it. In this instance, it is disgusting, if that is the idea or the ideal of the Minister. That he wants to use the beauty of woman to allure people, who comes there to get laid. That is how it seems to me. That is if he really claims the curvy ladies should be a promotion tool to gain interest in tourism.
Woman are not tourism attractions, they are not objects for sale. That should be so simple and not hard to understand. Whatever way Kiwanda is looking at it. If he thinks this is smart move, he is foolish and makes his Ministry looking like an open-air bazaar.
Ugandan woman, woman in general deserves better. They deserves to handled and talked about in whole another manner. They are more valuable, than being a promotional tool. They are not for sale. That should be so easy to see and say.
Kiwanda should know this, because he is really out of bounds here. He should apologize and scrap the idea. This is chauvinism and also paternalism at its worst. Kiwanda isn’t honouring the culture or celebrating woman, but he is trading them away for some foreign exchange. That isn’t romantic or even noble, that is demeaning and disgraceful.
Time to step up and take a bow, Mr. Kiwanda. Peace.
Reverend Simon Lokodo, whose the Minister of Ethics and Integrity soon has to challenge and look into Godfrey Kiwanda, the Minister of Tourism. Because, this man is really into ladies. In a way that no other Minister in the National Resistance Movement (NRM) is, except for Godfrey Bukenya whose leaked online photos with younger ladies all the time.
However, this more about how Kiwanda uses his position, not only to promote Uganda, but also handpicks a set of woman to titled and honourable work, like Tourism Ambassador of the Republic. That is what he has been working on lately.
There is already a yearly Miss Tourism Pageant, but none of them there has been hired for post. Which should be a natural thing. However, the Minister having been doling the Tourism Ambassador around. He has been hiring and firing for the last six months.
First, it was Zari Hassan, the socialite was hired and went all around with the Minister to Photo-Ops, even got a famous picture with guards with AK-47s as she was posing. That was just natural for the one and only Tourism Ambassador.
Second, in the middle of January 2019, as Miss World Africa of 2018 Quinn Abenakyo kicked Zari Hassan to the curb and became the newly appointed Tourism Ambassador.
However, that wasn’t as long or with anything memorable done. It was like a short-fling, nothing serious. Just puppy-love for the Minister, who lost interest very quick after the appointment.
As of today, it has been announced, that the busy-body of a Minister. The man, who always has a beauty on payroll. Has changed his mind. The Miss World Africa wasn’t up for the gig of Tourism Ambassador after all.
Therefore, he had to appoint the NBS Television Katch Up Host Anita Fabiola aka Fabiola as the newly minted Tourism Ambassador.
There has been more changes in this position as in any given other institution in Uganda. You would think that this is the most prestigious, the most honourable and best paid. That this what to aim for, as if you want to be somebody. You got to have on your CV, that you were the Tourism Ambassador. That is just it.
I’m wondering, when is Shanita Namuyimba aka “Bad Black” appointed, maybe by March 2019? Or anyone else for that matter?
Seriously, the Minister is too busy appointing these people for this one position. Is that the only thing he does? Haven’t he a Tourism Board and Wildlife to ensure? Doesn’t the Minister have enough Museums and Heritage sites to take care of?
We all know that those tasks cannot be as fun for a man, as the opportunity to bask in the glory of beautiful woman. That must be the reason why he does this and that is why Rev. Lokodo has to look into his ethics. Because, he has now passed through three ambassadors and for unknown reasons fired two of them. Therefore, Simon, you got a task to handle.
For the rest of us. Lets continue to watch the show. Peace.
If it was a different world, the Republic of Uganda could have been a haven for tourists and tourism. Where the wealth could have been generated and also shown the magnificent republic, which it is. It being the beautiful Kabale, the green valleys of Ibanda, the National Parks, the historical town of Jinja or bursting bubble of Capital City of Kampala. That is just for starters. However, the ruining this image isn’t Uganda Tourism Board (UTB), that is what the National Resistance Movement has done with the use of the army to quell riots, to meet opposition politicians and even lack of possible political associations without being arrested. This are the memo’s that get to the tourists.
They know that insecurity, the extra-judicial killings and the lack of trust between the state and its citizens are getting the world on worry. That scares away citizens, as well as the hardships against the Forum for Democratic Change and their Defiance Campaign, while now also using the army every time Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine. These sort of activity will not make the Republic more marketable. As people are worried if these sort of activity will interfering in their vacation hot-spots and make their peaceful existence turned into a war-zone with road-blocks, soldiers on posts and possible police brutality as they visit Mengo or even The Square in Kampala.
“The president said Uganda has a lot of potential from its natural resources but there is a general lack of efficient marketing which falls directly under UTB. “The UTB has not been doing a good job, I don’t know why. You find other countries Which have nothing to show, attracting more tourists. Therefore, that area of promotion is still weak. If you hired me as promoter for just six months you will see the results,” he said. “The UTB and our embassies should market our country’s uniqueness. We must work towards increasing the numbers of tourists visiting Uganda from the current two million annually,” he added” (Nelson Bwire Kapo – ‘Uganda Tourism Board doing a bad job at promoting Uganda- Museveni’ (30.09.2018, link: http://nilepost.co.ug/2018/09/30/uganda-tourism-board-doing-a-bad-job-at-promoting-uganda-museveni/).
If the President and Bosco wanted it to be great tourist destination, why has the roads and the transport infrastructure been not invested properly in, as these projects are big borrowing operations, where the money has gone into cronies pockets instead of road-quality. Neither has there been well thought of planning of transport between the regions or towns. As there is hectic ways of traveling for the ones who doesn’t know or cannot afford to use specials across the Republic. Therefore, the expensive transport across from Entebbe to a National Park is huge cost for anyone. It doesn’t help with posters by Clear Channel across Europe, if it cost a dozens of bobs to travel and plan to do so.
The UTB is not in-charge of insecurity and the state of affairs. It is not their campaigns or their motivations fault for the situation on the ground. That is all Bosco, as he is the head and has run the Nation for so long. He should take charge and take blame. That would be new for him, because he always blames and says other people are not doing their job.
First. Generate trust abroad, than the people might come. If they know its safe and reads more positive stories. But the tourists will not come there, if the Entebbe International Airport is known for being the place, where the opposition leaders are arrested and detained after arriving. That is what the world knows now. Bosco has ordered this and his trying to destroy opposition is known. The torture and the preventative arrests is known. That is why people fear Uganda. They know that Bosco is a vindictive President, without any other cause, than promoting himself.
That is why this isn’t UTB fault. It is the NRM and Bosco’s fault, who has played this all wrong. He has neither made it easier to be tourist or gained their trust. That is why they pick other destinations like Botswana or Kenya for similar activity and safaris. Peace.
“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.
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.
MinBane 