Forum Replies Created
RE: DID YOU SPEAK AS FIRST LADY, MINISTER OF EDUCATION, PASTOR OR GRANDMA?To begin with, I have a mother, just like millions of other Ugandans. This is both a statement of fact and a biological necessity.
Even though I am one of those who cannot, for a number of reasons, refer to you as Maama, I am of the firm view that you cannot issue an official statement which has public policy implications and then limit its audience (and by implication, the right of reply) to only those who refer to you by that title.
Once anyone—whomever they may be—comments on issues of public interest, they inevitably invite responses from everyone and everywhere.
Ordinarily, referring to an elder like you by the term “maama” or “taata” is a common usage, particularly in communal settings. The danger and spot-of-bother here is that over time, as the evidence now shows, it warps your understanding of the public duty you owe Ugandans by virtue of the political office(s) you occupy.
This is especially important to point out because your husband, who occupies the Office of President of Uganda has, like you, taken to issuing official statements and making public remarks that are laced with references to Ugandans as grandchildren (bazzukulu).
It is increasingly apparent from your conduct and speech, that after more than three decades of being fed and clothed by taxpayers, the line between public office and familial relations is no longer visible to you. In your minds, Uganda has become part of your personal estate.
I now wish to quickly respond to three issues arising from your patently disingenuous statement, which read more like a tirade, pertaining the state-sanctioned violence against unarmed and defenceless students and members of the public at Makerere University.
By the second page of your document, it was painfully evident that the distinction between private education as a commodity for sale and public education as a social amenity is either unclear or unknown to you. Referencing the fees structure of a private university to help you make your case was an irrelevance.
As line Minister, the University and Other Tertiary Institutions Act of 2001, the Education Act Number 13 of 2008 would go a long way in enlightening you about this distinction…and hopefully inform your policy choices and approaches moving forward.
As absurd as this is, it is not surprising given the rapid erosion of public education and its ungoverned commoditization under your leadership (or lack thereof). Little wonder that you see no conflict of interest having a minister for higher education who owns private secondary schools—in other societies, this is unconscionable.
The other glaring irony is that State House appropriates hundreds of billions of shillings each year (from taxpayers’ money) to pay school fees for a number of those who willingly call you “maama”, while those who do not enjoy the benefits of being connected to you are left to fend for themselves. So serious are the effects of the reckless privatisation of education that one female student captured the gravity of the desperation when she revealed on television that “some of us are here selling our bodies to get tuition…” If this does not strike a nerve within you, nothing will.
My second contention is based on Article Seven of the 1995 Constitution which enacts to the effect that Uganda shall not adopt a state religion [and as such is not a theocracy]. It follows that your statement which was anchored on biblical references—especially given the national position you hold—was misdirected and should have been reserved for a different and limited audience (perhaps a church), not the country.
It is not clear whether you spoke as Minister of Education, First Lady, Pastor or as a (grand)mother speaking to errant (grand)children.
I guess this is just one of the manifestations of the incestuous political arrangement that you are part of and have imposed over the country.
Thanks to my Sunday School teachers, I possess an above average appreciation of the Bible. It is my considered opinion that Christian ethos and doctrine do not agree with your selective interpretation of the good Book, for the following reasons:
Your conclusion that God instructs us to be servile and pliant in the face of oppression—because authority and leadership are divinely ordained is inaccurate, at the very least. It could potentially mislead unsuspecting members of the general public, particularly the younger folk.
For all its patriarchal moorings and genocidal tyranny, the Bible, as I will shortly demonstrate, is a phenomenal testament on social justice and should never be misconstrued as a license for repressive rule.
Whenever totalitarian Kings, Queens and other royalty imposed dictatorship or injustice on their territories, liberty and justice prevailed in the end. It is therefore erroneous when you arrogate verses from the Book of Kings to justify repression. I am sure you know how Ahab, Nebuchadnezzar, Jezebel and Ahaz ended.
I invite you to consider Isaiah 10:1, Proverbs 29:2, Isaiah 1:23, Psalms 125:3, Proverbs 28:15, Ezekiel 22:27 and, most importantly for me, Isaiah 3:14 which I wish to partly reproduce here: “…it is you who have devoured the vineyard; the plunder of the poor is in your houses.” I leave the interpretation to you but as far as I understand, these are unequivocal proclamations of justice, equity and fairness that cannot support your propositions.
Now that Mr. Museveni, who occupies the Office of the President has regretted the invasion and ordered the security forces to withdraw—contrary to your own commendation of what you called “Police interventions”, do you still maintain the view that the savagery at Makerere can be justified under Romans 13:1-5?
In any case, whom should we believe now that you two are contradicting each other publicly?
Concerning your accusation of students as being corrupt, I put it to you that corruption is the lifeblood, genetic code and perhaps the only enduring legacy of your regime. Why do you expect kids who have been born and become adults under your rule, seeing scandal after scandal—with impunity, to behave differently from yourselves? Exceptions prove the rule.
“Owaayiba aheekire…” Leaders shape the culture.As I conclude, permit me to pose another question here regarding the reservations you expressed about media coverage of the barbarism meted out on students and bystanders by the security forces. Would the pictures be different or less horrifying if they were taken using cameras operated by Ugandan (and not foreign) journalists?
Next time you want to patronise us, whether basing on dishonest constructions of the Bible, the law or facts, please think about the structural and physical violence that the majority of Ugandans endure daily as a result of your sustained and intransigent misrule.
Ask yourself whether you would be happy if the same were directed at your biological children.
Our blood is just as red. We feel pain. We have loved ones. We have stories. We have dreams.
uganda.uk.com
In Uganda we have a problem. Whoever gets near to contest for President sticks like glue to the contest which is to the disadvantage of Ugandans.IT IS BEING SAID THAT DR. BESIGYE AND HON. KYAGULANYI ARE HAVING TALKS AND AT THE SAME TIME THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY PRESIDENT GENERAL THREATENS TO HAVE A PARTY CANDIDATE IN PLACE BY END OF 2019 IF NO JOINT OPPOSITION PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE IS ELECTED.
By William Kiwanuka Kituuka
When Dr. Besigye sold as a hot cake in 2001, Hon. Paul Ssemogerere easily gave him opportunity to stand as a revolutionary who stood good chance to dislodge President Museveni in 2001. Unfortunately, things did not work out and the Reform Agenda had no evidence that the Doctor won. In 2006, the Doctor was again back, still the poll results were not in his favor. The problem being that there is no adduced evidence from the Results Declaration Forms countrywide showing that Dr. Besigye won. The same has been the case in 2011 and 2016. Even then, Dr. Besigye is not yet done.
The problem with Besigye is that he shows the Uganda public that President Museveni is bad, but he keeps playing upon the intelligence of Ugandans. As of now, he told Ugandans that he won the 2016 Presidential elections. That is not easy to believe on two fronts: the number of MPs of FDC puts that allegation to doubt, and the failure to identify any media to publish the results clearly points to the possibility that it is all propaganda.
Ugandans are yet to be done with Dr. Besigye’s ‘katemba’ or circus. Out of the blue, Besigye came up with ‘People’s Government’. This according to him is parallel Government to the NRM Government, whatever that means.
Not long ago, Hon. Kyagulanyi came out openly to tell his constituents that they look for his replacement! It is not clear what calculation Kyagulanyi is making which is likely to leave him neither President of Uganda after the 2021 Presidential election and nor a Member of Parliament.
We are having these problems because of illusion. Hon. Kyagulanyi has the opportunity of being received big when he is out of Uganda and many Ugandans believe that the big push for Kyagulanyi to Presidency lies outside Uganda.
Unfortunately, the people behind the push seem to be out of touch with the reality and facts on ground. One major reason why Dr. Besigye has been welcome as ‘joint’ opposition candidate four times now is that people know that it is military infrastructure in control in Uganda. The question to ask: When did the climate change to the extent that a man completely green of what is going on in the Uganda kitchen is the best option to take on President Museveni and thereafter get power handed over to him? Let us stop leaving in Dreamland. The Ugandans who seriously have assets cannot take chances to have things in hands of an excited gambler backed by some few powers out of the country.
On September 29, 2019 there was a very unfortunate development at Mombasa in Kenya. Mariam Kighenda 35 and her daughter Amanda Mutheu 4, got on MV Harambee in their family car. Unfortunately, the car dripped off the ferry falling into the Indian Ocean in the Likoni channel. After some days as the strategy to recover the wreckage of the car was being undertaken with a lot of blame by various parties, a joint team of divers including some from South Africa agreed to the way forward. 13 days after the car fell into the water, it was possible to locate its exact position in the Ocean at 58 meters below. There are no mistakes that became public knowledge, the wreckage was recovered and the bodies to the excitement of many.
This is a lesson to learn from. Uganda does not need Dr. Besigye who keeps shifting goal posts to suit his interests or Hon. Kyagulanyi who has already declared that he is standing for President.
I am therefore saying: Dr. Besigye and Kyagulanyi talks cannot have the backing or even bind Ugandans. There is need to originate a democratic process that can through consensus vote one candidate and his run mate for President and Vice President. Short of that, we shall not be able to ‘get the wreckage of the car out of the 58 meter depth it is”. The Uganda we want will not be arrived at when a few selfish person always imagine that they have our mandate.
While the subject of a joint Presidential candidate remains unresolved, Hon. Mao has threatened that if the process does not get to any meaningful conclusion then the Democratic Party will have to come up with a candidate of their own. This still is no news as it will just give President Museveni another clean victory in 2021.
We need to be serious in Uganda. Stop talking of having Presidential candidates in place when you do not have the billions it takes to make a meaningful contest. Fortunately, as we stand now, if there cannot be a joint approved Presidential candidate, then it is better having President Museveni who is still in control of the situation than risking the uncertainty of having short lived Governments in office as is the likely development should we have a weak candidate backed by votes but in whom there can be no trust in taking the country forward.
As usual, you are entitled to your comments as I am entitled to mine, but I will not bother reading your comments.
Thank you.
uganda.uk.com
Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) Secretary General Hon Nathan Nandala Mafabi this morning sought to put to rest the growing speculation that he’d been compromised by the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM).Hon Mafabi this week became a talking point amongst political rivals mostly on social media, after it appeared that he had missed his own party’s parallel Independence Day celebrations, opting for the national celebrations that took place in Sironko district on Wednesday.
The FDC independence event which was held at the party offices was presided over by party president Patrick Amuriat Oboi, who among others officially announced the return of the ‘Defiance Campaign.’
Nandala however, chose to attend the national celebrations, lining up at one point, with other NRM leaders to shake hands with President Yoweri Museveni.
Photos of the opposition figure exchanging a hearty smile with President Museveni added fuel to the speculation.
Mr Nandala however, told us this morning he had a number of reasons he chose the Sironko event, some of them personal.
“First of all, the (national) celebrations were in my constituency,” said Nandala, who represents Budadiri West in Parliament.
“The venue itself was in my private land, so how could I miss?”
The MP says he attended not in any FDC capacity, but as a resident and leader of the area.
“I am sure you know that I am an important leader in this area. I am the head of the Bugisu Cooperative Union.”
“I also wanted to show you people in action what we have preaching; the politics unity. It cannot always be about fighting.”
Mr Mafabi also claimed his intent to attend the Sironko celebrations was to ensure that the NRM party does not hijack this national event.
“We had heard that there were activities they wanted to carry out at the NRM offices. So I mobilised my people and we were ready to protest in front of the president and his guests if they dared turn the independence celebrations into an NRM event.”
About people who rushed to liken him to Hon Beatrice Anywar, Mafabi said such a comparison was misplaced.
“First of all my attendance and meeting with the president were in public. Mama Mabira’s meetings are private. Also we know that she goes there looking for money. I am not that poor to go begging. I am not like her.”
uganda.uk.com
The Inspectorate of Government has summoned FDC’s Vice Chairperson for Eastern Uganda, Mrs Proscovia Salaam Musumba over corruption accusations that date back from the time she served the Kamuli District Chairperson.Salaam Musumba, who served as the district chairperson from 2012 to 2016, is said to have used her position to lobby and acquire Shs 10Million from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), that was meant to support the education sector in her district, only to divert the money to her personal business.
Following, a whistle blower complaint in 2015, Salaam Musumba was compelled to refund the 10 million through monthly salary cuts.
However, at the time her tenure ended as district chairperson in March 2016, only Shs 5, 263, 556 has been deducted from her salary.
She was as such ordered by the IGG to clear the outstanding 4,736,444, which she apparently has not done to this date.
In June this year, the then IGG Mrs Irene Mulyagonja ordered Musumba to refund the remaining money to the Inspectorate of Government Assets Recovery Account.
With the FDC stalwart adamant, the Deputy IGG Miriam Wangadya on Monday this week summoned Mrs Musumba to appear at the IGG offices to explain herself.
“You are ordered to attend before the Inspectorate of Government at 4th floor, Room 4.20, Jubilee Insurance Center, Plot 14, Parliament Avenue, on the 23rd of October 2019 at 11:00am, and so from day to day until your attendance has been dispensed with, to give evidence in the said inquiry,” ordered Mrs Wangadya.
Musumba was also directed to bring along evidence of payment of the Shs 4.7Million.
Mrs Musumba was not readily available for comment on Wednesday morning.
However, when we talked to her in June about the allegations, she downplayed them as trivial.
“People are talking about pallets of money, and you are talking of four million that Musumba took from Kamuli?” she said, referring to the scandal involving Bank of Uganda officials which was trending at the time.
The FDC boss also said she didn’t consider her actions wrongful, because “she didn’t steal from government.”
“CAA money is not government money,” she stressed.
uganda.uk.com
Dr Milton Obote had 19 cabinet ministers and 8 deputy ministers. That made a total of 27 ministers. And after his government was overthrown no one ever claimed that Obote or his minsters stole public funds and enriched themselves or has there been an offshore account that belonged to Obote or his ministers. These ministers were intellectuals, intelligent and patriotic. They served Uganda not their own interests like the bush war bandits.Now let’s have a look at Yoweri Museveni’s dictatorship, he has over 300 presidential advisers, he has over 78 minsters, each minster has over 5 advisers over 80 permanent secretaries, over 400 RDCs with their deputies and so forth. These people are corrupt to the bone marrow. Most of them are not educated and trained well. And alot of them are political trash. They steal each and every fund they come across. They are so cruel, greedy and selfish. These people steal all the taxes and later have to borrow to fund their luxurious lifestyles. What a shame?! 🙆
How did our country move from a first growing African state to a sub-Saharan laughing stock??!
uganda.uk.com
SHOULD HON. KYAGULANYI HAVE WRITTEN TO THE INSPECTOR GENERAL OF UGANDA POLICE FORCE TO HAVE CLEARANCE FOR HIS CONCERT IF HE WAS REALLY SERIOUS ABOUT IT?
When you want the office of the President in a country like Uganda, normally you are not of simple mind and of course you ought to be surrounded by intellectuals capable of advising you of the steps you can take that keep you credible.
If Hon. Kyagulanyi is a serious person he wants the public to take him to be, he ought to know that the issue whether his concerts are cleared or not does NOT lie within the mandate of Uganda Police Force, hence writing to them and eventually blaming them makes news to the simple minded brains.
Kyagulanyi by this time should know that the clearing of his concerts lies in the jurisdiction of the President of Uganda. You can accept it or not but that is the truth. If Kyagulanyi is serious in that he wants to perform to his audience, the Head of State wants that they agree to certain things. Kyagulanyi I believe just needs to go through some clear channels to seek an appointment with the President and the date as well as venue for the meeting is discussed. Then on agreeing to set terms he will perform.
It is illusionary for a person of Kyagulanyi’s calibre to imagine that President Museveni is not in control. Whether we like it or not, he is President of Uganda and fountain of honour. The President I believe wants Kyagulanyi to sing within some boundaries while he is performing. And that is the President’s wish. If Kyagulanyi wants to harvest money in the Museveni environment, it is a matter of choice to do what the big man wants. Short of that, he should not use Uganda Police as scapegoat or his punching bag. That makes sense to people with narrow brains.
Secondly, Hon. Kyagulanyi knows very well that before his performance, Uganda Police stipulated what he has to do. And in a serious letter surely, Kyagulanyi should have elaborated on all those conditions, but he did not. That shows that he knew Police would not clear him because his issue is with the Head of State.
Talk about the Busabala concert. Surely, was Kyagulanyi ready to receive people at his beach? There were no signs that he was to perform, but here is the man riding through the town on Boba boda to his beach even when there was no stage for him to perform!
A man eying Presidency risks a ride on a Boda boda the way Kyagulanyi did defeats good understanding. I do not know what Uganda politicians gain from telling the public that they are to defy Police orders. This again makes sense to the simple minds. Surely, why would Kyagulanyi risk his life to get on Boda instead of letting the Police to give him orders to follow? This is cheap ‘katemba’ which impresses the simple minds of some Ugandans. At the end of it, still they blocked him.
I wish to advise the likes of Hon. Kyagulanyi to get serious.
Sit down and make an analysis of any situation and its repercussions. Kyagulanyi should impress those of us who believe that he is not yet material for State House, in that he actually measures up. In the miscalculations he does, he ends ‘scoring’ but a number of Ugandans register loses. Whenever there is ‘kavuyo’ Kyagulanyi should know that there are youth who wish to exploit such situations where people’s properties get stolen. Kyagulanyi should be able to tell his supporters that by putting fire in the middle of tarmac roads, they are simply punishing themselves. We are aware of the number of years people along Busabala road have cried to Government to have their road tarmacked, but then you find Ugandans with no fore sight destroying such tarmac simply because Kyagulanyi’s show was not cleared! The same myopic guys will then cry to KCCA to have the road repaired! That is the calibre of people from whom politicians look for votes. These people given their narrow brains need to be advised by the leader they support of what is right to do and what not.
In addition, Hon. Kyagulanyi needs to know that the Uganda where he has some good supporters has a multi facial front on a number of sides. The cultures a many, the history of the country is also complex, so there is need to be very careful in doing whatever he does in a mature way and more so in control over his supporters. Some seem to express sentiments of being in combat mood. It is not clear what ammunition they have. Uganda youth can be very destructive and many times when they get unruly they imagine that Uganda Police will handle them with kid gloves, which cannot be.
uganda.uk.com
Although am a practising Muslim, I normally take my time to attend and enjoy some church service with the faithfuls especially the preaching bit. I enjoy listening to people from different background speak, because the relevancy every speech is based on ones background, training, belief, environment and or profession. This mentality has made me a continuous student of life.By Odaka Asuman
This Sunday 13th October 2019, as always was in one Catholic church in Tororo municipality where the priest, in his sermon poured out his disappointment and frustration to the conduct of the *ELITES* in this country- Uganda.
His case was that we are living in the single most educated and enlightened generation this country has ever had, with the biggest enablers and means of information sharing such as numerous radio stations, T.V stations, newspapers, printed and soft, people even move with means and gadgets of information concerning the globe right in their pockets in form of mobile phones or min computers where they can access and learn about all best practises in all fields that would improve the livelihood of humanity.
In government, we have the single most educated leaders the country has ever witnessed, in civil society etc. But how come the performance of the educated leaders is so inadequate, so lacking, so shabby and even where they attempt to provide, its sub standard.
For example if they build the roads its narrow and will be potholed in a short period, in health hospitals have only become centred of warding death certificates and sources of health surveys, in the education sector, schools have become where children just go devoid of meaningful learning.
The poor are overtaxed as the rich tax collectors enjoy all they have collected but not without telling people how the much they have collected and intend to collect even more, in the Justice Law and Order Sector (JLOS), justice is dispensed either by process ( *read torture* ) or sold to the highest bidder, government workers openly tell the people off; … *am not your servant* …”.
All that used to be our collective national assets have been personalised by the greedy few, *hey preach human rights but practice human wrongs in its most named details*. No day passes without hearing of how government officials have stolen billions of what would be of our collective survival.
Those in politics have constructed a mafia style of political operation, and this is a across board. In government and opposition parties alike.
The priest then wondered why a group of people who were educated using tax payers money would turn against their sponsors’ children and grand children to destroy with both physical and policy brute.
As I left the church pondering on the powerful massage of this man of God, its when I remembered the frustration Dr. Besigye once poured against how the *Elites* are in fact the very people who have betrayed this country. whereas those in government do the injustices stated above, those outside government have left the cause to make a Uganda we all desire a struggle of the ghetto people, the same people they despise.
(Does one want to study the factors the led to raise of *Bobi Wine*, if so, then begin from …. *if Parliament can’t come to the ghetto, we shall take the ghetto into parliament*. You may replace the word *”Parliament for state house*) . These thoughts led to me into attempting to interrogate the genesis of what could be the foundation problems here. This led me into two principle conclusions:
1. Our education system
2. The Luwero consensus (this will be for the subsequent piece)
Our education system was not designed to make us think, innovate or improve our lives or our environment. It was purely to ease the work of the exploitative colonial tendencies. It was only to train clerks and interpreters to the white man.
That is why one had to dress up like the white, eat like the white, speak like a white, worship like a white and even produce children like whites do.
They have been taught to despise everything African and in many cases even brand them satanic yet receiving no question from the blacks why that is so. Their system of life, management is conceived and controlled from the white mans capitals.
Even when they publicly criticise the white man, its only to blackmail them to continue maintaining them in power as they implement policies they neither have powers over or capacity to understand their outcome.
They have allowed their economies to rely solely on the wheels and whims of the white mans capital and their multinational corporations.
This of course is a complete departure from the uneducated in the white man’s sense.
Idi Amin for example seems to have outperformed nearly all the presidents that Uganda has had in the exception of Dr. Obote who laid foundation for the current state and government of Uganda, despite his negligible educational level in the white man’s system.
The record of his performance will never be erased in spite of the interest and efforts towards the same.
Its not uncommon to find a black man tying his neck with some piece of cloth and a black suite in rain because *gentleman* don’t run yet there will be a white person on the streets eating a cob of maize while walking to his work place.
.. …….to be continued………
For now I can only dedicate to you a song by Dan Mugula….” Omulembe”
*The writer is an aspiring MP, Tororo Municipality 2021*
*WhatsApp: +256753195384*
*Email: asumanmrjn@gmail.com*
uganda.uk.com
MANY UGANDANS BELIEVE THAT A TOUGH TALKING COMPETITOR FOR THE PRESIDENCY OF UGANDA IS THE SOLUTION AND SHOULD BE SUPPORTED AS SUCH.By William Kiwanuka Kituuka
Many Ugandan voters believe that a person who can compete favourably for President of Uganda on the Opposition ticket should be such a one who is “tough talking”.
Tough talking may be defined as speaking in a way that makes other people fear you. It can also be one who acts in a forceful and aggressive way.
For the case of getting my argument clear, I wish to refer to the talking style of Mohammad Kirumira (RIP). Many Ugandans currently believe beyond reasonable doubt that a person who can manage the Presidency from President Museveni should be such a one who talks tough.
I however think that this is a misconception. A serious leader can be threatened most by a competitor who has good organizational or mobilization skills hence able to get a big following as well as such a one with good developmental ideas that can work.
However, in Uganda’s current situation having good mobilization skills and hence a good following together with talking tough are simply necessary ingredients of a prospect leader but not sufficient to win over power and be able to retain it.
We all remember the Late Kirumira, he used to talk authoritatively about the problems in Uganda Police. Many saw him as a great prospect leader. Unfortunately, the many gunmen we have around did not give him chance to nurture his potential in leadership and hence correcting what has gone wrong in Uganda.
How can tough talk shake President Museveni for example? You may talk tough about what has gone wrong within the Government of Uganda and hence please the electorate, but when it turns out that you have to face the law enforcers, then you turn to a beggar for mercy! How does tough talk help here?
Many of the leaders we cherish are great communicators, but most times it’s best for leaders to stop and listen. Listening is critical to effective communication. One is more effective as a leader if he or she practices less talking and more listening.
Great leaders lead by example before requesting anyone to do anything. Not only do they talk the talk, but also walk the walk.
Great leaders understand that they cannot achieve greatness by themselves. So a leader should not surround himself or herself with people that tell one what he or she wants to hear. Instead one should surround oneself with people that are versatile and can compliment him or her.
I recall very well the tough talk of President Museveni shortly after capturing power in 1986. True, I never supported the Bush War, however, from his tough talk about corrupt in Government, I thought that it was going to be history. Instead it is not the case, it has flourished on very fertile ground.
So Ugandans, in this era of the Information and Communication Technology, tough talk of the leader is not what matters. It is creating systems that can deliver that matters. We are aware that the Auditor General Mr. John Muwanga makes yearly reports about mismanagement of resources, failure to observe standing orders that are in place which all public servants must know. Unfortunately, his reports are a ritual or in other words a postmortem of gone taxpayer resources. One does not need to talk tough to reverse this status quo. As long as he or she is in full control of Government machinery, it is redefining the current processes. Instead of the Auditor General doing postmortems, let his office employ more manpower such that expenditure is vetted and then authorized by that office before funds are spent.
There is concern about the huge debt both domestic and foreign. The biggest problem with this debt is that a good chunk of it has ended up into the lavish lifestyles of those who manage the various programs. Uganda does not need a leader or President who talks tough, what is needed is putting in place a system that is able to check the programs from the time the funders avail the money to the completion of the program. One program which went wrong is the one that has only one component of it that was implemented. The Plan for Modernization of Agriculture (PMA) was a masterpiece that was expected to rejuvenate the Agricultural sector as the mainstay of Uganda’s economy. Today, there is no miracle to talk about following implementation!
Fellow Ugandans, we need to grow. We need the intellectuals among us to get on board to talk to those friends of ours who saw fewer blackboards. We need to get them to appreciate the problem at hand. A person who talks tough when referring to those in power today is not an asset for Uganda. One reason being that many opposed to him would rather work to eliminate him after-all AK 47’s are readily available.
Uganda needs a potential replacement to President Museveni when he or she does not appear as a big threat to those in control now. This against the background that if there cannot be consensus on smooth transition then the potential replacement to President Museveni will most of the time be involved in battles (civil or otherwise) yet Uganda is like a seedling in a Nursery bed. This seedling needs good nurturing to grow strong and bear fruit.
Uganda needs a man or woman with ideas regarding what can work for Uganda. By this time, a potential Presidential material would have his program for the first 100 days in office. One should be ready to listen to advice by people some of whom may not necessarily be active in politics, but are like opinion leaders. A potential Presidential candidate for the opposition MUST know that if luck turns to his side, he will be President for those currently in Government and those who have been onlookers for over 33 years. All these people need to be accommodated. Hence dialogue and listening are critical.
Turning back to my subject of discussion, I am of the opinion that the Uganda electorate should stop the illusion of wanting a tough talking President. Such a character will not necessarily scare off President Museveni. Uganda needs a President who walks the walk. If there is zero tolerance to corruption, you the leader must be number one example. If there is no favoritism in recruitment, let it be. If procurement procedures have to be followed, let also the man in the biggest seat abide by the rules. If it is zero tolerance to corruption, Government MUST not leave loopholes to be exploited by a few. The system in place should be foolproof. Merely looking for a tough talking leader without proven moral standards and ability to listen will not help Uganda as it dreams about starting on the journey to the Promised Land.
About the author: Represents the standards of St. Mary’s College Kisubi of the 1970’s. Independent thinkers.
GOD BLESS UGANDA AT THIS CRITICAL TIME
uganda.uk.com
She is a Ugandan member of parliament violating visa conditions so she can fraudulently claim birthright citizenship for her soon to be born child.
This 41 year old Ugandan member of parliament for Buikwe District Women – actively (and proudly) assisted Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni to remove age limits from the Ugandan constitution thus effectively guaranteeing himself life presidency for the poor East African country, in September of 2017. She is one of the 317 members of parliament who facilitated the constitutional rape.
Such changes have rendered the country an effective dictatorship with torrid public governance fraught with nepotism, corruption and outright embezzlement, ineptitude public officials, unemployment and very poor or absent social services for millions of the country’s population. Moreover, any protests and demands for better governance are mercilessly crashed; dissenters are arrested, tortured and at times simply killed. Citizens have little chance for change given that the only legitimate avenue for political change has been ring fenced by the country’s president, who has a heavy hand of control in the institution of elections; including slanted laws that govern the process, and appointment of Electoral Commission officials and the Judiciary that would arbitrate electoral malfeasance, whom all owe him direct allegiance.
Government officials and members of parliament do not really give a hoot about the mayhem they are creating in Uganda including alarming poverty, disease, social injustice and other cited anomalies. They live a life detached from the rest of the suffering population: For example, this MP Judith Babirye is currently in USA, planning to give birth to her child – who will eventually enjoy US birthright citizenship and effectively escape Ugandan misery forever, while other children of ordinary mortals struggle to stay alive for the first 5 years of their lives.
We must ensure that people like this MP suffer consequences of their actions against Ugandans. Moreover, others seeking to actively facilitate the same dictatorship in a similar way in the future must be deterred – through effective punishment of those who have done so, like Judith Babirye.
This petition seeks to request US authorities to undertake appropriate action against the visa fraudulency of Hon. Judith Babirye who duped the US Embassy in Uganda that she was visiting for legitimate reasons, while in effect she sought to exploit the US birthright citizenship for her soon to be born child.CLOUD Executive,
On behalf of Concerned Ugandans in the USA
August 21, 2019uganda.uk.com
RE: DID YOU SPEAK AS FIRST LADY, MINISTER OF EDUCATION, PASTOR OR GRANDMA?
In Uganda we have a problem. Whoever gets near to contest for President sticks like glue to the contest which is to the disadvantage of Ugandans.
Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) Secretary General Hon Nathan Nandala Mafabi this morning sought to put to rest the growing speculation that he’d been compromised by the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM).
The Inspectorate of Government has summoned FDC’s Vice Chairperson for Eastern Uganda, Mrs Proscovia Salaam Musumba over corruption accusations that date back from the time she served the Kamuli District Chairperson.
Dr Milton Obote had 19 cabinet ministers and 8 deputy ministers. That made a total of 27 ministers. And after his government was overthrown no one ever claimed that Obote or his minsters stole public funds and enriched themselves or has there been an offshore account that belonged to Obote or his ministers. These ministers were intellectuals, intelligent and patriotic. They served Uganda not their own interests like the bush war bandits.
Although am a practising Muslim, I normally take my time to attend and enjoy some church service with the faithfuls especially the preaching bit. I enjoy listening to people from different background speak, because the relevancy every speech is based on ones background, training, belief, environment and or profession. This mentality has made me a continuous student of life.
MANY UGANDANS BELIEVE THAT A TOUGH TALKING COMPETITOR FOR THE PRESIDENCY OF UGANDA IS THE SOLUTION AND SHOULD BE SUPPORTED AS SUCH.
She is a Ugandan member of parliament violating visa conditions so she can fraudulently claim birthright citizenship for her soon to be born child.
