MUSEVENI’S CROCODILE TEARS

President Museveni’s talk at the Swearing in Ceremony of President – elect Uhuru Kenyatta clearly showed him a tired man!

It cannot have been the ICC that accused the Kenyan leaders of the genocide after the Kenya General Elections.  Does President Museveni want to tell us that African leaders should be left with their impunity un challenged?  He is surely mistaken.  He has been able to fool some people for so many years, but many of us are well aware of the suffering of the people which would not have been had it not been his role.  Mr. Museveni knows very well his wrongs, but keeps on wanting to steal the show.  In attacking ICC, he is calling for cheap favours from the Kenya electorate which is most unfortunate, given his ambitions in the East African Community.  President Museveni has no moral authority to accuse the ICC when it is doing the rightful mandate, and it is absurd that he could openly accuse it in the fora of the inauguration of President Uhuru.  President Museveni should give Ugandans a break, and instead do what is expected of him as a would be model leader.  The people of Uganda are waiting to see President Museveni hand over power peacefully after the 2016 general Elections as surely he has had many terms as President and has nothing new to offer the country apart from increased liability.

It is sad the bad laws of his time as the bill being debated in Parliament now in the name of the “Public Order Management Bill,” which in the eyes of those who are well informed as outright abuse of people’s rights for the sake of seeing his continued tenure in office!  Referring to the Radio Talk Show of Tuesday 8.00pm to 9.00pm on Kaboozi – 87.9FM, Hon. Sejjoba who was hosted told the listeners that he was surprised how the MPs on the Floor of Parliament had ignored the ‘wise counsel’ by President Museveni whose wishes following the previous caucus at State House were ignored on realizing that it was dictatorship at play!

It is time for President Museveni to shape up.  Gambles and the one man show as well as vision for Uganda cannot work any more.  Taking advice is the best option, and it should be now before the country completely gets to its knees.

It is absurd to learn that Government is unable to meet its bills, and this, in the long run is a big cost to the tax payer due to interest accumulation and the cost of legal battles.

It for example does not make economic sense anymore for Uganda Government to keep the Government sponsorship scheme in place when it does not have the money, yet the scheme is greatly unfair as it favours those who can afford to pay and leaves the poor.

We currently are in the final quarter of the 2012/2013 Financial year, but on the ground, the budget must be performing badly, and the vicious circle of Supplementary budgets with State House which is not directly productive a big beneficiary is most unfortunate.

William Kituuka Kiwanuka    

East Africa: Statement By H.E. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni President of the Republic of Uganda Inauguration of H.E. Uhuru Kenyatta, Kenya's President-Elect Nairobi 9th April 2013

9 April 2013 

President Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy-President William Ruto embrace during their inauguration ceremony at Moi International Sports Centre in Nairobi. 

 

Your Excellency President Uhuru Kenyatta,
Your Excellency President Mwai Kibaki,
Your Excellency President Daniel Arap Moi,
Your Excellencies, Government, the Heads of State and Distinguished Ladies and gentlemen.

On behalf of the people of Uganda, the people of East Africa, the COMESA Regional trade group and the ICGLR, I congratulate President Uhuru Kenyatta, Vice President William Ruto, the Jubilee Coalition and all the people of Kenya, on their victory in the Match 4, 2013 presidential and general elections. holding peaceful elections. The people of Uganda congratulate you all, especially for allow me also to thank the Rt. Hon. Raila Odinga and Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka, together with the other Presidential Candidates who participated in this election, although they did not win, in the end. In reality, however, they too won because they enriched the process by offering clear options out of which the 14 million voters in Kenya could choose from. In particular, I would like to salute, Rt. Hon. Raila Odinga and Vice president Kalonzo Musyoka for the statesman-like manner in which they handled the election outcome. They took their grievances to court and accepted the verdict although this was not favourable to them. I must also congratulate the Jubilee Coalition for being magnanimous and not provocative as they celebrated their victory. We also must salute the Kenyan Media for exhibiting a high standard of professional integrity and maturity throughout the exercise. This maturity exhibited by different actors in this Kenyan electoral process, is a source of pride for all the Africans. I congratulate all of you!

President Uhuru Kenyatta, the people of Kenya have given you the mantle of leadership at a time when great opportunities exist for the East African Region. There is total peace and harmony in the entire Region and, as you know, that was not always so. By concerted actions and sacrifice, we are together forcing all chauvinistic and wrong ideologies to retreat from our Region, especially in Somalia. This will mean full peace and focus on programmes that ensure real prosperity for East Africans. Our Region has also discovered substantial quantities of oil and natural gas. All the member countries of the EAC have varying levels and amounts of deposits of these natural resources. Uganda, in particular, discovered oil in 2006, but has not been able to start the extraction process owing to a battle our country has had with oil companies. Some of them had the usual stereotype impression about Africa, of being unable to understand our needs and let alone develop our resources in a correct manner. We rejected those schemes and are now about to conclude an oil and gas extraction plan that will be equitable to Uganda and the oil companies. Time has come, therefore, for our Region to coordinate policies that will optimize the use of our natural resources and make efficient use of their exploitation for the transformation of our communities.

As you all know, African nations have been struggling, begging and borrowing from external sources, to develop infrastructure that allows them a steady path to industrialization. On account of this coordinated effort and unity of purpose, we will meaningfully exploit our resources, add value to them and fully grow our economies to maturity and begin an irreversible break from poverty. This will be the true independence that African nations fought for. East Africa is not about oil alone. It is also about trade and the exchange of goods and services – utilizing the integrated market of East Africa. These newly discovered natural resources, therefore, are only catalysts to enable us move quickly and develop other sectors; sectors that are more durable and sustainable than minerals including oil and gas. Among the areas that must be aggressively developed is the trade within and outside the Region for Africa; so that the oil and gas found does not divert us, important as it may be. Our inexhaustible source of wealth is in agriculture, industry, services and the human resource that consumes what is produced and in turn produces items of trade. We need to improve the atmosphere for the East African producers (the business people) by completing the economic integration of East Africa.

East Africa intratrade, for example, stands at a paltry of 13% of all total trade volumes. The European Union (EU) and the North American trading blocks on the contrary, stand at 60% and 48% respectively.

Removing infrastructural barriers (using our discovered natural resources) and tackling production capacity constraints (skilling our labour force), therefore, will enhance productivity at household and enterprise levels, end poverty and make Africa much stronger. We should also remove completely the phenomenon of non-tariff barriers road such as numerous delays at weigh border bridges, police blocks, crossings, etc. In the scriptures, there is the Lord's Prayer, which teaches us: "thou shall not lead us into temptation but deliver us from evil". By remaining weak and fragmented, Africa tempts the greedy to try and dominate her. Africa has a duty to stop tempting others. Africa must integrate and strengthen herself. An integrated market makes it easier for companies to make a profit because they have more buyers. Furthermore, I want to salute the Kenyan voters on one other issue – the rejection of the blackmail by the International Criminal Court (ICC) and those who seek to abuse this institution for their own agenda. I was one of those that supported the ICC because I abhor impunity. However, the usual opinionated and arrogant actors using their careless analysis have distorted the purpose of that institution. They are What now using it to install leaders of their choice in Africa and eliminate the ones they do not like.

condemned. happened here in 2007 was regrettable and must be A legalistic process, especially an external one, however, cannot address those events. Events of this nature first and most importantly, need an ideological solution by discerning why they happened. Why did inter community violence occur? Was it for genuine or false reasons? Even if you assume they were genuine reasons as a hypothetical argument, why should villagers attack one another? Would the villagers have been responsible for whatever mistakes that would have occurred? Instead of a thorough and thoughtful process, we have individuals engaged in legal gymnastics! In Uganda's case, between 1966 and 1986, we lost about 800,000 persons killed by the leaders who were in charge of the country.

How did we handle that sad history? Have you ever heard us asking ICC or the UN to come and help us deal with that sad chapter of our history? We only referred Joseph Kony of LRA to ICC because he was operating outside Uganda. Otherwise, we would have handled him ourselves. Equally, Kenyan actors are the ones best qualified to sit and delve into their history in order to discover the ideological stimuli the Kenyan society needs. I, therefore, use this opportunity to salute the Kenyan voters again, rejecting that blackmail and upholding the sovereignty of the Kenyan people. The people of Kenya extended hospitality to Ugandans when they had to run out of their country because of criminal rule in Uganda. I thank the people of Kenya and their leaders for this. Finally, I salute His Excellency Mwai Kibaki with whom I worked so closely and who has served Kenya for the last 50 years in political leadership. He also contributed to the struggle for Uganda's independence when he was a lecturer and student at Makerere University in the 1950s and 60s. May his retirement be enjoyable. Thank you very much.

Kenyan Genocide Perpetrators

Source: http://kenyangenocide.blogspot.com/

ALLEGED PERPETRATOR	BACKGROUND	ALLEGATION/S	SUPPORTING INFORMATION ON THE ALLEGATIONS
The late Hon. Lorna Laboso	M.P, Sotik Constituency	Planning and incitement to violence	On the third week of January 2008, she attended a purpoted peace meeting at Manaret Society, and incited the local community after which a vicious attack against the Kisii was instead intensified. together with Frankline Bett, they talked to and incited about 700 youths at Sotik Tea Estate and immediately they left, the youths began to burn houses belonging to the Kisiis.
Hon. Franklin Bett	M.P, Bureti Constituency	Planning, incitement, and financing the violence	During a public meeting in Kiptororo in Kuresoi in December 2007, he reportedly urged the Kalenjins to fight Kikuyu until they leave Molo area.Before the elections, he and other prominent politicians attended a meeting in the interior Ndoinet forest. After the said meeting, the group that attended attacked and destroyed properties belonging to the non-Kalenjins. It is believed that they incited the locals to attack non-Kalenjins.He brought young men (boys) in groups of more than 300 from Bomet who worked with Luo locals to attack the Kikuyu.Together with the late Kipkalia Kones and the late Kimtai Too they financed the Kalenjin youth who attacked the Kikuyu and Kisii in Kericho.He organized youths to attack the Kikuyu and Kisiis in Kericho. He gave them transportation, fuel and food and held meetings at Kericho Tea Hotel and other places.He told supporters that "all the investors in Kericho and in the estates will be either Kalenjins or Indians." This statement is said to have given the youths motivation to attack all other tribes especially the Kisiis and Kikuyus.He is said to have been explaining to the people who attended a meeting in Kipkatet that no one can take what belongs to the Kalenjins, especially land.In a meeting held in Chopkiobet in Bomet, he is quoted to have said that he "will beat up Kikuyus till they leave Molo.Together with the late Kipkalia Kones and the late David Too, they organized and facilitated the youths to be transported from Transmara and Bomet in Lorries through Silibwet and go to chase Kikuyus from Kuresoi.He intimidated people at the Kericho Police Station and told them that those that give information to the investigators on the post election violence will be lynched.Eye Witnesses have reported that on the 30th of December 2007 at around 10.00 am, at the Caltex Petrol Station in Kericho town, he gave unspecified amount of money to some Kalenjin and Luo men who immediately after the said payment started stoning anf burning kiosks perceived to be owned by Kikuyus but were in actual fact owned by the Kipsigis and Kisii people.
The late Hon. David Kimutai Too	MP, Ainamoi Constituency	Planning, incitement, and financing the violence	On the 23rd November 2007 went to Stagemart in Kericho and addressed a crowd asking residents to remove all stains/spots (Madoadoa) from the region. In January 2008 he asked that all the stains/spots (Madoadoa) be removed from the region. Together with Kipkalia Kones and Frankline Bett they financed the Kalenjin youths who attacked the Kikuyu and Kisii in Kericho.
The Late Hon. Kipkalia Kones	Former MP, Bomet Constituency and Minister	Planning, incitement, and finacing the violence.	In January 2008 while addression youths he is reported to have tolf the youths: "When we tell you to block, make sure you block the roads, and when we tell you to remove, make sure you remove them." Kalenjin raiders were hosted at his residence in Sirikwa from where they launched attacks against the Kikuyu and Kisii. Together with Frankline Bett and the late Kimutain Too they financed the Kalenjin youths who attacked Kisiis in Kericho.
Hon. William Ruto	MP, Eldoret North Constituency, Minister	Planning, incitement, and financing the violence	In August 2007 he held a meeting with the other senior ODM leaders in Kipkelion near Kericho including Sotik MP the late Lorna Labodo, the late Kipkalia K. Kones (Bomet), Kiprono L. J. Magerer (Kipkelion), and Franklin Bett (Bureti) where the leaders resolved to carry out mass evictions of non-Kalenjins from 'their' Rift Valley areas, particularlly the Kikuyu and Abagusii. During the oppening ceremony for the Seventh Day Adventist Church in a place called Mailing, he is alleged to have said that they would uproot the "sangari", 'shake off the soil,' 'gather it together' and 'burn it', in reference to 'outside' communities. He is alleged to have addressed the public at Bisabil shopping center in Turbo near Burnt Forest and incited the local Kalenjin and Luhya communities against the Kikuyu. At a meeting on 22/12/2007 at his home in Sugoi he said that his headache was Mr. Jonathan Bii, his opponent, who supported Kikuyu on the land issue and directed that they should be attacked if they dared campaign in the areas.
Hon. Boaz Kaino	MP, Marakwet West Constituency	Inciting violence	At a meeting he said that he would remove Kikuyu and Kisii from the area after the elections.
Hon. Dr. Sally Kosgey	MP, Aldai Constituency and Cabinet Minister	Planning, incitement, and financing the violence	With Hon. Henry Kosgey, they attended meetings to aorganise violence. They are alleged also to have funded violence.
Hon. Fred Kapondi	MP, Mt. Elgon Constituency	inciting violence	He attended and addressed a rally at Ziwa where violence was planned. Alleged to have said that Luhyas should be expelled from Trans Nzoia.
Hon. Henry Kosgey	MP, Tinderet constituency and Cabinet Minister	Planning, incitement, and financing the violence	He held several meetings with the Nandi Hills area councillors and other opinion leaders at Septon Guest House within Septon Eastate. The meeting, it is believed, was for planning and organization of violence.

Uganda’s rising debt burden shows government insensitivity

Failure to disburse loans for projects such as roadworks is responsible for bad road network in the country.  

By Isaac Imaka

Posted  Sunday, July 31  2011 at  00:00

As the US is struggles to pay her debts and Greece is struggles to look for money to save its crumbling economy, Uganda is busy accumulating debts yet almost half of the loans are lying idle with the Ministry of Finance.

Uganda was a beneficiary of debt relief under both the first Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) and the Enhanced HIPC Initiative in April 1998 and April 2000 - a move which, according to a study: ‘HIPC Debt Relief and Poverty Reduction Strategies: Uganda’s Experience’ by Florence Kuteesa and Rosetti Nabbumba, was supposed to enable Uganda remain on a sustainable debt path for the foreseeable future, but the intension of the debt relief is yet to be realised. 

Indebtedness level
Early this month, the Ministry of Finance, in its report on ‘Loans, Grants and Guarantees’, said Uganda’s debt burden as at March 31 stood at $4.29 billion (about Shs11 trillion), up from $1.4 billion (about Shs3.2 trillion) in 2006/07 financial year.

Presenting a $50m loan acquisition request before the Parliamentary Committee on National Economy recently, junior Finance Minister Aston Kajara said the ministry nowadays gets concessional loans. But the increasing level of indebtedness, according to some analysts, shows government’s insensitiveness to the spirit of the 2007 National Debt Strategy. The strategy condemns the act of increasing the country’s debt burden because it has negative implications for government budgeting and the economy as a whole.

The countries level of indebtedness has in a less than five years risen from $1.4b (Shs3.65t) to $4.29b (Shs11t). And according to former Uganda Debt Network coordinator, Zie Gariyo, the seemingly untamed rise shows the extent to which “we are undisciplined as a country” because the development level in the country does not correlate well with the debt burden.

“If we borrow money to construct health centres or rehabilitate hospitals, where are they?” Mr Gariyo, asks. “The loans are sometimes meant to beef up our country’s reserves but if you deplete the reserves and spend the money on buying jets, then we can never realise the importance of those loans.”

Former shadow minister for finance Oduman Okello says the debt level is going to eat up the State and the resources for delivery of services such as health, agriculture and infrastructure are gong to be diverted to servicing loans.

“The debt portfolio had become stable but over the years, the graph is taking us back to where we came from and in the end, we shall have a debt overhung,” Mr Okello says.

The debt portfolio’s annual rise would not be an issue because, according to Mr Gariyo, the country has to borrow anyway “at least $250m (Shs652b) from the World Bank to remain credit worthy.” But what brings the difference is the amount of borrowed money lying idle with the Ministry of Finance as undisbursed funds - funds committed by the creditor, but not yet utilised by the borrower. According to a Ministry of Finance report, out of the $4.29b debt burden, $2.8 (about Shs7t), is lying undisbursed.

Borrowed from different development banks such as the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa, the Nordic Development Fund, and the International Fund for Agricultural Development, the money is supposed to fund development projects to help in alleviation of poverty, improve on infrastructural development and build capacity and human resource.

Mr Gariyo says the failure to disburse loans does not necessarily arise out of failure to use the money. “The loans are in most cases released in phases according to how a country handles its budget. If it is quarterly, the loans will be released by the creditor quarterly until the project is finished,” he says. He adding that before more money off the borrowed loan is released, the government must first account for the previous disbursement. “The creditors do not release money without accountability of the earlier disbursement. That’s why you see there is money lying there as undisbursed loans.”

The report cites challenges in procurement process and government’s failure to honour its promise to deliver part of its contribution as the main causes for the delay in utilising the loans.

Some projects
Farm Income Enhancement and Forestry Conservation, a $6.01m (Shs156b) loan project from Nordic Development Fund committed by government in 2005, was supposed to end last year but the Ministry of Finance, has used only $0.86m (Shs22.4b) citing lack of capacity of the procurement and disposal unit in the Ministry of Water. 

Development programmes
Kampala Sanitation Programme, Phase One, a $53.19m (Shs138b)project funded by the African Development Bank and committed by government in 2009, has only used $0.26 (Shs678m) . And according to the Ministry of Finance, report, “the project has started disbursing this year and it is on course.”

The Road Development programme, Phase Three, for which a loan of $67.7m (Shs174b) and a grant of $40m (Shs104b) were obtained in 2005, had by March 31 used only $87.70m (Shs227b) leaving $20m Shs52b) unused.

According to Mr Gariyo, failure by governments to account for funds given for a particular quarter as well as failure by the governments to avail part of its contributions in form of counterpart funding, also contribute to the rise in undisbursed funds. “The failure to disburse is your problem as a country. The moment government commits itself to a loan, it starts paying commitment fees annually with or without using the loan.”