IN 2011 NAMUTAMBA DEMONSTRATION SCHOOL MADE 75 YEARS EDUCATING UGANDANS

The website:

http://namutambademschool.webs.com/

NAMUTAMBA DEMONSTRATION SCHOOL

75 years of Namutamba Demonstration School

Welcome to Namutamba Demonstration School

In 2011; Namutamba Demonstration School made 75 years teaching children from within Namutamba Parish.  We thank God very much for the products of the school; the teachers who have been devoted through the years; and we pray to God for a better future of the Demonstration School.

 The sign post which directs you where you have to branch off to go to the school

Geographical Location
Namutamba village derives its name from Namutamba Hill, located in Bulera Sub County in Mityana District. Mityana District was established on July 1st 2005 by an act of parliament with the aim of making administration and service delivery easier. Initially the district was part of Mubende District. Namutamba is an eighty eight (88) kilometers’ journey West of Kampala, via Mityana and twenty one (21) kilometers north of Mityana by road. Kampala is the Capital city of Uganda, our country being a land locked country is situated in East Africa.

The climate shows small variation of temperature, humidity and winds. The district experiences rain throughout the year, with heavy rains in March- April and September- November. The annual average rainfall is 930mm. It was a fertile hill, with an altitude of 13,520M above the sea level and used to be mostly covered in tall elephant grass. The high altitude ensures favorable climate with medium annual temperatures ranging from 17.2 degrees to 29 degrees centigrade

History of the School:
The School was started in 1936 AD as a Community School at Butumbizi. The Proprietor was Mr. LEA WILSON a British who came in the area to open up a Tea Estate.

 

The landscape of the Tea Estate, the pillar behind Namutamba initial growth by the Lea Wilson's

The purpose of starting this school was to enable the children of his workers (at the shamba) to have education. At this time the school was known as Butumbizi Sub- Grade. The parents were not directly paying school dues. School fee was deducted from the wages of the employees who had children. This was by the manager who would later pay it to the school administration.In 1941, the school was transferred from Butumbizi to Kiwanda. The reason for the transfer was to have it in close vicinity to Namutamba Vernacular Teacher Training College (VTTC) which had been transferred from Mukono. Students from the VTTC would carry out their School Practice at the school. The school name was changed to Namutamba Practicing School. The school had classes One to Three, and Reverend Bulasio. K. Lwanga was the Head teacher.
In 1946, the School was promoted to full Primary status that is from primary one to six and officially made a Demonstration School.

 

The staff of six at Namutamba Demonstration School - 1946.  Third from right is Mr. G. Tibamwenda who was appointed headmaster after Rev. Blasio Lwanga

In 1957, a Junior Secondary School was started with Mr. G. W. Kiberu and Mr. John Nagenda the class teachers. The Head teacher was Mr. G K TibamwendaIn July Mr. Nagenda John left for Makerere University.

The Late Besuel Kiwanuka

In 1959, the Principal, Mr. Kayongo appointed Mr. Besuel Kiwanuka Head of the upper classes and Mr. Tibamwenda the Head of the primary section. There were two heads under one School. In December 196,1 Mr. Besuel Kiwanuka was transferred to Kasaka Junior Secondary school.

 

 Mr. G.W. Kiberu

Mr. Kiberu was appointed Head teacher of the junior section after the departure of Mr. Besuel Kiwanuka.  July 1959, Mr. Kiberu left for an upgrading course at Buloba, and returned in 1960. Mr. Nabembezi Joshua Ssalongo was the 1st Head teacher of the fully integrated Namutamba Demonstration School and this was in 1964.

Mr. Nabembezi

In September 1965, Mr. Nabembezi was granted a Commonwealth Scholarship to study Education Administration in The United Kingdom.

 Mr. Fred Muleto

When Nabembezi left, Mr. Samuel Munyegenyo was appointed Acting Head teacher. Mr. J. Fred. Muleto (Ssalongo) joined the staff of Namutamba Demonstration School in September 1966. In January 1967, Muleto was appointed Head teacher hence taking over from Mr. Munyegenyo. Mr. Muleto left in April 1968 to take up an appointment as Assistant Education Officer within in the Ministry of Education.

  Mr. Kasule Yekosofati

Mr. Kasule Yekosofati joined Namutamba staff on 1st January 1966. On 1st May 1968, he was appointed third full Head teacher succeeding Mr. Muleto. At the end of 1970; Kasule went to study for a diploma at Makerere University Kampala.
When Mr. Kasule Yekosofati left, Mr. Kaboggoza Kalibbala David replaced him and was Head teacher up to 1977. Kaboggoza had been District Sports Officer for Mubende district. Mr. Njagala Godfrey was promoted Head teacher of Namutamba Demonstration School after the departure of Kaboggoza, but his appointment was short as he took up a teaching post at Namutamba Teachers College.
Mr. Sebuliba Seth replaced Mr. Njagala as Head teacher in 1980 and he was Head teacher of the school up to 1985

 Mrs. Merab. C. Bukenya

The 1st woman Head teacher appointed was Mrs. Merab. C. Bukenya. This was in 1986 and she stayed in the position up to her retirement in 1994.

 

Mr. John Kataza Head teacher 

In 1995, Mr. Kataza John Livingstone was appointed Head teacher of the school the position he held up to 2001. Later he was replaced by Mr. Kyobe Nathaniel who was Head teacher up to 2004 when he was transferred. Mr Kataza was re-appointed to Head the school a position he  holds holds to-date 2011.

Appreciation of the Demonstration School

 

The Main Building with Primary Seven Classes at Namutamba Dem.

 

Children having porridge for lunch in what serves as the Kitchen

The sorry state of what serves as  a Library.  The place is so small and no infrastructure for a Library in place.

The place above serves for worship as well as a cool environment for reading

 

Some of the children at school

 

The sorry state of one of the teacher's house.  This situation is to all staff accommodation at the Demonstration School.

 

 A staff house in a very bad shape

One of the three newly put up buildings at the School

 

A former primary one class abandoned due to the state in which it is; however can be repaired

 

This building stands incomplete, and there is worry that it may get damaged before completion.

 Fruit trees can do very well if planted to provide for the children diet as well as income when surplus is sold off

OPEN BUDGETS SAVE LIVES

TELL AFRICAN LEADERS:

OPEN BUDGETS. SAVE LIVES.

1-click. Add your name.

Dear Willy,
Nearly 200,000 ONE members from all over the continent told us earlier this year that accessing quality healthcare is one of Africa’s most urgent development priorities. And there are plenty of reasons why.
Preventable and treatable diseases such as AIDS, TB, and malaria continue to kill more than 2 million people in Africa every year, whilst every day 2,000 children die from diarrhoea.
What’s so tragic is that we know how to stop these scourges. Over the last few decades, we have learned so much about what it takes to solve global health challenges. Smart planning, effective delivery, public-private partnerships and local innovation can all work together to improve our health. But regardless of where you live, there has to be enough money to fund this work. And that’s where you can step in.
We’re launching a campaign asking Africa’s leaders to increase funding to health care and to open up our countries’ health budgets so that we can save lives. When we all know how our taxes are spent, we will be one step closer to solving our greatest health problems.
So join me today in signing our petition:
http://act.one.org/go/1334?t=5&akid=4060.1988152.6F3Bda
The petition reads:
Dear African leaders,
AIDS, TB, and malaria are all preventable and treatable, yet together they still kill more than 2 million African people each year. Please open your budgets and keep your promises on health spending, so that these deaths can be avoided.
We know we can do this. Twelve years ago, our leaders signed a historic commitment to spend 15% of our countries’ budgets on healthcare in Abuja, Nigeria. But only six countries are now doing so.
Let’s tell our leaders to meet their funding promise and show us where the money is being spent. Open budgets will save lives.
http://act.one.org/go/1334?t=7&akid=4060.1988152.6F3Bda
Thank you,
Dr. Sipho S. Moyo
Africa Director, ONE.org

IS MADHVANI'S KAKIRA SUGAR PAYING SOME MONEY TO STATE HOUSE WHICH WOULD BE GOVERNMENT TAX?

Yesterday, some one told me that employees at Kakira cannot easily strike.  He connected it to what he said was a fact that the company has 'good touch' with Statehouse!  He said that these people have an airstrip and that goods come in to this site and a revenue vehicle goes thereafter, but chances are that the would be tax liability is not met as required by law, may be just part of it!   He went further and told me that the company declares just part of its daily production for tax purposes.

As I have stated up, this is what I was told.  It is in the court of Parliament and other organs of Government to establish the truth as it looks like a lot of money may be going to State House this way instead of going to the Consolidated fund.  The saying of money being taken to State House is not new.  In the days of UTODA, so information was going around that UTODA was regularly reemitting money to State House and this was their security to avoid paying as required to KCC.

President Museveni makes a lot of expenditures many of whose source is not clear.  Sometime on a talk show, some MP said that an Asian had told him that if it were not the support they make to politicians including State House, they would contribute much more to community initiatives.

May be a lot needs to be done to see that money supposed to be Government revenue does not become State House income, knowing very well the burden the people of Uganda shoulder on behalf of State House given the vicious circle of supplementaries they always request.

William Kituuka   

   

IMPROVING ACCESS OF CONDOMS CAN HELP REDUCE HIV INFECTION RATES

Why is Uganda's HIV Rate Back on the Rise

There is need to find a way of availing condoms easily and cheaply as well as free to those who need them. As of now, it is not only a difficult decision going to buying a condom from wherever it may be, but even the cost. A Protector goes may be at shs 500, 700 or even a pack! It is one reason that some people send children to collect these condoms.

My idea is that those marketing condoms could have them as a compliment on goods sold. One goes for a bottle of soda and can find a pack as a compliment. if only one experiments with buying condoms, you may find it is not easy, the opinion those people who sell condoms have about one who buys is anybody's guess. It is therefore necessary to find a method that can ease the getting of condoms by those who need them and an affordable price.

William Kituuka

The government is blaming complacency for rising HIV prevalence rates, but medical interventions are just as important.

Article | 12 October 2012 - 10:15am | By Andrew Green

Villagers in Uganda line up to get tested for HIV. Photograph by Victoria Holdsworth/Commonwealth Secretariat.

Kampala, Uganda:

HIV is on the rise in Uganda and officials are pointing the finger at people like Margaret Kintu, who tested positive two years ago. Like most young Ugandans, the 26-year-old had been drilled in the ABCs of HIV prevention – abstain, be faithful or use a condom. The slogan spearheaded the behaviour-change campaign launched in the 1990s, contributing to a double-digit drop in the country’s HIV rate.
Kintu says she encouraged her boyfriend to wear condoms, but that he “wanted to produce” so eventually they went without. She says she assumes that is how she became infected, though her boyfriend has never been tested, so she cannot be sure.
The rising number of new infections – now estimated at 130,000 per year – has pushed Uganda’s HIV prevalence rate up from 6.4% in 2005 to 7.3% last year. A country that was once a star of the international AIDS community is moving backwards.

Relaxing on HIV?

After the new numbers were released in June, Dr Vinand Nantulya, chairman of the Uganda AIDS Commission, put out an exclamation-point laden statement saying, “The key driver of infections in adults is complacency!” Indeed, this idea of complacency forms the chief line taken by officials in explaining the rising numbers.
But activists and HIV patients say that spinning a complacency narrative around the rising rate oversimplifies the situation. While people still have a responsibility to reduce their own risk, there are biomedical interventions – unknown at the advent of the ABC campaign – that can dramatically reduce the risk of transmission. Scaling up these interventions could help safeguard people like Kintu who forgo traditional prevention strategies, but, some groups say, the country has not moved fast enough in deploying them.
Though incomplete, however, the complacency narrative is not entirely inaccurate. The AIDS Indicator Survey (AIS) that announced the rise in HIV prevalence also reported that more than three-quarters of Ugandans between 15 and 59 know how to protect themselves from contracting HIV – either by using a condom or sticking to one uninfected partner. But despite this knowledge, many are not. Among the number of men who reported having more than one sexual partner over a year, for example, less than 14 % said they used a condom when they last had sex.
“To some extent, people have relaxed,” Frank Matsiko, a counsellor with Ugandan NGO Integrated Community Based Initiatives (ICOBI), tells Think Africa Press. The introduction of antiretroviral therapy (ART) went a long way towards slowing the drumbeat of deaths in the country, he says. But “some people – especially those who are not well sensitised – have relaxed and taken it for granted that one can have HIV and go on treatment and stay as long as he wants.”
According to the AIS, the Ministry of Health identified “declines in protective sexual behaviour and increased risk-taking behaviour” as early as five years ago, as the first generation which grew up when ART treatment was available came of age.
According to Reverend Canon Henry Ntulume, archdeacon of the Nateete parish in Kampala, this knowledge did not lead the government to call religious or cultural leaders to encourage their followers to take greater vigilance, as happened during the 1990s. It is not just the general public that has “relaxed”, he says.

Becoming AIDS-free

The difference between now and the 1990s is that a successful HIV prevention strategy is more than just a behaviour-change campaign led by invigorated leaders. Research advances have offered a slew of new interventions – such as prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT), safe male circumcision (SMC) and access to universal treatment – that have the potential to slash a country’s HIV transmission rate.
These programmes are the lynchpins of US president Barack Obama’s goal of an “AIDS-free generation” which he announced on World AIDS Day 2011 – a vision that Uganda’s Ministry of Health has signed on to. However, these services are still not broadly available in Uganda. While complacency and the leadership gap are important challenges to overcome, activists say it is equally important to focus on scaling up the biomedical interventions.
Uganda still has at least 20,000 HIV-positive babies born every year. This is “something we could cross out overnight,” Richard Ochai, outgoing executive director of the AIDS Support Organisation (TASO), tells Think Africa Press. “If only we had the commitment to put the resources into PMTCT, we could stop it.”
In addition, three randomised control trials in sub-Saharan Africa, including one in Uganda, found circumcision could reduce HIV transmission by as much as 60%. Critics say the results were skewed by biased researchers, but the findings were accepted by the World Health Organisation which recommended SMC as an intervention for HIV prevention in 2007. In Uganda, where three-quarters of men are uncircumcised, AIS found that 50% of those men actually wanted the procedure. Demand has outstripped resources though, and the programme has made little headway in reducing the uncircumcised population.
Then there is treatment. Uganda has not yet introduced universal access to ART; it is only available for patients whose immune systems have deteriorated beyond a certain point. However, nearly 250,000 of the patients who qualify for drugs under the country guidelines are not receiving them, according to UNAIDS. As the number of new annual HIV infections (130,000 in 2011) continues to outnumber the number of new patients being enrolled in ART (40,000 in fiscal year 2010-11), the gap will only grow wider.

Winning the battle

The complacency narrative is a convenient headline to redirect attention from the more systemic problems that have slowed down these programmes. ICOBI’s Matsiko points to a short-staffed and underpaid cadre of government health workers. Only about half of Uganda’s public-sector health positions are filled, which means that there are not enough people to do the necessary outreach, counselling and follow up, he says.
But even as key health officials publicly chide people for complacency, donors and the government are beginning to direct more energy toward finding the resources to make programmes like PMTCT and SMC work. TASO’s Ochai highlighted the idea of an AIDS trust fund being floated by officials, which would tax things like cigarettes and alcohol sales and plough the money into HIV interventions. Advocates say that this is a tacit acknowledgement that despite the finger pointing, there is general recognition that Uganda’s HIV problem is much broader than mere complacency.
“Government is getting the point that we need to do something,” says Ochai. “We have to be relevant to the changing environment, the changing policies, the changing science. We have to modify how we fight, so we can win the battle.”
Think Africa Press welcomes inquiries regarding the republication of its articles. If you would like to republish this or any other article for re-print, syndication or educational purposes, please contact:editor@thinkafricapress.com

SOME OF THE FACES OF THOSE WHO ATTENDED THE 2nd UGANDAN UK CONVENTION

 

The link:http://humanrightsambassador.blogspot.com/2013/06/some-of-faces-of-those-who-attended-2nd.html

William Kituuka

Medical Workers without pay for 3 months? I did not know Uganda had gone to the dogs.

A friend of mine told me just last Sunday that some woman in Masaka had told him that they had not received pay for 3 months!  Imagine, peanuts and the money not delivered?  Uganda can do better if only Museveni and company knew the country destiny and had it as a priority.

After the murder of the New vision journalist, what came to my mind is that we have entered the most tricky period in Uganda.  As long as some people are at liberty to freely interfere with our communication, be sure more robberies and murders will take place.  These people will know the transactions others have made and if President Museveni does not watch the interference with people's communication, chances are that it may be equivalent to the mistake Amin made to invade Kagera.  Not many people will stand this for long.

William Kituuka Kiwanuka

SOMETHING MUST BE DONE TO STOP DRIVING WITHOUT OBSERVING RULES

By Benon Tugumisirize                   

Two Americans believed to be tourists were on Monday killed in an accident that occurred along Kampala-Masaka highway at Nabusanke near Kayabwe in Mpigi district.

Katonga Regional Police spokesperson, Phillip Mukasa, identified the deceased as George Hutchinson from Georgia USA, Stephen Bradford from Virginia USA and their Ugandan driver Joseph Muwonge.

Bradford died at Nkozi hospital where he was rushed by a good Samaritan, Gen. Elly Tumwine.

Mukasa said the accident happened Monday afternoon when the vehicle, a Toyota Prado in which they were travelling in to Kampala had a head-on collision with a Masaka bound milk tanker.

 The tanker was overtaking another vehicle in a sharp corner.

Police attributed the cause of the accident to reckless driving by a milk tanker driver who fled into the bush after the accident.

IT IS SO SAD THE MURDER OF THOMAS PERE - NEW VISION STAFF

The writer, who left the New Vision offices late for his home in Kawuku along Kampala-Entebbe road, was single. He was found dead in Masajja with several injuries and the body has been taken to Mulago hospital for a postmortem.

A statement to all staff of Vision Group Monday morning said: " It is with deep sorrow that we announce the death of Thomas Pere; The New Vision Editorial Writer who was murdered yesterday at Masajja. Burial arrangements will be communicated. Our heart felt condolences to friends and family. May his soul rest in eternal peace."
Preliminary reports from Katwe Police Station

"Thomas Pere (R.I.P), had injuries all over his body, however, there were no signs of struggle at the scene of crime which led the police to conclude that the crime was committed elsewhere and the body dumped in the trench. The body was taken to Mulago hospital for a postmortem."

The police recovered his ’ ID, New Vision access card, ATM cards, Wallet and phones. The body is still at Mulago for a postmortem

"Thomas lived in Kawuku along Kampala-Entebbe road . He lived alone, had no wife or children."

KAZINDA SHOULD BE HELPED TO GET A CHANNEL TO INFORM THE WORLD WHO ACTUALLY STOLE THE LION'S SHARE OF THE OPM FUNDS FOR NORTHERN UGANDA

By the way, do you know that a signatory to a bank account can intentionally use a signature which differs from the one he gave to the bankers, that way, it becomes possible to forge one's own signature to facilitate fraud!
William Kituuka Kiwanuka.
Kazinda is guilty, rules High Court
Kampala

Guilty. That was the verdict reached by court yesterday in the case where Geoffrey Kazinda, the interdicted principal accountant in the Office of the Prime Minister, was accused of forgery among other crimes.

Justice David Wangutusi of the Anti-Corruption Division ruled that Kazinda, whose trial has been the talk of the nation, was guilty of 29 counts of fraud as had been indicated by the prosecution.

Key among the accusations was that Kazinda forged more than 20 signatures of his then boss and permanent secretary at the OPM, Mr Pius Bigirimana, with intent to defraud the institution.
Among the forged documents were security papers and withdraw forms (both very high sensitive documents that are used in transaction of huge sums of money), which were recovered by the police from Kazinda’s home in Bukoto, a Kampala suburb.

Whereas no money was lost in this case, prosecution said Kazinda had intentions of defrauding OPM if the situation had not been arrested early.

Addressing a packed and tense courtroom, Justice Wangutusi said prosecution had proved beyond reasonable doubt that Kazinda committed all the 29 offences. “This court finds that prosecution has proved its case beyond reasonable doubt and does not agree with the assessors who advised this court to acquit him.”

On forging Mr Bigirimana’s signatures, the judge said expert evidence proved the forgery and noted that Kazinda was behind the move. “In my opinion, PW9 (Mr Bigirimana) was not the author of the signature on the specimen, so who forged them?” asked Judge Wangutusi. “The circumstances under which these documents were found being hidden in a student’s room in his mother’s house and yet they were very sensitive documents, it’s traceable to him (Kazinda).”
Kazinda’s mother’s house is in the same compound that houses her son’s mansion in Bukoto.

Motive
The judge added: “It’s my view that the motive to cover an illegal act, points at him as the one who forged the documents.” The judge announced that he would pass the actual sentence next Wednesday. However, the law prescribes a maximum sentence of seven years for abuse of office, seven years for making a document without authority, three years for forgery and for unlawful possession of government stores.

Smartly clad in a dark-blue suit, Kazinda who has been on remand in Luzira Prison since October last year, seemed unbothered after the ruling. There was drama, however, when Kazinda asked to address court and accused the police of making off with his mother’s documents, adding that she needed them. The judge advised him to follow up the matter using his “able” lawyers.

Principal State Attorney Jane Frances Abodo asked court to hand Kazinda the maximum custodial sentence, to act as a deterrent to rising corruption in the country.

She said the fact that Kazinda was in possession of government property at his mother’s home, it indicated that there was intention to defraud donor money and the taxpayers. Ms Abodo said the crime was even graver, considering that the office Kazinda plotted to defraud houses critical politicians like the Prime Minister and the First Lady.

Maximum sentence
“The convict needs to be taken away from circulation and reflect on what he has done, we are praying for the maximum sentence,” Ms Abodo told court. But defence lawyer Augustine Idoot asked court to give Kazinda a lenient sentence, preferably a fine instead of the custodial one. He argued that Kazinda is a bread winner, married with children and dependents to look after. The lawyer also reasoned that there was nothing special about OPM, indicating that it is like “any other office”.

editorial@ug.nationmedia.com

PRESIDENT MUSEVENI WILL BE REMEMBERED FOR CHILDREN WHO ARE GIVEN 2 LASHES AND THEY ARE DEAD!

During the 60's and the 70's many children could get more than 10 lashes and life would be normal. Unfortunately, given Museveni's hard times where many children do without food malnutrition is the order of the day. many children can die even after 2 canes!
William Kituuka Kiwanuka
Shs2 trillion lost to hunger, study shows

The study calls for mandatory provision of fortified foods to school-going children.

Children queue for food. The study calls for mandatory provision of fortified foods to school-going children. COURTESY PHOTO
By Olive Eyotaru

Posted Thursday, June 20 2013 at 01:00

In Summary

According to a study titled, The Cost of Hunger in Africa, the government spends billions of shillings treating diarrhoea and anemia among children with under nutrition.

Uganda is losing colossal amounts of its resources to hunger, a new study has revealed.
The study shows that an equivalent of 5.6 per cent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product or Shs1.8 trillion is lost to costs associated with treating and managing under nutrition directly caused by inadequate access to food.

Titled; ‘The Cost of Hunger in Africa’, the study found that in 2009, an estimated 1.6 million additional clinical cases associated with under nutrition in children under the age of five cost government about Shs526 billion to treat diarrhoea, anemia, respiratory infections and other clinical conditions.

This, in turn, had a direct effect on the education of children, with stunted children noted to have a 12.2 per cent higher grade repetition than non-stunted children at nine per cent.
The effects of stunted growth stretches well into adulthood with about 54 per cent or 8 million of Uganda’s working age population said to have been stunted in their childhood.

An estimated 943 million working hours were lost due to people who were absent from work as a result of nutrition-related mortalities, taking the economy back by Shs657 billion. Prof. John Kakitahi, from Makerere University, who gave a keynote speech at the launch of the study, said the government may incur even higher costs in trying to address child nutrition.

Solution
Speaking at the launch of the findings on Tuesday, the Prime Minister, Mr Amama Mbabazi, decried the rising trend of malnutrition in the country, calling for a multi-sectoral approach to adopt policies that prevent unnecessary losses of human and economic potential.

“The critical period in formation of a human being is between zero and 1,000 days of life. The study provides us with an evidence base to build a case for food security, advocacy and policy discourse on nutrition,” Mr Mbabazi said.

The Premier said his office, which co-authored the report with support from the African Union Commission, New Partnership for Africa’s Development and World Food Programme (WFP), will continue to roll out mass sensitisation programmes to educate parents on the importance of proper child feeding.

“If we are serious about development of Uganda, we need to deal with this. The Scale Up Nutrition project, which has been rolled out in 13 districts, is supporting efforts to fight hunger and malnutrition among children,” Mr Mbabazi said.

WFP country director Sory Ouane said the results of the study were worrisome.
“Cutting hunger and achieving food and nutrition security in Africa is not only one of the most effective means of reducing the vulnerability and enhancing resilience of national economies. It also produces high returns for social and economic development,” Mr Ouane said.

Mr Matia Kasaija, the State Minister for Finance in-charge of planning, called for the enactment of the proposed food and nutrition law, which provides for the formation of a Food and Nutrition Council.

The council would make food a human right and punish individuals who deny themselves and others food. The study recommends mandatory provision of fortified foods to school -going children and those above six months of age. It also calls for increased nutrition sensitisation among vulnerable communities; review of national strategies to include stunting as one of the indicators of country’s social and economic development framework among others.

The study was conducted in 12 countries, including Botswana, Ethiopia, Kenya, Egypt, Malawi, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ghana, Mauritania, Rwanda and Swaziland.

editorial@ug.nationmedia.com

I REALLY WONDER HOW THE GOVERNMENT OF UGANDA CAN PUT VAT ON MULAGO WATER

There is something which I fail to understand.  I there VAT on water bills paid by the likes of Mulago.  If so, some Ugandans are simply myopic or they don't know what they are doing.  Government should stop taxing Government, because in most cases it does not make sense.

The move is to improve tax administration and generate revenues, finance minister, Maria Kiwanuka said Thursday.

"This measure will raise sh8 billion and details are contained in the VAT (Amendment Bill) 2013. This should not affect the prices paid by the majority of low-income consumers, as the price of a jerrycan from National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) will amount to about sh40 at communal taps," she said.

Expansion of withholding tax agents: Proposal widening the scope of withholding agents to capture non-compliant tax persons engaged in economic activities and not registered for income tax purposes. This measure is expected to generate sh5b. The details are contained in the Income Tax (Amendment Bill) 2013.

Tax and Revenue: The objectives of the various measures for the Financial Year 2013/14 are to raise revenues, enhance transparency in collection and enforcement, improve compliance and encourage investment.

No need to have new districts that have spiralled to more than double in the last two decades

Experience from the successful developing countries shows the importance of fiscally sustainable and well-functioning local governments for delivery of public services. Local governments have an advantage of being closer to the recipients of such services, but they may not use this advantage if they lack effective administrative structures and resources.

During the last two decades the number of district governments in Uganda has more than doubled. It is now time to implement reforms aimed at improving their performance, in particular increasing value-for-money in the services they provide.

This would involve bringing greater stability in the districts and intergovernmental system, enhancing its institutional design, and redesigning funding of the district governments.

AN APPEAL TO MEDDIE NSEREKO TO STOP HOSTING HON. NAMBOOZE ON HIS 7.00 – 9.00 PM PROGRAMME FOR THE GOOD OF CBS STAYING ON AIR

This is the second time I wish to appeal to Meddie Nsereko Sebuliba to stop hosting Hon. Betty Nambooze on his 7.00 – 9.00 pm programme at CBS for the security of the station remaining on air.  What Buganda and the CBS listeners went through in 2009 and 2010 should be history and not repeated.  I remember we were told that CBS was put back on air but the licence was not given back or whatever, meaning that it was like seeing to the station stick to some rules.

I wish to inform Sebulibba that Nambooze is a beneficiary of the Museveni Government.  Had it not been the oversized Parliament and the extra big allowances compared to what the people who deliver wealth to this country, may be Nambooze would not be what she is.  Nambooze does not add value when she comes to the station and talks as she did yesterday evening.  Ssebuliba ought to know that if Aga Khan’s investments could be closed for 7 days or so, a man who invested in Bujagali dam construction, what much does the NRM lose in closing CBS?  If Government can deliberately sit on shs 20 bn due to Buganda and is least bothered, the likes of nambooze should not be given chance to worsen the situation the people of Uganda have to go through.

Over the Lukwago saga, it is unfortunate.  However, when you use common sense, you end up blaming him.  He had been warned not to convene any meeting during the time the hearings of his case with the Councilors is on, trust Lukwago and his friends, they kept on mobilizing people.  The question is, what value were the people to add to the tribunal hearings.  We need some bit of sense in what we are doing.

I got my blog and email deleted at Easter, I cried my tears, but common sense, though I have capacity to organize people told me that I find a solution to my problem.  Today, many of my email get tampered with, but I cannot disturb public peace for problems that affect me personally.  While the likes of Nambooze and the Lukwago’s are sure of their heavy salaries, they forget the people who go for kikumi and these are the Kiseka market people who had no business yesterday.  Our politicians need to be a bit more sensible.  Many of us are inconvenienced by what is going on, but more often than not, we make sensible decisions and other people are not unnecessarily killed as the boda boda guy who died yesterday.

I HAVE BEEN WITH NAMBOOZE IN SPIRIT IN ALL HER TROUBLES, BUT NOT HER CBS CONNECTION

I thank God the way I was brought up.  I went to one of those pioneer schools in Uganda that had very good moral and other educational foundation that is Namutamba Demonstration School formerly in Mubende district.  I seriously thought of a school that would give me good foundation, and given the stories about St. Mary's College Kisubi, I decided to apply to that school, and, God gave me the opportunity.  I studied at SMACK for 6 years, and I cannot regret it.  This background is the basis of my analysis of the political developments, and the call for being rational.

Some people who are outside Uganda at times get issues and developments upside down.  What we need is rationality in what we do and say.  If some members have resources, just request for a copy of the Meddie Nsereko programme of Thursday, and imagine whether you think a rational person would have come up with the outbursts that Nambooze made.  There is no degree of desperateness that can compromise the station to such a level.  Surely, I have never loved Museveni moves; we parted in 1979 when he found us (SMACK students) demonstrating on Entebbe road and his soldiers surrounded us, and he forced us to go back to school, and till death I will not share in anything with Museveni because he lost my trust then.  Nambooze has enough to get her voice heard, this includes the Parliament, and she can call a Press Conference anytime she may wish, but it will be very irrational for CBS to keep giving her audience to a level where anytime many may be laid off and income to the station compromised not forgetting the many educative programs that are aired.  CBS management is free to do what they wish, but I once again say, for a reasonable Ugandan, there is no value addition Nambooze’s participation will make apart from putting Buganda’s relations with Government even worse.

Evidence where I have supported Nambooze’s cause:

http://williamkituuka.blogspot.com/2010/05/nambooze-will-either-win-or-bakaluba.html

http://williamkituuka.blogspot.com/2010/05/betty-namboozes-long-anticipated.html

http://williamkituuka.blogspot.com/2010/05/by-saying-that-he-had-paid-shs-500m-to.html

William Kituuka

Flag this message CAN THE GOVERNMENT SERIOUSLY WORK ON A NEW HEADQUARTERS FOR MAKINDYE SSABAGABO?

The headquarters of Makindye Ssabagabo should be in close vicinity to Freedom City around where the boundary is with Makindye division.  It is not clear why Government does not see this as a priority to re – locate the Sub – county to where it rightly belongs.  This Sub – county may be having the biggest potential in the whole of Wakiso, but why are priorities upside down? I imagine, given that the Sub – county uses Buganda’s Buildings, it is possible to make a deal where some land may be availed to the Sub – county so that it re – locates to where it should be doing business from and not Makindye Division, and this may give Buganda opportunity to recover premises currently used by the Sub – county.

William Kituuka

MALE MIDWIFES

We shall not go far as a country if we fail to respect genuine research findings.  While some women advocate for being attended to by male midwifes, research findings have it that the reason why many women in Eastern Uganda go for attention by traditional birth attendants is to avoid opening up to male health workers.  It therefore makes all the sense for Government to boost the figures of female midwifes to attend to women at birth.  Women who can make a choice for male midwifes can have their way, but we need to respect research findings.

William Kituuka  

WHAT FUTURE FOR UGANDA'S UPE?

Uganda teacher absenteeism is highest in world

Pupils of Kasubi C.O.U in class

To blame is the Ministry of Education, which is mandated to inspect schools, as well as ineffective School Management Committees.

The worryingly declining academic standards of Universal Primary Education are largely due to teacher absenteeism, a new report by the Dutch agency SNV says. The problem is so serious that teacher absenteeism in Uganda is ranked the highest in the world at 35%, with teachers guaranteed to miss at least two days of work each week.

The SNV findings come hot on the heels of another study commissioned by the Ministry of Education and carried out by the Makerere University Institute for Social Research. This earlier study considered the 12 poorest performing districts and found that teacher absenteeism was to blame for the pathetic performance.

According to a Senior Education Advisor at SNV, Mr. Kees De Graaf, the problem represents a major loss to the Treasury since 75% of monies invested in UPE, or $40million per annum, go into teacher salaries.
And the blame for this crisis is split between the ministry, which is mandated to inspect schools and monitor performance on one hand, and School Management Committees (SMCs) on the other.

The study by SNV shows that except in the Western Uganda district of Rukungiri, SMCs are ineffective. In addition, school inspections have fallen so much behind that the ministry has no idea what is happening in some schools. The findings came up during a seminar on how to improve the effectiveness of SMCs, organised by Makerere University’s Economic Policy Research Centre (EPRC) at the Imperial Royale Hotel recently.

MAKING SMCs WORK

The EPRC, World Vision Uganda, SNV and the Centre for Studies of African Economies based at the University of Oxford, are holding a study in four districts (Hoima, Iganga, Kiboga, and Apac) on how to make school management committees more effective. The quartet’s study also aims to establish the appropriate policy interventions that could improve management and accountability in Uganda’s public primary schools. 

It is based on the assumption that teachers and pupils need more motivation and that school management committees often perform poorly due to not knowing their actual roles, infrequent meetings, and uneven participation.

In this study and campaign, school management committees are required to use a school monitoring scorecard to measure progress. The scorecard works as an evaluation and monitoring tool where, parents, teachers, pupils, head-teachers and other members of the school record the performance of their schools, which is then communicated to the District Education Officer (DEO). 

According to Frederick Mugisha, a Senior Research Fellow with the Economic Policy Research Centre, “the intervention will serve as a tool for school inspection and help identify the most in need of supportive supervision.”

The policy, which is being supervised by the centre coordinating tutors from the Ministry of Education and Sports, if found successful, will be spread out to secondary schools and, then, to universities.
“With the advent of UPE, parents withdrew from these schools since they no-longer felt that they had a say in what happened there,” said Dr. Sarah Sewanyana, Executive Director of the EPRC.

ILLITERATE MEMBERS

Already in the four districts under review, differing opinions on the role of SMCs have been identified.
According to Kees De Graaf, parents in Hoima insisted that SMCs had been abolished with the advent of UPE. Elsewhere, none knew exactly how many members were supposed to be on the committees.

“To make matters worse, many committee members were illiterate or had no idea about the funding sent to schools or how it was spent,” De Graaf said.
The SNV official and his Makerere University counterparts felt that the best value intervention is not in putting up classrooms and other infrastructure, but in enhancing SMCs and teacher attendance. They explain that the lack of infrastructure is not the major impediment to good performance in UPE. 

The results are mirrored in a parallel study carried out by Kenya’s University of Nairobi which also established that parental control in schools was declining since the establishment of Free Primary Education (FPE) in 1997. In addition, over the last 10 years the well-to-do were shunning public schools due to declining academic standards, in preference for private schools whose enrollment has since tripled.

The study heard from parents who felt that with FPE, schools had been nationalised and as such they had no part to play in them. To resolve the problem, the Kenyan Ministry of Education is considering giving SMCs the power to hire and fire teachers, a move that has caused great controversy among teachers.
At present in Kenya, government teachers are paid KShs 90,000 per month (about UShs 2.3million), and even then there is a shortage of 44,000 teachers.

But under the new arrangement, the government is planning to recruit 80,000 teacher interns to help out. Problem is that the teacher interns will be paid KShs 4,000 per month (UShs 100,000) and will be under the direct supervision of the SMCs. A pilot study has already found that whereas the regular teachers miss about two days a month, teacher interns do not miss class at all, indicating that paying more does not necessarily motivate them to teach more regularly.

PUNITIVE ACTION
But other teaching professionals have suggested Uganda’s UPE could benefit from the ministry empowering the inspectorate to check up on schools and recommend punitive action for those teachers who fail to fulfill their duties.

Former Commissioner Inspectorate, Fagil Mandy, says some head teachers are unable to control their schools and ought to be relieved of their duties.
“Can you imagine in some schools head teachers don’t hold staff meetings because the teachers are away doing a second job outside the school?” he asked.

Mandy believes these head teachers are failing the schools that they run. During the EPRC seminar, a Ministry of Education official who declined to be named added that the ministry should take action where the inspectorate had previously recommended action against undisciplined head teachers. Those head teachers are still on duty, according to this official, because local politicians continue to interfere with school administration.

“If as a head teacher you are connected to a local politician you can’t be easily moved and that means the school is doomed,” he lamented.

mtalemwa@observer.ug
eupal.ff@googlemail.com

AN OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT MUSEVENI OVER THE DEVELOPMENTS IN COMMUNICATION IN UGANDA

Dear President Museveni,

I wish to inform you that the development by your Government of intercepting our communication be it by phone or the Internet is most unfortunate.  All the time, your Government is calling for investors, but who is to invest in a country where all the communication has to go through a third party, many of whose credentials are questionable.  You may not believe, but the truth is that your people who are doing this work have gone to the extent of originating emails replying the ones we send out!  You can get a shock of your life to see your son referring to you as "William", only to realize that it is some ignorant party who has intercepted the email and replied to it.

I have to- date gone to at least 6 cafes where the Internet has got virtually off after I tried to access some website.  I cannot use my modem because the powers that be have blocked it!  It is common for someone to wring a number I have rang sometime only to realize that it is a fake person who pretends to be the owner of the phone number.  No body is secure with this development, because those getting money will get intercepted by the people who are monitoring our communication.

I realize, the NRM may have done a number of mistakes, but I think it is wrong to imagine that this  measure will save the regime. 

William Kituuka

IT IS SAD HOW PATHETIC UGANDA HAS GOT TO - BLOOD CAN NOT BE DONATED IN CONSTITUTIONAL SQUARE

 

In the photo Officers of Blood Transfusion Service prepare a place along the walkway below the Constitutional Square!  That is how pathetic Uganda has got to. 

Inside the Constitutional Square is where under normal circumstance be where donors would collect and donate blood.  But trust Uganda Politics, the place is kept by Police!

The two attached photos show the situation.  Those to collect blood are outside the Constitutional Square where they would be at home, courtesy NRM's leadership!
The 1st photo shows preparation to collect blood outside the Constitutional Square.
The second photo shows the Constitutional Square which is out of bounds!

William Kituuka 

Blood shortage is a bloody affair

Publish Date: Jun 09, 2013

Uganda Blood Transfusion Services (UBTS) officials say they lack testing kits.

newvision

 

By Simon Kaheru
First of all, the Government should spend more on health. Secondly, so should we - wananchi - directly.

Third, there are not too many differences between the Government and private sector, and yet there are massive differences between the Government and private sector. Confusing? That is Uganda.

When the story about hospitals lacking blood hit the front page this week, I quickly engaged lugezigezi and Googled the number of the Blood Bank.

During the time I had not been paying attention, someone had created the Uganda Blood Transfusion Services (UBTS) instead - and thankfully, they had a website. On top of that, the website works and gave me the numbers of the director, including her personal mobile phone number.

They were off. (I later learnt she was out of the country). But I persisted and sent an SMS, then an email. I was astonished, nay, shocked to get a reply just two hours later! From a government department!

I should not have been — this was a reminder that there are some good people working within our drab, low-paying, mundane (all assumptions) Government offices, who operate almost as efficiently as the impressive Ugandans working in high-paying, fashionable and vibrant (more assumptions) ‘corporate’ offices.

But then, supporting three above, in contrast, I am still waiting for a response from some Ugandans in specifically big corporate bodies; one, a telecommunications firm that has failed to recognise the meaning of the phrase: “Change this number from Talk Time, Post-Paid to Pre-Paid Pay As You Go” inspite of my having put it in writing on more than one occasion, backed up by verbal discussions; the second is a car dealership with an official, high-level franchise and a former employee engaged in fraud at a known location in Ntinda.

The Ugandans at the telecommunications firm are known to me by name, number and face, but still will not reply my emails or call me back, in spite of verbal promises to do so.
The car dealership, on the other hand, does not even have a valid website as the one listed on the business cards they distribute simply does not exist. And none of them cares, in spite of the myth that the Customer is King.

Back to the blood. The response I got from the UBTS was that the Government had, indeed, provided funds to purchase testing kits without them, blood donations could not take place, ergo the shortage.

I was invited, in the same email, to donate my blood and mobilise people to head over to blood collection centres at Fort Portal, Gulu, Mbale, Arua, Mbarara, Jinja, Hoima, Kabale, Rukungiri, Kitovu and Masaka. So go and donate blood.

But then I thought - I have never heard about a crisis shortage of key materials in the production of alcohol, cigarettes, soda beverages, cosmetics and so on and so forth. What does it say about us? That we have very efficient Ugandans running companies that make these things, but somehow we have other Ugandans who can allow blood testing kits to run out ENTIRELY?
Should we lure all those Ugandans working for breweries and cigarette companies into government service? But then again, how come there are also Ugandans ably collecting blood and engaging with a random citizen by email so readily (six emails that day alone)?

Mind-boggling probably defining what it is like to run this country.

Then, reading further into the story, the figures stuck out: Uganda needs 300,000 units of blood per year and 1,200,000 testing kits whose cost we do not know, though actual test fees are sh12,500 each.

So, if each Member of Parliament gathers 1,000 constituents to hand in a unit of blood every six months, we will be in a position to export blood to Kenya! For the money, Kampala weddings cost an average sh80m these days, and the average wedding contribution is sh100,000…okay, make it sh50,000.

Meanwhile, I am arranging for the telecommunications firm employees giving me grief and the fraudulent Ntinda mechanic to donate a really large amount of blood as my contribution to the Blood Bank..I mean, Blood Transfusion Services.