Wednesday 30 April 2014

IT IS BAD POLITICS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ABNORMAL UNEMPLOYMENT LEVELS IN UGANDA


Uganda is ‘blessed’ with bad politicians at the top. These have got all the priorities upside down. It is unbelievable that resource allocation is done in State House. What the powers at State House see as priorities is what takes the day. It is therefore no surprise that at this moment in time, there were resources to see NRM MPs go to constituencies to bribe voters to endorse Museveni as a single NRM Presidential candidate come 2016. When did this become a priority in a country where many of the economic indicators are a real mess.

When you talk about the incentives for investors, the bureaucracy is enough to put off many of the-would be potential investors, the currency depreciates every other day. You have to do a lot of calculation if you are to put up a processing plant in Uganda. The cost of power will simply put you out of business if you ever make a miscalculated risk by starting production before doing the right calculation.

We have seen instances where funds though a drop in the ocean are sent to the districts and not enough time is available to see the absorption of these funds, and in the process, the money is taken back. When this money is taken back, there is no assurance that it gets to the consolidated fund. The case where Kirumira was a beneficiary of such money is well known.

The local governments have a lot in form of work plans which if well funded would help in easing the unemployment, unfortunately, evidence around is such that these governments get a drop in the ocean, yet the Government created a lot of useless infrastructure like the District Committees which recruit manpower. It would make a lot of sense if these were on a regional basis instead of each district having such a commission of its own. It is also true that the allowances of the councilors and other political leaders negatively impact on the resources that would be available for development, yet much of the resources to the local councils is eaten by those responsible.
Today, Rwanda has lesson for Uganda simply because there is political will and patriotism, while here, we have a group that is simply after seeing President Museveni in power, however impoverished the people may be made.
You can for example wonder how a decision was made to spend the billions on a parking lot for the MPs, which parking is yet to be fully operational as additional shs 25 bn is needed for security. These irresponsible decisions are greatly responsible for the continued unemployment of the youth in Uganda.
There have been complaints about the army of Presidential Advisors whose output is believed not to be that worth the pay they get which to some is more like a retirement package.

Things are upside down in Uganda, and what makes it worse is that many of the would be policy makers including the MPs are compromised such that they make and or endorse decisions which seem to make political sense but not economic sense hence the continued unemployment and wastage of manpower. 

YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT IS MOST PRESSING PROBLEM - GOVERNMENT
Publish Date: Aug 14, 2013


By Vision Reporter

President Yoweri Museveni has acknowledged that unemployment is the main problem affecting the youth in the country and the entire world and said that government is tackling the problem by among other things attracting and facilitating foreign investment.

He however expressed disappointment that most Ugandans have not realised the importance of attracting investment.

“You the youth leaders should sensitize the youth to know their real enemies. Anyone who is sabotaging an investor foreign or local is your enemy. Investors are the source of employment. Even within the movement there are many people who do not understand the importance of investors. The worlds’ biggest economy the United States of America is still attracting investment from countries like Japan” he said.

The President who was the chief guest was addressing youth at National celebrations to mark the International youth day at Kiyunga Islamic primary school in Mukono district. This year’s youth day national cerebrations were held under the theme “Investing in Youth livelihood; a pathway to achieving vision 2040.”

Museveni said in America you will find a Toyota factory and that’s not a Japanese factory because Japanese factories are in Japan, but here people talk of an Indian factory. He said Indian factories are in India and all factories in Uganda are Ugandan factories, calling on the youth to do away with detractors.

The President expressed gratitude that the youth leaders had taken a firm stand against rioters who scare away investors and disrupt peoples business.
He revealed that the government was working on how to avail affordable finance to the youth. He said that although the government has raised some funds the problem has been on how to channel it to the rightful beneficiaries without being abused. He encouraged the youth to work with their parents, engage in modern agriculture and produce for the market.

Museveni said the National Resistance Movement takes care of the Ugandan youth before birth by giving free pre-natal care to mothers so as to have health children and ensures that Ugandan mothers deliver under the care of trained birth attendants, the reason he said the government has built and equipped thousands of health center 2’s, 3’s and 4’s throughout the country.
The President said that after birth all Ugandan children are freely immunized from all immunizable diseases to ensure that they live longer and are given free education through the UPE and USE programs.

He noted that after secondary level the government further sponsors 4000 best students for university education, gives thousands of scholarships to the youth through the district quota system and has put in place a student loan scheme where the youth can get loans to pay for their education at tertiary level and pay back when they get employment.

Muuseveni revealed that the government current pre-occupation is to build a technical school at every constituency and later roll it up to the sub-county level with a view to ensure that the Ugandan youth are equipped with technical, managerial and entrepreneurship skills.

He also launched the “Youth go green Champaign” in which Ugandan youth will plant millions of trees in an effort to protect the environment throughout the year,

He used the occasion to advise the youth to be disciplined avoid alcoholism, drug abuse, promiscuity and work hard in order to succeed in life.

In their memorandum read by the Chairman of the National youth council Mr. Samuel Kavuma appealed to the government to apply a multi-sector and multi-dynamic approach in solving the unemployment problem in Uganda which he said was the main challenge to the youth in the country. He also called for the increased funding of the National youth councils and asked government to have a special component targeting the youth in the National Agriculture Advisory Service program. They commended the President for his endless interventions in finding solutions to problems affecting the Ugandan youth.

I WILL NOT BUY A VILLAGE ID FOR SHS 5,000 TO REGISTER FOR A NATIONAL ID.

I am sorry to ask, why does the Government of Uganda inconvenience people who have Voter Cards to go through the current registration process where about 20 people are registered a day?  Can a person spend a whole week without work for the sake of getting registered?  What is a fact is that many well positioned jobs in Uganda require people with Masters Degree.  What is the logic when they cannot plan well?  This morning I called at a registration site which opened just this week and may be open for one more or two days, I was required to have a Village card at shs 5,000 before I could proceed to fill forms.  Is the Ministry aware of this?  Mind you, this is a place I have been in since 2004 and the Chairman LC 1 has been the same yet this is my home sub - county!  I happen to be a voter is the same Parish only that the polling stations differ.   I have my Voter card but have been told first to purchase the village card which unfortunately I will not.

Can the Ministry of Internal Affairs clarify.  Why do we have to go through a badly planned activity as if we have nothing else to do? Much as National IDs are crucial, let us have an exercise which is well planned and is not time consuming.  How can LC's use this as a money minting exercise?  This is in Bweya central LC1 within Kitende Parish, Sissa Sub - county.

IT IS USELESS TO DECLARE WEALTH WITHOUT EXPOSURE

The declaration of wealth to the Inspector General of Government (IGG) by public servants will only make sense if the general public can get to know content of this declaration, as it is they the general public who have information regarding who owns what asset.  As of now, these declarations are as good as useless because the content is not put to the knowledge of those who can help to put questions.  Uganda is one country where a number of people put assets in names of other people.  This in some instances is meant to conceal evidence of ill gotten wealth, but some members of the public have knowledge regarding who owns what and could give the IGG such information.

The way forward is just to have this information publicized, short of that, Government should scrap the declarations for they serve no good purpose if people have no chance to know and debate about such information.

Tuesday 29 April 2014

The Arch Diocese of Kampala needs to do something about the road to Kiwamirembe Shrine



It is not wrong to say that hundreds go to Kiwamirembe time and again.  Not long ago, an alternative route bypassing Uganda Clays Ltd was got.  This route should be very helpful to those to Kiwamirembe as getting there is eased as compared having to pass through Kajjansi trading centre where traffic is a real problem.  However, as a right, the route is so unsafe in that at one place, water from one of the quarries that got over flooded has flooded part of the road and in the process eaten a lot of the road such that some vehicles may fail to move on.  2ndly, the closeness of the quarries makes the road users unsafe as a vehicle can easily fall into these open places.

I wish to appeal to the Archdiocese of Kampala to find a strategy to see this rectified, may be a meeting with the management of Uganda Clays, and or getting in touch with the Ministry of Works may help in seeing the road made user friendly.

CAN THE NRM LEADERSHIP STOOP SO LOW TO OPENLY BRIBE VOTERS TO ENDORSE MUSEVENI?



Fact or fiction?  

At this age in time, can the NRM leadership go out in open and dish cash to NRM supporters to endorse Museveni as a single Presidential candidate for the party?  It is madness.  How many of the current beneficiaries will be alive by the time of the 2016 General elections?  This type of practice is BACKWARD and should be stopped.  I initially thought that the money was to help the MPs to move around reaching the people.  If it is true that people are being given money in broad day light, then the NRM Government has no moral authority to get any vote from people who have independent minds.  We talk of the ills to which corruption has put Uganda, how on earth do legislators get involved in bribing voters?  Shame up them.


NRM MPs sent to sell Museveni as sole candidate

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L-R: President Museveni meets Kasule Lumumba, David Bahati, Capt Mike Mukula and Patrick Nakabale at one of the NRM Kyankwanzi sessions in February. PHOTO BY Geoffrey seruyange 
By Isaac Imaka &Mercy Nalugo

Posted  Wednesday, March 12  2014 at  02:00
In Summary
Garner support. The decision comes amidst accusations from some MPs that Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi had built a network of supporters at the grassroots, a charge he denies.Share
 
Parliament.
As a cloud of secrecy shrouds what transpired in Monday’s parliamentary caucus of the ruling NRM, sources confirmed yesterday it was agreed that the MPs set off on a countrywide campaign to drum-up support for President Museveni’s sole candidacy in the 2016 elections.
“The proceedings were in-house so the update is that there’s no comment,” Mr David Bahati, the caucus deputy chairperson, said about the meeting which took place at State House.
However, Moyo West MP, Tom Aza told this newspaper that it was agreed that county and district conferences be held to sensitise the party’s grassroots about the Kyankwanzi resolutions adopted by the caucus at its February retreat.

“We were asked to sensitise the masses about the Kyankwanzi resolutions and NRM achievements in the field of health, education, infrastructure and we came up with a way forward,” Mr Aza said yesterday.
Amongst the Kyankwanzi resolutions is the proposal to have Mr Museveni as the unopposed contender for the party chairmanship and the sole flag bearer in 2016.
An undisclosed amount of money is reportedly expected to be given to each MP for the envisaged campaign. It is not clear if this money is linked to another undisclosed sum distributed to women members of the caucus on the night of March 7.
It is said that Mr Museveni, the current party chairperson, had earlier on appointed a small committee to market the Kyankwanzi resolutions but MPs reportedly insisted that they organise the conferences.
The exercise is reportedly scheduled to start on March 20.
Selling the Kyankwanzi resolutions means that the caucus is seeking to gain the support of delegates ahead of the expected national conference next year.
The decision comes amidst accusations from some MPs that the Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi had built a network of supporters at the grassroots, a charge he denies.
Last week, the PM said he will not run against Mr Museveni although he has previously observed that party organs will take a final decision on the issue. Districts and county conferences under the NRM constitution comprise the local leadership of the party that is delegated to attend the crucial national conference.
NRM deputy spokesperson and government Media Centre boss Ofwono Opondo yesterday said the MPs would be working within their mandate.
“They are chairpersons of the district and county NRM committees so when they make resolutions like in Kyankwanzi, it is their duty to go and explain to the members,” Mr Opondo said.
The conferences are expected to resolve to support the original Kyankwanzi resolution and as Mr Opondo says, although such resolutions are not binding, they carry significant political weight “because it is the same people who will attend the delegates’ conference.”
The delegates’ conference decides if President Museveni will have a competitor or not.

Reaction:
“It is significant if they go to their counties to endorse their resolutions because they will in a way be preparing for their own re-election. It also keeps the party’s image alive.” Ofwono Opondo, NRM deputy spokesperson

editorial@ug.nationmedia.com



A BRAIN TUMOUR HAS CLAIMED ROBINAH NAMUKASA’S SIGHT



Robina Namukasa who for a number of months has been appealing for financial assistance to go to India for the removal of a Brain tumour has completely got blind.  The effect of the tumour has taken a new twist and Namukasa can no longer see at all.  Robina needs over 40 million for the treatment, but efforts to raise the funds have not raised even half of the required funds.  While there are doctors capable of removing the tumour in Uganda, the country does not have the equipment!

ORIGINAL STORY at:


 

Sunday 27 April 2014

FAGIL MANDY’S RESIGNATION WILL NOT SOLVE UNEB EXAMINATION PROBLEMS



 Given what has gone on in Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) during Mr. Bukenya’s tenure, he should have been dismissed long ago if there were no highly placed interests in the malpractices at UNEB.  It is a shame that children can be admitted to higher institutions of learning when they are not capable to show the potential as reflected in their UNEB passes.  This has been possible courtesy of UNEB administration, hence the evolution of admission examinations at the School of Law Makerere University, not forgetting that in some disciplines, children with alleged passes in flying colours like in Statistics are told at admission that those who feel they are not competent at the subject should not dare register.  We have many bicupuli schools whose survival and prestige is courtesy of collaboration with UNEB such that what is finally done, these schools get content and this markets them and you think the schools are delivering.


Fagil’s resignation should get those who are concerned with the future of this country to think of revamping UNEB, otherwise, it is a sad story.  There is information that some schools are handled in a special way when it comes to marking the exams with the reason that children of the big men are in such schools and for the others, to maintain the status quo.  However, as UNEB does all this, you can be sure that we end up with hopeless products.  


Mandy must have identified these problems and wanted the man who lets these things go on out of office as the cleaning exercise takes place.  Unfortunately, the man who was to clean the system has found it impossible to continue.  That is Uganda, a country completely gone to dogs.  God help us.  In your name I pray.