IS THERE VALUE FOR MONEY FOR THE FUNDING ALLOCATION TO RURAL ELECTRIFICATION PROGRAM?

The question: Is there worthy work on the ground given the funding?

It is argued that most rural dwellers are subsistence farmers whose earnings are not enough to cater for basic necessities.

A GLANCE AT SOME OF THE CORRUPTION CASES DURING MUSEVENI'S REIGN AT STATE HOUSE.

Source: Black Monday Newsletter - Issue 15, March 2014

CASE    AMOUNT INVOLVED SHS (bns)
2004 - Compensation to Basil Engineering    36.4
2003 - GAVI    1.6
2006 - Meant for UPE    82
2000 - Police Payment    1
2006 - Via Tri Star     20
2003 - Training Ghost Soldiers    20
2009 - Compensation to Haba group    24.5
2007 - CHOGM    247
2006 - Global Fund    600
2012 - Lost in Pension Scandal    262
Compensation to Rhino Investments    14.9
2012 - Ghost Firms (Min. of Finance)    400
2012 - Compensation to Beacch Side (Dev. Serv.)    1.69
2012 - Lost via Min. of Education    375
2012 - Via office of Prime Minister    50.2
2003 - Construction of 8 Health Centres Ntungamo    3.2
2011 - meant for Bicycles    5
2011 - Identity cards    205
2012 -VAT exemption & tax holidays BIDCO    540
2011 - Basajjabalaba    169
2010 - Lost via Posta Kenya    2.5
2009 - NSSF    2.7
2013 - Internet Deal    107.8
2011 - NAADS    7.1
2012 - Lost in compensation to Dura Cement Ltd    37.9
2009 - UMEME subsidy fee    155
2012 - Lost thru breach of contract QCL    46.8
2002 - Compensation to Xpectrade Ltd    6.2
2003 - Lost thru Min. of health    135

GRAPH BY WILLIAM KITUUKA KIWANUKA

THE PEOPLE OF UGANDA HAVE JUSTINE LUMUMBA THE SECRETARY GENERAL OF NRM AS A CANDIDATE FROM UGANDA FOR THE ICC.

IS KAIHURA OF THE INFAMOUS CRIME PREVENTERS THE MAN WHO BEGGED PARLIAMENT FOR ANOTHER TERM?

The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Gen Kale Kayihura, has told critics of the increasing recruitment of crime preventers to go hang.

Gen Kale Kayihura said police will continue to recruit crime preventers regardless of consistent criticism from people he described as political opportunists.

“I am tired of people vulgarizing the concept of crime preventers. It is not the first of its kind in the world and they are not militia groups. We shall not stop recruiting crime preventers. You can hang, if you are ignorant over their importance,” said Gen Kayihura at a two-day police sports gala at Sebei College, Tegeres in Kapchorwa District at the weekend.

http://mobile.monitor.co.ug/News/Go-hang--Kayihura-tells-off-critics-on-crime-preventers/-/2466686/3047648/-/format/xhtml/-/14j26nx/-/index.html

How come IDP Kaihura talks with a lot of authority as if he is the alpha and omega in Uganda?

Why shouldn’t Parliament fire him given his schemes that may lead Uganda to instability? 

Parliament has approved Gen Kale Kayihura’s appointment for another term of office as the Inspector General of Police.

The appointment committee which vetted Gen Kayihura on Thursday approved his appointment for a fourth term despite repeated calls by the opposition not to. 

The opposition had called upon parliament to block his re-appointment, saying it would be an extension of a period of human rights abuses.

Shortly after his approval, Gen Kayihura told journalists at Parliament that he had answered all the questions put to him by the 30 member committee led by the speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga.

Gen Kayihura denied being partisan, as has always been alleged by the opposition and said those who tried to block his re-appointment are the ‘criminals’ he has been fighting. He pledged to closely work with all Ugandans including the opposition.

“Those who said Parliament should not approve me are the criminals and terrorists I have been fighting. However, I will continue working with all people. I will also concentrate on improving on the housing and accommodation for the officers in the force,” said Gen Kayihura.

He admitted there have been some hitches in “our operations but I intend to fix them.”

http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/-Parliament-approves-Kayihura-s-re-appointment/-/688334/2504776/-/oj295rz/-/index.html

BIRARO REACTS ABOUT CRIME PREVENTERS

Ugandans risk encountering a tragedy in the forthcoming elections if at all the training of militia groups is not curtailed, Maj Gen Benon Biraaro has warned.

Gen Biraaro, a presidential candidate of Farmers Party of Uganda, made the remarks in Kampala yesterday, while launching his campaign manifesto, which he said, would elevate him to power because it addresses the major challenges crippling Ugandans.

The retired General was referring to the continuous training of crime preventers, which he claimed is a political vehicle, made to help President Museveni rig elections in 2016. 

He said these militia groups are unnecessary, arguing that they instead put people’s lives at stake since they allegedly do not respect the rule of law.

“These so called crime preventers are siding with Museveni because they will be used as his agents to rig elections. NRM is now like an expired drug and that’s why the rule of democracy has been defiled. This time round, we need leaders but not rulers because we need someone who will espouse the interests of the ordinary people,” Gen Biraaro said.

http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Crime-preventers-are-agents-of-vote-rigging--Gen-Biraaro/-/688334/2937076/-/9fs2u2/-/index.html

Why Museveni needs 'crime preventers'

Officially, the thousands of so-called crime preventers being passed out by President Museveni and police chief Kale Kayihura across the country are an effort by the police to fight crime.

However, the timing, the people behind it and the sheer numbers being recruited has raised concerns that this could be a well-orchestrated political scheme to help the incumbent win next year’s elections.

Writing in his weekly column in The Independent magazine recently, Andrew Mwenda, its owner, described crime preventers as Kayihura’s brilliant idea to use police resources to mobilize for President Museveni and destabilize the opposition. Reagan Okumu, an FDC Member of Parliament for Aswa county, recently told parliament that crime preventers were campaigning for NRM and intimidating supporters of other parties.

Indeed, many crime preventers we have interviewed claim they are NRM supporters and fondly referred to President Museveni as ‘Mzee’, a reference commonly used by NRM cadres.

http://www.observer.ug/news-headlines/40618-why-museveni-needs-crime-preventers

Suspend ‘Crime Preventers’ – CSO tell Government

Human rights groups working in Uganda and other countries have asked the Ugandan government to urgently suspend the new militia force commonly known as Crime Preventers calling it a massive unregulated force that threatens to undermine the security and integrity of next month’s elections.

Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Human Rights Network Uganda (HURINET-U), Chapter Four Uganda, and Foundation for Human Rights Initiative (FHRI) issued a statement in which they condemned the Police for supporting the creation of the Crime Preventers Programme outside the laws of the country.

“Crime preventers are a volunteer force of civilians recruited and managed by police to report on and prevent crime in cooperation with the police and communities.

“In practice, crime preventers are strongly affiliated with the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party. Its members have acted in partisan ways and carried out brutal assaults and extortion with no accountability,” the organizations said.

The CSOs argue that suspending crime preventers is critical for preventing violence during the electoral period and showing the country’s commitment to non-partisan policing and respect for human rights especially in view of the upcoming elections.

The ambiguous role of crime preventers has already resulted into violent clashes between them and and communities in areas such as Adjumani, The Sunrise has learnt.

The human rights defenders argue that the force is not backed by concrete legal information nor is its command structure and exact numbers clear.

http://www.sunrise.ug/news/201601/suspend-crime-preventers-cso-tell-government.html

THE 2015 UCE RESULTS SHOW A TIRED REGIME WHICH CANNOT HELP CHILDREN PERFORMANCE ANYMORE.

In keeping with the 2015 Theme, 310,266 candidates (99.0%) were registered through the e-Registration process.

183,904 – 60% of the children failed

3,759 – students who are not accounted for maybe they registered and did not sit (the difference between 310,266 and 306,507)

According to results released by the Uganda national Examinations Board (Uneb), 60 per cent of the 306,507 candidates, who sat 2015 exams failed to obtain at least Pass 8, to qualify for a grade. 

“…despite improvement in Physics and Chemistry, the percentage pass levels remain low with almost 60 per cent of the candidates unable to demonstrate the minimum competency required to be graded,” Mr Mathew Bukenya, the Uneb executive secretary, said.

WHY DOESN'T PRESIDENT MUSEVENI KEEP HIS WORD HENCE CHANGE POSITIONS?

WHEN A LEADER KEEPS SHIFTING POSITIONS, IT BECOMES A MORAL QUESTION.
1) Why Museveni could not quit at 55 years

The Monitor Saturday, December 23, 2000 reported Ofwono – Opondo’s article in response to the Monitor, July 21, 1995 in which an article: “Museveni to Quit at 55 years,” was carried.
Opondo said, “It is important to note that President Museveni has repeatedly expressed his wish to retire from National Leadership once there is political stability in the country. Secondly, Museveni could have made the remarks in light of the then prevailing 1967 Constitution and the debates in the Constituent Assembly at that time. At the time of Museveni’s alleged promise to quit, the new Constitution was not yet in place. Today (December 2000) Museveni is seeking re – election for his last term under a known and clear Constitutional framework. Opondo further said, “Political leadership especially at the Presidency was not a fashion show that is changed merely because it has stayed on stage for some time. Serious and committed leaders acquire and retain power for specific national objectives which they are duty bound to accomplish or at least consolidate in their life time.”
2) President and tenure in office: Museveni – When I step down from Presidency
The East African of March 22 – 28, 1999 reported in an interview that President Museveni had for the 1st time put a timeframe to his departure from the leadership of Uganda – he hoped to retire at 61, which by then was 7 years ahead. The President said he planned to retire when he was still “young and reasonable.” “I ‘m now 54, with two years to finish this term. If I get another term of 5 years, I’ll be 61 at the end of it. That would be good time to go and look after my cow.”
The President was asked whether Uganda can sustain the costs of the conflicts it was involved in – the President said, “We operate cheaply. We are not Europeans and we don’t eat chocolates. Arms are not all that costly. What is expensive is transport, fuel. You can support a soldier on $150 a month. Salary and food for say 20,000 soldiers comes to about $3million. Given what is at stake, that is not such a large amount of money.
Asked about whether he would seek re – election – President Museveni answered, “Uganda’s Constitution says that a President can only have two consecutive terms. If I were to seek re – election it would only be for one more term.”
3) Yoweri Kaguta Museveni: 2001 Election Manifesto – Consolidating the Achievements of the Movement
Under President Museveni’s leadership, the Movement system of Governance has helped Uganda reverse the effects of more that two decades of Political turmoil. The country has achieved unity, peace, stability and economic growth. The Movement system means pluralism - in – unity, in other words, pluralism without factionalism. If there is political harmony for long enough, based on all – inclusive national organizational structures, democracy will be achieved without the risk of unhealthy polarizations. This will give the country time to develop a healthy foundation for multi – partyism in the future. When President Museveni completes his second and final term as directly elected President, the Movement, under his leadership, will, for the 1st time in history of our country, have created a legacy of an orderly leadership succession.
Page 11 of the 2001 Election Manifesto:
I am once again offering myself to serve the people of Uganda because of my conviction that, together with you, we still have a mission to accomplish. I am taking on the challenge of contesting for a last Presidential term for the following reasons:
a. Consolidating the work of building a professional army;
b. Consolidating our gains in the economy, in infrastructure reconstruction and development;
c. Consolidating our gains in democratization and putting in place mechanisms for an orderly leadership succession; and
d. Making a contribution to the process of creating a vibrant regional market and penetrating the global market under the World Trade Organisation.

POST ELECTION BLOOD BIRTH IN UGANDA IS CERTAIN: TIME IS NOW FOR THE INTERVENTION OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO AVERT IT.

The 2009 Buganda riots had not been organized but were destructive.  This time round, the electorate who believe that the NRM Government will do whatever is possible to suppress the will of the people are ready to fight it out.

https://www.google.co.ug/search?q=images+of+Buganda+riots+of+2009&biw=1280&bih=685&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjD7qPa7svKAhXMbRQKHQIMC5sQsAQIGQ

The Buganda riots were a Buganda (tribal) affair.  The wish for CHANGE is a Uganda affair.  Many statements have been made not only by Candidate Museveni saying that he is not ready to give power to opposition.  These have been complimented by statements by a number of people in authority in Uganda.

This communication is therefore to put the matter straight to the international community so that the situation is saved before it gets out of hand.  The people of Uganda are ready for whatever happens, it is a life or death affair should the NRM infrastructure tamper with the votes.

The NRM Government has recruited thousands of ‘Crime Preventers’ who otherwise would not be called for if the elections were to be expected to be free and fair.  Because NRM fore sees possible eruption by the people given the preferred outcome of the election which stands at 71% in favour of their candidate Museveni, they have organized in advance and provided a budget of Ushs 37bn to cater for the operations of the illegal crime preventers who they imagine will help contain the situation.

It will not help to start organizing intervention when the lives of Ugandans are gone.

I cannot leave power to wolves, says Museveni

President Museveni has said he is not ready to hand over power to the Opposition leaders because they are like wolves ready to tear Uganda apart.  Speaking in a mixture of Runyankore and English, Mr Museveni said the Opposition has failed to give alternatives for wealth creation but only oppose what the NRM does.

“The Opposition are like wolves lurking around to tear Uganda apart. I will not allow them because I have support of the majority of Ugandans and my army. Why can’t they tell Ugandans alternatives on wealth creation instead of preaching the gospel that I must leave power? If I go, will you get out of poverty?” Mr Museveni charged before adding: “I will not give them chance,” he added.

http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/I-cannot-leave-power-to-wolves--says-Museveni/-/688334/2592430/-/uqhn6j/-/index.html

Museveni: I can go, but I won’t hand over to Amama

President Museveni yesterday said he will hand over power if defeated in the general elections next February, but not to people who do not have a mission or targets such as FDC presidential flag bearer Kizza Besigye.

Addressing journalists at Arua state lodge, the incumbent said he will not lack what to do if he is not president.

“I have got my job. I am a cattle keeper,” said the NRM presidential candidate, who is seeking a fifth elective term in office to take his total tenure as president to 35 years.

Museveni has previously said that he will not hand over power to anyone who has no vision of where the country should go. Yesterday, he dwelt on the same topic, saying he would not abandon Uganda to people without a mission.

“If these fellows like Besigye, if I was sure that they would have those targets, maybe I would say OK, let them continue. But they don’t have those targets. Even when I am in charge, you find them doing their own different things. So, how can I abandon Uganda to people who have no mission?” he asked.

Addressing a public rally in Kabale in January this year, Museveni described the opposition as “emishega” (wolves) whom he could not entrust with power.

http://observer.ug/news-headlines/41128-museveni-i-can-go-but-i-won-t-hand-over-to-amama

Museveni won't handover power, says Ugandan academic

A law professor at Makerere University Oloka-Onyango has said that long-time time President Yoweri Museveni would not handover power if he is defeated in the upcoming 2016 election.

The Daily Monitor quoted the academic as saying the opposition parties, particularly the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) led by  Kizza Besigye, and Independent candidate Amama Mbabazi stood a good chance of winning the elections next year, but it would be futile because the country would be led  into a bloodbath as Museveni’s ruling party the NRM unleashes violence.

“I do not believe that any opposition candidate in Uganda today can win this election, which is highly in favour of the incumbency… [If that happens], then you will have chaos or a military coup,” Prof Oloka-Onyango was quoted saying.

http://uganda.news24.com/National-News/museveni-wont-handover-power-says-ugandan-academic-20151214-2

A FACEBOOK STATEMENT BY HON. WAFULA OGUTTU FOLLOWING IGP KAIHURA’S REMARKS:

So Police IGP Kale says his NRM mafia will not hand over power to us the opposition when we win elections on Feb 18, 2016, my sympathies to him. Power is sweet and intoxicating to many.  But he will live to regret that statement all his life.  He wants to arm and endanger the few so called crime preventers in villages? Has he got capacity to protect them against the masses when they rise up to protect their vote or hard won power or both? The Crime Preventers (CPs) are already merely few floating elements in the sea of Forum for Democratic Change (FDC's) Power 10 vote protectors.  And then even Prime Minister (PM) Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda says that they will not hand over power to us if elections are rigged, surely by whom? Does the opposition have the capacity to rig elections in Uganda? Would that be after Court or what? Yes, I hope they know that they have now set the stage for confrontation. Why would they expect us to accept the same elections if they rig it?

ANNE MUGISHA IS DISTURBED AS HER FACEBOOK STATEMENT REFLECTS:

And then Kayihura disturbs my self-imposed apolitical discipline (of a few days) with this: “We shall not hand over power to the opposition to destabilize the peace which we fought for...We are going to change you from having sticks to rifles...The constitution gives police powers to protect the nation in case there is war and I want you to get prepared for this...,” he said - at the passing out of crime preventers.

How is anyone expected to remain in silent reverie after reading these remarks?

Joseph Kamugisha : It's a matter of time and when that time comes, Kayihura and his militants will have to give way for freedom to take course and prevail. Once upon a time, Gadafi, Mobutu, Bikassa, Mubarak, Sadam and many others, had what they thought were personal armies. But... . That is what Kayihura and his boss needs to sink in their milky heads.

Why Museveni needs 'crime preventers'

Officially, the thousands of so-called crime preventers being passed out by President Museveni and police chief Kale Kayihura across the country are an effort by the police to fight crime.

However, the timing, the people behind it and the sheer numbers being recruited has raised concerns that this could be a well-orchestrated political scheme to help the incumbent win next year’s elections.

Writing in his weekly column in The Independent magazine recently, Andrew Mwenda, its owner, described crime preventers as Kayihura’s brilliant idea to use police resources to mobilize for President Museveni and destabilize the opposition. Reagan Okumu, an FDC Member of Parliament for Aswa county, recently told parliament that crime preventers were campaigning for NRM and intimidating supporters of other parties.

Indeed, many crime preventers we have interviewed claim they are NRM supporters and fondly referred to President Museveni as ‘Mzee’, a reference commonly used by NRM cadres.

http://www.observer.ug/news-headlines/40618-why-museveni-needs-crime-preventers

Go hang- Kayihura tells off critics on crime preventers

The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Gen Kale Kayihura, has told critics of the increasing recruitment of crime preventers to go hang.

Gen Kale Kayihura said police will continue to recruit crime preventers regardless of consistent criticism from people he described as political opportunists.

“I am tired of people vulgarising the concept of crime preventers. It is not the first of its kind in the world and they are not militia groups. We shall not stop recruiting crime preventers. You can hang, if you are ignorant over their importance,” said Gen Kayihura at a two-day police sports gala at Sebei College, Tegeres in Kapchorwa District at the weekend.

http://mobile.monitor.co.ug/News/Go-hang--Kayihura-tells-off-critics-on-crime-preventers/-/2466686/3047648/-/format/xhtml/-/14j26nx/-/index.html

Top of Form

Bottom of Form

ADDITIONAL EVIDENCE IS COMING IN WHY UGANDANS SHOULD NOT VOTE CANDIDATE MUSEVENI IN FEBRUARY 2016.

You cannot believe that the Prime Minister and the Inspector General of Police (IGP) can come out with contradictory public statements on crucial matters of the governance of Uganda when they are in the same Government.

It really disturbs that some people think that Uganda should never graduate from the primitive of having to resort to the use of force when people have brains and can make decisions on their own.

In addition to the above, I still emphasize the reasons below why Uganda Voters should not vote for Museveni on February 18th, 2016: 

SOME ONE HAS PUT A QUESTION TO ME AS FOLLOWS:

MR. KIWANUKA WHY SHOULDN’T UGANDANS VOTE MUSEVENI PRESIDENT IN 2016?

For those with independent minds, it is in black and white why one should not vote Museveni President in 2016, however, for the consumption of Uganda voters, some of the reasons are stated below: 

1.      The NRA/M waged a 5 year bush war with the major reason that the UPC Government had stolen the 1980 vote.  Unfortunately, down the road, the NRM Government has proved smarter at the same game to the extent that before people go to polls more so to vote for President, the outcome has already been predetermined.

2.      One of the pillars of the NRM Government was to re-instate the rule of law.  Unfortunately, President Museveni is the biggest violator as he is at liberty to use the NRM Caucus in Parliament to shift positions to favour him.  He was able to influence the removal of Presidential term limits, and if he contests in 2016 for President, he will have completed 30 years as President, while the framers of the 1995 Constitution had put a maximum of 10 consecutive years by one person given the country’s bad history. 

3.       “The Republic of Uganda, by acts of looting, plundering and exploitation of Congolese natural resources committed by members of the UPDF in the territory of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and by its failure to comply with its obligations as an occupying Power in Ituri district to prevent acts of looting, plundering and exploitation of Congolese natural resources, it violated obligations owed to the Democratic Republic of the Congo under international law…, and the cost of President Museveni’s adventure to the people of Uganda which was initially at USD 10bn to DRC, has shot up to USD 23 billion, said the former Attorney General, Mr. Peter Nyombi,.

4.      President Museveni has learnt to live without minding his image more so when he shifts goal posts to suit his desires.  In his 2001 Election Manifesto, he went to the voters claiming it was to be his last term.  If he had been the type who keeps his word, however much people would have wanted him back as he alleges, he would just retire.

5.      President Museveni sings about zero tolerance to corruption, unfortunately, he is not serious about this.  If he were, Government would not be losing astronomical sums of money due to skipping of the proper procurement procedures.  There are many cases in point for example the bicycles which were meant for the LC chairpersons, the Identity cards deal to mention but a few.

6.      Corruption goes to impact on utility costs.  Today, Uganda has some of the most expensive projects after completion.  This development makes doing business noncompetitive.  The Power tariffs are highest in Uganda when you compare with the case in Kenya and Tanzania, just to reflect on one sector.  The commission by some people in Government is greatly responsible for this development.

7.      As far as President Museveni is concerned, it is political sense that rules and not economic sense.  When you look at the big administrative budget he has all along been advised to keep small, he is reluctant; as long as it serves his patronage purpose and seeing him retain power (uneconomic districts, the army of the RDCs and the so-called Presidential advisors, to mention but a few).  This keeps the country lagging behind and cannot make the breakthroughs it would otherwise make if decisions were purely on economic viability.

8.      President Museveni is the Executive period!  He does the work of the Ministers and he finally complains that they don’t perform.  Even a project that would be launched by the LC 3 Chairperson needs the President to launch, and the cost to the country is astronomical given his security detail and motorcade.

9.      The Presidents security is a big liability to the country.  The conflicts he has got himself involved in and the country are such a huge cost that the best is to see him retire to manage a cheaper person in the chair.

10. Uganda would be far as regards development, but Museveni’s vision cannot allow this to happen.  His priority on expenditure for the available resources is better termed consumption.  His wish to emerge the most powerful military person in the region or even Africa just leaves the people of Uganda paupers.

11. The Agricultural sector would be far given that it is supposed to be the mainstay of the economy.  But trust President Museveni’s experimentation.  When technical personnel would be needed, you get shocked to hear that he has put military personnel just as any tired person would.  The economy cannot seriously be run on experimentation yet when many of the country’s programs/projects are excellent on paper, but implementation under President Museveni is a real disaster.

12. Museveni is a military man.  He uses the Iron hand to rule.  The people of Uganda want a Federal system of local government, but he has refused to see it implemented, and today it is just disaster as many regions are in dire need as development is unevenly spread, yet the federal arrangement would better address regional balance hence development.

13. The country continues to lose a lot due to patronage.  This patronage will increase as more so – called NRM supporters lose in the 2016 elections and will turn to Museveni for jobs if he happens to win the election.

14. Museveni’s leadership still has the identity with its guerrilla foundation.  This is a great liability to the country and its future.

15. Musevei has completely failed the regional balance puzzle.  In the UPDF where one would expect to see a balance of officers from all regions of the country, the picture is different, and this is across the country in many political appointments he has made, with the biggest proof to this being his current cabinet line up with so many from Kabale.

16. Finally, President Museveni can ignore calls for what is right to do locally, and when he realizes that his international image is not good, instead of responding positively to the wishes of the people, he is at liberty to sink tax payer resources in cleaning his image.    

Elections: Rugunda, Kayihura disagree on power transfer

Written by JOHNSON TAREMWA

 Created: 27 January 2016

 

IGP Kale Kayihura (L) with Ruhakana Rugunda

According to Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda, if the opposition wins the February 18 election fairly, the NRM will hand over power gracefully. But to police chief Kale Kayihura, this is all but unthinkable.

“We are ready to give power to [Amama] Mbabazi or [Kizza] Besigye when there is free and fair election,” Rugunda said last Saturday, while presiding at the police sports gala in the eastern Kapchorwa district.

Rugunda, however, insisted that if the opposition rigged the elections, NRM would not surrender power. The NRM emerged out of fighting groups that took up arms after the 1980 elections were allegedly rigged for Milton Obote.

However, since it came to power in 1986, NRM has been accused of rigging elections to stay in power, although courts ruled the rigging was not significant enough to topple the will of the majority of Ugandans.  

With elections due next month, independent presidential candidate Mbabazi and FDC’s Kizza Besigye are leading the push to end President Museveni’s 30-year hold on power.

But Gen Kayihura, the inspector general of police, had told a similar audience a day earlier that the NRM could not  hand over power to an opposition winner.

“We shall not hand over power to the opposition to destabilize the peace which we fought for,” Kayihura said at the passing out of crime preventers.

He, instead, urged the crime preventers to get ready for war.

“We are going to change you from having sticks to rifles and get ready to defend this country in case of any attack,” he said.
“The constitution gives police powers to protect the nation in case there is war and I want you to get prepared for this; anytime, we shall call on you,” he said.

Rugunda reminded his audience that Uganda is a democratic country. But this clash of perspectives between the country’s chief minister and its police chief raises the old question about whether the ruling party believes in democracy – 30 years after it shot into power, and 20 years since it organized its first general elections.

In 2011, shortly after losing to Museveni for the third time, Besigye told The Observer that elections had no chance of removing the president.  A year ago, Museveni himself  said he was not ready to hand over power to opposition leaders, whom he likened to wolves.

Then,  in August, a poll conducted  by Research World International showed that 45% of Ugandans did not believe that elections could remove Museveni. More  recently, on January 10, 2016, Museveni declared he was not ready to leave power now, not least because he had saved the country.

The main opposition party, the FDC, has since condemned Museveni for those remarks. Gen Kayihura said that the Front for National Salvation (Fronasa), a Ugandan rebel group formed by Yoweri Museveni in 1972, was not a trained army but it helped remove President Idi Amin from power.

“Fronasa were crime preventers but fought Amin who had become a problem to Ugandans,” he said.

Crime preventers, Kayihura said, will be given warrant cards similar to those issued to police officers, uniforms, gumboots and whistles, among other items. He urged them to fight opposition leaders who try to disturb the peace.

According to Kayihura, by 2021, each village will have 300 crime preventers to support police in maintaining law and order.

johnsonkagame@gmail.com

THERE SHOULD BE CONCERN ABOUT THE FUTURE OF SWEETS CONSUMPTION IN UGANDA.

The problem with out health system is how it focuses more on curative than preventive health services.

I have seen sweets in all sorts of attractive cover some with toys like guns attached and wondered whether anybody is concerned about the health of our children.  Many of the children will end up having their tooth uprooted which I believe is not good and expensive, yet we have people who have died after a tooth extraction.  Can people in authority come out boldly over the issue of sweets which are more of a heath problem than an income earner for the country?

WHAT LOGIC IN CELEBRATING 30 YEARS SINCE NRA/M CAPTURED STATE POWER IN UGANDA?

While those in power in Uganda celebrate 30 years since January 26, 1986 when NRA/M captured state power in Uganda, many people are simply mourning.  It is absurd as well as unfortunate for a country that saw over 500,000 people perish in the 5 year bush war to see that less than a month to the Presidential elections, the country is simply awaiting the uncertain eventualities during and after the polls.  This development is driven by the greed; the feeling of having no shame; deceit; the wish for personal enrichment; the belief that one person has the vision and the correct line for the destiny of the country hence he has to be in power at all cost.

On the eve of the celebration of 30 years of NRM, we read in the press that Government has acquired 3 public relations firms to promote tourism in the country.  “Uganda Tourism Board has recruited three Public Relations firms to represent the country in source markets.  This is a UTB strategy hatched to increase the country’s tourists arrivals, a plan if succeeds will not only generate more revenues for the country but also create more employment opportunities.

The firms to represent Uganda are PHG Consulting for the North America market, Kamageo for the United Kingdom (UK) and Ireland; and KPRN for the German speaking Europe.  UTB Chief Executive Officer, Mr Stephen Asiimwe said, “For the first time ever, Uganda will now have public relations and marketing representatives in our three major source markets of North America, Ireland & UK, and the German speaking Europe”.  This program is being funded under the World Bank’s Competiveness and Enterprises Development Project (CEDP).”  The development would make good news if the leaders had the love for dear Uganda, unfortunately they don’t.  So, it may surely not be value for money as the tourists may not come to a country with our type of a political landscape.

There should be no reason why everybody who follows the developments should feel uneasy simply because of the election of a President as this is supposed to be a summation of the people’s wish, and, as I write, after leading Uganda for 30 years, with 8 out of 10 youth waking up each morning with no means of earning, with health facilities in a sorry state throughout the country, with nearly all procurement procedures eaten by corruption tendencies, not forgetting that corruption has been institutionalized, it is just simple logic that majority of the Uganda voters look for change.  Unfortunately, because the change reading is clearly written on the wall, the powers that be have come out promising candidate Museveni’s win at 71% with no re-run expected, and, since people are expected to be disturbed by the rigged outcome of the poll, thousands of ‘crime preventers’ who are not provided for in the laws of the country have been trained and a budget of shs 37bn set aside for them.

The NRA/M captured power after a so – called popular resistance war.     The NRA/M waged a 5 year bush war with the major reason that the UPC Government had stolen the 1980 vote.  Unfortunately, down the road, the NRM Government has proved smarter at the same game to the extent that before people go to polls more so to vote for President, the outcome has already been predetermined.   The day Mr. Museveni was sworn in, he said democracy was “the right of the people of Africa’’ and that government must not be ‘’the masters but the servers of the population.’’  To the cheering crowd, he promised that democracy would be built from the ground up, and cautioned against misuse of authority:  “The problem of Africa in general and Uganda in particular, is not the people but leaders who want to overstay in power,” he said.

30 years down the road, the country’s infrastructure across the board is in a sorry state, the priorities are simply upside down.  In a country where majority of the people are rural based and agriculture is the mainstay, one decides to get soldiers to cater for the needs of the people as if agriculture is about distributing seeds and planting materials as well as livestock, forgetting the technical aspect that is crucial in the name of extension services by properly trained agricultural personnel.

The country is seeing brain drain every day.   According to the ministry of health, there are 701 doctors in the country (reported in the monitor of March 18, 2015). Of these, 47 per cent are specialists accounting for 329 doctors while 12 per cent (approximately 84) of them are found at Mulago hospital.
The Human resource for information systems (HRIS) shows that there are 4764 registered medical and dental practitioners but only 922 of these are licensed. In the nursing and midwifery section, there are 2188 registered but over 200 who are not working.

Below are figures of registered medical and dental practitioners:
Obstetrics and gynecology – 168; Pediatrics – 124; Internal medicine – 156; Radiology – 37; Cardiologists – 11;
Orthopedics – 24; Ophthalmology – 40 and
Neuro-surgeons – 7.

Licensed medical and dental practitioners
Obstetrics and gynecology – 38; Pediatrics – 26; Internal medicine – 31;
Radiology – 12; Cardiologists – 5; Orthopedics – 6; Ophthalmology – 10 and
Neuro-surgeons – 4.

Russell says an estimated Shs37b is lost annually in emigrating health professionals which reduces access to health care for Ugandans. “Make no mistake, the health worker crisis in Uganda is killing people, is preventing economic development, and means government is breaking its own pledges to improve access to essential health services. Uganda cannot afford to lose its health workers to Trinidad. This deal must be stopped--and the FY2015 budget should include the urgently needed increases in funding for health worker recruitment and motivation,” she adds.

The medical practitioners are leaving Uganda because
In East Africa, Uganda is the lowest paying for its health workers, including specialists.  The 2012-2013 salary scale for the civil servants from the Ministry of Public Service says principal medical officers and medical officers (special grade) earn between Shs1.27m and 1.39m while senior medical officers earned Shs1m. the entry point for medical officers earn Shs788,000 and that of other medical workers is Shs751,000.  Other earnings include: medical workers in U5 have entry earnings of Shs512,000, entry point salary for support staff like nursing assistants is Shs147,000 and the director general of health services with at least Shs3m.

The Ministries in Uganda are run on the dictates of State House.  Institutions that would be independent have all been compromised by the domination of State House.  Recently, the President summoned taxi drivers given that he is the operational institution where disputes are taken and then resolved.  The President decided to make pronouncements without involving the local governments.  Just on the eve of the 30^th anniversary of the NRA/M liberation, it has been war in Masaka as those who tendered to collect revenue were resisting the President’s directive while drivers wanted it implemented.

In Kampala, because Kitata has State House connections and can mobilize commercial motor cyclists (boda – boda) for anything, Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) has to move cautiously or else the whole city is thrown into confusion.

In a nutshell, the 5 year liberation war left a lot of scars on the country including the children who are now grown-ups but have suffered simply because they were orphaned at an early age, but even the cause for which their parents died has not yielded positive fruits as the country has not gained the ability to change power peacefully.

It is unfortunate the 30 years of the Museveni rule:  It is simply a cry for the beloved Uganda with no certainty of a bright future.

Some Ugandans are now looking to the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the international community to handle the local leaders who in the process of ensuring that the incumbent remains in State House may breach some of the rights of Ugandans including the taking of their lives to maintain the status quo.  It is sad, but this is the state of our civilization.