AS UGANDA OBSERVES THE WORLD MALARIA DAY 25th APRIL

The question one would ask as Uganda joins the world in celebrating the Malaria day, some of us are concerned about the promised millions of free mosquito nets which are supposed to be distributed to all the people of Uganda.  I last heard about these nets when they were being distributed to people of Mpigi and Mukono districts, however, I have not seen the distribution take off in Wakiso district and I believe it is the same in some other parts of the country.  Government has yet to issue a statement on this development.

It is a proven fact that Mosquito nets greatly help in the reduction of Malaria more so that got while one is asleep.  The problem however is that many beneficiaries have a problem of properly utilizing them given the housing and bedding set up.  In some of these households, the families use ‘munaku tadoobba,’ the paraffin candles.  These have been a cause of accidents in homes given that the nets are greatly inflammable.

If incidences of Malaria can greatly be reduced in Uganda, chances are that the expenditure on drugs to treat Malaria fever will greatly be cut as well as deaths due to Malaria.

World Malaria Day, 25 April 2014

Invest in the future. Defeat malaria

Global efforts to control and eliminate malaria have saved an estimated 3.3 million lives since 2000, reducing malaria mortality rates by 42% globally and 49% in Africa. Increased political commitment and expanded funding have helped to reduce malaria incidence by 25% globally, and 31% in Africa.

  

WHO/S. Hollyman

But we are not there yet. Malaria still kills an estimated 627 000 people every year, mainly children under 5 years of age in sub-Saharan Africa. In 2013, 97 countries had on-going malaria transmission.

Every year, more than 200 million cases occur; most of these cases are never tested or registered. Emerging drug and insecticide resistance threaten to reverse recent gains.

If the world is to maintain and accelerate progress against malaria, in line with Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 6, and to ensure attainment of MDGs 4 and 5, more funds are urgently required.

The theme for 2014 and 2015 is: Invest in the future. Defeat malaria

Goal: energize commitment to fight malaria

World Malaria Day was instituted by WHO Member States during the World Health Assembly of 2007. It is an occasion to highlight the need for continued investment and sustained political commitment for malaria prevention and control. It is also an opportunity:

• for countries in affected regions to learn from each other's experiences and support each other's efforts;
• for new donors to join a global partnership against malaria;
• for research and academic institutions to flag scientific advances to both experts and the general public; and
• for international partners, companies and foundations to showcase their efforts and reflect on how to further scale up interventions.

AVOID TAKING THE STUDENT LOAN OR ELSE RISK POSSIBLE IMPRISONMENT

You may rush and join the beneficiaries of the Students’ Loan Scheme as well as vote the NRM come 2016, but be sure, when you fail to pay, you will go alone to the prison.

I have been one of the advocates of a scheme which would be manageable and has no conditions for getting beneficiaries to prison.  Instead, Government is pushing for a scheme which looks like sugar coated, but not only will it not be unsustainable, but the cost to beneficiaries will be great including going to prison.

Below is my argument against a loan scheme in Uganda where students pay after:

A LOAN SCHEME WHERE STUDENTS REPAY AFTER GETTING WORK CANNOT WORK IN UGANDA AND IS BOUND TO FAIL

One thing I have learnt from the long tenure of NRM in power is that some people think that they know, yet in actual fact they know not.  I have all along been an advocate for an Educational Loan Scheme which is sustainable, not one which is a big joke.  Government is implementing a student loan scheme where students will pay after graduating and getting work.  We have time and again brought it to the attention of Government that what makes sense to help big numbers of the ever increasing student population at tertiary level is to think about lending to the parent benefactor who foots the bill as he/she has income out of which payment can be made.  As of now, the parent has some source of income; secondly he/she is liable to see the child/student go to school to get some qualifications.  What magic is there that government thinks will help many students to be bailed?  The parents today foot millions of shillings to sustain the children up to completion of academics; the best approach would be to make the repayments small for them.  Such payments can be deducted from monthly salaries such that tuition for a year is payable in installments say over 2 years.  Meaning that as money is advanced to pay student tuition, it is being paid back and the system has sure recovery measures.  Merely coping what has been done elsewhere with successes or even failures will not help the NRM Government which has a very poor record on recovery of such funds.  There are however a few exceptions in the category of the children who have no parents/benefactors to meet fees for them, who can benefit from purely student loans and make payments after completing academics.

I am an advocate for an educational loan scheme which makes sense not a gamble which will be empty, and I stand firm on my legs that now that Government has endorsed the scheme where students will pay on completion of studies, it will be most unfortunate when it collapses shortly.  Better to listen to advice than implement things which cannot work in Uganda setting. 

Students’ loan scheme launched

Mr George Byarugaba (R), explains to President Museveni during the inspection of exhibition materials at the launch of the student’ loan scheme at Kyambogo University in Kampala yesterday. PHOTO BY Rachel Mabala. 

By PATIENCE AHIMBISIBWE

Posted  Thursday, April 24  2014 at  20:09

In Summary

The scheme is intended to enable students from poor background to access higher education using money borrowed from government.

Kampala.
President Museveni yesterday warned that government will arrest students who will default in paying back loans acquired under the students’ loan scheme.

The President was speaking at the launch of the scheme at Kyambogo University where he drove an ethanol powered car, an innovation by the university community.
The scheme is intended to enable students from poor background to access higher education using money borrowed from government.
However, they will be expected to repay the loans on completion or risk a fine not exceeding 50 currency points (Shs1m) or imprisonment of six months, according to the law.

“Many of the parents are having problems in paying money for students who don’t get government sponsorship. That is why we said let us have a student loan,” President Museveni said.

“It has low interest because of inflation. It is to make the money retain the value as last year. We are starting with six billion but it will increase. Remember you have to pay back when you finish and get a job.
Otherwise we shall have to come to where you are working and arrest you for defaulting and also for being a bad Christian, a bad Muslim or even a bad pagan.”

He said State House scholarships which have been consuming Shs30b annually will be phased out and the money channeled to the scheme.
“We want to phase that out State House scholarships. We shall initially start with scientists and Arts should wait a little bit. When the money finally grows, we shall consider Arts. This is the apex of our education funding plan,” Mr Museveni said.

Recovering Kyambogo land
He assured Kyambogo staff that he will help them recover their land which they have lost to investors but reminded them that challenges on staffing as outlined by the university council chairperson John Okedi will only be increased when the resource envelope improves.

There are nine members of the board who will be headed by Prof Callisto Locheng currently at University of Sacred Heart, Gulu.

With the launch of the loan scheme, Education minister Jessica Alupo said she has now accomplished the four assignments the President gave her when she was taking over office and asked the public to exercise honesty by allowing those who can’t afford paying access the scheme.

COMPOSITION OF BOARD
Prof Callisto Locheng
Prof Opuda-Asibo
Prof Christine Dranzoa
Elizabeth Gabona
Mr William Ndoleriire
Solome Luwanga
Mr Mohammed Sserwadda
Stephen Legesi Mwanika
Ms Esther Kyozira

CARE ABOUT OTHERS CAN MAKE YOU LIVE LONGER

At Easter time, reflect on how much you spend on luxuries.  Whichever way you get the resources, this type of consumption could be responsible for your early death.

Advice: Think about others and do donate to them.  That luxury eating of meat etc, will definitely lead to your early dath through the development of health complications, and however much money you may have, this money may not save you.

The wise thing, even if you have bags of money, think about others, that way, chances are that you will spend less on unhealthy eating which will lead to your early death.

Happy Easter.

SMACK OB HON. WILLIAM OKECHO HAS PASSED ON

Former West Budama North MP Hon.William Okecho, Dies

April 19, 2014 Patricia Kahill

Former West Budama North Constituency Member of Parliament Hon.William Okecho passed on at Mulago Hospital.

 

Hon. Okecho was Val Okecho’s dad.

Val is the ‘Love Doctor’ presenter on Capital FM.

Hon. Okecho’s body will be in Christ the King Church at 9.00am on Tuesday and then head to Parliament. A keep Vigil will be held in his home in Ntinda on the same day. He will buried in Paya on Friday.

Ex-Budama MP, Oketcho, Passes On

19/04/2014 08:20:00 Kenneth Kazibwe

 

Hon William Oketcho, the former Member of Parliament for West Budama North, passed away at Mulago national referral hospital.

The cause of his death is not yet clear.

Hon Oketcho is a former Board Chairman National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC), former West Budama North MP and Chairman of the Budget Committee which gave Parliament a powerful oversight role over national resources.

He was, according to reports, the first head of the privatisation Unit and a sole survivor of the Uganda Airline crash in Italy.

The government spokesperson Ofwono Opondo, confirmed his death in a social media message.

Opondo too hailed Oketcho for bringing national education pride to the Jopadhola in Tororo, according to The New Vision.

STEEL WOOL FOR CLEANING UTENCILS IS A HEALTH HAZARD WHOSE USE SHOULD BE REGULATED

Recently, I found someone who prepares passion fruit for clients with steel wool.  I cautioned this person against the use of steel wool given that it has tiny particles that may eventually affect those who buy passion fruit.

Government ought to come out clear about the use of steel wool.  This steel wool should be kept out of use by those involved in food preparation as well as drinks.  It is possible that particles from this wire gradually can be a potential cause of health problems that can eventually lead to death.

COUNTERFEITS ON UGANDA MARKET

Every serious person in Uganda should be concerned about counterfeits on Uganda market.  Just yesterday someone went to buy staple wire and only realized that while he normally buys “Great Wall”, he had actually bought “Great Hall.”  This he realized after he had long moved from the place he had bought the staples.  Those in the construction industry say that it is extremely difficult to identify the fake goods on the market.  Someone was working on the roof to block the leakages due to nails only to find that the chemical he thought would serve the purpose was actually fake.  Those in the production of agricultural products are equally complaining, the same to those in the animal husbandry sector.

The magnitude of this problem is so great.  We have seen houses get on fire with the reason being poor wires used in the wiring of the houses.  The way forward is for Government to get its organs active in getting the counterfeits / fake goods out of Uganda market.

GOVERNMENT WRONG ON KEEPING USED COMPUTERS OUT OF THE COUNTRY

In the New vision story of Monday, April 14, 2014, “MPs want Government to manage country IT code,” the Minister for IT, John Nasasira was asked why Government still upholds the ban on used computers due to environmental hazards, yet it quests for IT development. In response, Nasasira advised against allowing into the country used computers since technological devices are getting cheaper. “I don’t think we need mivumba technologies now.”

It is unfortunate that we have the likes of Nasasira among the patriotic Ugandans. Nasasira may not know that since the ban, many Ugandans have continued to get second hand computers and these computers are helping them in a number of aspects. It is unfortunate that some of our leaders tend to be arrogant. Today, many people who need computers are even failing to get their little pay on time. Everything is out of hand for the locals who are not beneficiaries of corruption and or free hand outs from Government. The Minister may assume the computers are free, but from the time the policy of the ban on used computers got enforced, it looks clear that this was deliberately intended to favour some companies that allegedly bring in computers in Uganda to get the market. Today, students are using computers and many of these computers were being donated to schools. I remember Hon, Nsambu made a name in this role of being a conduit for used computers to some Uganda schools. Now, donors for such computers have no opportunity to send the used equipment to Uganda, and we are aware that UNEB had held some results of HSC students simply because they did not sit for the Computer paper.

Time is ripe for our politicians to get real. It does not help to be out of touch with the people and their circumstances. We are aware that there are flat screen monitor computers and these would be allowed in even when they are second hand.