Muha-kanizi on spot over Shillings 90b farmers' cash:

By Yasiin Mugerwa

Posted 29 September, 2014

 

 

The Secretary to the Treasury, Mr Keith Muhakanizi who kept calling himself “ born again Christian” was today pushed on the wall and forced to apologise for the “inefficiencies” in the running of a Shs 90 billion facility meant for helping the poor farmers access cheap credit.

The Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee noted “gross inefficiencies, conflict of interest and lack of supervision of the funds” on the part of Bank of Uganda and Ministry of Finance. Because of lack of supervision, PAC Chairperson Ms Alice Alaso said, the money has gone to the well-off farmers at the expense of the poor farmers and written off more than Shs499 million in bad debts.

On December 3 2009, the Governor Bank of Uganda Prof Emmanuel Mutebile wrote to Ministry of Finance, saying that Bank of Uganda could not monitor the implementation and evaluation of the facility, citing conflict of interest however to date, Mr Muhakanizi had not taken action. The ST apologised for “inefficiency” saying “he is also human”.

The committee expressed concerns about the possible risk to the funds and ordered Muhakanizi to streamline the monitoring of the scheme within one month. Officials from BoU told the committee that they signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Ministry of Finance and clearly STATED that monitoring of the agriculture 

credit facility will not be their mandate.

Mr Muhakanizi returns to PAC next week.

 

But The suffering goes on without any social welfare in this poor African country:

 

Nakasango nga asindika kitawe bagende okusabiriza ssente.

 

Taata Omusoga ava e Iganga ate nga mulema oluusi antuma okumugulira bamalaaya wano mu Kampala:

 

By Lawrence Kitatta

 

Added 21st September 2016

 

Nakasango anyumya bw’ati:

Nzuukuka ku makya ng’obudde tebunnakya ne tutegula ebikunta oluvannyuma taata bw’aba yeetewuulizzaako mu kaveera nkakwata ne nkasuula mu kipipa kya Kcca ekiri e busukkakkubo. kyokka oluguudo ndusala mmagamaga emmotoka zireme kunkoona.

Bwe tuba twasuze n’amazzi tunaabako mu maaso era tunywako oluusi ne njolekera Kiswa gye nsoma mu P1.

Taata eyandibadde ampa ssente za bodaboda okuntwala ku ssomero ate nze mba nnina okumusindika ku kagaali nga tuva e Lugogo we tusula ku mulyango gwa GTZ.

Olumu ku ssomero anzigyayo ssaawa 4:00 ne tugenda ku kkubo gye tusabiriza. Olumu nsoma naye olulala nnemererwa.

Olusoma oluwedde nakola ebibuuzo era okuva olwo saaddayo kusoma. Buli lunaku tuzunga ekibuga kumpi okukimalako ne mpulira nga n’obugere bunfuuyirira.

Kasango ng’azingako akaveera akakola nga bulangiti e Lugogo okumpi ne siteegi ya New Vision, we basula ate Nakasango nga yeetereza batandike olugendo lw’okubuna ekibuga nga basabiriza.

 

Naye taata bw’atuuka ku kaserengeto olwo ng’anteeka mu maaso ng’akagaali kayiringita. Taata yangamba nti maama wange ye Nasim Namulondo abeera Iganga era gye yanzigya okundeeta e Kampala okutandika okusabiriza ku luguudo.

Enkuba bw’etonnya mu budde obw’ekiro olwo ne tuyimirira ku lubalaza we tusula olumu n’okutukuba etukuba naddala ng’erimu kibuyaga.

Obudde buli lwe buziba mba mu kweraliikirira. Taata oyo talina nsonyi antuma okumuyitira bamalaaya ekiro!

Omanyi bwe tuba twebase nsula ku ludda kw’assa ebigere wabula olumu ngenda okusisimuka nga mpulira anninnya mu maaso, ngenda okulaba nga mukazi.

Olumu mpulira n’amaloboozi ekiro naye nga sirina kyakukola. Bw’aleeta bamalaaya nga sinneebaka olwo nsituka busitusi ne ntuula ku kkubo mu kayumba ka siteegi ya New Vision okutuusa lwe bamaliriza naye ate olumu nneekanga nsuze awo. Olumu antuma e Nakawa ngule sooda.

Wano nga beetegeka okugenda.

 

TAATA YANZIBA AWAKA

Bwe yali yaakandeeta okunzigya mu kyalo ng’annyambaza nnyo engoye z’abalenzi nga tayagala bamulaba kumanya nti ndi muwala naye kati nange nnyambala ngoye z’abawala.

Nzijukira nali mbeera ne maama wange ne jjajja, twali tuzannya ne baganda bange be twabeeranga nabo awaka, abakulu tebaaliwo kw’olwo taata yajja awaka n’anzibawo n’antwala ewa jjajja omulala.

Ono kirabika ye maama we amuzaala wabula nga naye saamwetegereza bulungi era simumanyi. Taata bwe yawulira nti gye yanzigya baali batandise okunnoonya kwe kunzigyayo n’andeeta e Kampala.

Kye nzijukira twatuuka kiro era ekkubo eryatuleeta sirimanyi naye angamba nti ewaffe Iganga we wali ekyalo kyaffe.

Wabula okuva lwe natandika okubeera ne taata embeera tebeerangako nnyangu kuba ennaku ezisinga tusiibirira capati n’amazzi emmere tugirya lumu na lumu ate tugirya Kataza Bugoloobi kuba we wali eya layisi gy’asobola okugula.

Eno ku 1500/- tufuna ebijanjaalo n’akawunga ate ennyama ya 3,000/- naye ennyama emirundi gye nnaakagiryako mbala mibale ate essowaani tugigabana.

 

There is no official national register of pensioners in the country of Uganda:

10 June, 2016

 

By Nelson Wesonga, Kampala

 

Government says it does not have records of pensioners due to “lack of data and personal files.”

According to the ministry of Public Service, many pensioners do not show up for verification thus leading to delays in payment of their monthly dues and the once off gratuity.

The State minister for Public Service, Mr David Karubanga told MPs during plenary that the ministry will, carry out a census and biometric validation of pensioners starting February 20.

“The ministry of Public Service does not have a national register of pensioners,” Mr Karubanga said yesterday.

“Despite the decentralisation of pension management, a number of votes [ministries] have not verified the records on the payroll.”

A day earlier, Aruu Member of Parliament, Odonga Otto had told the August House that many pensioners have not been paid for several months.

Many were, therefore, depending on their relatives – who already have other financial responsibilities – to pay their bills or to buy basics.

Those without relatives are borrowing items from shopkeepers.

Shopkeepers though can only lend them for a few months expecting to be paid once they get their gratuity.

Following Mr Odonga’s remarks, the Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga said the government was treating the senior citizens disrespectfully.

On Wednesday, Mr Karubanga also said the Public Service ministry had for the last four years not carried out verification of pensioners “due to funding shortage and lack of clear addresses" [of the pensioners].

The verification of the pensioners will be done between February 20 and March 24 at the district headquarters by Face Technologies.

According to Mr Karubanga, Face Technologies will do the work, which the ministry failed.

However, it is still not clear how much the ministry will pay the company.

Face Technologies is the company that processes driving permits for motorists.

Workers Members of Parliament Margaret Rwabushaija and the Erute Member of Parliament Jonathan Odur said the government should tell Ugandans when it would pay the pensioners all their arrears.

Mr Karubanga said payments are the responsibility of the Finance ministry.

All that Public Service does is to furnish the Finance ministry with the particulars of the claimants.

 

 

The government of Uganda has changed its mind to give the Non Government Organization, well known internationally, as "GiveDirectly" a second chance to distribute Shs 106bn cash to the vulnerable Africans:

 

 

Written by the observer, Uganda,

 

President Yoweri Museveni meeting with GiveDirectly officials

 

Following a meeting with President Yoweri Museveni at State House Nakasero, international NGO, GiveDirectly has been okayed to resume distributing cash relief to vulnerable Ugandans.

However, the distribution of the money must be aligned with government priorities according to a press statement released by State House.

GiveDirectly operations were suspended on September 9, 2020, after government blocked its $15m (about Shs 57bn) Covid relief cash distribution to vulnerable Ugandans whose earnings had been affected by the first COVID-19 lockdown in March 2020.

GiveDirectly which has been operating in the country since 2013, had planned to distribute Shs 100,000 monthly cash to about 190,000 vulnerable Ugandans to cover both food and other essential non-food items. Beneficiaries facing eviction over failure to pay rent would get $50 (about Shs 200,000). The cash offer was meant to run for a period of three months.

However, without warning, government through the NGO Bureau for NGOs, suspended the cash distribution claiming that an investigation had found that GiveDirectly’s cash handouts were likely to make Ugandans lazy, promote idleness, domestic violence, dependency syndrome and tension within neighbouring villages.

Incidentally, the same government would a year later use the same method to distribute cash relief to a targeted 560,000 vulnerable Ugandans. However, the distribution was marred by grave maladministration and corruption - with most of the Shs 100,000 cash ending up in government officials and their relatives' pockets.

 

Getting old is all about living

 

Previously, the government had cast doubt on the source and purpose of GiveDirectly’s cash after some officials claimed that it was being used to fund opposition campaigns and activities. 

But following Tuesday's meeting with GiveDirectly’s Global managing director, Joe Huston, the president has now given a green light to the NGO to resume the cash distributions.

Museveni outlined three key principles for deepening collaboration between the government and GiveDirectly including transparently engage government to ensure the government is aware of its activities and understand appropriate governance frameworks in place to enable government oversight of GiveDirectly’s programming. He also urged GiveDirectly to protect its recipients from fraud or scams targeting them and safeguard donor funds.

Museveni tasked Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja to build on the progress made to align on a path to reopening GiveDirectly operations.

“We are grateful to be granted a second audience with Your Excellency and are thrilled to deepen our collaboration to support the Government of Uganda in assisting Ugandans’ journeys out of poverty,” Houston said.

According to GiveDirectly, they have $30m available for current and planned projects in Uganda for poverty alleviation, emergency relief, refugees, disaster preparedness and social protection.

Nb

This African man is jealousy when the white man turns around and instead of giving him the money he craves for to sponsor his big government, they are giving it to the most vulnerable African peoples!

 

One reckons he is a Christian by religious belief? Every day we are begging this African military government without any answers, to upgrade the socialist political ideology that was very common in most of the native communities on the African continent before colonialism arrived.

 

His Prime Minister he is directing to spy on the white man has already failed to provide charity to the most vulnerable in the African societies!

 

Instead the honorable lady has put up her own relatives in her office so that they can rejoice with over 54 billion shillings that was meant to kick start the social welfare policy in this country!
 

 

A flamboyant city lawyer, Mr Kasango and other Government Public officials have been convicted over the theft of Shs 15bn pension funds:

23 December, 2018

Written by the Observer media, Uganda

Convicted: (L-R) Christopher Obey, Kiwanuka Kunsa and Jimmy Lwamafa

(L-R) Christopher Obey, Kiwanuka Kunsa and Jimmy Lwamafa

 

City lawyer Bob Kasango has been sentenced to 16 years in prison for the theft of Shs 15.4bn pension funds.

Kasango who was convicted alongside three senior officials in the ministry of Public Service, was also ordered by the Anti-Corruption court to refund Shs 5bn of the stolen.

Also convicted and sentenced are; Jimmy Lwamafa, the former permanent secretary for ministry of Public Service, former principal accountant in the pensions department from the same ministry, Christopher Obey, former director research and development Stephen Kiwanuka Kunsa.

The accused persons were also convicted of conspiracy to defraud, conspiracy to commit a felony and forgery of a judicial document.

Lwamafa was sentenced to 9 years in prison, Obey is to serve 14 years, Kunsa 9 years while Kasango who was accused of stealing two judicial documents to facilitate diversion of the fund to his Hall and Partners firm is to serve 16 years in prison. The ministry officials are to also refund Shs 3.5bn each of the stolen money.

The Anti-Corruption court presided over by Justice Margaret Tibulya heard that there was overwhelming evidence that proved that the accused persons forged a court order, a certificate of taxation and a certificate of costs directing the attorney general to pay Hall and Partners the money that was meant for pension and gratuity of more than 6,340 pensioners between 2011 and 2012.

Although Obey and Kunsa said that they signed documents leading to the diversion of the money without reading through the documents, Justice Tibulya rejected their defence, saying that they were seniors who shouldn't have committed such an error.

Court assessors, Nelson Kamiza and Flavia Kisaakye Kabanda had previously asked court to acquit the suspects advising the trial judge that the testimonies made by the witnesses couldn't warrant a conviction because it was lacking.

But Tibulya disagreed with them saying that "the unbinding opinion by the court assessors is far way below the weight of the evidence by the prosecutors. This is not the first time the officials are being convicted of diversion of public resources.

In 2016, Anti-Corruption court judge Lawrence Giduddu found the three officials guilty of fraudulently budgeting Shs 88.2 billion as civil servants' contribution to National Social Security Fund (NSSF) well knowing that public servants are exempted from contributing to NSSF. The money, however, ended up in the hands of 'ghost' recipients.

The ministry officials’ lawyer John Isabirye said his clients are going to appeal against the sentence because they are being ordered to refund part of the stolen money that was solely taken by Kasango.

Nb

It is unfortunate that even my own mother who was a medical nurse Gulu1939/46 and Tororo 1947/54 and Kampala 1956/67 and managed to live as a widow was gradually refused her Uganda pension when she travelled abroad. She came back to die in Uganda 2015 without any Uganda money in her Assets. What of all those elderly people who have their own stories to tell.

 

 

 

 

 

The President of Uganda is confused about the administration of the Programme of Universal Education for the African children:

August 13, 2018

Written by URN

President Yoweri Museveni has called for a review of government's free education programme in both primary and secondary schools.  
 
Museveni said he is still confused on which side to take as some people are suggesting that parents can afford contributing something towards the education of their children. Others however claim that parents are too poor to afford paying schools fees for their children. 
 
He tasked the National Youth Council to enquire from village council leaders on whether Universal Primary Education (UPE) and Universal Secondary Education (USE) should be reviewed to allow monitory contributions from parents.
 
Museveni disclosed this while presiding over the International Youth Day celebrations at Kampiringisa Rehabilitation Centre playgrounds in Mpigi district yesterday under the theme "Safe Spaces for Youths".
 
President Museveni has called for a review of government's free education policy
Museveni explained that government spends huge sums on UPE and USE yet many government schools charge parents, which calls for a policy review.
 
"When I try to ask some people they ask parents are capable of paying but just pretend. So the question then is, are parents capable of paying or are just pretending. We need an answer of all the villages. They should tell us because if they are too lazy to pay that means they can afford but are pretending. But if they can’t afford and we force them that means children will not go to school. So I need advice from you because you’re the people in the villages. You’re the one to tell me that this is the way to go. I challenged you the youth." he said. 

 

Many schools, especially those in urban areas resolved to levy an optional Shs 10,000 for lunch and Shs 10,400 for utility bills like water and electricity. 

 

Museveni says he has failed to understand how the matter should be handled and therefore called from resolutions from village council leaders whom he believes are much aware of the status of people in their villages.
 
"I told you to go back to the villages and ask the LC1s whether we should allow school charges to come back or we should stop them…Can the families afford to pay the school charges or can they not afford? Because now am being tossed around. We spend so much money on UPE, so much money on USE yet government schools are charging and you find children are out of school. I need a resolution from LC1s to tell me what to do." said Museveni. 

 

He says government will take a decision after hearing from the local leaders. Government rolled out UPE in 1997 and abolished all kinds of fees. Primary school enrolment increased from 3.1 million pupils in 1996 to 7.6 million in 2003 following the introduction of UPE.

 

Government introduced Universal Secondary Education ten years later to enable eligible primary school graduates enrol in secondary and vocational training institutions.

 

While government promised to pay the fees, parents were expected to provide scholastic materials and midday meals for the learners. However many parents especially in rural areas do not to provide meals to their children, saying they are too poor.

 
Recent reviews by civil society organisations have found UPE and USE schools struggling to meet costs of operation as government funds are most of the times delayed, swindled or a times not released altogether.
 
The quality of education in the UPE and USE has also come under scrutiny after government ordered for automatic promotion of all students. 

Nb

One wishes these kids to tell this VIP to vacate his job so that others can try to take over his job without violence. These kids must have seen many teachers and headmasters that come and serve them and go willingly in their schools.

 

 

 

 

 

THE CONSTITUTION OF BUKADDE MAGEZI FFENNA TUKULAKULANE ASSOCIATION

 

PREAMBLE

 

We the concerned members, in response to develop and implement a redress of the social welfare programmes to old people of Uganda have decided to establish BUKADDE MAGEZI FFENNA TUKULAKULANE ASSOCIATION.

 

AWARE of the great resource gap for the disadvantaged old people in Uganda in health and capacity building.

 

CONSCIOUS of the increasing peculiar needs of the disadvantaged old people with increasing deaths caused by the rampant HIV/AIDS, wars and natural deaths with limited government and civic organization to redress these systems and resources.

 

GRATEFUL that the government of Uganda has established an office in the ministry of gender to cater for special needs of old people.

 

CONCERNED that not all of the government programmes designed to cater for the needs of old people are hampered by resource constraints.

 

DESIROUS to contribute to the plight of old people of Uganda through developing a total  programme under BUKADDE MAGEZI FFENNA TUKULAKULANE ASSOCIATION do hereby resolve to constitute ourselves into a community based organization.