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.

 

 

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.

 

Mystery murders: Uganda Communities cry out for justice:

4th April, 2021

By Edgar R. Batte

Ms Peace Tukamusa Kyarubingo holds a picture of her husband, who was killed last month. Photo | Edgar R Batte

 

She holds her chin by the left hand, her eyes gazing in a distance, past the playful children. Peace Tukamusa Kyarubingo’s eyes tell of pain and sadness that emanates from unanswered questions surrounding the death of her husband.

On the night of March 10, Frank Byaruhanga left home but did not return, sending his family into panic as they combed the neighbourhood, police stations, friends’ home to find him but in vain.

He was later discovered dead, with a rope around his neck. He had allegedly been strangled and his boda boda stolen.

Mr Jackson Turyamureba, the chairperson of Kyahubingo Village in Buhanda Sub-county, Kitagwenda District, says several people have lost their lives in the last five years but the community feels justice is slow.

“Police are in circus. Suspects are known but no investigations are being made. One day, a culprit is arrested and then released,” Mr Turyamureba says.

Byaruhanga’s body was later discovered in Kikoye forest. The widow says the  suspects in connection with the killing were arrested and taken Ntara Police Station.

“At about 9pm, he had not returned, so I feared that he had been arrested for violating curfew time. I called his phone and it was off. I kept calling but in vain. After midnight, I started getting worried because he had never slept outside home,”  she recalls.

Ms Kyarubingo says she started calling Byaruhanga’s friends, including Mr Didus Kiiza, who she reached out to at about 3am. He said he too had been searching for Byaruhanga at Buhanda Police Station.

“Police are not committed to giving us justice. They promise to come to our communities to make investigations but have never showed up,”  the mother of five says.

This newspaper reported the death of two unidentified people in November 26, 2019, whose bodies were discovered without heads in Kikoyo Forest.
A week earlier, the Ntoroko District NRM chairman, Vincent Mugume, and a boda boda rider were also killed by unknown people in Tooro Semliki game reserve.

Security
Mr Robert Itwara Kamasaka, the former Kamwenge District chairperson, calls for security beefing in the area, saying security agencies know the criminals but cannot adequately act on them.

He says more than 10 people have been killed in the last 10 months and cites boda boda cyclists as prime targets by killers.

“The root causes of the killings are linked to unchecked intake of marijuana by young people who don’t like to work but enjoy drinking alcohol. When such criminals are reported and arrested, cases are not concluded. Is it because police lack investigating capacity? Some of security personnel have been reportedly compromised,”  Mr Kamasaka says.

However, the officer-in-charge of Kitagwenda Police Station, Mr Ronald Nsabumukiza, says they are dealing with the insecurity in the area.
He says boda boda riders with new motorcycles are the main targets.

“No recoveries have been made so far, but we have noted a history of criminality linked to new motorcycle owners. Some of the murders are linked to domestic violence,” Mr Nsabumukiza says.

He says they are undertaking efforts to secure areas such as Kikoyo forest where they will deploy a Field Force Unit patrol.

editorial@ug.nationmedia.com

 

 

 

 

 

Katikkiro wa Namasole awanda muliro ku bya Mmengo okumuwawaabira:

By Musasi wa Bukedde

 

Added 5th September 2019

Abaana bano kwekuli maama wa Ssekabaka Daudi Chwa II

 

KATIKKIRO  wa Namasole akaayidde aba Buganda Land Board (BLB) olw’okumutwala ku poliisi olw’ekibanja e Munyonyo kye  yatunze. 
 
Bwe yabadde ayogera ne Bukedde, Abraham  Luzzi yagambye nti ‘”Kiwalabye Male okuntwala ku poliisi aba yeerabidde nti mukopi nga nze nti era aba asusse ensalo y’okumanya w’akoma ku nsonga za Buganda.”
 
 Namasole mu Buganda y’aba nnyina wa Kabaka, ono y’e Namasole owookuna  ku bazze basikira eyali azaala Ssekabaka Daudi Chwa. Yalonda nze nga Katikkiro we n’ampa n’ebiwandiiko ebinkakasa. Kiwalabye akimanye nti mu Buganda Namasole aba ne Katikkiro. Okumpaabira aba awaabidde Namasole jjajja wa Kabaka Mutebi eyannonda,” Luzzi bwe yategeezezza.
 
Yayongedde okunnyonnyola nti, “Kiwalabye okuwaabira alinga atamanyi bukulu bwe mu Buganda. Ndibalekera ali mu luse lwa Namasole Tekera Najjemba eyazaala Ssekabaka Daudi Chwa ll. Ku kibanja amazeeko emyaka 100 n’omusobyo, kuliko n’ebiggya bya bajjajja ba Buganda era wano we waaziikibwa Lubuga wa Namasole wa Everine Kulabako azaalira ddala Ssekabaka Daudi Chwa,” Luzzi bwe yagambye. 
 
BLB okujojomya abantu ku ttaka ensangi zino n’ezingiramu n’abakulu mu luse lwa Kabaka omuli Bannamasole, Bannaalinnya, Abalangira n’Abambejja kituuse okukyayisa Kabaka mu bantu be. Batadde olukomera ku Kabaka nga ne Namasole eyandimulabye okumunnyonnyola eby’enkizo bateekawo olukomera n’atamulaba. 
 
Bakira bw’ayogera ng’alaga empapula Namasole kw’azze asabira okusisinkana Kabaka n’alemesebwa.
 
Kabaka wa bantu nnyo okusinga abakulembeze abalala kyokka tewali kizibu kyenkana kumulaba so ng’abamu baba n’ensonga ez’essimba ze baba baagala okumutegeeza.
 Yayongeddeko nti ebintu bya Namasole bingi bitundiddwa omuli n’akatale k’e Makindye okumpi ne kkooti akamanyiddwa nga “Olusuku lwa Namasole.
 
Baamusuubiza okumuwaamu ensimbi kye bataakola.  Yanokoddeyo n’ettaka eddala lye yagambye nti liri mu mannya ga Everine Kulabako e Lukuli ku Block 253 plot 14, 45 ne 261.  
 
Nti nalyo lyolekedde okutundibwa aba Buganda Land Board nga tebatuukiridde Namasole. Luzzi bakira bino abyogera bw’alaga ekiwandiiko kye yasindika e Mmengo nga kisaba Namasole aweebwe omugabo ku lusuku lwe olwatundibwa aba Buganda Land Board.
 
Yagambye nti Namasole okutunda ekifo kino yamaze kukola buli kyetaagisa era eky’obuntubulamu eri omukuumi waakyo. Yagulidde Joseph Mukasa abadde akuuma ekifo kino okumala emyaka asatu mmotoka ekika kya ttipa empya n’amugulira n’ekifo ekirala aw’okubeera,” Luzzi eyabadde tasalikako musale bwe yagambye wakati mu kwewuunya.
 
KIWALABYE MALE  Ky’agamba        
Bwe twatuukiridde Kiwalabye Male yagambye nti ‘‘Nze nkulira bukulizi kitongole kya Buganda Land Board era si kyange. Nnyinikyo ye Kabaka era ye nannyini ttaka eryo eryogerwako.’’ 
Nb
Bwe yabadde ayogera ne Bukedde, Abraham Luzzi yagambye nti ‘”Kiwalabye Male okuntwala ku poliisi aba yeerabidde nti mukopi(MUKOPI) nga nze nti era aba asusse ensalo y’okumanya w’akoma ku nsonga za Buganda.”

Omukulu ono Luzzi naye asusse ensalo za Buganda kubatuuze ba Buganda kuttaka. Eggwanga lya Bakyopi (abakopi) abaganda baliyikiriza nyo okubakolera emirimu nokutundibwa mubuddu. Tebaali baganda. Abatuuze babuganda mpozzi nabattaka ebiro bino emitawana gyettaka nga ne Mengo bwekoze, bagitwalira kamala byonna wa governmenti ya wakati(Central Governmenti).

 
 
 
 
 

 

Abasuubuzi ba open market ye Kampala, Uganda, bawanjagidde Kampala City Council Authority okuggalawo Public Toilets omwezi kakati mulamba:

By Musasi wa Bukedde, Joanita Nakatte

 

Added 14th March 2019

 

Abasuubuzi b’omu katale ka Kame mu Munisipaali y’e Mukono bawanjagidde Munisipo Kanso ku nsonga y’okubaggalira kaabuyonjo kati wiiki ssatu.

 

Kaabuyonjoezaggalwa 703x422

Kaabuyonjo ezaaggalwa mu katale ka Kame e Mukono.

 

Abasuubuzi b’omu katale ka Kame mu Munisipaali y’e Mukono bawanjagidde Munisipo Kanso ku nsonga y’okubaggalira kaabuyonjo kati wiiki ssatu.

Bano abaabadde abanyiivu baategeezezza nga aba Kanso bwe baasalawo okuggala kaabuyonjo yaabwe  oluvannyuma lw’okugezaako okugiggyamu obubi,  omulimu ne batagumaliriza. Bagamba nti baali baabasuubiza okugumaliriza enkeera kyokka  babalinda tebandanga.

 

"Baatunnyonnyola obuzibu obwaliwo nti kaabuyonjo yali yeetaaga okuddaabirizibwa nga tetunnaba kuddamu kugikozesa ne tukkiriziganya  okugiggala. Baatusuubiza okudda mu bwangu okugikola wabula tulabika nga tetukyasobola kubagumiikiriza,tugenda mu mwezi kati mulamba tetulina waakweyamba," abasuubuzi bwe baagambye.

 

 mu ku batunda emmere okuliraana kaabuyonjo ngannyonnyola obuzibu bwe bayitamuOmu ku batunda emmere okuliraana kaabuyonjo ng'annyonnyola obuzibu bwe bayitamu.

 

Aisha Namuli omu ku batunda emmere okuliraana kaabuyonjo zino we zaazimbibwa yagambye nti asanze obuzibu mu kiseera kano olw’abantu okweyambanga mu buveera ne babukweka wansi w’omudaala gwe n’abamuliraanye.

Ye kkansala w’ekitundu kino akatale mwe kali, Allan Mawanda yennyamidde olwa Kanso okukozesa ensimbi z’empooza ze basolooza mu basuubuzi bano mu bintu ebyandibadde bikolebwako oluvannyuma ne basembyayo ensonga ez’omugaso ng’ okuddaabiriza kaabuyonjo eno.

Ate ye Josiam Sserunjogi yinginiya wa Munisipo Kanso avunaanyizibwa ku nsonga zino yeetonze olw’obuzibu buno era n’abategeeza nga bwe wabaddewo obuzibu bw’emidumu gy’amazzi n’egitwala kazambi okuba nga gyazibikira, nga gino gye gikakeeyereza okumaliriza omulimu ogwo.

Nb

Kabuyonjo ya mazzi oba Latrine ffe ekibiina kyaffe kigye kibayambe. Kubanga era nga mwakunganyiza sente nga shillings 3000/- buli musubuzi nemufuna omukugu gwemwesiga asobola okubayamba kunsonga eno. Kubanga yo city council bwemunafuna obulwadde ne ba customers bammwe, egya kugenda mubazungu ebasabe sente okulwanyisa cholera mukibuga kye Kampala. Era sente ezo tezijja kubatuuka ko nebwezinaaba million za dollars 2. Obuzibu bwammwe bujja kubasigala ko nokubatta obulwadde bubatte.

 

 

 

 

 

"We want representatives in the Uganda Parliament" The older people of Uganda are trying to suggest:

 

By Nelson Kiva

 

Added 15th November 2018

 

The latest petition is addressed to the Minister of Gender, Labour and Social Development, Janat Mukwaya, whom the older persons task to bring it to the attention of the cabinet for consideration then parliament.

Abbey1 703x422
 
IC: Chairman National Council for Elder Persons Joram Tibasiimwa with John Charles Orach representing Northern Region observing the petition before submission. This was during the meeting of  National Council for Elder Persons at Ministry of Gender , Labour and Social Development on November 14, 2018.(Photos by Ramadhan Abbey)
 

POLITICS

Representatives of older persons (60 years and above) have renewed their demand for electoral reforms that provide for their representation in Parliament.

While meeting at the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development in Kampala on Wednesday, 17 members of the National Council for Older Persons (NCOP) signed a fresh petition to sustain their demand.

They claimed the target is not to miss out in the next parliament in 2021.

Older persons first launched the campaign in 2008.  In their 10-paged petition to Parliament, the older persons not only advocated for parliamentary seats, but also representation at all levels of decision making including local councils.

Their efforts have since recorded reasonable success, the National Council for Older Persons’ Act 2013 being one of them.

 

This among others provided for the establishment of the older persons leadership structures from the village to national level and election of representatives at local councils.

These were confirmed in a stringent of electoral reforms passed by Parliament in the run up to the 2016 general elections.

The latest petition is addressed to the Minister of Gender, Labour and Social Development, Janat Mukwaya, whom the older persons task to bring it to the attention of the cabinet for consideration then parliament.

Joram Tibasiimwa, the chairperson of the NCOP noted that older persons were the only special interest group recognised by the constitution but not represented in Parliament which is unfair.

“It is a considered opinion of the National Council for Older Persons, that fairness prevails and government and Parliament treats all special interest groups equally.

If not, the representation of special interest groups in Parliament altogether should be abolished,” he explained.

 

 rom left to right  ouncil members of elder persons harles sabirye ehema lupot hairman elder persons oram ibasiimwa handing over the petition to deputy assistant commissioner  eatrice aggy during  the meeting of  ational ouncil for lder ersons at inistry of ender  abour and ocial evelopment

 

(From left to right ) Council members of elder persons, Charles Isabirye, Rehema Olupot. Chairman elder persons, Roram Tibasiimwa handing over the petition to deputy assistant commissioner, Beatrice Kaggy during the meeting of National Council for Elder Persons at Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development.

 

He added: "We acknowledge that many older persons are in Parliament, however they specifically not represent our interests. Their allegiance is to their political parties, special interest groups or themselves.”

Magara Olubo, a representing of Northern region at NCOP questioned: “Why should the youth, women, UPDF, PWDS, be represented in Parliament, while the older persons with numerous challenges are left out?”

 

 

WHAT THE LAW SAYS

Parliament through section 11 of the parliamentary Elections Act, 2001 (Act No.8 of 2001) made provisions for district women representation and for representation of Uganda People’s Defense Force (10), Youth (5), workers (5) and People with disabilities (5) representatives.

 

 

UPDF         10

 

Youth         5

 

Workers     5

 

PWDs         5

Olubo insisted that government should give older persons due consideration explaining that they are the ones who paid taxes which built this country to where it is today.

The council in the push is fully supported by the National Network for Older Persons in Uganda (NNOPU) which last year drafted petition in line.

John Orach, the chairperson NNOPU and a member of the National Council for Older Persons stated:  “Majority of us go through a lot of difficulty, physical abuses, psychologically, financially, relatives neglect and other forms of injustices. All these demand due consideration by government.”

The elderly started their demand for seats in 2017.

 

 The senior citizens of Uganda on a public demostration process

 

He added that the same way the issues of the other interest groups are given a priority; it should be the case with the elderly people. Orach tasked the older persons to sustain advocacy for their wellbeing and all their rights.

In an effort to guarantee older persons well fare, government with support from development partners, in 2011 launched the Social Assistance Grant for Empowerment (SAGE) programme currently operating in over 40 districts.

Under the programme, a sh25, 000 cash payment is made to the eligible older persons to boost their livelihood.

 

 

 

 

 

In Uganda, the Elders mainly on national government pension, have rejected the Age Limit Bill that encourages the President of Uganda to rule the country for the rest of his life:

Photo moment. (L-R) Former Minister of Health

Photo moment. (L-R) Former Minister of Health Henry Kyemba, former Principal Judge James Ogoola, former Prime Minster Apolo Nsibambi and former Chief Justice Samuel William Wako Wambuzi share a light moment at the meeting last Friday. PHOTO BY STEPHEN WANDERA

A conclave of elders has asked Members of Parliament pushing for constitutional amendments to shelve the ‘Age Limit Bill’, they said only seeks “to suit one person’s interest”.

The elders’ forum also reminded President Museveni who will be 77 in 2021, when his current five-year term expires, that “time has come for him to rest so that a new generation can take over” the reins of the country.

Some of the elders who convened in Kampala last Friday to discuss the proposed national dialogue called for wider consultations and warned that if the Bill is rushed through Parliament, there will be consequences — it will sow seeds of disunity in the country and undermine peace and stability.

Warning

Former Prime Minister Apolo Nsibambi and former Chief Justice Samuel William Wako Wambuzi were outspoken and in no uncertain terms warned those pushing for the removal of age limit caps to go slow on.

They have reminded MPs that no Constitution in the world can be all inclusive and called those calling for removal of constitutional safeguards “misguided”.

“The President himself said when one is 75 years old, [he or she] gets tired. He himself has said that so why do you ... him?” Prof Nsibambi questioned those hawking the disputed Constitutional amendments.

Acknowledging Mr Museveni’s contribution to the development of the country, Prof Nsibambi said, time has come for him to rest so that a new generation can take over the leadership.

He also advised the NRM leader “to accept that people shape the nation but after sometime they must allow the nation and the institution to shape them.”

With a smirking face, Mr Wambuzi paused and questioned the proponents of the Age Limit Bill on why they are rushing with the amendment without the input of Ugandans.

He reminded the architects of the Bill about the hegemony of the Constitution and the need to move cautiously because Ugandans need a happy, peaceful and prosperous nation.

“The national Constitution is the fundamental law, the supreme law I think [the people in Parliament] should pay due respect to the Constitution not to jump and amend the Constitution merely to suit one person’s interest”, he counseled.

He also warned that the Constitution must only be amended when it must, adding that the supreme law cannot be amended every time an obstacle is envisaged by one person who wants to stay in power for life.

He reminded the pro-age limit removal members that it took over five years to come up with the 1995 Constitution and therefore cannot be amended in just two weeks or even months.

Justice James Ogoola, the retired Principal Judge of the High Court and the chairperson of The Elders Forum of Uganda criticised those plotting against the age limit cap and wondered why the age limit proponents are rushing to amend the constitution without involving the citizens.

A Private Members Bill on the Constitutional amendments was tabled on September 27, amid fierce protests Parliament.

The bill was drafted by Igara West MP, Raphael Magyezi and it has the Cabinet backing. It was tabled after security operatives raided Parliament and evicted MPs opposed to the Bill.

Trouble started after Speaker Rebecca Kadaga suspended some of the MPs opposed to the removal of age limit.

The scuffle in Parliament left some legislators hospitalised and others arrested on various charges.

The Bill is now property of Parliament and is before Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee.

The committee starts public hearings on October 31.

Those pushing for the amendments insist that Article 102 (b) is discriminatory and should therefore be amended to allow those above 75 years and below 35 contest for presidency.

To illustrate their argument that their Bill is not simply hell-bent on helping Mr Museveni to contest for the sixth-elective term, the Bill proposes separate amendments to Article 104 [challenging a presidential election], Chapter 11 [Local government system] and Article 61[Functions of the Electoral Commission].

On challenging a presidential election petition, the Bill proposes to amend Article 104 and increase the deadline for filing the petition challenging presidential election results from the current 10 days to 15 days.

Clause 3 provides that the Supreme Court shall inquire into and determine the petition expeditiously and shall declare its findings not later than 45 days from the date the petition is filed.

Under Clause 6, where such an election is annulled by court, a fresh election shall be held within 60 days from the date of the annulment.

An amendment to Article 60 proposes that the Electoral Commission shall hold presidential, general parliamentary and local government council elections within the first 30 days of the last 120 days before the expiration of the term of office of the president.

Justice Ogoola however, warned that the issue of the amendment should not only be handled by the few legislators, but the entire nation should be involved through wider consultations and dialogue.

“Our view on this is that yes if we find big difficulties with it, let’s take it to those who own the Constitution, let them discuss its merits and demerits up and down in a measured way”, Justice Ogoola said.

Ms Rhoda Nsibirwa Kalema, the first female legislator and a former member of the Constituency Assembly, who took part in the drafting of the 1995 Constitution faulted the government for failing to translate the supreme law into major local languages for easy understanding by those who do not understand the English language.

Key issues

Biased. The proponents of the Bill insist that Article 102 (b) is discriminatory and should therefore be amended to allow those above 75 years and below 35, contest for presidency.

Petition. On challenging a presidential election petition, the Bill proposes to amend Article 104 and increase the deadline for filing the petition challenging presidential election results from the current 10 days to 15 days.

Cancelling poll. Under Clause 6, where such an election is annulled by court, a fresh election shall be held within 60 days from the date of the annulment.

Role of EC. An amendment to Article 60 proposes that the Electoral Commission shall hold presidential, parliamentary and local government council elections within the first 30 days of the last 120 days before the expiration of the term of office of the president.

The Uganda government has continously refused to hold village level democratic leadership elections since 2001:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

An elderly man casts his vote during the 2016

Presidential and Parliamentary elections.

The Electoral Commission has not held Local Council 1

and Local Council 2 elections since 2001.

PHOTO BY ALEX ESAGALA

BY  MERCY NALUGO

 

Posted  Thursday, March 24   2016
 
UGANDA, KAMPALA:

Village level elections will not be conducted as anticipated, the Electoral Commission (EC) has said, dashing hopes that the long-standing failure to resolve the country’s grassroots leadership question will be ending any time soon.

The elections look set to be pushed to next financial year although the electoral body is yet to set a road map to that effect.

The EC last held Local Council 1 and Local Council 2 elections in 2001. These village leaders’ terms of office expired 10 years ago on May 12, 2006. Only elections at LC3, district, parliamentary and presidential level have since been held under a multiparty system of governance.

“The LC1 elections cannot be earlier than July. We were delayed by the amendment to the Local Government (Amendment) Bill, 2014, which cut down on the funds for elections by allowing the system of lining up. We will, however, hold the polls next financial year,” said Mr Jotham Taremwa, the EC spokesperson.

Article 61(2) of the Constitution mandates the EC to hold presidential, general, parliamentary and local government council elections within the first 30 days of the last 90 days before the expiration of the term of the President. In this case, the deadline for the elections for LC1 and LC2 expired on March 12.

Opposition Shadow minister for local government Betty Nambooze is now mobilising her colleagues in Parliament to pressure government to hold the elections.

“We shall not let (EC chair, Eng Dr Badru) Kiggundu to mess up village elections as we watch. The LC1 elections are the most crucial ones because everything begins at the village level and, therefore, such elections must be respected,” she says.

She dismissed the EC’s defence that it has for more than 12 years failed to conduct elections due to lack of funds and accused the ruling NRM government of deliberately frustrating local government elections for fear of losing at the grassroots.

Parliament last year passed the Local Government (Amendment) Bill, 2014, providing for queueing behind candidates during village level elections.

The Act, which mandates EC to organise, conduct and supervise elections of local councils earlier on before the amendments, provided that elections at local government and administrative unit level would be by secret ballot, using one ballot box for all candidates.

But the Bill indicated that voting by lining up behind candidates would drastically reduce the cost of holding the LC elections from Shs505 billion to Shs35 billion.

It indicated that the money would pay for human resource, logistics and ballot papers for the 7,409 LC2s and 57,792 LC1s in the country.

The concerns

Though cheaper, fears have been voiced about the option of lining up, with some opponents warning that it could promote violence against those whose candidate loses a given election.

Years ago, local council elections gave ordinary Ugandans a fuller taste of democracy and put the people directly in charge of their day-to-day affairs, including community policing and security, social service monitoring and planning that had previously been handed down from the top.

Ms Nambooze says the existing local councils are invalid and cannot preside over any case or even pass a legally binding document. Her position is particularly worrying since many land transactions (a contentious matter around the country) are concluded on documents originated and signed by local council officials.

Ms Nambooze in 2011 filed a suit, seeking a court declaration that the LC1 posts were illegal since the government had failed to hold elections as required by the Constitution.

The Constitutional Court then declared the LCs as null and void. Article 181(4) of the Constitution says all local government councils shall be elected every five years.

There are also concerns that the vacuum left by the absence of effective LCs is fuelling crime in the villages due to the absence of active village councils because the people have been disempowered yet the State is too distant to have an effective presence in every village.

Also, some LCs have died while others have migrated to other districts, creating a gap that needs to be filled.

Mr Roland Mugume, the Rukungiri Municipality MP and a member of the Parliamentary Public Service and Local Government committee, backs Ms Nambooze’s line of argument.

Mr Mugume alludes to the declining NRM support at the grassroots as being responsible for the delay to institute legal LCs.

“The Electoral Commission complained that they did not have enough funds and this was addressed by putting in place a law to cut on costs. They have organised all the other elections and it is now evident that they are not interested in the LC1 elections. The NRM has lost support at the grassroots which is the reason they fear holding elections,” he said.

Introducing multiparty political activity at the grassroots would be more damaging to the NRM party, says Mr Mugume. The LC system evolved out of the ‘Resistance Councils’ which were installed under the so-called ‘Movement System’ of governance which was in play between 1986 and 2005.

There are arguments that President Museveni is sensitive about support at the grassroots and wouldn’t risk allowing party politics at this level.

But Mr Ofwono Opondo, the NRM deputy spokesman, dismisses this line of argument, saying the NRM is still popular, a reason they won most seats at national and local government level.

“From the EC calendar that was issued, parties were made to prepare for the LC1 elections and indeed the NRM party conducted primaries for LC1 and it is now up to them to roll out the plan for elections. Most likely, it is the issue of money and voter fatigue. I have not talked to them yet,” said Mr Opondo said.

How LCs started

The local councils, then called resistance councils, were perhaps the biggest novelty the NRM government introduced into Uganda’s politics in 1986.

It dismantled the old colonial administrative structure based on appointed central government chiefs at the village (mutongole) to the parish (muluka) to the sub-county (gombolola) to the county (ssaza) and through to the district.

It replaced it with elected leaders along the same tier of RC1, RC2, RC3, RC4 and RC5 which fed into the national legislature – the National Resistance Council.

 

mnalugo@ug.nationmedia.com

 

In Arua, latrines are a luxury.

But then this is an African Province in the country of Uganda that straddles one of the biggest rivers in the world, the River Nile. One of the famous Pan-African world leader of Africa, Idd Amin Dada was born and raised up in this Province.

 

 

A health inspector assesses the condition of a makeshift pit-latrine

         in Arua Municipality. Below, left: A houses in Gurua Cell,

              Arua Municipality that lacks proper drainage.

PHOTO BY CLEMENT ALUMA

 
This article has been researched by FELIX WAROM OKELLO & CLEMENT ALUMA.

 

Posted  Saturday, August 30   2014

IN SUMMARY

Worrying situation. Despite calls by municipal health officials on digging pit-latrines, coverage remains very low.

 

 

In Arua Township:

 

Mr Joseph Ogua and his family of four members, use flying toilets (polythene bags) to dispose of waste, especially at night.

The 64-year-old resident of Gurua Cell in Arua Municipality says pit-latrines are expensive to construct.

“For sure, sinking a new latrine needs about Shs800,000 which money I don’t have. But we sometimes use the flying toilet (polythene bags) as we call it here. It is disposed at night in a distant area,” he argues.

The situation in Mr Ogua’s home is one common in many households in Arua Municipality.

Fears of cholera

In Oli Division, the latrine coverage remains low despite campaigns by health officials for residents to build the sanitary facilities.

With the rains back, there is worry the cholera-prone area might have another outbreak of the disease.

Statistics from the health department indicates that last year, two people died of cholera and 14 others were left hospitalised in Oli Division.

Ms Sauda Ali, who says her family shares a pit-latrine with the neighbour says sometimes people pool money to construct the facilities, but still, many find it expensive.

“It is a costly venture. My family shares the pit-latrine with a neighbour. Besides, there is no much land to sink a latrine,” she says.

Areas with the worst sanitation and low pit-latrine coverage are Gurua, Congo and Chongaloya cells in Arua Hill Division as well as Upper Bibia and Swalia in Oli Division.

A survey by Act Together and Uganda Slum Dwellers Federation in 2010 on the slum areas in Arua Municipality notes that there are few flash toilets that empty into a septic tank but most families use pit latrines for the disposal of human waste.

The report adds that there are no drainage systems and waste water flows freely on the settlement paths thus, posing a danger to residents.

For instance, Upper Bibia with a population of about 3,390 residents and over 624 households has about 280 pit-latrines.

The Municipal Health Officer, Dr Paul Onzubo, says: “We always give notice of 45 days for people without latrines to construct them. And after that, we either take them to court or close their homes and they have to move back to their villages. In a current survey, we found 30 households without latrines.”

A resident of Oli Division, Ms Josephine Ajiga, says other than lack of pit-latrines, uncollected garbage and severe water cuts, force many families to fetch unclean water from shallow wells.

“We have to live in rented houses which are affordable and sometimes you rent with hope that the landlord may provide a pit-latrine even from the money you pay. But sometimes he fails to do so. And this forces you to stay and cope with the situation,” she says.

Worrying statistics

Statistics from the World Health Organisation (WHO) indicates that worldwide, 2.4 billion people do not have access to basic sanitation: they lack safe means of disposal of excreta and waste water.

WHO recommends that improving sanitation can be as simple as installing a well-designed ventilated improved pit latrine or composting latrine.

In 2009, the tests on water quality by municipal health authorities revealed that 97 per cent of water sources like boreholes and River Enyau are contaminated.

Downstream from the spot where many youth swim, young women from the settlement draw water for drinking and car washing from the river that was widely condemned by the National Environment Management Authority continues unabated.

editorial@ug.nationmedia.com

 

A crackdown on unregistered orphanage centres and those that don’t meet set standards begins next week, the minister for Gender, Labour and Social Development (MoGLSD) has announced.

Minister Mary Karooro Okurut said yesterday that during an ‘on-the-ground’ inspection, officials found sanitation and accommodation at some centres in an alarming state.

“They don’t have toilets; the children use buveera [polythene bags]; they will get diseases,” she said. “You also find ten children on one small bed.”

She said some girls were raped and boys forced into homosexual acts.

Okurut was officiating at the launch of the AfriChild Centre for the study of the African child at Makerere University on October 15. Through research, analysis and knowledge development, the centre seeks to improve child protection and care as well as informing policy.

In 2012, five orphanages in Kampala were closed over reports of sexual abuse, child trafficking and poor facilities – contrary to the guidelines set out in the Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) Policy. According to Unicef statistics, Uganda had 2.7 million orphans in 2012.

In his keynote address, the AfriChild advisory board chairman, Prof Edward Kirumira, attacked civil society organisations (CSOs) and development agencies for fragmenting children’s issues into different categories instead of addressing them in their entirety.

“They [CSOs] will only use their research when they want to ask for grants; they will not use it to inform policy,” Prof Kirumira said.

The AfriChild Centre

Established early last year, the AfriChild Centre is a product of the Uganda Programme Learning Group of the Child Protection in Crisis Network. It has been established through partnership with the ministry of Gender, Unicef Uganda, Child Fund International Uganda and Columbia University.

Other partners are Makerere University college of Humanities and Social Sciences – where the centre is located, and Transcultural Psychosocial Organisation – TPO Uganda.

The Unicef chief of Social Policy and Evaluation, Dr Diego Angemi, was optimistic the centre would “provide counselling services in the unhappy marriage between the academia and policymakers”.

 

kamsam21@gmail.com

Filter:

Latest Posts

NRM ELECTIONEERING TO STAY IN POWER 2015

Posted on 7th January, 2015
The idea of building a hospital or school in Buganda is good, but what worries me is how both will benefit the ordinary peasant and his children, most of whom will not be able to afford the fees. Unless the Ag Khan will allow the hospital to provide some basic health services for free or on subsidy.
Up dated by Bobby:
17 February, 2017
What is really missing is the extent to which the Kingdom can run Not For Profit Operations: ie generate income from projects the profits of which go into a pool used to meet identified needs in the Kingdom. This is what is absent at the moment- it seems to me. As you point out, what is the purpose of setting up a good school if the children of the peasant can not afford to attend it?  A school that operates on the same lines as Kings College Budo will not necessarily benefit the ordinary muganda child-just as  a person like myself attended Budo, so will other children from the rest of Uganda attend Mayiga's school if it is of good quality and they can afford the fees.
The Kingdom needs to be a modern institution that addresses actual needs in the society, and not just those of the eleites and the privileged, or those who have connections to the Kabaka.
Who owns the palace? Is it the Kabaka or the people of Buganda?
How much did the developmental Aga Khan pay for the land? Who took this money?
How will this money benefit the ordinary Muganda?
Is the Aga Khan hospital going to be free or will it be as expensive as the AK hospitals in Nairobi and Mombasa?
Why doesn't the Katikkiro get back Buganda land previously leased to UG govt, whose leases have expired and use these to build hospitals and schools on ?
An example of this is the land formerly leased to Radio Uganda which was bought by Mwenda's sister after she sold goats.
Where is the money this man collected as Ettofali ?  
Did he ask for this money to build Masengere or for Kasubi ? 
Apart from hosting Mayiga's TV station what use is Masengere to an ordinary Muganda?
The problem here seems to be that Mayiga thinks that he can pull and tug Buganda to support his businesses, while he is at the same time erasing away the very symbols of Buganda like the Kasubi tombs, the Lubiri and the National Anthem.
He thinks that Baganda are so greedy and stupid to sell their identity for a fake investor's hospital or school, they know that they will not afford.
The Baganda are aware of the grand plans previously created by the colonial  globalisation mafia and the hitherto detailed plan to obliterate Buganda's identity to create the client East African union.
The Baganda know why the Kasubi tombs were burnt, and most importantly why they have never been restored.
They also know why the Lubiri was neglected for 30 years after they started restoring Twekobe.
They know why the Kabaja's palaces are on his private land from his mother's side, and why he is not allowed to stay in the Lubiri.
The Baganda also know why Mayiga especially goes around Buganda and the diaspora shutting down nationalistic Buganda organisations.
The Baganda also know what Mayiga and his cabal are doing in Buganda Land Office.
I am nearly convinced that Mayiga is completely unaware that what Mrs Mpanga hinted on is common knowledge now in Buganda.
The Baganda know they have been stitched up, and by whom exactly.
.They will get out of this somehow but the first casualty will be Mayiga, in the bloody internal purge which will ensue.

 

The Uganda Economy will stagnate in 2015, says an economic expert: 

Traders sell their merchandise at Nakasero Market, Kampala recently.

 Traders sell their merchandise at Nakasero Market,

  Kampala recently. Economic experts predict that

  price stability will be heavily affected by food prices

    and weather patterns in 2015.

PHOTO BY FAISWAL KASIRYE. 

Posted  Wednesday, January 7  2015 

 

Without proper policy coordination, current government actions only make the State a predatory agent in the economy – acting like a virus eating its host says Fred Muhumuza as he predicts Uganda’s economy in 2015.

Kampala. Trust me the economy this year will be playing us games, not as an intelligent opponent, because it is not, but still able to inflict pain on many people as it delivers joy to a few.

While we shall all face some of the economy’s weapons such as prices of common goods and services on their way up, not all of us will be aware of the underlying causes like the financing of government debt and trends in the dollar. Individual political inclination notwithstanding, the manoeuvers by politicians will impact the economy around us not least by diverting attention of the bureaucracy from economic management to political survival and longevity.

The inability to predict both the political and geographical weather makes it a daunting task to attempt even the wildest of gausses on economic trends for 2015. However, because certain things are bound to happen or, should I say not to happen, one is able to sketch an outline of the economy in terms of growth, price stability, jobs creation, trade and competitiveness, and welfare improvement.

Economic growth

Growth will remain subdued as it has been for the last five years mainly on account of constrained effective demand, delays in major government projects, and poor service delivery that affects general economic activity.

According to the revised national account figures, final consumption expenditure declined to 1.6 per cent in 2013/14 up from 12.1 per cent in 2010/11. By implication, inventories, which include goods produced but not sold, increased from minus 1.8 per cent (shortage of production) to 17.8 per cent (excessive production) over the same period.

Similarly, general government consumption declined from 45.8 per cent to 13.9 per cent in the past three years. These trends are bound to persist as government borrowing from the domestic market (call it private sector) continues to crowd out real private sector activity (both consumption and investment). This is not to forget that 63 per cent of Ugandans live on less than two dollars a day. Increased government borrowing, largely on account of anticipated expenditure on elections, subdued tax revenues, and debt service above 10 per cent of the budget, will define fiscal policy contribution to service delivery and growth.

The limited focus on improving the quality of public institutions for greater effectiveness and corruption will continue to limit the anticipated benefits from public sector projects. 

It is important to note that most public infrastructure investments provide one-off growth impacts by way of positive changes in stock of infrastructure, which does not re-occur in the subsequent years. Accordingly, sustainable growth can only come from increased private sector activity, which in Uganda is being constrained by limited demand and high business costs.

Price stability

The common price stability index discussed in development policy discourse is the consumer price or inflation. This is largely because of high prioritisation by monetary policy practitioners arising from adverse potential political and socio-economic impacts in case of high inflation. Otherwise price policies should also focus on exchange and interest rates which affect external and domestic competitiveness of the private sector.

Uganda primarily uses interest rates as a means to an end of inflation control rather than a stimulus of private investment. This policy stance is not expected to change in 2015, when interest rates are likely to remain high on account of the need to remove politically motivated monetary injections as well as issue more fiscal bonds to finance the government deficit.

In view of increased liquidity injections by the public sector and high interest rates, both private consumption and investment will remain subdued. This will contribute towards low inflation and also moderate exchange rate movements.

The demand for foreign exchange will be moderated by reduced pressure to import, resulting in adequate reserves despite slow growth in exports related to low growth in global markets. Government efforts notwithstanding, price stability will still be heavily affected by food prices and related weather patterns.

Jobs creation

It is a pity that Uganda, like many of its peers in the low-income country category, never tracks jobs and related unemployment in a consistent and realistic manner. Wild, and possibly weird samples that are far in-between, are often used and quite often on the basis of bad definitions. I, therefore, find it difficult to comment on expected trends in job creation using official unemployment figures. However, on the basis of the basic economic principle that labor is demanded for purposes of meeting current and expected future demand for goods and services, it is probable to conclude that few jobs will be created in 2015.

External trade

Imports will continue to exceed exports due to failure to resolve key domestic supply constraints leading to loss of Uganda’s competitiveness in regional and global markets. A notable setback has been the civil strife in South Sudan (20 per cent), which had developed as Uganda’s leading export destination country followed by Kenya (11 per cent), DRC (5 per cent) and Rwanda. Going forward Uganda needs to diversify her exports within the region and beyond – a feat that will not happen in 2015.

Thus, international trade, which is one of the recommended drivers of growth and jobs through exports will continue to elude Uganda in 2015. Similarly, Uganda will hardly sell anything to its leading sources of imports like India, China and Japan.

Welfare improvements

The recent poverty figures which show a decline to 19.7 per cent in 2012/13 up from 24.5 per cent in 2009/10 highlight a mix of fortunes. The results also show that 63 per cent of the population remains vulnerable while 79 per cent are not sure of having two meals a day. Livelihoods fluctuations by way of diseases, droughts, and erosion of real incomes through inflation, will see many households retreat to consolidate whatever little they have carried from 2014.

Recent talk of a growing middle class is more of an academic theft of reality that lowered the threshold to a mere Shs160,000 per month. A more strategic approach that links the middle class status to the envisaged middle income status GDP per person of Shs850,000 per month would be more realistic way to track inclusive growth. Unless Uganda’s academia wish to continue feeding on the economics of the 1970s!

The confessions about failure of government programmes for social protection and empowerment such as Naads, means that both poverty and vulnerability will continue in this year.

Economic planning and management

Finally, the economic fortunes of the country in 2015 will remain dependent on the balance and sequencing of policies towards sound economic and financial management. There is no doubt that Uganda focusses more on resources mobilisation and allocation compared to development of strategic and focused project plans.

It will be too early to expect the revised National Development Plan (NDP-2) to resolve the planning weaknesses that are not even well appreciated across government. The continued thinking that rent proceeds from natural resources and increases in the stock of public assets rather than good policies will be the driver for sustainable growth threatens to make 2015 another year of lost opportunities and half harvest.

Additional policies are needed to enable monetary policy promote financial intermediation and private investments rather than mere price stability tool and provision of exceptional returns to interest-seekers in financial markets.

The design and operationalisation of fiscal policy should also be supportive of the growth agenda over the medium term as opposed to the current inclination to spend even when projects are absent or not ready. Economic benefits of growth, jobs and better business environment expected from many public sector projects will remain deferred to a far future beyond 2015.

The bulk of the citizens, therefore, will have to rely on chance events such as weather and good luck to maintain or improve their plight in the New Year. Otherwise, the common and the not so common man and woman will continue to see the old year, 2014, replicated this year.

 

Dr Fred K Muhumuza, is a senior manager at KPMG Uganda working with the Financial Services Inclusion Programme,

fmatwooki@yahoo.com

 

 

In Uganda, the Lost pension cash is now estimated to be, Shs270b. This is cash for the expanded Civil Service.

Uganda has no national state pension for all the eldery people of this country.

 
By Yasiin Mugerwa

 

Posted  Friday, June 12  2015 
 

 

Parliament.

The pensioners’ cash that was allegedly misappropriated by officials in the ministry of Public Service, has increased from Shs165.4 billion to Shs270b after MPs on the Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) opened fresh investigations into the scam.

The committee, chaired by Ms Alice Alaso (FDC, Serere Woman), found that another Shs88.2b was taken on the pretext that it was going to National Social Security Fund (NSSF) as workers’ contribution for the years 2010/11 and 2011/12.

However, the NSSF Act exempts pensioners from social security contributions. 

“We have decided to open investigations into the loss of Shs270b through the pension scam because this matter is no longer subjudice,” Ms Alaso said.

“The case was dismissed by court and the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has not appealed. Our rules don’t bar us, there is nothing subjudice. We must listen to the pension scam; the country is interested in knowing who stole this money,” she added.

The case was dismissed on April 13 on grounds that the State had failed to bring witnesses to testify against the nine suspects. Later, police investigators were accused of messing up the case amid allegations of bribery.

However, there was awkwardness in the committee after Mr Martin Onya, the acting commissioner pensions, told the committee that even Parliament approved the ministry policy statements with the Shs88.2 billion allocation.

“We didn’t know about it (loss of Shs88b) until the auditors raised it,” Mr Onya said. 

When Mr Onya told the committee that Parliament made no objection to the policy statement containing the Shs88b, Mr Emmanuel Dombo (Bunyole East) said: “They misled Parliament and they think they can use that as a defence.”

Shs15.5b paid to ghost firm

Emerging details have also indicated that another Shs15.5b was paid to a non-existent law firm (Hul and Partners) “purportedly in respect of the pensioners due to delays in payment and was not supported with adequate documentation”. 

ymugerwa@ug.nationmedia.com

United States of America  using its Embassy, at Kampala, Uganda, empowers Kampala youth:

By Eddie Sejjoba

 

Publish Date: Oct 24, 2014

 
Empowering youth in Africa for employment

 

By Eddie Ssejjoba

 

Sports betting and gambling are fast becoming a serious challenge to youth employment in Kampala City since majority of losers in betting resort to crime including robbing and hitting people with iron bars.

 

A scheme funded by the United States embassy in Kampala aimed at empowering youth to find practical employment found out that most youth in Bwaise, a city slum with some of the poorest jobless youth had resorted to betting and gambling, which in the long run has led to increased crime in the area.

Majority of the youth and others engaged in disguised employment are said to be involved in robbing and hitting people with iron bars at night after losing the little cash in betting and gambling.

Action For Fundamental Change and Development (AFFCAD), a community-based organization set up by four youth in Bwaise to create jobs for their peers said for the last nine months they had mobilized 620 youth including idlers, jobless, gamblers, chapatti makers, prostitutes and school dropouts and trained them in both soft and hard practical skills jobs.

The founders who were also jobless include Jaffar Nyombi, Meddie Kisirisa, Richard Kafuuma and Brian Mugagga set up a training center called Bwaise Youth Employment Center with an aim of ‘engaging youth in Kampala’s poorest areas.

 Nyombi said it was a hard task to persuade their peers to abandon betting and the sex workers to come out in the open to get free training at the center.

 

He said they recruited 238 between the ages of 16 and 25 who got trained in art and local crafts, tailoring and fashion design, hair dressing and cosmetology, graphic design, photography and video editing and electrical and electronic repair.

“Some would lose interest in learning and drop out while others would steal items from the center and from peers. Facilitators also found it hard to convince them that they would find jobs soon after their course,” Kafuuma said.

The youth founders thanked the US embassy for helping their peers and appealed to government to start funding the center with the aim of reducing crime and unemployment.

Nyombi said they needed to help graduates who could not find immediate employment with startup capital so that they can form small groups and start operating from their homes.

The US embassy has also sensitized the youth in the fight against HIV/Aids.

The youth also support about 200 orphans and needy children to get primary education in Bwaise and 50 students get secondary education.

24-year old Sulaiman Hashim a former brick maker in Bwaise said after the four-month training at the center, he got a job with the Uganda Telecom and was later appointed as a team leader.

 

“I encourage my fellow youth to utilize this chance to get free training because I had lost hope but I’m now a big person where I work,” he said.

25-year old Rashid Muhammad from Kyebando said he was vending belts but joined the center and trained in graphic design and was getting fortune from designing and making posters, business cards and certificates, among other things.

“I can no longer vend belts because I earn far better than before because of my skills,” he said.  

 

EDDIINI E BUGANDA

Posted on 19th September, 2014

FRIDAY, 19 SEPTEMBER 2014 

 Some of the cult followers who were present when the Regional District       Commissioner Mr Linos Ngompek, visited these Ganda traditionalists

 

From the onset, one may think that they are Muslims. Both men and women dress in white, and cover their heads in the way Muslims do.

They constructed a number of huts, similar to shrines used by witch-doctors, and three ponds were dug in their premises, with the purpose of cleansing new converts. Their main prayer house is grass-thatched, decorated with portraits of Jesus Christ and Virgin Mary, with copies of the Qur’an and Bible all over the place.

Verses of the holy Qur’an are also pinned up on the walls of this all-white house.

At some moments, you can see them prostrating in the same way Muslims do in mosques. Unlike Muslims who recite a number of prayers while bowing, these don’t say a word. When a follower shows up, they move nine times around a fire at the entrance, before they proceed to make a complete bath, remove all clothes and dress up in white.

This is the cult with over 100 followers in Mwalo village in Kyabakuza, at the outskirts of Masaka municipality. It is the cult whose leader, Pascazia Nakafeero, stopped her followers from participating in the recent national census until enumerators invaded the place with armed policemen and forced them to take part.

Vision

Nakafeero claimed to have received a vision from angel Gabriel some time back. She was, allegedly, instructed to heal people using the water she collected from Lakes Kyoga, Victoria and George and she put in ponds.

“That angel came to me in a night vision and confirmed to me that his name is Gabriel as referred to by the Christians and Gibril, the Muslim way. He instructed me to respect everyone who comes to me and stopped me from eating pork or going anywhere near a grave,” Nakafeero said.

For anyone to become a follower, he or she is required to pay Shs 50, 000, and Nakafeero said the response was positive.

“At first, no one was paying, but later, angel Gabriel set up a fee of Shs 1,500 which rose to Shs 50, 000,” Nakafeero explained.

When Masaka Resident District Commissioner Linos Ngompek learnt of Nakafeero’s activities, he stormed the place and demanded to know what was going on. He, together with a team of other security people, inspected all the huts and found nothing scaring, apart from the ponds. Asked what the name of her cult was, Nakafeero said she did not have a specific name for this ‘religion’, but all that she knew was that it was started on the instructions of angel Gabriel.

“He [Gabriel] usually comes to me during the night and tells me what would happen the following day,” Nakafeero told Ngompek, adding that she knew about his visit to the premises from the vision she had received the previous night.

Cautioned

After washing their bodies completely, followers put on white clothes and cover their heads. They then head for the biggest hut, remove their shoes and stand around the central pole inside the hut. Prayers start by singing all the stanzas of Ekitiibwa kya Buganda, followed by hymns from the Catholic Church.

Nakafeero told The Observer that she respected all government programmes and she did not have any intentions of opposing the national census or the national ID project. She, however, did not explain why her followers were only counted after the police’s intervention. After carrying out the inspection, Ngompek said he would present this cult’s issue to the next district security committee meeting and discuss the way forward.

“The first mistake these people made is keeping their children in the shrines at the time when they are supposed to be at school,” Ngompek said, adding that Nakafeero’s activities had to be monitored closely to avoid people losing their lives like the case was in Kanungu, when Kibwetere and his group burnt hundreds of people.

Ngompek also cautioned Nakafeero against soliciting money from her followers without giving receipts.

alimambule@yahoo.com

OBUKADDE NABWO BULAMU

Posted on 21st August, 2014

Wano e Buganda, akabenje ka bbaasi ne 'Forward tipper lorry' katuze kondakita wa bus:

By Musasi wa Bukedde

 

Added 4th June 2019

 

Ttanibboyi wa Forward afiiriddewo omulambo ne baggyawo bunyamanyama mu kabenje kano akaguddewo enkya ya leero ku Lwokubiri ku ssaawa 12 okumpi n'olutindo lw'omugga Katonga e Kayabwe mu Mpigi.

 

6216945730304881136356113907122188573999104n 703x422

Ttanibboyi wa Forward afiiriddewo omulambo ne baggyawo bunyamanyama mu kabenje kano akaguddewo enkya ya leero ku Lwokubiri ku ssaawa 12 okumpi n'olutindo lw'omugga Katonga e Kayabwe mu Mpigi.

Ababaddewo bategeezezza nti ne ddereeva wa Forward nnamba UAY069W gattako abasaabaze abawerako ababadde mu bbaasi ya Global Coaches nnamba UBB 195N nabo abalumiziddwa eby'ensusso.

Kalenge abadde mungi ku makya olwo ddereeva wa bbaasi abadde ava ku lw'e Masaka n'agezaako okuyisa mmotoka endala gy'asisinkanidde Forward ebadde ekima omusenyu mu Lwera n'agigoyagoya akayumba ne kaggwawo. 

Poliisi ereese kasiringi zaayo eziggyewo mmotoka ezeenyigidde mu kabenje kano.

Nb

Wano wenkubira omulanga wano e Buddu tulina balooya banaffe bangi nyo ddala. Era obukakafu obujjulirwa webuli mubungi enyo okusobola okukola omusango kunsoga zino okusinga okutunula obutunuzi nga abantu baffe bafa baggwawo.

 

Ffe abakayanira enguudo okugaziwa zibeere double carriageways tukyalina amaziga mangi nyo ddala okukaaba. Tewali nsonga lwaki Uganda yo ezimba amakubo agatali double carriageways agayitamu emotoka enyingi enyo. Obwo butemu. Era amakubo gano abekibiina kyaba engineers bomunsi yonna bayinza okuloopa Uganda mubalamuzi bobusuubuzi munsi yonna amakubo gano negaggalwa. Kubanga gayitiriza obutemu eri obulamu bwabantu(health and safety). Kiringa ekigendererwe okutta abantu buli lunnaku?

 

 

 

 

 

Increased sewerage coverage remains a pipe dream

Unhygienic. A woman walks along a trench lined with pit-latrines in Kawempe Division last year. Many pit-latrines in Kampala are mostly unlined, contain a large amount of solid waste, and are difficult to access for emptying. MONITOR PHOTO.  

By ISAAC MUFUMBA

The promise:

One of the things that the ruling NRM committed itself to do in the run-up to the 2011 General Election was to address what it termed as “the critical challenges facing the urban areas”. The party particularly committed itself to increasing safe water supply and sewerage coverage.

“In the next five years, the NRM will…expand the piped water sewerage services in Kampala from the current level of 7 per cent to 30 per cent,” the manifesto reads in part.

The manifesto indicated increment of the sewerage services in the city would be done through the implementation of the €68 million (Shs289b) Kampala Sanitation Project (KSP) funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB).

KSP was mooted amid an increase in the number of people residing in Kampala city, which resulted into a sharp increase in demand for water and sewerage services. That demand resulted into increased pressure on water sources and heavy pollution of the water bodies.

The project was planned to improve the sewerage situation in the city by, among other things, the rehabilitation and extension of the sewerage network, improving the collection and treatment facilities for faecal sludge and waste water.

The project was meant to protect the quality of water in the inner Murchison Bay area of Lake Victoria.

Phase One of the project, which was meant to be implemented in the first four years, entailed expanding waste water and sludge treatment capacities, raising public awareness about improved sanitation and hygiene and improved management of the waste management services.

Health risk. Sewerage flows out of Kirudu Hospital in Makindye Division in May. This was partly blamed on poor sewerage system, which resulted into an overflow. PHOTO BY ALEX ESAGALA.

 

Those who were meant to directly benefit from the programme were Kampala’s population of 1.4 million and people resident near or along the shores of Lake Victoria.

The beneficiaries had been targeted for participation in activities that had been planned for improvement of sanitation and hygiene that had been lined up to be conducted in the city, while health and education facilities and those resident in low market areas were earmarked to participate in onsite sanitation and hygiene campaigns.

Residents of the low end parts of the city were meant to be trained and assisted in the construction of their own onsite sanitation facilities and how to improve their personal hygiene.

Interventions made under KSP were expected to lead to across the board improvements in public health, lead to a sharp drop in the number of water and sanitation-related diseases and major improvements in environment and eco-system around the parts of Lake Victoria that are close to the city.

Ordinarily, KSP was meant to have been implemented beginning in July 2008 and 2022, but it did not start as planned due to delays in getting the necessary approvals for the loan from Cabinet, Parliament and the Attorney General.

Even when the approvals had been got, AfDB approved the loan facility in December 2008, but it was not until May 2009 that an agreement was signed. That, however, did not mean that it became active with immediate effect. It was not until February 2010 that it did.

When the challenges around the finances were finally done away with, implementation was delayed because of alterations to the initial designs of some of the waste treatment plants and legal battles over the land on which the plants were meant to be located.

As a result, the promise to increase piped sewerage coverage for Kampala by 23 percentage points was never and has never been realised.

Impact

According to the Water and Environment Sector Performance Report 2017, whereas 99 per cent of Kampala’s population has access to some form of sanitation facility, 90 per cent of them rely on onsite sanitation facilities, which are not classified as “improved” or “acceptable”. Only 9 per cent have access to the public piped sewerage network.

“More than 50 per cent of toilets are shared by multiple households, leading to unhygienic conditions. Pit-latrines are mostly unlined, contain a large amount of solid waste, and are difficult to access for emptying, ultimately resulting in filled pits that are either abandoned or directly emptied into the environment, posing health and environmental risks for the city and its people,” the report reads in part.

Figures from the Ministry of Health indicate that 75 per cent of the diseases that afflict Ugandans most are directly linked to lack of water and proper sanitation facilities. The most common diseases are diarrhoea, dysentery, typhoid, and cholera.

The national integrated comprehensive prevention and control plan of the Ministry of Health indicates that there were 324 cases of cholera and seven related deaths in Kampala in the period between 2011 and 2016.

Improved access to sanitation facilities has been interpreted to mean improvements in personal hygiene and cleanliness of toilets, but handling of faecal sludge from the on site facilities remains a big challenge.

It is estimated that 43 per cent of the faecal waste generated daily in Kampala is currently emptied from the pit-latrines and safely managed”.

A sanitation census carried out in the city revealed that 96 per cent of the city’s residents who are not connected to the public piped sewerage network use cesspool trucks to empty the on site facilities, while others use manual and semi mechanised methods to get faecal sludge.

At the same time, it is believed that about 5 per cent of the population in Kampala practice open defecation, while 38 per cent have latrines that cannot be drained using cesspool emptiers. This often results into faecal sludge finding its way into drains and roads whenever the rains come, making the contamination of food and water possible. This translates into diseases. It is a situation that could be mitigated by increasing the coverage of piped sewerage.

Matters are not helped by the fact that a huge percentage of Ugandans do not wash their hands after visiting the toilets. The minister for Water and Environment, Prof Ephraim Kamuntu, told the gathering during last year’s launch of the water and sanitation loan facility that only 29 per cent of Ugandans wash their hands after visiting the toilets, adding that “the rest walk away.

 

Nakivubo channel

Nakivubo channel

 

Others defecate in the open and that discharge is washed into water sources. Those with pit-latrines do not have toilet paper. They use their hands and after coming out, they want to greet you”.

A huge percentage of those who do not wash their hands are residents of Kampala. Little wonder that the food borne diseases such as dysentery have also been on the rise in the city.

Official Position

The National Water and Sewerage Corporation spokesperson, Mr Sameul Apedel (pictured above), said whereas Kampala’s central business district and the older parts of Kampala, which were constructed by the colonialists, are 100 per cent covered, the other parts of the city remain heavily reliant on onsite sanitation facilities.

“Right now, piped sewerage coverage is still at around 10 per cent. We are working on the Bugolobi plant, which will treat 45 million litres of waste water. We are also working on a sewerage treatment plant at Kinawattaka and creating a sewerage network of 32kms. If that is done, along with other planned treatment facilities in Kajjansi and Nalukolongo, piped sewerage coverage will increase to around 30 per cent,” he said.

Monitor’s position

Expanding the piped sewerage network to cover the entire Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area is always going to be a very difficult enterprises. It requires colossal sums of money.

Whatever NWSC has been doing in extending piped water and putting in place the appropriate sewerage infrastructure has only been happening with donor support. With Bank of Uganda having put the provisional total public debt stock (at nominal value) as at end of December 2017 at Shs37.9 trillion, it might not be feasible for the country to continue borrowing in the name of expanding the piped sewerage network.

However, it does not mean that we sit back, fold our hands and do nothing to address the sanitation and health challenges that Kampala is faced with.

Government could start by introducing a subsidies regime for items that could help the population around Kampala put up improved sanitation facilities that can be emptied by cesspool emptier and the faecal sludge moved to proper waste treatment facilities.

The policy should include the encouragement of all commercial banks to boost this initiative by introducing water and sanitation facility loans. Post Bank is already doing so, but others should be encouraged to join it.

imufumba@ug.nationmedia.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Speaker of Uganda Parliament, M/S Kadaga wants centres for public to access passed laws:

Publish Date: Aug 20, 2014

Kadaga wants centres for public to access passed laws
       The Speaker of the Parliament of Uganda, M/s
       Rebecca Kadaga chairing a plenary session:
 

 

By Paul Kiwuuwa

 

THE Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga, has complained that the public does not get access to the laws passed by Parliament.

“It is absurd, if the public does not get the laws passed by Parliament, to whom do we pass the laws and why?” Kadaga asked.

“Parliament has passed many Bills into laws but I wonder why the public does not have access to them and neither can they interpret the laws,” added Kadaga.

“The solution is we recommend that the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs creates public libraries or depository places countrywide, to enable the public access copies of the passed laws within the regional centers country wide.”Kadaga said.

Kadaga said this while receiving a petition from the coalition of Civil Society Organization (CSO) at Parliament.

The petitioners said  since the ‘Domestic Violence Act 2010’ was enacted in 2010, it has never been  functional. 

  

Led by, Executive Director, Center for Domestic Violence Prevention, Tina Musuya, the petition said, “Through the Parliament Speaker, CSO wants a commitment from the finance ministry to issue a certificate of financial implications enabling the law of Domestic Violence functional. We want the ministry of internal affairs to train the Police to take charge of the law, so that the offenders of the domestic Violence laws are   reprimanded.”

The petition adds, “the Domestic Violence law exists , but it calls for the commitments of   the ministries of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, the Gender, Labour and Social Development and  the Judicially to take charge of the Domestic violence laws.”

Musuya cited the Uganda Demographic and Health Survey, 2011 saying “59% of women and 16 % of pregnant women experience domestic violence, while 28% of pregnant women experience sexual violence.”

Kadaga promised to forward their request to the House Committee on gender.

“Since the gender committee is considering several petitions, from the public, I am sure they will include the non-functioning of the Domestic Violence law in Uganda, “said Kadaga.

SUNDAY, 17 AUGUST 2014

                    Mr M Katunzi

 

Uganda’s Constitution bestows incurable optimism and mockery in equal measure.

First, we are flattered by Article 1, which says that all power belongs to the people. And then, it says the people shall express their will and consent on who shall govern them and how we shall be governed.

Listening to Dr Mamphela Aletta Ramphele, the South African political activist, during the 22nd Joseph Mubiru Memorial Lecture organised by Bank of Uganda, I wondered why Ugandans had been lulled back to sleep, at the moment when they were empowered to give or deny power to their governors.

Dr Ramphele had an answer to this dilemma. She was discussing the topic: Creating a vibrant and fair society: transparency and accountability.  In reference to her country, Dr Ramphele said that the brutal and racist past left a significant majority of them (the black people) with an inferiority complex. This undermined their capacity to demand better accountability from the public servants and political leaders.

It is even worse that the majority of those in leadership are the black people who were once oppressed and critical of the unfair apartheid regime.

“Many are of the view that such criticism would reflect badly on the black people. This is a sad reflection on us; it is as if black people are defined by their incompetence, corrupt and unaccountable amongst public servants in our society. Why should we be willing to lower our expectations of public servants because they are black? Have we bought into the lie that they are not capable of higher standards of performance?” Ramphele asked rhetorically.

“We tend to be oversensitive to criticism of non-transparent and unaccountable governance in our countries at international fora, even where the facts speak for themselves. We defend the indefensible in our midst in the name of African solidarity. But is this solidarity to the benefit of the majority of citizens? Or is solidarity amongst African leaders a protective shield behind which they hide their poor performance to the detriment of ordinary citizens of their countries?”

Dr Ramphele’s observations and rhetorical questions resonate aptly in Uganda. Many Ugandans, especially those whose age is sun-setting, have had a chequered life.

In the early post-colonial days, they experienced a bit of freedom, reasonable household incomes and better services from the government. But this was disrupted by the political turmoil that erupted from the jostling for political power. President Idi Amin’s reign left many scars of violence and brutality. The guerilla campaigns, one led by President Museveni and the armed rebellion in northern Uganda, left many people traumatised.

The liberation movements that eventually captured state power rallied on the point of returning political pluralism and tolerance, peace and freedom of speech and a better life from the previous regimes. Naturally, one would have thought that the bar should be set higher for the successor governments. Not all has gone well. In some cases, we have had a replica of the ghastliness of the past.

Public service is haunted by scandals and no one seems to take responsibility. The inertia for accountability is partly explained by the inferiority complex and our blind worship of rulers. The leaders have often reminded the citizens that they have had a lot of peace in that whenever they belch, they belch peace. President Museveni usually reminds the opposition that if the country was still governed by Amin, they would never stage any political rallies where they insult him.

Isn’t it laughable to use Amin as the benchmark of reference of worthier leaders? The past dictates how we treat our power to make the governors accountable.  The governed, who are supposed to behave like shareholders in the company, surrendered their power of the vote as tool of control to the very people who are supposed to account to them.

“Citizens in most countries are treated as voting fodder for those in power to retain their positions, regardless of their performance in government,” Ramphele said. 

“Even the vote is reduced to a tradable good rather than a tool for citizens to use to hold those in power accountable by rewarding and punishing governments on the basis of their performance in promoting prosperity for all.”

Oftentimes, Ugandans have justified the low standards of government performance and delivery of services with the apparent sleep dividend that they lacked in the past. “Kasita twebaka ku tulo”, - at least we have some sleep. Whenever general elections are held, voters exchange their votes for pieces of soap and sugar. And often, the justification has been, “If I don’t get it, someone else will take it.”

In essence, Dr Ramphele says that in order to have a vibrant and fair society, we need to adopt the model of servant leadership, where leaders in public service are agents of citizens, servants of the people. And this model, according to her, is not novel to Africa. For there are some Africans saying that the king is only a king with the consent of the nation. And this thinking is well articulated in our Constitution.

We are a continent that articulates most elegantly the concept of Ubuntu – our belief in the notion of a common humanity as an essential pillar of being human. Ubuntu captures the essential truth that “our humanity is affirmed by our connectedness to one another.”

“This philosophical approach confronts us with the existential reality that ‘we are human because others are.’ Yet we are a continent that has struggled to date to create vibrant fair societies,” she explained.

However, the Ubuntu has been eroded by a new virus called Affluenza. According to Ramphele, Affluenza tempts the leaders to “place a high value on acquiring money and possession, looking good in the eyes of others and wanting to be famous”.

 

pmkatunzi@observer.ug 

 

The author is the finance director of The Observer Media Limited.