House ethics committee to quiz Lissu on High Court judges

Singida East MP (Chadema) Tundu Lissu  is set to appear before the Parliamentary Standing Committee for Privileges, Ethics and Powers following his refusal to retract some ‘offensive words’ appearing in a speech he delivered on Friday morning in Parliament.

Giving instructions to the committee on late Friday evening in the debating Chamber, shortly after the House had passed estimates of the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, House chairperson Jenister Mhagama said the ethics committee should assess Friday’s proceedings, including the speech made by Lissu and make recommendations on what should be done when such incidents occur in Parliament.

The wrangle surrounds the claims made by Lissu as shadow minister when delivering opposition views on estimates tabled earlier by Minister for Justice and Constitutional Affairs Mathias Chikawe.

In his speech, Lissu who doubles as Opposition Chief Whip claimed that the appointment of some High Court judges did not follow laid down procedures, creating a loophole for having in the High Court incompetent judges.

The remarks by the shadow minister prompted Attorney General Frederick Werema to ask Lissu to retract his words in the speech since they were offending and that, according to the parliamentary Standing Orders, MPs were not allowed to interfere with the conduct of another pillar of State.

However, Lissu refused to retract his words on the grounds that the parliamentary Standing Orders governing proceedings in the House had not been followed, compelling chairperson Mhagama to forward the matter to the ethics committee.

It is not clear how the ethics committee will deal with the issue given the fact that the opposition MP represented the views of the official opposition camp in Parliament, not merely raising the matter as an MP.

However, reacting to opposition claims, Minister Chikawe said the appointment of High Court judges in the country has always followed the laid down procedures. “At no time has the appointment of High Court judges did not follow the laid down procedures,” he declared.

“I have been saddened by some remarks made by Lissu in his speech. There could be something to argue about but the manner in which he has framed his wording in the speech saddens me,” the minister intoned.

He said all High Court judges were properly vetted by the Judiciary Service Commission before making recommendations on them for appointment by the President.

In his remarks Lissu said for an individual to be appointed High Court judge he should have worked in the relevant field as magistrate or advocate for not less than ten years after being conferred a bachelor degree in laws (LLB) by a recognised university.

Also, an individual with the qualifications to be registered as advocate and has worked in the legal field for not less than ten years can be appointed by the president to the post of a High Court judge.

However, Lissu said, the above qualifications were not the sole criteria for appointment to the post as the Judicial Service Commission that is chaired by Chief Justice has to make recommendations to the president prior to appointing an individual to the position of High Court judge.

Lissu said his camp was informed that some High Court judges have been appointed by the president without following the laid down procedures.

He said all individuals to be appointed by the president as High Court judges should have been properly vetted by the Judicial Service Commission, “something that is no longer being done.”

He said some individuals appointed by the President to the post were not competent and had inadequate skills to discharge their responsibilities regarding the dispensation of justice.

According to Lissu, failure to follow the laid down procedures in appointing High Court judges has brought about failure by some appointees to properly record the course of cases at the court, hence failing to dispense justice to the parties concerned.

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Govt on the lookout for `dependent` agencies

Chief Secretary Ombeni Sefue has challenged the government agencies to shun dependency on the government instead to utilise the existing opportunities to generate funds.

He made the remarks on Wednesday in Dar es Salaam during the inauguration of government agencies including the new electronic information monitoring e-Government Agency (eGA).

Other agencies inaugurated in the event are, Tanzania Global Learning Agency (TaGLA), Fisheries Education and Training Agency (FETA), Livestock Training Agency (LITA) and Tanzania Veterinary Laboratory Agency (TVLA).

According to the ambassador, these agencies’ internal income is increasing annually a direct result of innovation which has helped them to improve and/or expand previous income sources.

“…agencies are still depending on the government for funding to run out business,…” he warned and then encouraged them to take advantage of the ‘good economic environment’ and be independent “…change and take deliberate action to correct the situation…” he advised.

Ambassador Sefue added that the government through the President's Office for Public Service Management is taking audit of all ‘dependent agencies’ as its part of its agency evaluation 2011 policy.

According to the Chief Secretary, currently the government has 35 agencies, whose performance is in his words, ‘unsatisfactory’ adding that they failed to maximize the utility of availed resources. On the contrary, he accused the agencies of even lacking consideration for set laws, regulations and procedures.

The picture got glimmer as he further revealed that some government institutions have not been paying, in a consistent and timely fashion, for services rendered.

Chief Executive Officer, Dr Jabiri Bakari said the newly formed eGa, intends to work as an integral part of the Public Service Reform Programme that aims at improving service delivery to the public, through the government. Priority will be given to safety and confidentiality, due to presence of sensitive public and government information.

Livestock Training Agency (LITA) acting Chief Executive Officer, Dr Atway Msangi said, his office is planning to use available of income such as training services, research services and consulting to self-supervision of various activities in accordance to commercial and competitive basis.

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN

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Govt asks teachers to hold back strike

The government has asked the teachers to give it ten more days to work on their demands before they go on strike. But the teachers who now look more determined than before, say the additional time won’t obstruct them from going to the stage.

Speaking to reporters in Dar es Salaam yesterday, Tanzania Teachers’ Union (TTU) president Gratian Mkoba said the government has requested for additional time from the teachers so that it could submit its answers to the Commission for Mediation and Arbitration Council (CMAC) for negotiation.

“The government had earlier asked for 14 days to submit the responses to CMAC, which lapsed on Tuesday, the day when it appealed for ten extra days to work on the teachers’ demands,” the TTU president said.

Even though, he said, the government request for extra time won’t obstruct the union from staging its planned strike.

According to Employment and Labour Relations Act 2004, the registered dispute will be pending for 30 days, after which TTU which is the principal applicant will issue 48 hours notice to the government before it votes to strike.

Mukoba said TTU has granted extra time to the government to respond to its longstanding demands noting that the dispute comes to an eventual end.

Last month TTU announced a dispute of interest with the government, which if not solved amicably, the teachers will resort to a nationwide strike.

The teachers demand that the government increase their salary perks by 100 per cent.

They also demand that science and arts teachers be paid additional allowances of up to between 55 and 50 per cent respectively, and at least 30 per cent hardship allowance to those in remote areas.

The teachers’ planned strike was later shelved to July 25 this year, from the scheduled July 5 date, following a delay by the CMCA to call TTU and the government to appear before it to deliberate on the issue.

Meanwhile, TTU has blamed the Deputy Minister, Prime Minister's Office (Regional Administration and Local Government), Kassim Majaliwa for misleading the Parliament on the ongoing teachers’ dispute with the government.

Mkoba said recently the deputy minister told the Parliament that teachers had not announced the dispute of interest with the government.

He said the deputy minister was responding to a supplementary question by John Mnyika (Ubungo, Chadema) who had wanted to know the government’s position on planned teachers’ strike.

The TTU president said, the union has issued a written statement to the deputy minister condemning his misleading position and that it was waiting for his response before it reports the matter to Speaker of the National Assembly Anne Makinda.

State Minister in the President’s Office Public Services and Management Celina Kombani has already confirmed that TTU had registered its dispute with the CMAC and the Employment Commissioner.

Meanwhile, TTU deputy secretary general Ezekiah Oluoch expressed dismay over the government’s render to make the planned strike unsuccessful instead of responding to their demands.

Oluoch said the government was scaring the teachers so that they don’t go to strike as well as deceiving wananchi that the strike is fueled by political parties.

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN

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Anxiety as fuel crisis bites

Motorists queue for fuel in Mbarara Town following a week-long fuel shortage. Only five fuel stations had fuel by Monday and were selling a litre of petrol at about Shs4,000. The shortage has hit other towns countrywide.  

Several filling stations around Kampala and other major towns around the country are already running short of fuel, sending motorists into panic, although the industry players remained optimistic that the shortage would be fixed soon.

In an interview with NTV, our sister media house, on Wednesday, the Minister of Energy, Ms Irene Muloni, admitted that the country is bound to run low on fuel because it lacks capacity to store reserves to last a week.

To solve that, she said the plan to refurbish the fuel reserves in Jinja is as good as finished.

The government has in the past, during similar crises, made the same promises but to no avail.

Meanwhile, if the expected fuel does not come in by today or latest tomorrow, sources within the fuel industry say the country could be headed for a crisis.

“We only store fuel that last for not more than three days, this means that each time we have irregular supply from western Kenya—where fuel is loaded, then there are bound to be shortages,” said a source with a major supplier, who did not want to be named so that he could speak freely.

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According to the source, the good news is that, by close of business today at least 11 trucks loaded with fuel would have arrived in town and many others are expected to follow suit, given that most of them are already being loaded.

Early this week, when the fuel shortage began to show, industry players pointed a finger at the fuel shipper Gulf Energy, a Kenyan gas station operator and fuel importer, which won the tender to supply fuel cargo to Ugandan companies.

It is understood that the shipper failed to deliver the product on time, explaining the shortages. Gulf Energy boss Francis Njogo said in an interview that, “he has no market in Uganda.”

Most hit
The most hit by the shortage is Total Uganda. Already Filling stations like Kobil, Rio Oil, and City oil filling stations among others had increased the pump prices of petrol from between Shs3,550 to Shs3, 900.

By press time diesel prices were still stable— trading between Shs3,100-Shs3,220.

In Jinja, Mbale and other towns in eastern Uganda, fuel prices had slightly gone up by at least between Shs100 to Shs150 (From Shs3,450 last week to about Shs3,650 a litre).

A survey by Daily Monitor done in Mbale indicated that a litre of petrol at Total petrol station was going for Shs3,650, while diesel cost Shs3,100 and paraffin Shs2,670.

At Gapco, cost Shs3,650 and diesel at Shs3,160.

At Hass petrol station, a litre of petrol cost Shs3650, diesel at was Shs3,160.
SOURCE:http://www.monitor.co.ug

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NRM wont acquit ex-ministers

Mr Bahati (R) with the party caucus spokesperson Everlyn Anite during a press briefing at Parliament yesterday. The members said former ministers named in the ID scam should be punished if found guilty. 

In Summary

NRM members say the former ministers named in the national ID scam should face the law should they be found guilty.

National Resistance Movement rank-and-file yesterday rebuffed attempts by the party’s leadership to have them support the exoneration of three ex-ministers who have been implicated by a House report in the stalled billion-shilling National Identity Card project.

During a caucus meeting, most of the members reportedly said siding with the trio would have cemented the view that the party protects its members who are accused of corruption, which would cost it future elections.

The Parliamentary Committee on Defence and Internal Affairs recently recommended that Ali Kirunda Kivejinja, Alintuma Nsambu and Prof. Khiddu Makubuya, all members of NRM, should be held personally responsible for messing up the project.

“The party wanted us to stand by people who are accused of corruption. To hell with them, enough is enough,” Ms Robinah Nabbanja, the Woman MP of Kibaale District, told the Daily Monitor last evening.
Mr Barnabas Tinkasiimire, the MP for Buyaga West, observed that the party was losing by-elections because of its soft handling of people accused of corruption.

But on sensing the hostility of most of the members to the idea of defending the trio, the party bosses reportedly changed tune and said the former ministers should be subjected to due process of the law.
“We need to go with the conclusion of the committee report that the project is a good one and it should be given support so that it is concluded,” Mr Daudi Migereko, the party’s acting chief whip, said.
“This shows that the National Resistance Movement does not condone corruption,” added Mr David Bahati, the treasurer of the caucus.

He said should the Inspectorate of Government, Police, Directorate of Public Prosecutions and the court processes prove the three former ministers are guilty they should be punished. “If the investigations prove that the ministers were involved [in mismanaging the project], they would be punished. This shows the NRM does not do things for convenience,” Mr Bahati said yesterday at Parliament.

Trip facilitation
Just this week, the government owned up to having facilitated the trip by Mr Nsambu to Germany to do due diligence on the firm that was awarded the contract. The party has in the past stood by minister Hilary Onek and the Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi when the Western Youth MP, Mr Gerald Karuhanga, last year alleged that the ministers had received bribes from foreign oil companies.

During the caucus meeting, Vice President Edward Ssekandi read a message from President Museveni explaining the circumstances under which the government flouted its procurement rules by settling on only one company to execute the project.

Through the speech, the President extolled the objectives of the National Identity Card – to ensure the voter register was not padded with fictitious names. The President has in the past blamed the Electoral Commission under former chairperson Aziz Kasujja of using a bloated voter register for the 1996 Election.

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Ministry files appeal notice over County bosses

Acting Internal Security minister Yusuf Haji intends to appeal the High Court ruling that declared the appointment of the 47 County commissioners unconstitutional July 12, 2012. 

The Internal Security Ministry intends to appeal the High Court ruling that declared the appointment of the 47 County commissioners unconstitutional.

Acting Internal Security minister Yusuf Haji Thursday filed a notice of appeal at the Court of Appeal Registry in Nairobi, stating that he is dissatisfied with the ruling that was delivered by Justice Mumbi Ngugi on June 29.

Justice Ngugi had ruled that President Kibaki did not have powers to appoint or deploy the county commissioners.

The judge also ruled that the appointments violated the national values contained in the constitution and the National Accord and Reconciliation Act that requires him to consult Prime Minister Raila Odinga before making such appointments.

The judge declared the appointments null and void saying the President violated the constitutional requirements of gender balance.

Mr Haji’s decision is the first move by the government towards appealing the decision which is contrary to Attorney General Githu Muigai’s advice.

Prof Muigai had advised the government not to appeal the decision.

On Wednesday, Justice minister Eugene Wamalwa said the County bosses were in office illegally.

Mr Wamalwa said President Kibaki had been advised on the matter and the “commissioners ought to respect the law, vacate office, because the courts had already nullified their appointments".

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Tanapa builds dams, drills boreholes for wild animals

The Tanzania National Parks Authority (Tanapa) has begun building dams and drilling boreholes in its parks countrywide in an effort to provide additional drinking water sources for wild animals.

The decision was reached by the Tanapa management in response to climatic changes that have resulted from scarcity of rains, leading to long dry spells that cause wildlife to lack drinking water.

Tanapa public relations manager Pascal Shelutete made the revelation yesterday before journalists who toured Mkomazi National Park to witness construction of some dams being built there.

He said the issue of clime climate was a global concern and that measures taken by the authority were meant to enable wild animals have access to drinking water within the shortest possible distance.

He said already some wild animals have started dying due to lack of drinking water, while some invade people's residential areas in search for the life-giving liquid.

“Earlier, the policy did not allow introduction of any terrain within the parks, but now we are forced to build dams and drill wells due to climatic change…we want to prevent wild animals from going into people’s homes,” stressed Shelutete.

For her part, Mkomazi National Park conservator Beatrice Ntambi said a large section of the park has been badly hit by dry spells, and that already six dams spaced out at a distance of 14 kilometres form each other have been built, whereby four of them currently produces water.

She said plans were underway to widen the dams to meet the demand, whereby some wind-driven water pumps would be installed at boreholes to help supply the dams with water.

Mkomazi park chief warden Dominick Tarimo said in an effort to combat poaching, warders have been conducting road and air patrols to monitoring movements of wild animals and providing them with protection.

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`Hunting firm illegally leased block to uranium miners`

The Opposition camp yesterday told the National Assembly about an alleged scam involving two uranium exploring companies and a hunting firm. They are said to have entered into a fraudulent contract apparently facilitating the subletting of the blocks contrary to the law and regulations.

This surfaced when the opposition tabled its “alternative budget estimates” Game Frontiers of Tanzania Limited, was alleged to have sub-leased Mbarang’andu village in Namtumbo benefiting some of USD6m payable in two phases.

An additional 250,000 US dollars was set to be paid upon commencement of actual mining activities. Meanwhile, the local villagers are estimate to at best have had a mere s living in the surrounding villages 10,000 USD go into their meager financial capital circulation.

Shadow minister for Lands, Housing and Human Settlement Development, Halima Mdee named the exploration companies as, Uranium Resources PLC and Western Metals Limited. She also unveiled that the contract was done by a Tanzanian law firm, Rex Attorneys and signed on March, 23, 2007.

As a result of its presumed illegality, the confidential document is out for all to see and it names, Mohsin M. Abdallah and Nargis M. Abdallah as the owners of Game Frontiers of Tanzania Limited, the leasing party. “…another 55, 000 USD is to be paid annual, on every first of March to compensate the opportunity cost…” Mdee went on to unravel the scandal.

“I have gone through the Wildlife Conversation Act of 1974 and The Wildlife Conservation Act Number 5 of 2009. These acts allow a person with a hunting permit to only carry hunting activities and not otherwise…” she further explained.

She added that in accordance to the land laws of 1999 should a piece of land allocated for other purposes and then later be found to contain minerals then ownership returns to the government or the individual.

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Dr Asha-Rose Migiro returns to university

                               Dr Asha Rose-Rose Migiro

Former United Nations Deputy Secretary General Dr Asha Rose-Rose Migiro yesterday reported back to the University of Dar es Salaam’s Law School a day after she arrived from the United Netions after completing a five years term.

Dr Migiro was received by the Chief Administration Officer Consolata Lyimo,.

Speaking during the occasion Prof Michael Wambali said the school was happy when it heard that Dr Migiro who happened to have worked with them for almost 30 years was rejoining them.

During their conversation, Dr Migiro told Acting Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academics) Prof Florens Luoga that the experiences she got from UDSM had helped her greatly in discharging her work at the UN as the organisation’s Deputy Secretary General.

“Am very happy and honoured to come back to UDSM after completing my tenure of serving at the UN; all of my success was due to hardworking and abiding by work regulations,” she said.

Prof Luoga said they were closely following Dr Migiro’s activities while in the UN, adding that the university was proud to welcome her home.

Dr Asha-Rose Mtengeti Migiro, who has just completed her five-year term as United Nations Deputy Secretary General returned home on Monday, saying she will stick to teaching at UDSM.

In a gist of an opinion article she has penned as her own evaluation of her tenure as second-in-command at the world body she appealed to decision makers in Africa to draw on recommendations by the MDG Africa Steering Group and design effective national development strategy plans.

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Motlanthe advocates shared growth policy

South African deputy president Kgalema Motlanthe has called upon African governments to fully invest in research and development in order to promote an African vision of shared growth.

According to him, the policy resolve was an important element for equitable development, sustenance of indigenous knowledge systems and advancing technological changes. He made the call in Dar es Salaam at an official occasion to mark the 20th anniversary since the Solomon Mahlangu Freedom Collage (Somafco) was handed over to the country.

The deputy president said African Academics and scholars were obliged to fuse “western” and African forms of knowledge systems in order to contribute to sustainable and long-term African development.

“We need to be at a forefront of using African knowledge systems in mainstream sciences and information technology studies…it’s a difficult task of course, as it requires to elevate African knowledge system from their permanent banishment to African studies in universities such as Oxford School of African Studies,” he said.

Motlanthe said research and development were important elements of the African vision for reconstruction and development, especially in stimulating industrial capacities.

He said there was no doubt that Africans “can ill-afford” to fail in the indisputable area of knowledge, if is to make any headway.

The South Africa deputy leader noted that strategic investment in various sectors would allow Africans to increasingly play an important role in the development of new applications and technological innovations relevant for the needs of the continent in ensuring a continued multiplier effect on economic growth.

In addressing challenges facing the continent, Motlanthe said African countries should strictly increase efforts in tackling the problem of poor infrastructure, which has been pulling back development of the continent.

The SA deputy leader said at present poor roads, railways and power facilities caused slow down movement of people, goods and services within and between African countries.

As the result, he noted, it becomes easy and cheaper for costal countries to import items from far across the oceans than purchasing them from their neighbors.

Giving anecdote on the Somafco, Tlholo Mohlathe, Head of the Somafco delegation in the country said since 2008, the government and people of South African have initiated different programmes for remembering the historical event in the country.

He said every year there have been essay writing competitions titled with different themes that focus on creating inspiration to young generations.

“Despite handing over all the USD300m assets to the people and government of Tanzania, still as a country, South Africa is responsible for maintaining our social integration and assistances that were formally found by our former presidents,” he said.

The land where the Somafco was built in Mazimbu, was offered to African National Congress with the aim of empowering exiled South Africans with education and the necessary skills in the course of their fight against apartheid.

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Garissa attack victim dies in hospital

A victim of the Garissa churches terrorist attack being wheeled into a waiting ambulance at the Wilson Airport on July 1, 2012. A victim of the Garissa church attacks succumbed to his injuries July 11, 2012 bringing the death toll to 18.

A victim of the Garissa church attacks succumbed to his injuries Wednesday bringing the death toll to 18.

The Kenyatta National Hospital said the patient, who had been admitted to the hospital’s Intensive Care Unit, died on Monday night.

The deceased had suffered head injuries in the July 1 grenade attacks in the town’s Catholic and African Inland churches where 17 people died and scores others were injured.

KNH had received seven casualties: three male and four females. Two people have already been discharged from the hospital.

In a statement, the hospital said the remaining four were responding well to treatment.

Following the attacks, the government beefed up security in churches across the country.

Last week, government spokesman Alfred Mutua appealed to the members of the public to volunteer information that can lead to the arrest of the people behind the Garissa attacks.

The US Government on Monday ordered its staff to stay away from North Eastern province citing a series of terror attacks in the region that borders war-torn Somalia and the church attacks.

However, the ban does not affect Americans who are not government employees, but the Embassy told them it would be risky to visit the area.

The advisory came days after Washington lifted a similar ban for Mombasa in Coast province.

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LSK to seek sanctions against County bosses

Law Society of Kenya (LSK) chairman Eric Mutua. Lawyers have said they will push for the County commissioners still in office to be cited for contempt of court July 11, 2012. 

Lawyers have said they will push for the County commissioners still in office to be cited for contempt of court.

The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) said it will apply for the sanctions even as Justice minister Eugene Wamalwa said the commissioners should leave office.

Mr Wamalwa said President Kibaki had been advised on the matter and the “commissioners ought to respect the law, vacate office, because the courts had already nullified their appointments".

LSK chairman Eric Mutua noted that the move by the Executive to disobey the Judiciary was “disastrous and a recipe for Constitutional disorder".

“We are concerned and regret that the Executive is disobeying a lawful court order. It is disastrous if they choose what court orders to obey and which ones to disobey," he said in statement Wednesday.

“We need to remind the Executive that nobody is above the law. Any disobedience of a court order amounts to contempt of court which attracts sanctions.”

Mr Mutua said the precedent was dangerous especially since the General Election may lead to a dispute that may require the courts to adjudicate.

Two weeks ago, the High Court nullified President Kibaki’s appointment of the 47 County commissioners.

Lady Justice Mumbi Ngugi ruled that the President violated provisions of the Constitution on gender balance.

The judge also held that the President did not have powers to make such appointments, adding that even if he did, he is still bound by the National Accord and Reconciliation Act to consult Prime Minister Raila Odinga, which he did not.

“The appointments were unconstitutional and, therefore, null and void,” the judge ruled.

Attorney General Githu Muigai has since declined to appeal the ruling through a letter written to the Permanent Secretary, Internal Security Ministry Mutea Irongo.

"The President made the appointments through a Gazette Notice on May 11, but later published another, changing the word “appointed” to “deployed”. However, that did not cure the unconstitutionality," the judge said.

Mr Iringo instead told the county chiefs to stay in office despite the court order.

“It is not a question of whether one is unhappy and is going to appeal or not. The truth of the matter is that a court ruling must be respected. That is why I am deeply concerned with the directive by the PS,” Prime Minister Raila Odinga said on the matter.

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Kibaki praised for favourable business climate

 

President Kibaki during a meeting with representatives of the Presidential Private Sector Working Forum at Harambee House, Nairobi July 11, 2012. The private sector praised the President for creating a business friendly environment in Kenya. PPS 

The private sector has praised President Kibaki for creating a business friendly environment in Kenya.

The Kenya Private Sector Alliance (Kepsa) led by vice chairman Vimal Shah Wednesday thanked President Kibaki and the government for commitment in addressing bottlenecks that hinder business growth in the country.

Kepsa spoke during the Presidential Private Sector Working Forum at Harambee House, Nairobi.

The private sector underscored that the presidential public-private sector dialogue initiated when President Kibaki took office had tremendously restored confidence among the business community in the country.

Kepsa said it was satisfied at the rapid infrastructural development as well as installation of vital facilities that accelerate business growth in the country.

During the occasion, the organisation urged the government to give priority to the standard gauge railway as well as the review of labour laws to address labour costs for enhanced productivity and competitiveness.

President Kibaki thanked Kepsa and other private sector players for initiating a campaign for peaceful elections.

He assured Kepsa and Kenyans that the government was putting in place measures to ensure secure, peaceful elections and a smooth transition.

Present were cabinet ministers Moses Wetang'ula, Kiraitu Murungi, Njeru Githae, Musa Sirma, Amos Kimunya acting head of public service Francis Kimemia and permanent secretaries from related Ministries.

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The Basongora royal drum and flag taken captive

A Busongora kingdom official sounds the royal drum at an earlier occasion. 

Just 11 days after the Basongora crowned their King Rwigi IV Agutamba Rutakirwa Kabumba Ivan Bwebale at his home in Muhokya, his royal drum and flag have been taken away by a group of unknown people armed with spears.
The incident took place on at about 10 o’clock Wednesday morning.

In a telephone interview, ‘King’ Ivan Bwebale Rutakirwa of Busongora Heritage Kingdom said, “Five men who were on a pickup removed the blue, red and cream flag, which was on a pole outside my palace at Muhokya”.
Bwebale said that the men then proceeded to the office of the ‘King’ and took away the royal drum, which is an important cultural instrument to the King.
At the time of the incident, Bwebale was not in the office but onlookers at Muhokya trading centre could not intervene as they feared to be harmed.
He said after taking the royal instruments, the men headed to Kasese town chanting the Rwenzururu kingdom anthem.

Bwebale said that security agencies have been informed and are investigating the incident. But when contacted, the Regional Police Commander, Mr Wilson Kwanya was not aware yet but said he will investigate.

For the past 11 days, there has been tension in Kasese district after the Basongora installed their King, a move that angered the Bakonzo who pay allegiance to the Omusinga of Rwenzururu Kingdom, Charles Wesley Mumbere.

Mr Jimmy Kagoro Muzoora, the Spokesperson of the Busongora King said, “What is in a flag and or drum? I can even take to Muhokya another drum now for the king.”

He said such dirty moves dent the reconciliatory program in which the president was asked by Mumbere to meet a delegation of the Bakonzo, Basongora and Bamba.

Last week, the Rwenzururu Kingdom declared null and void the establishment of Busongora Heritage Kingdom and the coronation of King Rwigi IV Kabumba Rutakirwa Ivan Bwebale.

Rwenzururu Kingdom asserts that it cannot have a Kingdom within their Kingdom but Basongora contend that it is their human right to have their king as they don’t share similiar cultural values with the Bakonzo.

The Rwenzururu Kingdom wants their anthem and flag as the only respected cultural symbols in Kasese district.

It has also warned all ethnic groups in the Kingdom against disrespecting the Omusinga (king), structures and symbols of Obusinga Bwa Rwenzururu to avoid further provocation.

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Bidandi Ssali in coma after collapsing at home

Veteran politician Jaberi Bidandi Ssali is reported to be in critical condition and admitted to the International Hospital, Kampala (IHK), after collapsing at his home on Tuesday night.

Sources close to the family say the founder and President of the opposition People’s Progressive Party (PPP) is currently in the Intensive Care Unit, and hospital administrators have barred visitors from accessing him.

Doctors run several tests overnight, but are yet to confirm the cause of the aging politician’s sudden collapse.

Bidandi served in various ministerial positions in President Museveni’s government, before leaving to start his own party, the PPP.

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Constitution review key measure in growing democracy, says TCD

The ongoing constitutional reform process has been described as one of the indicators of growing democracy in Tanzania since the adoption of a multiparty system in 1992.

This was said yesterday in Dar es Salaam by Chairman of Tanzania Centre for Democracy (TCD) James Mbatia, in the news conference where he announced the convening of a two-day political parties meeting scheduled to begin today.

Titled Legal Framework Governing Political Parties: The Case of Party Financing, it will be held in Dar es Salaam.

At the beginning, he said, talking about multiparty was taken as treason and hostility, but nowadays things have changed.

Despite the prevalence of negative and positive challenges, people now have freedom to demand their rights even giving views on the constitutional review.

“We have observed that democracy has been growing as President Jakaya Kikwete has formed the Constitutional Review Commission which will involve all Tanzanians from different sectors and parties to do its work,” he noted.

He added that Tanzania has passed through hard times towards a growing and strengthened democracy, and through it, has come across a number of challenges.

He said what Tanzanians should be proud of is the new constitution processes.

“This shows that we have made a very big step compared to other African countries,” he said.

Elaborating on the conference, he said about 11 delegates from African countries and three democracy promoting organisations will attend the TCD organised meeting in collaboration with The Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy (NIMD) and the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA).

However, Mbatia added that since Tanzania is the host of the conference, either President Jakaya Kikwete or Vice President Dr Gharib Bilal is expected to officiate at the conference.

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JK names Kattanga as Judiciary CEO

President Jakaya Kikwete has appointed Hussein A. Kattanga as the Chief Executive Officer of the Judiciary Department with effect from July 1, 2012.

A press statement issued yesterday by the State House in Dar es Salaam said Kattanga’s appointment is part of implementation of the recently introduced new judiciary system and implementation of the Judiciary Management Act No. 4 of 2011.

It said the Act introduced new scheme of service for court administrators.

Until his appointment, Kattanga was the Permanent Secretary, Prime Minister's Office, Regional Administration and Local Government.

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Premier raises over 354m/- for hospital

Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda led scores of Christian faithful at the weekend in raising a total of 354,076,850/- for the construction of a new Catholic Church Hospital at Lerangwa village, Kamwanga ward in Longido district.

A total of 235,896,850/- was collected on the spot, 5m/- from the Regional Office, and the rest 118,180,000/- was in form of pledges. The health facility is built at Endumet, some 150 kilometers from Arusha City and is expected to serve pastoralist communities.

The hospital, which is under construction, started offering health services since

April last year and is expected to benefit more than 50,000 people in the area and neighboring areas.

In his remarks, Pinda said that the government would ensure that power, roads and ambulance services are provided in the area.

He also agreed to a proposal made by church leaders of sourcing power from Kenya’s Kidawachi area, which is 20 kilometers from the village or from Amboseli area, which seven kilometres.

“I cannot give you the exact answer, but I will try to communicate with Kenya’s Prime Minister on this matter,” he said.

One of the leaders of Arusha’s Catholic Diocese Father Fredrick Karori appealed to the government to supply the area with electricity as some medical facilities needed power to operate.

He also advised the government to address the problem of medical practitioners rural areas face due to difficult work conditions.

Earlier, Archbishop Josephat Lobulu of the Church said health services at the hospital would be provided to all people regardless of their colours, tribes, regions and other ethnic backgrounds.

He also commended the government for sustained efforts to improve health services in the country.

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Uganda refuses to condemn Syria violence

Uganda says both sides are armed and therefore responsible.

Kampala

Uganda abstained from condemning Syrian government over the violence in the country in the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), saying both warring parties share responsibility to the civilian deaths.

Foreign Affairs Ministry Permanent Secretary Ambassador Jame Mugume yesterday said it was unfair to accuse only the government of violence and leave out the opposition which is also armed. “These people are arming the opposition and when both sides are armed what do you expect? There will be collateral damage and civilians will be the victims,” Mr Mugume said.

On Friday, the US tabled a resolution in the UNHRC 20 session that condemned what they described as the widespread, systematic and gross violations of human rights, acts of violence, ongoing atrocities and indiscriminate targeting of civilians by Syrian authorities.

But Uganda, India and Philippines abstained which a United Kingdom Mission in Geneva through their twitter page stated: “Worrying to see India, Philippines, Uganda abstain on a human rights vote on Syria at HRC20.”
Mr Mugume said their decision was a matter of consistency of policy where people in specific countries are given a chance to decide on their internal matters.

“We took the same position on Libya. Now see what is in Libya. However, we condemn violence and abuse of human rights but in this case both sides should desist from violence,” he said. Russia, China and Cuba voted against the UNHRC resolution while 41 countries voted in favour.

Russia had proposed to include the sentence of “strongly condemns all terrorist acts in Syria” in the text, but was rejected by the UNHRC. Since the Libya war, Uganda and India seem to be distancing themselves from their one-time ally, the US, on foreign intervention in some countries.

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Government imposes limits on hiring expatriates

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New rules for NGOs say expatriates should not hold a job for more than two years to enable Ugandans take over.

KAMPALA

The government has banned international and local NGOs operating in the country from employing foreigners unless they show proof that no Ugandan matches the skills of the expatriate staff.

Amb. Gabriel Kangwagye, the NGO registration board chairperson, told this newspaper yesterday that the not-for-profit groups solicit money from donors under the guise of helping the under-privileged, and they should not saturate local job market by employing their own.

“The NGOs come to help the community and complement government effort and should not solicit money in our names to create jobs for themselves,” he said. “Otherwise, they should set up commercial enterprises, not the not-for-profit, non-political and community-empowerment organisations.”

The tough talk follows new immigration guidelines issued about a month ago, which, among other things, require foreign professionals intending to practice here to be evaluated for competence by local professional registration bodies.

It is understood that many international organisations, particularly those dealing in health, agriculture and community development, bring in unqualified or under-qualified staff from outside the country, pay them more and install them as supervisors over otherwise better-qualified Ugandan employees.

Some of the foreign medics allegedly work in the health sector – diagnosing ailments, prescribing treatment and in some cases performing surgical procedures – without obtaining a work permit because international organisations employing them consider the requirement for fresh assessment as unnecessary.

Following procedure
This means if a medical procedure goes wrong – perhaps fatally – it would be impossible to trace the unregistered practitioner yet local governments upcountry often receive them with open arms due to shortage of local professionals, especially of health workers.

“If you go to the North and West Nile it is more like a dumping ground,” Amb. Kangwagye said.
There have been allegations, separately confirmed by the NGO Registration Board yesterday, that the officials attached to the Immigration Department in the Ministry of Internal Affairs have been picking specified payments from prospective foreign workers without focusing on their competencies.

Immigration spokesperson Eunice Kisembo last evening denied the accusations and said they have complied with all legal requirements prior to issuing work permits, and played a “complementary” role to that of the NGO Registration Board. The details emerged a day after Daily Monitor reported a net increase in migration to the country in recent years.

The new guidelines are similar to restrictions many countries impose on job-seekers. It was not immediately clear whether they have any relation to allegations by some NGOs that they are being harassed by state agencies in a bid to keep a lid on their political activism.

‘Sieving out quacks’
Ms Kisembo said they have been gate-keeping to sieve out quacks by requiring that NGOs applying for work permits on behalf of foreign nationals provide registration licenses and registration to operate.
“This is to ensure that the right and desirable immigrants enter the country,” she said, attributing the intensified vigilance in part to security threats.

The new guidelines oblige NGOs to declare the composition of their staff – specifying the number of foreign nationals and justifications why they, and not Ugandans, were employed in those positions. Amb. Kangwagye yesterday said that a newly constituted cross-ministerial committee would soon begin a countrywide exercise to screen foreign nationals employed by NGOs to eliminate those persona-non-grata.

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Government restricts Mumbere in wake of clashes

Two ethnic groups in Bundibugyo are in dispute over whether the Rwenzuru king should visit the district.

BUNDIBUGYO

Government has restricted the Omusinga (king) of the Rwenzururu Kingdom, Charles Wesley Mumbere, from visiting Bundibugyo District to ease tensions between the Bamba-Babwisi and Bakonzo ethnic groups.

This follows clashes last Friday between the two ethnic groups over the shrine that was constructed for king Mumbere at Kibindi Village in Busaru Sub-county.

The clashes started when the Bamba wanted to torch the shrine, but the Bakonzo resisted. Two motorcycles and property belonging to Bakonzo traders in Bundibugyo Market were burnt during the chaos.

In a meeting with Bamba and Bakonzo elders in Bundibugyo Town at the weekend, the Minister of Information, Communication and Technology, Mr Ruhakana Rugunda, said king Mumbere, as the cultural leader of the Bakonzo should not anger the Bamba and visit Bundibugyo, because more clashes are likely to occur.

Mr Rugunda said Mumbere should also respect the Bamba since they are the majority in the district. The minister said more talks will be held between the two ethnic groups to reconcile them.

Mr Rugunda was sent by President Museveni to intervene in the conflicts after Bamba elders wrote to President Museveni requesting him to intervene. However, the Bakonzo in Bundibugyo have opposed Mr Rugunda’s remarks, saying it is a violation of the king’s rights.

In a telephone interview, Mr Michael Kahungu, a member of the Bakonzo Elders Association, said Mumbere cannot be stopped from visiting his subjects where ever they are. Mr Kahungu added that since there are Bakonzo in Bundibugyo, Mumbere will often be invited to visit his subjects and perform rituals.

Meanwhile, the Resident District Commissioner, Mr Samuel Kazinga, said the police and army have been deployed heavily in Bundibugyo Town and Kibindi until the situation stabilises.

Last week, the Prime Minister, Mr Amama Mbabazi, asked Rwenzururu Kingdom to remain calm and united to promote development. “Some of the tensions within your community should be solved calmly, you should not dwell much on those issues, let us maintain peace and so that you can benefit from the freedom you fought for,” Mr Mbabazi said.

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Public Service grilled over ghost teachers

 

The Permanent Secretary said Abim had no ghost teachers because the district had no community or private schools.

Kampala

Public Service Permanent Secretary Jimmy Rwamafa and his team sat through a three-hour interview before the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into mismanagement of the Universal Primary and Secondary Education programme over creation and maintenance of ghosts on the payroll.

The commission, chaired by High Court Justice Ezekiel Muhanguzi was riled after it discovered 20 suspected ghost head teachers in Abim yet the district had only 34 schools. “Mismanagement of the payroll is one of those key facts that have led to wastage of resources, an example is in Abim district. So which schools do these excess 20 head teachers lead? Keeping absconders and the dead on the payroll has also wasted funds,” Justice Muhanguzi said.

Efforts by Mr Rwamafa, his commissioners and directors to convince the commission that the problem lay elsewhere fell on deaf ears as angry commissioners wondered what it takes to clean up payrolls even with a computerised system.

Public Service and the Ministry of Local Government came under the spotlight for their respective roles in the programmes. Local government faced questions regarding construction of school infrastructure and supervision which fall under local administrations, especially for primary schools.

Other areas of concern according to the probe team that is winding up its activities include multiple enlisting of teachers in different districts by Uganda Computer Services on the payroll, lack of professional engineers to supervise construction work and non-existent schools. Muhanguzi said poorly constructed structures account for at least Shs12bn of lost UPE funds.

Mr Rwamafa told the commission that efforts to recruit trained and qualified engineers had met resistance in some areas because conditions in those areas especially remote areas hence the failure to supervise the construction of standards structures. He said despite the failing to get qualified persons, sometimes to appoint caretakers to fill the gap for six months.

“We have not carried out manpower survey but through inspection we are able to establish the trends in those areas,”Mr Muhanguzi said. He added: “However, the head teachers are recruited by the district and what they should have done was to stay with the ceiling given to them by Ministry of Education and this situation goes back as far as 2005-2006.”

The PS insisted that whereas, there are indications that the problem of recruiting ghosts was detected back in 2005, nothing to arrest the trend had been implemented by the Public Service ministry because of how entrenched the problem is.

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ICC sentences Congolese warlord Lubanga to 14 years

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THE HAGUE

The International Criminal Court sentenced Congolese warlord Thomas Lubanga to 14 years in jail Tuesday for using child soldiers in his rebel army, in the tribunal's first sentencing since it was created.

"Taking into account all the factors... the court sentences Mr Lubanga to 14 years in prison," presiding Judge Adrian Fulford told The Hague-based court, set up in 2002.

He said the court has taken into account the time Lubanga has already spent behind bars since March 2006, meaning he will effectively spend eight years in prison.

Lubanga, 51, was convicted in March of war crimes, specifically for using child soldiers in his rebel army in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2002-03, in the ICC's first verdict since it was set up a decade ago.

He was found guilty of abducting children as young as 11 and forcing them to fight and commit atrocities in the DRC's northeastern gold-rich Ituri region. During the trial prosecutors told how young girls served as sex-slaves, while boys were trained to fight.

Fulford however said that prosecutors had failed to prove the sexual allegations beyond reasonable doubt.

Former ICC chief prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo last month called for a 30-year sentence against Lubanga, saying his crimes were "of the most serious concern for the international community".

Lubanga, who has been detained in The Hague since 2006, is the founder of the Union of Congolese Patriots (UPC) and commander of its military wing the Patriotic Forces for the Liberation of Congo (FPLC). His trial started in 2009.

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Raila urges S Korea to support Somalia peace efforts

Prime Minister Raila Odinga (right) confers with his South Korean counterpart Kim Hwang Sik in Nairobi July 9, 2012. Mr Oding urged South Korea to support the ongoing efforts to restore peace in Somalia and the two Sudan nations. PMPS 

Prime Minister Raila Odinga has urged South Korea to support the ongoing efforts to restore peace in Somalia and the two Sudan nations.

Mr Odinga asked the visiting South Korean Prime Minister Kim Hwang to help in the establishment of a legitimate state in war ravaged Somalia to contain the insecurity menace posed by terrorist cells and pirates in the Horn of Africa.

"We call upon South Korea to be steadfast in support for the reconstruction in Somalia and demanding stability and peace in the Sudans," the PM said.

He stressed the need for Kenya and South Korea to strengthen their ties on security issues to detect and deter any threats posed by terrorist groups and piracy.

Mr Odinga, who hosted a dinner party for Mr Hwang, said cooperation between the two nations was of mutual benefit to both parties and said Kenyans had a lot to share and learn from the “economic miracle” that transformed Korea into an industrialised nation.

“Korea is well known for transforming the lives of its people through very revolutionary rural sector agrarian policies that put the country on the path to self sufficiency in food and other areas,” he said.

The PM said Kenya will increase exports of agricultural products to S Korea as it continues to buy manufactured products from the latter.

“We will be able to buy more of your Hyundais and KIAs and Samsung while you buy our tea , beef and coffee” he said.

Mr Odinga, who was accompanied by his wife Ida Odinga, said the country was looking forward to S Korea investments in flagship projects under the Vision 2030 programme.

“We want the Koreans investment in flagship projects under the Vision 2030 like the LAPSSET, development of three berths and associated infrastructure for the Lamu Port at Manda Bay,” Mr Odinga said

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Secret story of Raila’s relations with Kibaki

 

President Kibaki walked out of a top-level reconciliation meeting he was meant to co-chair without uttering a word at the height of coalition tensions in 2009, according to a new book.

The walkout underlined what the author claims was a troubled and unequal relationship between the President and Prime Minister Raila Odinga who lead a coalition of the Party of National Unity and Orange Democratic Movement, which often teetered on the verge of collapse.

Mr Miguna Miguna, the prime minister’s former advisor on constitution and coalition affairs, in his book paints a picture of the President as a coldly aloof and inflexible man who in private does not treat Mr Odinga as an equal partner.

He, for example, recounts one occasion when President Kibaki would not come out of his suite at Kilaguni Lodge in Tsavo West National Park to speak to Mr Odinga and addressed him from behind a curtain.

He also projects Mr Odinga as having failed to get the best deal for the Orange Democratic Movement in his negotiations with the President after the disputed 2007 General Election.

Peeling Back the Mask: A Quest for Justice in Kenya, Mr Miguna’s no-holds-barred account of his time as a top advisor to Mr Odinga, goes behind the scenes to examine the intrigues, power plays and personality rivalries that have characterised the unity government since it was brokered by peace envoy Kofi Annan in 2008.

Mr Miguna, who fell out with the Prime Minister in dramatic fashion after he was fired from his post in Mr Odinga’s team last year, paints the relationship between Mr Kibaki and Mr Odinga as an unequal marriage in which the President comfortably dominated Mr Odinga.

He claims that Mr Kibaki, who was better briefed and had a more disciplined team around him, frequently got the better of the Premier in one-on-one meetings.

The principals’ troubled relationship nearly hit breaking point at the Kilaguni retreat which at the time was portrayed as a successful attempt at healing the cracks in the coalition but which Mr Miguna reveals to have been a failure characterised by quarrels and antics which bordered on the comical.

Insisted on reshuffle

The meeting, on April 4, 2009, started with a familiar standoff after Mr Miguna discovered that President Kibaki, Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta and then National Security minister Prof George Saitoti had been allocated bigger and better rooms than those booked for the premier, ODM deputy leader William Ruto and Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi, who skipped the meeting.

Mr Miguna took the position that this sent the message that one of the coalition partners was superior to the other and insisted on a reshuffle.

Mr Miguna’s stance was consistent with another occasion where he had stopped a coalition management meeting from starting at Harambee House until the seating arrangement was revised to reflect the fact Mr Kibaki and Mr Odinga were equal partners in the coalition.

More drama was to follow at Kilaguni. The ODM team arrived three hours before the PNU team came to the scene and were huddled discussing the fact PNU had not agreed on an agenda for the talks by the time Mr Kibaki and his team arrived.

“That first night Raila went to see Kibaki in his room and subsequently made us fall about with laughter at his bizarre description of what had happened there,” he writes.

“According to Raila – and we believed him – Kibaki spoke with him from behind the curtains, which were fully drawn. They didn’t see each other. There was no face-to-face meeting as such.

“At first, Raila thought the old man was dressing up or using the washroom and that he would join him in the spacious living room. However, after 30 minutes of odd ‘communication’ Raila politely excused himself and left.”

Mr Odinga told the ODM team that President Kibaki had told him that the team should see the retreat as a “well deserved holiday”, summarising the difference between the PNU and ODM viewpoints.

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VP to lead Uganda’s Olympic team to London, all air tickets secured

Ssekandi will be the first Ugandan VP ever to lead a team to the Oylmpics.

The Vice President of Uganda Edward Ssekandi has affirmed his support for sports by accepting to lead the Ugandan delegation to the London Olympic Games later this month.

Ssekandi who on several occasions, while Speaker of Parliament, exhibited his love for sport and presided over the USPA sports personality of the year award galas, will be the first Ugandan vice president to head a team to the Olympics.

“We are in high gear preparations and the good news is that the country’s number two has confirmed leading the Ugandan delegation to London,” acting Ugandan Olympics Committee president William Blick confirmed.

“He is already accredited and we have informed the Uganda High Commission in London and the British High Commission here to avoid any incident that may cause embarrassment to our Vice President,” Blick stressed.

He revealed the development in a meeting with sports federation heads at the National Council of Sports headquarters in Lugogo on Sunday.

 He also assured them that air tickets for the team to the Olympics had been secured and there will be no excuse that an athlete qualified but failed to get transport to London.

Meanwhile, weightlifting association president Salim Musoke informed the meeting that Charles Ssekyaaya will join the team in London because his training in USA has been extended.

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Easterner can be president if we’re united, says Mukula

 The NRM vice chairperson for Eastern Uganda, Capt Mike Mukula, courted controversy when he addressed a caucus of lawmakers from eastern Uganda.
Sulaiman Kakaire and David Tash Lumu talked to him about how he envisages this caucusing panning out.

Last week you convened a meeting of MPs from eastern Uganda… What exactly transpired at the meeting?
As lawmakers from eastern Uganda, we want to have a platform that will help us come up with a common agenda for our development. First, we want to review the presidential pledges that were made during the campaigns.
Secondly, we are following up on the NRM manifesto, which is currently under implementation. As the region’s MPs we want to know whether the promises that were made to the region are being implemented.
Thirdly, we want to follow up on the implementation of government programmes at national level by focusing on the eastern region. This monitoring will involve both local and central government programmes. Why are we looking at the regional level? We understand that most of these programmes like roads impact on the entire region.
So, we find it vital to lobby as a region. Some of the sub-regions like Sebei, Elgon and Bukedi have limited capacity to lobby. So, if we assist one another by lobbying as a bloc, it becomes easy to get what we want.
Fifth, we want to ensure that we always have a common position on the budget and some other issues of common importance.
However, we have to [understand] that the eastern region has a problem of failing to return Members to Parliament. In 2006, over 50% of MPs from the region didn’t come back to Parliament. The trend continued [in] 2011. Besides, we recorded the poorest performance at the local level. What does this mean? That as a region we have to lobby for services for the people if we are to retain our leadership positions. So, our meeting was about development agenda.

Why is this coming now?
This is a second meeting we are holding. The first was in 2011/12. Last year we failed to make progress because we had a big number of MPs being new and they were trying to settle in the House.
By the way, we are not the only region caucusing. Last month the Buganda caucus, which has close to 92 MPs, sat in Katomi and [some] people thought that they were discussing Gilbert Bukenya, but they realised that they were discussing developmental ideas.

Some people contend that your group has hidden motives…
What is important for the country is to know that our agenda is about development. I know that some people are uncomfortable that I have ambitions, which I have not declared right now, but I would like them to know that there is no vacancy right now in State House.
Right now what the country should do is harmonise on a common agenda.

But since you declared your ambitions to run for president, are people wrong to look at this as full-blown lobbying?
Well, you cannot stop people from having perception about what you are doing. But what I know is that I am [an NRM] member and I have a strong allegiance to the party and the President. I am not intending to undermine his power and I don’t want my party to lose its support because what I am doing strengthens him and the party at large.

So, why is security probing your meetings?
It’s important that security [agents] continue to monitor the actions of all citizens and not only Mukula. I have one telephone, home, a common meeting point and I am available, so there is no secrecy and hiding of my activities.
When [Joseph] Kony invaded Teso in 2003, I stood up to be counted as one of the patriots who stood by the side of UPDF to confront the rebels. I cannot be a traitor or subversive.
However, even if I am to have ambitions, there is nobody in this country that does not have them and it is what propels this country. Besides, people should know that there are no permanent positions for people in this country although there is always a constant Uganda.

Among the groups that are worried of your activities is the Busoga Parliamentary group…
Well, it is not true that we have any disagreements with the Busoga group. When the media reported about the misunderstanding we had, I called ndugu Milton Muwuma [Busoga group vice chairperson] and asked him about this. I provided him together with other members all the information they lacked and we reached a common agreement. We are planning to meet on Tuesday [this week].
By the way, it’s also true that the Right Honorable Speaker [Rebecca Kadaga] led the Busoga team to the President to lobby for Busoga’s projects. There is no doubt about that.

We understand that the Busoga group has members who plan to front Kadaga for president and they see you as disorganising their plan.
The point is that they have no doubt about my capacity. It was in broad daylight in 2005 when I won with 93% of the votes to become national vice chairperson. In 2010, I was voted unopposed, which means I have a vote of confidence from the region.
However, my work is not about disorganising anyone’s plan. I am trying to beef up the work of the secretariat, which has also failed to trace and monitor the government programmes.

History suggests that political organisations come from socio-economic organizations…
It will not be constitutionally wrong for the East to launch [a] presidential bid and it will not be unfair for the region in future to organise in that particular direction. [But] eastern Uganda cannot win the presidency if we are not united. If you check the figures, you realise that we have biggest percentage of voters and if one concentrates on mobilising, he/she can win the national poll. It is not about mobilising Busoga alone.

So, what kind of relationship do you share with Kadaga?
We have a cordial and understanding relationship. You see the contradiction is coming from people who want her to stand for president, which she has not responded to. I have no problem with [Kadaga] or Amama Mbabazi who is among the people suspected to [have ambitions] for the presidency.

Critics say the Jinja East by-elections, which NRM resoundingly lost, was a protest vote against Museveni.
It is a wakeup call…people want services. As leaders we need to unite and address this before it’s too late. If Museveni is to leave, who else in the NRM can get the support he has enjoyed if we don’t help him implement the manifesto?
During last week’s meeting, the Butaleja Woman MP, Cerinah Nebanda, and the Kumi County MP, Amuriat Oboi, said that the only way to revamp the region is through taking power…
I think it is not the time to talk about that. We shall cross the bridge when we reach there. I know that there are many people who are interested in taking the presidency both in and out of [NRM]. Some are being shy. That’s why they are waiting for the right time because we want to give the President time to do his work. However, we must remind him of his promises.

Some people have likened you to a joker. How do you respond?
I am not a joker. People should know that I am one of the longest serving MPs, and if I was a joker I would not be here. I have gone through the ranks of party structures from village level to where I am today. I have been a minister before.
Really, how can one dismiss me as a joker? I led the Arrow Boys. Can you do that? Is that a picnic? As [junior Health] minister we kicked out polio, we had the best immunisation performance, as well as setting up 689 health centres. My loyalty should not be taken to be weakness.

So, will you contest for the presidency in 2016?
Yes, if my party endorses me. I know that I will get the support when time comes.

Don’t you think the Global Fund saga will hurt your chances?
I am not the first person to be accused. For instance, Raila Odinga and Jacob Zuma have been accused before, but they have been propelled to the highest offices in their countries. What I can say is that the appropriate organs will adjudicate on that. It is also important that I go through the right process before I stand for president.

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More migrants in the country, new report says

Officials at the Ministry of Internal Affairs register immigrants who were found operating illegally in Kampala recently. R eports indicate that many foreigners in Uganda operate businesses without work permits.

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The number of non-residents who arrive and remain in the country has continued to rise over the last five years, official records have revealed.

The statistics, which are included in the Uganda Bureau of Statistics 2012 Statistical Abstract, indicate that non-resident departures in the last half decade have fallen consistently lower than the non-resident arrivals.

Out of 1.5 million arrivals in 2011 for example, 1.2 million were non-residents.

And out of 1.4 million recorded departures, one million were non-residents. This would suggest that at least 200,000 non-residents did not depart the country, meaning that the number of such individuals has grown by 144,000 people. In 2010, only 86,000 non-residents failed to leave the country.

The report does not particularly describe the individuals as illegal aliens, but the reported growth in numbers could partly explain recent intensification of efforts by the Immigration Department under the Internal Affairs ministry to clamp down on undocumented foreigners.

At the weekend, Ministry of Internal Affairs spokesperson Eunice Kisembo said since she was not sure the statistics are credible, she was not in position to comment at length, even though Ubos relied on data from the ministry when compiling the abstract.

“How do they verify that the people who departed are not or were among those who arrived? There remain lots of unanswered questions,” Ms Kisembo said.

She, however, could not explain what those that stay here do, saying: “I cannot give any more comments because I have not looked at that report.”

This report, however, notes that, “This section presents a summary of migration statistics, which cover movements of persons with valid travel documents to and from Uganda through gazetted points of entry and exit.”

The gazzeted points of entry and exit include border points and the airports which are also monitored by the ministry.
At least 800,000 of the non-residents indicated in the report entered the country by road.

Uganda is the only country in the East African region where citizens do not hold national identity cards, a situation which complicates the work of the Immigration Department.

A number of foreigners plying all manner of trades have also been found not to possess valid work permits. The report further indicates that arrivals through official border posts increased by 20 per cent between 2010 and 2011, while departures increased by 16 per cent in the same period.

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NRM’s Nsambu did not insult Kabaka – Museveni

Museveni said those who use the Kabaka for campaigns are greedy and selfish.

President Yoweri Museveni has clarified claims that NRM flag-bearer in the Bukoto South parliamentary race Alintuma Nsambu insulted Kabaka Ronald Mutebi and influenced the closure of CBS radio station.

He said such claims were lies crafted by people who hate the kingdom and want to drag it into trouble.

“If Nsambu abused the Kabaka, why didn’t Mengo report to me as the leader of NRM. He explained that he was blaming the people who wanted to confuse the Kabaka, saying Baganda shouldn’t work with the Government, which they described as that of Banyankole with long noses. They wanted people to think that it was the Kabaka who sent them,” Museveni said.

“I am a fighter and fighters don’t know tribes. NRM is a tribe for all the people who support unity, peace and development in the country” he said on Sunday.

The President made the remarks while campaigning for the Nsambu in Lwengo district.

The Bukoto South byelections have attracted seven candidates, including Nsambu, Mathias Nsubuga (DP) and Julius Ssentamu. The byelections are set for July 12.

The seat fell vacant after Muyanja Mbabaali was thrown out of Parliament.

Museveni said: “The Kabaka returned to Uganda because of the blood of NRM. DP was here as well as UPC, which removed him. Those who use the Kabaka for campaigns are wrong because the Kabaka has no sides. They are greedy and care about themselves,” he said.

Museveni, who said he talked to Katikkiro Eng. J.B. Walusimbi about the issue, added that the talk about Nsambu insulting the Kabaka were mere allegations which deserve no attention.

Apart from the mega rally at Kinono, the President met 3,700 NRM chairpersons from over 126 villages in the district at Sseke Secondary School in Kiingo village.

Museveni also urged the electorate to ignore claims that Nsambu does not hail from Bukoto South despite having a home there.

He added that any leader who vies for a parliamentary seat should be able to support development programmes.

Museveni said although it was true that Nsambu came from Bukoto East where he lost in the 2011 parliamentary elections, he deserved a second chance to serve.

“It was the people of Bukoto South who invited him here. You gave him the NRM ticket and he bought a piece of land in the constituency. He is part of you,” Museveni added.

“Vote for him come July 12 to safeguard the NRM seat in Parliament. The issue of voting for a someone from Bukoto South should wait for 2016 when we shall have organised ourselves but for the moment, we have Nsambu,” he said.

Museveni explained that Nsambu, former state minister for IT, did not close CBS radio station as alleged by the opposition, but it was the Government which realised that the station was mobilising people to cause havoc.

However, President Museveni blamed the people of Bukoto South for chasing Lwengo Woman MP Gertrude Nakabira and Bukoto Midwest MP Isaac Sejjoba from the meeting.

“I know that they have not been attending Nsambu’s rallies but I invited them to this meeting. You did not know what their message was. Sending them away was a big mistake,” he said.

Nakabira and Sejjoba were barred from the premises before President Museveni arrived. The electorate said Nakabira was a hurdle in Nsambu’s quest for victory.

“The divisions in Movement made us lose elections in Luwero, Jinja and Bushenyi. I urge you not to make the same mistakes,” he said and called for quality service and unity among leaders.

Nsambu thanked the people of Bukoto South for welcoming him to their constituency.

“I also thank the President for giving me another chance and campaigning for me. I assure you that I’ll not let you and the people of Bukoto South down,” he said.

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