Public Opinions

WHO IS LUZINDANA ADAM BUYINZA

2008-11-22T23:29:00.002+03:00

WHO IS LUZINDANA ADAM BUYINZA

He was born on 7th July 1982 in a predominantly peasantry family to Mr. Sowedi Rwabizi and Ms Jaliat Nakibuka in Butakoola village,Bwetyaba Parish,Kayunga Subcounty,Bugerere County in Kayunga District, the then Mukono District. He was named Buyinza because the first 7 (seven) children of his parents died before making one year. When he made it to 1 year, he was named Buyinza literally meaning the Power of God. He started his primary education at Namagabi UMEA Primary School in Kayunga, the then Mukono District where he attained the Uganda Primary Leaving Examinations Certificate. He completed his Ordinary level Certificate of Education at Ndeeba Senior Secondary School, and joined Kololo Senior Secondary School in 1998 and attained the Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education from Muyenga High School. He later on joined the Faculty of Arts, Makerere University to pursue a Bachelors Degree in Secretarial Studies.

While at Makerere University, the genius and vibrant youth joined active politics and became a centre of University Politics. He formed and spearheaded a number of student’s
movements. He founded the Professional Development
Agency, principally to provide career development services
to students and professionals, provide education and
employment services, job placement, selection of
university, international students exchange, visa
acquisition, talent support and development, support scheme for students from poor families, airport assistance, brokering of traineeships and apprenticeships for employers, curriculum development, capacity building and training for Government,NGOs,Corporates,etc,strategic planning, consultancy on HR issues, proposal writting,data anaylysis,speech writing, evaluation and monitoring, conference management,outsourcing,etc.

He formed the Revolutionary Movement Vision 2025 (RMV-2025) which at a later date succeeded in invalidating the negative trend of University Politics which was dominated by tribalism, high degree of malice and sabotage, assault, abuse, etc.

His Organization predominantly mobilized students in all Universities to ally behind the ruling National Resistance Movement of Gen Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, the President of the Republic of Uganda. He introduced techniques which resulted to the disintegration of a number of opposition political groupings at the University. He introduced Interparty Political dialogues at the University, developed a network of student’s leadership in many universities in Uganda.

He became a symbol and the light of the ruling Government at the University but this did not stop him from founding and building an organization known as Public Opinions (www.pubopinions.org).

While LAB was a proponent of the ruling NRM regime, at many occasions, he openly critiqued the NRM leadership. He vehemently opposed the transition from the broad based and all inclusive movement political system to a new multiparty political system urging that it was un planned, premature and that Ugandans are not ready for the real values of Mult-party democracy. He referred the move as a ploy to avert the positive trend of the growing democracy of Uganda. He envisaged that 5 years from the referendum, Uganda would achieve nothing, but will lose greatly as far as the democratization process is concerned.

Following the referendum in which the people of Uganda endorsed the return to the Mult-party political system, Adam formed a short-lived mass political organization known as the National Salvation Movement (NSM)/Movement for National Salvation (MNS) which was to lead the new and old generations, rich and poor, the peasants and the working class of Uganda to restore a broad based and all inclusive government.

In the wake of the demand for federal by the people of the Kingdom of Buganda, Luzindana Adam Buyinza,together with Mr. Benard Luyiiga the then Chairman of the Council of Chairpersons,Makerere University, now Councilor- Kampala City Council, the Late Vincent Lugonvu Byansi (the then Chairman of the Uganda Young Democrats), Lugolobi Hamidu then Speaker of the Great Lumumba Hall, currently with the Uganda Electoral Commission, Waisswa Kassim Balabyeki the then Minister for Mess Affairs and Advisor to the Opposition Political Parties-Makerere University, now at the University of Reading in UK formed the Advocacy for Federal Governance in Uganda (AFGU) a pressure group that advocated for a federal system of governance for the whole Uganda if federal is to be granted but recommended that traditional institutions be empowered.

He met and made many friends. He opposed tribal and other secretarian tendencies, calling for unity and community empowerment. With such a vision and aspirations, together with the late Lugonvu Vicente, FOLA Foundation (Friends of Lugonvu and Adam Foundation) was founded which later on with Nakabale Patrick renamed Goodwill Fraternity which is now an Organization providing special need Services for Children with Intellectual disabilities, Anti-Sexual Abuse programs, Household Hygiene and Sanitation programs, HIV/AIDS programs, Road Safety Awareness Campaign, etc. Goodwill Fraternity operates one of the fastest growing clubs known as the Goodwill Executive Club.

He introduced and strengthened debating clubs in all Halls of Residences and students Hostels at Makerere University. He promoted community outreach programs, study groups and meetings for which students leaders could address the community on a number of topical issues.

Adam is kind, friendly and a down to earth person. He has succeeded in building a formidable network of friends within and outside Uganda and it’s upon such a foundation that he is looking at the future as brighter than today. Though Adam was a proponent of the NRM regime, his closest associates were the leaders and members of the opposition Political Parties. While at Makerere University, he exhibited the highest degree of
loyalty to the NRM establishment/government. Indeed he has made enormous achievements for the NRM establishment. He became a victim of the internal infightings of the National Resistance Movement both at the University and after university. In 2004, he was declared dead by un know people purportedly the Uganda Young Democrats (UYD) Gurus.

He was loved by many and opposed by many students at the University, but at no time, was he hated by the community. Nevertheless he met strong resistance from the opposition political parties, but he smartly out competed them, resulting to mass defection to the National Resistance Movement.

He worked as a Research Assistant in the NRM Parliamentary Caucus from 2002 to 2004.
He worked as a volunteer with Rtd Major Kinobe in the Local Government Standing Committee-Parliament of the Republic of Uganda.

He was deployed by Ndugu Hon Ruhakana Rugunda the Minister of Internal Affairs of Uganda and the Chairma of the NRM Electoral Commission to work at the NRM Electoral Commission.

During the November 2005, NRM National Delegates Conference at Mandela National Stadium, Adam worked closely with the Chairman of the NRM National Taskforce, Hon Amama Mbabazi ,then Minister of Defense and currently Minister of Security and accomplished a number of assignments.

Adam worked as a Research Fellow in the NRM Parliamentary Caucus (2006-2007) in the Office of the Government Chief whip and he developed a number of policy papers. He worked as Research Officer in the NRM Parliamentary caucus hence accomplishing a number of assignments.

He worked as a Focal Research Administrator at the NRM Secretariat during the 2006 general elections in which NRM emerged the winner. Working under the Committee Chairmanship of Hon Daudi Migereko the then Minister for Tourism, Trade and Industry and currently Minister for Energy and Mineral Development, Adam took charge of the day to days operations of the NRM Central Research and Analysis Desk, coordinating
NRM Districts Research Assistants, receiving political reports on a daily basis and analyze them, receiving public complaints/reports, field monitoring, assessment of the election scores of the NRM flag bearers, etc.

Adam worked as a Research Officer at the NRM Secretariat and accomplished a number of strategic assignments and developed a number of key policy documents and policies which the Central Executive Committee of the National Resistance Movement adopted. Among others, he developed policy guidelines to effectively constitute and allocate NRM Members of Parliament on standing and select committees of Parliament, committee member on drafting of the document to raise funds for the National Resistance Movement, Member of the NRM Study Group to the People’s Republic of China, Secretariat Staff of the high profile Inter-Party Political Committee meeting regularly at Hotel Africa under the Chairmanship of Hon Amama Mbabazi Minister for Security-Republic of Uganda,Rapporteur at the First National Resistance Movement Parliamentary Caucus which met at Hotel Africana under the Chairmanship of H.E Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, President of the Republic of Uganda and National Chairman of the National Resistance Movement, contributor to the first draft document to originate a government bill for political parties to be funded by the government according to their numerical strength in Parliament, managed the registry for the allocation of the NRM members of Parliament onto different committees of Parliament,Rapporteaur at the National Executive Council (NEC) of the National Resistance Movement which met at the Commonwealth Speke Resort in Munyonyo in which together with one Kasoga Olivier convinced H.E the President of the Republic of Uganda,Rtd General Yoweri Kaguta Museveni to sign the attendance book and the President accepted to wore the official identification tag as a pre-requisite to get access to the conference hall, Member of the Six member Committee chaired by Hon Amama Mbabazi,Secretary General of NRM to design and produce the NRM Diary,2007 by the World Point Group, witnessed the Signing of the Agreement between the world point Group and the National Resistance Movement, drafted the Message of H.E the President of the Republic of Uganda/Chairman of NRM to be published in the NRM Diary, through the Principal Private Secretary to H.E the President of the Republic of Uganda, he secured a fully signed message from H.E the President of Uganda and handed it over to the World Point Group, he prepared many official memos for the party to key party leaders, prepared and submitted political and research briefs to the Secretary General, received correspondences from within and outside Uganda for the party, keeping the contact book of the Party, keeping all the officials research documents of the Party, making appointments for the Secretary General, meeting NRM Mobilisors on the daily basis, strengthened contact between the NRM Secretariat and other leaders of the various party structures,NRM team member to meet the International Republican Institute on the Post election dialogue, prepareds official documents and reports for discussion in the Central Executive Committee meetings, delivering such reports to the State House, preparing documents of the NEC and CEC of NRM, to prepare documents for the NRM Parliamentary Caucus, informing and inviting the NRM members of Parliament for the Parliamentary Caucus meetings, recording and keeping records and proceedings of the meetings of the Central Executive Committee, National Executive Council and parliamentary caucus of the National Resistance Movement, ensured that Members of Parliament friendly to the National Resistance Movement signed the memorandum of understanding with the National Resistance Movement, prepared the guidelines for conducting LC 1 elections, Prepared document on raising funds for the construction of the NRM House, etc.

He worked with the Late Brig Noble Mayombo in key sectors in different parts of the Country.

Adam has organizational skills and competence. He is a person of high self esteem and integrity, adoptive to all situations. He can work under minimum supervision.

He has got skills in Research, organizational management, corporate/institutional support, supervision and monitoring, report writing, documentation, administrative and Executive services in big organizational setups. He is thus equipped with skills to offer quality services to well structure organizations.

He is working principally to advocate, promote and strengthen core values of democracy and good governance, human rights, peace and development, participatory budgeting, etc in the Great Lakes Region through PUBLIC OPINIONS.

LRA/NORTHERN UGANDA REBELLION

2008-09-04T23:17:00.000+03:00

US Sanctions on Ugandan Rebel Joseph Kony is a Plus
By Steve Paterno

The US government newly additional sanctions imposed on Joseph Kony, the leader of Ugandan rebel group, the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) is an encouraging effort, which in concert with other measures will ultimately bring peace in the regions devastated by the LRA.

For two decades, the LRA is causing havoc in at least four countries of Uganda, Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and Central African Republic (CAR). In addition to these latest sanctions, which carry severe penalties and also specifically targeting LRA finances—the LRA has for long time been designated by the US government as a terrorist organization—a label that puts the LRA out of favor from dealing legitimately with anyone.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) even went further by issuing arrest warrants against five of the top leaders of LRA, which included Kony who is awaiting extradition to The Hague for trial on crimes against humanity.

Despite terroristic designation, international arrest warrants, wide condemnations, and brutal nature of the LRA, the Government of South Sudan (GOSS) about two years ago erroneously decided to engage in what it dupes as negotiation with the LRA.

This so called negotiation proven to be a total failure since the LRA continues with its brand of brutalities and in the process resulted into LRA reorganization, relocation, reequipping, retraining and refusal to settle peaceful.

However, the latest measures taken by the US government in specifically targeting LRA finances and increasing severe penalties against or in dealing with the LRA can add more pressure so as the LRA menace is eventually eliminated.

The US under the Treasury Department have been tremendously performing outstanding job in combating rogue states, global terrorism, international traffickers, and other illegal international transactions involving US dollars.

The Treasury Department is equally doing a superb job against illegal international transactions processed through financial systems connected with the US.

As for Joseph Kony, his name is now prominently featured in the US government list of “Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGT)” along infamous internationally wanted terrorists like Osama Bin Laden, Khalid Shaikh Mohamed, Abdul Rahman Yasin and many more others of the same kind.

Kony may not have much finances or assets like his international jihadists counterparts to be directly targeted; nonetheless, those who support and sponsor him automatically become primary targets of the US Treasury Department.

Among those LRA supporters who become automatic targets are GOSS, Khartoum Regime, and some individual Ugandan Diaspora.

For the last two years and so, GOSS, under the leadership of its Vice President Riek Machar has been supporting the LRA financially and materially; managing a multimillion dollar fund for peace with LRA; accommodating the LRA; and facilitating the LRA movements and travels, both regionally and internationally.

With these stringent measures now in place, the financial dealings of GOSS, particularly the financial dealings among some individuals within GOSS such as Riek Machar are going to be thoroughly scrutinized by the US Treasury Department. Such may not only block further supports for LRA, but can also help in combating the much publicized practice of corruption in GOSS.

The process in a long run will result into LRA losing any financial and material support coming from GOSS. Even though it will not eradicate the practice of corruption in GOSS altogether, it will at least result into severe penalties against some individuals from GOSS who will be caught in the act of corruption.

Another target is going to be the Regime in Khartoum. Khartoum has been the long supporter and major sponsor of the LRA, molding the LRA into a brutally renowned terrorist that it is today.

However, since then, Khartoum has lost its strategic position to deal with LRA directly and effectively as the regime lost the control of the Southern Sudan territory where the LRA is based.

Khartoum dealings with LRA become logistically difficult with the LRA further isolated in remote parts of the country and pushed in hiding at the DRC national park alongside the animals. Not only that, Khartoum is already suffering great deal on similar sanctions imposed on the regime for its involvement with the global Islamic fundamental terrorists.

Therefore, the members of US Treasury Department have most of their jobs already cut out for them as they will be required to exert only little effort in cutting off LRA supports coming from Khartoum.

And then there are those individual Ugandan Diaspora who have for long time been providing financial, moral, and advice to the LRA. Since the so called LRA peace talk began two years ago, those individuals have already been fragmented along their ambitions, with some returning back to Uganda to settle down; others getting discouraged from the whole LRA affairs; and few still sticking around with LRA.

Hence, there are going to be only few individuals to be targeted, making the job of the US Treasury Department easier to execute. Targeting these individuals is going to be significantly important, because it will not only deny the support for LRA, but it will also expose corruption within those entities that deal with the LRA, mainly Khartoum Regime, Government of Uganda, GOSS, and some NGOs.

This is so because corrupt officials from within those entities use individual LRA members as covers for money laundering and also bribing them at times.

There are already several allegations of bribery by these LRA handlers on some of the LRA Diaspora members—the allegations which have partly contributed to the collapse of the LRA peace talks in Juba and resulted into the death of some LRA top leaders.

If the US Treasury Department measures are executed perfectly, in a long run many of the LRA Diaspora supporters will quit dealing with the LRA as they will fear facing corruption charges on their newly found foreign lands.

They will also fear the risk of associating with a terrorist outfit, because the penalties of which are severe. Otherwise, those who will continue supporting the LRA will do so at their own perils.

This eventually will mean that the LRA will not only lose one of its financial bases, but that it will also be deprived of its moral support from the Diaspora.

In conclusions, these measures will serve many noble purposes among which, the measures will exert much pressure against LRA by denying them their much needed supports as well as the measures will combat corruptions within the entities that deal with the LRA.

The measures will also help in holding accountable those who in one way or another assist with advancing impunity by supporting lethal terrorist groups like the LRA.

If other measures such as drawing regional strategic military operation plan are added along these measures, it will mean an end to the LRA menace.

Nonetheless, as of now, the measures in place are good enough to inflict as much damage to the LRA and its handlers, but short of eradicating the LRA once and for all, meaning the LRA though will be seriously weakened, they can still cause havoc in regions they operate in until a comprehensive strategic plan is drawn to eradicate the threat altogether.

Steve Paterno is a Research Intelligent Analyst and author of Fr. Saturnino Lohure: A Roman Catholic Priest Turned Rebel.

SUDAN CRISIS

2008-08-25T22:18:00.002+03:00

BASHIR: AFRICAN LEADERS CAUGHT IN ETHICAL DILEMA

By Hon Christopher M.Kibazanga

With the indictment of Omar Hassan Al-Bashir, the President of the Islamic regime in Khartoum-Sudan, African leaders have found themselves in ethical dilemma.

Ethical dilemma refers to the situation where by the alternative available to resolve a conflict, breach an ethical rule.

African leaders led by Tanzanian President and AU Chairman Jakaya Kikwete, want to protect the so-called sovereignty of Sudan and Africa as whole by prevailing over the ICC, to stay the indictment of Bashir.

Tanzania, during the time of the former President Julius Nerere (RIP), had distinguished herself as country that was not going to tolerate dictatorship and impunity on the continent.

This led the country to engage in liberation struggles on the continent. The ethical dilemma here notwithstanding, the contradictions of Tanzania, is love for African sovereignty and accepting impunity to rule the African continent.

It is in the public domain that the struggle against colonialism and imperialism was on the solid premises to ensure freedom and the protection of the fundamental human rights of people on the continent; to ensure justice for the African people; to ensure equitable distribution of natural resources and to ensure security for all.

This was the essence of the struggle for independence. We thought in order to achieve the stated goals, more emphasis was to be put on the struggle against disease, poverty and ignorance for obvious reasons - an informed and health society is an engine for national development and advancement.

The promise that Africa shall rise and shine again has turned out to mean the opposite. Fifty years down the road, the continent is almost in oblivion, almost trapped in the cobweb of failed states. The abuse of fundamental human rights of our people forms part of the definition of our beloved continent.

It s trapped in the fourfold cobweb of poverty, disease and ignorance as result of senseless wars and violence caused by good for nothing idiots posing as leaders and liberators. Why should African leaders pretend? .

Show me a single person who does not know that Bashir exported his war theatres to other parts of the continent? Who does not know that the people of northern Uganda were being raped, killed, and forced into displaced peoples camps with full knowledge of Sudanese government led by Bashir? Who does not know that Bashir held Southern Sudan in a state of war for two decades on the basis that the population was there is Black and are not muslims?

Who does not know that the killing machines captured in western Uganda during the ADF insurgency had the descriptions of Sudanese’s government?.

Today, there is a state of war in the Darfur on based on resource exploitation and distribution. What crime have those women and children committed a part from that they were born in an area rich in natural resources?.

Now that the AU is a paper tiger, how else do we ensure freedom and justice for our people if people like Bashir can be protected in the name of the continent sovereignty?.

Ethically and morally, how do you protect and save a people who export their violence to innocent people of Africa who finding themselves ruled by idiots and dare devils? What is more sinful - indicting a criminal or allowing a criminal continue killing, raping and displacing our people.

It does not matter who comes to your rescue when you’re drowning, African leaders have shown us that it doesn’t make any difference who rules you. Under normal circumstances, one would have expected that the AU would be an alternative to the ICC in the protection of our people on the continent.

But as things stand, the organisation is suffering from sameness - it is an organisation of the same people who have little regard for Africa and its people.

On January 26, 1986 when President Museveni was being sworn in at parliamentary building, he posed a question, “where were they when we were killing each other, where was the Organisation of African Unity, where was the international community and how can the principle of non interference in the internal matters of sovereign state be the basis of the world to looking on when people are killing each other.”

Sirs, the international community is here in Durfar-Sudan, trying to stop the madness of African leaders.

Hon Kibanzanga M Christopher,Member of Parliament of the Republic of Uganda and

Opposition Shadow Minister for Anti-Corruptionand Presidency

NATURAL RESOURCES

2008-08-25T22:11:00.002+03:00

WHY NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION IS A CONCERN OF GOVERNMENTS … PART I

By Mugyenyi Cyril

A number of articles on this subject will be published for the benefit of our readers and I wish to begin with Water as a very important environmental resource.

Of the total global water only 2.5% is fresh and only about 0.5% of this may be available for human use, the rest being locked up in the Antarctica ice cap.

Perhaps most importantly, fresh water is a fundamental requirement of all living organisms; plants, animals and humanity included. Life evolved in water and since then all living organisms have continued to depend on it for all life processes.

Biologically speaking all living organisms live in water because all their living cells are surrounded by a film of water. Because of overpopulation, mass consumption, misuse, and water pollution, the availability of drinking water per capita is inadequate and shrinking.

For this reason, water is a strategic resource on the globe and an important element in many political conflicts. Some have predicted that clean water will become the "next oil", making water-rich countries richer. Water available to everyone is predicted to decrease by 30% in the next 15 years (UNESCO World Water Development Report, 2003).

About 40% of the world's inhabitants currently have insufficient fresh water for minimal hygiene. Fresh water is now more precious than ever in our history for its extensive use in agriculture, high-tech manufacturing and energy production and is increasingly receiving attention as a resource requiring better management and sustainable use.

Water scarcity is caused by uneven rainfall, runoff due to deforestation, pollution, falling ground water table, global warming and wetland drainage. Water rights and associated issues like global warming and desertification have become issues in international diplomacy, in addition to domestic and regional politics. World Bank Vice President Isamil Serageldin predicted, "Many of the wars of the 20th century were about oil, but wars of the 21st century will be over water".

The control of water resources is considered vital to the survival of an individual, household or a state; has political, security and economic connotations. When important water sources dry for any cause, destructive conflict is the immediate result.

A local animal watering point for instance in a water scarce area is often a source of conflict as owners have to protect it from use by other farmers. Such a single watering point is often a source of disease epidemic out breaks requiring mass vaccinations, control or treatment where government has to spend many millions of shillings to put the epidemic under control.

When important water sources dry, say in a region, human migrations and mass death of animals take place. Death of livestock means loss of livelihood to the people and revenue in taxes to government. Such pastoral communities that loose their livelihood will need government support in form of relief food which is still a cost to government.

Some times government may have to fork more money out of its pockets to construct artificial valley dams at a great financial cost let alone posing other serious problems like serving as breeding grounds for disease vectors such as mosquitoes. Such experiences where government had to spend many billions of shilling to construct valley dams are not alien to Uganda.

Mother nature has endowed us with resources of lasting value like rivers which have enormous potential to generate cheap, affordable hydroelectric power.

For whatever cause when the river dries or reduces in volume, this potential degenerates and capacity to produce cheap and clean power wanes bringing the economy to the brink of collapse. A lot of the hard earned dollar must be used to import petroleum products to sustain growth at a very high economic and environmental cost.

The unit cost of power increases beyond the reach of many people. This is also associated with pollution of the atmosphere by greenhouse and acidic gases.

Internationally, water is a resource of particular importance. For instance Egypt has a natural historical right on the Nile River, and principles of its acquired rights have been a focal point of negotiations with other upstream states.

The fact that this right exists, means that any perceived reduction of the Nile water supply to Egypt is tampering with its national security and thus could trigger potential conflict.

There have been occasions when Egypt has threatened to go to war over Nile water. In a once published interview Dr. Mahmoud Adu Zei, Minister of Water Resources of Egypt said “a drop of water is becoming more precious than a drop of blood” according to Alahram News Paper, 1998.

The little global and thus national water available is constant yet the demand increases every second with every birth of a human being. The need to conserve national water resources in form of lakes, rivers, wetlands and aquifers should be given more attention than ever before.

Mugyenyi Cyril

mbjcyril@yahoo.com

THE KENYA CRISIS

2008-08-25T21:52:00.003+03:00

REAL CAUSE OF ATTACKS AND KILLINGS IN KENYA

OPEN LETTER TO THE WAKI COMMISSION IN KENYA

By Isaac Newton Kinity

For two consecutive years before the bloody attacks which started in 1991 in Kenya, former President Moi persistently warned both Kenyans and the entire international community of war and chaos once the multiparty political system was allowed in Kenya.

Moi predicted that the introduction of a multiparty system of governance in Kenya would cause war and chaos. The former president addressed numerous meetings of missions accredited to Kenya, warning them of the dangers of introducing a multiparty system in Kenya.

Mois predictions appeared in both electronic and printing media in Kenya almost every day in 1989 and 1990. He held very many public meetings in different towns in Kenya to deliver his warnings to the Kenyan people.

All Kenyans above 18 years of age in 1988, 1989 and 1990 must have heard the former presidents prophecy. In the first four years of the 13 continuous years of the Kalenjin attacks of other communities in Kenya,[ from 1991 to 1994], the Kenya media referred to the attackers as cattle rustlers.

In the second round of attacks, from 1995 to 1998, the Kenya media referred to the attacks as ethnic cleansing and from 2003 to 2008, the attacks were referred by the Kenya media as Land conflict.

The coincidence that the attacks in 1991 came just at the same time the former President had predicted war and chaos, leaves a lot to be desired. Also the coincidence that in all those 13 years the attackers were the Kalenjins, Mois Tribe, is the other peculiar puzzle.

Having predicted the chaos which coincided with the introduction of the multiparty system in Kenya and his subsequent abrupt silence about his predictions and warnings immediately after the first Kalenjin attacks in 1991, President Moi should explain to Kenyans what he knew about the attacks.

If the attacks which continued to take the lives of innocent Kenyans for more than 13 years were not related to Mois predictions and prophecy, then when will the chaos related to President Mois prediction begin?

Are Kenyans still waiting for the war and chaos predicted by the former President? These are the questions any sensible Kenyan with a sound mind would ask.

I hate to see all Kenyans and the entire world accept to be fooled into believing that the attacks and killings which continued to take away lives of thousands of innocent Kenyans since 1991, were related to land differences.

It is obvious, the attacks and hence the killings of Kenyans by the Kalenjins were never ever related to any land differences. The attacks were effected to prove a prophecy and a prediction.

The attacks were pre-meditated to disapprove the introduction of the multiparty system of governance in Kenya. They were to prove the previous Moi warnings of war and chaos once the multiparty system was introduced in Kenya.

They were to disapprove the crusaders of change in Kenya. The Waki Commission investigating the post election chaos should consider President Mois predictions and warning of war and chaos he advocated prior to the first attacks in 1991.

The commission should examine the relationship between the attacks and those warnings. The former President who was entrusted with the protection of Kenyans and their properties, should be held accountable for the deaths of all Kenyans who died from the attacks since 1991, because, from his predictions and/or prophecy, he knew of the attacks two years before, and he refused to act to protect the Kenyans.

Just as Moi Predicted killings, war and chaos which came to being, I predict an unstoppable revolution in Kenya, which will come to being, if the past political crimes and atrocities are not properly addressed and solved accordingly.

Isaac Newton Kinity
PO BOX 4365
Hamden CT 06514
USA

Email: ink38@yahoo.com

Copy to:

International Human Rights Organizations
International Media.
The Donor Community.
The Kenya National Commission for Human Rights [Kenya]
The Center for Human Rights and Democracy [Kenya]
The International Criminal Court [Hague]

Health

2008-08-12T22:09:00.001+03:00

BAN PUBLIC SMOKING
By Phillip Karugaba

WASHINGTON, DC

A study published online July 31 in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine provides new, strong evidence that laws banning smoking in workplaces and public places have a rapid and significant impact on health.

The study found that after Scotland implemented a comprehensive smoke-free law, there was a decrease of 17 percent in hospital admissions for acute coronary syndrome, and 67 percent of the decrease was among non-smokers. This research adds to a growing body of scientific evidence that shows two things:

1) Secondhand smoke is a proven cause of serious disease and premature death.

2) Smoke-free air laws provide significant and immediate benefits to health. Public health authorities around the world have concluded that secondhand smoke has been proven to cause lung cancer, heart disease, sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), low birth weight and serious respiratory conditions.

TEAN calls upon NEMA to take firm action to enforce the ban on smoking in public places and protect the health of the public. As the evidence suggests, a smoking ban can only help protect the health of Ugandan’s and ease the burden on an already stressed healthcare system.

A growing number of countries, regions and cities around the world (Kenya, France , Thailand , and Turkey , Ireland, Norway, United Kingdom and cities including Mexico City and Abuja) are adopting strong smoke-free laws.

Although Uganda passed a law banning smoking in public places in 2004, NEMA has taken little or no action at all to enforce the law and public compliance with in restaurants and office buildings has been largely voluntary.

'Knowing is not enough, we must apply. Willing is not enough, we must do.' - Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

Phillip Karugaba
tean@globalink.org

ENVIRONMENT

2008-08-12T21:55:00.001+03:00

ENVIRONMENT GETTING DEGRADED

By Nyeko Martine

I read with concern the article by Mr. Cyril Mugenyi. I don't want to say Mr Cyril is very right or very wrong, rather I would like to be more explicit.

We are all aware that our environment is getting degraded every second of life and we are responsible to this.

The truth is Eucalyptus as pointed out in the article, produces biomass very rapidly and this is associated to water consumption.

Although Eucalyptus is not rated highest as reported by Davidson (1989) in water consumption, because of its huge plantation, the aggregated effect on water resources can be severe.

According to Davidson (1989) most eucalyptus species need on average 785 litres of water/kg of biomass produced as opposed to other crops like cotton/coffee/banana (3200), sunflower(2400), field pea(2000), cow pea(1667) soybean(1430), potato(1000), sorghum(1000) and maize(1000) liters/kg biomass produced.

These other crops are all seasonal, lasting between three to four months but Eucalyptus is perennial and ever green. Secondly, the total biomass produce by this crops is much less compared to Eucalyptus.

If we use simple mathematics, one young eucalyptus tree weighing 50Kg take 50x785 (litre) of water and this is equivalent to many heads of sunflowers.

This does not mean putting a ban on Eucalyptus, but rather watching the potential effect of this trees on our environment. We need to conduct research to find out the best way forward.

Being a complex system, it is not Eucalyptus parse, that is causing water level decline in Western Uganda or Uganda in general, but a combination of factors including Eucalyptus.

Alot of concern have been raised about the potential negative impact of Eucalyptus on water resources, although without scientific backing, intuitively one gets concern if he/she sees a tree surviving very green even under odd condition. Let us define how eucalyptus should be managed, to avoid negligence.

Nyeko Martine
Lecturer Gulu University/PhD student (Italy)

Email:nyekomartine@gmail.com

NATURE

2008-08-08T17:28:00.001+03:00

EUCALYPTUS HAS REVOLUTIONALISED OUR LIVES
By Mugyenyi Cyril

Eucalyptus tree, a native of Australia with hundreds of species, was introduced in this country in the last century. It is grown abundantly in Uganda and particularly in western part of the country both on small scale and on commercial plantations.

Debate has been going on about demerits of this lifesaver but I would like to look at its positive attributes that are due to its unique properties.

Eucalyptus a heavy feeder accumulates biomass very fast. Its wood has densely fibres packed which enables it to have multiple uses.

This tree is very easy to propagate out of seeds whose germination percentage is usually good requiring no pre-treatment. Once established, it can coppice many times making it possible for one to have multiple harvests from the same stump and produces straight stems. It is capable of growing in a range of harsh environmental conditions including rocky and thin soils as well as withstanding extreme drought.

It can compete favorably with other trees, the reason why it should not be planted with or near other crops. All these make it a more versatile crop, superior to many others.

At the on set of rains, mature trees produce many flowers, with rich nectories that support the apiary industry because they are a source of honey. They play a big role in supporting apiary in Western Uganda. The honey foraged out of eucalyptus flowers is very sweet, has a good aroma and has medicinal value.

From the richest to the poorest family, this tree produces firewood on a daily basis that helps to bring the food at the table. Have you ever imagined what our lives would look like if this tree was not introduced by our brilliant grandfathers? .

We are able to cook nutritious foods like dry beans, peas and soybeans because of the huge energy stores in the eucalyptus wood, which we burn to convert raw food into a finished food at minimal costs. Look at educational institutions, prisons, the Army all have to burn tons of this tree to keep their bodies energized.

The construction of temporary and semi permanent buildings over decades has relied on this wonder tree for our needs. As timber from natural forests runs out, people have resorted to using timber from this tree.

Depending on the strength required, mature trees are of a hard wood type and are increasingly used in construction of permanent houses and furniture of various shapes. Human population is growing very fast and each child will need furniture to sit on while at school, timber for construction of a house and timber for furniture.

Trees in the natural forest take over 60 years to mature yet Eucalyptus will need a minimum of 15 years. This makes this tree the best alternative in the face of increasing demand. Rural electrification requires huge numbers of poles for electric power transmission and distribution. The only available tree that can produce straight poles for this is Eucalyptus.

Despite the innumerable uses debate has been going on about this tree being responsible for drying of land and wetlands. Allegations are that it absorbs so much water that makes land dry. The truth of this argument has been long contested by people like my self. Large areas of this country receive adequate rain therefore there is enough water for every crop most of the year.

If this tree was so much of a water lover, then it would do well in wetlands. I have observed eucalyptus trees planted in water logged for over 20 years, these remain very stunted if not dry.

Much of the drying of water sources in Western Uganda is either due to draining of wetlands, poor land use practices or the changing global climate towards dry conditions and not Eucalyptus.

I call upon scientists out there with credible, well researched evidence to help me and others of my type to understand how eucalyptus can be responsible for drying of land and water sources.

Mugyenyi Cyril
Member Panel of Experts of Daily Monitor
mbjcyril@yahoo.com

POLITICAL ANALYSIS -BUGANDA

2008-08-06T23:51:00.002+03:00

27th July 2008

MENGO LOYALISTS KILLING BUGANDA
Luzindana Adam Buyinza

Since 1962, Buganda has been a key player in the political economy of Uganda and indeed it was a power broker during the post colonial days. Today the mighty and supremacy of Buganda is no more. It has been substituted by mengo establishment subjugated by activists with not only egocentric ends but with a concealed agenda to crumple Buganda as an entity. Infact, there are indicators that mengo has out competed Buganda.

The mengo activists have wished to elevate mengo programs into public policies and programs of Uganda which is completely un acceptable by the people of Uganda.

A section of egoistic Members of parliament masquerading to be loyal to mengo tabled a motion, for parliament to deliberate on the arrest of the mengo officials. This alone tantamounts to contempt of the rule of law in Uganda. How can a national parliament reduce itself to discussing inconsequential issues. This is double standard; I am not yet convinced why no motion was tabled in parliament to debate the arrest of FDC president Col Docotor Kiiza Besigye. Are these Members of parliament really legislators, or opportunists who blindfold the Baganda and the Kabaka to attain short term benefits yet driving the entire buganda into dilemma.

The people of Uganda will blame the NRM regime for keeping conc deaf hear while mengo loyalists are playing pivotal roles to degenerate the country into tyranny, violence, chaos, war, tribal misunderstandings, moral degeneration and lunacy. whilst this guerilla regime has got its own problems, it has got success stories which all of us can testify to. Infact, we the people of Buganda ought to co-exist peacefully with the NRM regime.

With mengo mixing up itself with key opposition political players,I see emergence of warlonds which this regime will not hesitate to act upon as its constitutional obligation. The mengo has upheld tribal secretarianism which is yet to plummet the nation into ethnicity eruptions.

With secretarianism being favored and used as a mobilization strategy, Buganda Nationalism has also been seen dieing out. It should be noted that 80% of the mengo loyalists are political activists whose politics is full of malevolence, sabotage and propaganda only directed at derailing the success of Buganda and Uganda.

These so called loyalists have reached a maximum of agitating for the secession of Buganda from Uganda, yet with no proof that it’s the position of the people living in Buganda. Though Uganda can exist and develop without a smaller Buganda, a small Buganda cannot survive without the bigger Uganda of the East African Community.

Imperative to note is that Buganda cannot develop through prejudiced, fanatical and aggressive neo-traditionalism and separatism which is being engineered by the Byaffe/mengo activists. It should be recalled that in conformity with the politics of divide and rule, the British colonialists treated Uganda communities differently in which Buganda was singled out for favours. Buganda was used to conquer the rest of Uganda.

This is no more. The NRM regime will not favour Buganda or any sub region for political superiority. With globalization taking its effectual course, Buganda is no longer a privileged community, though there is growing mengo loyalists who are acting contrary to the aspirations of the Baganda masses.

The people at Mengo have always wanted to have political power yet they are not answerable to the people of Buganda or Baganda in specific terms. In this era of democracy, political power belongs to those with mandate of the masses, not loyals and royals who lack leadership permits. The point of insinuation that mengo is supreme is totally a day dream. If Mengo is representing the aspirations of the Baganda and the people in Buganda, it would be worthwhile for mengo to form and register Kabaka Yekka Political party and compete favorably with other political parties in Uganda for political power. I really wonder how many people will subscribe to such a political party, and anywhere will there be a reason for people from other region to vote for it into the highest offices in the country?.

It is now clear observed that mengo establishment is more concerned with its affairs than the stability and the future of Uganda and the Buganda. The mengo activists are more interested in distortions and disorder than fairness, democracy, peaceful co-existence, rule of law and constitutionalism. This is a political blander that has bedeviled Buganda’s takeoff.

The people of Uganda will not accept mengo’s quest for power combined with violence, redicule, blackmail, social terrorization and divisionism of the mengo establishment. This NRM regime though with mafias within its structures as it has been alleged by some of its top officials, has been so lenient to the negative play of the mengo establishment.

For Mrs Betty B Nambozze,the DP Spokesperson to redicule and demean the personality of Yoweri Kaguta Museveni,the head of state of the republic of Uganda,in disguise of Buganda and Kabaka operations yet on self-seeking political ends is an act that has disappointed not only the right thinking baganda, but also the people of Uganda, the donor community and other key stakeholders in the governance of Uganda. It is in disregard of the rule of law and constitutional order and indeed it has tainted badly the image of mengo establishment and the Kabaka of Buganda and such statements made by mengo loyalists have culminated into hatred and divisionism in the area. This deserves to be condoned with extreme regard.

The Mengo demands have proved to be aliens to the people of Buganda and Uganda in general. The NRM leadership analytically is not ready to take up the appeasement policy of the British invaders to appease the Kabaka or mengo loyalists since such a policy rendered to the outburst of the 1966 social turmoil in which the Monarchy was shattered hence the end of Buganda superemany, and power brokerage in Uganda.

The mengo loyalists will be anxious to quit Uganda for safe havens in Europe than to sort out the mess they have created, leaving the ordinary Muganda and Ugandan in a dilemma. With ethnicity and mengo tribal secretarianism developing in relation to the modernization and globalization, mengo establishment is bound to collapse, hence a tactical blow to the traditional institution of the Kabaka of Buganda.

Luzindana Adam Buyinza
Team Leader
Public Opinions
Website: www.pubopinions.org

Politics

2008-05-21T23:55:00.003+03:00

LET US NOT COMPARE OURSELVES TO H.E Y.K MUSEVENI

I wish to comment on on your Opinions which is on the website of Public Opinions tittled "All Ugandans have contributed!I". I would like Dr. Mutumba to know that the President has been appraised by the people of Uganda, three times!.

Karooro is giving her appraisal of the President as a person. In 2011, if NRM decides to front Mr. Museveni again, the people will again have another chance to appraise his performance.

Dr. Mutumba should also be aware that in this world, there are people who play roles that are more significant than others! There are people whose actions can significantly affect the lives of a significant number of people! Such people because of their position in society are not judged by the same standards as some of us!.

Yes, I have had lots of input in the Uganda we now have but my actions or inactions, commissions or omissions only affect a small group of people (probably family and friends)!The acts of commission or omission of Museveni have had far reaching impact on the lives of numerous Ugandans!.

That is why Dr. Mutumba cannot rate his contribution on the same level as that of Museveni! That is why, people can attribute the turning around of Uganda to Museveni and not to me, although I have played a role!.

There is a CEO who was shown on television and was being praised for having turned around the fortunes of Mitsubishi! I am sure there are many engineers in Mitsubishi, but why did this interview attribute the success of Mitsibishi to this CEO?God Bless Uganda.

Rogers Mataka

Politics

2008-05-17T13:21:00.002+03:00

All Ugandans have contributed!
By Dr Mutumba John

I wish to comment on Mary karooro Okurut’s article, “Museveni deserves another ‘kisanja’” published on Tuesday. Karooro’s article was on President Museven’s second year in office since the amendment of the constitution scrapping presidential term limits. Her article raises fundamental questions about our mentality as Africans and more particularly as Ugandans.

It also reminds me of my days in high school at St. Mary’s College Kisubi and Kololo SS. Karooro states that the best reward for a job well done is the opportunity to do it again. she goes on to assert that the people of Uganda have given President Museven another five years in power because of his service thus far. Personally, I am not against another kisanja for President Museveni nor do I disagree with the numerous achievements Karooro outlined.

What I disagree with is what she seems to insinuate that it is the people of Uganda who have appraised the President and have collectively come to the conclusion that he should be given another five years in office. Can Karooro tell us the appraisal method?

Under what terms of reference was she appraising the President? Are the achievements she is talking about attributable to one person or the Government of the Republic of Uganda? Surely, is it true that we Ugandans have played no part in taking our country where it is now? Were all these accomplishments done by ‘the son of Kaguta’ alone or the NRM Government and the men who fought in Luwero?.

At least I know I have, in one way or another, contributed to Uganda’s achievements. When I went to Kisubi, I realised that I was contending with the cream of Uganda. At Kololo I was always first or second but at Kisubi I was 15th in a class of 24 in the first term! In conclusion, one will never know his or her potential unless tested along the best in the country, with genuine competition, when the appraiser is independent.

Fortunately, we don’t have to appraise our President through the tummy. we will have the opportunity to use our brains at the ballot box. at least that is what our constitution says.

Dr. John Mutumba is a Ugandan living in London United Kingdom

IMF/WORLD BANK

2008-05-15T22:20:00.000+03:00

IMF/WORLD BANK ECONOMICS HAVE FAILED THE. DEVELOPING WORLD

By Henry Zakumumpa

It is now widely acknowledged in economic circles that IMF/World bank development economics have largely failed the developing world. Why their models for economic growth still influence economic thought and policy in developing countries especially such as Uganda remains a puzzle.

In his 2001 book, The Elusive Quest for Growth: Economists Adventures and Misadventures in the Tropics, William Easterly, himself an ex-World Bank economist of long standing, presents a body of evidence that illustrates the failure of the World Bank and IMF economic prescriptions for developing economies in the past fifty years.

It is shown for example that between the second world war and 1995, the west has invested a trillion dollars in developing countries with nothing much to show for it. The belief by the World Bank and IMF that foreign aid, investment in education and technology, population growth control, loans pegged to reform conditions and debt relief were the panacea for growth is a model that has not delivered results.

In some cases countries which have religiously embraced the Breton woods economic policies have actually become poorer with many stagnating. Easterly’s research shows that between 1980 to 1994 (a fifteen year-period) twelve countries including Uganda received fifteen or more World Bank and IMF adjustment loans. The median per capita growth rate for these twelve countries over the loan period was zero!

More recently, renowned economist Jeffery Sachs in his 2005 best seller, The End of Poverty: Economic Possibilities of our time, recounts his work in Bolivia, Poland, Russia, Zimbabwe and Kenya where he has been directly involved as economic adviser on economic policy. He presents evidence form the field, amassed over a twenty year period, that is highly critical of the one-model-fits-all approach the IMF and World Bank propose to all countries seeking their loans and patronage and calls for more innovative and holistic approaches.

He proposes a fascinating approach he calls ‘clinical economics’. The basic argument is that economies are complex systems and require a’ differential diagnosis’ much in a way a Physician would probe an entire person’s body to pin point the cause of an illness and therefore the remedy.

As far back as 1982, Margaret Hardiman in her book, The Social Dimensions of Development observed that most economic growth approaches for the developing world are erroneously modeled on western countries without due regard to the peculiar background and the complexity of developing economies. You will find that the PhDs that populate World Bank and IMF offices and dictate economic policy in the third world are mostly from western universities with limited practical understanding of the developing world terrain.

It’s deeply surprising and even scandalous, that African economic authorities and even academics are still intellectually inclined to the World Bank/IMF growth template despite evidence that their model has largely not worked. Often its foreign protesters in western capitals at Seattle or Davos who call for the abandonment of the growth strategies preached by the IMF and world bank altogether when African leaders and economists sit back.

It is common to hear government officials continue to tout IMF/World bank development economics despite available evidence that these approaches haven’t had many true success stories. Many economists, with the benefit of hindsight, have acknowledged this much with many discrediting IMF/world bank prescriptions. Despite the wide consensus among economists that World Bank/ IMF strategies are flawed there is no concrete indication on the part of the developing world of the need for a paradigm shift or a new prototype. The basic truth is that not all economic problems facing countries are the same and one model can’t be the answer.

The finance ministry in Uganda should therefore endeavour to think outside the box and call for a debate on the need for new economic approaches. As has been observed, the only thing more dangerous than an economist is an amateur economist.

The writer is an Assistant Registrar at Makerere University

Peace and Security

2008-05-02T19:31:00.004+03:00

Ugandan Yoweri Museveni, Not the Usual Black African in dealing with the Arabs

By Steve Paterno

President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda is arguably among the very few from the African leaders who are able to deal squarely with the Arabs, especially those Arabs in Khartoum , Sudan . Museveni places the Arab manufactured war in Sudan into its proper context. He seems to understand the potential consequences of that war to the entire region better than most regional leaders.

In addressing the issue of Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), a Ugandan rebel group which is long been supported from Sudan, Museveni explains in a clear tone of voice that for the last two decades since the Uganda government is fighting with the rebel, it is in fact “fighting with the Khartoum government.” He goes on to warn the Arab regime in Khartoum that the regime has just recently “discovered that we were not the usual Black Africans. If you create problems for us we create more problems for you.”

The Arabs’ march from Arabian Peninsular with the intention of conquering not just Africa but the entire world started in the 7th century. Matter of fact, the conquering Arabs did not just march but sprinted fast through the desert and in the process, plundering, killing, converting, enslaving, conquering and eventually ruling whoever is on the way. All the areas under their sphere of control including the Sudan are placed under Arab Islamic rule.

Strategically enough, the Sudan has become springboard for the Arabs to spread their project of Arabization and Islamization south of equator and proceed all the way deep into Southern Africa . However, for centuries, the people of South Sudan put a hold on their advancement by strongly resisting against it. For centuries, the people of South Sudan keeps reminding the African south of equator that the people of South Sudan are fighting the war of all those Africans south of equator, and for centuries, the people of South Sudan are soliciting the support of the African south of equator to help in the resistance against the advancement of Arabs southward.

In their part, the Arabs use all available options at their disposal to press with their agendas of Arabization and Islamization and forcefully move south across the equator. One of such options is that the Arabs use the Africans to do the work for them. They install and sponsor puppet African leaders to speak or act on behalf of the Arabs. They create several armed groups. In South Sudan those armed groups are infamously referred to as militias. Some of the groups, the foreign ones, become rebels or terrorists, causing havoc throughout the region. Among the foreign groups at disposal of the Arabs of Khartoum’s is the brutal LRA of Uganda.

The case of LRA is just among the most interesting ones, given the twist it has recently taken. For some obvious reasons, the officials at the government of South Sudan (GOSS), inherited and adopted the LRA and all its problems.

Just at a critical moment at LRA’s history when the LRA is pushed outside Uganda; its sanctuaries in the South Sudan were denied; its logistic from Khartoum was cut off; and the whole international community was about to pound on its members with all means possible including legal; then the misguided officials of the newly created GOSS, invited the LRA to stay. A poorly contemplated peace talks was proposed and organized.

The LRA, are then supplied with cash money, food, and other necessary logistics just as Khartoum used to do. Specially designated areas are demarcated to the LRA combatants as their newly found sanctuaries. In short, the GOSS, which is representing the people of South Sudan, becomes the host of the LRA just as Khartoum was the host of LRA. And the LRA takes advantage of the situation to inflict even more harms to the suffering population of South Sudan, spread beyond their area of control, and resurge in numbers and recruitments—posing more threats than ever before in its history.

Such a twist of events will leave many to wonder. Nevertheless, it is becoming more obvious that President Museveni is the only lone voice and fighter against the Arabs of Khartoum and those who act on their behalf. The GOSS, which Museveni came to its rescue, seems to have abandoned him already in this fight.

However, there is still hope for the suffering people of South Sudan that Museveni still stands with them. Museveni made that point clear when he sympathetically states, “nevertheless, the government of Uganda and her people are standing firm with the people of Southern Sudan who suffered so much from LRA atrocities and we the government of Uganda have the means to solve some of these problems posed by the LRA.” One will guess, it will not be too much for the suffering people of South Sudan to ask for the help of their neighbor, Uganda , “to solve some of these problems posed by the LRA” and partly cause by their government, the GOSS. Since their government, the GOSS or is it the Ghost, fails them, Museveni, hear the request of the suffering people of South Sudan for you are “not the usual Black African!”

*Steve Paterno is the author of The Rev. Fr. Saturnino Lohure: A Roman Catholic Priest Turned Rebe

Climate

2008-05-02T19:12:00.003+03:00

How Prepared are we for Climate Change

By Mugyenyi Cyril

Believe it or don’t humanity will live in a progressively warmer world never known to our great grandfathers. No matter who is responsible, every living creature will pay the price. We are sure that the industrialized world that has produced millions of tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere is the major culprit.

They are so reluctant to tackle the problem, even when the poor world is willing to cooperate by planting trees to clean their dirt. This industrialization has enabled them to tame nature to their advantage and can adequately adapt to a variety of life threatening challenges including global warming. The developing world including Uganda where the poorest of the poor live has to pay a bigger bill of the debt of global warming as they lack coping strategies.

When man evolved a bigger and advanced brain he conquered the rest of biosphere. Those animals that remained with an inferior brain had to succumb to his wild wishes. Similarly, those human societies who will fail to adapt to climate change, nature will harshly order them to hand over what they have inherited to those who are ready to use the recent instruments of capitalism to survive.

In the evolutionary course, organisms that failed to adapt to changing environment were driven to extinction, needless to mention the giant dinosaurs that once ruled planet earth and the giant trees of the Carboniferous times. It is now crystal clear that organisms that will not adapt to climate change will gradually die out though it is not clear how this death sentence will be executed by Mother Nature. It is also known that predation and disease are some of the major instruments she uses for enforcing the jungle law of survival for the fittest.

Banana bacterial wilt, Coffee wilt diseases are on rampage wiping out plantations, driving most farmers to extreme poverty. It is possible that this is one form of slow but sure and gradual death of organisms. Similar gradual death may be in progress in other populations that may not have been of interest to us at the moment. These are likely to have been initiated by increasing global average temperatures.

The tourism base of this country will be hard hit as giant tourist attractions like elephants, gorillas and the like will demise as they are not likely to adapt to a warmer world. Crocodiles that are the only surviving cousins of dinosaurs will not escape the gradual temperature increase.

Uganda entirely depends on rain fed agriculture. What will happen when rainfall patterns change towards a drier world, are we prepared for this? Where shall we get relief food in a food-scarce world? Water is indeed becoming scarce and it will continue to be, are we ready to connect rural communities to bigger water bodies for sustainable water supply? Have we developed crops that will withstand the hot temperatures and saline soils?

Our preparedness seems to be so remote if all is exists. If we cannot prepare to adapt to climate change then we should prepare for our gradual extinction to allow the sinners to enjoy the fruit of their sin.

The Writter is the District Head of Natural Resources, Bushenyi District Local Government

Economy/Finance

2008-05-02T18:35:00.005+03:00

Economy/Finance

2008-05-02T18:35:00.004+03:00

H.E the President, you are wrong on rising Food Prices
By James Okot

Sir, you missed a point for you to passionately state that the rising food prices is a blessing for the country yet millions and millions of Ugandans cannot afford the basics. You should by now be knowing that the biggest percentage of Ugandans survive on less than a dollar a day, now how do you expect them to afford the basics when prices are skyrocketing day and night.

For the food prices to go high cannot be good to Ugandans whatsoever. For the Head of state to specifically point out food prices and living out other items whose prices have doubled in the few months, is a big disappointment to the people of Uganda and indeed, he owes us an apology.

First the prices to go high does not mean improved business performance neither does it mean economic growth in anyway, this instead portrays a state of rising inflation which is dangerous to us economically hence it will cause social and political disorder.

Though prices of almost everything is going up, salaries in public sector is still static, the private sector to date pays peanuts to the employees, how then Mr. President do you expect those low salary earners to survive in this banana nation. The so called investors too have instead exploited the workers, you remember what happened to the tri-stars girls, where are they now. Additionally unemployment is too high coupled with lack of National employment policy hence making workers vulnerable to exploitation.

Its not true however that the NRM government is responsible for the rising prices of commodities, but this largely can be resulting from the widening market base from our neighbors i.e. southern Sudan, Burundi, Rwanda, DRC,but the NRM government must do something to avert the likely catastrophe.

How can prices of food items go high imagine in the agricultural economy? Majority of the population are agriculturists, but now why is there food shortage? Who is responsible? .is it the NRM regime or the people?.

Long Live Uganda.

The Writer is a Public Monitor at Public Opinions

Finance and Economy

2008-05-02T18:28:00.001+03:00

H.E the President, you are wrong on rising Food Prices

By James Okot

Long Live Uganda

The Writer is a Public Monitor at Public Opinions

Refugees

2008-05-01T16:53:00.001+03:00

Challenges for asylum seekers
By Antonio Guterres

The 21st century will be defined by the movement of people from one country and continent to another. The number living outside their homeland already stands at some 200 million, the same as the population of Brazil, the fifth largest country in the world.

Looking to the future, it seems certain that the world will witness new and more complex patterns of displacement and migration. Climate change and natural disasters will make life increasingly unsustainable in many parts of the planet.

The growing gap between the winners and losers in the globalisation process will induce millions more to look for a future outside their own country. These developments have created a number of important challenges for the international community. The first challenge arises from the increasingly complex nature of human mobility.

The majority of people on the move are migrants who leave their own country because they are unable to maintain their livelihoods at home and because their labour is needed elsewhere. Others are forced to abandon their homes due to persecution and armed conflict. These people are considered as refugees. They have been granted specific rights, including protection from being forced to return to their own country.

The responsibility of UNHCR, the UN’s refugee agency, is to uphold the rights of this latter group. In many parts of the world, however, refugees and migrants are to be found travelling alongside each other, heading in the same direction, using the same forms of transport and lacking the passports and visas that states require them to carry.

Such ‘irregular’ movements have prompted many states to erect new barriers to the admission of foreign nationals. Regrettably, these measures have had the effect of preventing refugees from seeking the safety they need. We must therefore ensure that border controls enable people to exercise their right to seek and enjoy asylum in other states.

A second challenge, and one which falls beyond the mandate of UNHCR, is to provide more opportunities for people to move in a safe and legal manner. Most states have now recognised the need for goods, services, capital and information to flow freely across national borders. But governments are apprehensive about applying the same principle to the movement of people, even if they have an evident need for migrant labour.

The result has been a massive growth in the expansion of an industry whose purpose and profit lies in smuggling and trafficking people across international frontiers.

As well as cracking down on such activities, states should consider opening new channels and expanding existing programmes of legal migration.

Greater efforts are therefore needed to prevent the emergence of situations where people are forced to leave their homes as a result of human rights abuses, armed conflict or other calamities that their disrupt lives and livelihoods.

The writer is the UN High Commissioner for Refugees to Uganda

Homosexuality

2008-05-01T16:50:00.002+03:00

Govt must tighten screws on gays, lesbians
By Hon Mayanja Nkangi

Uganda is experiencing an internationally orchestrated Crescendo of demands for “rights” by the homosexual fraternity: male, lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, and Transvestite.

Essentially these “rights” reduce to only one, namely, the absolute, non-negotiable, “right” to pursue and enjoy sexual pleasure man with man, woman with woman; with the bisexual exploiting the pleasures of both worlds, and the transgender covetting and securing the sexual pleasures which both God and his or her heterosexual parents never gave him or her.

The Transvestite is apparently ambivalent as to which sexual genus to firmly pursue, but fits himself or herself somehow. Thus this alleged right is pure sexual hedonism or the relentless pursuit of sexual pleasure for its own sake.

The gay claim to legitimise same sex unions or marriages is purely ancillary to the sexual pleasures and is merely an insurance or security for accessing and enjoying same sex sexual pleasures.
What is implicit here is a claim to the ‘right to sex’, and this should be readily conceded as a human right which is universally accepted by humanity.

However, the mode of sexual activity is itself a societal, rather than a human right and can only be sanctioned by the community in accordance with the moral cultural, religious, or legal norms of that particular community. Sodomy and lesbianism are modes or kinds of sex and are therefore subject to societal regulation by sanction or prohibition, in conformity with a community’s interests.

Astonishingly, the Ugandan gays and lesbians are claiming their sexual orientations as a ‘human right’ and are seeking to coerce Ugandans into stamping the national seal of approval on these weird practices. But for the majority of Ugandans this demand is uncompromisingly unacceptable. They could suffer the moral and cultural outrage silently, but asking them to applaud the sexual deviations goes against the grain. A right being an entitlement to own, possess, do or say something, or else, forbear, the homosexual fraternity maintain that they are entitled to sodomise natural men, and the lesbians to adopt masculine sexual postrues (whatever they do).

And their rationale for this? “Well, that is what we want and how we want it!” Wanting something is not a sufficient reason for a community or state to sanction it. The next demand could then be the decriminalisation of bestiality (sex with animals) or the laws against adultery or incest. The demand for homosexuality and lesbianism, and their related activities, must be firmly resisted on the ground that these practices violate the cultural, religious, moral, and legal norms of the country.

These people, being themselves the products or children of heterosexual unions, nevertheless pursue practices which rule out procreation, except for the bisexual. They are thus a sexually predatory group of citizens who pursue sexual pleasure without any social or moral conscience for the continuance and survival of Ugandans as a people.

Like the former King Louis XIV of France, their attitudes to this eventual weakening of the nation is “après nous le deluge!”: That is, after I have gone the catastrophe will come, but it will not affect me. The probability that the heterosexual Ugandans will always be there to replenish the country’s numbers does not absolve the homosexuals.

A citizen’s responsibility for the national interest cannot be shifted. Homosexuals, lesbians, and their cohorts are, in this respect, avowed libertines without regard for the national or public interest.
In any case heterosexual progeny or none, she would be a short sighted woman who raised chicken but allowed her neighbour to habitually steal the eggs! As presented by its crusaders the right, if it is one, to same-sex sexual relations and unions is self-evident and calls for no debate but only for recognition by everyone, especially the country’s government and Parliament, who must act and legitimise same sex marriages.

Homosexuality, lesbianism, and the like, are a morally corrupting influence on the youth. In other words, the national accounts of the homosexual fraternity are heavily overdrawn. Therefore the government and Parliament must maintain the legal screws on these unnatural habits which their possessors glorify as respectable orientations.

Uganda must not recognise, sanction, protect or promote sodomy or lesbianism by legislation or otherwise. And gay and lesbian practices are ill winds which blow nobody any good; not even themselves, if only they knew.

he practices are not rights as such but raw sexual appetites whose adverse effects on the Ugandan community must be erased lock, stock, and barrel.

The writer is former minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs-Republic of Uganda

Population

2008-05-01T16:46:00.001+03:00

Advocates of high population growth; your brains must have gone on leave
By Dr Chris Baryomunsi

There have been arguments about population growth in Uganda with some questioning whether the country is under-populated. Today, Uganda is experiencing the highest population growth rate ever at 3.6% per annum, probably the highest rate in the world. Uganda's population estimated at 29.2 million makes her the 38th most populated country in the world.

A Ugandan woman’s fertility rate is 6.7 children, the third highest in the world. The question is not the population size but the rate at which it is growing. For a country like Uganda, still in the early stages of demographic transition, it is dangerous to urge the population to produce children without cautious consideration of the implications. Some people have falsely argued that countries like Japan, with a population of 130 million, China (1.32 billion) and India (1.16 billion) have made economic strides because of their huge populations.

There is strong evidence that these countries initiated robust economic reforms but backed by strong population and family planning policies. Japan, for instance, initiated one of the strongest family planning programmes after the World War II, which resulted in lowering of the total fertility rate now at 1.2 children per woman. China initiated economic reforms in 1978 and also initiated a strong, though repressive, one child policy in 1979 that still holds to date.

These countries' main concern is the quality of their population and not merely the numbers.If correct that the larger the population of a country the wealthier, then Uganda would be the 38th richest nation in the world. It would be richer than the following countries with their indicated populations; Belgium 10.4m, Sweden 9.1m, Denmark 5.4m and Norway 4.7m.

These countries, on the contrary, are donors supporting Uganda. One would further ask why Botswana has one of the highest GDP south of the Sahara yet its population is only 1.8 million! Or how come that Nigeria with its 135 million people, the world’s ninth most populous country and Ethiopia (75 million), the 16th most populous are not among the top rich countries? The dangers of advocating a rapid population growth are obvious both at aggregate and individual levels.

If the population grows unchecked, we shall end up with a mass of poor, low quality people that in themselves become a burden to the government. Indeed in Uganda, most of the achievements gained in economic growth and service provision continue to be undermined by the high and increasing population growth. For instance, though poverty levels have been declining, the increasing population masks this achievement.

The absolute numbers of people in dire poverty continue to rise and this makes it hard to realise any tangible changes in poverty reduction. The prevailing land wrangles, scarcity of drugs in health centres, the poor quality of school education as well as high levels of unemployment are partly due to the population pressure. Over 50% of the Ugandan population is aged below 15 and this poses development, social and political challenges, which must be addressed.At an individual level, the burden of bearing many children is mainly borne by a woman.

Telling her to produce many children is another way of asking her to dig her own grave. In Uganda we lose more than 6000 mothers annually due to maternal deaths meaning 16 mothers everyday. They die because they conceive while young, often get unwanted pregnancies and poorly spaced. The disturbing irony is that some of the elite that advocate many children produce few. They should remember that what is good for the goose is also good for the gander.In Uganda, the population will continue to increase for some time.

However, it is extremely crucial to ensure that we check our population growth. The percentage of eligible women using family planning has remained at 23% over the last decade.

And yet the unmet need for family planning has over the same period increased from 29% to 41%. This means there are many women who would like to stop or space childbearing but are not accessing contraceptives. This definitely calls for urgent action. It is instructive that Uganda must take action on her population growth.

It is this action that will guarantee success of the many progressive policies like universal education and prosperity for all. Ugandans particularly women should not produce children by chance but by choice. And they should neither produce them too early or too late nor should they be too many and too frequently. Over to you Ugandans.

The writer is the Chairman, Uganda Parliamentary Forum on Food Security, Population and Development, and Member of Parliament for Kinkizi East Constituency

Family and Health

2008-05-01T16:38:00.003+03:00

Women and girls need an Aids vaccine
By Janet Museveni

Five months ago here in Kampala, delegations from 32 countries gathered for the Eighth Commonwealth Women’s Affairs Ministers Meeting. “Gender inequalities lie at the heart of the HIV epidemic,” states the communiqué from that gathering. It calls for a truly comprehensive approach to HIV/Aids- not only scaling up treatment and care services, but also, and with equal urgency, investing in existing prevention techniques and newer and better technologies, such as microbicides and vaccines.

Two and half decades since the onset of the HIV/Aids epidemic, gender inequality remains one of the principal drivers of HIV. In 1998, women accounted for 41 percent of HIV-infected adults worldwide. By 2005, women made up almost 50 percent, and nearly 60 percent in sub-Saharan Africa.

The gender imbalance in sub-Saharan Africa is even more striking among young people: a woman between the ages of 15 and 24 is two and a half times more likely to be infected than her male peer. We must ask ourselves: Why are women at a higher risk of infection than men? What must we do to address this challenge and curb the epidemic? In this country, we have been using a strategy called ABC, which simply means Abstinence, Being Faithful, and Condom Use.

Early on, the A and B were given limited attention. We believe, however, that our advocacy efforts, which include multimedia campaigns all over the country, have contributed to the greatest decline in prevalence in those aged 15 to 20, due in large part to delayed sexual debut among young people. The evidence of the impact of ABC supports the current wisdom that the ABC approach should be put forward as a package: abstain or delay sexual debut for those who are not yet sexually active, seek voluntary counselling and testing with a potential sexual partner, and remain faithful or use condoms correctly and consistently.Although Uganda has registered some success at prevention, young people and adult women, especially married women, remain at the greatest risk of contracting HIV.

The most immediate cause of women’s HIV vulnerability in most settings is their limited power to negotiate safer sex, combined with the lack of female-controlled HIV prevention methods other than the female condom.

The global community needs to maximise the use of HIV prevention interventions that are available today, including widespread HIV and sexuality education, particularly for young people; efforts to shift gender norms that put women and girls at a disadvantage; and the development of newer and better prevention options.

As a proponent of the ABC strategy, I have come to the realisation that in order to ultimately end this epidemic, we need to advocate even better options, like the development of vaccines. An effective vaccine would offer women the possibility of a long-term method that can be used with or without their partners’ knowledge or cooperation.

A vaccine would be particularly important in addressing the vulnerability of adolescent girls, as they could potentially be vaccinated before the onset of sexual activity or coercive or transactional sex. I am proud that Uganda is at the forefront of the development of an Aids vaccine by hosting trials through collaboration among the government, the Uganda Virus Research Institute, the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative, the Makerere University Walter Reed Project and the Makerere University John Hopkins Research Collaboration. If an Aids vaccine is to become a reality in the near future, there is a need to significantly expand political support for Aids vaccine research globally.

My appeal to all members of the Commonwealth is that they play their part in finding an Aids vaccine. Heavily affected countries should support vaccine trials and can invest in their own research capacity, for instance, by committing to train the next generation of researchers.

Countries with established research capacity should increase and sustain their funding for research to combat HIV, TB, malaria and other neglected diseases. They should also explore incentives to stimulate greater private sector engagement.

Donor nations should help ensure adequate support for Aids vaccine research and development. Without better prevention, the costs of treating Aids will only continue to soar.

It is my hope that the commonwealth meeting will build on the many previous declarations from United Nations High Level Meetings and African Summits to previous Commonwealth Heads of Government Meetings. We must act now to save generations of women, men and children from the Aids pandemic.

The writer is the First Lady of the Republic of Uganda and Member of Parliament for Ruhama County Constituency

GLOBAL GOVERNANCE

2008-04-30T23:16:00.004+03:00

CHINA’S NEW SCRAMBLE FOR AFRICA

By Henry Zakumumpa

First we were afraid of the wolf, then we wanted to dance with the wolf now we want to be the wolf’ a Chinese Central bank official used this analogy to describe China’s world trade rivalry with the United States.

Ever since Chinese President Deng Xiaoping declared ‘to get rich is glorious’ and launched China into an era of industrialization and export-driven growth, China has never looked back. Chinese industrialization is unfolding at an unprecedented speed while driving an enormous demand for raw materials and new markets. China has been branded the ‘factory of the world’ for dominating global production of all goods imaginable from safety pins to domestic appliances. The most popular products on American and European supermarkets shelves now carry the ‘Made in China’ label, favored because of their cheaper prices owing, partly, to low labour costs in China.

Pick up a souvenir from any western capital and chances are that beneath it will be the label ‘Made in China’. According to Thomas Friedman author of ‘The world is Flat ’ Wal-Mart , the world’s largest supermarket chain, in one year imported $18 billion worth of goods from its 5,000 Chinese suppliers. (Friedman doesn't do the math, but this would mean that of Wal-Mart's 6,000 suppliers, 80 percent are in one country -- China.)

And it’s not only safety pins that should worry the west. China recently announced that it was going to begin production of commercial jets, long the domain of Boeing of the United States and Airbus of Europe. And it doesn’t stop there. Petro China is now the third largest company in the world having displaced General Motors of the United States. According to Newsweek, China now has three of the world’s biggest five companies by market capitalization. With US$ 1.2 trillion dollars market capitalization, Petro China is now the world’s most valuable company.

The United States has for long battled China because of an unfavorable balance of trade position. China exports much more to the United States that the latter imports from the United States. The Chinese avalanche has not spared Africa as well. Its scramble and partition of Africa all over again, only this time, its China’s turn. It has been widely reported that China now lends three times more money to Africa than the World Bank.

Take a moment and think about that. We are in the midst of a shift in balance of power in Africa with the Chinese coming in as the new kids on the block. Considering that the west has long dominated financial inflows into Africa as well the IMF/World Bank system and therefore called the shots in these parts, China’s new investments and lending to Africa give it unprecedented influence and clout on the continent. Indeed when the west wants a change in Sudan’s Darfur policy, it’s to Beijing they run. China is the leading export destination of Sudanese crude oil. Recently, a billion dollar infrastructure loan to Democratic Republic of Congo was announced by China which has a keen eye on Congo’s rich mineral wealth.

For a country that has known conflict for most of its post- independence history, the prospect of finally having financing to build basic roads and railways is an offer Congo can’t refuse. The African Development Bank says African trade with China rose from 10 billion dollars in 2000 to over 40 billion dollars last year. Reuters estimates this figure to have leapt to US$ 55 billion this year.Already the banking sector has been hit with the news that China’s ICBC bank has bought a 20% stake in South Africa’s Standard Bank, the parent company of Stanbic Bank Uganda, and this was done with a record cash purchase of US$ 5.6 billion dollars, the single biggest foreign investment anywhere in Africa.

There has been market speculation that China Mobile is set to make a bid for MTN, Africa’s largest phone operator with the share price increasing by 6% on the prospect. China Mobile recently bought an 89% stake in Pakistan operator, Pakistel.All this is going down well with African leaders. President Mogae of Botswana has already remarked publicly that the Chinese treat them as partners for a change compared to the Europeans who treat them as subjects.

Locally, the lure for Chinese products has proved too strong to resist for Spear motors, the local Mercedes Benz franchise. Spear Motors now deals in new Chinese vehicles made by the Great Wall Motors of China at some of the cheapest prices available for brand new vehicles in Uganda.

A Ugandan entrepreneur is doing brisk business exporting recycled mineral water bottle material to China at very lucrative rates. Consider that Uganda’s State House was built by a Chinese Contractor and that the biggest conference centre in Dar Es Salaam is to be built and funded by the Chinese.So, what does China’s new scramble for Africa portend for the continent?China doesn’t have the imperial ambitions that came with the earlier players in the scramble and partition of Africa.

However, the fact remains that African nations are largely raw material exporters and markets for Chinese Industry and until that changes, true partnership would be anything but achieved.

The writer is Assistant Registrar at Makerere University

Email: zakumumpa@yahoo.com

Tourism

2008-04-26T16:39:00.001+03:00

Save Nkuringo Gorillas - Bwindi Forest National Park

By Baluku Geoffrey

Uganda Wildlife Authority decided to "privatize" the Nkuringo family of gorillas. Effective Aug 08, the buying of Nkuringo permits will be done through the Uganda Safari Company. To most of us; this is the biggest injustice UWA has done to both tour operators and the residents/locals of Kisoro.

We all know that despite gorilla permits being the backbone of Uganda's tourism industry, they are also scarce and competitive. Thus giving the monopoly of their sale to an individual (tour operator) is a vice we should fight as early as NOW.At one of the stake holders meeting convened by UWA at Hotel Equatoria late last year, the Executive Director UWA was asked to throw more light on the deal. He dodged the question though promised to call tour operators at a later date so as to explain the reasons behind this move. We were saddened to learn that a "management agreement" was signed in March 08 even without informing most stake holders. What do we see? Simply a new form of "Scramble" for our natural resources.

If we do not fight such tendencies then very soon even most of our National parks may be privatized.Owning a lodge should not be a reason for 6 or all of the 8 permits to be sold by a tour operator and competitor in the toursim trade. These gorillas are a National resource and should therefore not be tagged to some one because he /she has put up a lodge some where. Very many Ugandans have invested in the sector. Take for instance Volcanoes, Gorilla Resort, Kitandara Tented Camp, Buhoma Community Bandas & Buhoma Lodge owned by African Pearl Safaris though currently under the management of G & C; Kisoro Rest Camp to mention but afew have never requested to "own" a family of gorillas.

This kind of move may lead other "investors" to also request that such clauses be included in their management agreements.We are not against "investors" putting up competitive lodges. However, they should not dictate over the Uganda tourism industry by giving terms such as requesting to "monopolize" the selling of permits under the disguise of community thus denying other potential investors from constructing lodges within particular areas. A competitor in the tour industry can never be fair in selling these permits.

The implication of this move is that other stake holders in Kisoro town; such as Internet Cafe Restaurants, Hoteliers such as Heritage Lodge, Kisoro Travelers Rest Hotel and other craft sellers among others will lose out on business. This may endanger the gorillas in such a way that the locals will not see any benefit in protecting the gorillas thus develop a hostile attitude to both the tourists and the gorillas.The industry also stands to lose as a result of this move. Why do we say this? The Ugandan tourism industry receives both high end and budget travelers.

We do not see how the budget travelers will stay at Clouds Lodge (with the high prices that they are due to charge). When we last called them, they said that they were to charge USD450 per person per night with a further condition that a minimum of two nights have to be booked. This means that a single client would spend USD900 on accommodation plus an extra USD500 on the permit. This however, does not include transport, administrative costs and government tax.

There are quite a number of community lodges in Africa south of the Sahara that were built for conservation purposes and poverty alleviation. In Rwanda, the Sabinyo Lodge collects a surcharge on every guest, for the community but does not have any particular gorilla group tied to the lodge because of this contribution.

In Namibia, a community lodge built on American tax payers money and donors through a conservation organisation is run by an elected committee from the community and taken for training in hospitality related work. They received exposure and now run the lodge. The park authority did not tie visitors to this part of the park to staying at the lodge. Even in Cuba and the former soviet union visitors are allowed to choose where to stay.If this is not robbery then what is it? We are of the opinion that clients should be given an opportunity to choose between the high end and budget kind of tour.

This move is and has already forced Ugandan tour operators to go in for Rwanda gorilla permits. It bits our understanding to see that the planners at Uganda Wildlife Authority / Ministry of Tourism in Uganda do not fore see that such a move will kill gorilla tourism. Against the above back ground, we would like to propose that this agreement be CANCELLED and Uganda Wildlife Authority takes on its usual responsibility of selling all gorilla permits as per current policy.

The current policy clearly states that primary sale of gorilla permits by individuals or tour companies anywhere is illegal and that all permits MUST be bought from Uganda Wildlife Authority only. It further stipulates that payment for permits must be made directly to Uganda Wildlife Authority. Then what is so special about the Safari Company/ Clouds lodge taking this monopoly. These gorillas are a national resource which should not be seen to be benefiting a particular individual under the disguise of community.

This selective empowerment of the communities may breed a hostile environment. We need to collectively stop it.

By Baluku Geoffrey
Tourism Consultant
Kampala - Uganda
Email: tourismintelligence@gmail.com

Tourism and Finance

2008-04-26T16:16:00.004+03:00

Uganda missed chance to sell tourism during CHOGM

By Baluku Geoffrey

IN 2007, almost 642,000 tourists visited Uganda compared to 540,000 in 2006. This number is considered the highest Uganda has ever experienced and thus represents an increase of almost 19% over the year before. Tourism brought $449m into the economy in 2007 compared to $375m in 2006. It is presumed that over all each visitor to Uganda spends about $750 per visit thus the tourism industry's contribution to the GDP has increased from 1.98% in 2006 to 2.33 % in 2007. This is an indication that the tourism industry is not only continuing to grow but is also now recognised at the highest level for its significant impact on the Ugandan economy albeit the under-funding.

It is common knowledge that every visitor to Uganda who has a good experience in the country will attract five more to visit. But every visitor who gets a bad experience will discourage 10 people from visiting the country. Thus to attract visitors and keep them coming back, Uganda's tourism industry must live to its reputation of variety and value as enshrined in its slogan, "The Pearl of Africa". The tourism product is more or less a dream.

Thus the capability of tourism businesses to deliver what they promise and in a bid to satisfy customer expectations depends upon sound management practices. These can be achieved if we built on our brand name and collectively owned it. At the moment Uganda has an uncoordinated and fragmented brand identity. Some are now referring to Uganda as "Africa's friendliest Country" others "Gifted by Nature" while others refer to Uganda as "The Pearl of Africa" which to most of us still stands out from the new coined slogans. We cannot say that we exclusively own brands such as "Gifted by Nature" or "Africa's friendliest Country". Several countries the world over are friendly and gifted by nature. And in any case this brand "Gifted by Nature" leaves us at risk of losing our most treasured cultures as opposed to a brand name like "The Pearl of Africa" which is all-embracing.

At one of the stakeholders' meetings called by the Ministry of Tourism to enlighten us on the importance of embracing MICE, the former state minister for tourism Jovino Akaki, asked if our country should be marketed as "The Pearl of Africa" or "Gifted by Nature". Which is which? To answer the question; it must be noted that those who coined the slogan "Gifted by Nature" made one mistake! They did not do an audit of the brand "The Pearl of Africa", thus leading to the current confusion. As they coined the slogan "Gifted by Nature", did they also plan to change the national anthem? When you listen to the national anthem, the writer must have had "Pearl of Africa" at the back of his mind. Marketers' know that a good brand will surely project Uganda's strengths while recognising its weaknesses. I strongly feel that re-branding to our original slogan "The Pearl of Africa" will enable us re-position ourselves well on the international market. However, this will necessitate the government to lead the way in the re-branding process. We all know that media organisations world over can not create a good brand for our country. They always seem to be more interested in "bad news" such as civil strife and disasters. If Ugandans can recall; late last year we hosted the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM). The presence of top media organisations was an opportunity for our country to be known globally. However, when the top media houses (Sky News, CNN) and many others reached here, they headed north and east and started covering the floods and lifestyles of the people in the internally displaced people's camps! If my memory serves me well, Al Jazeera is one of the few that briefly showcased the CHOGM event. Focused marketers/planners would have "forced" or given free offers to these top media houses to visit our marvellous nationals parks and cultural sites. To my dismay, the organisers were busy dining with them instead of exploiting the opportunities at hand. I concur with the analysis of my good friend Amos Wekesa; who says that the event was arranged the way we handle weddings in Uganda. There were good organising committees having lots of money to spend without prioritising the expenses. For political mileage, yes CHOGM was a success. But I have reservations to the overall benefit of the event to the tourism industry in Uganda.

In light of the above, there is need for the government of Uganda to re-invest in its brand as well as management and promotion of that brand. Government will need to create a public-private sector partnership if this is to be achieved. Tour operators, hoteliers, and other small and medium scale tourism enterprises must be involved as this will enable everyone to own the brand thereby naturally promoting it. What we are having at the moment is those few that are for "Gifted by Nature" while the majority still believe the best brand is "The Pearl of Africa". We will also need to do more than re-branding if we are to capture the international market. Any serious government will have to reconsider having a national carrier.

Look at successful tourist destinations in Africa. Airline brands complement national brands. For instance Kenya is supplemented by the 'pride of Africa' inscribed on all Kenya airways flights; Air Tanzania, 'the wings of Kilimanjaro' to mention but a few. However, now that the tourism bill was passed by parliament and due to be enacted into law, we need to start by restructuring UTB (now re- branded as Tourism Uganda). As the marketing organ for Uganda's tourism; emphasis should be on creating/ strengthening the research department.

More so, realising that we are now in a "global village" with the internet as the main mode of communication and marketing; there is need to employ few but well paid staff that not only have knowledge in global tourism trends but also some training/ knowledge in information technology. This industry is now more of website-based thus marketing through this mode is the most ideal option. As we reposition ourselves, we also need to ask some questions:
Which markets are we organizing ourselves to win?
How do we target them?

Where will the guests /tourists stay when they visit our national parks? My focus for now will be on question the last question. Most of our national parks are now exclusively operated by a few individuals with lodges. Matters are even made worse by the management agreements Uganda Wildlife Authority has signed with these 'investors'. Agreements for exclusivity have been signed covering not only big chunks of the park land but also stretching over periods of over 20 years! If we are to all benefit from our resources, there needs to be equitable use of these resources. The Government not only needs to increase funding to the UTB but it should also strengthen the boards' research department as this will help us understand visitor needs, perceptions as well as obstacles as we plan to market.

Witten by Baluku Geoffrey

Tourism Consultant

Kampala - Uganda

Email: tourismintelligence@gmail.com

LAND AND GOVERNANCE

2008-04-26T16:16:00.000+03:00

Why government failed to implement the Land Act 1998

By Al-Mahdi Ssenkabirwa

SINCE mid last year, our local media has been a washed with articles opposing or supporting the amendments to the 1998 Land Act. Yes, it healthy since individuals are entitled to their own opinions. But to majority Ugandans the most pressing question could have been, why did government fail to implement the Act in the first place? We all agree that for a lay man to consider any law effective it has to be fully implemented. The controversial land amendments to the Land Act 1998 have caused storm across the country simply because there is wide spread suspicion that the amendments may not be implemented as it is to the original Act. A total of 35 amendments have been made in the original Act of 98 sections since 2001 but they have not helped either. I have done a self-assigned survey and discovered the following. To begin with, Government brought the Act to achieve two cardinal objectives: providing security of tenure to all land users particularly the so called lawful or bonafide occupants on registered land. And also to resolve the land use impasse between the registered owners (mailo), freehold and leasehold and the lawful and bonafide occupants of this land. Ten years down the road, such problems still exist despite the existence of the Act. And these are the same issues government base on to front the fresh Land Amendments. The Act requires tenants to get certificates of occupancy and none has ever received one. Ministry of Lands records indicate that in the last two years, over 50,000 people have illegally been evicted from their land. When the land Act[1998] was still a Bill, from day one, it was received with a lot of apathy, suspicion, fear and outright rejection particularly from Buganda kingdom and the opposition legislators of the 6th parliament. This even prompted the kingdom to call off Kabaka Mutebi's fifth coronation anniversary and started months of mourning. The then Katikkiro Joseph Ssemwogere even reached to the extend of accusing President Museveni of forgetting the significant role Buganda played in bringing him to power. To refresh your minds, the critics of the land Act 1998 then raised complaints that the Bill then was not given enough time to be scrutinized and debated. Because of unclear reasons ,government hurriedly published the Bill very late on March 2nd, 1998 targeting to make it law by 1st July 1998.This is almost a similar scenario Ugandans are yet to witness this time round. And it may not be surprising very soon to seen the unsatisfied interested groups even with in parliament trying to overturn the law or its part by tabling another set of amendments in the House , recourse to the constitutional Court, or cause civil disorder. It happened in 1998 after the enactment of the Act, the then Makindye East MP Benedict Mutyaba raised an alarm saying the Land Act had been doctored. Mutyaba seem to have known about the plot since he was the head of the parliamentary committee that debated the land bill. Another issue was on the lack of capacity by the line ministry to make all its departments do their work for the proper implementation of the law. The establishment of District Land Boards by January 1999 and the Land Fund by July 2, 1999, were requirements under the Act but unfortunately by January 18th 1999 only 18 Districts of the 45 then had set up land boards.
The heaviest burden of implementing the Act was with the districts and the latter have suffered serious capacity short falls. Many districts have proved to be unable to recruit qualified technical staff for District Land Offices and therefore unable to perform adequately and provide services necessary for many aspects of land reform. And with the increase in number of districts to over 80 now and with the meagre resources from the centre, the situation has worsened. The Land Act requires each district to recruit five professional staff including a Surveyor, a Land Officer, , a Valuer, a Physical Planner and a Registrar of Titles But the most disgracing thing is that only 16 districts out of a total of 45 had Land Offices by 2000; only one of these had a Physical Planner, none of them had a Valuer and only a few had District Registrars of Titles. And even today the personnel lack tools and a living wage, which are factors in determining the proper delivery of services. And if such issues are not considered whether the reforms are good or bad, the implementation of the new amendments are bound to flop.

Written by

Journalist Monitor Publications Ltd ,Uganda

P.O.Box,12141,Kampala

Email: assenkabirwa@gmail.com
Mobile: 256 (0) 712725557/0752927072