The Independent Magazine Issue 341

NEWS ANALYSIS

INTERVIEW

Money URA must collect problems in more money, Parliament says new boss

BUSINESS

Bank fraud risk Southern Route stuck in quagmire

Issue No. 341 October 31 - November 06, 2014

Ushs 5,000,Kshs 200, RwF 1,500, SDP 8

Museveni, Mbabazi deal?

Move could avert costly conflict

www.independent.co.ug Issue 341.indd 1

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YOU BUY THE

TRUTH WE PAY THE PRICE

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INBOX

Contents Museveni, Mbabazi deal?

Move could avert costly conflict

Issue No. 341 October 31 - November 06, 2014

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10

COVER STORY

30 NEWS ANAYSIS

BUSINESS

Money Problems in Uganda’s Parliament: Despite earning a bit of money, many members of parliament are in deep debt yet they’ll soon be spending millions as the 2016 election campaigns are around the corner.

Bank fraud risk: Financial services providers and Bank of Uganda concerned about the increasing cases of fraud in banks.

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HEALTH

FIRST

COVER STORY

3 // Off-line 4 // Inbox 6 // The Week 7 // News Makers

Backroom deals: By remaining civil to each other, President Yoweri Museveni and former Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi are fuelling speculation that open conflict between them can still be averted. The next test is what will happen in the NRM party National Conference on Dec.15.

STRATEGY & EDITORIAL DIRECTOR: Andrew M. Mwenda MANAGING EDITOR: Joseph Were BUSINESS EDITOR: Peter Nyanzi WRITERS: Haggai Matsiko, Joan Akello, Julius Businge, Ronald Musoke, Patrick Kagenda, Flavia Nassaka, Nicole Namubiru PHOTOGRAPHER: Jimmy Siya DESIGN/LAYOUT: Ronny Kahuma, Daniel Ortega

New Polio Vaccine Coming: The Annual Health Sector Performance report cites progress in Uganda achieving WHO immunization coverage target but highlights maternal and child health as areas of poor performance.

Southern Corridor development: In 2010, Uganda and Tanzania signed an agreement to develop joint venture rail to port projects but the former is yet to resolve challenges involved.

COLUMNS 09

LAST WORD Kigali’s Media freedom woes: while Kagame’s critics say he scores worst in democracy as he is development minded, freedom might eventually be the objective outcome

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29

COMMENT

Sex, cars and lawyers

By Catherine K. Nabasirye

The end of Ebola

By Abdul Tejan-Cole

PUBLISHER: Independent Publications Limited, Plot 82/84, Kanjokya Street, P. O. Box 3304, Kampala, Uganda Tel: +256-312-637-391/ 2/ 3/ 4 Fax: +256-312-637-396 E-mail: editorial@independent.co.ug, advertising@independent.co.ug, circulation@independent.co.ug Website: www.independent.co.ug

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October 24 - 30, 2014

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Offline

Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago has told former Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi to stop hiding behind his wife and declare his political ambitions openly.

President Museveni responded to an interview in which former DP leader Paul Ssemogerere said NRA fled Luweero in the face of defeat.

Oct. 31 1984: Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi is assassinated

O

n this day, 30 years ago, India’s Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi, was shot by two of her Sikh bodyguards, Satwant Singh 25, and Kehar Singh 54, in the garden of her home at No.1 Safdarjung Road in New Delhi. Indira who was thought to have been walking through her gardens in the morning was rushed to the All India Medical Hospital where she underwent an emergency operation to remove the bullets but died an hour and a half later. The attack led to rioting on a grand scale across India as the Hindu faithful took their revenge on Sikhs. At least

1,000 people are thought to have died and the army eventually intervened to quell the violence. The Sikh extremists are believed to have acted in retaliation following the storming of the Sikh holy shrine of the Golden Temple at Amritsar by the army to flush out separatist militants who had taken refuge there.

Before her assassination, Gandhi had received death threats since the attack on the temple. The two assassins, who were years later convicted, got hanged by the Indian government on Jan. 6, 1989.

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October 24 - 30, 2014

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Inbox Malala’s Nobel Prize

Ignore genocide revisionists

Refer to: “What has Malala done to deserve the Nobel Peace Prize?” (The Independent online Oct.15). Whatever it is that Malala Yousafzai did to deserve being the co-winner of the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize, it was more than U.S. President Barack Obama did to deserve it in 2009.

Dave

Refer to “`Rwanda: The Untold Story”: questions for the BBC’” (The Independent online Oct.6). Nothing abnormal; still today, more than 70 years after the Holocaust, there are still people in UK, France, Germany, etc. who deny the genocide against the Jewish people. Negationists and revisionists will be with us for a long time. We must know it without being distracted or disturbed. One thing is sure: They cannot change or hide the historical truth.

Rwagasana

History is always subjective

Malala Yousafzai

BCC wrong on Rwanda Refer to “The BBC’s hatchet job on Rwanda” (The Independent Oct.10). At the onset of the genocide, the world was silent on what was taking place in Rwanda. Now blame games are emerging after Rwanda started on a successful journey as regards economic and infrastructural developments. It is a pity for a respected media house like BBC to run a documentary

that provokes dismay to its African audience. The Bible says why should you look for a speck in my eye yet you have a log in yours?

How many genocide documentaries had the BBC ever ran for Yugoslavia? Why do they love to victimise Africa? Let us fight for our Africa.

Stephen Byaruhanga

Refer to “The BBC’s hatchet job on Rwanda” (The Independent Oct.10). «Everyone knows that Habyarimana had planned the genocide...»

That’s a fallacious statement, not everyone knows and it

makes the author of the article seem biased.

There are as many histories as the writers, history is not always accurate but one thing it always is, is subjective.

Solomon Ndugu

INSIGNIA

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BBC deserves contempt Refer to “The BBC’s hatchet job on Rwanda” (The Independent Oct.10). A lot has been said and written about the Rwanda genocide. I only shudder with apprehension at what end BBC seeks to achieve in postgenocide Rwanda by calling the known story «untold».

Is BBC seeking to retell the truth, seeking for ‘ignored’ justice, fostering reconciliation or promoting peace?

Without even the trouble of debunking its claims, BBC’s method and approach is antitruth/justice/reconciliation and/peace. If such an option existed and was credible, I would choose ignoring them.

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BBC’s attempt to «uncover» the known story, whatever its motive, smacks of sinister journalism that merits no credible rebuttal but utter contempt.

Denis Musinguzi

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October 24 - 30, 2014

10/28/14 5:29 PM

InBOX Follow us on Facebook @ www.facebook.com/TheIndependentMagazineUganda Follow us on Twitter @ http://twitter.com/#!/ugandatalks

Mazrui was inspiration Refer to: “Prof. Ali Mazrui: Remembering the giant mind of Africa” (The Independent Oct.24). Prof. Ali Al’amin Mazrui who died on October 12, was a true African man who left us with his knowledge and inspiration...R.I.P. Nuriat Namirembe

Honouring Mazrui

Remembering Mazrui

Refer to: “Prof. Ali Mazrui: Remembering the giant mind of Africa” (The Independent Oct.24).

Thank you The Independent for honouring Prof. Ali Al’amin Mazrui who died on October 12 in such a brilliantly written article. I like the Mazrui Uganda connections that Dr. Kagoro has brought out.

The article is a good break from the usual boring political discussions. Rest in Peace our Ugandan Mazrui.

Refer to: “Prof. Ali Mazrui: Remembering the giant mind of Africa” (The Independent Oct.24). I grew up mixing up Prof. Ali Al’amin Mazrui and Prof. Mahmoud Mamdani. It was difficult to always remember who was from Kenya and who was from Uganda. I like the way The Independent has honoured Prof. Mazrui. Thank you, Dr Jude Kagoro, for this insightful piece.

Mary

Sam Okello

COMMENT

Letters are welcome !

Uganda’s tough land questions

HEALTH

BUSINESS

HIV-negative Cheaper partners face cross-boarder infection risk calls in offing

Issue No. 340 October 24 - 30, 2014

The Editor welcomes short and concise letters from our esteemed readers on topical issues. Please send them to: The Editor, The Independent Publications Ltd, P.O Box 3304, Plot 82/84 Kanjokya St, Kamwokya.

Kampala,Uganda.

Ushs 5,000,Kshs 200, RwF 1,500, SDP 8

Killings in the city Policing experts explain what has gone wrong

Email: editor@independent.co.ug

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The Week

Hyuha recalled from Arusha to do Mbabazi’s work The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has recalled Dorothy Hyuha, from her ambassadorial posting in Arusha Tanzania to perform the duties of the NRM secretary general. Hyuha is the deputy to Amama Mbabazi who has taken leave up to the end of the year. Government Spokesperson Ofwono Opondo said recalling Hyuha was meant to ensure that there’s no vacuum. Mbabazi officially handed over his office to Hyuha on Oct. 20 in a letter notifying the party chairman that he would be on leave until Dec. 31 and that the deputy would be performing his roles during his absence. Top on Hyuha’s ‘to do list’ will be organising the next delegates’ conference which has been brought forward to Dec. 15, which could see the election of a new substantive secretary general to replace Mbabazi. Mbabazi has fallen out with the NRM hierarchy following allegations that he was secretly campaigning to succeed President Yoweri Museveni come 2016.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs has recalled Dorothy Hyuha

President Museveni meets Pope Francis in Rome, gets rare medal President Museveni on Oct. 27 met Pope Francis as part of his four day tour to Rome, Italy. The Pope promised Ugandans that he would come to Uganda next June for the annual Uganda Martyrs Day celebrations.

He also gave President Museveni the St. Martin Medal named after an important missionary in the Catholic Church.

Before meeting the Pope, Museveni accompanied by the first lady Janet Museveni and Kamuli District Chairperson Salaam Musumba along with other officials, visited the Uganda Martyrs Church in Rome and made a $10,000 donation. The Martyrs church, which was dedicated to Uganda by the Vatican, has a church building, recre-

ation facilities and an office.

A few days earlier, the President was in London UK where he urged international investors to take advantage of the large market in the region to invest in Uganda. The President gave a key note address at a 2-day summit dubbed, The Global African Investment Summit (TGAIS) in London.

President Museveni also took off time to meet with several groups of potential investors who have expressed interest in investing in Uganda in the areas of agroprocessing, manufacturing, real estate as well as oil and gas.

Museveni was accompanied by the 1st Lady Janet Museveni.

Nabagereka gives entrepreneurship tips

The Nabagereka Sylivia Nagginda has told young graduates that character - politeness, perseverance and hard work - are the keys to successful entrepreneurship. While delivering a lecture; ‘The role of character in entrepreneurship and employment in the context of a globalization’ at a graduation ceremony at Nkumba University, Nagginda said while one may have the skill to come

up with an innovation, they may never succeed if they lack patience to face failure or to turn an idea into marketable goods or services. Over 1,800 students graduated at the function on Oct.25. Education Minister Jessica Alupo encouraged institutions of higher learning to train students for the East African labour market and not just for Uganda where there are a few job opportunities.

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October 24 - 30, 2014

10/28/14 5:30 PM

The Week

New Miss Uganda to focus on agriculture Leah Kalanguka beat off competition from 19 contestants in a competitive pageant to be crowned Miss Uganda 2014/15.

Kalanguka, a graduate of computer engineering, said she would work at supporting the development of software that will boost agricultural production following a major rebranding of the annual beauty pageant, now designed to promote agriculture in Uganda. She said her goal is to come up with an agro-incubator to support agroentrepreneurs through packaging, processing, cooling, and drying, so that farmers can earn more from their produce in partnership with institutions such as the National Agriculture Advisory Services (NAADS). The organizers purposely took all the contestants through 25 modules of agriculture. The first runner-up was 22-year-old Brenda Iriama from Nakapiripirit District in Karamoja, while the second runner-up was 19-year-old Yasmin Taba from Koboko District, who also won the Miss Personality award

Museveni attends West Lango Bishop consecration The Bishop of West Lango Diosece, the Rt. Rev. Canon Alfred Acur Okudi has been consecrated and enthroned as the pioneer bishop of the newly-created diocese.

President Yoweri Museveni was the chief guest at the colourful ceremony at St. Peter’s Cathedral, Aduku, in Apac District on Oct.19.

The Rt. Rev. Stanley Ntagali, the Archbishop of the Church of Uganda, officiated at the function.

The new West Lango Diocese was curved out of the Greater Lango Diocese in August 2010. President Museveni used the occasion to reiterate his call to the people of Lango SubRegion to utilize the potential of the water bodies in the area to create wealth by

President Museveni hands car keys to the Rev Alfred Acur Okodi, the first Bishop of the newly-created West Lango Diocese at Aduku in Apac recently..jpg engaging in fish farming.

He also pledged that the road from Rwakangi to Masindi Port on to Lira and Kitgum towns would be upgraded using African Development Bank funding. The new West Lango prelate, in his maiden

charge, said his work plan would involve among other things promotion of environmental protection, conservation of wildlife, patriotism among the youth and spiritual renewal and growth.

Government, donors to launch new anti-HIV project

The government in conjunction with the UN family of organizations (UNAIDS, UNFPA, WHO, UNICEF, WFP) and other development partners, are set to launch a national campaign using football and other sports as a platform to raise awareness about HIV. The campaign dubbed; “Protect the Goal Campaign,” will be officially launch ed by President Yoweri Museveni at Namboole Stadium on Nov.09 hours before a friendly match between the Uganda Cranes Football team and Ethiopia. The President will participate in a curtain raiser football match between his Cabinet and MPs /representatives of development partners including Micheal Sidibe, the UNAIDS executive director. This global advocacy initiative harnesses the power of sports, which attracts

millions of people, to bring HIV into the public domain. A statement signed by Sarah Achieng Opendi, the minister of state for primary health care, said the campaign would use the popularity and convening power of sports to unite Ugandans towards the goal of an HIV-free generation. It will also raise awareness around HIV prevention and encourage young people and all Ugandans to get actively involved in both the national and global response to HIV, and support UNAIDS’ ambitious target of 90-90-90 by 2020. This target aims at ensuring that by 2020, 90% of all people will know their HIV status, 90% of all people with diagnosed HIV infection will receive sustained anti-retroviral therapy, and 90% of all people receiving antiretroviral therapy will have viral suppression.

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October 24 - 30, 2014

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News Makers

“The delegate’s conference will answer who will be our secretary general otherwise we do not know as

Amb. Patrick Mugoya (L), the PS Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities speaks to David Duli, (R), the Uganda Country Director for WWF, during the National dialogue on illegal ivory trade on Oct. 17. Looking on is Dr. Andrew Seguya (M), E.D Uganda Wildlife Authority INDEPENDENT/ JIMMY SIYA

of now,” Evelyn Anite

“We shall soon appoint a national spokesperson for the Poor Youth, who will also double as the spokesperson of our candidate, Amama Mbabazi,” Adam

Director General for Ministry of Health Services, Jane Ruth Aceng speaks during the 20th Annual Joint Sector Review conference on Oct. 22. INDEPENDENT/

Luzindana Buyinza

“Some people are trying to use the current political rumblings in the NRM to malign me, thinking that maybe if I am out of the way, they will become ministers,” Migereko

JIMMY SIYA

The deputy IGG Wangadya Mariam (R) and the Executive Director ACCU, Cissy Kagaba at the launch of the report on the perspective disproportionate effects of corruption on women and girls by ACCU on Oct. 23. INDEPENDENT/

“DP (Democratic Party) will be 60 next month. Don’t you get a feeling that it has considerably weakened?” President Museveni.

1.4m

Numbers of registered NSSF contributors but only 500,000 are active.

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JIMMY SIYA

$1.26 b

sh26m

$400m

Amount in aid that EU leaders will give to combat Ebola in West Africa. .

Amount President Museveni donated to run projects at the Uganda Martyrs Church in Rome.

Amount that the Government has secured from various development partners to implement a new 10 year rural electrification strategy.

October 24 - 30, 2014

10/28/14 5:30 PM

Opinion

The Last Word

Kigali’s media freedom woes

By Andrew M. Mwenda

How the discourse on press freedom in Rwanda has missed the promising developments in that country

L

ast week I attended President Paul Kagame’s lecture at Chatham House in London. It was without the usual hecklers i.e. mindless anti-Kagame fanatics.

It attracted the more refined minds of British intellectual society. So the discussion was calm and reflective. Later in the week, I spoke at the universities of Oxford in England and Bremen in Germany – again before audiences of the sophisticated, thoughtful type. In all events, some people raised the issue of press freedom in Rwanda, saying that is Kagame’s worst score.

There is a fundamental misunderstanding of what is happening in Rwanda’s media.

The human rights Taliban have distorted the discourse because they treat democracy as a religion. Religion does not need “preconditions” – you can plant the seed of Christianity or Islam in any society regardless of its level of development and it will germinate. But even here it takes generations for people to completely abandon their traditional superstitions.

Democracy, as a system of government, needs structural foundations; and it takes time to build regardless of the intentions of leaders. Governments can write highsounding constitutions promising freedom and equality. However, if the structural conditions for it are missing, little will be realised in practice. That is why it took America 90 years from independence to freeing slaves. Yet the American constitution clearly stated: “We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are born equal…”

This self-evidence certainly did not apply to poor white men, all blacks, women and other ethnic minorities – each of whom gained rights at different times.

America’s democratic institutions did not end slavery; they perpetuated it. Instead it took a civil war to end it. Even then, it lasted another 100 years from the 13th amendment (which guaranteed every adult male a franchise) for America to give its black people the right to vote. And this was because a large and educated black middleclass had grown as a result of industrialisation. Even then, the civil rights movement lasted 15 years of protests and boycotts accompanied by unprecedented police brutality and KKK terrorism.

Let’s return to Rwanda. The global human rights police have a habit of picking one unfortunate incident (like the arrest of

a journalist) and present is as a daily pattern. They have been extremely successful partly because Kigali often plays into their hands. But how many journalists have been arrested in Rwanda over the last four years?

Zero! Yet if you read Human Rights Watch reports and listen to Kagame critics, you would think it is 100.

Over the last 20 years, Rwanda’s Gross Domestic Product has grown at an average rate of 6.6% (and 7.7% since Kagame became president in 2000). This has led to the growth of nominal per capita incomes in Rwanda from $150 in 1994 to $700 ($1600 in purchasing power parity) in 2014. This income growth has largely been driven by deregulation, privatisation and liberalisation all of which have freed a significant share of the economy from the state. The growth of the private sector as a source of wealth and power has been accompanied by the emergence of an increasingly large, educated middle-class – a vital social infrastructure for democratic politics.

The above is accompanied the mass access to education opportunities. University enrolment in Rwanda has risen from under 1,500 in 1995 to over 80,000 today.

There is free education up to the first 12 years of schooling; primary school enrolment in Rwanda is at 98% and over 60% of its youth studying in secondary schools.

Mass education is moving hand in hand with rapid urbanisation – both of which form the software for democratic politics.

Finally, Rwanda is a small country of 26,338 km²that has so far laid 4,000km of Fibre Optic Cable – the highest density of any country in the developing world including China. Its vision is to have 95% of all Rwanda connected to the 4G LT (the highest speed internet) by 2017. With its one-laptop-per-child policy, the spread of smart phones (made possible by increased education and income), Rwanda is creating the most promising hardware and software for free publicity/expression in the developing world.

Consequently, most Rwandans do not read printed newspapers. Instead, they depend on the Internet for information and debate on public policy. Government deliberately encourages the use of social media and has thereby turned almost every adult citizen into a journalist and a publisher and broadcaster. This is the most rapid expan-

sion of space for free expression in history.

Therefore, even if it were true that Kagame jails journalists and shuts down newspapers, his methods would be archaic and selfdefeating. He would be fighting freedom tactically while building it strategically; which would result in overall good.

It is possible that in all his aforementioned policies towards education, Internet and income growth, Kagame’s aim is not democracy but development. Granted! But that is beside the point. Freedom may not be his subjective motivation but it is likely to be the objective outcome. It is also possible that in spite of all these developments, democracy may fail to gain a foothold on the steep hills of Rwanda. But it is also true that without these developments in education, income and urbanisation in Rwanda, it is unlikely that the nation can build a genuinely democratic political dispensation.

A country like Singapore has all these but has not democratised to the same degree as Norway. However, there is a consensus among its elites in favour of its current political arrangement. Public satisfaction with the political system is higher in Singapore than France and UK. So Rwanda can follow suit. America has the infrastructure for democratic politics. But democracy has found it difficult to flourish in that multiracial nation whose foundation was genocide of native peoples and the enslavement of its black population. Because of these early distortions, America has remained an oligarchy of corporations – the ruling classes relying ever more on propaganda to keep the illusion of democracy especially to the less observant.

There are many un-freedoms in Rwanda.

Some are products of its social structure.

Some are unnecessary actions by the state (and this is where the debate should be).

However, given its history, many un-freedoms in Rwanda are necessary for ensuring social order – itself the first pre-condition of democracy. Freedom without order is license. The seed of democracy does not germinate on the sands of anarchy. Just look at Libya, Iraq and Mali! In England and Germany last week, the audiences appreciated these arguments. amwenda@independent.co.ug

October 24 - 30, 2014

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Cover story

Museveni, Mbabazi deal?

Move could avert costly conflict

By Independent Team

Continuing backroom deals between President Yoweri Museveni and his former Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi are fuelling speculation that open conflict between them can still be averted. However, analysts warn that if the fallout between the two is not handled properly and escalates, it could prove costly in economic terms even before any political fall-out is registered.

President Yoweri Museveni (L) and Amama Mbabazi 10

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W

hen Mbabazi appeared before the party’s Central Executive Committee (CEC) on Oct.18 to answer charges of misconduct as alleged by a group of party youths, he refused to speak and instead sought a one-on-one meeting with Museveni, which was granted.

Two days later, on Oct. 20, he formally wrote to Museveni - the party chairman that he would be taking leave of absence until Dec.31, 2014. It also emerged that a meeting of the party’s supreme organ, the National Conference, that was slated for 2015 has been brought forward to December 15, 2014.

As most of what was agreed behind closed doors remains a secret, what happens to Mbabazi after December 31 when his leave ends has become the subject of speculation.

“The delegate’s conference that was supposed to have been called in 2015 being brought to December 2014 says much. They are going to bribe the delegates to do what is favourable to Museveni and not the will of the people,” says Prof. Edward Kakonge, a former minister in Museveni’s cabinet.

Whatever was agreed, the deal between Mbabazi and Museveni reinforces that perception that NRM is a `big man’ party where members, who are viewed as clients and not citizens, will be used as rubber stamps at the National Conference.

Mbabazi is unlikely to be at the meeting as the role of presenting the party report has been assigned to Acting Secretary General Dorothy Hyuha.

And contrary to earlier speculation, the agenda released on Oct.28 does not include any election of top party officials at the National Conference, which will bring together thousands of delegates at the Mandela National Stadium, Nambole, in Kampala.

This conference is critical because Mbabazi’s troubles with Museveni have been traced to his perceived popularity among the grassroots rank-and-file and the National Executive Council (NEC).

Speculation is rife that with Mbabazi away on leave, the party is set to remove the powerful position of secretary general and replace it with a lower position of general secretary. The name change is symbolic and the significance of the switch is that the General Secretary will not be elected but be appointed. This will mean that the position is designed to have reduced clout and the

Cover story

Prime Minister Ruhukana Rugunda

Minister of Internal Affairs Gen. Aronda Nyakairima

Brig. Muhoozi Kainerugaba

paign.

This campaign is critical for Museveni who, at the official age of 70, is also starting to show signs of Country Strength of Party at Party Party slowing down. party as an grassroots legitimacy autonomy institution Although there have Kenya 6 1 4 1 gaping holes in his cabinet and widespread criticism Tanzania 7 1 4 2 and allegations of corrupUganda 6 1 3 2 tion, Museveni appears South Africa 8 1 3 4 unable to maintain even his Nigeria 7 4 1 previous game of musical Zimbabwe 5 2 2 1 chairs.

Botswana 9 1 4 4 When he removed Mbabazi, appointing Dr. Source: " Africa Political Pay System and Conflict" Study 2012 Rugunda as his replacement was the only change holder could be easily dismissed. he could manage. He did not even name a replacement for Rugunda Weakening Museveni in the minister of health position.

In all these strategies, analysts point out, That omission brings to five major posiMuseveni could be weakening himself by tions that remain vacant in Museveni’s cabithrowing out party efficiency and effectivenet. They include the Third Deputy Prime ness with Mbabazi at the helm.

Minister, and the portfolios of Health, East Many point out that it is not for nothing African Affairs, Foreign Affairs (held by that Mbabazi earned the “super minister” Sam Kutesa, who is the President of the UN moniker even as early as 2004 when he held General Assembly and lives in New York), the cabinet portfolios of attorney general, and that of Water, which was vacated by defense, and foreign affairs minister simulBetty Bigombe who joined the World Bank. taneously.

Before Mbabazi’s ouster, Museveni’s A renowned workaholic, Mbabazi is last reshuffle had been in May 2013, when widely believed to have been the horsehe made several switches, the most sigpower pulling Museveni’s 28-year hold on nificant being the removal of Gen. Aronda power.

Nyakairima from the powerful position of Many point out that since he started Chief of Defense Forces to Minister of Interworking on diluting Mbabazi’s hold on the nal Affairs.

NRM party and the government, President Gen. Nyakairima had, together with Museveni has been unable to put together a Mbabazi been mentioned as likely targets solid cabinet line-up. of a purge by Museveni of top officials Since Mbabazi’s ouster, the top cabinet opposed to the so-called “Muhoozi Project” posts are held by the new 66-year old Prime allegedly designed by Museveni to groom Minister Ruhukana Rugunda; an amiable his son, 40-year old Brig. Muhoozi Kainerugentleman and efficient bureaucrat without gaba, to succeed him. The list was drawn up known grassroots campaigning and mobiliby Gen. David Sejusa (formerly Tinyefuza) sation credentials. He has not held any shortly before he fled into exile. popular elective position in over 20 years.

Beyond numbers, however, is the crucial Next in line are 80-year old 1st Deputy issue of lack of clout and experience among Prime Minister Henry Muganwa Kajura Museveni new kids on the yellow bus. and 75-year old 2nd Deputy Prime Minister Of Museveni’s original NRM/Army Moses Ali. These political dinosaurs are comrades in arms, only Minister of Defence unlikely to be of any value to Museveni in Crispus Kiyonga, Justice Minister Kahinda the looming 2016 presidential election camOtafiire, ICT Minister John Nasasira, and

Ugandan Party weakness as institutions compared to parties in other countries

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Cover story Dr. Rugunda remain. The 2nd Deputy Prime Minister Moses Ali is a significant outlier while First Lady Janet Museveni, who is also the Minister for Karamoja, is a significant backroom broker.

Below them is a motley crowd of debutantes who are yet to grow their political teeth. Among them is 40-year old Minister without Portfolio, Richard Todwong, Youth MP and former radio presenter Evelyn Anite, 30, the 41-year old Justine Kasule Lumumba who leaped from the classroom as a teacher ten years ago, and the 41-year old David Bahati, a business major. None of these bring an ounce of Mbabazi’s punching power on the national stage.

However, some top NRM honchos, such as Dr. Chris Baryomunsi, who is a member of the NRM National Executive Committee (NEC) attempt to play down the weakening effect of Mbabazi’s departure.

“I don’t think the party will be significantly affected negatively because of his leaving because he would live with a small number of people,” Baryomunsi told The Independent, “In some areas, the party will even become stronger. Amama has no strong political constituency in Uganda because his base has been President Museveni.”

Risk of conflict

But analysts point to the fact that a further weakening of the NRM, as an institution, could pose a high risk for open conflict, according to a 2012 study titled; “African political party systems and conflict.”

The study, which puts Uganda among countries with the weakest instutionalisation of political parties, is based on surveys by the World Bank and Afrobarometer.

It says there is likely to be open conflict if political parties in countries like Uganda lack a strong connection with voters, hold internal elections that members do not consider fair, and are tied to particular leaders instead of policies, platforms, and ideologies.

So far, Museveni and Mbabazi have managed to remain civil to each other.

In a recent interview with the BBC, President Yoweri Museveni tactfully parried questions about their tense relationship.

“Who told you that I sacked Mbabazi; I just appointed a new prime minister,” he said. But the BBC persisted: And was that done because he posed a threat to your candidacy?

Museveni: “Nooo…, we have had how many elections in Uganda, I always get competition. Competition cannot be a problem at all.”

BBC: Many Ugandans would say there was quite a bitter power struggle within the party?

Museveni: “Power struggle. If someone is engaged in a power struggle that’s a problem. But competition is different.

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Amama Mbabazi salutes at the NRM caucus Power struggle is like intrigue because if it is competition, then it is according to the rules. There must be rules that are followed.

So the speculation [that] Museveni sacked Mbabazi or what, is wasting your time for nothing. These are our party issues. You just watch, you will see what will happen.”

Attempting to dodge addressing the issue appears to be the decided position of Museveni’s government.

When The Independent asked the Minister In-charge of the Presidency, Frank Tumwebaze, what Mbabazi’s exit portends for the country, he opted to be evasive.

“Amama has not left the party therefore I do not want to speculate,” he said.

But as Museveni pleads for observers to “wait and see what will happen” and his top ministers refuse to “speculate,” there is a cloud of uncertainty over the country.

Many are warning that the `politics of exclusion’, as political scientists describe situations where leaders remove others they deem to be threats to their hold on power as Museveni appears to be doing, have created many costly conflicts.

According to some studies, African loses up to US$18 billion per year over conflicts

and up to 15% in economic growth.

The latest example is South Sudan where the country exploded into open civil war when President Salva Kiir removed his vice, Riek Machar. Currently, Kiir’s hold on power is guaranteed by Ugandan and UN armed forces. Should they abandon him, his regime would possibly collapse.

Before fighting erupted in December 2013, the South Sudan economy was projected to grow by 35% on the back of the 350,000 barrels of oil it was exporting per day. Oil exports have dropped by over 50% and stories are starting to emerge that the economy is “in intensive care” with famine on the horizon.

In the 2014/15 financial year, Uganda is projected to grow by 6.1%. In case open conflict erupts, this growth could easily evaporate into negatives as was witnesses in the pre-Museveni era of the 1980s.

Many Ugandans say they have seen “enough of war” and even hardened bush-war fighters like Dr. Kizza Besigye have ruled it out as an option for removing Museveni. But there are others, like renegade Gen. David Sejusa who insist that it’s the only option left. Even hitherto pacifists

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Cover story like opposition Democratic Party President Norbert Mao are saying “nothing is being ruled out”. As political uncertainty persists, some form of military activity appears unavoidable.

Uganda has consistently been grouped among the so-called “alert” states where open conflict can erupt at any time, according to the global Failed States Index compiled by the US governance think tank, Fund for Peace. Uganda’s ranking is ranked together with Kenya, which witnessed ethnic violence recently; Nigeria, which is battling Boko Haram fighters; Rwanda, which witnessed genocide; and Ethiopia. It is just slightly better off than the “very high alert” states like Somalia, DR Congo, Zimbabwe, Pakistan, and Ivory Coast.

Factionalise elites

The biggest source of conflict in Uganda, according to Freedom House, is from “factionalised elites” like Museveni and the growing list of rivals and challengers.

These are characterised by power struggles, defections, flawed elections, and political competition. Uganda is also at risk over socalled “vengeance-seeking groups”. These are groups that have tense relations based on feelings of discrimination and powerlessness. Conflict can erupt on the basis of ethnicity, religion, and sectarianism. Poor public service delivery, which has been a perennial complaint against Museveni’s government, is a high risk issue, according to the survey.

Mbabazi’s fallout with Mbabazi adds to the divisions among the elites and exacerbates feelings of helplessness among groups frustrated over Museveni’s 28-year hold on state power.

Indeed, since 1997, President Museveni has been losing members of his inner circle, starting with national unity government colleagues like former DP boss Paul Kawanga Ssemogerere, bush war comrades like Dr. Kizza Besigye, Gen. Mugisha Muntu, Gen. David Sejusa, and former NRM top brass such as his former Vice President Prof. Gilbert Bukenya, and former ministers Bidandi Ssali and Miria Matembe.

Several of these are part of a coalition to remove Museveni from power. The Mbabazi-Museveni fallout is the latest.

This fallout however is different because he has been the defacto power behind the throne. He is also known to be the godfather to many influential people in the NRM party, the government, public institutions, and in the country’s intelligence and security circles from the time when he founded the External Security Organisation (ESO) when he was minister of defense. It is also feared he does have sympathisers in the army.

In a recent statement, the Ministry of Defence attempted to pre-empt perceived Mbabazi influences on the military.

The statement said that “the UPDF would continue to act professionally in all circumstances and will not accept to be dragged into partisan politics.”

It was a weak effort because not many people believe that the army is neutral regarding political challenges to Museveni.

Secondly, the same statement repeated the allegation attributed to Mbabazi, but not uttered by him anywhere on the record, that he has categorized army top brass into “good and bad”. The ‘good’ army officers, allegedly according to Mbabazi, are those against Museveni.

However, according to the Failed States Index survey, the risk from either a military coup, rebel activity, or other militancy is relatively low in Uganda.

But Mbabazi has certainly contributed to the increased tension, uncertainty, and anxiety, according to one observer, by also keeping his cards close to his chest. Indeed, concerted efforts by The Independent to speak to Mbabazi remained fruitless.

“Amama is playing it close to his chest and is not saying anything and all the public announcements indicate that he is not chal-

Gen. David Sejusa

Likely risk areas for state conflict Risk Issue

Low-High

Ranking (0-10) Factionalised elites 8.9 Population pressure 8.7 Refugees 8.7 Discriminated groups 8.3 Poor service delivery 8.3 Security apparatus 7.9 Legitimacy of the state 7.8 Violation of human rights 7.6 External actors 8.8 Uneven economic development 7.6 Chronic human flight 6.9 Poverty | Sever economic 7.3

Source: Failed states index 2014

lenging Museveni,” another observer said, and added: “This may be explained by the fact that Amama is good at posturing than taking issues head on and living the issues to his inner circle to handle.”

That inner circle includes his wife, Jacqueline Mbabazi and daughter, Nina Mbabazi.

Although known to be no-holds-barred individuals, the duo has for some time been unusually quiet. Speculation is rife that Mbabazi, who is said to have amassed a fortune in over 30 years in top positions, could start a new political party. However, analysts say this is unlikely because he might face a challenge in recruiting supporters.

Said an observer: “What we are going to see is a desolate isolated Amama because a lot of people who were supporting him were there because they thought he was going to get into power and therefore would be at the high table.

“Now that he is likely not going to be there, either those people will play safe and remain where they are or they will join the person who will be at the high table.

“In this country we have got a shortage of personnel especially in the politics who have the ability and interest. People with ability don’t have interest and those with interest don’t have ability.”

Other analysts say that Mbabazi’s only other alternative is to join an existing opposition political party. Already, some opposition leaders like former FDC President Kizza Besigye have said Mbabazi “is welcome” to join them. Whether or not Mbabazi’s exit will make the opposition stronger and the NRM weaker is not easy to tell at the moment.

But as one observer said, “Amama is welcome in the opposition but whether he will be at the top or bottom is what is not known because in politics people don’t give way.”

When The Independent first reported the fall-out between Mbabazi and Museveni (See: “Mbabazi versus Museveni”; The Independent, December 20, 2013), one commentator wrote that “what President Museveni owes Ugandans is a peaceful political transition from him to another president be it Amama Mabazi, in NRM, or even opposition. He should be around for some years outside the presidency to see how the new president runs the country. President Museveni would remain an elder, a unifying factor and a key mediator in case political conflicts arise.

President Museveni will be considered a failure if he does not deliver on a peaceful political transition given the trust the Ugandans have in him and considering that political transition has been the greatest leadership challenge.”

With the Mbabazi fallout and its attendant ramifications, what is clear is that a peaceful transition is likely to face an even steeper hill to climb.

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By Agencies

H

undreds of Rwandan rebels in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo are defying a six-month ultimatum to disarm, raising pressure on regional powers and United Nations (UN) peacekeepers to eliminate, once and for all, a force at the heart of two decades of conflict.

Midway to a deadline set by regional leaders, not one Hutu rebel had laid down his weapon and yet rivalries among African nations are undermining the prospect of UN-led military action against insurgents Rwanda has previously hunted down in the Congo.

"If it was entirely up to us, we would be fulfilling our mandate to neutralise armed groups," says Martin Kobler, head of the 23,000-strong UN mission in the Congo, acknowledging the reticence of some political actors but voicing confidence that military action would ensue if the January 2 deadline is missed.

Rwandan Hutu FDLR (Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda) fighters have made the hills and forests of mineralrich eastern Congo their own during two decades of simmering conflict since they fled Rwanda after the 1994 genocide there

by Hutu militia of Tutsis and moderate Hutus. Some Congolese military commanders retain close ties to FDLR fighters from alliances forged during a 1998-2003 war, which pitted Congo against an invading Tutsi-led Rwandan force and drew regional states into a proxy war. African leaders gave the rebels six months in July to disarm and either be repatriated to Rwanda or transferred to a transit camp in the Congo while they await resettlement in a third country.

On Oct.24, the leaders acknowledged no progress had been made and repeated a vague threat of military force if the deadline was missed. But some powers are keener on that than others. "Everyone wants to go after the FDLR in a different fashion," says Timo Mueller, an independent researcher in eastern Congo. "It will be the FDLR who will benefit from this cacophony of actors."

Criticised for years for failing to impose peace in the Congo, the UN mission has been buoyed by the success of the 3,000-strong Intervention Brigade, launched last year, with the mandate and firepower to take the fight to myriad rebel groups.

Officials say there are only about 1,500 FDLR gunmen left after the UN peacekeeping mission demobilised more than 12,000 in the past 12 years, but their integration in Congo makes it hard to separate them from civilians. Speaking from a bush base in eastern Congo, Victor Byiringiro, the FDLR’s interim leader, said his fighters would return to Rwanda only through direct talks with Rwanda and not as part of the UNbacked repatriation programme.

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Rwanda rebels defy ultimatum to disarm UN army boss says military action will start if deadline is missed

Hundreds of Rwandan rebels in eastern Congo are defying a six month ultimatum to disarm, ratcheting up pressure on regional powers and U.N. peacekeepers

Other African powers have been more cautious, calling for a political solution that could broach a range of thorny issues, including the fate of the more than 100,000 Rwandan refugees remaining in the Congo, whom the FDLR claims to protect.

"To repatriate us to Rwanda is to destroy the FDLR." Rwanda, however, has flatly rejected talks with the rebels, saying the Hutus want to complete the slaughter of 1994. Rwanda has repeatedly dispatched troops into its neighbour’s east, ostensibly to hunt down Hutu rebels. Kigali has come under intense diplomatic pressure not to interfere in the Congo since it was accused

by UN experts of backing the Congo’s M23 rebels. As a result, it expects UN troops to

do the job.

"The FDLR is not a mystery, it’s not a complicated armed group to deal with," Rwandan Foreign Affairs Minister Louise Mushikiwabo says.

Other African powers have been more cautious, calling for a political solution that could broach a range of thorny issues, including the fate of the more than 100,000 Rwandan refugees remaining in the Congo, whom the FDLR claims to protect.

Tanzania and South Africa — the core of the beefed-up UN brigade — have frosty ties with Rwanda and have voiced hesitation over a military solution to the FDLR. Jason Stearns, a former UN investigator in the Congo, says regional tensions are likely to muddy decision making. "It’s become a bit of a political football in the tense relations between SA, Tanzania and Rwanda," he says.

Even if operations begin, past experience suggests they will be tricky. Joint Congolese, Rwandan and UN operations against the FDLR in 2009 were criticised by human rights groups for having a high humanitarian toll amid abuses by both sides.

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UN gives Rwanda US$7.2m for policy planning

By Agencies

T

he government of Rwanda and One UN Rwanda on Oct.24 signed a US$7.2 million dollars financing deal to build capacity in data generation and enhance evidence based on policy planning.

Speaking to reporters in Kigali, Rwanda’s Minister of Finance Claver Gatete said the grant will strengthen the capacity of national and subnational institutions to generate data and enhance evidence-based on policy planning, analysis and monitoring and evaluation, Xinhua reported.

The support was in line with the country’s development blueprint, the second Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy (EDPRS2), on increasing engagement of citizens in development planning at all levels, the minister explained.

This support, he said, will also focus on in-depth analysis and utilisation of existing information for evidencebased policy making and monitoring and evaluation, especially at decen-

Minister of Finance Claver Gatete tralised levels. "Developing our capacities in data and demographic collection and analysis is critical in policy

making and economic development," the minister added.

The United Nations Resident Coordinator in Rwanda, Lamin Manneh, said, "You can’t manage what you cannot measure, and that’s why the UN is partnering with Rwanda government in areas of capacity building."

"Data collection and analysis are instrumental in tracking progress towards the realisation of the set results of the EDPRS2 and other international development goals," Manneh said.

The project will support institutional capacity building for data production in socio-demographic and economic surveys such as census, the comprehensive food security and vulnerability analysis and demographic and health survey. It will also support integrated households living conditions survey, various more sector specific surveys and frameworks like gender statistics framework will also be strengthened.

Rwanda ends Ebola checks on travellers

By Agencies

R

wanda has lifted Ebola travel restrictions on travellers who had been in the United States and Spain after the president publicly told the health minister it was not necessary.

Health Minister Agnes Binagwaho had this week ordered all travellers who had been in the United States and Spain within the past three weeks to send updates to her ministry each day they are in Rwanda.

But President Paul Kagame, in messages posted on Twitter, said the restrictions had been lifted, adding that the minister had "sometimes acted first and thought later", whereas it should be the "other way round."

Visitors who have been to Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone within the last 21 days are barred from entry to Rwanda, which is screening all arriving travellers for Ebola.

Africa, and experts warn the rate of infections could reach 10,000 a week by early December. There have been isolated Ebola cases of health workers in the United States

and Spain, who caught the virus from those infected in West Africa.

Rwandan citizens who have travelled to the three West African countries are placed under quarantine on arrival.

The deadliest-ever outbreak of Ebola has claimed more than 4,500 lives in west October 24 - 30, 2014

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Rwanda’s best finally arrive From a Rwandan Dump to the Halls of Harvard

Justus Uwayesu, rescued at 9 from the streets of Rwanda, is enrolled as a freshman at Harvard. IAN THOMAS JANSEN-LONNQUIST FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES

N

By MICHAEL WINESOCT ine years old and orphaned by ethnic genocide, he was living in a burned-out car in a Rwandan garbage dump where he scavenged for food and clothes. Daytimes, he was a street beggar. He had not bathed in more than a year.

When an American charity worker, Clare Effiong, visited the dump one Sunday, other children scattered. Filthy and hungry, Justus Uwayesu stayed put, and she asked him why.

“I want to go to school,” he replied.

Well, he got his wish.

This autumn, Uwayesu enrolled as a freshman at Harvard University on a fullscholarship, studying math, economics and human rights, and aiming for an advanced science degree. Now about 22 — his birthday is unknown — he could be, in jeans, a sweater and sneakers, just another of the 1,667 first-year students here.

But of course, he is not. He is an example of the potential buried even in humanity’s most hopeless haunts, and a sobering reminder of how seldom it is mined.

Over the 13 years since his escape from the smoldering trash heap that was his home, Uwayesu did not simply rise through his nation’s top academic ranks. As a student in Rwanda, he learned English, French, Swahili and Lingala. He oversaw his high school’s student tutoring program. And he helped found a youth charity that spread to high schools nationwide, buying health insurance for poor students and giving medical and scholastic aid to others.

He is nonetheless amazed and amused by the habits and quirks of a strange land.

“I tried lobster, and I thought it was a big

Justus found a home with two other children in an abandoned car, its smashed-out windows and floor covered with cardboard fight,” he said. “You have to work for it to get to the meat.” And the taste? “I’m not sure I like it,” he says.

Fresh from a land dominated by two ethnic groups — the majority Hutu and the Tutsi, who died en masse with some moderate Hutu in the 1994 conflict — he says he is delighted by Harvard’s stew of nationalities and lifestyles. He was pleasantly taken aback by the blasé acceptance of openly gay students — “that’s not something we hear about in Rwanda”— and disturbed to find homeless beggars in a nation otherwise so wealthy that “you can’t tell who is rich and who isn’t.”

He says his four suitemates, hailing from Connecticut, Hawaii and spots in between, have helped him adjust to Boston life. But he is still trying to figure out an American culture that is more frenetic and obstreperous than in his homeland.

“People work hard for everything,” he says. “They do things fast, and they move fast. They tell you the truth; they tell you their experiences and their reservations. In Rwanda, we have a different way of talking to adults. We don’t shout. We don’t be rowdy. But here, you think independently.”

Born in rural eastern Rwanda, Uwayesu was only three when his parents, both illiterate farmers, died in a politically driven slaughter that killed some 800,000 people in 100 days. Red Cross workers rescued him with a brother and two sisters — four other children survived elsewhere — and cared for them until 1998, when the growing tide of parentless children forced workers to return them to their village.

They arrived as a drought, and then famine, began to grip their home province.

“I was malnourished,” Uwayesu said. “My brother would tell me, ‘I’m going out to look for food,’ and then he would come back without it. There were times we did not cook the whole day.”

In 2000, young Justus and his brother walked to Kigali, Rwanda’s capital and a city of about one million, in search of food and help. Instead, they wound up at Ruviri, a sprawling garbage dump on the city’s outskirts that was home to hundreds of orphans and herds of pigs.

Justus found a home with two other children in an abandoned car, its smashed-out windows and floor covered with cardboard.

For the next year and a half, he said, all but the search for food and shelter fell by the wayside. “There was no shower, no bathing at all,” he said. “The only thing was to keep something warm for the night, something really warm.”

He learned to spot trucks from hotels and bakeries that carried the tastiest castoffs, and to leap atop them to grab his share before they discharged their loads to less nimble orphans. For days when there was nothing to eat — no trucks came on Sundays, and bigger children claimed most edible garbage — he hoarded food in discarded cooking-oil tins, sunk into trash-fire embers to keep their contents warm.

Uwayesu said he was hobbled in a fall

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RWANDA from one moving trash truck, and once nearly buried alive by a bulldozer pushing mounds of garbage into a pit.

Just 9, he spent nights in terror that a tiger said to roam the dump would attack him (there are no tigers in Africa). In the daytime, begging on the streets, he saw a world that was beyond him. “At noon,” he said, “kids would be coming back from school in their uniforms, running and playing in the road. Sometimes they would call me nayibobo” — literally, forgotten child. “They knew how different we were from them.”

“It was a really dark time, because I couldn’t see a future,” he said. “I couldn’t see how life could be better, or how I could come out of that.”

Purely by chance, Effiong proved the boy’s savior.

The charity that Effiong founded, in New Rochelle, N.Y., Esther’s Aid, decided in 2000 to centre its efforts on helping Rwanda’s throngs of orphans. One Sunday in 2001, after delivering a shipping container of food and clothing, she took a taxi to the dump, spotted a scrum of orphans and, after some conversation, offered to take them to a safe place.

All but Justus refused. “I took him to where I was, cleaned him up, changed his clothes, dressed the wounds on his body and eventually sent him to primary school,” she said. In first grade, he finished at the top of his class.

It was a sign of grades to come: straight A’s in high school, followed by a seat in a senior high school specializing in the sciences.

Uwayesu moved into an orphanage run by Esther’s Aid, then, with two sisters, into the compound where Effiong lives while in Kigali.

Throughout his schooling, he worked at the charity, which since has opened a cooking school for girls and is building a campus for orphans. "My life changed because of her,” he said.

He would not have been able to compete for a spot in an American university without outside help, however. After high school, he applied for and won a seat in a yearlong scholars program, Bridge2Rwanda, run by a charity in Little Rock, Ark., that prepares talented students for the college-application process.

For roughly the past decade, Harvard’s international admissions director has personally scoured Africa for potential applicants each year. Like most top universities, Harvard chooses its freshmen without regard to their ability to pay tuition. But until this year, the Cambridge campus had only one Rwandan student, Juliette Musabeyezu, a sophomore.

No more. Of the 25 or so African applicants who made this year’s cut, three are from Rwanda, including a second Bridge2Rwanda scholar. Not bad for a little country that is home to barely 1 percent of Africa’s billion-plus population. A photograph of Rwanda’s Harvard contingent appears on Musabeyezu’s Facebook page.

BBC ban not the solution

Debate rages as Rwanda partially bans BBC broadcasts over genocide documentary

By Agencies

R

wanda on Oct.24 partially suspended BBC bro adcasts over a controversial documentary on the country’s leadership and the 1994 genocide.

The Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Authority (RURA) said the BBC radio services in the local Kinyarwanda language would be blocked while the affair was investigated, but English and French programmes could continue.

The BBC documentary, "Rwanda’s Untold Story", was broadcast on BBC2 on Oct.1.

It highlighted growing criticism of President Paul Kagame and revived allegations that his Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF) -- then a rebel group, now the ruling political party -- was behind the shooting down of a plane carrying the country’s then Hutu president that triggered the genocide.

"Over the last three weeks, we have received complaints directed at the BBC. These have come from members of the public and civil society, especially genocide survivor organisations. They accuse the BBC of denying the history of 1994 genocide against the Tutsi," RURA official Beata Mukangabo told reporters.

"After reviewing the complaints, RURA has assessed that these accusations are serious enough to warrant the temporary suspension of all BBC Kinyarwanda language programmes while investigations are conducted."

"RURA will investigate the allegations of genocide denial and revisionism (and) the findings of the enquiry will determine further action to be taken," Mukangabo said.

President Kagame told parliament earlier this month that the BBC had chosen to "tarnish Rwandans, dehumanise them" and accused it of "genocide denial".

An estimated 800,000 people, mostly minority Tutsis, were killed in just 100 days by Hutu extremists -- a rate of killing that was far faster than the Holocaust in World War II. Prominent international academics, experts and diplomats have also accused the BBC of being "recklessly irresponsible" by allegedly promoting a revisionist account of the genocide in the documen-

tary, notably by questioning the number of Tutsis who were killed.

The BBC, one of the world’s most popular broadcasters, said the programme in "no way" sought "to downplay or conceal the horrifying events of 1994" and subsequent events.

Earlier on Oct.24, a Rwandan media regulatory body said it opposed calls in Rwanda’s parliament for the BBC’s FM licence to be withdrawn.

The Rwanda Media Commission, an independent body, said the BBC documentary was "insulting" and that the BBC was guilty of "distorting the history of genocide", but added a ban "should not be the solution".

BBC reacts

The BBC has defended its decision to broadcast the documentary, saying it had “a duty” to make the film.

A BBC spokeswoman responded on Oct.24: “The Rwandan genocide raises extremely painful issues but the BBC has a duty to investigate difficult and challenging subjects.

“We believe this programme, which was produced by a BBC current affairs team in London and broadcast in the UK, made a valuable contribution to the understanding of the tragic history of the country and the region.”She said the BBC regretted calls for sanctions against it and criticised the “threat of direct measures against an independent broadcaster” which she described as “inappropriate”.

Rwanda’s minister of Foreign Affairs Louise Mushikiwabo described the documentary as an “attack on Rwanda and its people” and said her government was contemplating taking action against the BBC. She said: “My government reserves the right to respond, on its own timing, in a manner commensurate with the weight of the offence.”

The BBC programme included interviews with American-based researchers who say most of those killed may have been Hutus killed by members of Kagame’s Rwandan Patriotic Front.

It also contained interviews with former aides of Kagame, accusing him of being behind the April 1994 shooting down of a presidential plane that sparked the genocide.

October 24 - 30, 2014

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News analysis

Money problems in Uganda’s Parliament

MPs earn big, but are deep in debt

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By Flavia Nassaka

them are Felix Okot Ogong, Nakato Kyabanji Katusiime, Florence Kintu, and Simon Peter Aleper. All of them earn quite a bit of money and all of them are so deep in debt it has made headlines. Florence Kintu, the MP for Kalungu had her land in Mukono confiscated for failure to clear a Shs300

ash flow equals income minus expenses. Some members of Uganda’s parliament clearly skipped that personal finance management class. Among

million debt and Dokolo MP, Felix Okot Ogong was in July rescued by the High Court when a bank moved to sell off a property he had mortgaged for a Shs1.6 billion loan. Ironically, Okot Ogong who is also a money-lender, had in July 2013 dragged fellow MP Simon Peter Aleper (Moroto) to court over a

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Shs70 million loan. Ogong was charging a loan-shark fee of 5% interest per month.

Other MPs, like Christopher Aciro of Gulu have been accused of misappropriating funds generated by their constituents. In Aciro’ case, he reportedly mismanaged about Shs28 million belonging to 170 savings groups in the Acholi sub-region.

Money troubles are nothing new in parliament but they are worsening. During the induction of the current parliament, the Speaker, Rebecca Kadaga who has been in parliament for over two-decades warned the new MPs to avoid loan sharks. Very few were listening. When reality sunk in a few months later, the MPs demanded a 50% raise in their allowances. But it appears not to have helped. Recently, some MPs from the ruling party appealed to President Yoweri Museveni for a bailout. It failed and the desperate MPs turned to a Chinese firm which offered to buy their debt and offer them better repayment terms. That too was blocked.

Even as the MPs cash flow problems appear not to abate, Kadaga recently threw the MPs to the sharks when she called a press conference to warn that her office would no longer second MPs loan requests to banks.

Rosemary Seninde, the Wakiso Woman MP who sits on the Commission that took the decision defended it. She said the role of Parliament now is to introduce the individual as a legislator. “Beyond that, the relationship remains between an individual and the bank so that upon failure to pay parliament is not to blame.”

Insider information from parliament indicates that Kadaga acted because some MPs, fearing that all their money would be taken by banks, had started asking parliament to post their cheques on different accounts. Some would hide within the precinct of parliament as bailiffs waited outside.

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W s als sti ining ost l b t ai sin | Sc uency c dica r | R hool fees | Me ate g| W W October 24 - 30, 2014

10/28/14 5:30 PM

News analysis

President Yoweri Museveni

Speaker Rebecca Kadaga

No money literacy Gomba Woman MP, Nakato Kyabanji Katusiime is among the unlucky ones. She was on Aug. 26 arrested for failure to repay a Shs100 million debt. Upon her release after paying an instalment of Shs20 million, she blames her constituency for her woes.

“The constituency demands are too high for a mere MP to afford,” she told The Independent in an interview.

But when Daily Monitor newspaper run the story; “Gomba Woman MP sent to jail over debt” on the day she was sent to jail, there was no sympathy in reader comments.

David Luttu said: “This is such a shame.

Just a quick research on Google, our honourable MPs earn about Shs15 million a month, give and take. If at all they spend Shs5 million on work-related stuff… that leaves them with Shs10 million disposable income. This honourable MP should be able to pay this loan with interest in 10 months without causing the rest of us shame…Am sorry but she and others like her do not deserve to enter the gates of parliament.”

Rosemary Seninde

Another reader, Masiga, said: “Talk of broke and reckless parliamentarians. Why borrow such huge money that is beyond your means?”

Sabiitus wrote: “Let her not only be taken to prison but also made to work like others”.

Even fellow MPs, like Serere woman MP Alice Alaso, rubbish the excuse that MPs borrow to fulfil their constituency obligations. She says some MPs, especially new ones, spend extravagantly and live lavishly.

“How can you explain the scenario where one commits his entire salary to attending burials, wedding and paying voters’ school fees? To me, that’s biting more than we can chew and it’s definitely because some of us are financially illiterate”, she argues.

Without financial literacy, some MPs appear unable to understand how money works; including how to earn it, manages it, invest it and spend it. They appear not to know how to make informed and effective decisions with all of their financial resources.

The Parliamentary Commission is aware of this problem and occasionally outsources

experts to talk to the MPs about money.

“Unfortunately these expert chats are one offs yet financial illiteracy has played a bigger part in the members’ indebtedness,” says Alaso.

This has also been noted and, Seninde says, members of the next parliament should be trained quickly to avoid the money troubles that have become common in the 9th parliament.

Equally disturbing is the lack of sympathy for MPs among voters.

A Daily Monitor reader called Rambo possibly summed it up: “This culture of entitlement by MPs should be eradicated.

They are acting with impunity… Let her stay in jail!”

That appears to be the general feeling.

Many people in a country where the average income per month is about Shs80, 000 cannot understand why MPs who appear to earn quite a pile cannot pay their debts.

In reality, the MPs basic salary is just Shs2.6 million per month before tax – just about as much as that of a small time bank officer. But the MPs have other perks; around Shs3.5 million mileage facilitation, Shs3.2 million constituency facilitation, Shs4.5 million subsistence allowance, Shs1 million gratuity, Shs1 million town running, medical allowances, Shs50,000 per committee sitting, and travel facilitation when they go for trips domestic and foreign.

The various allowances make computing an MP’s salary quite confusing even for some of them, but it is generally said that MPs earn between Shs15 million and Shs20 million per month.

Unfortunately, the perks bounty is no assured unless the MPs is street-wise, belongs to the right networks, and knows October 24 - 30, 2014

Issue 341.indd 19

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News analysis how to juggle multiple tasks. Foreign travel is one of the most coveted perks, but it is tightly controlled and used as carrot and stick. You do not get unless you press the right buttons. MP Alice Alaso says “it is embarrassing how MPs pop from meeting to meeting not because they are discussing issues but they are looking for allowances”.

Semujju Nganda (MP Kyadondo East) is more direct: He says the biggest business at parliament is looking for money and that “members reach an extent of going to an event, sign, and rush to another one.” He says the MPs sign for events that happen within the same time.

“They come to meetings without any clue; they just come to pick allowances,” he says. That perhaps explains why the MPs had in their budget proposals for the 2014/15 Financial Year, asked that their salaries and allowance be `consolidated into one package’. The Ministry of Finance knocked down the proposal because it would raise the wage bill by 30%. Unofficially, however, many recognise that giving MPs financial stability amounts to throwing away the executive’s carrot and stick. Not a good idea.

Fake prosperity

But the misperception of the MPs true worth persists because some MPs have managed to navigate their complex financial lives without much trouble. The prosperous façade of a few fools many as it glosses over the indebted many. Unfortunately, those taken in by the façade of prosperity include the MPs themselves, their voters, and the banks.

It starts in the beginning when, at the start of each five year term, the MPs; new and old, are given a motor vehicle allowance. For the current MPs, that was Shs103 million each tax free. An average Fourwheel SUV favoured by most MPs goes for about Shs50 million. The balance goes into acquiring a new wardrobe befitting their new status. Next comes a change in lifestyle; including acquiring a new, large and modern mansion in the city.

The banks proper may shun them, but private money lenders are on hand to help.

They easily give loans of Shs100 million and over. With the new SUV, city mansion, and cash in the bag, the fake new make-over is in place.

It is not surprising, therefore, that in spite of the well document troubles, to be a member of parliament is one of the most attractive jobs in Uganda.

Contenders usually start laying strategies for winning the next election immediately after an election. This is what exactly took place in Fort Portal Municipality when Alex Ruhunda won the parliamentary seat in 2011. As early as 2012, aspirants started moving around the villages, meeting voters in markets, mosques, and churches and 20

Issue 341.indd 20

making campaign promises. With such pressure on the MP; that someone is eyeing their seat, the incumbent MPs never go out of campaign mode and the spending that goes with it.

Richard Mugisa, a village opinion leader at Bukwali village in East Division, Fort Portal Municipality says Ruhunda is quite a common figure in the constituency. Mugisa says apart from building for each homestead an energy saving stove, the legislator has made financial contributions to the Buk-

MPs trouble starts when, instead of presenting issues to the electorate, they hoodwink them by buying them sugar, paying fees, attending burials, and weddings

wali Youth Creative Club, a youth Savings and Credit Cooperative (SACCO).

Awidah Kabagenyi from Kagote, another village in West Division, is also among those who have enjoyed Ruhunda’s generosity.

Kabagenyi says, as their patron in Nikisoboka SACCO, Ruhunda “fills in the gaps whenever some money is needed”.

In addition to that, the legislator is defined by many in the constituency as one of their own because he stands with them in both moments of joy and sorrow, in parties and at funerals. The voters expect it of every MP and they do not care how much it costs the MP. After, they say, MPs are wealthy.

Nobody asks the important questions: If they are as wealthy as is claimed, why are so many MPs so deep in debt? What needs to be done about it? Why do so many people who should know better choose to lead a high expenses lifestyle well-knowing they have very little income?

Dr. Apollo Karugaba, who represented Fort Portal Municipality in parliament 15 years ago, says MPs’ indebtedness started

with the popularisation of the “politics of money”. “During our time, the electorate didn’t look at us as money churning machines and yet MPs were not as greedy as some portray themselves today. Both parties focused on constituency development”.

The Leader of Opposition, Wafula Oguttu, agrees. He says MPs trouble starts when, instead of presenting issues to the electorate, they hoodwink them by buying them sugar, paying fees, attending burials, and weddings. “In 2011, I won an election without buying a single kilogram of sugar for any voter. Those who asked for tea, I advised them to try my opponents,” he told The Independent.

Emmanuel Dombo, the Bunyole East MP who has been in the House since 1996 also says indebtedness is a problem faced by “amateurs who are excited and at the same time scared that when they don’t wash their electorate with money, they’ll be kicked out”. Dombo insists that in addition to money management lessons for MPs reviving meaningful Constituency Development Fund (CDF) is necessary. The CDF meant to facilitate legislators’ constituency work was erased upon misuse by some parliamentarians. “After spending millions in campaigns, some members went to parliament while already in a deficit. All that was on their minds was to make money to clear their debts. It’s no wonder that such members keep bothering the speaker requesting for travel opportunities so they can get bigger allowances”.

Prof. Sabiti Makara, a political scientist at Makerere University says the MPs money troubles are because voters have understood that the idea of politicians representing people is something just theoretical.

“Now that people have learnt that MPs represent themselves, they keep demanding for money and favours from them,” he says.

He says the electorate only benefits when MPs are invited to fundraising events in the villages.

Makara says being indebted should not be a problem but the MPs could be borrowing in the wrong way.

“Politicians and other professionals worldwide are also indebted but they do it through good means from banks not from loan sharks who ask for exorbitant interests as it is here,” he says.

Considering their kind of obligations, the professor says MPs have to look for other monies to complement salary.

Makara, however, predicts that the next parliament is likely to have worse money problems. “It will be a `yes sir parliament’ full of youths, they are terrible opportunists.

They’ll do anything for money and whatever the president will say; they’ll just be nodding in approval”. But that too is unlikely to help, unless the MPs learn to better manage their cash flow.

October 24 - 30, 2014

10/28/14 5:30 PM

THE REPUBLIC OF UGANDA

MINISTRY OF WORKS AND TRANSPORT 10th Joint Transport Sector Review

H.E. YOWERI K. MUSEVENI The President of The Republic of Uganda

ENG. ABRAHAM JAMES BYANDALA Minister of Works and Transport

ENG. JOHN BYABAGAMBI Minister of State for Works & Transport (WORKS)

DR. STEPHEN CHEBROT Minister of State for Works & Transport (TRANSPORT)

MR. ALEX B. OKELLO Permanent Secretary Ministry of Works & Transport

‘Increasing private sector participation in transport to promote economic growth’

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Introduction: he Ministry of Works and Transport this year held the 10th Joint Transport Sector Review on October 23 and 24 under the theme; ‘Increasing private sector participation in transport to promote economic growth’. The Ministry of Works and Transport (MoWT) plans, develops and maintains an economic efficient and effective transport services

by Road, Rail, Water and Air. Uganda’s transport sector is critical in the growth of the national economy as it facilitates domestic and international trade, contributes to national integration and cohesion and provides access to employment, health, education and other essential social and economic facilities. The transportation effectiveness, appropriateness and adequacy contributes a great deal to the successful implementation of the National Development Plan (NDP), and lowers the domestic production costs through timely delivery and enhances the economies of scale in the production processes.

The National Development plan (NDP) prioritises the investment in roads, railway, water and air transport sub-sectors, recognising that transport infrastructure, and in particular that of roads is insufficient to facilitate sig-

Issue 341.indd 21

nificant productivity growth within the agricultural sector. Further, road infrastructure and network must be available not only on the main road network (National Roads) but on the connecting

rural and urban roads too, as the community roads that serve the remotest villages and individual firms.

Heads of State commission the standard gauge railway from Munyonyo.

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Interview

URA must collect more money, says new boss On Oct.27, Finance Minister Maria Kiwanuka announced the appointment of Doris Akol as new Commissioner General of Uganda Revenue Authority. The Independent’s Julius Businge alongside other journalists attended a mini-press briefing with Akol at the Authority’s headquarters in Kampala.

Who is Doris Akol and how did you feel when you were appointed to that position? oris is 44 years old and is a professional trained lawyer. I have been serving as the Commissioner for Legal and Board Affairs for the last three years. I have worked in URA for the last 19 years. In addition I have served on the management team for the last nine years. I have just graduated from URA’s in-house leadership programme fired up for excellent leadership. From

D

this I expect to draw most of my leadership skills to this new task. I studied at Makerere Law School finishing in 1993. I have won several local and international legal awards.

In 2008 I was the winner of the institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (ICSA) Ralph Bell Prize. I am the recipient of the Uganda Law Society’s Best Female In-house Lawyer of the year 2014. I am also a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators UK and a member of the Uganda Law Society and East African Law Society. I also worked as a legal consultant at PriceWaterHouseCoopers, Kampala office. I also have two Masters of Law from Makerere University and from a University in Canada. I also have a Post Graduate Diploma in Finance Management among other qualifications.

I am privileged to take over from someone who has done a good job. She has set a bar to a level where we are challenged and indeed we will raise the bar even higher. Allen has set a good foundation because of her excellent leadership over the 10 year period. We have seen URA rise from glory to glory. My role now is to build on that platform, make it even more solid and build on it so that our role in URA which is a national fundraising effort will be able to deliver in line with our mandate to the level where this country is able to fully fund its recurrent and development budget.

How are you going to achieve that?

We are going to perfect our client service platforms. URA is a clientcentric organisation and a lot of emphasis will be put on making our services more reachable to people to enable everyone that

22

Issue 341.indd 22

is willing and able to pay their taxes to do so.

So a lot of focus is going to be placed on information, tax education, and also creating a perfect client platform to enable compliance for those who are willing to comply. On the other hand we shall also strengthen our emphasis on enforcement of compliance because we know there is a lot of uncollected revenue there that must come in. This we will do even without having to introduce too many tax handles.

Some of this revenue we will collect by helping some people to comply. We would like to ensure that all our clients are provided with solutions that are appropriate to their segment.

Large tax payers will have their client service platform. We will also have small and micro taxpayers. We will also look at the segment that is not served so we bring it onboard with ease and without pain.

What major new areas are you going to focus on?

I would think at this point rather than introduce new areas; we need to reinforce the foundation that has already been built. We have significant mileage to cover on reinforcing what we have in order for the platforms and the programmes that we have started to come to completion. In trying to expand the tax base we are going to put a lot of emphasis on formalising the informal sector.

What three major things did you learn from Allen Kagina?

I have learnt humility, decisiveness, and I have learnt how to be a good leader.

Many of us thought a man would be appointed to that position this time around. But Madam Akol you have been chosen. What does this mean to the women out there?

This is a pertinent question indeed. For the women out there I would like them to know that it is very fulfilling to work as a woman and as a professional. I would like to tell them that they can live their lives to their fullest potential. There is no barrier that can stop a woman from achieving what they want. The barriers that are there are only in our minds.

Once we realise that we can do very well, the sky is not even the limit. Allen Kagina and myself have shown that if you are focused, put your heart to it and if you challenge yourself, you can achieve a lot. I would also like to encourage even the young girls to have confidence in whatever they do. To all of you, who have girls; please give them the confidence, the opportunity so they can excel in different areas of their interest.

October 24 - 30, 2014

10/28/14 5:30 PM

Interview

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Health research

opportunities, challenges The Medical Research Council (MRC), a body under the Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI), is this year marking 25 years of operations in Uganda. Prof. Pontiano Kaleebu, the director, spoke to Flavia Nassaka about the current state of medical / health research in the country.

Briefly, what is MRC’s background and what does it do?

W

hen HIV/Aids was identified in the early 1980s, the disease spread very fast in different populations. Unfortunately there was political instability in the country at the time, therefore not much was done about it. But when the NRM came to power in 1986, the government became open about the epidemic and invited international institutions to come and help the population understand what was happening. That’s how the MRC came to be established in Uganda in 1989 after the MRC in UK signed a memorandum of understanding with the government of Uganda through the Ministry of Health. Initially, our work focused exclusively on HIV but in the past four years we’ve been diversifying into other areas especially noncommunicable diseases and viruses.

Why is medical research important for the health sector in particular and national development in general?

We need a healthy population to be productive and its’ the health sector’s role to ensure we have a healthy population. In order to do this we need to understand health problems in our communities and the best ways to control and manage them, and this is where research comes in. The understanding of the disease burden, how diseases arise and are spread, the development of new or better medical interventions including treatments, diagnostics, vaccines and other prevention approaches among others would not happen without health research.

Different countries have different research needs.

The field of medical research is still a huge challenge for developing countries like Uganda. Why? It’s because research especially in Uganda is largely funded by international players; funding from the government is still minimal. A lot of medical research was done in the 1950s at Mulago Hospital on cancers and malnutrition and for a long time Uganda has recognized the importance of medical research, but this has not been matched with funding. This is partly because Uganda has a lot of other priorities to focus on including maternal health and nutrition. Research is still a bit far off though am sure the government considers it a priority because the President himself has been advocating science education.

What major challenges has MRC encountered over the years?

We want to do more than the available funding allows. Although

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Health we’ve been reasonably funded by the MRC in UK, they give us just part of the budget.

The other one is human capacity. We don’t have many trained researchers so we keep on training. We’ve not filled that gap that’s why you find in some areas we still have foreign researchers.

What steps has MRC taken in order to overcome these challenges?

We have middle level scientists in Uganda who are leading research. We are training both at Masters and PhD levels.

Of recent one of our models has been to train PhDs locally because when we take our scientists abroad sometimes they may not come back but when they do it here, there’s retention. Even when we send them for studies abroad, we make sure that their research projects are done locally.

What would you consider to be the key highlights of your journey as an organization in the last 25 years?

We have been very active in describing the HIV epidemic. At the beginning no body understood how the virus was spread, what the disease processes were, how the disease progressed. Indeed, science has benefited a lot from our research since its from this that they make appropriate diagnosis.

We’ve done a lot in creating awareness. In the past people were worried about insects like mosquitoes infecting them with HIV but we proved to them that the disease is basically spread through sexual intercourse.

We have also participated in studies that eliminate HIV like HI-vaccine trials and microbicide trials but we’ve also tried to understand the viruses themselves at molecular level by identifying how they respond to treatment and how they can be ruled out.

I understand MRC has organized HIV/ Aids research into five programmes. What have you achieved from these?

We are part of MRC UK, which has units and we are considered a unit. Within units we have programmes that have a common objective. For instance the HIV prevention

and epidemiology programme focuses on anti-retroviral research, vaccine research and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases.

The social science programme looks at structural drivers of the epidemic, HIV within the different life courses, and what social challenges are faced at different stages of life of a HIV positive individual.

The other programmes are HIV care that unifies research projects designed to improve the comprehensive care of people infected with HIV, Basic Science that conducts research that contributes to a better understanding of virological, immunological and genetic factors required for the development of effective therapeutic interventions against HIV, and finally the co-infection programme that focuses on interactions between infectious and noncommunicable diseases.

The social science programme looks at structural drivers of the epidemic, HIV within the different life courses, and what social challenges are faced at different stages of life of a HIV positive individual

The 2015 global target for achieving MDGs to which combating HIV is Goal Six is around the corner. As a major stakeholder, what is your assessment of Uganda’s performance on this target?

It’s true that some countries have already hit the target. In Uganda, some people are saying the end of the epidemic is around the corner but we are saying no. There are many things that we haven’t understood.

Modern sensibility

There are key populations that we’ve neglected, there are messages that we have neglected and people are changing behaviors.

We have done studies on circumcision but only a few people are responding to the campaigns. Though condoms are available, some people still risk having live sex. As stakeholders we need to look for all ways of ruling out misconceptions about research and public messages but its unfortunate that we won’t meet the MDG target.

What’s your take on the Ebola and Marburg epidemics especially about the response of the international community?

Ebola has gone to countries that were not prepared. The people themselves didn’t believe it was Ebola and resorted to superstition, and international bodies only came in late. We should also appreciate the fact that the strain of Ebola in West Africa is quite powerful with high mortality.

Uganda has done well in countering such fevers through learning experiences and we’ve now come up with quick remedies.

We have set up laboratories for quick diagnosis unlike a few years ago when we had to send samples elsewhere yet the fever spreads very fast. We have isolation units and the population has been taught to look at the symptoms and report any suspected cases - something that the West Africans have failed to do.

Where do you see MRC in the next few years?

HIV will continue being a major area of focus for research but this time differently.

HIV has changed in the way that some people are on treatment and they are living longer. Treatment itself has its own side effects yet living longer with HIV also has its own problems. So there’s a lot to research about as regards this as well as coming up with an HIV vaccine.

We’ll also increase efforts in tackling noncommunicable diseases given the increased unhealthy practices whereby people eat too much junk food and are not physically fit.

Biplous Touch

Plot 82, Kira Road, Bukoto, Plot 62, Kampala Road, P.O Box 2876, Kampala - Uganda Tel: +256 414 233 611, +256 312 262 801,0414 223 504 | Fax: +256 312 262 802, +256 414 314 048, www.biplous.com

October 24 - 30, 2014

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New Arrivals

Dining

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Health

New polio vaccine coming Progress made on immunisation but maternal, child health lagging

By Flavia Nassaka

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tarting next year, the Ministry of Health is to introduce a new polio vaccine for children, according to the Uganda National Expanded Programme on Immunisation (UNEPI) Programme Director, Dr Robert Mayanja.

Dr Mayanja was speaking to The Independent about a new report; `Vaccination coverage in Uganda’ when he revealed the new plans.

He said children will be receiving the polio vaccine inform of an injection other than the oral vaccination which has had adverse effects on children with weak immune systems.

He said the oral vaccine introduced in the 1980s has been found to expose children with weak immunities to Vaccine- derived Polio rather than protecting them.

“The new injectable vaccine called Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV) consists of inactivated polio virus strains so its use reduces the risk of paralysis involved with use of live strains contained in the oral vaccine,” he said.

Dr Mayanja said the move is in an effort to sustain this progress made to achieve the target of 100% coverage of immunisation services.

The World Health Organisation has set 2018 as a target for achieving 100% coverage of immunisation services but an estimated 21.8 million infants worldwide are still not being reached by routine immunisation services. Most of these children are from developing countries.

Uganda is on track to achieve the target, according to a report released by the Ministry of Health.

The report titled `Annual Health Sector Performance 2013/14’ says the country has sustained high levels of immunisation coverage. The percentage vaccination coverage in 2013 for DPT3, OPV3, Measles, and Tetanus in pregnant women was 97%, 100%, 97% and 56% respectively.

The percentage of children less than one year immunised against diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, hepatitis B and influenza type B now stands at 93% from 87% in 2012/2013.

Dr Mayanja said they have improved coverage 26

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by making available from the lower Health Center IIIs up to referral hospitals.

Regarding maternal and child health, the report indicates that virtually all pregnant women attend antenatal care at least once (95%) but only 31% attended four visits as

For maternal deaths, the reports cites abortion, uterine rapture, pregnancy related hypertension, and bleeding as the leading causes at 10%, 14%, 15% and 36% respectively

recommended. This is below the 55% target set by Health Sector Strategic and Investment Plan (HSSIP) by 2015. Also, deliveries in health facilities achieved 44 % instead of 65%. Maternal deaths were reported in 78 hospitals, a total of 449 deaths were recorded giving an average of 5.8 deaths per hospital.

Maternal mortality, therefore, remains at 438 per 100,000 live births.

Whereas infant mortality rate remains at 54 per 1000 live births and the under-five mortality rate at 90 per 1000 live births, the HSSIP target for 2015 is 41 per 1000 live births while the under-five mortality target is 56 per1000 live births.

For maternal deaths, the reports cites abortion, uterine rapture, pregnancy related hypertension, and bleeding as the leading causes at 10%, 14%, 15% and 36% respectively.

The Minister of State for Health in charge of General Duties, Dr Elioda Tumwesigye, said the government is investing in maternal and child health in the next one year to reduce the soaring maternal and infant mortality rates.

Dr Tumwesigye said, to reduce deaths, the ministry is using various strategies including increasing access to skilled attendance at birth, so that complications during pregnancy are detected and managed in a timely manner, embracing family planning and effective antenatal care.

“Effective antenatal care has the potential to prevent, detect, and treat problems such as malaria, anemia, HIV/AIDS, and other infections, which are important indirect causes of maternal deaths,” he said.

The same report highlights that most health facilities in the country are still operating below standards, lack key personnel, like doctors, and anesthetists. There has, however, been an increase in access to medicines and other health supplies.

Up to 42% of Health Center IIs have a staffing deficit of 60%, Health Center IIIs and IVs 9% and general hospitals 10%.

Currently over 16, 000 posts in public facilities need to be filled. Of these, health centre IIs need over 7000, Mulago national referral hospital needs 581, and regional referral hospitals need 924 health cadres.

Moroto is the most understaffed referral hospital with 59% of the positions vacant followed by Mubende with 45%.

October 24 - 30, 2014

10/28/14 5:31 PM

NATIONAL WATER & SEWERAGE CORPORATION

REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST FOR DEVELOPMENT OF A 7MW POWER PLANT AT NWSC – GABA WATER WORKS – KAMPALA (UNDER A PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP ARRANGEMENT) Assignment Title: Development of a7MW Power Plant at NWSC – Gaba Water Works in Kampala – Uganda, Procurement Reference No: NWSC-HQ/SRVCS/2014-2015/160054 1. National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) is planning the development and operation of a power plant at NWSC’s Gaba Water Works Complex in Kampala through a Public Private Partnership (PPP) venture as provided for in the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets (PPDPA) Act and the PPP policy.

2. National Water and Sewerage Corporation is a public corporation wholly owned by the Government of Uganda (GoU). As provided for in the NWSC Act (Cap 317, Laws of Uganda), NWSC is mandated to provide water and sewerage services in the large urban centres, gazetted to it, on a commercially viable basis. As of June 2014, the Corporation was responsible for water and sewerage services in 66 towns in Uganda including the capital city – KampalaKampala is NWSC’s biggest service area and accounts for about 70% of NWSC’s turn over and volume of operations.

3. One of the main operational challenges faced by NWSC is the high energy cost incurred for water production and transmission. The energy cost currently accounts for up to 35% of the total operating expenditure. This cost has been progressively increasing and affects the Corporation’s operating margin as well asthe ability to and goal of providing funds for services expansion.

4. The water supply for the Greater Kampala Water Supply Service Area (KWSSA) is from Gaba Water Works Complex in Kampala. Gaba Water Works Complex consists of three water treatment plants, i.e. Gaba I, Gaba II and Gaba III, with a combined design production capacity of 220,000 m3/d.

The current capacity utilization is about 80% and there are ongoing rehabilitation projects aimed at restoring the practical capacity to match the design capacity. The current total monthly energy consumption at Gaba Complex ranges between 5million to 5.5million KWH with the maximum KVA registered for Gaba III in the range of 3500KVA. 5. NWSC is pursuing ways of reducing the energy cost for its water production and transmission in Gaba Water Works Complex and wishes to use Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) as a mechanism for procuring and financing the proposed power plant for NWSC’s Gaba Water Works Complex to be delivered on a Design, Build, Operate and Finance (DBOF) basis over a 20-Yr period. The proposed power plant at Gaba Complex should provide adequate power for water production and transmission in Gaba at a lower tariff compared to the tariffs for the grid power.

6. NWSC now invites eligible Companies or Consortia to take part in a two (2) stage tender process; to express interest in the “Development of a 7MW Power Plant at NWSC – Gaba Water Works Complex – Kampala, Uganda” under a DBOF PPP arrangement for a 20-Yr period.

7. The Expressions of Interest (EOIs) will be evaluated in accordance with Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Act, 2003 of the Government of Uganda. The Request for Expression of Interest is open to all eligible bidders. The shortlisting criteria will include but not be limited to the following: a.

A demonstration of technical expertise and track record with regard to designing, building, operating and financing power plants under PPP arrangements. Companies can associate in order to meet this requirement. Bidders should provide evidence of a minimum of threesuccessful projects undertaken, each with a value of not less than USD 30million. In case of an association, the bidder will be required to state,in the EOI, the type of association. b. A demonstration of technical expertise and track record in successfully designing, building, operating and financing environmentally sustainable and acceptable power plants based on renewable energy sources. c.

A demonstration of ability to successfully design and build cost effective power plants with capacities in range of 7MW, using minimum land requirements and with competitive power purchasing rates/tar-

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d. e.

iffs. Bidders shall be required to state in their EOIs, the indicative land requirement for developing a 7MW power plant in NWSC-Gaba Water Works Complex. Bidders should note that the land indicatively available at Gaba for development of the power plant is only one (01) acre.

Bidders should also note that NWSC currently pays for grid power at a tariff equivalent to =USD 0.16/KWH=; and the proposed power plant at Gaba should result into power purchase rates that do not exceed 70% of the grid power tariff over the 20-yr PPP duration.

A demonstration of ability to finance or obtain financing for the investment required.

Financial Capability

a.

The Bidder shall submit Audited Financial Statements (or its equivalent) for the last three (3) years to demonstrate the current soundness of the bidder’s financial position (financial statements must be audited by a certified accountant) b. The Bidder shall indicate its Annual Turnover in US$ over the last three (3) years. c. The Bidder shall demonstrate its ability to mobilize the required financing by indicating the following: i.

Magnitude of financing to be raised by the Bidder and; ii. Proven experience in organizing this type financing; - Evidence should be provided e.g. previous financial recommendations from financiers. iii. References/Recommendations from lenders or potential financiers. f.

The Bidder’s eligibility information. The following documents shall be required. i.

Copy of Certificate of Registration/Incorporation or equivalent ii. Articles of Association/Documents of constitution and registration to demonstrate legal capacity iii. In case of Joint Venture (JV), letter of intent to form JV or JV agreements.

8. Successful firms from this Expression of Interest (EOI) will be invited to respond to a request for Proposal (RFP).

9.

Interested bidders may obtain further information at the address indicated in No. 12 below during office hours [from 08:00 to 17:00 hours].

10. Expressions of Interest (One original plus two copies) must be delivered in a written form to the address indicated in No. 12 below. The packages must be clearly marked, “Expression of Interest for Development of a 7MW Power Plant at NWSC-Gaba Water Works – Kampala” 11. Written Expressions of Interest must be delivered to the address indicated in No. 12 below by 11:00 hours (11:00a.m.) on December 10, 2014. Late submissions shall be rejected.

12. The NWSC address for obtaining further information and for submission of the EOIs is: The Manager Procurement National Water and Sewerage Corporation Plot No. 43, 6th Street, Industrial Area, Kampala P.O. Box 7053 Kampala, Uganda Tel: 256-414-315800/256-414-315801 Email: procurement@nwsc.co.ug 13.

The planned procurement schedule (subject to changes) is as follows:

Activity / Milestone

Planned Due Date

Invitation for EOIs

October 27, 2014

EOI submission Deadline

December 10, 2014

Evaluation processcompleted January 8, 2015 October 24 February - 30, 2014 6, 2015 Issuing Request for Proposal

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10/28/14 5:31 PM

Comment

By Catherine K. Nabasirye

Sex, cars and lawyers

Some lessons from the recently decided Nsenga case

S

ex can change everything. Jackline Uwera Nsenga, 36, was on 23 September 2014 convicted and sentenced to 20 years in prison for the murder of her husband Juvenal Nsenga, 48. According to the trial judge His Lordship Duncan Gaswaga, “the convict had not enjoyed her marriage especially in the last ten or so years. This was a family matter that went out of hand.” Among other marital problems, court was informed that couple did not sleep in the same bed though they lived in the same house. They did not greet each other nor discuss or do things together as husband and wife.

It appears that there was a rivalry love triangle where Jackie Uwera was competing with one Loretta Umutoni, 27, for the love of Juvenal Nsenga (deceased). Loretta was Mr. Nsenga’s niece. She was orphaned at an early age and raised by the Nsengas since 2001. Sometime in 2011, Uwera became uncomfortable with Loretta’s continued stay at home and asked her to leave. This was after she noticed that Loretta had become an insolent child who dressed skimply around her husband and often refused to greet or obey her. To make matters worse, Uwera intercepted an SMS text sent to Loretta by the deceased reading “I don’t hate you, I am just a little bit tired, I love you.”

Twelve days before Nsenga’s untimely death, Uwera was shocked to find Loretta back at the house. A frank discussion ensued among the three. Uwera reportedly said in an angry tone, “By the way I am capable of doing very many things that I myself am scared of the length I can go.”

These are words she wishes to take back right now because court did not take them lightly in convicting her.

The lesson to take from this is not new.

The English playwright and poet William Congreve (1670-1729) left us an eternal reminder: “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.” Sex is a huge requirement in a marriage, and there is a lot of damage that can come from its absence.

Cars

How well do you know your car? Personally I don’t know much about cars but what I am sure of is this: a car cannot automatically accelerate when “in parking” unless you move it to “drive”. Ms. Nsenga testified that on the fateful night, she drove a Toyota Mark X. She parked it at the home gate, got out and rang the doorbell twice. This clearly implies that she must have left the car in 28

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“parking” or “neutral”. How then could she have accidentally stepped on the accelerator pedal causing the car to “jerk”? Does this make any sense to any of you who, like Ms. Nsenga, have driven for eleven years?

However, I have heard that some people mistakenly press down hard on the “accelerator” pedal instead of the “brake” pedal hence causing accidents. While an anomaly of this kind might have been the cause of death of Uwera’s husband of nineteen years, she did not know enough about her car to convince the trial judge. The lesson we should take from this is that all drivers, regardless of gender, are accountable for the actions of their cars.

Lawyers

Having read 698 pages of the testimony recorded by the High Court in the Nsenga case, one truth is inescapable. On January 10, 2013 at about 9:45pm, only two people Juvenal Nsenga and his wife Jackie Uwera Nsenga - were at that green gate that kept out strangers from their matrimonial home located at Plot 6 Muzindaro Road in Bugolobi. It is not known whether they talked before the incident. So how did our learned friends arrive at the conclusion that Uwera had the intention to kill her husband when he came to open the gate?

Ms. Nsenga’s lawyers (all male) argued that what happened on that fateful night was a deeply regrettable accident but court rejected that story and chose to believe evidence adduced by the prosecution lawyers (all female) in support of Juvenal Nsenga’s dying declaration (his last words before he died). In my view, what we learn from Justice Gaswaga’s analysis is that malice aforethought (intention to kill) may be deduced or inferred from circumstances surrounding the killing in question. For instance, the accumulation of mistrust, hatred, frustration and threats in a marriage over a period of ten years can result in the formation of a tinderbox which may constitute the bedrock of intention to kill one’s spouse.

This should make us all deeply concerned that by sleeping in separate bedrooms and indulging in other mundane beefs one may become the first suspect if, God forbid, anything happened to one’s spouse.

From a strictly feminist lawyer’s perspective, I am disappointed by the weak and unimpressive mitigation conducted on behalf of Ms. Nsenga. Mitigation is that phase of a murder trial after pronouncement of a conviction where the convict is

given a chance to provide reasons why he or she should receive a lenient sentence.

With proper mitigation, I believe Nsenga could have gotten a lesser sentence than the twenty years imprisonment to which she was condemned.

At the end of the ten-week marathon trial, Justice Gaswaga held the firm and carefully considered view that the Nsengas had lived an estranged life. Yet Uwera and her lawyers downplayed the seriousness of the situation by referring to the chronic, grave and excruciating problems of the Nsenga marriage as “mere challenges”. This was plainly bad mitigation strategy because the trial judge had offered them an olive branch by finding that all these problems had had “a negative impact on Uwera’s life”.

She was the victim of unrequited love in a scornful love triangle between her husband and foster child. The inability of the scorned lover to express and fulfill emotional needs may lead to feelings such as depression, low self-esteem, anxiety, and rapid mood swings between depression and euphoria. I submit that the above feelings characterised Uwera’s state of mind on the fateful night.

Given that justice must be tempered with mercy for scorned lovers and other persons implicated in crimes of passion. In my view, the appropriate sentence for Jackie would have been ten years imprisonment. And if she had pleaded guilty to manslaughter or even murder at the beginning of the trial, she could easily have gotten at most six years imprisonment.

Unfortunately, Uwera’s lawyers gave their mitigation as follows: that she is a first-time offender, who has two children and had been taking care of them by the time she was remanded, and so on and so forth. They also wasted time and resources arguing a futile point at the eleventh hour that there is no prescribed penalty for murder; a clearly erroneous view of the decision of the Supreme Court of Uganda in Susan Kigula versus Attorney General.

In that case, the Supreme Court explained that trial judges had discretion whether to issue a death sentence or imprisonment as the penalty for murder. It follows therefore that the best use of a lawyer’s services after conviction is to make a spirited and exhaustive mitigation but, unfortunately, this was not done for Ms. Nsenga.

Ms. Catherine K. Nabasirye is a research assistant at Legal Brains Trust kkatabazi19@gmail.com

October 24 - 30, 2014

10/28/14 5:31 PM

Comment

By Abdul Tejan-Cole

The end of Ebola

The world needs a flexible, adaptive, ethical, and transparent approach to treatment and prevention

T

he Ebola epidemic is threatening not only West Africans’ lives, but also the progress toward democracy, economic growth, and social integration that Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea have made in the last decade. In order to protect their achievements, the three countries’ governments, which comprise the Mano River Union, must buttress their response to the current epidemic with a coordinated strategy to prevent future outbreaks.

But they cannot do it alone. Though several experimental treatments and at least two candidate vaccines had been in development when Ebola emerged unexpectedly early this year, progress had stalled well before any were deemed ready to be tested in humans. After all, clinical research to assess the safety and effectiveness of new drugs and vaccines can happen only during an epidemic.

As health workers labour tirelessly to care for those who have been infected, monitor those who may have come in contact with the virus, and prevent further transmission, researchers have a limited window of opportunity to learn how to treat and prevent the disease. In order to accelerate progress, governance of the clinical trials must be transparent, and all knowledge about the disease, including developments regarding potential treatments and vaccines, must be shared openly – imperatives that will require strong public-health leadership in both the Mano River countries and the developed world.

The good news is that some progress is being made, with several vaccine clinical trials already underway. Moreover, with support from the World Health Organisation, at least one international platform for clinical trials has been created to assess the safety and efficacy of experimental Ebola treatments, as well as to establish scientific and ethical standards of care.

Unfortunately, these efforts lack adequate involvement by West African researchers, clinicians, health workers, and health officials. Running clinical trials under the auspices of affected countries’ health ministries and the WHO – with full transparency in terms of processes and outcomes – would enable the relevant authorities to make timely and informed decisions regarding which treatments and vaccines to investigate further and when

In the meantime, these concerns underscore the need for public-health officials to be involved in monitoring and coordinating clinical trials, and for improved informationsharing among experts and affected countries. to deploy them.

The fight against infectious diseases like Ebola is one that affects everyone. In order to succeed, we must capitalise on the expertise of individuals and groups that have been quietly, diligently, and independently studying such diseases. They must share with those at the front lines of the battle information about diseases’ natural history, modes of transmission, and risk factors, as well as preclinical data on – and clinical responses to – experimental treatments.

At the same time, more scientific expertise must be devoted to analyzing the shared data and providing new ideas about prevention and treatment. If researchers are not coming forward on their own, health ministries and organisations must develop strategies to attract them – and fast. We need as many ideas as possible.

To be sure, such an “open source” approach is not standard practice in pharmaceutical research and development. But the current crisis has laid bare the inadequacy of the prevailing approach.

In fact, the current Ebola epidemic is not the first public-health disaster to highlight the failings of the existing system. Pharmaceutical companies have been reluctant to make the antiretroviral medications used to treat HIV/AIDS available in a cost-effective manner for public-health use. With business interests dictating global pharmaceutical priorities, developing countries consistently lose out – with devastating consequences.

In any public-health crisis – especially one like the current Ebola outbreak – potential profits cannot guide drug development or deployment. As soon as a vaccine or treatment is deemed suitable for implementation, it must be made available in large quantities, to be administered quickly to citizens at no cost to them.

Of course, transparent clinical trials and open-data platforms raise legitimate ethical and intellectual-property concerns.

Compassionate drug use (the provision of experimental drugs in urgent circumstances) remains controversial. And, given the high cost of R&D, pharmaceutical companies are naturally concerned about competitors reverse-engineering their drugs.

But these longstanding concerns should not be allowed to impede efforts to address the immediate threat that Ebola poses. Instead, the current crisis should reinvigorate debate about these issues, with the goal of refining the balance between public-health and business interests and thereby improving the global response to future crises.

In the meantime, these concerns underscore the need for public-health officials to be involved in monitoring and coordinating clinical trials, and for improved information-sharing among experts and affected countries. An open-data platform would facilitate discussion of the social value of clinical research and the associated ethical dilemmas.

Time is of the essence. The world needs a flexible, adaptive, ethical, and transparent approach to treatment and prevention that allows for rapid decision-making in the development phase and effective coordination in the deployment phase.

The countries affected by today’s devastating Ebola epidemic will undoubtedly feel its impact for years to come.

With strong public-health leadership and effective coordination in the fight against infectious disease, people in West Africa – indeed, the entire world – would be able to rest assured that another resurgence of Ebola was not just around the corner.

Abdul Tejan-Cole is Executive Director of the Open Society Initiative for West Africa.

October 24 - 30, 2014

Issue 341.indd 29

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A

By Julius Businge ll commercial banks in Uganda are silently grappling with the challenge of massive identity theft and fraud but the authorities will rarely get to know about it and you will rarely hear about it in the news. This is because they are also keen on presenting a positive image to the public for fear of losing customers. Specifically, EFT, ATM, and checkbook fraud has proved a hard nut to crack for most banks, which continue to lose money in the region of millions of dollars per year. The common means by which fraud is committed include hacking into information systems, robberies, card skimming, electronic file manipulation, and IT controls circumvention, among others.

Indeed, according to the Deloitte 2013 Financial Crimes Survey report, Uganda loses between $1 million - $10 million annually through bank fraud, while Kenya and Tanzania lose more than $10 million, each annually. Uganda, however, tops the list of fraud cases perpetuated through cheques, with 50% of cheque-related fraud reported to be happening in Uganda compared to Kenya’s 44% and Tanzania’s 14%. The country also leads in mortgage and accounting and financial statements fraud. These figures could spike if financial services providers fail to put in place strong security controls to curb the vice. Top financial servicers stakeholders gathered in Kampala under their umbrella organization, the Uganda Bankers Association (UBA) on Oct. 20-22 to discuss the challenges facing the banking industry and suggested possible solutions.

All indications from the meeting were that there is a lot of worry in the industry about the trend and consequences of banking fraud. To make matters even worse, the fraudsters are getting more sophisticated than the financial institutions and there is also a tendency for bank officials to connive with outsiders to promote the vice. The key message from the meeting was that banks should invest more in systems that can detect high-tech theft so as to prevent depositors’ money from being accessed by fraudsters.

Citi Bank Managing Director Chinedu Ikwudinma, who also doubles as the UBA chairman, said these figures are high because some banks are not investing appropriately in systems to manage the risk - largely because they lack the resources to do so. “Fraud in banks is a serious issue,” he said, adding there is need for banks, media 30

Issue 341.indd 30

Customers withdraw cash at ATMs in Kampala. Fraud in the banking industry is a big worry for customers and banks. INDEPENDENT/JIMMY SIYA

Bank fraud risk

Financial services providers, regulator concerned as vice escalates

and government to partner in managing these risks. “On our side as banks we have got to upgrade our systems aimed at fighting fraud.”

Louis Kasekende, the Bank of Uganda deputy governor said, banks are embracing information technology to offer innovative financial products such as mobile money and improve the efficiency of their operations. These innovations and growth in the banking market are essential for improving convenience and meeting the needs of consumers and businesses for financial services. However, he warned that these new products also generate new sources of risks, which banks and the regulator need to be wary of. “Admittedly, Bank of Uganda is just catching up with IT developments,” he said. “The advances in technology demand that BoU and other regulators world-wide re-examine financial regulations to facilitate the innovations in the banking industry,” he added. Additionally, he noted that the need to combat financial and economic crime is increasingly changing the role and mandate of the Central Bank, which is required to honour various Freeze Order Lists and requests from international stakeholders such as the US Embassy and local stakeholders like the Police Criminal Intelligence Investigations Department.

Emmanuel Turyamuhika Kikoni, the executive director of the association, said banks need to invest in anti-fraud systems in an effort to stop fraudsters in their tracks.

But some said the huge cost of the systems is what is turning off many of them, apparently preferring to incur losses of a few dozen millions of shillings instead of investing millions of dollars in anti-fraud systems.

Guster Kayinja, BoU’s deputy director of the Risk and Compliance Department, said some of these systems cost in the region of Shs 10-12 billion - almost half the minimum capital requirement that many banks struggled to raise before being allowed to operate in Uganda. Some said the vice was partly thrived because of the absence of an anti-money laundering law which the government has for years been under pressure to legislate. However, this could change following the setting up of the Uganda Financial Intelligence Authority under the Ant-Money Laundering Act of 2013. The Authority is working with the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), a global institution mandated to fight money laundering across the globe. jbusinge@independent.co.ug @juliusbusinge

October 24 - 30, 2014

10/28/14 5:31 PM

Business

By Joan Akello

T

hree years ago, Uganda and Tanzania signed an agreement to develop the US$ 3.58 billion (about Shs 10 trillion) Tanga-Arusha-Musoma railway, which is supposed to be completed next year. While the project successfully took off in Tanzania, the business community fears that across the border in Uganda it could take much longer.

Already, design studies to upgrade the Tanga- Arusha line to standard gauge and the construction of a new link to Musoma – both on the Tanzania side - are ongoing.

Indeed, this route – dubbed the Central Corridor - is important as it has been in the pipeline since 1967 when it was included in the East African Community treaty but it stalled following the collapse of the regional integration. The port to railway line, it is hoped, will open up the Southern route and boost regional trade and investment plus regional co-operation. The Tanzanians do not want to see another failure, which is why they are working round the clock to see that the project rolls according to schedule. Of course the railway line will take the lion’s share with about $1.9 billion earmarked, other linked projects such as Mwambani (Tanga) Port is to get $695.5 million; Musoma port $72.6 million, and the new Kampala port $320 million (Shs about 836 billion) .

Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA) has announced that it will kick start its ports expansion drive this financial year. These include Mtwara, Dar-es-salaam and all the ports in the Joint Venture port to railway project. Specifically, the Tanga and Musoma ports will handle cargo traffic destined for Uganda and South Sudan.

However, Uganda is still dilly dallying. The Ministry of Works and Transport (MoWT) is citing land acquisition bottlenecks as the major impediment in developing the new Kampala port at Bukasa.

About 500 hectares are required for the new port. However, Bukasa village residents numbering about 118 people with a total of 125.05 hectares must be compensated.

Other affected persons include witchdoctor Mama Fina who has about 17 shrines at the peninsular, while ten hectares are owned by the Uganda Police Force, 83.8 hectares by the National Forestry Authority (NFA) and 11 hectares comprise a swampy area under the Ministry of Water and Environment and the National Environment Management Authority.

The proposed Bukasa port will be 3 km away from the Namanve Industrial park by road and 7km by rail. It is also approximately 20 km away from Kampala Central Business District, which makes it more ideal than Port Bell port at Luzira.

Cypriano Okello, an official in the MoWT planning and policy department, who has

Southern Route stuck in quagmire

Business community queries Bukasa Port proposal as Tanzanians pace ahead of Uganda

Ship Alinda Valetta IMO 9588378 with cargo for Aliko Dangote’s cement factory berthing at Mtwara port on Sept. 11. Mtwara is part of Tanzania Ports Authority ports expansion project that will include the new Kampala Port at Bukasa. THE INDEPENDENT/ JOAN AKELLO

The government is simply duplicating services of the old port that is in dire need of improvement and rehabilitation. He likens Uganda to “a man who decides to build a new house after falling to maintain his old one.” previously deputized the Bukasa Project coordinator, told The Independent that the government opted for Bukasa other than expanding Port Bell because the latter has limited space for storage of cargo, and the narrower Port Bell –Kampala road. If one ship that docks at the port contains 40 containers, it requires a minimum of 20 trucks to evacuate its cargo. This in turn has been the source of the traffic jam and congestion along the road in the past. Okello says that

the inter-land connection between the port and the rest of Kampala has also made the government rethink the usage of the goods shed around the Shoprite Entebbe Road junction.

Also, the land around Port Bell is heavily built, which will require huge sums of money to compensate residents, traders and industrials such as Uganda Breweries Ltd, manufacturing and constructions industries, Luzira Prisons and Butabika Hospital.

While Port Bell occupies 1.6 hectares with a capacity of handling one million tonnes of cargo per year, Bukasa will occupy 500 hectares and handle six times more cargo.

But Kassim Omar, the national chairman of the Uganda Clearing and Forwarding Association (UCIFA), doesn’t see the need for a new port. He says the government is simply duplicating services of the old port that is in dire need of improvement and rehabilitation. He likens Uganda to “a man who decides to build a new house after falling to maintain his old one.”

Even Everest Kayondo, the chairman of Kampala City Traders Association (KACITA), is skeptical about the port’s future prospects.

October 24 - 30, 2014

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Business “Privatisation of the railway is a challenge because the Rift Valley Railway (RVR) looks at routes that are more commercial and lucrative. So even if it is constructed, RVR will be hesitant to put its wagons on this railway because it has said in the past that Mombasa is bigger business.” Mombasa is 1,200 km away from Kampala and about 90% of Uganda’s exports and imports transit through it with a paltry 1% being transported through Dar es Salaam, which is about 1,800 km away.

Tanga is about 2,000 km plus away from Kampala. But while Mombasa might present a bigger business opportunity for RVR, Uganda can take advantage of Tanga and other Tanzanian ports since it contributes about 78% of transit traffic at Mombasa.

Apart from misgivings about the project, Kayondo says the port and railway would be almost a godsend for business people because it will eliminate the monopoly of Mombasa. He says the business community will enjoy water and railway transport that are much cheaper than air and road. For instance, he says while it costs about $2,000 (Shs 5.2 million) to transport a 20-foot container from China to either Mombasa or Dar ports, it costs about $3,000 (Shs7.8 million) to transport the same container from the ports to Kampala, which makes the cost of doing business too high. In contrast, it will cost between US $ 750 -1,000 (about Shs 1.9 to 2.6 million) to transport a container by rail and water to Bukasa - almost four times less.

Buliisa County Member of Parliament Stephen Birahwa Mukitale who also sits on the Physical Planning Committee under whose docket MOWT falls, is worried that this important project is being affected by private interests in government projects, a vice that has become a menace nowadays.

He cites the standard gauge railway project that will connect Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda and the Katosi Project as examples of such negative private interests.

While it is too late to stop the joint venture project, Omar argues that the expansion of Port Bell would have been made more feasible considering that the Tanzanians are just expanding their old ports to make them more efficient instead of completely building new ones as their Ugandan counterparts are doing.

A visit to one of the ports the Tanzanians are expanding in the South Eastern region of Mtwara would be an eye opener to the Ugandan officials. Mtwara Port built in the 1950s on the Indian Ocean coast; will get $214 million for its expansion. It is Tanzania’s third largest sea port after Dares-salaam and Tanga, and may overtake these ports given the increasing oil and gas investment, cement factory construction and related activities in the region. jakello@independent.co.ug 32

Issue 341.indd 32

EPA deal sealed

Mixed reactions as EU strikes a comprehensive trade deal with EAC

By Independent Reporter

C

ampaigners against the comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between the European Union and the East African Community (EAC) are licking their wounds following the signing of the deal at the EU headquarters in Brussels, Belgiuma.

A press statement from the EU headquarters said the agreement was important as it would provide legal certainty for businesses and open a long-term perspective for free and unlimited access to the EU market for products from Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda.

EU Commissioner for Trade Karel De Gucht said it was personally “satisfying” to see East Africa benefiting from the opportunities that Europe wants to offer.

The statement said the new comprehensive EPA lays new and stable grounds for EU-EAC trade relations as EAC countries will now be able to focus on improving their economic performance without worrying about the potential loss of full duty-free quota-free access to the European market

due to their improving status. All EAC members, least developed or more advanced, will benefit from the same predictable and uniform trade scheme.

Kristian Schmidt, the EU Head of Delegation to Uganda said he was “happy” with the development and the deal was “good for Uganda and the EAC.” “I am truly delighted for Uganda,” he said. “This is a new generation trade agreement that will promote regional integration greater valueaddition in the East African region, while retaining very favourable conditions for completely quota-and-tariff free market access to the EU’s 28 member states and 500 million consumers.

This deal is good for Uganda, for East Africa and for the trade and investment partnership with the European Union.”

The EAC-EPA now awaits to be signed by the EAC ministers of trade and to be ratified by the different countries.

Schmidt said the EAC-EU EPA is a politically significant Agreement because the EAC is considered by the African Union as the trailblazer of many aspirations in Africa: they are a Customs Union, a single market now aspiring to have a single currency.

The agreement covers goods and development-cooperation and includes rendezvous clauses for services and rules chapters. Overall the EU will open 100% and the EAC shall liberalise 82.6% of its volume of trade with the EU - 80% of this volume is liberalised by year 15 and the remaining 2.6% by year 25.

The protracted negotiations have been going on for ten years due to contentious clauses in the agreement especially the requirement that EAC countries should grant more farreaching concessions to the entry of European goods plus import duties. In 2007, the EAC finalised a framework agreement on tariff elimination, which became a basis for the comprehensive EPA. However, some development campaigners said the development was “bad news” for poor countries.

Kristian Schmidt, the EU Head of Delegation to Uganda

October 24 - 30, 2014

10/28/14 5:31 PM

ExecutiveStyle

Lifting logistics industry standards What exactly does Union Logistics do? e are part of the UTilogistics Group, which is our international partner with more than 600 offices in more than 100 countries. Within East Africa, along with our associates, we have invested highly in a large fleet of trucks, trailers, low-loaders, warehouses among others. Basically, we are an international freight forwarding company with a robust international, regional and local performance base.

Africa in general have tremendous economic growth potential. Governments need to focus on peace and political stability in the region, which will ensure economic growth. Manufacturing and agriculture sectors must be given a conducive business environment. Oil and gas and mining industries must be handled with the sensitivity and transparency they deserve so that the benefits will reach the masses leading to more spending power and higher economic growth and development of the country.

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You recently attained the Authorized Economic Operators (AEO) Certificate. How did you reach that milestone and what exactly does it mean to Union Logistics?

Yes, we had applied for Authorized Economic Operators (AEO) certification around the end of 2013. URA conducted vigorous audits of our systems and procedures, our record keeping, our tax compliance history with URA, cargo safety and security, overall functioning of the company etc. After their vigorous audits, they approved us to be AEO in September 2014.

What benefits are you expecting to accrue from this certification?

This AEO certification primarily indicates our absolute compliance in terms of systems, procedures, efficiency and tax compliance. This means that for the next three years we shall meet with automatic Customs Clearing Agent License Renewal. An AEO certified company is viewed with absolute respect by URA and cargo clearance for AEO companies is given priority by URA hence we expect overall more efficient operations with less hurdles.

What should your customers expect?

Our AEO Certification is primarily for the benefit of our

Union Logistics Uganda Ltd recently got certified under the Authorised Economic Operator scheme

by Uganda Revenue Authority. Hitesh Shah, the company’s managing director, spoke to Julius Businge about their operations and what the AEO means to their customers.

clients. With AEO status, URA will handle our customs clearance more efficiently due to our compliance standards. Our clients will receive their goods faster. In addition, if our clients also have AEO status, then their cargo will not be subject to verification by URA. This will lead to further efficiency.

Our AEO certification coupled with our ISO certification since many years ago, will give absolute confidence to our clients all over the world that they are dealing with an absolutely professional company.

To what extent, in your opinion, will this certificate help Union logistics overcome challenges related to customs and international trade in general?

As mentioned earlier, our AEO status, coupled with our many years ISO certification, endorses that our freight forwarding services are in line with the best International standards. Thus, any client in the world can completely

trust in our services and expect full satisfaction. URA also views AEO operators with respect due to their absolute compliance hence AEO operators will certainly get priority treatment from URA leading to better efficiency and prompt resolution of any issue.

As a key player in this industry, what would you say are its most pertinent challenges?

The cost of all inputs such as fuel, spares, tyres etc; and also cost of insurance are perhaps highest in East Africa making transport of cargo very expensive. In addition, some of the non-tariff barriers are still existing leading to delays and added cost to our business. But with collective efforts, these challenges can be tackled.

What is your assessment of the industry generally?

Growth in this industry is entirely dependent on the economic growth of Uganda and neighboring East African countries. East Africa and

So how has the Ugandan economy over the years supported the growth of your business?

In the last two decades, Uganda has witnessed peace and political stability. This has resulted in 5 - 10% GDP growth year on year. This has supported the industry and our company as well.

How do you compare Uganda’s logistics industry to that of other countries in the EAC? I will say Kenya and Tanzania are ahead of Uganda in terms of volumes handled and policy implementation. That is not to say that Uganda is not doing anything - it is doing something but more needs to be done. The other good example is Rwanda where there is transparency in everything and government is tough when it comes to fighting corruption.

Now that you are certified

by URA on the AEO scheme, where do you want to see Union Logistics in the next few years?

We anticipate a reasonable growth through innovative logistics solutions and continuous improvement in our service delivery to all our stakeholders. We are committed to exceeding our client expectations and further maintain our passion for excellent service.

October 24 - 30, 2014

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BANKING

Crane Bank set to open Rwanda branch

MANAGEMENT

Doris Akol named Kagina successor

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aria Kiwanuka, the minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development has named Doris Akol as Commissioner General of Uganda Revenue Authority (URA). Akol replaces Allen Kagina, whose contract has expired. She holds a Master of Laws degree from the McGill University in Canada, and is also a member of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators. She has been the commissioner for Legal and Board Affairs for several years.

Akol is said to have been an easy choice for the URA board to make having resolved to recruit from within; in line with Kagina’s wish. Akol is said to have been close to Kagina, and was widely expected to be the obvious choice to prolong Kagina’s ten-year legacy.

To further implement its regional and national expansion drive, Crane Bank will officially open its first regional operations at a colorful ceremony this November. Puneet Swarnakar, the bank’s head of marketing, said the bank will also be opening its 42nd branch at Kyengera near Kampala. He said the expansion plan is aimed at taking services closer to its customers in every corner of the country. The bank is part of the Ruparelia Group of Companies. The Rwanda operations started a few months ago and so far business has been good, according to Swarnakar.

TAXATION

Local think tank speaks out on new taxes

Local public policy think tank, Kigo Thinkers, has urged the government to deeply involve tax payers in tax policy matters before key decisions are taken or implemented. Speaking to journalists at the launch of the report on policy dialogue on governance and tax regime, Oskar Semweya Musoke, the director, said once the people are involved in the tax process it becomes possible for them not to resist new tax measures. “This has not been well done in the past,” he said, “that is why you have always heard noise.” Semweya urged the government to do research on tax policies that will bring more taxpayers in the tax bracket in a bid to increase the tax as a percentage of GDP that has stagnated at just under 13% for years.

TELECOMS

Airtel Money, Mogas in partnership

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irtel Uganda and oil dealer Mogas have officially unveiled their new partnership that allows customers to pay for any Mogas products and services using Airtel Money at their 38 fuel stations countrywide. This is the second oil company after Total to partner with the telecom company under a similar arrangement. The Airtel Money Director Nuhu Kanyike said he was confident that Airtel subscribers in Uganda would embrace and enjoy the service. Partha Ghosh, the managing director of Mogas, described the Airtel partnership as an opportunity for his company to satisfy customer needs by offering them the convenience of using the Airtel Money platform. To use the service, a customer has to go the Airtel money app on their mobile phone and follow the prompts.

TELECOMS

MTN shortlisted for two AfricaCom Awards A service that is enriching the way small and large enterprises across Africa operate, and a powerful campaign about the impact of mobile technology, have earned MTN two nominations in the 2014 AfricaCom Awards. The company’s Global Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) Virtual Private Network(VPN) service and the company’s Corporate Campaign have been shortlisted in the AfricaCom Awards 34

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categories for Best Pan-African Initiative and Best Marketing Campaign respectively. MTN’s Global MPLS VPN was launched in 2013 and is now live across 17 countries, with five more countries to introduce the service this year. The service allows enterprises across Africa to connect seamlessly with their local and international operations, making use of MTN’s extensive network infrastructure.

On the other hand, ,MTN’s corporate

ICT

Uganda elected on global telecom council

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ganda has been elected to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Council or ITU Region D (Africa) for the period 2014-2018.

At the elections took a the 19th Plenipotentiary Conference in Busan, UCC boss Godfrey Korea on Oct.27, Uganda Mutabazi was elected alongside 12 other countries including Rwanda, Tanzania and Kenya, to sit on the Council on which it last sat eight years ago. The ITU 48 Member Council is the governing body and is picked from the 193 member states divided into five regions. Dr. Houlin Zhoa of China was elected the new ITU secretary general and Malcom Johnson of the UK as his deputy.

campaign is aligned to the company’s new vision to lead the delivery of a ‘bold new digital world’ to customers. The corporate campaign, which utilised television commercials as well as digital and print channels, was about highlighting and embracing new technologies. The 2014 AfricaCom Awards winners will be announced at the AfricaCom conference in Cape Town on Nov.12. The awards are held annually during the AfricaCom conference, and recognise excellence in the telecoms, media and ICT sectors.

Stories by Julius Businge

October 24 - 30, 2014

10/28/14 5:31 PM

BIZ LAB Patricia Otoa, clothes designer

2 A staff of Metier Construction Ltd, attends to a visitor during the Housing Finance Bank customer service week Expo at Housing Finance head office Kololo on October 27. INDEPENDENT/JIMMY SIYA

MTN’s Emmanuel Mangeni ( 2L) and SMS2bet’s Isaac Rucci (2R) pose with winners of Shs 1 million each in the telecom company’s ongoing MTN Kaja promotion at the MTN Service Center on Kyagwe Rd on Oct.23. A lucky customer who plays the lotto game stands a chance to win the Shs 40 million jackpot. COURTESY PHOTO

Joseph Bwambala (R), the Compliance engineer at ERA, explains to journalists the advantages of the light emitting diodes bulbs at ERA House on Oct. 21. The government will distribute 420,000 free bulbs to house holds next year. INDEPENDENT/JIMMY SIYA

7- year- old Otoa owns OP Clothing, a company she established two years ago with Shs 500,000 as initial capital.

This money was part of her savings from her job as an IT instructor at an NGO. She says that after working for four years, she decided to venture into self employment - designing clothes using African fabric.

“Being a former model and Miss Uganda Contestant in 2008, I had always loved to dress up and stand out from everybody else no matter the occasion and this is how I put my mind to do something else that I really love,” she says.

After one year in business with one shop in Bugolobi, she opened another branch at Prunes Café, Kololo. She is currently planning on launching another by end of this year. Her goal is to open a new branch every year without compromising quality and customer satisfaction.

For both branches, she currently has a capital base of Shs

25 million and five full-time employees. In the beginning, her revenue was about Shs 2 million per month but it has since risen to the Shs 5 to 7 million range depending on peak and off peak seasons. Also, she receives about 60 clients per month, quite a lot compared to a maximum of 20 per month between 2012 and early 2013.

Success Tip: Focus

“I have been focused, disciplined and have persevered through the hard times. I think that the success of a business does not come overnight. It requires a long term focus and that you remain consistent in challenging environments,” says Otoa.

To focus, she adds being hard working, organised, creative, keeping detailed records and providing great customer care as some of the aspects that have made her manage the clothing business for which she had no prior knowledge or experience.

Share prices (October 24 ) Security BATU BOBU CENT DFCU EABL EBL

October 24 7, 505 120 1, 698 658 8, 186 1, 546

October 17 7, 505 120 1, 794 650 8, 291 1, 523

Movement 0 0 96 8 105 23

JHL KA KCB NIC NMG NVL SBU UCHM UCL UMEME ALSI

13, 341 273 1, 698 20 8, 732 580 33 293 20 510 1, 823

12, 723 267 1, 749 20 9, 347 590 33 298 20 510 1, 844

618 6 51 0 615 10 0 5 0 0 21

Source: USE October 24 - 30, 2014

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Business

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ART | BOOKS | SOCIETY | TRAVEL | CULTURE

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By Dominic Muwanguzi he subject of the human anatomy has often been a source of inspiration for sculptors from the modernist era to date. Gregory Malooba, the first graduate of the school of Fine art, Makerere, found a lot of amusement in it and made it a source of his inspiration for his many sculptures like, The Hunter, Death and later the iconic Independence Monument. Later modernist artist, Francis Nnagenda, made it his forte.

The genre and subject matter continues to be exploited by many artists in the contemporary visual arts; from academics like Dr. Rose Kirumira, George Kyeyune and Rose Nabulime to professional artists like Maria Naita, Eria Nsubuga, Ronald Ronnex Ahimbisibwe and Hood Jjuuko, and self-taught artists cum interior designers like Edward Wadimba.

Though rarely mentioned on the local art scene, Charles Kamya, is another important sculptor of his generation.

His work is both a study and celebration of the human form with a strong bias to the female anatomy as a metaphor to the day to day life experiences of contemporary society.

Because of such themed work, his technique involves a variation of forms and patterns with dominant features of space and non- linear objects over-lapping each other as if suggesting the complexity of surviv-

al in post-modernist society.

The other aspects of the self -taught artist’s sculptures are the “exaggerated” features that give it a dramatic visual display and interpretation. For example, his curved women have exaggerated bosoms and hips. The exaggerated features make them easily noticeable and attract attention, and

offer a visual narrative that is intelligent, mythical, and humorous.

It can be said that Kamya’s work is both playful and serious. The artist, perhaps because of his informal background as an artist, does not restrict himself to a particular style. Some-

Playing with

women

This artist sees life’s dayto-day struggles in every woman’s body

times, some of his work could pass as experimental with no definite “concept”.

They can even be interpreted by some critics as unfinished works. His other set of work is very polished and detailed, the kind every gallerist and art collector would want to have.

But the female anatomy is not the only a source of inspiration for the artist. The soft spoken artist has also been inspired by nature, envisaged by his sculptures of wildlife that are functional.

Kamya’s owes much of his present success to the defunct Gallery Café which was run by John Kelly who now lives in Nairobi. The artist, then a child prodigy, was discovered by the expatriate curator in 1999 when he presented him with some of his sculptures.

“I had dropped out of school after the death of my father and I was doing sculpture at home. I took some of my work to the gallery one day, and Kelly liked them. He immediately gave me an exhibition,” says the soft spoken artist.

Kamya has participated in many international and regional art residences, workshops and competitions. In 2011 he was selected as the best East African sculptor of the year in Nairobi, Kenya. He later joined an artist residence program in Vermont, USA, with a fully paid residency program. In 2012, he participated in the first International wood sculpture symposium in Sornderborg, Demark.

Charles Kamya’s works can be viewed at his studio in Munyonyo, Kampala, behind GAZ Petrol Station.

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Brazilian employers hire only virgins

Suarez on biting: Tyson is a better biter

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iting opponents may be appalling but it is harmless and should not be punished as severely as a bad tackle, says controversial Barcelona striker Luis Suarez. He has just completed a four-month ban for sinking his teeth into Italy defender Georgi Chiellini at the World Cup finals in Brazil.

It was the third time that Suarez bit an opponent, and has written a book about it titled: "Crossing The Line: My Story".

"I know biting appals a lot of people, but it’s relatively harmless. Or at least it was in the incidents I was involved in. None of the bites has been like Mike Tyson on Evander Holyfield’s ear. But none of this makes it right."

Women are being forced to undergo virginity tests when seeking education jobs in Brazil’s most populous state. Prospective education employees in the state of Sao Paulo are required to undergo a pap smear to prove they are free of cancers or to present a doctor’s certificate verifying they are not sexually active. Women’s rights campaign groups have denounced the practice as a gross violation of women’s privacy and their human dignity. Until recently the education department also required women to have a coloscopy – a type of gynecological examination used to detect disease.

Chocolate with a name curse

Late last year, a Belgian chocolate maker changed its name from Italo Suisse, because the company no longer had any real association with either country.

Now it’s changing the name again - because the new name it picked was ISIS. ISIS, of course,

Man breaks marrying record

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prolific lover with four wives, seven fiancées and five girlfriends has set Austria’s record for bigamy.

Sonko Tijan, 28-year-old from Gambia, was finally caught in a honey trap at Vienna Airport after two of his wives realised they were married to the same man and complained to police. The seducer had picked up women all across the country, using them for room and board whenever he was nearby and borrowing money from them which he never returned. The youngest of his women was 22, and the oldest 44; there is also another woman he is married to in his home country, where he also has children. If a woman became too demanding on his time or asked for her money back, she suddenly found that he had vanished.

is also the acronym derived from Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, the jihadist group that arose in the Syrian civil war and now has invaded parts of Iraq.

The chocolate maker was suffering by association. "We had international customers saying

that they could no longer stock our chocolate as consumers had only negative associations with the name," marketing manager Desiree Libeert said. The company has now changed its name to "Libeert", the family name of the company’s owners.

What a way to fight traffic jams Commuters in Dubai are being offered the chance to win lavish prizes if they take public transport. The emirate’s transport authority is giving away 4kg (8.8lb) of gold as part of celebrations for Public Transport Day. The prizes will be handed out through "raffle draws and other surprises". Car ownership rates in Dubai are among the highest in the world, with an average of 2.3 cars per family, while only 13% of people use public transport.

In total, prizes worth one million dirham ($272,000; £170,000) will be handed out, including at a street-ball tournament where the first prize is 10,000 dirham (Approx.Shs700 million).

Advert causes 500 car crashes An advertisement showing a woman’s bare breasts has reportedly caused more than 500 accidents in a single day after a poorly-thought out promotional campaign. The photograph shows a woman cupping her breasts with her hand, with a thin blue strip across the nipples. It was placed on the side of 30 vans in Moscow, Russia. The advert simply read: ‘They attract’. However, as soon as the vans hit the city’s streets, cars started crashing into

with one another. It is thought 517 accidents happened in total.

One of the motorists affected was 35-year-old Ildar Yuriev.

“I was on my way to a business meeting when I saw this truck with a huge photo of breasts on its side go by,” he said. “Then I was hit by the car behind who said he had been distracted by the truck.” The company behind the sign has since said it will offer compensation to all those who crashed because of the advert.

October 24 - 30, 2014

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Frankly speaking

I love Jesus but hate churches

Frank Gashumba Mwalingumu, Director General of National Action for Awakening Uganda (Sisimuka Uganda) talked to Joan Akello about single fatherhood and governance.

Any Three things do we not know about you? ’m very clean, a strong Christian and I love Jesus but hate churches.

Grace Brown, Joel Osteen and Robin Sharma especially his books -The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari and The Leader Who Had No Title. The most five heroes we talk about were not presidents.

I'am a leader without a title.

I

Are you rich?

I’m neither rich nor poor, but I live a comfortable life. Uganda has had only two billionaires; the late James Mulwana and Gordon Wavamunno, the rest survive because of this regime.

When and where were you happiest?

When Barack Obama won (the U.S. presidential election) in 2008.

He brought us hope that you can achieve what you believe.

What is your greatest fear?

Insects.

What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?

I’m too kind; it’s better to help strangers than relatives who never appreciate.

What is the trait you most deplore in others?

Disloyalty. Ugandans are comrades; they are with you for a purpose. Where are Amama Mbabazi’s friends now?

What is your greatest extravagance?

I’d mortgage my watch or sell my shoes for my girls.

What is your current state of mind?

Tense about what is happening in Uganda. If Museveni died, we would have another Syria, Mogadishu, Libya because there are no (governance) institutions.

What do you consider the most overrated virtue?

Marriage. Studies show that 76 percent of people who get married above 27 are most likely to manage it.

At 40, why are you not?

I’ve not found a person we share a common vision for tomorrow. I’ve been single for the last 38

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I’d rather die at 45 when I’ve impacted on lives than at 80 when I’m useless.

Which historical figure do you most identify with?

Idi Amin, Luther King, Malcolm X; Dr. Apollo Milton Obote loved this country, Kings Kabalega, and Mwanga. They were not hypocrites. Museveni tells the truth by mistake; I’m quoting Obote.

10 years.

On what occasion do you lie?

In business.

What do you most dislike about your appearance?

I’m tough but I’m gold at heart.

Which living person do you most despise?

Uganda’s so-called billionaires they try to live the life of Bill Gates yet they know the price of meat or hire a village housegirl to cook. Billionaires hire chefs.

What is the quality you most like in a man?

Fatherhood; the easiest thing for any man, idiot, murderer, thief is to make a woman conceive.

What is the quality you most like in a woman?

Motherhood and knows a man’s first responsibility is to provide groceries and it’s her duty to cook it.

Which talent would you most like to have?

Swimming. Talking is my talent, last year I went to 120 schools and 20 last term. I was paid Shs2million to speak for one hour yet hundreds of people were paid to welcome Museveni from UN.

Who are your heroes in real life?

People who change lives and my grandmother Sarafina. greatest achievement?

Raising independent girls22-year old Cathy and Aisha and; Sheila 18.

What are your favorite names?

We Africans are proud of calling ourselves English names but is there a Mzungu called Gashumba, Akello, or Museveni?

If you were to die and come back what would you be?

Nelson Mandela or a lion.

What is your greatest regret?

Supporting this regime of vampires from 1986 to 2000.

Where would you most like to live?

Denmark, Israel or on an island with children I’m not related to.

How would you like to die?

In sleep. I’d rather die at 45 when I’ve impacted on lives than at 80 when I’m useless.

What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?

Betrayal. People who have betrayed me and this country are not those with dreadlocks or tattoos but those in ties. The youth should use hyenas not pigs to demonstrate their frustration.

What is your motto?

Never give up; change is coming. We welcomed Museveni and we have paid the price. We must participate in this change.

Unfortunately Ugandans want this change brought to their bedrooms.

What is your most marked characteristic?

I’m frank; I’m not a sugar factory to sugar coat things.

What would you tell President Museveni and those in politics?

Museveni is a good communicator; he will tell you a lie if you believe in him. You are not giving us jobs, the roads are dead, but you have no holiday in taxing us. In fact, PAYE is Pay as Yoweri Enjoys. Politics is all about eating, if you are in NRM and you are not benefiting from the regime, hopeless. It is peasants in yellow T-shirts of Shs 2,000 note Muhoozi, Natasha. I am not a fool for NRM.

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

I despise a lot and I’m sometimes too tough when I talk.

What do you most value in your friends?

Loyalty. It’s easier to get a lion than find loyal people. If Museveni locked himself somewhere for a week, you would find the very people who praise him every day saying`finally the snake is gone’.

What do you consider your

Who are your favorite writers?

October 24 - 30, 2014

10/28/14 5:31 PM

By Yusufu Mubiru

mubiruy@yahoo.co.uk

What are the signs that an engine may need overhaul?

As part of engine maintenance, doing an engine overhaul sometimes is necessary for your Vehicle to function well.

Overhauling your car›s engine can be a time-consuming and expensive undertaking, and before you take such a drastic step, it is important to be absolutely certain that an engine overhaul is really the best course of action. There are a number of telltale signs that indicate an engine is failing, and looking for those signs can help you determine whether or not the time to overhaul is at hand.

There are different ways of overhauling an engine. Most garages do what is called an in-chassis overhaul. This is where you do not remove the engine from the car, you just pull what you need to replace and do a minor overhaul that is replace the cylinder liners, pistons (if you need to), piston rings, replace the big end and crankshaft bearings, lap the valves in and replace the valve stem seals, strip and check the oil pump, replace the gaskets and seals.

So here is a list of common signs that tell you that you need to overhaul your car’s engine.

Knocking One of the classic signs of engine trouble is a knocking sound while you drive.

If you hear a loud knocking noise when you drive, it could be an indication of a failing engine, but it could also be something as simple as a bad fuel. Before you proceed with any engine testing or schedule an overhaul, it is important to think about when the knocking sound first appeared.

Excessive Smoke

The smoke coming out of your tailpipe can tell you a great deal about what is going on at the other end of the car. When you start your car in the morning, take time to stand behind the vehicle and look at the smoke coming out of the tailpipe. If you see a large amount of blue smoke emanating from the tailpipe, it could be an indication that you are burning oil.

tres you drive, that would be a sign of burning the oil to quickly. So keep checking to see just how much oil your car goes through after driving for some kilometers.

Compression Loss

If your car is misfiring, you may have compression loss which will only be repaired by doing an engine overhaul. Not only is misfiring annoying, but it is also not good for engine health.

So make sure that you pay attention when starting up for any signs of misfiring.

Using Too Much Fuel But when the engine is slow or not working well, it can use a lot more fuel just to run. So checking your fuel gauge on a regular basis compared to the mileage is a very good idea to check for signs when you will need to overhaul your engine.

Oil Sludge

If you notice oil sludge on your oil cup when you clean and replace your oil, then you know your engine is not working well. Oil or coolant sludge is not just nasty, but

also a tell-tale sign that you will need an engine overhaul very soon.

Excessive Oil Consumption

Checking your oil on a regular basis is a vital part of vehicle maintenance. Allowing the oil level to get too low can do irreparable harm to the engine in a surprisingly short period of time, so even if you do not need an engine overhaul now, you may in the future need if you fail to keep an eye on your oil (level) consumption.

Burning Oil Quickly

Getting new oil in your car is a normal part if maintenance. For an example if you use more oil for every 1000 kilomeOctober 24 - 30, 2014

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global comment

By Emily Jones

The WTO’s reform crisis

A proposal to allow progress even if certain members oppose it is a game changer

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he World Trade Organisation’s director-general, Roberto Azevêdo, has called for an urgent shakeup of his institution. In mid-October, he declared the WTO to be in “the most serious situation [it] has ever faced,” and now he is convening crisis talks with member countries. One of the main reform proposals, reportedly advocated by the United States and the European Union, is to move away from consensus-based decision-making – one of the WTO’s founding principles. That might boost efficiency, but it also could jeopardise one of the WTO’s greatest assets: its legitimacy.

The current impetus for reform is driven by the desire to bring global trade negotiations back to the WTO. With multilateral talks floundering – the WTO’s Doha Round talks stalled again this summer, as India blocked implementation of the “Bali Package,” the modest agreement reached at last year’s ministerial conference – some of the WTO’s largest members, notably the US and EU, are pursuing bilateral and regional trade agreements.

These efforts include the US-EU Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership and the Trans-Pacific Partnership. The US and the EU are also leading the charge on the Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA), assembling a coalition of like-minded WTO members for closed-door negotiations on further liberalisation and new rules for their mutual trade in services. To date, none of these non-WTO talks include the other major players in global trade – China, India, and Brazil.

The reason most of the large “plurilateral” negotiations are taking place outside of the WTO is simple: agreements within the WTO need the approval of all members to proceed. But unanimous approval is likely only when the content of agreements is not controversial – hence the proposal to abandon the rule.

Such a reform would eliminate individual countries’ veto power, allowing agreements to progress within the WTO even if certain members oppose them. This proposal is a game changer. The result is that plurilateral negotiations – talks involving only some countries rather than the WTO’s entire membership – would likely become the organization’s main way of doing business.

To be clear, the WTO, like its predecessor, 40

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the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, has always allowed sub-groups of countries to form “members-only” plurilateral agreements, including regional integration initiatives, like the EU, and bilateral deals. Many of these agreements benefited members and non-members alike.

Countries are also allowed to negotiate regional trade agreements outside of the WTO. But the WTO’s consensus norm has helped to ensure that such agreements do not undermine the global trading system’s multilateral core. Currently, if a sub-group wants to pursue talks on a specific issue like trade facilitation or government procurement, it generally must do so within

In the current stalemate over the Bali Package, India argues that its stance is legitimate, because it is helping millions of poor, food-insecure Indian farmers. the WTO, with all members approving the agreement. Trade governance has remained fundamentally multilateral.

Though dropping the consensus norm might help deliver agreements and make the WTO more “efficient,” it poses real risks to the organization’s legitimacy. Moving from consensus to voting, as some advocate, would disenfranchise the WTO’s smallest and poorest members. These countries lack the market size to be invited into plurilateral clubs. Their major avenue for influence is the threat of a veto.

Some commentators suggest that letting plurilateral agreements become the norm for trade liberalization is not a problem as long as their benefits are extended to all WTO members. That misses the point.

Modern trade negotiations are as much about setting a new regulatory agenda as they are about reducing tariffs. The risk for small countries is that in a world of global-

ized production, all states would be forced to conform to regulatory standards set by clubs of big market players.

Marginalizing the smallest countries would hurt not only them, but also the WTO as a whole. The WTO is widely perceived as having greater legitimacy than many international organizations, including the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, precisely because all members have a say. The short-term efficiency gains from dropping consensus may well be outweighed by higher long-term costs.

So what is the way forward? One possible reform would be to spell out clear criteria for when a country may use its veto power.

An individual member’s interest in holding up talks needs to be weighed against the interests of all, and in light of the WTO’s mandate.

In the current stalemate over the Bali Package, India argues that its stance is legitimate, because it is helping millions of poor, food-insecure Indian farmers. Opponents, including the US, argue that India’s food-security program is distorting world prices and harming poor farmers in Africa.

An independent panel could play the role of arbiter, evaluating the competing claims and helping to overcome the political posturing on both sides.

Moreover, plurilateral negotiations need clear guidelines, which should include transparency, with all WTO members allowed to observe proceedings. For example, the TiSA talks on new services rules exclude other WTO members. There must also be mechanisms clearly specifying how countries can join an existing plurilateral agreement, including the possibility of opt-out clauses. Crucially, those countries that join later should not have to make greater concessions than founding members. As the WTO’s members debate reform proposals, they need to ensure not only that the WTO becomes more efficient, but also that it is inclusive and delivers on development. Anything else would risk the institution’s long-term legitimacy and effectiveness.

Emily Jones is Deputy Director of the Global Economic Governance Program, University of Oxford.

October 24 - 30, 2014

10/28/14 5:31 PM

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