News analysis Health Business

What next for Pressure to Free World AIDS day UEGCL sees higher lebrating
FDC after Muntu? Red Pepper editors in tough times profits ahead Ce

Issue No. 498 Dec 01 - 07, 2017 Ushs 5,000,Kshs 200, RwF 1,500, SDP 8
Years

Kutesas dodgy deals

How American bribery case
sucked in Museveni

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INSIDE: BUSINESS
Economic
POLITICS: Godber SUDAN: Matthew Musevenis vision
GOVERNANCE: FEATURE NEWS A NALYSIS NEWS A NALYSIS Why do experts, World Bank
anxieties

Charles Onyango- Tumushabe on Stein on the want shift in strategy?

Poverty looms as
gambling booms
Obbo on the new lessons from Ivory Souths walk to Foreign big-money Police PRO reappointed Experts divided NEWS ANALYSIS NEWS ANALYSIS BUSINESS

look of corruption Coast crisis freedom investment frenzy in again as major changes over HIV Teachers on Museveni can Shs 68 trillion
Tullows backyard rock force strategy new transfer save Zziwa but economy
policy what after?
Emirates Airlines in control

INDEPENDENT
Issue No. 239 November 09 - 15 , 2012 Ushs 5000, Kshs 200, RwF 1500, SDP 8
THE

You Buy the Truth, We Pay the Price Issue 144 January 07 - 13, 2011 Ushs 4000, Kshs 180, RwF 1200, SDP 6

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Obama II Win excites world Papal Visit

The Besigye, Museveni

How Museveni killed Amamas vision Exercise, diet against IMF cuts Ugandas 16-page
anti-Lukwago Bill for Uganda cancer of prostate growth prospects Special
Edition

problem

Secret
As seen from the
delegates conference
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oil deals
New rules to force www.independent.co.ug

CNOOC, Total, Tullow

to reveal money paid
By Haggai Matsiko

Welcome
Inside the hunt
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Issue 347.indd 1 12/9/14 8:21 PM

Pope
for Al Shabaab
INTERVIEW NEWS ANALYSIS BUSINESS
Land grabbers
50 years of Joy & tears
All Makerere money Crane Bank

A SPECIAL INVESTIGATION
should be put in
one basket for
better staff pay
hit Entebbe






















opens Malaba
Branch
Shs 234 Bn brewery opens
INSIDE: Prof. Frederick Jjuko, Prof.Daniel Schydlowsky, Prof. John Ssali, Lawrence Kagwa, Mayanja Nkangi, Prof.
Mwambutsya Ndeebesa, Godber Tumushabe, Maj. John Kazoora, Yoga Adhola, Eliya Kisembo, Andrew Mwenda, Abbey
Francis
Ssemuwemba, Naomi Wolf, Simon Mayende, Moses Byaruhanga, Moses Matovu, Diplock Ssegawa, Ronald Kerajo 27: 11: 2015
By Andrew M. Mwenda THE ANNIVERSARY EDITION

www.independent.co.ug www.independent.co.ug Issue No. 280 August 30 - September 05 , 2013 Ushs 5000, Kshs 200, RwF 1500, SDP 8
INTERVIEW INSIGHT BUSINESS NEWS ANALYSIS TRIBUTE: BUSINESS
Economy on Why
www.independent.co.ug
Issue No. 234 October 05 - 11, 2012 Ushs 5000, Kshs 200, RwF 1500, SDP 8 Museveni Call rates stay up Independence Ali Alamin NSSFs
speech was thin but UCC says new
track- IMF on substance law will compel
Day in
pictures
Mazrui
Feb.24 1933 to
Shs 366
billion

Musevenis war within NRM

RWANDA: 37 men SUDAN: What are the COMMENT Prof. SPECIAL REPORT: SUDAN:INew BUSINESS: With RWANDA: SUDAN:Recent violence BUSINESS: Oct.13, 2014
accused of grenade implications for the Ian Buruma on Killed by the state currency still govt broke, oil Rwanda becomes in Abyei has potential Mobile money:
attacks are alleged ongoing stalemate in why Obama has at Kololo army base, shrouded in firms gain upper a Nyakatsiless to spark a wider north- So far so good,
FDLR agents Darfur? gotten it right buried in secret grave secrecy hand country south conflict but





 








INDEPENDENT INDEPENDENT INDEPENDENT
THE
THE

THE

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You Buy the Truth, We Pay the Price
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Ushs 4000, Kshs 180, RwF 1200, SDP 6 You Buy the Truth, We Pay the Price Issue No. 157, April 08 - 14, 2011 Ushs 4000, Kshs 180, RwF 1200, SDP 6 You Buy the Truth, We Pay the Price Issue No. 158, April 15 - 21, 2011 Ushs 4000, Kshs 180, RwF 1200, SDP 6
Supplement
Uganda Health system
strengthening project
scholarships

Tight budget
scheme

The challenge behind the 2012/13 numbers What next

Banks make for Afande
Lord Mayor huge profits Kaweesi?
Lukwago 


  
Police boss Kayihuras
The Field Commander 


 

brings common mans Crane Bank


 
approach to the city billion

Besigye pays the price

FDC leader unleashes powerful strategy against Museveni

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RWANDA: SUDAN:IDanger of NEWS: Budget reading Economic turbulence War looms large in
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Can its economy NGOs providing basic Whistleblower is ritual of same wont shake the South Kordofan,
services to almost Abyei and Darfur
accommodate its exposes smuggling old promises countrys optimism COMMENT
Q&A BUSINESS
Avalanche of banks
ROAD TO 2016 NEWS ANALYSIS BUSINESS
Richard Byarugaba Dont BoU committed
spiraling birth rate? 90% of the country ring inside tax body on reducing NSSF politicise `The country Foreign
suspense account fight against
corruption
EU to lead new UN
energy initiative World Paul Kagame, Yoweri Museveni, Barack Obama, Uhuru Kenyatta, Goodluck is about to be
plunged
TV wins
to ensuring
economic

INDEPENDENT
Jonathan, Bill Clinton, Augustine Ruzindana, Olara Otunnu, Ssebaana Kizito,
mourns Gerald Ssendaula, Pope Francis, Andrew Mwenda, Yusuf Sserunkuma,
Rebecca Kadaga, Kintu Musoke, Norbert Mao, Paul Kawanga Ssemwogerere,
into chaos stability
THE

Mandela
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Issue No. 212, May 04 - 10, 2012

Amama Mbabazi, Ruhakana Rugunda, Prince William...
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SUPPLEMENT:

Kayihura sacks
BUJAGALI LINE

Land grabbing,
You Buy the Truth, We Pay the Price Issue No. 159, April 22 - 28, 2011 Ushs 4000, Kshs 180, RwF 1200, SDP 6
COMMISSIONED
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top police officers investors exposed

Museveni reacts, Oxfam, Uganda
Is it punishment or a purge? Land Alliance in trouble Issue No. 295 December 13 - 19, 2013 Ushs 5000, Kshs 200, RwF 1500, SDP 8

2016
Election

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or war?
Security experts

Walk www.independent.co.ug
NEWS ANALYSIS
Corruption in
RWANDA
Rwandas
BUSINESS
NEWS ANALYSIS
Unwanted
INTERVIEW
Politics should
BUSINESS
In-flight catering
raise alarm over






to war
High costs threaten comes of age
low cost housing investors be a sacrifice -
F
C igh
Uganda business capital sector
Making resource
rich regions Dr Ian Clarke Wining but not winning, yet
orr ti
INTERVIEW:
Besigye wants to
RWANDA:
Is corruption on
SUDAN:
South Kordofans up ng
in Uga
nda 
 






American companies make?
inflows firm Rwanda targets medical tourism become food poor
ti
topple the govt - the rise in the EACs volatile governor on
Public anger greets Kabushenga cleanest country? vote
Museveni even
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before he is swornin
INDEPENDENT Nelson
THE

NEWS A NALYSIS INTERVIEW BUSINESS

Mandela
You Buy the Truth, We Pay the Price Issue No. 162, May 13 -19, 2011 Ushs 4000, Kshs 180, RwF 1200, SDP 6 Issue No. 261 April 19 - 25 , 2013 Ushs 5000, Kshs 200, RwF 1500, SDP 8
Issue No. 268 June 07 - 13 , 2013 Ushs 5000, Kshs 200, RwF 1500, SDP 8 Why Ugandan We want a world Big dairy
www.independent.co.ug pupils dont class, first-world opportunity
learn Police Force
1918-2013
Uganda, Sudan How Monitor was






SUDAN:
South Sudans
COMMENT: Onyango-
Obbo: Museveni won
BUSINESS:
Ugandan business SPECIAL REPORT: RWANDA: INTERVIEW:
Cut down on
ICC trial looms over Special Commemorative Issue

closed, re-opened
From bitter rivals

enter arms race

How Musevenis

Kayihura, Kivejinja
free or fearful because he is bad, not women coming teargas and
good president into their own success is creating to friends - how
press? conditions for Kagame and increase teachers
his downfall Sarkozy reconciled pay- Prof. Kajubi

INDEPENDENT
THE

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Museveni doubles military expenditure, The Inside Story www.independent.co.ug





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Makerere
Issue 295 copy peter new.indd 1 12/10/13 4:04 PM
Central Bank Ministers Bank profit

Inside Umeme




to investigate have become delight
Was it under fire MTN too lazy
Big regional trade boost
News analysis
Besigye gains in the east, 


 

Interview
WFP launches
Business
Low tea price EAC Top donor

bought Museveni sweeps the north related violence 
 

worries aid recipients

shares deal
Universitys problems go beyond












or stolen? pay and strikes



 


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Issue No. 362 April 03 - 09 , 2015 Ushs 5,000,Kshs 200, RwF 1,500, SDP 8
Issue No. 404 Feb. 05 - 11, 2016 Ushs 5,000,Kshs 200, RwF 1,500, SDP 8

















Electricity sector


 






Politicians battle over  


Shs800 billion








Sejusas money, investor

 
 
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arrest
www.independent.co.ug www.independent.co.ug
www.independent.co.ug What Museveni

camp feared
By Haggai Matsiko

NEWS ANALYSIS: Are government INTERVIEW NEWS ANALYSIS BUSINESS

HEALTH NEWS ANALYSIS BUSINESS

INTERVIEW: officials are lying on oil? Telecom fees to drop Health Spying Imperial Banks
Grounds exist for Museveni financial woes
Museveni is in REGIONAL: UNHCRs direction affirms Rwandas a rebellion - Col. insurance's on wrong
the midst of a stability, yet some refugees remain sceptical losing support, Online fraudsters empty promises `enemy Large consumers task Umeme
Tsunami Felix Kulayigye Besigye gaining threaten car market
BUSINESS: Greasy path for Ugandas oil industry

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Fight over
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Why is Museveni
Fina M
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building regions nc inis

strongest army? oil pipeline STOP PRESS
World shocked as
government shuts
BUSINESS

Bad debts
relee qu try of
asesarte
r IV
NEWS ANALYSIS FOREIGN PRESS
UNEB In Uganda,
BUSINESS
Unhoused
News analysis
Musevenis bread and bullets
Health
Unease as only cancer treatment
Business

 

ERA announces
Uganda outspends Kenya on military 
 


 
down Daily Monitor
choking banks experiment its bust generation 


 machine breaks down investor quits 


Besigye predicts: 




 Chinese plans for Uganda oil and Red Pepper
Experts warn banks
on poor due diligence goes wrong before boom
Tenant versus landlord
Musevenis
regime is Issue No. 414 April 15- 21, 2016 Ushs 5,000,Kshs 200, RwF 1,500, SDP 8

collapsing Issue No. 266 May 24 - 30 , 2013 Ushs 5000, Kshs 200, RwF 1500, SDP 8
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Uganda: Defense Kenya: Defense

Tinyefuza Fallout Jennifer
Musisi
expenditure 2011 expenditure 2011
US$1.02 billion. US$735 million.

Museveni intervenes in
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Israel arms dealer case under siege
INTERVIEW NEWS ANALYSIS BUSINESS Concern over private
BUSINESS: PERSPECTIVE: Oil-bribes scandal agencies using security After Museveni, Kampala
Behind the
in historical perspective Lukwago Kyambogo EACs monetary
union minister, MPs, Lukwago spell
scenes at
By Andrew Mwenda
on Museveni
Universitys Mr. Fix it
Prof. Ndiege seeks to reconcile an of the unequal in turf wars out terms of engagement
Muhairwes exit and Musisi 





Time to eat, travel less

Issue No. 189, November 18 -24, 2011 Ushs 5000, Kshs 200, RwF 1500, SDP 8
News analysis Health Business
Issue No. 294 December 06 - 12, 2013 Ushs 5000, Kshs 200, RwF 1500, SDP 8 Massacre on IGG Mulyagonja launches 
 


 
 





Masaka road 







 





 
  



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need to talk 














Experts warn of explosion if they dont 





 

  
 News analysis

 


  
Eastern DR Congo
erupts again
Health
 


 

skin bleaches
Business
Stanbic Banks
  
 
Social
 
 



pounce
Issue No. 432 Aug 19 - 25, 2016 Ushs 5,000,Kshs 200, RwF 1,500, SDP 8
Top lawyers reveal details
of land grab plot

 






 



 
over Karuma, Isimba






 

Muloni, Kabagambe

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AmAzing
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Years of telling a story

INBOX

Issue No. 498 Dec 01 - 07, 2017

The Week The Last Word Analysis Business Arts &

Culture
4|Doctors give The meaning 17|Free Red Pepper 24|UEGCL sees
another ultimatum editors: higher profits
as they end strike of Muntus ahead:
43|Turning
Pressure mounts on art on its
defeat: government over closure The company
head:
4|Rift valley How records Shs
of spicy tabloid How fusing
fever breaks 13.9bn loss in
out in Kiboga,
Besigyes 2016
an artists
18|After defiance personality
Mityana hold over into art makes
defeated Muntu:
FDC has Will new president it powerful

5|Kasese marks a
undermined Amuriat lead FDC 26|NSSFs
Byarugaba
year after deadly its pretence forward or backwards
sets new How good are
attacks to be a to Besigye?
target: your headlights?:
vehicle for 20|Is UCC going
But will he Your vehicle
achieve the could be among
democracy rogue?
Shs 20 trillion 80% with poor
6|Museveni Parliament to probe
in savings by low-beam
intervenes in KCCA, communications
2022? headlights
taxi fees clashes regulator over its
media cuts and bans

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2 Dec 01 - 07, 2017

 Offline

David Muhoozi,
(6TH R) with some
of the promoted
officers and their
wavies after
a decoration
ceremony at the
defense ministry
headquarters in
Mbuya on Nov. I want to operate in an environment
27. INDEPENDENT/ where I am trusted by those that
JIMMY SIYA I am working with. Therefore at a
personal level, there are decisions I
will have to make in the coming days
and weeks.Mugisha Muntu, former FDC
president

President Yoweri Museveni

flanked by Bishop Charles
Wamika (L) of Jinja,
Archbishop, Emmanuel
Obbo (2nd L) of Tororo
and Cyprian Lwanga (R)
of Kampala and Justine
Kasule Lumumba, (L) cut
the cake during the golden
jubilee celebrations of
Jinja Diocese in Jinja on
Nov. 26. Cyprian Kizito Even rogue members in security
Lwanga Archbishop of
Kampala Archdiocese agencies will be worked on the same
urged Christians to cherish way we are going to handle other
unity and also promote criminals.Kaka Bagyenda, ISO director
peace right from their general on crackdown
homes to the diocesan
level as well as the truth.

Norah Njovu Njawuzi,

(M) with josephine
kawuba, (R) chief
commissioner of the
Uganda girl guides
association and
juliana national trainer
during her 89th
birth day celebrates
function on Nov.25
. Brown is a teacher There is no law against finding a
by profession and a strange child with witchdoctors in a
legendary Girl Guide shrine. Mike Chibita, Director of Public
from 1938. She said
that as a girl guide she Prosecutions calling for the speeding up of
learnt to love, respect a law on prohibition of human sacrifice and
and help without harmful practices
discrimination.

84 Police Doctors sent to

health facilities as doctors 500,000 More people in Uganda
who will receive HIV 11million Ugandans who do not
have social security
strike continues treatment according to NSSF

Dec 01 - 07, 2017 3

Week
Doctors give another ultimatum as they end strike
Nurses have also given an ultimatum to government.
For more than three weeks, work
in public hospitals had come to a
standstill when doctors went on
strike on Nov.06 leaving patients
unattended to. The doctors who
were demanding that government
makes a supplementary budget
to cater for medicines, vaccines
and medical supplies in addition
to increasing their salaries agreed
during a Nov.25 meeting to halt the
industrial action up to December 16.
Dr. Ekwaro Obuku, the president
Uganda Medical Association said
that the government had commit-
ted to give them feedback regarding
their grievances by December 15 and
its this that will inform their way
forward. He said this conclusion was
reached after members 113 of the
members voted to halt the sit down
strike against the 76 who voted to
continue.
However, this came after State
Minister of Finance in charge of
planning David Bahati told the
assembly that government was
planning to allocate Shs41billion
supplementary budget to tackle
their demands.
Ebuku now warns if government
doesnt keep its promise, doctors
will lay down their tools again
something that is feared to plunge
the country into another emergency.
Uganda gets $478million
health grant
The Global Fund and
government of Uganda
have signed a new grant
of $478million to fund
HIV/AIDs, malaria and
tuberculosis activities.
Health minister Jane
Ruth Aceng, Prime
Minister Dr. Ruhakana
Rugunda and US ambas-
sador Deborah Malac
witnessed the signing of
the agreements for the
money expected to be
used between 2018 and
2020.
Uganda initially
received the money in
2006 and since then the
country has received up
to a billion dollars to fund
different activities includ-
ing procuring medicines
David Bahati at the event.
and supplies in addition
to engaging in prevention
initiatives such as public
health campaigns. How-
ever, earlier the country
faced brief suspension
of funds when officials
in the Ministry of Health
were accused of divert-
ing the resources. Also,
last year the country was
again warned and threats
to withdraw the money
issued as an audit by the
fund showed the country
wasnt absorbing the
money as per the agree-
ments. Now the current
batch of funding of about
$420million signed last
year is due to expire this
December.

Mugabes cabinet dissolved

After being sworn in as
new president of Zimbabwe,
Emmerson Mnangagwa
(Pictured) appointed two
new ministers dropping the
team that was working under
resigned President Robert
Mugabe.
The new officials are Pat-
rick Chinamasa working as
acting Finance Minister and
Simbarashe Mumbengegwi
acting as top diplomat.
According to the secretary
to the president Misheck
Sibanda, this was done to
ensure that provision of
services isnt interrupted fol-
lowing allegations of massive
looting by officials.
Meanwhile Ex-President
Mugabe is set to get a $10mil-
lion payoff and immunity
for his family. And, reports
show his February 21 birth-
day will now be marked
as a public holiday in the
country in recognition of the
93 year Olds contribution in
delivering the country out
of foreign rule since he has
been at the helm since 1980
when the British left.
Rift valley fever breaks out in Kiboga, Mityana
The Ministry of Health on
Nov.24 confirmed the out-
break of rift valley fever in
the districts of Mityana and
Kiboga after two samples
tested positive. The con-
firmed samples were of a
26 year old forest ranger
in Kiboga and 69 year old
fisher man from Mityana who
passed on after showing sim-
ilar signs of vomiting blood,
bleeding from the gums and
high fever.
Rift valley fever a viral
zoonotic disease mostly
affects animals but also
spread to humans who come
in direct contact with infected
animals. The disease can be
transmitted by handling ani-
mal tissue through slaughter-
ing, assisting with animal
births and through conduct-
ing veterinary procedures.
Uganda recorded its first
case of rift valley fever in
humans in 2016. However,
under normal circumstances
the virus is spread by mos-
quitoes between animals
with sheep being the most
severely affected. Infection
in livestock is noticed when
large number of abortions
occurs in herds. The disease
commonly occurs in the rift
valley region of Kenya.

4 Dec 01 - 07, 2017

 Week

Medical union loses case against striking doctors

Ordering each party to bear its costs,
high court on Nov.24 dismissed the appli-
cation filed by Uganda Medical Union
against Government and Uganda Medical
Association where the union had sought
order for court to halt the on-going nego-
tiations between striking medical workers
and government. This wasnt granted as
court maintained that the order had been
overtaken by events because of the fact
that the negotiations had been completed.
Reading the ruling, the Deputy Reg-
istrar in charge of Civil Matters Sarah
Langa said the talks they sought to halt
are already concluded as per the com-
mitment letter dated November 21, 2017
filed in court and signed by the minister
of state for finance in charge of Planning
David Bahati, undertaking to improve the
welfare of medical workers.
The Registrar however noted that on
whether the talks were illegal can only
be answered in the main case fixed for
January 08, 2018. The Medical Union had
in an earlier petition maintained that its
the only lawful body that was mandated
to hold negotiations with government
regarding remuneration of workers
referring to the Dr. Ekwaro Obuku led
Medical Association as an entity that was
over stepping its mandate to intrude into
affairs of the union.

Kasese marks a year after deadly attacks Merkels CDU pursues

Police officers in Kasese
The Omusinga of Rwenzuru-
ru Charles Wesley Mumbere is
still under house arrest in Kam-
pala, one year later after the
army raided his palace in Kase-
se leaving more than a hundred
dead, others injured and some
in prison. On Nov.26, people of
Kasese made preparations to
mark the day that they named
Black Monday but activities
were halted as security opera-
tives were deployed in key
spots in the area to disperse any
unlawful assemblies. In the end
the police shot dead one and
six others were arrested. These
according to the Rwenzori
East Police Commander Julius
Twinomujuni were mobilizing
people to assembly at Rwenzori
square for a demonstration.
Meanwhile the king was
barred from returning to Kasese
and his Buhikira palace remains
cordoned off by security as a
scene of crime.
new alliance with
social democrats
Germany Chancellor Angela
Merkels Christian Democratic
Union (CDU) announced on
Nov.26 that they were pursuing
an alliance with the social
democratic Party (SDP) after
the free-market liberal Free
Democratic Party (FDP) abruptly
pulled out of talks for the same
a week ago citing disagreements
regarding policy issues.
Merkel said the new move
is intended to have honest
negotiations that will lead to
having a stable government.
However, if Merkels push
for coalitions totally fails, her
options would be either to
push for a new election or
govern at the helm of a minority
government.
As it is now, the country is
facing political uncertainty as
two months after the September
win for CDU they dont have a
government in place.

*terms and conditions apply

Dial *133 * 8#
Dec 01 - 07, 2017 5
Week

President Museveni stops over at Clock tower to address taxi operators on Nov. 22.

Museveni intervenes in KCCA, taxi fees clashes

Operators of the public transport - taxi
business in the city last week engaged
in a scuffle with dues collectors of the
Kampala Capital City Authority as the
operators protested against paying annu-
al fees. On Nov.25, president Musev-
eni intervened and suggested that the
authority halts the Shs120, 000 charges.
He said they should only pay a road user
fee of Shs80, 000 per month.
The president was re-echoing his ear-
lier position when he met the operators
where he asked that daily charges be
scrapped promising them that they will
be charged once a thing that administra-
tion of the authority had refused to heed
to saying that the authority requires such
funds to run the city. But, city lord may-
or Erias Lukwago had blamed the presi-
dent for causing confusion by interfering
in decisions that are supposed to be tak-
en by city leaders and making promises
to operators that he couldnt keep. Ever
since he promised a fee-scrap tax opera-
tors have been always engaging in strikes
whenever they are asked to pay.

Government requests to borrow Cranes Coach names squad for CECAFA

as parliament resumes
Plenary resumed on Nov.28 after mem-
bers of parliament returned from their con-
stituencies where they had been consulting
their voters on the proposed constitutional
amendment bill to remove presidential age
limits from the current 35 to 75 years.
During the sitting, the Minister of
Finance presented a report approved by
the committee on National Economy that
the government seeks to borrow $14.4mil-
lion from the African Development Bank
to support the multinational Lake Victoria
Maritime Communications and trans-
port project. The minister said the 4- year
project to be implemented by Ministry of
Works and Transport at the national level
and the Lake Victoria Basin Commission
at the regional level will benefit the three
countries sharing Lake Victoria. It com-
prises three components including estab-
lishing a communication system for safety
while on the lake, a maritime transport
study and project management in addition
to capacity building.
Ahead of the 2017 CECAFA senior
challenge cup scheduled to take place
in Kenya from December03 to 16,
Uganda Cranes coach Moses Basena on
Nov.28 named a 26 man squad that will
represent Uganda. They include Goal
keepers: Isma Watenga (Vipers SC),
Benjamin Ochan (KCCA FC) and Tom
Ikara (Kirinya Jinja SS).
Others include Nicholas Wadada
(Vipers SC), Ibrahim Kiyemba (Sc
Villa Jogoo), Muleme Isaac (KCCA
FC), Aggrey Madoi (Police FC), Juuko
Murushid Simba-Tanzania), Timothy
Awanyi (KCCA FC), Savio Kabugo
(Proline FC), Bernard Muwanga (Sc Moses Basena
Villa Jogoo), Tom Masiko (Vipers SC),
Mutyaba Muzamiru (KCCA FC), Tadeo
Lwanga (Vipers SC), Stephen Mugisha Juma (KCCA FC), Daniel Isiagi (Proline
(Police FC), Milton Karisa (Vipers SC), FC) and Basse Methodious (Mbarara
Paul Mucureezi (KCCA FC), Allan Kat- City FC).
eregga (KCCA FC), Allan Kyambadde The cranes are the defending cham-
(Sc Villa Jogoo), Nelson Senkatuka pions having won the trophy in Addis
(Bright Stars FC), Derrick Nsibambi Ababa Ethiopia in 2015. The games
(KCCA FC), Hood Kaweesa (Police FC), were not held last year after Kenya
Batte Seif (Bright Stars FC), Saddam pulled out of hosting it.

6 Dec 01 - 07, 2017


Number of Ugandans to rise to 46million in eight years - Report
The state of Uganda popu-
lation report 2017 shows by
2025, the number of Ugan-
dans will be 46million from
the current estimated 36mil-
lion. By 2030, this number
will have risen to 63million
Ugandans. Speaking at
the launch of the report on
Nov.23, National planning
Authority boss, Dr. Joseph
Muvawala said such pro-
jections should tickle the
government to forge ways of
harnessing the demographic
Government Chief Whip Ruth Nankabirwa (in white) represented Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda at the launch
of the State of Uganda Population report 2017. INDEPENDENT /JIMMY SIYA
dividend. He says the gov-
ernment should invest in
social services such as health
and education if we are to get
quality human resource. He
also called for the remodeling
of the family planning model
to make people realize the
benefits of having smaller
families that they can ably
take care of.
We need to rethink invest-
ments in this country. For
instance do we want infra-
structure or a mixture? Those
are the questions we should
be asking ourselves, he said
warning that such popula-
tion increases could become a
problem for the country if we
dont plan well.
On the way forward, he
said organized urbanization
is the future for this country.
The report was launched
under the theme; transform-
ing Ugandas economy:
opportunities to harness the
demographic dividend for
sustainable development
Week
Stella Nyanzis case
hearing adjourned
to December 20
Makerere University
Research fellow Dr. Stella
Nyanzi on Nov.24 took to her
Facebook to express her frus-
trations after Buganda Road
Magistrates court adjourned
hearing of her case to Decem-
ber 20.
I have sat in the judges
chair and found the system
guilty of procrastination,
negligence, incompetence and
inefficiency she said, How
can I be subjected to four
consecutive adjournments
without hearing? How can the
trial chief magistrate assigned
to my case dodge my hear-
ing three solid times? And
the state prosecutor has not
showed up the last two times.
Nyanzi was taken to court
in April to answer charges
of offensive communication
and cyber harassment accru-
ing from her Facebook posts
where she among others
referred to president Musev-
eni as a pair of buttocks
something prosecution found
obscene and indecent.

Zimbabwe gets new president after 37 years

History was made in the South African
country of Zimbabwe on Nov.24 when a
new president Emmerson Dambudzo
Mnangagwa was sworn in a ceremony held
in the countrys capital of Harare. Zimba-
bwe had not seen a new president since
1980 when President Robert Mugabe took
over from Europeans. Mugabe was forced
to resign after a standoff with the military
just weeks after firing Mnangagwa who
had been his vice president and longtime
confidant.
Amidst cheers from supporters in packed
national stadium, president Mnangagwa
promised to rebuild the country that he said
had a poisonous political atmosphere and
troubled economy. He also promised swift
justice warning that he will not tolerate cor-
rupt officials. But, some analysts are skepti-
cal about his promises saying the same lieu-
tenant served in high positions but didnt
do much. The new president will be at the
helm of the country until next year when
elections are anticipated to take place.

Dec 01 - 07, 2017 7

Humour Inbox
Good work Mwenda
Refer to: The tragedy of
Robert Mugabe (The Inde-
pendent Nov.24) Well written
article! The puppets are not
limited to Africans alone. The
masters play their own people
too. It is a big crowd being
Mugabe was not fair
Police pressed charges of publication of information prejudicial to security and Refer to: The tragedy of
offensive communication on eight Red Pepper managers and editors over a Robert Mugabe (The Inde-
story they run on Nov. 20 about an alleged plot by President Yoweri Museveni pendent Nov.24)
to over throw the Rwandan government Mugabe did not seize white
owned farms until he was
about 20 years into power and
even then it was because of
pressure from the war veter-
ans. The beneficiaries of the
farms were almost exclusively
from the Shona tribe even in
Ndebele areas and the very,
very few exceptions, ZANU
PF members.
Idi Amin on the other hand
kicked out the Asians barely
two years into power and
Opposition to fade after Museveni
Government has defendedthe minister f Foreign Affairs Sam Kutesa over I listened to one of our local
the recent media allegations that he was involved in a bribery case during his radio political show where
tenure as the president of the 69th session of the UN General Assembly the moderator hosted Yusuf
Nsibambi, a lawyer for FDC to
talk about the rise of Partrick
Amuriat and the fall of Gen.
Mugisha Muntu in the recent
presidential campaign. When
he was asked why supported
Amuriat, Nsibambi confi-
dently said Amuriat believes
in Besigyes defiance campaign
and strategy that is aimed at
fighting President Museveni.
Nsimba trashed Muntus
strategy of building party
structures nationally and inter-
nationally saying that Amuriat
and Besigyes camp does not
need to build party structures
when President Museveni is
Former Kumi memeber of parliament, Patrick Oboi Amuriat deafeated still leading Uganda.
Gen. Mugisha Muntu, the incumbent in the race for the Forum for Nsibambi added that after
Democratic Change (FDC) presidency over throwing Museveni, then
8 Dec 01 - 07, 2017
played.
It is refreshing to hear an
African who questions. Bravo!
Good work Andrew M.
D. Oduki
hardly under any pressure
at a time when he was still
popular. The distribution
exercise was free and fair in
all parts of the country, the
businesses going to deserv-
ing locals. In Mbale, for
instance, the people were
Bagisu, Iteso,Basoga, Sebei,
Bagwere,Baganda,Acholi,
Nubian; Muslim, Christian,
former UPC, DP, professionals
and business people alike in
line with the composition of
the town at the time.
Ejakait Engoraton
they will think of building
party structures. Such reason-
ing is one of the factors that are
killing most of the opposition
political parties because they
have forgotten to build their
roots from village levels to the
national. This is where NRM
has always beaten them in
strengthening the party that is
why it won majority of Ugan-
das leadership positions.
People who have the same
belief like Nsibambi are losing
it because incase Museveni
leaves power, they will also
disappear because the man
they having fighting is no lon-
ger in that position.
By David Serumaga
President, Buganda Youth
Wing
serumagadavid916@gmail.com

The meaning of Muntus defeat
By Andrew M. Mwenda
How Besigyes hold over FDC has undermined its
pretence to be a vehicle for democracy
F
ollow an idea from its birth to its
triumph, Bertrand de Jouvenel
observed in his 1948 volume, On
Power, and it becomes clear
that it came to power at the price of an
astounding degradation of itself. The
result is not reason which has found a
guide but passion which has found a
flag.
The defeat of the noble Mugisha
Muntu in the race for the presidency
of the Forum for Democratic Change
(FDC) has put the last nail in the coffin of
decent politics in that party. It marks the
final triumph of Kizza Besigyes brand
of politics i.e. radical extremism as an
organising philosophy.
Two ideas have been in contention
inside FDC one represented by the
Muntu, the other by Besigye. Muntu
believes that FDC should build the party
as an institution based on a set of values,
principles and policies around which
members can be mobilised. These values
must not only be practiced but be seen by
seen to be practiced; and must distinguish
FDC from NRM.
Besigye believes FDC should be a cult and
build its politics around his messianic self-
image. Rather than build organisational
structures through which that party can
function, Besigye believes FDC should
stimulate passion around him as a hero.
This governing philosophy seeks to use
character instead of strategy and to build
an individual instead of an institution.
Besigyes governing philosophy won
because it has the support of the most
passionate base of the FDC. Muntus
vision never had a chance even though
it is supported by the most liberal and
enlightened section of that party. The vast
majority of the FDC supporters do not
care about Muntus values and principles.
All they care about is power. Muntu has
been unable to appreciate the fact that
most people in FDC are tired of President
Yoweri Musevenis long rule and want
him to go. Governance principles are for
the naive.
This is where Besigye beats Muntu.
Besigye understands that those opposed
to Museveni are opposed to the president
as a person, not his governing strategy
of corruption and patronage. Given
Ugandas moral psychology, opposition
The Last Word
activists want Besigye to give them
goodies in the same way Museveni does
for his supporters. They accuse those who
speak anything positive about Museveni
of having been paid precisely because that
is how they understand power; that those
who support it get paid.
Therefore, Muntu has always belonged
to a wrong party. His ways have never
been the ways of the FDC. There are many
decent men and women in FDC. But for
the most part they have been outwitted,
out gunned and out maneuvered by the
radical extremists around Besigye. In
rejecting Muntu, the Besigye faction of
radical extremists in FDC has rejected the
idea that power should be pursued, not as
an end in itself but as a means to an end
the end being the realisation of the virtues
of tolerance of dissent, commitment to
democratic principles, belief in institution
building, and placing collective goals
above personal ambition and greed.
We must not forget that like NRM, the
FDC was born in a moment of great
hope. Many of its founding leaders were
holding influential and comfortable
positions in government as ministers,
ambassadors and other high offices. They
sacrificed their comfort in pursuit of these
high ideals. They thought they were
leaving NRM because it had increasingly
come to be based on the messianic role of
Museveni whose authority could not be
questioned.
Muntu himself was offered a ministerial
appointment by Museveni and he turned
it down as did Richard Kaijuka and
Amanya Mushega. These men left NRM
because it increasingly came to seek
power as an end and forgot its original
objectives. Little did they know that they
were jumping from the frying pan into the
fire. Kaijuka and Mushega saw this long
ago and quit into silence. Muntu saw it
but refused to quit. He soldiered on.
Over the years in the struggle, FDC
has grown to look like a terrible version
of NRM, with Besigye cultivating a
personality cult as the messiah sent
by providence to save Uganda from
Museveni. And consistent with all cult
leaders, he has titles like the peoples
president and an army of fanatics who
do not want to hear any criticism of him,
however well-founded or modest.
Opinion
Today, internal dissent in FDC is
treated as treason. The only acceptable
way of expressing disagreement with
government is through violent defiance
of which Besigye is the architect. Anyone
who disagrees with this strategy is
branded a traitor who has been bribed
by Museveni, a coward who is unworthy
of being in FDC and is attacked with
merciless anger. This is a far cry from the
party people sacrificed so much to found.
Muntu is a man of high moral principles
who deeply treasures democratic
processes and institutions. He towers
above our nation like a moral colossus. He
has never fought for power but for values
and he has always placed himself as a
servant of FDC. Yet this has also made
him less appealing to the partys base.
So he comes across as nave, aloof, and
disarticulated from the immediate needs
of his colleagues who want power NOW.
Besigye on the other had fights for
power not so much to change how it is
exercised by to exercise it too. He is the
quintessential African strongman, the
politician we elites hate in our intellectual
arguments but embrace in our political
practices. Thus, Muntu could not fit in
the FDC that Besigye has created an
uncouth, intolerant, violent, low intellect
mob that speaks only the language of fire
and destruction. He is too good to be a
politician.
There are still many good people in
FDC. But with radical extremists in charge
of the party, these moderates can only
hide or get kicked out. Their only option
now is to form another party or re-join
NRM. For we must remember that in spite
of all its corruption and incompetence, its
loss of vision and ideology, NRM is still a
tolerant and accommodating party.
I know this last sentence is a rope I have
given FDC radical extremists to hang me
by accusing me of working for NRM and
Musevnei. I really dont care anymore
because they constitute an evil we must
fight to the bitter end, even if it means
allying with the devil tactically in order to
achieve the strategic objective of defeating
radical extremism in our country.
amwenda@independent.co.ug
Dec 01 - 07, 2017 9
 cover story

Kutesas dodgy deals

How American bribery case
sucked in Museveni
By Haggai Matsiko

Foreign Affairs Minister Sam Kutesa is likely to come under fire from Parliament
following exposure of a deal in which he received a dodgy donation of US$500,000
(Approx. Shs1.8 billion) from a Chinese NGO cum think tank.
The American government is treating the Kutesa bribe as a case of engaging in
corrupt practices and international money laundering and two diplomats; a Senegalese
and a Chinese, linked to giving Kutesa the bribe have been arrested in Virginia, U.S.

Sam Kutesa (left)

and President
Museveni

10 Dec 01 - 07, 2017

T
he two face eight charges of
violating the U.S. Foreign
Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA)
and money laundering which
prohibits U.S. based compa-
nies from making payments
to foreign government officials to assist in
obtaining or retaining business.
This means that Kutesa has not been
indicted because he is not a representa-
tive of a U.S-based company accused of
violating FCPA and he did not make the
payment.
Back home, Kutesa remains a free and
innocent person until proven guilty and
no warrant has been issued for his arrest in
the U.S. But he should expect some grilling
from parliament.
Some MPs have already demanded
that Kutesa resigns. One of these legisla-
tors is Ntungamo Municipality MP Gerald
Karuhanga, who is also the vice chairman
of the Public Accounts Committee of Parlia-
ment. Karuhanga has noted that he and a
few others were opposed to Kutesas UN
appointment.
One of the things we mentioned was
that this man is so grossly wrong that he
may even sell chairs of the United Nations,
Karuhanga told journalists at parliament,
He is probably the most corrupt individual
that this country has witnessed in recent
times.
The expected grilling in parliament will
be the height of two taxing months in which
Kutesa has faced back-to-back accusations
of impropriety.
Just last month, in October, he was
named and shamed as the proud owner
of two off-shore companies. Although not
a crime, holding offshore businesses is
scorned upon by ethicists as a sign of cor-
ruption, shady dealing, money laundering,
and tax dodging.
Kutesa is not helped by having a slew of
corruption scandals behind him. A former
U.S. Ambassador has described his cor-
ruption scandals as egregious meaning the UN General Assembly and expose the
outstandingly bad, shocking, and the UK
has considered a visa sanction against him.
Kutesa is said to be a major power broker
who fronts companies for business using
his close links to the decision makers.
His name just keeps popping up in
almost every other major corruption scan-
dal or crooked business deal in Uganda.
And every time it does, Kutesa, pleads
innocent, is let off the hook, and carries on
as before.
The new Chinese bribe scandal, how-
ever, might not be easily shaken off as it
has dragged in two presidents, the United
Nations, a deputy governor of the central
bank and diplomats from China, Senegal,
Chad, and Uganda.
Most of these individuals and institutions
will seek to clear their reputations even if
Kutesa might want the affair hushed up as
cover story
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (second from left) helps present the $1 million dollar award to
members of the winning organization, We Care Solar. Also pictured: Sam Kutesa (centre left),
President of the sixty-ninth session of the General Assembly; Laura Stachel (centre right), co-founder
of We Care Solar; Patrick Ho (second from right), Secretary-General of the CEFC; and Wu Hongbo
(right), Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs. UN PHOTO
quickly as possible. while he was President of the UN General
President Yoweri Museveni, who has Assembly, appointed Ye Jianming as Spe-
been directly named as a beneficiary of cial Honorary Advisor to the UN in what
what the FBI is calling the Money Laun- is being seen as making a pass to himself
dering Uganda Scheme, has not spoken as he used the same occasion to solicit the
out on the issue. US$500,000 bribe.
But his colleague, President Idriss Dby No warrant of arrest has been issued for
of Chad, who allegedly got a bribe of US$2 Kutesa in the U.S. possibly because he is
million from the same Chinese who bribed mentioned as a recipient of the bribe.
Kutesa, has issued a denial. Kutesa accepts soliciting and getting
Dbys bribe was offered by a former the money. But he denies that the money
Senegalese Foreign Minister Cheik Gadio was a bribe and insisted it was a donation
who also allegedly got US$400,000. towards his foundation. However, accord-
Apart from President Museveni, an offi- ing to the FBI, Kutesa asked the Chinese for
cial referred to as the Vice President of Bank the money as a contribution to the election
of Uganda, who is suspected to be Bank campaign of President Museveni. It remains
of Uganda Deputy Governor Louise Kas- unclear if indeed he gave Museveni the
ekende, has also been put on the spot for money as a campaign donation from the
colluding with Kutesa and his wife to sell a Chinese.
local bank to the same bribe-giving Chinese. In their book, `The politics of Elite Cor-
The bribery accusations against Kutesa ruption in Africa; Uganda in Comparative
also will not go away easily as they hint on African Perspective, Prof. Roger Tangri of
Kutesas behavior while he was president of Stanford University, USA, and Andrew
Mwenda of The Independent magazine,
underworld of lobbyists and operations of describe how Museveni solicits foreign
front men and women who trade in their money contributions during elections.
countrys assets. They name past contributors as former
The alleged bribe-giver is Dr. Patrick Ho Nigerian president Olusegun Obasanjo,
Chi-Ping, the Deputy Chairman and Secre- the late Libyan leader Muammar Gadhafi,
tary of the accused NGO; the China Energy former Kenyan president Daniel Arap Moi,
Fund Committee (CEFC). He is a former and former Tanzanian president Benjamin
Foreign Minister of Hong Kong. Mkapa.
The CEFC Chairman is Ye Jianming, the They also point out that, under Uganda
powerful Chairman and Executive Direc- law, it is not illegal to seek such foreign
tor of CEFC China Energy Company Ltd, contributions. However, the Political Parties
which is the parent company of CEFC and and Organisations Act limits the contribu-
one of the 250 richest companies in the tion to maximum US$200,000 per year. So if
world. Museveni, through Kutesa, got US$500,000
Ye Jianming founded the CEFC and nur- from the Chinese, it would be illegal.
tured it into a think tank with consultative The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has also
status with the UN. That is how Kutesa met issued a statement defending Kutesa. The
Ho. The CEFC patronises former heads statement noted that the interaction and
of states and hundreds of political lead- engagement Kutesa had with Ho was in
ers as its advisers and researchers. Kutesa, fulfillment of his official functions as presi-
Dec 01 - 07, 2017 11
cover story
John Nasasira, Sam Kutesa and Mwesigwa Rukutana.
dent of the U.N. General Assembly.
It is therefore erroneous to insinuate or
infer that Hon. Sam Kutesa, from references
made to him and CEFC...is linked to the
bribery allegations, a statement said.
Despite the denials, details of the manner
in which Kutesa solicited the money are
ugly. He allegedly used a fake organisa-
tion, dragged in the Presidents name, and
abused his office at the UN and Uganda
Foreign Affairs for personal gain.
Details of bribe
The FBI agent who investigated the case
writes that: Based on my review of email,
I know, in substance and in part, that in or
about February 2016, the Ugandan Foreign
Minister (aided by his wife) solicited from
defendant Chi Ping Patrick Ho aka Patrick
C.P. Ho, a bribe which he characterised as
a donation/contribution for a founda-
tion that the Ugandan Foreign Minister
wished to launch.
In reality, the FBI notes elsewhere, this
payment was a bribe to obtain business
advantages for the Energy Company in its
efforts to secure contracts and ventures in
Ugandas financial and energy sectors.
The document further reveals that Ho
also provided the Ugandan Foreign Minis-
ter, as well as the President of Uganda, with
promises of future benefits, including pro-
posing to partner with both officials fami-
lies in potentially lucrative joint ventures.
In exchange for the bribe, the Chinese
reportedly emphasised that they expected
Kutesa to assist them to get major projects
in infrastructure, finance, banking, and agri-
culture in Uganda.
Kutesa and his wife allegedly assured
them that they could arrange a meeting for
them with Museveni at short notice, and
assist them buy a bank.
The bank has since been identified as
Crane Bank, which BoU later acquired and
sold to DFCU in an overly controversial
deal. At the time, BoU was still in negotia-
12 Dec 01 - 07, 2017
tions with the banks owner Sudhir Rapa-
relia.
The revelations have now sparked claims
that Kutesa, working with the named BoU
official, attempted to sell Crane Bank to the
Chinese firm even before concluding nego-
tiations with Sudhir. BoU first sued Sudhir
for fraud and the tycoon counter sued the
Central Bank. The cases are before the court
of arbitration and The Independent cannot
comment.
Also, according to the FBI, it has been
confirmed that indeed Ho and a Chinese
delegation were invited as VIP guests dur-
ing President Musevenis May 12, 2016
inauguration and, according to the investi-
gating FBI officer, were treated to a private
dinner with the President. The accused Ho
reportedly gave Museveni two gifts.
How Kutesa survives been involved following investigations by
International analysts claim the charges
against the alleged Kutesa bribe giver, Pat-
rick Ho Chi-Ping, are a result of Americas
increasing scrutiny of Chinese business
practices. According to one report, up to
13 of the 26 companies charged by the U.S.
Securities Exchange Commission which
enforces the FCPA for violating the FCPA
last year had a Chinese connection.
The story is big internationally partly
because President Trump is opposed to the
FCPA, seeing it as impediment for Ameri-
can companies not to be able to legally offer
bribes in return for business. On the other
hand, Chinese companies operating in
America struggle to maintain squeaky clean
records and CEFC China Energy Company
Ltd, which is the parent company of the
implicated China Energy Fund Commit-
tee, has been engaged in efforts to distance
itself.
According to the Financial Times news-
paper, CEFC China issued an official
statement saying a non-governmental and
non-profit organisation, (China Energy
Fund Committee) is not involved in any of
the commercial activities of CEFC China,
and has no commercial authorisation rela-
tionship whatsoever with the company.
Back home it is not clear whether
President Museveni will take any action on
Kutesa.
The Independent has been told that in the
past, whenever corruption scandals have
erupted around Kutesa, Museveni has been
incensed. He has reportedly twice directed
that Kutesa be arrested but called it off at
the last minute.
Many commentators say Kutesa has sur-
vived because he is protected by Museveni.
The two are closely connected by historical
and family ties.
Kutesas first wife, the late Jennifer
Kutesa was a cousin to President Musev-
enis wife, First Lady and Education Min-
ister Janet Museveni. Meanwhile Kutesas
daughter, Charlotte Nankunda, is married
to the presidents son, Maj. Gen. Muhoozi
Kainerugaba.
In 2010, it is said by people familiar
with the events, Museveni directed for the
arrest and detention of Kutesa. He had just
received documents showing that Kutesa
allegedly received over 17 million Euros
and then Energy Hillary Onek about 6 mil-
lion Euros from Tullow Oil, an exploration
company.
Inspector General of Police, Gen.Kale
Kayihura had already deployed police
trucks to pick up Kutesa from his home
in Nakasero. At the last minute, they were
ordered to stand down. Nobody knows
why President Museveni had changed his
mind.
Some claim that Kutesa was saved by
then-Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP)
and now Justice Richard Butera. Butera had
the police chief, who had been instructed by
President Museveni.
While there was no conclusive evidence,
Kayihura wanted to go ahead and arrest
the culprits. The aim was to use these docu-
ments and bring Kutesa, Onek and Brian
Glover, then-country manager of Tullow
Uganda, to a police station for questioning.
But Butera reportedly advised that there
was no basis of prosecution because the
documents were not backed by any other
iota of evidence to give them credibility. If
any arrest was to be made, it would have
had to be a political action not aimed at met-
ing out justice but simply at giving a signal
that corruption cannot be tolerated.
Again, in 2011, President Museveni
directed for Kutesas arrest over his role in
organising the 2007 Chogm, in which over
Shs200 billion was allegedly stolen. Vice
President Gilbert Bukenya, who chaired the
select cabinet committee for Chogm had
just been jailed over the same and there was
criticism that Kutesa, John Nasasira, who
was chief whip and junior labour minister
Mwesigwa Rukutana, were being protected.

Kutesas past corruption cases
 Oct. 2017: The leaked so-called
Louis Kasekende Edith Gasana Kutesa 
Insiders suspect that President Museveni wanted
to disprove these claims. There had been a lot of
pressure on President Museveni. A 2010 WikiLeaks
cable showed that the British High Commission was
lobbying to have London issue visa sanctions against
Kutesa and his group.
In the same cable the then U.S ambassador to
Uganda described Kutesas corruption as egregious
and noted that President Museveni was losing local 
support and had fallen out with donors over his fail-
ure to fight corruption.
Around the same time in 2011, the oil bribery alle-
gations found their way in parliament and sparked
off an explosive debate. MPs called for Kutesas
impeachment over alleged corruption. But they were
blocked. A lawyer, Severino Twinobusingye, who
was a close ally of former Prime Minister Amama
Mbabazi, who also faced the same accusations, sued 
the Attorney General and halted the proceedings.
In a twist of events, however, Kutesa, Nasasira and
Rukutana resigned over the Chogm allegations. They
claimed they had stepped aside to allow the case to
go on without their interference. The case collapsed
and they were cleared.
The following year, Kutesa was also cleared of the
oil bribery allegations. Museveni reappointed him 
into Cabinet. 
Kutesa is one of Ugandas longest serving Mem-
bers of Parliament. He defeated President Museveni
in 1980 parliamentary elections to represent Mbarara
North Constituency in parliament. Between 1985 and 
86, he served as Attorney General and was part of the
government team that negotiated with Musevenis
rebel group at the Nairobi peace talks.
He was also part of the Constituent Assembly in
1994 and has represented Mawogola County since
2001.
Museveni is also unlikely to take action on Kutesa
because he has generally been slow in taking such
action in recent years. When the Minister of State
for Labour, Herbert Kabafunzaki, was netted in an
alleged bribery scandal, Museveni suspended him
when most people expected him to be fired. Another 
minster, Ronald Kibuule of Water Resources was also
expected to be disciplined for entering parliament
illegally with a gun, but Museveni has not acted.
In the past, Museveni has publicly `forgiven his
brother, Gen. Caleb Akandanwaho aka Salim Saleh
for taking a bribe. Based on these precedents, it is not
clear how Museveni will deal with the latest Kutesa
bribe case. If he does not act, however, parliament
might act against Kutesa.
Paradise Papers reveal that Kutesa
in 2012 hired Appleby, a company
renowned for creating offshore
account for the rich and power-
ful, to form a company for him in
the tax haven of Seychelles in an 
attempt to his money and dodge
taxes.
1993: Kutesas first publicly known
corruption deal. In 1993, when
ground handling at Entebbe Inter- 
national Airport was privatized, a
company called Effortes, a subsid-
iary of Caleb International owned
by President Musevenis brother,
Caleb Akandwanaho aka Salim
Saleh and Global Airlink owned by
Kutesa unfairly took 40% accord-
ing to a parliament investigation. 
1995: Kutesa, as board chairman,
used an accounting firm close to
him to undervalue the ENHAS
shares, which he later sold to him-
self and Salim Saleh cheaply. Saleh
acquired 45% shares for $3.75 mil-
lion and sold them at $9.45 million.
Kutesa was the minister of state for
Investment and Planning.
1998: A parliamentary committee
investigating the privatisation of
Uganda Airlines Corporation con-
cludes that it had been manipu-
lated and taken advantage of
by Kutesa and a few politically
powerful people who sacrifice the
peoples interests.
1999: Parliament censures Kutesa.
2001: President Museveni re-
appointed him after elections
because he allegedly financed that
election with $500,000.
1997: During privatization of 80%
of Sheraton Hotel, Kutesa, then 
minister for Investment and Plan-
ning is named by a parliamentary
committee for soliciting a bribe of
between $2-6 million together with
Mayanja Nkanji, who was Justice
Minister, Mathew Rukikaire, who 
was the minister of state for priva-
tization and Salim Saleh. The IGG
found that three ministers had
influenced the award.
2001: Kutesa is named among
members of President Musevenis 
campaign task force that was
fronting Lithotec, a South African
company to bag a tender to supply
ballot papers. The others were his 
nephew, Sam Rwakoojo, who is
the Secretary to the Electoral Com-
mission and Enos Tumusiime, a
high-flying city lawyer. IGG inves-
tigations revealed that Lithotecs
competitorSkipco Property
Dec 01 - 07, 2017
cover story
Limited-- had been wrongly dis-
qualified from the tender and the
contract was cancelled. Neverthe-
less, Lithotec got the contract to
supply ballots for the presidential
elections.
2001 November: Lithotec gets
another contract to supply ballots
for the local government elections.
The government loses US$ 1 mil-
lion in deal.
2009: Kutesa is mentioned in elec-
tions related deal worth $15 mil-
lion. A US firm which had been
pre-qualified for the deal attributed
suspension of the award to com-
peting interests of presidential
insiders. Kutesa was connected to a
competing firm from Bangladesh.
2005: Kutesa is named in a deal
described by Bright Rwamirama,
who at the time was the privatisa-
tion committee chairman, as out-
right robbery. The deal involved
the privatisation of Uganda Diary
Cooperation Ltd (UDCL). While
the entity was valued at $9 million
with an annual turnover of $12 mil-
lion, President Museveni blocked
a process by the privatisation unit
to have the entitys 70 % sold to the
best bidder, and instead decided
to offer it to a Malaysian company
called Malee Sampran PCL for
three years at a nominal fee of $
1. It emerged that Malee was to
incorporate a company named Pan
African Foods Ltd (PAFL), which
would take over DCL. It later
emerged that Malee was a smoke-
screen for PAFL, which despite
being unregistered was connected
to Kutesa.
2000: Kutesa mentioned in the deal
to procure a technology, called
an Intelligent Network Monitor-
ing/verification System (INMS),
estimated to cost the Ugandan tax-
payer about Shs100 billion.
2012: Kutesa, through his son-in-
law, Albert Muganga, was cited in
a fight to secure a deal for the con-
struction of the Standard Gauge
Railway for the Chinese company
called CCECC.
2012: Kutesa is mentioned in the
deals surrounding the construc-
tion of Karuma and Isimba power
dams.
2014: He is accused of corruption
in a battle over his candidature for
UN General Assembly presidency
in 2014. More than 9,000 people
signed an online petition urging
the U.S. to block him. Despite the
campaign, Kutesa was elected.
13
Rwanda
Rwanda praised for
Libya `slaves offer
By Agencies
R
wanda has offered to provide ref-
uge to as many as 30,000 African
migrants suffering abuse and slave-
like conditions in Libya. Foreign
Minister Louise Mushikiwabo, who made
the announcement on Nov. 22, said the fig-
ure is not confirmed yet but an estimate.
It has just been decided so numbers and
means are still under discussion but Rwan-
da estimates the number to be welcomed
around 30,000, she said.
Mushikiwabo told AFP that, Rwanda,
like the rest of the world, was horrified by
the images of the tragedy currently unfold-
ing in Libya, where African men, women
and children who were on the road to exile,
have been held and turned into slaves.
Given Rwandas political philosophy
and our own history, we cannot remain
silent when human beings are being mis-
treated and auctioned off like cattle, she
said referring to the 1994 genocide in which
around 800,000 mostly Tutsi people were
killed while the outside world looked on.
Rwanda is a tiny country with a popula-
tion of nearly 12 million and Mushikiwabo
acknowledged that it may not be able to
welcome everyone.
14 Dec 01 - 07, 2017
Illegal immigrants are seen at a detention centre in Zawiyah,
45 kilometres west of the Libyan capital Tripoli, on June 17,
2017. Many of them end up on sale in slave markets. / AFP
But she added: But our door is wide
open.
Rwandas offer has since been praised.
Mushikiwabo had earlier tweeted: For
Africans being sold in Libya: Rwanda is
small, but we will find some space!
Rwandas offer follows the release of
CNN footage of a live auction in Libya
where black youths are presented to North
African buyers as potential farmhands and
sold off.
CNNs Nima Elbagir, Alex Platt, and Raja
Razek traveled to Libya in October after
obtaining footage of a migrant auction.
At a property outside the capital of Tripo-
li, CNN witnessed a dozen men being sold
like commodities -- some auctioned off for
as little as $400.
CNN was told of auctions at nine loca-
tions across Libya, but many more are
believed to take place each month.
CNN believes some of the auction sites
are in territory controlled by the interna-
tionally recognized Libyan Government
of National Accord (GNA), but others are
not; the GNA does not control the entire
country.
Libyan authorities have since launched a
formal investigation into the slave auctions,
according to Anes Alazabi, an official with
the internationally recognised Libyan gov-
ernments Anti-Illegal Immigration Agency.
Priorities of the investigation are not
only to convict those responsible for these
inhumane acts, but also to identify the loca-
tion of those who have been sold in order
to bring them to safety and return them to
their countries of origin.
The International Organization for Migra-
tion, an intergovernmental organization
based in Geneva that focuses on migration
management, welcomed the investigation.
But its chief of mission for Libya, Oth-
man Belbeisi, warned in an interview with
CNNs Elbagir that the smuggling net-
works are becoming stronger, more organ-
ised and better equipped.
For years, migrants crossing the Mediter-
ranean have brought with them stories of
beatings, kidnapping and enslavement.
Many make harrowing journeys from
West African countries. Those migrants
who do make it to Europe are often too ter-
rified to go on the record about their ordeal.
CNN has also provided the evidence of
slave auctions in Libya by unscrupulous
smugglers to the Office of the Prosecutor at
the International Criminal Court.
African migrants, mostly from the west
and Horn of Africa make the dangerous

journey to Libya with hopes of making it
across the Mediterranean Sea to Europe.
Testimony collected by AFP in recent
years has revealed a litany of rights abuses
at the hands of gangmasters, human traf-
fickers and the Libyan security forces, while
many end up stuck in the unstable north
African nation for years.
More than 8,800 stranded migrants have
been returned home this year, according to
the International Organization for Migra-
tion, which is also amassing evidence of
slavery.
African outrage
The African Union (AU) added its voice
to the outrage that greeted footage last
week of African migrants being auctioned
at a slave market in Libya, and on Tues-
day AU Commission chairman Moussa
Faki Mahamat called on African countries
to help.
I appeal to all member states of the
African Union, the African private sector
and African citizens to make financial con-
tributions to help alleviate the suffering of
African migrants in Libya, Faki said on
Nov.21.
I urge member states that have logistical
means to make them available to facilitate
the evacuation of African migrants who
wish to leave Libya.
The AU Commission chairman and
other World leaders may have been quick
to voice outrage over the video footage of
Libyan slave auctions, but activists raised
the alarm months ago -- and their warnings
fell on deaf ears.
Aid workers, rights groups and analysts
say they had been shouting about rape,
torture, and forced work for thousands of
black Africans in the war-torn north African
country until they were blue in the face.
But it took CNNs footage of young
Africans being auctioned off near Tripoli,
filmed on a hidden camera and aired on
November 14, to force Western and African
leaders into a flurry of condemnation.
United Nations chief Antonio Guterres
was horrified.
France requested an urgent meeting of
the UN Security Council, with President
Emmanuel Macron branding the auctions a
crime against humanity.
But NGOs and experts have charged
leaders with hypocrisy.
Ordinary people aside, everyone knew
about this -- governments, international
organisations, political leaders, said Hami-
dou Anne, a Senegalese analyst at think-
tank LAfrique des Idees.
Alioune Tine, Amnesty Internationals
West Africa director, said hostage-takings,
violence, torture and rape were well docu-
mented in Libya.
And weve been talking about slavery
for a long time, he added.
Libya became a massive transit hub for
Government-run migrant detention centers across Libya are
overflowing with detainees waiting to be repatriated.
sub-Saharan Africans setting sail for Europe
after the fall of dictator Muammar Gadhafi
in 2011 tipped the country into chaos.
Blockade in EU
More than 1.5 million migrants have
arrived in Europe since 2015, according to
UN figures and the EU has been desperate
to stem the influx. But leaders are at a loss
to find solutions for the asylum seekers on
the other side of the Mediterranean.
The EU has faced heavy criticism from
the UN over its training of the Libyan coast-
guard, which the world bodys rights chief
said resulted in migrants being sent back to
horrific prisons.
`Unimaginable horrors
With EU support, Italy has been train-
ing Libyan coastguards to intercept boats
as part of a controversial deal that has seen
migrant arrivals down nearly 70 percent
since July.
But the UN charges that the policy leaves
migrants returned to Libya at risk of torture,
rape, forced labour, and extortion.
The international community cannot
continue to turn a blind eye to the unimagi-
nable horrors endured by migrants in
Libya, UN rights chief Zeid Raad Al Hus-
sein said.
Brussels has hit back that its coastguard
training has helped save lives -- nearly
3,000 people have died trying to cross the
Mediterranean this year -- while EU aid
has helped UN agencies to send 10,000
migrants home from Libya voluntarily.
In The Gambia, Karamo Keita set up a
group to warn fellow youngsters not to
attempt the trip to Europe, after suffering
horrific abuses in Libya including slave
labour.
In Libya, black people have no right, he
told AFP back in September.
We were taken to various farms where
the Libyan guy sold us as slaves. We
worked on the farms for free.
Rwanda
The International Organisation for Migra-
tion had in April reported the existence of
markets where migrants became com-
modities to be bought.
And several months later the head of
medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres,
Joanne Liu, wrote an open letter to Euro-
pean governments warning of the thriving
kidnapping, torture and extortion busi-
ness.
In their efforts to stem the influx, are
European governments ready to pay the
price for rape, torture and slavery? she
asked, adding: We cant say we didnt
know about this.
Dont condemn, act
Amnestys Tine said that in its efforts to
stop migrants arriving at all cost, Europe
bore a fundamental responsibility for the
horrors in Libya.
Yet others are also to blame, he told AFP.
African countries do nothing to make
their young people stay, to give them
work, he said.
Analyst Hamidou Anne also said a pas-
sive response from African leaders was
in part to blame for the unfolding disas-
ter, along with systematic racism in the
Maghreb countries.
This cannot go on, he said.
Faced with a crime against humanity
you dont condemn it, you act.
Migration commissioner Dimitris
Avramopoulos meanwhile told AFP on
Nov.23 that the EU was working without
let-up to find solutions.
Tine said slavery needed to be on the
agenda at an EU-AU summit on November
29-30 in Abidjan, an idea already floated by
Nigers President Mahamadou Issoufou.
We need an impartial investigation to
see how the trafficking is organised and
who is behind it, Tine said.
And, he added, everyone must take
their responsibilities.
Dec 01 - 07, 2017 15
KENYA
Uhuru Kenyatta swears in for a second term as president of Kenya.
Kenyatta sworn in for disputed
second term amid protests
By Agencies
K
enyan President Uhuru Kenyatta
was sworn in on Nov. 28 for a sec-
ond term as police fired teargas to
disperse angry opposition support-
ers, in what many hope is the closing act of
a grueling and divisive election drama.
The pomp and ceremony ended with a
21-gun salute but was overshadowed by
chaos in another part of Nairobi, where
police engaged in running battles with
opposition supporters trying to gather for
a rally.
Opposition leader Raila Odinga was
meant to attend the memorial rally
to honour more than 50 people killed,
mostly by police, in four months of political
upheaval.
But police kept the planned venue strictly
sealed off.
Chaos also marked the start of the swear-
ing-in ceremony at the 60,000-seat Kasarani
stadium, as Kenyatta supporters attempted
to force their way into the venue, prompt-
ing police to fire tear gas while officers on
horseback struggled to curb the flow of
people.
I just want to see President Uhuru
Kenyatta because I voted for him, why are
we being beaten like NASA (the opposition
coalition)? asked Janet Wambua, who was
16 Dec 01 - 07, 2017
among the angry crowd.
Joseph Irungu of the interior ministry
planning committee had said there was
space for 40,000 people who did not get in
to watch the event on big screens outside
the stadium. However no such screens were
provided, further angering the crowd.
Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto
took the oaths of office in front of some 13
mostly African heads of state, including
from South Sudan, Uganda, Rwanda, Zam-
bia and Somalia.
Prime ministers, foreign ministers and
special envoys represented other African
nations, as well as Qatar, Serbia, Ukraine
and the United Arab Emirates.
The inauguration came after the Supreme
Court validated Kenyattas victory in last
months rerun poll.
But analysts say the swearing-in may not
draw a line under the countrys political
crisis, for his defeated rival Raila Odinga
has vowed to fight on.
The NASA coalition has described Tues-
days inauguration as a despotic corona-
tion.
The electoral strife goes back to an August
8 poll that was annulled in September by
the Supreme Court, citing irregularities
and illegalities.
The court ordered a rerun in October that
was boycotted by the opposition, handing
Kenyatta a landslide of 98 percent of votes
cast by just 39 percent of the electorate.
The disputed election season has split the
country along ethnic and regional lines.
However, political violence has not
reached the scale of the bloody aftermath of
elections in 2007, when 1,100 were killed.
Odinga, 72, finds himself denied the pres-
idency for a fourth time in his long career.
He contends he was cheated and refuses
to recognise the result.
He has vowed to found a third republic
-- following independence from Britain in
1963 and a new constitution adopted in
2010 -- and pursue protests and economic
boycotts aimed at undermining Kenyattas
dictatorship.
The current crisis draws on a deep well of
social, ethnic and geographic grievances in
the country of 48 million people.
In areas loyal to Odinga, an ethnic Luo,
there is a sense of having been ground
down and discriminated against since inde-
pendence, not least by Kenyattas Kikuyu
group, which has given Kenya three of its
four presidents.
Months of disruption and unrest, plus the
holding of two separate elections, have bad-
ly affected the economy, hitting the poorest
hardest while leaving the wealthy political
elites relatively unharmed. - AFP

Free Red Pepper editors
Pressure mounts on government over closure of spicy tabloid
By Ian Katusiime
N
ewspapers, human rights organ-
isations and civil society groups
have condemned the arrest of the
five directors and three editors of
Red Pepper as a blatant attack on press free-
dom in Uganda. The Committee to Protect
Journalists (CPJ), African Centre of Media
Excellence (ACME), and Foundation for
Human Rights Initiative (FHRI) and others
have demanded the immediate release of
the eight Red Pepper staff and re-opening of
the newspapers offices.
The five directors/owners are Richard
Tusiime, Patrick Mugumya, Johnson Mus-
inguzi, James Mujuni, Arinaitwe Rugyendo,
and three editors; Richard Kintu, Ben Byara-
baha and Tumusiime Francis Tinywana.
They were arrested on Nov.21 and locked
up for seven days in the notorious Nalufe-
nya Detention Centre in Jinja in total con-
travention of the law which stipulates that
suspects must be presented before court in
less than 48 hours after arrest.
The detention facility which is notori-
ous for torture of suspects was seen as an
attempt to break them psychologically
because the initial charges against them
were largely frivolous. Among the charges
was treason, which was farfetched with
regards to details of the case.
When they were finally arraigned in
court on Nov.27, they were instead charged
with seven counts, including publication of
information prejudicial to security, disturb-
ing the peace of President Yoweri Museveni,
his brother Gen Salim Saleh and Minister
for Security Henry Tumukunde. The other
charges are three counts of offensive com-
munication, and three counts of libel. The
charges are based on a story the tabloid
published on Nov. 20 titled Museveni plot-
ting to overthrow Kagame-Rwanda.
The story led to a raid on the newspa-
pers head office in Namanve on Nov 21
by Police detectives. The premises were
shut down and the directors and editors
whisked off to Nalufenya. Police also confis-
cated phones and computers of Red Pepper
employees during the raid.
Andrew Irumba, the client relations
officer of Red Pepper Publications said
a team from the Uganda Human Rights
Commission (UHRC) visited the detained
staff of Red Pepper at Nalufenya police
station and demanded the release of the
editors and directors saying their detention
had gone beyond the mandatory 48 hours
of detention. The team from UHRC also
said Nalufenya is not a gazetted detention
Red Pepper directors and editors appear in court on Nov 27.
centre.
Irumba said the states continued closure
of the newspaper is trampling on the rights
of Red Pepper workers because the opera-
tions of about 200 other staff have been
affected.
The Committee to Protect Journalists
(CPJ), a U.S.-based independent non-profit
organisation that promotes press freedom
worldwide called for the immediate release
of Red Pepper journalists and said that
the government is trying to intimidate the
media. Uganda is trying to intimidate Red
Pepper journalists and staff into silence with
arrests and raids, said CPJ Africa program
coordinator, Angela Quintal in a statement.
Reporting on politics is not a crime.
Journalists in Uganda must be able to report
without fear of retaliation. We call on the
Ugandan authorities to immediately release
the Red Pepper editors and managers.
Peter Mwesige, the ACME executive
director told The Independent the police raid
and detaining the directors and editors at
Nalufenya are all meant to intimidate not
only the journalists and managers at Red
Pepper but the entire media fraternity in
Uganda. He described the actions as heavy-
handed.
It is like bringing out guns and tanks to
kill flies, he said.
Mwesige said the actions have a chilling
effect on the exercise of the right to press
freedom and the wider rights to freedom
of expression and speech which are guar-
anteed by the Constitution. He said Red
Pepper editors have a constitutional right to
disseminate information.
Would editors at another Ugandan
newspaper have published this story? Most-
ly likely, no. Yes, The Red Pepper editors
news analysis
may have been reckless, but that doesnt
take away their constitutional right to dis-
seminate information and the publics right
to receive it.
The problem in Uganda is that what is
deemed reckless or irresponsible journal-
ism by the powers that be is sometimes
punished by criminalisation of publication,
he said.
Before the charge sheet was amended
from treason, Livingstone Sewanyana, the
executive director of FHRI had described
the attack as an abuse of both press freedom
and process of legal abuse.
The charge of treason is a very serious
offence because it attracts a death penalty.
This should only apply where there is use of
violence in an effort to overthrow the gov-
ernment and this is not a suitable charge for
a publication.
Sewanyana says the government through
ministry of foreign affairs should have only
responded by giving its side of the story.
This is an abuse of legal process and an
attack on press freedom- something that has
been happening a lot in Uganda.
This is the second time in four years a
major newspaper in Uganda is being shut
down by the state. In 2013, Red Pepper and
Daily Monitor were shut down after they
published a letter by Gen David Sejusa,
then chief coordinator of intelligence ser-
vices, talking of an alleged plot to kill then
prime minister Amama Mbabazi, the late
former chief of defence forces and then-
minister of internal affairs, the late Gen.
Aronda Nyakairima and Sejusa himself
over their opposition to a project where
Museveni is allegedly grooming his son
Maj. Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba to suc-
ceed him as president.
Dec 01 - 07, 2017 17
news analysis
Patrick Amuriat, new FDC president at Namboole on Nov 24.
W After defiance
ith the election of Engineer
Patrick Oboi Amuriat as
president of Ugandas biggest
opposition party, the Forum
for Democratic Change (FDC) behind him,
Grant Senabulya, a delegate from Nakaseke
district who looks to be in his 70s is looking
ahead, not back. He told The Independent
that he is now concerned about the direction
the party takes at national level.
Right now we have two groups:
defiance and compliance. I want us to hold
power without shedding blood, he said.
Ssenabulya, who is the FDC secretary
general of Nakaseke District, says he voted
Muntu in 2012 but does not say how he
voted in 2017.
All I want is a party that advocates for
peaceful change, he says.
There are many in FDC who, like
Ssenabulya, are anxious about how Amuriat
will lead the party.
As party president, the defeated Gen.
Mugisha Muntu struggled to unite FDC
and at the Delegates Conference at
Namboole Stadium in Kampala where the
vote was held on Nov.24, the defiance and
compliance camps were on show.
Seeing the schisms, however, the partys
national chairman Wasswa Birigwa said it is
a mistake to think FDC is a burning house.
My house is FDC, he said, I accept
their diversity, they are different but they
are the same.
But supporters of Amuriat said they were
disaffected with Muntu and his philosophy
of so-called organisation which stressed
building organisational capabilities
for the party as a way of transcending
individualism and building grassroots
structures across the country.
And when the final results trickled in
with Amuriat bagging 641 votes (57%), it
was clear Muntus much vaunted mantra of
organisation had been rejected, getting only
18 Dec 01 - 07, 2017
defeated Muntu
Will new president Amuriat lead FDC
forward or backwards to Besigye?
By Ian Katusiime
463 votes (41%). What is unclear is how
Amuriat will lead.
During the campaign, he pledged to
reclaim our victory. He was a central
member of the so-called Peoples
Government, an FDC faction that treats the
partys flag-bearer in the 2016 presidential
elections, Col. (retired) Kizza Besigye, as
the rightful winner and, therefore rightful
president of Uganda.
This group has been operating mainly
from an office located on Katonga Road
in Kampala where Besigye has an office.
Here, they have constituted a full-fledged
government in which Amuriat is the
Minister for Local Government.
In his manifesto, Amuriat, pledged to
have the faction occupy its rightful space
in Najjanakumbi, the official headquarters
of the party. He has also pledged to restore
more powers to Besigye in what is being
seen as dragging the party to its past and
not the future.
During the campaign, Amuriat pledged
that as soon as he was elected the debate
over which approach the party needs to use
to overthrow the dictatorship will end.
If he follows through on the pledge, FDC
might encourage more acts of defiance and
denial of cooperation in parliament where
it detests being labeled the opposition.
There might also be a return to an endless
regime of street protests as was seen after
the 2011 elections. Sources in the party say
Amuriat could make changes in the party
cabinet soon starting with the Leader of
Opposition and Chief Whip in Parliament;
positions occupied by Winnie Kizza and
Ibrahim Semujju Nganda respectively-key
Muntu appointees.
Some supporters like Abdullah
Ebokorait, the FDC chairperson for Kumi
district are excited that the defiance
ideology of Besigye will now be in full
mode. Various FDC members say Amuriat
cannot be his own man simply because
he won due to a coalition of networks
patronised by Besigye and Nandala Mafabi.
Besigyes proxy
Therefore, as Amuriat starts a new
chapter of his political career, the figure of
Besgye looms large over him. In his final
pitch to delegates, Muntu told Amuriat that
he should first understand the source of the
internal conflicts in the party before he can

go about managing them.
Many saw it as a rebuke to Besigye and
his acolytes who petitioned the partys
electoral commission team after Muntu
defeated Mafabi in 2012. Shortly after, the
party wrangled for two years over internal
process. Muntu left no doubt when he told
Amuriat that his backers were those behind
the wrangling then.
Throughout his campaign, Amuriat
was criticised as simply re-echoing
Besigyes talking points. Now that he is
FDC president, supporters of Muntu are
concerned.
If you think Amuriat is standing on his
own, then you can as well think (Raphael)
Magyezi is the one who wants Article 102
(b) amended, Nabila Naggayi, Kampala
Woman MP told The Independent before the
election. Naggayi, a supporter of Muntu
said she is drawn to the former party
president because of his selflessness. He
does not take opposition to him as a crime,
he takes it in stride she said.
Naggayi has been a fierce critic of
Besigye and accuses the former presidential
candidate of selfishness. He is just shy
of amending the article to run for FDC
president again, she adds, Muntus brand
says we are smaller than the party.
Naggayi argued that Muntu wanted
FDC institutions to grow and hints that
government agencies are not empowered
because of similar failure to let institutions
rise above personalities. This is the same
thing that has been happening in the party.
If my support for Muntu is the reason I am
branded as a mole, so be it.
In reality, one could argue that FDC is
having its Donald Trump or Brexit moment-
two events that rocked Western democracies
in 2016.
Amuriat fondly referred to as POA, was
derogatively called a villager when he
joined the race for party president months
ago. And just like the possibility appeared
remote of Trump being elected president
of the U.S. or Britain voting to leave the
European Union, Amuriat was considered
a long shot for the position he was gunning
for.
In many ways, Muntu whom Amuriat
defeated, was the establishment figure-
he was FDC president, a former army
commander and with many other enviable
credentials. To cap it, the radical or activist
members of the party backed Amuriat
while Muntu enjoyed the support of liberals
or moderates who appeared to have the
momentum.
But Betty Ocan, Gulu Woman MP, says
she was always unconvinced by talk of
Muntu that FDC is not ready for power.
If you have a leader who tells you that
you are not ready for power, what does that
leader mean? It is sad that we are having a
leader who is telling us that we are not yet
ready for power, she said.
In her district, Ocan says she does not see
the impact of building grassroots that the
former party president Muntu was known
for.
Communities should feel the presence
of the party, she says. Muntu showed
fear when it came to confronting police. If
you fear you can never move. These are
activities that should be directed by the
party president.
Muntu was branded a mole by his
opponents in FDC and some analysts say
the fact that he often addressed the issue
gave it undue attention. A few days to the
election, Muntu took to social media to
address the issue for the umpteenth time.
I am a founding member of FDC. In
fact, I was one of the people that got the
party registered. Once we had done this, we
went around recruiting members. It was us
that insisted on having Dr. Besigye as our
presidential candidate in 2001. Is this what
moles do? he wondered on his Twitter
page. The suspicion had even extended to
some supporters of Muntu.
Ebokorait told The Independent while at
Namboole that Muntu lost because he did
not functionalise the structures he talked
about.
Muntu says he built structures but it
does not help you if do not functionalise
them, Ebokorait said, Amuriat has
promised to transfer expenditure to district
branches, he wants to spread this money to
the grassroots.
Ebokorait says Muntu was also punished
for FDC loss of ground in parliament under
his watch.
We used to have more than 36
MPs in the house and then we had less
constituencies then. We are moving
backwards, Ebokorait said. He added that
there was no way FDC could reclaim the
victory it notched in the 2016 presidential
elections while Muntu is president.
Some observers say Amuriat won partly
because FDC members desired a shift from
the western axis of power in the country.
Besigye, Muntu and other elderly politicians
in the party, some being founding
members all hail from the western part of
Uganda. Some of these include Augustine
Ruzindana, Amanya Mushega. Even
though he is yet to build a national profile,
those who voted Amuriat believe in the
symbolic power of having a party president
from the eastern part of the country.
Supporters of Amuriat hold it against
Muntu for serving a complete five year term
instead of finishing out the remaining three
years of what was Kizza Besigyes term
when he retired unexpectedly in 2012.
Other party members attributed Muntus
loss to a seeming invisibility while others
say his lukewarm embrace of defiance
did not help matters. Although Muntu
news analysis
sometimes chaired meetings that prepared
defiance activities in the partys National
Executive Committee, he was severally
accused of not walking the talk.
Meanwhile, Ebokorait who comes from
the same district as his new party president,
Amuriat, is optimistic because the new FDC
leader has promised better management of
party finances. He was unhappy that the
Delegates Conference to elect the party
president cost a whopping Shs400 million.
Commenting on the election, Abdul
Katuntu, MP for Bugweri County and a
supporter of Muntu said: I dont believe
in the politics of throwing mud because the
other person is doing that. Some people
believe in that but I think it is unfortunate.
But this is Amuriats victory we cannot take
it away from him, he deserves it and for
now we shall lie low.
Brian Atuheire, a youth delegate and
supporter of Amuriat told The Independent
shortly before voting took place that
whoever wins the election, they should
know that they are dealing with a dictator.
As a youth leader, I want someone who
will push this regime so that 2021 finds a
very assertive population.
One of Amuriats stated objectives is to
serve for a three year term instead of one
of five. This would enable the party save
enormous amounts of money spent in
calling a delegates conference for election of
party president alone.
With his plan to bow out in 2020, FDC
under Amuriat will find itself in familiar
territory with Besigye as the most likely
option for flag-bearer in 2021. The party is
once again facing criticism for perpetuating
Besigyeism, a criticism it always levels at
NRM, the ruling party where the position
for party flag-bearer is sacrosanct. With
Muntu now as a diminished political figure
in the party, it is very unlikely that he will
consider running as a candidate for FDC
flag-bearer in the next presidential election.
Although FDC usually prides itself in
being an exemplar of internal democracy
among Ugandas political parties, its
critics are wondering whether this internal
democracy still counts for something if it
always churns out Besigye as its flag-bearer.
In 2020, FDC will certainly hold primaries
for flag-bearer but some observers are
wondering whether there will be anyone
in the near future who can dare to stand
against Besigye now that Muntu is down
and out, let alone defeat him in the race for
presidential candidate.
As the voices of Muntus supporters
are drowned out, Amuriat and his strong
backers face a stern test of building party
structures while maintaining a defiance
approach with a party leader whose face
and name are hardly recognisable.
Dec 01 - 07, 2017 19
NEWS ANALYSIS
MPs opposed to the deletion of Article 102 (b) from the
Constittution sing at Parliament days before their protest
degenerated into a brawl INDEPENDENT/JIMMY SIYA
By Ronald Musoke
W
hat, really, is the mandate of the
Uganda Communications Com-
mission (UCC)?
On its face, UCCs mandate
appears clear; it is the countrys communi-
cations regulatory agency. It is supposed
to promote and safeguard the interests of
consumers and operators. However, there is
a growing view that UCC does not have the
legal mandate to do some of the things it has
been doing. Critics point out that the space
for free speech is shrinking because the state
uses the law selectively to determine what
can and cannot pass.
The matter has become so urgent that
the Parliamentary Committee on Commis-
sions, State Authorities and State Enterprises
(COSASE) has it on its agenda.
A member of the committee, Medard
Lubega Sseggona, who is the MP for Busiiro
South, says as soon as there is opportunity,
COSASE will summon UCC officials to
explain why they are engaged in certain
activities that appear to be outside the agen-
cys mandate. He told The Independent in an
interview that UCC has moved beyond reg-
ulation to become a repressive agency and
cited incidents in which UCC has blocked
social media access, stopped media houses
from covering certain political events, and
either closed or threatened to close media
outlets that give a platform to opponents of
the ruling NRM party.
What Mutabazi is doing is in effect crimi-
nal, Sseggona says in reference to Godfrey
Mutabazi, the UCC executive director, the
rate at which UCC is denying Ugandans
access to information and professionals the
right to practice their trade is alarming and
deplorable.
The Human Rights Network for Journal-
ists Uganda (HRNJ-U) also says it is going to
court to seek interpretation on the mandate
of UCC.
Robert Ssempala, the HRNJ-U national
coordinator told The Independent that his
organization is reacting to UCCs recent
directive to media houses to stop live broad-
20 Dec 01 - 07, 2017
Is UCC going rogue?
Parliament to probe communications
regulator over its media cuts and bans
casts of MPs exchanging punches on Sept.26
in parliament.
We dont know if they are doing this
deliberately or there is pressure behind them
but one thing is for sure; what UCC is doing
is absolutely wrong; it is illegal and illegiti-
mate, Ssempala told The Independent.
Tempers flared in Parliament on Sept.26
over a controversial motion to delete Article
102 (b) that limits the age of presidential can-
didates from the Constitution.
Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga,
was compelled to abruptly adjourn the
House after opposition MPs disrupted Igara
West MP, Raphael Magyezi, from moving
a motion on removing the presidential age
limit. The pro-age limit MPs sang and made
other noises for close to 20 minutes inside the
Parliament Chambers until Kadaga sent the
House packing.
Security personnel entered the chambers
and dragged rowdy MPs out when they
attempted a repeat the next day. Despite
Mutabazis ban on live broadcast, images
of MPs being battered, fighting with micro-
phones, and throwing parliament furniture
at each other were beamed around the
world. UCCs minimum broadcasting
standards in regard to violence and crime
state that any suggestions that justice can
be achieved by violence, vigilante action, or
other means of taking law enforcement into
ones own hands; should be avoided. Any
exceptions must take into account the con-
text and redeeming values. Such depictions
of violence may frighten, unnerve, unsettle
or invite imitation, especially from children.
Broadcasters react
Fred Otunnu, UCCs director of Corporate
Affairs told The Independent that live cover-
age of events is supposed to be managed
differently to avoid putting out undesirable
content. UCC says broadcasting brawls by
MPs incites the public, is discriminatory,
stirs up hatred, and promotes a culture of
violence amongst the viewers. It is likely to
create public insecurity or violence.
Otunnu says broadcast houses every-
where in the world have equipment that
delay relay of such content by a micro-
second. That micro-second is important
in broadcasting, he said because it helps in
editing out scenes that are not desirable for
viewers consumption.
The UCC directive was a reminder for
broadcasters to enforce that, Otunnu says.
The UCC wrote in its directive to broad-
casting houses: The commission hereby
directs all broadcasters to immediately
stop and refrain from broadcasting live
feeds which are in breach of the minimum
broadcasting standards and the best practice
guidelines for electronic media coverage/
reporting and broadcasting of live events.
It added: The commission would not
hesitate to carry out enforcement for non-
compliance with these guidelines and any
further breach will result in suspension and
revocation of your licence in accordance with
Section 41 of the Uganda Communications
Act 2013.
But some media executives were in dis-
agreement with the ban saying Parliament
is a public space and should, therefore, be
opened to live media broadcasts.
In a letter dated Sept. 29, the National
Association of Broadcasters (NAB) respond-
ed to Mutabazis letter saying freedom of
expression is a cardinal principle enshrined
in the Constitution of Uganda under Article
29. It is a fact that live broadcasting does

not depict falsehoods but rather is an
account of actuality: It is our view that the
messenger should not bear the brunt of any
such factual message for which the public
has a right to see and hear.
We are yet to see (and we welcome the
same) evidence of incitement, as alleged,
arising from these live broadcasts, with an
introspective view of the other mediums to
which the public is exposed where violence
is a staple feature (films, television pro-
grammes and stage plays).
As you may recall in 2011, NAB entered
into a memorandum of understanding with
the UCC with respect to live broadcasting.
The broadcasters association had also
received complaints from its members who
operate upcountry harassment, intimida-
tion and in extreme cases, closure by the
government operatives. The letter noted
that the memorandum detailed the manner
and conduct broadcasters would implement
in covering live events also noting that the
broadcasters had diligently obliged to the
memorandum which should continue guid-
ing their operations.
Targeting opposition
But UCC has also targeted opposition leg-
islators in other ways. The most hit appears
to be celebrated musician Robert Kyagulanyi
aka Bobi Wine, who is the new Kyadondo
East MP. Media houses, allegedly acting on
orders or cues from UCC, have blocked him.
On Sept.28, for example, he was scheduled
to appear on NTVs political talk show `On
the Spot but was blocked. On Sept. 30, he
was supposed to be on Capital FMs `Capital
Gang but he was also blocked.
I was later informed that the radio was
directed by Uganda Communications Com-
mission (UCC) and received phone-calls
from security operatives not to host me,
Kyagulanyi posted on his Facebook page,
I was called by other radio and TV stations
and they confirmed that they received the
same order- with threats that if I am hosted,
they risked being closed.
Oskar Semweya-Musoke, the Capital
Gang host explained to his audience for
Kyagulanyis absence with this tweet: We
received phone calls that stopped us from
hosting @HEBobinwine on #CapitalGang
today. Kyagulanyi was one of the opposi-
tion MPs evicted from parliament over the
melee that erupted during the tabling of
Magyezis Private Members Bill to lift the
presidential age limit.
Kyagulanyi has appeared to be targeted
by UCC since he won a by-election towards
the end of June as an independent MP
and immediately adopted anti-President
Yoweri Museveni rhetoric. There were even
rumours that UCC had instructed radio
stations not to play his latest hit, `Freedom,
which allegedly fans violence among the
public as it calls upon Ugandans to rise up
because saving Our nation is a responsibil-
ity of all of us the children of Uganda. He
sings about how, Ugandans are fed up of
those who oppress our lives (sic) and every-
thing that takes away our rights.
Som UCCs past
e of the lyrics translated from Luganda,
a widely spoken local dialect are: Uganda
seems to be moving backwards; rise up
friends because we know that saving our
nation is a responsibility of all of us the chil-
dren of Uganda.
No matter your age, sex, religion, and
tribe; educated or uneducated, this is a revo-
lution; whether you are a doctor, farmer,
teacher, policeman, lawyer, soldier, taxi driv-
er or student, Ugandans in the Diaspora or
bodaboda rider, rise up and dont give up.
But Pamela Ankunda, the Head Public
Relations at UCC, told The Independent on
Nov. 10 that UCC has not banned Kyagu-
lanyis song because the agencys mandate
does not go that far.
We regulate content and not people, she
said. She said all UCC has done is remind
broadcasters of their liability in case their
platform is used to air content that are con-
trary to the laws and minimum broadcasting
regulations. That is very different from say-
ing, dont host this person on the talk show,
she said. Even if UCC had banned the song,
Kyagulanyi has already vowed not to respect
its directives. He says the regulatory author-
itys decisions depict double standards and
bias. He said artistes who sing songs that
support the NRM regime are never barred
from doing so. I have fundamental rights
of singing and speaking about anything
without seeking permission from anyone,
Kyagulanyi says.
Ssempala says UCCs suspension of peo-
ple from appearing on certain media houses
talk shows is blatant abuse of their right to
expression.
It is under the influence of politicians
who want to shut up all voices of dissent
and curtail the free flow of critical informa-
tion, he says, All that is overstepping their
mandate.
Recently, UCC has blocked journalists
News analysis
from covering the activities of striking doc-
tors. In the past, it has ordered media houses
not to do live broadcasts of Walk-to-Work
protests, the Kasese massacre during the
attack on the palace of the Rwenzururu king,
Omusinga Charles Wesley Mumbere last
November and the subsequent trial early
this year. In the February presidential elec-
tions, UCC blocked social media platforms
and mobile money networks. The shutdown
remained in place until the afternoon of Sun-
day, Feb.21 when President Museveni was
declared winner.
The UCC said access to social media plat-
forms like Whatsapp, Twitter and Facebook
via mobile phones and the mobile money
networks had been temporarily blocked
citing national security concerns during the
election period. The telecom firm, MTN, con-
firmed that UCC directed it to block social
media and mobile money services due to a
threat to public order and safety. Critics say
UCCs mandate does not give it such pow-
ers.
The UCCs primary mandate is to regulate
and grow the media in Uganda, says Ssem-
pala, but it has since taken to controlling and
restricting the media freedom.
This is complete abuse which is political-
ly motivated, he says, We dont want UCC
to control the media in a negative manner,
he told The Independent on Nov.13.
Sseggona also says UCC is harassing
media houses by refusing to renew their
licenses. As we speak, 75% of media houses
in the country do not have valid licences
because UCC wants to close them at the
slightest opportunity under the guise of lack
of valid licence, he said. On the issue of
delayed licenses, Otunnu told The Indepen-
dent that the process has been complicated
because of transiting from analogue trans-
mission to digital television.
Media experts say internet shutdowns
and state violence go hand in hand. They
say shut downs disrupt the free flow of
information and create a cover of darkness
that allows state repression to occur without
scrutiny. Internet shutdownswith govern-
ment ordering the suspension or throttling
of entire networks, often during election or
public protestsmust never be allowed to
become the new normal.
Justified for public safety purposes, shut
downs instead cut off access to vital informa-
tion, e-financing and emergency services,
plunging whole societies into fear and desta-
bilizing the internets power to support small
businesses, livelihoods and drive economic
development.
Ssempala says UCCs directives instill fear
and scare the media from discussing current
topical issues.
Many people get away with criminality
because UCC has prevailed over the watch-
dog (media) which is actually supposed to
put people in position of responsibility to
account, he says.
Dec 01 - 07, 2017 21

UEGCL sees higher profits ahead
The company records Shs 13.9bn loss in 2016
U
By Isaac Khisa
gandas electricity genera-
tion company, UEGCL, has
slipped back into loss mak-
ing territory a year after it
registered a substantial prof-
it in 2015 but the executives
say the company has better days ahead.
Financial records released in Kampala
on Nov. 23 show that the company, which
switched its annual report and financial
statements from the calendar year into
July-June financial year, thanks to require-
ments of the Public Finance Management
Act 2015, recorded Shs 13.9bn loss for the
18 months ending June 30, 2017 compared
with Shs 5.4bn profit recorded in the 12
months ending Dec 2015. In 2014, the
UEGCL made a huge loss of Shs 9.5bn.
The company cites a big drop in profit-
ability to the under-billing of the South
African firm, Eskom, which manages and
maintains some of its assets the 180MW
Nalubaale and the 200MW Kiira power
stations in Jinja.
Incorporated by the Ministry Finance,
Planning and Economic Development in
2001 as a public limited company follow-
ing the unbundling of the Uganda Electric-
ity Board (UEB), UEGCL is charged with
generation of electricity in the country.
Proscovia Margaret Njuki, the Chairper-
son of the Board of Directors at UEGCL
said as much as the company, under the
concession and assignment agreement has
the right to bill Eskom for debt service,
depreciation, return on equity and admin-
istrative costs; the tariff structure approved
by the Electricity Regulatory Authority
does not include administrative costs.
This means that UEGCLs assets under
22 Dec 01 - 07, 2017
concession are not able to generate enough
revenue / cash to recover their carrying
amount, she said.
She said the company is currently work-
ing with the government to ensure that
this anomaly is addressed. Eskoms con-
cession is expected to end in the next five
years.
The company also recorded a drop
in revenues from Shs54bn in 2015 to
Shs17.5bn citing a write-off of long out-
standing debts of Shs30.9bn from Uganda
Electricity Transmission Company Limited
(UETCL) and the government assets which
are no longer achievable, also known as,
write back liability worth Shs 42bn.
Consequently, the decline in revenue
reduced the shareholders equity from Shs
465bn to Shs452bn during the same period
under review, signaling the companys
ability to discharge its liabilities in the
normal course of business. However, UEG-
CLs assets increased from Shs1trillion in
2015 to Shs3.29trillion in 2016.
This development comes at the time
the Auditor General, John Muwanga, is
questioning UEGCLs failure to enforce
compliance by Eskom with regard to non-
repair works at two turbines and cracks on
Nalubale dam and Power house as well as
delayed execution of 13 projects since 2013.
It also coincides with the companys
formulation of a new five year strategic
plan for the period 2018 to 2023 set to be
launched in December 2017. The plan is
aimed at putting the company on a new
platform of growth and development,
which in turn will translate into sustain-
able and affordable electricity to the econo-
my and the socio-economic transformation
of the population.
Harrison Mutikanga, the Chief Execu-
Aireal view of Nalubaale hydro
power dam. COURTESY PHOTO
tive Officer of UEGCL said there was
significant progress in the construction of
Karuma (52%) and Isimba (76%) hydro-
power plant projects.
He said the progress was in part as a
result of the re-invigorated monitoring and
supervision by UEGCL team with support
from the Project Steering Committee (PSC)
set up by President Yoweri Museveni last
year to streamline project implementation.
Both projects are planned for commis-
sioning in the course of the next financial
year (2018/19). He also revealed that the
works on the 48MW Muzizi hydropower
dam is in advanced stages of tendering
for construction works while Nyagak III
(6.6 MW) power project attained financial
closure, and is set to move on to the next
phase of construction.
Finance Minister, David Bahati, said the
government is happy with the UEGCL
activities especially in the construction of
new dams saying they will lower the cost
of doing business and also leapfrog the
country into the middle income status.
Future outlook
Njuki said they are optimistic that the
company will continue to grow despite
operating in a challenging economic envi-
ronment.
Despite the challenges associated with
the ageing infrastructure, we have planned
for short and long term investments to
ensure the asset continues to operate in
order to keep the tariff low, she said, add-
ing that the timely delivery of hydropower
plants under construction will grow the
companys future revenue as electricity
supply increases from the current 853MW
to 1686MW BY 2020.

By Julius Businge
R
ichard Byarugaba was recently
re-appointed as the managing
director of the National Social
Security Fund (NSSF) for another
five-year term.
His performance in the first term
seems to have impressed his supervisor
the Minister of Finance Planning and
Economic Development, Matia Kasaija
culminating into the renewal of his
contract.
Since then, Byarugaba has been
preaching his next big plans for the Shs8.2
trillion Fund and its members for the next
five years, with the latest being a media
dialogue at the Kampala Serena Hotel on
Nov. 21.
The recent executive and managerial
staff changes that the board announced
are precisely to create the required
capabilities to deliver the Funds Mission
and Vision, he said, Our focus now
is to work on the key success drivers
and clearly articulate the key initiatives
needed in the next five years.
He said his plan is to now grow the
Funds current assets under management
from the current Shs 8.2trillion to Shs
20 trillion by 2022, making it one of East
Africas largest financial institutions.
He promises to fulfil this by increasing
investment in private equity and tapping
into the opportunities of new sectors like
oil and gas, completion of stalled projects
in Temangalo, Lubowa, Nsimbe, Pension
Towers and Yusuf Lule.
He said the Fund would work towards
integrating with systems of government
partners like Uganda Revenue Authority,
National Identification and Registration
Authority and Uganda Registration
Services Bureau.
Regarding membership, Byarugaba,
said he plans to ensure that the Funds
members grow more than three-fold
from the current 1.7 million (800,000 are
actively saving) to around five million
during the period.
The long queues inside the NSSF
branches will also be reduced leveraging
on adoption of information and
technology, he said, adding that the
Funds anticipated growth would be
supported by its strategy of making
employees happy, innovative, business
process re-engineering and making
prudent investments.
This new plan comes at the time the
government is putting in place new
pension sector reforms currently in
Parliament for debate. Their approval
will see legal reforms that will bring
new benefits to the members including
maternity, housing, critical illness and
funeral benefits and more as opposed
to current few benefits age, survivors,
NSSFs Byarugaba
sets new target
But will he achieve the Shs 20
trillion in savings by 2022?
appointmenthe should be able to
Richard Byarugaba Enock Nyorekwa
withdrawal, invalidity, exempted
employment and emigration grant
benefits.
Riding on past stellar performance
Analysts believe that based on the
performance of the Fund in the last seven
years where Byarugaba has dominated
management, notwithstanding the
looming liberalization of the sector, his
new five year dream might be realised.
For instance, in the last seven years,
contributions to the Fund have increased
from Shs 295bn in 2009/2010 to Shs 916
bn in 2016/17, assets under management
grown from less than Shs 2.1trillion to Shs
7.9 trillion in 2016/17.
Revenues increased from Shs 129 bn in
2009/2010 to Shs 912 bn in 2016/17, cost to
income ratio declined by 35% in 2009/2010
to 12.5% in 2010/2017. Interest paid to
members has grown from Shs 89bn to Shs
681bn in the period under review.
The other performance relates to
customer satisfaction which was 49% in
2009/2010 but now is 92% and is expected
to increase to 95% in the next five years.
Compliance levels which were at 47% are
now at 80% and would further increase
to over 90%, staff satisfaction that was at
48% seven years back is now at 84% and
would jump to 95% in the next five years;
benefits payments which used to last
105 days now take 10 days and plans are
to cut these days to two in the next five
years.
In addition, the Fund has been able
to offer members a minimum of 2%
above 10-year inflation in interest since
2012/2013.
business
Enock Nyorekwa Twinoburyo,
an economist (PhD) and Andrew
Muhimbise, a keen follower and critic
of NSSFs investments and private
companies told The Independent on Nov.
24 that Byarugaba has carefully mastered
how to keep an eye on the performance of
the Fund.
So I think it is a well deserved
continue with the balancing while
delivering consistent value for the
members, they said.
They added that the former Deputy
Managing Director, Geraldine Ssali whose
contract was not renewed deserves credit
for challenging Byarugabas management
credentials but also for keeping the Fund
up and running when she acted as MD in
2014 before Byarugaba bounced back.
The two agreed with Byarugabas
five years strategy based on four
success drivers happy employees,
business process re-engineering product
innovation and prudent investment. But
on investment, they said that the Funds
core business in the next five years should
be about exploring some of the legal
restrictions by pushing for new reforms
to pass. On increasing investment on the
equity segment, they warn that the Fund
may not easily achieve growth there
because the space is small, sallow, illiquid
and passively inactive.
On maintaining 80% of its cash in fixed
assets, the two experts said it is a prudent
strategy in light of the fact that it is about
social welfare and that it is a risk free
field.
However, they said that the challenge
is the growing fiduciary or fiscal risk on
government and recent downgrades of its
debt by international agencies - the debt
risk is getting pronounced.
Already fiscal cost on the budget is
already high. On macro front, increased
issuance has downside effects for the
market as private sector that creates
employment which NSSF needs is
crowded out, they said.
Dec 01 - 07, 2017 23
business
Slow agriculture
insurance uptake
Regulator says aggressive marketing and
awareness would reverse the trend
By Isaac Khisa
U
gandas agriculture sector has
been associated with many risks
unstable prices, drought, pests
and diseases thus hampering its
growth.
This prompted the government to unveil
a Shs5bn Agriculture Insurance Premium
Subsidy Scheme last year for an initial five-
year period in partnership with a consor-
tium of 10 insurance firms.
This move was aimed at boosting uptake
of agriculture insurance policies for both
crops and livestock and so is investment in
the agriculture sector, high productivity and
farmers increased access to credit.
But available data from the Insurance
Regulatory Authority of Uganda (IRA-U)
shows that farmers are still reluctant when
it comes to embracing the new product.
So far, only 26, 421 farmers have signed
for the agricultural insurance cover utilis-
ing merely Shs692.2milion of the subsidy
scheme.
As per the approvals we have processed,
a greater position of the funds is still unuti-
lised, said Ibrahim Kaddunabi Lubega, the
chief executive officer of IRA-U during the
industrys CEO breakfast meeting held in
Kampala on Nov. 23.
He said there is need for the consortium
24 Dec 01 - 07, 2017
to increase awareness and marketing of the
agricultural insurance covers to increase its
uptake. He said the regulator is currently
engaging the World Bank and other interna-
tional players to encourage farmers embrace
the agriculture insurance products.
What we are having now is almost a
private-sector led but in many countries, it
is a combined effort with the government to
deepen agriculture insurance, he said.
But Daka Munyaradzi, the technical
manager of the Consortium at the Uganda
Insurers Association (UIA) dismissed the
regulators figures in an interview with The
Independent saying they are outdated.
By September this year, we had utilised
about Shs2bn. We are even worried that the
subsidy might be fully utilised by the end
of December, he said, adding that more
than 44,000 farmers and not 226, 421 have
accessed agriculture insurance with the help
of the subsidy.
Quick facts
A 2015 agricultural risk assessment
study shows that Uganda losses between
Growth in Ugandas insurance premiums
Year 2011 2012 2013 2014
Gross Premiums
Underwritten
296.83 351.23 463 502.65
(Shs bns)
Source: IRA
US$606 million to US$ 804 million per year
as a result of price fluctuations, pests and
diseases in crops and livestock, post-harvest
losses and drought.
Based on an agricultural Gross Domestic
Product of US$ 5.71 billion, losses therefore
amount to between 10.61% and 14.08% of
total annual production, which is between
2.3% and 3.1% of Ugandas GDP.
The study notes that on average, crop
losses in the country due to pests, diseases,
and weeds are estimated at 10-20% during
the pre-harvest period and 20-30% during
the post-harvest period, with the annual
losses for major crops estimated to be in the
range of US$ 113 million to US$298 million
(mainly banana, cassava, coffee, and cotton).
The losses for farmers due to price risk are
estimated at US$ 262.22 million per annum.
It is a result of this that the growth in
Ugandas agriculture sector has remained
between 1.5 % and 3 % annually for the
last five years even as it supports more
than 80% of the countrys population. The
agriculture insurance product dubbed
Kungula AgriInsurance is packaged as
two sub-products: Livestock All Risks Mor-
tality (ARM) Insurance and Crop Indexed
Insurance. Under the scheme, farmers with
less than five acres of farm land get a 50%
subsidy while those owning more than five
acres are entitled to a 25% subsidy of premi-
ums on their insurance policies.
Participating firms
The participating insurance firms in the
agricultural insurance includes; APA; Gold
Star Insurance; Lion Insurance; Phoenix
Insurance; Jubilee Insurance; UAP Insur-
ance and CIC General. Others are First
Insurance Company; National Insurance
Company and Pax Insurance.
The industrys CEO meeting was held
just after three weeks the industry regula-
tor granted approval for the South Africa-
based financial services firm, Sanlam, to
acquire Lion Assurance Company limited
at US$6.5million. Sanlam officials said they
would not drop any services Lion was offer-
ing on the market. This means a lot to the
sector that recorded growth in premiums in
recent past.
IRA-U data shows that the industry
recorded premiums amounting to Shs
566.4bn as at the end of Sept.30 compared
with Shs 425.3bn in 2015 amidst hard eco-
nomic times.
Net earned premiums also increased
from Shs 253.7bn to Shs 338.2bn while net
claims incurred declined from Shs 96.7bn
to Shs75.2bn during the same period under
review. However, the countrys insurance
penetration remains the lowest in the East
African Community standing at less than
2015 2016 1%. Rwandas insurance penetration
611.13 634 stands at 1% compared with 2.3% in Tanza-
nia and 3.4% in Kenya.
 business

How African governments can

grow their pension sectors
Social security funds to tackle key areas in
education, IT to accelerate pension growth
By Julius Businge

H
ow can African governments
ensure that the working
population has some sort of
social security at old age? That
was the main issue discussed during the
two-day East and Central Africa Social
Security Association (ECASSA) conference
held at the Kampala Serena Hotel from
Nov. 23-24.
Richard Byarugaba, the new chairman
of ECASSA and managing director at
National Social Security Fund (NSSF),
Uganda, said there is a growing concern
that there are only two million people
out of the 15 million working population
in the country who have social security
coverage under either pension scheme of
the government or under the NSSF.
The rest 13 million Ugandans are not
covered largely because they work under NSSFs Byarugaba takes over chairmanship of the ECASSA from Valentine Bagorikunda
of Burundi on Nov. 22 at Serena Hotel. INDPENDENT.J.BUSINGE
the informal sector, he said.
He said the government needs to come
up with schemes to cover key areas like Meanwhile, the conference also came opportunities that come with social
health through the introduction of the up with five key recommendations to protection and the inadequate laws and
national health insurance to be at par with stir growth of the pension industry in the policies to cover the industrys key areas.
the rest of the countries in the region. coming years. They include; building and Speaking as the Chief Guest, the
This, he said, will ensure that retirees entrenching the culture of social protection Minister in charge of General Duties in the
need to have opportunities to utilise part of through education in all member states Office of the Prime Minister, Mary Karooro
their pension towards their health. from primary up to university education Okurut, welcomed the five resolutions for
It is imperative that government and throughout adulthood, extending ECASSA.
looks at that side. I should say that the social protection coverage to the entire In todays world, the success of Social
law that is going to create the national population and widening the scope of the Security Institutions is not measured only
health insurance scheme needs to be benefits to include health in all member by the money it generates, the investments
implemented for that side of social states through legislation and developing it undertakes or the employment it
protection to benefit pensioners, he said. policies that guarantee a social protection provides; rather it is also assessed by the
He said there is also need for the floor for all citizens by each member state. efficiency and effectiveness with which it
pension industry to leverage on technology Other recommendations include delivers services to its constituents, she
such as mobile phones to bring on board strengthening regional cooperation said, adding that the Ugandan government
individuals in the informal sector to the through peer reviews and benchmarking will provide all the necessary support to
social protection bracket. for purposes of sharing best practices and ECASSA to implement its plans.
On his part, ECASSAs Secretary leveraging on technology to ensure cost She said that government is in the
General, Fredric Ntimarubusa said efficient and effective delivery of social process of reforming the sector in Uganda
benchmarking best practices by members protection services in particular to the through discussions with various actors
of ECASSA will also accelerate social informal sector. and thus, are keen to learn from the region.
security growth given that 80% of the Industry experts say actual The conference now in its 10th year was
population in the region is not covered. implementation of these areas would held under the theme Transforming
He said the association plans to carryout deal with current challenges in the region Social Security: From Theory to Practice
industry trainings to be spearheaded especially in regards to huge informal attracting more than 100 participants
by the management of an International sector, high cost of running pension from Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia,
Training Institute set to be officially funds or schemes, limited knowledge Burundi, South Sudan and Zimbabwe.
launched in 2018 in Arusha, Tanzania. about the benefits of savings and general

Dec 01 - 07, 2017 25

business
insurance csr

CIC Insurance to sell insurance Airtel rewards more in Yoola Amajja promo
in the extractive industry resident of Bugolobi

R
and self-employed, took
egional insurance firm, CIC Insurance, home Shs 1.3 million.
is set to unveil a comprehensive cover Nelson Mugisha, the
targeting mining, oil and gas industry Airtel money manager
players, according to Kenyas Business said the promotion gives
Daily.Group general manager for marketing an opportunity to their
and distribution, Joseph Kamiri, said on Nov 23 customers to win by
during the Association of Insurance Brokers of simply transacting on
Kenya (AIBK) 12th annual conference in Kwale, Airtel Money. Through
that underwriter had invested in technical capac- Yoola Amajja and similar
ity including industry experts and the necessary Winners pose with cash at Airtel offices in Kampala promotions, we believe

O
global reinsurance linkages useful for providing we are bettering the
mining insurance cover. Our solution focuses n Nov. 24, tentembe said he would lives of our subscribers
on all mobile assets, and can cover all machinery Airtel Uganda use his money to pay with Yoola Amajja,
and equipment either above ground and un- awarded more tuition. I encourage ev- Mugisha said. To take
derground, he said. We are also carrying out customers in its eryone out there to take part in the promotion,
workshops, training the providers in the relevant Yoola Amajja promotion part in Yoola Amajja; I am Airtel Money customers
risk elements of their businesses and participat- for the third draw. Isaac proof that they are indeed have to dial *185# on
ing in industry fora to enhance awareness about Sententembe, a mechani- changing lives of us ordi- their phones and carry
this critical solution.Kenyas nascent industry cal engineering student nary Ugandans, he said. out a minimum of three
is forecast, by the Ministry of Mining, to reach at Bugema University Another winner transactions weekly and
Ksh100 billion annual value in the next few years. won Shs1.1 million. Sen- Geoffrey Onyona, a stand a chance to win.
CSR
ICT
MTN Foundation donates 100 beds to KCCA hospitals

O
n Nov. 27, MTN Foundation donated
100 beds to nine health centers under
the jurisdiction of the Kampala City
addressing the shortage of beds in the health
Uganda improves in
centers around the city. Access to beds is
essential in ensuring quality healthcare for
ICT ranking

Council Authority.
The beds and amenities including mat-
tresses, bed sheets, blankets and mosquito nets
were handed over to Jennifer Musisi, the execu-
tive director, KCCA by Anthony Katamba, the
general manager, Corporate Services MTN
Uganda on behalf of the CEO Wim Vanhel-
leputte, at Kawaala Health Center.
This donation will go a long way in
telecom
MTN, Fero Mobile unveil new smart phone
Ugandans, he said. According to a 2012 report
from Human Rights Network Uganda on the
state of regional referral hospitals in Uganda,
most facilities and equipment including bed
in these hospitals countrywide are in a state of
disrepair.
Musisi thanked MTN for the donation saying
the role of private sector is to also participate in
initiatives that improves service delivery.
U
ganda has moved up five
places in the Information
and Communication Tech-
nology Development Index
(IDI) to 152 this year, signalling
steady success of the multifaceted
approach being undertaken by the
government and the private sector in
driving the digital agenda.
Also, Uganda improved its rank-
ing regionally to 20th in Africa and 2nd
in the East African region. The 2017
edition of the Measuring the Infor-

M
TN Uganda has
partnered with
Fero Mobile to
unveil an entry-
level smartphone onto the
Ugandan market.
If you were looking for
the perfect gift this Christmas,
why not gift a Fero? Even
with internet connectivity
rapidly rising in Uganda,
there are Ugandans who
would still want to get online,
at an affordable rate. The Fero
Mobile comes in handy, said
Olivier Prentout, the Chief
Marketing Officer at MTN
Uganda.
The new device that will
mation Society Report was launched
during the World Telecommunica-
tion/ICT Indicators Symposium
(WTIS) 2017, in Hammamet, Tunisia.
The report is published by the
International Telecom Union (ITU)
which is the United Nations special-
ized agency for information and
communication technologiesICTs.
The report in its 9th edition, features
MTN Uganda Chief Marketing Officer, Olivier Prentout (C), Fero Mobile key ICT data and benchmarking tool
representative in Uganda, Vikram Gopal ( 2nd R) during the launch of the
to measure the information society,
new smart phone in Kampala. COURTESY PHOTO the ICT Development Index (IDI).
retail at Shs119, 000, will to Uganda Communication NITA-U Executive Director, James
come with a long battery life Commission. Fero repre- Saaka, said the new ranking is tes-
to prolong the customers sentative in Uganda, Vikram timony that the different initiatives
internet surfing experience. Gopal, said the new smart that are being undertaken under
This comes at the time nearly phone will enable majority of the able leadership of the Ministry
60% of Ugandans have access the population to have access of ICT & National Guidance, have
to a mobile phone, according to the internet services. started to bear fruit.

26 Dec 01 - 07, 2017


EAC bodies chase more taxes
By Julius Businge
T
he East African revenue
authorities are facing
similar challenges a
small tax base because
of a huge informal sector, tax
evasion, limited human re-
source personnel and volatile
economy. Others are poor in-
formation technology systems
and connectivity, political un-
certainties and delays in dispute
resolution.
In response, the Commission-
Arnold (M) receiving a donation as Bai Chengyu from Huawei, (3rd er Generals of the East African
L), Rebecca Kadaga, Speaker of Parliament (3rd R), and the Chinese Community revenue authori-
Ambassador to Uganda Zheng Zhuqiang, (2nd R) with other dignitaries in ties have agreed to support the
Busoga during the donation at Busoga Kingdom on Nov 21. harmonisation process of tax
systems and administration
in order to remove tax distor-
tion and encourage investment
across the region; address the
regional tax administration
policy issues through the EAC
Customs Committee; establish
mechanisms to accelerate tax
dispute resolutions including
establishment of Alternative
Dispute Resolution (ADR); have
an integrated scanner system
for all users across the region
similar to the regional electronic
cargo tracking system; strength-
en intelligence structures and
information sharing with other
arms of government in order to
combat tax fraud.
Rockies Dance group unveils Fresh Dairy Bongo, Fresh Dairys latest
product on the Ugandan market at Hotel Africana on November
22nd. INDEPENDENT/JIMMY SIYA
Weekly share price movement (November 24)
Security Nov. 24
BATU 30000
BOBU 110
CENT 1,487
DFCU 680
EABL 8,483
EBL 1,513
JHL 17,248
KA --
KCB 1,522
NIC 12
NMG 4,048
NVL 524
SBU 27
Eskom Uganda MD Thozama Gangi (L) hands over assortment of hairdressing UCHM 126
equipment to the Director of Gulu War Affected Training Centre, Betty Lalam UCL 30
during the graduation Ceremony in Gulu on Nov. 25. UMEME 400
ALSI --
Dec 01 - 07, 2017
business
Speaking during the 43rd
East African Revenue Meet-
ing held in Kampala on Nov.
23-24 , Uganda Revenue
Authority Commissioner
General, Doris Akol, said col-
laboration between the EAC
revenue bodies would improve
knowledge and experience
in handling cross-border tax
issues and other related mat-
ters, which would ultimately
increase revenue collection to
fund government activities.
This years meeting came at
a time when, for the first four
months of this financial year
2017/18, the revenue authorities
in the region recorded revenue
growth of 14.5% compared to
a year before despite the slow
economic growth rates charac-
terized by decline in importa-
tion of consumer goods.
Going forward, we all
agreed that we are on course
to achieving on our targets
because revenues are growing
due to the various activities tak-
ing place in our various econo-
mies, Akol said at a joint press
conference at the Kampala
Serena Hotel.
The meeting attracted com-
missioner generals and senior
tax officials from Uganda,
Burundi, Kenya, Tanzania,
Rwanda and Zanzibar.
Nov. 17 Movement
30000 00
110 00
1,472 1.0
690 1.4
8,412 0.8
1,410 0.4
17,314 0.4
- --
1,428 6.5
12 00
3,995 1.3
524 00
27 00
122 3.3
31 3.3
413 3.1
-- --
27
comment
By Ssemanda Allawi
Besigyes Black Swan virus
Something disastrous is happening in FDC that
people will only understand much later
F
or a decade plus, Dr. Col. Kizza
Besigye has been attacking and ac-
cusing president Museveni of being
a dictator and a selfish individual.
He has accused him of failing and using
NRM as a personal party and a vehicle to
advance what doctor Besigye calls selfish
interests.
In 2015, when NRM announced president
Museveni as its sole candidate in 2016 elec-
tions, the good doctor said Museveni was
covertly using some party members (espe-
cially those who moved the idea of his sole
candidature) to ring-fence the ruling partys
top position for himself.
He has also on many occasions accused
president Museveni of being intolerant to
those who hold dissenting views. Whether
this is true or not, I will not discuss it now.
What is clear is that, Doctor Besigye is
exactly what he has been accusing presi-
dent Museveni to be; only that he has been
hiding it.
Last weeks Forum for Democratic
Change (FDC) presidential contest in which
Besigye openly supported the Patrick
Amuriats candidature against incumbent
Gen. Mugisha Muntu exposed doctor
Besigyes long hidden true personality. He
is a bully, intolerant to those with dissenting
views and yes, though he has not ring-
fenced FDCs top position, like president
Museveni who wants an NRM secretary
general who will listen and dance according
to his tune, Besigye too wants an FDC presi-
dent who will bow before him and take his
views without raising any question.
Even in 2012, when Mugisha Muntu
contested for FDCs top position, Doctor
Besigye did not support Muntu, at least not
in public and many believe he was behind
Mafabis candidature. This of course is his
right to support a person of his choice, but
we should know that from a political moral
perspective, for party cohesion and unity,
Besigye should have played a neutral role.
It was after Muntu defeated Besigyes
Mafabi in 2012 that Besigye resorted to
almost weekly press conferences at his
Kyapa Karuhanga donated Katonga
Road office, started running a parallel
FDC office and activities, and effectively
undermined Muntus leadership. Through
FDC leaders who believed in him, Besigye
28 Dec 01 - 07, 2017
literally shifted from FDCs headquarters
at Najanankumbi to his personal office at
Katonga Road.
His decision to run a parallel office and
also campaign for Amuriat against incum-
bent Muntu was due to Besigyes selfish
reasons he wanted a party leader who will
follow his demands without asking why.
His decision followed Machiavellian prin-
ciple; the end must justify the means.
Put in a proper perspective, Besigye
started his long mission with the end and
acted out of sheer selfishness disregarding
the likely consequence of his action such as
splitting the party by kicking Muntu out.
After this, the reasons to justify Besigye
selfish act, will be generated in form of
reasons given for reconciliation in name of
uniting the party.
To me, this is the reason why Besigye did
not care and openly campaigned against the
incumbent despite opposition from nearly
30 FDC members of parliament who backed
Muntus candidature. Some of these MPs
have been branded moles by Besigye sup-
porters for dissenting from his ideas.
Besigye can speak with all spiritual elo-
quence, play patriotic games in public,
maintain a holy and democratic appear-
ance before the public, but he is opposite of
what he preaches. Like he says of President
Museveni, Besigye too believes he is the
only Christ Uganda has been waiting for
to liberate it.He thinks he is the only man
with vision to lead FDC and others are
either moles or can be bought.
This is the reason why Besigye, as a senior
party member, failed to caution his camp
against party dividing statements when
they started to spread baseless allegations of
Muntu being an NRM mole.Indeed, during
the voting day, Besigye told journalists that
Muntus camp was using money to win the
contest, words which his close confident
Kawempe South MP Mubaraka Munyagwa
echoed claiming they had defeated and
rejected NRM money an insinuation that
Muntu was funded by NRM to run for FDC
presidency.
As Indira Ghandi taught us, questioning
is the basis of all progress, and those who
dont question are condemned to live in
bondage. This is the time for FDC members
to question Besigyes claimed sainthood. Is
he the only Christ FDC and Uganda in gen-
eral has been waiting for to liberate it?
Is it right for a few people to brand those
who do not subscribe to what they believe
in as moles or objects to be bought? If it
is right, how do we know that these few
people are good people and not corrupt or
moles? And that their actions are simply
patriotic? These are questions Ugandans
and FDC members must ask themselves.
As we wait for General Muntus prom-
ised announcement of a personal decision,
there is no doubt Besigyes selfishness and
his supporters branding party officials and
senior members who do not agree with
him as moles, is throwing FDC in what
Professor Nassim Nicholas Taleb called
`The Black Swan. This is a moment which
can happen and bring disastrous effects
when people are looking on and they only
understand it long after it has happened. As
Nassim explains, once a society is infected
with Black Swan virus, everybody buries
his head in the sun and this is why many of
FDC supporters do not see that Besigyes
moves are meant to make the FDC party a
Besigye affair.
The best way for FDC to liberate itself
from Besigyes Black Swan virus is by ques-
tioning further his actions. After all, Albert
Eintein taught us that it is important to ask
and question everything. We must question
Besigyes goodwill for FDC.
Leave alone being one of its founding
members, they must question his morality
even if he claims he is incorruptible, ques-
tion his sanity even though many believe
he has never tested alcohol. There is need
for FDC to assume nothing. FDC must not
treat Besigye as a saint after speaking with
faked political holiness. They must ask
questions like; if Muntu is an NRM Mole,
who is Besigye whose businesses continue
to flourish under NRM government that
Besigye claims is dictatorial? Why does
it not crackdown on his business despite
Besigyes claim to fanatically fight it?
Ssemanda Allawi is a Phd, Student International
Relations and Diplomatic Studies.
allawissemanda@icloud.com
+46764262304.

By Farhad Khan
Satellite broadband power
Unlocking economic growth by breaking through both
cost and planning barriers of physical infrastructure
T
he African Development Bank
projects that Ugandas GDP
will grow from 5.1% in 2017 to
5.8% in 2018. Among other fac-
tors, the government has highlighted
the role of information communica-
tions technology (ICT) as a key enabler
for this trend toward growth.
As key stakeholders in the country
continue to promote the use of ICT for
economic and social growth, Ugandas
internet penetration has increased in
the last two years from 31% in 2015
to 53.9% in the first quarter of 2017,
according to the Uganda Communica-
tions Commission (UCC).
In East Africa, Uganda is second
only to Kenya in terms of internet pen-
etration. While this figure is signifi-
cant, a section of Ugandas population
still lacks internet access. A critical
issue is that many live in rural areas
that are hard to reach through tradi-
tional methods.
Satellite broadband can break
through both the cost and planning
barriers to these remote areas. Since
it is not subject to the same physical
and infrastructure limitations of cable-
based systems, satellite broadband
offers an alternative that is less costly
to connect and requiring less compli-
cated infrastructural planning. This
could significantly improve connectiv-
ity in rural areas for individuals and
businesses.
In neighboring Kenya, many
unserved and under-served rural areas
are already enjoying the benefits of
satellite connectivity. One of the main
segments to benefit is the countrys
public healthcare sector. In Kiambu
County, for example, satellite connec-
tivity is delivering quicker and more
effective patient care through the shar-
ing of knowledge and resources via
the internet.
Through the provision of satel-
lite broadband connectivity and the
implementation of new software, local
healthcare facilities are now able to
share critical information and better
manage patient inquiries since medical
records are now available to all con-
nected healthcare facilities within the
county. Anyone can go to the nearest
facility and receive the consultation
and medicine they need within a mat-
ter of minutes.
Other sectors such as education
facilities continue to reap similar ben-
efits. Today, a student is able to access
vast amounts of e-learning tools with
a simple click of a button. Information
that is essential to learn, grow and
pursue his or her ambitions is now
more readily available.
In addition to enabling students and
medical professionals, satellite broad-
band has also enabled government
organisations to streamline their pro-
cesses and ensure that their services
reach individuals, no matter where
they reside.
In South Africa, approximately one
in every ten pensioners was either
unaware of the value of their pensions,
In neighboring
Kenya, many
unserved and
under-served
rural areas
are already
enjoying
the benefits
of satellite
connectivity
comment
or was unable to access them. Hence,
the Government Employees Pension
Fund (GEPF) launched an outreach
project aimed at engaging with pen-
sioners.
An always-on broadband connectiv-
ity facilitated real-time access to pen-
sion data, no matter how remote the
location of the pensioner. Through col-
laboration between public and private
organisations, 1.2 million members of
GEPF and their beneciaries were able
to gain access to valuable nancial
services.
These are just some of the examples
of how satellite connectivity is driving
social and economic change. Through
satellite communication, communities
can now access many services, and
the way they educate their children,
access local and global markets for
their goods and maintain good health
is also changing.
Until very recently, these kinds of
scenarios would have seemed far-
fetched.
According to the World Bank, the
GDP of developing nations rises
by 1.38% for every 10% increase in
broadband connectivity. With such
a direct correlation between invest-
ment in broadband connectivity and
the growth in economic activity, con-
necting rural Uganda is central to
the achievement of the 5.8% growth
expected in 2018.
The collaboration between govern-
ments, technology partners and busi-
nesses is key to extending the benefits
of connectivity.
Farhad Khan is Chief Commercial Officer
Yahsat, a satellite communications
company wholly owned subsidiary of
Mubadala Development Company, the
Abu Dhabi Governments strategic
investment company. The company
offers voice, data, video and internet
services for broadcast, Internet and VSAT
users for both private and government
organisations.
Dec 01 - 07, 2017 29
COMMENT
By Michael J Ssali
GMO technology in Uganda
Not about profits and interests of multinational companies
T
he recent article in The Independent
magazine (October 31 2017) titled
Tears and Cheers over New GMO
Law left me, as a farmer and a
science journalist, disappointed. It carried
negative and misleading sentiments about
agricultural biotechnology.
Ugandas decision to adapt Agricultural
GMO technology and the passing of the Bill
are aimed at overcoming Ugandas current
agricultural production difficulties and not
promoting the interests of any foreign com-
panies or countries as was insinuated by
some of the people quoted in the article.
The article was also totally insensitive
to the big problems we are facing; food
insecurity, malnutrition, especially among
children and pregnant women, and the
loss of household income among farmers
resulting from pests, crop diseases, and
extreme weather conditions caused by cli-
mate change. We surely do not want to miss
the very technology that has banished food
insecurity and poverty in other countries
such as India, Sudan, South Africa, Burkina
Faso and many others across the world.
We cannot talk about exporting food
overseas when our own food supplies as a
nation are shrinking due to crop diseases
that have no chemical cure. Before we
export food we ought to have enough of
it ourselves to feed our rapidly growing
population and to combat malnutrition
which causes Uganda an annual loss of
$899 million according to The Cost of Hun-
ger Report 2013 not to mention millions of
working hours lost every year due to people
falling sick or abandoning work to attend
burials of people killed by malnutrition-
related illnesses.
The article reminded me of an old Byz-
antine saying: He who has food has many
problems but he who has no food has only
one problem. Simply put, its message
is that when there is enough food in the
house you can worry about such issues as
childrens school fees, repairing your car
or buying a new dress for your wife. How-
ever, when there is no food at all you have
only one problem to worry about - death.
Uganda should not be worrying about los-
ing its anti-GMO food customers overseas
when its own citizens are chronically poor
and facing starvation due to a fast growing
population.
Every Ugandan woman on the average
produces 5.6 children and our population
30 Dec 01 - 07, 2017
growth rate is the highest in the world after
Mayotte and Niger, according to the Wash-
ington based Population Reference Bureau
(www.prb.org). The big population increase
is set to dramatically raise the demand for
food supplies. Yet our food crops are facing
extinction and there are no known ways of
effectively dealing with the new pests and
diseases other than the use of biotechnol-
ogy (Dr. Wilberforce Tushemeirwe, Daily
Monitor October 9 2015). We cannot go on
practicing agriculture in the same way we
have always done because of the different
circumstances in which we work at present.
The main reason food prices keep raising
is due to reduced agricultural production
against disproportionately high demand for
food exacerbated by the rapidly growing
population.
Seven out of every ten farmers in Uganda
grow bananas and we are the leading
banana producing country in Africa. How-
ever our production of the crop is declin-
ing at the rate of seven out of ten expected
bunches due to the Banana Bacterial Wilt
Disease (BBWD) according to the Uganda
Biotechnology Information Centre (UBIC).
The total Ugandan farmers annual loss is
estimated to be $299.6 million. Dr Jerome
Kubiriba, head of the Banana Research
Project under NARO (National Agricul-
tural Research Organisation) has revealed
that Ugandas annual $550 million worth
production of bananas has reduced to $350
million due to BBWD.
Researchers at Kawanda Agricultural
Research Institute (NARO) have used bio-
technology/GM to develop more nutritious
bananas that are rich in Vitamin A and
which are also resistant to the BBWD. These
are the banana varieties that we hope to be
passed on to the farmers to grow following
the recent passing of the Biotechnology and
Bio-safety Bill.
It is hoped that when the farmers grow
BBWD resistant bananas there will be a rise
in production of the crop and a reduction in
malnutrition levels. Six out of ten farmers
interviewed are willing to grow GM banana
varieties resistant to the deadly BBWD.
One out of every four Ugandans con-
sumes cassava as a main food and at least
seven in every ten farmers in the country
grow cassava, according to UBIC. Ugandan
farmers produce an average of 6.7million
tones annually compared to the possible
30million if we did not have the Cassava
Brown Streak Disease (CBSD), a viral dis-
ease, which causes an annual loss of $24.2
million and is present in 51 out of the 54
districts surveyed in 2014 according to
(UBIC). By the use of GM research scien-
tists at Namulonge Agricultural Research
Institute have come up with cassava that is
resistant to the CBSD which is to be passed
on to farmers to plant following the recent
passing of the Biotechnology and Bio-safety
Bill by parliament.
Eighty per cent of farmers in Uganda
grow maize and the crop generates an esti-
mated US$51million annually to the coun-
try (UBIC). It is also a major food crop for
both humans and livestock. However, the
crops production is seriously hampered by
stem borers and recurrent droughts which
reduce yields by about 40 per cent. Through
GM research it has been possible to prepare
maize that can withstand both drought and

stem borers. This breed of maize will become
available to the farmers following the pas-
sage of the Biotechnology and Bio-safety Bill
causing an estimated annual boost of US$25
million to the economy.
Irish potato farmers currently use almost
50 per cent of their in-puts budget to buy
pesticides in order to overcome the Late
Blight disease which is hard to control
because it has become resistant to chemi-
cals. Using GMO technology NARO has
prepared potatoes that are resistant to Late
Blight and will soon be ready for passing
on to interested farmers to grow after the
passing of the Biotechnology and Bio-safety
Bill. Consumption of Irish potatoes is known
to reduce malnutrition since they are rich
in vitamin B6, minerals, and dietary fiber.
(UBIC) Uganda is the leading producer of
sweet potatoes in Africa. It is a major food
crop for both humans and livestock. Harvest-
plus, which is a global anti-hunger organisa-
tion, is currently promoting the growing and
consumption of bio-fortified sweet potato
enhanced with nutrients such as iron, zinc
and vitamin A which the World Health
Organisation
(WHO) categorises as the most essential
for healthy living. The crop is under attack
by virus diseases and weevil infestation that
threaten its total extinction. Researchers are
now working to develop GM sweet potato
that can withstand viruses and weevils.
Due to the growing demand for rice,
more farmers are taking interest in grow-
ing it but they are challenged by long dry
weather and poor soils which cause annual
drop of about US $6.2 million (UBIC).
Uganda stands to gain an estimated annual
US$19.9 million through adoption of rice
tolerant to low nitrogen soils and drought.
NARO researchers are using GM technol-
ogy to develop it.
Clearly the adoption of GMO technol-
ogy in Uganda has been motivated by the
need to overcome our own economic and
food security problems. It is about our own
survival. One wonders, therefore, how mul-
tinational trading companies can be dragged
into such typically local and national Ugan-
dan issues. Zerubabel Mijumbi Nyira, a
scientist himself, and Minister of State for
Agriculture has said, GM technology is not
the preserve of the western world and so our
people must come to understand that we are
not passive recipients of technology but that
we are, indeed, capable of defining our own
biotechnology research and development
agenda to solve uniquely Ugandan and Afri-
can problems.
The Ugandan government like many oth-
ers in Africa saw the agricultural problems
coming and built modern biotechnology
laboratories to be used by NARO which is
manned by Ugandan scientists and funded
by the Uganda government and donors.
NAROs mandate is to conduct research
related to overcoming our national farming
challenges which include crop and livestock
improvement, control of crop and animal
diseases, among other issues.
Uganda is not the only African country
turning to the use of GMO technology as
one of the means to solve its agricultural
problems.
Sudan, South Africa, Burkina Faso, Egypt,
and Nigeria are already growing GMO crops
while several others such as Ethiopia, Tanza-
nia, Kenya, Ghana, Malawi, Swaziland and
Mozambique are just about to adopt their
own agricultural biotechnology regulation
laws and to begin growing GMO crops for
almost the same reasons as Uganda.
The concerns raised in the recent Inde-
pendent magazine article about a Ugandan
businessman exporting dried fruits to the
USA losing the market due to our countrys
adoption of agricultural GMO technology
is unfounded because the USA, which has
72.9 million hectares under GMO crops,
is the worlds leading producer of biotech
crops, according to the International Service
for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Appli-
cation (ISAAA). Other countries already
growing GMO crops outside Africa include:
Brazil, Argentina, Canada, India, Paraguay,
Pakistan, China, Uruguay, Bolivia, Austra-
lia, Philippines, Myanmar, Spain, Mexico,
Columbia, Vietnam, Honduras, Chile, Por-
tugal, Bangladesh, Costa Rica, Slovakia, and
Czech Republic.
We should not expect any trouble from
growing or eating GMO food. In May 2016
the US National Academies of Science, Engi-
neering and Medicine released its twenty-
year-research report into possible harmful
effects of GMO crops and declared them
entirely safe. It was a comprehensive review
of some nine hundred researches on GMO
crops conducted since 1996 and it revealed
that GMO crops and ordinarily bred crops
have no difference with regard to possible
risks to human health, livestock health, and
the environment. The World Health Organ-
isation (WHO), the Food and Agriculture
Organisation (FAO), the American Medi-
COMMENT
cal Association (AMA) the European Food
Safety Association (EFSA) and a whole range
of other respected international organiza-
tions agree that GMO foods are as safe as
non-GMO foods.
Uganda cannot teach science and tech-
nology in her universities without taking
full advantage of its benefits. We cannot
disassociate science and technology from
agriculture and at the same time talk about
promoting the Program for Modern Agri-
culture (PMA).
The Bill which was passed is intended to
ensure that every GMO crop imported or
grown locally undergoes thorough environ-
mental and food safety assessment so that it
does not cause adverse effects to human and
animal health as well as the environment.
It is an international requirement for all
countries opting to grow GMO crops often
referred to as the Cartagena Protocol on Bio-
safety.
International acceptance of agricultural
GMO technology is growing and widening,
not reducing. Biotech/GM crop hectares
were planted in 28 countries in 2014 and the
area under Biotech/GM crops has increased
more than 100-fold, from 1.7 million hectares
in 1996, to 181.5 million hectares in2014.
(Global Status of Commercialized Biotech/
GM Crops: 2014 by Clive James). Acceptance
is growing because of the obvious economic
benefits of growing them and not because of
coercion by multinational companies.
It was also false to state in the article that
farmers will be forced to buy GM crop seeds
at every planting season because this is not
stated anywhere in the Biotechnology and
Bio-safety Bill that was passed. After all,
crops such as cassava, bananas and sweet
potatoes or Irish potatoes are clonally grown.
ABOUT THE WRITER
Michael J Ssali is an agriculture journalist and
a farmer based in Lwengo District. He is also a
Bioscience for Farmers in Africa fellow. (www.
b4fa.org)
Dec 01 - 07, 2017 31
P
By Flavia Nassaka
reliminary results of the 2016
Uganda Population HIV
Impact Assessment (UPHIA)
survey released in October
confirmed something health-
care managers in the field of
HIV/AIDS have feared for some time.
According to the survey, while HIV
prevalence has generally reduced from 7.3%
in 2011 to 6% today, it remains quite high
among men aged between 45 and 49 years
at 14%.
Dr. Nelson Musoba, the Ag. Director
General at Uganda AIDs Commission says
before the results were released, healthcare
managers had realised that more adolescent
girls and young women of 24 years and
below were getting infected. They had their
hunches about the source of the new infec-
tions among young women. After the sur-
vey they are now sure; the source of infection
for the young girls is middle-aged men.
After confirming this, Musoba says, they
realised that these men need to be told to
go get tested and treated. And that is how
Uganda decided to shift from the interna-
tional theme for this years World AIDS Day,
to a more relevant local one. They wanted
the focus of discussion to be on the middle-
aged men and young girls and women get-
ting infected.
Moreover, up to 45% of the infected men
according to the survey did not know their
status and 48% of those who knew had
not yet been enrolled on treatment. Also, it
showed,that in 2016 alone, 14,348 men died
of AIDS compared to 9,600 women.
December 01 has been World AIDs day
since 1988. A global initiative aimed at rais-
ing awareness into a strange illness that
initially baffled doctors has been swiftly
changing to include other purposes such as
weighing countries gains into tackling the
epidemic in terms of research into preven-
tion, treatment and the possibility of cure,
and funding.
Every year has a theme. In 1988, the day
was celebrated under the theme Join the
Worldwide Effort because then there was a
need to mobilize and sensitize people across
the globe about the virus that was consid-
ered to have been widespread only in certain
regions of the world with Sub Saharan Africa
considered the domain of the virus. With
awareness, soon it was appreciated that the
virus is spread across the globe. Then stake-
holders started picking themes to represent
significant periods in the struggle to tackle
the epidemic.
Musoba says themes are inspired by
32 Dec 01 - 07, 2017
A group of Youths present during world AIDs day celebrations. Since 1988, activists, scientists have used
the December 1st event to not only raise awareness but review their interventions in curbing the epidemic
Marking World AIDS
day in tough times
Museveni leads new campaign amidst new
infections in middle-aged men, young girls
challenges faced and this year; while the
UNAIDs international theme has been a
Right to Health, Uganda has chosen to
deviate to mark the day under the theme,
Reaching men, girls and young women to
end HIV.
To him, the biggest challenge for them this
year has been getting more men to test and
get enrolled on Anti-retroviral (ARV) treat-
ment as soon as possible.
In Kole district where the main celebra-
tions are being held, he says, a recently
nationally launched campaign by President
Yoweri Museveni the Presidential Fast
Track Initiative to end HIV in Uganda by
2030 will be re-launched. Musoba says the
initiative re-emphasizes issues like getting
tested which are currently being viewed as
basic with earlier gains which made the epi-
demic appear as if it is a problem solved.
Up to 1.3million Ugandans are living with
the virus. Even if this is a huge figure, more
than half are enrolled on treatment. This
means they are able to control the oppor-
tunistic effects of the disease and reduce
further spread of the disease with consistent
drug use.
Unfortunately this year has been particu-
larly touching for the group that is enrolled
on treatment. Even with full knowledge of
what could happen to them if they keep
skipping their daily doses; many missed
their drugs because the government could
not sustain them on treatment.
A few, according to Dr. Ian Clarke; a phy-
sician and proprietor of International Hospi-
tal Kampala, have decided to buy their own
drugs. They do this silently, secretly because
the government policy is that HIV drugs
should not be sold anywhere by anyone in
Uganda. But Clarke says there is nothing
wrong with people buying the drugs.
The only challenge is that there is a huge
mass of people who cannot afford to buy
ARVs and it is these who have been affected
by drug shortages, he says.
Clarke says drug stock outs are largely a
government issue and are due to poor plan-
ning and poor funding as drug supplies
cannot last all the way through the month
even when they have committed to enroll
everyone testing positive on treatment by
adopting the World Health Organisation
recommendations of test and treat.
Health Policy Analyst Dennis Odwe
agrees with Clarke. He says HIV is one of the
areas that receive the biggest donor funding
but stock outs persist. For him, this shows
lack of accountable leadership in the AIDS
response. He says money meant to tackle the
disease is sometimes diverted. For the coun-
try to make more gains, he says, political will
should be heightened to address corruption
as this will increase value for money spent in
various activities in HIV.
Only on Nov.23 the country signed a new
grant of $478million from Global Fund to
among others fight HIV. This money expect-
ed to be used between 2018 and 2020 is part
of the 93% donor funding of AIDS that the
country gets annually. The fund contributes
28%, the US Presidents Emergency Plan
for AIDs Relief (PEPFAR) which is the big-
gest HIV funder contributes 62% and the
government contributes only 7%. There
is, however, still a funding gap of up to
Shs.1.5trillion, according to health Minis-
ter Jane Ruth Aceng.

Stigma still stymies HIV
prevention and treatment
By Linda-Gail Bekker
T
here have been great
strides and many impor-
tant victories in the fight
against HIV. Scientific
innovations and sustained in-
vestment have been the most
important weapons in this ongo-
ing battle.
Nevertheless the epidemic
retains a powerful grip espe-
cially on people in Africa. In
sub-Saharan Africa, 19.4 million
are living with the virus. In 2016
an estimated 15, 000 new infec-
tions occurred every week in the
region.
Treatment and prevention
of HIV are twin endeavours;
they rely universally on two
elements. The first is the interac-
tion of HIV positive and nega-
tive people with HIV services.
The second is the willingness
of people to modify their risky
behaviour and avoid negative
health consequences.
Adherence is the cornerstone
of these processes: a commit-
ment to taking medication or
adopting a risk-reducing behav-
iour consistently over time. By
adhering to their antiretroviral
(ARV) regimens those living
with the virus are able to lead
long, healthy lives. They are
able to eliminate the chance of
passing on the virus to their
partner(s). The concept of an
undetectable virus is an untrans-
missable one is now acceptable.
With good adherence to an
HIV prevention pill or pre-
exposure prophylaxis (PrEP)
or consistent use of condoms,
HIV negative people can protect
themselves from infection.
But real and perceived stigma
can undermine all these efforts.
This is because stigma stops
people from getting tested, stops
them discussing their test results
with intimate partners when
they do test, and then staying on
their treatment. Unless stigma is
addressed, the aim of ending the
AIDs epidemic by 2030 one of
the United Nations Sustainable
Development Goals is unlikely
to become a reality.
The logic behind stigma
Stigma happens when dis-
grace and shame become associ-
ated with an attribute, such as
being HIV positive. It results
in the person with the attribute
being discredited or socially
renounced. When stigmatised
beliefs are widely held in a com-
munity, hostility and discrimina-
tion towards stigmatised people
becomes common.
A stigmatised person can start
to believe these views as well
and develop a self-depreciating
internal representation of them-
selves. This is known as inter-
nalised stigma. It can lead to
diminished mental health and
emotional distress. Both general
and internalised HIV-related
stigma can compromise a per-
sons ability to seek and stay on
treatment. And it can prevent
people from taking steps to pre-
vent infection.
For instance, a woman living
with HIV could choose not to
go back for more medication
because shes scared someone
from her community will see her
and learn her status.
Conversely, a sexually active
teenager might not ask a health-
care professional how she can
prevent HIV if she is afraid of
being judged for having sex.
There is evidence that these
scenarios still play out. The
HIV Stigma Index conducted
in South Africa in 2014 found
that about 45% of the respon-
dents experienced internalised
stigma. And 39% lived in fear of
potential stigma. Young people
between the ages of 15 and 24
were particularly affected by all
types of stigma.
Stigma on top of stigma
Stigma has the negative psy-
chological consequence of mak-
ing it more difficult for people
to cope and find social support.
It also reduces their ability to
overcome other barriers to
adherence, such as unfriendly
healthcare services or side effects
from medication.
The research shows that
people who do not experience
internalised stigma tend to be
more successful in adhering to
treatment and more capable of
overcoming other barriers to
access treatment and prevention
services. HIV stigma poses addi-
tional difficulties for positive
people who already belong to
stigmatised population groups,
such as men who have sex with
men transgender people, sex
workers, and people who inject
drugs. Stigma against these
groups already reduces access
health
to healthcare services and social
support. But disclosure of being
HIV positive can result in people
facing even more stigma, dis-
crimination and hostility.
This is especially the case in
African countries where homo-
sexuality and sex work are
criminalised.
Moralistic support for crimi-
nalisation often interferes with
public health initiatives. As a
result, stigmatised populations
are frequently made more vul-
nerable to HIV infection due to
this discrimination and restricted
access to healthcare services.
Changing the tide
The good news is that stigma
can be reduced if three basic
interventions are put in place.
Firstly, through the imple-
mentation of effective and sus-
tained mass media campaigns
and health promotion aimed at
dispelling the common myths.
These campaigns should involve
HIV positive people as message
bearers.
Secondly, normalising and
promoting the interaction with
HIV prevention services. What
is needed here are more people
openly engaging about HIV
testing and taking PrEP (pre-
exposure prophylaxis).
And thirdly laws and policies
that protect those living with
the virus from discrimination
and promote them being able
to access healthcare services.
These are especially important
for key population groups
living in countries where
criminalisation disrupts public
health strategies.
Linda-Gail Bekker is Professor of
medicine and deputy director of the
Desmond Tutu HIV Centre at the
Institute of Infectious Disease and
Molecular Medicine, University of
Cape Town
obituary
Justice Laetitia Kikonyogo:
A woman of firsts
By Ian Katusiime
S
he was the first woman
Grade 1 magistrate
(1971-1973), first woman
chief magistrate (1973-
1986) and first woman to be ap-
pointed as a High Court judge
in 1986. The former Deputy
Chief Justice Laetitia Mukasa-
Kikonyogo who died in No-
vember has been described as
a woman of many firsts. She
continued to soar when in 1997
she was appointed the first fe-
male Supreme Court justice in
Uganda.
A few years later, Kikonyogo
set another precedent when
she was appointed as the first
woman Deputy Chief Justice in
2001. This position made her the
administrative head of the Con-
stitutional Court and the Court
of Appeal. Those who knew
her say Kikonyogo carried her
devotion to the Catholic Church
wherever she went and some
believe it is this devoutness that
made her shatter the glass ceil-
ing as a judicial officer.
Church woman
Her record of firsts was
not just limited to the judicial
domain. In 2012, she was named
as one of the first ever women
papal knights in the history of
the Catholic Church in Africa.
A papal knighthood is an order
of precedence in the Catholic
Church.
Born on September 2, 1940,
Mukasa-Kikonyogo was pre-
pared for a life of service in the
church even when her career
on the bench was on course.
When it was announced that
she was going to be a papal
knight she was quoted as say-
ing, I am overwhelmed by the
Popes choice. Who am I to be
his dame? I only thank God for
such a great honour bestowed
on me, for I dont consider
myself deserving. It is only
Gods kindness.
On another occasion, she
remarked I am so devoted that
34 Dec 01 - 07, 2017
even if the Pope left the Catholic
Church, the Virgin Mary will
stay. She also served as the
leader of marrieds of Kampala
Archdiocese in the 1990s.
Kikonyogo attended Busuu-
bizi Girls Primary School
from 1948 to 1952. She had her
O-Level at Trinity College, Nab-
bingo from 1953 to 1958 and
completed her A-level studies at
Kings College, Budo in 1960.
In 1964, she completed her
Bachelors degree in Business
Administration at Makerere
University. Kikonyogo worked
briefly at Radio Uganda as Pro-
grammes Organiser soon after
university and then proceeded
to Somerville College Oxford
in the United Kingdom for a
post graduate diploma in Social
Anthropology. In 1965, she
enrolled for a law degree and
did a bar course at the Inner
Temple in London which she
completed in 1968. In 1971, she
started her judicial career. She
wed her husband Joseph Kikon-
yogo at Christ the King Church
in 1974.
Disciplinarian
Her contemporary, former
Supreme Court Justice George
Kanyeihamba describes her as
a very devoted Christian and
disciplinarian when she was
an administrator of Ugandan
courts. During the Black
Mamba siege on the High
Court, Chief Justice Benjamin
Odoki was away and she led
the judiciary admirably, he told
The Independent, Kikonyogo,
myself and the late (Justice
Amos) Twinomujuni forced the
president to say he regrets the
incident.
Kanyeihamba says around
the same time of the siege in
2005, Kikonyogo led a team
comprised of him, then princi-
pal judge James Ogoola to the
office of the Prime Minister,
Apollo Nsibambi where she
bravely defended the judiciary,
she was forceful.
Yorokamu Bamwine, the
Principal Judge describes Kik-
onyogo as a mentor. I joined
the judiciary in 1983 when she
was already a Chief Magistrate.
We did not interact much until
later when I became Chief Reg-
istrar in 1995. He added, She
was very helpful, if you had a
problem she would tell you. She
was a mother who mentored
us.
Kikonyogo also played a part
in a major victory for Ugandan
media when in August 2010, the
Constitutional Court ruled that
the sedition charge was uncon-
stitutional. The sedition law had
been used on several occasions
to curtail the work of the press.
Kikonyogo led the panel of
five judges that unanimously
ruled that the sedition law con-
travened Article 29 of the Ugan-
dan Constitution which guaran-
tees the right to free speech.
Many say she paved way
for the rise of women judges.
Kikonyogo was also the first
African president of the Inter-
national Association of Women
Judges.
In October 2016, Kikonyogo
was presented the Justice, Law
and Order (JLOS) Lifetime
Achievement Award for hav-
ing served the country and the
Judiciary diligently in a glitter-
ing career spanning decades.
In 2005, she was among the
winners of the Lubaga Cathe-
dral National Foundation Hon-
oree awards for distinguished
service as the first female judge
on both the High Court and
the Supreme Court. The Rotary
Club also recognised her for the
distinguished service she pro-
vided in 37 years to the realisa-
tion of justice.
The Uganda Network on
Law, Ethics and HIV/AIDS
also recognized her services in
addressing issues of domestic
violence while Nkumba Univer-
sity Law Society also recognised
her as its patron.
The former Deputy Chief
Justice passed away at Mulago
Hospital on Nov 23 after she
suffered a heart attack. She had
also been battling Parkinsons
disease for years.
 ART | BOOKS | SOCIETY | TRAVEL | CULTURE

C
By Dominic Muwanguzi

anon Rumanzis art is dif-

ficult to describe and the
same can be said of his
rather mysterious person-
ality. He is a photographer
and digital artist, and in
both genres, he pushes the boundaries
and turns art on its head. His artworks
get very unusual receptions.
His photography is initially confusing,
before you try to appreciate it as a work
of genius. His technique of disrupting an
image by presenting it in an unfamiliar
form to achieve an intentional effect of
control over his audience, suggests the
omnipresent and undesirable web that
he wants to (de)construct and reinvent
in order to regain moral order by
mimicry and hyperbole.
As such, for example, the artist creates

Turning art on its head

art from fashion mannequins to convey
a narrative of coping with the breakdown
of moral order and the impersonality of
everyday life. He seems to decry the mun-
dane nature of humanity in the 21st century
resulting from over dependence on the
internet, and denounces the extreme bom-
bardment of inane adverts online.
This artistic mockery is also evident in
his photographic construction of a series
of images #Politicianeyes (Let me help you
lead you) that expose the realities of power
structures beyond the mere reportage style
typical of photographers. He delves deeper
and boldly presents his audience with
campaign posters of candidates seeking
political office (Parliament) caked with dirt
and weariness around Kampala city. The
contrast of seeking high political office with
filthy posters suggests the disengagement
between the political elite and the majority
of the impoverished city urbanites. While
these out of context images can be read as a
direct attack on a political sphere that relates
directly to Uganda, the theme of corruption
extends itself to human nature as a whole
when we examine other works in which
Rumanzi presents himself as a figure central
to the art.
As such, Rumanzis personality is a
replication of his art with its unpredictable
and chaotic nature. He is both quiet and
talkative with a penchant for world histo-
ries, politics, philosophies and literature. He
also loves to analyze those around him and
himself. His whimsical character embod-
ies the disorderly terrain of Kampala city
where he partly assumes the role of a pro-
tagonist who conveys the contradictions of
How fusing an artists personality
into art makes it powerful
the urbanites- perhaps himself included- to
a wider global society.
It is the introspective approach that cul-
minates in deeper engagements with the
audience, while inviting dialogue on the
subject of human character viz-a viz the art-
ist. The artists injection of his character into
art makes it gain credibility as a masterpiece
of his creation that undeniably represents
him figuratively. As such, Rumanzi art proj-
ects the power of fusing an artists personal-
ity into art while turning art on its head.
It is similar to a phenomenon caused by
a photo that appeared on the cover of New
York Times Magazine in 1985 of American
artist Jean Michel Basquiat wearing a dark
Georgio Armani suit with white shirt and
tie, leaning in a chair, one bare foot on the
floor, and the other up in the chair suggest-
ed the power of the extraordinary in art.
The portrait quickly elicited mammoth
approvals from art critics and fashion
pundits and defined what character the
artist wanted to always project: a living
piece of art walking on the streets of
downtown New York. Basquiat had the
ability to make art from anything, including
himself, and his inspiration for his craft was
diverse: from dressing up in high fashion
Armani suits, sometimes splashed on
with paint, to fusing mysterious elements
of texts and colour, historical references,
and abstract and figurative techniques
in his work. His work was layered with
muted tones of racism, power, money and
authority.
Canon Rumanzi is a freelance photogra-
pher, but also works with History in Prog-
ress Uganda (HIPU).

Dec 01 - 07, 2017 35

What was in coffin of slain U.S. soldier is confusing!
Sgt. La David Johnson
and three other American
soldiers were killed in
an ambush in Niger in
October. Johnsons wife,
Myeshia Johnson, had told
that month. It was a closed
casket funeral.
They wont show me a
finger, a hand. I know my
husbands body from head
to toe, and they wont let
me see anything, she said.
I dont know whats in
that box. It could be empty,
for all I know.
Her fears now appear
to be confirmed as fresh
remains said to be of John-
son have been found in
Niger. A military and FBI
team in Niger discovered
the remains this Novem-
ber.
journalists in October the The announcement adds
military barred her from another layer of confusion
seeing her husbands body, to the ambush, which is
making her very suspi- still under investigation
cious of what was in the and has led to continuing
casket at his funeral later factual disputes.
Tiger Woods slammed
over golf with Trump
the golf great hit
the links in Florida
with President
Donald Trump
on Nov.24, Peele
retweeted a Golf
Channel story
about the outing.
That tweet noted
how Woods would
be returning to
competition and
showed a photo of
Jordan Peele has him with the Com-
used one of the mander-in-Chief.
lines from his likely Peele commented
soon-to-be-Oscar- on that by taking
nominated `Get a line from his
Out screenplay to own film, writing:
troll Tiger Woods. Now youre in the
A few hours after Sunken Place.

Why you should
never eat after a fly
lands food
If a fly lands on your food,
youre more than likely to
swat it away and eat anyway.
Big mistake. Researchers have
found that flies legs and wings
are teeming with hundreds of
different species of bacteria,
often picked up after they have
landed on carcasses or faeces.
These are easily transferred
to surfaces when flies land,
with their legs spreading the
most microbial organisms.
Those who eat food after flies
dubbed airborne bacteria
shuttles by researchers have
landed on it therefore put
themselves at risk of picking
up nasty diseases
Worlds richest man makes Shs9 trillion in one day!
Jeff Bezos broke the $100 bil-
lion (Approx. Shs364 trillion)
mark for the first time on Nov.24
- one month after he officially
became the richest man in the
world. Bezos, 53, had flirted with
the top spot earlier in the year
Pregnant man
photo goes viral
A couple has spread joy on
the internet with their hilari-
ous and mind-bending mater-
nity photo shoot.
Iana Thomas and her
partner, who are having
a baby boy in December,
posed together behind a tree,
creating an optical illusion
that makes it seem as if its
the father-to-be with a baby
bump. A common saying for
most couples is Were preg-
nant. Of course, its just figu-
ratively speaking, but how
would it look if [they both]
really were pregnant? says
the photographer, That was
the inspiration for the photo.
but inconsistent shares meant
he didnt push past Bill Gates to
excitement over Amazons dis-
counts, Bloomberg reported.
claim the crown properly until He remains well ahead of
October, when he reached $90 Microsofts Bill Gates, who is
billion. Now hes topped even on $88.9 billion, and third-place
that, making $100.3 billion off financial whiz Warren Buffett,
the back of pre-Black Friday who is worth $78.9 billion.
Manute Bol: Is he oldest
NBA player ever?
The college basketball coach who brought Bol
to the United States in the mid-1980s says he
made up the 7-foot-7 centers widely recognised
birthday, October, 16, 1962, soon after flying him
into the country for a recruiting visit. He didnt
know how old he was, Kevin Mackey says.
In 1984-85, when his allegedly made-up birth-
day would have listed him at 22 years
old but Mackey believes he might
have been closer to 40.
He was probably 40, 50 years
old when he was playing in the
NBA, he says. Nat Hickey is
listed as the oldest player in his-
tory at age 45 after playing in the
pre-NBA Basketball Asso-
ciation of America. Bol
retired from the NBA
in 1995 and died on
June 29, 2010.

36 Dec 01 - 07, 2017

How good are your headlights?
Your vehicle could be among 80% with poor low-beam headlights
By Motoring Guru
F
or years now, motor ve-
hicle safety has concen-
trated mainly on in-cab
passenger safety, body
strength, transmission and
breaking systems, head and
seat restraints. Vehicles are now
fitted with safety cameras, on-
board driver assist computers,
and early warning technologies.
However, it is only recently that
attention is moving in the direc-
tion of headlines.
Part of the reason is that,
globally, about 50% of fatal
accidents happen at night, usu-
ally on poorly lit roads. Good
headlights, it is assumed, might
have prevented some of these
crashes. Many vehicles simply
have bad lights. This this area
has not received a lot of atten-
tion because this assumption
has not been made as long as
the driver had some light beam-
ing on the road from in front
of the car. But how good is that
beam really? What type of bulb
and other technology can con-
tribute adequate light?
Fortunately, new technol-
ogy; including Light Emitting
Diode (LED) and high-intensity
discharge (HID), has joined the
traditional halogen lamps that
are on the way out.
New technologies include
curve-adaptive headlights,
which respond to steering and
swivel in the direction the car is
travelling and high-beam assist,
which increases the use of high
beams by automatically switch-
ing between high beams and
low beams based on the pres-
ence of other vehicles.
Testing has also improved,
and vehicles headlights are
tested as the car travels straight
and on curves. The aim is to
see how far from the vehicle its
light extends with an intensity
of at least 5 lux. A lux is a unit
O ft 10O ft 20O ft 30O ft
of illuminance, or the amount
of light falling on a surface. For
comparison, a full moon on a
cloudless night illuminates the
ground below to about 1 lux.
The impact of glare for
oncoming-vehicles using low
beams is also measured based
on factory headlight setting.
Based on such tests, the Insur-
ance Institute for Highway
Safety in the UK concluded a
study in 2016 which showed
that over 60% of lighting on 21
small SUV models; including
the Audi Q3, Honda HR-V,
2017 Kia Sportage, Mitsubishi
Outlander Sport, and Subaru
Forester deliver poor perfor-
mance. Ten mid-size cars head-
40O ft 50O ft 60O ft
Dec 01 - 07, 2017
light systems were deemed as
poor including the Hyundai
Sonata, Kia Optima, Mercedes-
Benz C-Class, Mercedes-Benz
CLA, Nissan Altima, and Volk-
swagen Passat. The headlights
of seven pickup trucks were
rated as poor including the
Toyota Tundra, GMC Canyon,
and Toyota Tacoma.
Some headlight problems can
be fixed easily, by adjusting the
aim of the lamps. This is mainly
because, even during service,
vehicle owners rarely adjust the
vertical aim of their headlights.
Most attention is on low beams
because they used more often.
Low-beam headlights on
80% of vehicles on the road
may not provide adequate stop-
ping distance at speeds above
40 miles per hour on unlit road-
ways, according to a study by
AAA.
But new vehicles will need to
meet tougher standards start-
ing in 2018 in the developed
economies. The effects will then
trickle down to late adopters
like Uganda. For now, you
could do well to check out the
vertical aim of your headlights
at your next service.
37
Profile
Dr Ekwaro Obuku;
doctor with purpose
By Agnes E Nantaba Hospital at the time headed by ied at Tabaka Missionary Nursery

D
his father. Then he went to Kar- School and Sosio Primary School
r Ekwaro Obuku has amoja to engage in school health in Masai-land Kenya before mov-
emerged as a fighter programmes. He was then posted ing to St Marys Misocho Primary
for better working to Mungule Health Centre in school. He is married to a sociolo-
conditions flagged by Adjumani district before return- gist wife with whom they have
better pay for medical and health ing to Kampala to work with the seven children.
workers in Uganda. As president Workers Treatment Centre under
of Uganda Medical Association Uganda Business Coalition on
(UMA), Obuku led doctors and HIV/AIDS. He was one of the first
other health workers in a nation- people to prescribe branded ARVs.
wide sit down strike from Nov.06. He also worked with Joint Clinical
A son of a medical doctor and Research centre, Makerere Univer-
nurse, Dr John Brian Obuku (RIP) sity on several programmes and
and Teo Kibirige Obuku, the low Institute of Human Virology.
pay of health personnel in Uganda Obuku is optimistic that the
has been a reality throughout his conditions for doctors and other
life. health workers in Uganda can
The earliest remuneration I improve. His fight was highly
saw was for my father and it was motivated by the works of Dr
around Shs154, 500 at a time when Margaret Mungherera (RIP) and
I was right about to join campus, others in 2012 when he joined the
says Obuku,Even then, the association.
remuneration of doctors was very Obuku was born in Kenya in
discouraging and to be honest, Victoria Hospital in February
I was expecting that I would do 1978 where his parents had taken
law but I didnt perform well in refuge from the ravages of the Idi
literature because of a technical Amin dictatorship and only
mistake. returned home in
It was a triumph for his father 1992. He stud-
who pushed him into medicine.
Today, in a family of seven, all the
three boys are doctors though in
different fields. He gained admis-
sion on a basketball scholarship
since he played the game through-
out his six years at St Marys Col-
lege Kisubi. He says he told his
father never to give him money
again and started doing odd jobs
to earn some money.
He says working conditions
of intern doctors were far better
than they are currently. With his
posting letter and an air ticket,
Obuku was well received at Arua
Regional Referral Hospital in 2003.
Intern doctors were also entitled
to facilitation for working at night
and over the weekends.
I had a wonderful, memo-
rable and rich experience and its
nothing as compared to what
interns go through today as they
are not valued, he says.
At graduation, he was posted
to Mubende Regional Referral

38 Dec 01 - 07, 2017


Dr Ekwaro Obukus Liteside
Any three things we dont
I
know about you?
am resilient, persistent
and I really like to work in
teams. I also like to empow-
er others to achieve their
goals through showing them
the way but at the same time, I
am quick to cover the gaps.
What is your greatest fear?
As Nelson Mandela said, I
have learnt that courage is not
the absence of fear but the abil-
ity to overcome fear so what
motivates me is that every
individual must find his or her
calling in life beyond the basic
issues of Maslows hierarchy of
food, shelter, healthcare, educa-
tion, etc. There must be some-
thing that one does for human-
ity. So I feel comfortable in the
fear of causing positive influ-
ence in health sector reform so
that healthcare is responsive to
the common Ugandan.
What is the trait you most de-
plore in yourself?
Sometimes I am a perfec-
tionist which makes me self
sufficient and that is not a very
good characteristic for some-
one who is trying to build a
team. I have to wrestle to give
chance to others.
What is the trait you most de-
plore in others?
Laziness is difficult for me
to tolerate because I believe
that everybody should be able
to help in achieving the group
potential.
Which living person do you
most admire?
My mother; she chose to
live in rural Uganda of Lango
where she was married even
after the passing of our father.
What is your greatest extrava-
gance?
I have seven children so its
no doubt that I spend most
on them otherwise, being an
African man doesnt present
opportunities to be a spend-
thrift because the opportunity
for extravagance never arises.
What is the greatest thing you
have ever done?
Skinning an antelope; we did
it as six siblings at such a tender
age when we were barely ado-
lescents.
What do you consider the
most overrated virtue?
Ugandans are calm and
welcoming but they could
strengthen their civic aware-
ness and participate in social
accountability. We should take
interest in how much money
has been allocated to health and
on whether it has been used as
assigned. Research indicates
that improved participation
improves health outcomes.
What does being powerful
mean to you?
Being a leader in terms of
creating positive influence
which lasts even after stepping
down. The impact is institu-
tionalised in society thus leav-
ing a legacy.
On what occasion do you lie?
The lie becomes necessary
when the intention is to save
someones life.
What do you most dislike
about your appearance?
Going by the biblical teach-
ing of we were all created in
the image of God, I am com-
fortable.
Which living person do you
most despise?
None; humans want and
deserve dignity.
What is the quality you most
like in a man?
Being responsible, support-
ing his people and accepting
defeat; all factors being con-
stant.
What is the quality you most
like in a woman?
The ability to fulfill the func-
tions of a biblical helper despite
fulfilling her dreams. She must
be the proverbial or biblical rib.
When and where were you
happiest?
One of the happiest
moments was in 1998 when
I got a scholarship to study
medicine because my initial
admission was to study Bach-
elor of Science, but I applied
for private admission so my
parents mobilised resources
which was quite a lot and upon
reaching the university to pay,
I got hold of another admission
on government scholarship.
I had to return all the money
to my father and we were all
overjoyed.
The other moments that
make me very happy are
spending time with my chil-
dren; especially now that I am
older; I appreciate young chil-
dren better as opposed to initial
times when it was quite dif-
ficult to take care of the young
family.
The other happy moment
is when I find spontaneous
organisation and cooperation
among doctor groups.
Which talent would you most
like to have?
Mobilisation and organisa-
tion of people as well as the
ability to write persuasive
papers that tell stories.
What do you consider your
greatest achievement?
It is still work in progress.
For instance with UMA, we
have strengthened governance,
improved participation by all
groups of doctors, tripled sub-
scribed membership and we
are currently setting the agenda
of health. This will enable us be
part of the winning formula of
increasing access to medical or
health services.
Where would you most like
to live?
Uganda has come a long
way from where it was and it
has relatively stabilised.
What is your most treasured
possession?
MBChB degree; its an inter-
national visa and no one can
take away my brain.
Dec 01 - 07, 2017
Q&A
What do you regard as the
lowest depth of misery?
Poverty to the level of not
accessing social security in
terms of food, shelter and edu-
cation.
What is your favorite occupa-
tion?
Practicing medicine is a
calling that I respect. I am in a
position of leadership, practic-
ing health policy dealing with
the politics of medicine; includ-
ing the people, problems and
prepositions.
What do you most value in
your friends?
Loyalty, being reliable and
sticking to the plan
Who are your favorite writers?
Chinua Achebe and Elechi
Amadi are very good writers.
Which historical figure do you
most identify with?
I love the local African lead-
ers particularly Kabalega; it
fascinates me how at that time,
an African king with low cost
technology was able to get high
impact in terms of fighting for
independence of Ugandans. He
took cover in Lango which also
motivates me.
Who are your heroes in real
life?
King Kabalega of Bunyoro,
Dr Margaret Mungherera and
Dr. JB Obuku who taught me
resilience. He once said my
son, nothing in this world is
final and absolute good in this
world is impossible. I am still
living by that.
What is your greatest regret?
There are sad moments
but some are beyond me for
instance the fact that I am not
able to be with my father.
How would you like to die?
I dont mind going in any
way.
What is your motto?
Seriousness of purpose.
39
Global comment
By Raj Persaud and Peter Bruggen
How women shape coups
According to new research, female leaders
may be more likely to provoke military coups
R
ecently, Zimbabwes generals took
President Robert Mugabe into cus-
tody in an effective coup (though
they insist on not calling it that).
Days later, the countrys ruling party, the
Zimbabwe African National Union Patri-
otic Front (ZANU-PF), expelled the 93-year-
old president from its ranks before he
resigned. But it may not have been Mugabe
himself, the quintessential big man
leader, who catalysed this revolt, despite
the ruthlessness that has characterised his
nearly four-decade rule. Quite the contrary,
it may have been Mugabes possible pre-
ferred successor his wife, Grace.
In the last couple of years, the 52-year-old
Grace Mugabe had become increasingly
active politically, even declaring her hope to
succeed her husband. Just a week before the
coup, Mugabe sacked his deputy, Emmer-
son Mnangagwa, to promote Grace to that
position.
According to new research by Theresa
Schroeder of Radford University and Jona-
than Powell of the University of Central
Florida, female heads of state may be more
likely to provoke military coups in countries
where armies are powerful enough to stage
them. The paper cites several examples of
attempted coups against woman leaders.
For example, Corazon Aquino, the first
woman president of the Philippines, sur-
vived four coup attempts. Benazir Bhutto
was not just Pakistans first woman prime
minister; she was the first woman to lead a
democratic government in a Muslim-major-
ity country. In 1995, she also faced a coup
attempt which was ultimately foiled by
renegade military officers.
One possible explanation for this ten-
dency, proposed by Schroeder and Powell,
is that female leaders can be viewed as
direct threats to the interests of the generals,
because women are more likely to favour,
say, reduced military spending and less
pugnacious policies. And, indeed, Aquino
took a more diplomatic approach to dealing
with rebels in the Philippines than her coun-
trys military command advocated.
Another reason why female leaders
might be more likely to attract coups is
the belief, conscious or unconscious, that a
woman in charge must have obtained her
post through family or marital connections.
She was not actually tough enough, in other
40 Dec 01 - 07, 2017
words, to get to the top on her own.
As Schroeder and Powell point out, this
reading is not entirely baseless: in some
parts of the world, female leaders have
disproportionately obtained office through
familial ties. One survey they cite found that
33% of female leaders in office from 1960
to 2007 had family ties to prominent politi-
cians.
But there are vast regional disparities,
with familial ties most likely to drive female
leaders to the top in Latin America and Asia
regions with low gender equality overall
and little respect for womens rights. In fact,
until recently, the only women who had
become heads of state in Latin American
countries were daughters or wives of politi-
cal leaders.
None of this is to say that gender pro-
vides a decisive, much less comprehensive,
explanation for a coup. Powell himself
points out that, in Zimbabwe, many women
fought for the countrys independence in
the Rhodesian Bush War. Among that wars
female veterans was Joice Mujuru, who
later served as vice president for a decade,
And, according
to new study, this
Machiavellian
tendency which
encompasses
the intention and
ability to use
manipulative
tactics
ostensibly without having her competence
challenged by the military.
Ironically, Mujuru was once viewed as a
potential successor to Mugabe. But in 2014,
she was apparently censured for purport-
edly plotting against him allegations that
cost her both her post as vice president and
her position in the ZANU-PF leadership.
In fact, gender may also play a role when
it comes to executing a coup. Planning
a successful coup requires a significant
degree of instrumental reasoning that is,
the tendency to use other people as tools to
advance ones own goals. And, according to
new study, this Machiavellian tendency
which encompasses the intention and
ability to use manipulative tactics, a cynical
view of human nature, and a disregard for
conventional morality may manifest dif-
ferently in men and women.
The new research, which took into
account the results of three studies, sug-
gests that men who exhibit a high degree
of Machiavellianism tend to be self-
aggrandising, boisterous, and vain, with an
exploitative approach to relationships and
an opportunistic worldview. Machiavellian
women, by contrast, may be defensive, anx-
ious, and introverted. The study concludes
that men may be more likely to engage in
assertive and violent forms of manipula-
tion, while women may resort to covert,
restrained, and concealed deceptive tactics,
such as rumours and gossiping.
Because power reflects perception, rival
coup leaders ruthlessly manipulate poten-
tial enemies and collaborators. Yet they may
not realise how gender bias is shaping their
own strategies. Sometimes, its this psychol-
ogy that explains an unexpected fall from
grace.
In Zimbabwe, as in all coups, much
behind-the-scenes plotting continues to
take place. But who the eventual winners
and losers are might depend, among other
things, on the gender of the plotters.
Raj Persaud and Peter Bruggen are
psychiatrists and co-authors of the
forthcoming book The Street-wise Guide to
Getting the Best Mental Health Care.
Copyright: Project Syndicate, 2017.
Enjoyable, Engaging, Informative and Uplifting