BYE BYE CANON ENGINEER ZIKUSOKA

I was one day at Barclays Bank Jinja Branch in the late 1980's. It so happened that I saw the now Late Engineer Zikusoka enter the Manager's office. The staff member I was with told me that the Engineer would always match to the manager's office for personalized care. It it was cash, the manager would have to draw the cash and deliver to the Engineer from his office.
William Kituuka

Matthew 5:4 Says "O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY? O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING? "The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."
1 Corinthians 15:55-57 Says, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God."

UGANDA HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION PUBLICATIONS COMMENDED

It is gratifying to see the efforts of Uganda Human Rights Commission as reflected in among other areas the publications they make. To see that they have produced a Human Rights training Manual for Uganda Police Force is a move in the right direction. The challenge remains how to disseminate the content of the publication more so among members of Uganda Police. The production of the 13th Uganda Human Rights Commission Annual Report 2010 is greatly commended given the financial constraint they operate within.
The Your Rights Vol. XIII No.3 of July – September 201 is equally great work. Among the issues tackled include: Violation of freedom from torture persists in Uganda despite being an absolute right; Parliament determined to save the anti-torture Bill – Hon. Tashobya; Why torture is unacceptable and a gross violation; Media freedom cannot be separated from individual freedom of expression.
William Kituuka Kiwanuka

THE PERIODICAL INSPECTION OF VEHICLES OUGHT TO BE RE-INSTATED

Some few years ago it was a requirement to have vehicles inspected before being licensed to operate for a fixed duration; however, one budget speech did away with this practice and instead put an additional levy in form of tax on fuel. This strategy in terms of raising more revenue made sense but not on the side of road safety. Given the number of vehicles in bad mechanical condition on our roads together with the reckless driving of vehicles which may equally be in poor mechanical condition, I wish to appeal to the Minister of Finance to re-instate the requirement to have a periodical license for each vehicle which process would require that technical persons examine the mechanical condition in which a vehicle is before qualifying it to be licensed. Many vehicles are seen on the road but with questionable road worthiness and at the end of it, they are found involved in accidents which claim innocent lives. It is also very important for the Government to address the work of those who not only import used motor parts, but those who assemble these parts. It is common today to find accidents attributed to the bad fixing of the vehicle parts. Government ought not only get involved in the qualifying of used parts which are imported into the country but also the passing of vehicles whose parts are locally joined/fixed in the country so as to enhance safety of the road users and those who travel in the said vehicles.
Government ought to address the issue of the commercial motor cyclists who are reckless and more often than not cause accidents whose statistics are undisputed at many health units. The commercial motor cyclists ought to be removed from Kampala Central business centre. They are not only part of the confusion but many people’s lives are in danger at the hands of these reckless youths.

IF CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS TEAM UP, THEY CAN BETTER TAKE UGANDA INTO A WORTHY FUTURE

It is not only sad, but unfortunate the NRM story for Uganda. The mess to the economy of Uganda should have been by other party but not NRM. Greed, corruption are the leader in economic policy and it is no surprise the state the country is found. In the circumstances, politicians may be jokers to think they have the key to Uganda after the Museveni big story. Many civil society organizations are in touch with the people on ground and a good number have clues to how the people of Uganda can be bailed out of poverty. The challenge therefore remains to the civil society organizations to better unit and mobilize people for support to see them take up the leadership of the country with guidance by a country paper as may jointly be complied jointly by players in civil society activities.

IT IS VERY DISAPPOINTING TO FIND LOADSHEDDING SHORTLY AFTER BUJAGALI GENERATION LAUNCH

In Uganda, you must be ready for the disappointments. Just the morning following the launch of Bujagali alleged 50 MW, one wakes up to see power off by 8.00am in close vicinity of Kampala is simply sad. It becomes painful simply because the NRM Government in most of its plans, looks like people are after their own comfort and accumulation. Anyway, prayer will go along way in helping Ugandans out.
William Kituuka Kiwanuka
Ministries’ budgets cut to pay for power

Mr Gilberto Riccobono of Alstom (2nd L) shows Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi (C) and other officials the functional first 50MW unit of Bujagali hydropower project in Jinja yesterday. Government cut ministries’ budgets to pay private power suppliers, it has emerged. PHOTO BY NELSON WESONGA

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Posted Friday, February 3 2012 at 00:00
In Summary
With private power suppliers threatening to plunge the country in darkness, government swings axe to find Shs377b.

KAMPALA

The government was recently forced to slash ministry and other departmental budgets as it scrambled to avert a crisis when private power generators threatened to plunge the country into darkness over hundreds of billions of shillings in unpaid arrears.


This newspaper understands that the decision to starve non-critical sectors of cash was taken by Finance Minister Maria Kiwanuka with the backing of Cabinet— a development which highlights the cash squeeze currently facing the government as it seeks to implement activities set out in the 2011/12 budget announced in June last year.

A detailed break-down of how badly specific ministries were affected remain scanty, but Finance Ministry Spokesperson Jim Mugunga yesterday confirmed the cuts and asked the affected government agencies to bear with the situation.

“We had no choice but to make hard decisions in order to raise the money needed to subsidise thermal power generation,” Mr Mugunga said.
“The Shs92 billion allocated in the budget was not enough and we had to effect cuts to raise an additional Shs377 billion. In fact, by July we had already spent all the money budgeted for yet we had a crisis on our hands.”

Mr Mugunga, however, indicated that the Finance ministry did not touch core government activities in implementing the stop-gap measure. “We cut recurrent expenditures, targeting areas such as travel and procurement of vehicles, among others. This expenditure was made to sustain power supply on the national grid,” he said.

After Ms Kiwanuka realised Shs377b from this re-allocation, sources revealed that she later authorised the payment to power generators. The most recent installment of Shs120 billion was made last month.

WHY THE GLOBAL FUND MATTERS

By PAUL FARMER
Published: February 1, 2012
Ten years ago, the heads of the G-8 countries met in Genoa, Italy, to back the establishment of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria — a new funding mechanism that dramatically increased resources available to fight preventable, treatable diseases stalking the poor and depleting developing economies around the globe.

Related in Opinion

Op-Ed Contributor: The Truth About Foreign Aid (January 27, 2012)

In 2001, very few people — almost none, really — living with H.I.V. in Africa had access to antiretroviral medicines. Today, more than 3.3 million people — more than half of those on treatment worldwide — are on treatment supported by the Global Fund: A true victory for the global community. The fund and the U.S. international AIDS program, Pepfar (the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief program), are the most ambitious global health endeavors in generations.

Now, 10 years since its founding, the Global Fund is facing a serious financial shortfall, and the fund’s board voted recently not to accept new grant requests until at least 2014. Bill Gates’ announcement of a $750 million contribution to the fund in Davos last week was welcome news — the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has been among the greatest supporters of the Global Fund since its inception — but will not change the board’s decision. They knew of Gates’ donation before they canceled the current round of grant-making.

This funding deficit hit right when the end of AIDS became plausible: Last year, scientific breakthroughs provided conclusive evidence that putting more people on treatment earlier can significantly reduce incidence of H.I.V. Treatment is prevention.

Beyond AIDS, the Global Fund is currently the largest donor in the world for tuberculosis and malaria programs. Operating in 150 countries, it has treated more than 8 million cases of tuberculosis and distributed 230 million insecticide-treated nets. Deaths from malaria are down nearly 40 percent in most of Africa. The question is not whether the Global Fund works, but how to ensure it keeps working for years to come.

In my mind, there are four reasons this is imperative:

First, the world needs to expand, not contract, access to health care because of the sheer burden of disease. It is unconscionable that, in 2012, we are still living in a world where millions of poor people die of preventable and treatable diseases.

Second, the Fund doesn’t simply give handouts; it takes the longer road of investing in and working with health ministries. In doing so, it seeks to build (or rebuild) local health systems, develop platforms for transparency and accountability, boost local procurement and improve supply chains, and help train civil servants and health professionals.

This approach has had profound spillover effects on other health and development priorities. In central Haiti, for example, establishing effective treatment programs for AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria has raised the standard of care for chronic conditions like major mental illness, heart failure and several forms of cancer.

Third, the Global Fund proves how much multilateral organizations can accomplish. While the usual players — the G-8, say — bear the greatest financial burden, I would urge some of the recipient countries to consider themselves partners of and contributors to the fund. In today’s global economy, countries like India, Russia and China play meaningful roles as donors and as recipients of grants. Gabriel Jaramillo, a Brazilian banker who last week was named the fund’s general manager, will surely strengthen these links and reinvigorate its leadership. The Global Fund is a truly multilateral organization, and stronger for it.

Fourth, a recession is a lousy excuse to starve one of the best (and only) instruments we have for helping people who live on a few dollars a day. Most marginalized populations around the globe have always faced economic contraction; “financial crisis” has been ongoing for them since the day they were born. It would be a great mistake to allow one of the world’s most effective global health institutions to fail because we need to get our own fiscal house in order.

Along with Pepfar, the Global Fund has, without question, helped turn the corner on AIDS. It has also helped realize substantial gains against TB and malaria that must be maintained. We need to summon the funding and political will, now, to protect the hard-fought progress of the past decade.

Simply put, if we allow the fund to fail, many people will die, and we will forfeit the chance at the “AIDS-free generation” that U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called for in November. This is no time to step back.

Paul Farmer is chairman of the department of global health and social medicine at Harvard Medical School and a cofounder of Partners in Health, which has received support from the Global Fund in Haiti, Lesotho and Russia.
A version of this op-ed appeared in print on February 2, 2012, in The International Herald Tribune.

KCCA TAKE OVER OF CITY PARKS IS TIMELY BUT NEED TO REDUCE CHARGES

KCCA has done what was long awaited, get UTODA out of the city parks and get order to the city taxi services. For this, the KCCA is greatly thanked. What KCCA however has to think about is not to reap the way UTODA had been. If UTODA was collecting shs 4,500 per taxi per day, then the sticker fee, I think it is good business to sum up the daily fee and have that as the amount to be paid on a monthly basis. However, it is expected that these vehicles need servicing and for say 5 days a month, they may be expected to be having repairs or other problems being fixed meaning that out of 30 days a month, KCCA should effectively consider 25 out of which these taxi's should pay shs 4,000 making a total of shs 100,000 a month. Given that this is not a tender given out, it makes justice to charge shs 100,000 per taxi per month. 2ndly, overcharging the taxi's is brought forward to the users. KCCA should know that people are already facing big bills to travel and as such should avoid overcharging. i also wish to point out to KCCA that they should ensure that only licenced people do drive passengers out of the parks. What this means is that they ought to be concerned about the security of the passengers loaded into the taxi's from which revenue is to be realized. Finally, any possibility to pay the money in instalments?
William Kituuka Kiwanuka

KCCA takes over city taxi transport from UTODA
First published: 20120131 3:45:26 PM EST Ultimate Media

The Uganda Taxi Operators and Drivers Association today finally reached the day they had always dreaded: the day when Kampala Capital City Authority took over revenue collection in different taxi parks.

KCCA officials today started collecting revenues from the taxi parks, marking and the end of Uganda Taxi Operators and Drivers has managed the parks on behalf of KCC for more than 12 years.

This follows yesterday’s court ruling, dismissing an application by UTODA, challenging the decision by KCCA to take over revenue collection.

KCCA took over revenue collecting from taxi operators after refusing to renew the contract with UTODA.

KCCA officials have been heavily deployed in taxi parks together with the police .

The KCCA in-charge of revenue collection Patrick Mukalazi says the system of collecting dues daily has been cancelled and the taxi drivers will now pay a total fee of 155,000 shillings monthly.

Mukalazi says the drivers who are unable to raise the money now will be given a grace period of 2weeks and provisional documents to enable them access the parks.

He says this is being done to streamline revenue collection after many drivers complained about UTODA’s unclear and force revenue collection methods.

Mukalazi says that the taxi parks which are currently in a sorry state will be worked on, if the taxi drivers pay their dues in time.

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