For one to tell you that infection rates for HIV are falling would be telling you false news. The prevailing conditions are such that though there is a high rate of awareness how HIV is spread, the conditions on ground are such that the victims many of whom get the virus in an effort to get a living are many. A case in point is just at the higher institutions of learning where students have got to pay for virtually everything, and many surely don't have the means, more often than not, a number of these end up contracting HIV. Even when it comes to getting the condom, the situation is so difficult that many cannot afford to have a condom before sex, and chances of contracting HIV are high.
In Uganda, until we have a sensible economy, you can be sure that HIV contraction rates will remain high.
William Kituuka Kiwanuka
NEW AIDS CASES INCREASE BY 60,000 THIS YEAR - RESEARCH
By Stephen Otage
Posted Saturday, October 1 2011 at 00:00
Kampala
In the last eight months, the number of new HIV/Aids infections has increased by 50,000 reported cases, according to research findings released by the Uganda Aids Information Centre (AIC).
The research shows that although the national prevalence of the disease has stagnated between 6 and 6.3 per cent, the new figure is nearly half the 110,000 cases captured last year. Most new infections are mainly coming from married couples, sex workers, fishing communities and long-distance truck drivers.
As a result, Uganda needs to step up HIV/Aids control and prevention programmes to reduce the strain the country is already facing in providing medication to the patients already under treatment. The most affected group falls under the age bracket of 25-49 years and women are the most affected standing at 7.6 per cent. It is less among the new-born because of the prevention of mother-to-child transmission programme.
It also shows that the previous trends were a reduction in new infections. “The institution of marriage is failing. Families are breaking up. There is another challenge of people who do not want to know their status. 70 per cent of Ugandans don’t know their status,” Dr Raymond Byaruhanga, the executive director AIC, said while releasing the report, adding that the increase in new infections among married couples can be attributed to the breakdown in marriages where partners become unfaithful to each other.
Uganda has over 330,000 patients who need HIV/Aids treatment but only 100,000 can get access to it and remain under medication. However, the news is a disconsolation to the country at time when some development partners who have been financing HIV/Aids care and treatment are beginning to ask government to look elsewhere for alternative sources of financing treatment. Asked what impact this withdrawal of funding would have on HIV/Aids prevention and treatment programmes, Dr Byaruhanga said it presents an opportunity for Ugandans to change their lifestyles.
“Do you expect a muzungu (white man) to come from America to tell you to change the way you behave? Responsibility should start from the individual,” he said adding, “What we are doing as a country is reflected back in the homes yet most of the money being injected into HIV treatment could be channeled into fighting malaria and tuberculosis which are killing more women and children.”
Friday, September 30, 2011
IT COMES AS A SCANDAL IF STATE HOUSE CAN KEEP HUGE AMOUNTS OF CASH
It is impossible to get State House out of the picture of the ills Ugandans are experiencing. As of now, the country is suffering inflation that may be very hard to contain mainly because of the billions of shillings the Movement Government injected into circulation. Talk of people who are behind taking tax payers' money, many claim they had the clearance of State House. President Museveni should surely get us out of the decay which is a big shame for he country. What the Movement is showing us is not the way to Govern a country in civilized times. Looks like those connected with NRM will never stop the game of stealing public resources whenever there is opportunity. It is disgusting.
William Kituuka Kiwanuka
STATE HOUSE CASH THIEVES ELUDE CAPTURE
By TABU BUTAGIRA
Posted Friday, September 30 2011 at 00:00
Investigators have failed to trace the whereabouts of three presidential guards believed to have masterminded theft of substantial cash from State House nearly a fortnight ago. It emerged yesterday that the trio, unlike previously reported, spirited away Shs620 million out of Shs8 billion kept overnight at the cash office in Okello House, an annex to Nakasero State House.
An inside source we cannot name due to sensitivity of the matter, which the Special Forces Group (SFG) is inquiring into, told this newspaper yesterday, that “it is true the total amount at Okello House was Shs8b. Those soldiers, I think, were in a hurry and only took Shs620 million.”
The source added: “This is the figure confirmed after physical count of the cash balance. It appears some people wanted to take advantage of the initial theft to steal the remaining money by claiming the whole amount was taken.”
We could not independently verify this account and State House Comptroller, Ms Lucy Nakyobe, would not answer or return our telephone calls.
Two cashiers, both of them reportedly civilians, who were on duty the fateful weekend, have since been interdicted.
State House officials, however, would not explain why the duo have not appeared in court 13 days after their reported suspension if evidence exists to incriminate them in pilfering taxpayers’ cash.
Capt. Edson Kwesiga, spokesman for the elite presidential guard group, which is investigating the matter, yesterday said they had made “some progress” but would not divulge details.
“I will not give an official position until investigations are completed,” he said, without offering any timeline. “It is too early to tell who has been arrested and of what rank, or indeed how much money was recovered and in which bank it had been kept.”
The New Vision yesterday reported that one of the suspects, grabbed from under the bed of a relative in western Uganda, had more than Shs25 million stashed on different banks accounts, and he had been on a suspicious spending spree, including buying new motorcycles.
The yet-to-be explained September 16 theft, which Mr Tamale at the time attributed to ‘palace politics’, shocked the nation because the premises where it happened, was until 2007, the official residence of President Museveni.
And he occasionally still visits and holds meetings there, making the place one of the most guarded in the country.
In the aftermath of the heist, officials of the opposition Democratic Party put Mr Museveni on notice to watch his back since some hounds appear to have infiltrated his inner security detail, and could likely sell out. The elite brigade, commanded by First Son Col. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, through Spokesman Kwesiga, dismissed those fears about the President’s safety as misplaced, saying he was in safe hands.
tbutagira@ug.nationmedia
William Kituuka Kiwanuka
STATE HOUSE CASH THIEVES ELUDE CAPTURE
By TABU BUTAGIRA
Posted Friday, September 30 2011 at 00:00
Investigators have failed to trace the whereabouts of three presidential guards believed to have masterminded theft of substantial cash from State House nearly a fortnight ago. It emerged yesterday that the trio, unlike previously reported, spirited away Shs620 million out of Shs8 billion kept overnight at the cash office in Okello House, an annex to Nakasero State House.
An inside source we cannot name due to sensitivity of the matter, which the Special Forces Group (SFG) is inquiring into, told this newspaper yesterday, that “it is true the total amount at Okello House was Shs8b. Those soldiers, I think, were in a hurry and only took Shs620 million.”
The source added: “This is the figure confirmed after physical count of the cash balance. It appears some people wanted to take advantage of the initial theft to steal the remaining money by claiming the whole amount was taken.”
We could not independently verify this account and State House Comptroller, Ms Lucy Nakyobe, would not answer or return our telephone calls.
Two cashiers, both of them reportedly civilians, who were on duty the fateful weekend, have since been interdicted.
State House officials, however, would not explain why the duo have not appeared in court 13 days after their reported suspension if evidence exists to incriminate them in pilfering taxpayers’ cash.
Capt. Edson Kwesiga, spokesman for the elite presidential guard group, which is investigating the matter, yesterday said they had made “some progress” but would not divulge details.
“I will not give an official position until investigations are completed,” he said, without offering any timeline. “It is too early to tell who has been arrested and of what rank, or indeed how much money was recovered and in which bank it had been kept.”
The New Vision yesterday reported that one of the suspects, grabbed from under the bed of a relative in western Uganda, had more than Shs25 million stashed on different banks accounts, and he had been on a suspicious spending spree, including buying new motorcycles.
The yet-to-be explained September 16 theft, which Mr Tamale at the time attributed to ‘palace politics’, shocked the nation because the premises where it happened, was until 2007, the official residence of President Museveni.
And he occasionally still visits and holds meetings there, making the place one of the most guarded in the country.
In the aftermath of the heist, officials of the opposition Democratic Party put Mr Museveni on notice to watch his back since some hounds appear to have infiltrated his inner security detail, and could likely sell out. The elite brigade, commanded by First Son Col. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, through Spokesman Kwesiga, dismissed those fears about the President’s safety as misplaced, saying he was in safe hands.
tbutagira@ug.nationmedia
GAVI SETS UP CHILD VACCINE FUNDING PROGRAMME
Rotavirus and pneumococcal vaccines to be rolled out to more developing countries as funding initiative receives $1bn boost
Mark Tran
guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 27 September 2011 14.38 BST
A child is treated for pneumonia at Kigali central university hospital in Rwanda. Gavi has stepped up its pneumococcal vaccine funding programme. Photograph: AFP
The Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (Gavi) said on Tuesday it will provide more funding for developing countries to introduce vaccines against severe diarrhoea and pneumonia, two leading causes of child deaths.
Gavi, a public-private partnership to help the world's poorest countries obtain vital vaccines and reduce child mortality, described the rollout of rotavirus and pneumococcal vaccines as its biggest commitment of funds to date.
Rotavirus is the leading cause of severe diarrhoea in children under five, killing more than half a million each year worldwide and causing illness in several million more. Nearly 50% of all rotavirus deaths occur in Africa, where access to treatment for severe rotavirus diarrhoea is limited or unavailable.
Pneumococcal disease causes pneumonia, meningitis and sepsis and also kills more than half a million children each year, the vast majority of them in Africa and Asia.
"These new vaccines will prevent millions of children from dying of pneumonia and diarrhoea, the biggest killers of children under five," said Anthony Lake, executive director of Unicef, the UN agency for children. "We need to focus especially on reaching the children at greatest risk, for it is among the most vulnerable that these vaccines can make the biggest difference."
Dr Catherine Sanga, health attache for Tanzania, predicted the announcement will mean 50% of children who suffer from diarrhoea in Africa will survive.
"We believe it will reduce child deaths and help us achieve the millennium development goals," she said. "We felt that getting these resources and Gavi support will push us further … I'm convinced that it will reduce hospital attendance, will have an economic and social impact and [that] it brings hope to many families to Africa in general."
The rollout of rotavirus vaccines across Africa has already begun in North and South Sudan and Tuesday's announcement confirms funding for 12 more African countries. The programme is expected to reach more countries in early 2012 and 2013.
Countries seeking funding for vaccines make an application for what they want. Gavi assesses whether the countries have the infrastructure in place to store and distribute the vaccines. If approval is given, procurement follows and the vaccines are delivered with the help of partners on the ground.
Last year, Gavi's independent review committee approved funding for rotavirus support for what was then Sudan, worth $69.8m between 2010 and 2014.
"We have to make sure that delivery is done well," said Seth Berkley, chief executive of Gavi. "We want people to have confidence in the system. This requires planning to make sure there are enough vaccines. In the past, people have walked hours to far-away clinics to find vaccines not available."
Families will not have to pay for the vaccines as governments and co-funders will have done so already. The vaccines for pneumonia will come from GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and Pfizer and the target price for them will be $3.50, 90% less than when sold in the west. The vaccines for diarrhoea will be provided by GSK and Merck, again at a greatly reduced price of $5.
Berkley said he expected the prices to fall as pharmaceutical companies from India and Brazil enter the market.
"We are excited by the reductions that have already occurred and we are working to make these more affordable," he said.
Gavi said rotavirus vaccines have proven to be highly effective at reducing severe and fatal diarrhoea and have saved thousands of children's lives. It cited Mexico, where there has been a 46% reduction in the number of children under five dying from diarrhoea. Gavi and its partners also plan to support more than 40 countries to introduce pneumococcal vaccines and immunise more than 90 million children against pneumococcal disease by 2015.
On Monday, Gavi's executive committee approved applications from 37 countries. Sixteen countries received approval for rotavirus vaccines, 18 for pneumococcal vaccines, five for pentavalent vaccine and 12 for other types of vaccines. Out of the 37 countries, 24 are in Africa. The total cost for all 37 countries is more than $1bn.
Save the Children welcomed the announcement, but said Gavi must work with its partners to ensure vaccines reach every child.
"Often the poorest children are at the highest risk of vaccine preventable disease, and yet are the last to be immunised," said Patrick Watt, director of policy and research. "In Nigeria, one of the countries approved today, a child in the top income bracket is over nine times more likely to have received basic immunisation than a child in the poorest income group. The announcement today marks the moment when the hard work must start."
• This article was amended on 29 September 2011. The original named one of the companies supplying the pneumonia vaccine as Wyeth. This has been corrected to Pfizer, which acquired Wyeth in 2009.
Mark Tran
guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 27 September 2011 14.38 BST
A child is treated for pneumonia at Kigali central university hospital in Rwanda. Gavi has stepped up its pneumococcal vaccine funding programme. Photograph: AFP
The Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (Gavi) said on Tuesday it will provide more funding for developing countries to introduce vaccines against severe diarrhoea and pneumonia, two leading causes of child deaths.
Gavi, a public-private partnership to help the world's poorest countries obtain vital vaccines and reduce child mortality, described the rollout of rotavirus and pneumococcal vaccines as its biggest commitment of funds to date.
Rotavirus is the leading cause of severe diarrhoea in children under five, killing more than half a million each year worldwide and causing illness in several million more. Nearly 50% of all rotavirus deaths occur in Africa, where access to treatment for severe rotavirus diarrhoea is limited or unavailable.
Pneumococcal disease causes pneumonia, meningitis and sepsis and also kills more than half a million children each year, the vast majority of them in Africa and Asia.
"These new vaccines will prevent millions of children from dying of pneumonia and diarrhoea, the biggest killers of children under five," said Anthony Lake, executive director of Unicef, the UN agency for children. "We need to focus especially on reaching the children at greatest risk, for it is among the most vulnerable that these vaccines can make the biggest difference."
Dr Catherine Sanga, health attache for Tanzania, predicted the announcement will mean 50% of children who suffer from diarrhoea in Africa will survive.
"We believe it will reduce child deaths and help us achieve the millennium development goals," she said. "We felt that getting these resources and Gavi support will push us further … I'm convinced that it will reduce hospital attendance, will have an economic and social impact and [that] it brings hope to many families to Africa in general."
The rollout of rotavirus vaccines across Africa has already begun in North and South Sudan and Tuesday's announcement confirms funding for 12 more African countries. The programme is expected to reach more countries in early 2012 and 2013.
Countries seeking funding for vaccines make an application for what they want. Gavi assesses whether the countries have the infrastructure in place to store and distribute the vaccines. If approval is given, procurement follows and the vaccines are delivered with the help of partners on the ground.
Last year, Gavi's independent review committee approved funding for rotavirus support for what was then Sudan, worth $69.8m between 2010 and 2014.
"We have to make sure that delivery is done well," said Seth Berkley, chief executive of Gavi. "We want people to have confidence in the system. This requires planning to make sure there are enough vaccines. In the past, people have walked hours to far-away clinics to find vaccines not available."
Families will not have to pay for the vaccines as governments and co-funders will have done so already. The vaccines for pneumonia will come from GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and Pfizer and the target price for them will be $3.50, 90% less than when sold in the west. The vaccines for diarrhoea will be provided by GSK and Merck, again at a greatly reduced price of $5.
Berkley said he expected the prices to fall as pharmaceutical companies from India and Brazil enter the market.
"We are excited by the reductions that have already occurred and we are working to make these more affordable," he said.
Gavi said rotavirus vaccines have proven to be highly effective at reducing severe and fatal diarrhoea and have saved thousands of children's lives. It cited Mexico, where there has been a 46% reduction in the number of children under five dying from diarrhoea. Gavi and its partners also plan to support more than 40 countries to introduce pneumococcal vaccines and immunise more than 90 million children against pneumococcal disease by 2015.
On Monday, Gavi's executive committee approved applications from 37 countries. Sixteen countries received approval for rotavirus vaccines, 18 for pneumococcal vaccines, five for pentavalent vaccine and 12 for other types of vaccines. Out of the 37 countries, 24 are in Africa. The total cost for all 37 countries is more than $1bn.
Save the Children welcomed the announcement, but said Gavi must work with its partners to ensure vaccines reach every child.
"Often the poorest children are at the highest risk of vaccine preventable disease, and yet are the last to be immunised," said Patrick Watt, director of policy and research. "In Nigeria, one of the countries approved today, a child in the top income bracket is over nine times more likely to have received basic immunisation than a child in the poorest income group. The announcement today marks the moment when the hard work must start."
• This article was amended on 29 September 2011. The original named one of the companies supplying the pneumonia vaccine as Wyeth. This has been corrected to Pfizer, which acquired Wyeth in 2009.
UGANDA IS REALLY A SICK COUNTRY, HOW DOES IT BECOME IMPOSSIBLE TO ESTABLISH ACTUAL NUMBER OF PUPILS AND TEACHERS
Government officials split over ghost pupils, teachers
Total number of seconday school teachers and payroll status
By Richard Wanambwa
Posted Saturday, October 1 2011 at 00:00
ENTEBBE
The ministries of Finance and Education are locked in a battle over the presence of ghost pupils, students and teachers across the country. While the Ministry of Finance maintains that there are over 260,000 ghost pupils and about 86 per cent of teachers in government aided schools, the Education ministry says those were only absent at the time of the investigations by Finance.
An internal discussion between two senior accounting officers responsible for government’s critical Universal education programme is opening a new debate on the existence and gravity of ghosts.
Correspondences between Education Permanent Secretary, Mr F. X. Lubanga and his Finance counterpart, Mr Chris Kasami, which this newspaper has obtained, show that the country is losing up to Shs13 billion annually to fund nonexistent pupils, schools and teachers. “Your findings of ghost at a rate of 60 per cent of the sample district with ghost schools, 85 per cent with ghost teachers while 100 per cent had at least ghost pupils is worrying but not new as this is a problem we have been grappling with for some time now. As you may recall, in my reply letter EDD/282/01 dated October 23, 2009 to yours ISS 48/137/01 dated October 17, 2009, I reiterated my earlier position to you of releasing capitation grants reduced by 25 per cent,” Mr Lubanga wrote to Mr Kasami on September 21.
Mr Lubanga acknowledges that the ghosts have been a persistent problem haunting the Universal Primary Education programme. He says the ministry captured the shocking figures from findings from the Inspection Initiative Report by the Directorate of Standards (DES) and Rapid Head count exercise conducted by his ministry in 2006 that showed divergence between enrollment and attendance figures of 25 per cent in the schools visited.
A simple addition of numbers gives a staggering 26,000 ghost pupils in only 13 districts which the ministry sampled for its survey. The ministry carried out the survey to ascertain statistics from the annual headcount programme, Saturday Monitor has been told.
Mr Lubanga says that the enrollment data which is administratively collected and managed by the Ministry of Education using the Education Management Information Systems (EMIS) and is therefore reliable particularly for strategic planning it may not be relied on 100 per cent for operational purposes.
Mr Lubanga explains that not all absentees noted during spot checks may mean ghost pupils or teachers or even schools adding that regular attendance of school is affected by several factors including but not limited to sickness, local markets or helping out on the family garden or farm depending on the season and the time of the spot check.
“On the other hand, attendance is recorded every day in the morning in every class. However, we still don’t have a mechanism to capture this information regularly as it would be very costly. Nevertheless, this is what we are aiming at implementing with support from USAID in the next two years,” Mr Lubanga said.
On ghost teachers, Mr Lubanga, put the responsibility of recruitment and verification at doorstep of the Ministry of Public Service. “You are aware my ministry only provides teacher ceiling by district, recruitment and deployment is carried out between the Chief Administrative Officer (Cao) and Public Service ministry,” Mr Lubanga wrote.
Mr Kasami’s investigations found that ghost teachers including the dead, absconders and those in ‘unknown schools’ cause a loss of Shs6.794billion to government per year. In his reply, Mr Lubanga said, “The responsibility to recruit, deploy lies with Local Government; while payment of wages rests with the Ministry of Public Service. I advise you to sort out this with those responsible centres.”
Meanwhile the Minister in charge of the Presidency, Ms Kabakumba Masiko in a September 9 letter to her Education counterpart, Lt. Jessica Alupo, said her office had revealed the existence of 12,273 ghost pupils in 107 UPE schools in Bundibugyo District. She said the findings were contained in a monthly report by the Resident District Commissioner (RDC).
Total number of seconday school teachers and payroll status
By Richard Wanambwa
Posted Saturday, October 1 2011 at 00:00
ENTEBBE
The ministries of Finance and Education are locked in a battle over the presence of ghost pupils, students and teachers across the country. While the Ministry of Finance maintains that there are over 260,000 ghost pupils and about 86 per cent of teachers in government aided schools, the Education ministry says those were only absent at the time of the investigations by Finance.
An internal discussion between two senior accounting officers responsible for government’s critical Universal education programme is opening a new debate on the existence and gravity of ghosts.
Correspondences between Education Permanent Secretary, Mr F. X. Lubanga and his Finance counterpart, Mr Chris Kasami, which this newspaper has obtained, show that the country is losing up to Shs13 billion annually to fund nonexistent pupils, schools and teachers. “Your findings of ghost at a rate of 60 per cent of the sample district with ghost schools, 85 per cent with ghost teachers while 100 per cent had at least ghost pupils is worrying but not new as this is a problem we have been grappling with for some time now. As you may recall, in my reply letter EDD/282/01 dated October 23, 2009 to yours ISS 48/137/01 dated October 17, 2009, I reiterated my earlier position to you of releasing capitation grants reduced by 25 per cent,” Mr Lubanga wrote to Mr Kasami on September 21.
Mr Lubanga acknowledges that the ghosts have been a persistent problem haunting the Universal Primary Education programme. He says the ministry captured the shocking figures from findings from the Inspection Initiative Report by the Directorate of Standards (DES) and Rapid Head count exercise conducted by his ministry in 2006 that showed divergence between enrollment and attendance figures of 25 per cent in the schools visited.
A simple addition of numbers gives a staggering 26,000 ghost pupils in only 13 districts which the ministry sampled for its survey. The ministry carried out the survey to ascertain statistics from the annual headcount programme, Saturday Monitor has been told.
Mr Lubanga says that the enrollment data which is administratively collected and managed by the Ministry of Education using the Education Management Information Systems (EMIS) and is therefore reliable particularly for strategic planning it may not be relied on 100 per cent for operational purposes.
Mr Lubanga explains that not all absentees noted during spot checks may mean ghost pupils or teachers or even schools adding that regular attendance of school is affected by several factors including but not limited to sickness, local markets or helping out on the family garden or farm depending on the season and the time of the spot check.
“On the other hand, attendance is recorded every day in the morning in every class. However, we still don’t have a mechanism to capture this information regularly as it would be very costly. Nevertheless, this is what we are aiming at implementing with support from USAID in the next two years,” Mr Lubanga said.
On ghost teachers, Mr Lubanga, put the responsibility of recruitment and verification at doorstep of the Ministry of Public Service. “You are aware my ministry only provides teacher ceiling by district, recruitment and deployment is carried out between the Chief Administrative Officer (Cao) and Public Service ministry,” Mr Lubanga wrote.
Mr Kasami’s investigations found that ghost teachers including the dead, absconders and those in ‘unknown schools’ cause a loss of Shs6.794billion to government per year. In his reply, Mr Lubanga said, “The responsibility to recruit, deploy lies with Local Government; while payment of wages rests with the Ministry of Public Service. I advise you to sort out this with those responsible centres.”
Meanwhile the Minister in charge of the Presidency, Ms Kabakumba Masiko in a September 9 letter to her Education counterpart, Lt. Jessica Alupo, said her office had revealed the existence of 12,273 ghost pupils in 107 UPE schools in Bundibugyo District. She said the findings were contained in a monthly report by the Resident District Commissioner (RDC).
DEATH ON UGANDA'S ROADS; BAGEYA IS CLAIMED!
Bageya killed in road accident
Thursday, 29th September, 2011
BY GEORGE BITA
Veteran politician and former Iganga district chairperson George Patrick Bageya died on Tuesday evening after his Mercedes Benz car collided head on with an Isuzu truck.
The 7:30pm accident occurred at Nabitovu village on the Iganga-Kaliro highway. An eyewitness said Bageya was heading to his home in Naibiri in Nambale sub-county.
“The truck was overtaking another car. The airbag was soaked in blood. Bageya’s body was stuck in the wreckage. We had to cut the wreckage to remove it,” the witness said.
Bageya had travelled with his son who sustained severe injuries. The passengers on the truck were admitted to Iganga Hospital with minor injuries.
Bageya represented Kigulu constituency as the Constituent Assembly delegate in the early 1990s.
He served as Iganga district chairperson until 2001. He was also a member of the FRONASA guerilla group to which Museveni belonged.
The chairperson of the burial committee, Kirunda Kivejinja, said a funeral service will be held this morning at All Saints Cathdreal Nakasero.
A vigil would be held at the deceased’s home in Muyenga in Kampala.
Iganga district council will pay tribute to Bageya on Friday in the council chambers. Burial is scheduled for Sarturday at Naibiri in Iganga district.
BUSOGA MOURNS PATRICK BAGEYA
Written by Andrew Mulinda
Wednesday, 28 September 2011 23:58
Former Iganga boss dies in road accident
Sadness engulfed Busoga sub-region(Wednesday) as people woke up to news of the tragic demise of George Patrick Bageya, one of the gallant sons and unifiers of Busoga. The once self-proclaimed President of Iganga died on Tuesday evening at about 7: 30pm in a motor accident at Nabitovu in Nambale sub-county along Iganga-Kaliro Road, while traveling from Iganga town to his home in Naibiri.
According to police, Bageya was driving his saloon car, registration number UAF 088Q, which had a head-on collision with an Isuzu lorry, UAJ 232H, that was carrying wood from Kaliro towards Iganga town. Erusania Batala, an eyewitness, said Bageya died instantly, steering while the people aboard the lorry survived with minor injuries.
The south-eastern regional police spokesperson, Samson Lubega, confirmed the tragedy, adding that the accident could have resulted from obstruction because it was dark.
Bageya served in various capacities, including as Iganga district chairman between 1996 and 2011, and has been instrumental in mobilizing for the ruling NRM party. On December 22, 2003, he was named Busia Resident District Commissioner after losing in the NRM primaries for the parliamentary race.
Bageya lost to former Iganga district chairman, Asuman Kyafu, and decided he would not contest as an independent. A trained security officer, he was later, in 2005, appointed presidential advisor on security affairs, a post he resigned in 2006 to contest for the Kigulu South parliamentary seat. His ambitions were, however, thwarted by the youthful Milton Muwuma Kalule, who is the current area MP.
In 2007, Bageya resorted to farming at his home in Naibiri, where he reared pigs, cattle and grew fruits. At the time of his death, he was a member on the Amnesty Commission, a body established by the Parliament to provide overall leadership, guidance and coordination in the implementation of amnesty to former rebels. During his leadership in Iganga district, before it was split to create Mayuge, Namutumba and Luuka districts, Bageya was nicknamed Nsolo ya Bwana, a Lusoga proverb that means a leopard with young ones cannot be hunted.
He was instrumental in matters of Busoga kingdom and national leadership, and in 2004, he warned the Basoga against rushing to clamour for the federal system of governance, saying it was inappropriate for the sub-region. Dr Ahmed Lubega, Iganga Hospital’s medical superintendent, said the body would be transferred from Iganga to Mulago hospital.
Tribute
Former Iganga district chairman, Kyafu, said in Bageya’s death, the NRM party has lost a mobiliser and negotiator in Busoga and in the country as a whole.
“Even after trouncing him in 2001, Bageya did not betray the norms and principles of the party, like opportunists do, implying that he was ready to die for the good of democracy in Uganda,” Kyafu said.
Sospeter Baite Munobwa, a former Busoga kingdom official and DP diehard, who crossed to NRM, said Bageya has left a rich political legacy. Busoga kingdom prime minister, Wilson Mutebe Muwereza, described Bageya’s death as “a total loss to Busoga and the nation as a whole”.
“Bageya has been a technical advisor to the kingdom and has on many occasions openly advised kingdom officials and the rest of the subjects on a number of pertinent issues. The kingdom has lost an opinion leader.”
Luuka district chairman, Samuel Kakyada, said he had lost his mentor and chief advisor, who supported the creation of Luuka district right from his time as chairman in Iganga until Luuka was granted district status in 2010. Iganga district chairman, Shaban Nkutu, said the district council would convene for a special session to pay tribute to the former chairman.
andrewzabby@gmail.com
Thursday, September 29, 2011
THUMBS UP FOR DP's KAWUMA
DP's Mohamed Kawuma casting his ballot. Photo by Arthur Kintu.
DP’s Kawuma recaptures Entebbe seat
Thursday, 29th September, 2011
By Vision Reporters
Democratic Party candidate Muhammad Kawuma on Thursday recaptured the Entebbe Municipality parliamentary seat after trouncing his arch-rival, Patience Mubangizi, the National Resistance Movement flag-bearer.
Kawuma, whose election was nullified by court, polled 13,727 votes, while Mubangizi received 6,226 votes.
Forum for Democratic Change’s Wilberforce Sseryazi got 209 votes and Haawa Nakibuule (independent) trailed with 12 votes. Kawuma won in most polling stations, including at the polling station where Mubangizi voted from.
Sarah Bukirwa, the Wakiso returning officer, announced the results at Changsha Model Primary School where the Electoral Commission tally centre was set up.
The exercise was carried out amid tight security. It was largely peaceful.
Grace Turyagumanawe, the Kampala Metropolitan Police Commander, led the security operations.
The Police deployed at all the 74 polling stations and all roads leading to the two divisions and wards.
Mubangizi successfully petitioned the High Court to nullify Kawuma’s election during the February elections.
Court ruled in her favour and ordered fresh elections.
Kawuma opted not to appeal against the court ruling.
The exercise was, however, temporarily disrupted by the early morning downpour.
At Entebbe SS ground polling station where Mubangizi cast her vote, she got 58 votes, while Kawuma collected 173.
After he was declared winner, Kawuma said: “I am excited about the win, but I expected it. This is the reason I did not appeal against the court ruling.”
Kawuma had complained about what he termed as excessive deployment of the Police in the municipality, saying it would intimidate residents. But as results came in, he was buoyant.
Kawuma’s team monitoring the exercise included several DP legislators and Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago.
Although NRM big-wigs appeared at their candidate’s campaigns, they were not visible on polling day. Only youth activists Asiimwe Mulekwa and Joseph Ssewava appeared.
At St. Joseph polling station in Katabi, Capt. Amunoni Baruku, a soldier attached to the Air Force, was arrested for forcefully voting.
DP's KAWUMA DECLARED ENTEBBE MUNICIPALITY MP
By Martin Ssebuyira (email the author)
Posted Friday, September 30 2011 at 00:00
Democratic Party Candidate Muhammed Kawuma was last evening declared the MP for Entebbe Municipality in Wakiso District, beating his closest political opponent Patience Mubangizi of the ruling National Resistance Movement with a huge margin.
Wakiso District Returning Officer Sarah Bukirwa declared Mr Kawuma the winner for the second time in less than six months after he polled 13,727 votes followed by Ms Mubangizi with 6226 votes from 74 polling stations. According to the results , Forum for Democratic Change (FDC)’s William Wilberforce Serayzi scored 209 votes while Independent candidate Hawa Nakibuule scored 012 votes. Out of the 20,174 votes cast, 204 were declared invalid.
Mr Kawuma took an early lead in a by-election that resulted from a High Court order after the nullification of his election on February 18 over non-compliance with the electoral laws on the side of the Electoral Commission (EC).
His triumph in yesterday’s poll has been viewed by his supporters as a confirmation of his victory in the February 18 which was nullified by the High Court over the EC’s omission of votes from 12 out of 74 polling stations.
The EC declaration was a confirmation of the Democratic Party tally centre earlier results that indicated that he was leading his main contestant Ms Mubangizi at a margin of 7,501 votes.
The declaration of the results at the EC tally centre based at Changsha Model Primary School in Entebbe prompted thousands of jubilant DP supporters to take to Entebbe streets last night, singing. They accompanied Mr Kawuma from the tally centre to his home.
Despite heavy security deployment in the area, the supporters shouted and swept the road where Mr Kawuma was driven in a convoy comprising DP top leadership.
“I am happy that Entebbe people have spoken. I last time (Feb. 18) won Ms Mubangizi with a smaller margin and I have tripled it this time,” he said amidst applause soon after being declared.
Earlier results put Mr Kawuma in early lead with 3,427 votes compared to Ms Mubangizi 1,391, while FDC’s Seryazi had 102 votes from seven polling stations out of the 74 registered by the EC.
There was tight security at the EC tally centre where only legislators, Entebbe local leaders and the candidates were allowed inside, leaving other members of the public including the media to listen from loud speakers.
By 9pm, Hajati Bukirwa declared that she had received all polling station results and asked the public to patiently wait for the announcements of the final declarations.
A statement issued by DP leadership showed that Mr Kawuma had scored well and led in the army polling stations where he previously performed poorly.
The by-election that were disrupted by a down pour while in some areas, the exercise started as early as 8.30am amid tight security comprising of anti-riot and mobile police deployed to monitor the exercise.
Six people were arrested, including a UPDF soldier attached to the Air force, a sub county councillor and political assistant to Wakiso District Chairman Matia Lwanga Bwanika.
At Manyango Polling Station, Councillor Dan Kyeyune survived arrest by the police after a tip-off by Kampala youth Chairman Joseph Sewava and Lugonjo Village Chairman Paul Zikuliza that he was allegedly influencing voters at a polling station.
At St Joseph Katabi Polling Station, the Police ordered Democratic Party supporters to vacate the station to avoid disrupting the election exercise.
mssebuyira@ug.nationmedia.com
BASAJJABALABA AND COMPANY WILL CONTINUE RUINING UGANDAN'S BECAUSE OF STATE HOUSE CONNECTIONS OR COVER-UPS?
Mr Basajjabalaba appears before MPs. PHOTO by joseph kiggundu
By YASIIN MUGERWA
Posted Friday, September 30 2011 at 00:00
Businessman Hassan Basajjabalaba yesterday told MPs that President Museveni approved his Shs142 billion claims for loss of business when his contracts to manage city markets were cancelled.
Appearing before the Public Accounts Committee yesterday, Mr Basajjabalaba said he had lost business for 11 years after the government on the instructions of the President cancelled his tenders to run Nakasero, Shauriyako, St. Balikuddembe (Owino) markets and the Constitution Square.
He claimed $65 million (about Shs182 billion) although the Attorney General recommended that he is paid Shs142.6 billion.
Ex-govt valuer pins Solicitor General on Basajja’s claims
“After they cancelled my contracts, I was called by the President and we discussed these issues in detail on December 27, 2006. The President quoted the law and ordered that the matter be resolved within 60 days,” said Mr Basajjabalaba. “KCC (then) advertised and we put in our bid like any other company. Later they gave us an offer and we have evidence,” he added.
The businessman’s revelations are at odds with a letter President Museveni wrote in May this year, describing the Shs142b claim as “ridiculous and unacceptable”. In a letter to former Finance Minister Syda Bbumba, in which he called for an investigation, Mr Museveni said he had received information that some officials in the finance ministry were swindling government money through questionable loan agreements and settling “unacceptable” claims.
Can return the money
Mr Basajjabalaba told MPs that if they thought the Shs142b compensation was exaggerated, he was willing to return the money to the city authority on grounds that they reinstate his market sub-leases and the Constitution Square.
“Some people in government think I was given a lot of money. I would be happy if government returns the markets and the Constitution Square because the properties are worth more in value than the current money,” said the businessman. “The time gap is what is causing these differences and accumulation. In 11 years we lost a lot of businesses. We have to seek compensation and the President asked the Attorney General to handle the matter.”
Asked how he arrived at the figure, Mr Basajjabalaba, who was accompanied by his lawyers, said since December 2006 he has had several meetings with the President regarding his compensation, adding that Mr Museveni did not put the matter in writing until August 30, 2008.
Whereas PAC chairman Kassiano Wadri instructed CID to investigate a consent judgement dated October 6, 2010, which an official of court disowned and said was a forgery and another letter from Mr Christopher Gasharabaki of the Justice Ministry exempting Mr Basajjabalaba from paying taxes, the businessman insisted the ministry disowned a valid document. He also said the matter was before court and arguing it would be illegal.
Mr Basajjabalaba, however, accused former Town Clerk Gordon Mwesigye, who was not available for comment, of making his life difficult because he had an interest in Nakasero Market.
Mr Wadri and committee lead counsel Gerald Karuhanga said they would summon the businessman again but asked that he returns with the contracts, original compensation claims, justification and receipts for the monies so far paid to him.
ymugerwa@ug.nationmedia.com
UGANDANS WHO CAN SHOULD CONCENTRATE ON BUILDING PROFESSIONALISM
Given what is going on in Uganda politics, it is best for those who can build professionalism to build their careers instead of wasting time with the current politics which calls for God to intervene given that many of our leaders cannot get ashamed of what they are going. It is sad.
William Kituuka Kiwanuka
TOP IT SKILLS WANTED FOR 2012
By Toni Bowers
September 28, 2011, 4:57 AM PDT
Takeaway: A new Computerworld survey indicates the nine IT skills that will be in demand in 2012.
Nearly 29 percent of the 353 IT executives who were polled in Computerworld’s annual Forecast survey said they plan to increase IT staffing through next summer. (That’s up from 23% in the 2010 survey and 20% in the 2009 survey.)
Here are the skills that the IT executives say they will be hiring for:
Programming and Application Development–61% plan to hire for this skill in the next 12 months, up from 44% in the 2010 survey. This covers the gamut from website development to upgrading internal systems and meeting the needs of mobile users.
Project Management (but with a twist)– The twist is that they’re not going to just be looking for people who can oversee and monitor projects. They also want people who can identify users’ needs and translate them for the IT staffers-the increasingly popular business analysts.
Help Desk/Technical Support–Mobile operating systems have added a new dimension to help desk and tech support.
Networking-This demand is being fueled partially by virtualization and cloud computing projects. The survey also revealed that execs will be looking for people with VMware and Citrix experience.
Business Intelligence-Computerworld interprets this uptick to a focus shift in many companies, from cost savings to investing in technology. That will be nice if it pans out that way.
Data Center-Virtualization and the Cloud could also be behind the increased need for IT professionals with backgrounds in data center operations and systems integration.
Web 2.0-Tech skills centered around social media will be in demand, with .Net, AJAX and PHP as key back-end skills, with HTML, XML, CSS, Flash and Javascript, among others, on the front end.
Security-Although down from 32 percent in the 2010 survey, security stays a top concern of IT executives.
Telecommunications-The survey indicates a demand for people with IP telephony skills, and for those familiar with Cisco IPCC call center systems.
William Kituuka Kiwanuka
TOP IT SKILLS WANTED FOR 2012
By Toni Bowers
September 28, 2011, 4:57 AM PDT
Takeaway: A new Computerworld survey indicates the nine IT skills that will be in demand in 2012.
Nearly 29 percent of the 353 IT executives who were polled in Computerworld’s annual Forecast survey said they plan to increase IT staffing through next summer. (That’s up from 23% in the 2010 survey and 20% in the 2009 survey.)
Here are the skills that the IT executives say they will be hiring for:
Programming and Application Development–61% plan to hire for this skill in the next 12 months, up from 44% in the 2010 survey. This covers the gamut from website development to upgrading internal systems and meeting the needs of mobile users.
Project Management (but with a twist)– The twist is that they’re not going to just be looking for people who can oversee and monitor projects. They also want people who can identify users’ needs and translate them for the IT staffers-the increasingly popular business analysts.
Help Desk/Technical Support–Mobile operating systems have added a new dimension to help desk and tech support.
Networking-This demand is being fueled partially by virtualization and cloud computing projects. The survey also revealed that execs will be looking for people with VMware and Citrix experience.
Business Intelligence-Computerworld interprets this uptick to a focus shift in many companies, from cost savings to investing in technology. That will be nice if it pans out that way.
Data Center-Virtualization and the Cloud could also be behind the increased need for IT professionals with backgrounds in data center operations and systems integration.
Web 2.0-Tech skills centered around social media will be in demand, with .Net, AJAX and PHP as key back-end skills, with HTML, XML, CSS, Flash and Javascript, among others, on the front end.
Security-Although down from 32 percent in the 2010 survey, security stays a top concern of IT executives.
Telecommunications-The survey indicates a demand for people with IP telephony skills, and for those familiar with Cisco IPCC call center systems.
RIGHT LIVELIHOOD AWARDS 2011 ANNOUNCED
Right Livelihood Awards 2011 announced
2011 Right Livelihood Awards put the spotlight on solutions to global wrongs
The 2011 Right Livelihood Awards were announced today at a press conference in Stockholm by Ole von Uexkull, Executive Director, and Monika Griefahn, Co-Chair and Jury member of the Right Livelihood Award Foundation.
The 2011 Right Livelihood Awards go to four recipients. One award is an honorary award, the three other laureates will share the € 150,000 cash award.
HUANG MING
Huang Ming (China) receives the 2011 Honorary Award “for his outstanding success in the development and mass-deployment of cutting-edge technologies for harnessing solar energy, thereby showing how dynamic emerging economies can contribute to resolving the global crisis of anthropogenic climate change”.
It is the first time that a Right Livelihood Award goes to China.
JACQUELINE MOUDEINA
The Jury awards Jacqueline Moudeina (Chad) “for her tireless efforts at great personal risk to win justice for the victims of the former dictatorship in Chad and to increase awareness and observance of human rights in Africa”.
It is the first time that a Right Livelihood Award goes to Chad.
GRAIN
The Jury awards GRAIN (International) “for their worldwide work to protect the livelihoods and rights of farming communities and to expose the massive purchases of farmland in developing countries by foreign financial interests”.
INA MAY GASKIN
The Jury recognises Ina May Gaskin (USA) “for her whole-life’s work teaching and advocating safe, woman-centred childbirth methods that best promote the physical and mental health of mother and child”.
Further information and material supporting this press release can be accessed via www.rightlivelihood.org
For videos and high-resolution pictures, please also refer to http://download.rightlivelihood.org
2011 Right Livelihood Awards put the spotlight on solutions to global wrongs
The 2011 Right Livelihood Awards were announced today at a press conference in Stockholm by Ole von Uexkull, Executive Director, and Monika Griefahn, Co-Chair and Jury member of the Right Livelihood Award Foundation.
The 2011 Right Livelihood Awards go to four recipients. One award is an honorary award, the three other laureates will share the € 150,000 cash award.
HUANG MING
Huang Ming (China) receives the 2011 Honorary Award “for his outstanding success in the development and mass-deployment of cutting-edge technologies for harnessing solar energy, thereby showing how dynamic emerging economies can contribute to resolving the global crisis of anthropogenic climate change”.
It is the first time that a Right Livelihood Award goes to China.
JACQUELINE MOUDEINA
The Jury awards Jacqueline Moudeina (Chad) “for her tireless efforts at great personal risk to win justice for the victims of the former dictatorship in Chad and to increase awareness and observance of human rights in Africa”.
It is the first time that a Right Livelihood Award goes to Chad.
GRAIN
The Jury awards GRAIN (International) “for their worldwide work to protect the livelihoods and rights of farming communities and to expose the massive purchases of farmland in developing countries by foreign financial interests”.
INA MAY GASKIN
The Jury recognises Ina May Gaskin (USA) “for her whole-life’s work teaching and advocating safe, woman-centred childbirth methods that best promote the physical and mental health of mother and child”.
Further information and material supporting this press release can be accessed via www.rightlivelihood.org
For videos and high-resolution pictures, please also refer to http://download.rightlivelihood.org
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
IS SOMETHING ABSOLUTELY WRONG WITH OIL DEALS TO THE EXTENT THAT PARLIAMENT CANNOT DEBATE THEM?
Oil: President urges Kadaga not to recall MPs
By YASIIN MUGERWA
Posted Wednesday, September 28 2011 at 11:03
In Summary
Senior government officials were last night locked in a meeting over the agreements signed with oil companies after President Museveni, according to highly-placed sources, asked authorities in Parliament to defer a motion to recall the House from recess.
Senior government officials were last night locked in a meeting over the agreements signed with oil companies after President Museveni, according to highly-placed sources, asked authorities in Parliament to defer a motion to recall the House from recess.
A senior official in Parliament yesterday told Daily Monitor that President Museveni had already briefed Speaker Rebecca Kadaga to address MPs’ concerns without necessarily recalling Parliament to discuss the oil deals the government signed with foreign firms.
“The big man has ordered that this debate should not take place,” a source said. “He said Speaker Kadaga should find other legal means to discuss the oil sector without necessarily recalling Parliament because of the confidentiality clauses in the contracts. “But the Speaker is apparently stuck on how to proceed because Article 95(5) mandates her to re-call Parliament within 21 days upon receipt of the members’ signatures.”
MPs have gathered and submitted the required number of signatures to force the recall of the House to try and force some transparency in a sector dogged by widespread allegations of corruption.
Speaker Kadaga wrote to the chief petitioners Abdul Katuntu (FDC, Bugweri) and Theodore Ssekikubo (NRM, Lwemiyaga) on Monday asking them to restate the reasons for the emergency session. “I have received your petition...but I am unable to discern the emergency which would require the recall of Parliament from recess,” Ms Kadaga’s letter reads in part.
The two petitioners, however, described the Speaker’s letter as a delaying tactic and were, by press time last night, preparing a response to her which was expected to point out that the Constitution does not require the matter to be an emergency.
The MPs accused the President of undermining the independence of Parliament by “arm-twisting” the Speaker, but the President’s spokesman, Mr Tamale Mirundi, denied the claim, pointing out that Mr Museveni could simply ask MPs from his ruling NRM party to stay away from the session. Many ruling party MPs are among the 166 who have signed the petition. By press time, Speaker Kadaga was locked in a closed-door meeting with the First Premier Eriya Kategaya, Attorney General Peter Nyombi and Energy Minister Irene Muloni.
ymugerwa@ug.nationmedia.com
By YASIIN MUGERWA
Posted Wednesday, September 28 2011 at 11:03
In Summary
Senior government officials were last night locked in a meeting over the agreements signed with oil companies after President Museveni, according to highly-placed sources, asked authorities in Parliament to defer a motion to recall the House from recess.
Senior government officials were last night locked in a meeting over the agreements signed with oil companies after President Museveni, according to highly-placed sources, asked authorities in Parliament to defer a motion to recall the House from recess.
A senior official in Parliament yesterday told Daily Monitor that President Museveni had already briefed Speaker Rebecca Kadaga to address MPs’ concerns without necessarily recalling Parliament to discuss the oil deals the government signed with foreign firms.
“The big man has ordered that this debate should not take place,” a source said. “He said Speaker Kadaga should find other legal means to discuss the oil sector without necessarily recalling Parliament because of the confidentiality clauses in the contracts. “But the Speaker is apparently stuck on how to proceed because Article 95(5) mandates her to re-call Parliament within 21 days upon receipt of the members’ signatures.”
MPs have gathered and submitted the required number of signatures to force the recall of the House to try and force some transparency in a sector dogged by widespread allegations of corruption.
Speaker Kadaga wrote to the chief petitioners Abdul Katuntu (FDC, Bugweri) and Theodore Ssekikubo (NRM, Lwemiyaga) on Monday asking them to restate the reasons for the emergency session. “I have received your petition...but I am unable to discern the emergency which would require the recall of Parliament from recess,” Ms Kadaga’s letter reads in part.
The two petitioners, however, described the Speaker’s letter as a delaying tactic and were, by press time last night, preparing a response to her which was expected to point out that the Constitution does not require the matter to be an emergency.
The MPs accused the President of undermining the independence of Parliament by “arm-twisting” the Speaker, but the President’s spokesman, Mr Tamale Mirundi, denied the claim, pointing out that Mr Museveni could simply ask MPs from his ruling NRM party to stay away from the session. Many ruling party MPs are among the 166 who have signed the petition. By press time, Speaker Kadaga was locked in a closed-door meeting with the First Premier Eriya Kategaya, Attorney General Peter Nyombi and Energy Minister Irene Muloni.
ymugerwa@ug.nationmedia.com
WORRY AS CHILDREN GO TO CAFE FOR GAMES INSTEAD OF SCHOOL
I have noted that a number of children in trading centres like at Kajjansi continue to go to cafes to play Computer Games while it is school time. Some of these children are really shabby and one wonder show they are able to get money to pay for games when the parents don't have money for fees. It is also true that some of these children collect waste metal (scrap) and sell to scrap buyers and may be to some this is the source of the money. It is important for cafe owners to be more responsible by keeping children off during school time.
KENYA'S NOBEL LAUREATE WANGARI MAATHAI DIES AT 71
Kenya's Nobel laureate Wangari Maathai dies aged 71
Kenya's Nobel laureate Wangari Maathai has died in Nairobi while undergoing cancer treatment. She was 71.
She won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004 for promoting conservation, women's rights and transparent government - the first African woman to get the award.
She was elected as an MP in 2002 and served as a minister in the Kenyan government for a time.
Ms Maathai founded the Green Belt Movement, which has planted 20-30 million trees in Africa.
'Role model and heroine'
"It is with great sadness that the family of Professor Wangari Maathai announces her passing away on 25 September, 2011, at the Nairobi Hospital, after a prolonged and bravely borne struggle with cancer," the Green Belt Movement said in a statement.
"Her loved ones were with her at the time.
"Professor Maathai's departure is untimely and a very great loss to all who knew her - as a mother, relative, co-worker, colleague, role model, and heroine; or who admired her determination to make the world a more peaceful, healthier, and better place."
The organisation did not provide further details.
Ms Maathai, who was a professor of veterinary anatomy, rose to international fame for campaigns against government-backed forest clearances in Kenya in the late 1980s-90s.
Under the former government of President Daniel Arap Moi, she was arrested several times, and vilified.
In 2008, Ms Maathai was tear-gassed during a protest against the Kenyan president's plan to increase the number of ministers in the cabinet.
The BBC's Solomon Mugera met Ms Maathai a number of times.
For those who loved and admired her, she was "Wangari wetu" - our Wangari - he says. But for her enemies, she was derided as "yule mwanamke" - that woman.
In her speech accepting the Nobel prize, Ms Maathai said she hoped her own success would spur other women on to a more active role in the community.
"I hope it will encourage them to raise their voices and take more space for leadership," she said.
The President of Liberia, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, said she was saddened by the news.
"Africa, particularly African women, have lost a champion, a leader, an activist. We're going to miss her. We're going to miss the work she's been doing all these years on the environment, working for women's rights and women's participation," she said.
HUMAN RIGHTS LOGO UNVEILED IN NEW YORK
Human Rights Logo Unveiled in New York
The first ever logo for human rights was unveiled Friday night, at an event in New York hosted by the global charity organization, Cinema for Peace. The logo aims to become a universally recognized symbol for the promotion and implementation of human rights around the world. It comes at an important time, as millions of citizens in the Middle East and around the world are struggling against oppressive regimes and myriad human rights violations.
In a presentation introducing the logo for the first time, news anchor Ann Curry explained the concept of the logo, stating, "If symbols are a way to communicate what we value most, it is time for a symbol for human rights." The new design, which brings to mind both a human hand and a bird in flight, was created by Serbian designer Predrag Stakic. Stakic's logo was the winner of an online contest, and was chosen from overwhelming pool of 15,000 entries which were submitted by designers in 190 countries.
The field of entries was narrowed down to 10 finalists by a panel of judges that included some of the world's most important leaders and human rights defenders. Nobel Peace Prize Laureates Aung San Suu Kyi, Jimmy Carter, Muhammed Yunus, Mikhail Gorbachev and Shirin Ebadi, as well as Chinese artist Ai Weiwei, Cambodian human rights activist Somaly Mam, Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales, Columbian musician Juanes and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navanathem Pillay all voted for the new human rights logo, which they hope will some day be a globally understood symbol of hope. When asked about the project, and its impressive jury, Human Rights Logo supporter and CEO of United Internet Media, Matthias Ehrlich said, "The jury reflects the diversity of the world, with people representing nearly every continent. Most importantly, they are people who are engaged in the human rights movement, meaning that the movement itself is choosing its symbol."
In a video message to those gathered at the presentation, Burmese opposition politician and human rights icon, Aung San Suu Kyi said, "I look forward to the time when this logo will be seen all over the world, from the smallest towns to the biggest cities. I hope that little children and babies will see it and it will be a sign of happiness, peace and security to them."
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After the unveiling of the logo, Cinema for Peace and United Internet Media (parent company of Mail.com) hosted a dinner reception at Gustavino's restaurant. Guests included Robert De Niro and his daughter Dreena De Niro who served as a co-host, alongside world leaders and activists such as German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle, One Campaign president Michael Elliott, Ugandan children's activist Angelina Atyam, human rights leader Caroline Gomes, and opera singer Jessye Norman, who wowed the crowd at the presentation with a rendition of "Amazing Grace".
Also in attendance were Leila and Manoubia Bouazizi, sister and mother of Mohamed Bouazizi, the man who inspired the Arab Spring by committing suicide by self-immolation in January of 2011. The assembled audience was moved as the pair spoke of his life and the repercussions of his death. Through a translator, his sister Leila Bouazizi expressed solidarity with the revolutions taking place across the Arab world, and called upon human rights leaders to stand with those who had sacrificed themselves for freedom, justice and dignity - the ideals of the Arab Spring.
As citizens around the world protest and make sacrifices for the ideals Leila Bouazizi spoke of, they will have one new tool in their arsenal, a symbol that demands human rights for everyone, in every language.
by Deirdre Corley, New York
Monday, September 26, 2011
ISN’T SHS 3,500,000 TO BE PAID TO KCCA COUNCILORS A BRIBE?
Is being a Councilor in Kampala City Council Authority (KCCA) turned to a full time job? Otherwise, in Uganda’s circumstances, how does one explain the news of paying shs 3,500,000 to councilors? Given the excitement the councilors have got on knowing that they are to get this lump some, it is likely that the powers that be will get through the council all that they want. This is at a moment in time when differences in the way KCCA work is being executed by the Executive Director has led the Lord Mayor, Erias Lukwago to take matters to the High Court. It will be unfortunate if the Central Government uses the good pay to the councilors to see that whatever they want just sails through the KCCA Council. Government should pay good money to professionals like Doctors, teacher, etc and not politicians.
William Kituuka
POWER STRUGGLE: ERIAS LUKWAGO SUES MUSISI
Kampala Mayor Erias Lukwago.
Power struggle: Lukwago sues Musisi
Friday, 23rd September, 2011
By Prossy Nanziri
Kampala Lord Mayor, Erias Lukwago has dragged Kampala City Council Authority (KCCA) executive director, Jennifer Musisi to court accusing her of usurping his powers.
Lukwago on Friday petitioned the High court in Kampala seeking a declaration restraining Musisi from interfering with the activities that should have been executed by him.
According to the petition, Lukwago accuses Musisi of making it extremely difficult for him to execute his duties as well as developing strategies and programmes for the city.
He cites Musisi’s proposal of KCCA top managers’ salaries which was forwarded to the ministry of finance without consulting him. Lukwago insist that he is the head of KCCA.
Lukwago now wants an order retraining Musisi from acting beyond her powers. He also demands that Musisi produces a report concerning the fraudulent sale of KCCA’s dispensary at plot 71 Nkrumah Road, since she is the one who frustrated efforts to carry out investigation into the same.
Lukwago last week threatened to resign his position, saying the Government has frustrated his efforts to streamline business in the city.
He said he was considering petitioning the constitutional court to seek clarification on his role as Lord Mayor, as provided for in the Kampala Capital City Authority Act, 2010.
“I am compelled to go to court to find out if I have no powers in the law. If court rules that I have no powers, I will pack and go home to the people who elected me,” he said.
Lukwago accused the government of deliberately refusing to recognise his powers in the management of the city.
He cited a letter from the Resident City Commissioner, Alice Muwanguzi dated September 13, advising Council not to discuss the recent eviction of vendors from city streets without consulting the Kampala minister.
Lukwago accused the minister in charge of Kampala, Kabakumba Masiko, for ignoring his numerous requests to meet political leaders in the Authority to resolve their grievances.
“The minister is here to serve everyone. Why should we turn into beggars? I am not going to kneel for anyone because we all have statutory obligations according to the law,” he said.
William Kituuka
POWER STRUGGLE: ERIAS LUKWAGO SUES MUSISI
Kampala Mayor Erias Lukwago.
Power struggle: Lukwago sues Musisi
Friday, 23rd September, 2011
By Prossy Nanziri
Kampala Lord Mayor, Erias Lukwago has dragged Kampala City Council Authority (KCCA) executive director, Jennifer Musisi to court accusing her of usurping his powers.
Lukwago on Friday petitioned the High court in Kampala seeking a declaration restraining Musisi from interfering with the activities that should have been executed by him.
According to the petition, Lukwago accuses Musisi of making it extremely difficult for him to execute his duties as well as developing strategies and programmes for the city.
He cites Musisi’s proposal of KCCA top managers’ salaries which was forwarded to the ministry of finance without consulting him. Lukwago insist that he is the head of KCCA.
Lukwago now wants an order retraining Musisi from acting beyond her powers. He also demands that Musisi produces a report concerning the fraudulent sale of KCCA’s dispensary at plot 71 Nkrumah Road, since she is the one who frustrated efforts to carry out investigation into the same.
Lukwago last week threatened to resign his position, saying the Government has frustrated his efforts to streamline business in the city.
He said he was considering petitioning the constitutional court to seek clarification on his role as Lord Mayor, as provided for in the Kampala Capital City Authority Act, 2010.
“I am compelled to go to court to find out if I have no powers in the law. If court rules that I have no powers, I will pack and go home to the people who elected me,” he said.
Lukwago accused the government of deliberately refusing to recognise his powers in the management of the city.
He cited a letter from the Resident City Commissioner, Alice Muwanguzi dated September 13, advising Council not to discuss the recent eviction of vendors from city streets without consulting the Kampala minister.
Lukwago accused the minister in charge of Kampala, Kabakumba Masiko, for ignoring his numerous requests to meet political leaders in the Authority to resolve their grievances.
“The minister is here to serve everyone. Why should we turn into beggars? I am not going to kneel for anyone because we all have statutory obligations according to the law,” he said.
Friday, September 23, 2011
POOREST COUNTRIES INVESTING MORE AS UN STATES MEET PLEDGE FOR MATERNAL, CHILD HEALTH
Poorest countries investing more as UN states meet pledge for maternal, child health
By Associated Press, Published: September 21
UNITED NATIONS — Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Nepal and some of the world’s other poorest countries delivered not only money but new services in the year since U.N. member states pledged more than $40 billion to save the lives of mothers and children, a new study of the spending said Tuesday.
The spending report was released at a high-level event chaired by U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who has made raising money for the health of mothers and their children a special project.
Ban told a gathering at U.N. headquarters that when he was born in 1944 in South Korea, child mortality was so prevalent that families often waited months to register births to make certain babies would survive. The secretary-general noted that his official birth date of June 13 is several months after his actual birth.
“In our time, it is wrong to allow women and children to die when we have the tools to save them,” Ban said of the maternal and child health initiative. “I am happy to say that one year later we are delivering.”
Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg told the gathering that in the past year “600,000 more children survived to grow up and go to school,” and an additional 70,000 mothers survived childbirth. “But too many mothers and children are still dying from preventable causes,” he said.
Dr. Julio Frenk, chairman of the World Health Organization’s Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health, said in an earlier interview that he was especially pleased that some poorer nations are assuming more financial responsibility for their development needs.
Frenk, who is also dean of the Harvard School of Public Health and a former health secretary of Mexico, said those countries are “moving away from the paternalistic to a framework for shared accountability.”
Frenk said that close to $45 billion has been committed to the U.N. initiative known as Every Woman Every Child, passing the initial pledges of $40 billion made a year ago. That includes about $11 billion from the world’s poorer countries, and $13.7 billion from high income governments including the United States, Britain, Canada and Norway.
“I am delighted by the progress since last year,” said pediatrician Dr. Flavia Bustreo, WHO assistant director-general for family, women’s and children’s health. She added that commitments have included not only money, but changes in policy and delivery of services.
Bustreo said more is still needed to treat severe infections in newborns and increase postnatal visits by mothers and babies. Up to 1 million more “front-line” health workers, especially midwives, are needed to care for mothers and their babies around the world, she added.
The report shows that Bangladesh and many of the other poorer countries that made pledges last year set aside more funds for better health care of mothers and small children within their borders as they take more responsibility for their own development.
As for policy changes, Bangladesh said it would train 3,000 midwives and double the percentage of births in the country attended by a skilled health worker. Nepal began training 10,000 more skilled birth attendants.
Frenk said the collective effort is critical to meeting the U.N.’s global goal of saving the lives of 16 million mothers and children by 2015.
Worldwide every year, an estimated 8 million children die before reaching their 5th birthday, and about 350,000 women die during pregnancy or childbirth.
In 2000, the U.N. set “Millennium Development Goals” that included reducing child mortality by two-thirds and maternal mortality by three quarters by 2015. The goals also included cutting extreme poverty by half, ensuring universal primary education, halting and reversing the HIV/AIDS pandemic.
On the eve of the Tuesday launch, the Secretary-General praised private companies for raising more than $1.1 billion for the initiative.
The companies include Johnson & Johnson, which is embarking on a four-year partnership with the World Health Organization, other U.N. agencies and the World Bank to strengthen training for health workers in Tanzania and Ethiopia.
“Every Woman Every Child has shown what can be achieved through close cooperation between the U.N., governments, and the private sector,” Ban said.
Another example of such cooperation is the GAVI Matching Fund for Immunization, a new private-public initiative in which Britain’s Department for International Development and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation match private sector contributions to deliver critical vaccines to the world’s poorest nations.
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
By Associated Press, Published: September 21
UNITED NATIONS — Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Nepal and some of the world’s other poorest countries delivered not only money but new services in the year since U.N. member states pledged more than $40 billion to save the lives of mothers and children, a new study of the spending said Tuesday.
The spending report was released at a high-level event chaired by U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who has made raising money for the health of mothers and their children a special project.
Ban told a gathering at U.N. headquarters that when he was born in 1944 in South Korea, child mortality was so prevalent that families often waited months to register births to make certain babies would survive. The secretary-general noted that his official birth date of June 13 is several months after his actual birth.
“In our time, it is wrong to allow women and children to die when we have the tools to save them,” Ban said of the maternal and child health initiative. “I am happy to say that one year later we are delivering.”
Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg told the gathering that in the past year “600,000 more children survived to grow up and go to school,” and an additional 70,000 mothers survived childbirth. “But too many mothers and children are still dying from preventable causes,” he said.
Dr. Julio Frenk, chairman of the World Health Organization’s Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health, said in an earlier interview that he was especially pleased that some poorer nations are assuming more financial responsibility for their development needs.
Frenk, who is also dean of the Harvard School of Public Health and a former health secretary of Mexico, said those countries are “moving away from the paternalistic to a framework for shared accountability.”
Frenk said that close to $45 billion has been committed to the U.N. initiative known as Every Woman Every Child, passing the initial pledges of $40 billion made a year ago. That includes about $11 billion from the world’s poorer countries, and $13.7 billion from high income governments including the United States, Britain, Canada and Norway.
“I am delighted by the progress since last year,” said pediatrician Dr. Flavia Bustreo, WHO assistant director-general for family, women’s and children’s health. She added that commitments have included not only money, but changes in policy and delivery of services.
Bustreo said more is still needed to treat severe infections in newborns and increase postnatal visits by mothers and babies. Up to 1 million more “front-line” health workers, especially midwives, are needed to care for mothers and their babies around the world, she added.
The report shows that Bangladesh and many of the other poorer countries that made pledges last year set aside more funds for better health care of mothers and small children within their borders as they take more responsibility for their own development.
As for policy changes, Bangladesh said it would train 3,000 midwives and double the percentage of births in the country attended by a skilled health worker. Nepal began training 10,000 more skilled birth attendants.
Frenk said the collective effort is critical to meeting the U.N.’s global goal of saving the lives of 16 million mothers and children by 2015.
Worldwide every year, an estimated 8 million children die before reaching their 5th birthday, and about 350,000 women die during pregnancy or childbirth.
In 2000, the U.N. set “Millennium Development Goals” that included reducing child mortality by two-thirds and maternal mortality by three quarters by 2015. The goals also included cutting extreme poverty by half, ensuring universal primary education, halting and reversing the HIV/AIDS pandemic.
On the eve of the Tuesday launch, the Secretary-General praised private companies for raising more than $1.1 billion for the initiative.
The companies include Johnson & Johnson, which is embarking on a four-year partnership with the World Health Organization, other U.N. agencies and the World Bank to strengthen training for health workers in Tanzania and Ethiopia.
“Every Woman Every Child has shown what can be achieved through close cooperation between the U.N., governments, and the private sector,” Ban said.
Another example of such cooperation is the GAVI Matching Fund for Immunization, a new private-public initiative in which Britain’s Department for International Development and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation match private sector contributions to deliver critical vaccines to the world’s poorest nations.
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Sunday, September 18, 2011
IS MUSEVENI PUSHING FOR ACQUISITION OF MABIRA BECAUSE LEASES HAVE EXPIRED AND VERY EXPENSIVE FOR SCOUL TO RE - KNEW?
Museveni wants to give away part of Mabira Forest
It may not be clear to the common Uganda citizen why the President is pushing at all costs to acquire Mabira’s 7,100ha for Mehta’s Sugar Corporation of Uganda Ltd (SCOUL) to undertake the alleged expansion of his Sugarcane Plantation. Why do I say ‘alleged?’, the reason is found in a publication by Uganda Land Alliance – April 2007, entitled: “The Potential Impacts of Allocating Government Land and Land Held in Trust to Investors on Local Economic Development: A Case of Mabira Central Forest Reserve.”
Under SCOUL at a glance (2003) it is indicated that the area under cane is 9,000ha, however, regarding the Expansion of SCOUL’s production, it is written that the company has devised two strategies: Increasing on the out-growers’ scale and a lease of 7,100ha of Mabira Central Forest (MCF). According to the report from the Inter-ministerial Committee that carried out an assessment of Mabira forest, it was reported that the request for land in Mabira from SCOUL was forwarded to the Ministry of Lands through State House. They made a visit from 24 – 26 October 2006, and had consultations with Mehta Group which yielded justifications for SCOUL’s request for land, among which are:
1) The claim by Mehta that part of the forest is heavily encroached upon and that much of the tree cover of the area they want to takeover is composed of inferior trees;
2) Acquisition of land locally had failed. In some instances land owners were not willing to sell, however, stakeholders in Mukono and Kayunga mentioned to the Inter-ministerial Technical Committee that they had land and were willing to sell or rent it provided they were given fair prices at the going market prices;
3) And that failure to acquire the land for expansion has the following implications:
a. Running out of business due to unfavourable competition in the sugar market,
b. The country will continue to lose foreign exchange to the tune of $25 million due to the importation of sugar,
c. The plan to expand electricity co-generation (to 12 MW) and alcohol production (to blend with petrol) will be jeopardized.
However, it is true that SCOUL has a total of 17 scattered sugarcane plantations mainly on leaseholds which have already expired! The leaseholds were obtained at an average price of UGX 10,000 per acre for a period of 49 years. Today, the land owners are demanding for about UGX 1,000,000 – 2,000,000 per acre for the renewal of the lease. Given SCOUL’s failure to pay the market price for land, some of the landowners have recalled their property; an evident example being the location of former Lugazi University.
The question raised is whether it is true that the land needed is for expansion of the Sugarcane estate given that leases on which the estate is have expired. Second, is it just for Mehta to have made the proposal to Government that he acquires Mabira Central Forest?
All in all, the Government of Uganda should get to terms with the owners of the land whose leases have expired and propose the buying of this land from them such that the beneficiaries are paid over a period of time, or have the land returned to them on condition that they grow sugar cane to boost the Sugar industry in Uganda.
We have to agree that Mabira cannot be tampered with just like that given the volumes of what has been written about the possible implications, hence the Government should settle for the possible alternative options which leave Mabira intact.
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LEGISLATORS REJECT MUSEVENI'S MOVE TO GIVE AWAY MABIRA
Already battling fresh protests from the opposition over the high cost of living, President Museveni faces a revolt from his party over the planned giveaway of Mabira Forest Reserve to sugar miller Mehta’s Sugar Corporation of Uganda Limited, SCOUL.
Trying to exploit the current sugar shortages to push for the giveaway of the forest that he first unsuccessfully tried to expropriate in 2007, Museveni summoned ruling party legislators to meet over the issue at State House Entebbe last week.
However, in the second instance of rebellion by his party in four months, legislators roundly rejected the proposal. While there was no objection to an increase in sugar production, the NRM legislators were opposed to the idea of giving away a natural forest citing environmental concerns.
Mabira forest is a catchment area for Lake Victoria whose destruction will negatively impact on the lake. The forest is also gifted with a host of biodiversity that is important for ecotourism.
It is one of the thickest tropical forests in East Africa and plays an important roles in carbon intake thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
“I am the chairman of the Parliamentary Forum for Climate Change and I know the value of that forest in as far as climate change is concerned. I will not support its giveaway because there is alternative land being offered on leasehold by the Church of Uganda and the Buganda Land Board,” said Ezra Kwizera, deputy chairperson of the Natural Resources Committee.
At the peak of the sugar scarcity, a kilogramme of sugar sold at $3.5, up from $1.5 within a month. Museveni still blames sugar scarcity on shadow Cabinet minister for energy Beatrice Anywar after she successfully led a mass demonstration against the Mabira giveaway in 2007.
“If the government had given alternative land in 2007, the sugarcane would be under harvest now. The president should stop the blame game and diverting people’s attention from the current economic crisis, rising unemployment and poverty,” said Ms Anywar.
The popular view is that the government should help local farmers to grow sugarcane and sell to sugar processing companies.
A section of the population is now questioning whether the sugar scarcity is not an artificial creation to justify the giveaway of Mabira to the Mehtas, who seems to have paid for the land already.
Apparently, Mabira is not the only land planned for sugarcane activities. In his speech to district leaders and agricultural officers, Museveni also gave a three-month ultimatum to the government to give prison land in Masindi, western Uganda to another sugar company, Kinyara Sugar Works.
A third proposed piece of land in Amuru has been suggested for construction of a sugar factory. With local people nurturing the belief that beneath it, there is a likelihood of oil, Museveni would be treading on thin ice again.
“We have hope that Amuru land is one of those areas earmarked for oil prospects. Now he wants Madhvani to pay money before we know how much oil we have,” said Ms Anywar.
By HALIMA ABDALLAH, The East African
STRONG GROWTH AND GREATER AUTONOMY ARE MAKING POOR COUNTRIES LESS AID RELIANT
Strong growth and greater autonomy are making poor countries less aid reliant, claims a report that offers the development community a fresh take on a traditionally discomfiting issue.
MDG : Aid effectiveness : Union Trade Centre shopping mall in Kigali, Rwanda
Rwanda is one of several countries that have identified reducing aid dependence as a key medium-term development goal. Photograph: Tadej Znidarcic for The Observer
ActionAid has published a report celebrating the fact that poor countries are relying less and less on aid. The number of low income countries (LICs) receiving aid equivalent to 30% of government expenditure or more has reduced from 42 to 30 in the past decade.
In Zambia, for instance, aid has fallen from 84% of government expenditure to just 44%. That doesn't mean Zambia is receiving less aid in absolute terms – it means more money is coming in from elsewhere, making aid a less important part of the mix. In fact, ActionAid notes the apparent paradox that while aid giving has increased globally, aid dependence has reduced because of strong economic growth.
Growth is the major factor at work, but it is linked to another positive development strongly emphasised in the ActionAid report: a new-found determination among poor countries to end 30 or more years of heavy aid dependence that has seldom delivered the kind of development for which they had hoped.
Some of the poorest countries in the world - Afghanistan, Cambodia, Ghana, Liberia, Nepal, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Uganda and Vietnam - have set reducing aid dependence as a key medium-term goal in their national development or aid-management policies.
Ghana's new aid policy says: "The government of Ghana has taken cognizance of the need to reduce dependence on aid in the medium to long-term, and therefore intends to redouble its efforts at mobilising non-aid resources to fund its development objectives."
Recognising the difficulty of reducing aid dependence, and the need to engage complementary policies, the government of Uganda (which is still as aid dependent today as it was 10 years ago) has designed a set of goals for its donors to achieve on issues including agriculture, trade, tax evasion and incentives, climate change, technology transfer, migration and regional integration.
In pointing out that high levels of aid for long periods of time can be anti-developmental, hindering rather than helping countries reduce poverty, ActionAid's third Real Aid report is simply conveying to a western audience what political and civil society leaders have long been saying in poor countries.
When its first Real Aid report came out in 2005, ActionAid was in the vanguard of attempts to try to keep the aid world honest, claiming that as much 60% of what the rich world claimed was aid was really "phantom". For countries like France and the US, only 10% of aid counted as "real" ie genuinely targeted at poverty reduction rather than tied to donor country purchases (of people or things), double counted or otherwise misspent.
When it published Real Aid 2 a year later, ActionAid tackled the issue of technical co-operation, which it described as "often overpriced and ineffective, and in the worst cases destroys rather than builds the capacity of the poorest countries".
In criticising aid, it risked the wrath of large donors reluctant to defend their more artful practices in public. It also faced criticism from other NGOs who were worried about washing dirty linen in public, where support for aid is fragile.
The importance of this latest report is the way it develops a new narrative on the role of aid that will be easy for many parts of the development community to take on board. Critics of aid dependence have tended to lambast aid as harmful. But this report adopts a different tone. Rather than dwell on aid's shortcomings, it argues that aid spent well can itself contribute to reduced aid dependence, particularly when it supports efforts to mobilise domestic resources.
This is not paradoxical. Actually, it is pretty obvious. But those who have previously been nervous about talking about "reducing aid dependence" will find in this report an analysis they can comfortably adopt.
Since the first two Real Aid reports we have had five years of the Paris Aid Effectiveness process, which has sought to respond to many of Actionaid's criticisms. As the meeting on aid effectiveness in Busan approaches, the idea that aid should always come with an exit strategy is likely to be a central theme.
As bilateral aid gradually reduces in importance as a development issue, it feels a bit like stepping into the unknown. We all know that trade, climate change, tax evasion and a host of other issues are more important, but somehow aid is manageable, deliverable, known. We don't really know what will happen on the bigger issues, with so many powerful interests at play. All the more reason for the NGOs to accelerate their shift away from being aid agencies and towards being true development agencies.
But a reduction in bilateral aid does not mean an end to aid. Richer countries still need to spend a couple of hundred billion dollars a year on global public goods, developing a truly global public sphere to manage and contain liberalised private interests and capital. That is the one of the most important projects of the 21st century – but thinking on it has hardly begun. Perhaps it would make a good thematic focus for Real Aid 4.
MDG : Aid effectiveness : Union Trade Centre shopping mall in Kigali, Rwanda
Rwanda is one of several countries that have identified reducing aid dependence as a key medium-term development goal. Photograph: Tadej Znidarcic for The Observer
ActionAid has published a report celebrating the fact that poor countries are relying less and less on aid. The number of low income countries (LICs) receiving aid equivalent to 30% of government expenditure or more has reduced from 42 to 30 in the past decade.
In Zambia, for instance, aid has fallen from 84% of government expenditure to just 44%. That doesn't mean Zambia is receiving less aid in absolute terms – it means more money is coming in from elsewhere, making aid a less important part of the mix. In fact, ActionAid notes the apparent paradox that while aid giving has increased globally, aid dependence has reduced because of strong economic growth.
Growth is the major factor at work, but it is linked to another positive development strongly emphasised in the ActionAid report: a new-found determination among poor countries to end 30 or more years of heavy aid dependence that has seldom delivered the kind of development for which they had hoped.
Some of the poorest countries in the world - Afghanistan, Cambodia, Ghana, Liberia, Nepal, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Uganda and Vietnam - have set reducing aid dependence as a key medium-term goal in their national development or aid-management policies.
Ghana's new aid policy says: "The government of Ghana has taken cognizance of the need to reduce dependence on aid in the medium to long-term, and therefore intends to redouble its efforts at mobilising non-aid resources to fund its development objectives."
Recognising the difficulty of reducing aid dependence, and the need to engage complementary policies, the government of Uganda (which is still as aid dependent today as it was 10 years ago) has designed a set of goals for its donors to achieve on issues including agriculture, trade, tax evasion and incentives, climate change, technology transfer, migration and regional integration.
In pointing out that high levels of aid for long periods of time can be anti-developmental, hindering rather than helping countries reduce poverty, ActionAid's third Real Aid report is simply conveying to a western audience what political and civil society leaders have long been saying in poor countries.
When its first Real Aid report came out in 2005, ActionAid was in the vanguard of attempts to try to keep the aid world honest, claiming that as much 60% of what the rich world claimed was aid was really "phantom". For countries like France and the US, only 10% of aid counted as "real" ie genuinely targeted at poverty reduction rather than tied to donor country purchases (of people or things), double counted or otherwise misspent.
When it published Real Aid 2 a year later, ActionAid tackled the issue of technical co-operation, which it described as "often overpriced and ineffective, and in the worst cases destroys rather than builds the capacity of the poorest countries".
In criticising aid, it risked the wrath of large donors reluctant to defend their more artful practices in public. It also faced criticism from other NGOs who were worried about washing dirty linen in public, where support for aid is fragile.
The importance of this latest report is the way it develops a new narrative on the role of aid that will be easy for many parts of the development community to take on board. Critics of aid dependence have tended to lambast aid as harmful. But this report adopts a different tone. Rather than dwell on aid's shortcomings, it argues that aid spent well can itself contribute to reduced aid dependence, particularly when it supports efforts to mobilise domestic resources.
This is not paradoxical. Actually, it is pretty obvious. But those who have previously been nervous about talking about "reducing aid dependence" will find in this report an analysis they can comfortably adopt.
Since the first two Real Aid reports we have had five years of the Paris Aid Effectiveness process, which has sought to respond to many of Actionaid's criticisms. As the meeting on aid effectiveness in Busan approaches, the idea that aid should always come with an exit strategy is likely to be a central theme.
As bilateral aid gradually reduces in importance as a development issue, it feels a bit like stepping into the unknown. We all know that trade, climate change, tax evasion and a host of other issues are more important, but somehow aid is manageable, deliverable, known. We don't really know what will happen on the bigger issues, with so many powerful interests at play. All the more reason for the NGOs to accelerate their shift away from being aid agencies and towards being true development agencies.
But a reduction in bilateral aid does not mean an end to aid. Richer countries still need to spend a couple of hundred billion dollars a year on global public goods, developing a truly global public sphere to manage and contain liberalised private interests and capital. That is the one of the most important projects of the 21st century – but thinking on it has hardly begun. Perhaps it would make a good thematic focus for Real Aid 4.
UGANDA GOVERNMENT’S OVER 540BN LUWERO/RWENZORI DEVELOPMENT PLAN (LRDP)
A COMMENT ABOUT THE CHANCES OF THE LRDP
What is immediately noted when one reads the LRDP article is that it is over ambitious, yet having too many areas to cover and with the hope of directly reaching too many beneficiaries not forgetting that the district coverage is so big such that administrative expenses will greatly eat up the would be resources to benefit the disadvantaged. Rather Government should have targeted poles of growth in the two regions on the base of Agricultural Zones and support Agro-based industrialization such that the produce in a specific zone can be marketed to an outlet where the farmer would get a good return to his effort. 2ndly, the practice of agriculture together with animal husbandry by households with land resource has forwards and backwards linkages when it comes to animal waste feeding the garden and the garden products like planted grass feeding the animals together with backup of extension services as well as help in accessing necessary inputs into the production process such that the farmer pays when he makes sells are such efforts that can help the poor to get out of poverty.
It is not clear how the LRDP will work with the Local Governments in the areas of operation; whether some of the work plans will be within the district overall work plans and whether there will not be duplication more so where the LRDP is involved with Sectoral Interventions.
The LRDP is a 5 year Comprehensive Development Plan designed to improve the livelihoods of the communities of the Luwero Triangle and Rwenzori region having been affected by the National Resistance Movement (NRM) Liberation struggle (Luwero) of 1981 – 1986 as well as the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) insurgency (Rwenzori) of 1996 – 2003. What defeats many of the interventions the NRM Government has tried in the past including the NAADS programme is that there is an attempt to want to directly interact with the poor by giving them resources when available, unfortunately, the chain is not complete and a gap is left at the end of it all, the would be beneficiary actually does not benefit. I advocate for a comprehensive package where for example the starting point happens to be a demonstration garden to a village level, when the farmers learn technologies on this garden, they are then able to implement the same on own gardens however with facilitation of the necessary production inputs (seeds, pesticides, etc) as well as continued support on the farm and finally assisted in marketing where the produce is bought by the processor within the locality who would have to pay cash on delivery or at fixed time intervals and recovery made for inputs advanced. Such well connected programmes can work to improve the welfare of the targeted communities.
The programme is open to all community members actively engaged in economic activities. Special interest groups that include the youth, widows, civilian veterans and ex-combatants, orphans and people with disabilities are to be given priority consideration. Having the programme to include all the above mentioned categories is more political than practical in the setting of the LRDP. What is important is targeting those who can be productive on land as a group or those who have agricultural productive land; the balance can be helped when small industries are established in the area, and so on.
The LRDP targets 40 districts from Central and Western Uganda – what is interesting is that Kampala is focused on among the districts targeted. This is wrong. Kampala is not needy and if locally generated resources are well utilized plus the existing investment climate, there is no reason why Kampala eats into the funding for the LRDP which are disadvantaged. It should be excluded and funds sent to the needy districts.
The overall Goal of the LRDP is to redress the adverse socio-economic effects of the NRM liberation war (1981 – 1986) and the ADF insurgency of 1996 – 2003. The overall Goal should be broadened to include getting the areas set to meet the challenges of modernization and competition which is the driving force in the fight against poverty.
The LRDP Programme Objectives among others include improving the economic well being of 105 households per parish in 523 parishes by enabling them to earn at least shs 20 million a year by 2015. This objective makes the picture in which the people are simplistic which is not the case. Some of the poor in these areas are simply not using their time well. A case in point is a youth who decides to leave home and come to make chapati in an urban centre with a lot of unproductive land left behind, a drunkard who takes alcohol at the wrong time when he would be doing productive work; the sickly who need proper medication to be able to engage in productive work and those who need adult functional literacy training before they can engage in productive business ventures. This means that the earning should not be the 1st target, but re-orienting them so that they can eventually fit the situation where they will be able to sustainably earn income which could get anywhere to shs 20 million or more.
William Kituuka Kiwanuka
The LRDP is to benefit 40 districts (by 2010) and it’s a Community Empowerment Plan to Achieve Prosperity for All.
Source: The Premier Executive – A Quarterly News Letter of the Office of the Prime Minister, Vol. 4 of 2010.
Article by Frida Sengooba
The Five Year shs 540.9 billion Luwero/Rwenzori Development Plan (LRDP) coordinated by the Department of Luwero Affairs in the Office of Prime Minister, is a Community Empowerment Plan to Achieve Prosperity for All. It was launched on two separate occasions; one in Luwero and the other in kabarole district.
In Kabarole district, the third Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Internal Affairs, Alhaji Ali Kirunda Kivejinja launched the Plan on 22nd May 2010 at Rubona Primary School in Kisomoro sub-county. The launch in Luwero district was made on 28th May 2010 by the Minister of Local Government, Hon. Adolf Mwesigye; this was at a function held at Kalasa Primary School within Makulubita sub-county.
What is Luwero/Rwenzori Development Plan (LRDP)?
The LRDP is a 5 year Comprehensive Development Plan designed to improve the livelihoods of the communities of the Luwero Triangle and Rwenzori region having been affected by the National Resistance Movement (NRM) Liberation struggle (Luwero) of 1981 – 1986 as well as the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) insurgency (Rwenzori) of 1996 – 2003.
Target Districts
The LRDP targets 40 districts from Central and Western Uganda; they are: Buliisa, Bundibugyo, Ntoroko, Hoima, Ibanda, Isingiro, Kabarole, Kalangala, Kampala, Kamwenge, Kasese, Kayunga, Kibaale, Kiboga, Kyankwanzi, Kirihura, Kyenjojo, Kyegegwa, Luwero, Lyantonde, Masaka, Bukomansimbi, Kalungu, Lwengo, Masindi, Kiryandongo, others include: Mbarara, Mityana, Mpigi, Gombe, Mubende, Mukono, Buikwe, Buvuma, Nakaseke, Nakasongola, Wakiso, Rakai, Sembabule and Gomba.
The above districts were targeted because there was no comprehensive post war recovery programme drawn to address the war effects.
The Goal of LRDP
The overall Goal of the LRDP is to redress the adverse socio-economic effects of the NRM liberation war (1981 – 1986) and the ADF insurgency of 1996 – 2003.
The LRDP Programme Objectives
1. To improve the economic well being of 105 households per parish in 523 parishes by enabling them to earn at least shs 20 million a year by 2015,
2. To repair and improve the condition of 2,300 km district roads; 29,000 km community access roads and 30 km urban roads to motorable state by 2015,
3. To increase the safe water coverage of 11 districts which are below the national level coverage to 65% by 2015,
4. To protect and sustainably manage the environment,
5. To increase access to renewable energy to service delivery points and rural growth centres by 2015,
6. To ensure that there is a Government aided primary school and secondary school in all parishes,
7. To improve the health service delivery,
8. To increase access and use of Information and Communication Technology in the regions,
9. To promote peace, reconciliation and strengthen community based conflict mitigation and management within communities.
The LRDP Programme Time Frame
It is a 5 year Development Recovery intervention whose full scale implementation is effective July 2010 in all the 40 districts. A Pilot Programme was implemented in 15 districts; 60 sub – counties and 240 parishes in 2009/10 Financial Year.
Targeted beneficiaries
The programme is open to all community members actively engaged in economic activities. Special interest groups that include the youth, widows, civilian veterans and ex-combatants, orphans and people with disabilities are to be given priority consideration. Those benefiting from other Government programmes like NAADS, restocking and the like will not benefit directly.
Funding
The overall budget of the Programme is shs 540.9 billion to be contributed to by Uganda Government and Development Partners.
The LRDP has two broad intervention components namely; the Community and Sectoral.
The Community Intervention
This forms the foundation of the LRDP and shall be community led. It will be funded through community grants and directly implemented activities all aimed at enhancing household income and access to services. The interventions emphasize household income enhancement. This aims at enabling households to increase their incomes to a gross of at least shs 20 million a year.
Focus will be on promoting increased agricultural produce and productivity, value addition, processing and marketing, support to small and medium scale enterprises, social mobilization and empowerment of vulnerable groups.
Sectoral Interventions Component
This will address roads, water, environment, energy, education, health and ICT.
1) Roads: District roads, community access roads and urban road surfacing.
2) Water: Support construction of safe water points (boreholes, protected springs, shallow wells, gravity flow schemes and rain water harvesting tanks).
3) Environment: Support districts and sub – counties to produce environment action plans (DEAP, SEAP), mobilize and sensitize communities on environmental protection and management issues and support private individuals to establish tree nurseries in the programme areas.
4) Energy: Working with electricity distribution companies to select and install 85 step down transformers in rural townships along the main electricity grid, support biogas development and install 80 biogas units, provide 180 Government and Community institutions with solar power and support the construction of 375 kms of power lines (Mubende – Myanzi, Mubende – Kyenjojo, Wakyato – Ngoma).
5) Education: Support construction of 74 primary schools in parishes without Government aided primary school, construction of 10 high-rise classroom blocks in the 5 divisions of Kampala, construction of 50 secondary schools in sub-counties without a Government aided secondary school, construct 158 teachers’ houses in schools where attracting and retaining teachers is difficult, build boarding facilities in three existing girls’ secondary schools in Bulemezi, Bunyoro and Rwenzori and support rehabilitation of eight secondary schools destroyed during the war.
6) Health: Upgrade 10 Health centre IVs to General Hospital status and support 30 Health Centre VIs and 70 Health Centre IIIs with staff houses and other equipment.
7) Information and Communication Technology: Establish 36 Community Information Centres, equip 50 secondary schools and three girls’ boarding secondary schools with computer laboratories together with Internet, and support 10 hospitals, 30 health Centre IV’s and 70 Health Centre III’s with computers and Internet connectivity.
LRDP Implementation Modalities
Management, coordination and implementation of the LRDP will follow the existing Government structures. Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) will oversee and coordinate all the LRDP interventions under the auspices of the Minister of State for Luwero Triangle. Technical Management will be by the Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister to provide policy direction, ensure standards, resource mobilization, guidelines, monitoring and evaluation.
A Programme Management Unit has been established to coordinate and facilitate the LRDP.
At the Local Government level, the Chief Administrative Officers (CAOs) working closely with the political and technical leadership in their respective districts will be responsible for programme implementation.
LUWERO - RWENZORI REGION
This is under the political leadership of the Minister of State for Luwero Triangle,
In the last financial year a number of achievements were registered:
Paid off gratuity in form of kasimo(gratitude spirit) close to two thousand veterans as verification of civilian veterans is ongoing.
Procured and distributed; 42, 757 hand hoes, 600 spray pumps, 500 bags op cement, 2000 iron sheets.
Contributed funding to the rehabilitation of roads of Bakijulula - Muyenje - Masibira roads in Kiboga district
Supported communities to get water for production (animals watering points) in Manyogaseka, Lutunku, Kamusenene, Kyabayima, and Ngoma.
funding the purchase of maize seeds in 7 districts and construction of teachers houses for Lake Mburo Secondary School in Kiruhura and Nakyensansa primary school in Wakiso Local governments.
Coordinated the consultative meetings for the leadership from the Luwero/Rwenzori region to be made periodic.
The Luwero Rwenzori Development Plan (LRDP) was finalized and launched.
What is immediately noted when one reads the LRDP article is that it is over ambitious, yet having too many areas to cover and with the hope of directly reaching too many beneficiaries not forgetting that the district coverage is so big such that administrative expenses will greatly eat up the would be resources to benefit the disadvantaged. Rather Government should have targeted poles of growth in the two regions on the base of Agricultural Zones and support Agro-based industrialization such that the produce in a specific zone can be marketed to an outlet where the farmer would get a good return to his effort. 2ndly, the practice of agriculture together with animal husbandry by households with land resource has forwards and backwards linkages when it comes to animal waste feeding the garden and the garden products like planted grass feeding the animals together with backup of extension services as well as help in accessing necessary inputs into the production process such that the farmer pays when he makes sells are such efforts that can help the poor to get out of poverty.
It is not clear how the LRDP will work with the Local Governments in the areas of operation; whether some of the work plans will be within the district overall work plans and whether there will not be duplication more so where the LRDP is involved with Sectoral Interventions.
The LRDP is a 5 year Comprehensive Development Plan designed to improve the livelihoods of the communities of the Luwero Triangle and Rwenzori region having been affected by the National Resistance Movement (NRM) Liberation struggle (Luwero) of 1981 – 1986 as well as the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) insurgency (Rwenzori) of 1996 – 2003. What defeats many of the interventions the NRM Government has tried in the past including the NAADS programme is that there is an attempt to want to directly interact with the poor by giving them resources when available, unfortunately, the chain is not complete and a gap is left at the end of it all, the would be beneficiary actually does not benefit. I advocate for a comprehensive package where for example the starting point happens to be a demonstration garden to a village level, when the farmers learn technologies on this garden, they are then able to implement the same on own gardens however with facilitation of the necessary production inputs (seeds, pesticides, etc) as well as continued support on the farm and finally assisted in marketing where the produce is bought by the processor within the locality who would have to pay cash on delivery or at fixed time intervals and recovery made for inputs advanced. Such well connected programmes can work to improve the welfare of the targeted communities.
The programme is open to all community members actively engaged in economic activities. Special interest groups that include the youth, widows, civilian veterans and ex-combatants, orphans and people with disabilities are to be given priority consideration. Having the programme to include all the above mentioned categories is more political than practical in the setting of the LRDP. What is important is targeting those who can be productive on land as a group or those who have agricultural productive land; the balance can be helped when small industries are established in the area, and so on.
The LRDP targets 40 districts from Central and Western Uganda – what is interesting is that Kampala is focused on among the districts targeted. This is wrong. Kampala is not needy and if locally generated resources are well utilized plus the existing investment climate, there is no reason why Kampala eats into the funding for the LRDP which are disadvantaged. It should be excluded and funds sent to the needy districts.
The overall Goal of the LRDP is to redress the adverse socio-economic effects of the NRM liberation war (1981 – 1986) and the ADF insurgency of 1996 – 2003. The overall Goal should be broadened to include getting the areas set to meet the challenges of modernization and competition which is the driving force in the fight against poverty.
The LRDP Programme Objectives among others include improving the economic well being of 105 households per parish in 523 parishes by enabling them to earn at least shs 20 million a year by 2015. This objective makes the picture in which the people are simplistic which is not the case. Some of the poor in these areas are simply not using their time well. A case in point is a youth who decides to leave home and come to make chapati in an urban centre with a lot of unproductive land left behind, a drunkard who takes alcohol at the wrong time when he would be doing productive work; the sickly who need proper medication to be able to engage in productive work and those who need adult functional literacy training before they can engage in productive business ventures. This means that the earning should not be the 1st target, but re-orienting them so that they can eventually fit the situation where they will be able to sustainably earn income which could get anywhere to shs 20 million or more.
William Kituuka Kiwanuka
The LRDP is to benefit 40 districts (by 2010) and it’s a Community Empowerment Plan to Achieve Prosperity for All.
Source: The Premier Executive – A Quarterly News Letter of the Office of the Prime Minister, Vol. 4 of 2010.
Article by Frida Sengooba
The Five Year shs 540.9 billion Luwero/Rwenzori Development Plan (LRDP) coordinated by the Department of Luwero Affairs in the Office of Prime Minister, is a Community Empowerment Plan to Achieve Prosperity for All. It was launched on two separate occasions; one in Luwero and the other in kabarole district.
In Kabarole district, the third Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Internal Affairs, Alhaji Ali Kirunda Kivejinja launched the Plan on 22nd May 2010 at Rubona Primary School in Kisomoro sub-county. The launch in Luwero district was made on 28th May 2010 by the Minister of Local Government, Hon. Adolf Mwesigye; this was at a function held at Kalasa Primary School within Makulubita sub-county.
What is Luwero/Rwenzori Development Plan (LRDP)?
The LRDP is a 5 year Comprehensive Development Plan designed to improve the livelihoods of the communities of the Luwero Triangle and Rwenzori region having been affected by the National Resistance Movement (NRM) Liberation struggle (Luwero) of 1981 – 1986 as well as the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) insurgency (Rwenzori) of 1996 – 2003.
Target Districts
The LRDP targets 40 districts from Central and Western Uganda; they are: Buliisa, Bundibugyo, Ntoroko, Hoima, Ibanda, Isingiro, Kabarole, Kalangala, Kampala, Kamwenge, Kasese, Kayunga, Kibaale, Kiboga, Kyankwanzi, Kirihura, Kyenjojo, Kyegegwa, Luwero, Lyantonde, Masaka, Bukomansimbi, Kalungu, Lwengo, Masindi, Kiryandongo, others include: Mbarara, Mityana, Mpigi, Gombe, Mubende, Mukono, Buikwe, Buvuma, Nakaseke, Nakasongola, Wakiso, Rakai, Sembabule and Gomba.
The above districts were targeted because there was no comprehensive post war recovery programme drawn to address the war effects.
The Goal of LRDP
The overall Goal of the LRDP is to redress the adverse socio-economic effects of the NRM liberation war (1981 – 1986) and the ADF insurgency of 1996 – 2003.
The LRDP Programme Objectives
1. To improve the economic well being of 105 households per parish in 523 parishes by enabling them to earn at least shs 20 million a year by 2015,
2. To repair and improve the condition of 2,300 km district roads; 29,000 km community access roads and 30 km urban roads to motorable state by 2015,
3. To increase the safe water coverage of 11 districts which are below the national level coverage to 65% by 2015,
4. To protect and sustainably manage the environment,
5. To increase access to renewable energy to service delivery points and rural growth centres by 2015,
6. To ensure that there is a Government aided primary school and secondary school in all parishes,
7. To improve the health service delivery,
8. To increase access and use of Information and Communication Technology in the regions,
9. To promote peace, reconciliation and strengthen community based conflict mitigation and management within communities.
The LRDP Programme Time Frame
It is a 5 year Development Recovery intervention whose full scale implementation is effective July 2010 in all the 40 districts. A Pilot Programme was implemented in 15 districts; 60 sub – counties and 240 parishes in 2009/10 Financial Year.
Targeted beneficiaries
The programme is open to all community members actively engaged in economic activities. Special interest groups that include the youth, widows, civilian veterans and ex-combatants, orphans and people with disabilities are to be given priority consideration. Those benefiting from other Government programmes like NAADS, restocking and the like will not benefit directly.
Funding
The overall budget of the Programme is shs 540.9 billion to be contributed to by Uganda Government and Development Partners.
The LRDP has two broad intervention components namely; the Community and Sectoral.
The Community Intervention
This forms the foundation of the LRDP and shall be community led. It will be funded through community grants and directly implemented activities all aimed at enhancing household income and access to services. The interventions emphasize household income enhancement. This aims at enabling households to increase their incomes to a gross of at least shs 20 million a year.
Focus will be on promoting increased agricultural produce and productivity, value addition, processing and marketing, support to small and medium scale enterprises, social mobilization and empowerment of vulnerable groups.
Sectoral Interventions Component
This will address roads, water, environment, energy, education, health and ICT.
1) Roads: District roads, community access roads and urban road surfacing.
2) Water: Support construction of safe water points (boreholes, protected springs, shallow wells, gravity flow schemes and rain water harvesting tanks).
3) Environment: Support districts and sub – counties to produce environment action plans (DEAP, SEAP), mobilize and sensitize communities on environmental protection and management issues and support private individuals to establish tree nurseries in the programme areas.
4) Energy: Working with electricity distribution companies to select and install 85 step down transformers in rural townships along the main electricity grid, support biogas development and install 80 biogas units, provide 180 Government and Community institutions with solar power and support the construction of 375 kms of power lines (Mubende – Myanzi, Mubende – Kyenjojo, Wakyato – Ngoma).
5) Education: Support construction of 74 primary schools in parishes without Government aided primary school, construction of 10 high-rise classroom blocks in the 5 divisions of Kampala, construction of 50 secondary schools in sub-counties without a Government aided secondary school, construct 158 teachers’ houses in schools where attracting and retaining teachers is difficult, build boarding facilities in three existing girls’ secondary schools in Bulemezi, Bunyoro and Rwenzori and support rehabilitation of eight secondary schools destroyed during the war.
6) Health: Upgrade 10 Health centre IVs to General Hospital status and support 30 Health Centre VIs and 70 Health Centre IIIs with staff houses and other equipment.
7) Information and Communication Technology: Establish 36 Community Information Centres, equip 50 secondary schools and three girls’ boarding secondary schools with computer laboratories together with Internet, and support 10 hospitals, 30 health Centre IV’s and 70 Health Centre III’s with computers and Internet connectivity.
LRDP Implementation Modalities
Management, coordination and implementation of the LRDP will follow the existing Government structures. Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) will oversee and coordinate all the LRDP interventions under the auspices of the Minister of State for Luwero Triangle. Technical Management will be by the Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister to provide policy direction, ensure standards, resource mobilization, guidelines, monitoring and evaluation.
A Programme Management Unit has been established to coordinate and facilitate the LRDP.
At the Local Government level, the Chief Administrative Officers (CAOs) working closely with the political and technical leadership in their respective districts will be responsible for programme implementation.
LUWERO - RWENZORI REGION
This is under the political leadership of the Minister of State for Luwero Triangle,
In the last financial year a number of achievements were registered:
Paid off gratuity in form of kasimo(gratitude spirit) close to two thousand veterans as verification of civilian veterans is ongoing.
Procured and distributed; 42, 757 hand hoes, 600 spray pumps, 500 bags op cement, 2000 iron sheets.
Contributed funding to the rehabilitation of roads of Bakijulula - Muyenje - Masibira roads in Kiboga district
Supported communities to get water for production (animals watering points) in Manyogaseka, Lutunku, Kamusenene, Kyabayima, and Ngoma.
funding the purchase of maize seeds in 7 districts and construction of teachers houses for Lake Mburo Secondary School in Kiruhura and Nakyensansa primary school in Wakiso Local governments.
Coordinated the consultative meetings for the leadership from the Luwero/Rwenzori region to be made periodic.
The Luwero Rwenzori Development Plan (LRDP) was finalized and launched.
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Zoellick Says “Time for Muddling Through is Over,” All Need to be “Responsible Stakeholders” Now
News Release
2012/066/EXT
Zoellick Says “Time for Muddling Through is Over,” All Need to be “Responsible Stakeholders” Now
Calls for moving “beyond aid” to address transformed global realities
WASHINGTON, September 14, 2011 - World Bank Group President Robert B. Zoellick said the “time for muddling through is over” and all countries needed to be “responsible stakeholders” in the world economy; they need to act on today‟s problems while building for tomorrow‟s challenges; they need to solve national issues with an eye towards shaping a healthy international system.
In a speech at George Washington University entitled “Beyond Aid”, Zoellick said the world needs to recognize the new realities, unimaginable in 1944 when the World Bank was created, and move to a global system that integrates developed and developing countries, innovation, private investment, and the 50 percent of the world's population too often kept behind -- women.
“Adapting to this new world is about recognizing that we must all be responsible stakeholders now,” Zoellick said, using a term that he first applied in 2005 to China‟s emerging role in the global system.
“The time for muddling through is over,” he said ahead of next week‟s World Bank annual meetings. “If we do not get ahead of events; if we do not adapt to change; if we do not rise above short-term political tactics or recognize that with power comes responsibility, then we will drift in dangerous currents. That is the lesson of history for all of us, developed and emerging economies alike.”
Zoellick said the world had changed dramatically since 1944, when the Bretton Woods system was created for the global economy. Developing countries are no longer colonial dependencies but today take a growing share of the global economy, including with South-South trade and knowledge inter-changes. They are attaining a bigger say in how the world is run and providing development solutions to others, while remaining home to billions of poor people.
Said Zoellick: “The new “normal” will be „no normal‟. The New Normal will be dynamic, not fixed – with more countries rising and shaping the multilateral system. Some states may falter, too. The rising economies will be joining new networks in diverse combinations and changing patterns. These new networks are displacing the old hierarchies.”
But developed countries had yet to fully recognize these shifts and still operated under a “do what I say, not what I do” policy. They preached fiscal discipline as huge gaps yawned in their budgets. They advocate debt sustainability, but have debt levels at historic heights.
EMBARGOED: NOT FOR PUBLICATION, BROADCAST, OR TRANSMISSION UNTIL
11:30AM (EDT) WHICH IS 15:30 GMT ON WEDNESDAY SEPT. 14, 2011.
Developed countries are also not addressing their problems and this could drag the global economy down. European countries were resisting the obligations that came with a single currency, the Euro. Japan had resisted reforms that would retool its stalled economic model. The United States faced soaring debts but had yet to agree on an approach to cut the drivers of that debt.
A world “Beyond Aid” recognizes that the old, hierarchical world is gone and has been replaced with a transformed set of relationships between developed and developing countries. It is a world in which good policy can be more important than money.
“The goal would not be charity, but a mutual interest in building more poles of growth,” said Zoellick. “In a world Beyond Aid, sound G7 economic policies would be as important as aid as a percentage of GDP. In a world Beyond Aid, G-20 agreements on imbalances, on structural reforms, or on fossil fuel subsidies and food security, would be as important as aid as a percentage of GDP. In a world Beyond Aid, the advanced emerging markets would assist those behind with experience, open markets, investments, and new types of assistance.”
For developing countries, “Beyond Aid” means mobilizing and leveraging domestic and savings transparently; encouraging strong citizen involvement along with good governance, openness and transparency; investing in people with education, strong safety net programs, and making government institutions and officials deliver; encouraging small businesses and private investment; investing in infrastructure to lay the foundations for future productivity gains; and it means investing in connectivity while gathering data and sharing information because good data and information will be at least as important as financial assistance.
“At the international level, it means multilateral innovation to forge progress on open trade and investment, access to energy, food security, competition in services, and climate change – not always waiting for all to join, but moving ahead where coalitions of progress are possible,” Zoellick said. “It means using the multilateral system – including the G-20 – to look at new policy and financing possibilities – with roles for all.”
An important part of “Beyond Aid” is tapping the promise and power of women by eliminating gender inequality. To achieve this, Zoellick proposed a “50 percent solution”.
“We will not release the full potential of half of the world’s population until globally we address the issue of equality; until countries, communities, and households around the world acknowledge women’s rights and change the rules of inequality,” Zoellick said. “Giving women the right to own land; giving women the right to own, run and operate a business; giving women the right to inherit; giving women greater earning power; giving women greater control over resources within their households – could boost children’s heath, could increase girls’ education, could leverage entrepreneurship and economic productivity, and could take us closer to that world Beyond Aid.”
For a copy of President Robert B. Zoellick‟s speech, “Beyond Aid”, please click here.
Contacts:
In Washington: David Theis, (202) 458-8626, dtheis@worldbank.org;
For Broadcast Requests: Natalia Cieslik, (202) 458-9369, ncieslik@worldbank.org
Visit us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/worldbank
Be updated via Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/worldbank
For our YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/worldbank
2012/066/EXT
Zoellick Says “Time for Muddling Through is Over,” All Need to be “Responsible Stakeholders” Now
Calls for moving “beyond aid” to address transformed global realities
WASHINGTON, September 14, 2011 - World Bank Group President Robert B. Zoellick said the “time for muddling through is over” and all countries needed to be “responsible stakeholders” in the world economy; they need to act on today‟s problems while building for tomorrow‟s challenges; they need to solve national issues with an eye towards shaping a healthy international system.
In a speech at George Washington University entitled “Beyond Aid”, Zoellick said the world needs to recognize the new realities, unimaginable in 1944 when the World Bank was created, and move to a global system that integrates developed and developing countries, innovation, private investment, and the 50 percent of the world's population too often kept behind -- women.
“Adapting to this new world is about recognizing that we must all be responsible stakeholders now,” Zoellick said, using a term that he first applied in 2005 to China‟s emerging role in the global system.
“The time for muddling through is over,” he said ahead of next week‟s World Bank annual meetings. “If we do not get ahead of events; if we do not adapt to change; if we do not rise above short-term political tactics or recognize that with power comes responsibility, then we will drift in dangerous currents. That is the lesson of history for all of us, developed and emerging economies alike.”
Zoellick said the world had changed dramatically since 1944, when the Bretton Woods system was created for the global economy. Developing countries are no longer colonial dependencies but today take a growing share of the global economy, including with South-South trade and knowledge inter-changes. They are attaining a bigger say in how the world is run and providing development solutions to others, while remaining home to billions of poor people.
Said Zoellick: “The new “normal” will be „no normal‟. The New Normal will be dynamic, not fixed – with more countries rising and shaping the multilateral system. Some states may falter, too. The rising economies will be joining new networks in diverse combinations and changing patterns. These new networks are displacing the old hierarchies.”
But developed countries had yet to fully recognize these shifts and still operated under a “do what I say, not what I do” policy. They preached fiscal discipline as huge gaps yawned in their budgets. They advocate debt sustainability, but have debt levels at historic heights.
EMBARGOED: NOT FOR PUBLICATION, BROADCAST, OR TRANSMISSION UNTIL
11:30AM (EDT) WHICH IS 15:30 GMT ON WEDNESDAY SEPT. 14, 2011.
Developed countries are also not addressing their problems and this could drag the global economy down. European countries were resisting the obligations that came with a single currency, the Euro. Japan had resisted reforms that would retool its stalled economic model. The United States faced soaring debts but had yet to agree on an approach to cut the drivers of that debt.
A world “Beyond Aid” recognizes that the old, hierarchical world is gone and has been replaced with a transformed set of relationships between developed and developing countries. It is a world in which good policy can be more important than money.
“The goal would not be charity, but a mutual interest in building more poles of growth,” said Zoellick. “In a world Beyond Aid, sound G7 economic policies would be as important as aid as a percentage of GDP. In a world Beyond Aid, G-20 agreements on imbalances, on structural reforms, or on fossil fuel subsidies and food security, would be as important as aid as a percentage of GDP. In a world Beyond Aid, the advanced emerging markets would assist those behind with experience, open markets, investments, and new types of assistance.”
For developing countries, “Beyond Aid” means mobilizing and leveraging domestic and savings transparently; encouraging strong citizen involvement along with good governance, openness and transparency; investing in people with education, strong safety net programs, and making government institutions and officials deliver; encouraging small businesses and private investment; investing in infrastructure to lay the foundations for future productivity gains; and it means investing in connectivity while gathering data and sharing information because good data and information will be at least as important as financial assistance.
“At the international level, it means multilateral innovation to forge progress on open trade and investment, access to energy, food security, competition in services, and climate change – not always waiting for all to join, but moving ahead where coalitions of progress are possible,” Zoellick said. “It means using the multilateral system – including the G-20 – to look at new policy and financing possibilities – with roles for all.”
An important part of “Beyond Aid” is tapping the promise and power of women by eliminating gender inequality. To achieve this, Zoellick proposed a “50 percent solution”.
“We will not release the full potential of half of the world’s population until globally we address the issue of equality; until countries, communities, and households around the world acknowledge women’s rights and change the rules of inequality,” Zoellick said. “Giving women the right to own land; giving women the right to own, run and operate a business; giving women the right to inherit; giving women greater earning power; giving women greater control over resources within their households – could boost children’s heath, could increase girls’ education, could leverage entrepreneurship and economic productivity, and could take us closer to that world Beyond Aid.”
For a copy of President Robert B. Zoellick‟s speech, “Beyond Aid”, please click here.
Contacts:
In Washington: David Theis, (202) 458-8626, dtheis@worldbank.org;
For Broadcast Requests: Natalia Cieslik, (202) 458-9369, ncieslik@worldbank.org
Visit us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/worldbank
Be updated via Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/worldbank
For our YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/worldbank
IS MUSEVENI PUSHING FOR ACQUISITION OF MABIRA BECAUSE LEASES HAVE EXPIRED AND VERY EXPENSIVE FOR SCOUL TO RE - KNEW?
IS MUSEVENI PUSHING FOR ACQUISITION OF MABIRA BECAUSE LEASES HAVE EXPIRED AND VERY EXPENSIVE FOR SCOUL TO RE - KNEW?
It may not be clear to the common Uganda citizen why the President is pushing at all costs to acquire Mabira’s 7,100ha for Mehta’s Sugar Corporation of Uganda Ltd (SCOUL) to undertake the alleged expansion of his Sugarcane Plantation. Why do I say ‘alleged?’, the reason is found in a publication by Uganda Land Alliance – April 2007, entitled: “The Potential Impacts of Allocating Government Land and Land Held in Trust to Investors on Local Economic Development: A Case of Mabira Central Forest Reserve.”
Under SCOUL at a glance (2003) it is indicated that the area under cane is 9,000ha, however, regarding the Expansion of SCOUL’s production, it is written that the company has devised two strategies: Increasing on the out-growers’ scale and a lease of 7,100ha of Mabira Central Forest (MCF). According to the report from the Inter-ministerial Committee that carried out an assessment of Mabira forest, it was reported that the request for land in Mabira from SCOUL was forwarded to the Ministry of Lands through State House. They made a visit from 24 – 26 October 2006, and had consultations with Mehta Group which yielded justifications for SCOUL’s request for land, among which are:
1) The claim by Mehta that part of the forest is heavily encroached upon and that much of the tree cover of the area they want to takeover is composed of inferior trees;
2) Acquisition of land locally had failed. In some instances land owners were not willing to sell, however, stakeholders in Mukono and Kayunga mentioned to the Inter-ministerial Technical Committee that they had land and were willing to sell or rent it provided they were given fair prices at the going market prices;
3) And that failure to acquire the land for expansion has the following implications:
a. Running out of business due to unfavourable competition in the sugar market,
b. The country will continue to lose foreign exchange to the tune of $25 million due to the importation of sugar,
c. The plan to expand electricity co-generation (to 12 MW) and alcohol production (to blend with petrol) will be jeopardized.
However, it is true that SCOUL has a total of 17 scattered sugarcane plantations mainly on leaseholds which have already expired! The leaseholds were obtained at an average price of UGX 10,000 per acre for a period of 49 years. Today, the land owners are demanding for about UGX 1,000,000 – 2,000,000 per acre for the renewal of the lease. Given SCOUL’s failure to pay the market price for land, some of the landowners have recalled their property; an evident example being the location of former Lugazi University.
The question raised is whether it is true that the land needed is for expansion of the Sugarcane estate given that leases on which the estate is have expired. Second, is it just for Mehta to have made the proposal to Government that he acquires Mabira Central Forest?
All in all, the Government of Uganda should get to terms with the owners of the land whose leases have expired and propose the buying of this land from them such that the beneficiaries are paid over a period of time, or have the land returned to them on condition that they grow sugar cane to boost the Sugar industry in Uganda.
We have to agree that Mabira cannot be tampered with just like that given the volumes of what has been written about the possible implications, hence the Government should settle for the possible alternative options which leave Mabira intact.
Some of my works can be accessed on the following links:
http://www.williamkituuka.blogspot.com/
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http://www.stmaryscollegekisubi.blogspot.com/
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http://www.smackoldboysmagazine.blogspot.com/
http://www.anthonykyemwa.blogspot.com/
http://www.stpeterschurchofugandassisa.blogspot.com/
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http://www.namutambanurseryschool.webs.com/
http://www.namutambademschool.webs.com/
My contact: http://goodgovernancepractice.webs.com/contactme.htm
It may not be clear to the common Uganda citizen why the President is pushing at all costs to acquire Mabira’s 7,100ha for Mehta’s Sugar Corporation of Uganda Ltd (SCOUL) to undertake the alleged expansion of his Sugarcane Plantation. Why do I say ‘alleged?’, the reason is found in a publication by Uganda Land Alliance – April 2007, entitled: “The Potential Impacts of Allocating Government Land and Land Held in Trust to Investors on Local Economic Development: A Case of Mabira Central Forest Reserve.”
Under SCOUL at a glance (2003) it is indicated that the area under cane is 9,000ha, however, regarding the Expansion of SCOUL’s production, it is written that the company has devised two strategies: Increasing on the out-growers’ scale and a lease of 7,100ha of Mabira Central Forest (MCF). According to the report from the Inter-ministerial Committee that carried out an assessment of Mabira forest, it was reported that the request for land in Mabira from SCOUL was forwarded to the Ministry of Lands through State House. They made a visit from 24 – 26 October 2006, and had consultations with Mehta Group which yielded justifications for SCOUL’s request for land, among which are:
1) The claim by Mehta that part of the forest is heavily encroached upon and that much of the tree cover of the area they want to takeover is composed of inferior trees;
2) Acquisition of land locally had failed. In some instances land owners were not willing to sell, however, stakeholders in Mukono and Kayunga mentioned to the Inter-ministerial Technical Committee that they had land and were willing to sell or rent it provided they were given fair prices at the going market prices;
3) And that failure to acquire the land for expansion has the following implications:
a. Running out of business due to unfavourable competition in the sugar market,
b. The country will continue to lose foreign exchange to the tune of $25 million due to the importation of sugar,
c. The plan to expand electricity co-generation (to 12 MW) and alcohol production (to blend with petrol) will be jeopardized.
However, it is true that SCOUL has a total of 17 scattered sugarcane plantations mainly on leaseholds which have already expired! The leaseholds were obtained at an average price of UGX 10,000 per acre for a period of 49 years. Today, the land owners are demanding for about UGX 1,000,000 – 2,000,000 per acre for the renewal of the lease. Given SCOUL’s failure to pay the market price for land, some of the landowners have recalled their property; an evident example being the location of former Lugazi University.
The question raised is whether it is true that the land needed is for expansion of the Sugarcane estate given that leases on which the estate is have expired. Second, is it just for Mehta to have made the proposal to Government that he acquires Mabira Central Forest?
All in all, the Government of Uganda should get to terms with the owners of the land whose leases have expired and propose the buying of this land from them such that the beneficiaries are paid over a period of time, or have the land returned to them on condition that they grow sugar cane to boost the Sugar industry in Uganda.
We have to agree that Mabira cannot be tampered with just like that given the volumes of what has been written about the possible implications, hence the Government should settle for the possible alternative options which leave Mabira intact.
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