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Month September 2011

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The Red Pepper can do better than pedaling rumours and half-truths

Sep 30, 11 8:26 PM

Vincent Nuwagaba

I was amazed by the comments made by Prosper Namara about me in regard to what I wrote about the Red Pepper and I have been compelled to make a rebuttal lest people may think that what Namara wrote is beyond reproach.

My brother Prosper Namara, what a waste of a good name that you hold. I had chosen not to respond to your comments but I later realised that you may be deluded into thinking that your comments were too sophisticated for me to respond to. To begin with, I guess that you could have been hired by the Red Pepper to respond to me or you are on their payroll. May be I am wrong! On the assumption that my guess is right, if you were hired, I don’t think you did a good job. If you are on their payroll, please advise the entire management and editorial team of the tabloid to style up.

You reason that because the Tabloid sell more copies than many papers, therefore, Ugandans want to read such crass. Sorry my brother! I doubt whether you love terrorists. Personally, I don’t but I must assure you, if there was a story that terrorists are about to attack, I would be the first person to pick interest in the story. I can authoritatively assure you that Professor Bukenya buys and reads the Red Pepper daily not because he likes it but because he wants to know the nonsense the paper writes about him.

I was in jail on 20th August 2009 when the Red Pepper published a story about me by a reckless reporter Johnson Taremwa. But all my friends who heard about it bought the paper not because they liked what was written about me but they needed to know what was written about me.

I don’t know whether brother Namara, you are a journalist but you should know that there’s a common cliche by journalists that when a dog bites man, it is not news but when a man bites a dog it is news. Thus, not all news is good news. I don’t know how you would feel if everybody tried to pry into your private life but I am sure that even Vincent Nuwagaba who is a terrorist wouldn’t want his privacy to be infringed.

You say, Bukenya was photographed publicly, how many people have photographed Red Pepper journalists when they are doing their funny stuff.

It is not long ago when a Managing Director of some leading Telecommunications company went and had sex which was recorded with one of the employees – a girl whom I know very well. Red Pepper was given the story. Ask them why they never ran it?

I don’t know whether you meant that Red Pepper ran a story to correct the false one published about me. But again you say that Red Pepper didn’t publish my rebuttal because they knew their story was true. Please seek information and you will get it. You have no right to remain as informed as a peasant. You can look for the paper, it was published on 20/08/2009 and you will also prove whether or not the story was true. Firstly, I have never applied for a Master of Law scholarship because I did Social Sciences and at Makerere I couldn’t do a Master of Law when I had no Bachelors of Law. The only Masters course I could do is Masters of International Law which is not offered at Makerere.

Secondly, I needed an admission letter and the person in-charge was Vincent Ekwang – the Deputy Registrar in charge of admissions. I didn’t talk to that yellow journalist Johnson Taremwa but he attributed statements to me by putting them in inverted commas. As to whether I should have sued them, I don’t think for every wrong I shall run to court. I also know that it is not prudent for me to start court battles with media houses. Besides, I genuinely like the Red Pepper proprietors and I will never at any time become an enemy to them. I am not sure whether they would be interested in being an enemy to me either. You also need to know that I enjoy good working relations with some of them. I know Prosper Namara you are not one of the directors of the Red Pepper but you are mourning more than the bereaved. Sorry dear!

You say Bukenya is not a clean person and his life has been embroiled in scandals. You feel you have the latitude to condemn Bukenya because we don’t know you. Otherwise what you do could be much more shameful. Please, read the Bible, Romans 3:23. All have sinned and fall short of God’s glory. If Red Pepper is to be trusted I urge the management to publish stories about all the generals starting from Museveni; let them show us businessmen who don’t pay taxes; let them be a voice of the voiceless Ugandans – students who cannot go to university because higher education has been made a preserve of a few; peasants whose wives die in labour wards because of inadequate drugs and equipment but also because doctors are not facilitated and motivated; policemen who sleep in a huge tent right behind CPS and are even deprived of conjugal rights because they have no means; teachers who are paid Sh260,000 when their monthly expenditure exceeds Sh 1million; peasants whose children no longer take sugar; no longer wash their clothes and are living by providence. Short of that many of us will remain convinced that the Red Pepper is a mercenary paper whose job is to extract taxpayers’ money from politicians to destroy their rivals. The Red Pepper must stop pedaling destructive rumours and half-truths and engage in development journalism. I am sure the loving and merciful God will still forgive them.

Finally, Mr Prosper Namara you can approach me for lectures on journalism. I have taught many journalists in university and outside and I am still ready to teach more. For anybody to write words like silly about me I find that uncouth. I am not silly and I cannot do any silly thing. In any case I don’t know whether a silly man’s comments should attract a response from very intelligent people like Prosper Namara. For your information I am one of the philosopher Kings Uganda has if you didn’t know me take trouble to know me. For God and my country.

Vincent Nuwagaba is a human rights defender
+256702843552

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CRANES RECEIVE DONATION FROM FULHAM SUPPORTERS

Sep 29, 11 2:31 PM

Cranes 1 (low res)

PRESS RELEASE ISSUED 15.20hrs (UGANDAN TIME) 28 SEPTEMBER 2011

This morning, at the Mandela National Stadium, Kampala, Uganda, the country’s national football team (“The Cranes”) received 45 magazines and 5 Fulham jerseys that had been airmailed to Uganda by supporters of the Premier League club. The magazines mainly consisted of the matchday programme and Fultime, the club magazine.

BACKGROUND

Fulham supporter and athletics coach, Kevin O’Connor (who has lived in Uganda with his wife since 1994), explained: “I wrote an article for Fultime a few months ago. At the end of it I mentioned that if any readers, when they had finished reading the magazine, could airmail them (PO Box 40295, Kampala, Uganda), they could be used as prizes in Athletics Kampala races. But when I thought about it, I realised that it was more logical that these football magazines should go, not to athletes, but to footballers.

BOBBY WILLIAMSON

I know Bobby Williamson, the Cranes manager and former Rotherham United footballer, well, since when he has been coaching the national team on the Stadium’s pitch, I have often been coaching athletes on the surrounding athletics track. I cannot imagine Fabio Capello extending such generosity to an athletics coach! So, Bobby and I spoke on the phone and agreed that this morning the donations should be handed over to his team. I was staggered by the generosity of the Fulham supporters. I did not expect to receive jerseys as well as magazines.

Bobby is shown in the middle of Photo 1, holding the black and white Fulham scarf, that Kevin’s mother knitted for him over 50 years ago.

Cranes 2 (low res)

HIGH RES PHOTO

The 2 photos of today’s event are attached. Any media house that needs the photos in high res for publication, please phone Kevin O’Connor on 0712604286 (Intl 00 256 712604286) or email him on kevin@imul.com. Please credit Sue O’Connor

THE FUTURE

We hope that Fulham supporters will continue to airmail magazines and other Fulham material, so the number of Ugandan footballers who benefit can be extended, for instance to the national U-23 team (“The Kobs”). Even better would be establishing some sort of formal link between Fulham and Ugandan football.

BIG MATCH

On October 8, Uganda will play its biggest football match for a generation. If it can beat Kenya in Kampala, Uganda will qualify for the African Cup of Nations, for the first time since 1972.

KEVIN O’CONNOR

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President Museveni should copy his letters to UAH forums for Diaspora

Sep 22, 11 2:37 PM

Dear UAHs,
I would like to start by requesting the Presidents office to send a copy (cc:) of important letters, like the one on the link President’s letter to Makerere University Council ,to our forum because we in the Diaspora are a very important part of what is happening in Uganda and we have a lot to offer in these discussions, short of representation in parliament which I hope we will get in the future it will be very encouraging to many if your office reaches out to us.

From the letter, it seems like both parties had a fruitful discussion and currently reading from the Presidents side. I do agree with his line of reasoning in due to the fact that you can’t eat your seed and expect a great harvest. Many however would argue that the seed has been eaten for too many years and the harvest has always been short of what was expected. The government is in a very tough spot because each and every sector is requesting for more and they have reasons to do so. With a history of broken promises and ever accumulating arrears and late salary payments the presidents promise though very welcoming should be taken with a grain of salt.

The University has been there before, this is not the first time they have meet the President, students change lecturers and negotiators change but the problem still remains because as the cost of living increases the need for a raise will always be there.

As a mutual understanding and I hope this can be done within in all sectors since the President keeps talking of a better future which ideally implies a better financial standing and increase in government revenue. I would hope that the Ministry of Finance can meet with respective Ministries and work out a working formula. Its true there might not be enough money now and that is understandable so a legally binding promise of incremental increase in salaries corresponding to the expected increase in Governmental revenues will be a good place to start. Just the expectations of getting a rise when the government makes a killing will go along way to calm, create confidence in the government and prevent these kinds of interruptions in services.

If no money is made as expected the formula will still be binding. This will reduce these spontaneous strikes and for the negotiated period everyone will support those ventures which will bring in more government revenue because they will be able to clearly calculate and know their expected automatic increase in salaries. I am not an economist or mathematician but I figure there is a way that this can be calculated and also made legally binding. If this is already being done or it’s on the table I would like to know about it and see how it is working out to date or which kind of formula they have. We should keep away from just mentioning percentage of increase the formulation should be as specific as needed and easy to be used depending of specifically figured values.

To the President with all due respect sir there comes a time when promises are interpreted negatively, so I hope that the negotiators got more than promises. I look forward to what fellow forum members think of my suggestion.


Dr.Eddie Kayondo, M.D
Forumist in USA

Comments (1)

uganda’s oil contracts leaked – a bad deal made worse

Sep 19, 11 5:29 PM

Held secret by the Ugandan government and oil companies Tullow Oil and Heritage Oil, PLATFORM can today reveal the terms of the contracts for oil operations by Lake Albert on the Uganda-Congo border, and their economic implications.

For the first time, one of Uganda’s Production Sharing Agreements is available to the public to read, after a leaked copy was placed online. PLATFORM’s analysis of the contract reveals that the repeated claims by the Ugandan government and the oil companies that Uganda has received a very good deal and the best in the region are not only a fiction, but were reliant on the real terms of the contracts being kept secret. While the contracts will deliver vast profits to Tullow Oil and Heritage Oil, the contracts will prevent the Ugandan people from receiving their due benefits. The terms of the contracts and the lack of openness are placing Uganda on a track set for the “resource curse”.

Download:

“A Bad Deal Made Worse – How the PSAs are ripping off Uganda” – PLATFORM’s preliminary economic assessment of the contract

http://www.platformlondon.org/carbonweb/documents/Ugandas_oil_contracts_A_Bad_Deal_Made_Worse_Tullow_Heritage.pdf

Heritage’s Production Sharing Agreement for Block 3A signed in 2004:

Part 1

http://www.platformlondon.org/carbonweb/documents/uganda/leaked_Uganda_PSA_Block3A_Heritage_part1.pdf

part2

http://www.platformlondon.org/carbonweb/documents/uganda/leaked_Uganda_PSA_Block3A_Heritage_part2.pdf

 

Dominion Block 4B PSA (pages different from Block3A PSA):

Cover page

http://www.platformlondon.org/carbonweb/documents/uganda/0707_Dominion_Uganda_Cover_Page.jpg

Bonus payment

http://www.platformlondon.org/carbonweb/documents/uganda/0707_Dominion_Uganda_Page30.jpg

State participation

http://www.platformlondon.org/carbonweb/documents/uganda/0707_Dominion_Uganda_Page32.jpg

Cost Recovery

http://www.platformlondon.org/carbonweb/documents/uganda/0707_Dominion_Uganda_Page34.jpg

Production sharing agreement

http://www.platformlondon.org/carbonweb/documents/uganda/0707_Dominion_Uganda_Page35.jpg

Loose Minute – Ugandan government analysis of Block 3A PSA re-negotiation- signed by Permanent Secretary A Kabagambe-Kaliisa

Page 1

http://www.platformlondon.org/carbonweb/documents/uganda/0409_Loose_Minute_Kabagambe_Page1.jpg

Page 2

http://www.platformlondon.org/carbonweb/documents/uganda/0409_Loose_Minute_Kabagambe_Page2.jpg

Summary of  “A Bad Deal Made Worse – How the PSAs are ripping off Uganda”

There is currently no transparency over Uganda’s oil contracts, on the part of the Ugandan government or the foreign oil companies. This will prevent positive development outcomes while enabling corruption and environmental degradation on the part of the oil companies. Past experience indicates that without public debate and accountability, the “resource curse” is largely inevitable.

The Production Sharing Agreements signed in Uganda do not represent the great deal publically claimed by the government. Internal figures modelled by the government indicate that the state will receive 67.5% – 74.2% of total revenue.  A Credit Suisse analysis of Heritage Oil predicts government take of between 55% and 67%. PLATFORM’s assessment indicates the government will received between 47.4%  and 79.5% of revenues, depending on the price of oil, size of fields, development costs and other factors. The highest figures will only be achieved if the government takes up the possible 15% state participation. These figures are all below the 80+% regularly trumpeted by the government and the oil companies.

The contracts are highly profitable for the participating oil companies. In the most likely scenarios, Tullow Oil could make a 30-35% return on its investment. This represents a very high profit level for the oil industry, even for risky projects, and indicates excessive profit-taking at the expense of the host government. Even in the least promising (and less likely) scenarios, Tullow would received a 12-14% return – a comfortable profit margin.

Compared to contracts in other countries, Uganda is receiving a worse deal. Modelling the same field under the terms of Heritage’s contract in Iraqi Kurdistan (a more dangerous environment) indicates that the Kurdistan Regional Government will receive a greater proportion of revenues than Uganda, while Heritage will receive a higher rate of return in Uganda.

Uganda’s contracts fail to capture increased rent as the oil price rises. This is a major flaw, especially in light of the recent high oil prices. As prices rose through the 2000s, there was a recognition amongst producer governments that the state has a duty to its citizens to capture the rent from higher prices and that the private companies do not have a right to excessive profit-taking. As the oil price rises, the oil companies make a higher and unlimited profit. However, the state take plateaus at under 80%. Thus the oil companies will take close to one quarter of oil revenues, whether the oil price is $70 or $200 – raking in enormous profits.

Most of the risks lie with the Ugandan state, not the private companies. Price risk lies primarily with Uganda, with the private companies virtually guaranteed a profit even at low prices. While project risk (eg increased costs) are shared between both, Ugandan revenues will fall significantly further if the project runs over-budget.

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1st ATHLETICS KAMPALA ROAD RACE 2011 SEASON17 SEPTEMBER

Sep 19, 11 3:13 PM

Photo 1

PRESS RELEASE ISSUED 16.59hrs (UGANDAN TIME) 19 SEPTEMBER 2011 1st ATHLETICS KAMPALA ROAD RACE 2011 SEASON17 SEPTEMBER

VENUE: Athletics Kampala’s 1st Road Race of 2011 took place on 17 September 2011 at Makerere University. The distance was approximately 10km for both men and women.

RESULTS:
MEN

1.Joseph Kibet 31min 11.8sec

2.Katam Stanley 31min 39.9sec

3. Benjamin K. 32min 01.1sec

WOMEN

1.Chebet Annet 40min 48.1sec

2. Bako Joyce 48min 19.1sec

3. Kimocot Jeiuto 50min 10.1sec

PHOTOS AND PRIZES·

photo 2photo 3

photo 3

Please find attached 3 low res photos above.·

Photo 1 shows the male runners midway through the race. Charles Felix Mukasa is leading.·

Photo 2 shows the first 3 men and first 3 woman, all of whom won athletics books as prizes.· All competitors and officials received a copy of Athletics Weekly, as shown in Photo 3.·

Publications requiring the photos in high res, please email kevin@imul When using the photos please credit Sue O’Connor·

All books and copies of Athletics Weekly were airmailed to Uganda by readers of Athletics Weekly. Athletics Kampala wishes formally to thank them for their generosity

NEXT RACE·

Our next race (10km road) is on Saturday 24 September at Kyambogo. Registration 8am; Races start 9am

FURTHER INFORMATION

For further information please contact the undersigned.

KAGWA GEOFFREY

CHAIRMAN

ATHLETICS KAMPALA

07029628200772962820

kajeffuge@yahoo.co.uk

athleticskampala@yahoo.com

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ATHLETICS KAMPALA PRESS RELEASE

Sep 14, 11 8:27 PM

PRESS RELEASE ISSUED 22.30hrs (UGANDAN TIME) 14 SEPTEMBER 2011

 

1st ATHLETICS KAMPALA ROAD RACE 2011 SEASON

17 SEPTEMBER

 

VENUE

  • Athletics Kampala’s 1st Road Race of 2011 will take place on 17 September 2011 at Makerere University. Runners should congregate outside the University Swimming Pool.
  • Registration is at 8am and the races will begin at 9am.
  • The races are open to all clubs, universities, companies, schools and individuals from all regions of the country. No fee is required.

 

2 RACES

There will be 2 races:

  • ·        Senior Women’s 10km
  • ·        Senior Men’s 10 km

 

PRIZES

  • The first three in each race will receive an athletics book
  • Every runner who finishes the 10km will receive a copy of the prestigious glossy coloured magazine, Athletics Weekly.
  • There will be an additional book prize for the first female sprinter and first male sprinter who complete the 10km. Both books relate to sprinting.
  • All prizes have been airmailed to Uganda by readers of Athletics Weekly, and Athletics Kampala wishes to formally thank them for their generosity.

 

FURTHER INFORMATION

  • For further information please contact the undersigned.
  • Please note that AK’s seasonal calendar will be distributed after the races

 

 

KAGWA GEOFFREY

CHAIRMAN

ATHLETICS KAMPALA

0702962820

0772962820

kajeffuge@yahoo.co.uk

athleticskampala@yahoo.com

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The red pepper has become a classic case of yellow journalism!

Sep 14, 11 4:12 PM

By Vincent Nuwagaba

I have looked at the front page of today’s Red pepper with utter disgust and I must say, very many understanding Ugandans are soon withdrawing the respect they hitherto had for the tabloid. I am terribly annoyed that a newspaper can publish such pictures on its front page even if it is true. When I expressed my concern with one of the journalists managing one of Uganda’s premier newspapers, he told me, “Red pepper is the best selling news paper”.

When I asked, whether what they publish is what we need, he added, “It sells more than the New Vision”. Why he did that is to emphasise that that’s what the market (readers want). This is yellow journalism at its very best. Yellow journalism is the type of journalism that flouts all the ethical principles of journalism. This sensational reporting is as a result of what Kahinda Otaffiire refers to as the gutter press. I don’t care whether or not what the Red Pepper published about Prof Gilbert Bukenya is true, why must Red Pepper think, it is for public consumption?

Who of us – Ugandans including the Red Pepper Managers and staff is a saint? Why wouldn’t the Red Pepper Directors be guided by the Golden Rule of Morality which goes, “Do to others, as you would want them do to you” (Luke 6:31). I deeply respect some of the Red Pepper directors especially my brother Arinaitwe Rugyendo who was in the line of becoming a Catholic Priest. Rugyendo still comports himself well, he is humble and notwithstanding what views other people have about him, I cherish his methods of work. I am, however, disappointed that a paper to which Rugyendo is a director can sink so deep as to publish such useless stuff.

To begin with, what the paper is writing about Bukenya is traumatic; it will traumatize Bukenya’s family – his wife, children and aging mother. If that’s the intention of the paper editors, then they are turning themselves into sadists. Secondly, the Red Pepper has at one point in time published a false story about me. I only chose to keep peace but I would have dragged them to the courts of law over defamation. Shamelessly, even when I wrote to clear my name they never published my story neither did they apologise for the wrong story published.

Why would Red Pepper editors think they have an innate right to pry into anybody’s private life including Professor Bukenya? I am in no way saying Bukenya is an angel; I am not his spin doctor or spokesman but I am enraged at the manner in which the red pepper journalists have chosen to make money at the expense of his human dignity. The Prime Minister, the President, the First Lady and all other ministers and MPs have their own gaffes, why doesn’t the Red Pepper write about them? Could the allegation by Radio Katwe that the Red Pepper is used to destroy politically non Bakiga-Banyankore hold some grain of truth?

Who of the Red Pepper directors, editors and reporters is an angel; a saint that they would be comfortable with anybody who pries into their private lives? While Bukenya is a former Vice President, former minister and currently a member of parliament, he remains a human being entitled to the right of his privacy? By following him up everywhere, the Red Pepper reporters show that they are uncouth and they expose their moral nakedness. It is not Bukenya who is portrayed in negative terms but you guys in the Red Pepper.

In the bible, we read of a woman caught in adultery and when it was suggested that Moses’ law be invoked so that she would be stoned, Jesus said he who has never sinned should be the first to throw a stone at her (John 8:1-11). The same Bible in Mathew 7:3 exhorts not to see a speck in our neighbour’s eye before we save ourselves of a log in our own guy. I am sure that none of those rumour mongers that have specialised in writing about Bukenya are more morally upright than him. Please, give a man of God a break.

To Red Pepper editorial team, must you publish any rubbish because you need your paper to sell or because you have been given money by someone? How can the Red Pepper convince us that it’s not doing a mercenary job – that some people have hired it to trim Professor Bukenya’s political wings? How can we be convinced that Red Pepper is not part of the Dirty Tricks Unit (DTU) which the NRM uses to destroy political opponents and any other people that threaten its political survival? If the Red Pepper management doesn’t repent, doom is awaiting it. I am not going to play a false prophet job because I want you people to promote me. I must advise you as brothers and comrades that the path you are taking is perilous. Please be mindful that there’s a future after the NRM reign which has protected you and enabled you to abuse professionalism to mint money.The world doesn’t revolve around money!

For God and my country.

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Mike Mukula Comments on the Wikileaks Report that has made things difficult for him with M7

Sep 12, 11 2:32 PM

PRESS RELEASE

REF: PR/005/2011 7th September, 2011

Mike Mukula.

My attention has been drawn to recent media reports of a leakage from the Wikileaks of a discussion between myself and Mr. Aaron Simpson, the political and economic affairs chief at the American Embassy in Uganda. I wish to state as follows in respect of the media reports in order to address incessant inquiries from members of the press and the general public.

1). That the discussion in question indeed took place and was intended to be a lunch meeting and in confidence. However, the reporting has been characterized with a lot of distortion and certain inaccuracy to flavor their report. I must hasten to assert that it is not in my character to discuss internal party matters in the media; rather, as I have done in the past, I am comfortable to raise such weighty issues in the appropriate fora in the party and body politic of Uganda. However, now that this matter has found its way into the public domain, it is only responsible for me to own up and further state that:

· The views therein represent to a large extent my honest thoughts then and now in respect of the state of affairs in the NRM where I am currently the Vice – Chairman for Eastern Uganda. However, without appearing to want to undermine the party, we have worked to build in the last 20 years, I want to further state that I will at an appropriate time raise these issues at the appropriate fora both within the party and in the body politic of Uganda because I strongly believe that these issues must be openly and freely discussed by all Ugandans as we chart our way into the future.

· I hold no ill – will against the person of the President and his entire family. In any case I have over the time cultivated a neat respectful relationship with the President and the rest of the first family. I must categorically state that the matter of succession arose in the course of my discussion with Mr. Simpson. This matter, however, has been totally misrepresented as it is in the wikileaks. My position to Mr. Simpson was that incase, and I mean just in case , the President was ever contemplating a succession plan involving his son, I would have no problem as long as it is not imposed on the party but rather subjected to an honest democratic process involving all interested individuals. I clearly pointed out that I would strongly object and vigorously oppose all forms of adulterated democracy (stage – managed) engineered to leverage any individual to the Presidency, irrespective of who that individual is.

· The other very important issue that came up in the course of my discussion with Mr. Aaron Simpson is the issue of the restoration of term limits. In respect of this issue, I no doubt affirmed to Mr. Simpson that it is an issue that must be re-considered urgently before 2013, the projected year of the proposed East African Federation. This, I pointed out, will be critical because we must harmonise our political systems and processes with the rest of East Africa. As things stand now, we are the only country in East Africa without term limits.

· Our party must be proactive, not only in the management of this country but also in realigning Uganda to move in tandem with the rest of East Africa. I will therefore undertake to pursue this matter with the view of redressing it once and for all. It is a matter that I consider central to our harmonious progress, both as a country and the region.

· I also want to put the record straight on the issue raised in respect of the winning strategy of the NRM in the last elections. The Wikileaks gives the impression that I under estimated percentage points President Museveni could garner to only 49% 10% points fewer than what he received in 2006. While this is true to an extent, I, however was referring to our parties standing prior to the official campaign period and of course mindful of the fact that there were issues we needed to address such as the tension between the central government and Buganda, and a whole host of other sensitive issues at the time. I however had no doubt in my mind that once the campaign machinery of the NRM was rolled out we would be able to reclaim our ground and gain percentage – wise. This was indeed the case when most of northern Uganda, Teso and Busoga yielded to my party’s campaign effort.

Above every other consideration, I am strongly of the view that those who love both our party and country must stand up to be counted both in the informal and formal discussions that will follow arising from the progressive issues in the wikileak. As I have said, I will bring these matters for consideration in the correct fora in my party and country.

2). About my own political future, I will at the appropriate time launch appropriate comprehensive consultations within the party and beyond with the sole view of weighing my options in respect of a post – President Museveni era.


DR. FLT. CAPT.GEORGE MIKE MUKULA PhD (MP)
NATIONAL VICE- CHAIRMAN NRM EASTERN REGION
MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT SOROTI MUNICIPALITY

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FDC’s Sam Akaki recovering after possible assassination by poisoning in Oslo:

Sep 11, 11 11:51 PM

By Dr. Vincent Magombe (London, 11/09/2011)

The FDC Special Envoy to the UK and the European Union, Mr. Sam Akaki, may have survived an assassination attempt by NRM regime functionaries, who he believes were sent to an anti-NRM seminar in Oslo, Norway, where he was a main speaker, with the sole intention of killing him. The seminar took place on Thursday 8 September 2011.

Akaki was on a Scandinavian Airlines plane heading back to London Heathrow from the Norwegian capital Oslo when, one hour into the flight, he collapsed and fainted. He was attended to by one of the passengers who was a doctor. Both his blood pressure and pulse/heartbeat had dropped to dangerous levels. An ambulance was called to Heathrow airport, where Sam Akaki was given emergence treatment as soon as the plane landed there.

Mr. Sam Akaki says he believes that he was specifically targeted by the Museveni regime, which dispatched NRM operatives to trail him from London to Oslo. He appeared to have signed his own death warrant when he told the Oslo meeting that “…Uganda under Museveni was a fool’s paradise because Museveni the mortal man had effectively become the supreme institution of state”, and that he, Museveni, “personally controls the army, judiciary, police, state intelligence, the Electoral Commission and civil service from national to village levels.”

Mr. Akaki told the seminar that, “…like Somalia, the DRC and the Ivory Coast; Uganda will also become a failed state the day Museveni dies.”

While one London member of NRM, Mr. Robert Egwea, was invited by the Norwegian Council for Africa to speak on behalf of the NRM at the event, a second top regime functionary in the UK and Ireland arrived uninvited in Oslo, and managed to book himself in the same hotel as Mr. Sam Akaki and Dr. Vincent Magombe, the London-based journalist who was also invited as a main anti regime speaker. A very interesting fact in this unfolding story is that one of the NRM functionaries was supposed to return to London on the same plane with Mr. Sam Akaki in the early evening of Friday 9 September 2011, but he suddenly changed his flight plan, leaving instead on an early afternoon flight to an unknown destination. Before boarding his flight to London, Mr. Akaki expressed shock at this odd change of flight plan.

Dr. Vincent Magombe, who traveled on the same-London bound plane with Sam Akaki, reports that Akaki had to be laid down on the floor of the plane and stabilized by a doctor who happened to be on the plane. Passengers who were seated next to Akaki told of how he suddenly collapsed to one side and fainted. He was unconscious for a while, as the doctor and other first-aiders struggled to keep him alive.
The first words Mr. Akaki uttered on coming out of unconsciousness were: “It is the NRM people… NRM people…” He managed to air some puzzling questions, which will require some clear answers if the NRM regime is to absolve itself from the accusation of attempted murder of its own citizen abroad: “Why did these NRM people force their way to the seminar and book into the same hotel? Why did they invite themselves to an official dinner to which they were not expected? And, they demanded that they should be included on the pre-arranged list of guest speakers? Why?” Akaki asked in a very faint voice, and with great difficulty, before slipping back again into unconsciousness.

Toxicologists are due to carry out further tests on Mr. Akaki, who believes that in the end, it will be confirmed that he was the victim of targeted poisoning by the Kampala regime. Mr. Akaki is perhaps the most powerful and feared opponent of Mr. Museveni’s regime in the UK and Europe.

An assassination attempt on Mr. Akaki would not be without precedent. Museveni’s Chief Co-ordinator of both External and Internal Security, General David Tinyefuza has repeatedly threatened that he “will crash” UPC party president and former UN Assistant Secretary general Dr Olara Otunnu. Indeed Dr Otunnu has survived several assassination attempts including a state-managed car accident.

It is also a well known fact in Uganda that FDC’s Prince Kimera, Dr Sulaiman Kigundu and Joseph Musasizi Kifefe, Dr Besigye brother have already died from strange cancer-like conditions in the last five years!” And President Museveni’s own former Head of Military Intelligence, Brigadier Noble Mayombo, died after what many Ugandans believed was targeted poisoning by the regime.

Several dictatorial African regimes are known to regularly target Diaspora-based democracy activists, a recent example being the Rwanda government of Mr. Paul Kagame, which was accused by the British authorities of sending assassination squads to the UK to eliminate UK-based anti-Kagame activists. The plot was, reportedly, busted by British Intelligence.

More updates on Mr. Sam Akaki’s condition will be posted as they come in.

Comments (5)

NWOYA INVADERS MUST GO

Sep 10, 11 4:26 PM

Dr. Ephraim Kamuhangire, Senior Presidential Advisor on Culture wrote in The New Vision, Friday, September 2, 2011, under the headline “There is value in pastoralists.” He was responding to an article by Nwoya woman Member of Parliament (M.P), Lilly Adong, which had appeared in the same paper on August 24. Adong’s article was, in turn, a response to an article by Bosco Ochira in the same paper of August 18. All the three articles were about the invasion of Nwoya by Balaalo.

Dr. Kamuhangire made some factual errors, which must not go uncorrected. He claims that records of the 1931 population census show that there were 30 Balaalo in Kyoga, then part of Lango District. What has that number got to do with the current and on-going invasion of various districts by Balaalo? Quoting ancient figures does not help solve the problems being caused to other Ugandans by the Balaalo.

It is true that the cattle of Balaalo destroy people’s crops in Nwoya. The presence of Balaalo cannot, therefore, be of value to the people whose crops are being destroyed. Hon. Adong was irrefutably clear and correct on this. In addition, the Balaalo are so arrogant that no reasonable person would welcome them. A story is told of a Mulaalo whose cattle destroyed two acres of somebody’s cassava in Nwoya, telling that person that “my cattle only eat the leaves but not the tubers which are in the ground.”

Kamuhangire does not seem to know the difference between pastoralism, nomadism and ranching. It is pastoralism that normally translates results in nomadic and transhumant society while ranching is an industry. To compare the ranches in Kiruhura with pastoralism which the Balaalo invaders are trying to export to Nwoya and elsewhere is to miss the point.

It is a big lie and a deliberate attempt to re-write history to state, as Dr. Kamuhangire did, that: “I need not remind us of the role the pastoralists played in the Lake Kyoga basin in the 1960s and 1970s in the establishment and sustenance of the Soroti meat packers.” There were no pastoralists, who owned animals, at the time in the Lake Kyoga basin. The Balaalo who were in Teso, Lango and Acholi at the time were employed as labourers to look after the cattle of the indigenous owners. We had one in our village called “Yowana”. They were paid in kind by milk and ghee. Later they started stealing the animals they were entrusted with and they were all chased away. The responsible UPC government had set up government ranches to supply Soroti meat packers, whose capacity was 2000 animals per day, to ensure constant and reliable supply.

The protection and promotion of Fundermental and Other Human Rights and Freedoms provided in Chapter Four of the 1995 Constitution are very clear. They have been part of all our constitutions since 1962. Article 29 (2)(a), which Dr. Kamuhangire, and others like him, seem to misinterpret does not protect the Balaalo who move to occupy land in other districts by force. It reads: “29. (2) Every Ugandan shall have the right – (a) to move freely throughout Uganda and reside and settle in any part of Uganda;” It is about the right of an individual, not a group of Balaalo moving with their animals on lorries and trailers to go and off-load them on other people’s land at night and at gun-point. People like Dr. Kamuhangire who support this method of land acquisition are the enemies of the integration of Ugandans as intended by the Constitution.

Dr. Kamuhangire says if there are Balaalo still left in Nwoya, they should be protected and those who have left should be encouraged to return. Protected and encouraged to return by who? By the state? Where would that leave the sanctity of land ownership? How can anybody advocate for the protection of invaders? The invaders must go, and they will go.

The most laughable and most unfortunate statement made by Dr. Kamuhangire is that allowing pastoralists to remain in Nwoya would provide employment to Acholi and the district would develop. Employment to do what? To look after and milk their cattle on our own land occupied without our consent? Pastoralists are by nature intrawards, incestuous, hardy, always seeking domination of neighbouring settled cultivators and troubling central governments. They will never employ anybody from a different group. So, what is Dr. Kamuhangire talking about?

The people of Nwoya and the people of Acholi as a whole are united against any move to grab their land. I call upon the Acholi MPs in the 9th Parliament to forget their partisan differences, unite and continue to spearhead the struggle to defend our heritage and the only asset left – The Land.

J. L. Okello-Okello

Consultant Valuer &

Former MP (Chua)

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