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“Government to help restore Kasubi tombs” – President Museveni

Government will assist in the restoration of the vandalized Buganda Kingdom tombs at Kasubi in Kampala. The structure that houses some tombs of Buganda’s Kings was set ablaze last night by yet unknown people.

The announcement was made by President Yoweri Museveni this afternoon during an impromptu visit to the site where he directed for immediate investigations into the cause of the fire to establish whether it was deliberate arson or an act of God. He expressed disappointed that the scene had been interfered with.

“I am suspicious but I don’t know whether it was a deliberate act or an accident. Unfortunately these people have interfered with the scene of the crime because we would have been able to ascertain if it was intended arson. Government will see how it can assist in undoing the damage caused”, the President confirmed

Present were Presidential Adviser, Mr. Robert Sebunya, Buganda Transport Minister Mr. Kabuuza Mukasa and Rubaga LC3 Chairperson, Pastor Peter Ssematimba.

ENDS

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Parliamentarians   today evening expressed sympathy over the indiscriminate killings that took place at Kasubi Tombs where so far five people have been confirmed dead.

Nalubega Mariam, Central Youth MP narrated to Parliament how a person who was lying next to him on the ground was shot dead yet she had obliged to lay on the ground for safety.

Hussein Kyanjo, Makindye West MP who was among MPs who visited Kasubi in the morning said he saw an armed security officer in civilian clothes shooting through people. 

The Acting Leader of Opposition Kassiano Wadri said this is the third most unfortunate event that has befallen Buganda. “The first one was in 1966, another in September where over 20 people were killed.” He wondered why the burning of the tombs has happened in this era yet they survived in the harshest of regimes and coups.

The Minister of State for Internal Affairs Matia Kasaija promised to produce a detailed report on what happened.

But some members were concerned that nothing has come of earlier investigations like the fires that gutted the markets and Buddo. It remains to be seen how government will respond to the seemingly simmering tensions among the Baganda.

By Bob Roberts Katende

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Foreign Affairs Minister Sam Kahamba Kuteesa has admitted involvement in the procurement and hire of BMW vehicles at a cost of Ushs.9.4 billion shillings for use during the Commonwealth heads of state and government meeting (Chogm) Kampala 2007. He, however, denies any wrong doing.

“At no time did I influence the decision to purchase or lease. The final decision to lease was made during a meeting presided over by the President,” he told the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).

PAC is investigating how the CHOGM Cabinet Sub-committee managed the budget for the event amidst allegations of corruption.

Kuteesa who appeared before the committee on the morning of March 16 is the first of eight Ministers expected to appear before PAC.

He said that the decision to lease the cars was made during a Feb.12, 2007 meeting at State House Nakasero where President Yoweri Museveni opposed the purchase of cars on grounds that about 100 cars bought in the run up to the 1987 Preferential Trade Area submit held in Kampala could not be traced.

The president, he said, also had reservations about the cost of maintaining the BMW vehicles.

The Minister also denied allegations of conflict of interest and influence peddling in the award of the tender to Euro Car, the firm which supplied the cars that were leased.

He said that Euro Car was incorporated in April 2005 with his family campany, SECI obtaining 20 percent shares. Other shareholders, he said, were Albert Gataare with 30 percent shares, Eugene Nyagahene with 20 percent shares and Robert Kabonero with 30 percent shares.

He said that he surrendered SECI’s interests in the firm and sold his shares to Robert Kabonero on August 09, 2005 long before Uganda was confirmed as venue for Chogm.

“Procurement of the vehicles was done in 2007. I’ve been seeing innuendos suggesting that I pulled out of the company in order to benefit but I had ceased being a shareholder more than two years before Chogm. I should have been a magician to know that Uganda would be the venue,” he said.

Uganda was confirmed as the venue for the meeting in November 2005, during a commonwealth meeting held in Malta.

BY ISAAC MUFUMBA

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 President Museveni has hit back in a continuing row with donors telling them not to ask questions about governance.

The media fraternity and human rights activists have rejected the proposed Press and Journalists (Amendment) Bill, 2010.

Dr Olara Otunnu has been elected Uganda Peoples Congress president, wresting control of the party leadership from the family of Obote.

Bars in Kampala and other urban centres will soon be required not to operate beyond 10:00pm when the amended Enguli (liquor) Act is passed into law.

The  Inspector General of Police, Maj. Gen. Kale Kayihura, on Saturday ordered the arrest of six Police constables and a Umeme engineer over breaking into houses of illegal power consumers.

A row has erupted over the ownership of the National Bank of Commerce involving high-profile NRM politicians. One group of shareholders accuses the other of hijacking the bank and using it for their own benefit.

In a surprise move, the chairman of the parliamentary public accounts committee (PAC), Nandala Mafabi, has denied asking the UBC to carry out a value-for-money audit of the publicity activities for the 2007 CHOGM by Saatchi & Saatchi.

The Observer writes that Otunnu and Besigye are expected to work together and possibly run as joint candidates.

Opposition political parties on Friday called on the international community to pile pressure on President Museveni and compel him to accept proposed electoral reforms if meaningful general elections are to be held next year.

The Rwandan government has asked South Africa to arrest renegade Lt Gen Kayumba Nyamwasa.

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This week a historic legislation aimed at ending Africa’s longest-running war passed by the United States Senate. The bill would require President Obama to develop a strategy to address ongoing mass atrocities by the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) across three countries in

Africa. After more than 260 hours of a round-the-clock “hold-out” conducted by dozens of activists outside Senator Tom Coburn’s (R-OK) Oklahoma City office, Senator Coburn – the one Senator yet to agree to the bill’s passage – relented and allowed the bill to go through.

“We celebrate this significant victory and thank the bill's Senate champions for their hard work to get it passed. But we also know that it is just one step toward our ultimate goal of seeing the leadership from this country needed to finally end Joseph Kony’s campaign of terror,” said Michael Poffenberger, Executive Director of Resolve Uganda. “We will continue to work until this bill is signed into law and the international community, with U.S. leadership, finally steps up to the plate to end the LRA's senseless atrocities."

The bill, known as the *Lord’s Resistance Army Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act*, was introduced by Senators Russ Feingold (D-WI) and Sam Brownback (R-KS) and has more bipartisan cosponsors than any Africa-focused bill in at least three decades. If passed by the House of Representatives and signed into law, it will require President Obama to submit to Congress a strategy to work with regional governments to apprehend top LRA commanders, improve civilian protection, and ensure affected communities have access to humanitarian relief.

“It was knowledge of the LRA’s ongoing violence – and the way it is impacting thousands of innocent people’s lives – that motivated activists to take such extreme measures to get this legislation across the finish line,” said Lisa Dougan, Director of Communications. “Something this urgent, where so many precious children are being abducted and forced to do horrific things, deserves our sacrifice.”

In the last two months, the Ugandan rebel group has massacred hundreds of civilians in DR Congo, South Sudan, and Central African Republic, and abducted hundreds more, including many children who are forced to serve as soldiers or “wives” of rebel fighters. The scale of LRA violence is currently outpacing the region’s other better-known conflicts.

To convince Senator Coburn to allow the bill to pass, dozens of activists refused to leave the sidewalk outside his office until a compromise was reached, ultimately staying there 24-hours a day for more than eleven days.

Oklahoman Mark Nehrenz, an organizer of the “Oklahoma Hold Out”, said, “Over the last eleven days and nights, I have stood beside, slept beside, and  frozen beside amazingly committed individuals from this state and all over this country. It has been painful and cold, but worth every last second.

This is just too important. What has happened here has been a monumental achievement towards peace and justice in central Africa. As a movement, we found our voices this week, and we will not be silent. We are here to stay."

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Today, President Yoweri Museveni launched a National Resistance Movement (NRM) Communication Bureau at Kamwokya, on the outskirts of Kampala.

NRM party spokesperson Karoro Okurut said the bureau will be used to “inform the public about the party and to respond to venom against it.”  It will also be used to register new party members, she added.

Museveni said that the bureau will ride on the new innovations in the telecom industry to reach the over 14 million mobile telephone subscribers.  He added that since the population has more than doubled, there’s need to preserve the history of the party for posterity.

“Many people have been coming to Kampala for basic information but now most party leaders have mobile phones and we will use this bureau to provide them with such information.”

Karoro explained that the bureau has a photo gallery and a website (www.nrm.ug) that will be updated every day to keep the party supporters abreast of goings-on in the country. Party members who wish to find out any updates from the party may send a text message to 6760 on any network.

For supporters who may wish to engage in debate on topical issues, Karoro said that a functional blog is already in place.

The NRM which has been in power for the last 24 years hopes to use its bureau to disseminate its manifesto for the next presidential election.

By Bob Roberts Katende

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The bill for road works done under the Commonwealth Heads of State and Government Meeting (Chogm) 2007 in Kampala is expected to rise above the Shs.96 billion figure previously quoted, the lead counsel of the Public Accounts Committee of parliament, Tom Kazibwe, has said.

The legislator revealed that while Shs 21.7 billion is what was initially budgeted for Chogm roads, the committee has since discovered that government spent more than Shs.96.4 billion and more debts are being unearthed.

Kazibwe’s comments followed the appearance on Thursday morning of senior officials of the Ministry of Works before the Public Accounts Committee.

The officials who were led by the Permanent Secretary, Charles Muganzi and Acting Chief Engineer, Mugisa Obyero, revealed that ministers used their positions to divert money meant for public roads under Chogm. Some of it was used to pay for private access roads leading up to properties in which the ministers have interests.

The officials claimed that the diversions were effected without the knowledge of the Ministry’s accounting officers.

The committee heard that State Minister for Regional Cooperation, Isaac Musumba, had Works Minister John Nasasira work on Sserunkuma Road, a private lane leading to his Enkombe Apartments in Mbuya, a Kampala suburb, while Works State Minister John Byabagambi allegedly connived with the Chief Engineer Sam Bagonza to spend Shs.12.6 million on a lane on Kitante Road leading to Ibamba Restaurant owned by former agriculture minister and Nyabushozi MP Mary Mugyenyi.

Minister Byabagambi has since denied any wrong doing, but his Regional Cooperation colleague, Isaac Musumba was not available for comment.

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Vice President Gilbert Bukenya has accepted to appear alone before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament.

The committee’s lead counsel MP, Tom Kazibwe (Ntenjeru North) told the press on yesterday afternoon that Bukenya will appear before the committee on the morning of March 25 as earlier was demanded by the committee. Bukenya had defied an earlier summon to appear before the committee on March.17.

PAC wants Bukenya to explain the award of a controversial Shs9.4 billion deal to provide cars for the Commonwealth Heads of State and Government Meeting (Chogm) 2007 in Kampala. Legislators on the committee say that the award of the tender, which was first given to Spear Motors Ltd for outright purchase but was later converted into a lease arrangement and awarded to Europcar/Motorcare, contravened government procurement regulations.

The Vice President had in a March 3 letter demanded to appear before the committee along with other members of the Chogm cabinet committee. Bukenya, other senior ministers and members of the Chogm cabinet committee are accused of “arm twisting” permanent secretaries into entering contracts in which billions of tax payers’ money was lost.

The VP earlier wrote:  “The Cabinet sub-committee made decisions collectively…. it is therefore my view that the Sub-committee of Cabinet on Chogm 2007 meets your committee as whole rather than individual meetings with various ministers.”

PAC on March 9 rejected Bukenya’s demand as an attempt to “dodge accountability of public funds”.

“The Vice President should stop hiding behind the mob; each minister has his own cross to carry and we regret to inform him that each minister must answer individually” said the Chairman of the committee Nandala Mafabi.

The committee also threatened to block Cabinet ministers who supervised projects as part of the November 2007 Chogm from travel abroad until they have accounted for their actions.

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Following general public outcry over the deteriorating health sector, His excellency, the President of the Republic of Uganda set up the Medicines and Health Services Delivery monitoring unit. This was meant to be a partial solution to the numerous problems identified within the sector. Already existing measures to revamp the health sector are as follows: Funding to the health sector has been significantly increased; and more than one thousand health centres have been constructed. The government on its part has decentralized health care; and most of these health units are under the direct supervision of the district local governments. It is mainly the failure of this supervisory role that led to the deterioration of these services and facilities. Other parallel solutions to augment these  efforts are underway; for example, increase of health workers’ salaries in the next financial year and attracting and retaining more technical man-power within the sector.

This unit was set up in September 2009. In the last five months of operation, we have noticed a recurrence of the following problems that continue to plague our country’s health sector: corruption and embezzlement of funds channeled to the sector; absentee medical personnel; ghost health personnel and ghost health centers; theft of government drugs, health supplies and installations; understaffing that has led to unbearable work-loads for health workers. The following can further shed some light on the magnitude of the problem:

·         In Sironko district, 252 dedicated health workers had never appeared on the pay-roll even after being confirmed as health workers of the district.

·         In Mubende, a big number of children lost and are still losing lives  to treatable illnesses especially Malaria. Notwithstanding the fact that malaria drugs are availed to all districts by National Medical Stores and are misappropriated by some individuals.

·         In Manafwa, an in-charge of one of the government health centres is under investigation for making off with X-ray machines, an ambulance, gas canisters and drugs.

·         We have found that the greater number of private clinics are not registered, and worse still have unqualified staff running these clinics.

·         Concerning understaffing, Isingiro district has only one doctor employed by the government yet it has close to 60 health facilities. He is the DHO and has to coordinate  all  administrative work as well.

The above malpractices continue unabated all over the country with impunity,  mostly because health workers are perceived as a special group, mainly due to their scarcity in the country. It, however, should be noted that the era of taking Ugandans’ lives for granted is over. The long arm of the law shall reach any one, health worker or not, within the borders of this country that is involved in any form of unethical behavior. This action shall not exclude individuals or groups of individuals that infringe on health workers’ rights; like the right to be appropriately compensated for their work and the right to work in a safe environment. It is no longer acceptable. Ugandans have said no and justice shall be seen to be done.

We are not working alone in this enormous fight. Thus far, we have had tremendous support from civil society and health professionals within the sector. We are also working in close proximity with the police, the office of the Directorate of Public Prosecutions, IGG’s office, District Local Governments, health professional bodies and other security organs. It should hence be understood clearly that we are not here to antagonize or duplicate already existing efforts, but are here to fill an obvious gap; so that together with the existing institutions, we can achieve the desired goal; an efficient and graft free health care system with an equally well remunerated health work force.

We still call upon the public to work hand-in-hand with us, and also encourage all health professionals to join in this effort to clean the health sector. Furthermore, the ministry of health needs to increase on its already existing monitoring efforts. The health professional bodies like the medical council, pharmaceutical society of Uganda and the Allied health professionals’ body need to increase on their vigilance.

Lastly, yesterday Tuesday, the 9^th of March 2010; Dr. Richard Ndyomugyenyi- project manager, National Malaria Control Programme, Dr. Myers Lugemwa – focal person monitoring and evaluation, NMCP and Mr. Martin Shibeki were arrested by the police and charged under reference E/075/2010 of CID Headquaters Kibuli. Dr. Ndyomugyenyi- is charged with corruption contrary to section 2(i) of the Anti-corruption Act 6 of 2009 for neglecting to ensure the proper management of the Chinese donated drugs, duo-cotecxin and arco. Whilst Dr. Myers and Shibeke are jointly charged with corruption contrary to section 2 (h) of the Anti-corruption Act 6 of 2009 who by their acts or omissions caused the requisition and distribution of antimalarial drugs for the purpose of illicitly obtaining benefits for themselves or for third parties. We cannot further comment on a case that is due to be heard before a court of law.

We call upon the media to be accurate in its reporting and to further our cause for better health service within our country.

Thank you.

FOR GOD AND MY COUNTRY.

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A Kenyan student of Kampala International University (KIU) is held at Kabalagala Police station for allegedly stabbing her boyfriend to death.

Three top officials in the Ministry of Health who were in charge of the malaria control programme were yesterday remanded to Luzira Prison after they were charged with corruption.

The World Organisation (WHO) has finally approved the antiretroviral drugs manufactured in Kampala by Quality Chemicals Industries, a local pharmaceutical giant.

Prime Minister Apolo Nsibambi was discharged from hospital yesterday, two days after being involved in a helicopter crash, injuring his back.

Heavy rains have cut off sections of the Kabale-Katuna highway, leaving dozens of trucks and several travellers stranded in Kabale town and at Katuna border post.

Experts yesterday put government on notice that another devastating landslip is likely within the Mt. Elgon range.

The Mengo establishment has supported a recent petition lodged with The Hague-based International Criminal Court (ICC), seeking the indictment of President Museveni over the September 2009 riot killings in Kampala and parts of the country.

Ministers who supervised Chogm projects have protested a planned move by the parliamentary Public Accounts Committee to ban them from travelling abroad until they have accounted for their actions in the alleged abuse of funds.

The Banyankore Cultural Foundation has written to Omukama of Bunyoro Kitara kingdom, Solomon Gafabusa Iguru warning him against interfering in the affairs of Ankole kingdom.

Nasser Ntege Sebaggala, the losing candidate in the DP president general’s election says the new party Leader Norbert Mao is not that popular in his home region, northern Uganda, as he claims.

A former Supreme Court Justice has strongly criticised the opposition Inter-Party Alliance’s push for electoral reforms, saying the opposition should instead focus on ensuring that the existing electoral laws are enforced.

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