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Gender parity possible – says Dr. Speciosa

By
Our Reporter
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Dr. Speciosa Wandira-Kazibwe
Dr. Speciosa Wandira-Kazibwe
Dr. Speciosa Wandira-Kazibwe
Dr. Speciosa Wandira-Kazibwe

Kampala – Former Vice President Dr. Speciosa Wandira-Kazibwe assures Ugandan women that the time is now to reignite processes for ensuring gender parity by 2030. She was recently speaking at a Dinner in Kampala organized by the UN Women in celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Beijing Platform for Action. The Dinner brought together over 40 women achievers from across the country.

Dr. Wandira-Kazibwe emphasized the need for women to actively engage in elective politics at all levels as a precursor to realizing their dreams. She noted with concern that women have traditionally been offered lesser positions in government, and underscored the importance of having a woman among the top three executive positions in the country. “Let us make women enjoy voting fellow women. Let us work as a team,” she anchored.

The former VP, encouraged women to enjoy being called by their own names, live by them and not to always move in their father’s or husband’s shadow. She also particularly spoke about the names parents choose for their children, saying that the meanings of the same sometimes follow them into their adult life.

At the Dinner, one by one, the women rose to their feet and enumerated scores of their personal achievements at various levels. They included businesswomen, politicians, career diplomats, educationists, agriculturalists, heads of NGOs, and members of Ugandan security Forces.

Addressing the guests via Video link, the Assistant Secretary General, also Deputy Executive Director UN Women Ms. Lakshmi Puri noted that the world had experienced a transformational effect at the 1995 Beijing Conference, and would never be the same again. She urged all women in Uganda to make Gender equality a personal project and to hold leaders accountable for their commitments on women issues.

Dr. Wandira-Kazibwe led the African women’s delegation to the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing (1995), which set a path-breaking agenda on women’s rights. Since this memorable occasion, the world has seen a paradigm shift with women taking the bull by its horns and catapulting themselves into top positions world over.

Women world leaders in recent times include;  Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf of Liberia, Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany, Dilma Vana Linhares Rousseff of Brazil, Atifete Jahjaga of Kosovo, Helle Thorning-Schmidt of Denmark, Portia Simpson-Miller of Jamaica, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma of South Africa, Park Geun-hye of South Korea, Erna Solberg of Norway, Laimdota Straujuma of Latvia, Michelle Bachelet Jeria of Chile, Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca of Malta, Ewa Kopacz of Poland, Simonetta Sommaruga of Switzerland,  and Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović of Croatia-the list is far longer.

cninsiima@eagle.co.ug

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Annual inflation shoots to 1.9%

By
Our Reporter
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Kampala – The Annual Headline Inflation for the year ending March 2015 increased to 1.9%  compared to 1.6% (revised) that was recorded for the year ended February 2015, the Uganda Bureau of Statistics Executive Director Ben Paul Mungyereza says in press statement.

This was mainly attributed to a 3.7 % rise in Annual Core prices for the year ending March 2015 compared to an earlier rise of 3.3% (revised) that was recorded in February 2015.

However, the Annual EFU inflation declined to 0.8% for the year ending March 2015 compared to 1.8% rise registered in February 2015. On the other hand, the Annual Food Crops registered a deflation of 6.0%, compared to the deflation of 7.0% that was registered in February 2015.

Annual Headline Inflation by Centre

Arua centre registered the highest Annual Inflation of 4.8% compared to 2.9% that was recorded in February 2015. This was driven by high price levels for food, clothing & footwear and rent. Kampala High Income registered the second highest Annual Inflation of 2.5% compared to 1.6% that was recorded in February 2015.

The main drivers were high price levels of clothing, rent, furniture and education charges. Mbale centre registered the third highest Annual Inflation of 2.2%, compared to 2.4% recorded in February 2015. The main drivers were high price levels of clothing, rent and household equipments.

 Food And Non-Food Inflation

There was a continued deflation in Annual Food prices to 2.2% in March 2015 compared to the deflation of 3.0% recorded during the year ended February 2015.

This is mainly attributed to the consistent fall of prices of some staple foods in most centres. The Annual Non-Food Inflation registered 4.1% increase for the year ending March 2015 compared to 3.9% increase recorded for the year ended February 2015.

 Other Goods and Services Inflation

The Annual Inflation for Other Goods increased to 2.4% in March 2015 compared to 1.8% recorded for the year ended February 2015. The Annual Inflation for Services registered 4.8% in March 2015 the same rate recorded for the year ended.

Monthly Inflation

The Monthly Headline Inflation for March 2015 rose by 1.5% from the 0.7% rise recorded in February 2015. Similarly, the Monthly Core Inflation increased by 0.5% in March 2015 from the 0.7% increase recorded in February 2015. The monthly Food Crops Inflation for March 2015 increased by 7.6% from the 0.4% rise observed in February 2015. However, the monthly EFU Inflation for March 2015 dropped by 0.6% from the 0.9% decrease observed in February 2015

The Monthly Food Inflation, which includes food crops and processed foods, went up by 4.7% during the month. The drivers were an increase in prices of matooke, sweet potatoes, Irish potatoes, passion fruits, water melon, bitter tomatoes, green pepper, beans, meat, fish and milk in most centers. However, there was a decrease in prices for cassava, oranges, pineapples, sweet bananas and carrots. In the non-food category, a decrease in prices was recorded for kerosene, petrol, diesel and charcoal. On the other hand, an increase in prices was observed for firewood,clothing and cement in most centers during the month.

gamme@eagle.co.ug

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Full interview: Bukenya records Museveni in London meet

By
Richard Wanambwa
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Prof . Gilbert Bukenya is a former Vice President of the Republic of Uganda and lately, he says he wants to oust his former boss
Prof . Gilbert Bukenya is a former Vice President of the Republic of Uganda and lately, he says he wants to oust his former boss

Prof . Gilbert Bukenya is a former Vice President of the Republic of Uganda and lately, he says he wants to oust his former boss President Yoweri Museveni from the top seat. Eagle Online’s Richard Wanambwa caught up with Prof. Bukenya on his campaign for presidency and how a meeting between him and Mr Museveni in London last year has not yielded fruits for his return to the manifold.

Below is the excerpt

You have been quiet and everybody is asking what is Bukenya up to and so what you are doing?

That is not true, I have been everywhere and only about four days ago, I visited Democratic Party (DP) headquarters and we had very fruitful discussions and so I have been and I am around doing politics. However, the issue is that as a leader, you don’t have to be everywhere. However,  a leader must spare time off and use his /her brain and constructively and our biggest interest is not city people, yes, we like them, love them and we are supportive of them but we must go to the grassroots and that is where the ruling party National Resistance Movement (NRM) has been giving people money.  So we must go and undo those things to change the attitude of the people at the grassroots and I can assure you many have changed.

Which areas in particular have you made inroads?

First of all, let me start by thanking people in rural areas of Buganda, Busoga, Northern Uganda, Karamoja and even parts of Western Uganda because my emphasis is in the rural population. It is the rural population that the NRM has been capitalizing on for reasons being that they are less concerned about the situation in the country. Actually some of them have been kept in very poor situation. Imagine that giving someone just a mere Shs500 coin, and that person will thank and praise you as if he/she hasn’t earned it in five years. So because of that we want to start civic education in rural areas.

But because this man (Museveni) wastes a lot of money  like Jonathan Good luck (outgoing Nigerian president)has been doing in Nigeria on these elections, we have to tell our people you eat the money like Nigerians did on Jonathan but vote for a proper new system.

What was your main purpose of visiting DP?

By the way, I have visited many parties and it is not true that I started with DP, I started with the Conservative Party and we discussed many things. I have met Abed Bwanika and his party leadership, and so it isn’t DP that I have met first. But it is the DP that I have visited first at their headquarters and the reason why I did that is very clear. DP is a big party and old as it has been around and has a lot of experience in politics and we want to pull them out of the opposition by creating a coalition with them as we go forward to win these coming elections.

Is a coalition possible here?

Yes, it is possible and why coalitions haven’t been possible in the past is because coalition was being debated only at the party headquarters without involving people down and without saying everything transparently. And if you want to have a coalition, you must remove your jacket and put everything on the table. I have this ambition and I have thrown away this ambition and like when I was talking to the DP people, I told them yes, I have announced my presidential bid (candidature) but should there be a candidate that will sail us through to the presidency and we remove this government, I will remove my coat and support him or her.

But who is a suitable candidate?

A suitable candidate is a person who has numbers and it is not talking and making noise and if you don’t have numbers, please don’t waste our time. We want numbers and like in Nigeria, my preferred candidate was my friend Mr Abubakar Atiku a former Vice President but when they went to pick who was the most formidable candidate for their party, they found Mr Buhari formidable and Atiku acknowledged and indeed he did campaign for Mr Buhari. And Buhari didn’t waste their energies.

So basing on that, let me tell the opposition parties, they must be able to say this is what I can deliver but not because I am from this party. And once you agree to this concept then one with a large following takes it all.

People say that one of the reasons why you went to your former party (Bukenya was formerly a member of DP) is because Mr Norbert Mao is unwell and therefore, you want to assert yourself a DP’s flag bearer for 2016.  What is view on the above statement?

I didn’t go to DP because there is a power vacuum there but again, I have had discussions with Mr Mao before and we talk on phone and I wish him a quick recovery. I didn’t visit because there was a vacuum and I want to go in and I don’t want to believe that there is no another credible candidate in DP. There are many and I know they are there and because they haven’t pulled their heads out. However, it isn’t any of the above for me but it is going with one appeal and the message is that you guys in opposition let us unite and have a single formidable candidate then we shall win Museveni but if we continue the way we are we’re doomed.

Can opposition win an election without making an alliance with those disgruntled within NRM party?

If united yes they can win and why not and it is not only we who have got off the NRM bus that can manage but if you are united and if in the past the opposition had a common front, they would have won and the major problem has been pretence because they have not been transparently discussing these issues. Some people have an agenda which they want to impose on another party and that is the way how life has been going.

However, I am saying let us come clean, transparent and then we setup a system that will win the elections and this appeal is just for one month and after one month, it will be too late because there won’t be time but just accept and salute Mr Museveni at swearing in.

Recently you were heard during an interview saying former Leader of Opposition in Parliament Nathan Nandala Mafabi can make a good leader, what did you mean?

I didn’t say that, I only said that if I am to negotiate a coalition I would rather negotiate with people who have numbers and I said for example, believe it or not, Nandala Mafabi has the numbers behind him in the mountains of Eastern Uganda and there is no doubt about it. Likewise, there could be someone for numbers somewhere else. For Nandala he has numbers and I will negotiate with him. And when you see how coalitions work, they work into systems and the first system is party to party and is very difficult and you can see President Kenyatta in Kenya resigned from the chairmanship of KANU and formed a small party to enable him negotiate to go into coalition. It isn’t political parties but individuals who matter and if it were parties then Kenyatta wouldn’t have left KANU.

Are you willing to work with your political foes of yesterday for 2016?

I have said it several times and I will be willing to work with anybody and a positive to change the system which is collapsing anytime. However, we may have to solve some of those problems of the past.  And I don’t believe in pretence but we will have to face each other man to man talk about those problems, find solutions and then work together.  I am willing to work with foes but a blanket welcome.

Information available to Eagle online indicates that you did meet the President Museveni in London last year while he was from UN general assembly. What was these discussions for or you are about to do U-turn?

I have never struck a deal with President Museveni and I have never talked with him about politics of tomorrow. Yes, I met him in London on totally different things and there was nothing to do with politics and I have carefully kept a transcript of our discussion and at a later date if he continues to tell lies in news papers, I will bring out that transcription and you will see what we talked about.

Have you engaged Dr Kizza Besigye on the coalition discussion despite him being outside the current leadership of Forum for Democratic Change (FDC)?

Let me be honest with you, politics or no politics things are going to change in Uganda and I sympathize with my friends from Western Uganda and if they stand, it will be very difficult to win an election in Uganda. And I really want to say it clearly politics having been in Western Uganda for 30 years and having gotten that politics from Buganda which suffered massively during the war of liberation and in my sub county, we have 730 buried in a mass grave and Eastern region having been there without ruling this country, it is time for them to understand that they are wasting their time. They must join positive forces from other parts of Uganda to win an election but I doubt if anyone is eagerly waiting and is from Western Uganda to defeat Museveni in an election.

How is your upland rice project doing?

You know what amuses me is how Ugandans are double faced and even this government is double faced; they know what wonderful things that came out because of upland rice. The government has been quietly buying seeds of upland rice and distributing them to farmers and the only thing which disappointments is that the farmers refer to it as Bukenya’s rice. And I can tell them that I will uproot them whenever there is upland rice because I struggled as I went there as they abused me including newspapers that called names because of wearing gumboots. I can tell you this gun mentality is soon going and Uganda will grace brains to run it.

rwanambwa@eagle.co.ug

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Bukenya records Museveni in London meet

By
Our Reporter
-
Prof . Gilbert Bukenya is a former Vice President of the Republic of Uganda and lately, he says he wants to oust his former boss
Prof . Gilbert Bukenya is a former Vice President of the Republic of Uganda and lately, he says he wants to oust his former boss
Prof . Gilbert Bukenya is a former Vice President of the Republic of Uganda and lately, he says he wants to oust his former boss
Prof . Gilbert Bukenya is a former Vice President of the Republic of Uganda and lately, he says he wants to oust his former boss

Former Vice President and Busiro North legislature, Prof. Gilbert Bukenya has disclosed that he recorded president Museveni when the principals met in a London secret meeting.

The Ex-VP also alleges that in that very meeting, Museveni suggested that he bails him (Bukenya) with Shs600m to return back to NRM.

In an exclusive interview with Eagle Online, Prof. Bukenya says he will at one time make it public should President Museveni go on maligning him.

“Yes, I met him in London on totally different things and there was nothing to do with politics and I have carefully kept a transcript of our discussion and at a later date if he continues to tell lies in news papers, I will bring out that transcription and you will see what we talked about.” Prof. Bukenya said.

Bukenya also told Eagle Online, that allying with people from Western Uganda to oust Museveni is a waste of time.

“I really want to say it clearly politics having been in Western Uganda for 30 years and having gotten that politics from Buganda which suffered massively during the war of liberation. He added “it is time for them to understand that they are wasting their time. They must join positive forces from other parts of Uganda to win an election but I doubt if anyone is eagerly waiting and is from Western Uganda to defeat Museveni in an election.”

rwanambwa@eagle.co.ug

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Workers at Kawempe stone site risk lung poisoning

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Our Reporter
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Kampala – As one walks up from the main road to the stone quarrying site at Jinja Kalori in Kawempe, on the outskirts of Kampala city, a magnificent rock emerges out of the foreground view. The closer you get at the site, the more you can see dark fumes in the air.

The women seated on the ground, hit rocks to get it into small sizes while the men pile sand unto the wheelbarrows, managing the fire in the rocks and shoveling stone dust at another level.

Nassazi Jane, a mother of five has spent 11 years doing this job to be able to fend for her family. The different kinds of stones are sold in terms of the carriers. A wheelbarrow goes for Shs7000 while a pickup at Shs100,000.

Currently their work has been slowed down due to the reduced use of tyres to burn the rocks. The tyres were cheaper to get and also fastens the pressure to crack down the rocks with a lot of moist easily.

“The tyres were bought at Shs300-500 compared to firewood bought at Shs5000 each log and this would increase the workload of hitting the stones but now with the use of firewood, there is reduced pressure on the rocks and hence less work load,” Nassazi said.

Nassazi says they minimally use the tyres because it has affected some of their colleagues and children when they inhale the fumes. “People complain about having problems in their lungs, sneezing black mucus and eventually have to seek medication. We have been advised not to use tyres again for our health benefit.”

The ordeal started from a Haji Kasozi’s child from Kano Enterprises, in the neighborhood, who suffered breathing problems due to the poisonous fumes. This created tension in neighborhood and prompted them to start using firewood.

Dr. Ibrahim Twinomujuni, a clinician at Makerere University Hospital said “Carbon monoxide (CO) is a most dangerous gas emitted by burning tyres and causes death by poisoning if inhaled for long and in big amounts. It is particularly dangerous because it is colourless, non-irritant and odourless”.

It is produced by the incomplete burning of organic substances particularly in homes by gas cookers, wood, coal or paraffin, and in vehicle exhaust fumes and in this case burning of tyres”.

Twinomujuni adds that CO binds to haemoglobin reducing the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood. Some of the symptoms of carbonmonoxide poisoning include; headache, nausea and vomiting, and drowsiness, hyperventilation and shivering.

Mrs. Sarah Kagwa, a native in the area, says the soot from the tyres goes to the roof and when it used to rain, they received dirty water.The soot also spoils wall paintings, washed clothes on the hang lines.

A house on the stone site spoiled by soot

Prevention and treatment

The first step in treating CO poisoning is to remove the patient from the source of exposure. The airway, breathing and circulation must be adequately maintained and oxygen given as soon as possible.

Twinomujuni advised the workers at the quarry to mask their eyes and mouths to avoid particles falling into the eyes, and gloves to protect the hands from sharp edged rocks.

Apart from the scorching sun, the workers face cuts from sharp stones, reduced work load in terms of slowing down the process to work on the rocks hence reduced income. The chemicals also affect their lungs thus causing chest pain.

However even after government officials including the local councilor at Kawempe visited the place; nothing has been done to help out the working conditions of the workers.

editorial@eagle.co.ug

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Muntu, Besigye in supremacy fight for FDC youths, 2016 flag

By
Our Reporter
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Dr Besigye
Dr Besigye
Dr Besigye was not given a chance to speak
Dr Besigye was not given a chance to speak

A row is brewing in the Forum for Democratic Change pitting factions loyal to founding President Kizza Besigye and his successor Gen Mugisha Muntu over what strategy the party should adopt in the run-up to next year’s election and who should fly the party’s presidential banner in the race.

A long simmering hushed tug of war between the two FDC principals was brought to the public fore following last month’s launch of a flagship programme dubbed “Uganda’s Leap Forward”-when Dr Besigye kicked up a storm  claiming that party officials sidelined him in drafting the policy document.

At the glitzy launch at Hotel Africana in Kampala, Dr Besigye was not given a chance to speak-leaving his frenzied supporters venting on social media. Sources involved in organizing the event intimated that the Dr Besigye was excluded because party officials were wary he could pour scorn on the policy document.

Dr Besigye kicked up a storm claiming that party officials sidelined him in drafting the policy document
Dr Besigye kicked up a storm claiming that party officials sidelined him in drafting the policy document

Following the event, Dr Besigye raised the matter with General Muntu.

But the General was adamant that Dr Besigye had attended a meeting at the Bugolobi based Royal Suites that drafted the document-missing the second meeting at Eureka Hotel in Ntinda, despite being invited.

“You raised with me the concern that you were not aware that there was a process for review to which I reminded you of your participation in the Bugolobi meeting which was one of the two review meetings that were held. You indicated to me that you did not recall,”General Muntu wrote to Besigye.

The General attached an attendance list to prove that Dr Besigye had attended the Royal Suites meeting-explaining that Dr Besigye neither attended nor responded to an invitation for the second meeting.

“About the content, we will have the opportunity to be more comprehensive when we prepare the Manifesto,”Gen Muntu wrote to Besigye.

Dr Besigye was also invited to a public launch at Nakivubo stadium and Iganga district –but he snubbed both events.

The disquiet over the drafting of the Leap Forward come on the heels of growing suspicion within the party that Dr Besigye is quietly mobilizing Opposition politicians to either him as a Coalition candidate or, in the worst case scenario, an Independent candidate.

Meetings have been held at Dr Besigye’s Katonga Road based office. The Opposition figure has reached out to youth groups allied to the Opposition-like the National Association of The Unemployed Youth.

A subsequent meeting organized in Mityana to drum up support for Dr Besigye’s 2016 candidature turned rowdy when one delegate questioned whether the meeting had the blessing of FDC secretariat at Najjanakumbi.

Rattled by the clandestine mobilization, Gen Muntu and the FDC Youth league on March 25 convened a meeting to give Dr Besigye chance to clear over allegations he was using youth groups to build a presidential bid.

He was also supposed to shed light on his insistence on street mobilization. But Dr Besigye was unrepentant, insisting that party officials are yet to get to grips with how they can use street mobilization to buttress covert maneuvers-that General Muntu insists on.

“Where most of the confusion lies in this subject of conflict or no conflict because some people do not understand some of the actions or maybe they are not comfortable with some of the actions. Action is a whole range of things that you can do—right from taking up guns,”Dr Besigye told the meeting of the Youth groups.

cninsiima@eagle.co.ug

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450 government vehicles involved in accidents in 2014

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Our Reporter
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The Uganda Police Force Director of Traffic and Road Safety, Steven Kasiima, has said the soon to be released annual crime and traffic road safety report, 2014, indicates that 453 government vehicles were involved in accidents in the year 2014.

This therefore means there has been zero difference with the year 2013 which also had the same number as indicated in that year’s Police report.

Speaking about the Uganda Police Force’s experiences, challenges and lessons in the management of government Vehicles, Kasiima who was the guest of honor at a public dialogue organized by the Uganda Debt Network (UDN), on reversing the tide against misuse of government vehicles, said, there has been a significant decrease in accidents caused by the Police and Prisons.

Kasiima held that in the prisons for instance, the number shot down to 5 in 2014 from 15 in 2013.

According to Kasiima, public officials continue to misuse public vehicles despite the provisions in The Uganda Public Service Standing Orders 2010, General Rule No.3 which provides that public officers shall safeguard public property entrusted to them ensuring no damage.

Kasiima listed the forms of misuse of public property as violating traffic regulations by using sirens to beat jam, using government vehicles for private errands, using vehicles after official hours, unauthorized drivers and poor maintenance.

He also said grounding of government vehicles and stealing fuel and lubricants are some of the misuses that continue to exist in government institutions.

According to the UDN executive Director, Patrick Tumwebaze, government should popularize the standing orders and institute more measures that hold officials allocated with public vehicles personally responsible and liable.

Tumwebaze also suggested that all government ministries, agencies and departments should install vehicle tracking systems for easy accountability of vehicle movements and fuel usage.

According to the Auditor General’s report by financial year 2009/2010, government expenditure on vehicle maintenance alone exceeded 100 billion, the same applied for the cost of fuel.

In 2006/2007 however, vehicle maintenance took shs 68 billion while fuel was Shs24 billion bringing the total expenditure to Shs92 billion.

However, according to Kasiima, in a bid to promote responsibility over government vehicles, police has established rules and procedure amongst which include submitting weekly reports and making police officers personally repair vehicles that are spoilt under them.

Kasiima said 4 District Police Commanders (DPCs) where directed to repair police vehicles and they did, 17 police drivers were criminally charged of which some are still in Luzira, and seven DPCs faced disciplinary action of which others are still on suspension.

“We are training and re-training police drivers, screening and re-screening them to ensure that we have the best drivers,” Kasiima said.

gamme@eagle.co.ug

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Absenteeism and backlog hinder business in Parliament

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Our Reporter
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Kampala – Accountability committees are always praised for their good work, but the current backlog burden they carry says otherwise. The committees are also dreaded for the massive load of work that they handle. However, backlog in Parliament cuts across all committees of the August house

Public Accounts Committee (PAC) is stuck with more than 300 undebated reports left behind by the previous group. The committee has some undebated Auditor General’s reports, value-for-money audits and inquiries dating WAY back as 2005.

To make matters worse, the Auditor General just released the new report for year 2014.

What the Law says

Article 163(4) and (5) of the Constitution says that the Auditor General shall submit to Parliament annually a report of the accounts audited by him or her for the financial year immediately preceding Parliament then debates and considers the report and takes appropriate action.

The reports are supposed to take 6 months for it to be completed, then the report is handled and Committee refers it back to the house. However the 6months for many of the accountability committees have progressed to years.

“The end result of the committees is also a challenge. Non action on the recommendations and findings de-motivates the committee members so the 6 months period is very hard to follow,” says MP Kwizera, a member of the PAC committee

He further added that the political conflicts within the committee kill morale for some of the NRM members go to accountability committees to defend or protect the interest of the government and opposition wants to criminalise everyone to show that government is not working.

According to MP Paul Mwiru, Vice chairperson PAC, backlogs are as a result of 3 issues, Capacity of the technical staff, report writing is wanting and the number of technical staff, initially PAC had 1 clerk and this largely explains the backlogs.

The committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (COSASE) and Local Government Accounts, has reports date way back to 2000 and hasn’t handled reports of 2013

The committee has registered just about 3 per cent performance, creating a huge backlog of 97 per cent of the reports to be handled by current chair, Mr Ibrahim Ssemuju Nganda (Kyaddondo East).

“We are bogged down and we are going to change our method of work. There are years where Parliament did not debate any reports at all from this committee and we cannot apply the same work method,” said Chairperson Committee MP Ssemujju Nganda

While addressing legislators at the end of year party for the 9th Parliament last year, Kadaga noted the embarrassment of backlog and complained that committees had failed to work within the legal time frame and promised to enforce the 45 day rule for bills referred to all committees.

Backlog on None accountability committees

Petitions, motions and bills are gathering dust in committees but for MPs, it is business as usual.

About the committee on legal and Parliamentary affairs, as of January 2015, the committee is still looking at the Parliamentary Pensions (Amendment) Bill, 2014,

Considering of the Reports from 2007-2013,IGG Reports

The Committee is also considering the petition on the under-performance on the Law Development Centre.

On the Committee on rules, privileges and discipline, status of business as at 13th January 2015.

The Committee is currently compiling a report on the allegations of bribery against the members of parliament about the termination UMEME contract.

The Committee has scheduled a study to Eastern Uganda from 20th January 2015 to assess the performance of Local Governments in the region.

Committee on physical infrastructure committee business status as of dec 31st 2014, there are four petitions pending from 2014, 4 petitions are placed on business to follow, one petition lost interest, there are 3 reports on business to follow, yet the committee has to look at the ministerial policy statements for the budget for Financial year 2015/2016.

As Parliament suffocates with backlog, deputy speaker Jacob Oulanyah informed the house that due to Government delay to submit the budget framework paper, budget bills and ministerial policy statements, Parliament is to handle the entire budget process in one month.

The Executive also has its flaws, for at the start of the Fourth Session, the government had proposed 64 new Bills but they have only brought one: Registration of Persons Bill, 2014.

“The Government promised to bring bills to this house but they haven’t, the Prime Minister should check on this “ said the Speaker Kadaga during ask the Prime minister session.

A treasury memorandum is then supposed to be prepared by the Permanent Secretary ministry of finance and Secretary to the Treasury (in this case, Keith Muhakanizi) but this has happened once during the 9th Parliament.

The Treasury memoranda to Parliament indicate government’s actions taken on Parliament’s recommendations arising from the report of the Auditor General. But PAC and COSASE got a Treasury memorandum was in the financial year 2004/2005.

This revelation would suggest that the government has never acted on the previous committees’ recommendations rendering their work redundant.

Way forward

Chair person PAC committee MP Alice Alaso suggests that to ensure the dedication of MPS to the committees, the chief whips should work with the chairperson to follow up on their attendance and monitor the performance of their MPS so that when they next apply to go to those committees they can refuse them, maybe it will improve the attendance.

Mr Kaasiano Wadri, when still PAC chair, once proposed that the committee be divided into two to handle various reports at the same time but structural and administrative problems were raised by Parliament with concerns that the committee needed two clerks, and two permanent committee rooms which could not be availed.

MP Kwizera a member of PAC suggests that the members of the Accountability committees should be members that understand accountability processes, not merely political, this would help fasten the works of a committee.

The question of backlog in Parliament is that is still suffocating the work of the august house, with “no show” of MPs leading to the lack of quorum, most of the work by committees hasn’t been carried out.

 jkemigisa@eagle.com

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Ex-UBC’s Basoga in celebrity dreamland

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Our Reporter
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Basoga billboard
Basoga billboard
Basoga billboard
Basoga billboard

Former UBC anchor and reporter Joseph Basoga, a man who holds a full tribe for a name, is a miserable man. Basoga set out with a massive dream of being the Ugandan version of CNN’s Richard Quest, hoping he would be the thing on the lips of every yawning Ugandan, but after a decade in the media, he has realised that some dreams can only be achieved in a castle.

This reality hit Basoga so hard when he stomped Wairaka in Jinja for Easter holidays. He expected his jalopy registration number to be known to whoever cared to glance and his name shouted, but nothing happened. A beat up Basoga hit Photoshop with a kind of miserably picture that can light the mood of undertakers at the rundown Mulago Hospital mortuary. He grafted the misery on a billboard of a picture that supposedly shows a white couple mesmerised by whatever was on it.

The Early Bird said: “I thought this guy was the spokesperson of Uganda Christian University, no? Is UCU so miserable that their PRO should be grafting himself like that? He should be charged with terrorism of a minor considering how he has forced his innocent child on such a joke of a dream.”

Meanwhile, Basoga’s neighbours claim he has already framed the grafted image on his living room wall, regaling villagers from Iduudi that the image is as real as the smile of a coffin maker during disas

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Cancer: Drive to fundraise for former NTV’s Rosemary Nakabirwa on

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Our Reporter
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Cancer: Drive to fundraise for former NTV’s Rosemary Nakabirwa on
Cancer: Drive to fundraise for former NTV’s Rosemary Nakabirwa on
Cancer: Drive to fundraise for former NTV’s Rosemary Nakabirwa on
Cancer: Drive to fundraise for former NTV’s Rosemary Nakabirwa on

KAMPALA – Workers at Serena based NTV have started a campaign that is aimed at raising funds for their former workmate Rosemary Nakabirwa who is battling for her life with skin cancer.

Using their social media platforms, Faridah Nakazibwe and Josephine Karungi have utilised their publicity to ask for mobile money that will Nakabirwa get better medication.

A bank account in Diamond Trust Bank has been also provided to whoever may offer any amount for the patient.

Skin cancer is a common, usually low-grade cancerous (malignant) growth of the skin. It starts from cells that begin as normal skin cells and transform into those with the potential to reproduce in an out-of-control manner.

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