A New Thinking Needed In Uganda.

By Arthur M. M. Katabalwa

I have been quietly watching The Presidential campaigns this year with increasing bemusement. The candidates are trying to “out do” each other with promises to the electorate should they be voted into power. If one looks at all these promises, and should we wishfully think that they will be fulfilled, I doubt the country can afford them. The day after the election Uganda will be utopian, with all our problems solved. Many roads will be paved and all those cattle that were stolen from the Iteso will be returned (wonder where all these cows are at the moment).

President Museveni addresses a campaign rally.

The election of 2016 pivot hugely on the aspirations of the youth. There constant engagement helps make the relationship between colleges, universities, businesses and the government truly people-centered. In the long-term, this is possibly the best investment we can make if we are to see a future prosperous country where the youth are engaged in a constructive way. I am a great believer in the difference they can make to the fate of our country.

In Africa like in Europe, demographics matter hugely – though with different situations of course. On the African continent, around 65% of the total population is under the age of 35. Undeniably, this is human wealth of unrivaled potential. It also however, comes with its own sets of challenges – especially when it comes to ensuring that there are enough opportunities for all. As a country, we need all the energy to ensure their basic needs: food, housing, and health care, the list is endless. Of course living standards between Europe and Africa are different but we are facing huge young unemployment here in Uganda as well as growing poverty and the risks and inequalities that come with it.

In Uganda the youth group is becoming larger and one can only imagine the associated problems if we do not embrace a new way of thinking of what problems that face us. We must learn to be more innovative and think of new ways of creating value within what we produce the skills that we put out and in the way we plan for the future. We must develop ways and means where the development that we have for our country is not only short term, but make sure that our children and grandchildren are not saddled by the mistakes we are making now.

The economy is now doing better, but creating more work opportunities for young people, should be one of Uganda's highest priorities. Growth will not be sufficient. The greatest mistake that we are making is leaving a whole generation of our youth adrift. What are we doing paying youths platitudes on political platforms when we are not giving them real solutions for the real problems that they are facing?

That's why we need take measures with direct impact, for instance ensuring that young people that remain unemployed for months after leaving school have access to further training, education or a job offer. A job means so much in life and for society as a whole.

Innovation needs creativity – and therefore innovation means young people too. Which is why it is so important to encourage entrepreneurial skills – at all stages in life, but above all in education, because students who have experienced an innovative learning environment are much more likely to use this innovation capital in their future endeavors. Promoting entrepreneurship in young people should be high on the agenda in discussions at countrywide level. 

Frank Gashumba of Sisimuka Uganda argues that rather than promise hoes for the peasants of Uganda, The President in his quest for another term in office should create a situation where people can afford those hoes. That is the new thinking we need now.

Africa and European leaders are together looking at how to make our continents more prosperous and peaceful for their citizens. There is talk about how to stimulate growth that is sustainable, inclusive and which creates jobs. There is also the need to address many other issues that are of great concern for society as a whole; good governance, democracy, rule of law and the respect of human rights– without which there can be no truly fair or lasting economic growth. We need a society without fear, a free society, and a bigger society of hope.

Now, the great task of building a nation is never done.  Here in Uganda, five decades since our independence, we’re still working to perfect our country.  Across Uganda and the rest of Africa there’s no denying the daily hardships that are faced by so many -- the struggle to feed our children, to find work, to survive another day.  And too often, that’s the Africa that the world sees.
  
Let us present a different vision, a vision of Uganda on the move -- a country that has ended old conflicts, a socially mobile group of people looking beyond what used to divide us along ethnic and religious lines. We want a Uganda that’s modernizing and creating opportunities in agribusiness, prosperity, political progress; a country that’s pursuing a broadband revolution that could transform the daily lives of future generations.

Ours is a country that can do great things. We find ourselves at a moment of extraordinary promise.  Today’s challenges may lack some of the drama of 20th century liberation and economic struggles, but they ultimately may be even more meaningful, for it will be up to us, Ugandans, people full of talent and imagination, to build Uganda for the next 50 years.

The future belongs to us. Many are owners of business, creating employment for our people. We must develop a new thinking where we are working to create jobs and opportunity. We must develop a new thinking where the government will works with us, promoting the trade and investment on which growth depends. No one should have to pay a bribe to get a job or to get government to provide basic services.  So as part of our development strategy, we must start emphasizing transparency, accountability, and a strong civil society; the kind of reform that can help unleash transformational change.  Our country's future also belongs to those who take charge of that kind of transparency and are serious about anti-corruption measures. 

The time is coming when we will have a better interest in new innovative ideas in corporate management and governance. The time is coming when we will develop new goals and devise how we can partner more effectively to help reach them.  The time is coming when this will be the beginning of a new partnership and create networks that will promote opportunities for years to come. The time is coming when we Ugandans will redefine our relationship with government. The time is coming when we will decide to have a smaller government that is focused on reform and one which we can afford.

Together we are the heirs of the independence generation.  Because of their sacrifice, we were born in an independent Uganda. And just as the achievements of the last 50 years inspire us, the work we do today will inspire future generations. For us to inspire those future generations we need a new kind of thinking; a new kind of politics in Uganda. One which is independent of that politics that has been borne out of the struggle for independence, against extremism, against sectarianism and against colonialism. We need a new dawn to realign our country to the realities of this century. We are not divorcing ourselves from our past. No. But past should not define who we are. As we have been inspired by what our fathers did so that we are free, let us create a new thinking and inspire those following us that we had the fortitude to start thinking differently and doing things differently.

This is a new generation and our time is now else we will be the generation that missed out on impacting on Uganda. Ours will not be a struggle with guns and strikes and death. It is a new mind set. We must refocus on our communities, on our children, on the youth, the students, on the disadvantaged in our society; long term planning. We must look at creating future societies that can look after their own who may be on hard times. We don’t have that now but why not create that for our children?

Each of us is a leader in their own way.  The future is what we make it.  And so if we keep dreaming and keep working and keep learning and don’t give up, then I'm confident that we and the rest of Uganda will be better for it.

mwenky99@gmail.com

"Journalists Working With Opposition Parties Are Partisan" Kayihura

By Arthur M. M. Katabalwa

Last night the Chief of The Ugandan Inspector General Of Police General Kale Kayihura has warned Ugandan NBS and NTV televisions against embedding journalists with the opposition as according to him this is not good journalism. This was at a press conference he was giving last night at the police headquarters in Naguru where he warned the main Ugandan opposition party, The Forum For Democratic Change (FDC) against their planned political activities which are intended to start today (15/10/2015)..

General Kale Kayihura

I wonder who gives the IGP such advice. Mr. Kayihura holds an MA in Law from The London School Of Economics one of the most prestigious universities in the world and he should know that such an assertion is fundamentally flawed. Modern journalism requires that reporters be at sources of potential news stories nearly all the time.

As the situation stands, there is a lot of legal confusion regarding the electoral process. The main players need to have their stories out in the public as they happen. His argument last night was that he was suspecting that these media houses were being partisan in their reporting which is against that law in Uganda.

To their credit, the two televisions have steadfastly reported what has been happening. The recent arrest of an FDC activist where she was allegedly undressed by the police was captured in all its gruesome detail by an NTV crew who were travelling with the convoy. If this crew was not about to record what happened, the story could have been contested.

Journalists have always been embedded with armies and other political entities. The US Army while it invaded Afghanistan and Iraq had several news organizations embedded with them. And these journalists were able to document what was happening at the war front. CNN especially was criticized for reporting the war in a style that the west wanted to view the war. There is an argument that Al Jazeera was borne out of this practice to balance the way the wars were being reported. Even then, Al Jazeera has gone to great lengths to make sure that it fronts news reporters and anchors who are well known in the west.

We are having a police force which is fast losing its credibility as an impartial force. The public and other civil society organizations have started taking it on and holding it into account. This force has come from a rag tag force which was poorly trained, demoralized and frankly not fit for purpose. To his credit, when the present IGP took over, he made sure that the force was well equipped, well trained and professional. The problem however was that the line between a civilian police force, which is committed to community policing and a pseudo paramilitary was blurred.

If one looks at the way the police is fitted out, one can argue that its thinking in policing is compromised by the way they present themselves. If one is given combat fatigues albeit in blue and asked to walk around with a formidable assault rifle in the AK47 makes them think that they are in the army. The only difference is that the army wears green camouflage.

By the IGP wadding into the way the media operates and accuses it of being partisan also opens him to the same accusation. For the start, why is the top police officer of the country calling for a press conference at night in his office to comment in strong terms, whether the law is on his side, about political activities? Isn't their someone bellow his rank who can take on such a task? I can hardly envisage a situation where the top British Police officer Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe would call the media to his offices at Scotland Yard to warn the British Labor Party against some political activity in Skegness.

Top British Policeman Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe

We are having a police force which is teetering on the brink of being accused of very serious crimes. The two main armed forces in Uganda at the moment are at different poles on professionalism. The Uganda peoples Defense Forces (UPDF) are smelling like mint these days as they are not putting a foot wrong. When we had the death of General Aronda Nyakairima, the UPDF withstood all the conspiracy theories with professional public messages. Their main spokesperson Paddy Ankunda handled the media so well that these theories almost disappeared as soon as they surfaced. Look at Fred Enanga the police spokesman. He holds a poisoned chalice in that even when he is actually right, no one believes him.

I think the Uganda Police Force should look at their counterparts in the UPDF and learn how things are done. Statements like that from the IGP just go to reinforce what the public thinks that this is a force which is working at the bidding of the ruling regime. Journalists will always go where the story takes them not where the government wants to take them. Even then, it is not unheard of that certain media houses will have a particular political leaning. Certainly one cannot think of The Newvision as impartial or the Uganda Broadcasting Corporation. I wait to see when Amama Mbabazi or Kiza Besigye are given an extensive interview on wither platforms. I am want to believe that we will wait until hell freezes over to see that happen.

UPDF Spokeman Paddy Ankunda.

Journalists will always be embedded where they need to be. The Pope travels with a huge entourage of them. Certainly they are not all white male Catholics. The US President also travels with them, And they are all not liberal urban Democrats. He has Right wing journalists as well. So for the IGP to make such a statement, I think his media handlers (if he has any) need to up their game. And to my friends in government, it should dawn on them that the conduct of the Uganda Police Forces at the moment is making them hemorrhage votes really fast. Someone needs to get a grip on the situation and make sure that the force is not seen as partisan.

mwenky99@gmail.com

The Uganda Police And Our Political Classes Are An International Disgrace.

By Arthur M. M. Katabalwa

The last few days have been very eventful in Ugandan politics so much so that the public has got so much to pick from. We have had the absolute volte-face from our very own Professor Bukenya to the police being accused of undressing an FDC supporter. The main conclusion one can draw from many of these events is that Ugandan politics is corrupt.

So, Professor Bukenya decided to return to the ruling NRM. I have never ever seen someone so shamelessly opportunistic and spineless as that man. Since he was dropped from the cabinet a few years ago, he has called The President all sorts of names. He has accused him and his NRM party of being dictatorial. He has flirted with the opposition. This, all from a man who mimics The President so much that one starts to think The President mimics Bukenya. From the limp left arm to the stater when speaking, to the peer over the top of the glasses when speaking to the uncomfortable gait while walking. The splayed hand when greeting with the slight tilt to the right, the Stetson hat and the slight "mbaliga" in his feet. Bukenya has done it all. Now I reckon we will be seeing a bandaged right hand for about a month this coming December.

Professor Gilbert Bukenya.

The 92 year old Egyptian former UN Secretary General Boutros Boutros-Ghali once said that "Only stupid men don't change their minds." Bukenya had the right to change his mind. It is the manner and timing by which he changed his mind that captivated everyone. One also needs to be able to address the consequences of his decision. I wonder who will ever trust a word he says now however passionate he maybe. Word has circulated that his depature from the opposition has dented them. I think not. I think the ruling NRM party had better be watching him no wonder they have stationed UPDF soldiers guarding him. They can have him. If that is the caliber of politician they want in their ranks then the opposition has survived a clear shot.

Then as if things couldn't get worse they did in some swamp near Kinoni in Western Uganda.   Our hapless police force decided to arrest Besigye and his supporters on their way to Rukungiri to hold a rally. There is some law that governs political rallies and consultations which to the best of my knowledge is rather vague. Having said that even then the law seems to be being selectively applied with the ruling NRM allowed to hold rallies but not the opposition. On this fateful day, the police allegedly threw some spikes at a speeding convoy leading to a pileup. They then proceeded to arrest those in the convoy. While this was happening some female FDC activist was left nearly naked. The footage from the arrest is truly harrowing from whichever political divide one may be (as long as one has some common sense anyway).

I call The Uganda Police hapless because these days they seem to have the monopoly on monumental public relations gaffes. I doubt the police spokesperson Fred Enanga agrees with what he says these days. He always has a pained look on his face. When this process of elections started, they have walked from one mess to another. They have completely failed to absolve themselves of any blame even where they could have done so. In arresting this woman and bundling her naked onto a pickup truck, there were many chances of them making things right. What did they do? They messed there PR relations. One of their media handlers was dispatched to NTV and despite the moderator giving her the easiest ride, she kept referring to a script which was obviously given to her by her superiors, repeatedly using the word "unfortunately" to the point of self immolation.

To compound matters, the policewomen who are at the centre of this storm were then arraigned in front of the cameras. What a painful sight! These people have obviously had no training in media handling and the effect of what they say. So here we were with two women smirking as they related to the incident to the media. But one can only blame them so far when another police spokesperson called Hillary Kulagiye went on air and said that "...the police who were involved in arresting the FDC activist were traumatized." You all can deduce the level of public awareness and sensitivity from that statement from our Hillary.

As the police walk from one disaster to another, the NRM party is also trying to outdo them with a most shambolic primaries ever seen. Reports are coming out that the two main NRM contenders for the Mayor Of Kampala Salim Uhuru and a one Kibedi have exchanged blows at the party headquarters. This kind of fracas is being replicated again and again countrywide from Lwengo district where we saw party cards being burned by irate locals to Kampala Kisenyi where we saw factions battling each other with the police resorting to firing tear gas.

Salim Uhuru

Whether this is a problem within the party that stems from a struggle against those who feel entitled to lead to those who want to see democracy played is yet to be seen. But the example from the "Sole Candidate" issue to the dissuasion of Odrek Rwabwogo (although I agreed with the reasons given by HE) created an awkward situation. Tanga Odoi the NRM election supreme seems to only have power only as far as the gates of his offices go while he is at war with the Secretary General Lumumba as well.

Opposition parties are not faring well either with the Democratic Party also split. It seems like everyone who threw their hat in the ring to be considered for a political post expected to win. The TDA lost Besigye for very suspect reasons. Despite the fact that he ruled out ever standing again, he is at it being beaten while campaining. When his candidature faltered within the TDA, he threw a hissy fit and left. Only The Conservative Party among the big parties seems to fair well. But then again who pays Ken .Lukyamuzi much attention?

Ugandans are searching for progressive politics. We are looking for someone who will give us the solutions to the problems of today. We have graduates who are unemployable; an education system which is crumbling at the seams. We have a third world health system operating in a third world country. We have politicians who have frankly abnegated their responsibility to the electorate, locked out those who are poor and tagged along to the wealthy so as to look after their interests. We have a police force which is frankly not trained for civilian policing, we have thousands of disaffected youths whose only hope is spending days completely drugged up. A generation which is sailing through their most productive years with nothing to show for them.

Uganda needs an economy which is not just about the flow of money but how we invest in people; in skills and in innovation. We need markets for our produce rather than see it rot on the roadsides. But while we hanker for all this, our political elite and those who protect them using the various methods of state coercion are fighting among themselves and spilling that angst out over to the population so as to stifle legible, legal debate about the future of this country.

mwenky99@gmail.com

UNEB Examinations Off To A Sleepy Start.

By Arthur M. M. Katabalwa.

Yesterday students sitting for their O level exams (S4) started off on a bad note. At many examination centers, the exams didn't start off on time. Students resorted to sleeping on their desks as they waited for the papers to be delivered by the Uganda National Examinations Board, (UNEB). It was a farce. But the board apologized and they blamed it on the weather. It was raining yesterday as Uganda starts taking some of the anomalies associated with the weather event called El nino.

But this failure in time keeping is symptomatic to what is happening through our education system. The slack that is involved is unbelievable. I have had some time looking at what students are being taught and how they are being taught and the findings are scandalous.

First, the system is designed to make students pass exams not actually understand what they are being taught. A while ago, I had a look at what my nephews, who are not yet even ten were being taught and I was shocked. They were given homework which required them to use nouns and pronouns in the most complex constructions one can imagine. And they were doing it. I, however wondered if this was really needed. Maybe the kids of this generation are more clever than we were.

Then over the weekend I saw more homework given to a lad who is close to me of the same age being asked to describe things which can cause accidents in a home. I am not sure I even knew that the word "accident" existed when I was seven. But like a parrot, he correctly named broken glass and a number of other things. I was impressed.

When I was 15, I was taught in minute detail about the development of countries like the USA, why cities like Tokyo grew to their current size and what a "conurbation" means. I was never taught why Masaka exists where it is or why Lyantonde attracted so many people travelling. At that age, I was not even aware that Kampala was that close to Lake Victoria it could be a major port rivaling Mwanza and Bukoba. I knew the port was called Port Bell which was completely different from Luzira.....which in actual sense it is the same thing.

The business community has recently complained to the government that universities are spewing out graduates who are illiterate. And to a large extent I agree. One should prepare for themselves for any application forms if they are in position to receive any for the scourge of short texting is very apparent.

We are in a situation where our educational credentials will not be worth the paper they are written on when we have leading academicians and politicians like Professor Bukenya not being able to honor their words, flip flopping between political entities for purely personal gain. This is something that is permeating through the system from when we decide to take our children to nursery and deprive them of a childhood by expecting them to work at a level which is beyond what they should comprehend.

Professor Gilbert Bukenya.

The government is not interested in education only trumpeting the UPE system which in my view was a vote appeaser. I have spoken to a head teacher from a school near Kasanje in Wakiso district and he outlined the difficulties he faces. The government gives each student about UGX30000 per term (about $9). That is to cater for all their needs for a term which last about 12 weeks. Parents have been told that as the government pays for their kids education, they don't have to pay for a thing. So students are arriving with no pens or paper and no snacks for the day. And to compound matters, teachers are being paid next to nothing so they have other businesses.

That is the situation of our education system where examination finals are arriving late and no one will take responsibility of the fiasco because of the rain. The students who are sitting these exams have faced all odds imaginable to get to that examination room. But also the truth of the matter is that even if they pass these exams, they may not be able to be worth anything because they have probably studied things that they didn't want to in the first place. They have learnt parrot fashion from a teaching staff which in many cases are diverted to other things, not because they don't want to teach but they have to survive. So when UNEB delivers the exams late, they have no option but to put their heads down and sleep as is the whole system doing; asleep.

mwenky99@gmail.com

Europe May Yet To Be The Main Beneficiary In This Refugee Crisis.

By Arthur M. M. Katabalwa.

Young migrant/refugees walk along a road in Eastern Europe.

I have been asked many times to comment on the immigration crisis that we are seeing unfold Europe. Many people are on the move from war torn countries like Syria and Libya. There are people moving from countries like Eritrea and Ethiopia all trying to go to Europe.

First, I must say that my heart goes out to those who have been forced out of their countries for whatever reason. If ones desire to move from their country of origin to another involuntarily that is truly tragic. Even if it is for economic reasons.

Fast forward to today and we have people in rickety boats going across the Mediterranean sea. We have kids drowning off the coast of Turkey. Lampedusa in Italy has been overwhelmed by new arrivals. Local services are being stretched to the limits. Where the refugees have found a land border, they have started walking literally to Germany, the only country which has open its borders.

Several years ago, I took a trip to Sangatte in Northern France near the port of Calais. Sangatte in previous years as it is today had been turned into a staging area where people who wanted to go to the United Kingdom stopped. The Red Cross built a huge holding centre which just created the reverse effect by attracting more people here. So on one day, I got the ferry from Dover, England to Calais. I then drove the short distance to Calais.

Refugees in Sangatte with ferries to UK visible.

As an African, I managed to blend in with the immigrants there. The situation is dire with sanitation nearly nonexistent. I looked at the people whom I found there and I felt sorry that certain factors, stories in their lives had drawn them to this desolate place. What was further distressing was that the white cliffs of Dover, the beacons to what many saw as "Eldorado" look tantalizingly close. One can even make out communications masts on the English side of the channel. It is an optical illusion and many people have died trying to sail across. To make matters worse one has one of the biggest shipping lanes in the world.

But apart from war and strife in their own countries, what is leading many heading to the shores of Europe and what is the reality when one gets there. Countries like The United Kingdom have projected what is termed as "soft power" through things like The British Council. This organization promotes the UK abroad and when those who have had access to its services see what is billed about these islands, they see freedom and prosperity. A land where all rivers are crystal clear and spend lazy afternoons at the village square playing cricket, speaking less of the welfare system.

The point that is being ignored here is the effect that this mass movement of people is first of all going to affect where they are coming from. We see from most of the photos showing mostly young men on the move. This is going to have adverse effects on the productivity of these countries at a later date where they are coming from. If in the future these countries can settle down they have lost a generation of people at a time when they are most productive.

Europe on the other hand is looking on at all these refugees coming into their societies nervously. They have the right to because in most cases, a number of the refugees don't actually share the same kind of predominant Christian culture in Europe. But what is the driving force for them is the freedom and the chance to make a better living for themselves.

The brutal destruction of cities like Kobane, Syria have sent many fleeing.

This is where countries like Germany are choosing to let them all in. An open door policy. A lot of these people are well educated and highly skilled. Now, with a master stroke and with a bit of luck, they could have doctors and teachers coming in whose education particular European did not contribute a penny to. And for the lower end jobs that the locals may not want to do, a ready workforce that will not be bothered at first about employment laws.

The United Kingdom had migrants from Ireland who came in and did all the manual labor paving driveways and such like. Then later on we had people come in from the Balkans. They also came in and did all sorts of jobs like plumbers and delivery drivers. Africa also in the 90s sent in a huge wave with people doing all sorts.

But on close scrutiny, there is evidence that at a certain time, these immigrants turn back and go home. As I have argued earlier this trend is slowly being backed up in Uganda and other African countries where economies are growing. The Polish people are also heading home.   But what kind of work force is being sent back? They are not at the prime of their productivity cycle. In many cases they are probably going back to set up their own small businesses. Chances are that they will never claim their pensions.

Europe therefore gains in this misery in many ways. When people migrate their and they are in the prime of their youth, they are not generally taking a lot from the state apart from where social services are concerned. But isn't this offset by the tax receipts that these people are contributing from their wages? And when they finally return home when they are not that productive, they are not a burden on the health service as they are not using it.

There are many worries in Europe about the huge injection of migrants and refugees. There is going a lot pressure on social services. Migrants must be encouraged to integrate not multiculturalism. That just creates a two tier society. But the long run economic benefits may surprise all. Unfortunately they may be dire consequences where all these people are coming from. 

mwenky99@gmail.com

The Brouhaha Around Ugandan Illuminati.

By Arthur M. M. Katabalwa.

Over the last few weeks and months, Uganda has been gripped with a torrent of conspiracy stories and theories on just about anything. From the death of General Aronda to the bandaged arm of the President all has been shrouded in conspiracy theories. It is nonstop. But the one which has been very prominent is the presence of illuminati people in Uganda.

A brief history of these people that I found out says that The Illuminati (Plural of Latin illuminatus) is a name given to several groups, both real and fictitious. Historically the name usually refers to the Bavarian Illuminati, an Enlightenment-era secret society founded on May 1, 1776. The society's goals were to oppose superstition, obscurantism, religious influence over public life and abuses of state power (Wikipedia). The reasons why the illuminati were formed, to oppose superstition and obscurantism have not been exactly what has happened. The other catching word is "fictitious". They are also supposedly "enlightened".

Singer Irene Ntale.

Personally I have had interest in such groups for a long time. In the late 90s when I was having a pretty boring weekend, I wondered into a Moonies conference on Bayswater Road, Central London. I thought to myself "why not? Let me see what happens with these guys." The room was full of Oriental people. Chinese, Cambodians, Vietnamese and then there was myself. The only black person. They were very kind and they gave me a cup of tea. I made sure that we all drunk from the same pot of tea just in case.

I was invited back a week later. Now, anyone might say that I was being incredibly stupid but loneliness and (probably) a journalistic inquisitiveness made me go back. On the second visit was when the gravity of the situation I was letting myself in sank. For I was told that the Reverend Moon himself (their leader) would be conducting one of those mass weddings and that I would be chosen a bride. Several things presented themselves to me as a massive problem. The first was that I was spoken for at the time. I was in a romantic relationship. Then I thought if I were to tell my father that I was getting hooked up like so, he would feed me to the lions. OK, the Vietnamese ladies were quite good looking but needless to say I made my excuses and left.

Later on in Stoke On Trent, I was invited to join the local chapter of the Free Masons. Again I went to find out what was what. I can say that this time I was older and wiser. They meet in a non descript building in the Shelton area of the city. I walked in and yet again I was the only black person. I stuck out like a sore thumb! It was full of men having a drink and generally making merry. Not at any one time was I worried that I would have a stake shoved up my nether regions and then through my mouth and roasted over a slow fire. Nope. In fact it felt like an older version of the boy scouts.

Now here in Uganda we are having everyone who is vaguely famous being accused of being in this illuminati group. Can someone please tell me where they have their meetings from? Because if one notices none of these people are broke. They are all well heeled, driving nice cars. They are enlightened and I need some of that enlightenment too. The illuminati are also responsible for recruiting people into this gay stuff. They are even responsible for Arondas death (among so many other simply ludicrous stories). I am told that a certain evangelical pastor even said that he was one of them and people believed him. I think the joke is on us!

Irene Ntale (above) one of the young musical starlets in Uganda has been accused of being in the illuminati. In a strong defense of herself in an article she penned in The New Vision, she highlighted something that is true to our society. Nothing happens without a reason. Her perceived success in the music industry if not got through dodgy ways has been through voodoo. Irene defended herself well. She shorne a light on the grind of making music and tours. She is constantly on the move. And in an industry that will spit you out after it has chewed you, she knows that being relevant and remaining relevant is a constant battle.

People who fail to understand the origin of wealth will invariably try and explain it through people sleeping around, voodoo or as it is now, the illuminati. Nothing happens here in Uganda (according to some) through sheer hard work. If one accumulates wealth then that person has dodgy methods. We must move on from such rubbish. Aronda died due to an unfortunate sequence of events. Not by some invisible hand of the government of Uganda because he was supporting Mbabazi. Museveni has a badly bruised hand. Not because (as rumors have passed around) he is suffering from some ugly cancer. And yes Michael Jackson is dead not living in some fancy oxygen chamber in a vault guarded by the illuminati armed forces. And if the illuminati really exist and they are controlling us, someone please tell me where they meet because I need to visit them and see what the hell is going on.

mwenky99@gmail.com

Emigres Should Not Be Afraid Returning To Uganda.

By Arthur M. M. Katabalwa.

Yesterday I met up with a British man at one of the exclusive shopping malls in Uganda. He had contacted me through certain social media sites. We met up for a drink and he started telling me about what he was doing in the country. This man from Cornwall decided to move to Uganda six months ago to try out his luck in financial services management. I found it rather curious that here was a 25 year old Cornish man in Uganda, still dressed very much like one would expect a blue eyed business executive to be dressed on The Stand in London. Sharp suit and very clued on.

We had a chat and then to lighten up the mood, I shared my experiences with him about my travels in Cornwall, England. And we discovered that we both knew the same villages and towns. Even the rivers and the coves. I have stayed at a farm in Trelights and this man has spent a weekend at a hotel near this farm.

I asked him why he chose Uganda of all countries. And he told me it was due to the business opportunities here. Granted his expertise is looking after the finances of foreign residents in Uganda but he told me that Ugandans are also quickly having loads of investments outside and that was his main thrust in business. He also highlighted another major event; that at the moment, the number of Ugandans choosing to travel abroad compared to those returning will soon be less. And I agree with him.

When I returned to Uganda over a year ago, I found a country that has moved on way beyond what I had left nearly two decades ago. Thankfully I had been returning periodically but it is different to when you actually live here. Over the months I have been asked by many of my colleagues who still live abroad how I have managed to settle back so quickly. Even my friends in Uganda still ask if I am here to stay. A huge number of Ugandans abroad want to come back to Uganda but for so many reasons find that they are stuck in whichever country they are in. Well, here is my advice;

If one wants to come back to Uganda, put a date on your return which you cannot put off. Many people that I have spoken to when I have traveled back to the UK have no concrete dates. The excuse is that "We are still planning, saving enough money...." or something along those lines. If one is following that, more often than not that date will never arrive.

I once called a number of friends in Uganda while I was in the UK looking for some form of work. Peter Kasedde a businessman  and a very close friend of mine said that he would only look at offering me a job if I was in the country. I was mistakenly thinking that if I rang a few numbers and said that I had this particular kind of experience and I was calling from the UK they would jump at the chance. I am Managing a Media company in Uganda now and if I got such a call I would think one is being rather pretentious.

I have had another friend of mine berating me to get him a job before he moved to Uganda I said that the best bet is when one is on terra firma. He could not understand why I, a Ugandan, was not offering him a job on the plate after all he was calling from New York City with impeccable qualifications. I was frank with him. I said things didn't work like that. You have to be in Uganda.

Some returnees make a mistake of thinking that they will come and recreate the conditions that they have left in whichever countries they live in here. I was again having a conversation with a man who wanted to relocate from London back to Kampala and he was complaining that the city had no pavements and no National Health Service (NHS). I nearly slapped him. When one is returning to Uganda, leave the UK at Heathrow. Leave the US at JFK. Leave Japan at Sapporo airport. Come back to Uganda and know that this is another country.

I have also been the victim of translating my expenditure in British Pounds to my financial detriment. Once I went out for a drink and I calculated that a pint of beer in Uganda cost 75 pence compared to the GBP2.30 that I was used to. So I indulged myself forgetting that my earning power is not the same in comparative terms. And that is at times translated into the long term where people start spending in Uganda like they would abroad. If my food bill was about GBP70 a week in the UK as a single man I would not be spending nearly UGX400000 at current rates. The problem is then thinking that your food bill is cheap because one has spent UGX150000 in Uganda which is equivalent to GBP27. If in the UK one is earning about GBP2000 gross on average per calendar month, the same job in Uganda will not pay nearly 12 million shillings a month gross. It will pay much less but then the cost of life is much lower. People who will do the same job will earn maybe even 30% less and then have a very comfortable life which would equate to one earning about GBP3000 gross in real terms. That is the cost of life. In investment terms figures I have from The Uganda Revenue Authority show that one will get a much higher return on their investment per dollar in Uganda.

Twenty years ago when I boarded that GulfAir flight on my initial adventure to the UK, my friends in Uganda were also preparing to go to University. On my return last year, they are Managing Directors of companies, Consultant Anesthetists, one is a Ministerial Permanent Secretary, members of the Judiciary, lectures and University Professors. That, if one is not of solid personal confidence, can be very intimidating. Yes, my friends that I was with all those years ago are in similar positions in the UK but when one returns to Uganda the sheer numbers can be frightening. I was sharing my thoughts with Simon Kaheru one of the leading media personalities in Kampala and he corrected me by saying that whereas I was also developed in my own way, it was in another country. No one is aware of it.

For the ladies returning can even be more daunting. Again depending on one's age, if one left in the 1990s' you will find that your associates and friends have moved on. Men in general can be more flexible with their time. I have found however that ladies will naturally head back home as soon as they are done with work. Ladies will not easily come out for a drink even if it is in a group. And then even after the tendency is to gravitate towards their husbands family. Now if you are a lady returning and you are beyond 40, your friends whom you left when they were in their 20s will not have any time for you. They will be looking and running round after a family that you don't know about. She will have a husband you don't know at all and will be engaging in activities now which when you left then, you considered archaic, like attending Mothers Union meetings.

We all had our reasons to emigrate to far off lands. But there is proof that even if it is a trickle at the moment of Ugandans coming back, this is a trend that is only increasing. There are many difficulties one will find when they return. Certainly the first few months will be horrendous but you will be home. My friend Paul Bagyenda lifted my spirits once when I was in a depressive mood. He said to me: "Arthur, this is home. This is Uganda. Remember here you are part of the establishment." I have never looked back since. Let me hope that indigenous Ugandans also join in the search for other business opportunities here in Uganda just as that lad I spoke to from Cornwall.

mwenky99@gmail.com

Kampala; A City Of Many Tales.

By Arthur M. M. Katabalwa.

What a weird week we have had here in Uganda. Two main stories have held the nation to its grips. First there was the absolutely shocking death of General Aronda Nyakairima on a flight from Seoul Incheon airport to Dubai. The details are well known. If not where have you been? Then of course we have had the debacle at The Democratic Alliance TDA offices, The TDA is a loose coalition of opposition people who want to remove the government in the general election next year. The four main protagonists have been trying to work it out who will be the "flag bearer" (I hate that term) of TDA. The two main English daily newspapers have actually summed up the confusion by either one of them leading on one of the stories; The death of Aronda Nyakairima and the TDA.

Amama Mbabazi (left) and Kiza Besigye

The issues with TDA have been a while in the making. But the death of Aronda was shocking. And not only in the traditional sense of "shocking" because a death has happened, especially in the manner and location by which it happened; but by the general reaction of the public.

Aronda by all intents and purposes was a government insider. We have a problem here where everyone is certain that the top brass of the army are government supporters. They are not just sympathizers. So when Aronda passed away, with the degree of government opposition in certain circles of the public one thought that they was going to be a sort of "good riddance" reaction. But no! It is incredible that there has been a near universal approval of the man. Once I had a radio station try to dig up some "dirt" on him but the discussion died as soon as it started.

I was riding pillion the other day through the city and I engaged the boda boda man in a conversation about the death of Aronda and he was deeply saddened. He said: "Aronda ye tabadde na taboo" (Aronda had no problems). I said that but he was a member of the government to which he was quite disparaging but he seemed to lift and defend Aronda from that.

That brings me back to TDA. Isn't it incredible that three out of the four main contenders of the TDA flag bearer are former (if you can say that with certainty) members of the ruling National Resistance (NRM) stalwarts? What does that say of the NRM? And what does it also say of the TDA. Well, many have contended, like Keith Kalyegira, that it is a creation of Mbabazi . This man is capable of anything I must say.  He must be illuminati (which has been another story in the papers...illuminati people in Uganda? Give me a break!) I wonder why the opposition can't have someone they feel like can challenge the NRM other than Norbert Mao.

But this is why; and I have argued this before. On January 29th 1986, the then a youthful Yoweri Museveni made probably the most famous speech in Uganda's political history on the steps of the parliament. He was being sworn in as the President. He alluded to the fact that on that day we were not only seeing a change of guard. We were seeing a fundamental change. He believed it. We believed it. The generals in the army believed. Do we believe in that now? But then probably the whole country believed in the work ethics of the NRM/NRA and they thought that the system would work.

Museveni was that a "mere change" of guard?

Fast forward to today and there is a lot of discontent. In my view and in reading the way that boda boda man reacted to the death of Aronda Nyakairima and the fact that the TDA has three people who are trying to be its flag bearer from the NRM stock, that ideal espoused on those steps in 1986 has been lost. In my view the public may still believe in what the NRM stands for but ironically the NRMs most selling individual may as well be its main vote looser. So the NRM is incapable of looking beyond Museveni the NRM founder. The TDA is also proving that it is incapable of looking beyond two other formerNRM founders. What a curious situation!

Most political parties in Uganda as I have argued before have no coherent vision for Uganda other than the desire to remove Museveni from power. Unfortunately at the moment the TDA is also coming together for that sole purpose. And there are egos here to massage. Besigye has been beaten and tear gassed in part by a security apparatus that he was once part of and later on an apparatus that Mbabazi, with whom he is now sharing a platform also controlled. The sooner they come up with a strategy and position themselves as an alternative to the NRM the better. But I am yet to see that. And they need to learn that being in opposition doesn't mean being a refusenik of all government programmes. One might say that the government should not also see the opposition as enemies of the government and Uganda.

As of now, the TDA is yet to pronounce itself as to who will be its flag bearer. And my hope is that when they do the national interest will be put at the forefront. As for the passing of Aronda, I will refer to the words said by the FDC Party President when he had an altercation with some hapless security man "My friend, be sure that you are safe when you finally retire from that uniform."  According to the reaction I have seen in Kampala over the past week, I think Aronda was safe even when he was still in uniform. Are the ideals that Museveni so eloquently put forward on that January day in 1986 all clad in combats still safe?

FDC President Mugisha Muntu.

mwenky99@gmail.com

Open Letter to the Senior Pastor Of Winners Chapel, Rubaga. (And all other Pastors)

Dear Pastor,

This is an open letter to you and your church. Let me start like this: I am not happy. In fact I am completely incensed because I have woken up grumpy. Why? Because you lot decided you wanted a party lasting the whole night.

At 2200, after I thought I had taken enough, I marched from my house to your church and demanded that the noise be turned down a bit because I wanted to sleep. Some lackey was sent to the door to find out what this mad man was going on about. And you know what he asked me first? "How long have you lived in that house?" Like it mattered. So, because I am aware of the finer details of the "house" which is my home I confidently answered "since 1992."

This lackey then had the audacity to question why I had not been before to complain about the noise. I said to him that there comes a time when ones patience is broken and action must be taken. So he then decided to fob me off. He said that the noise would be turned down within thirty minutes as they were having a "Praise and worship" session. I said to him that I also want to put in a "sleeping session" and as it was that late in the night and I had lived there longer, my expectation was reasonable.  Somehow he managed to placate me and I left, with the noise still on in the belief that they would see sense and turn it down.

0200AM and they had connected another amplifier!!! It was like a rock concert in full blast. So this time I stormed out of my bed with a dark cloud hanging over my head. This time I was not taking any prisoners. Bang! Bang! I went on the gate. The local stray dog, Star, with whom I have struck a good relationship also saw the gravity of the situation and started howling round my feet. The lackey came again to the gate and that was when I discovered that he was a Pastor from Hoima.

Bishop David Oyedepo of Winners Chapel.

You had decided to have a knees up with your chums from across the country. And for our discomfort, you were having this party. He tried to fob me off and this time I had him for dinner! He knew I was spitting fire so he called the "big man" you, in the hope that you would intimidate me. I have grown up surrounded by men of the cloth from the Church Of Uganda and whereas I respect them, I am never intimidated by them. So you, with the title of "Bishop" was not going to wash on me. We locked horns straight away to the shock and amazement of all your other chums the Pastors from across the country. All 20 of you.

This was what was going on in my mind; Monday night Bishop Ojukwu (not his real names) had invited his chums round and they were having a ball. Yet they saw it necessary to switch the loud speakers on. And by the way one of your pastors punctuates his speech with a "Hallelujah?" every 50 words or so. I asked him to mind his grammar and speak better. His response? "Amen Brother" I reminded him we were not brothers at that time.

You see my anger with Pentecostal churches does not stem from the fact that I am steadfastly an Episcopalian Christian. No. It is the feeling of entitlement that because you are worshiping everyone should rejoice with you regardless of the time. And as observed earlier, most of your flock are not even local to my suburb. They come from wherever they may live and come and raise the roof on someone else's turf then they go home leaving us to pick the pieces.

I am not against what goes on in your church at night. That is for you to worry about. But I ask that we work together and compromise. Our Christian faith is known for tolerance. I tolerate your noise during the day (I am not at home anyway) but please let me have my rest at home. I think that it is incumbent on you to make sure that people who live within the vicinity of your church get some shut eye. That they enjoy the fruits of their labor while in the confines of their homes.

God Bless You.

Yours,

Disgruntled neighbor.

mwenky99@gmail.com