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Nawangwe’s mess at How to end mental MTN Uganda New fisheries law to
Makerere University health stigma troubles stir sector growth

Issue No. 557 Feb. 01 - 07 2019 Ushs 5,000,Kshs 200, RwF 1,500, SDP 8

Uganda’s big
China debt
Minister of Finance Kasaija’s
secret letter to Museveni

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Feb. 01 - 07 2019 1
INBOX

Issue No. 557 Feb. 01 - 07 2019

News analysis Business Health Arts Motoring

Cover story
Uganda’s big China debt
Minister of Finance Kasaija’s secret letter to Museveni

4 The Week
30 Comments
Museveni to judges: Decide
which state you want to serve Economic costs of increasing
debt: Understanding the high
risk burden to the economy
9 The Last Word
posed by the current debt level
Michela Wrong’s war on Kagame:
How racial prejudice led The
Guardian to publish an article that is
32 Health
basically a hit job on Rwanda
How to end mental health
stigma: Leaders must consider
14 Analysis
four critical priorities
Nawangwe’s Makerere mess:
Does university need a CEO not a
vice chancellor?
35 Arts & Culture
27 Business
When art preserves
MTN Uganda troubles: Telecom told to unique history, cultural
fulfil the National Broadband Policy as a identity of cities
condition to have licence renewed

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MANAGING EDITOR: Joseph Were
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2 Feb. 01 - 07 2019
 Offline

President Yoweri
Museveni on Jan.27 met
a delegation from South
Africa-based Bigen Group
of Companies led by the
Managing Director for
Energy, Rhulani Matshidze,
to discuss investment
opportunities in Uganda’s “As a party we are aware that politics is
energy sector. Speaker
of Parliament Rebecca
not static. So the debate and discussion
Kadaga attended the on the amendment of our party
meeting.  Courtesy photo constitution has started. There are
suggestions that we lining up opposed
to secret ballot be introduced”,Ruling
National Resistance Movement party
Secretary General Kasule Lumumba.
French Ambassador
to Uganda, Stéphanie
Rivoal (L) and Finance
Minister Matia Kasaija
on Jan.25 at the
signing of two loan
agreements from the
French Development
Agency (AFD) totaling
270 million euros to “Something has gone wrong and
support access to
water and sanitation needs correction. The opposition is
in the Greater Kampala seeking a meeting with the speaker to
and in South Western reach a consensus”, said Betty Aol Ochan
Uganda.
after speaker Rebecca Kadaga rejected
The contingent
Rubaga North legislator Moses Kasibante’s
commander of the appointment as Deputy Chairperson of the
Uganda Peoples Committee on Statutory Authorities and State
Defence Forces, Enterprises (COSASE).
Brig. Gen. Michael
Kabango, visited
troops in Barawe
and Maryan Gubay
Forward Operating
Bases in Somalia
this week, to check
their operational
readiness.   Courtesy
photo
“I can’t be rushed. Implementation of the
recommendations requires both legal
and administrative action”Constitutional
Affairs Minister Kahinda Otafiire told
parliament when asked about the progress in
tabling electoral reforms

Police officers not to be The amount in shillings that

49 8 billion 63,000
deployed for refusal to fishermen in Buvuma islands want People vaccinated
attend the Trainers of from Uganda People’s Defense against the Ebola
Trainees course Forces as compensation for the virus in DR Congo.
bodily harm inflicted on them.

Feb. 01 - 07 2019 3
week

NRM party
releases 2021
road map
HAPPY 33rd NRM ANNIVERSARY The ruling National Resis-
tance Movement (NRM)
The Board, Management and Staff of Pride Microfinance Limited party on Jan.23 released the
(MDI) warmly congratulate H.E.Gen Yoweri Museveni, Cabinet party’s electoral roadmap
ahead of general elections
Ministers, Officers and Men of the UPDF and all Ugandans upon in 2021. This year, the party
celebrating 33 years of NRM Government. Secretary General Justine
Kasule Lumumba says they
will engage in activities to
mobile Ugandans who don’t
have national identity cards
to get them and get their
data on the national voters
register captured. They will
also push for the enactment
of enabling electoral laws
through their parliamentary
caucus and a National Con-
ference will held in Novem-
ber after they have updated
their party national register
and held district conferences.
In 2020, she says they will
conduct their primary elec-
tions in the month of May.
They will hold another
national conference in June
2020 for the election of the
Pride Mobile national structures and
Pay your bills presidential candidate before
the launch of the party mani-
at your festo by August 2020 and go
convenience into full blown campaigns
in preparation for general
elections.
In December, the Electoral
Commission released its
+256 702 096 300 roadmap setting to conduct
presidential, parliamentary
and local council elections
between January 11 and Feb
9, 2021 and is set to cost the
country Shs860billion.
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4 Feb. 01 - 07 2019

Museveni to judges: Decide
which state you want to serve
At the 21st annual judges conference
held at Kampala Serena Hotel, President
Museveni told judges and magistrates that
Uganda had evolved from various stages
of state development and added that the
judiciary should make its demands ranging
from salary increment to more staffing
in the context of how the Ugandan state
has evolved. As he opened the conference
held from Jan 28-Feb 1, Museveni said
Uganda was initially a feudal state then a
colonial state, neo-colonial state and has
Controversy over Kasibante’s appointment to COSASE
The speaker of parliament Rebecca Kada-
ga has confirmed Kawempe South legislator
Mubarak Munywagwa as the chairperson of
the parliamentary Committee on Statutory
Authorities and State Enterprises (COSASE)
and rejected Moses Kasibante as his deputy.
She instead posted the Rubaga north legisla-
tor to the appointments committee.
Kasibante who was last year appointed
deputy chairperson of COSASE by the
opposition Forum for Democratic Change
party (FDC) was very vocal during an
impasse in parliament in which sections
were calling for the leadership of COSASE –
Bugweri county’s Abdul Katuntu and Anita
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since become a modern independent state.
“Many of the neo colonial states did not
have a clear historical mission,” he said. “We
fought the colonial state and its army and
created a new army. This created a new
pillar of the state.” He was reacting to the
Chief Justice Bart Katureebe who decried
the low levels of staffing in the judiciary
which also affecting its work. “Even the
judiciary must decide what kind of state
it wants to serve; a colonial state, neo-
colonial state or a new state?
Among who are currently investigating the
takeover of commercial banks by Bank of
Uganda to handover before concluding. He
said the leadership had under performed.
Now, despite calls by the opposition
whip Ibrahim Semujju Nganda to let him
serve as the vice in the accountability
committee, the speaker approved him for
the appointments committee which she
chairs.
However, no one has been named yet
to deputise Munywagwa although the
new members named to the committee
include Rubaga’s South’s Kato Lubwama
and Judith Babirye.
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CCEDU demands electoral
reforms in letter to President
Civil Society Organisation – Citizens
Coalition for Electoral Democracy (CCEDU)
has written an open letter to president in
which they list what should be in place as
the 2021 General Election season sets in.
The letter that highlights three key chal-
lenges that have afflicted Uganda’s elections
in the recent past including monetization
of elections and corruption in electoral pro-
cesses, integrity of the national voters regis-
ter and violence during elections proposes to
the President remedies that require prompt
action to restore the integrity of elections in
Uganda.
“ as a fountain of honour, champion laws
and practices that guarantee a level playing
field for electoral contestations in Uganda,
support the establishment of a binding code
of conduct for political parties as well as
rebuilding public confidence in institutions
that are charged with dispensing democ-
racy”, reads the letter in part.
At the beginning of 2018, the consortium
of civil society organisation had written a
similar letter asking the president to estab-
lish an independent constitutional review
process and launch a national dialogue
process. By the end the year, the president
had only launched the dialogue which
was being driven by the National Elders
Forum. Although it faced major criticism
among especially members who were
questioning what effect it’s likely to have
on the current status quo. Many antici-
pated it may not yield much.
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Week
Regional experts discuss immunisation
Global immunization experts
attending the biannual Regional
Immunization Technical Advi-
sory Group (RITAG) meeting
in Congo Brazzaville on Jan.23
noted that over the past five
years, immunization coverage
in sub-Saharan Africa has stag-
nated at 72%, exposing popula-
tions to vaccine-preventable
diseases and outbreaks. They
said there was need for gov-
ernments to invest more in
disease surveillance and engage
communities to drive vaccine
deployment during outbreaks.
RITAG Chair, Professor Hel-
en Rees said, “We have mapped
out what can and must be done
to secure the future of millions
of children on this continent.”
In sub-Saharan Africa, nearly
31 million children younger
than 5 years suffer from vac-
cine-preventable diseases every
year. More than a half million of
them die due to lack of access to
6 Feb. 01 - 07 2019
Helen Rees
the vaccines they needed.
In 2017, Heads of State from
across Africa endorsed the
Addis Declaration on Immu-
nization, a historic pledge that
envisions an Africa in which
every child, no matter their eco-
nomic circumstances, has access
to vaccines. A progress report
on the implementation status
of the 10  commitments out-
lined in the Addis Declaration
will be released later this year.
It will take stock of progress
made over the past two years,
highlight gaps and issue recom-
mendations to guide progress
towards stronger immunization
systems.
Even without the report,
WHO data already shows ill-
ness and deaths due to vaccine-
preventable diseases cost sub-
Saharan Africa US$13 billion
each year, this might reduce
with some of the diseases
being at the brink of being
eradicated. For instance, the
last case of wild poliovirus in
Africa was reported in August
2016 in the north-eastern state
of Borno, Nigeria. If no new
cases of wild poliovirus are
detected by August 2019, Afri-
ca will attain the wild poliovi-
rus eradication goal.
Nile Bridge cracking
attracts criticism
The Uganda National Roads
Authority (UNRA) has come
out to clear the air about allega-
tions and criticisms over the
cracking of the newly launched
cable stayed bridge in Jinja,
Eastern Uganda.
The bridge, UNRA said on
Jan.28, is being finished and
that the contractor is in the
process of applying permanent
asphalt on the bridge deck.
“The wearing course seen
and referred to as ‘bumpy’ or
cracked by a section of the pub-
lic is a non- structural attach-
ment and therefore not a defect
on the bridge”, they said.
Officially launched by Presi-
dent Museveni in October, the
525 meter-long bridge is the
second cable-stayed bridge in
East Africa crossing Victoria
Nile and linking the Northern
Corridor that connects Kenya
with the Democratic Republic
of Congo (DRC).
*terms and conditions apply
AfricellUG @AfricellUG
Humour Did you know?
Your heart affects
what you see

A team of researchers from Ecole Polytech-

nique Fédérale de Lausanne in Switzerland
that was trying to figure out why we do not
hear our heart beat, has made a surprising
discovery; that our heart affects what we see.
They explain that humans have spectacu-
larly complex internal systems, including
President Yoweri Museveni has cautioned Ugandan against reminding him of his unfulfilled pledges some some pretty impressive plumbing and plenty
of which, he made during the early days of the National Resistance Movement government. of moving parts. If we were to hear them at
work all the time, we would become distract-
ed by all the internal commotion, and run the
risk of missing more important activity going
on around us –which could have disastrous
consequences. So the conclude, the brain
filters it out the heart beat as inconsequential
noise.
As lead researcher Roy Salomon explains,
the brain itself decides which information to
bring to awareness,” automatically ignoring
unimportant stimuli originating within the
body – known as interoceptive signals – and
prioritizing exteroceptive signals coming
from the external environment.
Previous studies have also shown that
a brain region known as the insular cortex
coordinates and integrates these two types of
stimuli.
Publishing their findings in the Journal
of Neuroscience, the study authors describe
The Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs Otafire Kahinda how they used functional magnetic reso-
forgives people who voted him out of parliament. nance imaging (fMRI) to monitor the activity
of volunteers’ brains when viewing flashing
images on a screen.
Amazingly, they found that when these
images flash exactly in sync with one’s
heartbeat, activity drops dramatically in the
insular cortex, as the brain attempts to filter
out this visual stimulus. When this occurs,
one may become less aware of the images, in
some cases failing to see them at all.
The researchers conclude that the brain
somehow mixes up this visual stimulus with
the heartbeat, and therefore automatically
suppresses its awareness of it by reducing the
activity of the insular cortex when processing
the image.
Summing up these remarkable findings,
Salomon explained that it came as no shock
to discover that the insular cortex plays a role
in forcing our brains to ignore our heartbeats,
Makerere University committee to investigate Vice but that “what’s surprising is that our heart
Chancellor Barnabas Nawangwe’s decision and report. also affects what we see!”

Feb. 01 - 07 2019 7

Inbox
Letters are
welcome !
The Editor welcomes short and
concise letters from our esteemed
readers on topical issues. Please
send them to:
The Editor, The Independent
Publications Ltd,
P.O Box 3304,
Plot 82/84 Kanjokya St,
Kamwokya.
Kampala,Uganda.
Email: editor@independent.co.ug
Kudos Police on gun crime
I thank the flying squad and the Criminal
Investigations Directorate for the good work
recently accomplished towards the security
of this country. They recovered 23 guns, cars
and arrested 380 suspected criminals.
If from July 01 to December 30, 2018 you
were able to recover 15 SMGs, 3SARs,3 toy
guns, 2 pistols, 181SMG bullets, 27 pistol bul-
lets, and 15 SAR rounds of ammunition and
more, it means Uganda’s security system has
greatly developed.
I am convinced that a lot of killings last
year were due to wrong people without
licenses owning weapons that are a preserve
of armed forces and ammunitions.
But now the question remains one, where
do these people get the ammunitions from?
What Vincent Ssekatte, the spokesperson of
CID suspected is very true; that illegal guns
being sneaked into Uganda from our war-
ring neighbors. So border security needs to
be increased.
For car robbers, what the police said is
true; security guards in parking areas deal
with the robbers. Owners of these parking
lots need to pay our security guards salary
worth the work they do so that they don’t
engage in such activities.
The 15 drums of bitumen recovered really
amused. Do we really want the government
to employ security guards to protect road
construction materials yet the same roads are
constructed for our very own beneficiaries?
Such criminals need to be caught because
they hinder the rate at which our country
develops.
Kevin Seguya
kelvinsegz@gmail.com
8 Feb. 01 - 07 2019
Follow us on Twitter @
http://twitter.com/#!/ugandatalks
Follow us on Facebook @
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URA headquarters
a bad example
Refer to: “URA’s unnecessary headquar-
ters” (The Independent Jan.25). All your
arguments are right. Challenge is our real
estate business by private businessmen will
stagnate especially if all government depart-
ments, agencies, and ministries follow the
example of Uganda Revenue Authority and
build own offices. The economy grows by
government spending.
Michael Lwerere
Renting bad for
government bodies
Refer to: “URA’s unnecessary headquar-
ters” (The Independent Jan.25). Mwenda
is always negative but let me inform him
that renting by government bodies increases
safety risks of organisations. A lot of money
has been embezzled and still inflated in
rents of government departments and orga-
nization. I support the Uganda Revenue
Authority owning its headquarters building
and Iam waiting for the judiciary to follow.
Charles Ssebina
News analysis Health Business
Cholera gives city Superfood scientists say Chinese, French firms top foreign
a wakeup call can make you live longer oil and gas suppliers’ database
Issue No. 555 Jan. 18 - 24 2019
Ushs 5,000,Kshs 200, RwF 1,500, SDP 8
Uganda’s growing
public debt
Separating facts from fiction and
politicking
Private
Bank
1%
Bilateral
Multilateral
Creditors
Creditors
29%
70%
www.independent.co.ug
URA tower is great
The Uganda Revenue Authority (URA)
multibillion 22-floor headquarters in Naka-
wa will improve its operations. The URA has
been renting offices scattered all over Kam-
pala and it has inconvenienced taxpayers.
Many were forced to travel in jam to access
services.
We have had very many projects as a
country and many of those have always
been funded by donor countries and World
Bank but this Shs139 billion tower was built
using strictly taxpayer’s money. This shows
that Ugandans now pay their taxes.
This building will reduce cost of doing
business through provision of a One Stop
Service Centre, save on rent, transport, ICT
connectivity, security, and the courier ser-
vices.
Sarah Agwere
URA headquarters
are necessary
Refer to: “URA’s unnecessary headquar-
ters” (The Independent Jan.25). Honestly, I
see nothing wrong with Uganda Revenue
Authority building and moving into its own
headquarters.
 Is saving 7billion a year a profit or loss
to URA? I thought it was a saving.
 Did URA borrow money to build its
headquarters or it was in their long-term
plan?
 Mwenda, don’t you think that service
providers like cleaners, caterers, sta-
tionery dealers will get some business
in that building resulting into employ-
ment?
 During construction don’t you think
thousands were employed?
 Don’t you think that companies that bid
to provide services like electrical, ICT,
and plumbing paid taxes?
 Don’t you know that it’s always pres-
tigious for any company to own an
office? Actually it’s a sign of progress.
 How was URA going to benefit by rent-
ing?
 Why do you doubt URA’s announce-
ment of savings on rent?
 In terms of savings time by businesses,
don’t you think a one stop centre is
good for business?
Tina

Michela Wrong’s war on Kagame
By Andrew M. Mwenda
How racial prejudice led The Guardian to publish
an article that is basically a hit job on Rwanda
O
n January 14, The Guardian
newspaper in England published
a 5,800 word long article by Mi-
chela Wrong titled “Rwanda’s
Kashogi.” It accused President Paul
Kagame of Rwanda of complicity in the
murder of former Rwandan spy chief, Pat-
rick Karegyeya. Wrong makes no effort to
substantiate her claims with even the most
rudimentary evidence. She relied on a litany
of rumours.
The article is silent on why it has taken the
South African authorities five long years
to bring the case to court. Karegyaya was
killed in Michelangelo Hotel in Sandton, an
upscale area of Johannesburg. From the car
park to the reception of the hotel, one goes
through four cameras, from the reception
through the elevators to the rooms, another
three to four cameras. Is it possible that the
murderers of Karegyeya would walk into
the hotel, kill him and leave without being
recorded on the CCTV cameras?
The article only suggests that the South
African authorities will present 30 wit-
nesses. But does not mention any evidence
from CCTV recordings. Did Rwanda have
capacity to destroy this evidence in a South
African hotel? This is where Wrong’s biases
blind the journalist in her.
Secondly, Wrong disregards accusations
government of Rwanda has made against
Karegyeya i.e. that his political party, the
Rwanda National Congress (RNC), works
with the FDLR rebel group; remnants of
those who committed the 1994 genocide
and which it accuses of terrorism. I met
Wrong in London in 2014 and gave her
information I had acquired privately about
the link between RNC and FDLR. She did
not mention it even once in her long article.
It is possible Wrong did not trust me,
which is fine. But it is intriguing how she
disregards accusations of the government
of Rwanda against Karegyeya and his RNC.
It is clear from the article that Wrong thinks
Kagame personally and those he works
with generally are bloodthirsty. That is
why she accuses them of killing Karegyeya
and without any compelling reason. It also
leads her to compare Karegyeya with Saudi
journalist, Jamal Kashogi. Yet while Kashogi
was only voicing dissent against the Saudi
government, Karegyeya is accused by
Rwandan intelligence of involvement in
terrorism.
If the government of Rwanda were
The Last Word
convinced Karegyeya was involved in ter-
rorism, wouldn’t they be justified to assas-
sinate him just like the government of the
USA was justified in killing Bin Laden?
America, Britain and Israel are everyday
hunting for terrorists and assassinating
them. In all these cases, the government
is the investigator, the prosecutor, the
judge and the executioner of the sentence.
Wrong’s article is silent on this vital issue.
It is possible Rwanda had wrong intel-
ligence on Karegyeya’s involvement in
terrorism. However, governments act on
the basis of the intelligence they believe, not
on objective truths. Therefore, even if the
government of Rwanda killed Karegyeya,
it would only have done so because it
believed he posed a severe and immediate
threat to her national security. Wrong
ignores this.
Karegyeya had been a chief of intelligence
in Rwanda. During his tenure he built a
close relationship with then South African
vice president, Jacob Zuma and the Tanza-
nian foreign minister, Jakaya Kikwete both
of who later became presidents of their
respective countries. When he fled Rwanda,
he went to live in these countries causing
their relations with Kigali to turn hostile.
Shouldn’t an article on Karegyeya’s death
attract a sentence on what nations do to
their intelligence officials who turn rogue?
Wrong is blind to the existence of other
threats to Karegyeya’s life. For example, he
had been a chief of intelligence in Rwanda
and in that capacity he must have stepped
on many people’s toes. Didn’t these people
have motive to kill him? Besides not long
before his death, the family of a Rwandan-
Burundian musician, Chris Matata, accused
Karegyeya of killing the musician over a
woman. Didn’t this family have motive to
kill him?
The time it has taken the South African
authorities to bring this case to court even
further suggests the possible involvement of
Pretoria in Karegyeya’s death. I did explain
this theory, backed by circumstantial evi-
dence, to Wrong when we met in London.
Someone tipped me off that Rwanda intel-
ligence had been involved in a misinfor-
mation campaign against Karegyeya with
South African intelligence.
Apparently Rwandan intelligence
deliberately leaked information to South
African intelligence suggesting Karegyeya
was working on reconciling with Kigali
Opinion
and would soon return home. The South
African intelligence had been involved
with Karegyeya in anti-Rwanda operations,
themselves linked to rich mineral deals in
DR Congo. This source told me that South
African intelligence feared if Karegyeya rec-
onciled with Kigali and revealed their deal-
ings he would cause them a lot of embar-
rassment. They moved quickly to eliminate
him. I shared this theory with Wrong in
London. My source was an American
intelligence officer, and I shared this with
Wrong. Why did she ignore this?
This is where Wrong and other Western
journalists reveal their true colours of racial
prejudice. When Obama kills Osama, it
does not make him a murderer. Indeed
during his presidency, Obama’s regime
announced proudly almost daily and rou-
tinely its assassination of “terrorists.” In all
these cold-bloodied killings, Obama and
his CIA were investigators, prosecutors,
judges, the jury and the executors. No single
Western media or journalist referred to
Obama as a cold bloodied murderer, never
mind in Libya and Iraq, these guys can be
legitimately accused of mass murder.
While journalists like Wrong see them-
selves as holding their governments to
account, they actually promote the racial
prejudices of their societies and the sadistic
imperial policies of their governments
against people in poor countries. The con-
stant projection of governments in Africa
as corrupt and murderous only reinforces
the racial prejudices of their societies and
justifies their government interventions in
poor countries to promote regime change
with disastrous consequences as we have
witnessed in Libya and Iraq.
Karegyeya introduced me indirectly to
Wrong by suggesting I read her book, `In
the Footsteps of Mr Kurtz’. I loved it in
large part because she demonstrated that
the claims that Mobutu Sese Seko looted
$8 billion from Zaire were spurious. This
led me to believe she is free of the stereo-
types on Africa that blind her colleagues
from assessing governments in Africa with
impartial lenses. But her articles on Rwanda
expose that even she is not free of the racial
prejudices of Western journalists on Africa.
On Rwanda, she has done a hit job.
amwenda@independent.co.ug
Feb. 01 - 07 2019 9
cover story

Uganda’s big
China debt
Minister of Finance Kasaija’s
secret letter to Museveni

10 Feb. 01 - 07 2019
 cover story
Evolution of Public Debt
10 60

8 50

6 40
US$ Billions

4 30

%ofGDP
2 20

o 10
2005/6 2005/7 2005/8 2005/9 2005/10 2005/11 2005/12 2005/13 2005/14 2005/15 2005/16 2005/17

External Debt Domestic Debt Norminal Debt/GDP

Source: Ministry of Finance,Planning and Economic Development

W
By Independent Team
hen, on October 18,
2018, Uganda signed
an agreement with
China for a US$212.6
million loan (Approx.
Shs78 billion) for
rural electrification, the issue of Uganda’s
increasing debt and the unfair terms of
some of the loans were not on the table.
In fact, the Chinese Ambassador Zheng
Zhuqian was cheered when he called the
loan “a good example for China-Uganda
Economic Cooperation”.
Ambassador Zheng was right. But
possibly not in the way he meant because
that loan has now become an example,
in discussions between the Ministry of
Finance and President Yoweri Museveni,
of the bad side of Chinese debt, how it
increases, and what makes its repayment a
burden.
At the signing of the rural electrification
loan last year, the Minister of Finance,
Planning and Economic Development,
Matia Kasaija said it would enable
the government attain its target in the
electricity distribution sector. But behind
that facade, The Independent has now
seen a secret letter Kasaija has written to
Musevemi complaining about the terms of
the loan.
“We have noted some critical issues in
the Financing agreement,” Kasaija writes
and lists three main areas; on China’s
insistence to supply all technology and
materials for the project, its insistence that
Uganda opens an escrow account in Beijing
and deposits money as security in case of
default, and the holding of national assets
as collateral in case of loan payment failure.
“Given what is happening in our peer
countries as regards to China debt, we
strongly believe we should protect our
assets from possible takeover,” Kasaija told
Museveni.
Kasaija is mainly concerned that China
could potentially takeover property related
to defence and security, public health,
social services, natural resources, and assets
of cultural and historical significance to
Ugandans.
Kasaija’s warning suggests that the
government should not accept the Chinese
loan – unless the terms are dramatically
renegotiated. But a renegotiation is unlikely
as China already appears to be on firmer
ground.
China has, through its China Electric
Power Equipment and Technology
Company Limited (CET) indicated that it
could invest up to US$3 billion (Approx.
Shs11 trillion) in Uganda’s electricity
distribution sector. It has also been linked
to a rival bid for UMEME’s distribution
concession when it expires in 2025.
Museveni is, therefore, expected to proceed
cautiously in dealing with the Chinese
because the loan is urgently needed at the
moment since the recently commissioned
Isimba Dam will add 183MW on the grid
in March and the 600MW Karuma Dam is
expected to come on line later in the year.
The government needs to raise demand
for the added generation capacity through
new connections; especially industries and
in rural household where the electrification
rate is a miserly 7%.
The loan is needed to install 3,839km of
medium voltage networks, 5,921km of low
voltage networks, and 3,403 distribution
transfers. It would also connect 168,335
single phase consumers and 4,254 three
phase consumers. That would hopefully
push the national electrification rate from
the current 15% and nearer to the 30% rate
targeted by the government by 2020.
Finally, if any renegotiation of the Rural
Electrification Loan happens, it will be a
first because the general perception is the
“Chinese do not negotiate”. When they
give a loan to a poor country, you either
take it or leave it, most experts told The
Independent.
In fact, according to Kasaija, Uganda
has already signed five loan agreements
with almost the same terms. They
include the loan for National Backbone
& E-Government Phase III, the Kampala-
Entebbe Airport Expressway, the Nsimba
Hydropower Project, the Aviation
Authority project, and the Karuma
Hydropower Dam.
The escrow account
Kasaija uses China’s insistence on
Uganda opening an escrow account in
Beijing to show how bad the Chinese loan
is.
Under the proposed draft agreement,
before China releases the loan money,
Uganda must open a repayment/reserve
or escrow account and deposit money to
cover the highest annual amount of interest
and fees under the agreement as a security
in case of any defaults.

Feb. 01 - 07 2019 11
cover story
Multilateral
Creditors
70%
Then after the loan money is released,
Uganda must deposit the annual highest
amount of principal, interest, and fees
payable.
Kasaija warns Museveni that “this
implies government will open an account
in China and hold money on that account
for the period of the loan”.
“It impounds government funding that
would otherwise be used for financing
other development programmes,” he says.
He adds that, by implication, the account
balance keeps on growing depending on
the drawn and outstanding debt from
beginning until loan is paid. And Kasaija
warns, the rural electrification loan is not
the only one to have this clause.
As of June 2018, Kasaija says, Uganda
had signed five agreements with Escrow
Account clauses. Together, they hold over
Shs150 billion. This is more money that
some ministries, including Trade and
Industry, Tourism, ICT, and National
Guidance got in the 2018/19 nation budget.
And Kasaija warns that money deposited
on the Chinese escrow accounts is expected
to grow as the loans disburse until they are
fully paid off.
The current escrow account monies are
National Backbone &E-Government Phase
12 Feb. 01 - 07 2019
Private
Bank
1%
Bilateral
Creditors
29%
III Repayment Current Reserve Current
Account US$311,000 (Approx. 1.2 billion),
Kampala-Entebbe Airport Expressway
Escrow US$7 million (Approx.Shs27
billion), Nsimba Hydropower Project
US$9.7 million (Approx. Shs37.6 billion),
Aviation Authority US$4 million (Approx.
Shs15 billion), and Karuma Hydropower
Dam US17.6 million (approximately
Shs68.4 billion).
Local content breached
Kasaija is also concerned about China’s
insistence that “the good, technologies and
services” purchased by using the proceeds
of the loan shall be purchased from China
preferentially.
“We find this contrary to the cabinet
directive on BUBU and Local Content
policy,” Kasaija notes.
The Local Content policy is designed to
promote participation of Ugandans and
Ugandan enterprises on projects, build
local capacity, and direct foreign companies
to transfer technology to locals. Under the
policy, a minimum of 33% of project inputs
must be sourced locally from Uganda.
Areas covered under the Local Content
Policy include earth materials like sand,
gravel, and aggregate, cement and steel,
and labour, and other locally available
inputs.
Kasaija’s warning to Museveni comes
when concern is rising over Uganda’s
national debt; especially its China
component.
National debt from foreign and
domestic lenders has grown exponentially
in the last five years and there is a fear that
if the current trend of borrowing persists,
the debt could become difficult to pay.
Strident anti-debt calls have been made
by many; from the Auditor General to
the IMF/World bank and foreign donor
embassies and Civil Society Organisations
like the Uganda Debt Network (UDN).
The current Parliament, which
is mandated by law to approve all
government borrowing, has passed about
10 loans in quick succession in its two
years and another five loans are currently
under considerations, according UDN, a
civil society group that monitors national
debt performance.
“We approve a new loan every week,”
said an MP on a recent radio talk show.
As a result, the public debt has
increased by 22% from Shs34 trillion in
June 2017, to Shs42.51 trillion by June
30, 2018, according to the 2018 Auditor
General’s report released on Jan.04.
Although the furor over growing debt
has been simmering for some time, many
are now pointing at this latest Auditor
General’s report which appears to pour
fuel on it.
National assets at risk
At the handover of the report to Rebecca
Kadaga; the Speaker of Parliament, the AG
John Muwanga warned that Uganda has
taken on some significant value loans that
have such stringent conditions that they
could complicate Uganda’s ability to pay
them sustainably.
He said in some cases, Uganda has
waived its sovereign immunity and that of
properties used as collateral in case matters
go to court.
He exposed how Uganda has also agreed
to abide by foreign laws in any proceedings
to enforce agreements, and agreed to pay
all legal fees and insurance premiums on
behalf of the creditor in such cases.
At the handover of the report, the
Deputy AG, Keto Nyapendi Kayemba, also
expressed concern.
“We’re taking in more loans whose
conditionalities are probably not very
conducive for us as a country,” she said.
Despite such warnings, the government
has continued to borrow. The deafness of
the government now appears to have made
those telling the story of Uganda’s national
debt to realise that for it to have the greatest
impact, it must have a villain. They have
chosen China to be the villain. This appears
to be the fuel in the “China to grab Uganda

assets” war cry.
Its narrative is that one
of these days, the Uganda
government might fail to
repay money borrowed from
China and China will seize
some national assets that were
offered as collateral to the
Export Import (Exim) Bank of
China.
Talk of China grabbing
Uganda assets is also fuelled
by stories elsewhere; from
Djibouti, Kenya, Zambia, Sri
Lanka, Pakistan, and others.
In all cases, the Chinese have
denied any asset grabs.
In Zambia it was claimed
that China was taking over
the state power company to
recover its money. In Sri Lanka
in 2017, the Chinese actually
took over a strategic port. The
American magazine `Foreign
Policy’ said Djibouti’s China-
driven debt could soon hit
88% of the country’s GDP. In
December last year, reports
emerged that Kenya had
offered parts of Mombasa Port
as collateral for financing its
$3 billion railway. In August
2018, Malaysia cancelled three
Chinese-backed multi-billion
infrastructure projects because
the ballooning $250 billion
debt.
But at a press conference on
Jan.08, Kasaija attempted to
alley the fear that China could
grab Ugandan assets.
He told journalists that most
of Uganda’s debt has been
provided multilateral creditors
on concessional terms. They
include the World Bank,
African Development Bank,
and Islamic Development Bank
and others who offer relatively
low interest rates below 1.5 per
cent annually – which is almost
interest free money. They also
often include a grant element
of more than 50 percent, long
maturity periods averaging
35 years, and a grace period
before repayment starts of not
less than six years.
According to official
Ministry of Finance figures, as
of June 30, 2018, multilateral
lenders accounted for 68%
of Uganda’s debt, bilateral
creditors 31%, and commercial
banks only one per cent of
external debt. Uganda’s
domestic debt, which
comprises 33% of total debt,
is mostly borrowed from local At that point, the value of
commercial banks. Uganda’s export of goods and
Kasaija said bilateral services was US$6.4 billion
creditors like China’s and debt service payments
Exim Bank and the Japan were US$209 million ($144
International Corporation million principle plus $70
Agency (JICA) offer million interest) giving a Debt
preferential terms, including Service Ratio of 3.7%. The ratio
a grant element of between 20 lies between 0 - 20% for most
and 35%. He did not mention countries. The Debt Service
the interest rate but these are Ratio is the most important
sometimes as low as 2%. measure of debt sustainability
“China taking over assets in because it shows ability to pay.
Uganda?” Kasaija said, “I’m That means Uganda was in a
not worried about China taking good position at the time.
assets.” Based on this, the
This appears to be contrary government projected to
to Kasaija’s position in the letter increase nominal public debt
to Museveni. In the letter, he from 37% of GDP in FY2016/17
says national assets are at risk. to 40.2% in FY2017/18, before
“Given what is happening in peaking at 47.8% in FY2020/21.
our peer countries as regards The present value of total
Escrow account balances as at 30.06.2018
Account Name Account No. Ccy
National Backbone & E- Gov’t Project Phase 111 Repatment Reserve 9030012334027 USD
Account
Mofped / kampala – Entebbe Airport Expressway Escrow 9030012338545 USD
Mfped/ Isimba Hydropower project – Escrow Account 9030010820439 USD
MIN. OF FIN 7& ECON DEVT.CIVIL AVIATION AUTHORITY PROJECT 9030012334086 USD
ESCROW ACCOUNT
Karuma Hydro Power Project Escrow USD
Total
Source: Kasaija's letter to Museveni
to China debt,” he says, “we public debt was projected
strongly believe we should to follow a similar trend,
protect our assets from possible increasing from 27.1% in
takeover.” FY2016/17 to peak at 35.1% in
Project management FY2021/22.
experts also say China debt is But two other ratios that
expensive because it inflates the have dominated debate of the
total cost of the projects. debt are the Debt to GDP ratio
“Many Chinese companies and the Debt to Revenue ratio.
can bid for a job but they are Uganda’s debt to GDP ratio
all owned by one entity; the of 41 per cent is still below the
Chinese government,” one International Monetary Fund
source said, “So they can agree (IMF) risky threshold of 50 per
to offer the cheapest kilometer cent and compares well with
of road, for example, at US$1.2 other East African countries.
million when the open market But the Office of the Auditor
rate is US$800,000.” General has said the Debt
payment to national revenue
Debating debt ratios collected ratio is bad. He said
Fear of China has led at 54%, it is the highest in the
to growing concern about region.
Uganda’s public debt According to AG Muwanga,
generally. According to the interest payments on domestic
`Debt Sustainability Analysis and external debt during the
Report 2016/17’ published in financial year 2017/2018 were
December 2017 by the Ministry Shs2.34 trillion, which is 17%
of Finance, total public debt by of total revenue collections,
June 2017 was US$9.4 billion. which is above the limit of 15%
Foreign debt was US$6.2 set in Public Debt Management
billion, and Domestic debt in Framework of 2013.
foreign currency terms US$3.2 The Debt to GDP thresholds
billion. are based on a World Bank
Feb. 01 - 07 2019
cover story
study that found that if
the ratio exceeds a certain
percentage for an extended
period of time, it slows
economic growth. The
threshold differs based on
the level of the economy. For
developed economies, it is 77%,
so-called emerging markets
64%, and less developed
economies 50%. Every
percentage point of debt above
this level costs the country
about 2% in economic growth,
according to the World Bank.
However, this does not mean
the country automatically is in
debt distress.
In the third quarter 2018,
the U.S. debt-to-GDP ratio was
99%. Japan’s debt-to-GDP ratio
last year was 228%. But Japan
Amount (USD) Ugx. Equivalent
311,037.19 1,206,746,537.90
7,116,816.11 27,611,467,302.77
9,693,126.39 37,606,907,111.60
4,013,380.44 15,570,912,762.09
17,638,956.42 68,434,741,170.50
38,773,316.55 150,430,774,884.86
was obviously very able to pay
its public debt.
In 1989, according to a
World Bank report entitled
`From Crisis to Sustainable
Growth’ the Debt-to-GDP of
Sub-saharan Africa was 100%.
Debt service to exports ratio
was 47%.
Kasaija said Uganda’s
public debt, both domestic
and external is $10.7 billion
(equivalent to Shs41.326
trillion) as of end of June 2018.
The debt-to-GDP ratio
is 41% and debt-to-exports
is 3.27%. Based on these
figures, it appears, Uganda is
in a good position to pay its
creditors as obligations fall
due. And, according to the
`Debt Sustainability Analysis
Report 2016/17’, the managers
of the economy are putting
in place measures to manage
the debt, including improving
implementation of projects
for which money is borrowed.
That should, hopefully, ensure
that China does not grab any
Ugandan assets.
13
 Uganda Electricity Transmission
Company Limited (UETCL)
The Board of Directors, Management and Staff of Uganda Electricity Transmission
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Honorable Members of Parliament, Officers & Men of the UPDF on this occasion to mark
the 33rd National Resistance Movement Liberation Day.
In order to meet the Government’s 2020 Vision and National Development plan (2015-2020) which aims
to meet the energy need of Uganda’s population for socio economic development, UETCL has;
Energised the 220kV Nkenda-Fort Portal-Hoima transmission line
Upgraded the 132/33kV Queensway substation
Completed construction of the 220kV Kawanda-Masaka transmission line
Completed the construction of the 132kV Mbarara-Nkenda transmission line
Energized the 132 kV Isimba-Bujagali transmission line
Energized the 220 kV Bujagali-Kawanda transmission line
Acquired a 132/33kV mobile substation
These projects will improve on the reliability & quality of supply across Uganda and will also play a
key role in security of power supply in the region and regional power trade and exchange

Our Vision
“Electricity Transmission for Sustainable Regional Development”
Our Mission
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 MINISTRY OF INFORMATION,COMMUNICATION,
TECHNOLOGY & NATIONAL GUIDANCE

HE Yoweri Kaguta Museveni Hon. Frank Tumwebaze Hon. Idah Erios Nantaba Vincent Bagiire Waiswa
President of the Republic of Uganda Minister for ICT & National Guidance Minister of State for ICT Permanent Secretary

33rd NRM Anniversary

The Leadership and staff of the Ministry of ICT & National Guidance congratulate the
National Resistance and the people of Uganda on commemorating 33 years of Liberation.
The ICT sector contribution to prosperity for all and development
Introduction

I
CT is among the fastest growing sectors
in Uganda. The National Development
Plan - Vision 2040 envisages ICT as a
critical driver of inclusive economic
growth and modernization. Increase in ICT
uptake is contributing to the ease of doing
business in the Private sector and efficient
delivery of essential services by govern-
ment. The Ministry of ICT & National Guid-
ance (MoICT&NG) ensures that the country
has an enabling legal and regulatory frame-
work to support continued growth and
productive use of ICT in Uganda.
The Ministry also promotes ICTs to
improve livelihoods. High on that agenda is
expanding internet reach, innovations and
scaling uptake of emerging technologies
and e-government services. Under Digital-
Vision-Uganda, the ministry is aligning ICT
to support various sectors by integrating
and consolidating ICT strategies into a uni-
fied vision.
Creating Opportunities for ICT
innovators
The Ministry’s policy framework pro-
vides for creation of market-tailored ICT
solutions to create value, employment and
wealth for innovators. Under the National
ICT Initiatives’ support program (NIISP),
Government of Uganda is funding develop-
ers of ICT applications for use by the public
and the private sector. At the first call for
ICT innovations, 340 entries were received,
112 of which were eventually funded.
Some of these innovations are already
on the market. The Academic Information
Management System(AIMS) developed by
young Ugandans has been well received by
the market, and is being used by 13 pub-
lic universities thus-far. It has improved
efficiency in processing academic data to
the effect that students’ transcripts are now
issued by graduation time. I20 innovators
under phase one arealso benefitting from
attachments to mentorship under the aus-
pices of the ministry to further develop their
capacities.
After the second call for ICT innovations
for support under NIISP which closed on
24th January 2019, the ministry received over
400 entries. These will also be reviewed
to select the applications that meet the
government’s funding criteria for support.
Construction of a hi-tech innovations hub in
Kampala is now at completion stage. It will
offer a highly conducive environment with
high-speed internet connectivity for use by
developers of ICT solutions. Therefore, we
fully associate ourselves with the theme for
the 33rd anniversary of the NRM govern-
ment, i.e, “A moment of glory that set a new
chapter of peace, unity and prosperity for
Ugandans.”
The National Broadband Policy
MoICT&NG has developed a National
Broadband policy to optimize access to,
and usage of spectrum by synchronizing
investment in the requisite infrastructure
by the government and the private sec-
tor. Eradicating of duplication of infra-
structure will ensure faster expansion of
ICT services, including those areas that
are hitherto unreached. It should spur
increased access to internet and use of
electronic services to deepen research,
data-sharing and creation of more
opportunities across Uganda. The Policy,
coupled with recently enacted Data Pro-
tection Act will ensure that content is not
only shared, but used responsibly to cre-
ate opportunities for Ugandans.
Coordinating GoU’s Communication
Function
The Ministry has streamlined govern-
ment’s communication functions, to ensure
that information trickles down from the
highest echelons of decision making to com-
munities. As such, the ministry has insti-
tuted weekly press briefings through the
government Media Center, where members
of the Press and the public are updated on
cabinet meetings and decisions, in a bid to
foster transparency in government business.
As Communication and engagement
progressively goes online, the ministry has
constituted a Government-Citizen interac-
tion centre, as a one-stop centre for citizens
to interact with and inquire about the vari-
ous functions of government MDAs across
all social media platforms. The Centre
obtains feedback about government func-
tioning from the public, which it follows up
with the relevant MDAs, to ensure account-
able and continued improvement in public
service delivery.
The National Broadcaster – Uganda
Broadcasting Corporation (UBC) has also
been revamped, and its programming
improved under new management, to
ensure that it produces market relevant
content and its 11 radio and 4 TV stations
effectively and more efficiently support
citizen mobilization for National Develop-
ment. A National Guidance Policy is in
final draft, and will once complete serve
as the Ministry and National blueprint
for rallying Ugandans around a common
set of values, as we seek to achieve our
national vision of a Modern, Transformed
and Prosperous Uganda.
news analysis
Nawangwe’s Makerere mess
Does university need a CEO not a vice chancellor?
By Flavia Nassaka
S
ince he was named vice chancellor
of Makerere University Kampala,
Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe has cast
himself as a no-nonsense, no com-
promise manager. His style has earned him
several nicknames. The latest is `Ostrich’ -
for his denial of obvious truths in the midst
of a strike by staff of the university.
The strike was announced on Friday
Jan.18 to commence, for maximum impact,
on Jan. 19; the day students returned from
the Christmas holiday to start the second
semester. But even as the strike entered
Day-3, on Jan.21, Prof. Nawangwe took to
his social media handles with denials. First
he described reports of an on-going strike as
`fake news’ created by the media.
“I welcome our students to the start of
the semester. This is to inform all students
that lectures started today and they should
report for lectures according to timetables”
he wrote on Jan 21 adding, “I thank the
Makerere lecturers and staff for a smooth
start to the second semester. We will togeth-
er raise MAK higher.”
He ended it with a warning: “Say NO to
unprincipled strikes!”
The last line confirmed that Nawangwe
had not missed the start of the strike –
even if he was said to be abroad on leave
16 Feb. 01 - 07 2019
- because it was announced by the three
top staff associations of academic staff, non-
teaching staff, and the National Union of
Educational Institutions.
Nawangwe’s approach was also unusual
because, in the past, whenever strikes
occurred at the university, the administra-
tors would mount a public relations cam-
paign explaining in a series of media confer-
ences each step they are taking in resolving
the situation. Usually it was to persuade
another group; the students, from joining
the strikers.Promises would be made of
better things and, in extreme cases, the insti-
tution would be closed and students sent
home. Not this time.
Instead, what was witnessed was Nawa-
ngwe engaging in what scholars call the
`ostrich effect’; the tendency of some man-
agers to deny uncomfortable facts or real-
ity by deliberately thinking in error. It is a
dangerous occurrence which, according to
some researchers, is a factor in at least 25%
of sackings of managers around the world.
But before they are fired, the researchers
say, such managers build a culture of deny-
ing facts in the organisations.
In an interview with The Independent on
Jan.25, the Makerere University Students
Guild President Papa Were Salim described
how the conflicting information added to
the confusion of the strike.
“We were caught up in the ping pong
between administration and lecturers. The
VC told us to go to class, we went but there
was no one to teach us. He insisted there
was no strike but lecturers were telling us
that they were on strike,” he said.
“We have never felt this suffocated,”
Salim said and described how, as someone
who served as a guild representative in the
era of the previous Vice Chancellor, Prof.
Ddumba Ssentamu, he notices that Ddum-
ba was more receptive than Nawangwe of
alternative views.
He said Nawangwe’s administration had
not given them, as student leaders, any offi-
cial notice about what was going on with
lecturers strike despite several attempts by
them to seek answers. He said that left them
with no alternative but to give the admin-
istration an ultimatum to answer students’
questions or they would go on strike.
Salim added he was not sure of what the
consequences of talking to The Independent
would be on him.
The VC has issued a warning that no one
should make statements to the public about
the university without authorisation.
Court cases pile up
Nawangwe had, at a Jan.03 press confer-
ence, said controlling the flow of informa-
tion was his way of “restoring sanity in

the institution”. He said members of staff
who make statements about the university
without authorisation “endanger the insti-
tution’s image”.
Days later on Jan.17, Nawangwe fired
Deus Kamunyu Muhwezi, the President
of the Makerere University Academic Staff
Association (MUASA).
Nawangwe has cast himself as a no non-
sense, non-compromising administrator;
especially with those that do not agree with
his ideas, something that has pitted him
against his juniors and students.
In the suspension letter, Nawangwe
accused Muhwezi of misconduct and insub-
ordination and said security reports had
revealed Muhwezi incites other staff to dis-
rupt university activities. He added that in
order to protect the reputation of the institu-
tion, its activities, personnel and property
from his disruptive activities, he had made
a decision to suspend him.
But Muhwezi was the 46th lecturer to be
suspended from the university by Nawa-
ngwe in a month. The 45 others had been
fired in December over either similar cases
or amidst accusations of sexual harassment
of students, fraud, and absconding duty.
Many of the lecturers deny the charges.
Some have sued Nawangwe and the uni-
versity.
Many lecturers who felt some of their col-
leagues, including Muhwezi, were unfairly
fired from the university resolved not to
return to class on Jan.19 when the university
re-opened for the second semester unless
their grievances are heard by management.
Muhwezi who lectures in the Depart-
ment of Forestry, Biodiversity and Tourism
had given an interview to The Independent
in which he referred to Nawangwe’s new
rules as draconian. He said Makerere Uni-
versity was now presided over by demi
gods who use draconian rule other than
systems under the pretext of causing disci-
pline.
For him, universities should be places
where free speech thrives and people are
accommodative of others views. He said
Intellectuals debate and disagree to gener-
ate knowledge and progress. When this is
branded indiscipline, he warned knowledge
generation dies.
He told The Independent on Jan.20 that
he was not surprised when, a week later,
he was fired. He said he knew his time was
coming when, in April 2018, he was warned
to desist from talking about the problems at
Uganda’s oldest institution; especially about
the disrespect of their employment terms by
the Chairman of the Appointments Board.
“The letter suspending me was very
vague, harsh, in bad faith and against all
laws of this country. It even undermines
my rights as a citizen to have access to my
official home, public buildings and related
services. It portrays me as a criminal” he
said. He refused to hand over as the letter
instructed him because, he said, it was ille-
gal. Instead he said he was going to court.
If he goes to court, this will be the 5th
case in court against the university and its
administrators. Already, four cases have
been filed in the High Court since 2016. Two
have been settled out of court.
Now, pressure seems to be piling on the
63-year old professor of architecture who
has only been at the helm of the institution
since September 2017. His denial hasn’t
lasted long. Demands for explanations
intensified, not just from his students and
staff but the public too that’s why on Jan.22,
Nawangwe again took to his Facebook wall.
“It is interesting to see so many people
jumping up to shed crocodile tears about
the suspension of Deus Kamunyu. Deus
was suspended for his personal transgres-
sions and not as Chair of MUASA. Where
were you all when Deus was busy damag-
ing the reputation of council, management
and many colleagues who have worked for
long to build their reputation?”
“Appropriate measures have to be taken
to restore sanity when aggravated indisci-
pline sets in,” he said in a post.
Now, the feeling is that Makerere’s
problems may not be about to end under
Nawangwe. They might worsen. And,
the administration seems to be realising
this. This could be why he has set up a full
directorate to manage communications,
away from the Public Relations office
which is being run by Rita Namisango. He
announced on Jan.21, that the new direc-
torate would also handle the institution’s
international relations and is to be manned
by Muhwezi’s predecessor in MUASA,
Muhammad Kiggundu.
In an interview on Jan.24, Kiggundu said
news analysis
he plans to build a system that ensures that
the administration works well with the
university associations. He spoke of recon-
ciliation. But the sweet talk comes at a time
when all leaders of associations – Bennet
Magara of the Administrative Staff Associa-
tion, his General Secretary Joseph Kalema,
and MUASA’s Muhwezi have been sus-
pended.
When asked about Nawangwe’s
approach of firing, Kiggundu was cagey.
“Tempers might have flared because he
(Nawangwe) felt juniors were climbing on
his table,” he said, “Every human being
errors but management is coming up with
an agenda to calm this show down that has
been on for long”.
Without divulging into details, he said
already the chairperson of University
Council; the governing body had scheduled
meetings with various stakeholders to find
a way out.
CEO Vs Vice Chancellor
But, education policy experts like Mor-
rison Rwakakamba say, meetings such as
proposed rarely provide a permanent fix to
the institution’s problems.
Rwakakamba faulted Nawangwe’s top
heavy mechanistic approach to administra-
tion but, he said, the problem at Makerere
might be bigger than Nawangwe himself.
“What we are seeing is a collapse of a
proper management system which has been
further aggravated by an approach of firing
lecturers and expelling students,” he said.
“I am not saying that he shouldn’t crack
the whip. He should do this after all the oth-
ers have failed. Even when firing is decided
clear process should be followed involving
giving the culprit a chance to be heard”.
Considering that issues of strikes always
came up even with previous administra-
tions, including Ddumba who came off soft
spoken, calm, and accommodative, Rwaka-
kamba says it’s time to rethink who should
preside over such institutions.
To him universities in Africa and Uganda
should now look beyond the requirement
for one to be leader of the university being
a professor or to have supervised a certain
number of graduate students. The leader
of a university should be a Chief Executive
Officer (CEO) with clear Key Performance
Indicators. “If a professor also has manage-
rial competencies that would be fine but
the requirements such as one has to have
taught at the institution for a certain period,
a professor has ended. Big universities all
over the world are now considering CEOs,”
he said.
He said the current method of choosing
top leaders at Makerere is archaic and will
kill the university. He said appointing a
CEO would signal a new direction; that it is
an institution of higher learning determined
to become a top center for research, innova-
tion and driver of the national economy.
Feb. 01 - 07 2019 17
 DOTT SERVICES LIMITED
Engineering contractors

The Management and

Staff of Dott Services Ltd
congratulate the National
resistance movement and
the people of Uganda in
commemorating
33 years of liberation.

LONG LIVE UGANDA

DOTT SERVICES LIMITED P .O. Box 20005, Plot: 30, Bukoto

P. O. Box 345, Moshi, Tanzania
Crescent, Naguru, Kampala- Uganda | Tel; +256 701 700 916/918 | +256 750 566 027
P.O. Box 228, Juba, South Sudan
Email; info@dottservices.biz | www.dottservices.biz

UGANDA TANZANIA SOUTH SUDAN INDIA

 Dott Services contribution to Uganda’s transformation
D
ott Services Limited traces its
roots back to 1994 in Uganda.
Since 1994 the company’s busi-
ness has remained focused on
meeting the needs of its clients by building
quality into every project.
The company is building a multi-million-
dollar industrial facility, bridge structure,
roads, electrical and water projects.
It started small with an investment of
100,000USD and with a policy of reinvest-
ing the profits back into the business. To
date, the company has grown its invest-
ments to the tune of US$100million
The concept and strategy of the company
is; a reliable engineering infrastructure
service provider to be in line with the gov-
ernment priorities. This strategy has seen
the company take part in infrastructure and
energy projects and more.
The company is a typical product of hard
work, commitment and perseverance. Its
success story starts with four young Indian
engineers who came to Uganda in 1994
with a dream and managed to build the
biggest and the strongest infrastructure
firm in East Africa. It has since become a
reference for new investors who want to
come and invest in Uganda.
Infrastructure projects
Dott services has established a number
of stone quarries and crushing plants at
various places in the country. These devel-
opments include: Asphalt Plants in Semuto,
Ishaka and Kachumbala with Asphalt Pro-
duction capacity of 120 tons/hour. Others
are Stone Quarry and Crushing Plants in
Semuto, Ishaka and Kachumbala, Masindi
and Arua.
The company has also invested in heavy
plant and machinery for road construction
of bituminous type to carry out at least
500KM simultaneously. Total investments
into infrastructure related businesses are
close to US$40million.
In addition, the company has success-
fully completed several projects for Govern-
ment of Uganda, South Sudan and Tanza-
nia in the fields of roads, water and sewer-
age, buildings (industrial and commercial),
environmental (solid waste and landfill
sites management), bulk water dams, irri-
gation schemes, electrical transmission and
distribution, street lighting, hydro-power
and solar power projects.
Currently the company is handling the
following projects:
 Rehabilitation of Selected National
Roads (6 Lots), Lot 6: Nakalama- Tir-
inyi –Mbale Road (102.0KM), Uganda
 LOT 1: upgrading of mtwara-mnivata
section (50km), Tanzania
 Construction of Rwengaaju Model
Village Irrigation Scheme in Kabarole
District, Uganda
 Farm Income enhancement and for-
estry conservation Programme proj-
ect-2; Lot 4: Doho II irrigation scheme
infrastructure and facilities in butaleja
district, Uganda
 Construction of hydro power project
4.8 mw on river waki bulisa district,
Uganda
 Construction of hydropower project 5.5
mw at nyagak iii –paida-uganda
 Construction of Rural Electrification
project in Eastern uganda under Lot:1
Kamuli and Buyende Districts Project
Under JV of HIDELECO/DOTT JV,
Uganda
 Construction of Rural Electrification
schemes under lot 5: central service ter-
ritory (nakaseke, nakasongola, luwero,
kiboga and kyankwanzi districts proj-
ect Under JV of HIDELECO/DOTT JV,
Uganda
 Drilling, excavation, loading, transpor-
tation, dumping, spreading & leveling
etc. Project 2, India
Energy sector achievements
 Development, own and operate a
hydro-electricity power plant, pro-
ducing 9MW of power, which was
commissioned by President Yoweri
Museveni in January 2013 with a total
investment of US$38million funded by
Afdb and PTA (Now TDB) banks.
 Development, own and operate a
hydropower plant of 4.8 MW in Hoi-
ma/Buliisa districts. It is funded by PTA
bank (Now TDB) with a total invest-
ment of US$18.5million.
 Development, own and operate a
hydropower plant of 6.6 MW in Zombo
District. This is planned to be com-
missioned in the last quarter of 2021,
funds from equity & Grant from GOU
in combination with external debt with
a total investment of US$19.38million.
The project is developed as PPP
between UEGCL and Dott/Hydromax
under the names of Genmax Nyagak
Limited.
 Nyagak III is being developed with a
lowest tariff in Uganda of US cents 5.74.
Company’s impact on economy
The company has created direct and
indirect employment opportunities to the
local population. It also trains and nurtures
competent Ugandan engineers and other
technical staff. Many of these have since
become a backbone of the company’s
operations not only in the country but also
beyond.
It also provides free and clean drinking
water to the families surrounding areas
where it has its projects. It has also worked
on power supply and roads that are near
to the local communities – like in Semuto,
Kachumbale, and Buseruka. This is done as
one way of giving back to the community
under its corporate social responsibility
function.
The company did an escarpment road
from Buseruka trading centre to Kaiso-ton-
yo landing site before constructing Kaiso-
Tonya road. This access road was made to
benefit not only the community living on
the shores of the Lake Albert but also for
the oil exploring companies while going
about their business.
The company actively participated in
the afforestation program in conjunction
with Hoima district and WEF. And in these
entire establishments and in all its con-
struction projects, it has been Dott services
cardinal principle that all the construction
sites security is manned by veterans from
Uganda People’s Defence force—starting
with the implementation of Kafu-Masindi
Road Project way back in 2004 to date.
Interestingly, where the company has
been called upon in case of disaster and
emergency, it has always been readily
available – even when Government did not
advance any funds. The company would
use its resources to fix the problems before
getting paid by the government. The com-
pany’s consolidated turnover in 2016-2017
is US$82million with a current order book
value of over US$600million.
news analysis
Death of the death sentence
Bill to align death penalty laws reawakens
debate on punishment for capital offenses
By Flavia Nassaka
O
n Jan.22 a man who confessed
in the High Court in Kampala
to have killed his wife in an acid
attack was sentenced to 40 years
in prison. The sentencing of Khassim Ka-
kaire who has been on remand for murder
at Luzira Prison since2015 by High Court
judge Anthony Ojok Ayuko was seen by
some as too lenient. Kakaire, they said,
should have been sentenced to death.
Judge Ayuko anticipated that reaction
and in his ruling showed that he appreci-
ated the gravity of the crime and the pain of
the victims.
“This kind of offence must be discour-
aged at whatever cost. Someone would
rather shoot you and you die than leave you
in such pain,” the judge said.
But, he noted, the offender had opted
not to waste court’s time by going into a
full trial and had pleaded guilty under the
plea bargain arrangement, was also affected
by the attack, and was remorseful. He also
20 Feb. 01 - 07 2019
noted that the convict is 43 years old.
“I find the 40 years appropriate, minus
the four years on remand leaving the
accused to serve 36 years,” the court ruled.
Kakaire told court he is responsible for
pouring concentrated sulphuric acid on his
wife Josephine Namanda, who he suspect-
ed to have an extra marital affair.
This case gained attention as it was heard
when parliament was handling a contro-
versial Bill; the Law Revision (Penalties in
Criminal Matters) Miscellaneous Amend-
ment Bill 2015.The Bill seeks to amend the
Penal Code Act, Cap 120, the Anti-Terrorism
Act, 2002, the Uganda People’s Defence
Forces Act, 2005, and the Trial on Indict-
ment Act, Cap 23.
While the Bill does not seek to scrap
death penalty, it became a major area of dis-
cussion. Some MPs proposed a referendum
to allow Ugandans decide whether or not
they still need the law in place. Arguments
in favor of lenience and those in favor of
severity came up, not just among legislators
but among ordinary members of the public.
“If you kill, you are killed too. For us it’s
that fair,”said Uganda Muslim Supreme
Council’s Hajji Nsereko Mutumba. He cited
Islamic teachings, which he said are similar
to the biblical “an eye for an eye”. He said
this was part of God’s law given by Moses
to ancient Israel and was quoted by Jesus.
In Uganda, according to the law, people
on death row are supposed to die by hang-
ing. Up to 149 people are currently on the
death row. One qualified for hanging three
months ago.
Uganda Prisons’ Frank Baine told the
Independent that the 148 have either
appealed or their cases are at the Supreme
Court level awaiting final judgment.
“The prisoner who qualified is supposed
to be hanged in a period not later than three
years,” Baine said. The law, however, pro-
vides that if a convict on death row is not
executed in three years, then the sentence
automatically becomes a life sentence. He
said many convicts have had their sentences
reduced because executions last happened
in 1999.

That is when President YoweriMuseveni
signed a death warrant to have 28 hanged in
an execution that sunk in Musa Sebirumbi
who was a Uganda People’s Congress
chairman in Luweero during the Obote II
government.
He was hanged for the murder of Edid-
ian Luttamaguzi, a renowned collaborator
of Museveni’s National Resistance Army
rebels during the 1981-86 bush war.
‘The price of lenience’
Baine says the slow execution should
speak of how unnecessary the death penalty
has become and that Uganda should join
the global crusade to abolish the sentence
completely. He said more than 15 countries
in Africa have abolished it.
Baine speaks of the Supreme Court judg-
ment in an appeal of Susan Kigula and 416
others vs Attorney General that saved a
lot of people from being hanged. Kigula,
together with her house help, Patience
Nansamba were sentenced to death for kill-
ing her husband. Court heard that Susan
Kigula, together with her maid cut her hus-
band’s throat while he lay in bed.
But Kigula, together with 416 others,
in a move that would rock the legal field
decided to appeal in order to have the
death sentence declared unconstitutional
and abolished in Uganda. The appeal that
dragged on for nearly 10 years ended up
in the Supreme Court where she lost in
her desire to have the death sentence abol-
ished. But the case led to serious changes
to the death penalty as mandatory death
Up to 149
people are
currently on
the death
row. One
qualified
for hanging
three
months ago
sentences were abolished in favour of hav-
ing each case handled individually. That is
how, years later, Kakaire can be sentenced
to 40 years in prison even after confessing
to murder.
To Baine, all this was done because the
judicial officers realized that the death sen-
tence is not a deterrent to crime and Article
22 of the constitution provides that every-
one has a right to live and no one should
take away that right.
He said as prison officers, they are
reformists who believe that a convict can
still be useful in society whether while still
in prison or after they have served their
sentence.
President Museveni has over the years
been seen to be in favor of the Baine argu-
ment.
In 2009, using his prerogative of mercy,
the President in a prominent decision par-
doned Chris Rwakasisi, a former Minister
for Internal Affairs in Milton Obote’s gov-
ernment who had been on death row since
1985.
Also, at a campaign rally in Fort Portal
town in 2016, he hinted on the possible
pardoning of former Tooro Kingdom Prime
Minister John Sanyu Katuramu. Museveni
said he had no problem with pardoning
Katuramu who had been on death row for
assassinating Prince Charles Kijanangoma.
His sentence was reduced to life imprison-
ment after the Kigula appeal judgment.
But Museveni’s magnanimity seems to
have recently changed.
During theJudges Annual Conference
in January last year, Museveni said he will
soon resume executions.
“We believe in the Law of Moses; eye for
an eye”, he said “I have been making the
mistake of not sanctioning these death sen-
tences, I am repenting”.
news analysis
Four months later, he re –echoed his plan
at the commission of prison officers say-
ing that criminals are taking his leniency
for granted. “Criminals think they have a
right to kill people and then just keep their
own heads….. I am going to revise a bit and
hung a few.”
He said removing the death penalty from
the law books of a country like Uganda
which is pre- industrial will only cause
chaos.
Shamim Nalugemwa, an advocate work-
ing with Uganda Law Society agrees. She
says the penalty should stay to tame those
that are unremorseful. But, she says, the
processes for dispensing justice should be
refined to ensure that people do not get
punished for crimes they did not commit.
“It was gruesome. There was no time
limit; they could hang even after 10 years,
seven months, whenever they felt like. Do
you know the trauma that would cause?
That’s why we used to hear of someone
hanging themselves in prison,” she says.
For her, the discussion of whether or not
to retain the penalty started long ago having
been discussed even during the SSempebwa
Constitutional Review Commission and
should be guided by arguments of why
punishment is given.
“Why do we punish? Is it to revenge or
to deter?” she says. According to her, those
that have reformed should be rehabilitated
and sent back to their communities.
Her argument is supported by the mover
of the amendment Bill in parliament –
Merdard Lubega Seggona (MP Busiro East)
who said the current law on the death pen-
alty should be left intact for the most serious
crimes.
He says the death penalty is considered
the very last resort as capital punishment.
He says to qualify; one has to have gone
through a lot of processes that take a lot of
time. That is why a convict is given a chance
to go up to the highest court of the land –
the Supreme Court to defend themselves.
He says that’s why his Bill is not about
erasing or not erasing the death penalty but
about aligning the laws that dictate the pen-
alty with the decision of the Supreme Court
making death penalty discretionary.
“That debate came up because MPs
didn’t understand what these amendments
are about. It’s about harmonising all the
laws that talk about penalty to ensure that
mandatory death penalty for death sentence
is removed and left to the discretion of the
judge hearing a particular case,” he said.
The Bill that is due for second reading
seeks to amend the Penal Code Act, Cap
120, the Anti-Terrorism Act, 2002, the Ugan-
da People’s Defence Forces Act, 2005, and
the Trial on Indictment Act, Cap 23.
Feb. 01 - 07 2019 21
 THE MINISTRY OF WATER
AND ENVIRONMENT

HE Yoweri Kaguta Hon. Sam Cheptoris Hon. Ronald Kibuule Hon. Kitutu Mary Goretti Mr. Alfred Okot Okidi
Museveni President of the Minister for Water and Minister of State for Minister of State for PS, Ministry of Water &
Republic of Uganda Environment Water Environment Environment

THE MINISTER FOR WATER AND ENVIRONMENT, MINISTER OF STATE FOR ENVIRONMENT, MINISTER OF STATE FOR
WATER, THE PERMANENT SECRETARY AND STAFF OF MINISTRY OF WATER AND ENVIRONMENT, CONGRATULATE
HIS EXCELLENCY THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF UGANDA GENERAL YOWERI KAGUTA MUSEVENI, THE
CABINET MINISTERS, MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT AND ALL THE PEOPLE OF UGANDA ON THIS AUSPICIOUS
OCCASION AS NRM MARKS 33 YEARS IN OFFICE.

A
s we celebrate the 33rd Anniversary
of NRM, the Ministry of Water
and Environment is proud to
have contributed to the process of
transforming our Country from peasantry
to modernity. We deeply appreciate and
congratulate H.E. President Yoweri Kaguta
Museveni and NRM for ensuring unity,
stability and prosperity within the Country.
The Ministry pledges to continue working
with NRM to serve all Ugandans through
various initiatives and priority programs
that subscribe to Uganda’s development
agenda to achieve the National
Development Plan (NDP II) and Uganda’s
Vision 2040.
This is being done by focusing on water
and sanitation infrastructure development
with a purpose to increase access to safe
water coverage. As of June 2018, the
access to safe water in the rural areas was
estimated at 70% while in the urban areas
access to safe water increased from 71% to
77%. This increase is partly due to a new
baseline survey produced for the urban
areas covered by NWSC where coverage
was 83.7% compared to 79% in 2017. The

H.E. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni commissioning Lirima Gravity Flow scheme

percentage of improved water
sources that are functional in
rural areas was at 85% and at
95% in the urban areas. 85% of
the households in rural areas
accessed safe and effective
sanitation while 95% of the
households in the urban areas
accessed improved sanitation.
The Umbrella Organizations
were gazetted as Water
Authorities in July 2017.
They mainly focus works
for establishing their new
governance, conduct related
capacity building, financial
management and monitoring
systems.
The Ministry constructed and
expanded 140 water systems
out of which 79 water systems
were handed over to National
Water & Sewerage Corporation
(NWSC) for operation and
maintenance, 21 systems are
under Umbrella Organizations
and 35 were handed over
to private operators. One
major outcome of the water
system expansion has been
the significant increase in
the number of new water
connections (by new users)
thereby increasing access
to safe water services and
also improvement in the
overall sustainability of water
services in these towns. The
sustainability of water services
in the small towns (outside the
NWSC towns) has improved
due to:
 Back-up support
for operations and
maintenance which
is being provided by
regionally based Umbrella
Organizations.
 Implementation of
catchment based
integrated water resources
management (through the 4
Water Management Zones).
 Implementation of water
source protection activities
for new and existing water
infrastructure to ensure
long term sustainability.
Water for Production
storage capacity has increased
from 38.86 million m3 to
39.32 million m3. To reduce
our dependency on rain-fed
Agriculture and to increase
our food security, MWE
constructs and rehabilitates
earth dams and valley tanks
country-wide but mainly in
Minister for Water and Environment Hon. Sam Cheptoris laying a water
pipe during the ground breaking ceremony of Kiwoko-Butalangu piped
water supply and sanitation system
Rt. Hon. Dr Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda and State Minister for
Water Hon. Ronald Kibuule during the launch of the first ever Uganda
Water and Environment Week
State Minister for Environment Hon. Kitutu Mary Goretti launching
Wetland protection
the cattle corridor, operates
and manages earth moving
equipment for construction of
valley tanks which are hired
out to individual farmers at
subsidized rates and controls
the bulk water transfer
programme which aims at
supplying adequate amounts
and quality of water all year
round for multi- purpose use
by conveying large quantities
from places of plenty to
places of scarcity. There has
been construction of 130 pilot
irrigation schemes across the
country with one pilot scheme
in every district.
16 Small scale Irrigation
schemes and 4 communal
valley tanks and were
completed. Construction works
of Olweny irrigation scheme
and 14 Windmill powered
water Supply is ongoing.
We however need to
increase compliance to water
resources regulations in terms
of compliance to waste water
discharge, surface and ground
water abstraction by taking
legal/corrective action against
non-compliant permit holders.
This will reduce the on-going
pollution of our water sources.
The construction of a model
waste recycling plant for
Kampala Capital City Authority
and rehabilitation of Kirinya
waste water treatment plant
were completed.
The Ministry obtained water
quality testing/monitoring
equipment for toxic wastes
from oil and gas activities in
the Albertine Graben. The
equipment is used to analyze
and identify any pollutants
in water which result from
oil and gas activities in real
time. 32 surface water and 17
groundwater stations were
upgraded to transmit data.
Compliance to waste water
discharge permit conditions
improved from 59% to 63%
while compliance to abstraction
permit conditions improved
from 73% to 77%.
Water resources planning,
development and management
is being undertaken within
catchment boundaries, as
opposed to administrative
boundaries and is coordinated
country-wide in four Water
Management Zones (WMZs)
of Kyoga, Victoria, Albert and
Upper Nile.
In order to prevent
further degradation of
our environment and to
ensure reliability of water
supply infrastructure, the
sector institutions and other
stakeholders, including CSOs
are implementing a number
of activities which include
restoration of wetlands,
demarcation of National
Forestry boundaries and
eviction of encroachers,
re-afforestation in Central
Forestry Reserves, tree planting
at community level, protection
of major river banks, and
water source and catchment
protection activities.
MWE demarcated over
283.7km of critical wetlands,
and restored 487 hectares (ha)
of degraded wetlands. Coding
of wetlands for Albert Nile,
Aswa and Victoria Nile was
completed. 446km of boundary
were demarcated with concrete
pillars; 2160ha of degraded
forests restored through planting
trees; 2,748.5ha plantations were
established by tree Farmers on
Central Forest Reserves (CFRs);
13,400ha were freed from
encroachment; 1,167ha of new
tree plantations were established
and 30,862,965 assorted seedlings
were produced and supplied.
NEMA supported the
restoration of 100ha for
Mpologoma-Limoto system
and 900 ha of Rwizi catchment
and approved 807 Environment
Impact Assessment (EIA) Bukwo Gravity Flow Scheme in Bukwo district
reports for development
projects in order to take care
of environmental and social
safeguards. The Climate Change
Bill was drafted and submitted
to Cabinet Secretariat for review.
9 staff members were trained on
specialized critical skills (GIS,
Climate Change Negotiation,
Drought and Flood Hazard
Mapping).
By June 2018, Uganda
National Metrological Authority
(UNMA) had established
automated weather observation
stations which generate data
that is used in producing early
warning information in 36 out of
122 Districts. There are 52 major
weather stations of different
categories (Synoptic, Agro met
and Hydro met); out of which
29 were functioning. 23 non- State Minister for Water Hon. Ronald Kibuule monitoring Kabembe-Kalagi-Naggalama towns water supply system
functional weather stations lack
both instruments and personnel.
The Ministry will continue
to serve the Country through
various initiatives and priority
programmes that subscribe
to Uganda’s development
agenda and Vision 2040. The
Ministry rededicates itself
to implementing the NRM
Manifesto 2016-2021 by
increasing access to safe and
clean water to all Ugandans.

For God and My Country

Hon. Sam Cheptoris

Minister for Water and
Environment
National tree planting exercise for the restoration of Mabira Forest
 RURAL ELECTRIFICATION AGENCY
“The Peoples Electricity Link”
The Board, Management and Staff of Rural Electrification Agency
congratulate His Excellency the President, Cabinet Ministers, Honorable
Members of Parliament, Officers & Men of the UPDF on this occasion to
mark the 33rd National Resistance Movement Liberation Day.

Plot 10 Windsor Loop Kololo, 2nd Floor, House of Hope, P.O. Box 7317, Kampala, Uganda
Tel: +256-312-318100, Fax: +256-414-346013, Email: rea@rea.or.ug

Growing Africa
The New Forests Company congratulates His Excellency the President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, the Government
and People of Uganda on this auspicious occasion of the 33rd NRM Anniversary Celebrations.
As a world class leader in the fields of forestry, pole treatment, profitability, employment, conservation and community
development, The New Forests Company remains committed to contributing to the development of Uganda and the
region. The supply of high-quality utility poles, pallets and sawn is sourced from the Company’s responsibly managed
plantations and manufacturing. Our commitment to our neighbour communities is reflected in our unwavering support
towards the forests for prosperity approach.
We join all Ugandans in working towards a prosperous future with renewed hope and confidence.

P. O. Box 71435 Kampala. Tel +256 414 581 249

Plot 1 Kololo Hill Drive Block B 5th Floor Office 5A Kololo Kampala
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interview
Ghost voters in 2021:
Register deaths to clear them
Crispin Kaheru is the Coordinator of the Citizens Coalition for Electoral
Democracy (CCEDU) which recently wrote an open letter to President Museveni
on electoral reforms. He spoke to Ian Katusiime about the issues raised.
In your open letter to the President,
you talk about monetisation of
elections but this sounds futile given
that it is the preferred method of the
I
President when he is campaigning.
t is true there have been
allegations that the President
thrives on the use of money and
we have also seen his actions point
in that direction. But it’s a wrong
thing, you can’t depend on money
to win an election or to bribe voters.
And there is a foul effect of money in
elections, the reason we are appealing
to the President to take steps to back
up his words with actions. He has
gone on record denouncing the use of
money to win elections and we want
to believe his words. We are asking
him to support the Campaign Finance
Bill 2018 then we will know he is
genuine. If not we will continue to
doubt him. Campaign spending must
be regulated.
You talk about the Campaign Finance
Bill 2018 as a solution. But we know
how laws are disregarded in
this country.
That is a first level
solution. If you would
like to secure
institutional
backing to
fight illicit
use of
money in
26 Feb. 01 - 07 2019
elections then you need a legal
framework and presently it doesn’t
exist. If we have a law to regulate
campaign spending, that is a first step.
For example if you go to the Electoral
Commission (EC) and report to them a
complaint about one of the candidates
in a given constituency using
lots of money to
campaign,
the first
question
would
be: is
there a law that prohibits enormous
amounts of money in an election? The
answer is it doesn’t exist.
Are there ways the national register
can be improved to avoid the usual
ghost voters?
It is possible. First we have made a
fundamental move from a manual to
an automatic voters’ register that is
derived from the national ID registry.
That, we have done perfectly well;
especially with the coming into effect
of the Registration of Persons Act.
What needs to happen is for us
to clean the national ID register
as the main master document so
that by the time the EC extracts
from the national voters register,
it is doing so from a clean mother
document.
Ugandans are very keen on
registering to obtain a national
ID because it is required at a
bank, at work, hospital but the
same Ugandans are not keen on
registering deaths. Because of that
laxity, we find so many ghosts on
the national ID register and on the
voters’ register. For us to be able to
clean that up, we need to run
a sustained campaign to
tell Ugandans that
it is important
for Ugandans
to register
family and
friends
who have
passed
on.

If you don’t, the ghosts will stay
on the register. I think if we run
that campaign in collaboration with
National Identification Registration
Authority (NIRA), EC, the citizens
of this country, then we are actually
closer to getting a clean national
voters’ register. It is also important
to file reports of Ugandans who have
forfeited their citizenship.
In spite of all this energy you have
to get people to register for National
IDs, there is still apathy to vote in
elections. As CCEDU, how do you
work around this?
The main area of interest for
CCEDU is to get more and more
people to exercise their franchise.
What we do is we run different citizen
and voter mobilisation campaigns. If
you recall, in 2011 when opposition
political parties were going to boycott
the election, our remedy was that
people can pronounce themselves on
governance issues by participating
rather than by staying away. So we
came up with the ‘honour your vote’
campaign in 2011. In 2015 when
EC and government kicked off the
mass enrollment for national ID, we
supported the process through the
votability campaign. And over 95%
of Ugandans that were supposed
to register went and registered. In
2016 we had the ‘Topowa’ campaign
where we mobilised people despite
the logistical challenges that affected
the election. I think 68% was a
substantial figure based on the 57%
that turned up in 2011. So those are
the campaigns that we run.
Now that government is launching
an effort at sub- county level to
register people for National IDs, we
as CCEDU are also planning to launch
a massive nation-wide campaign to
support the process. Get your national
ID because it is your gateway to
exercising your voting right and we
will launch that in February.
The EC has said elections in newly
created constituencies will not take
place this year because there is no
money. What does this mean for civic
awareness campaigns?
First the people in those
constituencies are being denied a
chance to have representatives as
councilors, MPs and that is a cause for
worry. I think it is in the best interest
for people in those constituencies to
amplify their voices around urging
government to provide resources for
having elections conducted.
EC, as an election management
body, is in a Catch 22. If they say
If nothing
is done on
electoral
reforms, there
is no purpose
for going to the
2021 elections
because we will
end up in the
same place we
were in 2001,
2006, 2011 and
2016
they don’t have money, how do we
expect them to conduct elections
without money? In any case they
were supposed to conduct elections
in seven districts by July 30 2018 and
they did not.
In your letter you called upon President
Museveni to rein in election violence like
we saw in the Arua by-election last year.
But you know very well that this violence
tends to be sanctioned from the highest
level of the state.
The scale of violence has been
increasing when you look at
Arua for example. The effects and
reverberations occurred across and
outside the country. With regard to
the perpetrator, we need to foster the
question of individual responsibility.
A person who has meted out violence
on another should be individually
responsible on top of an institution
being accountable.
I know for sure that many people
who participated in that violence;
especially the security officers
have gone scot free. As the public,
we haven’t seen the punishment
being handed to them because of
their actions that violated the code
of conduct. Whether the president
is directly responsible or not, he
has a responsibility to call his
security apparatus to order and
to account. Whether that involves
him summoning himself and his
conscience to think through decisions
he may have sent out, is something
that needs to be put on the table.
interview
Are you really optimistic about
the government enacting electoral
reforms?
I tend to remain optimistic at all
times. You know the challenges
in elections have been increasing
from 2001, they are not getting less
and something needs to be done. I
am inclined to think that with the
increasing corruption in elections, the
challenges around the use of money in
elections; the increasing militarisation
of elections, the violence and its
effects, the pressure that has come
from the Supreme Court around
electoral reforms, and the logistical
challenges that afflicted the 2016
election all form good ground to
really move any right thinking
government to do something. If
nothing is done, there is no purpose
for going to the 2021 elections because
we will end up in the same place we
were in 2001, 2006, 2011 and 2016.
That is why it is important that we
take concrete substantive measures
in regard to an electoral and political
reform process.
By 2021, there may be well over
400 MPs given the many new
constituencies. This doesn’t seem
good for a fledgling democracy like
Uganda. How can we reverse this
trend?
We just have to work on it using
the first level reforms that we have
proposed in the past. The increasing
expenditure of public administration
is worrisome and many more MPs,
district chairpersons and councilors
come in with creation of new districts.
Previously, we have called for a
moratorium on district creation and
representation must be rationalised.
Previously we have also called for
the rationalisation of special interest
group representation. Why should
there be representatives of the army,
workers in parliament, and other
groups on a direct vote and yet we are
in a multiparty dispensation.
All these should come through
political parties and not as separate
constituencies. We need to review the
representation of parliament every ten
years as the 1995 constitution states.
Around independence time, we
had 14 or 15 districts and even in the
National Resistance Council (NRC),
we were well represented. From
the roadmap released by the EC for
2021, we will be electing 1.5million
people that is before you add the LC1
and 2. If you have numbers crossing
2million, what are they leading?
So we need to rationalise public
administration.
Feb. 01 - 07 2019 27
news analysis
Italy lectures France on Africa
Italian leaders irk Paris by backing the Yellow
Jackets and denouncing French colonialism
By Hannah Roberts our foreign policies,” and Foreign Minister
T
he 5Star Movement’s attempt to
blame migrant deaths in the Medi-
terranean on Paris says more about
the dire state of the Italian ruling
coalition than the French colonial legacy in
Africa.
Paris was already furious with Italian
Deputy Prime Minister Luigi Di Maio
for supporting the Yellow Jackets protest
movement. When he then linked French
foreign policy to the drowning of about
170 migrants, a Franco-Italian diplomatic
incident was inevitable — though France’s
Europe Minister Nathalie Loiseau has said
she refuses to enter a “stupidity contest”
with Rome.
Di Maio, co-leader of a governing coali-
tion with the far-right League that has
closed Italy’s ports to NGO boats carrying
rescued migrants, said the root cause of the
tragedy is poverty in countries that “use
French currency and pay for the French
deficit.”
“This is a colonialism that has never fin-
ished,” said the leader of the 5Stars.
The sight of Italy’s ambassador to Paris
being summoned to the foreign ministry to
explain did little to dissuade League leader
and Interior Minister Matteo Salvini — who
enjoys few things more than baiting French
President Emmanuel Macron — from join-
ing in a few days later. “The migrant prob-
lem has many causes,” he said. “In Africa,
some take away wealth from the people and
the Continent. France is certainly among
them. Italy isn’t.”
The Italian opposition dismissed Di
Maio and Salvini’s comments about French
foreign policy as “lies” and “propaganda”
driven by internal coalition rivalry and an
attempt by the 5Stars to upstage the League,
which has long dominated the migration
issue with its hard-line stance.
Gaddafi’s gold
But while the 5Stars are known for sup-
porting wacky conspiracy theories, this
looked like a calculated attempt to win back
votes from the populist right and left fringes
ahead of May’s election for the European
Parliament. Sliding support for the 5Stars
was highlighted by a recent election in Sar-
dinia, in which their share of the vote fell to
29 percent from 42 percent.
That impression was reinforced by sup-
port for the anti-French outbursts from
Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, who said it
is “legitimate to question the effectiveness of
28 Feb. 01 - 07 2019
Enzo Moavero Milanesi.
Di Maio was alluding to the CFA franc,
two currencies used mainly by former
French colonies in Africa that are pegged to
the euro, with the financial backing of the
French treasury. In exchange, the French
treasury holds half the foreign currency of
these 14 countries, which critics say hinders
economic development.
Vito Petrocelli, the 5Star president of the
Italian Senate’s foreign affairs committee,
attempted to explain the rationale behind Di
Maio’s comments by referring to U.S. diplo-
matic cables from WikiLeaks.
Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi was
plotting to replace the CFA franc with a
pan-African currency backed by Libyan
gold, according to a leaked U.S. diplomatic
cable from 2011. The invasion of Libya by
Western allies put an end to that plan and
destabilised the country, contributing to the
migration chaos whose consequences have
been mainly borne by Italy, he said.
“Luigi Di Maio had the courage to lift the
veil of hypocrisy which hid the scandalous
system of the CFA franc,” said Petrocelli.
In reality, most migrants who arrive
in Italy originate from countries such as
Tunisia and Eritrea that don’t use the CFA
franc. Among the top 10 countries of origin
for refugees arriving by sea in Italy in 2018,
Ivory Coast is the first country using the
CFA franc to appear, at No. 8, according to
UNHCR figures.
Godwin Chukwu, founder of the Federa-
tion of the African Diaspora in Italy, said
Italy should remember its own colonial
past in Somalia, Ethiopia, Eritrea and Libya,
adding: “Di Maio and Salvini cannot give
lessons to France.”
Chukwu cited Di Maio’s promise to
Italian voters that foreigners would not be
eligible for the 5Stars’ flagship campaign
promise of a basic citizens’ income. “Africa
is here in Italy but the minister cares noth-
ing for these poor people,” he said.
For Raffaele Marchetti, professor of inter-
national relations at Rome’s Luiss Univer-
sity, the diplomatic spat between Rome and
Paris is the result of long-term economic
and military frictions between Italy and
France that have been exacerbated by the
immigration crisis.
On top of that, inflammatory language
attracts votes, and ahead of May’s European
election the 5Stars are keen to burnish their
anti-establishment credentials by taking
a pop at capitalist institutions to win sup-
port from the left and take a hard stance on
migration to gain favor with the right.
“Show voters you are dealing with
migration and you will be rewarded,” said
Marchetti.
Karaoke night
With the 5Stars looking for potential allies
in the European Parliament after the May
election, attacking France’s Africa policy
is also a way of reaching out to the Yellow
Jackets by showing a shared agenda: abol-
ishing the CFA franc is one of the activists’
demands.
Standing up to the French will also go
down well with the domestic audience, said
5Star activist Massimo Lazzari. Di Maio
“is trying to get back some votes we have
lost,” he said, adding that Italy has been
too acquiescent with the major European
powers in the past. “We have to defend our-
selves. France treats Italy as a colony, eco-
nomically and illegally sending back child
migrants. Previous governments allowed
this to happen. We push back,” said Lazzari.
“These comments will increase divisions
with France and leave Italy more marginal-
ized” — Raffaele Marchetti
While there may be short-term electoral
gains, opposition parties point out the dan-
ger of running foreign policy like an election
campaign. The situation is “getting out of
hand,” said former Prime Minister Matteo
Renzi from the center-left Democratic Party:
‘The damage to the credibility of Italy and
its relations with its historic friends is huge.
Foreign policy is serious, it’s not amateur
karaoke.”
Alessandro Alfieri, a Democratic Party
senator on the foreign affairs committee,
pointed out that France had supported Italy
against the threat of EU sanctions over the
2019 budget. “We are witnessing a radical
change in foreign policy, which betrays our
national interests,” he warned.
Long term, such attacks are likely to leave
Italy more isolated in Europe.
 Umeme, Transforming
Uganda’s Energy Sector
Investing in Uganda's energy sector to expand the distribution
infrastructure; deliver safe and reliable electricity; increase grid access;
reduce energy losses and enhance efficiencies.

Generation
Transmission and Distribution
2005 300
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Industrial Customers on grid

To Date
930
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(Installed Capacity)

2005
290,000
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To Date
1,230,000
Total Customer Base

2005
5,000
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11,909
To Date

Transformers Installed

2005 12
Substations 2005 17,110 Kms
of Distribution lines
To Date
10 21
Newly built Refurbished
To Date
33,960 Kms
of Distribution lines (MV and LV)

38
2005
%
UGX
1.7 Tn
(June 2018)

83 %
To Date
50 %
UGX
160 Bn
(2005)
2005
16.7
To Date
%

Reduction in
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We have reduced power losses
using anti-power theft
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MTN Uganda CEO Wim Vanhelleputte (L), UCC ED Godfrey Mutabazi (R) and other MTN executives at a recent event in Kampala.  INDEPENDENT /SILVER OFWONO
MTN Uganda troubles
Telecom told to fulfil the National Broadband
Policy as a condition to have licence renewed
I
By Isaac Khisa
t is impossible to tell a story
about the Uganda’s telecom
revolution that began more
than 20 years ago without
mentioning MTN.
The South African firm
entered the country’s telecom market
in 1998 after the entry of Celtel, now
Airtel and Uganda telecom (UTL). This
was followed up with entry of other
smaller players including Africell.
However, while the other companies
went through several ownership
changes or closed shop, MTN
aggressively expanded in Uganda
becoming the dominant telecom firm.
Today it has around 10.5million
subscribers, and controls slightly more
than 50% of the country’s telecom
market that has approximately
30 Feb. 01 - 07 2019
23million subscribers.
But something changed since 2015
as the company faced multitude of
accusations that seem not to be coming
to an end soon – ranging from being
unable to protect its mobile money
customers from fraud to allegedly
undermining national security.
On Jan. 22, the government deported
two of its foreign expatriates for
espionage and funding the hostile
campaigns against the government, a
situation that has placed the telecom
firm in a fix – negotiating the licence
renewal and battling with the criminal
investigation against a section of its
expatriates.
The deported executives include
Annie Bilenge Tabura, a Rwandan
national who served as general
manager, sales and distribution, and
Olivier Prentout, a French national
who served as chief marketing officer.
This preceded deportation of
another executive, Elsa Mussolini,
an Italian national on Jan. 23, for
allegedly inciting violence. Mussolini
served as the telecom’s general
manager for Mobile Money.
Frank Tumwebaze, the information,
communication, technology and
national guidance minister told
The Independent that while MTN is
currently in collision with a section
of security agencies, cabinet in the
previous meetings agreed to renew the
firm’s licence subject to conclusion of
negotiation with regard to the licence
fee and sections of the new National
Broadband Policy.
“The issue that is only remaining
was the amount of fee that MTN was
supposed to pay…so we are still in
negotiation and hope that in about

two months, the issue of licence should
have been concluded,” he said.
President Yoweri Museveni, in a
letter to the communication minister
[Tumwebaze] and the attorney general
dated Nov. 19, is said to have been
“astonished” by UCC’s decision to
reduce the charge to $58 million, down
from US$100million originally set to
the 10-year renewal.
But in a letter dated Dec. 14, the
minister said UCC had decided to cut
MTN’s fee after MTN said it would
need to invest about $200 million to
meet the conditions of a new National
Broadband Policy.
Godfrey Mutabazi, the executive
director at UCC, a government agency
mandated to issue licences to telecom
firms told The Independent in an
interview that they are ready to renew
MTN licence once it agrees to fulfil
some of the conditions as stipulated in
the policy.
“The current issues surrounding
MTN (of deporting its executives)
is a separate matter being handled
by a different entity,” he said. “Our
(mandate) is to grant them licence once
they meet the conditions as stipulated
in the policy.”
MTN’s 20-year license expired
in October last year. The company
applied for a 10 year extension and
UCC gave it an initial interim renewal
lasting 90-days pending resolution of
some issues with the coming on board
of the National Broadband Policy
before a final license is issued.
One of the key issues in the policy
is the listing on the local stock market
as a new licencing condition for all
the telecoms to help mitigate capital
flights and ensuring that Ugandans
own part of the company.
The other issues rotate around
the telecom’s rollout obligations,
quality of service and technological
advancement.
The policy also stipulates that
spectrum should not be owned by
private telecom providers as it is at the
moment and that customers should
have seamless access and coverage
irrespective of their network work.
However, Valery Oketcho, the MTN
Corporate Communications Director
said the negotiations are still ongoing
to finalise the licence process.
“We are simply an applicant in this
and we wait for a regulator to make
the final decision,” he said adding
that UCC has granted the telecom firm
another 90-days provisional licence.
President meets Group CEO
Meeting the company’s Group Chief
Executive Officer Rob Shuter on the
sidelines of the recently concluded
World Economic Forum in Davos,
Switzerland on Jan. 23, President
Yoweri Museveni said it is time for
the telecom firm to list on the stock
market.
“We had issues of people cheating
our taxes and under declaring calls.
We bought our own machines and
were able to see all this. It is important
that you float shares on the local
stock exchange to allow for local
ownership,” he said.
Museveni is reported to have
been displeased with the fact that
telecom firms are ‘milking’ vulnerable
Ugandans by not adding value to
their products but instead extending
‘talking’ services as the country loses
foreign exchange.
Company’s revenue up
According to the group’s half
year results of 2018, MTN Uganda’s
revenue expanded by 8.8% to
Shs734.4bn on account of improved
data revenue and mobile money
revenue exceeding expectations.
MTN Uganda CEO, Wim
Vanhelleputte, said in a notice that the
company is well positioned to deliver
growth in the sector despite the shake
ups experienced in the market recently
that were occasioned by the newly
introduced excise duty tax regimes on
OTT and mobile money.
“Our half year results
notwithstanding, I see MTN
ending the year on a good note,”
Vanhelleputte said.
Earlier in 2017, the revenue growth
for Uganda was recorded at 10.7% to
Shs 1.68 trillion in 2017 compared with
Shs1.5trilion in 2016 supported by
growth in demand for data and digital
services.
Its main rival, Airtel – trading as
Bharti Airtel Limited, operating in 20
countries across South Asia and Africa,
recorded a 53% growth in net profit in
Uganda to Shs245bn in 2017.
MTN’s Shuter, however, said
Uganda has only 5% shareholding in
MTN and that they are in the process
of negotiating how to sell some shares
to National Social Security Fund.
He acknowledged that disguised
calls that led to less tax are a shared
problem and that his company was
committed to resolving this and
complying with the laws of Uganda.
He said MTN is open to any
investigations to resolve the issues
raised following its licence renewal
process.
business
Issues under contention in the
National Broadband Policy that are
part of licensing framework:
 National coverage – An operator who
seeks a national operator license must
be able to cover the entire geographical
area of Uganda so as to enable universal
access, promote effective competition
and quality of service
 Spectrum management- The spec-
trum being a scarce and finite national
resource, it needs to be managed and
utilised efficiently, optimally and ratio-
nally. These resources should not be
owned by the private telecom service
providers. This will also aim to outlaw
hoarding of spectrum and enable realisa-
tion of true economic value of the spec-
trum through spectrum re-farming. The
principle for all operators will be ‘use it
or lose it’ and no operator when selling
its 13 stake through ‘Mergers & Acquisi-
tions’ should have a claim on spectrum.
The policy also aims for unbundling of
spectrum allocation and license
 National roaming - Roaming refers to
the ability of a customer to automatically
make and receive voice calls, send and
receive data, or access other services,
even when travelling outside the geo-
graphical coverage area of his service
provider, by means of using the service
of the other service provider’s network.
Currently within the country, customers
of one service provider cannot access the
ICT services of the other service provid-
ers. The policy aims to enable customers
to have seamless access and coverage
irrespective of their network. This will
ensure universal access to ICT services
 Number portability –refers to the pos-
sibility for subscribers to retain their tele-
phone number when changing network
operator or when changing geographic
location. Currently the customers can-
not switch from one service provider
to another service provider, without
changing the telephone numbers. The
policy aims to empower the customers
to choose their service provider without
the challenge of changing telephone
numbers
 Structured renewal of license – Current-
ly there is no clear policy for renewal of
all licensees’ and some licenses stipulate
automatic renewal on expiry of the cur-
rent license. This policy aims to provide
for a structured renewal framework for
the licensees taking into the consider-
ation of roll out obligations, quality of
service and technological developments
 Listing of all telecom operators on the
local stock market as a licensing condi-
tion will help on mitigation of capital
flight among other benefits of local
content development opportunities that
come along.
Feb. 01 - 07 2019 31
business
Workers at Lake Bounty fish factory in Nakawa.   INDEPENDENT/SILVER OFWONO
Proposed fisheries law
to stir sector growth
MAAIF, FAO advance efforts towards regulation
By The Independent Team
U
ganda will soon have a new Fish-
eries and Aquaculture law, if the
proposed Fisheries and Aquacul-
ture Bill, 2018, is reviewed and
approved by Cabinet and Parliament.
The proposed law is a revision of the Fish
Act of 2000 Cap 197, which only regulates
capture fish and does not address aquacul-
ture activities such as management of com-
mercial fishing, fish selling, post-harvest
handling, fish transportation, surveillance
and control monitoring of fisheries units as
well as fisheries research.
The proposed Bill is part of efforts by
Ministry of Agriculture, Animal, Industry
and Fisheries to provide an enabling policy
and regulation framework to the stakehold-
ers engaged in fisheries and aquaculture
activities.
The fisheries and aquaculture sub-sectors
contribute significantly to Uganda’s nation-
al economic growth, development as well as
32 Feb. 01 - 07 2019
food and nutrition.  In fact, Uganda has one
of the largest fresh water resources in the
world and almost 20 percent of its surface
area is water.
This expansive water resource has sup-
ported fisheries sector, enabling both cap-
ture and farmed fisheries since 1920s.
 While fisheries contributes 12 % of agri-
cultural GDP of Uganda and supplies 50 %
of animal proteins consumed in the country,
a number of challenges, which seriously
affect the economic and social contribution
of fisheries and aquaculture, cripple the
vibrancy of the sub-sector.
Some of the challenges include over fish-
ing caused by increasing demand due to
population growth, use of illegal fishing
gear, poor quality of fish seeds, limited
access to fish seeds and feeds, as well as
continued trade in illegal and unrecorded
immature fish hence costing the country
about US$ 429million in income lost.
 These, coupled with weak legal and insti-
tutional frameworks are major bottlenecks
to the development of a favorable fisheries
and aquaculture sub-sector in Uganda.
The proposed Fisheries and Aquacul-
ture Bill, 2018 is therefore expected to help
address some of these challenges and foster
a sustainable fisheries and aquaculture sub-
sector. 
As part of the review process of the
proposed Bill, MAAIF and Food and Agri-
culture Organisations, through the Food
and Nutrition Security Impact, Resilience,
Sustainability and Transformation (FIRST)
Project, organized a National Validation
Workshop of the Fisheries and Aquacul-
ture Bill, 2018 o Jan.25 at Colleen Hotel in
Mukono.
 Participants who include key stakeholder
in the sector have reviewed the current ver-
sion of the draft Bill, validated it and pro-
duced a final version of the Draft Fisheries
and Aquaculture Bill, 2018, that will subse-
quently be sent to cabinet for approval.
 The validation workshop was held on
the backdrop of regional and country-wide

consultations that generated views from rel-
evant regional and local government stake-
holders, on the proposed Bill. 
Vincent Sempijja, the minister for MAAIF
commended FAO and other stakeholders
for prioritizing the fisheries and aquaculture
sub-sectors and promoting relevant laws to
ensure sustainability. 
 “While the Fish Act, Cap 197, provides for
the control of fishing, fish conservation, pur-
chase, sale, marketing, processing of fish, it is
now outdated to address current technologi-
cal advancement and the changed fisheries
sector,” he said.
 He added that “The Fisheries and Aqua-
culture Bill is long awaited in Parliament and
should be finalized as soon as possible” to
facilitate its enactment into law.
 FAO Representative in Uganda, Antonio
Querido said the proposed Bill will help to
regulate developments in the fisheries and
aquaculture sub-sectors, while fostering
sustainable and nutritious food production
in Uganda.
 “If not regulated, aquaculture can become
a potential risk to the environment such as
increased water pollution and loss of biodi-
versity. Unplanned aquaculture can also lead
to competition among other resource users
that can degenerate into conflicts”, he said.
 “The proposed law will also help to
address post-harvest losses resulting from
inadequate fish handling facilities and poor
hygiene while also increasing availability
of fish and fisheries products for marketing
and consumption,” he added.
Fish production
Data from the Directorate of Fisheries
Resources in the Agriculture Ministry shows
that the total fish captured in Uganda fell by
14.6% from 461,730 tonnes in 2015 to 394, 224
tonnes in 2016 as a result of reduced catches
of Nile Perch.
However, catches of Tilapia and small fish
types increased. Overall, capture of fisheries
from the lake remained the major contribu-
tor to total fish production, accounting for
77%.
On the other hand, aquaculture produc-
tion grew by 5.4% from 111,033 metric
tonnes in 2014 to 117,000 metric tonnes in
2015.
On the export front, fish volumes to the
international market decreased from 18,785
tonnes in 2015 to 16,168 tonnes in 2016, with
the majority of the volumes destined to the
European Union.
Consequently, this led to a decline in
export earnings from US$134.791 million to
US$113.0 million during the same period
under review.
This, however, is still far below the 36,616
tonnes exported in 2005, earning the country
over US$143 million.
Fish maw business
now to be regulated
Tough regulation for fish in offing
By Patricia Akankwasa
F
ish maw business will soon be
regulated to minimize exploitation
of fish farmers and suppliers.
Vincent Sempijja, the agriculture
minister told The Independent in an
interview that the sale of fish maw
has become a lucrative business for
the middlemen at the expense of fish
suppliers.
“That is why we want to regulate it so
that our fish farmers and of course the fish
mongers and the fisheries sector really
benefits from this very lucrative business,”
he said.
He said the government is presently
carrying out consultation on the proposed
Fisheries and Aquaculture Bill, 2018, to
effect the regulation once it becomes law.
This comes in as many months after
a row developed between the Ministry
of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and
Fisheries and exporters on one side and
fish traders on the other over the sale of
fish maws.
The row follows a directive by the
agriculture ministry that fish maws
should only be sold to recognised
and licensed fish maw processors and
exporters.
It also said fish maws should be bought
by factories in the fish and not given back
to the fish suppliers to enhance accuracy,
transparency, and accountability in
data gathering, food safety and overall
increased contribution to the national
economy.
Prices of fresh maw among different
operators in the value chain
Extractors and collectors
Category Weight(g) Price/kg (UGX)
Small 15-49 - -
Medium 1 50-99 170,000-200,000
Medium 2 100-199 300,000
Large 200-399 400,000
Extra large 400-699 500,000
Kilo 700-1000 600,000
Source: Food Safety Associates Limited Report 2018
business
Fish maws, also known as swim
bladder or gas bladder that keeps some
fish such as Nile Perch, buoyant, have
been recommended for consumption
especially in Asia as they are believed
to have some traditional medicinal
properties.
They are also said to be used in the
production of surgical stitching threads,
melamine plates and anesthetic drugs.
Data from the agriculture ministry
shows that the country exported more
than 500 tonnes of fish maws worth $35.5
million in 2015 compared with 300 tonnes
worth US$24.5million exported in 2014.
Fish suppliers especially fishermen
have welcomed the new development as
they are destined to earn more income.
“I am paying my trade licence on
a yearly basis. If they want to make
regulations for the maw business, I have
no problem with that,” said Aggrey
Baramiire, the managing director for
Allied Fish and Fish Maw Traders.
At the moment, there is no difference
in pricing of the fish maws irrespective of
the fish sizes. I therefore do not see any
problem with regulating the business.
The Lake Victoria Fisheries
Organization in its report advises that
fish maw should be recognised as a
tradable product separate from fish so
as to share the profits equally among
the parties involved.
It also says that maw trade
regulation should require fish factories
to return maw to fish suppliers if they
cannot pay for it.
Traders who buy from extractors Middlemen or factory agents
and collectors
Price/kg Price/kg (UGX) Price/kg (USD) Price/kg (UGX) Price/kg (USD)
(USD)
100,000-140,000 26.7-37.4 140,000-200,000 37.4-53.5
45.5-53.5 230,000 61.5 250,000-400,000 66.9-106.9
80.2 330,000 88.3 350,000-500,000 93.6-133.7
106.9 430,000 115.0 450,000-650,000 120.4-173.9
133.7 - - 550,000-800,000 147.1-213.9
160.5 - - 900,000-1,000,000 240.7-267.5
Feb. 01 - 07 2019 33
 Executive Style

‘Future of printing and

publishing in Uganda bright’
Following liberalisation of Uganda’s economy in the 1990’s, the private sector alongside the public
enterprises and publishers have increased investments in printing infrastructure, and the business is
now on the upward trend. The Independent’s Isaac Khisa spoke to the Irene Muwanguzi, the Managing
Director at the Uganda Printing and Publishing Corporation (UPPC) about the industry’s outlook.

There’s a perception that being at the top what differentiates leaders from manag- which these principles apply and the art
of any organisation is so lonely. What is ers. It’s not an easy road because you are of applying them might change but the

W
your view on this? seeing what others are not seeing. To lead
ell, view leadership like a jour- is to inspire not to manage because people
ney. This journey sometimes have to accept to come with or follow
necessitates that you walk you. Envisioning and enabling others to
with others, and sometimes see what you see is a huge task. It requires
you walk alone. Hence loneliness at the resilience, persistence, patience, consis-
top. This happens when you as a leader tence and clarity of purpose because that
need to take personal responsi- process is tough. Brace E. Barber in No
bility and make difficult, excuse leadership says that leadership
bold decisions that is to ‘watch the direction that the
others might be majority is going and you go the
afraid of making. opposite way’. This is the es-
To lead is to have sence of leadership; Loneliness
a vision. Vision- at the top the package of the
ing is seeing and leadership journey. You must
standing in a clear distinguish yourself from the
future and walk- crowd.
ing backwards to
bring people with How do you exhibit leader-
you to that future. ship as the MD for a public
Now that process is entity as compared to where
you were in the private sector?
What I can say is that leader-
ship principles are universal and
can be applied wherever one
finds opportunity to put
them in practice. It
is about flexibility
and adaptability.
The context in
principles are similar. Applying these
principles to a particular situation or con-
text with success is what differentiates
leadership styles. As for me, my leadership
having been nurtured from the private
sector; basically in International develop-
ment nongovernmental organisations,
my ability to be flexible and adaptable is
strong. However, I should admit that with
my background, leading in a public entity
with different culture demands some level
of patience and developing a muscle to
tussle strongly engrained difficult mind-
sets and attitudes. So, it can be frustrating
at times. But like I said, the mastery and
applicability of one’s leadership style to a
contextual change is what differentiates
gifted leaders.
Leading one of the biggest printing firms
in the country means that you do clear
follow ups on issues in the industry.
What is your assessment of commercial
business in Uganda?
Printing business in Uganda is quite
competitive. It is growing by day. Since
the 1990s, when the liberalized economy
facilitated private players into various sec-
tors alongside the public enterprises and
publishers, it was to add more value to the
industry. Competition has grown includ-
ing in the printing sector. Businesses are
thriving although some people are saying
the economy is going down. I don’t under-
stand. Perhaps the statisticians should help
to provide figures. As for me, speaking for
the printing sector, I believe that today,
the fruits of this policy (liberalisation)
are reflected in the over ten publishing
companies and more than 100 printing
companies in the country engaged in
this business which was not the case
before.
Printing and publishing is now
one of the major eco-
nomic activi-

34 Feb. 01 - 07 2019
ties carried out in full swing in Uganda.
Though concentrated in Kampala to a
great extent, printing has the potential to
spread to spread to over 108 towns across
the country beyond.
And by the way, this competition is not
only limited to Ugandan based companies
but it is global. Many Ugandans, for one
reason or the other, are procuring printing
services abroad- in most cases due to qual-
ity issues. So the competition is real. As a
state owned printing corporation we have
a mandate to offer not only Security print-
ing for Ministries, Departments and Agen-
cies but also to non-government actors
and individuals. We thus, find ourselves,
entangled in stiff competition from the
numerous commercial printers.
UPPC has over the years performed poor-
ly in terms of revenue generation. What
strategies are you putting in place to grow
the business amidst the stiff competition?
Strategic partnerships are underway.
We recognise the various players in the
industry and so, we need to tap on each
other’s strengths. Competition should
bring us together as we tap onto each
other’s potency in growing our businesses.
We need partnerships and synergies. For
instance, we are in discussions to develop
and sign MOU’s with likeminded institu-
tions like the Law Reform Commission,
Parliament of Uganda, Uganda Registra-
tion services bureau, Makerere University
among others, to expand our revenue base.
This is coupled with various proposals to
different institutions for gazette sales and
subscription.
Innovation, creativity and finding alter-
native sources of revenue are other strate-
gies to business growth. Operationally, we
are establishing revenue centres to provide
reports on each product on a weekly basis
and our new finance team has established
products with high profit margins espe-
cially the Uganda gazette. We are planning
to improve market coverage by using busi-
ness executives as well as use of outlets to
sell our products such as copies of Vision
2040 and others. We have improved capa-
bility for our sales team and more training
will be conducted to ensure effectiveness.
We are consolidating the laws into
compendiums as requested by our clients.
We plan to have these and other products
accessed electronically as we improve our
soft and hardware infrastructure such as
the website and partnerships with compa-
nies such as LexisNexis that have already
developed online systems of distribution.
Optimising on technology through online
platforms will definitely increase access
to our products. We also trying to be on
top of our game by increasing productiv-
ity through ensuring that our teams are
accountable.
Last year, UPPC through the govern-
ment signed a joint venture deal with the
German-based Veridos. How does the
joint venture impact on the company’s
operations?
The joint venture was signed between
the Government of Uganda through UPPC
and a consortium of German based compa-
nies Veridos Gmh and G& D. In this Joint
Venture, UPPC owns 51% of the shares
while our consortium partners own 49%.
The impact that this arrangement has on
UPPC’s operations once put in effect is
twofold: First, shifts most of the original
mandate of UPPC in undertaking direct
printing and publishing of all govern-
ment sensitive information for Ministries,
departments and agencies to the joint
venture company; the Uganda Security
Printing Company Ltd (USPCL). This is
to enhance efficiency and effectiveness in
government business.
Secondly, it indirectly expands the man-
date of UPPC by bringing on board other
highly sensitive documents such as e-pass-
ports and banks cheques, which have
historically been printed from abroad back
to UPPC through its venture company.
The deal is that once UPPC is revamped
and put on full functioning capacity all
operations of the JV will be handed back to
UPPC. It’s an exciting future.
What progress has been made since the
government entered into partnership
with Veridos?
Well, the partnership agreement was
formerly signed on October 4, 2018. Since
then, some activities like registering the
company, payment of shareholder capital,
supply of initial e-passports to Ministry of
Internal Affairs by the company and a few
other activities are taking place as stake-
holder alignment to the vision and mission
of UPPC and its strategic partner, USPCL
continues to take place. In the meantime,
UPPC continues to operate normally until
the JV Company’s activities become fully
operational in the country...at UPPC head-
quarters in Entebbe.
The increase in technological advance-
ment has impacted on various sectors
with the printing industry being unex-
ceptional. What initiatives is the company
undertaking to ensure that it remains
relevance in the digital era?
Our broader vision for the joint venture
company –USPCL is to revamp UPPC.
This means a total refurbishment and
face-lift of UPPC to be able to undertake
its entire mandate effectively as reflected
in UPPC Act. By this, I envision a well-
equipped and facilitated state of the art
printing press, strong and improved oper-
ating systems and technology transferred
to Ugandans to guarantee continuity of
UPPC beyond the life of the joint venture
company. Digital printing and the use of
the latest technology, graphics designs,
sophisticated pre-press printing and post
production equipment will be used to offer
our customers the best quality printing
services as we grow our business.
What are some challenges, if any, that
UPPC faces in conducting its business?
Financial limitations have been a chal-
lenge to UPPC’s work. This has been
aggravated by historical factors including
inherited liabilities of debt, poor machin-
ery, non-compliance by previous manage-
ment, among others. New avenues for
financial increase have ended up meeting
the historical commitments of the corpora-
tion hence stifling its growth and progress.
Secondly, until the full operationalisation
of the new Joint venture company and
rehabilitation of UPPC to undertake its full
mandate, there are still systemic and struc-
tural challenges. The good news is that a
sustainable solution has now been found
through the USPCL.
What is the future outlook of printing
business in Uganda?
The future of printing and publish-
ing in Uganda is bright!! More and more
Ugandans are getting literate and therefore
in need of literature to read. The young
generation which forms the majority of our
population is embracing new technologies,
most of them are digital. This will aid and
promote the reading culture. The printing
industry in Uganda stands to benefit when
it embraces technology. Uganda now has
only 38% of illiteracy rate and it is fast
catching up to reduce it to zero, thereby
making it the most literate country in the
African region. Statistics show that every
5% periodical rise in literacy is sufficient
for the printing and publishing industry
in Uganda to grow by leaps and bounds.
In addition, there is eagerness on the part
of the country to improve its packaging
sector through the emergence of supermar-
kets and other business ventures. Printing
and publishing are inseparable. So, print-
ing and packaging too is another pair of
inseparable ventures. The industry for
publishing on one hand and packaging on
the other is printing. It has the potential to
grow to unlimited levels.
Where do you see UPPC in the next five
years?
I see UPPC positioned as leader in secu-
rity Printing and Publishing in Uganda and
in the region with a full competitive advan-
tage, influencing trends in the global Print-
ing and Publishing industry. We will be
positioned to regain the market share. I look
forward to be a part of this exciting future.
Feb. 01 - 07 2019 35
Business
real estate
Bonastore Uganda rewards partners
S
A Bonastore (R) official hands a prize to a franchisee representative
olutions provider,
Bonastore Uganda,
held its first ever
Bonastore Franchise
Appreciation Day. The event
held at Golf Course Hotel
was organised to give a plat-
form to Bonastore suppliers,
partners and establishments
to boost their knowledge
of the business model, and
strengthen relationships to
aviation
Emirates appoints new Emirates introduces on-board entertainment playlist
manager for Uganda mirates has introduced rience by using the Emirates Emirates Airline said: “In keep-
E
an innovative new
mirates, which flies daily
from Entebbe to Dubai,
has appointed John Ge-
min as its new Country
Manager for Uganda. Gemin will
oversee sales and service func-
tions for the airline’s passenger,
cargo, management and airport
operations. He holds a bachelor’s
degree in International Busi-
ness and Management Studies
obtained from the Amsterdam
University of Applied Sciences in
Netherland.
He has worked with Emirates
for four years, during which time
he served as Business Analysis
Manager within the Commercial
Operations covering mainly the
Latin American markets.
Commenting on his appoint-
ment, Gemin said: “I am hon-
oured and very excited to be
leading the Emirates operations
in Uganda. I look forward to
working with our local team of
dedicated and talented staff to
ensure Emirates growth and con-
tinued success in the market.”
36 Feb. 01 - 07 2019
support more local franchi-
sees.
A franchise of Hima
Cement, Bonastore Uganda
was established in November
2016 as a building solutions
provider offering services like
architectural support, finance
and credit advice, contractor
and material sourcing among
others. Having been in oper-
ations for one year, Bonastore
aviation
E
app to browse the expansive ing with our ‘Fly Better’ prom-
function on its app to
allow every Ugandan
to create bespoke playlists
ahead of their flight and sync
it to their seats once on board.
All customers can plan their
trip more effectively, and
maximize their onboard expe-
csr
22-yr-old thrills in dfcu ‘Rising Woman’ competition
F
our years ago, San-
dra Nakayenze set
out to change the
lives of women cof-
fee farmers in the hills of
Sironko district. The social,
economic, religious and
cultural hardships encoun-
tered by both young rural
women and the girl child
in her village compelled Nakayenze receiving the dummy cheque during the in partnership with
awards dinner.
Nakayenze to form Kalaa
Mugoosi Women Empow-
erment Limited. At 22 years of
age, she ventured into a trade
predominantly occupied by
motoring
Nissan Renault
Uganda now boasts of 52 fallout deepens
T
franchisees countrywide that
supply a combined product he fallout between car makers,
range of over 4,000 Stock Nissan and Renualt has deep-
Keeping Units (SKUs). ened with Carlos Ghosn now
Speaking at the event, stepping down as Chief execu-
Nicola George, country CEO tive and Chairman of Renault.
Hima Cement, commended Ghosn was arrested and detained in
Bonastore suppliers for their November 2018 in Tokyo, Japan due
dedication and for choosing to under declaration of his income
to partner with the franchise. taxes. At the time he was also Nissan
As part of the celebrations, chairman and the Japanese-owned
an award ceremony was held Nissan ousted him immediately.
to recognise three franchisees Ghosn was the brains behind the
for their exceptional perfor- Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance
mance during the year 2018. widely hailed in the auto indus-
Modern-Ultra Hardware, sit- try. Ghosn stepped down after his
uated on Namugongo Road bail request was repeatedly denied
received the Compliance in Tokyo. Thierry Bollore is set to
Award; Kasujja Hardware become the new CEO of the French
located in Buwama, South auto manufacturer while Jean-Domi-
Western Uganda received the nique Senard, chief executive of tyre-
Finance Excellence Award maker Michelin has assumed duties
and PANF Hardware Depot as Renault chairman. Some observers
located in Nyendo, Masaka have interpreted the fall of Ghosn as a
received the Sales Growth move by Japan to pre-empt any con-
Award trol of Nissan by French authorities.
entertainment catalogue at any ise, our teams work tirelessly
time. to provide ever better world-
Ice, Emirates’ award-win- class travel experiences. Every
ning inflight entertainment detail is carefully considered
has reached a new milestone as we continually enhance and
of over 4,000 channels of on- develop innovative products
demand entertainment. and services for our customers.
Sir Tim Clark, President,
was young. For this,
Nakayenze emerged
third runner up in
the Rising Woman
proposal writing
competition and won
Shs5m and a study
tour trip to Nairobi.
The competition was
run by dfcu bank
Daily Monitor and
men and facing multiple chal- Uganda Investment
lenges on account of her age. Authority (UIA) Nakayenze
She says people really never Sandra emerged as the. Below
took her seriously because she is her story.
 Business

Uganda Airlines’
pilots starts training
By Agencies qualified on the CRJ-900 will

U
ganda’s planned
national carrier,
Uganda Airlines,
has handed over
the first cockpit crew sets
to Bombardier for training
a head of the carrier’s
comeback mid this year.
The first set of eight pilots
are reported to have been
training facility in France
while another group has been
Lynda Nabayinda, the Airtel’s Customer Service Director, and Nelson sent at the manufacturer’s
Babmwine, the Operations Manager, Pegasus Technologies, hand over cash site at Mirabel just outside
prizes to some of the winners of the Beera Millionaire with Airtel Money Montreal, according to
promotion at the company offices in Kampala on Jan. 25.   Courtesy Photo. 256businessnews .com
Uganda Airlines will be
receiving four Bombardier
CRJ-900 series that will form
the core of its regional fleet.
A pair of Aibus’ rejigged
A330 dubbed the -800neo is
expected to arrive towards
the end of 2020 to serve the
long haul services.
Twenty four of an eventual
complement of 36 pilots have
been recruited so far and will
undergo training at different
levels depending of their
current professional status.
“Those that already
Some of the Orient Bank staff participate in a blood donation drive
recently.   Courtesy Photo
undertake recurrent training
while those rated on different
models of the CRJ will be
going through a differences
course to get rated for the
CRJ-900,” said a source
close to the Uganda Airlines
project team.
He added that it is those
pilots transitioning from
other aircraft types that will
undergo the full type rating
course that can take up to 28
days before they are qualifies
to fly the new type as first
officers.
Training for the pilots
was supposed to start last
November but was held
up by delays in concluding
employment contracts.
Delays in recruiting
key position holders are
responsible for a shift from
the initial April 2019 launch
of commercial operations to
June.
Sources however, say
delivery of the first aircraft
will go ahead as planned
around February 23 followed
by others in March, May, July
and September.

Weekly share price movement (Jan. 14)

Security Jan. 14 Jan. 04 Movement
BATU 30,000 30000 00
BOBU 135 138 2.2
CENT 1,049 1,071 2.0
QCL 174 190 8.4
DFCU 822 822 00
EABL 5,941 6,313 5.8
EBL 1,346 1,242 7.7
JHL 15,135 15,259 0.8
KA 290 319 9.0
KCB 1,345 1,350 0.4
NIC 14 14 00
(L-R) Amos Otieno, the Deputy General Manager Golf Course Hotel, Walter Wafula,
NMG 2,296 2,386 3.7
Business Unit Head PR Brainchild Murson Cohn & Wolfe (BCW), Alex Bazirake,
NVL 338 338 00
Roke Telkom’s Third Party Account Manager and Rinaldi Jamugisa, PR, Digital and
Comms Manager, brainchild Burson Cohn & Wolfe (BCW) at the launch of the third SBU 30 30 00
edition of Innovation Series at Golf Course Hotel Kampala which is set to focus on UCHM 31 29 6.8
the Hospitality Industry.   Courtesy Photo UCL 19 19 00
UMEME 300 320 6.2
ALSI -- -- --

Feb. 01 - 07 2019 37
Ending mental health stigma
Leaders must consider four critical priorities
T
By Bernard J. Tyson
he world faces an epidemic of
mental health problems that
cuts across borders, economies,
and cultures and carries a stig-
ma that leaves people suffering
in silence. Tackling the problem
requires political, business, and civil society
leaders to make mental health and wellness
a global priority, starting with the Globalisa-
tion 4.0 discussions at this month’s annual
meeting of the World Economic Forum.
Davos is clearly an appropriate forum
in which to raise the issue. According to a
study by the World Health Organisation,
depression and anxiety disorders cost the
global economy $1 trillion every year in lost
productivity. Yet the same study also sug-
gested that every dollar invested in scaling
up treatment for depression and anxiety –
the two most common mental health condi-
tions – can generate a return of $4 in terms
of improved wellbeing and increased ability
to work.
The WHO study is a welcome interven-
tion. For too long, we have detached the
mind from the body and regarded mental
conditions as something separate from our
overall health. As a result, millions of people
needing mental health support have been
ignored, with a dramatic impact on eco-
nomic resources, productivity, and output.
The reality, of course, is that mental and
physical health are closely connected, with
each contributing to overall wellbeing. We
must recognise this if we want the world to
be a happier and more prosperous place for
future generations.
38 Feb. 01 - 07 2019
To succeed, efforts to tackle major global
problems such as mental health must be
collaborative and sustainable. In this spirit, I
urge leaders to consider adopting four criti-
cal priorities to support mental health and
wellness.
First, we need to reduce the stigma sur-
rounding mental health in the workplace.
No one should suffer in silence with a
condition that can be treated and even pre-
vented in some cases. By acknowledging
mental health and wellness issues at work,
we can make a difference in our homes,
schools, and communities as well. Seeking
mental health care should be as routine and
unremarkable as seeking treatment for high
blood pressure, diabetes, or a heart condi-
tion.
Furthermore, we must reduce mental
health inequity, a frequently ignored issue.
This is often a problem in lower-income
communities, where populations may be
at greater risk of pathology and often face
the highest obstacles to getting care, in part
owing to a lack of the specialised resources
available in wealthier areas. There are some
innovative approaches to addressing this
problem, such as Zimbabwe’s Friendship
Bench, and I look forward to learning more
about this project from one of its representa-
tives.
Third, our health systems must shift from
“sick-care” to “well-care.” To move mental
wellbeing into the mainstream of health
care and pursue primary prevention as the
most efficient approach, we must under-
stand how to counteract and ameliorate the
effects of adverse childhood experiences,
which are highly correlated with poor
mental and physical health later in life. The
game-changer will be found not in hospitals
or clinics, but in communities that nurture
rather than traumatise the next generations.
For companies such as ours, this means
learning how best to deliver health, not just
health care.
Last, and most relevant for health-care
leaders, we must redouble our efforts to
connect mind and body. By better integrat-
ing mental health services into primary care
systems, we can show that a mental health
condition is no different from a respira-
tory, endocrine, or heart issue. And people
needing treatment beyond what can be
delivered in primary care should be able to
see a specialist in the same way they would
be referred to an orthopedist or cardiologist.
A healthy mind is just as important to our
overall health as strong bones and hearts
are.
For the past three years, I have sought to
use the World Economic Forum to make
mental health and wellness a global prior-
ity. This year, I was encouraged and grati-
fied to see that mental health was a larger
part of the discussions in Davos.
By bringing together global leaders from
all sectors, we can make further progress
toward ending the silent stigma surround-
ing mental health issues. We can devise
innovative ways to improve mental health
services, as well as people’s access to them.
And we can help to ensure that mental
health joins physical wellbeing as an essen-
tial component of Globalization 4.0.
Bernard J. Tyson is CEO of Kaiser Permanente.
Copyright: Project Syndicate, 2019.

Music icon Oliver
Mtukudzi dies at 66
The death of famed Zimbabwean musician and social commentator lovingly
known as “Tuku” on Jan.23 plunged the African continent in mourning. He
died at Harare’s Avenues Clinic after battling diabetes for years.
A
n inimitable lyricist and charis-
matic performer, he was a shining
beacon on the African continent
and abroad, not only for creatives
but for politicians too. This devoted fighter
for the rights of women and children was a
trailblazer on the Zimbabwean music scene,
who set a high musical standard that can
only be matched by a few brave hearts who
preserve African cultural heritage by boldly
expressing themselves through their craft
without thinking they are inferior to any
other culture.
Tuku, as he was affectionately known by
fans and music lovers the world over, was
born on September 22, 1952 in Highfield,
one of popular and oldest high-density
suburbs of the Zimbabwean capital Harare.
He was the oldest of seven children and
because of the untimely death of his father;
he had to quickly evolve from being a
young lad to the leader of his family. He
went on to become a renowned singer-
songwriter, businessman, philanthropist
and filmmaker. He released his 66th album
last year. In the course of his career he per-
formed across the length and the breath
of the world, dazzling millions on all five
continents.
His unique artistry, characterised by his
husky voice and dexterous strumming of
the acoustic guitar, saw him scoop numer-
ous accolades around the globe, being
awarded honourary degrees and being
incorporated into the Afro Pop Hall of
Fame. This placed him alongside other
legends such as Salif Keita, Habib Koite,
Youssou N’Dour and his fellow country-
man Thomas Mapfumo and his group,
Mokoomba.
Tuku believed in the power of collabora-
tion and performed superbly with the likes
of Lady Smith Black Mambazo, Berita,
Grammy winner Joss Stone, Afro Tenors,
Hugh Masekela and Louis Mhlang. One of
his biggest hits, the song “Into Yami”, was
with Ringo Madlingozi.
He started his music career way back
in 1975 with the single titled “Stop After
Orange”. However, in 1977 he ditched his
solo career and started performing with the
group Wagon Wheels alongside Thomas
By Agencies
Mapfumo.
In 1979, he broke away from the group
with some of its members and formed the
Black Spirits. They released their debut
single, “Dzandimomotera”, which sold
enough copies to qualify for gold record sta-
tus. When Zimbabwe got her independence
in 1980, Mtukudzi and the Black Spirits
released their fourth album, Africa, widely
seen as one of the most important albums of
its time. The album contained the hit track
“Mazongonyedze”.
While Tuku rose to prominence for his
outspoken criticism of white oppression, he
continued his social commentary after Zim-
babwe’s independence. His criticism of
poor and corrupt governance saw some
of his songs being banned in his home
country.
With his music career shaping up well,
the singer spread his wings and ventured
into film. He featured in the
films; Jit (1990), Neria (1993)
and Zimbabwe-Respect
for Africa (1994) for
which he also com-
posed and
arranged the
soundtrack.
The bril-
liance of
Neria saw
him scoop
M-Net’s
award
for Best
obituary
Soundtrack in 1992. The legend went on
to write and direct the musical production
Was My Child. Tuku’s biggest break on
the international music scene came in 1999,
when he released the album Tuku Music.
From there on, he started touring all over
the world, performing to thousands at some
of the world’s biggest music festivals.
Despite all the fame and wealth acquired
in his life, Samanyanga, as he is called
according to his totem, remained a tolerant
and humble man.
“Tuku was the very epitome of hunhu/
ubuntu. His greatest gift to mankind, espe-
cially Africa, was humility, honesty,
thoughtfulness and care, which he
pushed for to the last breath in his
craft and conversations. These
are qualities we all struggle
for,” said veteran theatre
practitioner and current
president of Arterial Net-
work, Daves Guzha.
He is survived by his
wife, Daisy, four chil-
dren and two grand-
children.
Feb. 01 - 07 2019 39
comment
By Ezra Munyabonera
Economic costs of increasing debt
Understanding the high risk burden to the
economy posed by the current debt level
D
ue to high borrowing costs—es-
pecially domestically—Uganda’s
debt burden may reach unsus-
tainable levels in the medium
term, unless government slows down on
accumulation of new debt. Since the start of
implementing infrastructure projects within
the National Development Plan in 2010,
Uganda’s appetite for debt has increased
tremendously. During the past year, there
has been a surge in debt accumulation. The
recently released Auditor General’s annual
report for 2018 showed that Uganda’s debt
had increased by 22 percent within one
year—from Shs34 trillion at end of June
2017 to Shs41.5 trillion by the end of June
2018.
This places Uganda’s debt to GDP ratio
at 41 percent—which is still below the
risky threshold of 50 percent identified
by the IMF and this level compares with
other East African countries. However,
the above debt level may be considered
unfavourable when debt payment is
compared to national revenue col-
lected—Uganda’s rate of 54 percent is
the highest in the East Africa region.
The 2018 Auditor General’s report also
cautions that if government is to service
the loans as projected in the next finan-
cial years (2018/2019 and 2019/2020), it
would require more than 65 percent of
the total revenue collections which is
over and above the historical sustain-
ability levels of 40 percent. This is likely
to have adverse effects on Uganda’s
ability to finance other development
activities.
On the other hand, Uganda’s Medium
Term Debt Management Strategy
(2018/19 – 2021/22) shows that some per-
sistent challenges will continue to con-
strain public debt. These include: low
debt absorption, unfavorable exchange
volatility which may increase debt repay-
ment costs, slow export growth and con-
ditional external loans.
Others identified in the Office of the
Auditor General (OAG) reports include:
unapproved loans by parliament, priori-
tising public debt over social and devel-
opment sectors like health, education,
agriculture in the budget and poor public
investment management. With these
challenges, there is renewed concern by
the Civil Society Organisations and the
40 Feb. 01 - 07 2019
public that public investments are falling
short of generating the desired economic
return. Some of the major challenges to
continued debt accumulation include:
High cost of public debt: The cost
of servicing the public debt has con-
tinued to rise— from 5.2 percent of the
budget in FY 2010/11 to 12.3 percent of
the budget by 2018/19. Even within the
limits of debt sustainability (i.e. less than
50 percent of GDP), debt repayment is
attained at a very high cost to the coun-
try’s development—given the proportion
of the budget allocated to debt repay-
ments, as compared to other priority
development sectors like education,
health, and agriculture. Although the
overall absorption of external debt has
improved compared to previous years,
the 2018 Auditor General Report shows
that some loans are at absorption levels
as low as 10 percent and below; thus cre-
ating a high cost to government in terms
of interest rate payments.
Over dependency of infrastructure
investments on external debt: External
resources are financing a bigger part of
infrastructure development in Uganda.
The three sectors of works and transport,
energy and mineral development jointly
account for about 66 percent of the total
Many expensive
loans are
secured on non-
concessional
terms and have
no backing
assessment
documents of the
economic and
financial rate of
return
external financing (including grants)
implying that government is prone to
accepting tough conditions from credi-
tors and donor partners for infrastruc-
ture development. The infrastructure
appetite could further deepen the risk of
debt distress to the economy.
Poor feasibility analysis of the projects:
The Public Finance Management Act,
(PFMA, 2015) emphasises that Parlia-
ment should analyse the economic impli-
cations of budget proposals, approve
acquisition of external financing, and
monitor utilisation. However, the pre-
vious audit reports consistently show
that very few loans are technically evalu-
ated. Similarly, many expensive loans
are secured on non-concessional terms
and have no backing assessment docu-
ments of the economic and financial rate
of return as required by the country’s
Public Debt Management Framework.
This portrays inadequate transparency in
disseminating key information on loans
and also impairs the picture of economic
returns the country would obtain. It is
noteworthy that the non-functionality
of the Project Appraisal Department has
contributed to poor project planning,
appraisal and design.
Overall, Uganda’s public debt level
has continued to grow with a surge
witnessed during FY 2017/18. Public
debt seems to be growing faster than the
economy which necessitates the adoption
of a medium term fiscal adjustment by
government to ensure sustainability. The
debt level poses a high risk burden to
the economy if other feasible options for
financing the budget are not exploited.
Government should strengthen systems
for efficient and effective loan utilization
amongst institutions. The medium term
fiscal framework should also pursue debt
restructuring to ease the high cost of the
domestic debt burden.
Ezra Munyabonera is a Senior Research
Fellow Economic Policy Research Centre
(EPRC)

By Guy Standing
Ensuring basic income
The breakdown of welfare state income distribution
systems has created 8 giants to be battled
I
n 1942, William Beveridge issued an
epoch-defining report that established a
model for welfare states in the post-war
era. He recognised that the old social
protection system had broken down and
that it was “time for revolutions, not for
patching.” The challenge, Beveridge said,
was to slay five giants: disease, idleness,
ignorance, squalor, and want.
Today, it is the post-1945 income dis-
tribution system that has broken down
irretrievably, threatening economic
failure and jeopardising what Klaus
Schwab calls “Globalisation 4.0.” Today
we must fight eight new giants. To do so,
we urgently need a twenty-first-century
income distribution system in which a
basic income plays a central role. Such
a system might not slay today’s eight
giants, but it would significantly weaken
them.
The first giant is inequality – the huge
growth in income and wealth disparities
within countries that goes well beyond
what is captured by measures such as
the Gini coefficient. An increasing share
of total income is being captured as rent
by owners of physical, financial, and so-
called intellectual property. Meanwhile,
real wages have stagnated or fallen, and
ever more people are falling through
widening holes in the social safety net.
Traditional redistributive tools such as
direct taxes, collective bargaining, and
labour regulations cannot reverse these
structural shifts, however much those on
the left might wish.
What is needed is a new income distri-
bution system that restores the market
economy rather than distorting it. By
recycling rents currently taken by the
plutocracy and elite to everybody, a
basic income paid as a common divi-
dend would be the anchor of a reformed
system. Contrary to what some critics
assert, a basic income would not be
regressive. Paid equally and quasi-
universally from rentier income, it would
necessarily be progressive.
The second threat is economic insecu-
rity. The welfare state was supposed to
insure workers against contingent risks
and shocks. But it is failing because of
reduced social insurance coverage, flex-
ible labour markets, and widespread
technological disruption, among other
causes. Moreover, today’s economic
insecurity is characterised by uncertainty
about the future rather than known risks.
People feel threatened by “unknown
unknowns” that, by definition, cannot be
insured against. In an open, globalised
economy, only a basic income can guar-
antee basic security.
The next giant, and closely related to
the first two, is debt. Millions are living
on the financial edge, with unpaid rents,
utility bills, and high-cost credit cards. A
significant rise in interest rates or an eco-
nomic downturn could trigger an ava-
lanche of distress. True, a basic income
would not solve the debt problem, but
pilot projects show that when people
know a regular amount is coming in,
they are likelier to pay down debts and
gain greater control of their finances.
Fourth, and again related, is stress. This
is a global pandemic, with an increasing
number of people suffering from depres-
sion, mental illness, suicidal tendencies,
and physical ailments linked to job pres-
sures, insecurity, inequality, and feelings
of inadequacy among many people who
perceive themselves to be just “licking
at the window” of consumerism. A basic
income would not cure the stress pan-
demic, but it would reduce its intensity
and prevalence.
The fifth giant is the ever-growing pre-
cariat – the millions of people who face
a bits-and-pieces life of unstable, often
unpaid labour, having to rely on money
wages alone. They are supplicants,
without what sociologists call “agency,”
who depend on discretionary favours
from bureaucrats, family members, and
occasional employers. A basic income
would offer much-needed respite to
these people and make them feel less like
beggars.
Robots are the sixth danger. I am
skeptical about the alarming predic-
tions of tech gurus and economists who
believe that artificial intelligence and
technological wizardry will soon lead to
mass displacement of humans. Still, the
ongoing tech revolution is undoubtedly
disruptive and, although it may accel-
erate growth, it will continue to intensify
inequalities. A basic income would help
to share the gains more widely.
The threat of extinction from global
comment
warming and the ecological catastrophe
is the seventh giant that must be con-
fronted, and it may prove to be the most
decisive in mobilising support for a basic
income. The threat must be combated
with new and increased eco-taxes or
levies. Returning the proceeds of “green”
levies to people as equal common divi-
dends – a form of basic income – would
turn unpopular regressive measures into
progressive ones. This is already hap-
pening in Canada, led by a successful ini-
tiative in British Columbia. What’s more,
our research shows that a basic income
would tilt economic activity toward
personal services, community, and vol-
untary work, reducing the yawning “care
deficit” in aging societies.
The eighth giant blocking the way to a
flourishing, inclusive economic system
is populism, which in some cases – as in
Brazil under President Jair Bolsonaro,
if not the United States under Donald
Trump – is fast becoming neo-fascism.
Support for populists also has grown
dramatically in Europe, no doubt owing
to chronic economic inequality, inse-
curity, debt, stress, and anger. A basic
income would make many more people
feel like valued citizens with a stake in
democracy.
I have worked on basic income policies
for three decades, and I have been
involved in piloting variants on four
continents. As the economic, political,
and environmental threats to our
future multiply, rolling out a universal
individual basic income is more
important than ever.
Guy Standing is a professorial research
associate at the School of Oriental and
African Studies (SOAS), University
of London, co-founder and honorary
co-president of the Basic Income Earth
Network (BIEN), and council member of the
Progressive Economy Forum.
Copyright: Project Syndicate, 2019.
Feb. 01 - 07 2019 41
 ART | BOOKS | SOCIETY | TRAVEL | CULTURE

When art preserves unique

history, cultural identity of cities
Cliff Kibuuka is known for his startling images of Kampala landscape; especially
Kampala under night- fall with the dimming light illuminating compacted settlements.
Dominic Muwanguzi interviewed him on what these motifs mean and his recent work.

Y
ou document Kampala
city landscape: the shanty
and compacted housings,
the monumental
buildings like the old
Kampala mosques and
the clear skyline. How important is
archiving in your art?
There is need to preserve this
identity of the city for the future
generation to see how Kampala looked
like before. Similarly, my recent work
includes a specific concentration on
cloud formation that has been absent
in my previous artworks. The reason
for this inclusion is to inspire the
concept of the unique Kampala skyline
that I believe is spectacular and cannot
be found anywhere else. I capture this
as a way of documenting the character
of the city that is fast transforming.
Your recent art includes regional
or European sceneries like Lamu and
Norway respectively. What fascinates
you about these places?
They carry a special identity in
terms of originality and the historical
heritage. Lamu is a small town
along the East Africa Coast that
has maintained its Arabic culture,
architecture and primal activity of
fishing with dhows; not to mention
the sedated lifestyle along the Island.

42 Feb. 01 - 07 2019

On the other hand, Roros, a small
Norwegian town, is traditionally
known as a mining town inhabited
by diminutive humble settlements
that remind visitors of the size and
character of the miners from yester-
year. Incidentally, both towns- Lamu
and Roros- are UNESCO world
heritage sites, and I find it critical to
document their traditional personality
in my art.
You print your artworks on a
specific type of paper. Is this in way
experimental or it’s for aesthetic
reasons?
The idea to print on etching rag
paper was suggested by a Norwegian
friend of mine who is a specialist in
the discipline of printing artworks
on unique paper. I then realised
that I could benefit from it firstly,
to create an alternative for those
who want to buy my art, but cannot
not afford the original artwork;
secondly, to undercut the idea of
commercialisation of my practice-
this is important because, the way I
work, I am more conceptual in my
approach: I spend more time working
on one piece. This means that I will
supply less to the market, and yet my
audience may be yearning for more.
Lastly, I am able to preserve a special
painting that I may never be able to
reproduce.
What is your palette about and how
effective is it to evoke the narrative
you want to pass on to your audience?
I use oils alongside a palette knife
to achieve sharp or strong contrasts
in my paintings. They’re obviously
difficult to work with- building one
layer onto another, and it takes long to
dry - but it is crucial to reveal the way
I feel about a specific subject matter
and to showcase the special attribute
embedded in it. Here, the viewer is
able to realise that the pigments are
strong: a yellow is a yellow and a
blue is a blue. There’s no room for
mediocrity.
The art you produce is obviously
arts
familiar to the local audience because
it involves indigenous art motifs. Do
you feel this draws you to the average
Ugandan on the street or you are still
grappling with the issue of identity
as an artist who is creating art to be
consumed by white expatriates and
not your own?
It is difficult for me to have an
audience in mind when I am working,
because I work conceptually. This
means I paint what I feel inside and
not necessarily to capture the attention
of the average person; although I
must say, it is important to engage
them on issues that are at hand. This
explains why I have been able to cross
over to other spaces like Norway or
Lamu. I am not essentially looking
forward to have my work draw me to
the local masses, but to interrogate or
document the historical and cultural
aspects of these specific sceneries.
Feb. 01 - 07 2019 43
Bill Gates best ever investment isn’t what you think
Writing for The Wall Street Journal, Bill “Technology is a boom-or-bust even boring, but it isn’t,” he continued.
Gates disclosed his best ever investment business, but it’s mostly busts. I’ve “Saving lives in developing countries
and no, it’s not Microsoft. The philan- always assumed that 10% of my often means getting medicines to remote
thropist and technology magnate says the technology investments will succeed villages and war zones.”
money funneled into global health groups – and succeed wildly. The other 90% And over the last 20 years, the Bill
who buy and distribute medicine has I expect to fail,” he wrote.“Buying and Melinda Gates Foundation has com-
paid off the most in the long run – both in medical supplies and getting them mitted $10 billion to doing just that.
terms of lives saved and money spent. where they’re needed may sound easy,

Woman takes
clothes off in front
of bank manager
to secure loan
After being refused a loan at a
bank in Kazan, Russia, a young
woman tried to convince the
bank manager to approve the
loan by stripping in front of him.
Yulia Kuzmina, who is report-
edly in her mid-20s in Kazan;
capital city of The Republic of
Tatarstan in western Russia, first
pleaded with the loan manager Russians to launch giant ad billboards in earth orbit
before deciding it was time for
desperate measures and started Imagine looking up to gaze introduce orbital advertising seen from just about anywhere
taking her clothes off in front at the moon on a clear summer billboards made up of a grid of on the planet. Experts have
of him. In a video that has gone night only to see the sky full of tissue box-sized satellites called argued that the bright ad ban-
viral, the manager - a young glowing advertising billboards. CubeSats. These tiny satellites ners could interfere with the
male, first keeps his cool, shakes That’s the future envisioned by will orbit 400-500 kilometers ability to study the skies, or
his head, before showing the a Russian start-up which plans above the Earth and use reflec- that the grid of satellites will
woman out. Kuzmina confirmed to launch billboard advertise- tive Mylar sails around 30 feet eventually become space junk
the incident to the press, telling ments into low-Earth orbit as in diameter to catch and reflect and potentially interfere with
reporters: “I am in a difficult early as 2021. sunlight, creating a pixelated more significant space activity
situation. Those who judge me Russian company Star- matrix. The ads would only or aviation safety.
do not know what they would tRocket announced plans to be visible at night but could be
do in my shoes”.

Doctors save man by pumping 15 cans of beer into stomach
A man at risk of
dying from alcohol
poisoning had 15 cans
of beer pumped into
his stomach by doctors
in order to save his life.
Nguyen Van Nhat, 48,
was unconscious in a
hospital in Vietnam.
Every hour he was out,
doctors pumped a can
of beer into his stomach
— for a total of 15. Dr.
Le Van Lam told local
media that the level of
methanol in the man’s
blood was 1,119 times
higher than the limit.
Doctors used three
cans of beer initially
to slow the processing
of methanol. Dr. Lam
explained that alcohol
comes in two forms;
ethanol and methanol,
and that the body
breaks down ethanol
as a priority. Ethanol
is contained in most
alcoholic beverages,
while methanol is found
in bootlegged liquor.
Methanol poisoning
can cause permanent
blindness and death. By
pumping beer, which
contains ethanol, doctors
were able to perform
a proper dialysis
before the man’s liver
processed the entire
methanol in his system.
He eventually regained
consciousness. It’s not
known what he had
been drinking.
MP wants dress code
for parents at schools
A representative from Tennessee is plan-
ning to introduce a Bill for schools statewide
that would make parents and visitors follow a
dress code when visiting campuses. Rep. Anto-
nio Parkinson is drafting the Bill in response to
concerns from parents, educators, and princi-
pals about visitors who show up to their chil-
dren’s schools dressed inappropriately. “They
say you’d be surprised at some of the stuff that
we see,” Parkinson told reporters, “I visualise
clothes that are not sexually suggestive.”
“This is the reason you have adults fight-
ing at the schools, cursing teachers out,
wearing sexually suggestive clothes in front
of little kids, smelling like ‘loud’ when they
show up and more,” he wrote on Jan. 22.
Not everyone is happy

44 Feb. 01 - 07 2019
 Toyota HiLux Rogue Vs
Toyota HiLux Rugged
Which HiLux variant is a better buy; the cheaper more
off-road biased Rugged or the town-oriented Rogue?
By Agencies
O
n the surface, it might appear as
if these two vehicles are aimed
at different buyers. At least that’s
what Toyota would like for you to
think but the truth is they’re both HiLuxes!
And that means, if you’re interested in one
then you’ll be interested in the other.
Okay, justification out of the way, let’s get
into this.
What’s the price and what do you get?
The Rogue adds accessories that bump
the price higher than the Rugged. They
include a revised front bumper and grille,
grey rear bumper with wider step, tow bar,
load-rated sports bar, hard tonneau cover
with integrated light, tailgate dust-sealing
kit, marine-grade carpet tub liner, 18-inch
‘Rogue’ alloy wheels, and the same interior
features and trim as the Rugged X. The
Rogue is an automatic-only model, the other
variants offer both manual and automatic
transmission options. While the Rogue is
based on the SR5, as is the Rugged X, the
Rugged is based on the SR and, so, is quite
a bit cheaper than the Rogue even when
accounting for the ‘practical’ extras it gets.
The Rugged, claims Toyota, is aimed at
buyers who need the protection of a more
traditional steel bull bar, with six-speed
manual gearbox (the auto adds to cost),
which is a premium over the HiLux SR
Double-Cab Pick-Up on which it’s based.
0783 614 601 / 0753 614 601
What about safety features?
The HiLux carries a five-star rating from
when it was tested back in 2015. But because
the HiLux lacks active safety, if it was tested
today by ANCAP it would fail to achieve
a five-star rating. Standard safety features
include seven air bags, vehicle stability con-
trol, active traction control, hill-start assist
control, trailer sway control and reversing
camera.
What’s the interior and practicality like?
The interior is one of the areas where
there are a handful of differences between
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the Rogue and the Rugged. The Rogue’s
interior mirrors that of the Rugged X and
offers more extensive use of gloss black trim
panels, gets a larger information screen set
between the analogue dials and has leather
seats and a more modern climate control
interface. The HilUx variants are mechani-
cally identical to their donor vehicles and
that means they run a 2.8-litre turbocharged
four-cylinder diesel engine making 130kW
at 3400rpm and 450Nm of torque from
1600-2400rpm.
What are they like on the road?
The Rogue’s ride is firm and that’s in part
due to the fact it’s a ute with a cart-spring
rear end and because the thing rides on
18-inch alloys with less ‘give’ in the tyre
sidewall. The Rugged, however, rides on
17s with a higher sidewall and thus a little
more ‘give’ across bumps. It’s also had its
suspension tuned to handle the additional
weight of the accessories it carries. The
Rugged is more comfortable both on- and
off-road.
Which one wins and why?
This is an interesting-ish question. If
you’re a poser who doesn’t care for driv-
ing off-road at all, then the more expensive
Rogue is for you. But, if you’re looking for
a cheaper HiLux variant with a whole heap
of legwork already done in terms of practi-
cal accessories then the Rugged is the much
better buy.
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Driving you into the Future
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Feb. 01 - 07 2019 45
Nshuti Mbabazi: The girl
who covers the greats
`If the music is good, I fall in love and do a cover for it’
By Agnes E Nantaba
N
shuti Sarah Mbabazi has
become famous for doing
cover versions of songs
by some of Uganda’s top
musicians. Her Facebook videos
have become a sensation. She has
covered Elly Wamala, Mowzey
Radio, Juliana Kanyomozi, Bobi
wine and Irene Ntale among
others. Her talent is evident in
how show is able to switch style
and rendition to suit the artistic
attributes of the greats. She also
takes it a note hire by strumming
a guitar during performance of the
popular tunes.
Her breakthrough cover was
‘Nga Bwewakolanga’ tune by
Elly Wamala. The feedback was
overwhelming and some of her
fans pointed her to doing her own
music.
She says, “The feeling was
different and being the pioneer
of live covers with my voice and
guitar, I was inspired to do more”.
Two years later, Nshuti is the
popular cover gal on social media
platforms.
To Nshuti, the choice of a song is
a feeling that pushes her to grasp
the lyrics within a onetime play.
She says, “If the music is good, I
fall in love and do a cover for it”.
Nshuti has done several covers
for songs like `Tambula Nange’ by
Mowzey Radio (RIP), `Situka’ and
`Tuliyambala Engule’ by Bobi Wine
and `Halleluyah’.
Although she has broken through
recently, Nshuti has a long connection
to music, having been to it an early
age of five by her mother who was a
member of the choir at the Adventist
Centre in Makerere, Kampala. They
lived in the adjacent Wandegeya
suburb. Nshuti has three siblings
although she insists on identifying
with her larger family beyond the
nuclei.
As an adult, she says, she
admired Ugandan guitarists like
Aziz Azion and Irene Ntale who
46 Feb. 01 - 07 2019
played the guitar. But it is South
African singer-writer and guitarist
Bulelwa Mkutukana - best known
by her stage name Zahara, who
inspired her to play. Back then she
did not own a guitar but she got
one in 2016.
“I didn’t know what to do with
it or which chord to start with,”
she says.
So she took on to self-training
and watching video clips of lessons
on YouTube. Initially, she had
to read through the chords to
produce a perfect cover. Today, she
can play the guitar without having
to first look at the chords.
She took the decision to do
covers at the beginning of 2017
and says right from her first post
of songs like `Silent Night’ and
`Amazing grace’, her clips have
received progressive reviews on
YouTube and Facebook.
“The reactions are good and
pushed me to do more with
improvements,” says Nshuti, “I am
made to understand that there is
something that people love to
keep hearing from me.” She also
finds inspiration in the work
of other women.
Nshuti is social
worker but in
December 2018, she
decided to pursue
music as a career.
“Music needs
time,” she says, “I feel
like I can do something
good and unique.”
Her mission is to release
her own music soon.
She believes as the local
music industry progresses,
more professional people, and
live performances are the
future.
“Live music is the real
music and every musician
should stand this test.”

Nshuti Mbabazi’s Liteside
Any three things that we
I
don’t know about you?
am a loving person,
reserved but I love
people a great deal.
It is a character that
I picked from my late
father. I also believe that
I am an honest person.
What is your idea of
perfect happiness?
It’s all about good
music. In music lies my
greatest happiness.
What is your greatest
fear?
I fear to be a failure.
That explains why when
I choose to take on
something, I can even
forego sleep.
What is the trait
you most deplore in
yourself?
Sometimes I am too
reserved and silent for
a long time something
doesn’t go well with
some people including
my fans. Some consider
it as pride and yet it’s
just a character. It is
something that I would
like to change a little.
What is the trait you
most deplore in others?
Lying and dishonesty.
Which living person do
you most admire?
I admire my mother; I
have come to realise that
she loves selflessly and
sets a good example to
me and to the world.
What is your greatest
extravagance?
I love to look good so
everything good take
a little bit more of my
money.
What is the greatest
thing you have ever
done?
Q&A
I have managed to What is the quality you should at least afford a
inspire many people most like in a man? meal a day.
through my covers and Being real.
it’s a blessing that I am What is your favorite
so proud of. What or who is the occupation?
greatest love of your I want to be an
What is your current life? entrepreneur alongside
state of mind? My mother is music.
I am very happy. everything.
What do you most value
What do you consider When and where were in your friends?
the most overrated you happiest? Honesty, openness,
virtue? In 2017 when I bought and loyalty.
Socially, people waste my first guitar, my
a lot of time on others. birthday of 2018 was a Who are your favorite
If people could focus surprise that I eventually writers?
on building their own fell in love with although I read anything that
capacity than being I don’t like to be can add value to me.
nosy in other people’s surprised.
business, this world Who is your hero of
could really be a better Which talent would you fiction?
place for us all. most like to have? Angelina Jolie; she is
I would love to learn a very flexible character
What does being more about other music who can put her mind
powerful mean to you? instruments to make my and hands to anything
Knowledge of God music richer and more around acting and it
because from Him, we unique. turns out perfect.
get everything including
wisdom, understanding, If you could change one Which historical figure
influence and wealth. thing about yourself, do you most identify
There is no power away what would it be? with?
from God. I prefer to keep the Elly Wamala; apart
same. from being a good
On what occasion do musician, he was very
you lie? What do you consider humble. He never let
I try to keep away your greatest fame get over his head. I
from telling lies and even achievement? would love to keep like
when I do, I endeavor to I have met so many him.
correct with the truth. people from different
walks of life and it’s all What is your greatest
What do you most because of the music regret?
dislike about your covers. I don’t regret the past.
appearance?
I love everything about Where would you most How would you like to
me because I believe like to live? die?
that God created me Uganda has good and In my sleep but the
purposefully. hospitable people. most important thing
should be at a time when
Which living person do What is your most everyone can turn and
you most despise? treasured possession? say, ‘Nshuti did her
I don’t despise people My guitar is something best’.
because there is no special that I treasure.
reason for me to do so. What is your motto?
Despising also consumes What do you regard I have to do it.
too much time and as the lowest depth of
energy. misery?
Being very poor
What is the quality you deprives people of joy
most like in a woman? and the ability to reason
Being real. effectively. Everyone
Feb. 01 - 07 2019 47
Global comment
By Edmund S. Phelps
Three revolutions economics needs
The underlying causes of current crises point to a need
to reshape how economics is taught and practiced
T
he West is in crisis – and so is
economics. Rates of return on
investment are meager. Wages – and
incomes generally – are stagnating
for most people. Job satisfaction is down,
especially among the young, and more
working-age people are unwilling or unable
to participate in the labour force. Many in
France decided to give President Emmanuel
Macron a try and now are protesting his
policies. Many Americans decided to
give Donald Trump a try, and have been
similarly disappointed. And many in Britain
looked to Brexit to improve their lives.
Yet economists have been largely mute
on the underlying causes of this crisis and
what, if anything, can be done to restore
economic vigour. It is safe to say that the
causes are not well understood. And they
will not be understood until economists
finally engage in the task of reshaping
how economics is taught and practiced.
In particular, the profession needs three
revolutions that it still resists.
The first concerns the continuing neglect
of imperfect knowledge. In the interwar
years, Frank Knight and John Maynard
Keynes launched a radical addition to
economic theory. Knight’s book Risk,
Uncertainty, and Profit (1921), and Keynes’s
thinking behind his General Theory of
Employment, Interest, and Money (1936)
argue that there is no basis – and could be
no basis – for models that treat decision-
makers as having correct models with
which to make decisions. Knight injected
an uncertain future, Keynes added the
absence of coordination. But subsequent
generations of economic theorists generally
disregarded this breakthrough. To this
day, despite some important work on
formalising Knight’s and Keynes’s insights
(most notably by Roman Frydman and his
colleagues), uncertainty – real uncertainty,
not known variances – is not normally
incorporated into our economic models.
(An influential calculation by Robert J.
Barro and Jason Furman, for example, made
predictions of business investment resulting
from Trump’s corporate profits tax cut
without bringing in Knightian uncertainty.)
The Uncertainty Revolution still has not
succeeded.
Second, there is still a neglect of imperfect
information. In what has come to be known
as the “Phelps volume,” Microeconomic
Foundations of Employment and
Inflation Theory, we brought to light a
48 Feb. 01 - 07 2019
phenomenon overlooked by economists.
Overestimation by workers of wage rates
outside their towns brings inflated wages
and thus abnormally high unemployment;
underestimation brings bargain pay levels
and thus abnormally low unemployment.
When workers lose their jobs in, say,
Appalachia they have little idea – no well-
based estimate – of what their wage would
be outside their world and how long it
might take to find a job; so they might
remain unemployed for months or even
years. There is a deficiency of information, not
“asymmetric information.”
More than that, the volume sees every
actor in the economy as being thrown back
on whatever sense he or she can make of it,
as Pinter depicted, and to do the best they
can, as Voltaire urged. But theorists at the
University of Chicago created a mechanical
location model in which unemployment is
merely frictional and thus transitory – the
so-called island model. As a result, the
Information Revolution has not yet been
absorbed.
The last great challenge is the utter
omission from economic theory of economic
dynamism. While economists have come
to recognise that the West has suffered a
massive slowdown, most of them offer
no explanation for it. Others, wedded to
Schumpeter’s early thesis on innovation
in his classic 1911 book `The Theory of
Economic Development’, infer that the
torrent of discoveries by scientists and
explorers has shrunk to a trickle in recent
times. Schumpeter’s theory operated on
the explicit premise that the mass of people
in the economy lack inventiveness. (He
famously remarked that he never met a
businessman with any originality.)
This was an extraordinary premise. One
can argue that the West as we know it – the
modern world, we might say – began with
the great scholar Pico della Mirandola,
who argued that all mankind possesses
creativity. And the concerns of many other
thinkers – the ambitiousness of Cellini,
the individualism of Luther, the vitalism
of Cervantes, and the personal growth of
Montaigne – stirred people to use their
creativity. Later, Hume stressed the need for
imagination, and Kierkegaard emphasized
acceptance of the unknown. Nineteenth-
century philosophers such as William
James, Friedrich Nietzsche, and Henri
Bergson embraced uncertainty and relished
the new.
As they reached a critical mass, these
values produced indigenous innovation
throughout the labor force. The
phenomenon of grassroots innovation by
virtually all sorts of people working in all
sorts of industries was first perceived by the
American historian Walt Rostow in 1952
and described vividly and voluminously by
the British historian Paul Johnson in 1983.
I discuss its origins in my 2013 book Mass
Flourishing.
So it was by no means clear that
the Schumpeterian thesis would be
incorporated into economic theory. But
when MIT’s Robert Solow introduced
his growth model, it became standard
to suppose that the “rate of technical
progress,” as he called it, was exogenous
to the economy. So the idea that people
– even ordinary people working in all
industries – possess the imagination to
conceive of new goods and new methods
was not considered. And it would have
been dismissed had it been mooted. The
Dynamism Revolution in economic theory
was put on hold.
With the great slowdown and a decline
of job satisfaction, however, there now
appears to be a chance to introduce
dynamism into economic modeling. And
doing so is imperative. The importance
of understanding the newly stagnant
economies has sparked an effort to
incorporate imagination and creativity
into macroeconomic models. I have been
arguing for a decade or more that we cannot
understand the symptoms observed in the
Western nations until we have formulated
and tested explicit hypotheses about the
sources, or origins, of dynamism.
That theoretical advance will give us hope
of explaining not only the slow growth
of total factor productivity, but also the
decline of job satisfaction. America cannot
be America again, France cannot be France
again, and Britain cannot be Britain again
until their peoples are once again engaged
in thinking of better ways to do things and
excited at embarking on their voyages into
the unknown.
This commentary was adapted from a speech
given at Paris Dauphine University on January
15, 2019.
Copyright: Project Syndicate, 2019.
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