Donors could buy ARVs from Uganda

Saturday, 7th June, 2008


By Raymond Baguma

THE Global Fund (GF) will consider buying ARVs manufactured in Uganda if they are affordable and meet approved standards.

The executive director of the Global Fund Against AIDS, TB and Malaria, Michel Kazatchkline, said:

“As a donor, what I am ready to fund is the cheapest drug available, which is of
quality. It is okay if Uganda produces its own ARVs. The drug should be of
approved quality and cheap. Otherwise, I will ask the Uganda government to buy
drugs elsewhere.”

He was addressing journalists at the global meeting for HIV/aids implementers in Kampala.
The five-day conference at Imperial Royale Hotel attracted over 1,700 participants from Africa, Europe, Asia and Latin America.

During the opening ceremony, President Yoweri Museveni criticised donors for setting stringent regulations to guide recipient countries during the procurement of antiretroviral (ARV) drugs.

Museveni said Uganda has constructed an ARV manufacturing factory, which will also manufacture malaria drugs and other antibiotics.

However, donor regulations provide that their funds should be used to buy drugs manufactured by foreign countries.

Kazatchkline said the Global Fund had committed more than US$11b to 136 countries during its six years in existence and that 60% of the funding benefits African countries, the main recipients.

Kazatchkline said he met President Museveni, who made a commitment to completing all investigations into the Global Fund scandal and the recovery of the embezzled funds.

Dr. Thomas Kenyon, the Chief Medical Officer of the US Presidential Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief, said there were no strings attached to donor aid.

Rather, he added, donors only fund what the aid recipient countries need. “Country ownership is the basic principle by which we work. what we link to our funds is accountability.

The landscape is now moving out of the concept of donor-beneficiaries and moving to the concept of partners,” Kenyon explained.

Thousands walk to honour martyrs

Monday, 2nd June, 2008
Pilgrims pray at the Protestant shrine at Namugongo ahead of the martyrs Day celebrations today

By Anne Mugisa, Juliet Waiswa and Juliet Lukwago

THOUSANDS of pilgrims, some of whom have walked for weeks, converge at Namugongo today to celebrate the Uganda Martyrs Day.

Believers from Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania, Rwanda, the DR Congo, South Africa and Europe will remember the courage of the 45 Christians who were executed on the orders of Kabaka Mwanga on June 3, 1886.

The young men stood by their faith despite Mwanga’s order to renounce Christianity between 1885 and 1887.

"Mwanga was angered that the converts put Christ above the king."

Instead of cringing from death, the martyrs sang hymns and prayed for their tormentors, who were headed by Mukaajanga.

A total of 45 faithful were either burned or castrated and dismembered as the Kabaka fought to assert absolute power over the kingdom.

Twenty-three of them were Anglican and 22 Catholic believers.

However, in 2002, Pope John Paul II beatified two other young Catholic boys, Daudi Okello, 16, and Jildo Irwa, 18, who were speared to death in Paimol, Gulu, in 1918 for teaching the Ten Commandments.

The earlier martyrs were mainly pages at Mwanga’s palace at Mengo and were drawn from Buganda, Bunyoro, Busoga and Toro.

The martyrdom led to an explosion of Christianity throughout Uganda, according to a web site for the celebrations.

The web site added that before the Namugongo gruesome executions, Christianity had been taught to a few, mostly members of Mwanga’s predecessor Kabaka Mutesa’s court.

As this year’s celebrations proceed, the Police have set up a post at Namugongo Catholic shrine.

Spokesperson Judith Nabakooba said any crime should be reported to the Police post.

The Police particularly warned visitors to watch out for pick-pockets and rapists.

The Police have also issued a traffic flow guide for the pilgrims.

Vehicles will access the shrines from both Kireka trading centre and Bweyogerere.

To reach the Catholic shrine, a visitor must take the Kireka-Kyaliwajjala route and turn to the right at the Kyaliwajjala Police post.

VIPs will also take the same route but turn right at the Kyaliwajjala trading centre.

Pilgrims to the Protestant shrine are advised to go through Bweyogerere trading centre and turn right at Naalya-Seeta road junction.

However, those intending to go to the Catholic shrine through this access should turn left at this point.

African Court: Govt. blocks Kanyeihamba

Charles Mwanguhya
KampalaOfficials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have blocked the re-election of Supreme Court judge George Kanyeihamba to the African Court on peoples and human rights saying

“he might use his position to embarrass the government of Uganda.”

Ministry officials want him replaced with longtime friend and colleague Justice Joseph Nyamihana Mulenga – a move that has strained a decades long friendship between Justice Mulenga and Justice Kanyeihamba.

Justice Kanyeihamba is known for voting to nullify the election of President Museveni on both occasions main challenger Kizza Besigye has petitioned the Supreme Court challenging the presidential election results.
In 2001 and 2006 he ruled that the election was rigged to such a level that it required nullification of the result.

Justice Kanyeihamba, who has served a two-year term at the 11-member continental court, is due for re-election when the Africa Commission convenes later this month or early next month.

Other colleagues Justice Sophia Akuffo Ngoepe of Ghana, Justice Bernard Makgabo of South Africa and Justice Jean Emile Somda of Burkina Faso, were elected to serve two years but are all eligible for re-election, according to a note from the AU secretariat seen by this Daily Monitor.
According to the charter establishing the African Court on Human and People’s rights, the court is comprised of 13 judges, out of these four are elected for a two-year term which is renewable, four are elected for a four-year term and five for a six-year term.

A trail of documents seen by Daily Monitor show a drawn out struggle between Justice Kanyeihamba, who believes he rightly deserves another chance to serve at the court, and a host of civil servants including Permanent Secretary James Mugume and foreign service officer Rosette Nyirikindi, who are determined to have him replaced by Justice Mulenga.

The political leaders at the top seem lost in the battle, at least according to the documents.

As the jostling continues, time is running out –and other member countries in the east African region may seize the opportunity to front alternatives.

According to a May 15 letter jointly addressed to Prime Minister Apollo Nsibambi, Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister Kidhu Makubuya, Foreign Minister Sam Kutesa, Security Minister Amama Mbabazi and Internal Affairs Minister Ruhakana Rugunda, Justice Kanyeihamba calls the attempts to block his re-election a scandal.

The letter also copied to State Minister Freddie Ruhindi (Justice and Constitutional Affairs) and Isaac Musumba (Regional Cooperation) is titled The scandal surrounding Kanyeihamba’s re-election to the African Court on Human and People’s Rights.

Justice Kanyeihamba notes in the letter; “You will forgive me for taking the liberty to address you jointly on this matter which I believe that if not properly handled may damage the reputation of my government,” he wrote adding,
“I have also addressed you because each of you at one time or another heard about the goings on in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs behind (the) Hon ministers responsible, in an effort to stop Kanyeihamba from being re-elected to the African Court.”

The judge directly accused, in the letter, the PS, Ambassador Mugume, whom he says fabricated falsehoods to block his re-election.

Evidence seen by Daily Monitor shows that in an undated reminder, the AU Secretariat wrote to Kampala about the impending election process asking the member countries to submit their documents to the legal counsel at the secretariat in Addis Ababa by April 30.

The memo indicated that elections would be held at the 13th extraordinary session of the Executive Counsel in June/July 2008.

On April 17,h the Prof. Makubuya wrote to his counterpart in Foreign Affairs, Mr Sam Kutesa, indicating that “It is in Uganda’s national interest that Justice Kanyeihamba be re-elected,” this, he said in his letter, “is to request you to take the same view of the matter” and urged him to “quickly contact the legal counsel to the African Union with the necessary documentation and support the candidature of Mr Justice Kanyeihamba.”

Responding to the same, Ms Rose Nyirikindi, wrote on behalf of Ambassador Mugume to the Ugandan embassy in Addis Ababa, asking the embassy to forward Justice Mulenga’s CV to the AU Secretariat as Uganda’s choice for the job.

Ms Nyirikindi referred to an earlier communication, which Daily Monitor has not yet seen that apparently nominated Justice Mulenga.

Nyirikindi urged, “This is to request you to urgently confirm that the above candidature has been submitted to the AU Secretariat or the appropriate organ.”

But on learning of the effort to rig him out, Justice Kanyeihamba engaged high gear and contacted Prime Minister Nsibambi to intervene.

On April 24 Prof. Nisbambi wrote to the AU directly and indicated that “the government of Uganda supports the re-election of Justice Kanyeihamba.”

After Prof. Nsibambi’s letter, Justice Kanyeihamba reportedly relaxed given the PM’s weight, and knowing that his word would be final.

But shortly after, officials at the Foreign Ministry wrote to the AU, through the embassy in Addis asking them to “ignore” Prof. Nsibambi’s letter which they said was written in error and instead urged officials there to proceed with ensuring Justice Mulenga’s confirmation.

Ambassador Mugume yesterday played down the controversy in an interview with Daily Monitor.

“The government has the prerogative to select who should be its representative
to that court. Kanyeihamba has served one term and government using its
prerogative has decided to select someone else,”

Ambassador Mugume. Personal meetings Apparently Justice Kanyeihamba, a former Constituent Assembly member, two time minister and former MP was not willing to leave anything to chance, he met and discussed his fate and the efforts to block his re-election with Mr Kutesa, who denied knowledge of the attempt.

Mr Ruhindi assured him that the job was his and he had full government backing and Mr Isaac Musumba who not only assured him of government’s support but also personally moved with him to Ambassador Mugume’s office and left instructions that Justice Kanyeihamba’s name be submitted as Uganda’s nominee.

Mr Musumba left the two together to finalise the details as a desperate Kanyeihamba even offered to take care of the mailing (of the response) to ensure he did not miss the deadline.
According to one of the letters he wrote pleading his case, which Daily Monitor has also seen, Justice Kanyeihamba says that as soon as Mr Musumba had left, Ambassador Mugume told him that the minister’s instructions would not be followed.

How Mulenga got JobIn all the fracas, Daily Monitor has been unable to find a clear trail of how Justice Mulenga got into the picture and what efforts he made to ensure he takes the job.

But sources at Foreign Affairs said Justice Mulenga whose own term at the East African court has expired and is due to retire from the Judiciary at the end of this year, approached friends in the ministry trying to find something to do.

But some officials were already uncomfortable with Justice Kanyeihamba and sought to take advantage of the position at the AU which was technically falling vacant though current office holders had a chance to be re-elected.

But on learning that it was his lifetime friend, who was lined up to replace him, he opted for face-to-face talks.

Justice Mulenga apparently in a tense discussion in his chambers with Justice Kanyeihamba denied knowledge of his selection.

Sources within the Judiciary say the matter has created tension among the two judges and their private disagreement is beginning to filter through the closed doors into corridor discussions.

Justice Kanyeihamba refused to discuss the story with Daily Monitor only saying that he was “aware of the issue but it is being handled in government.”
Asked to give a more detailed comment, he said, “I don’t want to comment about it now.”Justice Kanyeihamba is due for retirement next year.

Cabinet to delete 'press freedom' from constitution

By Ssemujju Ibrahim Nganda WEEKLY OBSERVER

A Cabinet committee tasked to advise the government on taming critical media is considering a constitutional amendment that deletes the provision on freedom of the press.

The sub-committee headed by Public Service Minister, Henry Muganwa Kajura, was formed after three separate Cabinet papers on the management of the media failed to find consensus in Cabinet.

The majority of ministers want tough restrictions against the media.
The third and latest paper titled, ‘Cabinet Retreat on Media Management’, was presented to Cabinet on May 21 during a retreat at Statistics House in Kampala.

Information and National Guidance Minister, Hajji Ali Kirunda Kivejinja, 72, presented the paper to a Cabinet session uncharacteristically chaired by President Museveni.

That Statistics House session was the latest in a series of attempts by Museveni’s Cabinet to end what government calls “irresponsible reporting and negative coverage”.

The Weekly Observer has learnt that the latest manoeuvres are a culmination of longstanding complaints by the President about the media.

In November 2006, Museveni wrote to the Attorney General, Dr. Khiddu Makubuya, instructing him to consider amending the Penal Code Act and other media-related laws to provide for more stringent provisions that would stop what he called “irresponsible reporting”.

According to Cabinet minutes The Weekly Observer has seen, the President actually instructed his ministers to do something about critical media on more than two occasions in 2006.

As a result, the Cabinet formed a committee on Information and Communication. Members included Maj. James Kinobe (minister of state for Youth), Kabakumba Masiko (Chief Whip) and Khiddu Makubuya (Attorney General).

Among other things, a policy on the flow of government information was formulated and passed by Cabinet.

It explains how government can share information with the public, providing for routine press conferences, etc.

But this was deemed unsatisfactory.Kivejinja paper

In trying to do something as the President had instructed, Kirunda Kivejinja in a paper titled, ‘Government Media Management’ explained to Cabinet what he thought was the problem.

His paper was presented to Cabinet early this year.

Kivejinja noted in his paper that liberalisation of the airwaves was done ahead of policy formulation.

Some radio stations, he explained, were licensed and began operating before Cabinet came up with the policy on airwaves.

He noted that as a result, it has been very difficult to enforce the policy on radio stations that started work before the policy formulation.

Kivejinja also informed Cabinet that when the Media and Journalists Statute was enacted in 1995, there were few qualified journalists, yet the law provided for a university degree or post-graduate qualification for one to be considered a journalist.

The journalists of the day, most of whom lacked the stated qualifications, fought the new law and succeeded in rendering it ineffective.

Kivejinja further explained that the new Constitution promulgated in 1995 guaranteed freedom of expression which includes freedom of the press under Article 29(1).Quoting Article 41, the minister informed Cabinet that every citizen has a right to information in the hands of the state, except if that information is prejudicial to security.

He, however, says that such prejudices are not well defined.
The Weekly Observer has reliably learnt that Kivejinja’s colleagues were not amused by his presentation.

After describing the paper as “technical” and in need of “surgery”, the majority of ministers who are radically opposed to free press chose the Minister of State for International Relations, Isaac Musumba, to write a counter-paper to Kivejinja’s.

The reason Musumba was chosen was his eloquent submission in favour of harsher restrictions on the media.

The radical ministers also proposed a retreat to dissect Kivenjinja’s paper as well as debate Musumba’s reply.

That led to the May 21 Statistics House sitting.Musumba’s paper, the second on media from Cabinet, used a recent report on electronic media done by journalists Karuna Kanaabi and Peter Kibazo to bolster his anti-press arguments.

His paper was particularly critical of radio stations, which he argued lack professionalism.

Second paper
Isaac Musumba was not present to read his paper during the Statistics House sitting.

The majority of ministers who subscribe to his view proposed that a committee be formed to study the matter and advise Cabinet.

Kivejinja, according to various sources, pleaded that he be allowed to present his second paper, a third document on the issue in a few months.

He was eventually allowed to present his revised paper titled, ‘Cabinet Retreat on Media Management’.

Kivejinja spiritedly explained why it is difficult to muzzle the media. In fact, he concluded that there is no law that can allow anybody to “tame” the media.

The minister maintained that the Constitution guarantees freedom of the press.
He said the 2004 Supreme Court judgment in favour of Andrew Mwenda and Charles Onyango Obbo that nullified the offence of ‘publication of false news’ had made it even more difficult to control the media.

Kivejinja proposed that to deal with the media, government must be pro-active.
He advised President Museveni who was in the chair to improve the government’s public relations instead of seeking to fight the media.

He proposed two Cabinet press briefings a month, district press briefings, and regular presidential briefings.
Quoting a January 2007 Cabinet decision instructing him to re-enforce the government’s public relations machinery, Kivejinja proposed that government begins buying airtime on private radio stations to disseminate its views.
He added that activists should be facilitated with airtime, transport and allowances to call radio stations and present views that are government friendly.
He also proposed that the country be divided into media zones and politicians instructed to become active in their localities.

Kivejinja further noted that the transfer of the management of electronic media to the ICT ministry had created a vacuum. For instance, the tenure of the Broadcasting Council expired in March 2008, but is yet to be renewed.
Kivejinja progressively proposed that the media should be allowed to regulate itself just like architects do.

He argued that requiring one to be a graduate in order to practise journalism as it is under the Media and Journalists Statute is no solution as a tabloid managed by graduates was the most notorious newspaper on the market, while a daily with almost its entire staff graduates was biting government very hard.

Harsh restrictions

For the second time, the majority of ministers were unhappy with Kivejinja for suggesting that there was no means of dealing with the media.
The President was also understood to be unimpressed, having complained that a daily newspaper, an FM radio station and one vocal journalist were attacking his family unimpeded.


With the President’s support, the radicals carried the day.

A reliable source told us that Security Minister, Amama Mbabazi, described the situation as a multi-sectoral matter that touches on both the politics and security of the country.

Those bent on imposing restrictions on media included; Mwesigwa Rukutana, Isaac Musumba, Amama Mbabazi and Nyombi Thembo, among others.
According to our sources, it was observed that ministers who have been exposed by media for involvement in scandals sought tight control of the media, while those with clean records in the media felt the current laws were enough.

A senior minister quoted Prime Minister Prof. Apolo Nsibambi as telling his colleagues that they should not seek institutional protection for their personal problems.
Nsibambi reportedly reminded the ministers that they are public officials who should conduct themselves responsibly, as the media would inevitably be interested in every bit of their public and private lives.


At the end of this meeting, which went on till late at night, the majority of ministers favoured the formation of a sub-committee to study both the Kivejinja and Musumba’s papers and advise Cabinet within one month.


This committee members, as reported by the dailies last week, are; Public Service Minister Henry Muganwa Kajura, 73, Kivejinja, Amama Mbabazi, Matia Kasaija and Khiddu Makubuya.

A source close to this team told The Weekly Observer that it might propose amending Article 29 (1) of the Constitution to remove the reference to “freedom of the press”.

Using annual licenses to reign in perceived errant journalists is also being floated. Those considered too critical would have their licenses withdrawn.

Rwanda gunship enters Uganda, Govt. Protests

Thursday, May 29, 2008


LOOK ALIKE: The Mi-17 military chopper similar to that used by the Rwanda airforce that violated Ugandan airspace.



By Alfred Tumushabe & Rodney Muhumuza

Diplomatic talks have begun to ease tensions and offset the fallout from the May 18 violation of Uganda’s airspace by a helicopter gunship belonging to the Rwandan military.The Monitor can reveal.

Security sources, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak to the media, said a Rwanda’s Mi-17 gunship hovered over the south-western frontier district of Kisoro for a distance of about 80km inside Uganda.

The aircraft spent an hour in Ugandan airspace on the afternoon of May 18, the sources said.

It entered through Kyanika border post and flew over Kisoro airstrip, Murora and Kanaaba sub-counties and Icuya forest, the sources said.

It was also claimed that the aircraft flew at a low altitude of 80-100 meters above sea level, causing panic among residents.

Days before, there had been massive deployment of the Rwandan military on the borderline stretch of Kyanika.

Mr James Mugume, the Foreign Affairs permanent secretary, said yesterday the violation “is an issue” that is being discussed between Kampala and Kigali.

“It’s being discussed, but I think that they have admitted that it was a mistake
[on the part of the Rwandans],” Mr Mugume said.

“It is an issue…Everything is taken seriously.” Mr Kamali Karegesa, Rwanda’s ambassador in Kampala, said he was not comfortable to comment on the issue.

The Rwandans have reportedly said the pilot flying the gunship believed he was in Rwandan territory when he was in fact flying over foreign territory, according to Mr Mugume.

“All we wanted was an explanation from Rwanda. We are [still] discussing,” Mr Mugume said.

The spokesman for the UPDF’s Second Division, Capt. Tabaaro Kiconco, said the violation was suspicious.

“A [Rwanda] military helicopter entered into Uganda [without the knowledge of
Ugandan officials] and there was deployment of [Rwandan Defence Forces] along
the border,” Capt. Kiconco said on Tuesday

Security Meeting

. A security meeting, chaired by the commander of the Mbarara-based 2nd Division, Brig. Charles Otema, was convened on May 20 to discuss the violation.

Our sources could not say whether they suspected the gunship to have been on a reconnaissance mission.

Asked whether the gunship would have been shot down had it stayed much longer, Capt. Paddy Ankunda, the Defence and Army spokesman, could only say that the violation had a diplomatic bearing, not a military one.

Rebels fear

Some sources said the FDLR, a Hutu-led rebel group that is said to be dominated by men who participated in the 1994 Rwandan genocide and has been fighting the government in Kigali, has recently been regrouping in the areas of Kihito and Mpimbi, about 30 km from the common border.

It is suspected that the deployment of the Rwandan military along the border with Uganda reflects the intensity of a new military effort to fight the rebels.

Brig. Otema reportedly said during the May 20 security meeting that no rebel group would use Uganda’s territory to launch an attack on Rwanda.

Under the Tripartite Plus Commission, Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya, Congo and Burundi have held several meetings whose ultimate goal is to rid the region of “negative forces”.

Funded by the United States, the TPC is supposed to provide a framework within which member states can arrest the leaders of rebel forces operating within the region.

But the arrangement has not been so successful.

Wanted gangsters arrested in city

Wednesday, 28th May, 2008
The weapons recovered
from the suspects
across the country,
with a logbook (foreground)
for a stolen car



By Steven Candia

The Rapid Response Unit of the Police has arrested 11 suspected criminals and recovered four guns in an ongoing operation to curb the wave of armed crime in the country, reports The New Vision.

Three stolen vehicles, 89 bullets, two machetes, a knife and a stick grenade were seized in the two-week-long crackdown countrywide.

Four of the suspects were arrested in Kampala, three in the eastern district of Bukedea, three in Wakiso and one in Mbarara in the west.

The Kampala suspects were caught in the suburb of Kyaliwajala, in possession of an AK 47 and a stick grenade, the Police said.

“They are the ones who have been terrorising Kampala and spreading terror to
nearby places,”

Police spokesperson Judith Nabakooba said at a press conference at the crack unit’s headquarters in Kireka yesterday.

She identified the suspects as Alhaj Hassan Mutyaba, Charles Lukulya, Geoffrey Akior, alias Vincent Alele, and Alhaj Hassan Zubair, a UPDF deserter, who was in the possession of the grenade.

The suspects arrested in connection with a gun recovered in Bukedea are Alfred Emokor, Nathan Adome and Hassan Adome.

The Police said the three were responsible for extending crime from Bukedea through Mbale to Jinja, using the firearm in robbery missions and theft of cattle.

At the time of their capture, they had 25 rounds of ammunition. A double grip AK47 was recovered in Nkoma village in Mbale district from thugs in flight.

Commandant David Magara said the suspects abandoned the firearm in an incomplete building and fled, with operatives hot on their heels.

He identified them as Hussein Nkalubo and Moses Mudoola, all with past criminal records. “We had arrested them some time back and took them to the General Court Martial.

They served their sentences and were released,” he said.

The three arrested in Wakiso, Henry Serugo, Ronald Magala and Stephen Ssekaja, are accused of having hacked and robbed a couple in the area, using a firearm which they had grabbed earlier from a private security guard outside a bar in Nabbingo.

“They used the firearm to rob Daniel Sebuma
and his wife, whom they cut with pangas and knives before robbing other items
that included two mobile phones of
which we traced one,” Nabakooba said.

The Police described the last suspect, Edward Nuwatamba Bamulobeka, as a man with a bag of tricks.

He was responsible for the theft of three vehicles in western Uganda, which were later recovered in Lira, the Police said.

All the suspects were paraded before the press.

There has been an upsurge in crime in Kampala and other parts of the country, with criminal gangs carrying out armed robberies, killing and raping their victims in some cases.

The most recent incident was the shooting and carjacking of a UPDF colonel in Rubaga, a Kampala city suburb, on Monday night.