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Dear Ugandans,
Reading Moses Byaruhanga's article "Lessons from India our farmers must learn" in the Monitor of Dec 2nd 2008 shows how a typical sycophant behaves. The entire article is a collection simplistic views more easily associated with a casual tourist than a high ranking government official.
The writer seemed bedazzled by what (apparently to him) appeared to be futuristic hitech innovations like irrigation, tractors, crop harvesters and temperature controlled environments to increase effiency. It is almost as if Byaruhanga was encountering these fairly common place methods and practices for the first time.
If this article was a case of Mr Byaruhanga exercising his freedom of speech as any other Ugandan, my comments would stop at that. But the fact is that the much patronized and derided Ugandan farmer and the general public paid for all his expenses on this trip. At the very least, that gives us a right to analyse and comment on his account as presented in the Monitor, of how our money was spent.
First and foremost, what is so surprising about the fact that the cost of a tractor in Uganda is twice its price in India? Is this young man not aware that India is an industrial power, manufacturing everything from basic machinery all the way to advanced satellites and nuclear weapons/power? Of course they make tractors, unlike Uganda which does not produce even a simple hand hoe (thanks in large part to Yoweri destroying the former Chilligton factory in Jinja), or even a pin as promised by our so-called revolutionary 23 years back in the famous (or is it infamous) "fundamental change" speech on the steps of parliament.
So not only is it obvious that a tractor made in India should be cheaper in India than Uganda; if you add transportation costs, freight insurance, taxes, miscellaneous costs and a profit, the total price would perhaps come to the 42million Byaruhanga is talking about, so what is there to gawk at?
Secondly, this chap mentions that it is his cherished idea (dream) to have a tractor in each sub-county (or the district-lets they have created).
Ladies and Gentlemen, this young man is over 45 years old, hence he was born in the early 60s when the president Obote's (RIP) were in charge.
But perhaps frequent tax payer funded travel, not to mention exposure to his boss' toxic ideas have blunted his memory so lets just remind him that his "dream" is now more than 45 years old, and is perhaps better called a memory. Long before he was a toddler during the 50s, through the 60s, 70s right up to the early 80s, tractors were available in almost all sub-counties throughout Uganda.
By talking about programs that any government managing an agricultural economy like Uganda would consider as essential fundamentals dictated by common sense, in terms normally reserved for cutting-edge things like open-brain surgery, Byaruhanga is exposing himself and his god-father Museveni's sheer incompetense and lack of vision. The only option he had of writing on that subject and still come off sounding credible was to explain why it is that something even "swine" achieved with ease, should now be talked of in terms of a "dream", as though Uganda is preparing to launch a satellite to go and study Sun storms?
To further help those who may fall victim to these distortions of our history by Museveni and his barking dogs, the agricultural network in Uganda during the years when "swine" held sway was so organised that not only did they have tractors at each and every sub-county, there were fully fledged, well equipped agricultural mechanical workshops at regional level (Namulonge, Kawanda, Busitema, Bugembe, Gulu, Masaka, Mbarara, to mention a few off the top of my head).
Those old "swine" being so foolish, realised that since 80% of Ugandans depend on agriculture for a livelihood, they had to establish specialist agricultural schools and colleges, well funded research centers and a well staffed country wide program of agricultural extension workers. And the daft "swine" did not stop there, top priority was given to cooperative societies and unions, agricultural produce processing plants (meat, fish, juice, coffee, tea, sugar etc) and even a cooperative bank, resulting in a well thought out, integrated industry that included dedicated warehouses at Mombasa port to expedite exports/imports.
Note, I have not talked about the entire agriculture sector; we have not discussed fisheries and veterinary departments which were also serving the country at all levels.
In contrast, the so-called progressive NRM revolutionaries, attended by a flock of professors and doctorates have been in power for over twenty years, what do they have to show for it? Scandal after scandal as they gorge themselves at the expense of ravaged, poverty stricken farmers.
So tell me, apart from parasiting on our tax money, what is Moses Byaruhanga, so-called Special Presidential Assistant on Political Affairs talking about? Nonsense.
The only service Mr Byaruhanga is doing us is to expose the national decay brought about by Yoweri Museveni's bankrupt ideas, criminal tendency and primitive mentality. Because seriously, Ugandans should ask him where he was during the earlier years of his life? Your guess is as good as mine.
You do not have to travel to India to bring back ideas we had already mastered in the 50s. We had all what Byaruhanga is singing about and much, much more! The reason we are still in 2008, a desperately poor, backward country with the shadow of disaster and war hovering ever more ominously, is thanks to 40 years of Museveni trying to destroy this country and distort its history.
All I can see from Byaruhanga's article is the juvenile show off typical of a low calibre, Johnny-come-lately who was lifted from poverty to a position of unimaginable power and wealth, which unfortunately he is ill equiped to handle with grace and humility due to poor grooming. So the pedestrian mumblings about his "Passage To India" should be treated as a bungled attempt at NRM propaganda and dismissed with contempt.
To my fellow citizens, Ugandan was a self-sufficient country, we were well on our way to a comfortable future materially speaking. But we shall forever live to regret the day a devil called Museveni was allowed opportunity to participate in the affairs of Uganda.
Obote was not a fool to have refused promotion for this man in the 60s when he was working in the presidents office, and he died saying so.
Now he is holding the whole nation hostage with the assistance of clueless stooges like Byaruhanga. It is impossible to make any progress whatsoever when people of this calibre are masquerading as national leaders. We cannot even rehabilitate the broken hospitals and agricultural industry assets. The cleverest plan our "intellectuals" can offer as development is knocking down schools and building hotels in their place! Who is fooling who here?
Until we get rid of them, we are doomed to be left behind in the race of economic and social development.
Well, for those of you who are too young to have known what I have been talking about, look around, find a wise old man, listen to your older relatives then judge. Is it Byaruhanga and Museveni telling the truth or were the Obotes and Amins the true leaders of this once great nation?
Whatever you think of it, we may all agree that if we continue to leave the country in the hands of "dreamers" and men with "ideas" of the Byaruhanga and Museveni grade, we shall wake up with a combined Congo and Somalia situation on our hands. It is not a joking matter, ladies and gentlemen.
For God and My Country.
State House Analyst
Comments:
03 Dec 2008
1.
Dear RK,
I would not labour so much on Byaruhanga, do you remember how he cheated and looted the poor boda boda boys and took all their savings and they have never seen the motorcycles they paid for? Byaruhanga and his boss Muzee have no heart for the poor peasants in Uganda except to use them for the votes, they are planning for the coming elections and want to loot the farmers and sell tractors and pretend this is a big idea kuumbe it is trash. Watch out Ugandans.
2.
Dear State House Analyst,
I have thoroughly enjoyed this article of yours.
I could not have put it better myself. All I can say is well done for that. You know, I had a good laugh at times, but as you quite rightly stated at the end, it is no joking matter.
Uganda is surely being led into the abyss by Museveni & his henchmen/women, and it's a big worry that we do not know how to stop this from happening.
From A Thoroughly Fed-Up & Disgusted Ugandan
3.
I was around duirng the 2 regimes of Obote (I am sorry I am not his worshiper for what he did to some societies in Uganda).
I was also around when Amin was president. I excuse him for the mess attributed to him because he was not very educated (like the professors and the like in M7's Gov't).
Obote carried on with the development programs left behind by the gov't he tookover from. He was not doing badly until he decided to attack some people.
Amin did not steal a single coin from Ugandans according to the information available. So the 'swines' served this nation better than the visionary ones!
What baffles me is: can't the sychophants see what we see??!! Surely they should see that Uganda is in reverse gear. The M7 gov't collects a lot of taxes but what is on the ground to show where our hard earned money is put? Posh houses around the country and abroad for the politically well placed?
God save Uganda
Ntunulabutunuzi
4.
Dear Radio Katwe,
Could you please start a thread on collecting information
about Uganda starting from 1962 up 1985. Of most importance
would be films/material showing what past governments did to archieve in less than 20 years. This would may be open eyes of the young
people in Uganda so that they can see the truth instead of lies
from Museveni and his scavengers. Some materials would be nice
for a documentary. Very many Ugandans would be willing to contribute
to such an undertaking and getting a film expert would not be such a difficult thing.
Thank you,
Umkosi the concerned citizen
5.
State House Analyst, please keep on doing your important job.
I one time commented at Monitor when Byaruhanga wrote his usual rubbish concerning Uganda's "booming economy". Either He is doing his Presidential Advising from the kitchen while eating, or he is simply brainwashed! Defintely not to be taken serious any more.
About films, well if you visit Youtube, there are very nice films of our laughing Al Hajji,and very intelligent material concerning running government during his time (although he was branded uncouth). It is not to be compared with Tibahaburwa's rhetoric about child soldiers not being traumatised due to the violence they witnessed! We can collect all this material as history for our offspring. I have already started myself. My boys are now big enough and are very inquisitive about my motherland! I tell and show them the truth! Except if Tibahaburwa is intending to finish off 30 million Ugandas. Those who will survive will tell. Other blacks survived slavery! WE wont give up hope! For God and our dear motherland.
kyookyo.
6.
RK and Readers
Thanks to the State House Analyst. His comparative analysis breaks the hearts of those who know how far Uganda had gone and advanced in agro-industry. Under the National Robbers Movement (NRM), 23 years of a golden opportunity to develop this country was squandered by backward forces like Moses Byaruhanga and his thieving Godfather Museveni.
The NRM leadership has established itself on the principle of Fanon's "Commonwealth of Crime". They are shameless thieves and liars that must be told off in their faces. For example the ad hoc bonna bagaggawale policy is being promoted out of guilt than concern for poverty reduction. President Museveni has stashed away US$ 1.7 billion in cash and assets, for which he has not responded to how he acquired it.
With such amount of assets, in the face of abject national poverty he now feels like an idiot who has taken food from a dying person's mouth. That is why he is frantically moving around with the bonna bagaggawale stupidity; with the hope that he will redeem himself. But, even his step brother, for whom he created the Microfinance Ministry, knows that this stupidity will not work and that is why he is not bothered.
The rate at which the president is on a country-wide bonna bagaggawale crusade, one would think he is the Minister of Microfinance. This stupidity is also being aped by the VP, Prof. Gilbert Bukenya and his rice thing. You would think he is the Minister of Agriculture. Hallo, Mr. VP, where is the Ministry of Agriculture, Hon Hilary Onek?
Because of this stupidity, many youths, especially University graduates have become village laughing stock as they languish: hopeless and jobless on the streets and village paths, scattered around the country. This is because thugs took over this country 23 years ago, and are pillaging it as they look on helplessly.
In the days of swine, even a senior four leaver would easily get a decent paid job on merit. But today the frustration of unemployment is excruciating. Except for Amin's mistaken and draconian policy to summarily expel the Asian community; the proliferations of state aided corporations and private industries cannot be compared to what we have today. Those industries were sufficient to absorb most school leavers and all university graduates.
Today most of the industries being put up have nothing to do with the 80% agricultural background of this country. As the State House Analyst already mentioned; the destruction of Cooperative Societies and Movement, the closure and sales of Banks like UCB was deliberate. Deliberate, in order to keep our people poor, desperate, illiterate and backward to be ruled forever.
The neglect of Jinja, which was the industrial hub of Uganda, was also deliberate. It is a now a sad closed, rusty, ghost industrial town with no hope of revival as long as this regime hangs onto to power. 23 years with no alternative source of livelihood being put in place, except insults and empty rhetoric from people like Byaruhanga, what do Ugandan still expect from this government?
Some of Museveni's unforgivable stupidity is to convert the coffee factory at Bugolobi into a tailoring shop; which even collapsed. The selling off, of the Lira Spinning to a con artist Chinese who cannibalized the vital machineries and shipped them out of the country and scraped the rest to steel rolling mills, is infuriating.
The Lira Spinning Mill complex was deliberate and strategically established in order to absorb the cotton output from the northern cotton growing sub-region. Since cotton is bulky, this region was already linked to a railway transport up to West Nile. In a nutshell, how can any intelligent president literally destroy the only railway transport network; unless it is deliberate to cripple the opportunity for ordinary Ugandans? It is unbelievable.
Kasese was also agriculturally active reagion and especially as a cotton growing zone, but for the same malice the farmers to date are rendered helpless. The current Cotton Development Authority like other Authorities created by this monstrous regime is just a ghost statutory body to funnel public resources into the pockets of cronies and sycophants.
These revolting liars, thieves and sycophants!
For God and my country
7.
There is no doubt that Charles Eliba, who has written this astute piece on the dictators who today are candidates for the focus of attention by Luis Moreno Ocampo of the International Criminal Court, is a candidate for the Akew Kemet Harambe Club of Afro types determined to bring a new Africa onto the world scene. I hope Charles has considered joining their ranks.
That is what CLUB OF AFRICAN DICTATORS is all about. Read this narrative piece and see if Uganda's Charles Eliba makes some sense in his writing.
Just in case you are still interested in joining the CLUB OF AFRICAN DICTATORS, the following guide notes should always be in your pocket.
Rule 1. Be the richest man in your country. If you are a second-generation dictator, this is not hard; just blackmail the guy who came before you. If you come from an oil-producing country, this is even easier. If you are Ugandan, the National Social Security Fund comes in very handy; defence contracts even better especially through fronts, not forgetting that the DRC wealth is always free for grabs. In countries of private ownership of land, it is very imperative for you and your cronies to be the owners, controllers, and givers of land.
Rule 2. Find poor, stupid and brutal men from every corner of your country and make them rich. Do not give them money. Give them a place to steal from (e.g. government positions) in exchange for a pledge of loyalty. Stupid people do not save money, so they will always need you to bail them out. Make sure every rich person in every corner of your country either owes his wealth to your personal intervention, or his hands are soiled with a dirty or bloody crime which you are aware of and which you eventually help him to keep at bay. Give money to all women's church groups. They are the most powerful groups in your country.
Rule 3. Make America or China happy. Make Israel and Saudi Arabia very happy. Visit Muammar Gaddafi often, he likes African leaders. Pray with George Bush and let him see your soul. Make your country's supermodel the ambassador to France and Italy. Ask her to wear a mini when presenting papers to Nicholas Sarkozy.
Rule 4. Make sure the paper definition of 'western democracy' can be read in the way you do things. For example, make sure you have a multi-party parliamentary democracy, but where more than 2/3 of the members belong to your party, and at least half ? of the opposition MPs are on your secret service payroll. This is very easy; simply make sure that national revenue is personally yours to all intent and purpose and that any parliamentary candidate who pledges loyalty to you personally will have access to endless funds with which to buy the soul of his constituents. Most importantly, never allow intelligent people to ever find a seat in your parliament, especially the seat of speaker of assembly. Never forget to be in charge of opposition parties, be it directly or indirectly. Elections should be regular, but always won by you or your party by absolute majority. Never allow a situation where your party is more popular and powerful than yourself; you may face stiff opposition from within. Have a constitutional electoral commission and human rights commission but where all the top office bearers and commissioners are your deployed cadres. Of course, the judiciary must be parked with your judge appointees with a clear mission. With this kind of 'democracy' in place, you will make it very easy for any western power to do any kind of business with you without much public reproach.
Rule 5. Be very, very nice to your army. Be mean to your police. But being nice to your army does not mean that you should ever allow anyone who does not come from your tribe to be in command, unless that person is just ceremonial while real power lies with commanders from your tribe. Make sure you have a small but elite presidential guard unit, which must be not less than 90% from your tribe. Never forget to play around with tribal names for disguise. Of course allow some few guys from other tribes to come in for safety sake just in case some stubborn journalist may ask you about the obvious bias, but such intruders must not occupy sensitive positions, must not be eligible for specialized training, and must never have access to priority structures and information; most importantly they must be a priority for your intelligence. This elite unit must be at least three times better equipped and trained than the regular army and police combined. All top regular army and police commanders must be deployed from this elite unit for coordinated control of all armed forces.
Rule 6. First make your people to starve and then later allow all international NGOs and donors free access to starving rural people so that they vote for you because they got food aid. Where possible make sure that your wife and daughters are the darlings of such NGO's; women are very good at winning hearts and offering memorable moments.
Rule 7. Colonial masters expected little of Africans. Keep it that way; keep your citizenry ignorant and unproductive. Most importantly, destroy the quality of education in your country so much that there should be no significant difference between a rural illiterate and a university graduate. But don't forget to make some money from the illusion by putting up some pseudo but amplified schools and universities of your own via fronts.
Rule 8. Make sure you become a tribal leader too, even if you do not speak the language. Meet all-important people in your tribe every month and emphasize strongly how other tribes are going to either kill you all or repossess all your ill-gotten wealth, if you leave power. The word will spread and, when the shit hits the fan, your tribe will yield machetes for you. In political Africa, 'tribe' means anybody who speaks your language to whom you regularly give money and civil service jobs. Equally important, do not forget to create new 'tribes' which owe their very existence to you personally and which are not sustainable unless you are in power. This should be done at the expense (divide and rule policy) of those dominant tribes whose tribal leaders do not need your handouts for survival.
Rule 9. Destroy or infiltrate all unions and civil organizations that have a constituency of educated Africans. All farmers' associations'/co-operatives, parents' associations, teachers' associations, church groups etc. These are very dangerous, especially Catholics who have a dictator in the Vatican to whom they account. This way, you have no organized civil society that works. If your citizenry cannot organize themselves around issues such as work or education, they can only organize themselves by tribe. And your cabinet ministers control their tribes, just as you do, because they are the richest people in their tribes.
Rule 10. Allow all civil society groups that do not have any sizeable membership or constituency among the citizenry. This way, you can shrug your shoulders and say you are happy to be criticized, but what noise they make means nothing.
Rule 11. Never allow concepts like 'fiduciary duty', 'social contract' and 'free and democratic society' to ever be taught in schools and universities or to be used in any legislation. Make sure the professors and lecturers who understand these concepts are pulled out into ministerial or advisory posts where they are too busy eating from the system to think of such 'hard to crack' concepts.
Rule 12. A free press is very important for camouflage. But have shares in all major media and make sure that you allow them to criticize everything except those things that could mobilize the citizenry into civil disobedience, sustained strike, or armed rebellion. Encourage many of your cronies and fronts to invest in the media so that through them you can guide and control public opinion. These days, you can even secretly pay bloggers. It would do you a big service to win some accolades for a free but counter-revolutionary press.
Rule 13. Do not send all the money you steal to Switzerland. Buy US treasury bonds and hide them in your children's library. Your children will never see it. Why should they read? Daddy is rich. They may however stage-manage a few businesses here and there to fool the fools. Do not have businesses in wife or children's names. Deal in euros, Krugerrands and diamonds.
Rule 14. Be nice to your fellow world dictators; you may need them one day. Join Nepad. It's great for networking. Attend all African Union meetings and bring presents. The AU is the dictator's best friend. For presents to colleagues, cash is good, gold is better, and treasury bonds the best. If all these things fail and you find yourself surrounded by screaming citizens carrying homemade weaponry, make sure you have a Hummer (like Raila Odinga) in your garage. They are cheap now in America.
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