Photo by K. Burns [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
A few nights ago I came across this article from Acholitimes about a male survivor of rape from northern Uganda.
Continue reading “Male survivors of rape in northern Uganda and Ongwen trial”
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No substantial evidence in my thoughts tonight
Katureebe yatutoneka
But someone will ask where is the wound
Are you blind? And even if you were, the air would have whispered to you
If you aren’t blind, can’t you see it on the streets of Kampala?
Don’t you listen to the radios? Did you hear that person telling us
‘At least you are bleeding in peace’
But if I put many questions someone will say no evidence
Katureebe yatutoneka,
Not in that intentional, malicious kind of way
But open wounds don’t get into these details of intent
For there’s no substantial evidence to support any of this.
All the wound cares about is the pain reintroduced
Continue reading “No substantial evidence in my thoughts tonight”
Tensions high, heavy police and military deployement ahead Uganda vote declaration
Photo by NTVUganda
Which way Uganda?
On Thursday 18, many Ugandans woke up enthusiastic, ready to put months of campaigns behind them and choose a new president and a parliament. The voting was scheduled to begin at 7:00 am and end at 4:00 pm. So at dawn, many set out to line up and cast their vote in an election recent opinion polls had projected to be the closest since President Yoweri Museveni took over power in 1986.
But before the poll opening hour, most of Uganda was locked out of Twitter, Facebook and WhatsApp in a move the government regulatory body and the Ugandan Army Spokesperson came to defend as a response to ‘security threat.’ Over 7 million people use Internet daily in Uganda and WhatsApp is the fastest way of sharing information, cheaply around the country. Cutting these channels off sparked alarms on the intentions of state security and the Electoral Commission. Also Mobile Money services were taken down, leaving some Ugandans stranded as this is the quickest way many Ugandans send and receive money from relatives.
What Least Developed Countries (LDCs) want from Paris Climate Conference
The Bandiagara plateau in Central Mali has been hit by repeated droughts. Climate change is making the weather unpredictable, resulting in poor harvests and increased malnutrition (Photo: Irina Mosel/ODI, Creative Commons via Flickr
For the next two weeks, world leaders, business leaders and civil society are in Paris at the COP21. Uganda is one of of the ‘least developed countries’. It is one of the most vulnerable to climate change yet like many LDCs emits least.
For the world’s Least Developed Countries (LDCs), the outcome of the Paris climate talks (COP21) is crucial. Ahead of COP21 in Paris, I worked with IIED’s LDC Independent Expert Group (IEG) of which I am a member to hear voices from LDCs in this series of interviews with political leaders, experts and civil society representatives from nine of these countries to about the situation they face, and their hopes for a Paris deal.
The Least Developed Countries have contributed little to the global tally of greenhouse gas emissions, but many have submitted plans ahead of the United National Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Conference of the Parties in Paris (COP21), detailing their intended actions on climate change (INDCs).
Read more from IIED
Africa needs a clear political strategy to get a better deal out of Paris Climate Talks
Plenary session at ccda-v by Photo by IISD/ENB
Between November 30 – December 11, the 21st session of the Conference of Parties (COP21) to the UNFCCC will be held in Paris. A new climate protocol to succeed the Kyoto Protocol is to be reached by world governments.
African governments, negotiators, civil society met in Victoria Falls Zimbabwe between 27-30 October at the 5th annual Conference on Climate Change and Development in Africa (CCDA-V) to work on various positions ahead of the Paris talks. The CCDA is hosted the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), African union Commission (AUC) and AfDB and this year was under the theme “Africa, Climate Change and Sustainable development: What is at stake at Paris and beyond?”.
There was a charge that lack of political strategies pause a hurdle for African countries to achieve fair deals from UNFCCC talks. Many speakers also cautioned that even if African countries have submitted their Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) or post-2020 national climate action plans where governments will pledge their contribution to curbing down Green House Gas emissions with mitigation targets, they shouldn’t lose the sight of adaptation.
Continue reading “Africa needs a clear political strategy to get a better deal out of Paris Climate Talks”
Police Brutality and Violence against Women ahead of 2016 Uganda Elections
Horrified like most Ugandans by Police actions against opposition politicians, I join concerned Ugandans and echo this call to sanity.
STATEMENT FROM UGANDANS
DEMANDING AN END TO POLICE BRUTALITY
To
The Ministry of Internal Affairs
The Speaker of Uganda Parliament
The Inspector General of Police
The Uganda Human Rights Commission
RE: POLICE BRUTALITY AND VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AHEAD OF 2016 UGANDA ELECTIONS
We, concerned citizens of Uganda,
Outraged by the recent brutal actions of the Uganda Police towards opposition politicians and supporters
Cognizant of Uganda’s history that is tainted with gender specific crimes against women by security forces
Mindful that Uganda’s General elections are four months away
Appalled that our Police has exhibited that it is ill-prepared to ensure law and order in an impartial, non-discriminatory and civil way
Do address you as follows:
Continue reading “Police Brutality and Violence against Women ahead of 2016 Uganda Elections”
We are NOT ONE.
One of the most thoughtful commentaries that I have read after Westgate mall attack in Kenya.
Like the great 18th Century English Writer Samuel Johnson said “It is unpleasing to represent our affairs to our own disadvantage; yet it is necessary to shew the evils which we desire to be removed.” And that sometimes “Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel.”
I refuse to suck up to this fake sense of Kenyan patriotism.
I grew up reading books on Kenyan history and singing to the tunes of patriotic songs that were constantly propagated by the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation. I went to school in a single party state when there was no difference between government and political parties. I was taught history that was cooked by the curriculum developers to deliberately make me become patriotic to the country Kenya.
At school, I was taught to sing the national anthem as well as recite the national pledge, which at the time, was coined to end up with pledging loyalty and allegiance to the president of Kenya. I was taught that Kenyatta was the Kenyan Jesus. I was taught how to sing for the president, and bow my head in respect.
In church, I was taught to obey and not question authority. I was…
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Africa’s lost monies; What has tax transparency in G8 countries got to do with it?
On Tuesday June 18, G8 leaders signed the Lough Erne Declaration in Northern Ireland – promising greater transparency about company ownership to flush out firms who deliberately avoid paying tax.
In a global push against tax evasion the UK, US, Germany, France, Italy, Canada, Japan and Russia signed the declaration that many campaigners said had more ‘should’ and didn’t promote openness.
British Prime Minister David Cameron said the declaration would support nations including the poorest in the world and would help ensure ‘proper tax justice’. The declaration indicated:
A father’s day note
Happy Day to all moms who work day and night being both father and mother to your children! We live in an interesting world where fathers never turn up when you need a pencil, a school bag, tuition fees or at a school event. They are never anywhere close when you are doing homework each night.
These are the fathers who will fight to be present at your graduation, remind you how they are your father and list all their entitlements on the news of a possible marriage or simply turn up at your door to because now you are somebody.
I have had close friends whose never-ever-present fathers turn up to ask their fiance loads of money a few weeks to their wedding and well those whose fathers only remember them when they hear they have got a job.
There are also those male relatives who are supposedly your father according tradition- because your father passed away at a young age. They never ever supported you but they will force their way to wedding meeting to demand their’rightful’ place.
These are true stories have plagued some peoples lives today.
So such on a day, I thank all fathers who are doing their best to be good fathers and good role models for your children especially daughters! Who believe that your daughter can be as good as your son and show it. You are gems!
When I think of good fathers, I am drawn to The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency, first book in the series by Scottish author Alexander McCall Smith set up in Botswana. His lead fiction character is Mma Precious Ramotswe, the first female private investigator in Botswana. Precious is always talking fondly about her late father Rra Obed Ramotswe who allowed her to inherit his herd of cattle in a culture where women aren’t really allowed this right. Precious describes herself as a “girl who has had a good father.” And this drives her to do great in her career.
To all fathers, I hope your children can proudly say, today or later in life, that they are proud of what you are doing for them! I
Happy Fathers Day from Belfast!
Seven stories in seven days in Myanmar
I got off the Bangkok Airways flight at Yangon International Airport. At the arrivals, the long line for visas on arrival welcomes me and after an hour i get my visa. Things are a little slower than most places I have visited. So much paper work!!
I am in Myanmar for the Global Young Leaders forum run by the World Economic Forum. The Forum will take place on the sides of World Economic Forum on East Asia both in Yango (Rangoon) and Nay Pyi Taw. I read in the Myanmar Times that the gathering of about 900 delegates will be the largest gathering the country has hosted in 20 years. I had read from ForeignPolicy a few days before that “between 1900 and 1990, gross domestic product (GDP) growth increased at no more than 1.6 percent a year — half of the rate of the rest of the world.”
From BBC I had read “from 1962 to 2011, Myanmar was ruled by a military junta that suppressed almost all dissent and wielded absolute power in the face of international condemnation and sanctions.” And i also have a Burmese friend who has been at the forefront working with dissents in the diaspora since late 1990s.
As I go deeper into the Myanmar Times pages, I find an MTN advert and all the talk is invest in this, invest in that. It’s a country that has been closed to the world for long and now everybody is rushing. Everybody talks of how much opportunity exists. MTN is here because for the first time the government is going liberalize the telecom sector.
US is about to pump in a lot of money after decades of isolating the country. Myanmar has oil, gas, timber and minerals. Its a market of over 60 million people.
As we drive past the Yagon University, the driver smiles brightly and tells me Obama came to the university on his visit recently.
As we close in to my hotel, I realize how heavy it’s been raining and it trained for most of my first 48 hours in Myanmar.
Rosebell Kagumire 