News analysis Health Business

Behind Sudhir Deaths from MTN revenue Banks, telecoms

win over BOU C-section grows 30.5% battle for accolade

Issue No. 587 August. 30 - Sept. 05 2019 Ushs 5,000,Kshs 200, RwF 1,500, SDP 8

Museveni
Kagame
tension
What to look out
for next

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inbox

Issue No. 587 August. 30 - Sept. 05 2019

News analysis Business Health Arts Motoring

Cover story
Museveni-Kagame tension, diplomacy
What to look out for next

5 The Week
30 Comments
Museveni, Kagame sign peace
deal but suspicion remains Unemployment situation to
worsen: New Ministry of Labour
and Gender Employment
9 The Last Word
Diagnostic Analysis (EDA) report
Missing insights in our healthcare: shows critical areas were missed
The lesson from pictures of many
newly born babies packed on beds
32 Health
and chairs at Kawempe Hospital
Deaths from C-section
14 Analysis :Africa must act fast to
curb them
Behind Sudhir win :Plan
to have BOU pay heavily

35 Arts & Culture

27 Business
The future today:
MTN Uganda records 30.5% Multidisciplinary concepts at
growth in revenue to Shs765bn:Top Future Africa Visions in Time,
Kampala Edition
managers are still engaging the
government on its licence renewal

STRATEGY & EDITORIAL DIRECTOR: Andrew M. Mwenda WRITERS:Ronald Musoke, Ian Katusiime,
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2 August. 30 - Sept. 05 2019

 inbox

“I was already in touch with

President Kagame through our
own channels but this came as
a reinforcement. We are just
reaffirming what we have always
held as principles of the African
Union.”President Yoweri Museveni after
Uganda Printing and Publishing Corporation acting MD, Aristarco Kasekende Maujuzi (L)
and Uganda Law Reform Commission acting Secretary, Bernadette Nalule Mudde display
signing an MoU with President Kagame
documents upon signing an MOU to work together towards updating, printing and in Angola
publishing of law books in the country. The signing ceremony was held at the Kampala
Serena Hotel on August 23.  INDEPENDENT/ALFRED OCHWO

Dr. Alfred
Duriwale (C), the
commissioner in
the Ministry of
Health briefs the
media on mass
immunization
for Rubella and
Measles. The “We are going to set a very bad
exercise will run precedent if we allow that people
this month in
16,000 schools sitting in government offices use
countrywide bad language and hide behind
targeting technicalities that they were having
children between
1-15 years.  a private talk.”Betty Nambooze, MP for
INDEPENDENT/ALFRED
OCHWO
Mukono Municipality

Minister for Works

and Transport, Monica
Azuba Ntege (2nd L),
Prime Minister, Dr
Ruhakana Rugunda
(3rd L) and Tourism
State Minister, Godfrey
Kiwanda Ssubi (4th
L) flag off the Uganda
Airlines at Entebbe
International Airport
“All facilities including motor vehicles,
for the first flight computers and furniture shall be left at
to Jomo Kenyatta a particular workstation by a particular
International Airport
(JKIA) on August 27 judicial officer on transfer.”Pius Bigirimana,
PS Judiciary on new rules

People who died in a Residents of Mubende district Money needed to complete

23 fuel tanker inferno in
Rubirizi district
813 who will be displaced by the
East Africa Crude Oil Pipeline
Shs34bn the renovation of Mulago
National Referral Hospital

August. 30 - Sept. 05 2019 3

week
YY Bus company
halts operations
over accidents
Last year was GaaGaa
and now it is YY Coaches
Bus and Courier Services
company forced to halt
operations over increasing
accidents. According to
YY Operations Manager,
Ali Gwaivu, the company’s
leadership resolved to halt
the operations of all their
buses on different routes
in order to improve service
delivery. Industry experts
say bus drivers need
refresher courses to reduce
on the spate of accidents
on roads. YY started
operations in 2008 and has
more than 50 buses plying
different routes in eastern
and northern parts of the
country including Mbale-
Kampala, Soroti-Kampala,
Lira-Kampala, and
Kampala-Apac - Lira. YY
buses were involved in four
separate accidents, leaving
14 people dead and several
others injured within a
period of two weeks.
Prison bosses queried on
detention of acquitted Sheikh
Court of Appeal tasked
prison authorities to
explain the continued
detention of Tabliq leader
Amir Kinene two years
after he was acquitted of
terrorism charges. A court
of appeal panel headed
by Deputy Chief Justice
Alphonse Owiny-Dollo
lashed out at prison
wardens for the flagrant
contempt of court. Owiny-
Dollo summoned the
Officer in charge of Luzira
Maximum Security prison
to explain the continued
detention of Kinene. He
also ordered the Director
of Public Prosecutions to
make an explanation to
the court. Kinene is one of
the 14 people including
Sheikh Yunus Kamoga
who were charged with
murder and terrorism in
4 August. 30 - Sept. 05 2019
Museveni roots for
African investment
at Japan meet
President Yoweri Museveni
invited Japanese companies
to invest in Uganda while
attending the seventh Tokyo
International Conference on
African Development (TICAD
7) held in Yokohama, Japan. The
conference held from Aug. 28-30
was organised under the three
pillars of accelerating econom-
ic transformation, improving
business environment through
innovation and private sector
management. Initiated in 1993,
Namboole in Shs1bn debt led by the Japanese government
and co-hosted by the United
The ruling party, National Resistance Movement (NRM) Nations, the United Nations
with a debt of Shs150.8 million, among other entities like Development Programme, the
Fortune Energy owned by former MP Captain Mike Mukula World Bank, and the African
(Shs735 million), Federation of Uganda Football Associations Union Commission, TICAD is
(FUFA) -Shs205 million and Pioneer Easy Bus Limited (Shs91 a forum dedicated to fostering
million) have unpaid arrears amounting to Shs1billion resilient ties between Japan and
after failing to pay Mandela National Stadium for using its Africa. Its scope is wide, rang-
services. The debtors were listed in documents submitted ing from sanitation to health-
to parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) by the care to business promotion, and
stadium managing director Jamil Sewanyana. The documents its goal is to support economic
were demanded by PAC Chairperson Nathan Nandala Mafabi growth and development that
for an inquiry to be carried out following a revelation in will improve quality of life for
the June 2018 Auditor General report that the stadium had the growing populations of
accumulated domestic arrears of up to Shs875.3 million.  Africa’s countries.
Umeme scoops award in South Africa
Uganda’s electricity distributor, a success that, for our next phase, we
Umeme Limited, was one of the top will simply try to repeat the success
2017 after police made winners at the 2019 SAP Quality of this first phase.” According to
several arrests in the city Awards held in Johannesburg, South Nazia Pillay, Head of Active Quality
of those suspected to be Africa. The awards were to recog- Management for Africa at SAP Afri-
involved in the murders nize some of Africa’s most innova- ca, said this year’s nominees repre-
of Muslim leaders. Kinene tive public and private sector SAP sented one of the strongest fields yet
was acquitted by the High
customers. Umeme brought home a in the awards’ 15-year history. “All
Court only for him to be
gold accolade in the fast delivery cat- entries underwent stringent assess-
re-arrested minutes after.
egory. The Chief Information Officer ment and were judged according
The court of appeal was
Roger Bentley said, “This was a to our ten principles of quality. The
beginning the hearing
business project, not an IT project, high standards on display point to
of an appeal in which
Sheikh Kamoga and other and it has supported the business a bright future for technology-driv-
clerics were challenging by introducing completely new en organisations operating in Afri-
their conviction and life functionality. This project was such ca”, he said.
imprisonment sentence
by the International
Crimes Division of the
High Court. The clerics
through their lawyer, Fred
Muwema, argued for
the quashing of their
conviction saying the
conviction was based on
verbal utterances which
the court could not
internalize.

Prof Omaswa receives
Global Health award
During TICAD 7, Prof. Francis Omaswa,
a renowned Ugandan health academic and
researcher received the Hideyo Noguchi
Africa Prize, a global health award periodi-
cally given out by the Japanese Internation-
al Co-operation Agency (JICA).
The award honours men and women with
outstanding achievements in the fields
of medical research and medical services
to combat infectious and other diseases
in Africa, thus contributing to the health
and welfare of the African people and of
all humankind. Omaswa is this year’s
co-winner with Dr. Jean-Jacques Muyem-
be-Tamfum, a Congolese academic and
pioneering researcher in the field of devel-
oping ingenious mechanisms of combating
the deadly Ebola virus in his native Demo-
cratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Omaswa has been honoured for his ded-
ication to addressing the global health
workforce (HWF) crisis including edu-
cation, training, retention and migration
of healthcare workers and for building
pro-people health and medical systems not
only across Africa, but worldwide. “Omas-
wa has become a world leader in the devel-
opment of international systems for the
support, training and efficient utilisation
of health workforces particularly on the
African continent.” A JICA statement read.
“He led the drafting and convening of the
First Global Forum on HWF and inspiring
the adoption of the Kampala Declaration
and Agenda for Global Action that now
guides the global response.” It added.
Dial *133*2#
for more bundles
week
NBL staff aid 110 children in Mbarara hospital
Nile Breweries staff for Mbarara Nutri Kit project is a simple token of
plant recently donated food items support to public health facilities to
that comprised of cooking oil, soya, lessen the burden of malnutrition,”
groundnuts, silverfish, rice, posho, said Pamela Bagenda, the sustainability
sugar and soap towards improving the manager for NBL. “We are not only
health and wellbeing of 110 children in concerned about making beer but also
Natasha ward in Mbarara government helping communities we operate in,”
hospital. The items were worth she added. Over 30 staff from NBL
Shs5million and were contributed by
employees of the beer company.  This
Mbarara plant participated in the
charity drive.
is part of NBL’s Nutri Kit project. “Our
L-R: NBL’s George Mbogo and Pamela Bagenda handing over the items to hospital staff.
Gold dealer charged with possession of firearms
Sam Buchanan, a city arrested on allegations of
businessman who was defrauding a businessman,
arrested in connection a non-Ugandan, of
with fraudulent gold $500,000 (aboutShs1.8b).
dealings has been Prosecution alleges that on
charged over unlawful August 16, while at Buziga
possession of a firearm. in Makindye Division
The General Court Martial in Kampala, Buchanan
at Makindye remanded was found in unlawful
Buchanan to Kigo Prison. Buchanan and two other possession of a pistol
Last week, security persons over allegations of which is a monopoly of
operatives attached to the conning foreigners in gold the armed forces. He was
Chieftaincy of Military deals. Reports say that found in possession of 18
Intelligence (CMI) arrested Buchanan and group were bullets.
AfricellUG @AfricellUG
*terms and conditions apply |
Regulated by Uganda Communications Commission
August. 30 - Sept. 05 2019 5
week
DRC announces new
government
DRC President Felix
Tshisekedi named a new
government seven months
after his inauguration. “The
government is finally here. The
president has signed the decree
and we will begin work soon,”
Prime Minister Sylvestre Ilunga
told reporters in Kinshasa. The
power-sharing agreement will
see 23 members of the executive
drawn from Tshisekedi’s Global outcry over Amazon fires
Direction For Change, and
the remaining 42 from former The Amazon is burning and Brazil President $20m pledged by the G7; a grouping of the seven
president Joseph Kabila’s Jair Bolsonaro is stoking the fires engulfing it. major economies, who met recently in France.
Common Front for Congo. The Amazon is the world’s largest and most Bolsonaro and French President Emmanuel
Former president Joseph Kabila diverse rainforest, with millions of species and Macron have already sparred over the Amazon
is said to have rigged the billions of trees. It stores vast amounts of planet- due to their differences on climate change.
election for Tshisekedi to keep warming carbon dioxide and produces 6 percent Bolsonaro came to power with a pledge to weaken
in charge of the mineral-rich of the planet’s oxygen. It has been described as environmental laws while Macron has been
country after handing over to “the world’s lungs” but that is not enough to get the most vocal world leader on climate change.
his carefully chosen successor. Brazil’s leader into action to save it. This year Environmentalists have called on Brazilians and
Forming the coalition had alone, there have been 40,000 fires across the world leaders to save the largest concentration of
taken time as both sides had Amazon, located mainly in Brazil and the burn biodiversity in the world before it is too late. “Even
to smoothen the rough edges rate is not about to stop but more importantly the if people were to replant half a continent’s worth of
involves in the deal and enable attitude of the current Brazilian government is trees, the diversity of creatures across Amazonia,
proper functioning of the being blamed for the escalating degradation of the once lost, will not be replenished for roughly 10
government, said Ilunga. forest. Reports say Brazil has rejected an offer of million years.” The Atlantic wrote.

6 August. 30 - Sept. 05 2019

Humour Did you know?
Optimistic people
live longer

New research finds that individuals with

The IGG has commenced preliminary investigations in Mauritian bribery allegations against minister Evelyn Anite
higher optimism tend to live longer and
also have greater odds of living 85 years and
more. A recent PNAS paper by first and
corresponding author Lewina O. Lee, Ph.D.,
assistant professor of psychiatry at Boston
University School of Medicine, defined
optimism as the “general expectation that
good things will happen or the belief that
the future will be favorable because one can
control important outcomes.”
For the analysis, the team brought
together data on 69,744 females in the
Nurses’ Health Study (NHS) and 1,429
males in the Veterans Affairs Normative
Aging Study (NAS). As a routine part of
both projects, all participants completed
regular health surveys that included
questions about diet, alcohol intake,
smoking, and other health-related
behaviors over a 10-year period.
As an example, one of the six questions
on optimism that the NHS participants
Government has delivered relief items to families and survivors of the fuel tank fire in Kyambura, Rubirizi.
completed asked them to indicate, on a
five-point scale, the extent to which they
agreed or disagreed with statements such
as, “Overall, I expect more good things to
happen to me than bad.”
Of the participants, 13% of the females
died during the 10 years of their follow-up,
and 71% of the males died in the 30 years of
their follow-up.
When the researchers analyzed the data,
they found that the females and males
with the highest levels of optimism at the
start of follow-up lived on average 11–15%
longer than those with the lowest levels of
optimism.
In addition, the females and males with
the highest levels of optimism had a 50–70%
greater likelihood of living until their 85th
birthday and beyond. They suggest that
because it may be possible to alter optimism
using relatively straightforward therapeutic
techniques, their findings have strong
Uganda – Rwanda border remains closed after the signing of the memorandum of understanding implications for public health.

August. 30 - Sept. 05 2019


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
Traffic police needs to work
Wrong obsession
on land grabbing
Refer to: “Museveni’s wealth
creation tours: Why the presi-
dent’s countrywide tours may
win him peasant votes but not
make them rich” (The Indepen-
dent Aug.23). Unlike mid-18th
and 19th century Britain were
the elites forced the peasants off
the land in Ireland, Scotland and
rural England and relocated this
surplus peasant population to
North America, Australia, New
Zealand etc Uganda doesn’t
have that option and also when
the other European elites whose
countries had no colonies,
attempted to emulate their Brit-
ish peers and to force their sur-
plus peasants off the land into
19th century European urban
squalor it resulted into the 1840s
revolutions. Industrialisation
of USA was not due to forcing
peasants off the land but a com-
bination of ending forced labor/
slavery, cheap financing by the
new wealthy capitalist/merchant
class of Britain and the illegal
transfer of Britain’s industrial
intellectual property. The above
examples should show that your
obsession with looking with a
kind eye on land grabbing was
not and is not necessary for
industrialisation. And maybe
you have ulterior motives that
guide your support for the theft
of the peasants land.
Mukasa
8 August. 30 - Sept. 05 2019
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Tread carefully on land
Refer to: “Museveni’s wealth
creation tours: Why the presi-
dent’s countrywide tours may
win him peasant votes but not
make them rich” (The Inde-
pendent Aug.23). Massive land
aggregation expeditions com-
bined with our 1.5 million new
The things being dis-
cussed in Parliament; on
indiscipline of individuals,
fines and penalties shouldn’t
be our main focus or be the
main talk in Parliament.
They need to be put across
and discussed but they will
not take our country into
middle income status.
We have accidents hap-
pening all over but no one is
bringing it up in parliament.
Police is being reckless in
the way it’s doing its work
but who is talking about
that? Dr. Steven Kasima the
head of traffic police needs
to act. The reason some
Ugandans will never be sat-
Growing coffee and the veneer of elite lies
Refer to: “Museveni’s wealth
creation tours: Why the presi-
dent’s countrywide tours may
win him peasant votes but not
make them rich” (The Inde-
pendent Aug.23). To be honest
this is not the Mwenda way
of thinking. But many thanks;
you hit the nail on the head. I
clearly remember telling the
same things in 2004 to a group
of friends at a wake of a rela-
tive deep in my village. These
happily employed people were
castigating our rural folks for
babies every year is complete
disaster. Not happening! And
looking at the current number
of outcries from evicted persons
suggests we need to tread very
carefully with land.
Pastor Kaks
isfied with the security sys-
tem is because it acts where
unnecessary and then where
necessary they become reck-
less. The lousiness of the
traffic officers is leading to
these accidents.
I don’t know what hap-
pened. Good systems are
brought up, but the problem
is always the implementa-
tion. What happened to the
speed governor rule or the
seat belt rule? Due to the
reluctance of police, slowly
by slowly they fade away.
Kevin Seguya
Kelvinsegz@gmail.com
their ineptitude. Being a villager
myself I have come to appreciate
their way of thinking. Earlier on
we had vehemently castigated
some remarks attributed to Mrs
Victoria Sekitoleko about how
no society had transformed
through growing vanilla and by
then the mantra was on non-tra-
ditional crops. In my village it
was moringa. Some brave vil-
lagers cut down their old coffee
trees in favour of moringa. The
story is too long for today. Many
years later I found the Agents
News analysis Health Business
UPDF’s uncertain New drug safe for HIV Crane Bank ‘ghosts’
future in Somalia positive pregnant women haunts dfcu
Issue No. 586 August. 23 - 29 2019
Ushs 5,000,Kshs 200, RwF 1,500, SDP 8
Targeting
NSSF money
The truth and the lies
www.independent.co.ug
Mwenda’s lions don’t
care how sheep feel
Refer to: “Museveni’s
wealth creation tours: Why the
president’s countrywide tours
may win him peasant votes
but not make them rich” (The
Independent Aug.23). I find
it unnerving that you don`t
consider the impact of the
measures you are suggesting
on the livelihood/wellbeing of
the peasants, the mantra almost
being “A lion doesn`t concern
itself with the opinion of sheep”.
You are suggesting large scale
land redistribution to those with
the means of production from
the peasants but do you suppose
that this process would happen
without any social and political
destabilisation? The British
already had an entrenched
class system that had already
disempowered the peasants for
hundreds of years such that land
expropriation was probably met
with grumbling acquiescence.
This is not tenable in Uganda,
the urban elite have relatives
in these villages and you are
not going to displace them and
expect to hold power.
Herbert
of OWC ridiculing my vil-
lage-mates for opting to remain
poor yet you could harvest so
much from a coffee tree. I felt
offended because my father has
had a plot of coffee for the last 50
years of my life and I am certain
putting food on the table is still
a big task. Luckily enough for
most of the peasants especially
in my village, they can easily see
through the veneer of elite lies.
Godfrey Kambere

Missing insights in our healthcare
By Andrew M. Mwenda
The lesson from pictures of many newly born babies
packed on beds and chairs at Kawempe Hospital
L
ast week, someone took pictures of
Kawempe Hospital with a multitude
of newly born babies laying on
congested hospital beds and plastic
chairs. This provided considerable grist
for the anti-President Yoweri Museveni
and anti-government of Uganda mill.
As expected, Uganda’s chattering elites
went wild on social and other media; they
denounced government for its corruption,
incompetence and selfishness with self-
righteous indignation.
We have highly exaggerated expectations
of our poverty stricken and revenue starved
governments. This is based on ignorance
of our states’ capabilities. When this is
combined with excessive prejudice about
our governments, it turns self-righteous
indignation into a toxic mixture of emotional
debates and bad public policy.
Journalists who cannot get basic facts
right or write proper grammar or spell
words correctly or punctuate their sentences
properly expect and demand that laboratory
technicians get their diagnosis right, nurses
be competent to a fault and teachers and
policemen do similar. It never occurs to
them that their mistakes as journalists and
pundits, just like those of nurses, doctors and
policemen, are a reflection of low levels of
skills i.e. poor human capital.
I want to criticize this behavior with a lot
of humility because for many years I was a
leading priest of this attitude. Then I reached
the road to Damascus. Over the years of self-
reflection, it became apparent to me that we
need to change our mindset. This realisation
came in large part because I became deeply
conscious of my own weaknesses. Once
this happened, I felt liberated from self-
righteous anger and what it leads to – the
delusion that I am perfect and everyone else
is incompetent and corrupt.
Yet the paradox is that the pictures of kids
congested on beds and plastic chairs at
Kawempe Hospital are evidence of success,
not failure, of the Ugandan healthcare
system. They demonstrate increasing
public confidence in public health facilities.
Ugandan mothers used to deliver babies
at home in the attendance of relatives,
neighbours and/or traditional doctors.
According to the Uganda Demographic
and Health Survey (UDHS), in 2001 only
37% of mothers were delivering babies
The Last Word
in a health facility. However, in 2006, this
number had increased to 42%. In 2011 it
had jumped to 57% and then 73% in 2016.
We can infer from this rate of growth that it
has increased to 83% today. This must be a
product of two things.
First, there is increased access to health
facilities as government has built many
Health Centers even in the far reaches of
the country. Today 86% of our population
lives within 5km of a health facility mostly
owned by government. Second, that there
is increasing public confidence in our
public health facilities – that is why people
are flocking there and the facilities are
getting overwhelmed. In the specific case of
Kawempe Hospital, it was designed for a
smaller capacity, and is now overwhelmed
by the closure of Mulago for renovations.
I am also conscious of the fact that public
health facilities perform better than private
ones in Uganda. There is no private hospital
better than Mulago in Uganda – the highest
concentration of medical expertise in our
country. When it reopens in January next
year after its renovation and refurbishment,
it will be the most well-equipped and well-
staffed hospital in East Africa – and among
the top ten in Africa. I have been there and
inspected the works several times to speak
with authority.
Yet it is not always good for public facilities
– be they education or health – to be the best
in, especially, a poor country. This would
attract the rich to opt out of private services
to public ones and thereby compete with
poor citizens for the same facilities. The
taxpayer is better served when rich people
pay taxes and also pick their own and their
families’ medical and education bills. This
allows the rich to actually subsidise the poor.
When I listen to and read the writings of
many Ugandan elites, I am only reminded
of the gap between expectations and reality.
Uganda spends about $20 (Shs73,000)
per person per year on health. Even if we
discount those who go to private health
facilities (the rich few) and those who do
not fall sick, this money is too small for our
development needs (building, renovating
and equipping health centers) and recurrent
expenditures (paying medical staff and
buying drugs). Ugandans speak as if their
country has the resources of Belgium,
Norway or the USA.
August. 30 - Sept. 05 2019
opinion
We are fixated with the excuse of
corruption. Nowhere is propaganda more
effective (and dangerous) than when it
uses (and abuses) actual facts. Of course
there is corruption. But it does not explain
the fundamental causes of poor health
delivery in our country. Its contribution is
negligible. The real issue is low levels of
public revenues to finance the very many
competing demands on a poor government.
While it is very important to improve
efficiency and minimise corruption and
abuse, its contribution to overall healthcare
outcomes is negligible.
This lesson came vividly to me following
Rwanda, the most efficient government
in use of public resources in Africa. At
a very low level of income ($800 in per
capita income and about $250 in per capita
spending), Rwanda is governed like a rich
country. Indeed, the World Economic
Forum index of efficiency in the utilisation
of public finances places Rwanda 5th in the
world behind the richest nations such as
United Arab Emirates, Singapore, USA and
Qatar – all of which have 50 times its per
capita income.
Yet when I look at healthcare outcomes
of Uganda and Rwanda (such as life
expectancy, child, infant and maternal
mortality, malaria prevalence, rate of
vaccination for things like measles, polio,
DPT3 etc. – the things that really matter
in health) the differences are negligible.
(Uganda is number 100 in the index i.e. very
inefficient in the use of public resources).
This is quite discouraging for all the efforts
Rwanda puts in fighting graft and serving
the public good.
The lesson here is simple but fundamental:
efficiency gives you very little return. The
real challenge is sustaining rapid economic
and, therefore, revenue growth. As long as
a country is poor, even the highest levels
of honest government and the public
spirit cannot change the fundamentals of
poor outcomes. This is not to say honest
and efficient government is not desirable.
Rather it is to demonstrate the limits of
efficiency i.e. that at best you become a well-
managed poor country but a poor country
nonetheless.
amwenda@independent.co.ug
9
cover story

Museveni-Kagame
tension, diplomacy
What to look out
for next

10 August. 30 - Sept. 05 2019


President Yoweri Museveni shakes hands with President Paul Kagame after signing the pact in Luanda on Aug.21
D
By Ronald Musoke
espite their hyped
reconciliation meeting
and handshake on Aug.21
in the Angolan capital,
Luanda, tense relations
between President Yoweri
Museveni and his Rwandan counterpart,
Paul Kagame, appear likely to remain
unless one of them makes a major
reconciliatory gesture.
It all depends on the setting up of an
Adhoc Commission supposed to trigger
the implementation of the Luanda pact.
Museveni and Kagame agreed that
the Adhoc Commission will be headed
by the ministers of foreign affairs and
composed of ministers of internal
affairs/Administration and heads of
intelligence.
Although it is straight forward in
appearance, the composition of the
commission will require a lot of work
to ensure that the hardline personalities
currently occupying those positions can
make it work.
That may explain why a statement
from President Museveni’s press officers
on Aug.21 that screamed: “Cross border
activities to resume as Uganda, Rwanda
sign pact” now appears to have been
overly optimistic.
The statement was released moments
after the Luanda agreement was signed
and cheers and jubilation broke out at
the Uganda-Rwanda border crossing at
Katuna. Petty traders hurriedly cleaned
their stalls in readiness for business and
politicians made celebratory speeches.
But nothing changed.
Instead on Aug.22 Rwanda’s Minister
of State for Foreign Affairs, Regional
Cooperation and EAC Affairs, Olivier
Nduhungirehe, issued another alert for
Rwandans not to travel to Uganda. He
cited safety concerns.
“There are still some issues to be
resolved between the two countries
before people start travelling to
Uganda,” he said and added that
Uganda must first release Rwandan
citizens allegedly in detention in
Ugandan jails.
The same day, it emerged; the
Uganda Communications Commission
(UCC) had ordered Uganda’s internet
service providers to block access in
Uganda to the website of the Rwandan
government-owned New Times
newspaper.
Ibrahim Bbosa, the UCC
spokesperson said the communications
regulator had directed internet service
providers to block The New Times for
publishing harmful propaganda that
endangers national security of Uganda.
Within hours, Rwanda retaliated by
blocking access to several Ugandan
news websites including The Observer,
The Nile Post, Soft Power and The New
Vision.
It was a repeat of what happened
12 days after the leaders first met in
Angola, when about 40 Rwandans were
arrested in Kampala during a security
operation.
Then on Aug.13, nine Rwandans
who said they had just returned to
Rwanda after days of detention and
August. 30 - Sept. 05 2019
cover story
torture in Uganda filed a case against
the government of Uganda in the East
African Court of Justice.
Hardline on open borders
Against this background,
Nduhungirehe who qualifies to be on
the Kigali team on the adhoc committee
has emerged as the stern voice of anti-
Uganda rhetoric. Uganda meanwhile
has its own hardliners. Although
Museveni, who has warned all his
officials off the Rwanda issue, prefers
a softer public approach, he has in the
past stocked anti-Rwanda sentiments.
In January 2017 he elevated two
anti-Rwanda officials; Col. Frank
Kaka Bagyenda and then Brig. Gen.
Abel Kandiho to respectively head
the Internal Security Organisation
(ISO) and the Chieftaincy of Military
Intelligence (CMI).
Both qualify to be on the Ugandan
team on the adhoc commission but
Kandiho is said to have few friends
in Kigali where he worked until the
early 2000s and clashed with Rwandan
security operatives.
In March 2018 Museveni also
removed with disgrace the once
powerful Inspector General of Police,
Gen. Kale Kayihura, who was amiable
to Kigali. Kagame was the best man
at Kayihura’s wedding. He was later
charged with kidnapping of Rwanda
nationals and illegally rendering them
to Kigali. The charges were brought by
Kaka Bagyenda.
Kagame also in October 2018 shuffled
his cabinet, removing long-serving
11
cover story
Defence Minister Gen. James Kabarebe
and the Inspector General of Police,
Emmanuel Gasana, who had been
close to Kayihura. He elevated Dan
Munyuza, the former deputy IGP.
With faces like Olivier Nduhungirehe
on the Rwandan side and Kaka
Bagyenda and Abel Kandiho on the
Ugandan side, the proposed adhoc
commission faces a tough road to a
breakthrough. If it succeeds, its task is
relatively easy.
Although Museveni and Kagame
signed a slew of diplomatic soup,
the main immediate issue of
implementation is opening of the main
Rwanda-Uganda border and easing of
persons and goods.
In the section, subtitled `THE
AGREEMENT’ the State House
statement said Museveni and Kagame
agreed to respect each other’s
sovereignty and of neighbouring
countries, refrain from actions that
destabilize other countries, as well as
financing, training, and infiltration of
destabilizing forces.
According to the statement, Museveni
and Kagame agreed to respect and
protect the rights and freedoms of the
nationals of the other party residing or
transiting in their national territories, in
accordance with laws of their countries.
“The pact indicates that the two Uganda-Rwanda border at Katuna. The business at the Katuna boarder and the other borders shared
countries will resume cross-border between the two states remains low due to the ongoing dispute.   INDEPENDENT/ALFRED OCHWO
activities, including movement of
persons and goods,” the Museveni about US$2 million per month. a concerted effort to become a leading
State House statement said. This is “We are losing business. Although continental power broker.
what really matters. politics is not losing, people are losing “Angola wants to assert its strength
The tension between Museveni and their jobs and this is going to be on the continent to project power
Kagame is nothing new and unlikely worse if the issue is not addressed,” internationally as it understands that
to hurt either of their economies Badagawa said. only with alliances can it buffer itself
because trade volumes between Kigali from intrusive financial and political
and Kampala are low; worth US$171 Kagame, Museveni seek allies in interventions,” said Roqué in a paper
million for Uganda in 2017 and US$9.4 Angola, Congo titled: “Angola’s Africa Policy.”
million for Rwanda, but continuing the Meanwhile, the 56-year old Tshisekedi
standoff means local border economies Predicting when the impasse could has just completed his seventh month
and specific traders continue suffering. ease is difficult because although as president of DR Congo and has no
The current tension between Kigali Kagame and Museveni are continuing previous experience in government.
and Kampala had been simmering for an old and known dispute between Lourenço and Tshisekedi are
months until it peaked when Rwanda them and their behaviours are partly important to resolving the tension
on Feb.27 stopped allowing travellers predictable, the other two leaders who between Museveni and Kagame because,
and vehicles from Uganda to cross the have been sucked into the dispute although they are being publicly
joint border at Katuna/Gatuna. The this time, presidents João Lourenço of presented as mediators, they are in fact
situation has since eased with vehicles Angola and Félix Tshisekedi of the DR major players. Tshisekedi is especially
and people being let through but Congo are total unknowns. central to the tension between Museveni
Rwanda still does not allow trade or its The 65-year old Lourenço is an and Kagame because the anti-Kigali
passport holders to cross into Uganda. artillery general, former vice president, militia; the Democratic Liberation Forces
Gideon Badagawa, the executive minister of defence and veteran of the of Rwanda (FDLR) and the Rwanda
director of the Private Sector People’s Movement for the Liberation National Congress (RNC) operate from
Foundation Uganda (PSFU), an of Angola (MPLA) from 1974, but he has the DR Congo although Kigali says
umbrella organisation that brings operated in the shadows until he became they are recruited in and have bases in
together players in the private sector in president just 21 months ago. Uganda.
the country said in June that Rwanda’s Angola, according to Paula Cristina “These two countries (Angola and
closure of its common border with Roqué, a senior analyst of southern DR Congo) are interested parties in
Uganda at Katuna had reduced Africa for the International Crisis what is happening between Rwanda
Uganda’s earnings from about Shs60 Group, could be engaging in multi- and Uganda,” said Frederick Golooba-
billion (Approx. US$16 million) to lateral engagements as a reflection of Mutebi, a regional researcher and

12 August. 30 - Sept. 05 2019


analyst, in an interview with CNBC
Africa in July.
He explained that Rwanda accuses
Uganda of undermining its security by
supporting insurgents that seek to topple
the government in Kigali and these
insurgents are based in DR Congo and
Angola also has some insurgents within
its border regions with DR Congo.
“The whole thing of insecurity within
the Great Lakes region concerns Angola,
DR Congo, Rwanda and Uganda in
equal measure,” he said, adding that
these insurgents cannot destabilize the
region without causing insecurity in DR
Congo where they are based.
“Suppose they attacked Rwanda and
Rwandan forces pursued them back into
the DR Congo, what you have is a war
between two Rwandan protagonists
being fought on the soil of DR Congo”.
Although Golooba spoke
hypothetically, the situation he described
has happened before and Uganda
and Rwanda have entered DR Congo
territory in hot pursuit of insurgents.
On one occasion, the Rwanda-Uganda
incursion led to regime change in
Kinshasa. What could happen if
Rwanda and Uganda went to war? Who
would Angola, DR Congo, and Congo
Brazzaville ally with? Pursuit of such
alliances could possibly explain why
Museveni and Kagame flew to Luanda.
An analysis of the Aug. 21 Luanda
meeting press statement does not
reveal much. But reading the 13 point
communiqué issued after the First
Quadripartite Meeting held on July
12 in Luanda shows that Tshisekedi is
possibly the man to watch.
From the first Quadripartite Meeting
chaired by President Lourenço, it
is clear that the leaders view the
diplomatic tension between Rwanda
and Uganda as a result of regional
issues emanating in the DR Congo.
Specific attention was made to the
presence in the eastern DR Congo
border area of militias, which are largely
hostile to Rwanda, and DR Congo
President Tshisekedi was urged to
“pacify its entire territory.”
In point 3 of decisions reached,
the leaders agreed to “prioritize the
resolution of any dispute between their
respective countries by peaceful means
through conventional channels and in
the spirit of African brotherhood and
solidarity.”
Tshisekedi took a bold step when
on Mar.25 he flew into Rwanda for the
Africa CEO Summit and laid a wreath
at the Kigali Genocide Memorial for
the victims of the 1994 genocide. He
visited Kampala and met with President
Museveni the same day. Significantly,
however, he had visited Museveni in
October 2018 ahead of his January 2019
victory in the DR Congo presidential
elections. He has also asked the UN to
help DR Congo fight insurgents in its
eastern provinces.
All indicators are that, on the issue
of anti-Kigali militia in the DR Congo,
Museveni wants a strategic long-term
solution, while Kagame is aiming for
short-term tactical interventions.
Diplomatic maneuvers are typically
done without public explanation
but Museveni’s Pan-African alliance
building effort possibly explains
new entrant Dennis Sassou Nguesso
of Congo Brazzaville. It might also
explain why from Angola, he flew
straight to Tanzania to meet with
President John Pombe Magufuli.
Earlier on June 03, President
Nguesso sent a special message
to Museveni through his minister
of Foreign Affairs Jean Claude
Gakusso who led pilgrims to the
June 03 Martyrs Day Celebrations at
Namugongo in Kampala.
President Museveni succeeded
Nguesso as the Chairperson of the
Regional Oversight Mechanism of
the Peace, Security and Cooperation
Framework for the DR Congo and
the Region in October 2018. At
the handover ceremony in the
Commonwealth Resort Munyonyo in
August. 30 - Sept. 05 2019
cover story
Kampala, Museveni said the problems
in the DR Congo spill over not only
to Uganda and other neighbouring
countries and that the DR Congo
government needed to act to establish
regional peace.
“That trinity of the DR Congo,
regional countries and the international
community, can work if we embark on
it seriously,” Museveni said.
At the time, Joseph Kabila was
president and it appears that Museveni
sees an opportunity of working with
Tshisekedi to end the old Great Lakes
problem of Rwandan militia in the DR
Congo.
That may explain the overly
optimistic title of a statement from
President Museveni’s press on Aug.21
that screamed: “Cross border activities
to resume as Uganda, Rwanda sign
pact.”
It was in contrast to the tone by
Kagame and Museveni in Luanda. Both
presidents sounded optimistic but cool.
Kagame said he sees no problem
in Rwanda working specifically with
President Museveni to address the
issues agreed and pledged to fully
implement the terms of the agreement.
“We are not going to be found
wanting in not only respecting the
communiqué, but also our brothers
who have brought us together to
reach this understanding,” he told
journalists, “We are going to address
all the problems. By doing that
indiscriminately, we will get where we
want to be. The MOU addresses all the
matters clearly and I don’t think we
should be picking and choosing what
we implement and what we don’t.”
He said implementation would be
easy but implied it required time.
“I think it is not difficult to address
many of the problems we have had, it
may take a bit of time to understand
each other, but I think we have come a
long way,” he said.
Museveni meanwhile implied
Luanda was neither a break through
nor special. “I was already in touch
with President Kagame through our
channels,” he said, “but this came as
reinforcement.
“We are just reaffirming what we
have always held as principles of the
African Union,” he said.
President Lourenço told Museveni
and Kabila at the signing of the
agreement that: “The signing alone
cannot replace the problem; the
solution resides in the political will of
the leaders to take full commitment to
respect what they have signed and we
are certain they will do that.”
13
news analysis
Sudhir (in white shirt) consults his lawyers during a court proceedings at the High Court in Kampala on Aug.26.   COURTESY PHOTO.
Behind Sudhir win
Plan to have BOU pay heavily
By Julius Businge & Isaac Khisa
R
eal estate tycoon Sudhir
Ruparelia has won a major case
in the High Court in Kampala
that could see the Bank of
Uganda pay him billions of shillings in
costs and compensation for lost business
and properties.
Sudhir’s victory is a major blow to
Bank of Uganda’s attempt to recover
about Shs397billion it claimed he
syphoned from his Crane Bank Ltd
before the central bank took it over on
October 20, 2016 and sold it to dfcu bank
for a song.
In a bid to get money and titles to the
48 branches of Crane Bank in the names
of Meera Investments Ltd, Bank of
Uganda in 2017 sponsored Crane Bank
Ltd in Receivership to launch a civil suit
against Sudhir and Meera Investments.
Crane Bank Ltd in Receivership, as
the entity that Bank of Uganda formed
after taking over Crane Bank and placing
under receivership was called, sued
Sudhir for alleged illegal shareholding
14 August. 30 - Sept. 05 2019
and owning 100% of Crane Bank which
was against the banking laws.
It alleged that Sudhir owned 47.33% of
Crane Bank Ltd registered in the name
of a company called White Sapphire Ltd,
which name was owned by one Rasikal
Chhotalal Kantaria, 4% shares registered
in the names of Jitendra Sanghai, 19.93%
shares registered in the names of his
wife and three adult children.
Sudhir was accused of syphoning
$93million from Crane Bank and
$80million which was paid to non-
existent entities for his own benefit.
Crane Bank Ltd in Receivership also
alleged that Sudhir took $9.7million from
Crane bank through Infinity Investments
Ltd; another company Sudhir owned, to
allegedly pay Technology Associates Ltd
for services it did not supply.
Finally, it was alleged that Sudhir
failed to remit Shs52 billion in standard
and special contributions’ interest and
penalty to NSSF from January 2007 to
December 2016.
In total Crane Bank Ltd in
Receivership wanted court to compel
Sudhir to pay over Shs397 billion as
compensation for financial losses he
allegedly caused to Crane Bank.
In the case of Meera Investment Ltd,
Crane Bank Ltd in Receivership alleged
that as a company owned by Sudhir,
it dishonestly took over freehold and
mailo land owned by Crane Bank for
free. For this reason, Crane Bank Ltd in
Receivership wanted Meera Investment
Ltd to handover titles to the 48
properties comprising the countrywide
branch network of the former Crane
Bank and $990,000 as interest, general
damages, and costs of the suit.
Instead of paying the Shs397 billion
and handing over the titles of the 48
branches of the former Crane Bank,
Sudhir in 2019 petitioned the High Court
against Crane Bank Ltd in Receivership.
Through Kampala Associated
Advocates (KAA), Sudhir made two
main arguments; first that Crane Bank
Ltd in Receivership does not have the
right or capacity to sue him, and two;
that the case against Meera Investment
Ltd is barred in law.

Based on the Aug.26 High Court ruling
by Justice David Wangutusi, the head
of the Commercial Court Division, it
appears Sudhir has once again defeated
Bank of Uganda.
The Court ruled that Crane Bank in
Receivership at the time of instituting the
commercial suit against Sudhir and his
Meera Investments Company was none-
existent and therefore could not sue.
The case against Sudhir was accordingly
dismissed with costs of the suit to be
paid by Bank of Uganda to Sudhir.
In the case again Meera, Justice
Wangutusi based on a letter that BOU
wrote to Crane Bank on March 01, 2013,
authorising Crane Bank to transfer
47.33% shares from Rasik Kantaria to
White Sapphire Ltd, a company based in
Mauritius while Jitendra Sanghani who
owns 4% shares is British. Together they
own 51% shares.
“The majority shareholders being non-
citizens renders the company likewise
noncitizen,” Wangutusi ruled. Under
Ugandan law it is illegal for a noncitizen
to hold a freehold title.
In any case, Wangutusi ruled,
the 48 branches that Crane Bank in
Receivership wanted from Meera
Investment Ltd had already been given
away by the receiver to dfcu bank
on January 24, 2017, four days into
receivership. This move left Meera with
no property, the court ruled.
The Bank of Uganda seizure of Crane
Bank, which was the fourth largest bank
by deposits in Uganda at that time, was
seen as a bold move.
But the parliamentary committee on
Commissions, Statutory Authorities
One of the buildings that formally belonged to the Meera Investment Ltd.
and State Enterprises (COSASE), which
investigated it, said in February that
“the takeover of Crane Bank by Bank of
Uganda was illegal.”
COSASE said in its report that Crank
Bank had recovered from liquidity
distress by January 01, 2019 – about a
month before Bank of Uganda sold it to
dfcu on January 25, 2017.
“In fact, Bank of Uganda had stopped
injecting money on 9th January 2017.
Therefore the bank’s liquidity position
had stabilised,” reads the report
presented to parliament.
At the time of takeover, Central
Bank Governor Emmanuel Tumusiime
Mutebile said Crane Bank was
systemically under-capitalised and
posed a danger to financial sector
stability.
But Sudhir, citing an Auditor General’s
report queried the failure by the Central
Bank to help revive his bank and instead
sold it to dfcu for the paltry price of
Shs200 billion which was the value of
Crane Bank’s bad books.
You will pay heavily, says Sudhir
Sudhir, after the ruling, told
journalists that everyone who in one way
or the other participated in taking his
bank; including dfcu is going to pay the
price.
“We are now going to put up a counter
claim. You know COSASE (Committee
on Commissions, Statutory Authorities
and State Enterprises) found lot things
that these people did,” he said.
“With guidance from my lawyers, we
will put a counter claim. They did not
value our assets, they did not account for
August. 30 - Sept. 05 2019
news analysis
the cash in the bank, and all the money
was just stolen. This is terrible.”
He said the court ruling should be a
big lesson to BoU with regard to taking
and selling banks.
“They have taken over seven banks
and they cannot account for any of
them. How can you fail to account to
someone? I am a shareholder, I lost a lot
of money,” Sudhir said, adding that he
spent 25 years building the bank only to
lose it through illegal means including
his paid up capital.
However, Charity Mugumya, the
director of communications at the Bank
of Uganda said the bank will appeal the
court ruling.
“Crane Bank (in Receivership) is
dissatisfied with the decision of the
Hon. Justice Wangutusi, and has served
a copy of the Notice of Appeal to
Kampala Associated Advocates, the legal
representatives of Mr. Sudhir Ruparelia
and Meera Investments Limited,” she
said in a statement on Aug.27.
She said BoU is committed to pursuing
the matter to its logical conclusion.
Most commercial lawyers that The
Independent spoke to said the Central
Bank has the right to appeal but could
incur even heavier costs in case it loses
again.
“The ruling gives chance to BoU to
define what should be next on their
agenda – either to appeal or meet the
costs that Ruparelia incurred,” Joel Roy
Mucunguzi, an associate lawyer at the
Kampala-based Signum Advocates told
The Independent in an interview.
He said the ruling has set a precedent
for future determination of rulings of
15
NEWS ANALYSIS
BOU Governor Emmanuel Tumusiime Mutebile (R) and his deputy, Louis Kasekende during a parliamentary inquiry recently.
similar nature.
BoU has so far taken over and
liquidated seven commercial banks since
1993. These include: Teffe, Greenland
Bank; formerly owned by the late
Sulaiman Kigundu and National Bank
of Commerce (NBC), formerly owned by
tycoon Amos Nzeyi, former Prime Minister,
Amama Mbabazi among others.
Other banks that were liquidated include;
International Bank, formerly owned by
the Emma Kato family, Cooperative Bank,
Global Trust Bank, and Crane Bank.
Beyond the court verdict, Mucunguzi
said the whole debate or process about
Crane Bank – BoU saga rotates around
ensuring that financial institutions and the
regulator uphold corporate governance
principles that are important in growing
businesses and in line with the laws of the
land.
The Bank of Uganda has to be cautious
whenever it is taking over business of
financial institutions to avoid occurrence of
similar situations.
Isaac Bakayana, a senior lecturer at the
School of Law, Makerere University and a
partner at Arcadia Advocates, a Kampala
based law firm, told The Independent on
Aug.27 that Justice Wangutusi should
possibly have looked beyond the Financial
Institutions Act of 2004, the Insolvency Act,
2011, and the Company Act, 2012 before
giving his verdict in favour of Sudhir on a
technicality.
He said based on this, Bank of Uganda
could appeal and the case could be sent
back to the lower court (commercial court)
for fresh hearing/proceedings.
16 August. 30 - Sept. 05 2019
However, Bakayana said Sudhir’s victory
should be a lesson to BoU to be more
cautious while placing financial institutions
under receivership to avoid a similar
scenario from happening.
“The central bank has to act carefully and
move in quickly,” he said.
On whether this ruling would
reignite legal suits as other banks that
were previously closed under unclear
circumstances challenge the Bank of
Uganda, the law don said Sudhir’s case
is different as he moved in quickly to
challenge the decision of the central bank
immediately he lost his bank.
He said the other banks may find it
difficult to come up with the grievance in
2019 that they failed to present in years
when they were closed.
“When you disagree today…move in
quickly and challenge the decision,” he
said. “You do not have to wait.”
However, Sudhir could sue BoU and
dfcu for return of his Crane Bank assets
currently occupied by dfcu.
Museveni advice ignored
The Sudhir, Crane Bank, Bank of
Uganda, dfcu saga has sacked in almost
all the voices that matter in Uganda’s
financial sector, including President Yoweri
Museveni.
Before Justice Wangutusi started
hearing the case, he warned both Sudhir
and Crane Bank to settle their issues out
of court because “whoever loses in court
will pay heavily”.
President Museveni also advised that
the issues be settled out of court but the
position at BoU was reportedly divided.
While central bank Governor Mutebile
reportedly favoured an out of court
settlement, his Deputy, Louis Kasekende,
reportedly favoured a court battle and
lined up a battery of some of the leading
commercial lawyers in town.
When it emerged that some of the
lawyers were billing Bank of Uganda
billions of shillings, Kasekende’s move
was criticised as a ploy. Many wondered
why BoU which has some of the finest
commercial lawyers on its staff would
hire expensive private advocates. And,
as with this case, the bills just keep
piling up on BOU.
This is not the first time that Sudhir is
winning a case against BoU following
the controversial take over and sale of
his Crane Bank to dfcu.
In April this year, he defeated the
central bank through courts and blocked
BoU lawyers of MMAKS Advocates and
Sebalu& Lule Advocates – who were also
his former lawyers – from representing it
in cases related to him. He cited conflict
of conflict.
He also sued the central bank for
non-refund of licence fees following
the closure of four of his forex bureaus
about two years ago. He was paid about
Shs280million.
The four forex bureaus were closed in
2017 by BoU for allegedly not being “fit”
and lacking integrity. They are Crane
Forex Bureau (Speke Hotel), Crane Forex
Bureau (Kampala Road), StanHope
Forex Bureau De Change and Red Fox
Bureau De Change.
 GUIDELINES FOR COUNTRYWIDE REORGANISATION OF POLLING STATIONS IN
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all Polling Stationsof haveParish
more and Village
than the optimum,names
dividewith
the total i. Polling Stations
• Representatives whosePolitical
of registered namesParties/Organisations
have changed due withinto
the
Polling Stations, for purposes of elections. number Parish.
be captured and aligned with the corresponding theofcorresponding
voters in the Polling StationsStations.
Polling to obtain the number of Polling re-location as in 3.1, 3.2 and 3.3
Stations at that Polling Centre. Note:
Polling
Section 33 Stations.
of the same Act mandates Returning Officers with the approval  To ensure
If the Polling Centre has that
moreallthan
theone
newly-created
Village: Villages 1. ii.The
Polling Stations
Sub-County that do not
Supervisors portray
shall oversee thethe
area name
Reorganisation
 
of the Commission, to establish Polling Stations in each Parish or Ward
within their Electoral District. ThisStation
Where no Polling is furtherexists in abynewly
reinforced Sec 30created
(1) of the
• Rationalize
appear theonPolling Stations by
the Voters Village i.e.
Register bySplit the Polling them
populating Stations whereexercise in all Parishes in their respective Sub Counties.
they are situated.
according to their Village of residence and proximity to Polling Stations. 2. In case of Parishes/Villages/Electoral Areas at Sub County without
Parish/Ward,
Presidential Election Act 2005 at least one Polling Station MUST • Ensure withthatthethe respective
Polling Stationvoters.
relocated and created, has a clear and 2.6Polling
CREATION OF NEW
Stations, POLLING
meetings STATIONS
will take place at the mother Parish or
be recommended by the Stakeholders 2.1appropriate name. Village where current Polling Stations are located.
The Commission is planning to reorganise Polling Stations toin thatvoters
enable areato METHODOLOGY
with
conveniently due
cast theirregard
votes. ThetoReorganisation
the convenience ofStations
of Polling its location.
is based 2.2 SPLITTING OF POLLING STATIONS
3.3 MERGING OF POLLING STATIONS In case
7.1 of an Electoral
RETRIEVAL Area or new Parish RETURNS
OF REORGANISATION with no
on the following:-
•   Each
Every Polling
Parish/Ward andStation
Electoral should
Area musthave
have atvoters asPolling
least one close to If a Parish has more than 2 Polling Stations and the total number of Polling Polling Station, at least one Polling Station shall be
1. The Reorganisation Official shall fill in the forms, sign as required and
Stations for the 2 does not exceed 900 voters, these should be merged.
the optimum number of 900 voters as possible.
Station I..Polling
The merger Stations
can onlywith a voter
be stayed population
if there are peculiarofissues
moree.g.
than
long established
submit them at a suitable
through the Sub location(s), depending
County Supervisor onRegistrar/
to the District the
• The Administrative units especially Parishes/Wards/Electoral Areas at
 Sub County
Locations
level needof Polling Stations
to be captured maywith
and aligned need the to change
corresponding 900distances
votersto(or
be covered by the
1,200 in voters. and Wakiso) shall be
Kampala ReturningofOfficer.
number voters in that location, taking into account;
2. Upon receipt of the reorganisation returns from the Sub County Supervisor,
due
Polling to recent developments since the 2016 General
Stations. split into two or more polling stations.
3.4 RELOCATION OF A POLLING STATION i. The optimum
the District number of
Registrar/Returning voters
Officer shall sort, verify, sign/stamp and file
• Where no Polling Station exists in a newly created Parish/Ward, at least
Elections.
one Polling StationThese
MUST developments
be recommended bymay be new roads,
the Stakeholders in that
i. • Congested
Split the polling
Polling centers (moreaccording
Station than one polling stationVillage
to their in one area
of of ii. the
The forms
needby Sub
for County.
at least one Polling Station for each
insufficient space) should be de-congested and conveniently re-located 3. The District Registrar/Returning Officer shall fill in RPS Form 5 and deliver
area internal displacement
with due regard and resettlements,
to the convenience of its location. new residence andprovided
where possible proximity
there istoenough
Polling Stations.
space for each Polling Station. Electoral
the returnsArea fortothe
directly1 electionCommission
the Electoral of Directly ElectedinCoun-
headquarters the Voter
• Each Polling Station should have voters as close to the optimum number ii.• Polling Stations located in contestable Data and/or
Management department.
power
of 900 voters asstations
possible.or where physical development Consider the convenience ofareas e.g. near barsto
the distances and
bein people’s cilors Women Councilors.
homes, should be re-located and re-named where possible.
has taken
• Locations of Pollingplace.
Stations may need to change due to recent traveled by the voters, relocate, rename and create
Note that; re-location can be done concurrently with merging and 2.7 UPDATING
8.1 DUTIES VILLAGES ON THE REGISTER OFFICIALS
OF REORGANISATION
developments since the 2016 General Elections. These developments splitting of a Polling Station.
1.0
mayOBJECTIVES
be new roads, OFinternal
REORGANISATION
displacement andOF POLLING STATIONS
resettlements, new power accordingly.
8.2 Parish Supervisor/Reorganisation Official
stations or where physical development has taken place. Ensure that the Polling Station relocated and created,
3.5 RE-NAMING A POLLING STATION •Provision of correctmaterials
Receive reorganisation villagefrom
aligned
the Sub using
CountyRPS 3 (Reg-
Supervisor
 To ensure that
2.0 OBJECTIVES OF each Parish/Ward and Electoral
REORGANISATION OF hasRenaming
a cleara and
pollingappropriate
station shall be name;
done where:-
depicting the name
i. Polling Stations whose names have changed due to re-location as in 3.1,
•ister)
Mobilize votersvoter
of each and publicize
on the
• Chair the Reorganisation meetings
theNational
activity to the residents.
Voters Register to
Area at Sub
POLLING County level has got at least one
STATIONS and location
3.2 and 3.3 of the Polling Station. •ensure
Educatethat they on
the public belong to the right
the Reorganisation Parishes and are
process
ii.II.Polling Stations that doclustered
not portray the areapolling
name where they are •allocated
Account for Reorganisation materials
2.1 To Polling
ensure thatStation in accordance
each Parish/Ward and Electoralwith Sec.
Area 33 County
at Sub of thelevel Polling
situated.
Stations into centers orig- Polling Stations
• Compile and sign RPS Forms 1 & 2
on the basis of residence as
hasElectoral
got at leastCommission
one Polling Station Actin (Cap 140).with Sec. 33 of the
accordance inally split on the basis of the alphabet shall be ratio- •per list of
Submit all the Villages provided
the reorganisation bySub
returns to the EC.County Supervisor within
Electoral Commission Act (Cap 140). 3.6 CREATION OF NEW POLLING STATIONS
Note: The Returning Officer must ensure that each
Note: The Returning Officer must ensure that each Electoral Area at nalized, then split and relocated considering Villages 3.1the prescribed time.
PROCEDURE FOR REORGANISATION
In case of an Electoral Area or new Parish with no Polling Station, at least one
Sub County level is demarcated and approved by the Commission,
Electoral Area at Sub County level is demarcated and where
Polling voters
Station shall come from,atand
be established the optimum
a suitable numberonofthe
location(s), depending 8.3 Sub County Supervisor
each Electoral Area must have at least one Polling Station. number •The Receive Reorganisation materials from the Returning Officeror
2.2 To ensure by
approved thatthe
whereCommission,
possible, Polling eachStationsElectoral
that have farArealess than votersof per
votersPolling
in that location,
Station taking intoapply.
shall account; This may, or may exercise will entail the following activities
i. The optimum number of voters • Support the Parish Supervisor in mobilizing voters and publicizing the
mustthe have
optimum atnumber
least one of voters are merged,
Polling Station. taking into consideration ii.not
Thewarrant
need for atcreation of an Station
least one Polling additional
for eachPolling
Electoral Station.
Area for the actions:
Reorganisation Exercise.
proximity of the Villages, geographical features (highlands, water bodies,
 To ensure
Swamps) that where
and distances traveledpossible,
by voters to Polling
the PollingStations
Stations.
election of Directly
However, if the Elected
Polling Councilors
Stations and/or
haveWomen
more Councilors.
than 900 •i. Identification,
Educate the public byon the
theReorganisation
Returningprocess
Officer, of Parishes/
• To supervise the Reorganisation Exercise in her/his Sub County and
2.3 To that
split Polling
haveStations
far less withthan
significantly more than the
the optimum optimumof
number number voters, for example having Polling Stations: Zinga
3.7 UPDATING VILLAGES ON THE REGISTER Wards
accountand Electoral Areas
for Reorganisation without
materials any
within the Polling
respective Sub County
of voters (higher than 900 voters) into two or more Polling Stations, Provision •Stations.
Verify and sign RPS forms 1 and 2 and then submit the reorganisation
voters are merged, taking into consideration
excluding Kampala and Wakiso (may have an optimum number of 1200). (A-M)ofwith correct villagevoters,
1,000 aligned using
ZingaRPS(N-O)
3 (Register)
withof935
eachvoters
voter on the
National Voters Register to ensure that they belong to the right Parishes and returns to the District Registrar/Returning Officer within the prescribed time
2.4 To proximity
merge Polling of Stations previously split
the Villages, on the basis of features
geographical alphabets such and
are ZingaPolling
allocated (P-Z) with on
Stations 1,050 voters
the basis of the following
residence as per should
list of the ii. Identification, by the Returning Officer, of Polling
as Namataba A-M and Namataba N-Z and thereafter splitting the merged Villages provided by EC. 8.4 Returning Officer
(highlands, water bodies, Swamps)
Polling Station on the basis of Villages provided there are and distances
reasonable be done: Stations for splitting, merging, renaming, relocation or
• Receive Reorganisation materials from Electoral Commission
numbers
traveled of voters to form to
by voters thethe
newPolling
Polling Stations.
Stations. Suitable venues • Collapse
4.1 the 3 Polling Stations
REORGANISATION MATERIALSinto 1 so as to deter- closure.
Headquarters.
should be identified in those Villages for the respective Polling Stations.

2.5 To To splitinPolling
re-locate consultation Stations withPolling
with residents significantly
Stations thatmore
are;- mine the total number of voters in that Polling Centre.
1. A copy of Reorganisation guidelines
• iii.ToReorganisation
mobilize voters and publicize
Meetings the Reorganisation
to consider Exercise.
• Educate the public on the Reorganisation process
proposals and
2.5.1 Located
thaninthe inappropriate/illegal
optimum number or contestable areas e.g.
of voters near bars.
(higher than 2.• Form
SinceRPS all1Polling Stations
(packing list have
with location morestation,
of polling than the opti-
new polling •adoption of the
To supervise recommendations
reorganisation exercisefor creation
in her/his of new or
District.
2.5.2 Located in congested Areas like market places. stationsdivide
and GIS) •splitting,
Account for Reorganisationmerging,
materials closure of Polling Sta-
900 voters)
2.5.3 Clustered in pollinginto
centers two or more
without adequatePolling
space forStations,
polling activities. mum, the total number of voters in the Polling relocations,
3. Form RPS 2 (re-locating, renaming, splitting & merging of Polling • Verify and sign RPS forms 1, 2, 4 and 5.
2.5.4 Inconvenient
excluding for the populationand
Kampala to cast their votes
Wakiso (mayis; resulting
have an in voters Stations
Stations) to obtain the number of Polling Stations at that •tions. The
Submit the Reorganisation
Reorganisation returnsOfficial shall
to the Voter Datacompile
Management all the
traveling long distances to vote department at the EC Headquarters
optimum
2.5.5 Where number
developments have of 1200).
taken place since the last Reorganisation
4.Polling
Photo bearing
Centre.National Voters’
If the Register
Polling (NVR),has
Centre as Form
moreRPSthan
3. This will
one recommendations on the RPSwithin 1 &theRPSprescribed
2 Forms, time.sign
be required only where it is necessary for splitting of Villages.
 e.g.Tobuildings,
mergeroads,PollingIndustries, factories
Stations and places that
previously splitareon no longer 5.Village:
Form RPS 4 (Returning Officers’ Summary Sheet on Reorganisation of and submit returns to the Sub County Supervisor.
8.5 Party Agents and Local Leaders
public e.t.c. These Polling Stations will be shifted to any other appropriate •4.1 Assist Reorganisation MEETINGS
Officials in mobilizing voters and residents
andthe basis of
convenient alphabets
location within thesuch as Namataba A-M
Parish. • Polling Stations).the Polling Stations by Village i.e. Split
Rationalize REORGANISATION
6. Packing List and Control Form RPS 5 (a checklist to be used for • Attend Reorganisation meetings.
2.6 To andre-name Polling Stations
Namataba N-Ztoand reflectthereafter
their physicalsplitting
locations. the
This is of the PollingofStations
verification according
returns during submissiontoattheir Village of resi-
EC Headquarters).
particular importance where Villages have been split and now have new 9.0
merged Polling Station on the basis of Villages
names.
7.dence
A list of
and Electoral Areas fortoany
proximity newly created
Polling Stations.Local Government Units The CONFIRMATION OF will
Reorganisation meetings THE CAPTURE
be held at Parish OF
effective 2019/2020 which were received by the Electoral Commission by RECOMMENDATIONS
2.7 Harmonisation
provided ofthere Parishare and Village names
reasonable with the of
numbers corresponding
voters • 31st
Ensure that the Polling Station relocated and created,
July 2019. level. The following shall attend the meetings:
Polling Stations. 8.has
A Template There shallSupervisor
be a Confirmation of the List of Polling Stations, i.e. the Packing
2.8 To to formthat
ensure theallnew Polling Stations.
the newly-created Villages Suitable
appear onvenuesthe Voters a clearofand the Attendance
appropriate List for the persons attending the
name. Parish as the Reorganisation Official who
Reorganisation Meeting and a Template for Minutes of the Meeting. List for each District, by every District Registrar/Returning Officer at the end of
Register
should by populating
be identifiedthem with inthe respective
those voters.for the
Villages 2.3 MERGING OF POLLING STATIONS shall chair the Reorganisation meeting. Village Resi-
processing of the returns to enable the District Registrars/Returning Officers
respective Polling Stations. 5.1 PROCEDURE FOR REORGANISATION ascertain whether or not the recommendations
dents Local/Opinion arising from the Reorganisation
Leaders Representatives of regis-
3.1 METHODOLOGY Exercise were effected or not; and if so, that they were captured accurately.
 To re-locate in consultation with residents Polling
3.2 SPLITTING OF POLLING STATIONS
TheIf aexercise
Parishwillhas more
entail than 2activities
the following Polling Stations and the
or actions: tered Political Parties/Organisations within the Parish.
i. total
Identification, N.B: The updated list of all Polling Stations in a Parish/Ward or Electoral
Stations
I. Polling thata are;-
Stations with 2.5.1 Located
voter population of more in
thaninappropriate/
900 voters (or 1,200 numberbyof thePolling
ReturningStations
Officer, of for
Parishes/Wards
the 2 does andnot
Electoral Note:
Areas without any Polling Stations. Area will be displayed after the confirmation, in 9.0 above, in order to
in Kampala
illegaland
orWakiso) shall be areas
contestable split intoe.g.
two or morebars.
near polling2.5.2
stations. ii.exceed 900 voters,
Identification, these should
by the Returning Officer, be merged.
of Polling Theformerger
Stations splitting, 1. The Sub-County Supervisors shall oversee the Reor-
publicize the Polling Stations to the Voters.
• Split the Polling Station according to their Village of residence and merging, renaming, relocation or closure.
Located in congested
proximity to Polling Stations. Areas like market places. can only be stayed if there are peculiar issues e.g. long ganisation exercise in all Parishes in their respective
iii. Reorganisation Meetings to consider proposals and adoption of
• Consider
2.5.3the convenience of the distances to be traveled by the voters, distances to be covered
recommendations for creationbyof the
newvoters.
or splitting, relocations, merging, Sub Counties.Justice Byabakama Mugenyi Simon
relocate, rename and create accordingly.
 Clustered in polling centers without adequate closure of Polling Stations.
2.4 RELOCATION OF A POLLING STATION 2. In case ofCHAIRPERSON, ELECTORAL COMMISSION
Parishes/Villages/Electoral Areas at Sub
space for polling activities. 2.5.4 Inconvenient for County without Polling Stations, meetings will take
the population to cast their votes is; resulting in i. Congested polling centers (more than one polling sta- place at the mother Parish or Village where current
voters traveling long distances to vote tion in one area of insufficient space) should be de-con- Polling Stations are located.
 Where developments have taken place since the gested and conveniently re-located where possible
last Reorganisation e.g. buildings, roads, Indus- provided there is enough space for each Polling Station. Justice Byabakama Mugenyi Simon
tries, factories and places that are no longer public ii. Polling Stations located in contestable areas e.g. near CHAIRPERSON, ELECTORAL COMMISSION
news analysis
Renee Bach, 30, is being sued in Ugandan civil court over the deaths of children who were treated at the critical care
center she ran in Uganda. She has left Uganda and is now living in Bedford County, Virginia, where she grew up.
American Renee Bach
sued over baby deaths
Case of over 100 deaths raises emotions and questions
By Julian Sabiiti
A
civil case in the High Court in Jinja
involving an American woman
who took in malnourished babies
with promises of feeding them into
recovery is raising emotions – and questions
– after many of them died.
Renee Bach was an 18-year old teenager
from Bedford County, Virginia, USA when
she first came to Uganda as a volunteer at an
orphanage. By 2009, when she was 20, she
had already set up her own NGO, Serving
His Children.
By 2010 Bach was admitting severely mal-
nourished children at her center, then based
in Masese, a suburb of Jinja town in eastern
Uganda.
The centre, which had received a health
license as an out-patient operation, was by
2014 running a small medical clinic and
inpatient program equipped to house 16
children. Between 2010 and 2015, SHC
admitted hundreds of severely malnour-
ished children.
Exact information is scanty but reports
indicate that Bach took in about 900 babies
over a 20 year period, and about 200 of them
died.
Bach, who is now 30 and back in Bedford,
is being sued by Women’s Pro Bono Initia-
tive, an organization that promotes wom-
en’s human rights and two mothers, who
allegedly lost their children under her care.
18 August. 30 - Sept. 05 2019
Bach is not talking to local media, but she
told the American news channel NPR that
the publicity over the suit has already made
it untenable for her to remain in Uganda.
“I get death threats all the time,” she told
NPR in a report published on Aug.09.
In the interview with NPR, Bach says
taking in the children felt to her like a calling
from God.
“It was a very, very profound feeling and
experience. It’s kind of hard to even describe
in words,” she says. “Like there was some-
thing that I was supposed to do.”
But one mother who lost her child has a
message for Bach: “My son – Elijah Benjamin
would be two (2) years old today had he
been alive. I delivered him at Jinja Hospi-
tal on 21st January, 2017. I feel his life was
snatched from my arms by the actions of Ms.
Renee Bach. I hope the court can give me
Justice”. That was in January this year [2019].
Primah Kwagala, the lawyer pursuing the
case on behalf of the alleged victims also has
a question for Bach: Imagine, she says, what
would happen if a 20-something Ugandan
woman had gone to the U.S. and set up an
equivalent arrangement to treat impover-
ished American children.
“She would have been prosecuted. She
would have been behind bars,” says Kwaga-
la, “In the U.S., I don’t think she would have
lasted two hours.”
That is why, Kwagala says, the families of
the dead children deserve justice.
White savior complex?
Bach got most of the children from
Nalufenya Children’s Hospital in Jinja. She
allegedly told them to leave the hospital to
her center before they completed their doses.
“She would look for the most critically ill
children and convince their mothers to run
away with them, and come to her center so
they could be treated from there instead of
the government hospitals,” states Ashley
Laverty, a former volunteer at SHC, in a
sworn affidavit.
Olana says Bach took these children to her
center and treated them, doing such things
as Intravenous (IV) Cannulation and even
blood transfusion.
One boy, Masai, on whom Bach did sur-
gery has lost use of the arm that was “oper-
ated on” and is even suspected to have some
mental issues, says Olana.
A group behind the suit against Bach has
set up a blog called “No white Saviours”.
One of the bloggers, Kelsey Nielsen who is
also American, says she had the same white
savior complex when she first arrived in
Uganda and saw Renee at work.
Nielsen writes: “I watched in awe of
young women, who moved halfway across
the world at the age of 18 with no experi-
ence, no college education. They were start-
ing organisations and adopting children.
How amazing? If they could do it; why not
me? So I did. But, she says, she is now wiser.
She now adds: “One of the hardest but

most important lessons I have learned over
the last 8 years has been that good inten-
tions are not good enough. No matter how
well-meaning I have been or continue to be,
the impact of my actions on the community I
claim to be helping far outweighs my good-
will”.
The creators of the “No White Saviors”
blog say it offers women who had no means
to speak, a chance to tell their stories. Com-
munities raised funds to make the blog pos-
sible. The civil lawsuit filed against Bach is a
result of this movement.
One of the bloggers; Olivia Alaso says
before creating the blog, they had tried tak-
ing evidence against Bach to Jinja Police and
even to the American Embassy but nothing
was done. The blog was created to spread
awareness and advocacy.
Joyce Olana, a social worker who worked
with Bach confirms the lack of action. She
says Bach was carrying out medical pro-
cedures on the children despite having no
training. Olana says that visiting doctors
advised Bach against some actions, but Bach
would tell them that she had consulted with
her doctors in America and they approved
her interventions.
She says the issue was often discussed;
both in her presence and in her absence.
Olana says, initially, Bach made blocked
attempt by her and others from contacting
the SHC board of directors in America
about the issue. When they finally did, they
discovered that it was made up of Bach’s
close friends and family. Lauri Bach, the U.S
Director of SHC, is Bach’s mother.
When volunteers and employees would
write to the board about these concerns,
rather than holding Renee accountable, the
board would find a way to get rid of anyone
who was seen as “critical of Renee’s calling
from God, say former volunteers and staff of
SHC, according to Olivia Alaso and Kelsey
Nielsen.
Social workers Jackie and Joyce were eye
witnesses of Bach’s operation. The two social
workers were later “let go” as Bach said that
she was downsizing.
In their termination letters, they were
asked not to disclose the goings on of the
clinic. SHC has Guide star’s 2018 “Seal of
Transparency” on its website, indicating that
the organization is open about its work and
finances. That makes the demand for non-
disclosure suspicious according to them.
Desperate mothers
Still, one cannot ignore the choices Bach
faced when she took in the children.
Imagine looking at your three year
old malnourished child knowing that
you cannot afford the only solution you
have been given. Desperate times call for
desperate measures, they say. Most mothers
found a quick solution was to take their
children to Bach. But then, often within days,
the baby would die.
A poor uneducated mother with a sick
child is a case of desperation that is common
in rural areas in Africa generally and in
Uganda specifically. These mothers would
be going to any lengths to improve their
children’s situations the best way they
can. But what about Bach; what was her
motivation?
Gimbo Zubeda and Rose Kakai are two
of the allegedly numerous mothers that lost
their children at the hands of this volunteer
turned doctor. These were mothers whose
children were diagnosed with mainly severe
malnutrition.
The two, together with Women’s Pro-
bono Initiative (Uganda) are suing Bach.
Primah Kwagala is representing them.
Zubeda says she discovered in 2013 that
her three-year old son Twalali Kifabi was
suffering from malnutrition. Public health
workers advised her on a nutritious diet that
could help her son but Zubeda could not
afford the diet. When a woman approached
her in July of the same year telling her
about a feeding program in Jinja, she did
not hesitate. Because she was pregnant, she
asked her mother to take Kifabi to Bach’s
SHC clinic.
Three days later, Zubeda received bad
news. Her son was dead. A vehicle from
the center then brought little Kifabi’s corpse
and the people who delivered this bad news
physically gave her Shs50, 000.
“I had questions as to what killed my
child. I needed explanations but none was
given to me by the women who came with
the body,” Zubeda narrates in a sworn
affidavit in a case before the High Court in
Jinja. Quartz Africa reported that Zubeda
received no explanation.
In 2017, Rose Kakai of Buikwe district lost
her son Elijah Kabagambe within days too.
After discovering that Elijah was suffering
from malnutrition, Rose took him to the
feeding program she had heard about from
a one Fatuma. “Elijah was playing. He
was laughing. My worry was he was too
small for his age,” she says. Little Elijah
was tended to out of his mother’s sight and
taken to Kigandaalo Health Center IV in
Mayuge district (still in Eastern Uganda) the
following day.
After two days at the hospital, they were
discharged without any medical form or any
other kind of documentation. Within three
days, Elijah got very weak and eventually
died.
Kwagala says Bach is being sued for
operating a health facility without a license
thereby subjecting unsuspecting members
of the public to violations of human rights to
basic medical care, right to life (as children
died), dignity (she took nude pictures of
vulnerable kids and posted them on social
media) and subjecting people to inhuman
and degrading treatment, discrimination on
grounds of race and so on.
August. 30 - Sept. 05 2019
news analysis
The evidence
As part of the evidence, Olana says Bach
was “enjoying her work” so much that she
decided to tell the world about it through a
blog called “The Angels of Africa”.
Although the blog has since been closed
down, screenshots of some of the entries had
been taken and are being used as evidence.
One case involving a little girl called Patricia
is being used as part of the evidence in the
case against her. In that particular entry,
Bach discusses the day little Patricia was
brought to her “clinic”. She wrote, “I hooked
the baby up to oxygen and got to work. As I
took her temperature, started an IV, checked
her blood sugar, tested for malaria, and
looked at her HB count. I was attempting
to diagnose the many problems that could
potentially be at hand. After doing a search
for blood around Jinja town, we found her
type and it was a match! We started the
transfusion…”
During an interview with Fox News
though, Bach has something different to say;
“I have assisted our medical teams in emer-
gency settings and in crisis situations but I
have never practiced medicine and I have
never adorned or put on any sort of uniform,
a white coat. It is a tough allegation.”
In 2015, after various complaints, the
District Health Officer of Jinja District shut
down Bach’s operation and ordered her not
to provide treatment to other children. The
lawsuit against her alleges that she disre-
garded this order and Olana confirms it.
The Facebook page of SHC has since the
start of this month been awash with posts
under the theme “Claims and Facts; No
criminal charges”. These posts attempt to
show the difference between the claims and
the facts regarding the civil lawsuit.
One such post says;
Claim: Renee Bach has had “charges
pressed against her for murdering hundreds
of black children”.
Fact: A civil lawsuit was filed against
Renee and SHC by two mothers for the fol-
lowing human rights violations
Violation: The right to equality and right
to freedom from discrimination on the
grounds of race and social status
Fact: Equal treatment and care was given
to every family and child no matter gender,
race or religion. The same post says Bach’s
signatures appearing on the evidence docu-
ments are different.
Bach’s attorney David Gibbs said in a
statement that “the civil lawsuit that was
filed against Ms. Bach in Uganda by two
mothers is entirely without merit and will be
vigorously answered in court.”
The mothers who lost children and their
lawyer Kwagala say they are ready.
“We hope that the court can grant the
mothers audience and ultimately justice,”
Kwagala said.The court hearing was
adjourned to January 21, 2020.
19
news analysis
African footballers
who earn big money
How those who play in Europe spend it
By Ernest Yeboah Acheampong
A
frican footballers – like other
players from developing
countries – invariably earn sums
of money far greater than their
contemporaries back home.
On average, some African players in
the elite leagues can earn between €15,000
and €100,000 or more as salaries. Those in
leagues one, two and three can also earn
around €10,000–50,000, €5000–20,000 and
€2000–10,000. A few high-profile players
earn more than €150,000 per month in
prestigious European clubs.
As a result, there’s a great deal of
pressure on players to show that they are
spending some of what they earn back
home. Some authors have asserted that
these professional footballers spend their
‘I come from a poor family and I had to work hard to get where I am today but this would mean nothing to me
if I wasn’t able to give back to my country, my continent and my community.’ - Ex-Chelsea star Didier Drogba
20 August. 30 - Sept. 05 2019
earnings on conspicuous consumption,
such as high-end imported goods. To get
to grips with this perception I examined
the effects of African migrant players’
“giving back” behaviour. I did this by
analysing the various socioeconomic
projects that they invest in in the
communities they come from.
As part of my study I interviewed
former and current professional
footballers in Europe to understand the
rationale behind how they used their
earnings and what investments they
made in society.
I found that some players invested in
valuable projects like hospitals, schools,
education, oil and gas businesses as well
as football academies. This reflected
what they termed as “giving back to the
Samuel-Etoo society”.
 news analysis

Didier Drogba Foundation hospital on the outskirts of Ivory Coast’s capital city Abidjan

My findings suggest that players covered a period over five years – 2013 to projects they got involved in within the
who make investment contributions are 2018. communities. This led to an appreciation
demonstrating their social and cultural The questions I asked were aimed at of how and why they choose to do
ties with families, relatives, friends, understanding how players used their certain projects based on the support and
teammates and the communities where resources from football, including money, resources they might have received from
they might have started their football and the rationale behind their decisions. their communities.
careers. Players took very different investment
Where players came from initiatives. Some were purely economic;
The research Most of the players I spoke to set out others had a more social dimension.
I developed a database of 1084 African to pursue opportunities abroad because Contributions from the players could
professional players who are playing they had limited opportunities at home be categorised into private investments,
or had played in 30 different European to support their professional aspirations social enterprise investments and
leagues and other parts of the world. and expectations. Nearly all came from economic investments.
Most were from West Africa (58.3%), financially deprived areas. This meant Contributions and assistance that
followed by North Africa (17.9%), Central that they had to mobilise resources to constituted a form of “giving back” did
Africa (17.34%), Southern Africa (4.7%) support their careers at a formative stage. not necessarily connote gifts and counter-
and East Africa (1.8%). This involved strategising to gifts. Instead, they served as a potential
The overseas leagues covered 44 overcome the challenges with the complement to support the efforts of local
African players for the 2012/2013 season. contributions from significant others in and regional growth.
Five countries each from Southern and the communities to become successful When deciding how to give back,
East Africa did not have professional professionally abroad. the players considered those who
players. This means that at the time The study showed that players were had significantly contributed to their
of the research, they did not have any able to mobilise resources from their professional football careers. These
players plying their trade outside of families, friends, relatives, team mates included their families and extended
their territories. These countries were and club officials. They had also been able families. Other factors that played a role
Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Swaziland, to mobilise other kinds of support such were inter-generational obligations and
Seychelles, Sudan, Eritrea, Tanzania, as documentation, money, sport kits and non-familial actors.
Djibouti and South Sudan. gear. In addition, they had built social These investments into valuable social
The interviews I conducted included relations and networks via the societal and economic initiatives in communities
speaking to former and current African support and contributions to help them fulfilled two important functions.
professional players who have played achieve their professional status abroad. First, they enhanced local and regional
in Europe and other parts of the world. Eventually, when players became developmental activities. Second, they
Among them were Abedi Pele Ayew professional abroad and were being helped safeguard the athletes’ post-
(Ghana), Emmanuel Eboue (Ivory Coast), rewarded financially, some remitted in playing career.
Marcel Desailly (Ghana), Mike Alozie various ways to the country they came
(Nigeria) Bouna Coundoul (Senegal), from. All of them remitted money which, Ernest Yeboah Acheampong is Lecturer,
Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon), Reuben according to the players, can be termed as Health,Physical Education,Recreation and
Ayarna (Ghana), Victor Wanyama an African culture. Sport (HPERS), University of Education
(Kenya), Stephen Appiah and Asamoah
Gyan (Ghana), and Chivuta Noah Time to pay back Source:theconversation
(Zambia). I interviewed 30 former and Players’ investment behaviour was
current African professional players that classified according to the type of

August. 30 - Sept. 05 2019 21

MTN Uganda records 30.5%
growth in revenue to Shs765bn
Managers still engaging government on its licence renewal
M
By Isaac Khisa
TN Uganda
has record-
ed a 30.5%
growth in
revenue to
Shs765.32bn
for the first six months ending
June.30 owed to the increase in
demand for data and fin-tech
services, according to its latest
financial results.
The firm’s data earnings
nearly doubled from Shs61.6bn
to Shs117.8bn whereas fin-tech
services revenue grew 17% to
Shs183.8bn during the same
period under review.
However, digital services
revenue declined by about 54%
to Shs2.6bn, with capital invest-
ment nearly doubling from
Shs94bn to Shs162.9bn.
This comes as the company
continues to engage the gov-
ernment on its licence renewal
which expired last year. Current-
ly, it is operating with a tempo-
rary licence from the Uganda
Communications Commission.
Currently, MTN Uganda
holds about 54% market share
for the telecom sector that boasts
of eight firms. As at the end of
last year, it had about 11.3mil-
lion subscribers.
At group level, MTN has
operations in 16 markets across
Africa and the Middle East. In
all these markets, its earnings
before interest, taxes, deprecia-
tion and amortisation rose 10%,
while sales also gained 10%.
MTN Nigeria, MTN Ghana,
MTN Uganda and MTN South
Africa performed better than
other markets in the group.
The group’s voice revenue
grew by 4.5% to R39.7bn (Shs
9.5trillion), data was up by 19.8%
22 August. 30 - Sept. 05 2019
Former MTN headquarters in Kampala.
to R16.1bn (Shs 3.8 trillion), fin-
tech grew by 30.7% to R4.7bn
(Shs1.1trillion) and digital
declined by 42.5% to R1.4 bil-
lion (Shs334.5bn) as subscribers
also increased by 7.7million to
240million.
Enterprise and wholesale
grew by 6.8% and 127.9%
respectively to R6.5bn (Shs1.5tril-
lion) and R2.6bn (Shs621.2bn).
The company’s data revenue
expanded by 19.8%, supported
by healthy growth in active data
users to 82 million as the firm
improved the coverage and
quality of its data networks.
Across all markets, MTN
increased 3G and 4G population
coverage by 24.4 million and
32.5 million people respectively.
However, the effective rate per
megabyte across the markets
declined by 26.1%, with average
usage up 24.6% at 2.7GB per
month. Meanwhile, fin-tech
revenue increased by 30.7% sup-
ported by customer growth of
8.9% to 30million active Mobile
Money (MoMo) users with
monthly average revenue per
user (ARPU) of US$1.30 (Shs4,
752).
The total value of transactions
in the six months to June was
US$44.1 billion (Shs161.2trillion),
and the group processed 9,193
transactions per minute.
In May this year, the group
unveiled Africa’s first MoMo
artificial intelligence service or
chatbot in the Ivory Coast mar-
ket. aYo joint venture insurance
business recorded almost 4.2
million registered policy hold-
ers across the African footprint
including Uganda in the first
half.
Group president and CEO,
Rob Shuter said the telco deliv-
ered encouraging results for the
period despite the difficulties in
various markets.
“South Africa in particular
was impacted by a weak econ-
omy as well as the implementa-
tion of lower out-of-bundle pric-
ing and the new Independent
Communications Authority of
South Africa subscriber regula-
tions in the first quarter of the
year,” he said.
“We delivered on several
strategic projects including the
listings of MTN Nigeria on the
Nigerian Stock Exchange and
Jumia, our e-commerce ven-
ture, on the New York Stock
Exchange.”
Shuter said the firm remains
focused on building its “digital
operator strategy, focusing on
being a scale player in their
evolving telcom services as
well as digital and fin-tech and
delivering on their planed medi-
um-term targets.

Uganda’s horticulture
earnings could drop
Several agriculture produce consignments shipped
to Europe have been destroyed citing poor quality
By Patricia Akankwatsa
U
ganda’s horticulture export earn-
ings are likely to drop this year.
Sector players are blaming this on
the unfavorable weather patterns
and changes in product standards and cer-
tifications in the key market – Europe.
“From November last year to May this
year, we did not receive any rain and this
destructed our business. There was also
increased pest infestation because of the
heat,” James Kanyijje, the chief executive
officer of KK Foods told The Independent
in an interview.
Kanyijje, whose firm exports most of its
fruits and vegetables to Europe, said the
horticulture production is already below
60% compared with last year as result of
prolonged drought that was experienced
at the beginning of this year. This situation
has been worsened by farmers harvesting
immature crops that fetch lower prices at
the international market, according to Man-
soor Nadir, the chief executive officer at
the Kampala-based Pearl of Africa Natural
Spice Exporters. “We produce a lot but of
low quality. Some farmers harvest when the
crop is not ready. At the end, they fetch low
prices,” he said. Flower exporters, too, expect
a drop in export earnings blaming constant
changes in standards and certifications in
Europe. “The standards in the European
market keep changing. They change spec-
ifications and certifications,” Ravi Kumar,
the farm manager at Rosebud Farm Limited
said. “For example, we have been grow-
ing sweetheart roses (small flowers) but
the European market now says that they
want big ones…we are now uprooting and
planting small ones and yet they take a year
to mature. So, the business is already strug-
gling this year.”
This perhaps expounds on Rosebud’s plan
to diversify its market through exporting
some of its flowers to the Chinese market.
The seemingly poor performance of the
horticulture industry comes as the European
market is threatening to ban imports of the
country’s agriculture products.
Vincent Ssempijja, the minister for Agri-
culture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, said
on Aug. 22, that the EU had sent a warning
to the government over severe chemical
business
several consignments of agriculture pro-
duce shipped to Europe have again been
rejected and destroyed over poor quality
and presence of high contents of poorly
mixed agro chemicals used to treat or
preserve them. He said EU has resolved
to audit the sector in October for compli-
ance to international and European Union
Health standards before slapping a fresh
ban in the event of non-compliance.
Latest statistics from the Bank of Uganda
shows that though the country’s flower
export volumes mainly to the EU have con-
tinued to decline, earnings have continued
to surge. For instance, in 2014, the country’s
flower volumes stood at 14.6million tonnes
worth $57.5million. However, in 2018, the
Fruits and vegetable export country exported merely 6.2million tonnes
volumes and earnings worth $60.8million.
On the other hand, fruits and vegetable
exports have increased from 27.9million
Year Volume Value
(tonnes) (million dollars) tonnes worth $20.7million to 95.2million
tonnes worth $40.6million during the same
2014 27,916 20.77 period under review.
2015 57,358 32.10
2016 82,358 43.20
Government to blame
In April this year, the government
2017 97,028 38.46 announced plans to put in place measures
2018 95,215 40.62 that would ensure that the horticultural
exports meet the international sanitary and
Flower export plant health standards.
“My ministry has put in place rigid and
volumes & earnings serious interventions to avert and protect
our export market through the various
Year Volume value (million measures. I have appointed a national task
(tonnes) dollars) force comprised of both private sector and
2014 14,162 57.49 my technical staff to specifically guide com-
2015 7,990 51.44 pliance for flowers, fruits and vegetables
exports”, Ssempijja then said.
2016 7,057 51.65 However, Kanyijje faults government for
2017 7,178 57.72 ‘talking too much’ and doing less. “We don’t
2018 6,260 60.89
have government support,” he said. “It is
more of To Whom It May Concern.”
He said the government officials only
contamination of horticulture produce being appear on the ground at the time the EU
exported by farmers in the country. This was sends its inspectors to the farmers.
the third warning in four years. Similarly, Kumar said they have been hav-
In 2015, hot pepper export to Europe was ing a problem of a pest called false codling
suspended for more than a month due to moth but the government has not stepped in
poor storage issues, pesticide residues and to give guidelines on how to fight it.
packaging amongst others. “…Everyone (in this industry) do their
Ssempijja, who was speaking at the annu- own research on how to fight such a pest.
al National Agricultural Advisory Services Those that get frustrated, just leave the
- NAADS review meeting in Kampala, said business,” he said.
August. 30 - Sept. 05 2019 23
 Executive Style
Pension to be largest sector in Uganda
What is it that you have
started off with as substan-
I
tive CEO?
was in acting capacity
since February 2018 be-
fore getting confirmed.
We started off well with
the already established
institutional structures
covering finance and ad-
ministration, supervision
and regulation, commu-
nications, and research.
These are fundamentals that
cannot be changed and it is
our role to keep these up. I
started with articulating a
solid supervisory roadmap
that encourages licensed
schemes and service provid-
ers to operate in a manner
that will protect members’
interests, identify risks
and intervene to require
remediation of supervisory
concerns. On this premise,
we are going to invest in our
core data analytics function
and workforce capabilities.
I am championing a Trustee
Certification Programme
that we hope to launch next
year. Our idea is that every
trustee must have a level of
competence appropriate to exe-
cute the fiduciary roles imposed
upon them by the URBRA Act
and Regulations. We are also
developing a strategy to extend
coverage to self-employed and
informal sector workers since
this group faces the prospect of
old age poverty.
Briefly what are the highlights
of the sector’s performance?
In 2018, sector assets grew
26.1% from Shs9.2trillion in
2017 to Shs11.6trillion in 2018.
Return on investments stood
at 18% while cost to income
ratio remained at 13%. Total
sector contributions increased
by 13% to Shs1.28trillion due
to payment of outstanding
contributions, new employer
and employee registrations and
annual employee salary incre-
ments.
There are fears that the NSSF
Bill is being politicised and
24 August. 30 - Sept. 05 2019
Martin A. Nsubuga was confirmed as the Chief
Executive Officer for Uganda Retirement Benefits
Regulatory Authority (URBRA) in June 2019. He
broadly spoke to The Independent’s Julius Businge
about his plan and emerging issues in Uganda’s
pension sector.
could negatively impact the
sector. What is your plan?
There should be no fears. The
ongoing debates by different
stakeholders are supportive
to legal reforms relevant for
improving the Fund. Overall,
the proposals are in line with
earlier sector reform initiatives.
However, matters relating to
tax require a critical examina-
tion of the implication of the
proposed tax regime consid-
ering the current lump sum
benefit payments, and the
retirement benefits sector as a
whole. The key issue regarding
private pensions is whether
or not retirement savings
and investments ought to be
taxed differently from other
forms of saving. In my view,
a tax deferment for retirement
benefit arrangements must be
premised on paternalistic and
social objectives.
But some people argue that
money today is better than
money tomorrow. What would
you say to them?
What needs to be com-
municated is that this is an
income-focused strategy to per-
mit more efficient portfolios. In
effect, the fundamental present
value is derived from the rate
of return that is being used in
computing the amount of mon-
ey in question. For instance, if
you have Shs10million today
and you do not invest it or keep
it redundant, it will not have
the same value tomorrow. But if
the money is invested at a rate
of return that is over and above
the inflation rate that means
your money is growing.
There is talk that the NSSF
Amendment Bill could trim
down URBRA powers?
The URBRA Act and estab-
lished regulations sufficiently
empower us to regulate the
establishment, management
and operation of retirement
benefits schemes in Uganda in
both the private and public
sectors including NSSF,
and to protect the interests
of members and benefi-
ciaries with or without the
proposed changes to the
NSSF Act.
Some people say that if
NSSF were to get into
serious trouble, the entire
pension sector in Uganda
would collapse?
The Fund is explicitly
dominant in the retire-
ment benefits Sector and
the financial sector as a
whole. If it were to fail,
there would be significant
public policy implications,
along with an explicit and
an implicit fiscal liability
for government. This is
precisely why the Author-
ity is mandated to ensure
that the Fund is sound. We
consider market discipline
to be insufficient on its
own, and require strong
safeguards with intensive
supervision by the author-
ity for member and state
interests.
There are complaints about the
Public Service Pension Scheme
not paying its beneficiaries.
What are you doing about
that?
The scheme is not funded.
We are aware of some unful-
filled promises – where public
servants retire and are not paid
on time. Government has rec-
ognised the need to pre-fund
benefits and to reduce the
taxpayers’ burden of footing
the cost of retirement benefits
for public officers. This is why
we are in full support of the
proposed establishment of a
contributory Public Service Pen-
sion Fund.
There were reports about one
of the small schemes having
corporate governance chal-
lenges and putting members’
savings at stake. How did you
resolve that?
Yes, we undertook superviso-
ry action on Mazima Individual
 business

Banks, telecoms
Retirement Benefit Scheme because a cost
effective long-term saving industry is a pri-
mary preoccupation for us. The scheme had
governance challenges that were driving

battle for digital

costs up, thereby leading to sub-optimal
member outcomes. We put this scheme on
interim administration to improve gover-
nance. The interim administration period

accolade
ended in the first quarter of this calendar
year, and we expect more efficient opera-
tions going forward.

What more has URBRA achieved so far?

The authority has established major By Julius Businge to their clients.

structures for supervision and clarified its
role and functions. We have built capabil-
ities for a proactive and visible approach
to dealing with non-compliance; and a
practical approach to information and
guidance provision. We have also put in
place a high quality inquiry service that
addresses issues of concern and queries
raised by stakeholders that are within the
authority’s statutory remit as well as a
comprehensive supervisory approach that
delivers on our vision, and informs gov-
ernment policy.
From a management angle, what princi-
ples guide your work on a daily?
I believe in simplicity, efficiency, pro-
fessionalism and teamwork.
Why would you advocate for URBRA
not to be merged with other entities?
A consolidated regulator is likely to
have a diversity of objectives and striking
the appropriate balance between these
may be difficult. Indeed, the different
objectives may clash forcing the regulator
to have to choose between policies many
of which may favor one sub-sector over
the others. Certainly, the technical aspects
and regulatory business culture of the
Retirement Benefits Sector are unique
and our priorities are different. We would
therefore be secondary in priority for that
entity and yet our role is significant and
visible.
T
hey are not only in business to
compete and attract customers in
their line of business, but are also
warming up to compete for Ugan-
da’s Digital Brand of the Year award for 2019
organised by an entity dubbed HiPipo.
The two leading telecom firms – Airtel
and MTN and four top banks – Centenary,
DFCU, Stanbic and Standard Chartered
Bank are facing off for the award.
The grand finale is scheduled for Sept.20
at the Kampala Serena Hotel. On the same
day, there will be a Digital and Financial
Inclusion Summit where sector experts and
government will exchange ideas.
The summit will explore the strategic
trends that are shaping the future of Ugan-
da’s information technology sector.
This is going to be the 6th time that corpo-
rate firms are competing for this top award
among other junior accolades.
Digital Impact Awards Africa is Africa’s
most important gathering of C-Level Exec-
utives, and senior Digital and IT executives.
The overall objective of the awards is to
encourage firms to use modern technology
to efficiently and effectively deliver services
Innocent Kawooya, the CEO of HiPipo
told The Independent on August 22 that
nominations were conducted in the months
of June and July and that submissions were
received from about 113 organizations and
individuals and only a few made it to the
nomination list.
“Those that ticked all the boxes were
shortlisted while those that were below par
didn’t make it to the list,” Kawooya said.
The six shortlisted nominees for Digi-
tal Brand of the Year (the overall award)
were assessed basing on their digital first
approach to changing the lives of Ugandans,
mainly disadvantaged communities – wom-
en, youth and people living with disabilities.
This year’s award event is coming at a
time the government of Uganda is investing
in the ICT infrastructure like the National
Backbone Infrastructure and ICT hubs
aimed at supporting businesses and gov-
ernment ministries and departments to use
technology to fast offer services to the pop-
ulation.
Finance Minister Matia Kasaija allocated
the ICT sector a budget of Shs146bn in the
current financial year down from Shs149bn
in FY2018/2019.

And finally, what should we expect to

hear in our future interview with you?
You will hear about how well the
authority has responded to a broad range
of risks in the sector. We are committed
to enhancing transparency on the sector’s
operations, performance and delivery of
outcomes and increasing the number of
Ugandans saving for retirement. I believe
that a strong supervisory regime will
boost confidence in the sector and promote
its development. Given that scheme funds
are meant for old age security of members,
it is imperative that such funds be managed
with complete honesty and integrity, and
for the sole benefit of the scheme members
and beneficiaries.

August. 30 - Sept. 05 2019 25

business
PENSION HOSPITALITY

NSSF ‘Friends with benefits’ campaign is back Radisson Blue

N
ational Social Security entries, we shall go through a to open new
Fund has started the
process of choosing
vigorous verification process
and shortlist 16 inspiring stories
property in Nairobi

from entries of people
who feel they have invested
their terminal benefits in the
most useful and profitable way.
NSSF, a mandatory contri-
bution scheme, is sitting on
about $2.7 billion in assets and
annually nearly $500 million
in cash goes to its coffers from
members’ contributions and
investment income. Now in its
third year, the NSSF ‘Friends
with benefits’ campaign, is a
television show designed to
help strengthen the savings
culture in Uganda.  Increasing
financial literacy among sav-
AWARDS
ers, by showcasing successful
stories of NSSF beneficiaries
is another reason for the TV
series, with winners vying for
the total Shs55 million in prize
money. “We have received 447
entries from NSSF members
who have put to good use their
retirement benefits received
from the Fund. From these
TELECOM
that will then feature on the TV
show,” said NSSF Head of Mar-
keting and Communications,
Barbra Arimi(Pictured).
According to NSSF officials,
30 stories of the 447 have
already been selected and
currently under review by a
team of judges. A list of those
through to the next round
will soon be announced.
The TV show will start
airing in October 2019 and
the eventual winners will be
selected through voting by the
public and a panel of judges.
R
adisson Hotels is get-
ting ready to launch
their second Radisson
Blu Hotel in Nairobi in
October.
The Radisson Blu Arboretrum
Hotel and Residence will
combine the classic hotel with
apartments, adding some 233
rooms and suites to Nairobi’s
hotel scene.
The hotel is joining the ‘fami-
ly‘ already in place – Radisson
Blu on Upper Hill and the Park
Inn by Radisson in Westlands.
Another Radisson property in
Mombasa is also in the pipe-
line, according to ATC news.

ACCA, Deloitte launch Safaricom achieves 50 per cent target for female employees

K
2019 CFO Awards enya’s leading said 178 women-owned

A
telecom firm, businesses were pre-qual-
CCA finance functions Safaricom, say it ified under its Women in
Uganda play within organi- has achieved 50 Business initiative during
and De- sations, highlighting percent share of female the year under review,
loitte have the good business employees on its payroll, according Kenya’s Business
unveiled the third and finance practic- according to the telco’s 2019 Daily. The firm supports
edition of the Chief es while raising the Sustainable Business Report. 167,083 M-Pesa agents, 433
Finance Officer profile of this strate- We have achieved a 50:50 dealers, 1,138 suppliers,
(CFO) Awards 2019, gic role. gender balance among our 4,503 permanent employees
themed “ethics and They are part employees and 34 percent as well as other stakehold-
of senior management are Micheal Joseph, Ag.CEO ers. Last year, Safaricom
trust, the competi- of the bigger
tive advantage for CFO agenda women,” the report notes. announced a plan to plant recorded a 14.7 % growth in
business sustainabil- that presents a “In addition, 2.1% of our five million trees in the next net profit to Kshs63.4 billion
ity”. This follows platform to share staff are persons living with five years as part of a carbon on strong M-Pesa and mo-
the huge success best practice, drive disabilities.” The firm also offset programme. The firm bile data performance.
registered in the last awareness, inspire
two awards that action and develop
TECH
saw six winners in a community of
2017 and eight win-
ners in 2018. This
finance leaders
committed to create Kampala Innovation Week set for October

U
year, the awards are more sustainable
seven; CFO of the outcomes for their gandan startups
year, Young CFO organisations. in the information
Award, Strategy Ex- Anyone is and communica-
ecution Award, Fi- encouraged to tion sector, will
nance Transforma- nominate a CFO/ starting Oct. 16-18, showcase
tion Award, Public Finance Director their innovations and engage
Sector Award, SME that meets the with sector players at Kololo
sector Award and criteria which is Independence Grounds.
Not for Profit sector being a professional This will be the third the
Award. The awards accountant, have event will be taking place Onapa (left) addressing the media.
gala will take place been a CFO, Head in a bid to promote ICT
on Oct. 17. The of Finance or developments. The event opment Fund (UNCDF). ernment fully supports the
CFO Awards were Finance Director is organized by Startup Maxwell Otim Onapa, the event and will compliment
started as a way for a minimum of Uganda, an association of director of science, research government’s plan of put-
of recognising the three years and be a Uganda’s startup enablers and innovation at the Min- ting in place ICT incubation
role that CFOs and resident of Uganda. with support from the Unit- istry of Science, Technology centres in various parts of
ed Nations Capital Devel- and Innovation said the gov- the country.

26 August. 30 - Sept. 05 2019

 business

Uganda Airlines
takes to the skies

O
n. Aug. 28,
Uganda Airlines
commenced its
commercial flights
to the East African region.
Equipped with two CRJ900
aircrafts and two more
expected to join the fleet this
month, the carrier operates
twice daily flights between
Entebbe and Nairobi, flying
into competitive headwinds
against Kenya Airways – up
(L-R) Absa Group Regional Managing Director, Saviour Chibiya, outgoing Barclays to five flights a day, KQ’s
Uganda MD, Rakesh Jha, and Nazim Mahmood, the interim managing director subsidiary JamboJet – two
at Barclays Bank Uganda raise a toast during a dinner held to bid Jha farewell flights a day, RwandAir –
in Kampala on August 20. Jha served as the bank’s managing director for five two flights a day and East
years.  INDEPENDENT/PHOTO African Safari Air Express –
two flights a day, all of which
already serve this route and
have built up their clientele.
Uganda Airlines though
will, at least for the first
couple of months, counter the
competition with the lowest
fares available in the market,
capture the money savvy
travellers looking at the
overall cost of their trip when
flying only point to point.
The flights to Nairobi
was followed up by the
launch of services to Dar
es Salaam and Mogadishu,
reminiscent of the routes
flown by Air Uganda when
the AKFED owned airline
was still in operation. Other
routes launched include
Kilimanjaro, Bujumbura,
Mombasa and Juba.
The airline also plans to fly
Mumbai, India, South Africa,
among others, come 2020/21
once the Airbus A330-800 neo
arrives in the country.
This development comes
as commentators suggest that
the carrier may take more
than 10 years to make any
profit.
Air Tanzania has made
it clear that the airline will
exist even as it makes losses
and so is RwandAir that is
still in red despite a well
thought strategy since the
past decade.
Egypt Air on one end of
the continent and South
African Airways at the other
end too have been writing
deep red figures for very
many years, as have all other
national airlines, notably
even those more recently
established in partnership
with Ethiopian Airlines.

Andrew Walusimbi (2nd R), the project coordinator skill up at Uganda Small
Scales Industries Association (USSIA) participates in the product sell during the
exhibition week on August 23.   INDEPENDENT/ALFRED OCHWO

Weekly share price movement (August. 08)

Security August. 08 July.29 Movement
BATU 30,000 30000 00
BOBU 128 128 00
CENT 1,157 1,165 0.6
QCL 130 149 0.6
DFCU 650 650 00
EABL 7,243 7,143 1.4
EBL 1,446 1,446 00
JHL 13,261 13,183 0.6
KA 105 152 30.9
KCB 1,411 1,421 0.7
NIC 12 12 00
NMG 1,609 1,681 4.2
UNHCR representative, Joel Boutrout (L) handover three ambulance vehicles, 31 NVL 329 329 00
motorcycles and thermo scanners to the Health Minister, Jane Ruth Aceng, at SBU 29 29 00
the ministry headquarters in Wandegeya on Aug.21. The donation is expected to UCHM 12 12 00
boost the Ebola response countrywide.   INDEPENDENT/ALFRED OCHWO UCL 14 14 00
UMEME 297 299 0.6
ALSI -- -- --

August. 30 - Sept. 05 2019 27

Deaths from C-section
Africa must act fast to curb them - new study
T
By Independent Reporter & Agencies
here is an urgent need
for health policymakers
to increase early and safe
access to caesarean section
in Africa to cut death of
mothers and their newborns
following the surgical procedure,
according to new scientific research.
The World Health Organisation
(WHO) says that countries in southern
Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa account
for 85 per cent of all maternal deaths
and 73 per cent of all neonatal deaths
resulting from birth globally.
The study that found the number of
women and newborn children dying
following caesarean section (C-section)
28 August. 30 - Sept. 05 2019
in Africa as higher compared with high-
income countries.
Bruce M. Biccard, an anaesthesiologist
and a professor at the University
of Cape Town, South Africa, who
led a multi-centre study, says that
policymakers need to act fast and
make it safe as Africa is still below
the minimum level of the medical
procedure.
“At the moment, this study shows that
we are losing mothers from families,
children from families, and the children
who do survive have increased risk of
epilepsy,” said Biccard, “Mothers and
children are an important part of the
integrity and future of any society,”
A caesarean section is a surgical
procedure which involves cutting the
wall of a mother’s abdomen to deliver
a child.
The study which was conducted in
2016 across 22 countries in Africa and
published in the `Lancet Global Health
journal’ found that African mothers
are at least 50 times more likely to die
after caesarean delivery compared with
mothers in high-income countries.
It was a prospective observational
study of all C-sections over a week of
surgery in Africa. Follow up was until
hospital discharge.
The 22 countries included Algeria,
Benin, Burundi, Cameroon, Ghana,
Kenya, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria,
South Africa and Zambia.
The study which aimed to determine
the state of outcomes for mothers and

babies in Africa following caesarean
section because of lack of data on the
subject found that after the medical
procedure, the death of mothers in
Africa was 50 times higher than that
of high-income countries while deaths
from newborn children in Africa was
double high-income countries and the
babies that survived had two to 11
times increased risk of epilepsy.
According to Biccard, many die from
caesarean delivery in Africa because
of factors such as lack of access to
surgery and limited human resources
to manage the procedure.
But the rate of C-sections is lower
than what is expected to provide safe
obstetric care in Africa, he explains.
Solutions for addressing the
problems include creation of awareness,
increasing early access to childbirth care
and training of specialists to handle
childbirth and C-sections.
Marleen Temmerman, a
gynaecologist, professor and head of
the Centre of Excellence in Women and
Child Health at Aga Khan University,
Kenya, says that the quality of
pregnancy -and delivery care needs to
be addressed.
“The problem is that women and
babies who need a C-section and
have no access will die because of the
complications. On the other hand also
in Africa, too many C-sections are
performed where it is not needed which
can lead to complications … in the next
pregnancies,” Temmerman says.
“Caesarean section should be
available when needed for all women
with risks by well- trained staff in well-
equipped facilities,” she says.
Previous estimates based on
modeling strategies have substantially
underestimated the risk of mortality
after caesarean delivery in sub-Saharan
Africa.
The neonatal mortality rate is
approximately double the global
average and nearly one in 20 babies
will die in the early neonatal period.
Gestational age and Apgar scores are
independently associated with early
neonatal mortality.
Low access to caesarean delivery in
Africa results in mothers presenting
for surgery with a high perioperative
risk. The low fitness of patients before
surgery based on the American Society
of Anesthesiologists (ASA) standards
was independently associated with the
deaths, highlighting its importance in
predicting outcomes.
Complications after surgery are
common, with approximately one in
six women developing a perioperative
complication after caesarean delivery—
nearly 3 times that of women in the
HEALTH
USA—although more than three
quarters of caesarean deliveries in our
183 study were performed as emergencies.
Scarce specialist cover is available
hospitals
to provide perioperative care during
caesarean delivery. African mothers
from 22
are at least 50 times more likely to die
after caesarean delivery compared with
mothers in high-income countries.
African The principal findings of this
prospective observational study were
countries
that maternal mortality after caesarean
delivery in Africa was 5.43 per 1000
participated
operations, and neonatal mortality was
44 per 1000 births.
183 hospitals from 22 African
in the ASOS countries participated in the ASOS
obstetric sub-study. Eleven of the
obstetric countries (Democratic Republic of
Congo, The Gambia, Madagascar, Mali,
sub-study
Mauritius, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria,
South Africa, Uganda, and Zimbabwe)
provided data on more than 90% of the
surgeries.
450 of 3685 mothers presented with
pre-eclampsia or eclampsia, of whom
one in five presented with eclampsia,
Counrty 216 of 3685 mothers presented with
a major preoperative bleeding risk,
Democratic Republic of Congo defined as placenta praevia, placental
abruption, ruptured uterus, and
The Gambia, Madagascar antepartum haemorrhage, and 26
Mali women had more than one preoperative
bleeding risk factor.
Mauritius The caesarean delivery maternal
mortality was 20 of 3684 patients, with
Namibia a maternal mortality of 543 per 100 000
operations. Maternal mortality was
Niger similar between mothers of a gestation
of 35 weeks or less or more than 35
Nigeria weeks.
Contributing factors include diabetes,
South Africa hypertension, HIV, pre-eclampsia or
eclampsia, major bleeding risk, and
Uganda preoperative sepsis. Major bleeding risk
is defined as a composite of placenta
Zimbabwe praevia, placenta abruption, ruptured
uterus, and antepartum haemorrhage.
August. 30 - Sept. 05 2019 29
health
Beyond tooth decay
Why good dental hygiene is important
M
By David McNamee function.
ost of us are aware that
poor dental hygiene
can lead to tooth de-
cay, gum disease and
bad breath - but not
brushing your teeth
could also have consequences for more
serious illnesses.
In 2010, researchers from New York
University (NYU) concluded that there
is a link between gum inflammation and
Alzheimer’s disease, after reviewing 20
years of data on the association.
However, the number of participants
in the NYU study was fairly small. The
researchers analysed data from 152
subjects enrolled in the Glostrop Aging
Study - a study looking at psychologi-
cal, medical and oral health in Danish
men and women. The study spanned a
20-year period and ended in 1984, when
the subjects were all over the age of 70.
Comparing cognitive function at ages
50 and 70, the NYU team found that gum
disease at the age of 70 was strongly
associated with low scores for cognitive
30 August. 30 - Sept. 05 2019
Study participants were nine times
more likely to have a score in the lower
range of the cognitive test - the “digit
symbol test” (DST) - if they had inflam-
mation of the gums.
Although this study took into account
potentially confounding factors like
obesity, cigarette smoking and tooth loss
unrelated to gum inflammation, there
was still a strong association between
low DST score and gum inflammation.
In 2013, UK-based researchers from
the University of Central Lancashire
(UCLan) built on the findings of this
study, by comparing brain samples from
10 living patients with Alzheimer’s with
10 brain samples from people who did
not have the disease.
Analysis showed that a bacterium -
Porphyromonas gingivalis - was present
in the Alzheimer’s brain samples but not
in the samples from the brains of people
who did not have Alzheimer’s. What was
interesting was that P. gingivalis is usu-
ally associated with chronic gum disease.
The team followed up this research in
2014 with a new mouse study, the results
of which were published in the Journal
of Alzheimer’s Disease. Medical News
Today spoke to co-author Dr. Sim K.
Singhrao regarding the findings.
Dr. Singhrao says that there is suffi-
cient scientific evidence to show that two
of the three gum disease-causing bacteria
are capable of motion (or “motile”) and
have been consistently found in brain
tissue.
“These motile bacteria can leave the
mouth and enter the brain via two main
routes,” he explains. “They can use their
movement capability to directly enter the
brain. One of the paths taken is to crawl
up the nerves that connect the brain and
the roots of teeth. The other path is indi-
rect entry into the brain via the blood
circulation system.”
In a patient who has bleeding gums,
says Dr. Singharo, the gum disease-caus-
ing bacteria will enter the blood stream
every time they clean their mouth and
even when they eat food.
He continues: “P. gingivalis is partic-
ularly interesting as it has found ways to
hitch a lift from red blood cells when in
the blood stream and instead of getting
‘off the red blood cell bus’ in the spleen,
 health
they choose to get off in the brain at an cancer. co-existing in our mouths.
area where there are no immune check- However, a follow-up study from the Prof. Howard Jenkinson, from the
points. From there, they spread to the team in 2012 was unable to prove wheth- University of Bristol, added: “Car-
brain at their will. In addition, in older er the periodontitis bacteria are a cause diovascular disease is currently the
individuals, the blood vessels tend to or result of pancreatic cancer - the study biggest killer in the western world.
enlarge and become leaky.” could only prove that the two were Oral bacteria such as Streptococcus
“The published work confirmed P. linked. gordonii and Streptococcus sanguinis
gingivalis placed in the mouths of mice “This is not an established risk factor,” are common infecting agents, and we
finds its way to the brain once gum admitted author Dominique Michaud. now recognise that bacterial infections
disease becomes established first,” Dr. “But I feel more confident that some- are an independent risk factor for heart
Singhrao concludes. “Furthermore, our thing is going on. It’s something we need diseases.”
hypothesis is strengthened by the recent to understand better.” The Bristol University researchers
results demonstrating that the chemicals investigated how the bacteria interact
released by the brain’s immune system Heart disease with platelets by mimicking the pres-
in response to P. gingivalis reaching the Perhaps more well established is the sure inside the blood vessels and the
brain ‘inadvertently’ damage functional association between dental hygiene and heart. Prof. Jenkinson’s team found
neurons in the area of the brain related heart disease. that the bacteria use the platelets as a
to memory.” In 2008, MNT reported on research defense mechanism.
from joint teams at the University of By clumping the platelets together,
Pancreatic cancer Bristol in the UK and the Royal College the bacteria are able to completely
A research team from Harvard School
of Public Health in Boston, MA, were
the first to report strong evidence on a
link between gum disease and pancreat-
ic cancer, back in 2007.
Researchers are unable to prove
whether the periodontitis bacteria are
a cause or result of pancreatic cancer -
current research can only prove that the
two are linked.
The type of gum inflammation associ-
ated with pancreatic cancer in the study
was periodontitis, which affects the tis-
sue that support the teeth and can cause
loss of bone around the base of the teeth.
The other main kind of gum disease
- gingivitis; where the tissue around
the teeth becomes inflamed - was not
linked to increased cancer risk. Howev-
er, gingivitis can lead to periodontitis
if persistent. Gingivitis happens when
bacteria in the plaque around the base
of the teeth build up due to bad dental
hygiene.
Examining data on gum disease from
the Health Professionals Follow-Up
Study, which involved a cohort of more
than 51,000 men and began collecting
data in 1986, the Harvard researchers
found that men with a history of gum
disease had a 64% increased risk of pan-
creatic cancer compared with men who of Surgeons in Dublin, Ireland, who surround themselves. This platelet
had never had gum disease. found that people with bleeding gums armor shields the bacteria from attack
The greatest risk for pancreatic can- from poor dental hygiene could be by immune cells and makes them less
cer among this group was in men with increasing their risk of heart disease. detectable to antibiotics.
recent tooth loss. However, the study The researchers found that heart Although some of the associations
was unable to find links between other disease risk increased because - in we have looked at in this spotlight fea-
types of oral health problems - such as people who have bleeding gums - bac- ture are still under investigation, good
tooth decay - and pancreatic cancer. teria from the mouth is able to enter dental hygiene remains important for
The researchers suggest that there may the bloodstream and stick to platelets, lowering risk of a variety of conditions.
be a link between high levels of carcino- which can then form blood clots, inter- The American Dental Hygienists’
genic compounds found in the mouths of rupting the flow of blood to the heart Association (ADHA) recommend that
people with gum disease and pancreatic and triggering a heart attack. we should brush for 2 minutes, twice
cancer risk. They argue that these com- “The mouth is probably the dirtiest daily. The ADHA guidelines also
pounds - called nitrosamines - may react place in the human body,” said Dr. stress the importance of flossing daily
to the digestive chemicals in the gut in a Steve Kerrigan from the Royal College and rinsing with mouthwash. You can
way that creates an environment favour- of Surgeons, explaining that there are read the full recommendations on the
able to the development of pancreatic up to 700 different types of bacteria ADHA website.

August. 30 - Sept. 05 2019 31

comment
By Patrick M. Omony
Unemployment situation to worsen
New Ministry of Labour and Gender Employment
Diagnostic Analysis (EDA) report left out critical areas
T
he ministry of Labour and Gender
recently released an Employment
Diagnostic Analysis (EDA) report
which resulted from a study done
to diagnose Uganda’s unemployment situ-
ation. With employment data indicating an
oversupply of labour at an annual rate of
700,000 to a static labour market, reliance on
this report will spell doom for the future of
employment in Uganda.
Børge Brende the President of the World
Economic Forum in his Global Risks
Report 2019 warned that the world was
sleepwalking into a crisis. Global risks
are intensifying but the collective will to
tackle them appears to be lacking. The
EDA-report bears testimony to this as it is
laden with yields of cosmetic solutions to
this employment issue that is at its critical
stage; inching us closer each day to cata-
strophic political instability.
Whereas the human capital of a nation
is its most critical asset, this unfortunately
has been the most abused and neglected
resource. Our individual failures to take
seriously and proactively respond to crit-
icisms of our quality of labour directed
to us in statements like “one Kenyan
does the work of six Ugandans” are some
of the reasons why we find ourselves
drowning in this unemployment crisis.
The high pace of business evolution
is causing massive changes in the work
environment at a rate faster than our
education and skill training institutions
are able to cope. This evolution has
redefined value in a work place and
raised the stakes of skills mismatch as
enterprise innovations and adoption of
technology are rendering obsolete known
management/business styles and modes
of operations. This is hiking the rate and
risks of job losses through structural
unemployment, a thing the education and
skill training institutions appear oblivious
of as they continue to supply the market
with an outdated labour force. This phe-
nomenon, which is critically missing in
the EDA-report, requires urgent sector
analysis for quick interventions.
Another missed observation was on the
private sector; particularly the informal
sector’s inability to absorb excess labour.
Studies have shown that our private
sector has been and continues to operate
32 August. 30 - Sept. 05 2019
business using ancient business tech-
niques introduced by the Arab traders
that are only effective when supplying
a market with scarce commodities that
quickly sell on arrival. This practice
thrived on information gap about product
sourcing and travel constrains.
Take the motor spare/replacement parts
business in the kiseka market; those
who dominated the sector had the secret
knowledge of where to source these parts
and could travel there. This monopoly
long died when sourcing information
become readily available and travel
eased. So as the market became saturated,
profits dwindled leading to cut throat
zero-sum competition where firms are
operating with razor thin profit margins
sometimes not sufficient to sustain the
owner; there by disenabling him from
employing another.
Furthermore, the quality of entre-
preneurship in the private sector is a
worrying business constraint. Trader’s
inability to properly define the nature of
their businesses has limited their abilities
to transit from ancient business maneu-
vers to more intelligent and smarter ways
of doing business which leads to win-win
This
monopoly
long died
when
sourcing
information
become
readily
available and
travel eased
economic benefit for all. This is seen if
firms synergized to build efficient and
profitable distribution network systems
which create high value employments
with better pay within the participating
entities/firms. This approach automat-
ically stimulates very real demand for
high value skills to design and execute
strategies to uncover better customer
acquisition and customer loyalty tactics.
The private sectors can increase manu-
facturing and supply jobs by connecting
the economy into the global manufac-
turing value chain. They need to be
identified for manufacture of categories
of products with long market viability
which we have advantages in by way
of manufacturing costs, raw material
quality, and supply.
The apprentice program emphasised in
the EDA-Report will end in disaster. This
is because most companies that would
provide apprenticeship opportunities are
still holding on to management activities
that have long ceased to add value and
lag behind in automation of routine tasks.
Many are not disposed to management
innovations and, therefore, have not
created new employment positions to
counter effects of automation. They also
exhibit low interest to invest in re-skilling
programs to ensure employee relevance
in a changing work environment.
Citing the accounting profession as
an example, while we see clients auto-
mating routine accounting tasks, there
is no evidence that accounting firms/
practice are responding by changing their
product offerings or business models.
Employed accountants are also not seen
transitioning from routine tasks to offer
high value analytics and strategic advice.
But most importantly why the appren-
tice program will not deliver is because
many of our firms operate in a fraudulent
non-transparent manner.
An apprentice risks being infected with
poor work ethics and practically trained
in outdated or automatable skills not
needed anywhere. This will further esca-
late the unemployment crisis.
Patrick M. Omony is the C.E.O and Principal
Consultant of Omony Consulting Co. Ltd
jwauditors@gmail.com

By Brian Malika
Good jobs for disabled workers
Improving the prospects of the disabled requires
targeted initiatives in education and job coaching
E
mployment delivers more than a
paycheck. It also offers personal
independence, social status, and the
self-esteem that these assets bring.
For people with disabilities, these benefits
are particularly valuable – and particularly
difficult to access.
With the United Nations Sustainable
Development Goals, the world has agreed
to “promote full and productive employ-
ment and decent work for all” by 2030.
For a young country like Kenya, where
21% of the population is aged 19-24,
progress is particularly urgent, in order
to convert a youth bulge into a demo-
graphic dividend. But, though the SDG
agenda fails to acknowledge it, success
will be impossible without addressing
the unique – and formidable – challenges
faced by disabled workers.
In developed countries, 50-70% of work-
ing-age people with disabilities are unem-
ployed. In the United Kingdom, a 2017
study indicates that disabled job seekers
submit 60% more applications than their
non-disabled counterparts before they
secure a position. Only 51% of applica-
tions from people with disabilities result
in an interview, compared to 69% for
non-disabled people.
In the developing world, the labour
market is even tougher on people with
disabilities, 80-90% of whom are unem-
ployed. In India, for example, only about
100,000 of some 70 million people with
disabilities have obtained formal pri-
vate-sector employment.
This is partly a result of discrimination
by employers, who might assume that
disabled workers are less productive or
that non-disabled workers would find
working with them annoying or dis-
turbing. Employers might also expect
disabled workers to cost more. This is
certainly the case in Kenya, where compa-
nies are legally required to accommodate
the needs of contracted employees with
disabilities.
But barriers to employment arise long
before disabled workers enter the labour
market. In Kenya, the UK-based Volun-
tary Services Overseas reports that people
with disabilities often struggle to com-
plete their education, owing to factors
like inaccessible libraries and a lack of
tutors trained to work with the disabled.
There is only one teacher for every 105
children with emotional disabilities in
Kenya, compared to one teacher for every
35 non-disabled students, meaning that
the former probably receive significantly
less personal attention and thus a lower
quality of education.
Moreover, even disabled people who
acquire technical proficiency that qualifies
them for a position may not learn other
key skills, such as how to communicate
effectively. Imagine that a 19-year-old
Kenyan woman on the autism spectrum
who suffers from a severe anxiety dis-
order is seeking employment. Despite her
impressive coding and typing skills, her
inability to sell herself in a job interview
severely undermines her chances of being
hired.
Improving the employment prospects
of people with disabilities thus requires
not only the delivery of quality education
tailored to their needs, but also the intro-
duction of other targeted initiatives, such
as job coaching. Job coaches would work
directly with disabled people to gain
a sense of their abilities, interests, and
potential, while developing partnerships
Customised
employment
can also
help to avoid
friction
between
workers with
disabilities
and their
colleagues
August. 30 - Sept. 05 2019
comment
with employers, to whom they could
recommend promising candidates. This
would allow disabled people to bypass
an interview process in which they would
struggle to perform well, while reassuring
employers that a disabled candidate
would not be an overly risky or costly
choice.
Job coaches could also help to nego-
tiate the terms of a new employee’s
contract through so-called customised
employment, which personalises the
employment relationship to ensure that
it meets the needs of both employee and
employer. For example, that 19-year-old
autistic woman might perform best
working from home. Because her duties
are largely online, this would be entirely
feasible, though the company might have
to make reasonable accommodations,
such as allowing her to take her laptop
home and ensuring that she has Internet
connectivity there.
Beyond boosting the employee’s own
job satisfaction and productivity, such
an agreement might save the company
money, as it no longer has to accommo-
date her needs at the workplace. Custom-
ised employment can also help to avoid
friction between workers with disabilities
and their colleagues.
Enabling people with disabilities to
thrive in the labor market will require
cooperation among multiple stake-
holders, from private companies to
schools to policymakers. There are prom-
ising solutions available. But if they are to
take effect in time to achieve SDG8 – and,
for Kenya, to harness its youth bulge – the
time to start is now.
Brian Malika is a social worker, reproductive-
health counselor, and Founder of One More
Percent, a nonprofit organization that works
to improve the health of young women and
girls.
Copyright: Project Syndicate, 2019.
33
comment
By Rachel Locke and David Steven
Fighting violence with evidence
Researchers have described evidence-based
interventions for reducing interpersonal violence
I
n last year’s Pathways for Peace report –
the result of a joint study by the United
Nations and the World Bank – UN
Secretary-General António Guterres
warned that the world is facing a “dramatic
resurgence” of conflict, which has caused
immense human suffering and significantly
undermined global order. If the world is to
achieve the UN Sustainable Development
Goals (SDGs) – and protect millions of
people from deadly violence – urgent action
must be taken to reverse this trend.
It is not just conflict that is on the rise.
According to new research by the Small
Arms Survey, 589,000 people – including
96,000 women and girls – suffered vio-
lent deaths in 2017. That is 7.8 deaths per
100,000 people, the second-highest rate
since 2004. This increase has been driven
primarily by an upsurge in homicides.
On current trends, violent deaths will
increase by more than 10% by 2030,
reaching 660,000 annually. If conflict-re-
lated deaths continue to rise – owing
to the eruption of new armed conflicts
or the escalation of existing ones – and
countries’ homicide rates start to regress
toward those of the worst-performing
states in their respective regions, over a
million people will be dying violently
each year by 2030.
Are we prepared to accept a reality in
which one-third of all women experience
physical or sexual violence in their life-
times? Do we ignore the one billion chil-
dren who are victims of serious violence
each year? Can we simply look the other
way when homicide is the fourth-leading
cause of death for young people globally?
And this is to say nothing of the indirect
consequences of violence, including for
economic development.
The primary purpose of the interna-
tional order established in the aftermath
of World War II was to promote and
maintain global peace and security. Sim-
ilarly, a key imperative for national gov-
ernments is to provide security to their
populations, including by maintaining a
monopoly on the legitimate use of force.
Even at the municipal level, mayors and
other city leaders often make violence
reduction a central tenet of their cam-
paign platforms and are judged by voters
according to their ability to address vio-
lence effectively and fairly.
34 August. 30 - Sept. 05 2019
As we advance towards 2020, many are
questioning whether our international,
national, and city governing structures
are up to the task. If we agree that this
scale of violence is not acceptable, the
very good news is that we have the tools
to make a change.
More than ever before, the world
possesses the knowledge, tools, institu-
tional structures, legal instruments, and
data-collection capacity to achieve the
SDG16 target of reducing significantly
“all forms of violence and related death
rates everywhere.”
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Devel-
opment, which encompasses the SDGs,
provides a basis for cooperation among
countries from all regions and income
groups. By promising to “reach the fur-
thest behind first,” it encourages targeted
efforts to support countries and commu-
nities whose path to sustainable devel-
opment is currently blocked by violence,
insecurity, and injustice.
Success will require multi-sectoral, evi-
dence-based approaches to violence pre-
vention, which use data to determine the
scope of the problem, identify risk and
protective factors, guide implementation,
and enable the monitoring of impact and
According to
new research
by the Small
Arms Survey,
589,000 people
– including
96,000 women
and girls
– suffered
violent deaths
in 2017
cost-effectiveness. Fortunately, frame-
works for such action already exist.
For example, the Global Status Report
on Violence Prevention identifies six “best
buy” strategies for preventing interper-
sonal violence. UN Women, in cooper-
ation with several other international
organisations, has proposed a framework
for action to reduce violence against
women. A similar group identified seven
strategies for ending violence against
children.
Researchers have also described evi-
dence-based interventions for reducing
violence in urban areas, including “pro-
active engagement with the police and
other civic partners to enhance legitimacy
and build social cohesion.” In some cases,
such measures caused homicides to drop
by over 50%.
This growing body of research into
how best to tackle violence is shaping
comprehensive strategies at sub-national,
national, and regional levels that respond
to the needs of countries and regions
with different burdens of violence. These
strategies blend targeted actions to reduce
the worst forms of violence in the short
term with longer-term efforts to build
more peaceful societies. To be effective,
they must account for the interconnected
nature of threats; indeed, the best-de-
signed solutions prevent multiple types
of violence.
Violence is a preventable epidemic. If
we bring to bear our collective knowledge
about reducing violence and conflict in
the places that need it most, we can halve
global violence in the next ten years.
Rachel Locke is Director of Impact:Peace
at the University of San Diego’s Institute
for Peace and Justice. David Steven, a
senior fellow and associate director at New
York University’s Center on International
Cooperation, is Director of the Pathfinders
for Peaceful, Just, and Inclusive Societies.
They are co-authors of the recent essay series
`“Driving Transformative Change: Foreign
Affairs and the 2030 Agenda.”
Copyright: Project Syndicate, 2019.

By Michael Aboneka
Public role in electoral reform
The issues of good governance and electoral reform are
too important for the public to be left to leaders alone
T
alk about Electoral reforms goes
way back to the 2001 general
elections. Several observers
both domestic and international
made recommendations in a bid to
improve our elections so that they are
free and fair and a true reflection of the
Peoples’ will.
Since then there have been several
processes in this country that have
been geared towards reform in the
electoral processes such as the Citi-
zens Consultations on free and fair
elections and the development of the
Citizens’ Compact, the National Con-
sultative Forum-which brings together
all political parties also tabled reforms.
Towards the 2016 elections, there were
no reforms to the electoral system
despite the heavy investment by citi-
zens in the above processes.
After the 2016 elections and in the
Presidential Election Petition No.1 of
2016, the Supreme Court made sev-
eral recommendations and gave the
Attorney General two years in which
he should have acted on the same. A
group of young activists, under their
collation `The Game Changers’, fol-
lowed this up with a petition to the
Attorney General reminding him of the
forth coming Supreme Court deadline.
This coupled with an application for
contempt of Court against the Attorney
General, forced the attorney general
to table reforms in compliance of the
Supreme Court recommendations.
The reforms have been tabled before
Parliament and they are now at the
committee stage. However, only a
few and vigilant citizens are aware of
these processes and most of the gen-
eral population is ignorant of what is
happening and yet these reforms are
to affect the general population. The
Parliamentary committee has issued a
schedule of public consultations on the
five Bills to start the week of August
26, 2019 in various parts of the country
and still a few individuals are aware
of this and those who are, it is because
of the work of some prominent civil
society organisations working on gov-
ernance issues.
Uganda signed but has not yet rati-
fied the African Charter on Democracy,
Elections and Governance (ACDEG)
which commits member states of the
African Union to adhere to principles
of democracy, human rights, holding
of free and fair elections and rejection
of unconstitutional change of gov-
ernment. Further, the principles of
ACDEG encourage promotion of public
participation, pluralism, respect of
dissent in political engagements across
the region. Considering the above, it is
imperative that the electoral process in
Uganda is as informative and consul-
tative as possible to promote pluralism
and democracy and as such, all stake-
holders and voters must be consulted
on what nature of reforms should be
considered to have genuine free and
fair elections.
Public consultation is not a mere tick-
off-a box exercise; it goes deeper than
this. All views must be respected how-
ever dissenting they may be and a con-
sensus should be developed. There are
several processes happening to ensure
that the elections are free and fair.
It is not enough that the citizens be
consulted but their views should first
be respected and if consensus builds
Article 1 of our
Constitution
provides that
Power belongs
to the people
and they shall
exercise this
power by choosing
the leaders they
desire and on how
to be governed
August. 30 - Sept. 05 2019
comment
around them, they should be adopted.
We citizens have for long been repre-
sented by our leaders; who have often
chosen to decide for us even without
consulting us. This time we need to
ensure that we as members of the
general public are consulted. This is a
question of how we are to be governed.
The electoral reform processes are
critical if we are to achieve much as a
country.
The issues of elections seem to be
sensitive matter yet they should not be.
It is basic democratic practice which
our Constitution provides for every
five years. Article 1 of our Constitu-
tion provides that Power belongs to
the people and they shall exercise this
power by choosing the leaders they
desire and on how to be governed. The
electoral reform process forms part of
the how to be governed. It is, therefore,
important that all stakeholders are
engaged in this process at all stages
to ensure we have a credible election.
Beyond the five bills tabled by the
attorney general, there are other elec-
toral reforms that are crucial and will
promote fairness in the elections. We,
therefore, ask Parliament to pay atten-
tion to other reforms proposed for the
betterment of our country.
Let us all work together to ensure we
have free, fair and credible elections
for the benefit of our democracy and
our posterity. All views must matter
–be they from youth, women, persons
with disabilities, the elderly, religions,
and cultural leaders among others. The
outcome of any election is as good as
its process.
Michael Aboneka is the Coordinator:
African Governance Architecture-Uganda
35
ART | BOOKS | SOCIETY | TRAVEL | CULTURE

36 August. 30 - Sept. 05 2019


The future
T
By Dominic Muwanguzi
he future is a vital aspect
of human life. It creates
optimistic possibilities. It is
something we encounter in
our everyday. The future is
often unlike the turbulent
past. It is also unlike the troubling
and confusing present that leaves us
desperate and unfulfilled.
You can dissect such concepts of
the future using multi-disciplinary
art at an ongoing exhibition dubbed,
`Future Africa Visions in Time’. The
concepts at Future
exhibition is being held when many
Africans; on the continent and in the
Diaspora, are witnessing a transition
of Africa from an era of turbulent
political regimes, economic poverty
and identity as a backward space.
This is partly accelerated by diverse
cultural background and the creative
potential of its young people some of
whom are exhibiting in this show. The
exhibition is therefore contextualised
within the diverse cultural experiences
of the individual on the continent and
the introspective perception of what
constitutes a future for everyone.
The exhibition revolves around three
sub-themes: including, intervening
and disrupting. They are intricately
related to the major theme. As each
work presented in the exhibit critically
questions and examines the future. It
invokes the three topics in its specific
concept, subject matter and technique
to inspire vital discourse and debate
on the topic.
Enyonu Pamela’s Every Day Queens
is inspired by the everyday woman.
The artist defines the everyday woman
as the Tea-girl, kiosk lady, road sweeper
and maize roaster by the road-side.
These are ordinary women providing
a service to the public. Therefore, she
argues, “If service is leadership, or
leadership is service, surely the people
who serve us are the ones to wear the
crown- true kings and queens.”
Her installation of heads of black
dolls standing erect on poles wearing
“crowns” fabricated from inexpensive
material conjures the idea of the royalty
of these individuals. Notably, the
artist deliberately decides to crown her
“royals” with crowns crafted from found-
material to preserve their ordinary status.
This series of Every Day Queens are
constructed as a reference to the subject
of women leadership, particularly black
female leadership. In a patriarchal
society like Uganda, such suggestions
can be questioned and challenged. In
spite of such traditional perception,
Enyonu disrupts our everyday
arts
understanding of the woman as a
familial figure with no powers to
make laws, let alone hold any high
ranking position in society. But the
today
future provides such possibilities
of women transitioning from the
“ordinary citizens” to queens who
have influence and can inspire
change in respective communities.
This transitioning is echoed in
Multidisciplinary Derrick Komakech’s installation and
performance video `Bong Luputu
2019’. The artist references his work
on Okot P’Bitek classic Poem Song
of Lawimo (1966) where the poet
Africa Visions in writes “the pumpkin in the old
homestead must not be uprooted.”
Time, Kampala With an installation of pumpkins
and a video showing a human figure
Edition continuously being layered with
earth and pumpkin seeds, the artist
challenges P’Bitek’s proverb with
a dramatic visual language that
captivates the eye and imagination
of the public. The artist’s strength
here is the ability to tap into Acholi
folklore- a dominant technique in his
art- to communicate his message. The
technique juxtaposes the past, present
and future into one artwork and
inevitably begins the conversation
on the future. Not uprooting the
pumpkin- an essential foodstuff
and metaphor in Acholi culture-
meant upholding cultural
values and norms that bound
the community together. In
a speech during the opening
ceremony of the exhibition, the
artist talked about how change
is important for Africa to create
a new breed of leaders.
A future without change
may never mean anything for
Africa and its Diaspora. The
exhibition Future Africa Vision
in Time offers opportunities for
the inhabitants of the continent to
begin that conversation. But it has to
be a meaningful conversation that will
translate into a future where everyone’s
visions and ambitions are realised. A
multidisciplinary show showing diverse
art- including new art- with youthful
artists from across the continent is a good
place to start. The combination inspires
critical debates on the future of Africa.
The exhibition is a collaborative initiative of
University of Bayreuth (Germany), Makerere
University Institute of Heritage Conservation
and Restoration, Goethe-Zentrum Kampala
and IWALEWAHAUS. The exhibit runs
from Aug. 15 – Sept. 15at the Makerere Art
Gallery. It is open to the public.
August. 30 - Sept. 05 2019 37
Trump believes he is `second coming of God’
President Trump has
repeated a claim by a sup-
porter that he is beloved by
Israeli Jews “like a king”
or “the second coming
of God.” Trump shared
on Twitter quotes from
Newsmax TV’s Wayne
Allyn Root, who declared
him the greatest president
for Jews and Israel “in
the history of the world.”
Many evangelicals in the
U.S. regard Trump as an
instrument of God’s will,
in that he is abetting the
Jewish dominion over
Israel they regard as a pre-
condition for the Second
Coming of Christ. Israel
Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu has compared
the American president
to another king, Cyrus of
Persia, who allowed Jews
to return to Israel, ending
their exile in Babylon, in
the 6th century B.C. Some
pro-Trump organs have
compared him to King
David of Israel. (Compari-
sons to King Solomon have
been much fewer, although
Nancy Pelosi once, rather
pointedly, reminded him
that Solomon asked God
for, and received, the gift
of wisdom.)
Twins born 3 months apart
Liliya Konovalova, a 29-year old wom-
an from the town of Uralsk in northern
Kazakhstan, first gave birth to a premature
girl on May 24. Her son, on the other hand,
took his time coming into this world,
finally deciding to join his twin sister on
August 9. Doctors said Liliya suffers from
a rare condition known as uterus didel-
phys, which basically means she has a
double uterus and each twin developed in
separate wombs. This is an extremely rare
abnormality with one in 50 million odds of
occurring. Liliya’s case was announced as
the first such birth in the history of Kazakh-
stan. Even though separate twin births are
rare enough as it is, a gap between babies
as long as 11 weeks is even more unlikely.

Live musical goes

dog training Siberian witchdoctors join fight against deadly wildfires
The 50 or so witchdoctors
Theater seats at the Ontario’s Stratford (called Pagan guides or sha-
Festival recently got some very usual mans holy men) have been
occupants; a pack of dogs. The even went performing rituals to ask
viral when the festival organisers shared ancient Siberian spirits to
a photo of the dozen eager canines sitting end the wildfires and floods
neatly in the theatre and appearing to be ravaging huge swathes of
attentively listening to a performance of eastern Russia. They join
Billy Elliot: The Musical. The head trainer Russia’s military which for
for K-9 Country Inn Working Service weeks has been using water
Dogs said the performance of a Cana- tankers planes and helicop-
dian theater’s live musical was part of ters against the flames. In a
the dogs’ preparation for service. Laura video posted online, the sha-
MacKenzie said the theater outing was mans can be seen walking
part of the two-year training program around a tree and beating
designed to help the canines keep their drums on Olkhon Island the first time shamans have President Putin”. But some
calm amid crowds, unusual lights and in Lake Baikal, a massive got involved in issues of social media users remain
loud noises. Ann Swerdfager of the freshwater lake not far from state importance. Earlier sceptical about the pagan
Stratford Festival said another group Mongolia. It is the centre this year, some sacrificed contribution. “Phew, you
of about nine service dogs in training of the local Buryat branch five camels “to make Russia can recall your planes. The
is expected to attend another show in of shamanism, which con- stronger”, while one sha- drummer boys have fixed
October. “The dogs were extremely siders it to be the home of man embarked on a 2,000- everything,” said one Siberi-
well behaved,” Swerdfager told CNN. 13 major spirits. This is not km journey “to rid Russia of an Telegram account.

Man wins court case after magic fails to return wife

A man from the Siberian city of Omsk,
Russia, only named as M.E.A. in court
documents, was devastated when his wife
left him in August 2017. But one TV advert
made him hopeful: It promised to “return
your wife or loved woman”, and also
remove various types of curse using magic.
The husband signed a contract and paid
a company called The Sixth Sense 260,332
roubles ($4,000, £3,300) for “extrasensory
services, fortune-telling, spiritism and
astrology”. His wife, however, never came
back, and M.E.A. sued The Sixth Sense.
The Kuybyshevsky Court in Omsk could
not find any evidence of the above services
having been rendered and awarded the man
400,000 roubles ($6,300, £5,100) in compen-
sation. There is a booming market in ser-
vices such as love spells in Russia attributed
to the popularity of “psychic challenge” TV
shows featuring contestants who claim to
have super-human powers. One participant
in such a show - “a fifth-generation magi-
cian from Scandinavia” - was alleged to be
offering seats in the Russian parliament for
1 million dollars each. She was charged with
fraud once the authorities found out.

38 August. 30 - Sept. 05 2019

 Car anti-theft alarms
Making the right choice
By Motoring Guru
T
he first questions when
deciding how to protect your
motor vehicle from theft
and burglary are whether
the selected mode is effective and
appropriate in terms of its cost and
type of vehicle. Many vehicle owners
end up choosing an alarm system with
or without comprehensive insurance.
Thieves fear noise and car alarms are
effective because they can release 125
decibels of noise. This is painfully loud
noise; louder than the loudest music
blast you have ever heard. It shuts off
all other noise and causes people to
look.
The cost of the alarm is determined
by many factors; including type of
alarm system – whether one way or
two way, the brand, and the dealer.
Many car alarms these days include
many functions; including GPS
tracking. The higher the number of
functions the higher the cost is.
The two-way system sends
commands from the remote to the
vehicle and transmits information
from the vehicle back to the remote.
The two-way can alert
you if a door is not
properly locked.
Some can be
connected to
the car owner’s
smart phone. Some
have a smart screen
which shows
condition of
vehicle
and can
operate at different distances; a few
meters or kilometers away or even
abroad. These options cost more of
course. The one-way system only
sends commands from the remote to
the vehicle. It is cheaper.
But some people prefer to take out
comprehensive insurance that covers
the cost of car in case it is stolen. It
gives peace of mind. Others prefer
vehicle tracking and recovery systems.
There are also immobilisers; computer
chips that the vehicle must sense in
order to start.
You could also buy a vehicle with a
smart key; these have computer chips
that cannot be tampered with. For the
car to start, it must sense that smart
key, nothing else. Finally, parking
your vehicle in well-lit areas also helps
since many thieves fear to be seen.
Always get car parts and accessories
from well-known brands. In most
cases you get good quality trustworthy
systems.
Fake or cheap vehicle alarms often fail.
So you end up paying more
for replacement.
But even high
end items
August. 30 - Sept. 05 2019
break down. So save yourself the
frustration by going for systems that
technicians in your area recommend or
are familiar with. This way they will
repair or change them easily.
Finally, a good security system
keeps thieves away, makes you own
an expensive car comfortably, and
gives you peace of mind. The question
often is whether to warn thieves of the
security systems. You have possibly
seen cars with stickers warning that
the vehicle is under GPS tracking.
Many vehicles simply have a flashing
LED light on the dashboard area.
The logic is that the thief will see
the warning or light and go looking
to commit his crime elsewhere. But
remember that alarms deter only
inexperienced or undetermined
thieves. Hardcore criminals come
prepared.
Finally, car alarms can be a nuisance
by going off at the slightest touch,
for example, when a cat jumps on the
bonnet, a loud motorcycle blares past,
or a there is heavy rumble of thunder
and clap of lightening.
39
global comment
By Victor Harison and Mario Pezzini
Firms and Africa’s transformation
For African to reach its full potential under the
AfCFT, its firms need to improve their capabilities
T
he African Continental Free Trade
Area, launched at the 12th Extraor-
dinary Summit of African Union
Heads of State and Government in
July 2019, is the largest multilateral trade
agreement since the founding of the World
Trade Organisation. Comprising one billion
people and accounting for over $2 trillion of
the continent’s GDP, the AfCFTA promises
to sustain the dynamism of Africa’s markets
for years to come.
But if the AfCFTA is to fulfill its promise,
African firms will need to prepare for a
new, more competitive economic land-
scape. Between 2000 and 2018, the African
market grew by 4.6% per year, and domestic
demand drove 69% of that growth. But now
is the time for the continent to reach its full
potential with respect to economic develop-
ment, job creation, and poverty reduction.
With around 22% of working-age Africans
starting new businesses – compared to 19%
in Latin America and 13% in Asia – Africa
has the highest entrepreneurship rate in
the world. But African firms will need to
improve their organisational, productive,
and technological capabilities. To that end,
the upcoming second edition of the African
Union’s flagship economic report, Africa’s
Development Dynamics, produced in
partnership with the OECD Development
Centre, offers a three-pronged strategy for
both business leaders and policymakers to
follow.
First, providing high-quality products and
services – whether in infrastructure develop-
ment, administration, energy, or legal guid-
ance – must become the primary objective
for anyone crafting public policies or setting
market priorities. African policymakers
should do more to support local firms in
improving their proprietary, industrial, and
commercial performance.
While African firms now file three times
more International Organisation for Stan-
dardisation (ISO) certifications per year than
they did in 2000, Malaysian firms alone filed
as many certifications in 2015. Matching
grants or low-cost loans, which could help
more innovative firms cover the costs of cer-
tification, would be well worth the expense.
Evidence from 41 African countries shows
that manufacturing firms with an ISO cer-
tificate have 77% higher sales per employee,
and certified services firms have 55% higher
sales per employee.
Moreover, the poor quality of Africa’s
40 August. 30 - Sept. 05 2019
transport infrastructure accounts for an
estimated 40% of logistics costs in coastal
countries, and 60% in landlocked countries.
Simply by adopting a regional approach to
infrastructure reform, policymakers could
eliminate many of the inefficiencies that
are driving up costs.
Second, governments need to focus their
resources on supporting business services
for firms that are clustered around one
another. Clusters enable governments with
limited budgets to make the most of their
assets by concentrating investments in one
place. Such outlays are especially effective
when governments provide business ser-
vices to improve specialisation, linkages, and
skills.
For example, since its creation in 2013,
the Kigali Special Economic Zone (KSEZ)
has contributed significantly to Rwanda’s
economic development. Compared to sim-
ilar firms outside the cluster, those in the
KSEZ have already doubled their sales and
value added and increased their staff by
18%.
At the same time, policymakers should
ensure that clusters tap into regional pro-
duction networks. Value chains under
development in each of the continent’s
five regions offer clear opportunities
for ambitious firms. In Central Africa,
key industries include wood processing
and petroleum products, whereas East
Africa is experiencing growth in tourism
and digital services. In North Africa,
African
policymakers
should do more
to support local
firms in improving
their proprietary,
industrial, and
commercial
performance
textiles, garments, and aeronautics are
among the leading sectors, and West
Africa is investing in cocoa, shea butter,
and cassava products. Southern Africa is
developing its automotive and agro-pro-
cessing industries, among others, and the
Southern African Development Community
(SADC) is implementing an Investment
Policy Framework to optimise both out-
comes and development benefits from for-
eign direct investment.
Finally, policymakers need to focus on
reducing uncertainties that are preventing
firms from accessing new markets. The most
successful firms under the AfCFTA will be
those that embrace intra-African and global
trade to meet growing demand. Yet as
matters stand, only 18% of the continent’s
new exporters survive after their third
year, compared to 22% of exporters in
other developing countries.
By removing non-tariff barriers to intra-Af-
rican trade, African governments can mul-
tiply the welfare gains from eliminating all
tariffs by a factor of five, from 0.65% to 3.15%
of GDP. The East African Community’s
Single Customs Territory, for example, has
reduced transit times by about 50% and
costs by about 30% for goods entering from
Mombasa.
Moreover, while intra-African exports
markets are 4.5 times more diverse than
exports to markets outside Africa, their total
value is 8.5 times lower than African exports
to China. These differences point to the
need for targeted – not “one-size-fits-all”
– approaches to export markets.
Pursuing reforms in these three areas will
be crucial for triggering a virtuous circle
of development and trade that will allow
Africa’s firms to compete within the AfCFTA
and beyond. The growth of African firms
will contribute to the continent’s economic
development and the wellbeing of its people,
helping to realise the African Union’s
Agenda 2063 vision of a prosperous and
integrated Africa.
Victor Harison is the African Union
Commissioner for Economic Affairs. Mario
Pezzini is Director of the OECD Development
Centre and Special Adviser to the OECD
Secretary-General on Development.
Copyright: Project Syndicate, 2019.
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