May 22, 2008
Weekly topic & Letters
Weekly topic

What should FDC do about 'rebel' MP Alex Onzima?

Just ignore him.
Kamulegeya Bonny, Ntuusi.

It’s not easy to chase Hon. Onzima because FDC is like any other club or group that people call parties. It lacks a mechanism to punish members equally, open forum for evaluation, lacks internal democracy and, like most others, have only well wishers. That’s why Hon. Onzima is not bothered; after all he can form his own party like Hon. Mabikke did.
Asiimwe Stephen, Pan-Africanist.

Absolutely nothing. Onzima is not alone; there are more Onzimas in FDC, depending on the degree of rebellion and political madness.
Nanyiri Karim, Bukonde-Mbale.

Onzima is not a rebel. FDC members should know that freedom of choice is a universal principle to which there should be no exception!
Nabasa Susen Batman.

He joined FDC willingly, so if he feels like quitting, why not? The verdict will come from the electorate. That’s politics mwattu.
Kasule, Kampala.

Declare the seat vacant, since he lied and was elected on an FDC ticket. We shan’t be happy seeing him promote his selfish interests at our expense. Let him go and try his luck as a Movement candidate.
Mabele.

Onzima is just an opportunist and strategist. He sailed to parliament on the back of FDC and now wants to eat from NRM hands. Onzima is tormenting FDC and the party should take the hard decision of expelling him.
Hood Yusuf, Kasese.

Let the party authorities find out the root cause of Hon. Onzima’s grievances. Otherwise today it is Onzima the other day it might be another MP, and finally it might even be the party boss himself.
Kirwiisa Lusaalu, Nakuwadde.

If he declares leaving FDC, he automatically loses his seat. But before that, the party has to try to understand him and if his stand contradicts the party position, then the wish of the people in the 2011 elections would do the needful.
Kanaama Kibindi, Mbarara.

Indeed Onzima has turned into a “Rebel”. However the party should know that there is freedom of association. Therefore if he has willingly deserted the party let him first surrender the parliamentary seat and let it be declared vacant. Let him publicly declare that he has defected to the ruling party and finally let him face the FDC disciplinary council for showing interest in allying with a rival.
Bugembe Noah, Kiboga.

Do we know what the phone Onzima gave Museveni contains? His own people survive on less than a dollar a day, yet Onzima buys Museveni a phone!
0782610456.

FDC, like Kony, is doing Museveni a favour by tearing itself apart.
Spencer, Busia.

The FDC party is like a grass house; if one section collapses, the whole structure will come tumbling down.
Tumwine Jean
Claude.

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Probe pastors who mislead their flock

This is the time for the government to get tough on the so-called pastors who claim their prayers can cure HIV/AIDS.

Grace Kashemeire’s shocking testimony that she had been lying all along about Pastor Namutebi’s powers curing her of HIV should be an eye opener to the government (The Weekly Observer, May 8-14, 2008). There are so many gullible Christians in the Born-Again churches who actually believe that only prayers can cure them of AIDS. Many of them have ended up giving up medication, thanks to these unscrupulous pastors.

There is no way we are going to get rid of HIV when we still have these mean people amongst us.
“God helps those who help themselves,” the saying goes. We believe that prayers work, but let them be accompanied with medication.

It is now incumbent on the government to investigate these unscrupulous pastors.
The sooner the better.

Edward Bindhe,
Masaka.
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We are safer with media than Police
The more the Police force becomes partisan, militarised and superintended by an army General, the more Ugandans prefer reporting their cases and grievances to the media.

The media is being perceived as more effective in investigating and exposing human rights abuses, corruption and other crimes than the Police. It has become a source of consolation. And even though some of the criminals remain scot-free, at least through the media the untouchables and highly placed violators are being named and shamed.

Whenever and wherever there are major corruption scandals and human rights abuse cases, it is the media that blows the whistle, and not the Police. No wonder the journalists have to suffer the wrath of the different security operatives and constantly face sedition charges.
The media has become the only hope for many helpless Ugandans.

Whenever they are faced with a medical problem beyond their personal means, desperate Ugandans run to the media through which they solicit for help from the public. No one bothers to go to the Minister of Health because the situation is so hopeless.

Police stations are most times intimidating places, sometimes crawling with armed soldiers. One would rather go to a media house where the only ‘arms’ are pencils and notepads. And here at least the public will get to know your story.

Raymond Otika,
rokisao@yahoo.com
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Uganda lawmakers should copy British
British-bashing has long been a favourite pastime of African despots hell-bent on overstaying their welcome. But at least you can’t fault UK parliamentarians for not doing the job taxpayers elect them for - and expect them to do on their behalf; being uncompromising when it comes to holding their government to account.

Only the other day, they forced the Ministry of Defence to disclose the amount of taxpayers’ money (£162,000 or UShs 535 million) spent on training the second-in-line to the UK throne, Prince William, for four-months with the Royal Air Force.

One wonders when our parliamentarians will borrow a leaf from their UK counterparts and demand the NRM government to disclose how much taxpayers’ money was spent on training President Museveni’s son, Major Muhoozi Kainerugaba, at the prestigious Sandhurst (England) and Fort Leavenworth (US) military academies.

Obalell Omoding,
London-UK.
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Amin deserves more credit than Gaddafi
Those who wish Uganda well cannot ignore former president Idi Amin Dada.
Amin put Uganda on the world map, if for some wrong reasons, but no one, not even Herodotus the great Greek historian, would have revised the historical facts of the good things Amin did for Uganda, especially for the Muslim community. Even the NRM revisionists who demonise Amin as an “idiot” will never change that history.

Although Amin officially allocated the land where the ‘Gaddafi Mosque’ stands, no mention or credit was given to him during the inauguration of the historical mosque in March 2008.

Col. Gaddafi, who was a cheerleader during Amin’s era of terror and murder, and an accomplice in crimes against humanity, instead took all the credit. The mosque was named after him plus a bonus; the Makerere Hill Road is now renamed Gaddafi Road! Yet the historical background of the mosque shows that it was Amin’s vision and brainchild.
Amin made sure Uganda became a member of (OIC) in 1974, even when in reality Uganda was not an Islamic country, like the majority member states.

Personally, I wouldn’t mind if the mosque was named after Amin. I just hope the Ugandan Muslim community has not forgotten Amin altogether.

Raymond Otika,
rokisao@yahoo.com
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Nsibambi inaccurate on land evictions
I refer to The New Vision of January 25, 2008 (Nsibambi address to clergy on land).

In this story, Uganda’s Prime Minister tried to justify the Land Amendment Bill, 2007 by citing several eviction cases in different parts of the country, Doho in Butaleja District inclusive.

He claimed that more than 200 families were evicted from Doho. I hail from Doho Muhuyu village, Mazimasa Sub-county, Butaleja District. But with due respect to the Prime Minister, I don’t know of any such evictions alleged in the story. As far as I know, no single person or family in Doho has been evicted as alleged by the Prime Minister. He should be put to task to name the persons who were evicted and by whom.

If that is not done, the justification for the bill will have been cast in doubt because it is based on wrong information.

Nakwali Edinan,
Sec. LC1 – Doho Muhuyu Village
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Parents needed in school funds
I attended the President’s rally in Keri, Koboko, during his tour of West Nile.
He strongly condemned and threatened to imprison head teachers of schools which are charging parents what he called ‘Development Fund’, and yet the Ministry of Education allocates funds for development.

I very much agree with this opinion, but perhaps what we need to do is come up with a method which ensures accountability for each and every shilling the parents are charged. The ministry could make sure that parents are involved in the planning of such funds so that people who want to embezzle it are easily detected.

Desmond Kenyi,
Koboko.
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Mango flat rate is simply great
I wish to congratulate Uganda Telecom for the Flat rate innovation introduced recently. I must say that this is the sweetest thing to have happened to my handset. Under this arrangement, Utl deducts Shs 2,000 from my account at midnight and then I have 50 minutes and 25 SMSs free to Mango and Utl landlines.

I notice that with this system, I can call my family and friends on utl for barely Shs 40 a minute! That is incredibly affordable. It is a sign that call rates can actually come down. My wife often travels in East Africa and I am glad to say I can call her on her Mango line for minutes and minutes, compared to a few minutes in the past.
Keep it up Mango!

Ideal R. Mulanda,
Kampala.

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