What Uganda's biased mainstream media won't tell

By Pamela Ankunda 15-04-2011 In September 2007, representatives from Civil Society organizations, Religious Institutions, media, the Uganda Police Force Political parties, Parliamentarians, the Justice and Order Sector all gathered at a workshop in Entebbe to discuss among others, frameworks governing the freedom to assemble and to demonstrate and off course, on top of the agenda was the role of the Police in such. This meeting came as result of the statement issued by the Uganda Human Rights Commission on the previous demonstrations that had turned violent. At the time, the UHRC invited the British High Commission who in turn invited the London Metropolitan Police to organize the said training for Police officers and other actors. The meeting at the time agreed that Police had a role to play. Has this role been revoked now? In that same workshop, a task force was drawn-Civil Society inclusive to draft the guidelines on Public demonstrations that were later discussed to make up a final draft of the same. Today, these are guidelines on which demonstrators and the Police should act. Basing on International Human Rights standards and norms, the workshop resolutions provided the most acceptable norm of what a procession should be. Obviously, they agreed that there was a challenge but in spite of that, developed consensus especially, on the limitation of the right to assemble and demonstrate. The meeting agreed that while we can demonstrate, that right is not absolute, it should be in public interest, should be justifiable and acceptable, and even when Police permission is not required to hold demonstrations, it is required in gazetted and restricted venues. I don’t know then where we place a citizen who chooses to sit right in the middle of a Public road. In the same workshop, the role of the police was defined even further, that it must receive notices of impending public demonstrations, and hold a planning meeting with the chief Demonstrator at least 5 days or as soon as practicable before the demonstration, and assign an officer to work with the organizers by carrying out assessment risks and where there is a breach, police must stop that demonstration immediately. The organizers on the other hand are reminded to submit to the District Police Commander’s office a “completed statement of intent in triplicate 10 days prior to the intended demonstration, obtain permission from relevant offices”, ensure safety or person and property, ensure that everybody knows why they are part of that demonstration, take responsibility for all statements made to the media or the public during that demonstration, and among other roles of the participants is to avoid incitement of violence during the demonstration. Those guidelines were not issued to people living on mars; they were not discussed and agreed to by saints and angels. They were not discussed for a Ugandan city that is found in New York or Sweden. The Participants knew exactly well, that Uganda has her own set of challenges and problems, just like its citizens know too well, that a country must be governed on basics, on constitutionalism and on laws. Thankfully, members of Parliament were present in Entebbe! Unfortunately, we are engaged in semantics of “protest” and “demonstrations” and some of the media is playing right into falsities. If we want to go down to pettiness, we will argue that the opposition leaders who own petrol stations and supermarkets lower their prices; to show concern for the ordinary peasant, but we cant do that, because forces of the market economy prevail over them. Contrary to what many think though, the leaders of these protests had long before the Egypt, Tunisia and Libya events called people to action. The rising food and fuel prices that are not unique to Uganda come in handy, and off course the curse of the Arab world presents an equal opportunity. Yet Uganda is unique and no situation of “copy and paste” would apply here. But to interpret the condemnation of the Police, Mr. Kayihura ought to know better; rosaries and Bibles will do, not teargas and canisters.

Today's self-absorbed tweet

Celebrating World Press Freedom Day. All Ugandans should rise up and praise their incredible media professionals! #worldpressfreedomday

That is what a self-absorbed journalist, @oletan, has posted on Twitter. It just shows the bad manners our media players have developed thanks to the Movement's  tolerant governance. Hey, media people, if you're happy with yourselves, that's fine. Your arms are long enough for each of you to pat yourself on the back. Go and make yourself happy. Meanwhile, when you get back from that, be sure to remind us of the Besigye lies you deliberately hid over the years so that you can prop up his and Mao's PR, which include:

• Sevo and the Movement colluded with the Karamojong to steal Acholi cows
• Sevo and the Movement started the LRA war (when he was junior internal affairs minister and national political commissar - they are strangely mute on his role)
• Sevo has sold Lakes Victoria and Kyoga
• That he had 47% of the vote in this year's election (the Basher Media Legion have not bothered to dig further into this because it might not favour Besigye's PR)
• Sevo and Movement intend to steal land from Baganda, Acholi and Langi
• Besigye's stealing a foreign party's manifesto to use as his own (seriously!! This is the man who has ideas for Uganda and Sevo is spent? You prefer the fake to the original? Yeah, we've not forgotten the manifesto plagiarism, sorry to disappoint the Basher Media Legion)
• Sevo has sold and pocketted money from Bunyoro oil
• And who can forget Besigye's statement that, as a professional medical doctor, he regrets having saved the life of President Museveni during the time he was his doctor. The Basher Media Legion have never asked him to explain that statement exposing their love affair with him.

So, our dear Ugandan journalists, when you stop over-estimating your importance and start actually being objective, only then will you get the praise of ALL Ugandans - not just your Basher friends.

Bad News for Common Ugandan: Besigye Inspires Possible Kenya Unrest

From Daily Nation

By LUCAS BARASA lbarassa@ke.nationmedia.com

The stage was set for a confrontation as the workers’ umbrella body on Sunday threatened a national strike and protests similar to those that have rocked neighbouring Uganda. Rejecting the government offer of a 12.5 per cent increase in the minimum wage during the Labour Day celebrations at Nyayo Stadium, Central Organisation of Trade Unions secretary-general Francis Atwoli insisted on nothing less than the 60 per cent earlier demanded.

Labour and Human Resources Development Minister John Munyes announced that the 12.5 per cent increase would increase the minimum wage from Sh7,334 to Sh8,250.75 per month. The minimum wage could have stood at Sh11,737 if Cotu demands were met. Mr Munyes angered the small crowd when he announced the increment. He said this year’s increase was better than last year’s 10 per cent rise as the economy is not doing well. He said the country was experiencing a drought, which had forced the government to remove exercise duty on maize, wheat and kerosene.

Rain disrupted the ceremony

“The government has added 12.5 per cent to last year’s increment bringing the total to 22.5 per cent,” Mr Munyes said before abruptly cutting short his speech due to rain, which disrupted the ceremony.

He said that Sunday’s Labour Day was the first since the passage of the Constitution that guarantees the right of workers to social protection. “It is your right to get food, shelter and jobs. The government has tried, but still there are some difficulties. There’s huge wage gap between a few people who earn big salaries and those who get very low ones,” Mr Munyes said.

Mr Atwoli said it was workers who make the economy grow, and they are ready to die fighting for their rights. Mr Atwoli led workers in chanting “Besigye! Besigye. Besigye!” in support of Uganda opposition leader Kizza Besigye, who is undergoing treatment at Nairobi Hospital following beatings by Uganda police for leading protests over the rising cost of living. (READ: Besigye says Uganda protests to continue)

Mr Atwoli said Uganda President Yoweri Museveni should have learnt from what happened to former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and his Tunisian counterpart Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali, who were forced out of power following demonstrations in their countries over high cost of living. He also demanded the immediate release of a Kenyan arrested for asking Mr Museveni questions when he visited the country on Saturday. He said the protests to be led by Cotu would be worse than those seen in other countries. “If the coalition government does not change, it should leave its window open and its leaders wait to see what they will hate,” Mr Atwoli said.

The Cotu boss decried the absence of President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga at the workers’ day fete, saying, they had promised to attend. Federation of Kenya Employers chairman Cleopa Maillu said workers should join hands with employers during the difficult economic times to develop the economy and create more jobs. He said problems should be solved in peaceful ways. Mr Maillu said FKE would work with Cotu and government to meet workers’ demands and implement new salaries. Nairobi Mayor George Aladwa said the minimum wage should be raised to more than Sh20,000. Former MP Paul Muite said very few Kenyans were employed and that even if the salaries were increased many, have no jobs.

“The President and Prime Minister should have joined the workers and give them direction even if the times are bad,” Mr Muite said. The celebrations were turned into a forum for participants to stage protests over high costs of living with some heckling, shouting and waving placards demanding reduction of prices of maize flour and fuel. There was commotion when an NGO official who was once arrested for disrupting a presidential function at Nyayo National Stadium arrived wearing a sack listing problems facing the poor.Mr Munyes and Kisumu Town East MP Shakeel Shabir were the only MPs present.

Mr Atwoli said the President did well not to attend as people were angry due to rising cost of living and would not have accepted a minimum wage rise of less than 60 percent. He said Cotu will hold a conference in Kisumu on May 21 to start its protests and another with the National Council of NGOs and other groups “to decide on the leadership of this country.” “We are calling for full implementation of the Constitution, and if nothing is done by August, the labour movement will take over by force.

“We will come here (Uhuru Park) and make it our Tahrir Square”, a reference to the park in Cairo where daily protests led to President Mubarak’s removal from power.

Mr Atwoli charged that a few Kenyans owned excessive wealth, while a majority languished in poverty. “For example, 10 per cent of our total population controls 43 per cent of our Gross Domestic Product while together with capital owners, they own 70 per cent of our GDP. Less than 30 per cent goes to workers and others,” Mr Atwoli said.