Day

By Wilber Muhwezi Kasibante

www.mknewslink.com

In Mitooma/Kampala

The Minister of East African affairs Maj.Gen. Kahinda Otafire has warned people of Mitooma not to ask him about the money that is in the pipeline to be eaten by Councillors.

He noted that when he asked them to vote him they refused therefore if any Councillor steals any money, they should ask their MPs not him.

MPs who represent Mitooma are Dononzio Kahonda for Ruhinda, Thomas Tayebwa for Ruhinda north and Jovah Kamateeka the District woman MP.

Otafire said this in a telephone exclusive interview with www.mknewslink.com managing editor today 16^th June 2020 afternoon at 1:40 pm.

According to credible sources, Mitooma Councillors sat in their council and wrote to the minister of finance and his PS to allow them use 30M out of 110 for their own use.

This money was brought to Mitooma COVID 19 task force by their MPs and Minister Kahinda Otafire the Ex official brought 50M then Kamateka, Kahonda and Thomas brought 20 M each.

Maj.Gen.Kahinda Otafire who spoke composed noted that he is not at all concerned with any affair in Mitooma district adding that a reverend Father cannot be concerned with what happens in a mosque.

Kahinda is going to contest for the second time against the incumbent Dononzio Kahonda who defeated him while in prison in 2015 on charges of forging academic documents.

www.mknewslink.com a greater western Uganda news website
Email: wmuhwezi75@gmail.com
Tel: +256702680106

www.mknewslink.com

Following the postponement of some electioneering activities due COVID 19 pandemic, the Electoral commission (EC) of Uganda has today released a new long awaited road map for 2020/ 2021 elections.

Many changes have been observed and former coordinator for Citizens Coalition for electoral democracy-CCEDU, Crispin Kaheru gives his observation.

Crispin Kaheru

Below is my personal comment on the revised roadmap and the proposed changes in the electoral process:

1 The electoral preparations are starting off from a ‘complicated place’. They are happening in an environment of restrictions.  Political players can’t move, they can’t assemble – because of the Covid-19 motivated controls.  And yet, elections are about freedom of movement and assembly.

2. Preparations are further jeopardized by the timelines.  The time for election activities after the Covid-19 interruption is too short.  Party candidate identification exercises originally set for about four (4) or so months are now compressed to fit in a period of about a month.  Special Interest Group elections originally set to last four (4) or so months are going to be held in just under two (2) months.

3. While it is the mandate of the EC to write and re-write the roadmap, the EC doesn’t seem to have involved stakeholders like political parties, civil society or even the aspirants in recasting this roadmap, like it has previously done. So, it will not be surprising if some players reject elements of the roadmap. 

4. Elections are like a soccer match.  If a game is going to be reduced from 90 to 60 minutes, then players should be consulted.  Because, this reduction in time, the shortening of the game will inevitably place emotional and psychological pressure on players to re-adjust to the new timelines. Some players can adjust, others may not. And it becomes more complicated when some players have been training and others haven’t. 

5. The outcome of an election is as good as the process itself.  If the process doesn’t look consultative, if it doesn’t seem participatory, if it doesn’t come off as transparent, then certainly the outcome will not stand a test of credibility.  So, you can be sure that the outcome will face legal and public challenges.

6. Consultations are more important than ever before.  Because, these elections are going to dramatically change – after the onset of Covid-19. They are going to look and feel different.  They will integrate social distancing measures; they will integrate more hygienic & safety practices, and there will certainly be a shift in the way political meetings are convened in light of health precautions – these are significant changes, and EC must secure buy-in and support on the changes and way forward.  If EC goes ahead to implement this plan without intense consultations, players will feel short-changed, and inevitably, this will sink the level of political participation and trust in elections.

7. EC is proposing to move most of the critical electoral activities such as campaigns from off-line means to online or media methods.  While this may be in line with the protocols of prevention of the spread of Covid-19, these changes require a firm legal framework as well as the supportive infrastructure.  We need a strong telecommunications infrastructure, media reach, Internet penetration, technology literacy, access, accessibility and usability. Short of this, the electorate may be left out of the election. In countries like Guinea, Cameroon, Mali, and Benin, voter participation has been very low because of the dramatic changes in the way elections have been conducted under the Covid-19 pandemic. Even in Burundi where elections had a semblance of normalcy, voter participation was comparatively low.

8. It is not a matter of drafting SoPs or guidelines for election management. These must be backed by the Law. So, the EC should be planning on how to get the SoPs marinated in the elections legal framework or else they will be contested and it will further injure the integrity of the election.

Source: www.mknewslink.com a greater western Uganda news website
Email: wmuhwezi75@gmail.com
Tel: +256702680106

By Christopher Agaba

www.mknewslink.com

In Sheema

Government through the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) has given a 21 days ultimatum to people encroaching on Nyeihanga-Ruyooza and shuuku town council to voluntarily vacate or be evicted.

On June 8 through  an environmental restoration order seen by www.mknewslink.com reporter, the NEMA executive Director Dr. Tom Okurut indicated that the authority had found out that 200 house holds had continuously degraded Ruyoza-Nyeihanga wetland by digging drainage channels, depositing marram and constructing illegal structures.

The order there fore, instructed residents to immediately stop any further dumping and any other form of degradation, vacate the wet land with immediate effect, and demolish all the structures constructed in the wetland.

The order also directed that the wetlands should be restored as soon as possible to their original state.

www.mknewslink.com a greater western Uganda news website
Email: wmuhwezi75@gmail.com
Tel: +256702680106

By Grant Ahumuza

www.mknewslink.com

In Kabale

Police in Kabale are investigating circumstances under which a third floor of a building under construction at Esso Kabale municipality collapsed.

The incident occurred today 16/06/2020 morning at around 07:00 hours at Kisoro Taxi Park commonly known as Esso park in central division Kabale municipality.

The Collapsed building belongs to Bushiru Hebert resident of Butobere junction Kabale municipality.

The Kigezi region police spokesperson Elly Matte told www.mknewslink.com  reporter that at the time of the collapse, there were no People since the shop owners on ground floor don’t sleep there and the sports betting company on second floor has been closed since the lock down.

Matte blamed the incident on poor workmanship and use of poor materials.

He added that Police are on ground to establish more from the municipal authorities whether it was being constructed in right channel with a building plan and also whether the municipal engineer supervised the site accordingly.

When Bushiru Hebert, the owner of the building, was contacted on a phone he said that he was using an Engineer from Northern Uganda Julius Okoth who also went home because of Corona Virus.

However, the Kabale municipal engineer, Tumwesigye Alex declined to comment on the matter.

www.mknewslink.com a greater western Uganda news website
Email: wmuhwezi75@gmail.com
Tel: +256702680106