Since President Museveni appointed the Kyabazinga of Busoga an ambassador, a lot of criticism has been coming, mostly from the king’s subjects and opposition politicians.

Their claim is that the kingdom has been undermined, weakened and it was a sign of lowering Kyabazinga’s powers as their cultural leader. Others referred to the history of how kings used to behave: not participating in physical works, but always attending ceremonies and sitting to get entertained, etc.

To me, all what is said about the Kyabazinga’s ambassadorial appointment as a way of undermining the kingdom is not right, just that some people’s perception was always negative about the king getting a job.

Those saying that the king is meant to stay in the palace, get entertained and attend ceremonies, why did he go to school? I think we have to value the time he spent in school and the sleepless nights he spent reading books. There were reasons why government sponsored his master’s degree in the United Kingdom.

There is no parent who wants to teach his/her child and in the end they just sit at home. We all heard that it is the Kyabazinga who requested for a job with the aim of contributing to national development by practicing what he studied. Those saying that the king has joined politics should know that being an ambassador means that you are a civil servant and he has not said that he is now a member of the NRM.

As a person, he has to sustain himself and his family. So, where do they expect him to get money if they cannot allow him to work?

The Basoga should know that this opportunity is for their good; the era of kings sitting in palaces is over. It is the time for them to implement what they studied through advising, monitoring and delegating basing on the knowledge they acquired from school.

David Serumaga,
Kampala.

Should Uganda be begging for food?

We have known Uganda to be the Pearl of Africa for its natural endowments, climate and productivity, among others. Uganda has for long been a food basket to her neighbors because of its ability to produce food crops in all seasons.

There are many things one would write about Uganda but I keep wondering why the Pearl of Africa must beg for food!

In a recent scenario, about nine million Ugandans have been reported to go without food and others reported dead from starvation. In another incident,
road funds were channeled to buy food items for Ugandans who were starving to death. While this was a good move, it showed how disorganized we were are.

I find all these episodes disheartening given that Uganda exports food items to all her neighbours. This is the same as extinguishing fire in the neighbor’s house while neglecting your own.

In another event, the ministry for disaster preparedness has been pleading with the finance ministry to release funds to purchase food items to salvage the situation.

I find this disturbing too, that as a country we are more concerned with dealing with the consequences of our failed actions! The disaster preparedness ministry has turned into some sort of rapid response ministry.

Uganda could have avoided this scenario if the responsible parties planned well. We must encourage Ugandans to store enough food but also reduce on food exports and feed our people.

Michael Aboneka,
Advocate of courts of judicature.

Makerere doesn’t need a perimeter wall

Tanga Odoi’s call for the construction of a perimeter wall as a security measure at Makerere University is like that of the Masaka policeman who advised people to buy pangas (machetes) and spears to protect themselves yet people in Kasese are in prison on treason charges for possessing the same.

Tanga’s idea is simply intended at hoodwinking gullible Ugandans and wasting people’s money. Students will not be safe by building walls; Makerere has been part of these communities you want to lock out with this apartheid wall.

Today, somebody can correct me, most students are robbed and murdered outside the university premises. There are more students sleeping outside the university than those sleeping inside campus. In fact, one would be right to say that most residents in Katanga, Kikoni and part of Kalerwe are either students and/or employees of Makerere.

Mr Tanga Odoi, as one of the best new cadres of the regime, the best solution is for you to call upon Gen Museveni to provide and ensure security to very Ugandan because Makerere has never been an island.

John Kamufu,
bidk2002@yahoo.co.uk.

Will defiance campaign go on unabated?

On February 23, 2017, Justice Elizabeth Musoke, Justice Fred Egonda Ntende and Justice Kenneth Kakuru pronounced themselves on the matter that a single judge of the Constitutional court has no powers to issue interim orders.

This landmark ruling has far-reaching implications since the court stated that all those interim orders currently in force are now null and void. There are key recent interim orders notably:

Order blocking Kizza Besigye and FDC from carrying out the defiance campaign; the interim order barring parliament from debating the Shs 6bn presidential handshake; the order halting criminal proceedings against the inspector general of police; the order stopping proceedings against Lubaga South MP Kato Lubwama, etc.

The great question of the day is: are these orders still in force? Can Dr Besigye go on with his defiance campaign unabated? What are the implications of the same on the judges who issued them? Will it be asking for too much if the concerned justice is asked to consider resignation?

Chris M Kato,
cmkmediasolutions@gmail.com.

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