Hi, Andrew. This is one of the articles that needs to be in the archives for rationality and educating. The plight in Uganda is serious corruption in the High places. This I believe is the primary cause even of abject poverty in Uganda. The money supposedly for help of the commonman is lost somewhere. I love your investigative modus very accurate though... tried doing something about drug thefts or to put it lightly about lack of drugs in our rurals hospitals. I went home to the village I had to buy a syringe and saline water for my ailing grand mother. I was at pains in coming to an answer that even those smalls ones were not there. Keep it up.

Dear Andrew,

Each time i read your articles my heart always bleeds at the level with which this country is bieng mismanaged with the most literate professors,doctors and vibrant institutions of government pushed or rather under the armpits of President Museveni.

Your articles and the brilliance with which you argue them out are a clear indication that you are one of the potential leaders that can save this country.So, Andrew why not in 2011 Presidential elections? ,we are behind you!

But Andrew, who is your cover? i fear for your life my friend.

Hello Andrew, Many thanks for this piece. I saw strabag work on the Ibanda Road and the piece cracked before completion!! I wish PK was here by then.

Some of these articles need to be put on Bill boards for people to see clearly.

Gilbert.

But Ateenyi, look here.
You are some of the Ugandans who create fear in people.to the point that makes people give up in everything in perpetuity.
Instead, people like Andrew should be supported because they are the icon of bravery and clear headed agents of change for which this country has been yearning for years.
If we continue to express fear in our lives, who do we thing can fight against this dangerous vice that has plunged this nation.
I only wish, brave and patriotic people like Andrew could be multiplied ten-fold to stand against this monster, evil eroding our country.
Bravo Andrew, may you keep up the fire of freedom burning and become one of the flag-bearing pillars for change, come 2011.

surely, a agree with somebody who suggested that some of last word pieces should be put on public billboards for our nationals to know how tax payers money is squandered!!!
and , i think Kagame is tyring to inent hs own democracy which good in my own opinion!!!!
thnx a lot Mr. Mwenda




but ford has some issues?

Mwenda you would get a lot more respect if you talked about the issues without the personal attacks. You also need to be a bit more honest- The istitutions you say are undeveloped in Rwanda are simply non existent!. You also need to need to declare your real interests in Rwanda one of these days. Your PR campaign for Rwanda and Gen Kagame in Particular has gone a bit too far. Some of us are begining to doubt your patriotism.

Interesting. however I am not fully convinced that your argument goes far enough in distinguishing itself analytically from the 'Great Man of History' thesis as you claim. Bottom line, historical context cannot be divorced from the way in which political authority is exercised. Furthermore, I am afraid you may be comparing apples with banana's given the important 'structural' differences between the cases. This might be resolved by increasing your sample size. You might also be able to add power to your argument by increasing the number of independent variables you are looking at. Big analytical ambitions invariably translate into big and data intensive projects!

[continued from above] .. You might also be able to add power to your argument by increasing the number of independent variables you are looking at. Big analytical ambitions invariably translate into big and data intensive projects!

Andrew,

You are not being fair to M7, if you insulted PK the way you do M7 you would be with your friend Katurebe

:cheer: Thanx for the article, Uganda is mismanaged to put it straight. i wonder whether we shall survive the credit crunch

Very good piece Mwenda. Additional info is that all the above mentioned officers have been sacked while they are still in Prison.
Some Rwandese to tell us more please.

Andrew, I respect Kagame for all he is doing for Rwanda and for his unwaivering nationalism , however he is an autocrat who thrives of surpessing a number of individual freedoms of the citizens in Rwanda. I assure you there are very few Rwandese who are capable of pointing out the ills of Kagame's regime without fearing the risk of imprisonment. I do not care much for Museveni and I am appalled by the rampant graft that thrives under his government ,but a number of individual freedoms have thrived under him, which has enabled ugandans to access vital information and to criticise and hold the government accountable.

(Continuation of previous post) of individual freedoms have thrived under him which has enabled Ugandans to acess vital information and to criticise and hold the govt accountable.

I challenge those opposed to Andrew's methodology to change him using facts and figure rather than text book citations!

Come on people our country is heading for extinction.

Mr. Mwenda, i wish ur neighbours upcountry would know about your articles b`se they`re the major headaches of this nation.
I`d love ur research abt our new Hon. min of finance, given her past competence & experience versus credit crunch upstream.

Mwenda is disingenous. For example he fails to acknowledge the freedom he enjoys in Uganda under M7, the man he shamelessly calles a despot and dictator. I can assure you that is is Kagame who pretends. for example where is the freedom in Rwanda. Mwenda if you were Rwanda based and you hurled on Kagame the kind of insults you pile on M7 and on which you have built a lucrative career, I assure you in Rwanda you would be dead or in prison. But with the freedom ushered in by M7, you can do all that and still hang out with senior Govt officials and even members of the first family!. By all means continue criticising but stick to issues and make fair comparisons.

Andrew, this piece takes me back to your previous article supporting some levels of corruption because it (corruption) yields results. You said institutions that offer checks and balances increase levels of corruption. I believ Rwanda has proved you wrong. The problem with Ug is M7's attitude towards corruption. And given the fact that ple behave like their leaders, the cancer keeps spreading.

Andrew the style of leadership you are talking about are actually incomparable.Kagame is a two term president while Museveni is a president who can rule "indefinitely" of course by standing for "election" every 5 years.It would have been better to compare Kagame with Kibaki and Kikwette

Andrew yes you are right but the depth of understanding both men would help, for a start one had a true cause to do what he did and the other has always been a pretender with truly no justfication cause but rather wanting to became someone.

Dear Readers ,
i would like to commend andrew for his brillance and good ideas but remind the readers that Rwanda that andrew represents as an extraordinary country is worse in everything , call it freedom and justice .
Andrew----- if you go deep into who is arrested , why they are arrested where do they end i know the details would discouraging to you . , But you can get this if you only interviewed another side of the coin than getting the beliefings from yr friend PK .
And Andrew try moving outside the street of kiwofu and kaciyiru presidential palaces , you will get the story of rwanda .
Thanks
moses

Andrew, you have made the point. Paul Kagame is a true nationalist and a liberator. For Museveni, I can't waste ink on.

MUSEVENI IS A PSEUDO MAN WITH PERSONAL INTERESTS IN UGANDA. AMIN LOVED HIS COUNTRY MORE THAN ANY PRESIDENT UGANDA HAS HAD.
MUSEVENIS REGIME'S HAS KILLED MANY PEOPLE THAN AMIN'S,WHY? BECAUSE THIS REGIME INDIRECTLY KILLS PEOPLE BY DENYING THEM HEALTH SERVICES( GLOBAL FUNDS),THE WAR IN THE NORTH AND POVERTY..SOLDIERS KILL CIVILIANS DURING POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS( REMEMBER WHAT HAPPENED WHEN A SOLDIER FIRED INTO A CROWD IN MENGO?)
THIS REGIME IS FULL OF FAKE, CREEDY POLITICIANS THAT CARE LESS ABOUT THE NATION.

i personally feel that Uganda has no chance of getting out of the gutter that Museveni has led her into if something is not done about it. With the economic crisis at hand africa is going to get a decrease in terms of aid all that means to Museveni is that the price of fuel for his private jet is going to be that much more expensive....obvious differences between the two aforementioned leaders is that while Kagame is even contemplating getting rid of AID so that the neo-colonial masters have less of a stranglehold on us Museveni is draining more funds from AIDS funds,NSSF..you name it he has stolen from it......MR Mwenda you are indeed a brave man because you are attacking an egotistical, thieving disillusioned man you are under obvious threat...Uganda would do better with you at the helm than the current nepotistic crook who might as well have voted himself into power...something needs to be done about Uganda because corruption has almost become a culture and because it is tilerated up top in society it trickles down to the lower reaches a corrupt police force is just as effective as having mercenaries they are easily turned and there loyalty becomes a problem...there needs to be a complete flush out I.e the us ..government....SOMETHING MUST BE DONE

Andrew,

Thank you for this well thought piece, recently I visited Rwanda and the question of tidiness of the roads, smoothness (with no single pothole) leaves alot of questions for our brothers in Uganda. Kagu and the team should visit Rwanda Chopperless may be they will borrow a leaf from there.

Thank you once again

Thank you so much readers for your kind and informative comments. Even those who disagree with me, I thank you for bring perspective to this debate. Someone called T wrote the words below. I would like to have more discussion with him. please get in touch.

interesting. however I am not fully convinced that your argument goes far
enough in distinguishing itself analytically from the 'Great Man of History'
thesis as you claim. Bottom line, historical context cannot be divorced from
the way in which political authority is exercised. Furthermore, I am afraid you
may be comparing apples with banana's given the important 'structural'
differences between the cases. This might be resolved by increasing your sample
size

In the past, you gave your readers hope with your right hand, but of recent you have turned around and stolen the same hope with your left hand. I still willow in nostalgic reminiscence of the very many impassioned arguments that you often articulated in favor of freedom. I remember buying a copy of The Monitor everyday and tuning in to the then Monitor FM every evening just because of you. In your resignation letter from The Monitor you wrote “I can never betray the cause of liberty. Liberty is an ideal for which I am willing to live for, work for to see strengthened and if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die”. You made many of us (your ardent readers) believe that amidst us, people like you were “the true salt of the earth”. Today, as I read your article entitled “Why Museveni Pretends and Kagame Acts – wed 4th March 09” in The Independent, I realize you were never genuinely committed to the ideals of a free world in the first place. In what appears to be a sudden about turn, you have joined a highly suspicious but steadily growing new orchestra that has remarkable mastery in performing classic symphonies in praise for an icon of fear that also happens to be a great enemy of freedom - President Paul Kagame of Rwanda.

While it is absolutely a personal decision for you to turn into a “Journalist of fortune”, its very disheartening for those that have grown to respect you as a champion of the sacred ideals of freedom and liberty. In one of your choruses of praise to President Kagame, you credit him for taking tough action against officials suspected of corruption and personally ordering the arrest and detention of a number of government officials because to use your very words “HE does not tolerate abuse of public funds”. Is Rwanda his personal property? You further assert that every time you visit Rwanda, it seems another public official has been arrested on suspicion of graft. According to you, this constitutes to be “Rwanda’s way of accounting to its citizens”! There is a difference between “accounting to citizens” and “sending shivers down citizen’s spines”. If you care to know, kindly be informed that “voice” and “exit” are defining ingredients of public accountability – Neither of which two ingredients exist in what you consider to be public accountability in your Mr. Kagame’s Rwanda.
Indeed as you rightly point out, conventional analysis holds that governmental accountability derives from checks and balances on the exercise of executive power. You even proceed to demonstrate knowledge of the fact that the first checks are formal institutions of state; in Uganda’s case, the Inspector General of Government, Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Authority, parliamentary oversight committees and so on. The second are institutions of civil society; a free press, political parties and pressure groups. By admitting that “Uganda outperforms Rwanda on all the above”, you are actually saying that in Uganda, people have a “louder voice” and more options for “exit” than their counterparts in Rwanda. This in effect implies that the government of Uganda is more accountable to its citizens than the government of Rwanda is to her citizens.

The results of the “analysis” made by comparing the obtaining realities in Rwanda vis-à-vis those in Uganda DO NOT present a challenge to traditional democratic theory as you claim. On the contrary your “analysis” reveals just one simple fact. Namely that: -“Ugandans relatively enjoy more freedoms than their Rwandese brothers and sisters”. What you want readers to believe is “a challenge to democratic theory” is actually a simple truism that stems from the fact that dictatorial governments generally have a high propensity for efficient service delivery. This is true for the simple reason that autocrats “make things happen” because they work through unilateral decrees and autocratic directives. Autocratic decisions are rarely subjected to the red tape associated with what you call “the first checks” i.e. institutional checks and balances; approvals from parliamentary committees etc; and neither are autocratic decisions subjected to the peering scrutiny of watchdogs that you termed “the second checks” i.e. institutions of civil society; a free press, political parties and pressure groups. It is this simple fact that explains why Uganda “outshines” Rwanda in conventional democratic “checks and balances” but Rwanda delivers services more “efficiently”. Multiple checks and balances are not merely consequences of clean government but when in place, they largely contribute to clean governance; indeed things like a free press and lively civic associations are facets of a democratic polity, while freedom, liberty and rule of law are the underlying fundamentals.

The Mwenda that readers have grown to respect is one whose arguments would be supportive of the fact that Ugandans and Rwandese are better off enjoying freedom amidst pot-holes rather than being slaves that drive along beautifully paved roads. After all isn’t it you that once quoted Kwame Nkrumah. “We prefer self-government with danger, to servitude with tranquility". Isn’t it you Mr. Mwenda that resigned from The Monitor arguing that you would rather be jobless and penniless that drive a nice car and report to a job everyday that put restrictions on your freedoms and liberty to express yourself? What then is happening to you my brother? Why have you sold your soul and began singing praises to a leader in whose country your fellow journalists can’t enjoy even a fraction of the relative freedom you have as a journalist in Uganda?

Besides, even if you have chosen to take the “praise orchestra” path, please ensure to balance your instruments so that your music can be sweeter to the ear. For instance, when Rwanda’s Kagame undermines institutions, do not twist the tune and proclaim that “we need to think differently about institutional arrangements inherited from western democracies”; and then when Museveni does the same, then you tilt the tune to say “This is an era of personal rule in Uganda”; When Kagame orders the arrest and prosecution of officials suspected of corruption, you strike the violin and quickly lift your voice high in praise of “public accountability in Rwanda”. However when Ministers in Uganda are arrested and charged with corruption, this time you resound the bass guitar, lower your tone and say that “the primary driver was not a desire to check corruption but a scheme by the president to trim the wings of ministers he is afraid of”. It is in making unprincipled comparisons and misguided analyses that you attempt to disguise your ultimate betrayal to the cause of freedom and liberty. Unfortunately, the path you have opted to take, will never lead you to the levels of intellectual prowess required to challenge underlying principles of conventional democracy.

Andrew,
you are the man who really minds about your country i know it is not very easy but so far what the ideas you bring forward are really nationalistic. Trust me i like every thing you do. Be our President at one time.

Having just returned from Kigali on a field trip with Rwenzori Anti Corruption Coalition, I can say without a doubt: right on the money, Andrew, I agree with every line. Please continue writing these thought provoking comments, they will have an effect in the end!

Andre, Rwenzori Anti Corruption Coalition (RAC).

Mwenda is lucky to be making all these shouts while confortably sitted in Kampala, Bring such ''Mudomo'' to Kigali and you will go 7 feet.

Robert, do you know that there a lot of newspapers that critisizes PK and the aurthors walk free in KIGALI! You must be kidding!!

Andrew,

The difference between Museveni and Kagame is tha Kagame is a nationalist dictator but Museveni is just a chicken thief. Period

Thanks for the good work Mwenda

I wonder why you are always compairing Kagame to Museveni. I wish you could go to Kigali and write such article on Kagame. Freedom of speech is something I dont take for granted. Thank you.

Thanks Andrew Mwenda, Although I disagree with your views about Christian faith.
I like the way you atticulate fundamentals that have to be in place for a country to be progressing.I totally refute the illusion of Ugandans who say you are enjoying alot of freedom.That is a banch of Ugandan who are indifferent to suffering of fellow citizen in safe houses,public killings of poor ugandan by rich army officers.I have a short question to all the Psuedo- freedom mongers of museveni.what is the essence of your freedom when Ugandans don't have the power to chose their destiny? not forgetting ownership of their own country.
For sure kagame has done well,He started in 1994 and look at where he is in 2009.The Rwakitura political junkies studies in 1986 look at where there now,They are just rich bullies to poor ugandans.
Let's bet on this,This Rwakitura type of leadership is not sustainable for Uganda! There other thing the NRM sycophants need to know,Kagames Objectives are clearly Known.I think that s the only reason Andrew would have some sympathy for Kagame.
I strongly feel uganda is not Museveni's Kiosk.Uganda is a Republic ranging from west Nile to Teso,KaramoJa to Kabale.We deserve some thing better that the Rwakitura supremacy over us.

Petition Calling for Compensation of Victims of Sexual Violence in Eastern DR Congo

"We urge the International Community especially the United States, United Kingdom, France, Belgium, German, UN General Secretary, the UN Security Council members,European Union and African Union to pressure the Congolese Authorities to Compensate Victims of Sexual Violence in Eastern DRC"

Sacramento, California, March 18, 2009. The Mobilization for Justice and Peace in Congo (MPJC) has announced the launch of a global campaign to collect signatures to urge the international community to put pressure on president Kabila, the Congolese government and the Congole Parliament to take urgent action to compensate victims of sexual violence crimes in East of DR Congo. The petition can be signed at http://www.gopetition.com.au/online/26180.html

According to Makuba Sekombo, Director of Community Affairs of MJPC, "despite legal provisions, the government of DR Congo has not yet created a formal victim support fund to compensate the hundreds of thousands of women and girls victims of extreme sexual violence in Eastern DR Congo. These victims continue to live a tragedy that the United Nations and humanitarian organizations are having difficulties to bear in Eastern DR Congo," he said. "While no amount of money can erase the trauma and inconceivable grief suffered by victims and their families, compensation is crucial in the recovery process and the governement of Congo must assume its responsibility"

The petition urges the international community especially the United States, United Kingdom, France, Belgium, German, UN General Secretary, the UN Security Council members,European Union and African Union) to pressure the Congolese authorities to compensate victims of sexual violence in Eastern DR Congo, where sexual violence against women and children has been widely employed as weapon of war for more than decade.

"For many of victims, it is essential to know that they have a choice to seek justice and reparation," said Mr Sekombo, "The availability of accessible mechanisms which support the right to seek a compensation would symbolise official acknowledgement of the Government and a way of taking responsibility for its tragic failures to protect hundreds of thousands women and children against horrific sexual violence crimes and can be experienced as a commitment by the Congolese Government to improve the criminal justice system response to future sexual violence crimes and strengthen measures to prevent these terrible crimes from being committed in the first place." added Mr. Sekombo.

About MJPC
MJPC is a nonprofit organization dedicated to working to add a voice in the promotion of justice and peace in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in particular in the East where thousands of innocent civilians, including children and women continue to be victims of massive human rights violations while the armed groups responsible for these crimes remain unpunished.

For more information on MJPC and the activities, visit the web site

http://www.mjpcongo.org. E-mail: info@mjpcongo.org or call Makuba Sekombo at 1 408 806 3644. The online petition calling for for help to put pressure on Congolese authorities to compensate victims of sexual siolence in Eastern DRC can be signed at http://www.gopetition.com.au/online/26180.html or http://www.fivvsc.org

i have never thought of reacting to any of these paper's article but i'm humbled to say that from my personal experience of the two mentioned countries and their presidents, u are absolutely right. personal character counts than western institutionalised checks and balances. i wish there were many kagames in uganda and rwanda.

Dear Andrew, I have always known you as a true Ugandan and I have been cheated that you never come up to stand for presidency! You can make it if you can. You have such brilliant and well thought through ideas and we need a man like you. I agree with you and I think Uganda has over hatched priestly eggs and gone a head to invest in investors!!! You know what I mean!!! The country will soon belong to another world of people before we realise! Come-on Andrew, what is the solution? Rwanda has come up aggressively and hands up for Kagame. We need a Kagame in Uganda. We need to stop the No Change ideology and move forward. Museveni is not a coward. He is actually a very wise leader but he is just too much of a preacher and those around him are either ushers or choir members going by the rhythm given.

Hi Andrew, I salute you for your articles, keep it going., this is the pressure we want to exert for change to be realised.
some body asked whether you have some body behind you?my answer is God and the west,m7 knows this, if he wants to continue with his stealing and spending spree from the poor tax payers, he should never touch you.
Back on the articles, Andrew, I have some times asked my self, is this man m7, a true Ugandan? if yes, why can he sit down and watch all the graft that goes on in governement institutions? is this the fundermental change he ushered in when he stood at parliament and declared his real change was not a mere change of guards? some of these questions support the argument that this man has no clear roots to this country. what do you think Andrew? does m7 visiolise what Uganda should look like? I live in Europe, M7 has been to many developed countries, why doesn't he copy some of these institutions?
you mentioned that Kagame lived in many countries and a result, he envisaged what Rwanda could look like if he had a chance to be counted and this is his moment, what shall we tell the children of our children about mzee? I suppose we shall leave this one to historians but what is clear from my deductions is that m7 is the most corrupt president in Uganda's history.

I like Andrew's courage. However I think the men he is comparing (viz Kagame and Museveni) are both criminal and deserve no respect. The 6 million people they killed in DRCongo will wake up some day and they (Kagome and M7) will answer to their (6 million) questions.

Maybe amercia needs to take some advice from china.It seems to have its s**t together.Maybe we need to be more like communism.It seems to last and flourish more than demorancy.

Look how many america kills every year

Thanks Andrew. Its long since your voice died from the electronic media airwaves. Though it was of course negative, I credit M7 for his ability to suppress criticism.He knows how to deal with adversarires, save uncle Joseph Kony. Congratulations on starting a viable Paper "The Independent". I hope you live up to your word of promising uncensored, objective information now and in future, even if its about Rwanda, for whom you are a PRO, i dont know or mind whether deliberately on payroll or inadvertently due to your conviction. I know M7 technically knocked you and your likes from radio and TV because these are the most sensitive areas of influence - where the audience ranges from idiots to intellectuals, thru mediocres.


Thanks. (MJ)