THEN WHAT ABOUT TAMALE MIRUNDI?

By john blanshe musinguzi

“… I studied politics, Kampala’s problem is not legal. Judges did not study politics. Judiciary is on self destruction not redemption. Uganda judiciary has lost credibility (he knocks on the table while speaking emotionally)… if you get an expert, me I am an expert in media, public relations, if you get me…..” he says. I am actually listening to Tamale Mirundi he is live on metro 90.8 FM (November 28^th, 2013).

He is the presidential press secretary. He speaks aggressively mostly. He is NRM leading propagandist. I am one of his staunch fans. I usually listen to him mostly on Thursday and Friday live on metro 90.8 FM and Namirembe FM respectively. He is usually hosted alone with no one to counter his arguments. Listeners are given chance to call and express their views. In response he usually ‘abuses’ those who disagree with him and praise his supporters.

The following is a list of his  weekly talk shows on radio and tv( posted on his facebook account on 11^th November 2013), Mon 89.6 fm Top Radio 6-8 pm, Tue 87.5 fm Star Fm 7-9 pm,Wed 94.4 fm Radio Sapientia 8-10 fm, Thur Bilal Fm 9-11am later Metro 90.8 fm 7-9pm, Fri impact fm 6-7 am , UBC Tv 8-9 am, Namirembe Fm 7-9 PM, Sat Pearl Fm 9-11 am.

As the lukwago impeachment saga continues to set precedents, Top radio presenter Richard Kasule a.k.a Omuggagga Kamagu was on Tuesday this week arrested on grounds of incitement to violence.  This came after when he hosted the deputy Lord mayor, Mr Suleiman Kidandala Monday morning. Kasule is accused of hosting an opposition politicians without government Official to counter his arguments.

According to daily Monitor of Wednesday, two other journalists: Halima Asijo Uthuman of Uganda Radio Network and Mulindwa Mukasa, the chairperson of Human Rights Network for Journalists-Uganda (HRNJ-Uganda), were also on Tuesday  detained at Wandegeya Police Station as they were following up on the arrest of Mr Kasule.

In such a situation I ask myself why opposition politicians are not hosted to counter Mirundi’s arguments. All opposition parties can afford to challenge him as he spreads government propaganda. A fair representation by all political parties while discussing political and social debates is important to save this withering democracy.

According to David shills, in a multiparty community freedom of opposition should be guaranteed as an effective check on the abuse of power by the state.

 We voted for multiparty in 2005, then freedom of opposition should fully guaranteed. During Lukwago impeachment saga government has been trying to deny the other side on a chance to give their views. Media is one of the strong agents of political socialization were norms values and orientations are developed.

Instead of caging, Kasule, they would have demanded for time to present their side of the story. Journalistic ethics call for giving the aggrieved party to defend themselves. In looks so ridiculous, in the 21^st century, a journalist is in prison for hosting an opposition politician?. Do we section of the law that Kasule defied?.

Ok let government answer why opposition politicians have been denied time on UBC TV and radio, these are public broadcasters which according to the broadcasting policy is to contribute through programming a sense of national unity and identity. Where is this national unity when it cannot host opposition politicians?. It also calls UBC to serve overall public interest, avoiding one sided reporting and programming in regard to political orientation.

Let government grant media space to regulate itself. We try ombudsman whose role is, in part, to keep news organizations honest and accountable to the public. The ombudsman is intended to mediate in conflicts stemming from internal and or external pressures, to maintain accountability to the public for news reported, and to foster self-criticism and to encourage adherence to both codified and un codified ethics and standards

John Blanshe Musinguzi Is a Journalism and Communication Student at Makerere University

Tweet: johnblanshe_m 

WHAT IF YOUR EMPLOYED TO GUARD SACKS OF MONEY?

What if you employed to guard sacks of money?

By John Blanshe Musinguzi

Let’s imagine a situation. You have a tank of ‘waragi’ and you want to hire someone to guard it. Fortunately, you hire a man good at drinking. This lad has spent time without tasting it because he lacks money to purchase. Wherever he sees some one taking waragi, he starts salivating. We shall also assume that the guard does not know what is in the tank. As the owner, you take the advantage of this unemployed man, you exploit his labour-pay him unfairly.

He starts his job in good faith, goes on for a reasonable time without cheating on you. For you as the owner, having the right to use this tank of ‘waragi’ the way you want. Let assume how you will use it. Gather your friends and bring them to this place where (tank of waragi) is guarded from, show it to them and you also order the guard to give them access whenever they come.

Before end of that real day, they start coming with jerry can, fill them with ‘waragi’ and then go. This goes on and on for many days. The guard later discovers that actually what he is guarding is his best drink. He decides also to help himself get what to drink, he then remove his uniform, press down the gun and disappears. What would you do to him if you arrest him?

The story of the six soldiers who allegedly stole about 700millions from President’s Office on Okello house is back with shocking revelations. First, how where they tried and who tried them. Sunday monitor of 24^th November 2013 revealed. Disciplinary Court at Kasenyi in Entebbe shortly after their arrest. The Unit Disciplinary Court was chaired by Brig Muhoozi Kainerugaba.

 Secondly, the disciplinary court had convicted the soldiers before they arrived for trial. Upon arrival in the court at Kasenyi, they found a judgment had already been made and it was just read out to them

Thirdly, top government and NRM officials and some ministers’ wives would frequently come to Okello House, load some sacks of cash onto their cars and drive away.

This new story truly indicates ho rotten our society is. Someone who has never studied law is assumes power of chief justice to deliver a ruling. We surrendered some of our power to you. Why can’t you should try by all means to use this power in the best way?. You have the capacity to do it.

It time for minister to tell us where were they taking such sacks of money?, was that money accounted for?, when and how?. As we continue the fight against corruption, we may never reach Damascus in if government continues to keep large sums of money wherever they wish. We have banks and such money should be left in bank. If a poor endeavors to keep his money in bank, then why can’t government keep money in banks?.

Let government increase salary of the most hardworking employees, teachers who have laboured to train all of us deserve a better pay. Soldiers and police officers who spend all night awake to protect our life and properties deserve better than what then earn. Most of these workers have lost the spirit of working but they have no escape route.

 The salary of an MP is about x70 that one of a primary school teacher, most soldiers and policemen.    

Our politicians need to take a leaf from Ghanaian president John Mahama, he took 10%, Joyce Banda of Malawi took 30% reduction.  Ministers, MPs, employees such as Jennifer Musisi who earns a lot of money can relinquish a small portion of the salary.

A LETTER TO CHURCH LEADERS

What about ‘immoral’ church leaders?

By John Blanshe Musinguzi

 “This applies to the Levites: from twenty five years old and upwards, they shall come to do duty in service of tent of meeting. And from age of fifty years they shall withdraw duty of service and serve no more…”

Politicians are always ‘immoral.’ Most of them are corrupt, don’t want to leave office- want ‘ebissanja,’opposing political parties cannot agree on what is the wright or wrong decisions to be taken. Politics has been branded a dirty game. Currently, for example Museveni and his group want to show Lord Mayor the exit route, they claim the process is democratic. On the other side Lukwago is fighting to retain his office. I am not sure whether the latter will survive as the former group has all the weapons to shot the latter, a defenceless group.

Today, religious leaders are following the footsteps of political leaders-they are ‘immoral.’ Most of them are corrupt, selfish, some practice sodomy, commit adultery and above it all most of them want ‘ebissanja’

During the biblical times these religious were the most important. They would mediate between God and people. They were used by God to anoint political leaders and condemn them whenever they went astray of their promises. They would also pronounce God’s punishment upon these leaders. However these leaders have been deprived of the role to choose and advise political leaders.

Daily Monitor started the story on Tuesday 19^th. Makerere University St Francis Chapel Chaplain Rev Can Johnson Ebong- Oming is refusing to leave office upon clocking retirement age. In a lay-man’s language, he want ‘ekissanja.’ He has too been accused of misappropriation of funds, procurement scams, outbursts of anger, lies, misrepresentation of facts and threat of violence. This is the type of church leaders we have today.

It is not too late for religious leaders to change and once again become yardstick for our society. Why should a religious leaders desire to cling to office like our politicians. Whereas the ‘good book’ does not echo much about when church leaders should retire, in the book of Numbers 8:23-26, Moses called upon Levites to retire.

And the lord spoke to Moses saying, “this applies to the Levites: from twenty five years old and upwards, they shall come to do duty in service of tent of meeting. And from age of fifty years they shall withdraw duty of service and serve no more. They minister to their brothers in the tent of meeting by keeping guard, but they shall do no service. Thus shall you do to the Levites in assigning their duties.”

If this can happen, then we shall always press political leaders harder to retire by referring to good and moral religious leaders.

We always offer in church, such offertories should to be used to do work of God such as helping the poor. However church leaders are using these offertories for their selfish interests. Most of them use them to purchase expensive cars, venture into lucrative businesses. If they change we can use them as example to criticize this corrupt this corrupt government. 

 Church leaders are meant to serve but not be served.  We need leaders who can serve under all circumstances. They should condemn corrupt political leaders other than joining the band wagon. We deserve a better Uganda and such leaders can start it thorough preaching the gospel and spreading the word of God and more importantly living by what they preach.

Paul in his letter to Timothy layout what should be characteristics of church leaders. Their sayings must be trustworthy, a husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money and many more. I hope they know them more than we congregants know.

It is becoming hard to distinguish behavior of church leaders from those of political leaders. We need those leaders who behave and work like the old biblical prophets such as Samuel, Elijah, Isaiah, Nathan and those they know that I don’t know. They tried to mold better societies during their time and condemned greedy, corrupt as well as selfish politicians. This is what we owe from our church leaders, they have not delivered at all. It is not too late for them to change.

John Blanshe Musinguzi is a Journalism and Communication Student at Makerere University 

Tweet: johnblanshe_m