Rhino RadioRadio Rhino
Click now to listen
Uganda Peoples Congress

UGANDA PEOPLES CONGRESS
NATIONAL SECRETARIAT
KAMPALA

PRESS STATEMENT

INSTITUTIONAL BREAKDOWN AND ANARCHY IN UGANDA

  1. Last week the UPC returned to policy options and extensively articulated the rule of law in a secure environment and decried the chaotic moribund rule in Uganda. UPC pronounced itself on the concrete courses of action that urgently needs to be taken in order to put our country on a democratic track where the rule of law is not only a custom but indeed a sacred value.
  2. The misery, despoliation and hopelessness in the country is now the worsening way of life among majority of the population. Our people live by chance, in some cases survive by accident and die by design.
  3. The UPDF which was supposed to be the constitutional institution mandated to provide security for the people of Uganda and their property has never been set. This is because article 210 of the 1995 constitution which is the basis for raising a National professional army, has never been operatonalised through enactment of an enabling law.
  4. Typical of outlaw regimes the NRM/A government has instead of creating a national army as required by the Constitution continued to create a host of illegal organisations allegedly to man our security. Among these are:
  5. Local defence Units - (LDU)
  6. Reserve Force under Salim Saleh and his illegal 4 billion projects.
  7. Kalangala Action Plan (KAP)
  8. Operation Wembley (VCCU)
  9. Popular Intelligence Network (PIN)
  10. Special Investigation Bureau (SIB)
  11. Presidential Guard Brigade (PGB) as a personal army of Lt. Gen. Yoweri Museveni
  12. Arrow Group
  13. Amuka Group
  14. All the above groups are state funded without any legal regime to govern the recruitment, training, promotion, deployment, command, discipline, remuneration and discharge. This is no different from the primitive war gangs under the war lords of Somalia, Sierra Leone, Liberia. No wonder the President of Uganda continues to behave like an ancient warlord by camping on the battle grounds with a lot of pride. As the President camps on the war front there are reports of hundreds of Arrow group tribal militia men being killed alongside hundreds of civilians. One wonders whether there is a deliberate policy to depopulate Acholi, Lango and Teso and other tribes believed not to support Lt. Gen. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.
  15. The institutional breakdown and anarchy has also embraced the education sector. Several "universities" have been established without regard to the law on higher education. There are illegal scholarship schemes operated by none other than the President himself in what is conveniently called state house scheme. This dubious scheme is carried out in total secrecy.
  16. The above resolve by the NRM/A regime to mismanage education has had far reaching effects
  17. Cheating is now common and acceptable in universities.
  18. Standards are continuously falling - where University students suffer severe written and spoken problems.
  19. Senior four drop outs are now being enrolled for degree courses like the case at Kampala International University, nursing course
  20. There is a total abandonment of Makerere University to the whims of private sponsorship where money is the driving factor replacing quality education.
  21. Useless courses are being introduced by the day without any manpower planning.
  22. Having deplored the scandalous and dubious mishandling of the military organ of government and the education sector, we now turn to Prof. Sempebwa's Constitutional Review Commission which is another institution that has been a waste of tax payer's money.

    In a press statement of 18th August, 2001 we pointed out that the review process was fraught with numerous limitations and in that vein we decided to address our concerns on the contentious provisions in the constitution to the people of Uganda and not the Sempebwa Commission.

    We sighted four major reasons why we could not address our concerns to the SCRC namely:

  23. The unilateral appointment of the commissioners.
  24. The timing of the appointment
  25. Terms of reference
  26. Reporting arrangements. We made a detailed presentation of our views in a pamphlet circulated in March, 2003.
  27. Dr. Kiyonga's outbursts as reported in the Saturday Monitor newspaper of August 23rd 2003 vindicate the UPC position that dates 2 years back. According to Dr. Kiyonga, the submissions of the Constitutional Review Commission which he now calls a mere consultancy will have to give way to the views of cabinet that is more knowledgeable.

    It is therefore time that the people of Uganda believed us now that Kiyonga's Federo promise is the latest supply of Hot air by the NRM/A. government. The proposal of federal units that do not collect taxes is laughable.

    In the UPC Memorandum on the Constitutional Review to the people of Uganda we articulated and advocated federal system complete with each federal unit given powers to collect taxes among other functions.

  28. In the story "Kiyonga confirms third term" New Vision Saturday August 23rd, 2003 Kiyonga again vindicates our earlier suspicion that the SCRC was a major step in the drive for life Presidency of Lt. Gen. Yoweri Museveni. We warned the people of Uganda and the donor community of Museveni's long-term imperial designs. The scraping of article 105(2) on term limits for the Presidency now vindicates us.
  29. The Institutional breakdown in Uganda has hit unbearable levels with terrible consequences whereby:
  30. The country is sinking further into anarchy characterised by the rule of warlords where law and order have no place in governance.
  31. The nation risks total disintegration similar to Somalia, Liberia and the former Ugoslavia.
  32. The Way Forward

    Government must stop vilifying the sober and nationalistic voices of Archbishop Odama and other religious leaders and the peace loving Ugandans who are warning against the suicidal and fratricidal misuse and misdirection of innocent Ugandans, as is the case of tribal militia like Arrow group and Amuka group.

    It amounts to not less than human sacrifice for a government to encourage the use of ill equipped and ill trained tribal war gangs against an experienced and hardened rebel force that has puzzled a whole national army for close to two decades. The UPC calls for: -

  33. An urgent national conference to pave the way for a negotiated settlement of the political crisis in the country rather than gamble with tribal warfare and genocide.
  34. The African union and the UN should be invited to jointly rescue Uganda from this crisis like they have done in Liberia and other places.

Danger lies in delay, the people of Uganda must rise up now and reject being eaten by the hyenas while they still breathe.

For God and My Country

Dr. James W. Rwanyarare

Chairman

Presidential Policy Commission

27th August, 2003