I am a Ugandan who is passionate about human rights. Actually, I have laboured to defend human rights since my childhood days. In 1996, I successfully championed a revolution in my secondary school called Kigarama Senior Secondary School. At the time, all the leaders were appointed by the Headmaster even after wasting students' time voting. I led other like-minded comrades in senior four then. These colleagues included Julius Twinomuhangi, Onesmus Ainembabazi, Esau Tumwesigye, Akampa Ronald, Matsiko Patrick, Sam among others. But also we had our sisters, Syson, Annet, Enid together with some serious students in junior classes. I am telling you, things have never been the same. When I joined Makerere, I was always at the fore front of students leadership and I opposed injustice of any sort. If you asked Mr. Ekudu John the Dean of students, Professor Edward Kirumira, the Dean of Faculty of Social Sciences, Dr Salie Simba Kayunga of the political science Department, Professor Murindwa-Rutanga of political science Department, Dr. AB Rukooko and Professor John-Jean Barya will tell you what kind of person I am.
My Lecturer Professor Aaron Mukwaya told me my arrest, detention and torture was for purposes of testing my aptitude and resilience. I must make it crystal clear that I will never ever bow before this government given its high level mismanagement of our society. Uganda ratified the UN Convention against Torture (UNCAT 1984) on June 26th, 1987. Every right thinking person knows very well that there is no justification for torture whatsoever. The Inspector General of Police who ironically is a "Lawyer" knows very well I was tortured. Paradoxically, he did nothing about my plight. Can you imagine! I will give all the details of torture in Uganda next time but I must call upon all peace-loving Ugandans to be shrewd and vigilant. We must not expect these hopeless institutions which have been personalised to do anything in defence of our rights. Wake up from your slumber lovely Ugandans.
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The human rights situation in this country is extremely daunting. A group of residents of Mulongo and Kityerera subcounties in Mayuge have reported harrassment, torture, illegal detention under trumped up charges which have left some people dead. This, it has been reported started way back in 2002 and the ugly situation led to the late Kyabazinga of Busoga to write to the president. The president sent one of his blue eyed boys, Maj. Gen. Kale Kayihura to calm the situation (I saw Kayihura in photos with the affected community members) but unfortunately, these people continue to be an endangered species. There are three people who were murdered in Mayuge district on the 29th Jan 2009, a day on which ironically the country was celebrating the 23 years liberation from the ugly past.
What is disheartening however is that the state functionaries: the RDC of Mayuge Mr Tom Johnfisher Kasenge, the DPC Mr Moses Semakula, the DISO whose name we have not established and the National Forest Authority officials are allegedly the ones perpetrating and orchestrating these ugly scenarios. The reason being given is that the residents in this place are squatters on government land. Assuming that was true, should it lead to murder of these people? On the other hand, these people argue that the land is their ancestral land. Now the critical question to ask, has government abdicated its responsibility of providing security of person and property.
Seeing the pictures of the slain people: James Mugalya, Pastor George Baasonga and Pastor Christopher Nkalanaga awestruck me. I think, it is the responsibility of all of us without exception to condemn the unwarranted human rights abuses wherever they are. I particularly call upon politicians, civil society activists, faith groups and academia to strenuously do something about this impasse. And I think the government should have been more serious about this matter. Otherwise, this stalemate is getting out of hand. Busoga region has always handsomely voted the NRM but it seems they are being paid in a rather different currency. Could it be true like some pundits have often avered that they have been riding a tiger which would only turn around to devour them?
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News | March 31, 2008
Tororo RDC Hashaka suspended for coursework fraud
YASIIN MUGERWA
KAMPALA
TORORO RDC Samuel Mpimbaza Hashaka is among six post-graduate students suspended over exam cheating at Makerere University.
Mr Hashaka, whose registration number is 2006/HD03/8084U, was pursuing a Masters Degree in Leadership and Human Relations before the university authorities convicted him jointly with other students on charges amounting to coursework fraud.
Mr Hashaka also heads the Uganda Transparency Consultants (UTCs), a local NGO whose specialty is among other things to combat corruption and promote integrity in the country.
Daily Monitor has obtained a letter dated December 12, 2007, in which Dr Abasi Kiyimba, the deputy dean in charge of examinations wrote to Dr Abdul-Fattah Katende, the head of the Department of Religious Studies, informing him about the decision taken by the Examinations Faculty [of Arts] committee.
"Please note that MA students listed below appeared before the Faculty [of Arts] Examinations Committee, charged with involvement in coursework fraud, and they were found guilty of the offence," Dr Kiyimba wrote. "The Committee decided that they should be suspended for one academic year (2008/09)."
Other culprits include; Mr Richard Ssaku (2006/HD03/8099U), Mr Isaac Mudoi (2006/HD03/8083U), Mr Edward Bita Lwanga Calm (2006/HD03/8065U), Ms Pamela Ankunda (2006/HD03/8262U) and Mr Alex Ssebayizzi (2006/HD03/7426U).
"Any examinations or coursework assignment that they may have written during the period of their suspension are irrelevant and should be cancelled," the letter reads in part.
When contacted yesterday, Mr Hashaka said Makerere was witch-hunting him because of his position in government. "We were given a study group assignment in Research Methods and there was nothing like copying because we presented our work as a group," Mr Hashaka said.
"It was a scheme targeting some people like us because we are like "white chicken" and we can easily be seen. This was planned because my firm [UTCs] is investigating corruption at Makerere."
But sources close to the dean's office have described the incident as a "breach of trust" at the university, which is allegedly under pressure to rekindle its reputation as a credible academic giant with reliable credentials to produce the quality brains.
The new scandal comes amid public criticism over the increased exam irregularities and reports of transcript forgeries and sex - for- marks allegations that have damaged Makerere University's reputation on the continent.
Talking about the implication of examination fraud, Mr Vincent Nuwagaba, a political scientist said; "If you have courseworks done for you, you forge documents, or cheat exams you get a certificate, which is a mere paper and not a degree."
"If fake people are hired what stops them from perpetuating the system that saw them enter office? If one forged papers or cheated exams, what would stop them from stealing public funds?" he wondered.
This is not the first crackdown on cheating students; in March 2007, the university expelled over 80 students for cheating exams during the academic year 2006/07.
The affected faculties were; Computing and Information, where 29 students were expelled indefinitely, School of Education (12), Faculty of Arts (15), Social Sciences (15), and Faculty of Law (10).
To save the integrity of the university, Dr Kiyimba has directed that Mr Hashaka and other culprits should vacate the university premises until they have served their sentence.
"The purpose of this letter is to advise you that this decision is in force, and the above students are not eligible to attend any classes or write any examinations until they have served their suspension," Dr Kiyimba wrote. While Mr Hashaka and some other four students appeared before the committee, their colleague Mr Ssebayizzi is facing a tougher action after he ratedly failed to appear before the committee to answer similar charges of academic fraud.
"According to the regulation in force, this student should have been recommended for dismissal for defying the committee; but the committee decided that he should be given one more invitation, after which he will be recommended for dismissal if he doesn't turn up," Dr Kiyimba's letter reads in part. "Please advise the above students on the seriousness of this position, and the dangers related to acting in defiance of the above ruling of the Examination committee."
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Opinions | March 24, 2008
This women talk is a hoax
EMANCIPATION: Vincent Nuwagaba
I read with cynicism the President’s speech on Women’s Day where he argued that women should divorce men who are violent against them. Not so much because I believe in violence against women but rather because I feel the President was just speaking to excite his audience.
President Museveni’s government has always touted itself as a champion of women emancipation yet the reality on ground shows otherwise. I wish to debate the issue of gender-based violence from that perspective.
I would also wish to raise the bar of debate by looking at the causes of violence against women rather than confining ourselves to domestic violence. Historically, the Ugandan society is patriarchal.
I am not convinced that the patriarchal culture has changed with Museveni’s ascendancy to power. What we see as women emancipation is tokenism which has left women in the position of inequality. We have very few women for example, who can stand on their own and compete with men.
But also we need to raise the level of debate beyond physical violence to all other forms of violence including psychological, social, economic or otherwise. We must consider problems befalling women holistically.
The evils of corruption, unemployment, poverty, sectarianism among others have dealt a big blow to women. Does the government think that women can be divorced from the rest of the citizens just because they are women?
Is it not true that women in the past 22 years have been relegated to deputy positions: The deputy speaker of Parliament, former Vice President, Deputy Minister of Local Government, among others?
Women in Uganda are crucial just like men. Moreover they constitute the biggest percentage of our population. But the government, apart from capitalising on constitutional provisions for political expediency, has never taken women as serious actors in the political process.
This is the 23rd year of Mr Museveni in power, assuming he left now and the policy of affirmative action was done away with, how many women would ably wrest power from men? And I think continued affirmative action means that it is still a long way to equality.
What happened to the Domestic Relations Bill? Is it not gathering dust on the shelves of either the Cabinet or the President? In my view, the President has himself not been the best example of the champions for women emancipation.
What women need is not eloquent speeches by the President or any of his cadres. Neither do they need affirmative action but commitment to improvement of their lives holistically.
They need drugs in health centres, they need jobs for themselves and their children. They need good roads to market their produce. They need social protection which they can get in form of economic empowerment not only for them but for their children too.
The writer is a human rights activist
0712843552
Op-Ed | March 16, 2008
Graft begets graft
CORRUPTION DEBATE: Vincent Nuwagaba
I read with a sigh of relief the front page Sunday Vision story that government wants 14 years in jail for corrupt officials in a new law it is proposing. I am however sceptical that the present government will actually follow through.
My scepticism is not unfounded. It is as plain government officials and top politicians have perfected the art of corruption. Corruption in Ugandans’ parlance is no longer a monster it should be regarded to be. Rather, the corrupt are hailed as “smart”.
But also, assuming for argument’s sake the minister’s plea is enforced, who would be the very first victims? I hope there would not be selective application of the law since all Ugandans are supposed to be equal before the law.
Unless we separate form from substance Mr Nsaba Buturo’s bill will never see the light of the day and even if passed it will never be enforced. I have taught political science in a university and the subject I enjoy most is constitutions and constitutionalism.
I always tell my students that a constitution and constitutionalism are related but the former is useless if it doesn’t lead to the latter. At best it remains a paper document merely for window dressing purposes. I strongly feel that law enforcement has eluded this country.
My emphasis is on political corruption which by definition is abuse of office by public officials, not because I condone corruption in private offices but because I have limited space, and it is public offices that should account to me given that they directly use my taxes. I also make the direct link between what one would call deliberate unemployment and corruption. And I say deliberate because there is no political will to fight unemployment.
Corruption can also mean any form of abuse and any aberration or moral decadence- sectarianism, cronyism, influence-peddling, forgery, perjury, vote-buying, bribery, marginalisation, foul play including Machiavellian politics.
But it should be broadened to cover the entire society because corruption is not exclusive to office bearers. Can anyone convince me that people who forge documents including Makerere University transcripts along Nkrumah and Nasser Roads are not corrupt? What of the unemployed bright Ugandans who do course works for students in order to survive? Unless, the root causes of the cancer are addressed the minister’s bill won’t go a long way.
What explanation can the government give for the high unemployment rates when people with university degrees are less than 0.5% of the country’s population yet government departments alone employ around 500,000 according to the figures from the Labour Market Information Bulletin from the Ministry of Gender Labour and Social Development? I have told my students a degree is intrinsic within the person, it is the knowledge attained in the course of study.
If you have course works done for you, you forge documents, or cheat exams you get a certificate which is a mere paper and not a degree.
I have never had a full time job ever since I finished Makerere University with very good grades in 2004 purely because of political corruption; because the offices some of us would occupy on merit are sometimes given on know-who and come-from-where basis.
I know of a family in this country where virtually all the sons and daughters upon completion of their studies are recruited into the police and they become District Police Commanders in a blink of an eye.
The problem of corruption in this country is structural. The government can hire me as a consultant if it genuinely wants to fight the monster.
The bible says what you sow is what you reap.
If fake people are the ones hired what stops them from perpetuating the system that saw them enter office? If one forged papers or cheated exams what would stop them from stealing public funds?
But also, if one was brilliant but failed to get a job because of corruption what happened in the recent police recruitment what would stop them from pursuing the end using any possible means? Corruption begets corruption.
Mr Nuwagaba is a political scientist, human rights scholar and activist
Vincentconqueror@yahoo.com
Vincet ya calm now days ,have you forgotten ya purpose of leaving?
i thought as a hero of thot ya supposed to fight paka last.
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