From the Press Gallery: A China and North Korea in the making

She had kept a private and quiet life. Now, you all know her. A sister to opposition leader Dr Kizza Besigye, there must be something remarkable about Dr Olive Kobusingye.

How has she managed to stay out of the public eye for all these years? Literary out of the blue, Dr Kobusingye has been catapulted to national limelight—and stardom, by transgressions of the state.

Her book: “The Correct Line; Uganda under Museveni,” found its way on the floor of Parliament for discussion last week.
Even in her wildest dreams I don’t think Dr Kobusingye would have imagined the gods would be blessing her this much.
First, she dedicates almost a year in collecting her thoughts and putting them into writing.

With a publisher at hand, the book is complete. From London, international courier DHL is hired to transport some 500 copies into the country for a planned launch.

Then, as soon as the cargo touches down at Entebbe, the Uganda government gets jittery and impounds the books.
This newspaper breaks the story, setting off interest in this bizarre affair.

The matter is presented on the floor by Soroti Woman MP Alice Alaso who is as curious as anybody else as to just how and why the state would be infringing on the most basic of freedoms.
Officially, there had been no excuse given by the government, save for revenue officials who had claimed that a certain arm of the state had recommended withholding the book until its contents are analysed.

Govt explanation
Then, more than a week later, Internal Affairs Minister Kirunda Kivejinja comes before Parliament, issues a statement three sentences long and claims the book had been impounded because it contained “security connotations.”

“You see, we are very alert these days on matters of security,” he said. “I will be giving you the details on Tuesday.”
Tomorrow is Tuesday and we wait with bated breath for Mr Kivejinja’s explicit explanation. But that said I can bet that as night follows day, there is no way Kivejinja will prove that claim.

There is still enough time for government to save face and admit that it is so wrong on this matter. Kivejinja’s assertions are not only embarrassing, they border on the insane. If he says the book is a security threat because it is a frank critique of President Museveni, was it planning a coup? Perhaps Kivejinja is right but only if the book is a human being and was planning armed rebellion against the state.

There is worse, worse critical stuff out there that bashes the regime and the government has absolutely no control over who reads it. Go to some of these popular social networks like YouTube and type Museveni child soldiers. See the stuff that comes up and you’ll be shocked.

Have you forgotten about Radio Katwe? They are still online churning out disparaging stuff about the NRM and President Museveni.

But what does all this say about our dear government? Here is a regime maturing to the level of wanting to dictate people’s thoughts and thinking but the mere thought of such action is plain ridiculous in this day and age of an internet frenzied 21st century.

To want to do this would be utterly futile and farcical. This is stuff we have been reading about in places like North Korea and China but now it’s right here in our own backyards.
Okay, true we already know the state to be repressive and decadent, but when it stoops this low, there is every reason to get worried.

Is it justified to say the mighty NRM has reached the bottom of bottom? Some will think so. I was enjoying some banter with a friend over this issue and he told me that he doubts whether Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe, “in his craziest of moments” would have been silly enough to do such a thing. We laughed. Perhaps Mugabe would have been smart enough but then again, he could have been dumber and locked up Kobusingye with her books or even hired goons to finish her off.

For Dr Kobusingye, the government’s insanity is simply Godsend. She has been handed advance publicity for her book, which under normal circumstances she would never have obtained.
Make no mistake, as soon as her book hits the shelves, people are going to rush for it like hot cakes. It will be a sell out. She had only imported 500 copies but my guess is she will triple the numbers.

I have perused through the book and there is nothing particularly new Dr Kobusingye is documenting. This is stuff we know that has happened but the only problem here is that she is Dr Besigye’s sister.

Why should it be a crime that Dr Kobusingye had the time to think and reflect and put her thoughts into writing?
If the government was in such disagreement with what she wrote, the smart thing to have done is counter all her supposed fallacies. The government has paid writers, thinkers and academics, who could have swung into action and taken her head on.

CAP: AUTHOR: Dr Kobusingye

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Flowers & Frowns

FFinance Minister Syda Bbumba is the proud recipient of the 2010 African Finance Minister of the Year. At a colourful ceremony in Washington DC, Ms Bbumba was voted ahead of dozens of her male continental counterparts to scoop the award. In handing her the award, the organisers said they recognised her for “reducing inflation and instituting sound fiscal and monetary policies in Uganda.” Only in her second year as Minister, this award will come as a huge confidence boost in Ms Bbumba’s competences. I am sure it will be well placed in her trophy cabinet. Ms Bbumba, however, must be commended for doing herself proud and carrying the Ugandan flag high.
For scooping the African Finance Minister of the year award, flowers for you Madam Bbumba

Is the Electoral Commission ready to ensure next year’s general elections are transparent? By the look of things, it appears not. Last week, EC boss Eng. Badru Kiggundu admitted that the final voter’s register is not ready. When pressed by reporters to state how long Ugandans should wait, all he could say is that the display of the final register would be “done shortly.”
What? Imagine, the general elections are happening in less than four months and the EC has not yet organised the national voter register. It is difficult to see just how the EC will deal with its organisational hitches and beat its own deadlines.
I know the EC boss will always use the usual escapist excuses; funding problems, the money didn’t come in time, blah,blah,blah! This process should have been done a minimum of eight months before the general election so that there is enough time to clean up the register.
Don’t be surprised to see ghosts and dead men voting next year.
For not fixing our register so far, frowns for you Bwana Kiggundu