Of Soulmates

If your Soul mate stood before you, would you know?

I have met my soul mate…

 I have met my soul mate, yet I did not end up with him. Typing those words brings an ache, a shiver in my body and a smirk on my face. Who meets their soulmates and lets them get away?

I met him and I touched him, I felt his hands and sat next to him and I experienced life with him and somehow, he was gone and I was ready to move on… or maybe that is what I have come to believe.  You ask, how do I know if he was my soul mate? I was whole. When he was here, for as long as he was… there was a sense of wholeness that enveloped my being. When he was away for as long as he was… I lost my way.

 With deep affinity I loved him, I prayed for him and celebrated his life’s journey. In him my love was full. I had seen the one they say… “Flesh of my flesh and blood of my blood”

Did he know that you were soulmates? I am not sure, I don’t know. It is hard to tell. Could I have claimed a soul mate in a man blinded by self that he would rather sink into an abyss of loneliness? Could he be selfish enough to condemn himself to the worst kind of human torture? That is a question he has to answer for himself.

 And so, I go on, knowing I have seen the one who fires up my soul into completeness. I have laid in the embrace of the one whose love justifies the rest of my days. Yet our paths drifted apart.

Does it hurt to see them slip away? Every. Little. Bit. But what is my love if it harbors prisoners? May my love be true, that it will allow him to follow his own path, knowing that I will never lose the touch of my soul mate…. for my love will exist across time.

 Life goes on…life will be lived and I go on, I can trust my heart to carry me on into the depths of love and bringing me face to face with the holder of the home for my soul.

 

 

 

REMEDYING THE FINANCIAL CRISIS BEYOND COVID-19.

 

The Covid-19 pandemic is thought to cause a worse financial crisis than that of 2008. Economists argue that it might take about mid year for countries to start seeing a semblance of stability in the economy. 

According to the IMF, “Since the pandemic’s outbreak, prices of risk assets have fallen sharply. At the worst point of the recent selloff, risk assets suffered half or more of the declines they experienced in 2008 and 2009. For example, many equity markets—in economies large and small—have endured declines of 30 percent or more at the trough. Credit spreads have jumped, especially for lower-rated firms.”

As we gear into another financial year, we need to have our checks and balances in order to avoid receding into a grave financial burden. In this fast-moving environment, we need to think in scenarios, rather than pretending to know how the economy will evolve over the next 1 ½ years.

Export earnings have dropped by 4.1 trillion Uganda shillings in the past two months. Ugandan Minister of Finance Matia Kasaija told parliament that the east African country has suffered the effect of the pandemic, which forced the country to lower its economic growth projection for this financial year by 0.3 to 0.8 percentage point.

Kasaija said the projection was downgraded from the targeted 6 percent for the financial year 2019/2020, adding that in the worst scenario millions of Ugandans would be pushed into poverty.

The aftermath of the pandemic is an issue that we should handle with great importance as a continent and as a country.

While the African continent roars with few numbers of the Covid-19 pandemic, it is imperative to note that the numbers continue to soar on the continent and in the world.

As a Country, we have been commended on early response to the pandemic and early execution of the lock down in order to put in force complete social distancing.

In his presidential addresses, the president intimated that factories within Uganda were responding to the pandemic by providing material for use and also making reusable masks for doctors as the need continues to rise. In the end, supporting local businesses to stay afloat as we go through this health crisis.

In the presence of the Covid-19 pandemic, schools are set to reopen soon with the hope that the disease would be contained by then and movement will be restored to that effect. 

While companies, government offices and all of the non-essential services are on hold for the moment, key concerns raise on the frailty of the Ugandan economy and how it will muscle back after the pandemic.

Therefore, as we progress through the lock down days, fiscal policies need to be adjusted to reflect the times in order to create shock absorbents for the Ugandan tax payers. fiscal policies will play a critical role in mitigating the negative impact of the pandemic on economic activities and challenges in the affected sectors, while monetary policies will help reduce the impact of the deterioration of the Balance of Payments

Policymakers and economists need to understand and prepare for the threat that the economic system is more likely to face and work collaboratively on appropriate strategies and policy measures to counteract the downturn.

It is clear by now that COVID-19 is going to have long-lasting negative consequences on the economy. Policymakers must apply their measures optimally to counteract the downturn. They must ensure that their decisions are well-informed and based on thoroughly conducted empirical evaluations.

The pandemic also brought to light the struggle and redirection needed in the financial budget for 2020/2021. It should be able to cater for the health sector in regard to provisions of hospital equipment, safety gear, remuneration and revamping of the whole sector. It is evidently clear that a viral infection has the ability of wiping a whole country off before a gun can. 

In other words, while we allocate resources to military artillery, we should also invest heavily in the health sector in the next financial year.

Uganda after the Covid-19 pandemic needs rapid response in creating shock absorbents for Ugandans in order to avoid people running into debt or much less out of business. The strategy for survival should be reflect in the tax culture, in the prices of commodities and in the access to services after the pandemic.

Also key measures taken to stop the spread of the pandemic should not be turned into status quo in order for people to be able to move ahead and work back the lost time in business.

There is life after such a pandemic but the ability for us all to survive a financial death/ drowning is going to depend on the effort of government and it’s financial wing. The solution will lie in their ability to steer Uganda out of red zone poverty worse than before into a progressive standing, short of that, many Ugandans might not be able to thrive and survive the aftermath of such a pandemic.

UBUNTU IN THE TIMES OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

As of March 19, 33 African countries had reported more than 600 cases and 17 deaths due to COVID-19, the disease caused by the new corona virus. More than 40 people have recovered.

From the beginning of the pandemic, the World Health Organisations warned of the risk that COVID-19 will have on Africa where there are weak health systems, poor sanitation facilitates, water scarcity and urban crowding. These pose additional challenges to the fight and prevention of the COVID-19.

On the 19^th Of March 2020, MTN Uganda issued a cut down on their tariffs and put aside 500 million Uganda shillings towards the fight of COVID-19. Airtel Uganda as well, removed transaction charges for the next 30 days of the lock down.  On the same day, Solidarity Uganda took food supplies to the quarantined Ugandans at the Central Inn-Entebbe as a sign of standing in Solidarity with them. A gesture of our collective responsibility and ubuntu-ness as a Country.

While we cannot come together and radically serve the community, sharing in society responsibility is going to be a great resource for Ugandans in the face of the corona virus pandemic. Ubuntu will help us serve our communities better beyond the selfishness that usually engulfs us in the face of capitalistic and monopolized survival. We are only going to survive if we acknowledge each other’s contribution to society. I am because you are—Ubuntu. In that spirit, we will be more responsive in practicing measures that not only benefit us as individuals but as a society.

With our health care institutions in dire need of revamping to prepare them for the outbreak and a lack of rapid response units in every district, there will be a need for doctors and nurses to volunteer their time and resources in the coming months. Arguably, Uganda even in the presence of meager resources has managed to put up measures to contain the pandemic. The Ministry of Health has been critical to quarantine people coming into the country with 14 Europeans exiting for refusal of being quarantined.

Crises have a way of making us realize our unity as Ugandans. We have weathered a lot of crises together as a nation. We went through the World Cup Final Bombings, the Budo Fire, the Ebola Outbreak and recently the Boat Cruise sink-in as a unit. We can only but win the outbreak of COVID-19 as a unit. Let us rally around washing hands and providing clean water to vulnerable and less advantage people in our communities. We can also adhere to the lock down and protect our families. Small efforts will help us in avoiding exposure and also save lives.

During this time our success stories will be in the collective responsibility and togetherness. Our efforts towards working together will be the highlight in the fight of COVID-19. It is this collective responsibility that has helped us survive other pandemics like Ebola, Marburg and HIV/AIDS in the past.

Uganda registered a COVID-19 case over the weekend and it is in our combined effort that we can work towards reducing the possibility of a spread of the disease.

ANOTHER PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE WILL ENCOURAGE POLITICAL DIALOGUE IN THE 2020-2021 ELECTION CYCLE.

On 15^th January 2016, The Elders Forum of Uganda (TEFU) and the Inter Religious Council of Uganda (IRCU) gave Uganda the first ever Presidential debate ahead of the 18^th February General Elections 2016. The debate highlighted key National issues and laid foundation for post-election dialogue which was realized in the Uganda National Dialogue Process.

The debate offered a platform for candidates to articulate their vision for the country and to interrogate one another on their respective plans for the future. This helped the public to understand, question the critical pillars of the respective electoral manifestos of the candidate and fill in the gaps that cannot be filled in the drama and hype of the ordinary rallies which are given to the public.

In his poem, “The debate is the thing”, Justice Ogoola highlighted the heart and soul of the need for debate; “ Here the nobler ideas and ideals of the mind take pride or place to titillate the political soul of the electorate, on the campaign trail candidates stand on the shifting stands of populism, at the debate the candidates stand on the solid platform of fundamental ideals and critical ideas. With firm figures and facts to wow the audience with wit and humor to charm the electorate, the debate soothes the politics of rancor, binds the wounds of the mundane. Truly the debate is the thing.”

In those words, Justice Ogoola brought forth the life of debate and the need to provide the electorate a chance to critically analyse the presidential aspirants. It brought a new perspective on the importance of issues that matter in our community, electoral campaign issues like election violence and fear mongering. The debate was a new tool of politics which revealed that we can practice politics with decorum and respect for all.

Ahead of the 2021 general elections, the urgency and agency of debate as a tool for better political dialogue and to restore civility in the election cycle becomes viable. The debates will help Ugandans have a national conversation and a chance for the presidential candidates to present their vision for the country in a civil and level headed way.

It brought critical questioning to the issues that have been characteristic of the NRM governance, like NRM’s alleged history of election rigging, political persecution, stifling of the media, arbitrary killings, and corruption, most of which continue to exist in government. 

In the face of changed legislation to scrap the age-limit in 2018, increased stifling of dissent and a closing space for civic engagement that has been witnessed in the FDC and Mr Robert Kyagulanyi’s desire to carry out consultations ahead of the electoral campaigns creates need for political dialogue inter alias a presidential debate that will provide a  chance for the electorate to shape its choice in voting and provide a probability for critical analysis of the candidates manifestos and vision for Uganda.

The Presidential debate will also feed into the vision for National dialogue which has been central to the conversations Ugandans have been having in the informal consultations and pilot dialogue exercises of the Uganda National Dialogue Process that was spearheaded by The Elders Forum of Uganda(TEFU), Inter-Religious Council of Uganda (IRCU) , National Consultative Forum(NCF), The Inter-Party Organisation for Dialogue (IPOD), Citizens’ Coalition for Electoral Democracy in Uganda (CCEDU) Uganda Women’s Network (UWONET) and Women Situation Room (WSR) who make up the Uganda National Dialogue Coordinating Team.

 In the effort to create social cohesion and consolidation of peace, a safe space for debate and dialogue is an inevitable necessity for the electoral process before us. The debate will provide an avenue for democracy to thrive ahead of the 2021 general elections, it will afford a chance for candidates to prepare better visionary manifestos and road maps for their service to the people of Uganda. It is a chance for accountability from the leaders against their manifestos presented in the 2016 campaigns and presidential debate.

The debate promises civic engagement and participation for Ugandans in the electoral cycle— a catalyst for upholding democracy and governance issues of Uganda. Ugandans have the responsibility of choosing leaders who aspires towards the Uganda they want. A constant provision of spaces for dialogue goes a long way in building pillars for engagement, critical analysis of issues at hand and ultimately a solidification of democracy in Uganda.

The debate is the thing and will be the thing that shapes and changes the direction of the electoral campaigns and the 2021 general elections.

ELECTORAL REFORMS WILL BE A SAFETY CAP AHEAD OF THE 2021 GENERAL ELECTIONS

The removal of the term limits in 2005 and the Age limit in 2017 left a gap in the

delivery of a free, fair and transparent electoral process in Uganda. Consequently,

the passing of the electoral reforms would help shape legislation needed during the

electoral cycle ahead of the 2021 general elections.

It should be noted that while some clauses of the proposed bills are prejudiced

towards particular individuals and towards stifling transparency during the elections,

the urgency of the reforms is one greatly felt in the electorate.

On 7th January 2020, Civil Society Organizations re-echoed the need for electoral

Reforms ahead of the 2021 general elections. The electoral reforms where presented

to parliament on June 29th, 2019 and civil society shared their analysis of the bills with

the Parliamentary committee for legal and constitutional affairs. Imperative to note,

the recommendations in the previous citizen consultations i.e. The Citizens’ Compact

on free and fair election (2015) and the Citizens’ Electoral Reform Agenda (2011) and

those forwarded by the Supreme Court need to be put into consideration before

passing the bills.

Therefore, as we begin the electoral process, sterner attention should be put to

passing the electoral reforms as a safety cap that will regulate and push for a

participatory electoral process. For us to redeem the closing space for dissent, media

coverage and continued witch hunt of the opposition, parliament needs to pass the

electoral reform bills with the needed amendments. This will be a stepping stone

towards securing legal frameworks that will govern the electoral processes and as

well as create hope within the electorate in elections as a capable channel for

delivering change and stability to the political life of Uganda.

By Tricia Gloria Nabaye

Research Fellow: GREAT LAKES INSTITUTE FOR STRATEGIC STUDIES

gnabaye@gliss.org

THE RWENZORI AND ELGON REGION LANDSLIDES: A case of failed policy.

Landslides claim lives in hundreds yearly and leave many homeless and destitute. The Rwenzori
and Elgon region over a period of 10 years has experienced radicle landslides. Unfortunately,
many continue to grapple with the effects of these disasters continually.
In the wake of the Indian Ocean Dipole, a weather phenomenon which causes a rise in water
temperatures in the Indian Ocean up to 2C and as a result leads to higher evaporation rate off
the East African coastline —this has been regarded by scientists as the explanation for the
recent continuous rains in East Africa.

In October 2019, the government of Uganda in partnership with the University of Maryland ran
a project of installing rain gauges that would provide early warning signs on the rain levels.
This was aimed at providing early evacuation warnings to residents in the land slide prone
areas. While the equipment did provide the information on the increasing rain levels and
information was shared with the residents of Bududa, few adhered to the warnings.

It should be noted that government started the Kiryandongo resettlement project after the
2010 landslide disaster. The cabinet approved the project and the committee that was selected
in that regard established that 100,000 people were at high risk of experiencing landslides and
required resettlement in safer locations. Government agreed to acquire 3200 acres of land
each year and provide 2.5 acres of land to each family at risk.

In a period of 10 years a total of 32,000 acres of land would have been acquired, enough to
resettle many displaced Ugandans in the Rwenzori and Elgon region.

We cannot continue to pile the statistics of the dead as a result of the landslides, responsible
ministries have a mandate to the people in these regions to protect and provide for them as
citizens of Uganda.

It should be noted that from 2010 we have had seven major landslide incidents and very few
people have been resettled in each incident.

In March 2010, the areas of Names, Pukalani Subcounty experienced landslide and 100 people
were confirmed dead and 5000 people displaced. In June 2012, Namaga, Bunakasala in Bududa
experienced another landslide and 450 people were confirmed dead with property and
livestock lost as well. In August 2017, the region of Bufupa Parish in Sironko district
experienced landslide with 7 people reported dead and hundreds displaced. In October 2018,
Suume village in Bukalasi-Bududa experienced landslide with 42 people reported dead and 500
people displaced. In May-October 2018 the areas of Namisindwa, Manafwa, Sironko, Bududa
and Bulambuli experienced 67 registered landslides, while no deaths were registered thousands
were left homeless. In June 2019 the areas of Buwali Sub county in Bududa had an episode of
landslides and 5 people were reported dead and 400 people were displaced.

The ongoing land slides in the Rwenzori and Elgon region are a clear indicator of how
implementation of policies is still evasive to us as a people. There is a looming gap that needs
to be addressed in providing resettlement, emergency rescue plan and rapid response units for
the people of Bududa. With no alternatives, they will stay in Bududa regardless of the life
threat the region poses.

There needs to be a deliberate resettlement plan for these people and a conservation remedy
for the Elgon and Rwenzori Mountain slopes in order to avert the continuous outbursts of
landslides that are as a result of erosions and tree cutting in the mountain regions.

The low lands continue to pose a life threat to the people of Bududa who by far have only had
spades and hoes as rescue tools. Government should revisit the relevance of the rain gauges
installed in the region and provide early warning alternatives to the residents in the Rwenzori
and Elgon region.

As the rains wage on, we stand in solidarity with the people in the Rwenzori and Elgon region.
We continue to advocate for the ubuntu ideology in these communities, so that as many as can
help will be placed in that position to do so.

Tricia Gloria Nabaye
gnabaye@gliss.org

THINKING OF 2021

In thought of the future, the general election of 2021 always floats with blur...

What will happen then, how many state politicians and security will be there then.Will the god father have his strongest allies by his side. How will the feel of the pending elections makes us. Will we be waiting anxiously on who our next president will be, or we will know that voting would not suffice change for us?

I wonder what the ballot system will be like, will we vote electronically like the passports we will have then? Or we will stand in cue and cast our paper ballots.

Will we count one paper vote at a time or they will be electronically tallied...I wonder.

Will our politicians still be promising us safe birth and hospital care for mothers? Will we be promised roads and fly overs on our own taxes? I still wonder.

Will the electoral commission be the one chosen by the powers that be, will there be an amendment in the electoral laws and by laws. Will we have some radical new face to the electoral system of our land or it will be the same?

The people that matter, the voters, will they be still taking bribe of sugar and soap or they will have elevated to holding their leaders accountable when they come to ask for their votes. Will they allow their own money to be given to them, without doing its purpose thereof?

Will the people be willing to trust the ballot system yet again, will they check their names in the register  and confirm their polling stations? Will they vote?

The security forces, will they come out in angry battalion gear or they will go to their respective polling stations and vote too. Will the red top be participating or standing by with their guns? Will there be an order to arrest opposition big wigs or they will let them vote peacefully?

In thought of the future, my head runs wild but in hope I carry on that the experiences of the past, the blood shed , the rigging, the military forces, the police brutality will be an experience of the past for a tired Ugandan like myself.

My bittersweet delight: For him who is my ever losing battle yet my greatest war.

He said He loved me...

So why is my heart pained?

Why is my gut stopping with hiccup in thought of us?

He said that he loves me...

But every emotion within that desires him screams in fear of what he is capable of...

He is the object of my affection but in him lies the power to break me.

He holds my heart’s aching bits but he is the pain that resides in that ache.

And maybe someday I will be able to look at him and believe in his three little words but until then, I can only but hope his heart means well.

-My bittersweet delight-

OF POEMS THAT DEFINE THE STRUGGLE

THE REVOLUTION WILL NOT BE TELEVISED

You will not be able to stay home, brother.
You will not be able to plug in, turn on and cop out.
You will not be able to lose yourself on skag and skip,
Skip out for beer during commercials,
Because the revolution will not be televised.

The revolution will not be televised.
The revolution will not be brought to you by Xerox
In 4 parts without commercial interruptions.
The revolution will not show you pictures of Nixon
blowing a bugle and leading a charge by John
Mitchell, General Abrams and Spiro Agnew to eat
hog maws confiscated from a Harlem sanctuary.
The revolution will not be televised.


The revolution will not be brought to you by the
Schaefer Award Theatre and will not star Natalie
Woods and Steve McQueen or Bullwinkle and Julia.
The revolution will not give your mouth sex appeal.
The revolution will not get rid of the nubs.
The revolution will not make you look five pounds
thinner, because the revolution will not be televised, Brother.


There will be no pictures of you and Willie May
pushing that shopping cart down the block on the dead run,
or trying to slide that color television into a stolen ambulance.
NBC will not be able predict the winner at 8:32
or report from 29 districts.
The revolution will not be televised.


There will be no pictures of pigs shooting down
brothers in the instant replay.
There will be no pictures of pigs shooting down
brothers in the instant replay.
There will be no pictures of Whitney Young being
run out of Harlem on a rail with a brand new process.
There will be no slow motion or still life of Roy
Wilkens strolling through Watts in a Red, Black and
Green liberation jumpsuit that he had been saving
For just the proper occasion.


Green Acres, The Beverly Hillbillies, and Hooterville
Junction will no longer be so damned relevant, and
women will not care if Dick finally gets down with
Jane on Search for Tomorrow because Black people
will be in the street looking for a brighter day.
The revolution will not be televised.


There will be no highlights on the eleven o'clock
news and no pictures of hairy armed women
liberationists and Jackie Onassis blowing her nose.
The theme song will not be written by Jim Webb,
Francis Scott Key, nor sung by Glen Campbell, Tom
Jones, Johnny Cash, Englebert Humperdink, or the Rare Earth.
The revolution will not be televised.


The revolution will not be right back after a message
About a white tornado, white lightning, or white people.
You will not have to worry about a dove in your
bedroom, a tiger in your tank, or the giant in your toilet bowl.
The revolution will not go better with Coke.
The revolution will not fight the germs that may cause bad breath.
The revolution WILL put you in the driver's seat.


The revolution will not be televised, will not be televised,
will not be televised, will not be televised.
The revolution will be no re-run brothers;
The revolution will be live.

Gil Scott Heron

OF POEMS THAT STIR JOY

TO HIS COY MISTRESS: ANDREW MARVELL

Had we but world enough and time,

This coyness, lady, were no crime.

We would sit down, and think which way

To walk, and pass our long love’s day.

Thou by the Indian Ganges’ side

Shouldst rubies find; I by the tide

Of Humber would complain. I would

Love you ten years before the flood,

And you should, if you please, refuse

Till the conversion of the Jews.

My vegetable love should grow

Vaster than empires and more slow;

An hundred years should go to praise

Thine eyes, and on thy forehead gaze;

Two hundred to adore each breast,

But thirty thousand to the rest;

An age at least to every part,

And the last age should show your heart.

For, lady, you deserve this state,

Nor would I love at lower rate.

       But at my back I always hear

Time’s wingèd chariot hurrying near;

And yonder all before us lie

Deserts of vast eternity.

Thy beauty shall no more be found;

Nor, in thy marble vault, shall sound

My echoing song; then worms shall try

That long-preserved virginity,

And your quaint honour turn to dust,

And into ashes all my lust;

The grave’s a fine and private place,

But none, I think, do there embrace.

       Now therefore, while the youthful hue

Sits on thy skin like morning dew,

And while thy willing soul transpires

At every pore with instant fires,

Now let us sport us while we may,

And now, like amorous birds of prey,

Rather at once our time devour

Than languish in his slow-chapped power.

Let us roll all our strength and all

Our sweetness up into one ball,

And tear our pleasures with rough strife

Through the iron gates of life:

Thus, though we cannot make our sun

Stand still, yet we will make him run.