YOUR MONDAY EXPRESSIONS
- Written by OUR READERS
TB drugs passed quality test
Reference is made to a news story that appeared in the Sunday Monitor of May 10, 2009 titled: ‘Minister Kakooza makes a move at NDA’ regarding the release of TB medicines.
Matters concerning medicines are taken very seriously at National Drug Authority and it is for this purpose that NDA ensures that medicines on the Uganda market whether manufactured locally or imported conform to national and international quality and safety standards.
Medicines, unlike other consumer goods, are meant to improve public health and NDA has to protect the population through its established quality assurance mechanism that ensures only good quality, safe and efficacious medicines are available to the population. No product would be authorised into the country without passing through this mechanism. NDA wants to assure the public that the said tuberculosis (TB) medicines were released after passing NDA’s mandatory and current quality assurance mechanisms.
NDA remains committed to ensuring that only safe, efficacious and quality medicines are available for use in Uganda.
Apollo Muhairwe,
Executive/Registrar,
National Drug Authority.
Senseless loss of life is sad
The last two weeks have saddened me. First, a PGB officer loses his head, goes on rampage and leaves several people, including himself, dead. The motive for the killings is shrouded in mystery. Then shortly after, we hear of an ‘intruder’ murdered at the Security Minister’s residence. Again the details of the shooting are not clear. Whether the slain man was an intruder or not may never be empirically proven. Then we hear of five people who went out to look for death in Kasese after engaging themselves in a drinking spree where they took toxic amounts of ‘Simba Waragi’. The last of these sad events, albeit being common news, were the several motor accidents along our highways.
If we continue losing citizens at this rate, then we are doomed as a nation.
Ojoatre Kaaka,
ug_president2016@yahoo.ca
Why defend only Pastor Kayanja?
The Minister of Ethics and Integrity, Dr. James Nsaba Buturo, recently came out strongly to defend Pastor Robert Kayanja against sodomy allegations. If what Pastor Solomon Male and others are alleging has any substance, why couldn’t he use proper channels like the Police who would then investigate Pastor Kayanja?
Secondly, I would like to challenge Nsaba Buturo as to why he comes out only when allegations are made against Pastor Kayanja. Similar allegations have been made against many men of God before but he did not comment. The most recent example is that of Catholic Priest, Fr. Anthony Musaala against whom similar allegations were made by a former homosexual who is now an associate of Pastor Male.
Is Pastor Male trying to use sodomy as a tool against his colleagues in order to pull them down? And why is Nsaba Buturo only defending Pastor Kayanja? Is it because he goes to the Pentecostal churches and not the Catholic churches? Why the double standards?
My request is that all allegations should be treated equally and deeply investigated.
Bigirwa Juliet,
Kampala.
Only an allied opposition can win
It is very clear that the opposition is fighting one common enemy, which is the National Resistance Movement and its system of leadership which has failed to deliver as expected after 23 years in power. However, it’s very sad that people who are fighting for a common cause are spending so much time pulling each other down and giving their enemy breathing space to win. Lubaga Division’s upcoming LC-III elections are one example. Here is where you find Makumbi from DP, Ssebugawo from FDC, Lubowa from SDP and Ssendikadiwa, Kiggundu and Carlo running as independents, all competing against Ssematimba of NRM!
Remember in Buikwe and Bugweri where the opposition combined their forces, though there was massive rigging, the NRM lost. On the other hand, in Kalungu, Bukomansimbi and Kyadondo where opposition failed to agree on a common candidate, the split votes made the opposition lose. Also, an important party like DP has refused to join the Inter-Party Co-operation yet the only hope for change is through co-operation.
Lastly, before we blame the NRM over manipulating elections, let us first eliminate distractions we cause ourselves. If we don’t wake up and start working together, people will get tired of the opposition and continue to grant victory to NRM even in 2011.
Lubega Vincent,
lubegavicent@yahoo.com
Coalition is not good for opposition
If recent media reports that the UPC had resolved [not to field a single presidential candidate] under the Inter-Party Co-operation that was formed in 2006 are true, then I must say to UPC: Bravo!
Let us have competition amongst the parties themselves based on what they are going to do once they capture power by each standing on its own manifesto and leaving the ball in the electorate’s court. The coalition is likely to make some parties inactive as far as keeping the ruling party in check is concerned and it will only end up kill the opposition. They should forget about the issue of saying that they’re after dislodging one person, President Museveni, if they indeed want to win the hearts and minds of the people who have for a long time denied them the chance of leading. Otherwise we’re likely to experience what happened in Kenya in 2002 when Mwai Kibaki allied with Raila Odinga. Though these two successfully managed to defeat Arap Moi’s party, they themselves never clicked, something that made their government not to stand the test of time.
All they were after was seeing themselves in power and not to do what they’d promised. This also seems to apply to our party leaders in Uganda. Given the fact that all of them are hungry for power, there’s little chance of fielding one presidential candidate and joint parliamentary candidates in the 2011 general elections.
Umaru M. Kashaka,
IUIU, Mbale.
Ugandan justice not for the poor
There is a great problem in as far as the true meaning of justice is concerned in this country.
Justice has turned out to be a very expensive commodity that can be found in a private market, causing a big dichotomy between the haves and have-nots.
Recently, the government pardoned two big tycoons (Sudhir Ruparelia and Hassan Basajjabalaba) of their tax obligations. In contrast, poor locals in Busoga are lamenting about the peanut pay an investor is paying them in compensation for their land that was given away by NAADS.
I keep wondering whether this nation is not really owned by the minority tycoons whose influence has always weighed down on the shoulders of justice.
The words of the wise Mahatma Gandhi ring very true in this case. He once said, “Justice that love gives is surrender. Justice that law gives is punishment”.
Who will defend the poor from injustice and exploitation? Who will pardon the poor that are rotting in prisons for failing to pay as little as Shs 200,000?
We are looking up to the government because it should be our ‘David’ who helps us every time a ‘Goliath’ arises to defy our constitutional rights.
Balugiire Ronald Muwaya,
sirrnb1@yahoo.com
Is Umeme recouping losses from customers?
On May 5, 2009, UMEME disconnected our electricity and the reason given was: “Fake Seals” on the meter.I went to Umeme offices at Lugogo the same day to seek an explanation because it was only Umeme officials who had had access to the meter box which is in a gated compound.
The staff there insisted that our meter must have fake seals and I was asked to pay a fine of Shs390,938 before being reconnected. I paid the money after trying [unsuccessfully] to plead our innocence.
On May 8, two gentlemen from Umeme came to reconnect the electricity. I repeated my plea and asked them to cross-check the meter once again. The meter plus its seal turned out to be original and genuine!
Why are Umeme staff so rude to customers as if they are doing us a favour? If I am paying for a service and you find a problem with me, why not be polite instead of handling me like a criminal? There may be many power thieves out there but there are also many honest customers. How come one set of Umeme officials finds our seal to be fake and the other finds them okay?
Is this some sick Umeme joke to make extra money? Have some of us become buffers whenever Umeme experiences losses?
Sharon Lamwaka,
Mutungo Zone 10-Kitintale
Divine backing is no excuse to dodge law
I never had a problem with the IGG snubbing Parliament’s Appointments Committee for the simple reason that while the Constitution is clear on the appointment of the IGG, it is silent on re-appointment. Article 233 states that the IGG shall be appointed by the President with the approval of Parliament. This happened in 2005. The IGG has a point when she reasons that ministers are vetted once. Why is her case different?Parliamentarians have also failed to live up to her expectations. They succumbed to a Shs5 million bribe to alter the constitution. Why would one respect such an institution that always falls prey to the executive?
My problem, however, is Faith Mwondha’s claim that her role as the country’s Ombudsman is divinely ordained and as such she cannot be subjected to any probe. Well, Jesus Christ was divinely sent to save humanity from sin, yet that did not stop him from being baptized by John the Baptist. Actually John tried all he could to deter Jesus from the process but he replied “......it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness” (Matt 3:15). Being divinely appointed should not be used as an excuse to avoid due process of the law.
Erongot Moses,
Kampala.