UWA has evicted nobody

UWA has evicted nobody

SIR — The Daily Monitor on August 7 published a story entitled “RDC orders investigation into rights abuse in Mbale”.

In the story, the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) is accused of meting out violence against Mt. Elgon communities.

This was most unfortunate because the story is untrue. Apart from requiring staff to be vigilant in preventing planting of new crops, UWA has not ordered any evictions.

The amount of patience UWA has exercised with the communities neighbouring Mt. Elgon National Park is tremendous. despite our desire to have the boundaries of this park restored and respected, we have remained understanding of the fact that the communities cannot leave the park before harvesting all their produce.

In fact, it is in that regard that the state minister for wildlife and antiquities, Mr Serapio Rukundo gave the people a two-month grace period during a meeting in July so that they could harvest their crops and peacefully leave the park.

This is in addition to an earlier three-month grace period given by his predecessor, Mr Jovino Akaki. Lillian Nsubuga Public Relations Manager Uganda Wildlife Authority

Finance hasn’t refused to release funds

SIR — On August 1, The New Vision published an article which gave the impression that the Ministry of Finance was holding up the process of the rehabilitation of the Busunju-Kiboga-Hoima Road by not releasing funds.

The Ministry of Works and Transport through the Road Agency Formation Unit (RAFU) wishes to inform the public that the Ministry of Finance has not delayed release of any funds for this project. The works for the contracts involve the upgrading of the 68.9-km long Busunju-Kiboga Road and 76-km long Kiboga– Hoima Road to class II bituminous paved road. The contracts are funded by the Government of Uganda through an International Development Association credit. The contractor, Stirling Civil Engineering has been paid for all approved civil works certificates presented to RAFU. As of July 1, 2006, approximately 70% of the works were complete.

It is true the speed of road construction has been slow primarily because of cash flow difficulties of the contractor who however, has informed us that he is arranging financing from his bankers. The Government is providing all the necessary assistance to enable the release of the required funds to complete the works on this important project. Dan K. Alinange Public/Corporate Communications Officer

Avoid resource wars!

SIR — Whereas Mr Desmond Kenyi of Arua has advised against diverting the attention of our leaders from serious issues like the ongoing Juba talks, I wish to remind him that the commonest cause of instability or wars, is disagreement on sharing natural resources.

A good example is the newly discovered oil in Bunyoro. These wars, such as the recently resolved ones in Sierra Leon, Liberia, Angola and Sudan are actually called ‘resource wars’. When you hear the Banyoro forming committees to work out how the much anticipated oil wealth should be shared with the central government, before the oil drilling starts, know that this is how the disagreements start. It is healthy to expose those greedy Ugandans reported to be grabbing strategic plots of land near the oil wells.
Sam Byamugisha
Kampala

Uganda should borrow a leaf from Rwanda

SIR — The press should be commended for revealing that the government has spent sh50b on luxury cars. It clearly shows how Uganda as a country is bleeding because of these unnecessary expenses. I wrote an article on the same subject in the New vision of April 26. Rwanda has stopped this behaviour and so has Botswana. I hear it is the same story in Burundi, so why not Uganda? I have heard officers and some ministers justifying the practice because “they earn small salaries”! As IGP Kale Kayihura clearly says, if police officers feel their salaries are not enough, instead of being corrupt, they should resign. Similarly if the ministers and senior civil servants feel their salaries are not enough nobody is forcing them to remain in their positions! Besides, not all workers are beneficiaries of these vehicles yet they are paid peanuts. Let us wake up as a country otherwise things are getting out of hand. Public funds cannot continue being squandered for the comfort of a chosen few. The government must prioritise for the common good by providing social services like repairing roads and stocking hospitals.
Eng. Turihohabwe Nyabaana Kampala

Terrible!

SIR — Your story “Four shot dead at city filling station” is unfortunate and shows that we are going back to the bad old days. The government should reactivate the wembley machinery to deal with the thugs.
Emma Belinda
Kampala


Why is Karamoja in such a state?

SIR — Take a stroll around the Karamoja towns of Moroto, Kotido, Nakapiripirit and Kaabong, you will be disgusted and baffled by the fact that faeces litter every street! Just like cattle scatter dung all over a village track so do the people behave in Karamoja! It remains a mystery why the people are ‘anti-water’. They simply don’t want to bathe or wash clothes. There is nothing distantly related to hygiene and sanitation in these areas. I challenge the district directors of health services to brief us about the impact of their activities on the local communities in Karamoja. Sam Mugawe
Soroti

Kanyanya try your talents elsewhere!

SIR — I wish to comment on the ongoing wrangles in Mbale in regard to the claim by the self-styled king of Bagisu. I wish to educate kanyanya that the Bagisu have never had a centralised kingdom and therefore never had a king. The so- called Omuyinga was a creation by the colonialists for their selfish interests. It is therefore not right for kanyanya or any other person to start assuming kingship where it never existed before. Let him look for other ways of getting money and authority. Maybe he could shift to another area where he can try his luck.
Tony wepukhulu
Kampala

Poor Isoke shouldn’t despair!

SIR — I feel so much pity for Mr Baguma Isoke who lost almost everything except his life! He lost the NRM primaries, his job as a minister and most recently the East African Legislative Assembly vote. but he should not be demoralised but keep trying.
Daniel Were
Butaleja