Dear Hon. Tumwebaze, thank you for showing us how "things" can be done

"It is a melancholy object to those who walk through this great town, or travel in the country, when they see the streets, the roads, and cabin-doors crowded with beggars of the female sex, followed by three, four, or six children, all in rags, ad importuning every passenger for an alms," Jonathan Swift, A Modest Proposal

Dear Hon. Frank Tumwebaze, 

I would first of all like to thank you for keeping time, at least for once. Last month, we had to wait for an event to kick-off because the minister had delayed by over an hour. He offered no apologies. Instead the emcee would go on to say that they thank the minister for sparing sometime in his busy schedule to come and grace the event. Guess what Hon Tumwebaze, we also had a busy schedule but made it on time to the event. And that minister is not you, it someone else I do not want to mention. So now you understand why I appreciate that you kept time. I just hope we keep up the spirit, maybe that way, this country can move forward.

There is this councillor who was bungled out of City Hall. Did you see that? I mean, there are video clips of “Omussajja wa Bwino” being lifted out of City Hall. Meanwhile while you were busy conducting your role as minister, the police also treated a lawyer like a rag-tag, a nobody, a thug and a goon. The video clips make for some absurd viewing from my point of view. Of course as always, your defense on such matters is always rather interesting to read. It is from this point that I request that since you rub shoulders with the President, maybe we should treat people who steal public funds the same way. Remember the billions that went missing from our coffers and donors decided to pull the plugs? I wonder why we don’t adopt such an approach for them.

I understand that currently most of the culprits including Mr Kazinda himself are “facing the full force of the law,” a phrase that you really like to use most of the time. Our very own courts are doing their jobs, despite the sluggish progress. These courts are constitutional, aren’t they?  You know what though? the KCCA Act that you quote supersedes the constitution. Not so? Please help me understand your emphasis on two-thirds majority in the act yet we’ve a constitution? So I also think considering that a small matter of a court order or even lack of presence of the defense team in City Hall, the best way to deliver a sucker-punch to people in-the-wrong should be so blanket. Let’s crucify them. Not so? 

I know you have a rather assertive way of speaking and sometimes heckling tendencies [refer to The Fourth Estate on NTV] and of course you can always plead plausible deniability; that you had no idea there was a court order. Indeed, how could you have known? In fact I think whoever steals public resources should not be allowed a defense at all. We should lock their lawyers out of the courtroom and use our starved police officers to keep them out. I also want a ministry of rape and defilement to be formed so we can have cases expedited since our courts are wasting their time. Don’t you agree with that?

In 1701, Jonathan Swift in A Mediation Upon a Broomstick wrote, "But a broomstick, perhaps you will say, is an emblem of a tree standing on its head; and pray what is man, but a topsy-turvy creature, his animal faculties perpetually mounted on his rational, his head where his heels should be, grovelling on the earth! and yet, with all his faults, he sets up to be a universal reformer and corrector of abuses, a remover of grievances, rakes into every slut's corner of nature, bringing hidden corruption to the light, and raises a mighty dust where there was none before, sharing deeply all the while in the very same pollutions he pretends to sweep away."

Before you interrupt me on this point, please note that the short story is a satirical piece, so in case you haven’t read it, please do read between the lines.

I hope you understand my point Hon. Minister. Meanwhile we all understand Kampala can be a filthy city and well, Jenifer has done a fine job. You know I'm business reporter, right? Even when a CEO is doing a fine job, she/he is answerable to a board. That board must consist of non-executive members to play that oversight role to keep the CEO in check. Oh, well, there is parliament and councillors, they can always keep her in check. What is interesting though, is the Lord Mayor and the Executive Director never appeared to agree on anything but we still got things done. Didn’t we? Maybe, whoever we disagree with in our places of work, we should push them out. Kick them out in fact. Blackmail them into making a mistake, and then let them fall “into the cups” – like we say.  Do you know those wonderful "middle sectors" we have on Jinja Road? We beautified them but now they have partly been destroyed due to reconstruction of a 6lane road. Was this part of the broader plan for KCCA? I do not know. 

You know Hon Minister, when a company has built a good brand, is making money and shareholders are happy, rarely does the head of the board chairman be offered for chopping. If he is incompetent, then he’ll be kicked out. Like many of us will be if we under perform at work.  Well, Hon Minister, KCCA is a better organization than ever and what I’ve been wondering is that for all those under performing ministries, why don’t have the PS’s moved or sacked the same way. I mean why not? Did you read the latest Auditor Generals report? Oh dear, oh dear, Statutory bodies are losing tax payers money, but surprise, surprise, we still have the bosses seated at the top comfortably. Why not adopt the same moves you used to remove these people?

Let me conclude my letter by saying, I appreciate the work you are doing; I mean who knew an elected leader would be impeached? Maybe it is about time we also impeach under performing public officials. You have orchestrated a political and legal masterstroke and now, Lukwago & co will spend hours, days and months on a legal wild goose chase as you make amendments to the KCCA Act. In the meantime, "they" could gain political capital and sympathy.

Thank you for your time Hon. Minister.

Yours Sincerely,



NB: Some say they are tired of sausages. I think they should be specific and tell us whether they don't like the Fresh Cut ones - because of the advert - or Sausage King. 

Forget the cross-listing pomp, it is but just that

Coffee!! At best, it is Nescafe, not Good African Coffee or Star Café. A tale of Ugandan Hotels. A tale for another day.

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Here is the context. The Uganda Securities Exchange is vibrant, well, sometimes: Only on days when a company lists – locally – or cross-lists. The pomp there after glides away with limited activity except for companies like Umeme and Stanbic Bank. Uganda Clays used to be in that category, but it’s been unimpressive over the years for the reasons that are mostly copy and paste each year. Debt and low sales. This week, Uchumi one of the largest Supermarket chains in East Africa was cross-listed on the USE after the doing the same on Rwanda Securities Exchange (RSE). This is a "big company," currently valued at US$70m. For the USE – without a CEO & acting CEO – this is much welcome boost, considering this will be one of its best performing year if numbers are anything to go by. Its market capitalization – in simpler terms, the value – will increase and the white boards will have one more ticker symbol: UCHM.

A cross listed company is ideally having a company floated on another stock market that is not its primary listing. The NSE – an exciting market & largest in EA – is Uchumi’s primary listing, and now the USE – located in an arcade along Kampala road – is its secondary listing. Ideally, this listing is a good move. On the first day, 9,000 shares are traded creating a turnover of Shs5.2m. If the momentum remained the same, then the USE would be an exciting place to hang-out. Well, this is not the case. Like they say – I do not remember who came up with the phrase – “numbers don’t lie” but sometimes can also be deceptive.

The USE has a total 8 cross-listed companies including Kenya Airways, Jubilee Insurance, Centum Investments – I believe one of EA’s best Investment companies -, EABL – I wonder why UBL, their subsidiary is not listed locally -, Equity Bank, KCB and now Uchumi. In the history of the USE, the highest or best trading year – 2010 - for cross-listed equities was when shares worth Shs4.6bn were traded. This was for EABL. EABL has also recorded the highest turnover of any cross-listed company. In 2011, Centum traded at least Shs3.6bn worth of shares, but it was in that same year that it cross-listed. Institutional investors gobbled up the shares. 

Picture from Daily Monitor 

UMEME is the only cross-listed company from Uganda on the NSE and it has only traded once – only 1,000 shares back in September. It made headlines, we were happy. I wrote this, “The challenge for Umeme now will be having enough liquidity to satisfy the demand in Nairobi – if they do get overwhelming demand.” These numbers are not the deceptive ones. Cross-listing simply doesn’t make sense, at face value so they will say. Again they will add, I am being too simplistic. "What does an award-less journalist know?" First, in my simplicity, why would I buy shares for a company listed in Kenya, yet I could just make a call to my Nairobi broker to get me some shares? Of course considering that brokerage firms here in Uganda are huffing and buffing, sometimes due to declining business. So just to support my Ugandans in order for them to earn commission of trades, I’d buy the shares. But “meh,” it is my money not theirs. 

The second issue is that cross-listed companies will come on day one and allocate shares to Ugandans. In fact Uchumi has lined up at least 265.4million shares for the USE but will there be demand? The boards will indicate blues and reds on the white board. I know, yes we still use these.  The blue marker is for bids and offers, whereas the red is mainly to indicate a done deal. After this “event” we’ll have some snacks, chat about the market and we’ll write all the lovely stories. The next few days, the counter name will fade or gather dust. Uchumi makes the claim that cross-listing will allow it raise money to expand. I laugh. Ideally cross-listing helps raise money. Investopedia reads: “Some of the advantages to cross-listing include having shares trade in multiple time zones and in multiple currencies. This gives issuing companies more liquidity and a greater ability to raise capital.” Our markets are not well developed. It is not our fault. People don’t understand.

Uchumi is planning a rights issue – shares given at a discount price to share holders in order to raise money. Did they need to cross-list to raise the money? Yes & No!!! Some Ugandan shareholders already owned part of the company after they used the NSE. Only demand will tell. But history tells us, the shares might not be gobbled up. 

Third is the small matter – read big matter – of transfer of shares through an electronic system. It worked for UMEME, then the USE CEO left, and now there’s information asymmetry. If the system worked, transfer of shares would be rapid, but if it doesn't  then buying a cross-listed company from this market would be “erm” a nonstarter - again. 

But why do companies do it? Visibility is one. Uchumi, already a known company is not only a supermarket chain but is now listed in Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda. Investor confidence is up ahead of raising capital for expansion. And yes we are East Africa, a Community. Who wouldn't want to be part of this? Since Uchumi is part of the USE, any developments make the headlines. Investors are happy. Money will be raised.

They will say this is simplistic, but that it what it is. I’m a journalist. I walk to the USE. The brokers will say, “owolugabo” has come. Cross-listing is an event. It should be more than just that but that is only if our markets become more integrated. Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda are not Tanzania. 

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I like tea. Anytime is tea time. I sniff the leaves. The plantations have some great aroma. Kericho Gold – Kenyan made tea – is what I like. We have Ugandan tea. Its packaging is poor. It is ordinary. 

On moving on & journalism

“Ever since they left Thies, the women had not stopped singing. As soon as one group allowed the refrain to die, another picked it up, and new verses were born at the hazard of chance or inspiration, one word leading to another and each finding, in its turn, its rhythm and its place. No one was very sure any longer where the song began, or if it had an ending. It rolled out over its own length, like the movement of a serpent. It was as long as a life.” Sembene Ousmane [God's Bits of Wood]

Journalism often rewards those who are patient and excellent in their work. The rewards do not necessarily have to be monetary – but can be. In most cases, we look to either become journalism scholars or win an award[s] or even get a job with Reuters, Bloomberg, FT & the Beeb among others. Like staring at a barrel or as if on gun point, the pressure in the newsroom is immense especially in a country where we have a high turnover and limited retention. This month – mid this month to be specific – I made the decision to leave The CEO Magazine – a niche business publication -, Uganda has a few of these. My time at the Magazine has been rewarding - career-wise - but also one that has exposed me to the good, bad and ugly of journalism and all stakeholders involved. There was also the pressure to jump ship and leave journalism altogether, but then like Eva Chen said “Don’t find a job, find your passion.”

Passion to write about the corporate culture, companies and the economy: Passion to tell stories. The need to scrutinize how companies operate or even how government entities are run. The more we put out such stories, the more readers continue to ask the questions, considering they are taxpayers, bank customers or even consumers.

 Some of these stories, no matter how good, are not told. If they are, then there is always something missing. The CEO Magazine offered me this opportunity, but it could only go so far. One of the challenges in today’s newsrooms is how to keep the editorial independent of marketing and advertising. This perhaps requires a whole different approach to the news – especially if you have workers to pay. It also perhaps needs a new crop of investors with the resources to at least run a newsroom without necessarily looking at the profit in the medium term; Investors willing to plough back profits into the publications. Ultimately, the investor needs to make a return on investment but also publications need to be reputable, trusted and be credible sources of information. Striking this balance is becoming ever more complex – pressure on journalists is mounting even if we don’t want to admit it. A lot has been said about the online, but the trouble is how to monetize online. How do you invest in your newsroom? Simply going online can be suicidal, it requires careful thought and research.

The solutions to some of these problems require some new approaches, which I have been studying but can’t place my hand on one – not just yet. Governments maybe a threat – a big one – to journalism but I believe advertising is becoming another big one and the pressure on media owners is also relenting. I leave The CEO Magazine, a better reporter – we all have our shortcoming. It hasn’t been easy though.

One the more disappointments in my time at The CEO Magazine was the UK Border Agency. In March, the prestigious Reuters Institute offered me an opportunity to go for a one week course on business and economic reporting in London. I spent about Ushs370,000 on a Visa Application – this amount for a reporter is not easy to churn out. The UK Border Agency denied me a Visa on the grounds that I did not satisfy them enough on whether I’d return, even after Reuters had written a letter indicating they would pay for my accommodation and meals. I have no land titles, my bank account is well – I’d rather not say – considering a journalist’s salary. It is such things that tend to be turn-offs but well we persevere and move on. There are many other incidences – I will not talk about them – but then why lament. Why not look to developing my career and maybe one day the rewards will come. 

So many will ask, where are you going? Well I’ll be joining the wonderful team at UgandaRadio Network – a news agency - for further professional development. 

Ugandans; Why you should give a damn about the mining sector

Last week, Uganda hosted a Mineral Wealth Conference, whose main focus was looking at how to invest in this sector. Mining has over the years – since 2006 – been living in the shadows of the oil sector – and rightly so. The mining sector is only 0.3percent of Uganda’s GDP. In 2006 when the first major oil finds were made, the minerals sector was struggling – at least less than 20 exploration licenses were issued then. By end of 2010, a donor funded project led to an airborne survey of the whole country to indicate the “mineral potential” of Uganda – with the exception of Karamoja. As soon as the survey was completed, there was a “gold rush.” License applications shot up from 70 to an incredible 625 by mid-2012. Additionally, the tax revenues from this sector shot up from Ushs25.1bn in 2010/11 to Ushs431bn in 2011/12, a rise of more than 1600%.

Ushs431bn appears to be a large sum of money, but it isn’t. Uganda has been exporting iron ore – at least until a directive by President Museveni last year stopped this. The iron exports, some receipted others not, have made their way to DRC and Kenya. Interestingly though, more than 70percent of exploration licenses offered have not submitted any returns/results – including some big companies like Steel Rolling Mills. Steel Rolling Mills holds about 7 exploration licenses for iron ore – can be used in making of steel – but it has not submitted returns to the Department of Geological Survey and Mines, preferring to rely on scrap metal and other imports. No value addition to minerals; guess who is losing out? Uganda.

The Department of Geological Survey and Mines (DGSM) is understaffed, with at least only one person supervising almost five districts. Supervision of activities on these mines has proven to be difficult. The department admits this. In some instances, the department officials have been denied access to mines, for instance the Kasese Cobalt Company Limited (KCCL) and some gold mines in Masindi - an Indian firm is said to have been mining Gold using an exploration license. Of course, there is the "invisible powerful hand" that usually pulls the strings. With this limited supervision of the sector, one can only tell how much money Uganda is hemorrhaging from “illegal” mining activity. With the Uganda government jubilant about funding 80percent of its Ushs13trillion budget, this money is not enough to meet the financial needs of this country. We could do with some extra cash.

The limited attention the department gets is telling as it receives limited funding, even the commissioner admits it. All the money that the department receives goes to URA. The department only gets allocations from the ministry of finance. The officials from the department are also susceptible to bribery by mine owners, simply because they don’t have “enough” money. At the end of the day, Uganda is the one losing out the most. Some people acquire licenses just to “hawk” them around, even when they have no record or experience of mining. In 2012, there was the clear case of Hima Cement, with experience in limestone mining lost a license to a little known EA Gold Sniffing. EA Gold Sniffing’s interest wasn’t to explore for limestone, but rather to sale it to the highest bidder – Canada’s Brandenburg Corp.

Mining can also further deepen the cleavages that exist in a country. Communities maybe distorted by companies coming to do some mining. Uganda mining potential is getting more hype, but with civil society mostly concerned about the oil, mining communities are fighting their own battles. In Tororo, residents of Sukulu are fighting for their land as NILEFOS, a subsidiary of the Madvhani Group struggles to compensate them. The mining act clearly states that to mine minerals underground, one must acquire surface rights – from land owners. At the end of land valuation in Sukulu, total compensation totaled to Ushs135bn with each household proposed to get an average of Ushs53m. The amount was said to be high and the parties involved don’t want to pay. This could morph into forced evictions if we are not careful. 

Additionally, mining distorts communities and can easily take them away from agricultural activities, lead to child labor and massive school drop-outs. Some of these are happening, but as long as the country downplays them, the situation could get out of hand.

Finally, you’ve probably heard that Kilembe Mines were finally taken over by a consortium led by Tibet-Hima of China. In October this year, the company started work on the mines in a Private Public Partnership with government. The Uganda government in 1997/98 entered an arrangement to own 25percent stake in Kasese Cobalt Company Limited. The government, through Kilembe Mines secured an $8m loan from the European Investment Bank to acquire this stake. To-date, the government has never received dividend payment because profits have never been declared. Revenues are depleted by shareholder loans – provided by the 75% shareholder - meaning priority goes to paying this off. Currently, MFC Industrial owns 75% stake in KCCL through complex offshore subsidiaries. In August 2013, the company officially started restoring the land as “copper tailings” – where cobalt is mined – run out. At the end of the whole period what Uganda has gained are just tax revenues – even so, the company has evaded taxes before. Again, who is losing? Uganda.

We ought to wake up and smell the coffee before it is too late. 

Africa is rising. Ask the Investors!!! How Actis minted billions in Uganda, from just two companies

Private equity exits in Uganda are rarely heard of, large ones at that. Actis, a British private equity firm, came to the forefront in Uganda in 2005 as it came in to manage a portfolio of assets run by the Commonwealth Development Corporation (CDC). In 2012, Actis begun a partial exit from Uganda – exit is not a word they like to use though – after selling a 38 percent stake in Umeme by taking the power distributor public. Later in 2013, May to be exact, they sold a 45 percent stake in Dfcu Bank, Uganda’s sixth largest bank. Actis in its partial exit from Ugandan companies’ has exhibited the country as fertile ground for investment returns.

The Umeme shareholder loan
Umeme at the time of listing was valued at $178m, of which $66.73m or 38percent was sold to the public through an IPO in November 2012. The eventual listing, as Actis’ Tashi Lassalle notes was meant “to allow retail and the people of Uganda to invest.” She adds, “From our experience the ownership of a national utility company by domestic customers model works well...” On the other hand, however, Umeme had a debt burden, not that big though, but one where it was forking out interest payment of 12percent. Close to US$27m or Ushs66.9bn was the outstanding balance of this shareholder loan to Umeme Ltd, from Actis through a holding company called Umeme Holdings in Mauritius. The IPO was meant to raise money to pay-off the outstanding balance of this loan.

Essentially the accounting geniuses at Actis insist they have not taken any dividends out of Umeme’s profits since 2005, at least until it went public and posted a profit at the end of 2012. Shareholders carefully structured a loan to Umeme, which they say had a high interest bearing. In fact, they concentrated on building a pool of retained earnings, now at Ushs141bn from a partly Ushs42bn in 2007.

“...the Company has not paid dividends since its inception, although Umeme has paid an increasing level of shareholder loan interest for the past three years as a means of distributing cash to shareholders,” reads the Umeme IPO prospectus. At 12percent interest, Umeme shareholders, since 2009, got paid. Furthermore, interest on a loan has to be paid despite the performance of the company, in this case, the loan carefully hedged shareholders against non-payment just in-case the company makes losses. Luckily, the company has only posted a loss of Ushs2.8bn in 2010, since 2007.

The shareholders loan, initiated in 2005, was to cater for capital investments in the utility company, a requirement for the concession. The Umeme IPO prospectus reads that the loan was “....to provide funding to Umeme related to the original target investment of US$65m..... The loan had a grace period of 4 years and repayment of the loan principal was expected to be in 7 equal annual installments effective 2009.” By end of 2011, Umeme was required to have paid back Ushs37.7bn of the loan, but it had only paid a total Ushs25.7bn since 2009. On this capital investment, they were guaranteed a handsome 20 percent return, annually.

At the end of the day, after a shareholder loan injection of Ushs47.6bn in 2005 and 2007, Actis walked away with an estimated Ushs92.6bn – a few billions short of the retained earnings of 2011 - after interest and principle. After posting Ushs57.1bn net profit in 2012, the very first dividend payout totaled Ushs24.3bn [Ushs15 per share]. Actis, through Umeme Holdings has over 975million shares [60.08%], translating into a total dividend payout out of Ushs14.6bn - before withholding tax of 15percent - , another handsome payday.

Furthermore, Actis insists it has created investor value in Umeme as a business. At a recent AGM, the Company Directors noted that they’ll keep continue “...generating sufficient profits to sustain and build the business while providing value to shareholders.” Currently, Umeme is trading at Ushs360 a 23.6percent rise from Ushs275, the IPO price. Value created; Perhaps.

The US$42m Dfcu stake sale
Actis started managing the Commonwealth Development Corporation (CDC) 60.02percent shareholding in Dfcu Bank in 2004. In the same year, Dfcu went public with 30percent stake, as government and the World Banks’ IFC divested their interest in the bank, at Ushs230per share. On the day Dfcu was listed in 2004, the share price surged to Ushs305.

Since then, Dfcu has grown and Actis, is quick to express the investor value created for the last 10years.
“Today, DFCU is the 5th largest bank by assets, with an estimated asset base of US$387m (2012), representing approximately 7% of the total bank assets in Uganda. This represents 5x growth in the asset base – a 9 year CAGR of 18.5% (2003: US$84m to 2012: US$387m),” notes Actis’ Lassalle.

Five months after selling a stake in Umeme, Actis sold a 45.05 percent stake in Dfcu – retaining 15percent – to Robabank (27.54 percent) and NORFUND (17.54 percent). The sell was the largest equity block trade facilitated by the Uganda Securities Exchange (USE) and Actis, sold at Ushs1030 per share, translating into a take home of Ushs111.9bn (US$42m).

From a small time bank, to a big time bank whose asset base had been expanding, the partial exit a handsome return to Actis. Since 2004, Dfcu has posted net profits, the highest being Ushs31.5bn in 2011, and maintained a dividend of policy, on average, of 37percent of profit after tax. Actis, since 2004 has been earning a dividend from the 60.02percent (111,923,594 million shares) shareholding in Dfcu. For instance, between 2005 and 2012, Actis has earned over Ushs21.1bn in dividend payouts – excluding withholding tax. Furthermore, Actis was able to sidestep Capital Gains Tax obligations - on stake sale - to Uganda Revenue Authority, considering that as a listed company in Uganda, it doesn’t apply.

No wonder Michael Turner, Director of East Africa, Actis Capital LLP, notes “this [transaction] was unique in the history of Uganda.” Actis, with two partial exits in Uganda, has shown that there’s a return on investment but only if you are as smart as they are.

Americanah: Forget the love story tag, this is an "intelligent book"

Riveting.  Subtle. Intelligent. Loaded. Blunt. Americanah is one such book. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, undoubtedly is a good story-teller. Her use of short sentences and a touch of poetry, makes it worthwhile to read Americanah. Americanah is no ordinary story, which is why I’d insist it is an intelligent book. The setting is in three continents; Europe, America and Africa. The protagonists: two love birds, Ifemelu and her childhood boyfriend Obinze. The story is a rather complex one, considering that race is widely covered in the book.

The other issues, love perhaps, almost similar to any other love-story you can ever read. Ifemelu grew up in Nigeria and likes reading books. She is indifferent to her mother, who is religious – likes keeping up appearances in church. Adichie, intelligently, writes the story without losing track of the reader and avoids making it more of commentary or some sort of crusade. Ifemelu leaves Nigeria just like many others – due to instability – to get a "good" education in America, leaving behind her boyfriend, Obinze. Obinze and Ifemelu are cut from the same cloth. Incomplete without each other. In the modern day, they seem like snobs. But they ain’t.

“Obinze laughed, vaguely bored, but happy that she was happy.” 

In America, Ifemelu, is confused by the American society but she refuses to make it change her. She refuses to adopt some mannerisms and is not pretentious – unlike her Aunty Uju. Adiche, smoothly develops Ifemelu’s character and I could certainly feel that I knew her. She uses humor - lightly - to describe the simplest of things.

“Ferdinand had a steely, amoral face; if one examined his hands, the blood of his enemies might be found crusted under his fingernails.”

She chips in with dialogue and then glides into the matter of race. Ifemelu is human. She gets depressed after failing to get a job so she can pay her tuition. She then “pleases a man” to get paid. She is disgusted. She is ashamed and cuts off all communication with Obinze.

The riveting bit about Americanah, is how characters are developed  - using some anecdotes. For instance, Ifemulu’s mother is a “church hopper” as she looks for the prosperity gospel – bringing out the religious theme of how Nigerian pastors like the prosperity theme.

Obinze, while in the UK, before he is deported, is also developed as one who resents being pretentious, still likes reading and of course keeps thinking about Ifemelu. While in the UK he hustles, does a job using someone else's name and card. Working hard to raise money to pay-off some Angolans for a sham-wedding. It is in the description of Obinze's time in the UK that Adichie keeps the reader on tenterhooks, anticipating what will happen.  He then turns up in Nigeria, becomes land-owner & joins the real-estate business. He however falls into the trap of a “marriage of convenience” - just like his other colleagues - to a flawless lady, Kosi.

“Still, he had wanted her, chased her with lavish with single-mindedness. He had never seen a woman with such a perfect incline to her cheekbones that made her entire face seem so alive, so architectural, lifting when she smiled.” 

Ifemelu is also now dating a flawless man, Blaine, who she admires because of his intelligence. All this while though, Obinze is on her mind.

Adichie, tries as much as possible to make her two protagonists superior - above all. They are no saints but they've a conscience. Ifemelu goes on to start a blog about race and her encounters in United States. She earns from it. Her blog posts are included in the book – at some point I “almost got tired” of reading them. Ifemelu can also be rather annoying – that you could hate her – as spontaneously she decides to leave the US and go back Nigeria. She leaves Blaine.

[Two days before I bought this book, I had read this interview  and I must admit - after reading both - it is almost like the book is an semi-autobiography.]

Back in Nigeria, Ifemelu doesn't really hate it but after meeting some other returnees, she feels indifferent. Why? Because they want to eat in fancy looking places. She returned to feel at home not to get back to a life she left in the USA. She blogged about it, and her childhood friend Ranyinudo was not pleased.  When she gets a job at a magazine, her dream is to turn it around with creative writing, but she is hit by the reality.
In conversation with with her workmate Daisy, she doesn't mince her words.

Ifemelu: “It makes no sense that Aunty Onenu likes to run three profiles of these boring women who have achieved nothing and have nothing to say. Or the younger women with zero talent who have decided they’re fashion designers.”

“You know they pay Aunty Onenu, right?” Doris asked. “They pay her?” Ifemelu stared. “No, I didn’t know. And you know I didn’t know.”  

“Well, they do. Most of them. You have to realize a lot of things happen in this country like that?”  

Ifemelu: “I never know where you stand or if you stand on anything at all”

She would later quit her job and started blogging again. The love story then makes a return in the final chapters of the book as her and Obinze meet again. The passion is rekindled for the two love birds. From this point, Adichie has already made her point. This is finely written but complex book, and Adichie does a good job to drive her point home – be yourself, stop pretending and please, don’t try to please everyone.

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [Picture from Farafinabooks.wordpress.com]

Mining speculators "rear their ugly heads"

Kenya recently cancelled mining licences due to irregularities in the awarding process. I wrote this piece in December 2012; however, it wasn't published. I've decided to share it.


You may have probably watched the Bank Of Uganda Governor Emmanuel Tumusiime-Mutebile in video clips saying “I have the capacity to burn their fingers.” He was referring to speculators who were betting on the Uganda Shilling making it volatile and making money out of it. However, speculation and currency trading cannot be separated, so maybe Mutebile’s words just remain threats. In yet another government department, The Department of Geological Survey and Mines (DGSM), there are indications they want to crack the whip on speculators holding exploration and mining licences, but doing no work.

Uganda’s mineral sector is already experiencing letdowns even before it takes off significantly to the level of Tanzania – East Africa’s largest Gold Producer. Such is the case that in 2012, a little known company East Africa Gold Sniffing acquired a limestone exploration licence after the previous holder – Hima Cement a Subsidiary of the Lafarge group – did not apply to renew the licence in the provided time. Even if someone at Hima Cement was incompetent enough not to notice that the 21 year old license was expiring, analysts note that it could have at least lost out to a reputable and known limestone mining company.  Hima Cement which says it contributes about Ushs45bn in revenues to the government instead lost the license to East Africa Gold Sniffing a company, with little – if not no experience in mining at all.

East Africa Gold Sniffing is categorized as one such speculator that exploited the loopholes within the legal framework to acquire a license. To begin with, records from the DGSM (July 2012) indicate that there are 582 licence holders around the country, of those 5 are for Kilembe Mines, 4 to Hima Cement, 6 to Steel Rolling Mills and 6 to Tororo Cement. The rest, are held by individuals and various companies – both genuine and obscure. For instance, there a host of about seven companies, which in total hold about 26 licenses of which the contact person for all the companies is one Pravin Ghelani. The companies registered are registered as Fergie Minerals and Metals Mining Company, Esimo Industries Uganda Limited, Esta Industries, Nelvo International, Hard Rock Engineering and Doher Industries Limited. Notably though, none of these companies have filled returns for their mining activities.

When Ghelani was contacted by The CEO Magazine, he declined to comment.

There are other companies holding licenses, that have not submitted any returns. Notably, some of them are represented by one Law Firm which has a link to East Africa Gold Sniffing. Kusaasira Dennis is an oil, gas and minerals attorney with Kusaasira and Co. Advocates and Consultants – a law firm mainly handling oil, gas and mining ventures. His law firm represents five companies, of which there is one active one. The companies held a total of 61 licenses and by June 2012, none had submitted returns, an indication of speculative tendencies.

According to Edwards Katto the assistant commissioner at DGSM, the country is losing out on much needed revenues because some license holders are holding back, “waiting for the highest bidder.” Uganda accrued fiscal revenues of $14.6m in 2011 from the mining sector. However Katto notes that the country could have earned more if other licence holders were in production. The bulk of the mining revenues come from Hima Cement, Tororo Cement, and Kasese Cobalt Company.

Katto further notes that the speculators make Uganda’s mining sector expensive for investment. “If speculator holds a licence, they will lookout for the highest bidder to buy their stake,” he says. “The country here will lose out because either the big companies would rather wait for a new licencing regime, rather than acquire a speculative company at a higher price,” he adds.

Why speculate?
The legal framework currently allows anyone who has the money to hold a license, which makes it easy for the speculators to pounce. According to DGSM, a one year prospective license costs about Ushs150,000, acquiring an exploration license will costs about Ushs650,000 with Ushs10,000 paid annually for the three years. A retention license for two year costs about Ushs450,000 and a mining lease – held for 15 years – will cost Ushs2million and annual fees per hectare of Ushs10,000. According Johnny Sassirwe the Chairperson of the National Artisanal and Small-Scale Miners Association, this allows Ugandans based in the mining communities to participate in mining activities and attract international investors.

“There is an opportunity for local small-scale miners to benefit if the cost of acquiring a licence is low. This encourages local participation. Also, if a big mining company approaches us with a good offer, then we can easily sale,” Sasirwe points out.

Furthermore, Kusaasira – of Kusaasira and Co. Advocates - uses the section thirty of the Mineral Act of 2003 to emphasize that they are working within the required legal framework.

“ The Mining Act allows farm-downs or total transfer of interests or share in mineral rights, with the consent of the Commissioner, and consent only to be withheld only if the proposed transferee does not quality to acquire the mineral right in question,” Kusaasira adds.

The current licencing regime has been “first come, first served,” is easy to maneuver if you have prior information on the status of particular mining area. Once an individual has this information, they can apply for a licence and get it if they are first ones to do so. The Hima Cement and East Africa Gold Sniffing case is yet to be resolved as the latter has dragged the government to court for “suspending” the licence. The challenge is, the government may be required to compensate – heavily – if the licence is to be cancelled because the policy was clear, “first come, first served.” The Brandenburg Energy Group – a Canadian Mining Company – had written a Letter Of Intent (LOI) to East Africa Gold Sniffing to acquire 100% stake in the company. Brandenburg expressed interest after East Africa Gold Sniffing had just been given the limestone exploration licence.

“EA Gold has appealed the decision of the Minister, and EA Gold has stated that it is confident that the Exploration License will revert to EA Gold; in which case, EA Gold will be in position to complete the transaction with Brandenburg,” reads a statement from the Brandenburg Group.

Kusaasira does point out that the end result is for licence holder is to make money and that if prices of the minerals on the global market are too low, then “why produce?”
For instance, Gulf Resources which holds the lucrative Vermiculite mining rights in Manafwa district had to suspend mining operations earlier this year becomes of declining global prices. Gulf Resources was producing about 22,000tonnes vermiculite per annum but was forced to scale back to 18,000tonns by Dupre Minerals Limited, a UK based company which was purchasing 100% of the produce. According to the company website, this was a result of the economic woes in Europe.

“Gulf Industrials Limited (ASX: GLF) wishes to advise that on an interim basis it has stopped production at its Namekara Vermiculite Project in Uganda until stock levels are reduced to a manageable level. Dupré Minerals Limited (“Dupré”), a leading UK based vermiculite distributor and the exclusive distributor of the production at Namekara Vermiculite Project continues to purchase the company’s vermiculite at reduced levels until the vermiculite markets pick up,” reads a statement from Gulf Industrial Limited.

On the other hand, the mining act doesn’t make it clear when it comes to the offences and mentions that anyone who submits false returns will be fined one hundred and fifty currency points – Ushs3million (Each currency point is Ushs20,000). However, the law makes it clear that a location license can be revoked by the commissioner if “within a period of six months from the date the licence was granted or renewed no mining operations have commenced under the licence.”

The location lease is one that is meant for small-scale miners who can spend a maximum of Ushs10m. The same licence differs from the mining licence in that it is meant for minerals that do not require specialized technology. Notably, the same revocation restrictions do not apply to the mining licence.
On this point DGSMs’ Katto agrees that there is a loophole but is quick to say that they begun issuing notices to non-complaint, inactive mining companies with licences.

“We are currently blacklisting these companies and serving them with a letter of notice.” However, there is a far greater challenge for DGSM – funding. “With limited funding,” Katto notes, “supervising and monitoring licence holders will remain a challenge.”

Licencing suspended
The Uganda government in early November placed a moratorium on issuing new licences as reported in The East African newspaper. The moratorium is partly a move to deal with speculators as the department moves into competitive bidding for the mining licences – a move they say would attract genuine mining companies into the business.

This however does not guarantee production also. For instance when Rio Tinto – a global mining and minerals company - held a mining licence for vermiculite in Manafwa between 2006 and 2009, but the only work documented was drilling of 64 wells for resource recognition, setting up of transportation infrastructure and market research. Sources within DGSM confirmed that no actual vermiculite was extracted for purposes of selling during the period Rio Tinto was holding the licence. This meant that the mining company held onto the licence until they sold their interests to Gulf Resources a subsidiary of Gulf Industrial – a listed company on the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX).

“Competitive bidding alone is not the solution if speculators are to be reduced in number. Remember, you cannot have a market without speculators because some will still beat the system. Broader reforms like increasing the minimum investment amount and punishments for deliberate failure to carryout mining activities are needed,” says Martin Drito, an MP for Madi-Okollo in Arua.

 He has wealth of experience in the minerals sector and an advisor to the president of Guinea on mineral policy between 1998 and 2004.

A tear shed for Uganda's business journalism

“Africans are one of the most resilient, innovative and creative business people in the world. To navigate poor and decaying road networks, maddeningly corrupt and inefficient bureaucrats, government regulations that frustrate and hinder business operations, a lack of reliable electricity or water, all demand ingenuity, agility and determination. I doubt western entrepreneurs operating in such an environment could last long.” Andrew Rugasira 

A few months back, “the seer”penned a damning indictment on the state of business journalism in Africa – partly excluding South Africa. As a journalist, I responded to him on twitter – 140 characters are not the best response to a 1000 word piece. I said “maybe you are reading the wrong business publications.” In Uganda, we have two business publications that have survived the "4 year litmus test". I have worked for both: The East African Business Week [2009-2012] and The CEO Magazine [2011 – to-date]. In his writing, Kalyegira notes that:

“Nobody saw this coming. Our amateurish business reporting means that the reading public can never get an accurate picture of business conditions in Uganda. The Ugandan news media is fragile for the most part. There are too many broadcast stations and print publications chasing too few advertisers and so almost no media house dare report the facts about Uganda’s corporations, lest they are denied adverts.”

This is a correct assessment of the state of business journalism in Uganda, but it is only part of the problem. It is not new for companies to shove press releases in the face of journalists, and well, we just add a few sentences before handing it to our editors. Of course for some of these companies, they want to get their “monies worth” by being in the press since they are the advertisers. But, does this mean the Ugandan business reporter can’t go beyond the mumble jumble in a press release? Yes they can, but who will talk to them and give them the details? People talk of government bureaucracy, but some these corporations are just as worse. Worse still, for any inquiry, it takes a company so much more time to respond – if at all – but takes a short time for them to give you press release [For immediate release].

Working for East African Business Week and CEO Magazine, there is a trend I’ve noticed over the years. These two are small publications are not considered that "important" compared to New Vision, Observer, and The Daily Monitor. Being small – but dedicated to business reporting – they are ignored by the corporate companies when it comes to responding to queries by journalists. The top three get priority – understandable – but yet a dedicated business publication gets treated as a third class citizen. Interestingly, it is the smaller publications that get the “vomit copy” of all sorts of press releases that MUST be published.

These two so called small publications do take time to write business stories and go beyond product launches, however, they are very much limited on how far they can go. 

Obviously, for the likes of New Vision and Daily Monitor, the business reporters have much less flexibility on what they can write. They are limited to two pages of business news and in most cases the analysis bit is lacking. In fact Kalyegira writes; 

“Most African business reports focus on public relations: Launches of new brands, re-launches of old brands and products, opening of complexes, showrooms, plants and competitions and promotions.”

These small publications need money and in Uganda – it seems – any "perceived" negative reporting about a corporate company, you are banished from their advertising list. Then what happens to the reporters? Where does the money come from? To further compound the problems, Ugandans would rather read online newspapers then buy a copy off the shelf, even if they are to wait for a story to be uploaded at 5pm.

I’ve been here, I’ve seen what people buy, and it has nothing to do with business publications - save for a few. They are simply not interested. At the CEO Magazine, we do business analysis and business reporting, but people would rather buy gossip. At times I ask myself “do people really read my stories?” At times when I get comment, I'm so delighted. In one forum, a Ugandan commented that my writing was “fantastic fiction” that was “clouded with financial jargon.” In as much as I disagreed – partly - with his assessment of my writing, I felt proud because I was being noticed. But that's it!!! We toil for information. Data is hard to find. We are called all sorts of names. Told off by company executives and also denied access. 

It is also common for companies to have the theory "he knows nothing about us" or "he knows about what he is writing." In fact they'd rather organize a media briefing that has a high number of reporters, than one where they have a few quality business reporters.

There are also constant reminders from media owners to reporters that they have to do more to attract advertisers. Well, unless you are owned by a large media company, which can afford to make a loss on one of its publications, then perhaps one has to forget the "hard hitting work" that we parade as business reporters. Additionally, business reporters in this country have lesser opportunities to go and learn more on how to report better. People who report about Human Rights, Conflict, Health and Education among others, can easily get the “value addition” through fellowships and scholarships, whereas for the business reporter; you-are-on-your-own. No one is willing to invest in you, but you must invest in yourself – by spending the little you get to earn.

Many will say; “you hobnob with Uganda’s CEO’s. Why would it be hard for you to get opportunities?” Well, they are simply not interested. If they are, they’d rather take a reporter for a trip to their company, than improve the state of business journalism. Admittedly, I must say, business journalism is as good as dead – locally – at least that’s my impression and observation. It can only be revived by quality reporting, which can only be done by being part of large media organization. It is also not entirely surprising that one can easily jump ship, leave business journalism and join the corporate world. The realities of reporting have changed, passion is dying – slowly – and well, light at the end of the tunnel seems elusive – at least locally.

In the Press: Monitor, when a story deserves more than just a massage

He has a right to criticize, who has a heart to help.

Abraham Lincoln 

The Auditor General’s report makes for good reading, as always considering it punches holes in government business.

The story on Page 4 of today's Daily Monitor is damning on a company called Phenix Logistics, one of the exporters and producers of garments in Uganda – local content – of which the government owns 94 percent.

The story, in the headline, reads "Money spent on Phenix a waste of state resources, AG tells govt."  

Quote from the AG’s report: “The government has continued to inject funds in a loss making company, with the latest being the guarantee of a loan from JBIC amounting to Shs4.2billion….” So does the AG here say the government is wasting money? The problem is that Phenix Logistics is loss making.

The Daily Monitor goes on and reads “…which also wonders [The AG’s report wonders?] why govt keeps increasing its shareholding in the firm yet it has never received any dividend..” But it is already loss making. How do you receive a dividend if you’re loss making?

“However, in the same year [2000], the firm borrowed Shs4.2billion from Uganda Development Bank, which it later failed to pay.” So Ugandans would want to know why Phenix Logistics borrowed this money. What was it for?

Interestingly, the Monitor story further explains that each time Phenix failed to pay a debt, it was converted into equity – not exactly a bad thing though – from 0 to 49percent then to 79percent and more recently to 94percent.

So what did all the money borrowed do? What is the production capacity? What are the challenges – if any – or inefficiencies going on at Phenix? How cheap are their products on the local market compared to the imported garments? How much has the plant benefited from AGOA? How many people does it employ? What is the export value of the products? Has it paid taxes? Is production subsidized? The private sector failed to make it profitable,  the government is failing. What exactly is the problem at Phenix Logistics? We have several private sector businesses that are not yet profitable – Orange, Airtel, Warid, UTL – but still their owners keep pumping money into them, in order to prop up performance, and maybe they’ll be profitable – or not. Such is the nature of business.

Ugandan media serves Easter Eggs on Christmas

Just because your voice reaches halfway around the world doesn't mean you are wiser than when it reached only to the end of the bar. Edward R. Murrow

Charred bodies, some unidentifiable, of 29 people, including children - and still counting - made it to the cold room [mortuary] in Mulago. This, after a horrific accident last evening, at the Numungoona Roundabout, about 7kms from the Kampala City Center. At about 10pm [EAT] last evening, Ugandan television channels were playing music of all kinds, presenters were hosting some pseudo pretentious musicians and others; classic boxing. On social media, the National Broadcaster - UBC - was updating "tweeps" with what has happening in Namungoona, but when you flipped to the TV station, music, music and music.  

The TV stations were in oblivion and detached from one of their roles - to inform. The excuse, often, is that there are limited resources to cover such stories where they have to rush to the scene - even UBC will complain yet it is taxpayer funded. However, for a TV station not to even have a breaking news ticker, it is rather baffling since that doesn't require resources. Most of our media organisations - NTV, The Daily Monitor, Vision Group and WBS - have journalists who have highly placed sources in The Uganda Police, Uganda Red Cross, Hospitals and Government, so was it very hard for at least a call to be made to confirm the story and get a breaking news ticker rolling. Furthermore, for a journalist, ones job is to go after a story, not so? This was after-all a big story for the reporter and media house.

There were some reporters -Uganda Radio Network, Simba, Akaboozi and CBS - on the scene, and also social media enthusiasts. Even so, a channel like NTV could have just made a call to have a reporter on air - from Uganda Radio Network - update the country on what was going on. We slept. I wept. 

Last month, a great, young and passionate journalist Michael Hastings died, in a perfect send off, his editor wrote; 

"Great journalists take themselves and their work seriously because it is serious; they know the power they wield."

The big story here is the  fuel tanker exploding and people dying - not common. But for the media, if you are not on-sight to take pictures of how the authorities have reacted - at that time - what story do you plan on telling? Only "she said, he said." Surely we can do better than this. As the media, we wield power. If the authorities know that the media is going to be breaking the news story as it happens, they'll probably be more competent in handling some of these accidents. This is because they know they are being watched by Ugandans. The police instead of issuing a presser 12 hours later, will perhaps be on-sight to update journalists regularly.

Surely, why do we have to wait to put poll questions; "What do you think should be done to control accidents in Uganda." Journalism is about passion: You've got to love it. Before Hastings passed on, he'd offered advice to journalists. 

"Mainly you really have to love writing and reporting. Like it's more important to you than anything else in your life--family, friends, social life, whatever." 

Such a journalist, will give the media owner food for thought [Why don't we air this story? He is at the scene. It could be a scoop]. There's is no way we can keep demanding for media freedom, yet we've failed to utilize even the limited freedom we appear to have. When reporting from then scene, you get the feel the of story, access people's reactions and get your five senses tickled. There is no better way of story telling than vivid descriptions, you'll probably win an award as a result. This also involves the viewers actively, leading them ask the questions -if any - they'd want their government to answer. 

Some will say this is idealism of the highest order. How do I gain from all this? Why should I be up all night to cover such a story? Who cares? What about my sleep? Henrik Ibsen's 1882 play, An Enemy of the People, the protagonist, Dr Thomas Stockmann wants to do right and tell the truth, but everyone else around him thinks this is not a good idea. But he won't back-off, no matter what: 

"The strongest man in the world is he who stands most alone." 

So as journalist, your obligation is to tell the truth or to state the facts and explore them in full but by not waiting for the storm to calm - after homes have been destroyed - and then you instead rush to ask what the government is doing to help. Sorry, you missed out on the big story: The people affected, what was the early warning system like, who died, what were they doing, how were the responses by the authorities...

"...What am I trying to say? Saying that you will not do anything because you cannot solve everything is a lame and, frankly, very poor excuse. Do your part and then you will have the authority to ask of others what they are doing to make this country better," David FK Mpanga a lawyer and a regular Saturday Monitor Columnist who wrote in a piece once titled "What are you doing to make a Uganda better country?" 

For the media owners, perhaps having night duty reporters who can take on stories that happen effective 20:00 hours till 05:00 hours is a good idea? Who will tell the story of what is happening at the scene before we move on to "The police said the drivers were under the influence" and "What is with Ugandans and siphoning fuel?" 

In late May when anti-government protests started out in Turkey, the local media was criticized for having shows about penguins instead of what was going on in their backyard. The protesters got angry and torched some of the broadcast vans of the local stations because they felt they'd been ignored. For Ugandans, it may not get to this level, but surely one can understand if they throw the rotten Easter Eggs the media served them on Christmas Day. 

Note: We[media] feed Ugandans on so much junk, by they time we get to know it, they'll be obese - on emptiness. 

Traders strike is not about PVoC

It is only on a few occasions that business/economic stories make it to the front pages of Uganda's national newspapers, unless it is scandal, the budget, electricity tariffs, oil and a strike by traders, et al. It is exciting - for me - when I get to see the largely ignored business stories making it to the front pages. So this week Ugandan traders went on strike - not for the first time - over the Pre-Export Verification Conformity to Standards Programme (PVoC). 

Amelia Kyambadde, Uganda's Trade Minister insists that " it [PVoC] would curb the entry of counterfeit, fake and substandard goods from entering the country." Uganda is no exception such goods making it past our secure but porous borders. Often, we've [journalists] written scathing headlines questioning what the Uganda National Bureau Of Standards (UNBS) is doing to deal with the influx. Well, the PVoC is part of the solution. Not so? 
Interestingly, the Kampala City Traders Association (KACITA) does agree, 

"We are consumers too, stocking adulterated and substandard goods amounts to us losing market for our goods, so in principle we are concerned.." [Ephraim Kaddu, KACITA's Secretary General in Today's New Vision]. 

There is a but though, 

"....However, the cost of PVoC very high and that affects the cost of doing business." 

Understandable, right? 

But before that, let me first complain about how Daily Monitor reported this story - sadly by quoting a police press statement that "drummed up support for PVoC."  Surely, why quote the police, yet their job is just keep law and order? How relevant are they in this story apart from sitting on the highly over-priced, run-down pick-up trucks, waiting for chaos erupt? Meanwhile, an anchor on NTV Uganda called it "PVoC tax," twice. Coverage in the dailies was pretty much the usual "she said, he said" - not exactly a bad thing - but perhaps, consumers were the missing link in all the stories.

Now, back to PVoC. The complaint by KACITA is about the charges - on inspection - that range from $235 to $2,375, fees they claim are too high and are advocating for flat rate. Explaining why - for the second day - their shops are under lock and key. The government is however not backing down, considering they've already procured services of three firms to carryout the inspection. 

"We are saying, let the goods conform to national standards. If you buy products of higher quality you cannot pay the same inspection fees as for other products [guess he meant lower quality goods] so it is your choice..." Ben Manyindo the UNBS ED told the New Vision newspaper. [Wednesday, June 26th, 2013]. 

The traders, sometimes hold this country by its balls at ransom, even when it is rather obvious that they are protecting their own interests. Traders - importers - are responsible for a huge influx of low quality goods that flood - a phrase liked by us [Journalists] - this country. Of course sometimes UNBS sleeps on the job due to - apparently - manpower issues. It is consumers usually pay the price when purchasing these fake, counterfeit and substandard goods. Consumers are also paying the price for using these "dumped" goods. 

If KACITA claims that the cost is too high, then why not pass it on to the consumer who wants the quality product and is willing to pay for it? As explained, if the quality of a product is low, the higher the cost of inspection. So then why not import high quality goods that are up-to the UNBS standards? It is unusual that traders are fighting the implementation of PVoC, unless of course they have something to hide. So dear traders, you have never hesitated to increase prices for obscure reasons, now here is a genuine reason, PVoC charges.  

Well, if what they want is a meeting with the President, they'll probably get it but like the previous strike against high interest rates, it may yield no tangible result for them - apart from tea and biscuits at State House. However, I will also not be surprised if a political decision [BOLD] is taken to reverse the implementation of PVoC. 

Some Ugandan companies have missed out on being suppliers [local content] to oil companies - Total E&P, Tullow, CNOOC - because they do not conform to national standards in general and international standards in particular. So these traders should stop serving Ugandan's with hot air as they strike. 

Uganda needs to stop being a dumping ground, but, it comes at price - PVoC

Make-over in the making

Top notch CEO's and brand strategists sit in the boardrooms of their companies thinking of new products that will most likely or not at the creat a shift in the market. In similar but not the same move, THE ANAGRAM with its one man board has made a strategic decision to move to a new location. 

The reason for this strategic move was probably highlighted in this post. This will most likely be the last post with the next post at the new home. The board of The Anagram is grateful for all the support offered by readers and for all the comments. They are grateful to Blogger for the service rendered over the years. 
Content on www.mumakeith.com  will be uploaded in the next few days. 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Listen; the trees and water are talking.

The water slaps the edges of a dry concrete wall creating a mark that slowly fades away after a few minutes. Every minute there is light water wave slapping the same wall. Inside the wall, men in orange overcoats and plastic like looking covers on their heads. Armed with wheelbarrows, iron bars, metals and steel the men work to add concrete for the wall to thicken and strengthen. Like little worker ants down below the ground that slowly build their empires creating castles to live. Obviously the forces of human nature trample on them to distort the way their way of life. They are the small ones and because man is such a bully, his wrath slowly drives the little ants away and they simply cannot retaliate. The ants only once in awhile invade peoples’ homes and sift through tonnes of crumbs. 

These ants will soon be deprived of simple vegetation 

The men with overcoats have are struggling other human beings happy. The men with their shovels, spades, cranes and caterpillars scooped land to divert the natural course of the river. This is a river with history and serves over five countries. The needs of human beings just like the ants are growing thus the utilisation of the vast resource to meet their needs. Lighting, computers, Smartphones, coolers, gaming consoles and movies are the needs. The men have to succumb to the pressure of human nature that has endless demands that are mostly likely never going to be satisfied. Even industrialisation has its demands, energy, energy and energy. Need I repeat that? The water has made its voice heard by refusing to increase but reducing. It has refused to evaporate and be part of a more stable ecosystem. And who is complaining of drought, scorched earth, dry water wells and shrinking rivers. Water is talking but no-one is hearing as the myth is that “water doesn’t talk.” 

This is a well in my village that no-longer fills to this level because rainfall has rebelled against us

In a small forest sweaty bare chested men with large see-saws singing happy life songs as they cut trees into small timber to sale on the local market. As the moon slowly sets in, trucks exit the forest with timber to sale to the real-estate dealers in the big town. On the other side, Charcoal prices have been souring making it lucrative business for a population where economic hardships have become a headline in the local media. A fertile nation like Uganda with over 30million (It is more than this) people, then their energy demands need to be matched. Soil erosion, mudslides, exhaustion, roofs flying off houses, unpredicted but harsh weather patterns and drought is the voice of tree talking to a dead end. 

Some of the trees planted by our family in the village

Little known to the active men and human nature is that their actions will be met with vast environmental misgivings. The energy demands by human nature often growing and depleting natural resources like water and forests have vast consequences mostly unknown or that they have no control over. The conflict between energy demands and the eminent challenges of Climate Change however that notwithstanding this crossroad has created more confusion than solutions. Solar Energy and other energy sources that clearly less harmless to our environment to mitigate the likely challenges of climate change, are still viewed by some as weak. Unknown to many, the despair of some, the environment has already reacted with changing weather patterns but what is more concerning, is that I see no urge or oomph to avoid the wrath of a rebelling environment.