Rwanda’s medical tourism is brilliant innovation

MEDICAL TOURISM

The numerous reports of children and their mothers dying in Uganda’s healthcare system is not something that a citizen should be proud of. Clearly, most of the maternal-child deaths are preventable with a robust healthcare system. There are many success stories in the African continent where communities or governments have been able to help curb child-mortality rates and Uganda could learn from these. Comparing Rwanda to Uganda to me is like comparing apples and an egg but Rwanda offers such a glaring example for us to learn from.

While Rwanda and Uganda draws much international attention over its regional aggression and total disregard for its neighbour’s autonomy, Rwanda actually has lots of concrete socio-economic achievements that one can benefit from studying. Being an inspiring Global Health leader and a consultant in Public health, I am attracted naturally Rwanda over its robust anti-corruption and universal healthcare policies. In these aspects, Rwanda appears to be hundred steps ahead of Uganda.

Last year, I did a scoping review on maternal-child healthcare in which I compared Rwanda’s health care system with that of Uganda and South Eastern Asian countries where maternal child health is rampant. I discovered many important lessons from Rwanda’s steady progress and vision as compared to that of Uganda and other aforementioned regions. A great article written by a group of researchers had appeared in Maternal Health Matters, a public health journal with a focus on maternal-child health. This, article described how Rwanda’s community health insurance scheme had helped build community bond with their healthcare facilities. The healthcare insurance, levied on sliding scale system depending on household income, ensures that Rwandese, and not the government, supervised their healthcare facilities. This approach has made healthcare become very accessible to all Rwandese, especially to expectant mothers and their new born babies.

According to the Millennium Development Goal report, Rwanda did sustain maternal mortality rate at 5% from 2000-2010. Over 52% of deliveries now are being attended to by qualified professionals and Rwanda cut its child mortality rate to nearly half from 2000-2007. One would be confident that at this pace, Rwanda would surely require just a little impetus of goodwill to transcend access issues due to difficult terrain, and to achieve MDC goals 4 and 5.

Last week, I saw a picture of magnificent hospital facility – brand new with top of the art equipment, sitting glamorously on the peak of a hill. Down the foot of hill was a projection of bravura of scenery whose deep green and haziness surely infers therapeutic appeal.

Talking to my Rwandese friend at Butare hospital on the phone about this facility, I came to learn that Rwanda has decided to invest in medical tourism. What a splendid idea?

In Uganda, we are still stuck on wildlife based tourism. Our investments are still on traditional goods such as sports goods, building materials, second hand clothing, farm implements, used rifles, expired drugs, scraps and so forth. For many years, we know that Makerere University has trained competent medical doctors and variety of healthcare professionals. These professions in Uganda appear ineffective and almost incompetent. The same MUK graduates in Kenya, Tanzania and in Rwanda stand out as exemplary in the services they offer to their country. The explanation for such a stark difference lies in government policies and work environment.

While the government and medical professionals in Rwanda and Kenya root for medical tourism, in Uganda, their counterparts lack innovation and rely on government for livelihood at the detriment of their service consumers.

So, what does a medical tourism look like? Many Ugandans will recall President Museveni flying his daughter to Germany for delivery; Brig Mayombo and Wapakhabhulo dying in Kenyan hospital or Mzee Bidandi Ssali being flown to Bangkok in Thailand for very simple treatment. In other words, Rwanda’s vision is such that government can invest in its medical facilities, bringing in modern equipment, train and retain some of the best surgeons and keep an efficient medical system. The next time any member of the Ugandan ruling regime becomes ill, Rwanda will be a destination of choice. Rwanda offers many advantages, its security is very efficient, it is closer than Israel or Germany from Uganda and its services are a hybrid of culturally oriented care with western medical technology.

Medical tourism will help fund the system and boost tourism because naturally, people recovering from illness find much comfort in an appealing peaceful, clean and organized environment. I applaud the Paul Kagame leadership on its strong vision on streamlining its healthcare system and taking a leadership stride towards investments beyond basic necessity.

END

Amnesty for the corrupt is an infatuation with the devil

SALEH'S PROPOSAL

Reading the proposal by Gen. Salim Saleh that the corrupt should be offered amnesty should have left many as awed as I was. The core of Saleh’s proposal is that government should provide a channel through which people who have accumulated wealth illegally and by corrupted means, should declare the loot and get taxed. He proposes that government should emulate the success in ending insurgencies in the country through the instrument of amnesty. There are other interesting details about this proposal in the Saleh dossier, but let us look at its core recited above.

The proposal by Saleh, should not shock many people who knew Saleh of the 90s. Only those who had expected a changed in Saleh to a less greedy and mature Saleh in 2013 should be shocked. Saleh’s proposal therefore has roots in his own personal guilt as the pioneer of blatant corruption in Uganda. First, to assume that corruption is forgiveable and should be provided amnesty constitutes an infatuation with the devil itself. Second, it reveals how contemptible these people are to the misery of the Wanainchi that the corrupt deprive of basic social services such as medicine, drinking water, electricity and so forth.

But we also know that Saleh is not aware of  what constitute corruption because of his privileged access to state resources. One could say that this grandiose proposal is a personal statement or wishes to absolve himself from accounting for his expansive record of graft and corruption. I recall in the 90s when censor motions in Parliament targeted the corrupt, Saleh himself offered millions of shillings for anyone who could define this taboo – corruption. Since no one has come to claim that bait, we would surely assume that Saleh himself still does not understand that he is at the pinnacle, in fact a pioneer role model of the corrupted Uganda under this NRM regime.

A quick google search with key words “Salim Saleh AND/OR Corruption” generates more than ten pages on the subject with one click. When you begin to read each link, you begin to feel that the name Salim saleh is almost synonymous with corruption. One good reading is from the STAR of the World Bank and United Nations Office of Drugs and Crimes website. STAR is Stolen Asset Recovery Initiative. The STAR recounts how Salim Saleh almost single handedly dismantled UCB while at Greenland Bank where he improperly engineered the takeover of 49% shares of UCB.

One would be damned not to recognize that Saleh himself partook in the primitive accumulation of wealth, breaking down legal and due processes to rob Ugandans of industrial complexes during the privatization process and swath of arable land in the country. There was no destruction of any major government asset in the 90s that never had the characteristic signature of Saleh’s hands on it. From UCB, NYTIL and so on…all were ravaged by the insatiable greed of one legend who is now asking government for a concession it cannot afford - to  give amnesty to the corrupt.

Corruption is a deviant act and criminal in nature. For professionals, corruption compromises on quality of services and deprives the masses of what is due. If the corrupt were offered amnesty, those hard core criminals who steal human organs or mediate human sacrifices would also demand for amnesty. Imagine serial killers like Arinaitwe of the 90s and serial rapists, drugs, arms and human traffickers asking for amnesty so that they could pay taxes on their loots! That would compel the country to degenerate into modern day Sodom and Gomorrah!

The lessons we learn from this particular proposal is that the NRM regime has its ideology dried up. However, what is satirical and quite disturbing is how lack of accountability is normalized. Uganda is where the new normal is what every sane society objected to in the past. The real bankers are the robbers, security agencies are the very agents of insecurity, the criminals are the heros, the hard working people are the villain in an economy where survival is only secured for the bushwar veterans like Saleh.

By no means shall a country develop and lay a firm foundation in this manner. Everywhere we go now, people appear to be obsessed with living fast and dubious lifestyles. The poor want to be rich by any means possible, irrespective of due process. In Uganda today, everyone is corrupt. Unfortunately, bribery has become normalized; elected leaders now procure the will of the masses to lead. If we buy into this self directed propendency of  Gen Salim Saleh, then we are damned as a nation.

END.  

Ugandan churches are a hub for corruption

CHURCH $ CORRUPTION

Over the weekend I visited one of my Professors, so intent at rehabilitating some of us to return to the Church. There is a Catholic church that has special service slot for an African group. My professor attends to this service and he has observed a remarkable level of enthusiasm which distinguishes the traditional Canadian mass from the African way of praying. Accordingly, the Canadian Catholic priests say mass while their African counterparts do celebrate mass.

The exuding spiritual vigor set aside, we sustained a debate about the role of churches in social and political development in Africa. There was the argument that western religious belief systems have found such a stronghold in the hearts of African communities because by nature, these communities were already deeply spiritual. I agreed with this analysis because from personal experiences, African communities that I know believed in plethora of religious belief systems, rituals and traditions. For instance, the concept of resurrection is nothing new since a large section of African traditional societies believed in life after death. Making sacrifices were common practice, believed to reconcile the two worlds, of the living and the dead, but also reinforced the concept of sharing and caring for each other.

Given the strong beliefs in Africa, one would still find it difficult to explain the animosity of the African race towards each other. It is amazing how we almost gnaw at each other during moments of sharing, when have to distribute resources or in an election. Clearly there has not been an illustration of the intersection between Christian values and African tradition belief systems as both appear to be fading fast among the youngsters.

The biggest dilemma manifests in the form of corruption that is nearly bringing African societies to its knees. The magnitude of corruption that exists in our contemporary society is transmitted through community organizations such as churches and state agencies. The societal superstructure is one that is positioned to produce, reproduce and transmit this vice called corruption which complicates its relations with the base. From Marxian perspective, the base comprehends the forces and relations of production in which people enter to produce the necessities and amenities of life. These relations determine society’s other relationships and ideas, which are described as its superstructure. The superstructure of a society includes its culture, institutions, political power structures, roles, rituals, and state. It is believed that the base determines and predominate the superstructure (Marx, 1977; Scaff, 1984; Morrera, 1990). However, in a corrupted and dictatorial society like Uganda, the superstructure has usurped the influencing acts over the base. As it is, the Churches in Uganda, which should be the moral foundation of society, have become subservient to this vice of corruption.

The church, both traditional Catholic and Protestant have failed the society in as far as cultivating strong Christian values of honesty. These churches are deficient in moral authority to hold sway over their congregation because they appear to be beneficiaries of corrupted society. It is saddening that churches are already tripping on their own robes. Whether they can hold on firmly to their own centres and avoid a crack due to pervasive current moral crises through the 22^nd century is yet another steep test. For instance, the Catholic Church must now deal with moral dishonesty and duplicitous priests who are on rampage of sexual abuse of children and bearing illegitimate children, some with Nuns and members of the congregation.

Seemingly, with fading of religious values in the population, the emergence of all the other so-called Born-Again movements have truly diluted faith and commercialized its practices too. Churches are now the places where corruption finds its own life and soul food; a place where being corrupt is encouraged and redeemed by these Preachers.

Preachers in Africa have excelled in the art of duplicity and extraction, striking at a time when the population is most vulnerable. Many people run to churches to seek the guidance of God towards their own survival. Most of these people live with HIV/AIDS, are poor and may have lost their loved ones, or are jobless. Some of the people may be transitioning through personal difficulties, so they turn to the Church for consolation. At their most vulnerable, this is when the churches strike them to pry on their vulnerability for an exploit.

The link between churches perpetuating corruption is ebbed in luxurious lifestyles of the church leaders. In the Bible, tax collectors were always portrayed as wretchedly for their wealth accumulation. We recall the story of Zacharia who had to climb the sycamore tree to seek Jesus’ redemption (Luke 19:4). In Africa, most of the Preachers are the new Zacharias who collects the tithe on behalf of the Lord for their own aggrandizement. This way, these churches have become the platform where the corrupt cleanse their sins and get redemption for their injustices.

It is important to question the materialistic agenda of these churches. Why are churches not bothered with social inequalities or the rampant corruption that undermine genuine economic development? Just take a trip through Kampala’s wealthy suburbs, you would be amazed at how owners of churches also live in meticulous villas; you must see their brand new multibillion cars and the kind of toys that their children play with. When we were growing up, church leaders were not exactly paupers, but they were not as rich as politicians and even more. It is unusual that that at this time when corruption is so rampant, church leaders are also stinking wealthy. This pattern explains why some Muslims are converting to born-again beliefs and opening a church because it is just a cash-cow! It also tells how desperate and vulnerable the people are in the hands of corrupted religious institutions.

END.

Charge Sheet for Mr. Lawrence Kiiza

Form 53(1)

Central Public Police Station, Kampala, Uganda

Date: 4/10/2013

Uganda Citizens vs Lawrence Kiiza

CRB No.3 of 2013

Male, employed by Ministry of Finance, Uganda

Resident of Kampala, Uganda

STATEMENT OF OFFENCE

Corruption Contrary to section S.2 (a), (b), (c), (d),(e), (g) and (h) of the Anti-Corruption

Act, 2009.

PARTICULARS OF OFFENCE

On or about January 22, 2011, Lawrence Kiiza unlawfully and corruptly solicited and 

negotiated an undocumented payment of $50m from Tullow Oil, PLC in Uganda contraray 

to S.2 (a), (b), (c), (d),(e), (g) and (h) of the Anti-Corruption Act, 2009.

Concerned Citizen/ Police Officer Magistrate


......................................... .......................................
Signature



Another charge of Economic Terrorism for conniving withTullow Oil PLC

Another Charge of Treason for leaking government secret to Tullow Oil PLC

Another Charge of Abuse of Public office for using his office to solicit for bribe

Another Charge of betrayal of public trust vested in the office of Director for Tax Policy,

Ministry of Finance.

Mr Lawrence Kiiza must be investigated

TULLOW OIL SAGA

I read an intriguing article in the New Vision online, published on April 8, 2013 with much awe and I think Mr. Lawrence Kiiza must be investigated and arraigned before anti-corruption court. I was in awe already mainly because usually, New Vision is not the paper where one can reliably find stunning objective investigative pieces about the scandals that have plague the NRM regime.

In this particular publication, however, an intriguing headline: Finance boss named in Tullow oil saga, caught me unaware. Reading through the article, I was even shocked with the blow-by-blow account of the conduct of Ministry of finance’s director of Tax policy – Mr Lawrence Kiiza. The article was accompanied by the picture of a smiling and a beaming bespectacled man with the caption underneath the picture that identified him as Lawrence Kiiza.

After reading the entire content of the article and following the links to the full verbatim testimony, I receded in shame. I then decided to find out more about Mr. Lawrence Kiiza and upon googling his name, I landed on a couple of articles and lectures he delivered to Masters Students. One such was the summary of his June 22, 2007 lecture to GRIPS Masters Students titled: Policy design and implementation in developing country.

I wasn’t even surprised upon opening the online version of the same paper on the next day, April 9, 2013. There was no news headline mentioning that the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), the Police nor in that case, any authority had shown interest in the matter.  It would be relieving if the content of the article that implicates Mr. Lawrence Kiiza had stimulated the interest of the Authories – even in the Ministry itself. The evidences or leads are there which clearly make Mr. Kiiza a person of interest to the anti-corruption division of any responsible branch of government.

Maybe we should be patient and give the DPP and the CID chance to internalize the content of this article - if they have not already. However, I think it is important to note that in Uganda the line between whistle-blowing and treason has become too hazy. Although it is inconceivable that the PS in the Prime Minister’s office has remained put behind his desk on accounts of whistle-blowing, it is important that the whistle-blowing line is drawn clearly this time.

Let me try to summarize for you why I believe that Mr Lawrence Kiiza should be a person of interest to the authorities. In that NV report, Mr. Lawrence Kiiza was implicated in having personally negotiated a $50m in non documented payment (bribe) from Tullow Oil, an investment company vying for the lucrative oil industry of Uganda,  ahead of Uganda’s economic interest in what has now become “the Tullow oil saga” in London (UK). In exchange, it is purported that Mr. Lawrence Kiiza leaking government secrets and minutes of meetings to Tullow so that Tullow could gain an upper hand in negotiating a deal that would cheat Ugandans of oil revenue (Refer to testimonies in NV, 04/08/2013: Finance boss named in Tullow oil saga).

The learned fellow, Mr. Khawa Qureshi, Heritage Oil’s lawyer did lay down every hard evidence there is for everyone to see for themselves. In this case, would it not be proper to question the motive and spirits under which Mr. Lawrence Kiiza acted in conniving with Tullow oil? Was Mr. Kiiza acting in the best interest of the government and in his capacity as director of tax policy at Ministry of Finance when he inadvertently negotiated for an undocumented pay of $50m in exchange for government information?

The lines are not very clear here and it is unwise to make conclusions before a full investigation of the case. But as a taxpayer, I want to know beforehand whether Mr. Lawrence Kiiza was acting as Whistleblower to Tullow oil at the expense of his government and his people. If that is the case, then I would submit a complaint, and duly so herein, as a taxpayer (from remittances) to the DPP to charge Mr. Lawrence Kiiza of the following crimes in accordance with existing laws;

1). Economic terrorism, for acting with full intent to compromise a due process between Government and the oil investors in order to sabotage Uganda’s economic interest and to cheat Ugandans for his personal gratification by way of soliciting for bribes,

 2) Treason, for conspiring with foreign entity through leaking sensitive government information that could have threatened national security and did threaten the national interest of Uganda,

3) Gross abuse of office by using his position and government resource against the interest of the government of Uganda and in violation of the code of conduct of public officer

4) Betrayal of public trust invested in the office of director of tax policy of Uganda’s Ministry of finance.

For more reading, please follow:
http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/641464-finance-boss-named-in-tullow-oil-saga.html

END.

Our Culture should not be a matter of legislation

MARRIAGE & DIVORCE BILL 2009

The current enthusiasm about the Divorce Bill is one which illustrates how redundant Uganda Legislators have become. I disagree to the simple notion that culture and tradition of our people should be legislated. However, cultural practices that promote criminality and social inequities must be discouraged.

The institution of marriage in Uganda is practiced and sustained differently across the over 42 different ethnic groups. As such, each cultural entity has its own sentimental and cultural values attached to these practices. The mechanism by which marriage is moderated has been reliant on social capital rooted in age old African traditions. This attitude of Ugandan elitist women attempting to copy, paste and impose Eurocentric and American feminist ideologies on Ugandans therefore must be chided.  Bride price, for instance, is the equivalent of proposal in the west and there is no scientific evidence which shows conclusively that bride price is associated with domestic violence. To the contrary, proposals are associated with blood diamonds rings and other precious stones stolen from Africa.  

There are outright cultural practices that drag our societies backward, such as female genital mutilation. Some of these cultures are dying out of attrition as the population becomes increasingly educated and exposed to the world of scientific realism. Take for instance; the popularity of polygamous marriage has plummeted over the past decades. Families are becoming smaller and sensitive to economic challenges of modern day Uganda. What has replaced polygamy is now promiscuity and marital infidelity that is widely practiced. 

There are many mistakes in this proposed Marriage and Divorce Bill because it lacks the commonality of a national legislation. This shows that there has not been a deliberate study of some of the social issues that it should be resolving. For instance, the Bill proposes that women can divorce their husbands on the ground of impotency. First, a scientific definition of impotency must be provided so that there is agreed upon benchmark. Further, research has shown that marital coercion affects the women more than the men. This is because most Ugandan women are still largely dependent on the men for their livelihood. Our cultures still binds women to the institution of marriage as repository of morality. More studies are illustrating that men are always hesitant to test for diseases; always attribute any STIs/STDs to women and often women are blamed for “not giving” the man children.

While these are very sensitive issues, we must also agree that modern day Uganda has not achieved universal education. What this means is that most people are still of very low literacy level and this kind of elitist legislation will only put them in bigger trouble by tearing down family units.

I agree that women need more supportive structures to enable them overcome socially and historically rooted injustices and inequities. Nonetheless, family stability is at the core of a healthy society. What this Bill does, is not address structural issues, such as culpability to intimate partner violence and the management of after divorce or separation. Research again shows clearly that the most troubling aspect of a married woman’s life is the life after divorce. In fact, the quality of life of the women depreciates significantly following divorce. For a woman who depends entirely on the man, her life may become a nightmare, such that turning to prostitution or consorting into a lesbian relationship becomes inevitable – the reason in some of these developed countries, the partner with high income are required to continue supporting the separated partner financially through a period, after divorce.

What is also very clear is that domestic violence and marital rape are all criminal acts and are attributable to other aspects of socio-cultural factors that are permissive of such. This must be clearly discerned from the value of bride price because in some marriages, women are also known for battering their husbands, terribly!

While some aspects of the Bill are relevant, such as sharing property between married couples upon divorce, the Bill makes no mention of pre-nuptials. Further, what is also increasing irritating is what we should coin as “human trading” that manifests during introduction sessions in Uganda. The inflated demands of bride price pose more problems to the intending couples. This practice, especially in Buganda and Western Uganda must be halted immediately.

I have seen on TV where parents are asking for millions of cash money, lots of material goods, such as fridges, cars, complete living room upgrades, completing a house or financing the building perimeter walls, twenty cows, trucks of matooke and many additional items. In fact, one mock music video by Northern Uganda artist 2pee depicts a scene where the bride’s family listed 2 AK47s among the items for introduction.  Now, the commercialization of marriage processes must be fully examined because it has become a ticket to poverty and recipe for corruption.

This Bill, if passed in its current form, will provide a great opportunity for more individuals to become sexually independent. What that means is that there will not be commitment in relationships. As a consequence, men will consort more with men and women with women because of complex social implications of heterogeneous relationships. This is not a far-fetched claim because in the western countries we copy cultures from, people live in open relationships in fear of commitment. Bride price is the social fiber that holds families together. I believe that cultures should not be a matter of legislation.

 END

Northern Uganda needs post conflict leaders

LEADERSHIP

The members of Parliament for Northern Uganda have fired the salvo to re-ignite the debate about secession. For many years now, the idea of Northern Uganda breaking away from the Republic of Uganda has been a malignant urge. Understandably, the Northern Uganda situation is one which draws a lot of bad blood and sad memories of annihilation.

I am not very sure whether the problem of northern Uganda can effectively get resolved by cessation or federation. There are merits to both arguments; Northern Uganda is the size of Belgium and probably more endowed with natural resources. It has a vibrant community who feel that their vigor and enthusiasms are being nipped up in the bud by the violent NRM ideology. Many in Northern Uganda still believe that the NRM has held this sinister plan of transforming the North into a pool of insolvents and beggars.

The truth be said, Northern Uganda endures a deliberate marginalization and structural disadvantage as a consequence of the past twenty years. Unfortunately, this region has not been able to produce principled post conflict leaders who have a strong vision for the region. There is a belief that every situation is capable of producing its own leadership. In that aspect, this region has failed to produce such leaders.

Recent history of conflict in Northern Uganda was able to produce leaders and managers who stood by their unbroken spirits and guided the region through the genocide, afloat. The league of Hons. Reagan Okumu, Zachary Olum, Okello Okello Livingston and Hon. Norbert Mao represented strong voices for the people and they were able to stave off many ill intentions of the NRM regime against the Acholi people. Lango and West Nile sub-regions produced some of the most vibrant, reputable and consistent leaders throughout the conflict.

One of the biggest challenges that Northern Uganda has not come to terms with is the basic understanding that there is no equal place for recovery under the NRM where everyone is grabbing everything for self aggrandizement. Not that the region should produce thieves and scoundrels the type we see swindling anything called wealth. With few exceptions, the post conflict Northern Uganda has produced weak and opportunistic leaders who erroneously have been duped that the solution to the regions is with President Museveni.

Northern Uganda needs to produce a breed of post conflict leadership – a group of people who will not fight military invasion, atrocious acts of government and mass murders, but leaders who will have strong will to fight corruption, manipulation and theft of public resources from the grassroot to the national level. Given the high moral aptitude of the people from Northern Uganda, one of their failures is to look up to President Museveni and corrupted NRM system with hope for solution. Like a man who is sentenced to the guillotine, Northern Uganda is merely hoping that the noose man will empathize and set them free at a point. This is a wild expectation under this regime.

Cessation talk for now is metaphorical like the life of a seed. In that seed there is a tree and in that tree there are possibilities of many other seeds. For those conditions to fetter such that this seed of cessation can grow into a promising forest, a lot of realistic work must be done. One of such is to preserve the land and its endangered population!

It is also profitable to begin contemplating on whether creation of semi-autonomous Nile Region to demand for federal status with the Republic is a realistic idea. Further, the leadership in Northern Uganda needs to focus on developing a strong ideological framework to mobilize its “citizens” just beyond the complaint of “marginalization”. I think marginalization claims typifies a learned self-helplessness – the tendency of tendering our recovery duties to others. The false hope that the central government that is presided over by Mr. Museveni would change its mind and policies on this region we voted with euphoria.

The sordid conditions of Northern Uganda is not because people there drink alcohol, indulge in risky sexual behaviours, are lazy to the point that they are unable to hold the hoe, etc. The reverse is true. People of Northern Uganda are honorable and personable hardworking individuals emerging from two decades of war.

Their real dilemma is trying to fit into a very dangerous and meticulously scandalous world which knows no veracity, trustworthiness nor reciprocity – the world that despises them.

END