This week government kicked off mobilization for the Parish Development Model (PDM) starting with Bukedi sub-region, one of the poorest according to the latest figures from the National Bureau of Standards (UBOS). The districts include Tororo, Busia, Bataleja, Kibuku, Budaka, Butebo and Pallisa where most households with an average of seven people subsist in crop and livestock on less than four acres of land without meaningful commercial productivity.

Ancient Greek Philosopher Socrates, and Jesus Christ said to have lived blameless lives were arrested, charged, convicted and executed because knaves accused them, and in Uganda today we have many knaves passing for MPs, journalists, writers, human rights ‘defenders’ and foreign diplomats some from countries with dubious human rights credentials.

Years back, John Nagenda, derisively referred to FDC as Fall Dawn Completely, attracting a prolonged vitriolic backlash from many FDC supporters, who viewed Nagenda, as an NRM and President Yoweri Museveni’s protégé who in any case wouldn’t wish them well. Nagenda had castigated FDC’s formation, as essentially by people he termed “disgruntled” driven by their own failures in the old NRM, encouraged on by elements from the old discredited Uganda Peoples’ Congress (UPC) and Democratic Party (DP). 

February 27, 2022 marks three years since our southern neighbor Rwanda abruptly and unilaterally shut its borders, initially, ostensibly to upgrade its customs post and transit route. Later, under soft pressure, it became a full-blown political dispute with Rwanda accusing Uganda of hostility towards its citizens resident in Uganda or who frequently travel to Kampala.

Wednesday next week marks 36 years since the resilient and glorious National Resistance Movement/Army (NRM/A) led by Yoweri Kaguta Museveni captured Kampala. The battle for Kampala marked the defeat and retreat of fascist remnants ending reigns of terror, uncertainty, and political anguish that accompanied national ruin and state collapse for two decades since independence.

Kindergarten, primary and secondary school gates flung open on Monday this week after eighty three months’ Covid-19 induced closure by government, with many including government owned ones across the country seemingly unprepared in physical sense, judging by the photographs published on various media platforms.

Apologists for the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) Islamist terrorists aren’t amused that the Uganda Peoples Defence Forces (UPDF) is in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) conducting military operations to sweep the terrorists out their safe sanctuary of twenty seven years. This time, the UPDF is in DRC with full consent, written and jointly signed agreement between the DRC and Uganda governments, and are in fact conducting joint operations against the terrorist and other negative forces. 

This week while on a drive around Mbalala Industrial Area in Mukono district I chanced on an old friend now working for Grainpulse Limited whose shareholder l discovered is another friend, Hannington Karuhanga. Karuhanga is a very low-key man you easily pass in town. 

Slowly but surely Kizza Besigye is coming to the end of his times as the leading let alone reasonable opposition voice in Uganda and therefore his recent ‘demand’ that the Uganda Peoples Defence Forces (UPDF) withdraws immediately from its current offensive against the Allied Democratic Front (ADF) terrorists who have used the DRC as their fertile ground should be treated with scorn coming from a terrorist apologist.

After three months of stay and extensive travels in China, as a witness to its rapid and tremendous rise as the second global power l returned home a much humbled person. I had fifty three field visits across China even under the COVID-19 pandemic including to the military museum in Nanxhang Jianxi province where the Long March began.