Kenya's first lady unleashes terror on official

A Kenyan broadcaster has lodged an official complaint after video images of the president's wife slapping an official were seized and erased.
Nation TV filmed Lucy Kibaki slapping the official during an independence day celebration at State House in Nairobi.
He had mistakenly introduced Kenya's first lady by the name of the woman widely alleged to be her love rival.
In 2005, Mrs Kibaki was accused of slapping a cameraman in a protest over coverage of her row with a neighbour.
This gaffe comes at a sensitive time as Kenya prepares to elect a new president in two weeks.
Embarrassment
When the official from the president's office mistakenly introduced the first lady by the name of the woman widely believed to be President Mwai Kibaki's second wife, Mrs Kibaki marched up to him and promptly slapped him around the face.

One in 6 jailed journalists are held without charge

Census shows an overall decline; China remains the leading jailer

New York- One in six journalists jailed worldwide are being held without any publicly disclosed charge, many for months or years at a time and some in secret locations, the New York based press freedom watch dog, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has found in a new analysis.
CPJ’s annual worldwide census of imprisoned journalists found 127 behind bars on December 1, a decrease of seven from the 2006 tally. The drop is due in large part to the release this year of 15 Ethiopian journalists who were either acquitted or pardoned of antistate charges stemming from a broad government crackdown on the press. CPJ and others had waged an intensive advocacy campaign on their behalf.
China, which has failed to meet its promises to improve press freedom before the 2008 Olympics, continued to be the world’s leading jailer of journalists, a dishonor it has held for nine consecutive years. Cuba, Eritrea, Iran, and Azerbaijan round out the top five jailers among the 24 nations that imprison journalists.
Antistate allegations such as subversion, divulging state secrets, and acting against national interests remain the most common charge used to imprison journalists worldwide, CPJ found. About 57 percent of journalists in the census are jailed under these charges, many of them by the Chinese and Cuban governments.
The proportion of journalists held without any charge at all increased for the third consecutive year. Eritrea and Iran account for many of these cases, but the United States has used this tactic as well. U.S. authorities have not filed charges or presented evidence against Al-Jazeera cameraman Sami al-Haj, held for more than five years at Guantánamo Bay, or Associated Press photographer Bilal Hussein, held in Iraq for more than 19 months. The U.S. military said in November that Hussein’s case would be referred to Iraqi courts for prosecution but continued to withhold details explaining the basis for the detention.
“Imprisoning journalists on the basis of assertions alone should not be confused with a legal process. This is nothing less than state-sponsored abduction,” the CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon said. “While we believe every one of these 127 journalists should be released, we are especially concerned for those detained without charge because they are often held in abysmal conditions, cut off from their lawyers and their families.”
The practice of holding journalists without charge has eroded basic standards of fairness and accountability. Iranian authorities, for example, jailed Mohammad Seddigh Kaboudvand in July, but they have yet to file formal charges or bring the editor before a judge. Kaboudvand’s lawyer has not been allowed to see him or review the government’s case. Eritrean authorities will not even confirm whether the journalists in its custody are alive or dead. At least 19 journalists worldwide are being held in secret locations, CPJ found, with Eritrea the worst offender in this regard.
Continuing a decade-long trend, Internet journalists make up an increasing proportion of CPJ’s census. Bloggers, online editors, and Web-based reporters constitute about 39 percent of journalists jailed worldwide. Print journalists make up the largest professional category, accounting for about half of those in jail.
The rise of Internet journalism and its risks are evident in China, where 18 of the 29 jailed journalists worked online. China’s list includes Shi Tao, an award-winning journalist serving a 10-year sentence for e-mailing details of a government propaganda directive to an overseas Web site. The Internet giant Yahoo supplied account information to Chinese authorities that led to Shi’s 2004 arrest and triggered an ongoing debate over corporate responsibility.
China continues to rely heavily on the use of vague antistate charges, imprisoning 22 journalists on accusations such as “inciting subversion of state power.” Despite China’s 2001 promises to the International Olympic Committee that it would ensure “complete media freedom,” its leaders continue to jail reporters and operate a vast system of censorship, CPJ found in a special report in August. CPJ has urged the IOC and the Games corporate sponsors to hold Beijing accountable to its word.
Journalists who either disappear or are abducted by non-state entities, including criminal gangs, rebels, or militant groups, are not included on the imprisoned list. Their cases are classified as ‘missing’ or ‘abducted’.

Details of this story available on CPJ's Web site.

Industrialization is not the answer to Africa’s poverty

BY MATHIAS KULUBYA
IN LONDAN

I wish to offer an alternative view to The Ugandan President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni’s argument that industrialization is the prime answer to Africa’s severe poverty and social transformation. Industrialization is not the key to alleviating poverty in Africa or in a single poor and developing country. It is integrated development plans including upgrading our transport systems, hospitals, provision of decent housing, identification documents and security that can do so.

The proponents of industrialization forget the basic tenets in International Economics of comparative advantage and economies of scale. This is not an era to work hard but to work smart. Consider this: Premark, a British company, is the cheapest clothing store thanks to exploiting close to 2.2 million Bangladeshi factory workers who earn about £10 a month.

It is, therefore, cheaper to build factories in the third world to provide opportunities for the west to develop their environment and turn former industrial sites into housing. The countryside in England is so beautiful that you sometimes wonder whether all the talk about Uganda's beauty is just meant to lull us into our small world.

President Museveni has interacted with top-notch billionaires like Richard Branson, Bill gates and others who could easily sign investment cheques without draining our treasury. why then does he have to deal with poorly-funded businessmen who need free land?

Business is not charity but a profit-making venture using today's collaborators with capitalism. What brings money and investment capital is worthwhile products and Uganda needs repackaging itself better. Every project in the UK, for example, goes through the relevant councils not the executive arm of government.

What are our labor unit costs and the necessary infrastructure to support these discovered beliefs in industries as the key to Africa's poverty alleviation and employment growth? Do we have comparative advantage against China and India in manufacturing from textile to processing?

The reasoned and researched answer is no. There are alternative ideas to counter the government reasoning of giving away our land without an integrated development programme including building new hospitals, schools, roads and railway extensions. Uganda is in an enviable position in Africa having lakes Victoria, Kyoga, Albert, Edward and the second longest river in the world including being closer to the Congo basin.

However, we have failed to manage these resources for our generation and the future generations. It costs $25m to get each household in Uganda to have tap water! The swamps and forests which used to filter our wells are being lost to investors and haphazard property developments.

Richard Branson recently announced close to $2 billion to invest in reducing carbon emissions and bio- gas, ethanol related industries.

We can use our position in Africa close to the desert to fight for a portion of these funds in the global fight to save the world from climate changes. Commercial farming is preferable to industries once again using our water resources.

Kabagambe's sacking from TNT was innevitable, Bideri is a lesser evil

Kabagambe is the worst media predator, time could only be a right judge
The bad and great news (one's coin side)flooded Kigali streets this week and left many hearts broken or refilled with optimism (those who respect the journalism profession). The obvious reasons, are, the self anointed strong man, 'President Kagame's cousin'(misused the good name of the president) Ignatius Rweyemaho Kabagambe got sacked or sucked from one of Rwanda's highly rated media houses or the country's only daily, The New Times. Kabagambe who has just been replaced by the former Rwandan information agency (Orinfor), Joseph Bideri, received the axe after causing untold suffering and tormentions to many of the company's employees. With his ridiculous and unprofessional administrative decisions, his short regime has been characterized by numerous sackings of employees for no reasons or caused several resignations from some employees who could not afford to bear his tormentions. The guy since assuming office early this year has been on rampage, doing the sackings like no body's business. According to reliable sources, his sacking has been on for quite some time but he tactfully avoided it by hijacking and rushing many reforms his predecessor had left in pipeline. He always pleaded for more time to accomplish a certain A and B, bla bla. But as a final stroke that broke the camel's back, Kabagambe was supposed to go. And here, he allowed (did he read anyway)the publication of Kampala-Chogm advert with a story of how President Paul Kagame and the late Fred Rwigyema in one of Kampala's drinking joints (Gabiro), allegedly planned the 1994 RPF/RPA invention of the then Kigali blood thirsty govt. Not a bad idea though but as a top most editor (really??), he as usual underrated the double effect of the advert especially to the President who was in Kampala attending Chogm and wooing several investors to try their lack in Kigali while also campaigning for the former Belgian colony to join the English club. But poor Kabagambe by 'mistake' (said to have been upcountry in a retreat with his top guns) overlooked the piece and at the end portrayed the good and ever sober president as a 'drunkard'(am sure that was an oversight resulting from the ever lazy editor-in-chief at the helm of a critical institution like TNT). There are several allegations pointing to serious financial mismanagement of that company (call it salary and allowance bonanza). Mid-this month, the top managers for reasons best known by their hearts, decided to award themselves triple salaries. Unfortunately, the junior staff (reporters) non of them received any increment of his/her salary. Get it that these are beasts of burden as George Owel in his book of 'the animal farm) would rightly put it. Imagine for a company like TNT, had more than three consultants almost doing the same job. Inside sources state that this was Kabagambe's style of 'eating' the company money as he would be seen as very hardworking. But alas, that was not the case. There came in the issue of The Weekly Post that had since remained a ghost to his administrative life. For starters, when The Weekly post launched its ever first publication on June 4, Kabagambe purely surprised or startled by this piece of great work, froze to heal. As a resurrection from that part of the world, he came up with a deadly idea of showing a final exit to the new radiating and professional paper that the founders were Ugandans and working for the Ugandan govt (are spies) when he teamed up with a bunch of jealousy ‘top’ journalists to champion it’s sudden closure. Of course this a serious allegation one can ever make. Through their several maneuvers, they were believed and on June 6, the great paper was transported to the national museum for tourists to see (…not for its presence there). The Weekly Post was closed and no reason was ever given to date. But that’s the inside fact atleast known to the founders and Kabagambe and his school for scandal. Of course, the truth can never be killed forever and its now clear that the top authorities that ordered for the closure of the paper have realised the pure cowardice of their man. Remember the issue attracted international and national outrage and for wrong reasons, the country was classified a one of the worst media predators in the world (may be or may be not) at a crucial time when country is lobbying to join the Commonwealth. Kabagambe purely lied about the facts of The Weekly Post. The truth is, the founders are not foreigners and never received any foreign funding. The paper was built on mere passion and determination to penetrate the media market and to cause a landmark to the profession's history let alone a dream team that would not be easily assembled by a media investor. That was done and the rest is for God to decide where to place the evil minded characters.

But as was once stated by one African novelist, when the hunter finally turns into the hunted, then its prudent to call off the hunting game for its over. And at this time, considering the way things were going on in that company and looking at several miserable faces of the ever hardworking great women and men, the writings were on the wall and everything seemed to be falling apart and as day went by. Things were no longer at ease as Chinwa Acebe would suggest. Kabagambe's center of things could hold no more and many had rightly predicated, the right time docked at his station with clear willingness to show him exit. And now, one can rightly say that the man, who conspired with others to engineer the closure of what would now be Rwanda’s shinning light in the East African region for reasons best known to him but mainly to protect his then infant MDship, is either demoted or no more in the corridors of TNT. Of course with fear, cowardice ranging on his face, Rweyemaho (as the name would suggest), passed on senseless rumors in collaboration with his network of school for scandal of some fellow journalists in the country to say that the new paper was of spies. Also that they received funding from foreign and neighboring countries, a thing that was never true but was unprofessionally and wholesomely consumed by the Kigali intelligence system that never gives a chance for a second reasoning especially on matters related to the national security. The Weekly Post is now history or enjoying great life in the beautiful city of cemetery Ville. Some of the founders have been forced to flee their great country seeking refugee for their dear life. But some are here to stay even when it means final death for this is their country. The country's image that took the outmost gift of sacrifice from the liberators was in few seconds put at risk by silly mistakes of a man that aimed at putting his ego to satisfaction. But, as life goes, the truth can never be subdued and evil has never defeated the truth, not in the history of the universe. One especially those from The Weekly Post, can at last push-a-breath that the truth is finally disembarking and heading for a serious showdown with evil, the tormentor of innocent souls and hater of success and thinking. Hope, the public will at the end make its own judgment of who is actually the real enemy of the people.

For the great self-motivated employees at The New Times, hope is there to receive, for your tormentor has either been shown exit or his golden feathers reduced to normality. Good things and new life is right at your door-steps, gone are days of being called bullshits or useless women and men. No no, the writing is now in black and white at your notice board. Read right in excitement for its now true. For the new MD, i very much know is a man of experience and will for all reasons deliver. He has been at the helm of that organisation (that i think means a lot to the development agenda of this govt) since its inception and knows all the dynamics. Lets hope he has come to put things right and will not be pushed out as soonest. no, i believe he will not but has to expect anything when in that paper, for David Kabuye was a good administrator but suffered the trap and wrath of MD hungry and thirsty Kabagambe. For no one who doesn’t know the gymnastics of Rweyemaho man during those rush hours with one of the board members plotting against the best MD that Company has ever had. Please Mr Bideri my friend, Listen to the workers and think twice always to affect their morale. Bideri, for now, all our support are your bucket of roses, wishing you success at that company troubled by poor leadership, focus and in a financial deficient of millions. At least employee salaries (with some higher than their contribution) are over-bank-drafted every Month. Please sort that out, as at one point the company should be able to provide considerable revenues to the govt. So God help Bideri.

Global effort on World Aids Day

Events are being held to mark the 20th World Aids Day, many highlighting the need to fight continued prejudices against people with HIV-Aids.
The UN recently reduced its estimate of the number of people with HIV/Aids, but the figure still stands at 33 million.

UN chief Ban Ki-moon said strong leadership was needed if the fight against the disease was to be won.

Campaigners have warned that progress in treating and slowing the disease is breeding complacency about the risks.