PHOTO: Mr. Lukka Kagenyi after getting his second Covid-19 jab recently

OPINION BY
BRIAN MUKALAZI
bmukalazi@ecmafrica.org

AVAILABLE data indicates that by October 1, more than 50 countries had missed the World Health Organization’s (WHO) set global target of fully vaccinating at least 10 per cent of their populations against Covid-19 by the end of September.
While almost 90 per cent of high income-countries have met this target, in Africa, the WHO’s overall figure for those fully vaccinated is currently at a paltry 4 per cent (About 60 million people), with only 15 countries having met the target. 
Yes, I get it! The African continent has suffered immensely from vaccine shortages, made worse by health infrastructure challenges and shortfalls in supplies from the global vaccine-sharing initiative, COVAX. 
However, we need to be more honest and appreciate that the problem is not only on the “supply side” but on the “demand side” of things as well.Whereas millions of Covid-19 vaccine doses have made their way to Africa in recent months, experts and public health officials are facing serious challenges in rolling out these doses to the masses in a timely manner before their expiry. Already, over 450,000 doses of the vaccines distributed to African nations had expired by early August.In my view, the problem largely emanates from the broken communication system that currently exists between the experts (scientists, public health officials, political leaders, etc.) and the ordinary people. The system lacks a combination of empathy and expertise, and has left many key questions about the vaccine(s) un-answered.
It was Peter Drucker who once said: “The most important thing in communication is to hear what is not being said” But the irony with this assertion is that, when communications are made, but with what appears to be half-truths, questionable honesty or with fewer facts, a lot of room is left for misinformation, distrust and open-ended debates.    

How was a Covid-19 vaccine found so quickly?

The breakneck speed at which the Covid-19 vaccine has been developed remains one of the major mysteries surrounding Covid-19. Previously, the mumps vaccine, developed in 1967, was the quickest to have ever been developed – it took 4 years. Vaccine development is usually a long, complex process, often taking 10-15 years and involving a combination of public and private involvement. Experts normally spend many years of rigorous testing for safety and effectiveness before approval of a vaccine.
Therefore, it is only natural for people to have anxiety over the safety and effectiveness of a vaccine that took less than twelve months to develop. There are genuine concerns that the Covid-19 vaccine was rushed and that thorough clinical trials were not done. And with these concerns, comes vaccine hesitancy. 
Perhaps the speed of this unprecedented achievement could be due to medical advancements, global collaboration and political will. But efforts should be made by the experts to candidly answer the frequently asked questions, especially those relating to the vaccine development or testing process. 

Why isolate the un-vaccinated?

Today, almost all countries around the world have instituted some forms of restrictions premised on Covid-19 vaccination. From the mandatory vaccination of teachers in countries such as Uganda and China, to the denial of un-vaccinated people entry to sports events in the United States, Covid-19 is undeniably breaking society apart.
Different aspects of daily life are becoming increasingly complicated for anyone un-vaccinated against Covid-19. Socializing, work, air travel and engaging in leisure activities are all increasingly being determined by one’s Covid-19 vaccination status.
Some people have indicated that being Covid-19 survivors, they developed natural immunity to the disease and do not need a vaccine. Others have questioned why they have to take the jab when Covid-19 can be a mild or asymptomatic illness for many people, especially the young.  And for the majority, they simply just want to take their time. Of course, some of these views could be wrong or misguided but it is the role of governments and experts to listen in, conduct the necessary research and give expert feedback. 
This would help in debunking misinformation and building public trust.

Lessons from the Ebola Response in West Africa

The 2014 – 2016 Ebola outbreak in the West African countries of Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone that claimed more than 11,000 lives offers many lessons. 
In his book, The Pandemic Century, author Mark Honigsbaum paints a bleak picture of what transpired, especially in the early months of the epidemic: “One of the most common rumours across the entire West African Ebola zone was that the virus was manufactured in a U.S military facility or that it was a plot by governments to attract foreign aid to the region”. 
The rumours sparked violent clashes with communities suspicious of the intentions of foreigners, medical experts and government officials. The most unfortunate incident of all occurred when a delegation of medical personnel and government officials was set upon by an angry mob. Eight members of the delegation were captured, killed and their bodies dumped in a latrine. According to many observers, social mobilization and massive communication campaigns were crucial ingredients in winning the battle against Ebola. 
Gaining the understanding and support of Guinean, Liberian and Sierra Leonean villagers required the intervention of experts, local community leaders, as well as active participation from top political leaders.

How Science usually works

According to Fareed Zakaria: “The reality is that Science does not yield one simple answer, especially not with a new phenomenon like Covid-19. We tend to think of science as providing a single, definitive answer, but that isn’t really how it works.  Science is, above all, a method of inquiry, a process of posing questions and rigorously testing different hypotheses”. Scientific data analysis is crucial, but so is social analysis and often times, both require a process of open debates and attempts at eliminating falsifications. The fundamental reason why many people have refused to heed expert advice regarding Covid-19 vaccination may have little to do with the complexity of science or ignorance. 
Many of these people distrust the experts, no matter how highly credentialed they are. Georges Clemenceau once remarked, “War is too important to be left to the generals”. In that spirit, one could say that the Covid-19 vaccination program is too important to be left to the scientists or experts. 
The experts are essential, but so are the ordinary people and their views!   

The writer Mr. Mukalazi is the Country Director ofEvery Child Ministries Uganda. Email: bmukalazi@ecmafrica.org

BY: COUNSEL DENIS NYOMBI

I HAVE got a chance of reading today’s (Saturday October 2, 2021) New Vision Newspaper. Specific of which the account of Mr. Museveni’s argument against bail application in capital offences. Story on Page 3 was written by one Taddeo Bwambale. I find the account short of detail and substantial merit.
First of all, bail and bail application are two distinguishable things. Whereas bail is the temporaly relief given to an accused person as their trial subsists, bail application is the process one goes through to convince court that they qualify to obtain this temporally freedom. 
Mr. Museveni’s argument infers or tends to infer that, once one is accused of an offence, capital in nature as his core objection, it is automatic that one is granted bail. No. This in its self is wrong. Bail is obtained through an application. The application oral or written, must meet some tests. It is not a free take. 

Further, Mr. Museveni faults the court system for paying more attention to defending the rights of the suspects without considering the plight of victims. This is wrong with due respect Mr. President. Permit me to ably say, no suspect is granted bail. Bail is a subsquent of an application, by the accused. A person qualifies to apply for bail upon being accused. Not a suspect. Slight a difference there is but that difference is the root of bail. 
To apply for bail is a right. Bail per-se is not a right. The aspect of bail per-se not being a right is rooted in the fact that there is an accusation against someone. He or she is not as free as he or she was before the accusation. He or she must meet some measures that shall be weighed in by the discretion of courts to grant the bail.
In light of the above, i ask, does Mr. Museveni‘s argument intend to amend the tenaments for bail application and the considerations court looks at? Or he wants to erase away the right to apply for bail on capital offences in totality?
These principals of law are more than 200 years old. They are the foundation of rule of law. It’s quite slippery to debate them on an amplified emotional temperement. 
There are so many accused persons on various charges not even murder,  that have failed to meet the satisfaction of court, to grant them bail. Therefore, bail  is not granted as freely and luxuriously as Mr. Museveni infers. 
I also invite your attention to what fusion lies between capital offences as a political tool juxstaposed with frustration of bail application. 
Nearly all  the key leading politicians in Uganda are walking on bail forms. Dr. Besigye, Robert Kyagulanyi, Gen (rtd) Henry Tumukunde etc are on bail over Treason charges. 
Betty Namboze is on bail with about 54 cases in her political career in various courts. By January 14, 2021, Robert Kyagulanyi was arrested over 89 times in his political career that is less than 10 years. Dr. Besigye has started to make criminal law precedents and indeed his bail application forms what lawyers call the lead authority in bail application principles. He has had numerical standing of over 200 arrests in his political carreer. 
With all these number of arrests and charges the only safety valve is the grant of bail that these persons have been chanced by our judicial system. To obtain their still tamed liberty.
The susceptability of putting political charges, capital in nature is as easy as tracing a boda on a Kampala street but getting out of the noose is as equally hard as tracing a pothole free road in Kampala metropolitan. That already scanty chances is to be further made dim dark if the right to apply for bail in capital offences is erased away. Its on record. No amendment of a law, occassioned by NRM, comes in a bona -fide spirit. Its always tainted with Mala-fides. Its hard to trace any trust of  the NRM on matters of Human rights. 

The writer, Denis Nyombi is a Criminal & Civil  Defence Attorney

PHOTO: Ssebuguzi, the author

BY: BEN SSEBUGUZI
ssebuguziben28@gmail.com

THE National Social Security Fund (NSSF Uganda) is a National Saving Scheme mandated by Government through the National Social Security Fund Act, Cap 222 (Laws of Uganda) to provide social security services to employees in Uganda. 
Social Security provides a foundation of income on which workers can build to plan for their retirement. It also provides valuable social insurance protection to workers who become disabled and to families whose breadwinner dies.
That is the main foundation for social security for any country and the moment the policy makers deviate from the above, there is likely hood that the purpose will loose meaning.
Currently many social security firms are facing a challenge of covid 19 effects as members are looking to their social security as the last resort for livelihood hence diluting the purpose of social security.
It is interesting to read that NSSF has been able to increase their comprehensive income for the financial year 2020/21 by 25%, up from Shs 1.4 trillion to Shs 1.8 trillion amidst this covid 19 effects to the economy amidst low demand and purchasing power. 
Many business are grassing and others are closing! NSSF management should be upheld for investing profitably hence a good reason to get more trust from your customers!

The writer, Ben Ssebuguzi is an economist, entrepreneur and Secretary General Uganda Poor Youth movement.

YOU can only succeed in whatever you are doing only if:

1. You START attempting to do it.
2. You acquire the know-how by training or experience or better both.
3. You invest hours into it. You can become world class if you commit 8 hours a day for 10 years or 10,000 hours and more.
4. You have passion for what you doing and not doing it for money. The money will follow automatically
5. You have self discipline to the goal for the Dos and Don’ts. Also having ‘Ubuntu’.
6. Luck loves the other 4. It is the youngest sibling of the: first 4.

Authored by:
Hon. Eng. Magogo Moses Hassim
President of FUFA
CAF Executive
MP-Parliament of Uganda
Chairman Parliamentary ICT Committee

PHOTO: UNRA ED Ms. Allen Kagina inspecting roads & bridges affected by floods in the Kasese area. She was accompanied by a technical team comprising of hydrologists & engineers in road development & maintenance specialist areas

OPINION BY:
BEN SSEBUGUZI
ssebuguziben28@gmail.com

ON 20th September 2021, I led a group of youths who included Zahid Sempala (publicity poor youth), Ssali Babu (legal poor youth) and others, to petition both President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni and Rt.Hon. Speaker of Parliament Jacob Oulanyah against disbanding Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) and be taken back to the Ministry of Works and Transport(MoWT).
According to news reports, cabinet passed a resolution to merge government agencies like UNRA and Ministry of Works as a measure to reduce the cost of public expenditure. Of course it is a good intervention on the outside but inside, it might carry adverse ramifications.

In our petition, the youths cited different reasons among them being that our economy was developing at 8% before covid effects and therefore needs a vibrant entity like UNRA which has been making an average of 400km per annum to continue with the momentum if we are to achieve vision 2040. 
Our main worry is, if UNRA is taken back to the parent ministry, there will be ineficiency in service delivery since many ministries in Uganda have too much bureaucracy and sluggishness.
First and foremost, the size of our economy has highly expanded up to $37b as our GDP, meaning, even our infrastructural needs have increased. From 1175km in 1986, government has been able to construct new paved roads measuring to 4,793km which is a significant achievement courtesy of UNRA.
On top of that, UNRA has a challenge of maintaining a total of 1924km existing dilapidated paved roads across the country, a huge task that requires a vibrant entity free from government red-tape.
We should not forget that UNRA is also in charge of all bridges and water transport vessels.This huge responsibility can not be put under a ministry where decisions take decades to be made.

As a department that has always taken the lions share of Uganda’s budget up to a tune of 3trillion Uganda shillings on average due to government strategy of prioritisation of infrastructure, government needs to train more of UNRA workers in capacity building and absorption of public funds. We need to advise them to increase the local contractors up take of government projects in order to reduce capital outflow and support youth employment.
Because we are Patriotic Ugandans with voices that can be heard, we couldn’t make a blunder of keeping quiet when our government is making steps that can drive the economy backwards.

Lastly, when a company makes a bit more money, they expand and create specialised departments like UNRA to employ it’s local resources for production but not rendering them redundant. The more you specialise, the more the efficiency in service delivery.
We have often seen the swiftness of UNRA when the bridges crack on Masaka road and everywhere, they are always fast and reliable.
As an entity, they have their own shortcomings like giving contracts to poor contractors, but we should help them to close those gaps as they continue to serve Ugandans.Whenever we are planning we shouldn’t forget enhancing road infrastructure because it is the engine of economic progress.

The writer Mr. Ben Ssebuguzi is an Economist, entrepreneur and Secretary General of Uganda Poor youth movement

FROM THE EDITOR: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT UNRA
The Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) was established by an Act of Parliament; The Uganda National Roads Authority Act, No. 15 of 2006. 
UNRA became operational on 1st July 2008. The mandate of UNRA is to develop and maintain the National Roads network, advise Government on general roads policy and contribute to addressing of transport concerns, among others.
UNRA is one of the products of Road Sector Reforms. In 1996, the Government of Uganda prepared the 10 year Road Sector Development Programme (RSDP). This programme was reviewed and updated in 2002 making it a 10 year rolling Road Sector Development Programme Phase 2 (RSDP2).
One of the objectives of RDSP was establishing a robust administration for effective and efficient management of the national roads network. To achieve this objective, Government committed it’self to reform national roads management through the establishment of an autonomous performance-based Road Authority to handle road administration and execution function and restructuring the Ministry of Works and Transport (MoWT) to focus on policy, setting standards, regulation, monitoring and evaluation functions.

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