Fatou Bensouda Messed Up The ICC, Julia Sebutinde Bungled The Police Probe, while Catherine Bamugemerire's Land Probe Is Getting Hot; Do Women Crack Under The weight of Big Assignments?

Fatou Bensouda Messed Up The ICC, Julia Sebutinde Bungled The  Police Probe, while Catherine Bamugemerire's Land Probe Is Getting Hot; Do Women Crack Under The weight of Big Assignments?

Lady Justice Catherine Bamugemerire

Does Anyone of you remember president Yaya Jammeh of The Gambia?

Am talking about the one who claimed to have discovered the cure for aids?

The Gambian president might have been very unpopular with many African democrats but his legacy produced (at least) one good thing; the current chief prosecutor of the international criminal court (ICC) Fatou Bensouda who had worked in Yaya Jammeh’s judicial system.

Bensouda replaced Moren Ocampo who had made the ICC a more feared institution.

When the Gambian lady took over at the ICC, we all jubilated because our African woman had eaten big!

But our jubilation soon dried up as the ICC started losing its relevance as she bungled one case after another through her miscalculated decisions.

According to an Associated Press report on 6 November 2015, Bensouda was advised that war crimes may have been committed on a ship in 2010, where eight unarmed Turks were killed and several other activists wounded by Israeli commandos, but she ruled the case was not serious enough to merit an International Criminal Court probe!.

Letting Israel off the hook was one fatal mistake that only served to make the ICC a toothless institution.

She then made another unwarranted mistake of seeking charges for human rights abuses committed during the war in Afghanistan such as alleged rapes and tortures by the American troops.

Even lay man like me knows that America is not a signatory of the Rome statute and can therefore the US troops cannot be held accountable for war crimes in any part of the world.

In fact Bensouda’s reckless charges were hastily rebutted by ambassador john Bolton who reminded her that the ICC Court had no jurisdiction over the USA, which did not ratify the Rome treaty.

She was so naïve to not to have realized that the United States of America being on UN permanent security council would veto any UN sanction if it was brought before the UN as a result of any ICC action.

Fatou Bensouda

 The United States of America has an established and functioning judicial branch to handle war crimes complaints against its Military personnel.

After these miscalculations, Fatou Bensouda was soon faced with another uprising from a section of African leaders who questioned the integrity, intentions and deliberate selective justice by the ICC.
The African leaders alleged that the ICC was onLy targeting African leaders and not war criminals allover the world

As a result of the protestations led mostly by our own president Museveni, Fatou Bensouda failed to prosecute the case of post election violence allegedly orchestrated by Kenyan president Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy Ruto.

Instead she consequently dropped the charges against the Kenyan president! Phew!

The ICC also failed to sanction the arrest and eventual prosecution of Sudan president Omar El Bashir who continued to defy the travel ban that had been imposed on him.

With all this at play, the ICC has since degenerated into nothing more than a barking dog.

In Comes Lady Justice Julia Sebutinde

This brings us to another case of lady justice Julia Sebutinde who was given the powers to probe into the criminal activities within the Uganda police.

 Sebutinde was praised by a large section of Ugandans including president Museveni who poured lavish praises on her because of the way she unearthed some strange happenings in the police force.

we all admired her for being a brave woman. In fact at one time i thought she deserved to be the next chief justice of Uganda. 

But despite of her shining star, some legal minds intimated that her committee was more of a torture chamber for whoever was summoned to face her.

 She was largely accused of orchestrating judicial hooliganism (she used to shout at the victims) and using a lot of emotions in execution of her duties.

She later wrote a report about the police, basing on her findings, but it’s safe to say that the report was never implemented, --given the fact that the Uganda police force even got worse than ever.

There are rumors that government failed to implement the Sebutinde report because of the way she had conducted herself but not necessarily because it lacked merit.

.

But that aside, the point am trying to make here is that there could be something wrong with the way ladies handle big offices. 

 A lot of hullaballoo and dust has been raised whenever ladies are given bigger assignements.
Jennifer Musisi, Hon parcis Namuganza, Hon  Aida Nantaba, Hon Rebecca Kadaga are some of the case studies which I will not dwell on , but are indicative of the fact that something is not right with our ladies when appointed to handle big assignments.

Lady Justice Catherine Bamugemerire

Take the case of lady justice Catherine Bamugerire who was given the odious task of probing the irregularities taking place in the lands sector.

She has been grilling her victims the same way one would squeeze juice from a sugar cane!

Her recent attitude towards Hon Betty Amongi, has generated a lot of dust in the intellectual circles accusing her of being very agressive.

Although some of us think it’s the best way to deal with the criminality taking place in the lands sector, others think that she has instead abused the rules of judicial procedure.

Others have accused her of exuding judicial hooliganism- the same accusations leveled at Julia.  

They claim that in any trial, the accused needs to be given the benefit of doubt in conformity with the principals of a fair trial.

if its true that she has indeed violated some principals of a fair trial, can we attribute this anomaly to her gender? would a man conduct himself differently?

Alternatively am also tempted to believe that , maybe , just maybe, these ladies also get excited and use emotions that discredit their good intentions while executing their mandate?

Otherwise, why should the ICC face integrity challenges during the tenure of a lady Fatou Bensouda and not at the time of Moreno Ocampo?
oh,the feminists are going to accuse me of being a male chauvinist.
But the truth is that a huge percentage of women seem to crack under th weight of pressure when given big undertakings. 
We hope Catherine Bamugemerire will overcome this syndrome and execute her mandate as expected.

  

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The Author Fred Daka Kamwada Is A Journalist And A Ugandan Blogger. Talk to him at ; Kamwadafred@gmail.com

MYTHS OR TRUTHS; Is It True That Tanzanians Spared President Idi Amin In 1979 And He Also Spared Jomo Kenyatta From Capture In The 50s?

MYTHS OR TRUTHS; Is It True That Tanzanians Spared President Idi Amin In 1979 And He Also Spared Jomo Kenyatta From Capture In The 50s?                           

President Amin with his troops in Kampala

                                                                    

Today, 11^th April marks exactly 39 years since the then boisterous Ugandan president Idi Amin was kicked out of power by Tanzanian forces.

There are several theories advanced that the then Ugandan leader was the last to leave Kampala.

Not only that, but it’s also rumored that on that day president Amin bumped into a company of Tanzanian troops who had staged a roadblock but simply rolled his windows down , exposed his face for them to see who he was and waved at them, and they allowed him to continue with his journey!

My, my, my. If this is true then Amin was either a true military genius or very reckless with his actions.

We have had so many accounts about war, but never have we had a situation where an enemy combatant gives way to another without any conditionality.

Like in the case of the NRA entry into Kampala in 1986, the UNLA was allowed safe passage towards Jinja road and Bombo road, only on an indirect conditionality that their safe passage out would allow them (NRA) to easily capture power without any resistance

Now for the case of Amin, I don’t think there is any Tanzanian soldier who would miss the opportunity to capture him. He was such a big war prize. Anyone who got him would easily get quick promotion to senior rank.

When the Americans dethroned Iraqi despot Saddam Hussein there were unverified rumors that he (a dethroned Saddam)used to drive on the streets of Bagdad and wave to the Americans who had staged roadblocks!

Well, when the Americans finally smocked him out of the hole he had entrenched himself, the head of the American occupation in Iraqi Paul Bremer gleefully boastfully announced that ‘’ladies and gentlemen, we got him’’

I mean, the euphoria that follows the capture of such a big prize of a man cannot be missed by any human being.

Actually for the case of Gen Idi Amin, it’s believed OR again rumored that he had trained with some of the commanders of the Tanzanian army in the British army!

So they always gave him safe passage. But where could Amin have trained with Tanzanian solders?

By the time Amin joined the kings African rifles, Tanzania was firmly in the hands of the Germans. How then and when did he get the opportunity to train with them?

There are a myriad of myths surrounding the life of President Idi Amin.

Did Amin Save Jomo Kenyatta

president Amin with kenya's Jomo kenyatta

Actually, this rumor which lionizes Amin is the same they spread that when Amin was deployed by the Britons to fight the Mau-Mau rebellion, he got a chance to capture rebel leader Jomo Kenyatta!

It’s believed or rather rumored that Jomo Kenyatta was travelling at the back of a lorry when they bumped into a road block mounted by KAR troops led by Idi Amin.

But when Amin checked and saw Kenyatta at the back of the lorry, he simply winked at him and allowed the lorry carry the Mau Mau leader to continue with his journey.

If this was true, why did Jomo Kenyatta himself not mention it during his time in power?

How could Kenyatta die with such a secret which saved his life?.

What explains the tense relations that existed between Uganda government led by Amin and Kenya led by Kenyatta in the 70s?  

SURVIVING ASSASSINATION

There is another rumor that when idi amin was attacked by an assassin while coming from Kibuli training school, he tactfully managed to pick and eventually throw back a grenade that had been thrown at him!

Although his driver was shot dead, Amin managed to drive the jeep to Mulago hospital where his driver passed on after bleeding too much from gunshot wounds.

It’s true that president main survived this attack at Kibuli but throwing back a grenade to the assassins doesn’t add up.

There is another rumor about how he used to conduct himself at the war front particularly when he was fighting the Turkana cattle rustlers.

He reportedly gathered the prisoners of war and asked them to surrender the guns or if not, they surrender their penises on the table!

Before the prisoners could either handover the guns a fuming and impatient Amin would then pick his bayonetted knife (which was always on his waist)and start cutting off the private parts of those who had refused to surrender their guns!

Actually When the Britons got wind of Amin’s actions (of unilaterally circumcising POWs) they got SO terrified that they withdrew him from the mission!.  

But this rumor (of chopping whoopers of POWs) comes very close to the truth because when Uganda was about to get independence, a British official warned the then Ugandan Prime Minister Obote about Amin’s brutality.

THE REAL FACTS

It was reported that by 1960 the Britons actually wanted to expel Amin from the army but because there was a shortage of personnel to takeover power after independence they spared him.

He then rose from lowest rank as a humble cook, Sargent, second lieutenant , colonel , major general and eventually a self-styled field marshal.

I happen to have been privileged to interview two people who knew Amin of the 50s and 60s , Dr james Rwanyarare of UPC and the late Dr Ssebuliba who contested on the DP ticket in the 1980 elections but was cheated by UPC.

 DR Sebuliba said that Amin was a very humble guy who spoke very slowly but was very good at rugby and boxing. He also says that they used to wonder how he commanded his troops because he was not one with a natural ability to make noise hence th tag gentle giant.

Dr Rwanyarare actually said that Obote never believed that Amin could overthrow him because he was a very loyal chap. He actually says that when allegations of money theft and Congo gold surfaced, Amin went to Obote’s office and openly wept asking the president to save him.

What Obote did by arresting the five minsters who wanted Amin arrested was to pay back in spirit of loyalty.

Actually , Dr Rwanyarare says , Obote always quietly believed that it was the Britons who orchestrated the 1971 coup not necessarily Amin.  Why? Because Amin was too naïve to pull it off on his own!

The interesting bit is that in the movie titled ‘’The Rise And Fall Of Idi Amin” he is depicted as a man who could shout our orders, move with very fast strides, skidding in the process and with an insatiable proclivity for killing people!

The Author Fred Daka Kamwada Is A Ugandan Blogger And Journalist 

Andrew Mwenda ‘S Museveni-Mugabe Contrasting Analogy Is Not Only panic driven But Diversionary

Andrew Mwenda ‘S  Museveni-Mugabe Contrasting Analogy  Is Not Only panic driven But Diversionary 

When Romanian despot Nicolai Ceausescu and his ruthless wife Elena were brutally executed on Christmas day of 1989, it marked the end of Communist domination of most of Eastern Europe.

Causecescu had tried to stop demonstrations by ordering the security agencies to shoot at demonstrators resulting into the death of thousands of Romanians on the streets of Bucharest.

The despot had actually fled in a helicopter but he was tricked and forced to land in a remote village where he was captured, put on quick trial and executed (its believed that he was shot more than 30 times).

During the trial, Ceausescu had been asked about where he had put the millions of dollars he had stashed away in European bank accounts (like most thieving leaders) but he declined to reveal anything.

Ceausescu said he was betrayed by his generals – one of them had been in court making a paper areophane!- (which is why you should pity those who have a lot of trust in generals).

After the execution, his death became a worldwide sensation as live footages of the bullet strewn bodies of the Romanian despot and his wife Elena were displayed on global media.

 The then Zairian information minister said that on a day after Ceausescu had been executed, president joseph Mobutu rung him at around 3am and asked him bitterly why had allowed the Zairian television to broadcast such bad news!

Marshal Mobutu had been a very good friend of President Nicolai Ceausescu and had visited Bucharest just a few months before in 1988 with his favorite wife Ladawa.

It became evident that Mobutu was traumatized by the death of his friend with whom they shared expensive gifts.

Mobutu’s minister says that he quarreled and hurled insults at him for allowing the Zairian television to show the humiliating footages of the slain Ceausescus and then slammed the phone in total anger!.

After that, the minister says, Mobutu never mentioned anything regarding Ceausescu.

He also started spending long periods of time on holiday in Europe.

It seemed that Mobutu got so scared that he started spending less time on national duties and dedicated more time for himself and his family. He also stopped tormenting the then opposition leader Etienne Tsetsekedi which allowed him to stage so many rallies in Kinshasa

The Gist Of The Matter

The moral of Mobutu-Ceausescu story is that most dictators normally get traumatized when they see their fellow dictators lose power in a very violent manner.

And their fears are normally not unfounded because one revolution can have a domino effect on other countries which suffer from the same oppressive tendencies associated with bad leadership.

So when Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe got into deep trouble with his military, the comparisons between him and Uganda’s Yoweri Museveni were inevitable.  

Motor mouth journalist and spinner of the Ugandan regime, Andrew Mwenda quickly penned an article titled ‘’Why Mugabe-Like Downfall Is Impossible In Uganda ‘’   dismissing any comparisons between the situation in Zimbabwe and Uganda and insisted that the ‘smart’ Ugandan leader is completely immune to a military coup.

Mwenda argued that the circumstances between the Ugandan military and that of Zimbabwe differ and cannot ignite the same reactions and outcomes.

MUSEVENI IS MUCH YOUNG !

In his panic driven article Mwenda  makes very lazy argument that president Museveni is much younger, or actually 20years younger than Robert Mugabe and therefore still as the presence of mind to deal with the dynamics of power play.

It’s amazing that Mwenda still believes that only old age should account for the downfall of regimes.

Yes, Museveni might be 20 years younger than the Zimbabwean despot, but the circumstances of his continued stay might not favour him to stick around much longer.

Regimes have collapsed even when they were led by very young leaders.

 For instance Burkina Faso’s Blaise Campoare was much younger than Museveni is (around 62 years)when the Burkinabe rose up and drove him out of power when he (like Museveni is trying to do now)tried to amend the constitution to serve an extended period in power.

At 51 years, Former president Yaya jammeh of Gambia was much younger than president Museveni when he also failed to overturn people’s power and was driven out of power a few months ago.

There is another instance of Sgt Sameul Doe who captured power at 27 but was thrown out and executed at just 37 years in 1990.

Capt. Valentine Strasser assumed power when he was 25 years but lost it before he even clocked 30 years!

 So Mwenda’s reference to young age as immunity to military coup or regime change is so childish to be considered as an advantage for Museveni to continue clinging on power.

Leaders much younger than Museveni have lost power.

Purging Comrades With Loyalists

Mwenda also argued that while Mugabe has kept most of the bush war commanders in positions of command, president Museveni has managed to purge most of his bush war comrades and replaced them with young commanders.

M9 therefore reasons that these young commanders cannot plot an insurrection against their commander in chief because they feel a sense of gratitude to him for having elevated them to high positions of command!

By stating loyalty as a factor, Mwenda was trying to convince us that president Museveni has purged the army of his bush war comrades and replaced them with loyalist who cannot even think or dream of overthrowing their master.

If he was a good student of world politics he should never have mentioned or even insinuated about the word LOYALTY, as a factor that can deter the military from making a coup.

Mwenda who has been masquerading as a student of Ugandan politics since independence forgets that his friend the late president Milton Obote was overthrown by General Idi Amin who was a very loyal member of the UPC party. Obote had purged the likes of Brig shaban opolot from the army.

Even when you scan around Africa, you find coups like the Liberian coup where a much younger boy called SSgt Samuel doe overthrew president Tolbert who was also his relative.

SSgt Doe actually executed president Tolbert and arraigned his body before the Liberians in Monrovia.

EVEN current president Theodore Ngeuema of Equatorial Guinea overthrew Matthias Ngeuema who was his close relative in 1979. Therefore any reference to loyalty as a caution to a military takeover is wishful thinking.

This makes Mwenda’s argument about Museveni purging his bush war comrades a non-starter.

In fact it’s these soldiers who were not in the bush who have every reason to topple him because they have nothing in common with him. They might actually be thirsting for a new dispensation that befits their generational expectations other than getting stuck with bush war swansongs.

So Mwenda needs NOT to be blinded by groceries but generate constructive ideas that can advise our leader.

Mwenda dismiss the fact that President Museveni’s reign continues to get eroded by the same mistakes that Mugabe has committed in the last 37 years.

Our president therefore needs better advice so that we can have a peaceful transition. So while Mwenda is still praise singing that a Mugabe-like downfall is impossible in Uganda, there are obvious signs and symptoms that it’s very possible for Museveni to go the Mugabe way or even in worse fashion.

The author Fred Daka Kamwada is a blogger chat him up at kamwadafred@gmail.com

Sgt Kifulugunyu Has Died a Very Bitter and Frustrated Man with President Museven’s government

Sgt Kifulugunyu Has Died a Very Bitter and Frustrated Man with President Museven’s government  

Sgt kifulugunyu later received a heroes medal from  president Museveni which had no practical value to his life

It was around 2009, when I had gone to parliament to do some research work in the library when I bumped into Sgt kifulugunyu (I had gone to pick a snack in the canteen).

He was selling music CDs to whoever he met. He put some CDs on our desk (I was sharing the table with an MP who was my very close colleague at that time before radical politics separated us)

I was interested in kifulugunyu because I had watched him countless times on national television. At that time I was also writing war stories for one of the dailies.

So I wanted kifulugunyu’s war stories. So we soon made an appointment to meet at Sheraton gardens where I used to interview him every Sunday.

When he mentioned some interesting bits of his time in the army, I suggested to him that we could translate his story into a book.

At first he welcomed the book idea , but he later got scared by saying that the authorities might not like it. I advised him to seek for permission if he thinks it may put him in direct crossfire with the UPDF authorities, but he quietly told me that “federicko, nze ndeka mwana wange, sirina geletera bizibu.

So although he managed to give me stories from his time he joined the Uganda army in 1964, and enjoyed narrating his time in president Amin’s army , he stopped talking when it came to the NRA bush war OF 1981-86.

The only thing he told me about the bush war was that he made morale boosting songs like motto wawaka with Brigadier chef Ali, kino kyekisera (which happens to be president museveni’s favorite) and many others.

He also told me how he , together with the likes of Katenta Apuuli , Tom Butime and Kirunda Kivejinja started a radio in the bush on which they used to broadcast bush war activities.

I squeezed him about why he was so mean with the bush war stories and he told me to back off those stories.

He however expressed shock at the amount of money (he reportedly received five million shillings) he was given as a retirement package.

Incidentally, every time there is a national event to celebrate the day the NRM took power in 1986, Gen Elly Tumwine and president Museven usually requests for Sgt Kifulugunyu’s song , kino kye kisera to be played by the Uganda police band.

But its interesting to note that while the same Tumwine enjoyed kifulugunyu\s songs , he couldn’t propagate or lobby for him to get better pension.  

In fact I had promised sgt kifulugunyu that we needed to move to nomo gallery where Gen Tumwine sits to make him understand what the NRA veteran was going through. But the sergeant declined my suggestion.  He was such a bitter man but he tried his best to conceal his bitterness with the system.

Much later on , he was given a heroes medal which , am told had no practical value for him.

THE SHOCKERS

• ·         By the time I met him he looked 44, but he confided in me that he was actually 66 years old. Yet he was dating women of not more than 24 years!

• ·         He had a balding part in the middle of his head which sounded like a drum when he slapped it!

• ·         He possessed very powerful hands that if he held you in his arms, you wouldn’t escape. His secret was his dedication to physical exercise. Every day he walked all the way from his home in Kawempe Tula  to Kampala city center. And he was always jolly, singing any time to anyone who requested him.

• ·         He was one of the biggest womanizers in town. I enjoyed walking with him especially from Sheraton to Wandegeya. He would sign off by telling me , gwe federicko , weraba, nze ngenda kuzina kantu kange e kalerwe! (Am not translating that one) in fact he confided in me that he gets sex everyday from the various women he had in nakulabye, bwaise, kalerwe , kawempe etc.

• ·         He actually never knew the total number of children he had
•  
• He claims to have met president museveni in Mbarara school where , Museveni came as a scout and taught them how to make ropes and other scout related activities in 1958 . 

·         He claims that he was part of the  the contingent of the Ugandan that army blew up the kagera bridge in 1978. That the engineers who blew it were brought from kilembe mines. 

Although he was given a heroes medal, there was no monetary value attached it. No wonder he died very bitter and frustrated with the regime.

At the time of his death , he was pushed in a wheel barrow like a sack of charcoal!

Rest in peace comrade Sgt Kifulugunyu

The Author Fred Daka Kamwada Is A Blogger

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