Does the US envoy see these abuses?

"You, as an individual can make a personal choice to make a difference in the lives of Ugandans by exposing the truth." Monitor (Kampala) November 12, 2007

Beti Kamya

Your Excellency, the USA Ambassador to Uganda, Sunday Vision of November 4, 2007 reported Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice saying that the USA is “convinced that Uganda has for the last two years performed excellently in governance, in fighting corruption, guaranteeing freedom of expression and improved education accessibility”. Your Excellency, did you pass this (mis)information to the American people, who so generously share fruits of their toil with us, on condition that Ugandans are governed according to principles of democracy, rule of law and good governance? Or does Ms Rice have sources of information other than the USA Embassy in Kampala, in which case, shouldn’t you give her the correct information? But the warm ties between Presidents Bush and Museveni, frequently mentioned in the Uganda media, can only be an endorsement of Ms Rice’s statement and by extension of your reports to Washington on the status of democracy in Uganda. Mr Ambassador, would it not be betrayal of the trust the American people vest in you, if you allow theses untruths to go uncorrected? Neither President Bush nor Ms Rice are in Kampala, they can claim (feign?) ignorance, but can you? Don’t you know that police have banned public rallies, assemblies and demonstrations in Uganda and that people have been killed as police applied force to quell peaceful demonstrations? Were you not here, one and a half years ago, when all judges of the Supreme Court ruled that the February 2006 presidential elections were not free and fair? Are you not aware that according to the Constitution of Uganda, there is no other provision for forming government except through free and fair elections and that therefore, the Supreme Court judges held the Constitution in contempt when they admitted lack of free and fair elections, but allowed a non-constitutional government to be formed? During your tenure in Kampala, are you not aware of politically motivated deaths, torture, disappearances, termination/denial of jobs, discrimination and other gross rights abuses? Have you not read the Uganda Human Rights Commission reports dating from 1998 which, year after year, decry gross human rights abuses and have consequently awarded billions of shillings in compensation to victims of torture in the hands of the State? Are you not aware that bail is now a revenue activity for the judiciary and that the latest victims were required to pay cash bail of Shs2m each? For that matter, many are still incarcerated while those who managed to pay that money cannot afford the financial burden inflicted on them by other bail conditions such as reporting to four different police stations in one month, that they have resigned themselves to being arrested again for “jumping” bail? Mr Ambassador, have you forgotten that it took lives of five people to save Mabira Forest? Have you noticed that while the Ministry of Agriculture which employs about 75% of Uganda’s population was allocated Shs 146b in the previous financial year, President’s Office and State House were allocated over Shs101b. Aren’t you aware that hundreds of people are held in illegal detention centres/torture chambers in Uganda? Is it not paradoxical then that Ms Rice should be “convinced that Uganda has for the last two years performed excellently in governance, in fighting corruption, guaranteeing freedom of expression and improved education accessibility”, when you are here to give her correct information? Ms Rice’s statement coming close on the heels of David Miliband (her equivalent, the British Foreign Secretary), who, two weeks ago said to the British Parliament that “…we continue to monitor closely the People’s Redemption Army (PRA) trial in which Dr Besigye is a defendant and are pushing for a swift and fair conclusion of the legal process….. Britain regularly raises this issue through the local Heads of Mission Partners for Democracy and Good Governance group in Uganda….” must not be viewed in isolation. It smacks of a grand conspiracy by the super allies, Britain and the USA, to entrench human rights abuse in Uganda, as long as President Museveni serves their interests… but choice is a personal decision. You, as an individual can make a personal choice to make a difference in the lives of Ugandans by exposing the truth. Over to you. Beti Olive Kamya MP, Rubaga North http://www.monitor.co.ug/oped/oped11123.php