tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81116657999617439612024-03-13T05:40:01.464+03:00Content TrialJoe Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05132813891234784192noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8111665799961743961.post-33906960058920609452009-06-01T16:00:00.000+03:002009-06-01T19:36:35.575+03:00Guest Blog: Make Baryamureeba Makerere V-CFrom Makerere-based blogger <a href="http://joeinuganda.blogspot.com/2009/05/make-baryamureeda-makerere-v-c.html">Joe Powell</a>:<br /><br />S<span style="font-style: italic;">ince the start of the year </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.monitor.co.ug/artman/publish/news/Battle_for_Mak_vice_chancellor_intensifies_77998.shtml">speculation has mounted</a><span style="font-style: italic;"> that current Makerere Vice-Chancellor Professor Livingstone Luboobi will shortly step down and allow a new person to take over the running of the university. The process of selecting a new V-C is far from transparent but the dons must resist the temptation to conduct the 'business as usual' approach of selecting on seniority and patronage. The university is in urgent need of a radical shake-up from a Professor with a proven track record of success. As such I believe the Dean of the ICT Faculty, </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.cit.mak.ac.ug/profile.php?member=9&return=listing.staff.php%3Fcategory%3D1">Venansius Baryamureeba</a><span style="font-style: italic;">, is the most compelling candidate.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Baryamureeba was the first Ugandan to receive a PhD in computer science, graduating from the University of Bergen aged 30. He has transformed the ICT faculty into the envy of campus, running a multi-million dollar budget supported heavily by the private sector. He also has good connections with the government (a necessity) through his service on the President's investor round-table group. On Saturday it was </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.monitor.co.ug/artman/publish/news/Mak_don_among_top_100_world_professionals_85258.shtml">announced</a><span style="font-style: italic;"> that he has been made a member of the </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.internationalbiographicalcentre.com/">International Biographical Centre</a><span style="font-style: italic;"> in the UK by virtue of being one of the top 100 world professionals for 2009. </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://spartakussuganda.blogspot.com/2009/05/who-is-this-man.html">Spartakuss</a><span style="font-style: italic;"> has a run down of his highly impressive CV for those who want to know more.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">In short, we need radical change at Makerere. It is because of this that I see his relatively young age and alleged brashness as a positive thing. I think Baryamureeda can deliver. </span>Joe Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05132813891234784192noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8111665799961743961.post-16238724758966806042009-06-01T15:35:00.000+03:002009-06-02T08:16:06.114+03:00Bloggers Round-Up<ul><li><a href="http://ugandansatheart.wordpress.com/2009/06/01/how-the-opposition-lost-to-sematimba/">Ugandans at Heart</a> discuss how the opposition lost to Sematimba in Rubaga.</li><li><a href="http://angelakintu.com/?p=188">Angela Kintu</a> takes issue with unreliable people. </li><li>Campus girls are the theme for <a href="http://dwanyama.blogspot.com/2009/05/rude-awakening.html">World Reborn</a>.<br /></li><li>And <a href="http://ugandaninsomniac.wordpress.com/2009/05/30/go-on-put-it-out-for-good/">Ugandan Insomniac</a> urges smokers to put it out for good.<br /></li></ul>Joe Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05132813891234784192noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8111665799961743961.post-13276778151666491562009-06-01T13:10:00.000+03:002009-06-02T00:11:50.824+03:00Bus Strike<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">KFM</span> is reporting that bus operators in Kampala have moved their buses onto the streets for loading in protest at increased rent costs.<br /><br />Do any readers have any information on this?Joe Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05132813891234784192noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8111665799961743961.post-37467245666555058452009-06-01T12:30:00.000+03:002009-06-01T19:35:54.593+03:00Get Up To Speed On...US Action Against The LRALast week ground breaking legislation was tabled in the US Senate to press President Obama to help the UPDF finish the LRA once and for all. Republicans and Democrats joined together to table the bill, which comes after heavy criticism of US involvement in the ill-fated Operation Lighting Thunder before Christmas. The following are the pick of the articles from around the globe:<br /><ul><li>The <a href="http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&ct2=us%2F0_0_s_0_1_aa&usg=AFQjCNEAfglgs4UaNZ21Ip-bixN2juNYKg&sig2=9Be9nVhAlQ93H9DNUFlGVA&cid=1253009445&ei=qvIjSqC2Iom2Ndr_8U4&rt=SEARCH&vm=STANDARD&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.theeastafrican.co.ke%2Fnews%2F-%2F2558%2F604896%2F-%2Fr316akz%2F-%2F">East African</a> quotes Congressmen Royce: 'Sometimes just getting rid of one person does make a big difference. History is full of captivating leaders with bad ideas who do great damage'. </li><li>Last week we carried an <a href="http://www.independent.co.ug/index.php/column/comment/70-comment/996-finishing-the-fight-against-lra">analysis</a> from Enough's Julia Spiegel and Noel Atama. The group campaigns against genocide and argues that: 'a revitalised and revamped military operation focused on apprehending the senior LRA leadership while simultaneously protecting civilians is the best way to defeat the insurgency and allow displaced civilians to return to their homes'</li><li>Download Enough's full report 'Finishing the fight against the LRA' <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.enoughproject.org/publications/finishing-fight-against-lra-strategy-paper">here</a>.<br /></li><li>The New York Times had <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/07/world/africa/07congo.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=uganda&st=cse">heavy criticism</a> for the first operation.<br /></li><li>Meanwhile Reuters <a href="http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&ct2=us%2F0_0_s_3_0_t&usg=AFQjCNFq9O0UNsexQPm7pC_AAGbohlf5Vg&sig2=uIrEJbpggPe3S8L-O9Q_Kg&cid=1251243347&ei=qvIjSqC2Iom2Ndr_8U4&rt=SEARCH&vm=STANDARD&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alertnet.org%2Fthenews%2Fnewsdesk%2FIRIN%2Fd640deff952a01c8deb1ce935d4079cb.htm">reports</a> that fresh LRA attacks have taken place in the Dungu region.<br /></li></ul>Joe Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05132813891234784192noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8111665799961743961.post-18566981478154979292009-06-01T10:30:00.000+03:002009-06-01T19:35:27.894+03:00Word of the Day: Intrigue'Intrigue is our biggest enemy' remarked Gen. Otafiire at the NRM conference last week. Little did the influential General realise that he would have chosen the word of choice for the hottest controversies in the country at the moment.<br /><br />A World Vision activist was soon describing the upheavals in the pentecostal Church community with the same word. The infighting at MUBS was next, with Professor Balunywa's deputy describing his boss's tactics to hold on to his job as an 'act of intrigue'.<br /><br />So with this little-used word catapulted to the front pages where do readers think the next 'intrigue' is going to come from?Joe Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05132813891234784192noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8111665799961743961.post-64700063917843780262009-06-01T09:16:00.000+03:002009-06-02T08:35:42.665+03:00Ugandan Football's West African HoodooWhy is it that Ugandan football teams always struggle is West Africa? The Cranes saw their World Cup qualification chances quashed by away defeats to Benin and Niger, but were able to get a creditable draw against the higher ranked Angola. Similarly KCC comfortably beat the Nigerian team Bayelsa United 3-1 at home but lost 4-0 away. This came after they were able to hold South African giants Supersport United to a 1-1 draw in Pretoria.<br /><br />Answers to this puzzle on a postcard please.Joe Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05132813891234784192noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8111665799961743961.post-82710930318120264172009-06-01T08:45:00.000+03:002009-06-01T19:36:14.065+03:00Best of the PapersThe stand-out article from this morning's papers is the Monitor's splash <a href="http://www.monitor.co.ug/artman/publish/news/Kanyeihamba_Court_messed_up_06_petition_85777.shtml">interview</a> with Justice Kanyeihamba. The retiring judge criticises his colleagues for an illogical judgement in the 2006 petition from Dr Besigye challenging the election result. He argues that after the Supreme Court agreed that irregularities existed in the poll the result should have been cancelled.<br /><br />The key line: '<span style="font-style: italic;">For me once you say that the system of elections in this country violated the Constitution and other laws, the it is flawed. I call this to be a gross violation on the Constitution which should never have been allowed.'</span><br /><br />Also worth reading is Sam Mutabazi's spot-on <a href="http://www.newvision.co.ug/D/8/459/683165/Mutabazi">analysis</a> of the state of NGOs in Uganda. His piece is a useful addition to the aid effectiveness debate kicked-off by Dambisa's Moyo's Dead Aid, a review of which you can read in the magazine <a href="http://www.independent.co.ug/index.php/reports/special-report/908?joscclean=1&comment_id=2478">here</a>.<br /><br />The key line:<span style="font-style: italic;"> 'The unending syndrome of NGO workshops and conferences have made skeptics wonder why these institutions waste so much money on meetings that hardly make any impact on the population on whose behalf they claim to be working.' </span>Joe Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05132813891234784192noreply@blogger.com0