Mogadishu, February: Somali women have condemned the Ugandan Parliament for stalling the deployment of the UPDF to their war-torn country.

In a statement faxed to The Analyst on the weekend, the Somali women accused the Ugandan legislators of harbouring nugu against Somali women and UPDF men.

Since the UPDF left [the Democratic Republic of] Congo, we have been praying that they invade our country next. Just when we thought Allah and the African Union had answered our prayers, the selfish Ugandan MPs throw a spanner in the works, the statement, written in Arabic, said.

The UPDF returned to Uganda after their mission in the DR Congo with hordes of happy Congolese women as wives. Many of the soldiers already had wives in Uganda. The army had denied the Congolese women transport to Uganda, but they threatened to walk all the way rather than be left behind by their beloved and extremely sexy Ugandan men.

Our Congolese sisters have confided in us that the Ugandan soldiers are good marksmen, both on and off the battlefield. These are precisely the kind of men we need, the Somali women said.

A man claiming to be a UPDF soldier told The Analyst that he was itching to go to Somalia and you can bet my eagerness has nothing to do with the ruthless Somali warlords. He said that from what he had seen in the pictures, Somali women appear to be even more beautiful than the Congolese.

It is not clear why the MPs are reluctant to approve the Somali mission, which is mandated by the African Union and the United Nations. But sources say that the wives of the Ugandan soldiers have been lobbying the MPs not to allow their husbands to go to Somalia.

The women, according to the sources, claim that they fear for the lives of their husbands. The Somali women, however, said in their statement that they suspect Ugandan women of being hostile to the mission because they are not as beautiful as ourselves, and Ugandan soldiers know a good thing when they see it.

An MP who is opposed to the deployment told The Analyst that his concern is that there is no timber, gold and diamonds in Somalia, unlike in DR Congo.

Show me the timber and I will give the mission a go-ahead immediately, he said. Meanwhile, troops from Nigeria, who are part of the African Union peacekeeping mission, are said to be hoping that the Ugandans don’t make it to Somalia to spoil the party for them.

By Ham Mukasa

Lifted and published by African Press in Norway, apn, africanpress@getmail.no tel +47 932 99 739 or +47 6300 2525

Out of the 731 students who were awarded degrees in different disciplines at the Islamic University in Uganda (IUIU), only 14 got first class degrees nine of whom were Kenyans. The others were one Tanzanian and four Ugandans.

This was revealed during graduation on February 10 by the university’s rector, Dr. Ahmad Ssengendo, as he boasted about the growth of the institution. This was IUIU’s 14th graduation ceremony.

In his speech, Ssengendo said the university has grown from 80 students in 1988 to 4,581 to date. Dr. Ssengendo also said that the number of academic programmes has increased from two in 1988 to 50, enabling the university to attract more students from Uganda and other countries such as Swaziland, Nigeria, Turkey, Rwanda, Libya, Mauritania, India, Kenya, Tanzania and South Africa.

The university thanked President Museveni for offering them 300 hectares of land in Mbale to enable the university grow, and another 10 hectares in Nakawa, Kampala, for the university to start money generating income projects.

The graduation was preceded by a council meeting on February 8, chaired by the Saudi Arabia-based Prof. Abdallah Omar Naseef who is also its chairman.

During the meeting, the council resolved to improve the university facilities and welfare of the staff and students.

It is also set on expanding the available hostels to accommodate 1,100 students, which will cost them Shs 2.5 billion.
The university also plans to improve on its science courses by introducing a bachelor of science in education, food science and nutrition, medical sciences.

And through the Organisation of Islamic Conference, Turkey will set up an engineering department.
Despite the scorching sunshine, the graduands stuck to the university’s
Islamic dress code as the girls’ hoods were designed in a nikab (covering the neck and hair).

The sitting arrangement was typical of an Islamic founded institution, so the women and men both sat at opposite sides.
However, at the end of the ceremony, the students couldn’t resist hugging one another, including the opposite sex, as they congratulated themselves.

By Ham Mukasa
www.freewebs.com/hammukasa-buganda

Lifted and published by African Press in Norway, apn, africanpress@chello.no, tel +47 932 99 739 or +47 6300 2525

The Buganda government is locked in a bitter conflict which sources claim might force the Kabaka to sack his Katikkiro, Dan Muliika, or reshuffle his cabinet.There are two conflicting accounts as to what has caused the conflict. Some Mengo sources claim the Kabaka has fallen out with his Katikkiro who is accused of being radical. Katikkiro Dan Muliika One school of thought claims that Muliika even uses his radical approach against the Kabaka, to the extent of questioning his powers. That Muliika, while addressing the Lukiiko in December last year, claimed that the Lubiri at Mengo belongs to Baganda and cannot be given away to investors, a plan sources claim had been endorsed by the Kabaka. The second school of thought to which FDC Chairman, Dr. Suleiman Kiggundu belongs, is that some prominent personalities in Buganda have allied with State House to bring down Dan Muliika. In fact, Dr. Kiggundu, chairman of Buganda Forum, told a news conference early this week that he has evidence State House has been hosting meetings to plot Muliika’s downfall. Kiggundu claims their strategy is to exert pressure on the Kabaka to drop Muliika. That if the Kabaka doesn’t drop Muliika, President Museveni will not negotiate with Buganda again over their federal demands. Dan Muliika was appointed Katikkiro in December last year after the resignation of his predecessor, Joseph Mulwanyamuli Ssemwogerere. The latter was accused by sections of Buganda of being compromised by State House to accept the regional tier arrangement as opposed to federo, which Buganda cherishes. Asked for a comment, the President’s Press Secretary, Joseph Tamale Mirundi, described Dr. Kiggundu as “a day-dreamer”. He said that his boss was too busy with bigger issues such as the East African federation to involve himself in Buganda politics. Divided cabinet Impeccable Buganda sources have told The Weekly Observer that Katikkiro Mulikka is not seeing eye to eye with some of his ministers who have been branded saboteurs. These ministers are eight, including the Speaker of the Buganda Lukiiko, Hajji Suleiman Lubega Kaddunabbi. The list of Muliika’s saboteurs, according to this source, also includes retired archbishop Livingstone Mpalanyi Nkoyoyo, former Buganda Katikkiro Joseph Mulwanyamuli Ssemwogerere, and former Deputy Katikkiro Kaaya Kavuma. The source further reveals that when Muliika arranged for a Buganda cabinet retreat recently, many ministers stayed away, something he interpreted as sabotage. In fact, Muliika was quoted in the media as saying that there is a clique in the Buganda cabinet and Lukiiko which is fighting him. It is not clear whether this was the reason for the cancellation of a scheduled Lukiiko sitting on January 15. Also drawn into the conflict are managers of Central Broadcasting Services (CBS). The Katikkiro feels let down by CBS, which he claims doesn’t work in the interest of Buganda. Tier versus federo President Museveni’s Press Secretary, Tamale Mirundi, describes Dan Muliika as a “war appointment.” He claims that Muliika fought the President during the last elections and it would be in the interest of Buganda to replace him since the person he fought won the elections. Tamale further argues that Buganda will need a moderate who can work with the government of the day. At his press conference last week, Dr. Kiggundu displayed a photocopy of a September 28 letter which Museveni’s Principal Private Secretary, Amelia Kyambadde, wrote late last year inviting Prof. Gilbert Bukenya the Vice President to a meeting on Buganda. “This is to inform you that H.E the President will chair a meeting on Friday 10th November 2006 on the above subject at State House Nakasero,” reads the letter titled ‘Buganda Lukiiko’. Dr. Kiggundu argues that some prominent Baganda have been participating in such meetings which he claims aim at blackmailing the Kabaka into dropping the principled Katikkiro Muliika. Mengo sources have told The Weekly Observer that Muliika had a meeting with the Kabaka last week but it is not clear what they discussed. It is however very likely that the current crisis was at the centre of this meeting. According to government sources after last year’s elections President Museveni instructed Attorney General Khidu Makubuya and NRM Secretary General Amama Mbabazi to review positions on the regional tier. This review has however not taken place. Much of Buganda is opposed to the regional tier system mainly because it provides for an elected Katikkiro answerable to an elected Lukiiko. It is not clear whether the breakdown in talks between Buganda and the central government crisis arises from the uncompromising approach of Muliika or is it that following the elections, Museveni is not under pressure to bow to Buganda’s demands. What is not denied is that there is a crisis at Mengo. The cause and actors are different, depending on who you talk to. Members of Kabaka’s cabinet and prominent personalities branded anti- Muliika Hajji Lubega Kaddunabbi (Speaker) Emmanuel Ssendawula (Deputy Katikkiro) ABK Ntaate (Finance), Edward Katimbo Mugwanya (Lands), Apollo Makubuya (Royal Treasury) Appolonia Lugemwa (Women) Ahmed Bamweyana (Protocol). Nakiwala Kiyingi (Youth) Ntege David (Secretary to Lukiiko) Mpalanyi Nkoyoyo (Ex Archbishop) Joseph Mulwanyamuli (Ex Katikkiro) Kaaya Kavuma (Ex Deputy Katikkiro) Douglas Mukiibi (Private Secretary to Kabaka) Charles Peter Mayiga (Ex Cabinet Affairs Minister) Levy Zimbe (former Mpigi LCV chairman) John Katende (Ex Buganda Attorney General) Kawooya Mwebe (CBS general manager) Members of Kabaka’s cabinet whose side is not known or are on Muliika’s side Festo Higiro Semajege. (Deputy Speaker) Godfrey Lule (Attorney General), Muhammud Thobani (Planning and Investment), Kaddu Kiberu (Natural Resources) Arthur Bagunywa (Heritage and Cooperatives), Hubert Kibuuka (Trade and Industry), Nelson Kawalya (Health), Jolly Lutaaya (Local Government) John Kyazze (State for Heritage), Rajan Taylor (State for Economic Planning), Twaha Kaawaase (State for Finance), Semakula Herbert (Sports) Ahmed Mandela (State for Royal Treasurer). Florence Bagunywa (State for Women Affairs) Teopista Lubega (State for Functions Kabuuza Mukasa (State for Royal Visits Lubega Rwebanjo (State for Agriculture Sauda Namyalo (State for Education)

By Ham Mukasa (www.freewebs.com/hammukasa-buganda)

Lifted and Published by African Press in Norway, apn, africanpress@chello.no, tel +47 932 99 739 or +47 6300 2525

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Psychiatrist Berthold Grünfeld is again mentioned as a criminal target.

PHOTO: SCANPIX / ARKIV

Seven of Norway’s most dangerous prisoners allegedly planned revenge killings of four forensic psychiatrist and a prison warden.

 Former inmates at Ila Prison told newspaper Dagbladet that seven prisoners have created such a death list.

“It started in 1998. Several of those at Ila were furious. They felt humiliated by the forensic psychiatrists. The legal observations were interpreted as made to order jobs for the police,” a former Ila inmate told Dagbladet.

The man believes the list still exists, and said there was no reason to believe the feelings behind it had changed.

On the list are Ila Prison superintendent Petter Haug and psychiatrists Berthold Grünfeld, Michael Setsaas, Hans Jakob Stang and Jan Stang.

One of the men said to be behind the list is the man facing charges of terrorism and charges linked to attacks on Oslo’s synagogue. Grünfeld has also been mentioned in the media as a target due to being a prominent Norwegian Jew.

The five surviving founders of the death list are still in prison.”*

Source of the story: Aftenposten 

*”/”*Lifted by Korir and Published by African Press in Norway, apn, africanpress@chello.no, tel +47 932 99 739 or +47 6300 2525.source aftenpostenENG

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PHOTO: Alf Ove Hansen / SCANPIX*”Sentences were passed down on Thursday to the 13 men convicted of Norway’s highest profile robbery of all time. The convicts wre clearly more pleased than the prosecution.

 The sentencing marks the end of the appeals process in the NOKAS robbery, a commando style raid on the Norwegian Cash Service office in Stavanger on April 5, 2004. The brutal raid marked a level of crime virtually unseen in Norway before and also resulted in the shooting death of a police officer, another rare occurrence for Norway.

The convicts were hoping to avoid forvaring, a preventive custody judgment that can be used to extend limited Norwegian prison sentences to become effective life sentences.

Two key figures, so-called mastermind David Toska, and Kjell Alrich Schumann, who eventually confessed to shooting and killing policeman Arne S. Klungland, were hoping to receive lighter sentences for being more cooperative in their testimony.

Toska smiled visibly when being sentenced to 15 years and no preventive custody. Schumann received a 13-year sentence. The prosecution had asked that both receive maximum 21-year preventive custody sentences.

A total of 118 years of prison and preventive custody was handed out, significantly lower than the target requested by the prosecution. All but one of the sentences were lighter than recommended by the prosecution, and none were as severe as rendered in the original trial.

Only Metkel Betew received a preventive custody sentence, and he was the only one who risked this type of sentence who did not confess to complicity in the robbery, an indication that those who were cooperative in some way with the legal process received a “discount” in sentencing in return.

One of the accused, Thomas Thendrup, was acquitted by the jury in the appeals trial, but this judgment was overturned by the three expert judges, so he faces a new trial.”*

By Kjetil Olsen and Jonathan Tisdall

*”/”*Lifted and published by African Press in Norway, apn, africanpress@chello.no tel +47 932 99 739 or +47 6300 2525 source.aftenpostenENG

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Alf Henrik Christensen, sentented to eight years in prison for the NOKAS robbery, can in theory apply for prison leave next week. PHOTO: ALF OVE HANSEN / SCANPIX Kjell Alrich Schumann (center), shown here conferring with his lawyers, could be eligible for prison leave as soon as this autumn. He shot and killed a police officer during a gun battle on a Stavanger street while fleeing the scene of the crime. PHOTO: ALF OVE HANSEN / SCANPIX

Related stories:

Milder sentences in NOKAS appeal – 15.02.2007

Several of the 13 men convicted of Norway’s most brutal robbery ever, which left a veteran policeman dead, may be back on the streets within months.

Shorter sentences handed down by an appeals court on Thursday, combined with the country’s liberal practice of letting prisoners out on leave, means one of the robbers could apply for release as soon as Monday.

That, reports newspaper Aftenposten, is because Norwegian prison officials usually grant unsupervised leave to prisoners after they’ve served just a third of their sentences or at least four years.

One of the men convicted in the robbery of the NOKAS currency depot in Stavanger in 2002, Alf Henrik Christensen, had his prison term cut from 13 years to just eight years by the appeals court. He’s already spent 1,100 days in custody since his arrest, meaning he will have served a third of his new sentence as of Monday.

Kjell Alrich Schumann, a career criminal who also was the NOKAS robber who killed the police officer in a gun-battle right after the robbery, will in theory be eligible to apply for prison leave in September. His sentence was cut from 16 years of protective custody to just 13 years in jail.

It’s also standard practice in Norway to release prisoners permanently after they’ve served two-thirds of their sentences. That means Alrich could be back on the streets in about four years unless prison authorities invoke harsher rules because of the organizaed crime aspects of the NOKAS case.

Prosecutors, disappointed and angry by what they consider mild prison terms for the NOKAS robbers, will appeal to the Supreme Court, though. That means the terms handed down Thursday will be pending until the higher court addresses the case.

Arne Johannessen, head of the union representing police officers n Norway, criticized the appeals court’s lighter sentences, and said the possibility for prison leave also sends “a very bad signal.” He added that the mild sentences and prospects for release don’t square with most Norwegians’ sense of justice.

By Nina Berglund

Lifted and published by African Press in Norway, apn, africanpress@chello.no, tel +47 932 99 739 +47 6300 2525 source.aftenpostenENG

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I do congratulate Mr. Midenya for resigning from ODM-K Scandinavian as the treasurer.

I knew from the word go that Mr Gerry Midenyo will have difficulties in working with other people who are very greedy and that is why they joined ODM-K. 

Soon we will hear that Pastor Beatrice wants the treasurer seat because of money (chapa.) She is one person no one can trust.

This are the kind of problems Kenyans face when they start organizations, especiallu in Sweden.

Someone controls and others must do as the controller says or else one ends in bad books with him or her.

I suspect this is why Mr Gerry has resigned.  Now Mr midenyo has seen the light in the tunnel after a long time of being blinded by false actors.

By Joe, Sweden,

Published by African Press in Norway, apn, africanpress@chello.no tel +47 932 99 739 or +47 6300 2525

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*”THE widening rift between Mengo and the central government, stalling development programmes and an ever-shrinking network of allies that had been developed by former Katikkiro Joseph Ssemogerere left the Kabaka Ronald Muwenda Mutebi with no option but to fire the new premier Dan Muliika, after only one year in office.
Daily Monitor has learnt that the Kabaka started regretting appointing Mr Muliika only weeks after the new Katikkiro took office.

Palace sources have disclosed that the Kabaka has since been trying through emissaries and by direct contact to get Mr Muliika to tone down his confrontational approach.
Insiders have said the consensus was reached amongst the Kabaka’s confidants a few weeks after Mr Muliika’s appointment that the vetting process had been a failure and this was blamed on the haste surrounding the need to replace Mr Ssemwogerere after his team agreed with the central government to pass the regional tier system instead of absolute federalism that Buganda had sought.

Under the regional tier, the katikkiro would be directly elected and there were suspicions in the Kabaka’s court that Mr Ssemwogerere was intending to stand for the powerful post of elected leader of Buganda.

This would arguably be the second most powerful person in the country after the President and certainly more powerful than the Kabaka. Mengo rejected the system and the Kabaka continues to appoint his katikkiro. Mr Muliika, who is a diehard federalist, was fronted by among others, Dr Sulaiman Kiggundu and Mengo officials who have since fallen out with the Kabaka. 

It later dawned on the palace insiders that President Yoweri Museveni had immediately been turned off by Mr Muliika’s abrasive style and simply ‘switched’ him off. Throughout Mr Muliika’s one year tenure, Mr Museveni has never communicated with him yet the President has gone as low as dealing with kingdom broadcasters at CBS Radio.

FDC link
The realisation that Mr Muliika was strongly allied to Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) radicals who coincidentally are the same people who fell out with the Kabaka further alarmed the palace insiders who realized that chances of a meaningful dialogue with the government were getting slimmer.

While it is generally believed that the Kabaka privately sympathised with candidate Kizza Besigye in the 2001 elections, he has never had a relationship with FDC as a party.

His latest move of sacking Mr Muliika has emphasized the point. The group calling itself Buganda Forum, having Dr Kiggundu who is also FDC national president at its forefront, came out strongly in a spirited fight to try to save Mr Muliika from being sacked, but the Kabaka had made up his mind.

Demonstrations, a hasty night press conference, leaks to the press that State House was engineering Mr Muliika’s sack were to no avail.
When Mr Muliika took over as katikkiro, the Kabaka was immediately alarmed by his rebellious attitude towards the central government and later to his own monarch. His leadership skills were also found wanting and he rapidly lost respect among members of the Buganda cabinet and Lukiiko (parliament).

The sources said the word he most frequently used in meetings was ‘kuguguba’ (stubborn resistance) which he constantly urged members and Baganda in general to embrace.
Tshe Kabaka is said to have been making a quiet audit of his premiers performance and also found it below par.

The kingdom’s allies that had been multiplying during Mr Ssemwogerere’s times were fast dwindling, hardly any new socio-economic programmes had been initiated and communication with the central government had died out.

Attempts by Vice President Gilbert Bukenya to restart dialogue with Mengo were frustrated when Mr Muliika reportedly criticised the VP for inviting him for discussions at his private residence instead of making it official.
Mr Muliika then scuttled Dr Bukenya’s efforts by disclosing the private discussions at a large meeting in Mengo.

When the Kabaka realised a couple of months ago that straightening his premier was becoming rather difficult, he dispatched a group of eminent Baganda to try and reason with Mr Muliika but to no avail.

Palace sources said the Kabaka finally enlisted Bishop Balagadde Sekkade for the task but he also failed to move the premier.

In the end, the Kabaka sent the bishop to tell Mr Muliika to resign. But the premier reportedly invoked an old custom that says there can be no resignation from the king’s appointment (Kabaka tebamukuba bwami).

Last Saturday, Mr Muliika secured an appointment with the Kabaka and somehow tried to apologise. But the apology came too late and it was not accepted

By HamMukasa www.freewebs.com/hammukasa-buganda

*”/”*Lifted and Published by African Press in Norway, Apn, africanpress@chello.no, tel +47 932 99 739 or +47 6300 2525