ICT will accelerate development in Rwanda

May 10, 2011 11:15 pm | Aicha_Malloum

Kigali — President Paul Kagame has said that the country's strategic investment in Information Communication and Technology (ICT) is aimed at accelerating socio-economic development.

Appearing on Youtube Worldview interview with South Africa blogger Khaya Dlanga, President Kagame said that Rwanda and other developing countries stand a greater chance of leapfrogging stages of development using the already invented technologies.
During the 41-minute interview available online, President Kagame pointed out that the situation would have been much different if developing countries invented new technologies.

The Head of State, who became the first African leader to appear on Youtube Worldview said that new technologies present ample opportunities, mainly in supporting entrepreneurship, innovation, creativity and by being businesses in themselves.

"For Rwanda, we are using not only these technologies but the best way we can use them is to first of all make them accessible to our people to use them, and affordable and then we will build from there," President Kagame said.

"Information technology is very critical. It informs our people, it gives them enormous amounts of information and ways and therefore means to do things but also they can communicate and exchange views and opportunities."

President Kagame said that ICT would enable the country accelerate the development process in governance, economic development among others.

He said that the government had resolved to empower its young persons to become drivers of change by heavily investing in areas that make them more innovative and skilled, such as education and ICT.

The Head of State observed that while the country was still battling poverty, it is evident that there is less poverty compared to 10 years ago.

He said that this stemmed from sacrifices, commitments and investment the government has made over the last 10 years, citing agriculture and education.

In response to a question on the welfare of university students, President Kagame said that even those universities where students are complaining never existed which is a positive in itself because, today, thousands of students can access university education.

"We have thousands of students joining university today, we have thousands more graduating and finding jobs, there might be those that struggle to find jobs but we are also investing in the development of our private sector so that jobs can be found," he said.

He noted that the government is investing in skills development and technical training to enable people become job creators and not seekers.

During the interview, President Kagame touched on several issues particularly the situation on the continent blaming it on bad leadership and bad politics.
Referring to Rwanda's case, President Kagame said that the country learnt its lesson from past leadership whose politics divided people along ethnic lines, observing that today Rwandans perceive themselves as one, which should be the case elsewhere.

"The same should be for other countries, people should know that they are one country, one nation and that after all, they can harness the diversity for a common good," he said.

The President said that the diversity entails people from different backgrounds to put on the table different aspects for the benefit of the nation.

"With that kind of mindset, you have every reason to believe that a country can be united as we are trying to achieve here in Rwanda and we are seeing it working," Kagame said.

He noted that it is up to the African people to learn from the past, by asking themselves how long the continent would continue to suffer many years after independence
"For example what does it take to understand that corruption is bad and therefore deal with? Do we need any more lessons on poverty and how it affects families, society and nations and poverty deprives people of their dignity and lives of many are lost?" he pondered.

He noted that these are lessons that should challenge leaders to do things differently and to achieve results.

"At any stage, for every generation, lessons should be learnt from our past and people should seek to do better," President Kagame said.

"They should seek to challenge themselves and they should seek to not look at themselves as individuals but rather what they can bring to whatever is being done for the common good of our societies and nations,"

He said that young people need to grow up learning these lessons to shape their attitudes and behaviours in order to deal with such problems.

Edmund Kagire

http://allafrica.com/stories/201105100243.html

Old Lady on Holiday

An elderly lady decided to give herself a big treat for her significant birthday by staying overnight in one of London's most expensive hotels.

When she checked out next morning, the desk clerk handed her a bill for £250.00.

She exploded and demanded to know why the charge was so high. "It's a nice hotel but the rooms certainly aren't worth £250.00 for just an overnight stop without even breakfast."

The clerk told her that £250.00 is the 'standard rate' so she insisted on speaking to the Manager.

The Manager appeared and forewarned by the desk clerk announced: "the hotel has an Olympic-sized pool and a huge conference centre which are available for use."

'But I didn't use them," she said.

''Well, they are here, and you could have," explained the Manager.

He went on to explain that she could also have seen one of the in-hotel shows for which the hotel is famous. "We have the best entertainers from Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Aberdeen performing here," the Manager said.

"But I didn't go to any of those shows," she said.

"Well, we have them, and you could have," the Manager replied.

No matter what amenity the Manager mentioned, she replied, "But I didn't use it!"

The Manager was unmoved, so she decided to pay, wrote a cheque and gave it to the Manager.

The Manager was surprised when he looked at the cheque. "But madam, this cheque is only made out for £50.00." ''That's correct. I charged you £200.00 for sleeping with me," she replied.

"But I didn't!" exclaims the very surprised Manager.

"Well, too bad, I was here, and you could have."

Don't mess with Senior Citizens

Col. Dr. Kizza Besigye writes to Ugandans

STATEMENT TO UGANDANS FROM COL. DR. KIZZA BESIGYE UPON HIS RETURN HOME FROM NAIROBI, KENYA

KASANGATI, May 13 2011, 3:00PM

Fellow Ugandans,

I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for the very warm welcome that you accorded me yesterday when I arrived. I was truly humbled by the thousands of Ugandans that came out from the moment I touched down in Entebbe and all the way to my home to Kasangati. Thanks to the first aid I received immediately after the vicious attack from friends and family and from professional and dedicated doctors in both Uganda and Kenya; I have recovered from most of my injuries and I am back and ready to work. Thank you all for your prayers, God heard you and saved my life.

Your warm welcome was met with the same brutality, meted out by the same security operatives who have continuously assaulted and killed us since the Walk to Work campaign began. The Presidential Guard, military police, regular police and militia dressed in black and in civilian clothes descended on a happy and peaceful procession to indiscriminately kill and injure innocent Ugandans. This time even the media was not spared. They were injured and their cameras and equipment broken, to destroy evidence of state brutality against unarmed civilians. They used live ammunition, tear gas, water cannons, hit people with sticks and batons not to mention the heavy presence of mambas and huge artillery weapons that accompanied the procession to create an atmosphere fear and tension.

I mourn those who have been killed while welcoming me and my heart is with the families of the deceased. There seems to be an attempt to hide the identities of those who were killed and injured yesterday. If you were hurt or know somebody who was killed or hurt and needs support, please inform us. We will do whatever we can to support you, we are in this together. Activists for Change is opening two help lines 0705204772 and 0759367165 tomorrow; and we invite all peace loving Ugandans who want a better country to participate by reaching out and supporting victims of state violence. You can call this number, and participate by visiting victims and contributing to victims medical costs and their family needs.

We will not stand by and watch our country slide back to those dark days when Ugandans were at the mercy of dictators and their armies. Let the tear gas, the beatings, the torture and killings increase our resolve to end this humiliation and denial of our God given rights. The NRM government stands warned to stop their vicious unprovoked attacks on unarmed Ugandans.

I was also very pleased to note that our procession was largely peaceful in spite of the unprovoked and vicious attacks from the state. Let me stress to you again, that as we continue to assert ourselves before a tired, illegitimate and frightened NRM regime our actions must remain peaceful. We must not respond to the NRM’s violence with other acts of violence.

Let me express my deep appreciation to the Activists for Change led by Mathias Mpuuga for bravely leading this campaign which has in a short time grown to embrace civil society including opposition parties. We must remain united and resolved to bring about positive change. Last but not least I would like to acknowledge my colleagues, leaders of the opposition DP, Suubi, JEEMA, CP, UPC and FDC for their visionary leadership, together we can make a difference for our people.

Col. Dr. Kizza Besigye

Protests Overshadow Inauguration in Uganda

New York Times

May 12, 2011

By JOSH KRON

KAMPALA, Uganda – Ugandans frustrated with their government turned out in overwhelming numbers and boisterous celebration Thursday to welcome home the nation’s leading opposition figure, drowning out a lavish and dignitary-studded inauguration ceremony for President Yoweri Museveni.

Kizza Besigye, a three-time presidential candidate and ringleader of Uganda’s recent street protests over rising commodity prices, flew home Thursday from Kenya, where he had undergone medical treatment for wounds sustained during a recent arrest. Mr. Besigye, who had been barred from returning to Uganda on Wednesday, made it back early in the morning, then spent virtually the entire day driving from Uganda’s airport in Entebbe to the capital of Kampala – normally a 45-minute drive – while being thronged by dancing and singing supporters.

Witnesses driving with Mr. Besigye said that, at around mid-day, military police beat up and dispersed many of the supporters following Mr. Besigye and then surrounded the convoy, escorting it into the capital, an opposition stronghold, where thousands more cheering fans waited.

Ugandan police and military personnel have fired tear gas at major intersections along the road into Kampala, clashing with opposition supporters throwing stones and trying to disperse crowds that seemed determined to stay put.

“Celebration,” said Sarah Nabatanzi, 30, who awaited Mr. Besigye on a palm-leaf laden motorcycle. “We are celebrating now.”

“Museveni is treating us very bad,” Ms. Nabatanzi added. “Now you see they are beating us; nothing we have done, but they are spraying tear gas on us.”

The outpouring of support for Mr. Besigye’s return, which coincided and eclipsed the swearing-in ceremony for President Museveni’s fourth elected term in office (President Museveni has governed Uganda for the last quarter-century), was by far the largest demonstration by Ugandans protesting the government, and could mark a sea-change in the country’s political status-quo.

Many supporters held up old Besigye-campaign posters, others rode motorcycles while standing up and chanting opposition slogans as they drove towards the man they called “our president.”

“I cannot believe this,” said a motorcycle driver awaiting Mr. Besigye near the town of Kajjansi, along the route to the capital. “I can’t believe this day.”

For the last month, Mr. Besigye and other opposition leaders, many of whom lost handily to President Museveni in the February election, have staged twice-weekly street demonstrations to protest rising fuel and food prices, and what they call debilitating government corruption.

The protests themselves have mostly been tiny and timid, and were discarded by some as shallow political theater orchestrated by the losing candidates.

But in recent weeks, the protests’ narrative and political momentum has built as the government mounted a brutal and at times fatal response.

Mr. Besigye flew to Kenya last month seeking medical treatment after being arrested, attacked with a type of pepper spray by plain clothes police and being shot in the hand by a rubber bullet.

On Tuesday, the police used water cannons to disperse a group of six people, some of them political leaders, who were already huddled against the wall of a building. Another opposition leader was bundled into a police van and whisked away after standing in front a public park.

And what started as an almost-embarrassing political flop for Mr. Besigye last month – with roughly five followers during his first protest culminated Thursday in a dramatic procession celebrating Mr. Besigye’s return.

A deeper political row may be developing. In the last couple weeks, there has been a surge of criticism against the government and the use of force against the mostly peaceful protestors.

“Lots of this anger is being vented at Museveni as he is sworn in both because of wide-spread belief of fraud in the election and because of the way the government has handled Besigye,” said Dr. Elliot Green, a special on Uganda at the London School of Economics. “The next question is where things might go from here.”

Mr. Besigye, who came in a distant second to President Museveni in the elections, with roughly 20 percent of the vote, said that he would refuse to recognize the current government.

President Museveni has long been a close ally of the United States, and many voters gave him high marks for stabilizing the country and delivering economic growth after decades in which Uganda endured dictatorships and rebellion.

But Mr. Museveni has recently been riddled with allegations of corruption, facing questions on campaign financing, the purchase of Russian fighter jets and secretive oil contracts.

Furthermore, many security officials used by the government to counter the recent protests have been linked to a violent and shadowy branch of Uganda’s police force, known as the Rapid Response Unit, which was recently accused of widespread human-rights abuses.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/13/world/13uganda.html?_r=1

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