Monday, December 24, 2007

Christmas on December 14th

I am normally not the most verbose person wherever I get to address any group of people. Which, ironically, is a far cry from what happens when I sit in front of a computer and thumb its keyboard, or grab pen and paper.

My economy of the spoken word should paint the picture of what happens when a person who does not ordinarily speak much runs out of even the few words he normally uses to express himself.

That is indeed what happened to me on the night of December 14 when asked by the Presidential Adviser on Media and Public Relations, Mr. John Nagenda, the night’s chief guest, to make a seven-word speech after I was declared Golden Pen Journalism Awards’ Journalist of the Year 2007.

Winning that award was a very special feat for me in many respects (some of which I won’t explore here), and I wanted to publicly thank those who helped nurture the writer in me, as well as share a few experiences with colleagues in the business and raise some issues about the state of the industry.

But I didn’t, sorry; I couldn’t do any of that.

The best that came out of my startled mouth was: “I don’t know [what to say]. I am so happy. I just don’t know [what to say]”, before Mr Nagenda declared that I had met reached the target he had set for me – only just.

To a friend who found that little episode “interesting”, I explained that the awards had knocked the wind out of my sails in a touching way that left me speechless, my hands shaking, and my eyes welling up with tears – all because I just couldn’t contain the joy that came with the triumph.

Yet it was not even joy resulting from a first bite at the cherry. You see, it was not the first time that I am walking up to such a podium to receive an award of that nature so it one could easily wonder what all the excitement is about. So, here’s why.

On May 3 this year, I happened to have been one of the three category winners of the Uganda Investigative Journalism Awards 2007. The award came with a package that included a brand new laptop – a machine I so badly needed to ease my work, after the one I had got destroyed beyond repair.

However, eight days later, that laptop was stolen – along with several of my possessions – by a thief who broke into my house. It was a period, to say the least.

After some stern words from my boss, who asked me whether I wanted to just spend the rest of the year feeling sorry for myself or I could bounce back with a bang and work for the money that could buy me a new laptop.

The big man’s words registered and I invested all my energies (and frustrations from that incident) into my job so that, among other thing, I could purchase a new laptop to ease my work and enable me be a lot more mobile in 2008.

Now, just when all efforts to secure one seemed to have come to nought, along came the Golden Pen Awards!

Honestly, God (or is it the hand of fate? Well, depends on who or what you believe in) could not have offered this humble Ugandan a much better Christmas present.

When David Astor Journalism Awards Trust (DAJAT) Managing Director, Jim Meyer, interviewed me, on September 22, as he sought for the most suitable beneficiary for his programme, the conversation somehow veered towards the fact that I had won a laptop and then lost it even before I could benefit from it.

Jim told me that since I had lost that one, I would just have to win another one. This morning, I opened my email and found a message of congratulations from Jim; I just couldn’t help smiling to myself and saying: “I did it!’.

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Watching history pass us by

A few days ago, I phoned Prince John Patrick Barigye Rutashijuka Ntare VI of the currently stifled-but-once-great Ankole kingdom requesting for an interview on a subject that fate and experience have made him very familiar with.

Prince Barigye told me that he was not feeling well and I would have to call him the next week when he would hopefully be feeling well enough to conduct the interview.

I have profiled Prince Barigye before, interviewed him about Ugandan politics and other such issues, as well as visited his palace in Rubindi, along Mbarara-Ibanda road, where the Prince and his family hosted me to what still ranks as one of the more memorable Christmas seasons of my not so long life.

The point here is not that I have dined with royalty; far from it. I am only saying that journalism often provides those who practice it with front row seat tickets to historical events, and we witness it happen – first hand.

Or, in other instances, the profession provides us with the privilege of at least hearing directly from those who were either in the thick of the action or had the tickets to the front row seats when and as history unfolded.

It is our duty then, as journalists, to document this history and share it with the rest of the world.

Many times, however, we fail to perform this duty.

I was recently reminded of our shortcomings in this area following the death of the acclaimed Ugandan playwright, John Ruganda; the man whose writings formed the bulk of what we studied in our high school literature classes.

Just for the record, the great John Ruganda wrote plays and novels like The Burdens (1972), The Floods (1980), Black Mamba (1972), Covenant With Death (1973), Music Without Tears (1982), and Echoes of Silence (1986).

So John Ruganda, who has been silently suffering with Cancer in Uganda since February 2007 when he returned to the country (from the University of North in South Africa) never really got much mention in the Ugandan media until he passed away on December 9.

While such luminaries rarely get mention in the media, you have the likes of musician Henry Tigan, comedians Amarula Family, and Big Brother Africa II contestant Maureen Namatovu receiving headlines and whole pages in the media every other day!

In fact, although Ruganda passed away in the first week of December, it was only in the last weeks – long after even the Kenyans newspapers had several dedicated pages to his memory – that The New Vision newspaper finally wrote an obituary.

Contrast this with the time Big Brother Africa I contestant Gaetano Kaggwa was admitted in a hospital in Nairobi and the radio stations were providing almost hourly updates on his condition.

Maybe this is a pointer to the kind of society that Uganda has become today and I am one of the last people to realise it; a society where intellect is not as much as recognised, and materialism has long taken its place!

Ok, now I get the drift. And my heart bleeds because one day we will wish we had shared the pearls of wisdom that the older generation possessed, and we won’t have the chance. All because we simply didn’t care while they were here.

At this point I must confess that I am no better than those that I have held culpable for lethargic coverage of historical events and figures; I never called Prince Barigye again – and, in so doing, have cheated the reader of the newspaper I write for.

But not for too long – as I, too, have been reminded of the gravity of such apathy towards otherwise important issues.

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Wishing I could live a dream

A few years ago, while still in secondary school, a friend and I used to dream of owning mobile office premises. Our dream mobile offices were supposed to comprise mainly of only a car, a laptop connected to the Internet, and a mobile phone.

Of course that dream, like many that we used to have at the time, never came to be. But I just couldn’t help thinking of it this morning when we came to the office only to find that our landlords had locked us out. Again!

With our dream offices, we would not have had to worry about being locked out of the premises like was the case at my present work place this morning. Damn, we wouldn’t even have to worry about paying rent.

The only thing that would burn holes in our pockets would be the fuel for the car, and even buying that would have its advantage as we would be killing two birds with one stone since it would be help me drive my office premises to work.

Sadly, I still don’t have a car. And a lap top. And … Jeez, what have I been working all these years for?

Monday, November 26, 2007

The morning after ...

Today is ‘01 AC (After Chogm) in Uganda. It is a day after the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (Chogm) ended in the capital Kampala yesterday – leaving President Yoweri Museveni displaying arguably the most endless grin and dreamiest look he has ever spotted since coming to power some 21 years ago.

During the Chogm week, a buoyant Museveni did some things he is not particularly renowned for; First, there was the bow before the Ugandan Parliament (many of whose members he does not have the highest regard for especially after bullying and bribing them to change the constitution to allow him stand beyond the originally stipulated two terms) after he addressed them before Queen Elizabeth II of Britain.

And then, as if to confirm that he was a man in clearly benevolent mood, Museveni was publicly seen hugging some of his colleagues – a privilege his own wife Janet has not (to the best of my knowledge) received publicly since the son of Kaguta came to power.

A colleague who spoke to Museveni and Kenya’s President Mwai Kibaki during the post-Chogm interaction between the leaders and media representatives over lunch perhaps drew the best contrast; Kibaki was in Uganda only in body but his mind seemed to be back in his country where he is struggling through a tight campaign that he is not even very sure of winning, while Museveni cut a very relaxed picture. He was clearly relishing the meeting that would hand him the leadership of the Commonwealth for the next two years.

Even the tune of Museveni’s own government officials, lackeys, and hangers-on was rather refreshingly different. First, it was the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Maj. Gen. Kale Kayihura, who apologised for the traffic jams caused by his officers when they were undergoing mock drills on how to supervise traffic during Chogm.

Then, when Chogm itself rolled into town, the opposition was given a designated area in which they would be allowed to demonstrate. Although some opposition figures and groups nonetheless faced the wrath of some overzealous Museveni security operatives when those who attempted to demonstrate outside the designated areas were clobbered. Maybe some habits die hard after all.

Meanwhile, as some of his boys (and girls, maybe; who knows?) vented their anger on the opposition for trying to spoil their party, Museveni was at his best behaviour before the Queen and the more than 40 heads of states and government or their representatives, who had found their way to Kampala.

It is difficult to imagine how Museveni felt when the Queen, while addressing the Ugandan Parliament, paid tribute to Uganda’s “respect for the rule of law” and promised more support to the country to “deepen its democracy”. But it wouldn’t be entirely off the mark to believe he was in dreamland because in effect, he was receiving international endorsement for his efforts to “uphold democracy in Uganda”.

After such ringing approval from one of the most significant figures in the world, before more than 40 world leaders, the opposition can make all the noise it can and their voice won’t be heard. Or, if it is, then it will just be ignored.

This is especially so because the Commonwealth, soon after suspending Pakistan and after parting ways with Zimbabwe and its leader Robert Mugabe not so long ago, will not be too eager to antagonise any of its members – especially the country that will be in the chair for the next two years.

The result is that, should Museveni flout any of the rules that all members of the Commonwealth are supposed to uphold, there will be the customary barking from across the world, but very few countries will be ready to pressure the Ugandan President to follow the rule book.

With the benefit of hindsight, one can understand why Uganda’s leading opposition political group, the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), has been up in arms against the decision by the Commonwealth to let Uganda host this biennial meting; a successful Chogm for Museveni means tough days ahead for them and any other Ugandan who tries to stand in the way of the Museveni juggernaut.

Thursday, November 15, 2007

Praying for the devil's continued good health

The fate of Vincent Otti, the Lord Resistance Army’s (LRA) second in command, remains clouded in mystery more three weeks after word of his reported fall-out with the rebel group’s leader, Joseph Kony, first filtered through.

Otti is reported to have either gone down with malaria, been arrested or even killed by Kony after they fell out over the handling of the peace talks between the Uganda government and their LRA, and funds that are being given to them to sustain their fighters while the peace talks are ongoing.

Information on the recent developments in Garamba remains unclear even after Kony called Gulu LC V Chairman, Nobert Mao, by telephone to try and clear the air. One thing that is clear though is that the developments in Garamba have presented Ugandans with a very tricky situation.

On the one hand, few Ugandans would really give a hoot about the fate of Otti; in fact many would gladly toast to news of the death of Otti – a man who orchestrated some of the nastiest and most senseless killings that have been carried out by the LRA in the 21 years that they have been fighting the Uganda government.

It is therefore ironic that we have reached a point where Uganda needs Otti alive and pulling the strings in the LRA hierarchy more than ever before. One can hardly encounter a more awkward situation than this.

The point I am trying to make is that with the peace talks that have been taking place in the Southern Sudan capital Juba now heading for the home stretch after more than 12 months of negotiations, the uncertainty over the fate of the 61-year-old Otti could scarcely have come at a worse time.

Although all four senior LRA commanders indicted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) declined to attend the talks in Juba, instead preferring to delegate the task to a group of exiles sympathetic to their cause, the decision-making powers have always remained with them in the DR Congo jungles of Garamba National Park.

Otti, who has maintained constant communication with Uganda government officials throughout the last 12 months, therefore turned out to be the linkman to the LRA’s elusive leader, Kony. He had also turned into the voice of the group, often taking the initiative to call radio stations to articulate their position when the group felt aggrieved.

Perhaps it was this increased prominence that put Otti at longer heads with his Chairman. Since the cessation of hostilities agreement was signed just before the talks started, the LRA has seldom been engaged in combat. As a result, the period has seen Otti take on a more pronounced role as the intellectual commander of the group in a battle of wits with the government – since he is more educated that Kony.

While the official talks went on in Juba, Otti was often walking from Garamba to the DR Congo-Sudan border to meet different delegations. So Otti’s role in the process naturally became so prominent that the Uganda government deemed it necessary, even important, to start parallel talks with the indicted LRA leaders in Garamba.

Otti’s efforts won mutual trust with the Southern Sudan government, the Juba talks’ mediator Dr Riek Machar and the Juba government, several officials from the Uganda government, international observers like the former president Joachim Chissano, and even UN envoy Jan Egeland.

It is these ties that are now in danger of being broken if indeed Otti has been killed by Kony. If Otti is indeed dead and, like has been widely reported, Kony has appointed Okot Odhiambo as his a new deputy then it means that the world has lost out on its most prominent contact with the LRA.

More crucially, it means that more time will be wasted as the prominent players in the talks who had developed an understanding with Otti try to develop a relationship with Kony’s new deputy, Okot Odhiambo. More over it is not certain how much freedom Kony will give his deputy, or any other member of the LRA leadership for that matter, to make independent decisions during any deliberations.

Recent developments seem to indicate the Kony is likely to play a more prominent role in any parallel talks now that before. With Otti having come to be viewed as a moderate and Joseph Kony the hardliner, it could mean that the talks could take even more time since the two sides are likely to take a little more than trying to reconstruct burnt bridges.

Wednesday, November 07, 2007

Crying for a defaced country

If there are any other things that Ugandans do worse than preparing for Chogm [Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting], then trying to revamp its old buildings must be one of them. One just has to take a look at the shoddy attempts that have been made to give some of the most distinct buildings in Kampala a new lease of life (or, in some cases, just a new coat of paint) to see the extent of the problem.

Take the example of the former Uganda Commercial Bank building, now called Cham Towers, which proudly stands side by side with Uganda House on Jinja Road. One of Kampala’s most distinctive buildings until recently, the ex-UCB HQ’s unique architectural design and imposing size set it apart; effectively making its one side of the face of good old Kampala.

However, since businessman Karim Hirji bought the imposing building and changed its name to Cham Towers, it has lost most of its old charm.

What Karim did when he decided to place tiles around the building was to inadvertently cover the beauty that the coarse texture of its walls exhibited; his action was tantamount to pouring acid on a beautiful face.

Now, why Karim decided to cover up the buildings unique wall with some funny tiles is beyond comprehension. Wouldn’t it have been better to maintain the original outlook of the structure rather than mess up its distinct wall with some lousy tiles?

Karim, it must be said, is not alone. A similar misdemeanour has been committed by the management of Uganda Broadcasting Corporation (UBC) who – instead of retaining but only polishing the original design of the building housing the national broadcaster – has decided to cover it up with tiles.

Even more shameful is the fact that none of the ‘artists’ at the National Theatre, just a street away from the Parliament Building, saw it important to ensure that the guys renovating the building didn’t interfere with its unique design.

In the case of the National Theatre, the consolation is that an attempt has at least been made to ensure that the building retained a semblance of its distinct old self. The story is even worse at the building housing the Prime Minister’s office, opposite Golf Course Hotel, whose beauty has been drowned in some rather lousy yellowish paint – and even the painting was not done that well.

Such buildings have in effect been defaced, in the process throwing its authenticity out of the window. And it is quite a shame that not a great deal of Ugandans are even crying out to save the structures that give their country a distinct face.

Sometimes, it seems the urge to destroy what already exists has become a sort of national obsessions. We are only too eager to tear down our national forests in order to produce a few additional kilogrammes of sugar; and we freely give away prime land in the city to ‘investors’ even at the expense of national monuments.

Yet we could only gain more by maintaining some of these things in their original condition, like other countries do. For instance, in Turkey which I visited recently, the ancient architecture that was put up by the leaders of the Ottoman Empire (remember your High School history lessons?) ages ago is still protected very jealously and maintained. That country has, as a result, been able to earn billions of Turkish Lira from tourists streaming into that country every other year.

Ugandans and their leaders never give such things a thought. But if we continue defacing our own country at that rate, what aspects of dear Uganda will mark it out from the herd some 20 or so years from now?

Monday, November 05, 2007

Owning up to my failings, and making yet another promise

This blog promised to be insatiable; always imbibing its prolific author’s writings but never getting its fill. It was meant to provide everything from serious insights to doses of humour that left the readership begging the author to do it again and again.

That, dear reader, was the dream at the blog’s birth on August 28, 2006. The reality, as you can see, has been different. Starved off its author’s pearls of wisdom and nonsensical rumblings, the blog has since withered to near extinction. And I hang my head in shame for letting that happen.

So much for being [or is it claiming to be?] a writer.

Anyway, the will to share my thoughts with the world – as you might have realised – is there alright. It is now the consistency and discipline, two traits I believe I have sufficient doses of, which I somehow have to summon in order not to fail at the second asking.

When I posted my first piece in August last year, I was still finding my footing in this industry. Now, a little over a year since then, and having learnt a few more lessons that should keep me in good stead as I continue my development, I am certainly better prepared to sustain a struggle on this particular front than ever before.

In the last year, as one can imagine, a lot of water has passed under the proverbial bridge. I have swapped media battlefields from Ruth Towers to Crested Towers, made my first forays into lands foreign, and honed a few of my skills under the guidance of some of the most inspirational field commanders in this industry.

Indeed, I have made some useful strides; but – more importantly – I believe I have not got ahead of myself. I know that there are still mistakes to be made, battles to be lost, and lessons to be learnt down this road. Such roads are never meant to be rosy, but I feel better prepared to ride the storms that will come my way.

This blog is meant to provide me with a platform to put my thoughts to PC, and in the process make some of those mistakes, lose [as well as win] some of the battles, and, above all, learn the lessons that should enable me become the writer I aspire to be.

This is an open forum so I look forward to receiving feedback – both the nice and not-so-nice. If I am writing crap, just give me a kick up the backside. It could hurt, but at least it will ensure that I don’t lose sight of the objective that I set out to achieve.

So, once again I invite you, dear reader, to join me down this road on a journey that has begun all over again.