Barigayomwe Rogers Birungi PhD

This is just a symbol but join us to Thank God, it's now a decade of Love for me and Lady Sara.We thank God for all of you who joined us at Namirembe Cathedral and later at Sheraton Kampala Hotel as we said and celebrated our vows on the 18.05.2013.

Roko, one of the giants in the very profitable multi-billion dollar construction industry, on site for every big project including that of parliament's extension right after posting a profit, asked for a bail out from the government of Uganda. If this is an example to go by, we are all broke.

The only elements doing well in our economy are the mafia elements. There is no middle income status. All there is is an artificial economy manufactured by an aged outgoing government desperate to show a legacy.

We are pretending that the numbers are fine yet we know the truth on ground - that we are all suffering except these mafia investors.

Hear all about the true state of our economy and how the government through banks and other manoeuvres is creating an illusion of a thriving economy.
Full video: https://youtu.be/C14_swF_Bd4

The most important person in Uganda will die - because this is a fact of life, but Uganda will continue. A well-defined and clearly communicated succession plan will eliminate any need for tension.

The British may have ravaged Africa of its resources and committed countless atrocities against black people but there is much to learn from them especially in the aftermath of their longest reigning monarch's death.

Watch my full thoughts on Queen Elizabeth II's legacy as shared on SEETV's the Sunrise.

SEETVSunrise | The legacy of Queen Elizabeth The legacy of Queen Elizabeth; Born on 21st April 1926 and died on 8th sept 2022, became queen on 6th february 1952

It's now 3 months and a few weeks into the Russia-Ukraine conflict. If you still don't understand what it is and how it affects Ugandans and projects such as the Northern By-pass, this conversation I had on SEE Tv helps break it down for you.

#SEETvSunrise: Russia - Ukraine Conflict - ; Day 5 since Russia Invaded Ukraine,President Vladimir Putin has Ordered Russia's nuclear forces to be ready

The president coined two words, 'Okubyesonyiwa' and 'Okukekeleza', in response to the current economic crisis.

I, on the other hand suggest clear steps that the government can take to alleviate the heavy burden that the skyrocketing prices have placed on Ugandans.

Watch my complete thoughts on BigDebate here;
https://youtu.be/1kvOGhguq2c

NOT YET UHURU

It maybe independence day today but are we truly independent? I think we need to carry out a swot analysis as a country in celebration this independence. In 1962, it was to liberate ourselves from the colonial masters, a tag of war as our adversaries presented themselves superior militarily and financially. Therefore they bribed and compromised everyone who stood against their continued suppression of Africans, until finally they let lose and conceded our freedom.

After that, our history is clear. It wasn't long before political turmoil culminated in the Amin's take over of the country. Amin was resisted by the liberators - our fathers. They left us behind claiming that they had gone to struggle and liberate us inorder to give us a good future. Indeed, that revolution ended in 1986 when they took power. They've had control of the country 35 years now but their dealings are not very different from those of the colonial masters. They've compromised everyone who's tried to show objectivity and haven't taken positively to dissent. They've enriched themselves financially and as a consequence and means, deliberately monetized politics. They will divide the loot with whoever tries to identify with objectivity in this nation. This is evident in the political campaigns and mobilisations starting right at the political party primaries. We can see that both in the ruling party and the opposition, huge amounts of money exchange hands for party posts whether it's through vetting or the electoral process. We are yet to see even bigger sums exchange hands in February.

The political parties themselves are based on division of the masses, not objective ideology. Even the opposition parties, I'll take example of the newly formed Nup which is simply trying to get youth divided up for their benefit but really have no grounding. There's nothing to show that we are planning significant things for the future of our country and our children. It's total chaos.

So are Ugandans really independent?
Can an average Ugandan speak their mind and be heard without fear? I would say not yet.
Independence will be when Ugandans can equally compete for opportunities without tribal or religious bias, when exposure is what puts someone at the top, when education and health are prioritised and competitive compensatory options and funds are appropriated to labourers. Before then, we are not yet independent.

How could Covid19 so easily cause such unemployment? I think credit should be given to our colonial masters who performed much better than ourselves because they left better health and education facilities and even mentored the next generation of which are some of the tired leaders of now. Unlike the colonial masters however, they refuse to mentor anyone. They aren't trying to pass on the baton but becoming more primitive. It is not yet Uhuru.

MORE COSTS THAN BENEFITS FROM THIS ELECTORAL PROCESS

A complete waste of money, resources, and time because these elections will certainly not change much, especially given the period in which we are. Instead, it's going to leave a very big impact on the spread of where at a polling station the use of material will be the same. Cross checking contacts to ascertain an individual's registeration status, ticking to vote; too many facilities and supplies are likely to be used by many people as we go to the polls. There'll be so much human contact as people share pens, paper and other resources.

Like I anticipated post National Resistance Movement - NRM primaries, that the Covid19 spread was likely to shoot high - and indeed we did see a rise in cases, after these elections, the impact on the Covid19 spread will be immeasurable.

I call upon researchers, academicians, and other concerned Ugandans to carry out a study on this. The findings of which I can vaguely give; what we are likely to get out of this exercise is worse than what is certainly going into it. If we don't carry out a cost benefit analysis, it is going to be shameful with a loss of human lives, and a waste of resources and time.

Happy Birthday mum,
it's been several years of fruit. Fruit of the children you raised and educated, the growing number of grand children, the people you have evangelised and the many Ugandans liberated as you stood in the gap with your patience.

Mum, you know how strong a pillar in our family you have been and as such we celebrate you. I personally give you credit for the countless times you've stood with me, and stand with me, you do still. In the 3 levels of liberation, you stood with us. When dad was with Fronasa, you left behind a vibrant career and withdrew with us to the village and even though we missed out on school, we never missed a single lesson because you held fort.
While I never attended nursery or pre primary you did homeschooling with me. When dad got involved with the guerilla movement in 1981, still you stood in the gap. Even recently, when he was involved with the Reform Agenda we were still in school and you provided where he couldn't. We thank you and dad for giving us the best education we could ever have asked for.

As we've gone through the different post independent struggles, liberations and
reforms as a country, our family involved in a majority them, as men we have sometimes gone clandestine. For standing in the gap whenever the nation needed people like dad to liberate and reform it, we thank you. Thank you for being a pillar in the family and the nation.

It is not only dad however that has benefited from your unwavering strength. I too have. When I have thought that there was wrong that needed to be reformed in the country, you've stood with me. Knowing that especially after the many torments the different governments gave dad you didn't believe there was need for other liberations, that you didn't second my cause, yet you stood with me and stand with me you do still. When I stood in Nakawa, it is you that gave the nomination fee. No other person could.

Is it because we survived together when we both nearly lost our lives as you gave me life?
Is it that you give fully because we nearly lost you after the bomb accident? Both times you beat the odds. It must be that God knew you still needed time to raise great leaders and great grand children to impact the nations like they are now.

The biggest decision you made however, wasn't about wars or political reforms. It was the decision to teach us about the spiritual warfare which you yourself engage in. This we are most grateful for and will never forget. You pray all the time for us. In the dead of night we hear you, covering us, the nation, your grandchildren, Israel, we hear you. You haven't given up preaching the word of God either, which is itself the greatest warfare. It all makes us unafraid of what man can do. You've taught us that despite all struggles, God has liberated us. We have seen it as God has stood by our side through all of it. Thank you mum for sharing with us this most treasured gift and because of that, prayer will always be the strongest tool we have as a family and generation. We will serve always the Lord of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Watching you and dad may have made me multi-faceted but I attribute the spiritual and academic attributes to you, who knew that a home schooled child could reach the highest echelons. For these masters and doctorates, I give the honour to you. The political attributes I ascribe to my revolutionary father.

Enjoy your birthday and many more years ahead of you. We love you mum. We are everything we are because of you, our great hero. Happy Birthday mum.

COVID DEVIL HAS TRAPPED ALL POLITICIANS AND RELIGIOUS LEADERS.

Truth be told, I never expected the education sector to be opened before the year was out. I had even wondered how the ministry of education and the first lady Janet Kataaha Museveni had come up with a June resumption when Uganda was yet to hit its peak . By all indication, Uganda will face its alarming peak later this year. This is why I'd thought it madness when back in April, the ministry gave a road map to restart schools around May.

The reopening of candidate classes this October is still insanity to me. We've been made to think that it’s essential for students to get back to school. What these students really are is test subjects and sacrificial lambs for schools to test with small numbers what the January situation will look like. The government can't experiment with all of the 1.2 students so they will do it with the 200,000 candidates. Insisting that these children go back to studying in an environment as tense as this is far from forward thinking. However we all know that once the government was provoked into open campaigns especially with NRM primaries, Ugandans saw that there was no more need to stay locked down. In a way this reopening is because of the selfish need for politicians to justify their actions. Left without any reason to continue with the politics while education and religious facilities stayed locked down, the solution was to open up. A selfish act by both the people who are in leadership and those who are claiming they want to come and replace them. Political activity should have been the last thing happening in this period. All of these professional politicians are serving self interests and Ugandans ought to remember this.

A just person shouldn’t be politicking at all in this season. We should all be in withdraw and actually asking for God’s grace in an uncertain time. In my view and to note very carefully, religious facilities too should have stayed locked down. Religious activities (not all), because most of our institutions are about performing religious duties and not necessarily seeking God. People who seek God know that private time is for seeking God and that indeed if people knew the reason Covid is with us, that it is partly to separate us from ourselves that we may genuinely seek God. The contention isn't therefore about opening religious facilities but as you can see, about selfish religious leaders. One of who was quoted saying that they couldn’t be limited to 70 people. Why not? You can’t even ask to have more than 50 people even if you are a person of faith in this season.

I remember an instance when we went to preach in Rwanda after the genocide. We went as a team of 10 students from Makerere University as part of the main Christian Union who'd been invited by the Archbishop of Kigali at the time. Naturally, I was one of the youngest and expected that I was basically escorting my older counterparts. We had expected to all be going to one crusade but because of the need, they decided that we would have 5 crusades. This meant that we had to split into 5 groups. Having gone as a worshipper, I hadn't anticipated that I might have to preach, but I did. Now is clearly a time of need, it is time that people came out to preach the gospel. It was Jesus Christ’s purpose to make disciples not just followers. Every church that has been doing great discipleship and not simply siphoning money out of flock will have mentored people who can go out and form different congregations of people below 70. For example Church of Uganda has about 300 people, they should have mentored at least 10 people and each of those can have at least a congregation of 30 that's able to be controlled. Christ himself discipled just 12 people. That is the true Christianity, not numbers.

Religious facilities should prepare to disciple. The bible says that the labourers were few, this is time for all of us to come up and engage in the noble cause of serving God’s people. Homes should open up, different facilities should be opened up to have smaller congregations. For this cause I am going to go on record to say that I’ll be one of the people to take on opening up churches in the vicinities. I have to personally open up facilities and step up into a pastoral calling which wasn’t a calling I had before. I call upon other people to emulate and follow me, let us disciple and tell people about God’s goodness because the churches are no longer safe.


Daily Monitor

EVEN AT 4TH FLOOR, I CAN'T BREATHE.

I was born 4 decades ago today to a revolutionarist father fighting alongside Yoweri Kaguta Museveni & FRONASA. At the time, they said that they had gone to fight for a better Uganda for the next generation.

40 years now, even with 2 doctorates and 2 masters, I can't breathe. We all can't breathe. Our selfish fathers have refused to give way. We still have to fight with them for professional, political and social space.

It's because of this that I am determined to mentor the next generation without thought of ever competing for their space. To facilitate their growth and then allow them to do the same for others when their time comes.

9 ministers have been trounced in this election cycle's NRM Primaries. The colourful list includes the youthful and the old alike.
Hon. Evelyn Anite, Mary Karoro, Elioda, Prof. Kamuntu, Lydia Wanyoto, Beatrice Anywar, Peter Egwang, Adolf Mwesigye, Peter Kibanzanga, Mwesigwa Rukutana and I am certain many more will fall.

Anite, Anywar and the other members have paid their political price for betraying the nation and are now half way their journey to political oblivion. Due to their sycophantic behaviour and love of extending president Museveni's term of office, they have been judged, and will continue to be in the future.

While the old guards are on their way to retirement and their death beds, the youth who have betrayed their mates are learning that Ugandans never forget.

It is suprising that western Uganda has rejected many of such senior politicians as Karoro, Prof Kamuntu and Erioda. Ugandans are so desperate for change that even with some politicians such as Elioda trying to politically smear his opponent with involvement in a political scandal, Ugandans have no care to spare.

We all know that the nrm revolution too started with bank robberies. They introduced the monetary politics and now the last thing Ugandans care about is one's source of finance. Their target is the old guard. If you introduce a corrupt system, how do you expect the youth to survive? They will take their money but will punish them heavily.



National Resistance Movement - NRM

This is the week for the much awaited National Resistance Movement - NRM Primaries. After the Central Executive Committee (CEC) performance, we are certainly in for another interesting round from the ruling party. As the various members scramble to secure a piece of the cake to last the next 5 years, sanity is sure to take a back seat.

It is common knowledge that when it suits them, the legislators discard all order and simply engage to win. Every rule possible will be broken - including the much flaunted . From campaigning to queuing to vote, the impact on COVID is going to be adverse.

Science was the way until politics took to the podium; science then became cumbersome.The vouching leaders are going to show just how deeply they care about your lives. If the NRM members' "greetings and consultations with family" are anything to go by, we are going to see a rise in Covid numbers post NRM primaries. Never mind the looming lockdown and how it could affect the everyday Ugandan who is barely recovered from the last.

Except for when it is being weaponized or completely disregarded for selfish interests, COVID19 is a real threat and all Ugandans should do their part. Now that the politicians are out to play, Ugandans' lives and well being hang in balance.

This isn't isolated to NRM however. All political parties have at some point or another discarded SOPS, even threatening to move ahead with campaigns regardless. This is chief of the reasons why elections should not have happened at all this year and why a boycott of the entire thing is the best way forward for all Ugandans. We ought to protest having the value of our lives put firmly below that of an election.

Daily Monitor
The New Vision
National Resistance Movement - NRM
National Unity Platform

"Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results,".
Some may argue that the famous quote is misappropriated to Albert Einstein, but it would be ridiculous to argue its accuracy in describing Uganda's opposition.

I have long come to the conclusion that it's too much to hope that the opposition will one day realize that it is only self defeating to participate in a far from free and fair election with Yoweri Kaguta Museveni. I have waited for a change in strategy for years and I wait still.
I believe that it is past time the opposition rejected the whole electoral process and refused to participate entirely. Keeping in character however, they have fallen into the space filler role (perfected by their opponent in chief) for another election year that democracy may appear to be in action.

The slew of petitions seeking to confront election related issues such as unequal access to media and the use of state facilities by incumbents during campaigns tells us there's work to be done. The ground is clearly uneven. NRM candidates in compete disregard of have been allowed audience with their voters to converse and consult while others have been stopped by state powers namely the police.

What we need are not inconsequential elections but constitutional reforms. If ever we hope to have better results, we must begin by restoring our constitution. We must safe guard it from the distortion and manipulation that the ruling party continues to put it through in order to tip the scales in their favour.

Most important at this time, education - the most important of all sectors continues to be under lockdown for fear of increased infections. Elections on the other hand are being pushed forward at all cost. As Uganda continues to see an increase in number of infections and deaths that could be attributed to campaign activities and free interaction, we have to think for example; what effect will it have if at one polling station an infected asymptomatic person used a material? The effect on the spread of Covid would be adverse.

A boycott therefore is the only way and our only chance to return to a Uganda where the best man wins and we all get to keep our lives.

National Unity Party
Democratic Party Uganda
Forum for Democratic Change
Bobi Wine
Norbert Mao
Kizza Besigye
Mugisha Muntu

NOT AN ELECTION BUT A SCIENTIFIC BURIAL IN 2021. NRM Burying the opposition.

What is set to happen at the polls come January 2021 will not be an election but in fact a funeral. It is going to be a burial ceremony where president Museveni will bury all his political enemies. This is indeed my prediction and Ugandans should watch with bated breath for it to pass. By February 2021 Yoweri Kaguta Museveni like he promised, will have put 6-foot under all his poilitical adversaries - oppositon, political parties, politicians and whoever else dares to participate in this farce. In the aftermath there will be no more serious opposition or politician left. There will not even be a vision.

Schools are closed due to . Think about it, the most important sector in the country is closed and yet elections are going ahead as scheduled? You can be sure there is more to it - it is the preparation for a burial.

Sadly, this will not stop with the politicians but will also be a sign that Ugandans have disregarded the most important sectors and pillars in this nation. Ugandans will have been duped and taken on the biggest, longest political ride in this country's history. It's time that people opened their eyes.

Everything is sure to unfold after this election. After these polls, the whole trajectory of Uganda will change. Politically all that was set in motion in 1986 as a revolution and prior to that, is going to end. The perceived democracy we see in Uganda will be no more. There will be a stand still as people realise that they have long been taken on a ride. By God's grace a new thing will emerge. From death comes life.

Barigayomwe Rogers Birungi
Senior lecturer
Development peace and conflict studies, Kampala International University.
Scientific election/burial






National Unity Party
DEMOCRATIC PARTY (DP) UGANDA
The New Vision
Daily Monitor

WORKERS TO BLAME FOR FAILED NSSF 20% PAY-OUT.

The failure of workers to come together and have political bargain within unions is what has resulted into the president cautioning the workers' MPs from enacting a law which would have seen workers access 20% of their savings before the mandatory age of 55.

The president Yoweri Kaguta Museveni daring to reverse the wishes of the very contributors to the fund and in the deep of the covid-19 crisis, altogether stopping the MPs from continuing this debate is very unfortunate for our country Uganda and for workers.

It is a reflection of workers' lack of cohesion and common stand on what are their benefits. In the kind of situation where many countries are giving and extending their workers stimulus packages - albeit begrungingly for some - Uganda has yet to provide any but has also denied workers access to the little resources of their own contribution. It's so unfortunate that by the time this money is accessed - if it ever is, there will nolonger be need of it. Afterall, savings are made for crisis just as much as they are for a comfortable future.

So I call upon fellow workers, many of us have gone without salary for many years but this is a time to watch which type of leaders we rally behind. The politicians are campaigning and it is upon us to gauge which type of leaders are for us and are willing to face and fight for the pains of workers.

Rogers Birungi Barigayomwe PhD
Chairman Labour Party.




The New Vision
Daily Monitor
ChimpReports

A big part of belonging to a family, especially the African one is avoidance. For the love of peace, or because of deeper running reasons including suppression by the colonizer, we steer clear of difficult conversations pushing firmly under the rug the heavy and uncomfortable. If the Europeans created it, then popularism gave it a home to stay.

Inorder to plan for future generations, we need to start having bold conversations. Call them "Courageous Conversations". We can’t keep defending the indefensible or pretending it into oblivion. We can't keep saying that things are bad yet the solutions are with us and it all starts with acknowledgement.

People are oppressed within their own homes because of what we consider normal, based off of our societal norms and beliefs. “Toyogela bwotyo”. We are sugar coating all the things that continue to hurt us and our societies as a whole.

To engage effectively and productively, we must come to these Courageous Conversations with open minds and resist letting our emotions and personal biases derail us. It will take courage to bring up the tough issues but we can do it. I welcome you to this platform. Let's have these long overdue conversations.