October 2007

Uganda should heed World Bank Advice posted on October 31, 2007 - 10:35am
In his article entitled “World Bank lacks good intentions for Uganda” (New Vision of Monday October 29, 2007), Warren Nyamugasira launched a stinging attack on World Bank’s recent economic assessment on Uganda. He accused the international lending institution and other development partners of harbouring a hidden agenda aimed at stifling government response to spiralling poverty and declining economic growth. This was after Wold Bank had released a Country Economic Memorandum, castigating the Ugandan government for loosing focus from its core development strategy – and instead diverting its attention to ad-hoc alternative interventions. Compared with other developing countries, Uganda is exceptional in the degree it has made poverty the central focus of its intervention. It has a robust development strategy – the Poverty Eradication Action Plan (PEAP) which provides the long-term framework for catalysing and sustaining economic growth.
of nothingness,devoid posted on October 27, 2007 - 12:14pm

Something has left my lifeAnd I don’t know where it went toSomebody caused me strifeAnd it’s not what I was seeking.Didn’t you see me, didn’t you hear meDidn’t you see me standing thereMy identity has been takenIs my heart breaking on meAll my plans fell though my handsThey fellThough my hands on meit suddenly seemsEmpty

I'm bossy posted on October 27, 2007 - 11:57am

I want to be Kelis when I grow up

Can't we have it both ways? posted on October 26, 2007 - 1:29pm

It’s been ages I know, take a couple of hugs my pips, there you are.So while I was awayish I missed a party. what! a party! I wasn’t so happy with myself, I have definitely learnt my lesson, won’t be allowing the rest of you have fun ‘on me’. Anyhow since then am feeling myself again, having the life an independent woman like me ought to have. Bet some of you have seen this before but hey what’s the biggie.here we goRecently, a male colleague challenged me about the female love for things associated with beauty, fashion or shopping over what he called ‘more serious’ things like politics, global warming, finances and generally all those ‘hard’ topics. To this thirty something year-old-man, women today seem to be more fascinated by trivial things.

At Eight posted on October 25, 2007 - 11:09am

Good food, good company, a smile that sets eyes to music and afternoon slowly, gracefully fell away to evening. Eventually it was time to return to the litter of socks and buveera scattered all over my floor, the evidence of my act squandering all its opportunities of getting together.   But outside the café night had opened. There was thunder, and lightning; rain in rapid shards flashed through headlights. The easiest thing would be to surrender to warm desires, the hearth, and give up the night to entwining fingers, but life calls. Life demands. The socks, the kettle, the ironing board. The alarm clock.

Lucky Unlucky posted on October 21, 2007 - 7:56pm
It's on melancholic days like this that heartfelt recollections flood back unrestrained like tears of grief child. Many many years ago when I was still a little boy, my parents broke up and I was sad most of the time. But there was this song in which Lucky Dube sung with rooted feeling, going like all I can do, baby, is make you feel alright, that lifted me out of misery and self-pity and bolstered my spirits. And last night it played on UBC TV, bringing with it that plangent nostalgia and the feeling of security it lit inside my heart many years ago.
Why Kalyegira needs a dayjob posted on October 17, 2007 - 11:58pm

WASH, D.C - Timothy Kalyegira is intelligent and industrious. His work (book and website) on the Uganda and Africa Almanac was ground-breaking and a useful compilation of historical facts that, sadly, have not been updated. Some of Tim's newspaper articles are very well informed and insightful, drawing on extensive research and scholarship. It is not uncommon, in the midst of a discussion or a radio debate, for Tim to quote Newsweek of 1983 or a BBC broadcast from 1973 or thereabouts. But Tim, like many of us, has his moments of madness. The only difference is that while we spew our madness into cyberspace, Tim does so through a national newspaper. How I wish Tim would use that space to construct, rather than destruct and distract!I have been meaning to write and respond to one of his regular themes but had not found the time to do so until now.

typical...! posted on October 17, 2007 - 1:07pm
WIFE'S DIARYSunday night - I thought he was acting weird. We had made plans to meet at a cafe to have some coffee. I was shopping with my friends all day long, so I thought he was upset at the fact that I was a bit late, but he made no comment. Conversation wasn't flowing so I suggested that we go somewhere quiet so we could talk, he agreed but he kept quiet and absent. I asked him what was wrong - he said, "Nothing." I asked him if it was my fault that he was upset. He said it had nothing to do with me and not to worry. On the way home I told him that I loved him, he simply smiled and kept driving. I can't explain his behavior; I don't know why he didn't say, "I love u, too." When we got home I felt as if I had lost him, as if he wanted nothing to do with me anymore. He just sat there and watched TV; he seemed distant and absent.
Here's to faster internet posted on October 16, 2007 - 11:16pm

GEORGETOWN, DC -- And so it came to be that the son of man (this version, not THE son of man) lay in his hotel room, recovering from jet lag and tried to take a nap in the afternoon with the aid of Mr Jack, Mr Daniels, and Ms Pepsi.Many people have written to me wondering why I only blog sporadically. Looking through the posts, it appears that I seem to blog a lot when I am away from the office, which is understandable, considering the pressure of the job (hint hint, boss: pay rise). There is something about going away, from home, from the office, that allows one to think and, time and resources allowing, write about what they see and what they miss. Part of it is the loneliness, having so many hours to kill at airports and in hotels. Damn, I got so much time on my hands today, I even went out of my way and signed up to Facebook, all my misgivings notwithstanding!

Chewing funny mushrooms in Amsterdam posted on October 15, 2007 - 8:09am

SCHIPHOL AIRPORT - Killing time. Trying to type as fast as possible so that I do not have to fork out another $10 for half an hour of internet time. Thankfully it is fast. A ferrari compared to the boda boda cyber cafes back in Kla.Have not been to Schiphol before and it is like you would expect of any western airport. Went through Entebbe last night and noted that they are about done with laying the tiles. We are getting ready for CHOGM. And then? Will things fall apart soon after, having been hastily put together? Only time will tell. At least the guests will all be gone so it will be 'just Ugandans' to worry about.Have tried to find one of those cafes that famously spice one's tea or coffee with stuff to send them high. Not that I would even contemplate trying it. Who me? Well, possession of small amounts is legal, but not sterner stuff. Just read a piece in the IHT (or was it the Guardian) on the plane about plans to make possession of 'funny mushrooms' illegal.

The Dove posted on October 14, 2007 - 7:02pm
I was visited by a dove. Back in the timesI would have brought it over the fireWith my slingAnd served it steaming hot from the potBut times have changedI could only look on with a reminiscent smile
Aftermath posted on October 14, 2007 - 2:48am

Directions:Kansanga -> Past KIU -> Past The Kobil -> Take A Left up Mitala Road -> Take The Right -> Look out for Nisha Salon -> Opposite that is a sign post saying Kiwafu Crescent, go down that Road and THA PARTY IS AT HOUSE NUMBER 16Hostesses. Foreign air hostesses. They were so many. Two of them had to squeeze upfront. I was trying not to brush up against her. Long legs that went on forever. Do you know how hard it is to try not to do something like that at the same time shift gears? Try changing gears with 2 fingers. It didn’t help that the second gear became that much harder to engage than usual.

I like Photography posted on October 13, 2007 - 3:28pm

i chose to drop it this semester because my uni won't let us do everything we want unless we pay more money and my daddy moved away. i do have a digital cam that I love to carry around, whip out and take shots of people or things. mostly me, but sometimes other people. why won't blogger let me post these pictures?wordpress is tempting me.I'm supposed to invent a new drink for class. alcoholic or otherwise. is it cheating if I ask what y'all think?

Once upon a time posted on October 13, 2007 - 12:25pm
Our eyes met and like unlike Puzo’s mention there was a distant rumble An indication of things to come? I had just spotted my fahrenheight (see scent)in amounts I can afford; Brought to me by a friend who doesn’t need to hoard; the attendant made a show of informing me it was a male scent- I think to my self, how silly, blissful in your ignorance- in this case indifference- as la femme would be seated on her nose, if she could step off the display that is- I don’t rise to the occasion and think ahead to our preferred destination.
Redigging da wells ... posted on October 12, 2007 - 11:08pm

NOTE: Apologies for the capital letters below. That is just howthey came....Classic RAVENHILL QUOTES:- THE KEY TO REVIVAL STARTS IN THE PULPIT (JOEL1:13), THEN THE PEW (2 CHRON7:14) … L.R.- WE'LL HAVE NO BROKEN HEARTED PEWS, UNTIL WE HAVE BROKEN HEARTED PULPITS …L.R.- UNLESS WE ALLOW THE LORD TO EMPTY US, THERE IS NO FILLING … L.R.- IN THE EARLY CHURCH THEY WERE ALL AMAZED (BY WHAT GOD WAS DOING), IN THEMODERN CHURCH WE WANT TO BE AMUSED (BY WHAT WE WANT GOD TO DO) … L.R.- IN THE EARLY CHURCH THEIR POWER WAS ELECTRIFYING, IN THE MODERN CHURCH OURPOWER IS ELECTRONIC … L.R.- IN CHURCHES TODAY THERE'S MORE FASHION, THAN PASSION … L.R.- THE MODERN CHURCH/SAINT IS QUICK TO JOIN A COMMITTEE, BUT SLOW TO JOIN ACOMMITMENT … L.R.- MOST COMMITTEES SPEND HOURS MAKING MINUTES … L.R.

friends and family posted on October 12, 2007 - 9:08am

are the most important things in life. it's even better when your family are your friends and your friends become your family. I declare today 'friends and family' day! don't tell MTN.I thought my heart was coming back to life, but I think it was just gas. It's still stony, jagged, ripping my insides to shreds. pizza, ice cream, pork and cheeseburgers help.

Mosquitoes on a plane - scary posted on October 11, 2007 - 8:31pm

KIGALI - I thought 'Snakes on a Plane' was a bit scary, ish ish, although I liked the thrill. Had a similar experience Wednesday night on the small-plane ride to Kigali when I had to battle three mosquitoes for the 55-min flight. Of course I have grown up with moquitoes and know how to toss and turn -- but try doing that in a cramped, non-pressurised cabin with the propeller (yes, propeller; it was a tiny plane) roaring in your ears. More about Kigali soonish. Off to dinner then have early morning drive to Lake Kivu....Orakoze Kyana! Or something like that

off to a sanatorium posted on October 11, 2007 - 9:52am
yeah off to bulinda. hope it has the greatly needed therapeutic enironment.
Soul searching posted on October 10, 2007 - 2:53pm

Stolen glances, eager hugs, the yearning feeling to wrap him up your hands and keep him there for hours. Then again the longing for the night to end so that you can have all these feelings all over again.Sounds romantic, dreamy huh!(yeah I like writing about this stuff) But what happens when every time your heart skips a beat, you simply think about how the way he looks at you will fade some time.How the memory of him holding your hand will be so distant that you will never imagine the warmth. How one day the buzz on your phone will never signal a text from him until after a week or two. How your evenings will yet again become crammed with the gals whom you had dumped countless times to be with him.How you will no longer smile at your pc as you remember the beautiful things he told you or the way he looked at you.

Earning an honest wage – yeah right! posted on October 10, 2007 - 1:20pm

KAMPALA - Why is it next-to-impossible to find honest contractors in Uganda? Of course we know that government wastes a lot of our taxes on all sorts of schemes, school children are thrown out of their schools, buildings are razed and the ground is let to fallow, awaiting some hotelier to make up his mind. We know that people displaced by war are given rotten seeds when they finally get to return to their homes, complete with flexi-pangas to help them till the land and start new lives. We know all that, and more.What irks me the most are the smaller things; the micro-corruption, the cutting corners that we are subjected to daily – and not from Mr Government, which is too busy carving out plots, parcels and projects. Several months ago, one of the panes in my living room window broke. No, I have not been throwing stones and I do not live in a glass house, you desperate pun-hunters. The pane intercepted a rock cast by kids playing in the grass below.

as if posted on October 9, 2007 - 11:34pm

why would a married guy even begin to think that I would have an affair with him? WHY? but that's not the best part. killer was when he mistook my incredulity at his suggestion for confusion or pain or whatever. then he offered to take care of it all, anti he is older and wiser, so I should leave all the details to him. mbu we just have to be together. WHAT THE FUCK?!

Give One, Get One posted on October 7, 2007 - 10:35am

Seeing as I'm very passionate about this topic, I thought I'd share here, an article published in this October's first issue of Newsweek. The Chinese say, the journey of a thousand miles is began with one step. Have a nice read if you missed this.-----------By Stephen Levy

goody-two-shoes posted on October 6, 2007 - 8:38pm

so, here's the deal. my dad is outside countries, my ma is with her ma in nyakarongo, my biggest sis is in kagameland, my married sis is well, married, my other sis is at a party sleepover thingy, my baby sis is not home....no parents and no responsibilities. and what am I going to do? go home, pig out in front of the telly and then go to bed. I know, I'm an embarrassment to the 20's!cafe, so I best be going. hey all

Made to Cough Dough posted on October 5, 2007 - 3:11pm
It all began in December 2005 when FDC members Jack Sabiiti and Winnie Byanyima unleashed a verbal bombshell that left the bench paralysed. They accused Justice Remmy Kasule and Deputy Chief Justice Laetitia Kikonyogo of pocketing a Shs300 million bribe to impair justice by disfavouring opposition politician Dr. Kizza Besigye who at the time was in jail facing rape, treason and terrorism charges in the High Court and the military Court Marshal. But more scandalous was the added implication that president Museveni had masterminded the bribe. It sounded too outrageous to be true. Many questions hit my mind:
Friday posted on October 4, 2007 - 10:26am

The crisis of the week is behind me and the crisis of the weekend is still ahead. The road from the office to the taxi park is a silent interim between then and then. The flat soles of my sneakers pad slow steps out of the tarmac, my shoulders are low, my hands are in pockets and I am exhausted because I don't know how to relax. The tasks of the next day loom, clumsily shaped, too bulky and for their insufficient hours. The image of rocks in a Pringles can flashes. "I need some distraction. Some beautiful release." The taxi.  Whooshes into town. I wap on my phone, as if I haven't been on the web all day. Nahright.com, cracked.com, blogs, MSN Entertainment, I wikipedia every random question that flashes into my head. There are eight planets in the solar system, and three dwarf planets. The dwarfs are Pluto, Ceres and… the taxi reaches my stop.

SHUTTTING DOWN a WITCH-Kris Franklin posted on October 2, 2007 - 3:29am

At a recent county fair a psychic had a booth where she was reading tarot cards and doing typical witchcraft over people. The Spirit of God began to stir me and I decided to challenge the power of her demons with the Holy Ghost. I sat in line waiting on my turn. When I walked into her booth I asked her if she could tell the future. She said she couldn't tell all of the future, but could tell some of it. I told her I could tell tell her not only her condition, but Icould also read her future. She immediately became interested... God gave me a word of knowledge. I began to tell her that she was raised Catholic, but that she currently practiced wicca and she was using a gift God had given her from birth for selfish gain. She was absolutely stunned because she was from Indian decent and not many Indians were Catholic. I then told her I could tell her future. She was now marveled at

Jayconomics 101 posted on October 1, 2007 - 7:12pm
It struck me this morning that my garden, with its six bird feeders, is an economic system.  It operates with its own inexorable market forces and under certain verities, if now downright economic laws.  The Steller’s Jays and Western Scrub-jays dominate the garden and affect all parts of the system.  Thus I’m describing what is known heretofore as “jayconomics.”
Pinch me, punch me, kick me but don’t stop loving me. posted on October 1, 2007 - 11:39am

1-Ok! So I didn’t turn up at the BHH.I would like to start by pouring out all the excuses but for real I was held up by various engagements. Hope you guys had fun enough for all of us. Now hugs please!!!!2-Last nights BBA eviction was interesting. However this had nothing to do with the housemates but rather the fact that I bumped into our financial controller at a kafunda in my neighborhood in Muyenga.As me and one of my gals were busy trying to be sophisticated as Tandra put it,yeah we were having black ice at the bar, guy walks in to meet a friend who was sitting right next to me.