BlogSpirit | Node Six » Daniel Kalinaki's weblog

« Expand / Collapse all entries.

Daniel Kalinaki's weblog

July 15, 2010
15:36
How do you solve a problem like Somalia?*
from » ‎ Daniel Kalinaki's weblog

Tags: [edit]

SECOND FLOOR - After al Qaeda struck America on September 11, 2001, the US government declared war on Iraq and Afghanistan. The Bush Administration argued that it was in America’s interest to fight terrorists on foreign soil than on US territory.

In our case, we deployed troops to Somalia to try and hold the pieces of that country together. On July 11, the al Shabaab terrorist brought the war to our territory with the twin attacks in Lugogo and Kabalagala that have so far claimed 76 lives.

Such dramatic events have the potential to force rash or irrational decisions – in our case of whether to bring our troops home, as many people are now urging, or defiantly keep them there as the government appears inclined to do.

What we must do is rationally debate the Somalia question. It is a debate we should have had – but did not have – before sending our troops into Somalia. Now it is a debate that we must have, seeing how ordinary civilians in Kampala Read Full Post
March 11, 2010
20:45
Why Museveni carried a gun and not a spade
from » ‎ Daniel Kalinaki's weblog

Tags: [edit]

SECOND FLOOR - The picture of President Museveni visiting the landslide-stricken areas of Bududa last week while dressed in army fatigues and carrying an AK-47 rifle has dominated debate.

Several commentators wondered why the President carried a rifle to a scene of mourning and not a symbolic bible or a functional spade.

The real reason is probably pragmatic; that the Presidential Guard Brigade didn’t have the time to deploy fully in the area before the visit and that the President chose not to leave anything to chance and carried his rifle on him.

Nevertheless, the symbolism of the President’s rifle packs a potent political message.

In the heady days to the run up to independence across Africa, many political movements presented themselves as progressive and development-oriented, and ready to transform political power into economic self-sufficiency.

Their campaign symbols were more likely to be hoes, ploughs or guns that had Read Full Post
February 13, 2010
21:32
Of Good Grades and Bootstrap Pulling Mayors
from » ‎ Daniel Kalinaki's weblog

Tags: [edit]

THE LITTLE FOREST BY THE CITY - This morning, on my Hard Talk show on 933 KFM radio show, I had Kampala Mayor Nasser Ntege Ssebagala aka Seya talking about his life, business and politics. I was impressed. Not by his intellect -- he has never been accused of that -- or by the way he has run the city (down, in case you haven't noticed) but by his tenacity and determination. This is a guy who made a fortune in his early 20s, blew it, went into politics and reinvented himself.

His English is getting better (yes, it was worse than that!) but he clearly knows what he wants and is willing to work for it. Thinking of Seya and his illiterate but smart rise to the top, I was reminded that we -- and I mean Monitor Publications -- have been running what I think is an interesting series that tracks down top students in national exams to see where they are, supplemented by an analysis of the education sector and whether it is producing grades or good people.

We -- yes, still t Read Full Post
January 12, 2010
22:28
Bash the Baganda and gag the gays; Bahati's Bill was always a diversion
from » ‎ Daniel Kalinaki's weblog

Tags: [edit]

THIRD FLOOR - President Museveni today apparently told senior officials of his ruling National Resistance Movement party that the Bahati Bill, which proposes stiff penalties, including death, to homosexuals in Uganda, did not have the backing of the government and would probably be shelved.

This was the first time President Museveni was speaking out publicly about the Bahati Bill although Daily Monitor had earlier quoted a US media outfit saying Mr Museveni had given assurances to the US govt that the Bill would not be passed. So President Museveni, as usually happens, is set to come off as the voice of reason and moderation. He will have a chat with Bahati, the Bill will be sent back for further consultation and probably die a natural death. It will certainly not return before the elections due in 2011.

The reality, however, is that the Bahati Bill was a well calculated diversion by the government, designed to take attention away from the Buganda Question, which Read Full Post
December 03, 2009
14:13
Buturo makes a mountain out of a mole of morals
from » ‎ Daniel Kalinaki's weblog

Tags: [edit]

SECOND FLOOR - Ethics and Integrity minister Dr James Nsaba Buturo has just issued a statement in response to two stories in today's Daily Monitor. The first is about Sweden threatening to cut aid if the anti-gay bill is passed. The second is about the EU accusing the government of paying lip service to the fight against corruption.

In his statement, (be patient, it is pasted below) Dr Buturo warns donors against poking their long noses in what is none-of-their-business. In defending the government in its 'fight' against corruption, Dr Buturo says: "It is a failure of one's understanding of the complexities of corruption to advocate that Government, for example, addresses matters to do with morality."

Soon after, he lashes out at the Swedes by emph Read Full Post
September 14, 2009
19:42
Here is the letter closing CBS radio
from » ‎ Daniel Kalinaki's weblog

Tags: [edit]

BC/FM/96/04
11th September 2009
The General Manager
Central Broadcasting Service (CBS)
Bulange, Mengo

RE: COMPLIANCE THE WITH MINIMUM BROADCASTING STANDARDS BY CENTRAL BROADCASTING SERVICES

We refer to the Electronic Media Act, and more specifically to section 7 read together with section 8 thereof, which requires that the right to broadcast be exercised in accordance with the minimum broadcasting standards which are contained in the First schedule to the Act.

We also refer to the terms and conditions for operating a broadcasting license duly executed by Central Broadcasting Service (CBS) as a prerequisite for the renewal of the license for the period 2009/2010.

As you may be aware, non compliance by Central Broadcasting Service (CBS) with the minimum broadcasting standards and other general provisions of the law has been the subject of continued dialogue between the Broadcasting Council and the management of (CBS) from Se Read Full Post
September 11, 2009
21:26
Kabaka/Buganda calls off Kayunga trip
from » ‎ Daniel Kalinaki's weblog

Tags: [edit]

SECOND FLOOR - News just in! Buganda has issued a statement calling off the trip. They say they have failed to get guarantees for the Kabaka's safety. He who owns the guns calls the shots. Discuss. Read Full Post
16:04
Transcript of M7's speech to Buganda MPs on Kayunga visit
from » ‎ Daniel Kalinaki's weblog

Tags: [edit]

A Statement By

H.E. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni

President of the Republic of Uganda

During the Meeting with the Buganda Parliamentary Caucus

Entebbe State House

10th September 2009

Buganda Parliamentary Caucus

I greet you all.

I have come to address you about the sustained unconstitutional behaviour of His Highness Kabaka Mutebi, the Mengo Kingdom officials and the Kabaka’s Radio, CBS.

As you know, the kingdoms were abolished in 1966 by the UPC government. Even when Uganda got independence in 1962, I was old enough to follow the events. I was 18 years old and in senior two at Ntare. I was also a youth-winger of the Democratic Party (DP) although I did not vote in 1962 because the voting age was 21 years at that time. Therefore, the youths who say the NRM does not care about them should, first, remember that it was the NRM who lowered the voting age to 18 years to include the youths Read Full Post
July 23, 2009
16:19
Sneezing hot and cold down the Swine Flu Hotline
from » ‎ Daniel Kalinaki's weblog

Tags: [edit]

THIRD FLOOR - I woke up this morning feeling like I'd been hit by a truck, my remains run through a mill and then spun dry at 160 revs per minute. Anyway, its the flu, which has been slowly taking over my life for the last couple of days.

In ordinary times this would call for a stiff drink in the morning, a cup of lemon tea, a session in the gym and sauna and viola! But these are not ordinary days thanks to the H1N1 virus which causes the sometimes lethal Swine Flu.

Having been on a couple of flights back home on Sunday, I started worrying. I quickly googled the symptoms: running nose? Tick. Lethargy? Tick (although I feel this way all the time except when in possession of stiff drink, above...). Joint pains? Tick. Fever? Yes, from being scared sick by this time. Headache? On the way.

The missus was by now looking at me with mild bemusement as I felt my nape and searched for the hotline. After being given the all-clear at Entebbe Airport on Sunday night Read Full Post
July 09, 2009
21:02
Commerce vs Independence
from » ‎ Daniel Kalinaki's weblog

Tags: [edit]

SECOND FLOOR - My new best friends at the Uganda Revenue Authority held a press conference on Tuesday to give more details about how some of their officials have been conniving with license plate makers to issue 'fake' or duplicate plates.

Having gotten that out of the way, they turned to the Transparency International survey which ranked them as the most corrupt tax body in the region and said the survey was, ahem, fake.

URA bosses said that because 60 per cent of the sample was made up of people from rural areas -- and who do not "interface" with URA, it could not be representative or accurate. First of all, that is wrong' opinion polls try as much as possible to mirror the national demographics and majority of Ugandans live in rural areas.

Secondly, notice that the focus has shifted away from evil Monitor which reported the survey, to the survey itself. No word yet on the advertising ban and the Commissioner General is reportedly too busy to take c Read Full Post
July 07, 2009
20:05
Biting the hand that taxes you
from » ‎ Daniel Kalinaki's weblog

Tags: [edit]

SECOND FLOOR - The Uganda Revenue Authority has cancelled a supplement it had earlier planned to run with Daily Monitor over a story that ran on Monday quoting a Transparency International report that listed URA as the most corrupt tax body in the region.

I can see why the folks at URA would be unhappy with them being picked on out of a report that lists other organisations including the police force (which is the most corrupt but everyone knows that so it is not news). I also can see that there was a bit of editorialising in the story, insufficient context (especially of the reforms undertaken to clean up URA) but I cannot understand the high-handed action - coming as it did amidst the license plate scandal.

Not only is it a case of attacking the messenger and ignoring the message, I am a bit tiffed that URA could choose to use 'taxpayer's' money to fight Read Full Post
July 02, 2009
20:44
Let residents run Kampala; they already do!
from » ‎ Daniel Kalinaki's weblog

Tags: [edit]

SECOND FLOOR - I really must find time to blog a bit more frequently. Anyway, here is a piece of my Thursday column in the Daily Monitor. The more I wrote the angrier I got but anyway, here goes:

-----------------

The government, the opposition and Buganda Kingdom are all up in arms over the Kampala Capital City Bill 2009 tabled before Parliament last week.

The central government claims that it wants to appoint a team of professionals to run the city better and plan for its future expansion. Buganda Kingdom officials say proposals to take over two town councils currently in Wakiso District are a ruse to grab the kingdom’s land. The opposition, on the other hand, says that, having failed to win control over the city for many years, the central government is finally winning the game in a draconian fashion – by uprooting the goalposts and taking them away.

So, who’s right and who’s wrong? Buganda’s claim has historical and emotional a Read Full Post
May 25, 2009
14:29
In search for the winds of change
from » ‎ Daniel Kalinaki's weblog

Tags: [edit]

SECOND FLOOR - I gave this speech earlier today at the Afrobarometer Global Release Event at the Serena Hotel Kampala today. Here is hoping that it makes a bit of sense.

Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen

It is my honour and privilege to speak to you today about a matter that is dear to my heart and should be to all who love their country and seek progress for it and its people. First, I must apologise, on behalf of the organisers, for my selection to speak here today. They tried very hard to find someone intelligent and distinguished but they were all too busy or unavailable. So they invited me. Please forgive them.

The timing of this event could not have been more opportune. As we mark Africa Day today, we must ask ourselves the question, as we are doing today: How much progress has Africa made in regard to consolidation of democracy and fighting poverty? Robert Sentamu has given an excellent pr Read Full Post
January 19, 2009
11:40
It's the war of attrition
from » ‎ Daniel Kalinaki's weblog

Tags: [edit]

SECOND FLOOR - As it turned out, the interrogation was more farce than fierce. We presented ourselves at 10am, as requested, and were led to the Media Offences Department of the Uganda Police Force. We do not have a Child Sacrifice Department but we have one for media offences, real and imagined. Classic Uganda.

After a while, Charles Kataratambi, the head of the MOD turned up. A stocky fella with a law degree and a sharp brain, Charlie, as many of his friends call him, could have made a smart lawyer or more but he has to 'serve' and his service is to keep an eye on the media.

After a few pleasantries, the interrogation started with Angelo, one of the two authors of the story. Grace, the other author, and I, were asked to step outside and wait in the room next door. Considering that the rooms are separated by thin plywood, this was the equivalent of listening in, rather that watching proceedings.The main thrust of the interrogation, as expected, was to try and ext Read Full Post
December 31, 2008
22:50
Merry Christmas; you have the right to remain silent...
from » ‎ Daniel Kalinaki's weblog

Tags: [edit]

THIRD FLOOR -- I got two letters from the police this week. The first was a belated Christmas card, personally signed by the Inspector General, Maj. Gen. Kale Kayihura, bless his soul, to me and my family.

The card went to the ornamental table, next to the rest of the batch from workmates, sources, clients, etc. The second letter, copied to two workmates, was less pleasant and more direct: it was a summons to present ourselves at the Criminal Investigations Directorate to assist the police investigations that a story we published in the paper was prejudicial to national security.

To that uninitiated, that would be section 37 of the penal code act of Uganda. Maximum sentence? Seven years.

In many ways, I saw it coming. Being a journalist in Uganda is increasingly becoming unpredictable, rough and dangerous as President Museveni seeks to tighten his grip on power. Dissent and critical voices must be silenced. A department has been set up in the police fo Read Full Post
November 24, 2008
14:00
Navigating the Great Lakes
from » ‎ Daniel Kalinaki's weblog

Tags: [edit]

KIGALI - I had a kodak moment at the hotel this morning when Fred Opolot, the executive director of the Uganda Media Centre came over to say hi to Monica Chibita, my former lecturer and now colleague at Makerere University.

We were all on the same flight from Entebbe to Kigali, shared cars and are also staying in the same hotel (the spankling new Top Tower hotel about which I ought to say a bit more later). Fred did not recognise me despite us having met at State House in Kampala a year or more ago, and speaking on the phone once in a while.

Of course there was that public spat a few weeks ago when Fred called a press conference to rubbish the findings of an opinion poll we'd run in the Daily Monitor on the basis that they'd asked for a copy and we'd not given it to them. We carried the story from his press conference and, asked for a comment about our position, I quipped that all the information about the poll was in the newspaper and that Fred ought to buy a cop Read Full Post
October 16, 2008
12:50
McCain and Abel
from » ‎ Daniel Kalinaki's weblog

Tags: [edit]

SECOND FLOOR - It was supposed to be a ground-breaking campaign; one that would discard with Washington's dirty and dark politics-as-usual and redraw the lines (and rules of engagement).

It was historic, all right, in the sense that we had the first woman with a realistic chance of becoming the first female President of the United States, only for her to be upstaged by the first black man with a realistic chance of being the first Black occupant of the White House, only for him, albeit temporarily, to be upstaged by the first pig with lipstick to have a realistic chance of being No2 at 1600 Penn Ave.

As Senators Barack Obama and John McCain head to the last stretch of their campaign, it looks as though, to borrow a European cliche, America has learnt nothing and forgotten nothing from its political past.

Far from the issues-based campaign it was meant to be, the race has been a business-as-usual affair of mudslinging, smearing and scaremongering. Obama Read Full Post
June 20, 2008
11:53
Are Ugandans really kind and hospitable?
from » ‎ Daniel Kalinaki's weblog

Tags: [edit]

THE TOWER - There is this stereotype that's been around for as long as I can remember, about how kind, hospitable and welcoming we Ugandans are. Over time, I have come to have my very strong doubts to a point where I think it is all bollocks, honestly.

Mind, I have seen some Ugandans whose welcomes and kindness appear genuine and these, for the most part, I have encountered in the village; they scream, ululate and envelop you in unwashed and unwanted hugs when you arrive, while admonishing the younger family members to make haste, detain one of the ubiquitous chickens and bring its life to a screeching, bubbling halt in a stewing pot.

The more distant relatives hold out organic dirt-stained hands, grubby with the ardours of ekeing a living out of the land in handshakes and greetings that, in good old Busoga can go on for minutes, punctuated by endless 'uuuums', 'aaahs' and inquiries about the health of the clan, the livestock, the village, etc.

In my y Read Full Post
May 19, 2008
21:08
Down memory lane - part III of III
from » ‎ Daniel Kalinaki's weblog

Tags: [edit]

NEW CROSS - It's a bit strange to be writing about Kampala so many miles away from home, but again, the memory goes back both in space and time. Apologies if anyone, apart from me, was waiting out on this. Travel, slow internet, and the need to earn a living took a few pages out of the diary. Anyways, here we go.

I am at the junction where the Lugogo by-pass, since renamed Rotary Avenue (although I am not sure anyone calls it that) joins Jinja road. A few weeks after I started writing these diaries I would walk round this corner and gaze, in wide-eyed amazement, at the number of people who'd queued up to watch UB40 at the Lugogo Indoor Stadium. Later, feeling totally out-of-place in the VIP section upstairs, missing the banter and bustle nearer to the stage, I would recall the only time I payed cricket on the oval -- for a media team in the short-lived professional's league -- sharing the crease with John Nagenda before departing lbw for 19, before returning to claim four wi Read Full Post
May 12, 2008
17:42
Basking in Bali, Bustling in Bangkok, Bluffing in Kampala
from » ‎ Daniel Kalinaki's weblog

Tags: [edit]

BANGKOK - And finally we came to the shores of Bali, amidst the heat and humidity, the hustlers offering coupons, the taxi drivers hooting at anything that walked, and the Kuta cowboys -- the legendary gigolos of these sands -- who, with their overtanned bodies, fisherman's pants and greasy hair reminded me of a greasy rolex from Wandegeya. What, I wonder, do the Japanese women see in them?

Anyway, more of that later in settled times and climes (back to dreary but good old L soon). I am writing this chop chop in our hotel lobby in Bangkok with the rain falling outside. It will not stop the party tonight and it never does. Bangkok, of which I hope to write more later, seems to change shirts in the evening, from a busy, bustling metropolis, to a busy, bustling (and drinking) Metropolis. Oh, how time flies! But soon, very soon, shall we return to these matters.

I could not help reading, in our papers, about President Museveni's missive to his government and MPs expre Read Full Post
March 05, 2008
16:55
Addis and that
from » ‎ Daniel Kalinaki's weblog

Tags: [edit]

ADDIS - The view from my 8th-floor room of the Hilton overlooks a shanty town not too dissimilar to the Katanga slum in Wandegeya. It is hard not to have preconceived ideas about a place like Ethiopia, with Band Aid and all that hunger and poverty stuff fed to us by the media about the place. We are the world, yes, but the luxury of the hotel is a far continent from the city a few metres away. Been here two days and yet to venture out into the city save for my drive in from the airport where two things caught my eye: the large number of Fiat Lada taxis, a legacy of the country's links with Italy, and several cranes at several construction sites across the city, a symbol, in large part, of the country's current links with China.

More about Addis later. Read Full Post
February 07, 2008
11:26
Feeling the pulse of Sharia law and a crash course in fasting
from » ‎ Daniel Kalinaki's weblog

Tags: [edit]

THE TOWER - I really must get around to posting the third and last part in the back-in-time series otherwise the first two will get all mouldy. Soon, I hope. A certain story recently caught my eye in Bukedde, the Luganda-language tabloid published by the New Vision, about a Ugandan Muslim pilgrim accused of theft during the Mecca -- in Saudi Arabia.

Now, compared to murder, kidnap, arson, terrorism, etc, theft might seem as easy as taking candy from a child (although, technically speaking, you could be charged with robbery or aggravated robbery if you threaten or use a weapon to do so). Not in Saudi Arabia, which practices Sharia (Islamic) law.

Unlike other legal regimes that waffle and wander along the corridors of legal argument and counter argument, Sharia law tends to cut to the chase; literary! Those convicted of capital offences like murder, rape or drug trafficking have their heads chopped off to teach the rest of their bodies (or the head, depending on who Read Full Post
10:31
Feeling the pulse of Sharia law and a crash course in fasting
from » ‎ Daniel Kalinaki's weblog

Tags: [edit]

THE TOWER - I really must get around to posting the third and last part in the back-in-time series otherwise the first two will get all mouldy. Soon, I hope. A certain story recently caught my eye in Bukedde, the Luganda-language tabloid published by the New Vision, about a Ugandan Muslim pilgrim accused of theft during the Mecca -- in Saudi Arabia.

Now, compared to murder, kidnap, arson, terrorism, etc, theft might seem as easy as taking candy from a child (although, technically speaking, you could be charged with robbery or aggravated robbery if you threaten or use a weapon to do so). Not in Saudi Arabia, which practices Sharia (Islamic) law.

Unlike other legal regimes that waffle and wander along the corridors of legal argument and counter argument, Sharia law tends to cut to the chase; literary! Those convicted of capital offences like murder, rape or drug trafficking have their heads chopped off to teach the rest of their bodies (or the head, depending on who Read Full Post
January 14, 2008
13:02
The true face of tribal politics in Africa
from » ‎ Daniel Kalinaki's weblog

Tags: [edit]

KAMPALA - I had hoped to complete the three-part series on walking down memory lane but the rude interruptions of the "festive season" followed by the violence across the border means we cannot fiddle while Rome burns.

It might have taken a stolen election to spark off violence in Kenya but the tribal and ethnic fissures have been there for generations. The Kenyans might refer to them with the politically-correct title of 'communities' but the Kikuyu dominance, both in politics and the economy over the last several decades, have left lingering resentment and anger amongst other tribes, especially the Luo.

In Uganda this resentment was, for a long time, reserved for the Baganda for the lofty position they found themselves in the colonial Uganda -- a direct outcome of geography, a bit of scheming and generally being in the right place at the right time. This tribal friction continues today in the context of the proposed land law reforms which Buganda says, in a clou Read Full Post
December 03, 2007
14:04
Walking down memory lane - Part II
from » ‎ Daniel Kalinaki's weblog

Tags: [edit]

JINJA ROAD - I stand at the new Kitgum House junction for a couple of minutes to catch my breath. I remember the old round-about, with its power substation and shrubs and wonder why it has taken us several years to realise that round-abouts are an inferior form of traffic control only useful for one-street towns.

The junction is new but driving habits die hard. There is a express lane down from Garden City for motorists headed out of the city towards Jinja road but this is clogged by cars trying to sneak back into the lane for cars headed towards Mukwano! I look up and see the cameras installed as part of the CHOGM package and wonder hwo they are supposed to work. They don't seem to be pointed at the cars, so they are not really traffic cameras, and I don't think anyone gets their pockets picked at a busy junction. Well, you never know.

I turn off towards Jinja road and walk past the Centenary Park, set up in the 90s to commemorate 100 years of Kampala's existence Read Full Post
November 19, 2007
14:24
Down memory lane -- and Nile Avenue
from » ‎ Daniel Kalinaki's weblog

Tags: [edit]

KAMPALA - I had not walked along the streets in a long time, save for the ocassional forays from the office into the town to pick up my mail, get my hair cut or meet people close to the CBD. With the traffic jams in Kampala, you either walk or crawl along in the car, feeling stupid.

Anyway, I am talking about walking home from town. When I was much younger, one of our favourite holiday pastimes was walking. Just leisurely taking in the five kilometres from home into the city centre to window shop and immerse ourselves (me and my big brother -- not he of the House) into the hustle and bustle of the city.

The walking had to be calculated to take advantage of short cuts, such as that through the golf course, that offered good scenery and the chance to pick up goodies like stray golf balls (which we'd try, unsuccessfully, to crack open). The walk also had to have strategic resting points, preferably relatives, close and otherwise, who were gainfully employed and who, Read Full Post
November 01, 2007
16:47
Asking for long-overdue credit
from » ‎ Daniel Kalinaki's weblog

Tags: [edit]

THE TOWER - A month ago, Ben Oluka, a brilliant young journo on my team brought a shocking story. Uganda's Attorney General was asking to write off 1.2 trillion shillings (more than half a billion dollars) that Govt had lent, lost, or just could not recover. The sum was staggering and my cautionary radar went off. But little Ben is brilliant and rarely gets it wrong. Plus, he had a good set of sources and a chunk of the holy grail: the report itself, exclusive.

So we did the story, a brilliant cover piece. Two weeks later, the dailies, one after the other, carried the same story without any credit to the good old East African, or young Ben for breaking one of the biggest stories of the year. It is not the first time the dailies pick up the pieces after we've rammed first into a story, but this was one of the bigger ones and I felt rather shortchanged, on behalf of paper and boy, that not a line of credit was given. When we quote a story carried exclusively by the dailies, we Read Full Post
October 17, 2007
23:58
Why Kalyegira needs a dayjob
from » ‎ Daniel Kalinaki's weblog

Tags: [edit]

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. Just before I started writing this I read a piece by Jenkins Kiwa Read Full Post
October 16, 2007
23:16
Here's to faster internet
from » ‎ Daniel Kalinaki's weblog

Tags: [edit]

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! However, several times it is just the speed of the internet.

Several times I have tried to blog at h Read Full Post
October 15, 2007
8:09
Chewing funny mushrooms in Amsterdam
from » ‎ Daniel Kalinaki's weblog

Tags: [edit]

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' ille Read Full Post
October 11, 2007
20:31
Mosquitoes on a plane - scary
from » ‎ Daniel Kalinaki's weblog

Tags: [edit]

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 Read Full Post
October 10, 2007
13:20
Earning an honest wage – yeah right!
from » ‎ Daniel Kalinaki's weblog

Tags: [edit]

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. It fought a good fight, Read Full Post
September 28, 2007
14:40
Of wine that matures after 3 days and saving for a rainy day
from » ‎ Daniel Kalinaki's weblog

Tags: [edit]

KAMPALA - Rachaal M, who I hadn't seen in a bit, reminded me to update my blog. She said it was bad for image, the stale news. I didn't know she read my blog. Then Dennis 'Agony Uncle' Matanda posted a comment. As did Ernest 'Buzz' Bazanye, who enjoys the company of such illustrious literary luminaries like John O'Farrell and Jonathan Safran Foer among my favourite writers. Bannange, I didn't know that celebrities 'whom we read about in the newspapers' read my blog!

Anyway, the last time I blogged (or is it blag?) we was down under, drinking fermented grape juice and enjoying uncharacteristically warm weather in Grahamstown/Jo'burg. Everything went swimmingly until the day before we left when one of the guys from Zimbabwe, having had three too many, imagined that I had said something positive about Mugabe and wanted to 'take it outside'. As the bus was actually in motion, that was not a possibility but I offered to beat him up the next morning if he had the time. It did not Read Full Post
September 10, 2007
16:42
Saving Africa's media one workshop at a time
from » ‎ Daniel Kalinaki's weblog

Tags: [edit]

GRAHAMSTOWN - After a long and ardous flight, in which we were not met, as expected, at Jo'burg or at Port Elizabeth, and in which overzealous cops at PE airport took us in to question why my visa for Mali (Yes, Mali!) did not have a picture attached (what am I supposed to do? Call the Malian embassy and inquire? For Chrissake the SA visa has NO photo!), we eventually got to Rhodes University, Grahamstown for this annual pilgrimage of African ICT journalists.

It is the first one I am attending but it seems like half of Kampala's newsrooms are empty, going by the number of Ugandan hacks I have run into in the three hours I have been here! Robert Kabushenga, the New Vision honcho, is here too, and this morning, I am told, held sway in a discussion on professionalism in the media (Yes!). I tried to dig snippets from 'Robbo' in the bus on the way from lunch (a very insipid affair, that) but we had to part ways just as the discussion turned intellectual (basically, at what point Read Full Post
August 22, 2007
15:33
Frustrating
from » ‎ Daniel Kalinaki's weblog

Tags: [edit]

KAMPALA - After typing out close to a thousand words on the gay debate currently raging in Uganda, the computer f's up and I lose the lot. Moreover on a hot, humid wednesday afternoon. Here is what I meant to say: as long as it is between two consenting adults, I don't really care what goes on in people's bedrooms.

There is a difference between homosexuality and theft, murder, rape, paedophilia, necrophilia, female genital mutilation. If someone's actions do not violate other people's rights, their judgement should be left to God or whoever will be there to dispense justice on D-Day.

Pastor Martin Ssempa, who led the anti-gay demo, gave a brilliant quote, that God created Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve. But the idea that we should send cops to check out which courses people play their golf on is ludicrous. They should focus on the really important crimes and we have enough of those already. After all, even if your name is Adam, you are more likely to have your Read Full Post
July 25, 2007
16:35
Idle and Random thoughts from today's paper - Part I
from » ‎ Daniel Kalinaki's weblog

Tags: [edit]

KAMPALA - The New Vision reports that the government chemist will soon run DNA paternity tests for just $240. Appropriately, the scheme was launched by Vice President Gilbert 'Mahogany' Bukenya, who, readers of this blog would remember, apparently needs no reminding (or fancy test kits) to know which holes hold his mahogany seeds.

Timothy Bukumunhe, writing in the same paper, tells us about Miss Uganda beauty pageant contestants visiting the cancer unit at Mulago Hospital, complete with the girls, in sponsor's kits, talking to patients. Usually it is Sanyu Babies' Home. I personally fail to see what help these beautiful ladies are to terminally ill patients; give them a reason to try and fight on and enjoy the fine things in life?

Then Daily Monitor has a most surprising caption story on the cover, of more than 400 death row prisoners in Luzira attending a symposium on capital punishment. The prisoners were unanimous in their opposition to the de Read Full Post
July 09, 2007
22:08
Mayor Ssebaggala throws money down the trash can, ex-President Binaisa talks trash
from » ‎ Daniel Kalinaki's weblog

Tags: [edit]

KAMPALA - I have heard of several cases of waste and public money going down the drain but the latest is quite something. It was reported today that the mayor of Kampala, Nasser Ntege Ssebaggala had spent Shs300 million (about U$185,000), supposedly of public funds, to plaster his face on new garbage cans in the city.

Kampala City Council has a waste-disposal problem on its hands and its efforts to collect and dispose of rubbish in the city are, if you will forgive the pun, rubbish. The usual excuse given is lack of money. So the donation of the trash cans by the advertising firm, Clear Channel, should help the council's efforts, right? Well, until they decide to spend as much on advertising the mayor's face on the cans as the damn things cost!

Why would anyone even want their faces peering out from soon-to-be overflowing trash cans? It is a bit trashy, if you ask me, and the mayor is scrapping the bottom of the barrel on this.

Which brings Read Full Post
June 11, 2007
14:20
The logo no-go, Mohammed rising, drunk Bishops and other short stories
from » ‎ Daniel Kalinaki's weblog

Tags: [edit]

LONDON - And so it came to be that, having burnt a hole through his shallow pockets despite taking it slow in Oslo, the son-of-man made a quiet re-entry into good old London to find the sun still out and the pints still reasonably priced at less than a fiver!

The news last week was dominated by a few amusing tales. First was the debacle of the 2012 London Olympic logo that was unveiled with aplomb, only to bomb with the public. Like many folks, I was shocked to learn that this caricature (pictured) had been drawn at a cost of £400,000! Some said it had the markings of the infamous swastika. A more cheeky pundit said it looked like a woman performing fellatio on a bloke (you have to see the Olympic rings for her supposedly curly hair). Then the kicke Read Full Post

← crys 4 Jesus Danny Crane →

The Bloggers

Tags: [edit]

Tags: [edit]

Tags: [edit]

Tags: [edit]

Tags: [edit]

Tags: [edit]

Tags: [edit]

Tags: [edit]

Tags: [edit]

Tags: [edit]

Tags: [edit]

Tags: [edit]

Tags: [edit]

Tags: [edit]

Tags: [edit]

Tags: [edit]

Tags: [edit]

Tags: [edit]

Tags: [edit]

Tags: [edit]

Tags: [edit]

Tags: [edit]

Tags: [edit]

Tags: [edit]

Tags: [edit]

Tags: [edit]

Tags: [edit]

Tags: [edit]

Tags: [edit]

Tags: [edit]

Tags: [edit]

Tags: [edit]

Tags: [edit]

Tags: [edit]

Tags: [edit]

Tags: [edit]

Tags: [edit]

Tags: [edit]