From:
NO MORE SECURITY THREATS AT MUK – GUILD MINISTER
Makerere University community is soon to enjoy maximum security and protection as the university’s police post undergoes transformation from a police post to a fully fledged police station with more police officers, the university’s Guild Information Minister for Information has said.
Mr. Onesimus Twinamasiko revealed that the change process, which started last week, has already seen 60 police officers deployed in preparation for the 59th graduation from 19th-23rd January, following permission from the Inspector General of Police Maj. Gen Kale Kayihura. Initially, only about 15 police officers attended to the entire university’s security.
“We shall be safer now, and so will our property because the police will patrol the university day and night, 24hours a day” said Twinamasiko.
In addition to the heavy police force, Mr. Samuel Mission, an Assistant Superintendent of Police has been appointed as the Officer in Charge at the soon to be elevated police post.
“The Students’ Guild aims at ensuring maximum visible security 24 hours at all students’ halls of residence, and in the so called dark corners at campus,” Twinamasiko added.
The decision to transform Makerere’s police post comes after the Students’ Guild, led by Guild President, Robert Rutaro, met Maj. Kayihura on 5th Jan 2009, over the alarming security concerns at Uganda’s highest and oldest institution of learning.
However, the challenge that remains is to create office space and space to accommodate the officers and their families.
In a letter dated 12th January 2009 addressed to the Guild President Robert Rutaro, Samuel Mission, the new OC requested for at least two rooms in the Guild office, to be used to keep police records and for other official work, as the University prepares to allocate them offices.
Twinamasiko said the Guild would be willing to allocate 2 rooms to the security officials, and had designated the extension building formerly housing students of Nsibirwa hall to be used to house some of the officers and their families. He however noted that the Dean of Students would have to register his approval.
When contacted, the dean, Mr. John Ekudu confirmed knowing about the meeting of the Guild with the police boss, but said he knew nothing of the transformation in progress.
“The Guild President informed me of the January meeting but I did not know that Kayihura had approved of anything,” said a puzzled Ekudu.
The Guild President said University Council will discuss the security issues as soon as graduation ceremonies are over.
Last year, a student was attacked in Nkrumah hall and killed in his room, only to be discovered dead after two days.
However, when contacted, University Dean of Students, Mr. John Ekudu said he had not received confirmation from the IGP concerning the overhaul of the police post.
Makerere University’s security has in past years been jeopardised by students and lecturers’ strikes and riots which turned violent, leading to loss of life and massive destruction of university and student property. Last year in November, Kenyan students at Makerere staged a series of demonstrations against the administration, in which the police discovered a locally made bomb.
Also, Statistics from the Records department at the police post at Makerere reveal that a total of 100 students were conned of their money and property last year, the most affected being female students.
“Such cases will now be history with such a force at campus,” Twinamasiko, said.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Here comes the Lantern Meet of Poets
UGANDA’S POETRY GETS FACE LIFT
In a developing country like Uganda, it is now common place belief that only education and the opportunity of having well-placed friends and relatives will guarantee one’s success in the future. Often, talent is undermined and several people do not dare to explore their God-given abilities, fearing that taking such a direction would be a dead end.
Every two weeks on Sunday evening at the National Theatre, a group of enthusiastic and fiery youths meet to share with the public some of what God gave them, in the hope that they will inspire more talent exploration in Uganda.
They have passion. They have zeal. They have charisma. They are young and energetic. They are the Lantern Meet of Poets, and they have what it takes to change Uganda’s poetry fraternity, while inspiring more talent.
Like oil was discovered in Uganda in 2006, you can never know how rich you are until you explore. Maybe Uganda will also be rich some day. Today, the Lantern Meet, a poetry lovers’ club that started out with just five members in April 2007, boasts of over 40 full time members.
The Lantern Meet of Poets is a meeting place for light minded individuals from different walks of life, sharing their love and passion for arts, poetry, music and visual arts. This group of creative minds professes one uniform belief, the belief that they can help other youths to explore their talent and hidden potential, especially in performing arts, despite the fact that the group is composed of mostly students in the science field.
We want to break the stereotypes that poetry, music and dance are for people with academic prowess in English Language and Literature,” said Edgar Kangare, a member of the group.
The Lantern Meet of Poets started as a small group of friends, all interested in poetry and writing, and realizing that people did not have the space to freely express their thoughts and emotions. Three university students, Raymond Ojakor, Colin Asiimwe, and Guy Mambo, put their talent and ingenuity to use two years ago, pooling a group of other interested students to write, recite and critique each others poems, finally birthing The Lantern Meet of Poets in April 2007. The three are students of Law, Mass Communication, and Architecture at Makerere University, and hope to promote literature throughout Uganda and Africa.
“We knew so many talented writers and poetry lovers who had no platform to express their views, and we wanted to give them that space,” said an enthusiastic Edgar Kangare, a member of the group. The Lantern Meet has since become a vehicle of expression for people, giving them the space to put their message across through poetry, music and dance.
The most recent addition to the group’s enterprise is the depiction of thoughts and emotions written in poems through artistic impressions, leaving a visual imprint of poems in the minds of their audience.
The group, which to attract as much talent to create a new breed of poets, considering that Africa has had few noticeable ones since the likes of Chinua Achebe, chose to focus on poetry other than prose and playwriting, which they consider more demanding for the casual writers they are, most of them being students with taxing courses. Despite their heavy classwork loads, this group of self driven, committed artists meets each fortnight at the National Theatre, to listen to members’ poetry recitals, exchange written poems, and critique each other’s work.
Believing that poetry is a universal language, and with only a few members studying Literature, members have self-taught themselves to analyse poems and enhance their writing by reading and doing research.
And even for those who joined with none or meager knowledge on writing poetry, the experience is so enriching that some write better than those who were initially considered crème de la crème. Here, everybody is a teacher, and everybody is a student.
During the group’s meetings, members read poems they have written, using a common theme as prior discussed, and then critique them.
“We want to address everyday issues that affect us, like poverty, human rights, and freedom of expression,” said Jason, a university graduate and member of the group.
Aida Kawuma, a Pharmacy student at Makerere, says critiquing a poem is very important because everyone can get different ideas. She recalls misinterpreting a poem during her first meeting, saying “I thought the poem “The Twin Almonds was about a woman’s breasts, and yet the poet meant eyes.”
To join the group, no subscription is needed, only five poems from the interested party, submitted consecutively at each meeting. Dedication and commitment are also cherished by the Meet.
This year, the Lantern Meet is inviting the public to join them on this journey of celebrating talent, at a grand recital at the National Theatre on January 30. During the grand recital, held twice a year, the group showcases the best poems, incorporating art, music, dance, and humorous drama to colour the event.
Members of the Meet believe that the fire for poetry may have been tucked under a bushel, but they are determined to keep the spirit, as clearly revealed in this year’s recital theme; Camp Lantern.
Ojakor, one of the founders, assures the public that Camp Lantern will be something different for the audience, like ‘walking through the wood’. He says that even though people have discarded the traditional ideology of gathering around a fire to tell stories, the Lantern Meet will enhance this on stage to keep the fire for poetry alive.
Initially, the group had no partners but has since its first recital in August last year, teamed up with the Uganda Commission for United Nations Education Scientific and Cultural organisation (UNESCO) to sponsor its events. The Meet has also performed at the National Book Trust of Uganda (NABOTU) literary awards ceremony, and alongside Maurice Kirya.
This group of youthful men and women are destined to transform Uganda’s poetry stage from what many have called something for losers, lonely people or introverts. With dance, art, and music to complement their poetry recitals, members of The Meet want to stimulate interest for poetry among Ugandans by starting up Poetry Clinics in secondary and primary schools. Here they hope to encourage students to explore their talent through writing poetry. Also on the group’s agenda for 2009 is compiling an anthology of some of the best poems that made it to the Lantern Scroll. The group is also looking at becoming a publishing house someday. For The Meet, the sky is the limit.
“We want people to think poetry in Africa and immediately think Lantern Meet,” said Kangare. The group’s members feel it is upon them to bridge the gap that they say has been created between older and younger generations of poets, and resurrect the past glorious epoch of poetry.
Readers and poetry lovers can also interact with the Lantern Meet though its Facebook page or its blog seam-less.blogspot.com.
The lantern Meet exists to motivate and inspire talented writers to become better.
In a developing country like Uganda, it is now common place belief that only education and the opportunity of having well-placed friends and relatives will guarantee one’s success in the future. Often, talent is undermined and several people do not dare to explore their God-given abilities, fearing that taking such a direction would be a dead end.
Every two weeks on Sunday evening at the National Theatre, a group of enthusiastic and fiery youths meet to share with the public some of what God gave them, in the hope that they will inspire more talent exploration in Uganda.
They have passion. They have zeal. They have charisma. They are young and energetic. They are the Lantern Meet of Poets, and they have what it takes to change Uganda’s poetry fraternity, while inspiring more talent.
Like oil was discovered in Uganda in 2006, you can never know how rich you are until you explore. Maybe Uganda will also be rich some day. Today, the Lantern Meet, a poetry lovers’ club that started out with just five members in April 2007, boasts of over 40 full time members.
The Lantern Meet of Poets is a meeting place for light minded individuals from different walks of life, sharing their love and passion for arts, poetry, music and visual arts. This group of creative minds professes one uniform belief, the belief that they can help other youths to explore their talent and hidden potential, especially in performing arts, despite the fact that the group is composed of mostly students in the science field.
We want to break the stereotypes that poetry, music and dance are for people with academic prowess in English Language and Literature,” said Edgar Kangare, a member of the group.
The Lantern Meet of Poets started as a small group of friends, all interested in poetry and writing, and realizing that people did not have the space to freely express their thoughts and emotions. Three university students, Raymond Ojakor, Colin Asiimwe, and Guy Mambo, put their talent and ingenuity to use two years ago, pooling a group of other interested students to write, recite and critique each others poems, finally birthing The Lantern Meet of Poets in April 2007. The three are students of Law, Mass Communication, and Architecture at Makerere University, and hope to promote literature throughout Uganda and Africa.
“We knew so many talented writers and poetry lovers who had no platform to express their views, and we wanted to give them that space,” said an enthusiastic Edgar Kangare, a member of the group. The Lantern Meet has since become a vehicle of expression for people, giving them the space to put their message across through poetry, music and dance.
The most recent addition to the group’s enterprise is the depiction of thoughts and emotions written in poems through artistic impressions, leaving a visual imprint of poems in the minds of their audience.
The group, which to attract as much talent to create a new breed of poets, considering that Africa has had few noticeable ones since the likes of Chinua Achebe, chose to focus on poetry other than prose and playwriting, which they consider more demanding for the casual writers they are, most of them being students with taxing courses. Despite their heavy classwork loads, this group of self driven, committed artists meets each fortnight at the National Theatre, to listen to members’ poetry recitals, exchange written poems, and critique each other’s work.
Believing that poetry is a universal language, and with only a few members studying Literature, members have self-taught themselves to analyse poems and enhance their writing by reading and doing research.
And even for those who joined with none or meager knowledge on writing poetry, the experience is so enriching that some write better than those who were initially considered crème de la crème. Here, everybody is a teacher, and everybody is a student.
During the group’s meetings, members read poems they have written, using a common theme as prior discussed, and then critique them.
“We want to address everyday issues that affect us, like poverty, human rights, and freedom of expression,” said Jason, a university graduate and member of the group.
Aida Kawuma, a Pharmacy student at Makerere, says critiquing a poem is very important because everyone can get different ideas. She recalls misinterpreting a poem during her first meeting, saying “I thought the poem “The Twin Almonds was about a woman’s breasts, and yet the poet meant eyes.”
To join the group, no subscription is needed, only five poems from the interested party, submitted consecutively at each meeting. Dedication and commitment are also cherished by the Meet.
This year, the Lantern Meet is inviting the public to join them on this journey of celebrating talent, at a grand recital at the National Theatre on January 30. During the grand recital, held twice a year, the group showcases the best poems, incorporating art, music, dance, and humorous drama to colour the event.
Members of the Meet believe that the fire for poetry may have been tucked under a bushel, but they are determined to keep the spirit, as clearly revealed in this year’s recital theme; Camp Lantern.
Ojakor, one of the founders, assures the public that Camp Lantern will be something different for the audience, like ‘walking through the wood’. He says that even though people have discarded the traditional ideology of gathering around a fire to tell stories, the Lantern Meet will enhance this on stage to keep the fire for poetry alive.
Initially, the group had no partners but has since its first recital in August last year, teamed up with the Uganda Commission for United Nations Education Scientific and Cultural organisation (UNESCO) to sponsor its events. The Meet has also performed at the National Book Trust of Uganda (NABOTU) literary awards ceremony, and alongside Maurice Kirya.
This group of youthful men and women are destined to transform Uganda’s poetry stage from what many have called something for losers, lonely people or introverts. With dance, art, and music to complement their poetry recitals, members of The Meet want to stimulate interest for poetry among Ugandans by starting up Poetry Clinics in secondary and primary schools. Here they hope to encourage students to explore their talent through writing poetry. Also on the group’s agenda for 2009 is compiling an anthology of some of the best poems that made it to the Lantern Scroll. The group is also looking at becoming a publishing house someday. For The Meet, the sky is the limit.
“We want people to think poetry in Africa and immediately think Lantern Meet,” said Kangare. The group’s members feel it is upon them to bridge the gap that they say has been created between older and younger generations of poets, and resurrect the past glorious epoch of poetry.
Readers and poetry lovers can also interact with the Lantern Meet though its Facebook page or its blog seam-less.blogspot.com.
The lantern Meet exists to motivate and inspire talented writers to become better.
News
DO MORE RESEARCH AND IMPROVE RANKS, MAKERERE TOLD
Makerere University has been advised to invest in more research and capacity building projects if it is to improve its international rankings, and remain a top academic institution, and centre of excellence.
Dr. Katunguka Rwakishaya, who was speaking during the launch of a five-year research project on sleeping sickness at Hotel Africana on Thursday, said the university administration needs to inject more into health, animal, agriculture, education, and economic research, so as to be maintain its highly credible international image.
The project, which will be directed by Makerere University, in partnership with scientific research organs in Kenya, Tanzania, Democratic Republic of Congo, Congo Brazzaville, and Sudan, yesterday received UShs 17billion from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, to kick start.
“This is a plus for Makerere which is still a leading university in Uganda, because it will attract development” Rwakishaya said.
The don also called upon the administration and government to ensure facilities and finances to train people in research, proposal writing, budgeting and accounting, and prompt report compilation and delivery, which will increase the 86-year old institution’s competitiveness.
“The people in authority don’t care about anything except how they can benefit,” Dr. Rwakishaya said, cautioning Makerere’s administration to put more effort in maintain the university’s performance.
Last year in August, Makerere University dropped to its lowest point on the rankings of the top 100 universities in Africa, from 54th position to 59th, according to Webometrics, a Web Ranking website which measures activity and visibility of the institutions as an indicator of impact and prestige of universities.The findings of the 5-year project, which started in November last year, will be used in the control sleeping sickness, scientifically known as trypanosomiasis, monitoring, informing, and guiding national control programmes to combat the disease which plagues both human beings and livestock, promoting food security and rural welfare.
“We want to improve the quality of lives of our people and animals,” said Dr. John Enyaru, the project’s co-ordinator.
“We also must publish, because if we do not, we shall perish,” he added.
Sleeping sickness has in the past greatly affected parts of Uganda including; the West Nile region, , Kumi, Soroti, Mukono, Kayunga, Jinja, and Pallisa districs.
In 2003, tsetse flies spread to 70 percent of the country, putting 5.1 million people at a risk of catching sleeping sickness.
The Department of Biochemistry at Makerere University, which is hosting the regional programme, will also produce research journals of the findings, one area which has also contributed to Makerere’s poor international rankings.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Demands grow for Gaza war crimes investigation
Chris McGreal, in Jerusalem
The Guardian, Tuesday 13 January 2009
A freelance filmmaker in Gaza shot this material for Save the Children at a UN-supported school for pupils displaced from their homes by the Israeli bombings.
Israel is facing growing demands from senior UN officials and human rights groups for an international war crimes investigation in Gaza over allegations such as the "reckless and indiscriminate" shelling of residential areas and use of Palestinian families as human shields by soldiers.
With the death toll from the 17-day Israeli assault on Gaza climbing above 900, pressure is increasing for an independent inquiry into specific incidents, such as the shelling of a UN school turned refugee centre where about 40 people died, as well as the question of whether the military tactics used by Israel systematically breached humanitarian law.
The UN's senior human rights body approved a resolution yesterday condemning the Israeli offensive for "massive violations of human rights". A senior UN source said the body's humanitarian agencies were compiling evidence of war crimes and passing it on to the "highest levels" to be used as seen fit.
Some human rights activists allege that the Israeli leadership gave an order to keep military casualties low no matter what cost to civilians. That strategy has directly contributed to one of the bloodiest Israeli assaults on the Palestinian territories, they say.
John Ging, head of the UN Palestinian refugee agency in Gaza, said: "It's about accountability [over] the issue of the appropriateness of the force used, the proportionality of the force used and the whole issue of duty of care of civilians.
"We don't want to join any chorus of passing judgment but there should be an investigation of any and every incident where there are concerns there might have been violations in international law."
The Israeli military are accused of:
• Using powerful shells in civilian areas which the army knew would cause large numbers of innocent casualties;
• Using banned weapons such as phosphorus bombs;
• Holding Palestinian families as human shields;
• Attacking medical facilities, including the killing of 12 ambulance men in marked vehicles;
• Killing large numbers of police who had no military role.
Israeli military actions prompted an unusual public rebuke from the International Red Cross after the army moved a Palestinian family into a building and shelled it, killing 30. The surviving children clung to the bodies of their dead mothers for four days while the army blocked rescuers from reaching the wounded.
Human Rights Watch has called on the UN Security Council to set up a commission of inquiry into alleged war crimes.
Two leading Israeli human rights organisations have separately written to the country's attorney general demanding he investigate the allegations.
But critics remain sceptical that any such inquiry will take place, given that Israel has previously blocked similar attempts with the backing of the US.
Amnesty International says hitting residential streets with shells that send blast and shrapnel over a wide area constitutes "prima facie evidence of war crimes".
"There has been reckless and disproportionate and in some cases indiscriminate use of force," said Donatella Rovera, an Amnesty investigator in Israel. "There has been the use of weaponry that shouldn't be used in densely populated areas because it's known that it will cause civilian fatalities and casualties.
"They have extremely sophisticated missiles that can be guided to a moving car and they choose to use other weapons or decide to drop a bomb on a house knowing that there were women and children inside. These are very, very clear breaches of international law."
Israel's most prominent human rights organisation, B'Tselem, has written to the attorney general in Jerusalem, Meni Mazuz, asking him to investigate suspected crimes including how the military selects its targets and the killing of scores of policemen at a passing out parade.
"Many of the targets seem not to have been legitimate military targets as specified by international humanitarian law," said Sarit Michaeli of B'Tselem.
Rovera has also collected evidence that the Israeli army holds Palestinian families prisoner in their own homes as human shields. "It's standard practice for Israeli soldiers to go into a house, lock up the family in a room on the ground floor and use the rest of the house as a military base, as a sniper's position. That is the absolute textbook case of human shields.
"It has been practised by the Israeli army for many years and they are doing it again in Gaza now," she said.
While there are growing calls for an international investigation, the form it would take is less clear. The UN's human rights council has the authority to investigate allegations of war crimes but Israel has blocked its previous attempts to do so. The UN security council could order an investigation, and even set up a war crimes tribunal, but that is likely to be vetoed by the US and probably Britain.
The international criminal court has no jurisdiction because Israel is not a signatory. The UN Security Council could refer the matter to the court but is unlikely to.
Benjamin Rutland, a spokesman for the Israeli military, said an international investigation of the army's actions was not justified. "We have international lawyers at every level of the command whose job it is to authorise targeting decisions, rules of engagement ... We don't think we have breached international law in any of these instances," he said
Chris McGreal, in Jerusalem
The Guardian, Tuesday 13 January 2009
A freelance filmmaker in Gaza shot this material for Save the Children at a UN-supported school for pupils displaced from their homes by the Israeli bombings.
Israel is facing growing demands from senior UN officials and human rights groups for an international war crimes investigation in Gaza over allegations such as the "reckless and indiscriminate" shelling of residential areas and use of Palestinian families as human shields by soldiers.
With the death toll from the 17-day Israeli assault on Gaza climbing above 900, pressure is increasing for an independent inquiry into specific incidents, such as the shelling of a UN school turned refugee centre where about 40 people died, as well as the question of whether the military tactics used by Israel systematically breached humanitarian law.
The UN's senior human rights body approved a resolution yesterday condemning the Israeli offensive for "massive violations of human rights". A senior UN source said the body's humanitarian agencies were compiling evidence of war crimes and passing it on to the "highest levels" to be used as seen fit.
Some human rights activists allege that the Israeli leadership gave an order to keep military casualties low no matter what cost to civilians. That strategy has directly contributed to one of the bloodiest Israeli assaults on the Palestinian territories, they say.
John Ging, head of the UN Palestinian refugee agency in Gaza, said: "It's about accountability [over] the issue of the appropriateness of the force used, the proportionality of the force used and the whole issue of duty of care of civilians.
"We don't want to join any chorus of passing judgment but there should be an investigation of any and every incident where there are concerns there might have been violations in international law."
The Israeli military are accused of:
• Using powerful shells in civilian areas which the army knew would cause large numbers of innocent casualties;
• Using banned weapons such as phosphorus bombs;
• Holding Palestinian families as human shields;
• Attacking medical facilities, including the killing of 12 ambulance men in marked vehicles;
• Killing large numbers of police who had no military role.
Israeli military actions prompted an unusual public rebuke from the International Red Cross after the army moved a Palestinian family into a building and shelled it, killing 30. The surviving children clung to the bodies of their dead mothers for four days while the army blocked rescuers from reaching the wounded.
Human Rights Watch has called on the UN Security Council to set up a commission of inquiry into alleged war crimes.
Two leading Israeli human rights organisations have separately written to the country's attorney general demanding he investigate the allegations.
But critics remain sceptical that any such inquiry will take place, given that Israel has previously blocked similar attempts with the backing of the US.
Amnesty International says hitting residential streets with shells that send blast and shrapnel over a wide area constitutes "prima facie evidence of war crimes".
"There has been reckless and disproportionate and in some cases indiscriminate use of force," said Donatella Rovera, an Amnesty investigator in Israel. "There has been the use of weaponry that shouldn't be used in densely populated areas because it's known that it will cause civilian fatalities and casualties.
"They have extremely sophisticated missiles that can be guided to a moving car and they choose to use other weapons or decide to drop a bomb on a house knowing that there were women and children inside. These are very, very clear breaches of international law."
Israel's most prominent human rights organisation, B'Tselem, has written to the attorney general in Jerusalem, Meni Mazuz, asking him to investigate suspected crimes including how the military selects its targets and the killing of scores of policemen at a passing out parade.
"Many of the targets seem not to have been legitimate military targets as specified by international humanitarian law," said Sarit Michaeli of B'Tselem.
Rovera has also collected evidence that the Israeli army holds Palestinian families prisoner in their own homes as human shields. "It's standard practice for Israeli soldiers to go into a house, lock up the family in a room on the ground floor and use the rest of the house as a military base, as a sniper's position. That is the absolute textbook case of human shields.
"It has been practised by the Israeli army for many years and they are doing it again in Gaza now," she said.
While there are growing calls for an international investigation, the form it would take is less clear. The UN's human rights council has the authority to investigate allegations of war crimes but Israel has blocked its previous attempts to do so. The UN security council could order an investigation, and even set up a war crimes tribunal, but that is likely to be vetoed by the US and probably Britain.
The international criminal court has no jurisdiction because Israel is not a signatory. The UN Security Council could refer the matter to the court but is unlikely to.
Benjamin Rutland, a spokesman for the Israeli military, said an international investigation of the army's actions was not justified. "We have international lawyers at every level of the command whose job it is to authorise targeting decisions, rules of engagement ... We don't think we have breached international law in any of these instances," he said
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Generous January
The economic crisis is biting hard into the business fabric of Uganda, fuel hoarding is the order of the day, and child sacrifice seems to be fashionable. But 2009, I insist, will be a great year. Its only January and I can attest to that, in faith that the other 11 months will not produce a pivotal anti climax.
Okay, so I made ..........years yesterday. Let's just say it's safe to say am 17. And as the birthday gifts streamed in, the big one was yet to be unwrapped. 8:00pm. Anonymous call. "You're talking to someone young, rich and handsome." Don't we all wish!!!!!!!! Long story short, I was offered internship at Uganda's leading daily, the Daily Monitor. Watch this space, the next time you read the paper, my name shall be used in the byline.
Its not just me there you know, but five other writers from the Ivory Post. We shall continue to propel more gifted writers to bigger fish.
Long live Facebook 'cause without it I would not have received the tonnes of birthday messages and gifts I did yesterday. One of the messages came with a special attachment, an invite to visit China. Beijing, Xinghua, Shanghai....................here I come.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Happy New Year Ivory Post
Happy New Year to all our dear readers. The Ivory Post completed another great and opportunity-generous year, thanks to your readership. We are all eagerly anticipating what 2009 will bring with it, and, while you make those resolutions, we recommend it safe to call 2009 a year where nothing is impossible. Barrack Obama, will be the first black president of the United States of America, a country where the race issue; Black vs. White, has always been an issue that raises dust. Hopefully, and with God’s grace, Joseph Kony will be smoked out of jungle and mankind will hurt no more at his hand. Uganda has recently discovered oil and maybe, if corruption takes an annual leave, we shall be looking towards the wealth of our Saudi brethren. Uganda is now a member of the United Security Council, at least for one year, and maybe we easily influence international decisions like illegally dumping toxic waste in African countries. Back to our locality, registration will not be a problem any more, as deadlines for registering were scrapped, all thanks to the solidarity of our Kenyan mates. And our mothers, fathers, grand parents and other folks who missed the chance to join Makerere, will do so, now that the Mature Age entry scheme was reinstated. Although the campus roads have been under the guise of being re-constructed for close to two years, we hope that Mak will save the money after it stops feeding students in halls of residence, to fix the patch-field, pot-hole riddled, dust filled roads.
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