THE CURRENCY CONVERSION OF 1987

For reasons I fail to fathom my mind has been carrying me back to 1986-87. In that era momentous events happened in the country and we were held spell dazzled by the flowery rhetoric of the former bandits and now new rulers of the republic of Uganda. The razzmatazz and conduct of their affairs could leave you in a mist of dust- things not only had to move they had to move fast. To keep us busy they gave us some Ten points which were to form the basis of our new relationship; to wit, “The Ten Point Programme”

The rhetoric, oh boy, oh boy! “This is not a mere change of guards; but a fundamental change!” We shall build an integrated, inter-related, self sustaining economy with forward and backward linkages – the agricultural sector feeding into the industrial sector with raw materials and the industrial sector feeding into the agricultural sector with implements and machinery.

Then they argued that the currency was weak and not conducive for trade and thus there was going to be a currency reform. Reform we assumed was a good thing since it would eliminate the bad manners the currency had been exhibiting. The Uganda Shilling trading to the Dollar at the time was 1 Dollar for 1400 UGX. We shall discuss this briefly later on.

The reformation of the currency came in the elimination of two zeros from the note and 30 shillings from every 100. So 1000 UGHS became 7 Shilling of the Museveni Dollar. This created a of sad men whose savings were wiped clean! To add salt to injury no such 30% reductions were effected on any loans or credits! The hope that such reformation would consequently lead to a better Uganda stayed the anger of many- peddlers of hope had a field day.

Today the Dollar is 2.5 times stronger against the Uganda Shilling than it was in 1986. Meaning that if ever there was need for reform this would have been the time. Unfortunately the trust and good will of 1986 does not exist; government is treated with mistrust and suspicion. The old English adage of, “once beaten twice shy” is in full effect.

The strong Dollar means our imports are very expensive and we as a citizenry have reduced purchasing power. It has also made our Cents extinct with benefit for a museum piece at my friend Sempebwa’s Ssemagulu museum. And it has an inflationary effect given that our petroleum imports are Dollar priced and have rip on effect across the various sectors of the economy.

Now in the above scenario what solutions exist or should we simply wring our hands in despair? The answer was given long ago by non other than President Museveni we need to spur production. If we spur production we will also be able to get Dollars through trade and increasing supply of Dollars with decreasing demands will see the Shilling strengthening. Let the people in charge do the modelling and projections; but yes it can be done.

CONFLUENCE OF THE RUSSIAN SPECIAL OPERATION AND THE PAJULEANS

Just before we go and split the hairs of the special operation versus a war to understand the nuances of each let us first take a short visit to Pajule. A great famine had hit the land and each day it grew from bad to worst. The situation grew so unbearable that coupled with the dwindling food stocks two friends decided that the best way to preserve themselves was to throw their respective mothers to drown in the nearby river.

One of the friends went and promptly executed the mission and the other bound by a love, stronger than hunger hide his mother in a cave. After the famine passed the one who had thrown his mother into the river started missing his mother and could not find someone to care for him with such delicious meals as his mother used to prepare. He noticed however, that as he grew thinner his friend was growing fatter. It took him painstaking investigation to discover his friend has misled him and had actually hidden his own mother in a cave. Alas it was too late to reverse.

I then called too mind the wise counsel of King Solomon who when the women each claimed the child decided that since they were both mothers of the child then he would cut the child into half for each to partake. The story ends with the mother saying she forfeited her claim on the child and would rather allow the other woman to keep it alive than the guarantee its fatality by the blade of King Solomon.

The contribution of Russia and Ukraine to the seemingly unrelated elements of oil (edible and non-energy) and the bread and cake value chain cannot be underestimated. As a consequence of the war we expect to have a disruption in quantities and prices of bread in, not only Pajule, but Sudan, Egypt and Kenya. Kenya also has had challenges in their balance of trade when they lost markets for their flowers. All these different consequences have not been put under sufficient consideration as we kowtow the much touted fight for democracy.

Let us monitor carefully the impact of less wheat production hence less bread and cake production. Immediately, the demand of eggs will plummet and with it a drop in price to a level below the costs of production. We shall therefore see farmers discouraged and disillusioned with the egg projects. And these are just top of the ice – berg examples.

Of course this begs the question how our leaders can mobilize the Ugandans to utilize our vast arable land in order to pull our weight in realization of our agriculture potential. As Winston Churchill once said, the land is, from end to end, a veritable paradise; any thing grows there.

OUR MISTAKE WAS THAT WE TRUSTED YOU

With the predictability of a Greek tragedy a war broke out in the country of Ukraine. Images of destruction of infrastructure and huge loss of human lives on the both sides speak to a future where reconstruction and rehabilitation will take a huge toll. And yet even at this moment the missiles and rifles are not yet silent.

The NATO keeps building troops at the border of Ukraine talking sweet things while blood flows freely on the ill-advised adventure. This is one instance where we do not envisage David giving Goliath a bloody nose and its hard not to see why.

Arguments for both sides have already been made; from the Russian point view of an “existential threat” and a red line, to the Ukraine sovereignty and right of choice, America in the comfort of Atlantic cushion continues cheering Ukraine to fight for democracy much in the same vein how Don Quixote justified his dreadful and unimaginable adventure with the wind mills. According to President Valdamir Putin, “Our mistake was that we trusted you and your mistake was trying to take advantage of that.”

Because of the imbalance of power we see clearly an attrition war manifesting itself. The Russian campaigns of bombardments and scorch earth with what appear an aim to reach what Von Clausewitz called exhaustion of the adversary. And it is this exhaustion that has seen the tone down in language from the Ukraine president.

Thomas Hobbes the philosopher posits that with the capacity of reason man is the only creature susceptible to the “Privilege of absurdity”. For its by thoroughly reasoned arguments on both sides that have got us to this impasse. And we are faced with a future of great difficulty; Russia and Ukraine a big contributors to the global food chain and the war has disrupted this and will impact anyone and everyone in the not so distant future.

The quest for world peace is an absolute good and this can only be maintained by the recognition of a balance of powers. The ideal situation would have been a creation of a neutral Ukraine acting as a buffer between the East and the West; maintaining an equilibrium. The decision of western powers to fan the fires with harsh rhetoric backed by huge military aid are half-heart gestures will will do no good to the Ukraine common man. Better an unjust peace than the most just war.

Le Etat C’est Moi – of Afande’s Soldiers and Fishy Mpuuta Business

In the environs of the great Namilyango College, many years ago, at about six thirty P.M a fire would light up and an amiable gentleman would set up shop to do the brisk business of selling fried fish (mpuuta) to an array of.clientle; including college kids. It was fortunate that just behind the frying place existed a thick banana plantation inter-cropped with coffee; to facilitate a quick dash to the bush; you see the school administration did not completely see eye to eye with this topping up the diet with fish- the claims of the amiable gentleman being an OB and class mate of our then Head-Master the amiable Kibuuka Peregrine, notwithstanding.

His, the fish monger that is, elocution and grammar were suspect; more so when he berated his customers who came late and demanded choice parts of the fish like the nuuni (gall bladder).  “Yiiff you wanti the nuni , you musti early, yiff you don’t early you will find the phiss all bukedi! ” And with that his nickname became “Bukedi“.  The raison de etre for the narrative above is to demonstrate that demand and supply of this historic commodity has not always been in resonance. To be able to partake one need to get there in time. Mpuuta has been providing a useful source of protein for ordinary Ugandans including students. And so this proposal of ring fencing it for fish exporters is criminal and utter unfettered greed.

There is no justification under any law or custom or morality  where a group of people can conspire to grab a natural resource for Ugandans for their own benefit.   When the exported fish is traded how does it benefit directly the Ugandan? The issue of taxes does not apply since already under the current structure we already have taxes. So unless they want us to add ring fenced or monopoly tax under the new nefarious and charlatan setup.

This avarice where person can imagine or contemplate monopoly of all fish in lake Victoria to be ring fenced for his own self and his close cabal is greed that has scaled new heights.it’s evil , demonic , greedy , and aspirations better in tune with the psyche of hyenas. To assent to this day light criminality is fodder for discontent and rebellion.

Which reminds me of the unfortunate mindset where all this comes from. A senior  UPDF General tweeted, “When I meet with my soldiers we always dance military disco!” I have no doubt that Afande may have made the statement innocently , but see how it can be taken out of. context- are they his soldiers or soldiers under his command! We come back full.circle to remind people to avoid the intoxicating allure of power.

The problem with the Health Sector in Uganda

It’s not true that the Health Sector in Uganda has always had problems. Evidence abound shows that we were once the best and the brightest; even today, despite all odds, the mental establishment at Butabiika is a shining beacon of hope. It is an established fact that when H.E Apollo Milton Obote was shot in the mouth the place he looked to for treatment was Mulago hospital. Juxtaposed with a scenario where people in high offices cannot allow to be treated for flu in the established medical centres shows how far we have come.

Faced with a macabre health challege inflicted by some goons I came, once again, face to face with the Health system. Hospitals blood banks empty, lack of diagnostic equipment, low morale, congested wards, and prioritization of forward payment before care of patients. To put it vividly, if you have an accident and you are brought to hospital in a dire emergency make sure you have the consultation fees in clear sight of the nurse or you will not see the doctor.

Furthermore, the tendency has been for each test they impose on you you must pay piece mill; you are not trusted to make full payment so the best way is pay as you go. All this charade of piece mill is discarded for a person on the last leg; you will be accorded all sorts of medical treatment since they are sure they have the security of a dead body. Apparently, our nature as African and with vast extended families ensures we have resources for the dead; or at least the potential to raise it. This is not my imagination, a few months ago the Attorney General intervened in a high profile death with threats of withdrawing licence of a medical establishment.

Entering a medical facility is now like entering Kiseka market. As you rush in to find a parking mechanics and spanner boys rush and offer varied solutions for problems that you did not know you car had. If you are slow they will remove a fully functional part dash off and bring spares you will be forced to pay an arm and leg for. And you have no time since dozens will have besieged you while another set are already started on jobs you have not asked them to do; “nze  na soose!” ( I was first here.)

What went wrong? With the low wages and lack.of facilites, including housing, for medical workers they have been forced to moonlight in as many hospitals as is humanly possible. Patients will wait for the specialist as he makes rounds in several private clinics with service going to who pays fastest; without a guarantee of devoted time for diagnosis and understanding the patient. Turnover, the more patients he sees a day the better for his stomach. La politic du  vendre (politics of the stomach) has entered into the medical sector. And because each unit belongs to different interests an element of conspiracy enters into play. Patients are forced in a round robin and subjected to tests just to fulfill the quarters. Money has overrun the social sector.

With a bustling population,  free movement of labour (brain drain), we expect the situation to continue deteriorating. We shall have brilliant Ugandan doctors offering good service in distant lands while structural problems limit access to quality medical services.

COVID PROVIDES UG-AGRI BUSINESS GREAT OPPORTUNITY

“The Corona pandemic is taking over mankind…its a global pandemic you can never take for granted!” Goes the refrain in the popular Corona by Ugandan Pop star Robert Kyagulanyi, aka Bobi Wine. Indeed, the CORONA virus has pervaded all sectors in the economy and the finance sector is feeling the pinch. Apart from business taking cuts in the number of people working at location, with immediate consequences on the transport sector, the education, and hospitality, several other sectors are taking hits which reverberate into consequences for the financial sector. The Corona Virus necessitates a re-think of life as it was and now compels us to remodel how we operate if we are to overcome its worst side effects; including civil unrest.

Slowly but surely the numbers have scared borrowers away from credit and left banks sitting on excess liquidity. A statement in the New Vision of August 2, 2021 attributed to Stanbic Bank’s head of trading indicate an excess of 2.65 Trillion Ugandan Shillings approximately 722 Mn USD. This colossus sum of money no doubt will negatively impact on the bottom lines of the financial institutions but also more importantly impact on economic growth and livelihood of Ugandans. In the end we shall witness more unemployment, mal- nutrition and lawlessness. Imagine the scenario of private schools who have borrowed money and have been unable to generate meaningful income over two years and are faced with a daily reality of teachers who need salaries to survive!

Needless to say this is only one side of the coin. There are delinquencies and bad debts that are going to erode the books of the credit reliant institutions. As businesses collapse more and more stress will be visited on the economy compromising wellbeing and livelihoods of citizens. And its bound to get worst unless a remedy is obtained,

Needless to say, the lack of dedicated plans to chart a road map out of this abyss ought to worry any thinking man. Knee jerk reactions with lock down seems to be the universal solution to the epidemic without any thought of the long term consequences.

The National Development Plan 3 identifies 5 pillars if our great nation is to attain its development objectives. The areas under advisement are: Infrastructure, agriculture, mining and oil and gas, Tourism and Human capital development, It should be recalled that the over all goal of the National Development Plan is to, “Increased household incomes and improved quality of life” Complemented with a vision of, ” A Transformed Ugandan Society from a peasant to a modern and prosperous country within 30 years!”

In the context of an agricultural economy amidst the worst circumstances of COVID people must still eat and must still have raw materials to feed industry. Consequently COVID may just have forced the hands of the financial institutions to invest more in agriculture. More over there is evidence that the medicinal herb extracts are also effective against COVID. Apart from the medicinal plants the world needs huge quantities of crops with particular properties to boost immunities against the corona virus. These include: garlic, spices and Chilii, ginger, citrus fruits, essential oils to mention but a few.

Uganda with its great climate and dual rain season is uniquely placed to take advantage of these opportunities. Now is the time to spur production and we shall reach the promised land before the projections in the NDP3. May be the time is nigh to recall the words of Winston Churchill, “Focus on Uganda!” Uganda can be the supplier to several countries with our vast arable lands.

Another immediate area of development would be the housing infrastructure. As people’s incomes increase from the productive agriculture above they will seek better houses, more ware houses. These are two tips of the cow horn agriculture and infrastructure. We would mop out youth unemployment and full bellies make poor revolutionaries; if you get me.

However in order to achieve this there is need for leadership. We need to get the thinking heads in a room and make a strategy for implementation; and if you say we give the idea to the usual suspects in the Prime Minister’s office you will find me looking after my ducks in Pajule.

Understanding the Uganda Mafia

The first book that kept me awake , literally, the whole night was, The Godfather, by Mario Puzo. The enigmatic style of his delivery was so captivating as he brought characters one could visualize and plots so simple that they could with ease occur in any village or state.

We learnt from these plots the codes and vows of the mafia like Omerta, the code of secrecy, the importance of family, a touch of belief in the supernatural — of God to whom the wives were duty bound to make entreaties for their wayward husbands and children. Blissfully unaware of orphans that had been created as by products of their vendettas and or wars.

Around the early to mid-2000’s a Vice President of the Republic of Uganda came out crying that the Mafia was after him. To this date no one has been able to name a single mafia perhaps in fear of payment of the ultimate penalty- death.

Thereafter Ugandans kept hearing of the Mafia in a number of skirmishes and finally a one policeman claimed that the same Police force he served was infiltrated and packed with Mafia elements. These elements he claimed had accumulated so much wealth that they were sucking the country dry with their ill begotten wealth.The officers name was Assistant Inspector of Police Kirumira.

ASP Kirumira began listing the wealthy officers and in what would sadden; but not surprise the nation, he was gunned down. His body was left in the open — what the Italian Mafia would refer to as confirmation; his death needed to be public so that a warning was sent to any other misguided member or person to follow the same ill advised path.

The enabling environment of the Mafia in Uganda is money heist. Their modus operandi is creation of emergencies to arm twist the state to allow them access to colossal sums of money for contracts they have little ability to deliver.

It bring to mind the anecdote where there were three bidders for a particular one. The Chinese bidder bidding 10 Mn USD, the German Bidder bidding 20 USD and the Ugandan Bidder bidding 30 MN USD. When the bid is awarded to the Ugandan bidder he begins with deliberate seriousness to track down the Chinese bidder and asks him to do the contract as he walks away with his enjawulo. This would have been funny were it not that its the way of the Ugandan Mafia.

OF COVID THERAPIES, AND THE SEX OF THE LEOPARD

Ugandans are a particular lot; their sense of humor, their inventiveness, ready adaptability, and joie de vie puts them out. In the dark epoch of terror and abductions it was fool hardy to be seen in public places with nice things or even worst a nice woman. You would immediately become a target by the military and other agencies. Any thing flashy watch, necklace, car etc. So in order to adapt Ugandans developed what was know as the Kafunda culture. A kafunda is literally meaning a small squeezed place; a hideout as it were. So away from posh bars small benches typically in front of retail shops became the norm.

In the early eighties news started filtering of a deadly sliming ailment. It was so deadly and a non respecter of age, sex or tribe. People associated it with Rakai. On the one part the bandits were causing terrible headache to the government of the day and the disease was not making governance nay easier. Anyway the bandits eventually found themselves into power and gave the disease its proper face with a proper strategy to fight it- “Love carefully!” At that time some mischievous peddlers would sing, “the bible may save your soul but this condom will save your life!” With time the message was ramped up to “abstain, be faithful, or use a condom!” A notorious woman, Nanyonga, claimed she had discovered a soil that could treat the disease; without National Drug Approval lines at her shrine were epic and the authorities were muted about this miracle soil.

Today we are in the midst of the global pandemic Corona Virus Disease (COVID 19). Being a respiratory disorder herbalists and the original village Ugandans who know a thing or two about mixtures have been besides themselves concocting solutions to manage this ferocious flu. Retired Colonel Doctor Warren Kiiza Besigye shot the first public salvo. His concoction had a mix of chili, ginger, garlic, pineapple and lemon water; you can ask him for the proportions. Others have proffered various combinations of some local herbs whose English names am clueless as efficacious against the Corona Virus.

Scientists taking cue from this frenzy activity commenced on various tests. Soon Mbarara University and Professor Ogwang proclaimed they had, not a vaccine, but a cure. Surreptitiously they released the product to family friends and In-laws. The results were positive. Friends, family and In-laws could not allow their friends to die when there was a solution. So the product became in high demand and the brand COVIDEX became a much sought item. The National Drug Authority attempted to ban and protest about protocols but it was like closing the barn after the horse had bolted. Matters were not helped that the promoters of COVID have friends in the dizzying heights of power.

How can you take the drugs without our approval was met with the rhetorical question, ” A leopard is chasing us and you are asking what is its sex?” Indeed the sex of a man eater is immaterial and so with time NDA coiled its tail and let COVIDEX be.

While they were coiling their tails, Gulu University came out with another cure for CORONA. A team has been dispatched to nip this experimentation in the bud. Matters are not helped that the University has already administered its therapy to hundreds of Gulu people.

The knee-jerk reaction of the National Drug Authority is counter productive to the organized development of therapies for CORONA and herbal remedies generally. Research and documentation of our local medicines need to be made of urgency. Ugandans will mix what they have to to avoid being eaten by the leopard regardless of its sex.

Commercializing Disasters and COVID

The history of the men in government or in proximity to the powers that be utilizing emergencies is not nouveau. Indeed Chairman Mao Norbert once got himself into a sport of a bother when he alleged, “The government is full of sharks!” Pressed to explain or withdraw he went and edited his remarks to the effect that the government and its Principal Yoweri Kaguta Museveni was surrounded by sharks. This seemed to pacify the ire of the different predators, and perhaps antelopes, in the government. We will just state that a class of political untouchables emerged and set themselves behind an iron dome where they stood on one side and the law and good governance stood at radical and diametric opposition.

In 1998 at the height of the insurgency against the Lord’s Resistance Army there were claims that on top of all the scandals the army was grappling with, to wit: junk helicopter, one sided gumboots, fictitious supplies (supplying air) to mention but a few, there existed a insidious style of theft; the story of ghost soldiers. Dealing withe the ghost soldier was a bit of a tricky scenario. The rebels were a useful bogey to the sharks. Their argument was that it was dangerous to do a head count as that would necessitate exposing strength of the army to our enemies who they argued were numerous. At the same time there was an argument that calling soldiers who were on the front-line to head count would leave chunks of territory vulnerable to capture by the rebels.

Listening to President Museveni making comments on what he did to tackle and uncover the rot of ghost soldier on radio was an enriching experience. The president took a firm stance and said he was prepared to secede some territory to the rebels because they had the capacity to retake the territory. Moreover, he argued, it was dangerous to go into battle when unsure of your numerical strength. A headcount was therefore mandatory and to be directly supervised by the highest office in the land.

” I went to Makerere and got some small boys to help me, when we did the head- count Oh oh oh oh….oh oh oh …..I had to get my own security to protect the boys!” What the president was exclaiming about can only be deduced by conjecture. We may discern that the headcount fell far short of what would have been and led to the prosecution of then army Commander General Kazini. According to late Afande Bantariza the ghost soldiers problem had persisted for over 10 years and had long been recognized as a black hole. (www.thenewhumanitarian.org/fr/node/215413)

This missive is not about ghost soldiers and their role in prolonging the Northern war. This is more about present day matters and specific questions as to whether the sharks disappeared or they have multiplied as sharks do and increased in intensity in the waters around the powers that be. In this we must rely on examining the carcasses that we find if they have shark-like incisions.

Ever since the COVID epidermic hit Uganda we have been faced with a litany of challenges including: rising levels of lake Victoria,(posing a risk to power security), Locusts (economic risk), and a volatile political climate that threatens to tear the country right through the so called cattle corridor. The circus of the locust with UPDF engagement and a whole spy net work is good for comical relief were it not for the vast sums of money spent. The World Bank gave loans in the excess of 180 BN shillings ostensibly to fight locusts. (www.worldbank.org 2020/05/21); this does not include other releases by the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning. Other neighbors simply captured the infidel locusts and converted them to animal and human food.

When COVID entered Uganda we were told that we had to adopt guerrilla tactics in order to defeat the disease. As such the first thing was we had to stop, listen and study the enemy. As we were stopping and listening some sharks imported testing equipment and took over the mandatory testing for COVID, they also took over mandatory holding centres with bed and breakfast costing not less than 100 USD for a sparse dormitory setting, they successfully rendered the public procurement and disposal at the Ministry of Health as a big joke; look for the Permanent Secretary’s admission of this in public documents if you like.

Now we have been condemned to another 42 days lock-down and yet we are not educated how the 42 number was arrived at with scientific justification and mathematical certainty. What calculations were made to justify this. Have listened very well last time and with collaborative evidence from World Health Organization the COVID virus incubation is 2 -14 days, “with symptoms typically appearing within 4-5 days and contagious within 48 hours!” This renders any argument for 42 days redundant, excessive and at ends with good sense. Sharks may yet be steering our boat.

THE MURDEROUS PIGS OF UGANDA

In the wake of the murder of ASP Kirumira, Major Kiggundu, and Assistant Inspector General of police Andrew Felix Kaweesi the President of Uganda, General Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, comes out in condemnation of silly and murderous pigs. After the condemnation he vows to catch and defeat the said murderous pigs. Much anticipation and anxiety passes and the threats come to naught until the pigs commit another atrocity and we enter a round robin of threats.

The nefarious pigs have strewed mayhem from Iganga to kisoro. They reserved their particular vengeance on muslim clerics who they slaughtered by their number. To date, the pigs had not left a single foot print. We had the suspicion that they were flying pigs. This notion has been debunked following the unsuccessful assassination attempt on the life of General Katumba Wamala. Sadly, in this mission we lost the life of the good General’s daughter and his brave driver.

In investigations of murder and attempted murder the path to unmasking the culprits is motive. But how do you establish motive. The President has linked the gun used in the assassination attempt of General Katumba to the gun used in the attempt of Major Kiggundu. This clue indicates that the pigs come from the same sty and were able to use the same stores to perpetuate their nefarious acts. Two questions come to mind either the guns are for hire or the pigs are for hire or both! There is need to engage serious committed forensic ballistic experts to gather all the information pertaining to the gun in question- the most critical determination is where or not the gun is a legally registered gun or if it is an illegal gun.

There is a problem with guns in Kampala; ironically the problem had once been dealt with decisively by the same National Resistance Movement way back in 1987. At that time aware of the proliferation of guns the army decided to conduct a mop-up operation. The purpose of the operation was to retrieve the guns in public hands and subject to control arms and their movement. To effect this, Kampala was put under curfew and totally cordoned, the soldiers moved from house to house and the effectiveness of their operation was the peace and sleep Ugandans enjoyed for many years.

Apart from the cameras captured and being analyzed we have not witnessed any massive search operation as would have been prudent in this Katumba case. A huge net ought to have been thrown around the perimeter from the scene of crime to a twenty Kilometer radius. A combing operation would flash out these flying pigs of Kampala.

The problem of guns in Kampala is the cavalier way they are handled today. It will be recalled that while in Arua after the killing of Hon. Robert Kyagulanyi’s driver, the Honorable was accused of being in custody of guns. The guns were paraded in court in front of witnesses!!! What happened to those guns? (See https://observer.ug/news/headlines/58621-now-bobi-wine-gun-exhibits-go-missing) This is where the problem lie.

Thus the challenge of guns falling into wrong hands is a creation of the establishment. And until we have a deliberate policy of disarmament and control of the handling and mishandling of guns we shall have more deaths at the hands of these nefarious pigs we reared ourselves. We are entrapped by our own leopard that we brought from the bush as a cub and now it has become and adult- kwac pa Nyaga, as the Acoli say.