Uganda'sPrime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda. On Thursday, he called a meeting of select Cabinet ministers to chart a blueprint about Uganda’s state of preparedness in relation to the upcoming elections in neighbouring Rwanda and Kenya. PHOTO FILE | NMG
Uganda'sPrime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda on Thursday morning called a meeting of select Cabinet ministers to chart a blueprint about Uganda’s state of preparedness in relation to the upcoming elections in neighbouring Rwanda and Kenya.
Sources, who attended, intimated that the meeting largely deliberated on the August 8 Kenyan polls
In the aftermath of the 2007 post-election violence, Uganda reached out to Tanzania, and the two-signed a Memorandum of Understanding for development of the Central Corridor (transiting through Dar es Salaam Port).
Uganda'sPrime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda on Thursday morning called a meeting of select Cabinet ministers to chart a blueprint about Uganda’s state of preparedness in relation to the upcoming elections in neighbouring Rwanda and Kenya.
The meeting, sources familiar with the matter told Sunday Monitor, was attended by Foreign Affairs minister Sam Kutesa, junior Internal Affairs minister Mario Obiga, government Chief Whip Rose Nankabirwa, minister in charge of General Duties Mary Karooro Okurut, Security minister Lt Gen Henry Tumukunde and officials from the Finance ministry.
Sources, who attended, intimated that the meeting largely deliberated on the August 8 Kenyan polls, which pit the incumbent president Uhuru Kenyatta against four-time presidential aspirant Raila Odinga.
The two principals also hail from the biggest political families of founding president Jomo Kenyatta and his ally-turned rival Jaramogi Oginga Odinga.
Elections in Kenya, usually underlined with ethnic undercurrents, have since the frenzied 2007 polls become the centre of attraction for both the domestic and international community and its fortunes or misfortune have wide-ranging impact on all neighbouring countries.
The 2007 post-election violence that claimed more than 1,000 lives and displaced about 600,000 people left Uganda writhing in shortage of fuel and other essential commodities imported.
More than 90 per cent of Ugandan bound cargo (imports) goes through Mombasa Port at the Indian Ocean.
According to Kenya Ports Authority (KPA), Uganda continued to dominate the transit market share with her cargo at the port growing by 8.2 per cent from 5.522 million tonnes in 2014 to 5.977 million tonnes in 2015 followed by Rwanda and South Sudan.
The port still, serves as the region’s first transport corridor to Burundi and eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
Dr Rugunda, according to sources, said it was Uganda’s hope that the elections “ go on well” for the better of the region.
However, other ministers in attendance also presented views on how to beef up Uganda’s preparedness in the likely event of the worst. The meeting also agreed that there is no need to issue a travel advisory to the two countries but the line ministries and security outfits, the army and police, would continue monitoring the situation and the borders with the two countries closely.
Kampala and Nairobi may have a few bones of contention once in a while, but the chord cannot be cut. Mr Kutesa, who was designated spokesperson of the joint monitoring committee, was not readily available for comment as he was convening a Uganda-Tanzania border meeting in the Tanzanian northwestern town of Bukoba.
The State minister for International Relations, Mr Okello Oryem, confirmed the meeting and said Uganda’s main worry is on the fuel supply side and a few basic commodities “but it was agreed that we have stock of everything we need for at least three weeks”.
“This time we are fully prepared for any eventualities and each line ministry is working around the clock,” Mr Oryem said.
He also revealed that they have engaged the Rwandan government and extended at the highest level for assurances that their bound cargo from Mombasa through Kampala will not be interrupted.
Rwanda, itself will be holding its third ‘multiparty presidential elections’ on Friday, August 4. Rwandans abroad will cast their votes a day before. Rwanda’s first multiparty democratic presidential poll took place in 2003 while the second was held in 2010. The incumbent president Paul Kagame won both.
Fuel stock in place for 16 days Meanwhile, the Ugandan ministry of Energy revealed on Thursday that it had already put in place safeguards of stocking fuel that would last the country for at least 16 days, including stocking the Jinja storage tanks by Tuesday.
“The total stocks for 16 days would be sufficient to avail room for mobilisation of other stocks should there be a disruption,” ministry officials said.
Uganda is a net importer of petroleum products through Kenya and consumes an average of 162 million litres of petrol, diesel, kerosene and jet fuel per month.
Average daily consumption of all fuel products, according to the ministry stands at 5.4 million litres and whose prices have been relatively stable over the last months but could slightly go up as witnessed previously.
The Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) commissioner for Customs, Mr Dickson Kateshumbwa, told this paper in the same regard that they will continue working with the Kenya Ports Authority, Kenya Revenue Authority and Kenya Pipeline Company, to ensure continued flow of Uganda-bound imports.
“Our [URA] staff are already on ground in Mombasa, Nairobi, Eldoret, Nakuru and Kisumu, and we don’t intend to withdraw them because we need our people on the ground to keep facilitating different work,” Mr Kateshumbwa noted.
Previous losses A number of Ugandan traders lost merchandise worth billions of Shillings, and the uprooting of the railway to landlocked Uganda by protestors and blocking of major routes meant imports from the coast could not be transported.
During the violence, at least 16 Ugandan and Rwandan traders who saw their trucks and goods destroyed on the Northern Corridor (Nairobi-Eldoret-Kampala highway), worth $47 million (Ushs158 billion), have for close to a decade now sought compensation.
Asked whether the months of June and July leading to the Kenyan elections have witnessed a surge in imports as traders rush to stock commodities, Mr Kateshumbwa said the “situation has remained normal” owing to the general slowdown of the economy during the last two quarters.
The revenue collection body already early last week, reported a deficit of Ushs457b ($126.4million), arising out of slow economic growth and low import volumes, which slackened aggregate demand.
The slowed aggregate demand affected investment decisions by many in the wholesale/retail and manufacturing sectors. Many traders decided to warehouse goods and/or re-export ex warehoused goods, which further affected the customs revenue.
But in any case, Mr Kateshumbwa added that unlike when Uganda was caught offside in 2007, this time, Uganda is eyeing Tanzania’s Dar es Salaam Port “as an alternative”.
In the aftermath of the 2007 post-election violence, Uganda reached out to Tanzania, and the two-signed a Memorandum of Understanding for development of the Central Corridor (transiting through Dar es Salaam Port).
Dar es Salaam is Tanzania’s principal port with a rated capacity of 4.1 million down weight tonnage (dwt) dry cargo and six-million dwt bulk liquid cargo.
Security At both the Kenyan and Rwandan borders with Uganda, there have been reports of several people crossing into Uganda which is attributed to the election frenzy.
However, Mr Douglas Assimwe, the principal refugee protection officer in the Department of Refugees under Office of the Prime Minister, said they are yet to register anyone as either refugees or asylum seekers.
“They [people] could be there, but have not registered in any of the groups of people we handle,” he said.
UPDF spokesperson Brig Richard Karemire downplayed the two elections as a viable source of threat to Uganda’s security “So from the military side there is nothing to worry about,” he said.
