EAC eliminates trade barriers as tension amongst members escalates

By Charles Kazooba

The East African Community could soon become the fastest growing economic bloc in the world having eliminated almost all trade barriers thus creating a more favourable environment for doing business.

EAC, which is second to ASEAN as the most progressive bloc, has embarked on implementation of a single customs territory that was launched on August 25 in Kampala.

Under the single customs territory, tax on goods imported into the three countries will be paid at Mombasa and trucks weighed only on crossing the border. In theory, all the roadblocks from Mombasa (Kenya) to Kigali (Rwanda) will be eliminated and the weighbridges reduced from nine to three at most.

During a regional meeting in Kigali, Rwandan capital on Monday 29, Presidents Paul Kagame (Rwanda), Uhuru Kenyatta (Kenya) and Yoweri Museveni (Uganda) agreed to launch of a single tourist at the next infrastructure summit – potentially in Juba, South Sudan early next year.

 The summit heard that a reduction in the number of roadblocks and weighbridges had reduced the time and cost of transporting goods from Mombasa to the interior.

The cost of transporting a 20-foot container from Mombasa to Kigali is also expected to drop from $383 to $193, resulting into savings of about $45 million annually.

Rwanda and Uganda have given signals of their intent to back Kenya's railway corridor linking both countries, including South Sudan to the Kenyan coast.

Amongst themselves, the three member states also agreed to make movement of their people easier and create a favourable working environment.

Ugandans will use their voter’s card as travel documents to Rwanda and Kenya because they do not have national ID cards. Students without voters’ card can use school identity cards. The application of entry coupon will accompany the identity cards. The coupon will act as an entry stamp.

According to officials that attended the meeting, $100-visa with 90 days validity will be paid at the point of entry or in foreign missions. Each state will take a share of $30. However, the country that processes the visa entry will receive an extra $10 in an administration cost.

Uganda also decided to waive work permit fees following similar moves by Kenya and Rwanda. Citizens of the two countries will still need to apply for permits but they will be issued free-of-charge.

However, the developments come at the heels of complaints from Tanzania and Burundi that they are being left out of major projects yet the EAC Treaty demands that all member states move together.

Earlier, in August only during only Heads of State from Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda launch talks on the single customs territory in Kampala, Uganda, at an extra-ordinary meeting.

The three states claim Tanzania and Burundi have always dragged their feet, and therefore can rejoin at their own pace.

Since the August meeting in Kampala only leaders and officials from Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda have been attending EAC meetings.

Tanzania's isolation, however, puts in limbo its $4.7 billion railway line project linking Dar, Kigali and Burundi, whose construction is scheduled for 2014.

 In a statement issued by Tanzania’s ministry of East African Cooperation, Dar said the ongoing tri-lateral talks between Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda were against the EAC protocol.

Dar administration said that the Kenyan, Rwandan and Ugandan leaders were in contravention of Article 7(1) (e) of the EAC protocol. “Even though this Article allows member countries to enter bi-lateral or tri-lateral agreements, it is a must that issues under consideration for implementation under this arrangement are fully discussed and agreed upon by all member countries,” read the statement.

My Curriculum Vitae

CURRICULUM VITAE

 

 

Name: Charles Kazooba

 

Citizenship: Ugandan

 

Date of Birth: October 10, 1979

 

Marital status: single

 

Education background:  school                                                            Award

 

2007                   Kampala International University           Bachelor of Laws (ongoing)

 

2003                   The Grotuis School of

                            Law & Professional Studies                            Diploma in journalism &

                        Media Management        

 

2002                    Makerere University                                  Human Rights course Certificate

 

                 

1998-1999   Nyakasura School/ Kent foundation college   Advanced secondary level

                    

     

1993-1996 St Balikuddembe Mitara Maria/ Mpanga S.S.S    Ordinary level secondary school

 

 

Experience:

 

                                      

Vision Group………………………………………………..2003

                                       

The Stream Publications ………………………………2003-2005

                                       

New Times (Rwanda)…………………………………..2006-2008

                                       

The EastAfrican/Nation Media Group………………..2009-2012

                                       

Cable Llinks Consultancy/Africa News Group……….2012 to date

                                   

Moscow Times…………………………………………..2013

 

 

 

 

 

Physical Address: 

 

Uganda Parliamentary Press Association

 

Parliament of the Republic of Uganda

 

Plot 16-18 Parliament Avenue

 

P.O BOX 7178, Kampala, Uganda

 

Mobile: 0778034860/0706034860

 

Email: ckazooba@ug.nationmedia.com, kazcharlie@yahoo.com, charleskazooba@gmail.com 

 

 

Referees:

 

Mr. Micheal Wakabi

Bureau Chief, Kampala

The EastAfrican/NMG

+256-414-232770/1/2

 mwakabi@ug.nationmedia.com

 

 

Mr. Daniel Kalinaki

Senior Editor

Nation Media Group

+256-414-232367, +256-412-231541, +25631-260018

dkalinaki@ug.nationmedia.com

 

 

Mr. Moses Kajangu

Secretary General, Uganda Parliamentary Press Association

Parliament of the Republic of Uganda

 

Plot 16-18 Parliament Avenue

 

P.O BOX 7178, Kampala, Uganda

Silence killing war against cyber attacks

As hackers in the United States steal businesses’ trade secrets, which is more sophisticated cyber crime, in Uganda it is more about siphoning a few million shillings off unsuspecting bank account holders through bank fraud, and lately mobile  money fraud.

In America, Facebook, Microsoft, banks, media companies have reportedly been hit with cyber attacks. In fact, in February this year Virginia-based Mandiant published a 60-page report alleging that the Chinese government was sponsoring cyber-espionage to attack top US companies.

Therefore, in the US or other advanced economies cyber crime is much more serious crime compared to the situation in East Africa. In Uganda, cyber attacks are mundane but growing at a rapid rate. It is feared that continuing technological expansion and accelerated globalization will lead to a dramatic increase of cyber attacks.

Apparently, banks in Ugandan have turned to be the biggest hubs for such crime making the banking business so vulnerable yet they remain conspicuously quiet.

The fact the cyber crimes become sophisticated with increased technological innovations and the bankers can barely match the rate of innovations in technology, the fraudsters take advantage of loopholes created with the laxity in taking up new innovations hence hacking into systems with ease.

Moses Walubiri, a journalist with New Vision was shocked when in March this year got a message while at work that he had withdrawn 1 million shillings.

“I went to the bank and was unable to convince them that the person who took the money didn’t have my instructions because the details were the same. Everyone holding an ATM is not same,” Walubiri said.

In January 2005, a multi-million dollar scam involving a fraudulent intranet bank transfer between Standard Charted Bank, Nairobi and Barclays Bank, Kampala was unveiled.

A prominent Ugandan businessman and construction magnet, Andrew Zzimwe Kasagga (deceased) together with two Congolese nationals were wanted by Interpol (Kenya) over accusations of masterminding the bank fraud that saw Kenyan Standard Chartered Bank staff wiring to them $5 million in three installments to separate bank accounts and recipients in Kampala.

Suspected conmen got the Nairobi based bank to wire one million dollars to Zzimwe’s Barclays Bank account in Kampala and another $2 million from Kenya was intercepted at Crane Bank.

It had allegedly been sent to another suspect, Kampala lawyer, Paul Kalemera. Further investigations and trial are being conducted. Another $3 million being swindled from Kenya was detected before it was sent to forex bureaux via the DFCU bank in Kampala.

In some cases innocent bank customers have found huge amounts of cash unknowingly deposited on their accounts.

In 2006, police chiefs in East Africa said computer-related crime is the single toughest challenge facing them this millennium. As more and more Kenyans get connected to the internet, the number of cybercrime is expected to rise.

According to the 2012-police report, a total of 62 cases were reported and investigated in which about 1.5 billion shillings were lost through hacking victims mails among other means. The report shows between August and November 2012, at least 207 million shillings were lost through mobile money fraud.

In the same year, 700 victims lost over 1.2 billion shillings by use of scheming devices from ATM bank locations in Kampala and other areas.

In one prominent case, four Bulgarians attempted to defraud Stanbic Bank using fake ATMs. They were found with 38 ATM cards, a list of 45 ATM pin numbers, a charger for their improvised ATM and other gadgets.

The suspects were prosecuted; three were convicted 20 yrs each and one to 10 yrs. The same men had ever been arrested in Kenya over similar offences but jumped bail.

However, most financial institutions remain silent though in difficult circumstances. MTN Uganda, Warid Telecom, Standard Chartered and Stanbic banks have all been affected. But cyber attacks have also taken another notorious form: hacking into internet networks of especially importers of goods from places like Dubai, China and Japan.

The unsuspecting business people usually get to discover when either their money has been stolen or the goods they ordered have been diverted to somewhere else. Others use internet to push through forged travellers’ cheques, which they use to purchase goods from unsuspecting business people overseas.

It is hard to convict cyber criminals because of two major reasons. Firstly, few countries have enacted e-laws and the existing ones are not sufficient in convicting culprits because of jurisdiction anomalies especially when the investigation transcends international borders. Secondly, obtaining evidence of computer crime that would stand in courts of law is lacking in many countries since the field of computer forensics is still relatively new and lacks sufficient literature and expertise.

How equipped is Uganda against cyber crimes? Late 2010, Parliament passed into law three cyber bills to provide legal regulations for security of electronic transactions. The Cyber Acts provide the legal framework to govern such transactions and to address cyber crime and terrorism.

The laws protect critical national information infrastructure, encourage safe online business and increase competitiveness to attract foreign investment such as in the Business Process Outsourcing Industry.

“We were able to prosecute the Bulgarians because of these laws,” says Hon Nyombi Tendo, the State Minister for ICT, adding that IT systems have to be made secure so that they are not abused by fraudsters.

Police capacity has also been enhanced. Police now boosts of full directorate of Information Technology and IT laboratory with the help of development partners they still encounter challenges including; limited skills to handle cyber related crimes, unreported complainants and lack of equipment to deal with the nature of the crime.

Haguma Jimmy, the Acting commissioner in charge of Electronic Counter, said over 50 police officers in E- security, E forensic and E- technical. “A lot needs to be done to have the requisite personnel capacity to respond to this growing electronic crime/cybercrime,” said Haguma.

The Ugandan Government has rolled out registration of mobile phone sim cards as a response measure to fight electronic crimes. 

The Uganda Communications Commission has also set up a Computer Emergency Response Team to improve and secure communication services in the country. The facility will reduce the infiltration of malicious content such as malware, viruses and spam, as well as enhance security of online access in the country.

The communication companies and internet service providers in the country will constitute the computer emergency response team which was inaugurated on June 6 this year.

The unit prowls the internet to monitor and report high-tech crimes including cyber-based terrorism, computer intrusions, online sexual exploitation, and major cyber frauds.

However, at the national level, there is an urgent need for a cyber defense and weaponry system. Ideally, this project is a 10-30 year strategy, whereby an elite special team of cyber experts must be identified at a young age (15 – 20 years) trained and financed to develop custom solutions for national security. 

This is because national security cannot be trusted in the hands of another country.

Museveni recruits GMO critic as advisor

By Charles Kazooba

Uganda President Yoweri Museveni has absorbed into his government a renowned critic of biotechnology as his advisor on research and information. 

Morrison Rwakakamba, a popular researcher, started work in the Office of the President as a Special Presidential Assistant mid August this year. His work will contribute heavily in public policy formulation and change.

The new presidential advisor has publicly denounced the use of biotech in crop breeding, which technology he claims will distort the agriculture economics of the country in his campaign to influence debate on the Biotech and Biosafety Bill tabled before parliament.

Rwakakamba has in the past claimed that the draft law seeks to spread Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) in Uganda.

“From the basis of discourse I have been following, millions of Ugandans, and especially small holder farmers, instead expected the Hon. Minister to present a bill aimed at detecting, stopping and destroying GMOs,” he says.

“Evidence that shows GMOs will harm economic livelihoods of many small holder farmers, downgrade health of millions of citizens, increase hazards to environment, compromise indigenous, cultural and traditions of our society and   cripple strategic economic interests of Uganda is all over the place – I will delve into this in future.”

But these views were expressed before his appointment as a public servant in President Museveni’s administration. Today, he appears much more willing to listen and understand the proponents of biotechnology.

“It’s not easy for Conventional ecological agriculture to survive together with biotechnology. The co-existence should first be clearly studied. Secondly, my argument is about economics. Biotech isn’t good for our strategic objectives. The demand in the market is for organic matters,” said Mr Rwakakamba, adding, “I also want us to pass the biotech and biosafety law, but for different reasons.” 

It is possible that with time Mr Rwakakamba’s hard stance on GMOs will soften especially after engaging the President in a serious discussion on the matter. Mr Rwakakamba is yet to share his views with the President Museveni, who is a staunch advocate for science and is said to have initiated the process of establishing infrastructure for biotechnology as early as 2000.

When GM crops were first commercially released in 1996, critics argued that they would only benefit industrialized countries. In 2012 emerging economies overtook industrialized countries as the main adopters of GM crops.

According to the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications, from 1996 to 2011 transgenic crops added $98.2-billion to the value of global agricultural output, over 50 per cent of which accrued to emerging economies.

In an earlier rebuttal to government’s campaign for the enactment of a favourable biotech and biosafety law, Mr Rwakakamba argued that if all arable land was put to good use in the country the use of biotech would be irrelevant.

He said: “In spite of adjuncts of Climate change, Uganda is still feeding itself at a time when its arable land utilization is below 50 per cent. Indeed over 80 per cent of farmers are defacto conservation and organic farmers. If our conservation practices are accentuated through a reformed budget architecture that puts more money in agriculture – we can feed the region and world without engaging in any form of genetic manipulation.”  

“Importantly, all GMO crusaders ignore the core economic questions. Where will Uganda sell its GMO products? Will transformation from an Organic into a GMO economy give Uganda a competitive advantage? Available numbers illuminate a different pathway from what GMO proponents propose. For example, datasets from the International Trade Center (ITC), a United Nations outfit –show that untapped Organics market for agricultural products in Europe is $60 billion, Japan $11 billion and US $41 billion. So why would Uganda want to run away from this market?” he said.

Rwakakamba until his latest appointment was Chief Executive Officer of Agency for Transformation. He has worked at Uganda National Farmers Federation at manager policy research and advocacy. He was also chief executive officer Uganda National Chamber of Commerce and Industries before joining Twaweza, an East African region organization focusing on social change as country manager of Uganda.

How Mark Lynas swayed East Africans on GMOs

How Mark Lynas swayed East Africans on GMOs

By Charles Kazooba

He may be seen as a traitor by his former colleagues in the anti-genetically modified foods camp but his new mission to re-write the damage done by his former movement appears to be succeeding. 

Mark Lynas, a journalist-cum-climate change activist, who has in past successfully de-campaigned the use of GM technology in crop planting, has embarked on a global tour to boost biotechnology he once reviled most, reversing his earlier position.

His East African tour of Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya-the newest hosts of biotechnology research and development, is billed as one his most successful sojourns.

Sponsored by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, he gave lectures in the three countries on GM foods under the auspices of Open Forum of Agricultural Biotechnology in July.

In Kampala, Uganda where there has been vehement opposition of GMOs from food activists, he made a moving presentation that swayed even those that had little hope in biotech.

“I have a moral responsibility to put right some of the damage I have done.  I am a small potato farmer in the United Kingdom but my garden is affected by blight and since GMOs are not allowed I remain at loss,” Mark, also a British author of several books on global warming including Six Degrees: Our Future on a Hotter Planet, told an audience of scientists, farmers, the media, students and Members of the Uganda Parliament at Makerere University during the first biosafety conference on July 29.

Mark said he was sorry he had maligned genetically modified crops; sorry that he had helped start the anti-GM movement and sorry he had demonized the technology.

“I myself am culpable of the misleading information. That was a long time ago, and I have apologized for that. I was the original instigator of the anti-GMOs crusade. I personally destroyed GMO crops in the fields with activist groups,” he said.

In his presentation, “Unmasking the global conspiracies against agricultural biotechnology advancement in developing countries: what way out of Africa?” during the conference, Mark said there was strong scientific consensus that GM foods were entirely safe.

“There have been several hundred safety studies now on GM crops around the world, the vast majority clearly supporting the scientific consensus. And people in the US, South Africa and many other countries have consumed something like 2-3 trillion meals containing GM ingredients with not a single substantiated case of any negative health effects, not even so much as a headache,” he said.

He said he prioritized his East African tour because of the alarming situation—in Uganda where activists vowed to block a biotech and safety law under scrutiny by parliament and in Kenya, where there is a ban on importation of GMO products.

“Staple crops like cassava and banana here in Uganda and elsewhere in the region are under severe threat from new diseases which could wipe out much of the domestic food supply. Scientists here in Uganda, Kenya and elsewhere, in partnership with international collaborators at the best universities and plant science institutes in the world have come a long way towards developing crops which will be able to resist these diseases,” he explained.

While in Kenya, Mark was asked to clarify whether GMOs were another weapon being used by neo-colonialists to control the global market.

“I can tell you that if you look at the world only through the eyes of a victim, and you believe that everyone is an enemy and yourself should never change, and then you will indeed end up marginalized and exploited.

So my message to you is to be properly anti-colonial and believe in yourselves, he said, adding, “The way out for Africa is not to dance to the tune of others, and to ignore the conspiracy theories from abroad which the professional NGOs (non-governmental organizations) have downloaded from the internet.”  

Tanzanians, during Mark’s public lecture peddled lots of myths about GMOs causing cancer or taking genes from fish and putting them in tomatos, or making seeds sterile or whatever.

He encouraged African scientists to spread their pro-GMO gospel to Europe and America-the origins of GMOs-in order to garner global support for their research in Africa.

“Please come and tell the British public just how important crops like maize, banana and cassava are, and about how they can help address the challenge of food security in their disease-resistant and drought-tolerant varieties. It would also be useful for you to see that Europe is not a successful model to follow. European policy on biotechnology is in fact in a state of near collapse. Nothing has moved for over 10 years, and now major companies are pulling out,” said Mark.

Who is Mark Lynas?

Mark Lynas is a visiting research associate at Oxford University and environmental campaigner. His reputation and knowledge on climate change later earned him a position of advisor to the President of Maldives on climate change. A British author, he has written several books on global warming including Six Degrees: Our Future on a Hotter Planet, which was made into a movie by National Geographic. Other titles are; 'High Tide' and, his latest, the ‘The God Species: How the Planet can Survive the Age of Humans’

Lynas first heard about the notion of genetically modifying crops in a Brighton squat in early 1996, at a meeting of about six activists that was lead by Jim Thomas, a campaigns director for Greenpeace. Lynas lead the early workshops that spread the message further. 

A critical fracture between Lynas and his movement occurred after London's 2000 May Day riots, which he helped organize. “Everything we'd been trying to achieve was undermined by all the violence and window smashing. It just alienated people. I thought I'd be honest about it. Everyone looked at me in complete horror, shock and contempt," he later confessed.

 “So, contrary to what some of his critics have said, I applaud his conversion and urge him to continue his education. He has discovered high school biology. Now it’s time to go to college,” John Vandermeer of Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan says of Mark.