BOBI WINE SHOULD BE SMARTER

Posted on by Edris Matu Segawa

It’s nearing a month since ‘OTT’ has become famous. The only way to watsapp or keep up with that Facebook friend of yours is by paying the ‘social media tax’ of 200UGX daily. One man who has triggered Ugandans into demanding that this outrageous TAX be changed, is artist turned politician Bobi Wine.

Early this year, Bobi Wine won the Member of Parliament for Kyandondo East elections, there was promise of a new Uganda and a vision for the young. In most of his campaign trails, he talked about how the youth should now be involved in leadership and take Uganda to the next level. Implying that the governing body was congested by backward thinking elders.

Kyagulanyi Sentamu aka Bobi Wine is vocal against poor government policies and the monopoly H.E Yoweri Kaguta Museveni shares with his political party NRM over this beautiful country called Uganda, but his latest protest against social media TAX dubbed ‘this Tax must go’ has got me wondering if he and the opposition are learning from their past or simply performing a circus for the country that desperately wants change.

Uganda has witnessed pretense democracy, lack of accountability and there is a silent monster volcano boiling and fueled by years and years of soft and clever dictator ship, hence that a few civilians could be excited by the rowdy and futile protests. If there is anything to learn from history, is that these protests don’t bring about change or progress in any kind.

For over a decade, Kiiza Besigye has been the renegade leader for such protests and to date there is no victory credited to these destructive so called protests for the ‘people’. It’s 2018, and Bobi Wine has grabbed the torch. Sadly, I can’t help to wonder whether he has been advised that this is truly the best way to help Ugandans or even force the government, (a body he’s part of now) to make any changes.

I don’t doubt Bobi Wine’s intentions or motives, but I believe the change he seeks will not come from protests or scandalous tactics. Bobi Wine needs to be smarter in parliament than his predecessors, and probably then he might come out triumphant. Though who am I to tell the Ghetto president what to do!

PRESIDENTS AT THE WORLD CUP FINAL

Posted on by Edris Matu Segawa

I have a strong feeling that 2022 is our year to participate in the world cup. We go. We go, Uganda Cranes we go! Too soon? Okay.

I am certain though that yesterday, 15th July 2018, some few Ugandans bet their salary on the wrong team and now are hiding behind coffee plantations (try again during premiere league). The world cup Russia 2018 final was not short of drama as France and Craotia had battled through the group stages, last 16, quarter final, semi-finals and the world cup was in reach for both teams. Today marks that day when some of us football fans start to argue over the VAR controversial penalty, a comic blander from goal keeper lloris, an own goal and a record 19 year old strike that cemented France’s win at 4-2.

The show stealer moment though came after the whistle was blown and the three presidents had cued to give away medals. The man himself; Vladmir Putin president of Russia, Emmanuel Macron and Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic presidents to France and Croatia respectively. It was going to be a normal ceremony until God decided to add a little bit of rain to the party. Now, this when character shone through, in a flash an umbrella was over Putin’s head before a drizzle touched his likely expensive suit and for another five minutes or so the other two presidents remained without a cover over their heads.

What?! A president drenched in rain for five minutes? This is an outcry, but no, the two 40 year old presidents Macron and Kolinda seemed not to mind, but laughed and continued hugging players and thanking their countrymen for the victorious hard work they had displayed as 65 year old Putin continued serving medals with little or no smile.
It was a fresh sight of presidents who walked hand in hand to the platform and continued to show how normal they were without assuming a ‘small god’ status. When I researched more about the French and Craotia president, things became clear, these are presidents who serve and love their countries. When most presidents are beyond retirement age, these two are young and I believe fun to be around.
What do you think this means? I also don’t know.

One thing for sure is that France lifted the world cup and the likes of Pogba and new youngster Kylian Mabppe are on the rise. Come 2022, the world Cup will be hosted by Qatar from November to December and I truly and hopefully believe Uganda might as well participate in that world Cup. Fingers crossed or the Government could actually target this. I mean the social media tax money could be invested in the team. Just saying!

TAX AND THEN MORE

Posted on by Edris Matu Segawa

‘OMUSOLO’, that is a translation of the word TAX in the local Buganda dialect, which mostly inspired fear in the 90s and the need to hide under beds. It’s 2018 and Ugandans might yet again start jumping digital fences while running away from the this ‘thing’ called TAX.

Matia Kasaija, the Finance Minister of this pearl of Africa’ read out a 32.7 trillion budget (Not dollars but Uganda Shillings) for the financial year 2018/2019 and with it came the Mobile Money TAX, Social Media TAX and last but not appreciated, the FUEL TAX.

For most of you who don’t follow current affairs and probably the reason you wonder why that ‘ROLEX’ will cost 3k next year, this is a brief breakdown of the new ‘omusolos’.

A 2017 Bank of Uganda report, highlighted an increase in mobile money transactions from 3.6 trillion UGX to 4.9 trillion. ‘Oh wow’, some governemt official must have said ‘ this is an opportunity to make money from Ugandans’ and hence this financial year, ‘You’ and I will be taxed a 1% fee on any mobile money transaction i.e withdrawals, deposits and payments!
Now 1%  might seem small to some of you, but consult your math teacher. You will be amazed.

Kati I feel sorry for your girlfriends and boyfriends because, the social media Tax is going to complicate the already complicated relationships. From 1st July, you Watsapp and Facebook users plus instagramers and any social media slayers,  will have to pay a mandatory 200ugx before you can tell us about your lunch at JAVAS. The government expects to raise 284 Billion from this TAX! Mbu reports of abuse, fake news and cheating partners plus criminal activities,  implored some government official to put this tax in place.

Now, when oil was discovered in Hoima, some Ugandans thought fuel prices would go down (let me even laugh), the president spoke out and told us Ugandans that he’s not our servant and that oil in Hoima, it’s his not yours. So you should know who you are paying this last tax to, the FUEL TAX! For every liter you buy, (currently sold at 4099UGX or higher) , you will have to pay an extra 100ugx. The money collected from this tax is mbu intended for road maintenance.

So as you see, 2018/2019 financial is about to take a pinch from your pockets. Question is, how should we feel about all this tax imposed on us? Personally, I don’t mind being taxed, it’s this money collected that pays government officials, constructs roads and pretty much sustains countries. The major problem for Uganda is the chronic disease called ‘corruption’. Committees have been set up to eradicate and cure this illness but these efforts seem futile.

So this worries me on how all this money collected from mobile money, social media and fuel will be used. Will it be for GOD and My Country or my stomach?