Saturday 29 March 2008

Hey Hey Hey...We Are Ready for the Good Fight

This is a short post to re-introduce what I had planned to write about Robert Gabriel Mugabe, the President of Zimbabwe. I am confident that he is going to sail through the elections despite a number of opinions from the "talking heads" on the broadcast channels and written in the print publications.

I was listening to the Focus on Africa programme on BBC last night, the soundbite showed him in good mood and he was declaring war on the lackeys of British colonialism. By this, he was definitely referring to Morgan Tsvangarai and not Simba Makoni [by the way, he has not been attacking the latter directly, could it be that this was a ploy to divide the anti-Mugabe vote?]

We should not underestimate the Old Man. I did not wholly buy this demonising of RGM because the British are as guilty of causing the mess there as he is. Points to ponder: Who stole the land from the natives in the first case? Who set the land tenure that became the bone of contention over the years? Who reneged on the deal to compensate the white farmers? Could the present situation in Zimbabwe be partly due to the machinations of the British as a way of punishing Mugabe for throwing their kinsmen out of the country?

Fellow Africans, let us keep in mind these people did a lot of evil during the colonial period when they were overlords for which we are yet to hold them accountable for!!!

Congratulations to RGM....the challenge should be to make Zim a better country to live in than just fight to cling to power. This should the legacy he should bequeath to Zimbabweans.

Me and You

In this third part of the sms series that I embarked on partly because of the generous offer of my service provider and partly of my initial correspondences with Cassidy and her warm reception, I tackled the issue of relationships. In this case, a particular one [but I won't say whether it is past or present or future or a fiction based on true life, that will be for the readers to judge]. Like in the previous one, mine in blue, her in red, paraphrases/elaborations in green. You will notice that this was mostly a monologue.
Thinkg how 2 start this bt I'll throw pointers 2 get focus. Whn I call abt 10, I'll just listen 2 u. My batt is low & there's no power, hope it holds up.
2 get a persepctive, we need 2 recount how this started. It ws @ an event I attended just 2 show face, hv a few beers & out since I didnt hv other plans
It ws golf tournmt, a game I hd little interest in, bt since I hd bn 2 one the yr b4, I knew a little. 2 me, it ws fun day bse there ws dinner & dance after.
Golf is a game that can last a whole day, so I spent time @ the [clubhouse] on kb [read: conversation], tv & booze. It wsnt much later that things were 2 bcme more interestg
As part of event mgt, I ws assigned duty of receiving guests 2 dinner, ws 2 do this wth a gal cald Sal, we were later joined by another cald Lisa.
By ths time, I hd startd kb wth Sal whc Lisa joined in. dont remember topic bt we wre able 2 kp it going 2 dinner. At the table, we wre joined by 2 guys.
Kb ws generally abt life, atmosphere ws lively & drinks wre flowg. Of the three gals, Lisa struck me as a free spirit so I tended 2 talk 2 her mo.
After, there ws dance bt I wsnt in [it], neither ws our table. Besides gals hd 2 go, they claimed their BFs wre pickg them. Whn Lisa ws leavg, we exchanged nos [numbers].
Bt that ws not all, she gave me a hug (I didnt expect that). Wow, it ws heart warmg. In askg 4 her no. & giving my card, I ws taking a bold step...
Bold bse I didn't know wht 2 do wth that info. Bt I ws sure that I wanted 2 see her again. The times I called, the no. ws N/A [not available]. This is wht I wanted 2 avoid...
6am one day several wks later, she calls 2 wish me a gd dy. Wow, this ws different & it actually made my day. From then, we started 2 call each other and to...
...text & 2 meet @ different places. The more we met, the more I got 2 know abt her. She is v interesting & different, I like her company. She is great but...
...seems 2 conceal pain in her heart. Nevertheless, we all hurt in one way or another.
She is a fine lady, good looks, soft tender skin & a sexy figure. She's attractive & I've 2 admit that I'm attracted 2 her...
The thing wth attraction is that it can be one way or at different levels. The qn I ask myself, is she slso feelg the same? Many times I wrestled wth this...
many times I wanted 2 tell her bt i wd choke. I always believe in adddressg such issues in a face 2 face manner, so I send her sms hint so that she asks...
..she indeed asked me whn she came over 2 my office. Bt I couldnt flow, so I dodged that. The opportunity came at the least expected time thru sms & in club...
It ws after Val [St. Valentine's Day 14th February], she sent [a] thnx sms whc also hd 6 rules. My reply hd 'luv u 2' in it. A wk later, in Silk after UB40, is whn I 1st told her I'm attractd 2 her...
I dont knw if she remembers that. Bt now, since we hv let it known, what is the way 4ward? Qn will be answerd as story evolves. Gd nite Cassidy, hv a gd wk

With that I went to sleep, again way past midnight. But that was not the end of the story because I got more free sms to my credit when I loaded the requisite Shs 2,000 (a bit more than US$ 1) onto my cellphone.

The a'time gamed [this means run out] by since I hv some sms & u r lonely @ home, I'm going 2 continue the story: Me & U.
As we met regularly & came know more abt each other, a friendship devd & an attraction grew. She hs brought out a side of me that had died. I'm in a dilemma...
I'm tryg 2 restrain my feelgs yet I [need] 2 let it out. Bt I'm a prisoner of society, a prison wthout walls, unseen chains, can't rewind time, the clock kps tickg
At times, I wonder if it's my head or my heart or simply fate. If it's fate, it's predestined & I'm afraid. Heart, how far shd we go? Head, then it's rational.
This is an aside: As I ws thinkg of wht 2 write next, this songs plays on radio tht brings memories. It's cald "Freak You", 1 of thse raunchy male songs that shd be 4 foreplay ha haa
The story continues...At this pt, there is need 4 a perspective. At the back, there's baggage from both sides: I hv a partner & she told me she hd a BF tho...
...she told me they chucked [ended the relationship]. She ws down that day, I ws truly sad 4 her. I'm not a shrink, all I know there is love afta love & pain heals, a new page turns.
Anyway, our baggage is each of our own biz 2 handle. we r in this 2getha, as we look 4 a way 4ward, it'll hv 2 be us. Now, as we come 2 this, I [need] 2 look back
4 a month or so in Jan-Feb, we spent a lot of time 2getha mostly watchg ftball, I think that's where [the] bond grew. Whn it got heavy, she suggested a break but I...
...thot it ws better 2 put [it to] an end & work myself out of the system. But that ws the head, wht abt the heart? wht abt fate? A few [days] down the road was Val...
Experience hs taught me, this's when a guy hs 2 come correct (In high school I didnt show & lost the gal). Not that I feard 2 lose Lisa, I follwd my heart...
...i hv learnt that it's the thot that matters, that's the head. With that, the heart guided wht I did; music, roses, chocs...the kiss. Yes, it ws the 1st time...
...that we kissd tho I hd felt like it b4 then. However, such things r not rushd, it's better whn they flow naturally. I read somewhere that you dont ask [for] a kiss it just happens. I've 2 tell her that I enjoyd the moment (mwaah). That's the heart, does fate have a role here?
That's a qn that we can grapple wth & not get a clear answer. How do we know that it's fate that brought us 2getha? It ws a conscious decision 2 exchange nos, call & meet. Bt wht enabled us 2 be in a place at the same time & thru that maze of pple make that 1st contact that spawned this?
Thank u Cassidy 4 inspiring me 2 write, bt I don't want 2 be like the poet who wrote beautiful prose that the gal ws more in love with the words than the author.

Hi, thanks, hope yo gd, well abt the msgs i dont knw wat to say anymre

Friday 28 March 2008

Love

The following is the second part of the sms series, the topic is love. Note: as in the first part, me in blue, her in red and paraphrases/elaborations in green between parentheses.

I'm on the way home, I'm reflecting on the tough topic [that] u have given but I'll draw on different experiences, what I've read & what happens around [me or us]

2 look @ wht we think, know or feel about complex topics like love, life, sex, religion, money, death, we look @ the past 2 try & understnd the present & future

Of the complex topics I mentioned, love is quite unique. It's a beautiful positive feeling but rises many negative emotions: jealousy, insecuirty, obsession....

As I had said earlier, it is our experience with love & the environment in which we do that eventually form our view. So, what is mine?

I dont knw u tell me. Wat r u doing hme apart 4rm writing to me?

Hmm....maybe it's why u chose that topic. I'm just chilling, having kb [read: conservation] & smsing, there ws no power bt it's back now. The story continues...

Before my story, let me share this: Perhaps love in all its aspects is the most covered subject in books/print, music, film, drama, dance & other expresssions

And this refers to different kinds of love: Filial (mother-child, bro-sis), agape (friends), eros (normally man-woman, incl. sexual attraction).

I have experienced all these. The 1st two from the time I came 2 be & from the time I started my 1st steps [in]reaching [out] 2 others around me. What about eros?

My view is filial is the highest form bse ideally it is unconditional. Sth agape & eros may lack bse they are based on choice whch we dont hv in the 1st

Sme searching abt your topic

Btw, I'm writing it from my heart & head like an article. This is with inspiration

Eros comes later & around the time we start 2 experience changes in our bodies. I had my 1st taste from this cup at 16, I ws struck & even many yrs later...

I recall how it felt 2 be in love then, bonding came natural, she ws 2 yrs younger. We exchanged letters, gifts & visits, we met many times alone 4....

....just kb, 2 listen 2 music & 2 kiss. I still remember the [cassette] tape she gave me (by Madonna). She's the 1st person I kissed, it ws "electric", a great moment

It really must have bin the fact dat u recall it

Maybe that's why i like kissing. However, I cant tell u who she is, at one time she ws some kind of celeb (Red Pepper).

Our relationship lasted a few months [until] whn she had 2 leave our hood 2 live elsewhere. I ws sad abt it but eventually got another, I hd started on this path

We were in [the] same class bt diff sch. [read: schools] Now this is wht they call a high sch sweetheart...ours played out in the letters we wrote every wk & during sch functions

Surprisingly, we didnt even kiss, we were 2getha from abt S4 till campus [university]. It's funny that whn we were free 2 do it, that's when we crumbled.

It ws something that started as a small matter bt ended the affair. She linked with an OB of mine & he filled in the gaps. Damn! She's around town & we met &...

No, we didnt. I think it ws fate..we had many progs [read: dates] 2 club, beach, icecream bt sth would come up. After her, there were others, there's indeed love after love

In all these, one thing is that the end [of the relationships] ws not bitter. Somehow, things would run their course, I'm thankful 2 these ladies 4 that time, there ws sth I learnt...

As I grew older, sex featured more regularly...it ws now eros proper. Tho sex alone is another topic, it plays a role in love (eros). But what hv I learnt?

Intimacy & friendship r integral 2 [a] relatnship [if] it's 2 last. Bt not evry erotic one shd hv this bse of many other factors outside.

With this, I knocked off way past midnight that night. The last and final part is yet to come....and it is the series with the most number of sms.

Wet Dreams

Recently, my telecommunications service provider came up with a promotion that gets its subscribers 3,000 seconds of free airtime [that is 50 minutes!!!] and 25 free sms. The catch is that you have to load a bit of airtime (Shs 2,000, a bit more than US$ 1) to get the offer and have to use this to numbers on the same network, within the 24 hours that you are on.

With a lot of airtime to dispose of, one sweet day, I called my dear friend Cassidy. We talked about a wide variety of issues and she signed off with a "Sweet Dreams". To this, I asked what that phrase actually meant because I had my own expectations of what sweet dreams I would have that night. Her reply was quite sacarstatic [are those wet dreams?].

The remainder of the 3,000 seconds ended at this point, but I had a few sms left. So I started "smsing" on that topic and below is a recap of what went on [I in blue, her in red, and the paraphrases in green].

Ok, meanwhile I'll be texting abt different things. Just [keep] reading

My battery is low, but I'll continue texting esp abt wet dreams whn I charge, I'm a twisted muthaf&@ka.

Haha will be waiting

When we talked abt dreams & u thot wet ones, it reminded of an [argument that I] had wth my pals. It's hard when u r sexually active bse sperms r being let out.

Some guys said they had even they were active, maybe [bse] the taps r loose. So the 1st reason doesn't hold

On the other hand, at that time I ws not sexually active & don't hv wet dreams, that [means] 1st & 2nd cases didn't hold. What is the true picture?

Reality is some hv, others don't & itsn't directly related 2 sex. Hv a gdnite, thanx 4 this weird episode.

Haha very funny seriously. Am dying of laughters u guys even talk abt dat shit I've hahad.

This was the beginning of my 3-part sms series that I call "Letters 2 Cassidy" that partly helped break my writer's block and inspired me to start this blog. Check the next series on love.

Monday 24 March 2008

Food Fight: Ever Wondered Why the Prices Are Going Up?

As I came to the office, on the bus and during lunch today, I read an article that has intrigued me. This is so especially in the light of my partner's comment over the Easter weekend that "food is expensive these days". It is from bi-monthly electronic newsletter that is published by the Policy Analysis and Advocacy Programme of ASARECA [From 1999-2003, I was the editor and I am glad that I still receive it and it has grown in stature over the years]. The article is very long but worth every word and the time that you will spend on it.

If you are interested in subscribing, just follow the link above.

Increasing Food Prices: A Call for Policy Change

Consumer choices around the world may be driven by varying tastes and preferences, but each is currently being guided by an additional force, the sticky shock of soaring food prices. Food inflation has taken center stage in global headlines replacing stories of war and unrest. The strain is being felt especially in the ECA region where food accounts for 50 percent or more of the household budget. While headline news about high food prices is a relatively recent phenomenon, the broader upswing in commodity prices began in 2001. Large structural shifts in the global economy have been steadily reflected in commodity price increases. In this issue of the newsletter, PAAP has compiled from a number of news items discussing reasons for the soaring food prices, impacts to the poor and policy options for governments.

Wheat prices (US $) have increased by 200 percent, and overall food prices (US $) have risen by 75 percent since the turn of the century. Adjusting for exchange rates and domestic inflation reduces the price increases faced by developing countries-but these increases are still severe for millions of poor consumers. Soyabean prices hit an all-time high of $ 14.22 a bushel while corn prices jumped to a fresh 12-year high of $ 5.25 a bushel. The price of rice and wheat has doubled in the past year and that of processed foods have followed suit. A recent survey of the major food and grains wholesale markets in Kampala, Uganda shows that wheat flour prices have jumped by 50 percent over the past two months, rice prices by 33 percent, maize flour prices by 150 percent and salt by 300 percent. Locally, the price increase is linked to droughts in the north and eastern parts of the country, the post election violence in Kenya and a buying frenzy from relief agencies.

The grain price surge is not unique to wheat. Rice prices have surged to a 20-year high creating policy headaches in Asia, where more than 2.5 billion people depend on cheap and abundant supplies of the grain. Thai rice prices, a global benchmark, surged last recently above the level of $ 500 a tonne for the first time since at least 1989, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation. In the US, rice in Chicago, the benchmark for the world’s fourth-largest exporter of the grain, jumped to a record $ 400 per tonne – up about 75 per cent in the past year.

High prices and extremely tight supplies have prompted leading rice suppliers – including Vietnam, India and Egypt – to restrict exports in recent months in an attempt to keep local markets well-supplied and domestic prices under control while other countries are now seeking assurances over supplies. The Philippines, the world’s largest buyer of rice has asked Vietnam to guarantee an undisclosed amount of rice for the 2008/09 season.

In spite of a record crop of about 420 metric tonnes in the current season, global rice supplies are lagging behind demand, which has risen to 423 metric tonnes, leading to a further decline in global rice inventories, according to the US Department of Agriculture. Rice stocks have fallen this season to about 70 metric tonnes, the lowest level for 25 years and less than half the 150 metric tonnes held in global inventories in 2000. Prices for palm oil have doubled in 12 months boosted by strong demand from China and India, and increasing demand for biodiesel production. The rise in palm oil prices is also linked to the surging cost of other vegetable oils. Palm oil prices have risen by 27.5 per cent since the start of the year.
Chinese buying is because the rapeseed crop was last recently damaged by extreme weather and because of plans by Indonesia, the world’s largest palm oil producer, to lift exports taxes. 9,000 hectares of forest and plantation recently burnt down in Riau in Sumatra province in Indonesia which has added fuel to the buying fire.

Palm oil’s strength has boosted the prices of other edible oil sources. At the Chicago Board of Trade, soyabean futures for March delivery hit a record high of $ 14.47½ a bushel, double the price a year ago. In Paris, rapeseed futures for May delivery hit a record high of € 492 a tonne. As prices soar, the World Food Programme (WFP) sees the emergence of a “new era of hunger” in developing countries where even middle-class, urban people are being “priced out of the food market” because of rising food prices. Countries that had previously escaped hunger such as Indonesia, Yemen and Mexico are also being hit.

Causes of rising food prices

This rise in prices is a consequence of both demand and supply trends. On the demand side, food prices are rising on a mix of strong consumption growth in emerging markets, which in turn has been powered by those countries’ impressive income gains. In recent years, the world’s developing countries incomes have been growing about 7 percent a year, an unusually rapid rate by historical standards. China, for example, has accounted for up to 40 per cent of the increase in global consumption of soy-beans and meat over the past decade. The US Department of Agriculture forecasts that Chinese imports of pork- the country’s staple meat will double over the next 10 years.

Other factors include a rising global population with changing diets from carbohydrates to meats and processed foods. This means more grain is needed to feed farm animals to meet human needs. Increasing urbanisation due to rural urban migration and conversion of agricultural land to settlement and other uses has cut the acreage given over to cultivating the grain. Globally, the newly urbanized and newly affluent are seeking more protein and more calories; a phenomenon dubbed “diet globalisation.” Demand is growing for pork in Russia, beef in Indonesia and dairy products in Mexico and bread in Nigeria. Rice is giving way to noodles, home-cooked food to fast food.

At the same time, a series of supply-side disruptions in key commodity markets ranging from more frequent floods and droughts caused by climate change to disease have been at work. Australia, one of the world’s key wheat producers was hit by its worst drought in 100 years which halved the winter wheat crop to 12 million tonnes in 2007. Reports of drought and water shortages in north-west China, where most of the country's wheat is grown, and bad harvests in Argentina and Brazil have also compounded the problem. Unusually cold weather last year in places such as Ukraine also hurt production.

But perhaps the most important drivers of price gains over the past year are developments in world energy markets. High oil prices have encouraged a policy focus on biofuels, including significant subsidies for the development of the biofuels industry in industrialised economies such as the US and the EU. Production has responded quickly to these incentives: the World Bank reports that the US has used 20 per cent of its maize production for biofuels (about 40 metric tonnes of maize or 4 percent of global production of coarse grains) and the European Union 68 per cent of its vegetable oil production reflecting an unprecedented growth in the biofuels industry’s appetite for grains. This change in usage has boosted prices, reduced the supply of these crops available for food and encouraged the substitution of other agricultural land from food to biofuel production. Demand for alternative energy sources has led farmers to sow less wheat and convert land to crops such as corn, sugarcane and rapeseed, which can be turned into biofuels. But this means there is less land for growing food crops. World grain stocks are at record lows and next year’s prices depend on the success of the next harvest in the northern hemisphere. In seven of the last eight years, world wheat consumption has outpaced production. Stockpiles are at their lowest point in decades.

Freight costs have also increased sharply on the back of rising fuel prices. The record shipping rates have made food yet more expensive in the poorer, importing countries that need to buy it most. High fertiliser prices have also increased the cost of producing food. Fertiliser prices have increased 150 percent in the past five years. This is very significant, because the cost of fertilizer is 25 to 30 percent of the overall cost of grain production in the US (which supplies 40 percent of world grain exports). All over the world, countries are resorting to “starve thy neighbour policies.” The main reason behind the most recent sudden rise in wheat prices was a decision by Kazakhstan to impose export tariffs to curb sales. Kazakhstan, a big exporter of wheat, said the curbs would help it battle an inflation rate of nearly 20 percent. The move follows similar restrictions imposed by Russia and Argentina (The top five wheat exporters are US, Russia, Canada, Argentina and the EU).

The scramble by corporate consumers and relief agencies to secure scarce grain and speculative buying by investors has led to the surge in prices for high quality wheat used in bread to an all-time high of $ 24 a bushel – the highest yet paid for any wheat contract and a three-fold increase from a year ago.Commodity prices have also soared as commodities have found favour among investors struggling with poor returns in other markets. Stock markets have lost ground as the world economy slows and the fallout from the sub-prime crisis continues.

Is the price surge a temporary phenomenon?

In the long run, the food supply could grow. More land may be pulled into production, and outdated farming methods in some countries may be upgraded. Moreover, rising prices could force more people to cut back. The big question is whether such changes will be enough to bring supply and demand into better balance.

Already supply seems to be responding to the high price; more wheat having been planted in the northern hemisphere over the winter. The US Agriculture Department forecasts that world wheat production will increase 8 percent this year. With climate change and environmental degradation threatening agricultural capacity in several key regions, and the significant reduction in world food stocks, the elasticity of past supply responses, however, may prove to be a poor guide to the future. Similar sentiments are shared by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO). The FAO has called for significant increases in production of more than one season’s cereal crop if markets are to regain their stability and for prices to decline significantly below the recent highs.

According to leading economists, the price surge is not a temporary hump but rather a structural change, a sustained move to a new and higher plateau for prices. The US Department of Agriculture warned that high agricultural commodities prices would continue for at least the next two to three years. The root causes of the phenomenon of rising food prices - high energy and fertiliser prices, the demand for food crops in biofuel production, and low food stocks - are likely to prevail in the medium term. Energy and fertilizer prices are projected to stay high.

The lag in supply response to the stimulus provided by higher prices may also prove to be of greater duration than its predecessors, to the extent that the current changes in world energy markets – and hence the associated demand for biofuels – are likely to be lasting ones. The demand for biofuels will probably rise. A quarter of the US maize crop (11 percent of the global crop) went into biofuel production this year, and the US supplies more than 60 percent of world maize exports. Notably, the US - one of more than 20 countries to require biofuels use - has just doubled its biofuels mandate by 2015. In addition, surplus production capacity is scarce. The EU’s “set aside” lands, originally intended to keep surpluses low, have already been brought into production and US Conservation Reserve lands would give low yields, even supposing legislation to move them into production was in the works.

Reduction in food aid

On February 13, the FAO announced that 36 countries are in crisis as a result of higher food prices and will require external assistance, 21 of the countries being in Africa. In some, such as Lesotho and Swaziland, drought has affected production; others such as Sierra Leone lack widespread access to food from local markets for various reasons, including very low income and very high food prices; and more than a dozen, including Ghana, Kenya and Chad, are undergoing severe localized food insecurity. In January, in Davos and in Addis Ababa, World Bank President Robert Zoellick called for action to tackle hunger and malnutrition in a world of rising food prices, noting that hunger and malnutrition is the forgotten Millennium Development Goal. Between 1990 and 2005 the proportion of children under five who were underweight declined by one fifth. But that progress is now under threat. Rising food prices mean that malnutrition and starvation once again threaten many of those at the bottom of the world’s economic ladder. Despite the urgency and potency of the matter, the World Food Programme (WFP) is drawing up plans to ration food aid in response to the spiraling cost of agricultural commodities. The agency’s budget requirements were rising by several million dollars a week because of escalating food prices. The World Food Programme may have to cut food rations or even the number of people it reaches, unless donors provide more cash to pay higher prices.

Impacts of rising food prices

Impacts on the poor

During the extended period in which supply continues to lag behind demand there are likely to be significant social and economic costs. Three in particular stand out. Most important, a period of protracted higher food prices will be bad news for many of the world’s poorest people and its poorest economies. While the share of food in the consumption basket of a rich country such as the US is relatively low, at about 10 per cent, it averages about 30 per cent in China and more than 60 per cent in sub-Saharan Africa. Hence the unrelenting increase in prices is likely to bode evil to the pursuit of the millennium development goals on poverty, malnutrition and hunger, especially for the poor countries. Countries that are most vulnerable are the low-income net food importers. Because of the surge in food prices, the world’s poor countries will have to pay 35 per cent more for their cereals imports, taking the total cost to a record $ 33.1 billion (in the year to July 2008, even as their food purchases fall 2 per cent, according to the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation.

The world’s poorest economies are also some of the largest importers of food grains; which makes the food security crisis serious. Striking a balance between importing food at exorbitant prices and assuring food security for the poor is a hard task for any government. Higher food prices add more strain to import bills that have often already been stretched by higher energy prices. Several of the poorest economies fall into this category and are heavily dependent on food aid to meet their needs. But the worldwide volume of such aid has stagnated for the past two decades and, what is worse; the quantity of aid delivered tends to fall as prices rise, given that a large proportion comprises a fixed annual dollar amount.


Next, there are important social strains to be managed. These may be particularly problematic for those emerging markets that are already struggling to deal with the consequences of growing inequality. Granted, higher food prices are something of a two-edged sword here, since higher agricultural earnings could reduce rural-urban income disparities. But the big losers are likely to be the urban poor, typically a politically volatile group, while many of the rural poor will also suffer. While the urban poor are most affected, it is worth remembering that most rural people are buyers rather than sellers of food. There could well be severe effects for landless rural workers whose subsistence wages may not increase apace with food prices.

The implications for trade

Costly food will disrupt the trade balances of relatively few countries, because the majority will see largely offsetting gains in other commodity exports. Countries most adversely affected include Jordan, Egypt, the Gambia, Lesotho, Djibouti, and Haiti. Looking at the global landscape, sustained high food prices could lead rich countries to be more willing to reduce agricultural subsidies and that could improve the prospects for a successful Doha Round. Trade policy, once motivated by surplus food, now faces a reversal of circumstances.

The range of government responses

Political tensions are building: the World Food Programme, for example, now thinks a third of the world’s population lives in countries with food price controls or export bans. Governments are responding in a number of ways, some of which provide immediate relief but risk confounding the problem in the long term. In response to increasing food prices, Egypt has widened its food rationing system for the first time in two decades while Pakistan has reintroduced a ration card system that was abandoned in the mid-1980s; Oman has also introduced food subsidies. Countries such as China and Russia are imposing price controls while others, such as Argentina and Vietnam, are enforcing foreign sales taxes or export bans. Cereal importing countries are lowering their tariffs.

The world’s largest importer of wheat is Egypt; currently the government cannot raise the prices of subsidised food, so every increase [in international prices] is absorbed by the state. The bread subsidy alone went up by around $ 820 million last year to reach $ 2.45 billion. Food price inflation has forced the Egyptian government for the first time in 20 years to relax the rules about who can receive subsidised food. As a result, officials say they expect an additional 10.5m people to be added to the list. Pakistan recently launched ration cards to provide subsidised food for nearly 7million households after the price of wheat and edible oils, key staples in the country, soared. Food ration cards in Pakistan were mostly abandoned in the 1980s. Thousands of paramilitary troops have been deployed since January to guard trucks carrying wheat and flour. Malaysia, trying to keep its commodities at home, has made it a crime to export flour and other products without a license. Russia, is implementing price controls on selected types of bread, cheese, milk, eggs and vegetable oil.

The American Bakers Association last month took the radical step of suggesting that American exports be curtailed to keep wheat at home, though the group later backed off. Cereal traders said it was unlikely Washington would support export curtailments, but added that the call highlighted the tightness of the market. Banning exports to keep domestic prices low, for instance, can severely affect producers who are often poor themselves. This also reduces the supply response needed to meet future demand growth. However, these short term controls are being operated to stem a probable spill of violence from a populace that may feel deprived of food. Politically, it's difficult for these countries to continue to export if prices are high domestically. Already since last year, the rising cost of food has attracted violence in many places around the world.

Last year, tens of thousands of Mexicans marched in a protest against the rising price of tortillas after the price of the flat corn bread soared by over 400 percent. In Italy, a one day pasta strike was declared to protest against the rising cost of pasta, the country’s national staple with each Italian eating on average 28 kg of pasta every year. In West Bengal, there have already been disputes over food-rationing. In Yemen, children marched in public to call attention to child hunger. In Africa, the crisis has revealed the potentially destabilising impact of rising global oil prices on Africa, where many countries have seen fuel import bills soar. In Cameroon, the government plans to pass the cost on to consumers by raising the price of subsidised petrol sparked one week long protests by taxi drivers in the commercial centre Douala, crippling the country’s main port. Cameroon pumps about 85,000 barrels a day of oil and the port is a lifeline to landlocked Chad and Central African Republic. The unrest spread to the capital, Yaounde, and towns in the south. This violence shows how soaring oil and food prices on global markets are threatening the patronage systems of political leaders on the continent. Similar demonstrations linked to surging inflation have swept across Niger, Ghana, Senegal, Mauritania, Guinea and Burkina Faso in the recent past.

In Indonesia, hundreds of meat sellers took to the streets in Jakarta late February to complain about the rising price of beef. The Indonesian government had to introduce an export tax for crude palm oil. It also cut import taxes for soy-beans, wheat and flour as part of a $ 4 billion package to tackle the problem. In Indonesia the price of tofu has jumped 50 per cent in the past year; rice is up 25 per cent and cooking oil almost 40 per cent. Indonesia, a big producer of crude palm oil, is one of the beneficiaries of the booming biofuels sector. But at the same time the price of local cooking oil has soared. Jakarta is sensitive to price-related social unrest. In 2005 a doubling or more in the cost of fuel sparked protests. The government continues to spend nearly 35 per cent of its entire budget on fuel and electricity subsidies. This year it expects to spend nearly $ 12 billion on fuel subsidies and almost $ 6 billion keeping down the cost of electricity. Apart from leading to more popular protests, higher food prices are also starting to work their way through the inflation numbers. Consumer prices were 7.4 per cent higher in January than a year ago, a 16-month record and above the country’s full-year inflation target of 6 per cent.

Required policy action

Higher food prices call for tighter monetary policy if governments are to effectively manage their economies. Given the disparity in the share of food in consumption baskets, and the fact that rich country central banks tend to exclude food prices from their core inflation measures, the policy reaction will tend to be greater in developing economies. However, rich country central banks will also have to keep a close watch on any spillover effects that tighter monetary policy could have on non-food prices. Governments need to take focused action, with direct subsidies for the poor rather than the whole country. Income transfers or food assistance for poor people will work more efficiently and sustainably than more general steps such as price controls and other direct measures at the national level.

Investment in agriculture has remained low in sub-Saharan Africa, and the level of external aid to the sector had been falling since 1995. It is crucial that more resources go to agriculture. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation has called on the oil-producing countries of the Middle East to invest more of their oil windfalls in developing agriculture in their region, in order to address the serious threat to food security posed by water scarcity and climate change. Water scarcity is a main constraint on agriculture in the region, which has only 2 per cent of global fresh water resources and 11 per cent of global population. Climate change is expected to make the situation worse, as changing rainfall patterns and global warming mean that more water is lost through evaporation. Hence oil producing countries should consider the possibility of investing in Africa to ensure the security of food supply.

The food crisis points to capital and resource misallocation. If the world today were a rational economic place, then regions such as the Gulf which are food-constrained ought to be investing heavily in agriculture. And since the globe still has large tracts of undeveloped arable land, the gulf should reallocate oil windfalls to areas where agriculture is possible but resources are a major constraint. Without such market failures, the Gulf leaders would not be considering desalinating sea water to plant wheat in the desert – while the world is trying to turn corn into fuel at the expense of food consumers. Although serious challenges to increasing food production: limits to available land, soil degradation and access to water among them abound, over the next few years, prices will stabilise as supply increases and stocks are rebuilt especially through the new biotechnology drive which has the potential to drive up output if well harnessed. In the meantime, governments that are subsidising biofuels need to come up and help fund the World Food Programme. The environmental benefits of maize biofuel are ambiguous at best and it should not be favoured over growing maize for food. The world has enough food to feed everybody – if there is the will to do so.

PAAP acknowledges the following news sources and authors.

David Streitfeld. The Food Chain: A Global Need for Grain that Farms Can't Fill, the New York Times, Published: March 9, 2008

KEITH BRADSHER, Food Chain: A new Global Oil Quandary: Costly Fuel Means Costly Calories, for the New York Times Published: January 19, 2008
Jing Ulrich, 2008.
China holds the key to food prices: The Financial Times, November 7 2007
BBC NEWS.
Why are Wheat Prices Rising?, Published: 2008/02/26 15:40:18 GMT

BBC NEWS.
Counting the Cost of the Wheat Price Hike Published: Friday, 21 September 2007

The New Vision: Katale Watch: Commodity prices soar, Published Friday March 14, 2008.

Matthew Green, Cameroon crisis continues as inflation surges, the Financial Times, Published: March 4 2008.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/fbe9870a-e975-11dc-8365-0000779fd2ac.html?nclick_check=1
The World Bank,
High Food Prices - A Harsh New Reality, Published February 29, 2008

Mark Thirlwell,
Food and the Spectre of Malthus, Published: February 26 2008

Heba Saleh in Cairo,
Invest oil money in food, UN says, the Financial Times, Published: March 6 2008
Javier Blas in Washington and Gillian Tett in London,
High food prices may force aid rationing the Financial Times, Published: February 24 2008
Why are food prices rising? multimedia feature explores the factors that contribute to global food price inflation, the Financial Times, Published: November 20 2007

Javier Blas in London and Heba Saleh in Cairo,
Record cereal prices burden poor countries, the Financial Times, Published: February 14 2008

Lisa Murray in Jakarta,
Indonesia warns of unrest as food prices rise, the Financial Times, Published: February 27 2008

Javier Blas in Vienna and Raphael Minder in Hong Kong,
Twenty-year high in rice prices sparks fears, Published: March 4 2008

Javier Blas, Commodities Correspondent,
Wheat prices surge to new high, the Financial Times, Published: February 17 2008

Andrew Wood in Hong Kong and John Aglionby in Jakarta,
Demand for biodiesel fuels palm oil price, the Financial Times, Published: February 25 2008

Javier Blas in London and Isabel Gorst in Moscow,
Wheat prices in biggest one-day rise , the Financial Times, Published: February 25 2008

The Financial Times, Editorial,
Biofuels will not feed the hungry, Published: February 25 2008

Chris Flood in London,
Wheat price surge raises inflation fears, the Financial Times, Published: February 8 2008

Gillian Tett,
Insight: The next crisis will be over food the Financial Times, Published: February 14 2008
Inflation: China’s least wanted export, the Financial Times, Published: November 12 2007
Javier Blas in London,
UN urges rethink on biofuels, the Financial Times, Published: August 14 2007
Jacques Diouf,
Biofuels should benefit poor, the Financial Times, Published: August 14 2007

Javier Blas,
Shoppers warned bigger bills on way, the Financial Times, Published: February 24 2008

Dominique Patton,
GM foods win acceptance as prices soar, Business Daily, Published Thursady 20th March 2008

Ban Ki Moon,
The new face of hunger and malnutrition, Business Daily, Published Thursady 20th March 2008

Friday 21 March 2008

More to Come

Dear readers,

I will be writing more on the issues that I had highlighted in one of my postings: Obama, Mugabe and Castro. There is also something I will shine the torch on in a post to be titled "Let's Talk About Sex", the focus will be on the push for abstinence among young people in Africa yet sexually transmitted diseases are increasing in the same demographic in USA [the promoter].

As you read an article in which I was quoted on the Obama-mania in Uganda, I will also reflect on one where I was quoted but did not make that comment at all [This will be first posting under the section I will label "MediaWatch"] yet it has wider implications than the author expected or anticipated. I have just finished typing a self-initiated letter of explanation to my superiors so that I can enjoy this Easter weekend with my loved ones in peace. I will even take several beers without that feeling lurking at the back of my mind.

To all those that I have attacked, I wish you a Happy Easter and let us keep this alive. The same wishes for those who will be reading this during the weekend. To my Muslim brothers and sisters in Uganda, my heartfelt congratulations on the successful completion and opening of the Qadhafi National Mosque. To all peoples of Africa of different persuasions or otherwise, all the best.

On the lighter note, under a section I will label "Letters to Cassidy", I will share with you a series of sms that helped break my writer's block. I'm also crafting a short story called "99 Problems" a fictionalised account of true-life stories [I put this on hold to observe Lent]. Ha ha...this will be the killer...no holds barred.

Yours truly,

DMG

PS. To Country Boyi, who encouraged me to start a blog and even being the first to link my blog to his. Let us keep the spirit alive, also check the description of this blog to answer the question you asked me.

Another One from a Religious Leader....the Canon Fires a Volley

After my ribbed-condom response [in my lexicology, this means writing a very critical piece on an expressed opinion so don't take literally, this statement has history behind it] to Pastor Joshua's article in last Sunday's Monitor, I came across this letter to the editor written by a man of the cloth, Rev. Canon Aaron Mwesigye. It was published in The New Vision newspaper of 13 March 2008.

I have reproduced it here for my readers to make a contrast between the two. My only comment on this very insightful piece is his categorising condom use as a bourgeoisie decadence. Let us remind ourselves what the condom was made for. It was primarily for birth control, then when HIV/AIDS came around, it was adopted as one of the methods to avoid it.

My own church doesn't advocate for contraceptive methods that are artificial such as the condom. But in my three decades on planet earth, people will always have "offside" sex despite what the Church has been preaching for hundreds of years. This is debatable but I think condoms have saved more people than those Gideon New Testament bibles we find in hotel rooms! [An aside: I have always wondered why hotels don't have condoms in every room? Yet, you will most likely find guests using the rooms for sex or sleep than for prayer!]

LETTER OF THE DAY

This letter, the Editor feels, demands special attention

Africa's education is not value-based

EDITOR-Formal education in Africa today is largely a cocktail of colonial and neo-colonial state,
Christian Church and Islamic traditions arlda multiplicity of bilateral and multilateral agencies.

The African child is simply a lost sheep thrown on the street, a consequence of neo-liberal structural adjustment capitalistic economics, a prey to the worse forms of bourgeoisie decadence like strikes, condom use, drugs, smoking, alcoholism, violence etc. The current education in Africa does not provide values and ethics that protect and promote individuals and institutions.

Instead it sows seeds of envy, helplessness, corruption, violence, laziness and insecurity. Teachers/lecturers only meet students in class to give them notes--there is no room or forum for discussing challenges and opportunities in instltutions of learning. Likewise, the Boards and Councils only meet lecturers/teachers when there is a crisis instead of continuous monitoring and planning together to avoid or prevent the crisis. Some of the meetings between students, staff and administration do not expose all the issues and different interest groups remain unattended to resulting in crisis.

There is total moral anarchy in sodety and what is happening in Uganda now (strikes at Makerere University, Kyambogo Universfty) qualifies the existing "moral anarchy in society". Students and teachers are part of society hence engage in some form of terrorism. I propose the following remedies:

We need an education that inspires and exposes us to society and religious values so that we operate in a value-system society. Where can we get transparency, accountability, self-control, forgiveness, responsibility, honesty without values and principles in our educational system? That is why our education system produces leaders who are corrupt, irresponsible and not ashamed of engaging in some form of terrorism in their own countries.

Students should be involved in the management of schools, universities on a regular basis. Isolate them and they will find their way to disappoint you or disorganise all your plans.
There should be regular inspection in schools and universities and the Ministry of Education is responsible for this. Let this not stop at administration level. All students and staff must be involved and informed of the new developments in the institution. The challenges facing the institution must be shared across and understood by all the respective organs.

Teachers and students' forums to address welfare, discipline issues must be created, encouraged and facilitated by the administration. Responsibility in institutions of higher learning must be given preferably to people who are principled and flexible. The two qualities are necessary when dealing with different situations.

Government-aided institutions should act as models on the basis of discipline, welfare and academic excellence in society. Failure to attain this proves that Government is simply a funder/founder and not involved in the nurturing of the institutions.

The teaching of ethics should be a must and both teachers and students should be exposed to ethical principles that govern society to promote institutions and individuals.

The use of Police to stop violence using teargas and bullets shows the extent to which our society is loose and does not harmoniously co-exist. May the Mighty Hand of the Living God defend and protect our society/our continent Africa and save us from evil and destruction.


The Rev. Canon Aaron Mwesigye, Provincial Secretary, Church of the Province of Uganda

Thursday 20 March 2008

Sorry Pastor......But That Was Foolish

Just as I thinking about a plethora of issues to address like Robert Mugabe's move to claim a chunk of foreign investments in Zim for his people, the retirement of Fidel Castro and his contribution to Africa [this is long overdue], the Obama-mania, a pastor writes an article that smacks of bigotry [defined by the Anti-Defamation League as "prejudice and/or discrimination against one or all members of a particular group based on negative perceptions of their beliefs and practices or on negative group stereotypes"].

Now. I will have to put in my two-cents on this. Firstly, I believe and have come to a conclusion that some of these Pentecostal [or Evangelical, Born Again] preachers are many times bankrupt on the philosophy that their religious establishments are based on or what they stand for. FYI: Joshua Mugabi is a preacher in Kampala Pentecostal Church and pens a regular column in The Sunday Monitor called Fourth Dimension.

The article entitled "The Gadaffi truimphal entry" [disregard the spelling error] was full of unfounded fears, bias and bigotry. The good man (sic) virtually promoted discrimination, anti-Islamism [if there is such a word] and to some extent, racism!!

I will highlight some of the statements in what he wrote about the visit of the Libyan Leader Muammar el Qadhafi [the spelling varies depending on where you are or who is writing]. Franky speaking, at first I was shocked...then it just made me laugh [not funny ha ha but a deep sacarcastic one].

I want this to be about the content and not about the man who wrote it [one of the persons I know referred to him as anointed one of God...(hero worship?) so I will steer clear of that]. My comments are highlighted in red.

The opener reads like this "While Palm Sunday should come with great anticipation of great Christian advancement, in Uganda today the spiritual atmosphere of light is quickly turning into darkness."

When was there an atmosphere of light yet some of these churches are run like business exploiting the gullible Ugandans that flock there in hope of miracles and change in the status of their lives. In fact, there is more darkness now than even before Qadhafi set foot here!

"the opening of the mosque that stands like Goliath against the dwarfed historical Namirembe Cathedral and the unseen Rubaga Cathedral."

Is this man serious? Uganda is home to many religions including his. Namirembe [for Protestants] and Rubaga [for Catholics] occupy prominent positions on the hills around Kampala. I don't think the new mosque dwarfs these religious building, the only thing is that they are far from each other. Take note: that this mosque has only been completed after about three decades.

Of course Uganda’s historical site was desecrated in the process of setting up the mosque.This meant that our history is of no value to our nation where new money making ventures are esteemed over what would be of national historical value to the nation.

Let me remind him that his church was once Nommo Gordinho Cinema, another historical building in Kampala. The Lugard fort that was destroyed is just one of the many historical sites that we as Ugandans have not taken care of as the craze of putting up modern architecturally ugly structures consumes us. We are all guilty...has he been to the Uganda Museum of late? Why is it that his consciousness for preservation of historical monuments wakes up when a mosque is built.

Considering the fact the Islamic conference and mosque official opening have been placed at the climax of the Christian faith festival, I’m tempted to think that all this is part of an insidious agenda to surrender our nation to Islam.

The nation will no longer celebrate Easter but the opening of this mosque. Uganda’s history would be changed from the British inheritance to Libyan influence.

I think the Christians who are the majority in this nation will eventually be the financiers of this mosque, which will forever taunt their faith.

It’s imperative that we call on all the sons of the faith to stand and be counted for their faith first and then the world.

The above statements prove why I called this bigotry (see the definition highlighted in green [which incidentally is the national colour of Libya, the pun and symbolism were intended.

Palm Sunday needs to remain a day we bring in the glory of Jesus into the nation and not any other human being.

There are many other things that take place in a single day, please don't look at the world through a tunnel vision but a 40,000 foot view, it will help your ministry.

Friday 14 March 2008

If It Wasn't for Fear of Libel, I Would Have Called Him an Asshole

Recently, one of the many forgettable junior ministers in our government here made an insensitive remark about a sickle-cell baby in relation to a badly run over-funded and incompetently managed textile factory. He likened the fresh infusion of funds and entry of a strategic investor into the establishment to a lease of life for a sickle-cell baby who had gotten a blood transfusion.

This factory was one of those grandiose projects that are initiated by the government as part of the drive to get the nation out of the economic doldrums to the take-off stage and a better life for its people. It was one of the initiatives crafted to benefit from the Africa Growth Opportunities Act (AGOA) passed by the US Congress [is there anything initiated by African leaders for African people?]

The gist of his presentation to the Parliament was that the venture was a sickle-cell baby that had been saved from a certain death because of a timely transfusion.

Coming from a leader in a nation where a significant part of population are either carriers or sufferers of the sickle-cell anaemia condition, it was definitely out of line. If I remember right, the statistics put the figure at 5 million carriers and sufferers.

In many of our communities, there is a particular stigma attached to the condition, ranging from it being a result of witchcraft to it being a generational curse. But science shows that it is a question of genetics, if two carriers have children, there is a one-in-four chance that the baby will be a "sickler". If a sufferer and a carrier have children, the likelihood is similar but in these two scenarios, the possibility of carriers also rises. So the minister's remarks definitely hurt a lot of people

The Sickle-Cell Association had something to say about it and host of other people especially parents of "sicklers" who made their feelings known in letters of the newspapers. A few days later, he issued a terse apology which I think was inadequate. Inadequate because therein he said he made the remark in jest [let him try his joke in relation to HIV/AIDS....so you know what I mean?]

To redeem himself and to help highlight the plight of sickle-cell sufferers, he should visit the only facility for treating and managing sickle-cell anaemia at the National Referral Hospital. It is neglected and badly in need of support and the services should be extended to other areas of the country. In this way, we could turn a bad remark into a beneficial act.

Tuesday 11 March 2008

Yet Another Death....Fuck that TBA

When I got home last night, I was told about an incident that happened in the eastern town of Mbale. It is about death, this time, a senseless one that could have been avoided. The sad thing, it is a woman who died of complications from childbirth, a traditional birth attendant that insisted she could go on with it yet it was clear that the woman needed qualified medical attention.

It makes me angry at how some of these things happen and the cost is greater in terms of human lives lost. A young woman gone in her prime, leaving behind her partner and a young child who expected a brother or sister [I didn't kow the sex] to play with .

Though I didn't want to highlight another death story. I will briefly recount it.

This young woman was an older sister to my housemaid. She had been pregnant and was due over the weekend. She goes to a traditional birth attendant (TBA), while there it is discovered that the child is in a breech position. The TBA reassures her and the people who had come with her that all will be well since she (TBA) had handled such cases before. However, things didn't go as planned; the legs and the rest of body come out but the head remains stuck [Yes, the child was positioned to come out feet first]. As we know, under normal circumstances, the head paves the way for the rest of the body.

The TBA tries to extract the head from the womb [or is it vagina] using various methods but these fail and she gives up. The young woman is rushed to hospital with her baby's legs and body partially hanging out. On arrival at the hospital, the baby didn't survive that journey. An operation is made on the young woman and she gones in a comma because of the loss of blood [there were definitely infections picked from the fiddling by the TBA].

Unfortunately, that is how she left this world. My question is why is it that we try to cut corners even in things that concern life and death; I assume that they went to the TBA because it would be cheaper compared to hospital. But by the fact that they were able to get to hospital, it means that it is within reachable distance. Also, why don't we became more altruistic and less self-centred and less money-minded, the TBA should have "swallowed her pride" and referred the young woman to hospital when she noticed the breech position. Even the people who were with the young woman should have decided to take her to hospital at that point.

But I know how it is in Ug when you have a know-it-all medical person (qualified or quack), his or her word is it [no second opinion...so many have been duped like that even the so-called educated and more exposed elite....many needless deaths at the hands of these people]

That is how things are.....

There are other deaths also but not of this type: some of my colleagues lost people dear to them (one, a mother and another, a husband). Rest in eternal peace all those who have passed on and sympathy to the bereaved.

Monday 10 March 2008

Never Be the Same Again (A Tribute to Andrew Kataryeba)

It is strange that when I finally decided to begin blogging after procrastinating a lot over the last several months, the first thing I'm writing about is death. Yes, over the weekend [Saturday 8 March 2008], when I am remembering my father [George William Mwesigye Kanabahita] who passed away in 2006, this year, a friend [Andrew Kataryeba a.k.a Kats] passed away at the Donald Gordon Medical Centre in Johannesburg, South Africa.

The difference is that my father was well into his sixties, Kats on the other hand was barely in his thirties. In essence, life was just beginning for him. The news of death is always shocking and painful, I had thought after the death of Daddy, death is something we take in stride as we walk this walk of life. How wrong I was, because of the kind of impact that this announcement had on me.

When a close person dies, or any person for that matter, it is best to celebrate his or her life rather than mourning the passing. Life has to move on like the proverbial wheel that keeps turning irrespective of who falls off. Kats has fallen off but what is it that I will always remember about him till my turn also comes.
I joined St. Mary's College Kisubi in Senior 2 together with Kats, in the same dormitory [Mugwanya House] and he was my neighbour through that year. He was a guy with great physical strength, not easily intimidated [protected me from a few bullies], big dreams [like of joining Harvard University, Massachussets Institute of Technology], vision [a vivid example which he shared with me but won't repeat here because it is not appropriate in light of the circumstances], spiritual conviction [he tried and failed to make me a Pentecostal Christian, more popularly known as savedee], very intelligent ['bookwise' and other aspects as well].
Though he may not have lived to see some of his dreams come to fruition and fail to achieve others, one thing I know he had faith in God and respected the plans that He had for him. My heart goes to his parents, his sisters, his wife and all his Old Boys (OBs) and everyone who shared those years.
The last time I saw him was a few years ago when he came over to Semawata Road in Ntinda. He found a group of his OBs [some of whom he had not seen in years like me]. At that time, he was on holiday from a stint in Nigeria. He shared several anecdotes of life over there with us, we had a good laugh, argued a bit about sustaining a business in dusty Kampala [he had had experience of starting one at the time I was thinking that the greatest thing was bar hopping].
Kats was that kind of person, thinking ahead of his time. I am glad that it is one of the things that I tried to emulate, not to be afraid to dream even if it may seem far-fetched now. I would hear of him in different places: Belgium, Nigeria, even Iraq [I don't know where else]. One thing that that I am guilty of is not staying in touch [there is no excuse since communication is easier now]. Oftentimes, we get caught up in the humdrum of our daily lives and simple hellos became distant and pushed back into the shadows of time.
Nevertheless, we should always cherish the time that we share with our friends. For me, I will remember Andrew "Kats" Kataryeba in the second verse of this song NEVER GONNA BE THE SAME ( modified a bit by me):
Fi all the friends and families that have past on
Leaving impressions and memories that will last on
We give thanks fi all the time that we know them
Reminisce them legacy that is what we owe them
Because [they] helped to make us who we are
So let us never forget and talk it near and far
Bless Up [Kats]
I can't forget you if I try