Friends,
Uganda is an extra ordinary country: from ‘Marriage and Domestic violence’ to ‘pornography and miniskirt’ bill and I love it. I don’t know whether both these bills were introduced to divert us from something, but if so, it’s certainly working. This may surprise a few people here but I’m with the government on this one. Yes, I want to see miniskirts banned on streets, not at home, and I think our UAH forum has played a crucial role in getting the government to think about this issue… thanks to the few pictures we have been sharing with them. This bill will save men from ‘thigh-power’ mistakes. Yes, some thighs have got power over some people and we need to find a way around this.
I’m not saying that all men are animals, with no control over their sexual urges, who can be provoked into random intercourse by a glimpse of a thigh or a wink, but I’m saying that we should never underestimate the power of ‘EKISAMBI’ (thigh). To quote a line from Jackie Gleason in the original Smokey and The Bandit: “You can think about it……but just don’t do it.” But we seriously need to trim ‘Kisambi’ powers a little bit for the sake of controlling certain evils in our society. Men usually leer at a girl who wears tight sweaters and miniskirts. That’s what we are! We like ‘EKISAMBI’ (not the chicken one), and i think it’s appropriate that we come up with measures to control ‘EKISAMBINESS’!
The hypocrisy among some in the opposition in Uganda and their western counter parts is simple enough to see. Frankly, I expected the opposition to support the government on this one but they are all over the place. Mao is fighting UYD; Otunu is fighting ‘UPC’; FDC is ‘reconciling’ and planning another delegates conference, e.t.c. So, let me just poke their friends in the developed nations a little bit.
Belgium banned the Islamic burka and similar garb in public but few people in the west made a lot of noise against it because it’s their business. I think France did a similar thing and we were OK with it. So, why the fuss on Uganda and miniskirts as I saw in the UK’s Daily mail?
I also read somewhere that they outlawed miniskirts in the White House during the Clinton admin. Evelyn Lieberman, the former deputy chief of staff at the White House and former Director of Voice of America (and she doesn’t have any foreign policy experiences), banned miniskirts, tight pants and low-cut and sleeveless shirts and any other clothing deemed provocative. She worked for the Clintons at the White House between 1993 to 2000, and I bet she saw how Monica Lewinsky dressed up.
Former ethics minister, Nsaba Buturo, tried to ban miniskirts and he didn’t succeed. Hope the MPs support this Karamoja Ethics guy and the bill this time around and let it pass. I think the Uganda opposition need to pull their heads out of their asses and not just oppose the government for the sake of it. We may not have enough resources to implement such a law but it at least sends a message out there about what is expected of descent clothing among our ladies.
The demand by Uganda women to have a clause in the Domestic Relations Bill that allows them to divorce men with bigger organs is something interesting because it confuses one on what exactly women want. This bill has got a lot of controversial stuff in it but let me concentrate on this issue for now to see if it makes sense to people out there.
I’m afraid I look at this issue in different ways but either way, I think when people decide to get married, these are some of the things they should be ready to put up with. It will be a travesty to marriage if people start divorcing each other because either of their sexual organs has ballooned for some reason. It can only make sense if the divorce is asked when the relationship is at its early stages because there it can be argued that the person did not know exactly what they were getting themselves into, but not when the relationship has been there for a long time. People should learn to appreciate certain things about each other outside the bedroom, and I believe it is what has kept our grandfathers in marriage for ages.
Penis size and economy
Some research shows how strongly the average sizes of male organ were associated with GDPs of various countries between 1960 and 1985 according to a paper presented by Tatu Westling of the University of Helsinki in 2011. It was argued here that the average size [the erect length, to be precise] of male organ in population has a strong predictive power of economic development during the period. The exact causality can only be speculated at this point but the correlations are robust. The `male organ hypothesis’ put forward here suggests that penises carry economic significance.
Male organ was found to experience an inverted U-shaped relationship with GDP in 1985. The GDP-maximizing length was identified at around 13.5 centimeters. One striking result is the collapse in GDP after male organ exceeds the length of 16 centimeters. At that time, it was noted that countries where men have penises below 12 centimeter were less developed and these were mainly the Asian countries. Let’s leave Africa out of this argument for reasons I will explain below.
The average growth rates from 1960 to 1985 were found to be negatively correlated with the sizes of male organs: unit centimeter increase in its physical dimension was found to reduce GDP growth by 5 to 7% between 1960 and 1985. Furthermore, quite remarkable was the finding that male organ alone could explain 20% of the between-country variation in GDP growth rates between 1960 and 1985.
The physical dimension of male organ varies considerably across countries, the average being 14.5 centimeters. For example, South Korea and Zaire [now Dem. Rep. of the Congo] have average sizes of 9.66 and 17.93 centimeters, respectively according to everyoneweb.com on the link http://www.everyoneweb.com/worldpenissize/. France’s average size is 16.1 centimeters while that of UK is 13.9 centimeters. To be honest, I don’t know how these guys got all these results but the figures here are interesting.
Now Africa is still poor compared to other continents yet it is well known that men of all long and big sizes come from there. The researchers put this down to other factors other than the size of the penis, i.e. poor political governance, diseases, malnutrition and regular conflicts on the continent. But then again, may be our current leaders have got smaller penises and that is why we are in this mess. I wish there is a way we can find out about this to test this theory. May be if we all chip in and bribe the first ladies on the continent, it will make this research a bit easier. But if this argument is true, then it looks like the Americans may get out of recession soon if they stick with Barack Obama in the White House for a second term running.
Bill Frist
May be this argument may have helped Obama become a president in the first place following a report compiled in 2006 by some newspaper about the penis sizes of Republicans. A reporter was allegedly able to obtain medical records of over 100 leading politicians and Cabinet members in Washington. Condoleezza Rice was asked what a good penis size was and how it might affect the female vote in the elections. Ms Rice stretched her fingers to indicate a good size and it was apparent that most of the men among the Republicans did not measure up. She thought as far as the female vote was concerned, it would hurt them. Bill Friest, Republican United States Senator representing Tennessee, spoke up and said “His wife said that size did not matter and he thought most women felt this way”. Ms Rice responded “What women say and what women want are two different things”. Friest apparently looked puzzled by her response. The rest is history because Republicans indeed lost the elections to democrats.
However, it has been found that there is no coleration between a man’s height and the length of his penis. Why many women still think “height” is more important than other physical features of males, I guess we will never know. Put height together with penis size, for example, and explain the aesthetics and beauty that some women use in mate selection. For instance, average heights did increase between 1750 and 1875 among European populations because of improvements in diets and increases in intakes of calories but this did not necessarily reflect an increase in their penis heights. Indeed the evidence that dimensions of body parts and penile lengths are correlated is mixed. Also there is no evidence to suggest that a man’s shoe size and penile length are related.
Homosexuality
A columnist in USA wrote in 2006 on website World Net Daily that use of soy products leads to reduced penis size and higher rates of male homosexuality. I guess scientists are still trying to find out why some people claim to be gay since their childhood after findings revealed in 1980s that higher testosterone levels among gay men are as often as among heterosexuals. In 1984 Heino Meyer-Bahlburg, a neurobiologist at Columbia University, analyzed the results of twenty-seven studies undertaken to test the hormone theory which used to be claimed by some people as explanation for being gay. He found that there is no difference between the testosterone or estrogen levels of homosexual and heterosexual men.
This columnist wrote that when you feed your baby soy formula, you’re giving him or her equivalent of five birth control pills a day. A baby’s endocrine system just can’t cope with that kind of massive assault, so some damage is inevitable. At the extreme, the damage can be fatal.
He also revealed that Soy is feminizing, and commonly leads to a decrease in the size of the penis, sexual confusion and homosexuality. That’s why most of the medical (not socio-spiritual) blame for today’s rise in homosexuality must fall upon the rise in soy formula and other soy products.
To carry that theory a little further, maybe penis size is the reason for gay men not having normal relationships with women; they are embarrassed by the size of their members. Therefore, those who systematically engage in anal sex have smaller than normal penises, affording their partners less damage. It is a fact that many men obsess over penis size, weaker minded males often engage in transference.
So guys, it looks like penis size does not really matter in anything depending where you are standing. I guess my Chinese friends would say: ‘Dude, the only one who has an issue about your penis size is you and the brainless ladies in Uganda. I have enough on my mind with trying to figure out how to become a superpower, calculating different responses I get from Americans by supporting dictators in Africa, and trying to fit in enough time for sleep and work, which I wish I had the luxury of time to think about what size penis you have. I really don’t have that time, so it looks like I’m out of luck.’’
Anyway, the bottom line is that this issue should be carefully looked at when writing the final piece of the Domestic Relations Bill. Think about it: a chap in Australia killed his wife after she teased him about his penis size and this is something that may cause problems for us in future if we put such issues on a paper. This is a genuine Australian case, but even as a hypothetical one, it’s interesting.
Folks,
It is very difficult to prove whether Obote poisoned Muteesa or not. All i know is that leaders have always been poisoned by their opponents. Even Yasser Arafat is rumored to have been poisoned at some point but he did not die. He instead later developed some irreversible health problems that kept him shaking while talking in public. The poison was reportedly made from Moscow by Russian Jews but he survived.
So whether Obote Poisoned Muteesa or not, we shall never know. Like i one time said, people sent on the missions to eliminate certain people also end up being eliminated at some stage to get rid of the evidence. So, never accept such a mission if you want to live longer- because you also become a target.
Some poisons are untraceable or break down so quickly before the person dies as to be undetectable at the time of death. The most common one is ARSENIC. Ukraine’s nationalist leader Viktor Yuschenko, Chechen Independence fighter Khattab, and Litvinenko were all victims of untraceable poisons. Victor Yuschenko’s face looked like one of the monsters from a scary movie after he survived poisoning. I used to watch him on TV and i thought to myself:’now that is a real survivor and politician’.
Prolixin is traceable but I doubt if Mulago or any hospital in Uganda has got the equipment to test it. Another untraceable poison is called biotoxin ricin, which is made from the Castor bean plant. It is rumored that Pope John Paul I was killed by Italian mafias using this kind of untraceable poison.
The fact is that people all over the world, especially politicians, are eliminated using poison. If you don’t want to accept this, then you will the day they turn you into a cabbage. As my elder brother used to say: ‘man can disappoint man’. So, in most cases people are poisoned by those closest to them.
Poisoning is not only about being involved in politics or being at log heads with the government. If you want to become a ‘boiled egg’, it’s up to you but you must be alert all the time. I have got a friend of mine living in London but we were in Namagabi UMEA in Kayunga together. Her husband went to visit his relatives in Tororo a couple of years ago, I think. He was reportedly poisoned while he was with his relatives celebrating something. On their way back to Kampala, he started complaining of stomach pains. They rushed him to Mbale hospital but they told them to send him to Mulago. He died on the way to Mulago.
I really felt bad because they had two kids with his wife and last time I checked, the girl was struggling with life.
Then another friend of mine, again living in London, was also poisoned in some restaurant in Sseta( Mukono). She is not even in politics or anything like that. She is just a normal lady who had gone to buy herself a plot of land to start building her house. She was rushed to hospital and fortunately she survived.
Please should take this issue seriously, Poisoning whether intentional or not is part of Kampala restaurants and the society at large. People used to waste time with witchcraft ( eddogo) but not anymore. They are getting practical!
Last word on economy as we enter 2012
Anyway, Europe is ‘burning’ down. It is just a matter of time before the European Union is declared dead. Italy’s economy is also in a mess, a reason why former Prime Minister, Berlusconi, had to resign. What is happening in Italy is worse than Greece. Spain will also be crying next after Italy. I wonder how the small countries that had just joined EU are doing.
If Germany decides to leave the Euro zone, that will be it. Already the British are threatening to leave as they have got one leg outside Europe. People here in the UK are demanding for a referendum they were denied in the 1st place.
I think the architects of the revived East Africa Community (EAC) have got a lot of lessons to learn from this. EAC community mainly failed because of the imbalances in the economics of the member states, and these conditions are still in place, so they should go slow on the federation.
For the meantime, if I were Museveni, I would grant federalism to the regions that are asking for it. It will reduce the pressure that comes from the centre. Let’s face it: African economies are going to get worse in the next 2-5 years before things get any better. Museveni is presiding over a very angry/ hungry population such that I don’t know how he is going to keep things altogether in the 4 years. People are poor and they have had enough. If he decides to give federalism to some parts of the country, he will reduce this pressure on himself.
Judith Nabakooba on a motorcycle downtown in Kampala
Dear friends,
It is well known that insecure men make fun of powerful women to hide their own feelings of insecurity. So I was not surprised at the pictures in the Redpepper newspaper showing police spokesperson, Judith Nabakooba, being ridden on a bodaboda, that raised a two-day debate on Ugandans At Heart (UAH) Forum. While I personally thought most of the male debaters were ‘crazy’ for not seeing the attraction in the smile always on her face, I saw nothing wrong in them finding her seemingly ‘big’ thighs the real point of discussion.
The fact is that a woman’s body has historically been a subject of regulation, discipline, debate and management. The woman’s body represents the place to project the memories and fantasies of racial,religious and cultural authenticity. Most African men tend to be attracted to the ‘big’ thighs and bums in women, and it is the main reason body image dissatisfaction, dieting, and disordered eating are more common in white than Black females. Racial differences exist in attitudes towards physical appearance and the stigma placed on weight gain and obesity. A black woman can be overweight but black men will still find her attractive which may not be the case with white men.
As a matter of fact, female beauty has always been so pervasive, so profoundly ambiguous such that we all interpret it differently. In her book The Character of Beauty in the Victorian Novel (1987), Lori Lefkovitz provocatively argues that ‘we have actually been trained to ignore descriptions of beauty’ (1984: 1), claims as applicable to the debates men tend to have everyday about women, such as Nabakooba legging it on a motorcycle in tight jeans. But I would argue that beauty has always been something we feel individually. Let me give you an example, I was told by some mates of mine about some beautiful girl in a place where my wife works, but I did not recognise her beauty the first time we met till when I came to appreciate her character( after some regular interactions between us). This girl may have been beautiful by default (because mum and dad are beautiful) but I only recognised her beauty after knowing her properly as a person.
This particular girl has long hair which even the Bible bases on to define beauty: ‘’If a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her; for her hair is given to her for a covering’’—1 Corinthians 11:15, but I never appreciated her hair till when I started appreciating the inside of her, but then again, how do we explain the fact that some guys noticed her beauty before knowing her? Does this mean that we are different as human beings in this context?
Among the blacks, during the black Movement of 1960s and 70s, blackness was redefined such that afro centric or “naturally” Black hairstyles became associated with the authentic. As such, the only authentic Black hairstyles would be dreadlocks, afro, cane-row and plaits. However, this has changed tremendously in this century as most black women would love to look like other races. Eurocentric beauty standard of straight, long and flowing hair is now almost the dream of any black woman who visits a hair salon. They just hate the authenticity that defined them in 1960s and 70s. Even Nabakooba’s hair as she relaxingly looked on a ‘bodaboda’ (motor cycle) is not an authentic hair style. These changes have also been reflected in the way black women dress, talk, and smile or sometimes treat themselves in public. There is a semi erosion of Black/ African culture in all aspects of life.
One possible explanation about this change can be explained by Leon Festinger’s Social Comparison theory(SCT) that suggests that people compare themselves to others when they are not certain about themselves. Before slave trade, black hair styles were a reflection of cultural and spiritual meanings, and some of these historical styles are still in existence today, for example: twists, braids, Zulu knots, Nubian knots, and dreadlocks. When slave traders were transferred to other countries, they found it difficult to keep African hair styles, so they resorted to wearing head scarves or handkerchiefs atop their heads, something we still see in Afro- American ladies especially in some black American films.
SCT was also shown among black men in the 18th century where some resorted to wearing wigs just because it was fashionable for white men of the upper class to wear wigs at the time. I guess this explains why Michael Jackson (RIP) and his brothers used to wear wigs when their music band had just started up. It is something that started when blacks (slaves) got jobs in influential white homes or plantations. They adopted all sorts of white cultures in order to fit in.
Already some black women have started seeing beauty in the same way white folks do due to assimilation into mainstream culture and acceptance of mainstream culture ideals of attractiveness as thin. As a student of public health promotion, I should probably go with my brain on this one rather than emotions, by accepting that fat is causing a lot of health problems to people. May be this black evolution in definition of beauty may be a blessing in disguise as it will encourage healthy eating and also control the ageing process of our black women which wasn’t the case in the past.
I know its fashion to some people and probably most men like it, but I still think that women with big hips should not wear clothes that accentuate their girth. If you are a Muslim lady, try to ‘fashion-out’ with a ‘hijab’ as it may give you the same confidence as Nabakooba in tight jeans.
Sanaa lathan, Kerry washington and Jurnee smolette
Friends,
Dr Satoshi Kanazawa article in the Guardian Newspaper on the link: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/may/19/lse-academic-triggers-race-row has brought up a debate about race and beauty which most people try to avoid, atleast in public, but i’m not going to do so. This London School of Economics Professor has been making comments about beauty and poverty for a while. For instance, he believes that people in sub Sahara Africa are not really poor but less intelligent compared to the rest of the world population. He contends that beautiful people tend to produce baby girls instead of baby boys.
His latest comments are so out of line and I’m happy that he is feeling the heat. Our black babes are of course beautiful and attractive .They should not let any loser tell them anything different because beauty has got nothing to do with race.
Surprisingly, I was recently attending a birthday party of a friend’s son and there were a lot of Ugandans there, then I heard one of the Ugandan ladies saying that black men who marry white ladies tend to think they are on another planet whenever they meet fellow blacks. I was kind of astonished with her observations, and now there comes this article from a 21st century psychologist. Anyway, Dr Satoshi Kanazawa is ”crazy” and he does not deserve to teach anywhere else in the world anymore. I can see his next research being on the structures of black men in comparison to Japanese ‘big things’ in their pants or Black men’s big noses.
Yes, I have heard of the phase:’’ once you go black, you’ll never go back. ‘’, but I just laugh it off because it is meant to mean something which may not actually be there. All these phases are prejudiced, for example, I have also had of indirect phases by people using so many words on TV and elsewhere, where they actually mean to say that: “Blacks are criminals”, “Blacks are stupid”, “Blacks are AIDS-infected”, “Blacks are welfare collectors”, “Blacks can’t speak English”, “Blacks stink”, “Blacks are whiners”, ‘’Blacks have bigger penises’’, e.t.c
But we should be careful not to advance arguments put forward by some stereotypes invented by white or black racists. I have never dated any woman from another race but I have met white and Asian girls here in the UK who are so attractive, and I try my level best to leave them alone because of the ‘’UN sanctions’’ put on me by my wife.I try not to break these ”sanctions” to avoid being bombed like Libya’s Gaddafi. Anyway, all I know is that beauty has got nothing to with race. It is mainly down to personal taste and opinion.
Nonetheless, People tend to be naturally attracted to people who share their physical characteristics. Although I’m able to appreciate the beauty of women from other racial/ethnic groups, I feel, from a personal perspective, no strong, compelling impulse to reproduce with someone from another race though the attraction is always there. For example, I can tell you that a tall white male with blue eyes, fair skin, and light brown/blond hair is going to experience the highest sexual attraction possible to a tall white woman with similar attributes. It’s only natural, and similar to the preference that light-skinned black men exhibit for other light-skinned blacks. But this does not mean that you won’t find black men that are drawn to white women or the vice versa.
Now, here comes the big questions: Why do some black men want white women so badly? Why do black women spend a lot of money on products to straighten their hair, in an effort to look like a ‘white woman’? Let me try to offer some insight into this phenomenon.
Africans started losing their original definitions of anything political, social, cultural, beauty and economic ever since the colonialists set their journey on the continent. For example, we sometimes define a better leader by how fluent they speak English; beauty is defined on the borderlines of western concepts; and democracy is also defined along western understanding of it. As a result, most black people endeavour to dilute their African genetic code with a European genetic code to create this balance in the definition of beauty. They want a daughter who looks like Mariah Carey or Vanessa Williams, rather than “Aunt Rebecca Kadaga”(despite being a new parliamentary speaker).
Again, because of the historical perspective that blacks were inferior to other races, some of the black people are attracted or date white women to bolster their self esteem. Never mind that some of these White women are overweight, ugly, have low self-esteem, or have been rejected by the white society for some reason. It’s just a shame that some of the black men regard black women as “second-rate”. In the estimation of this kind of a black man, a kid who is 50% white is better than a kid who is 100% black (or has two parents of primarily African genetics). They consciously or subconsciously perceive this as “better genetics”, i.e. the genetics of better looking or smarter people, and it is something that has been sold ‘culturally’ to the black man through various channels.
The media has specifically played a big part in this by shaping people’s understanding of beauty. When most adolescents enter puberty, they begin to notice and explore media images (TV shows, movies, magazines) of attractive members of the opposite sex that are used to sell products such as candy, soft drinks, acne medication, clothing and anything else that teenagers can purchase with their disposable income. Most of the images used in these adverts are those of white women and this plays a major psychological role to shape anybody’s definition of beauty from childhood. This is also probably the source of the black man’s “fixation” on White women, and ultimately the source of great frustration for the black male. This frustration is caused by societal pressures on white women to not be “social failures” that date black men. Their friends and family speak low of them in their circles when they attempt to go out with black men. This very factor makes it difficult for a white girl to even consider having a one night stand with a black man at work in case it gets out to her friends.
Lastly, other than running, music and jumping ability, most black people just don’t have much else in which to take pride in. Back to Africa, our leaders are the one killing their own people instead of protecting their rights and freedom. For instance, I keep watching a video of the way Arinaitwe Gilbert was inhumanly arresting Dr.Besigye with some form of pride, and i wonder where it came from, because it is very rare to see a white policeman that takes pride in beating up and teargassing a fellow white citizen.
Basically, we have got a few role models to help us take pride in being black, and this kind of behaviour makes the rest of the races to look at us as: savages, less intelligent, non-patriotic and stuff like that, but it is not really true. The world itself has not fully given a black man as many opportunities as it should be. Intelligence has got nothing to do with race. Black People have been brainwashed to think that they are less intelligent than other races and folks that are brainwashed have no idea that they have been.
Dear friends,
We would like Ugandans to voluntarily start writing about human rights and other various subjects which may be beneficial to others for the UAH (Ugandans At Heart) Community? One can do so at least once a week or month: come up with any topic of their choice and post an article on any day of the week one fancy.
We feel that teaching Ugandans about Human rights and other topics will foster consciousness-raising and empowering experience among the population that will eventually allow Ugandans to be open to some issues happening in our society. We are going to need UAH volunteers to do this job for us as part of our effort to build a true Uganda community on line. If whatever you write can have an effect on at least over 8000 members of this forum, we shall consider this job done. All articles posted on different subjects will be posted on our so many blogs for the consumption of those who are not yet subscribed to the UAH forum and the future generation that will come after you inishallah. Meanwhile, other members should find ways of critiquing whatever is posted on the forum, and they should do so with a lot of respect under the guidance of UAH rules. I mean, we should respect the UAH rules and guidelines in the process of our arguments.
Let us also remember that we have got a lot of university students following what we do on this forum. The media in and outside Uganda is also interested in some of our stuff here. So it is very important that we try to put in some effort in whatever we post on this forum despite lack of enough time due to ‘KYEYO’ demands.
Some of the topics we are looking at include:
1. Problem Solving
2. Hygiene
3. Oral rehydration
4. Immunisation
5. Leadership skills
6. Feasibility studies for income generating local projects
7. Project management
8. Human rights
9. Women and Men’s Health
10. Early childhood development
11. Sustainable natural resource management
12. Climate change and agriculture
13. Kampala Politics in general
14. e.t.c
For members, just post your articles directly to the forum or to the moderator. For non-members of UAH, articles should be posted to: abbeysemuwemba@gmail.com or ugandansatheart5@googlemail.com .
Please, I expect full cooperation from everybody on this as we try to turn UAH into a real Uganda Community that will have more effect our kids now and in the future.
UAH is one of the many self-help groups online -that is made up of Ugandans in and outside the country, but come together for mutual support and to share experiences, information, ideas and ways of coping under different situations. We are not motivated by profit in whatever we do and encourage authenticity of whatever is posted on the forum. Membership to UAH is defined by either self-declaration (if one wants) or mutual agreement (by subscribing through email address), but not by subscription fees. Our discussions are frank and open as possible. So we are not a ‘gossip’ forum or community.
Benefits of UAH membership:
• Reducing depression,
• Increases self esteem especially among regular contributors,
• It’s a platform for more personal contact with fellow Ugandans and those with power. It bridges the gap between: leaders and the people they lead, and Ugandans abroad and those inside the country.
• Increases skills in IT, debating, problem solving and Conflict management, people skills in general, e.t.c- through regular contributions and reading other people’s messages,
• Gives a comparative perspective on one’s own problems,
• One gets information and news bulletins on a regular basis,
• Making new friends and expanding one’s social network,
• Fundraising for national causes,
• E.T.C
Basically, we encourage all Ugandans to join us in one way or the other through facebook, Google, twitter, digs, yahoo, blogs, e.t.c. Those who are already members, we thank you, but you have got a responsibility to help other people make a decision about membership to UAH.
Finally, we request Ugandans through their respective capacities to pressurise the government to start up ADVICE CENTRES in different parts of the country which will ultimately be one of beneficiaries to the literature published on various websites or blogs. For instance, in the UK, they have got Citizens Advice Bureaus that help to give out advice and information about different concerns from individuals in the community. I think we should start something similar on a voluntary basis. Religious leaders could help champion this cause at the beginning before it is adopted by others.
Thanking you in advance
Sabiny girls after the circumcision ritual in Bukwo district(Courtesy of the Newvision)
Dear readers,
The article on the front page of Newvision on 04/12/10 showing pictures of sabiny girls that had been circumcised is justifiably one of the biggest cultural outcries so far in this year’s presidential elections. Female circumcision is a global problem and I think international organisations such as WHO need to urgently put it on their agenda in future conferences to be held and seriously try to do something about it. I remember watching a documentary on channel 4 here in the UK, a copy I kept up to now, that showed that some Muslim societies ,such as in Egypt, also practicing this evilness in the name of Islam. Female circumcision is done by removing the tip of the clitoris because it is believed that women should not enjoy sex but are to serve only to pleasure the man and have children. These female mutilation things are not a part of Islam. They’re just cultural traditions of a bunch of Arabs who happen also to be Muslim. But it’s sort of like American slaveholders who were Baptists. Slavery isn’t really a part of the Baptist creed even if some slaveholding Baptists thought it should be. There is nothing in the Koran that justifies this behaviour or requires it. CNN one time also ran a series that showed girls being circumcised but there was nothing Islamic about it.
Cutting of the woman’s clitoris is so wrong because it affects her sexual enjoyment and satisfaction. It even makes me sick when I watch some people defend this inhuman behaviour because to defend this behaviour is not only ignorant, but just as inhuman and grossly irresponsible as those who teach it! The whole exercise turns a woman into simply a domestic servant and baby factory. I agree that there should be freedom of cultural thought but certain rituals are detrimental to people and shouldn’t be carried out especially on minors who can’t give proper consent.
Unlike male circumcision, there are absolutely no medical grounds for female circumcision. Male circumcision is practiced by both Muslims and Jews. Historically, Roman emperor Hadrian tried to ban this practice among the Jews as he believed that it stopped them from assimilating with the Greeks and Roman but he found himself with a war on his hands.
It’s true that circumcision is a painful experience as it was done to me when I was above the baby stage. My grandfather who was my guardian deceived me that they were taking me to Kampala city for a ride but I woke up in Kawolo hospital with some pain on my penis. I remember this pain very well because I was a bit older when it was done but I don’t think babies do remember this pain when they grow up. Yes, when there are still babies or infants, they feel and express this pain in stereotypic ways involving vocalization, facial expression, body movements and autonomic activity but they later become OK and smile normally. The wound heals normally without undue bleeding or infection, and the outcome will just be a ‘normal circumcised penis’.
One does not need to be circumcised or uncircumcised first to know the advantages or disadvantages of male circumcision as there is a lot of literature out there about this issue. For instance, there is a big body of evidence that shows that most women prefer circumcised penis for appearance and hygiene. Furthermore, some women are not attracted to the smell of the uncircumcised penis.
Let me elaborate: when a man has got that foreskin still intact on their penis, he feels greater sexual sensation during sex due to the greater sensitivity of the protected glans, and that the foreskin is an erogenous zone in itself. A foreskin and its full complement of ‘neuroreceptors’ (as scientists call them) can easily make the uncircumcised man to come or ejaculate very fast thus leaving a woman in limbo. My understanding is that, because of the protection of the foreskin, the glands of the uncircumcised penis are more sensitive and thus more stimulated. One could deduce that therefore the circumcised penis results in prolonged pleasure due to reduced sensitivity. Since circumcised men have no feeling in their foreskin (in fact, no foreskin at all), the only form of stimulation comes in the form of pressure on the head and the shaft of the penis, and in the orgasm itself. This helps the uncircumcised to prolong during love making and thus helping the women to enjoy the whole game for longer.
Uncircumcised men also often experience pain during their first sexual act while circumcised males do not. This is because the ‘frenulum’ is removed, along with the foreskin, during the circumcision operation. The uncircumcised penis contains a certain piece of skin called the frenulum – that is attached to both the prepuce and the glans of the penis. The frenulum serves the same purpose as the hymen in virgin girls/women, i.e. as a barrier to unwanted or premature sexual activity. During the first act of intercourse (or masturbation), the frenulum is torn from the mucous membrane that keeps it in place, a change that subsequently allows the foreskin to be fully retracted over the entire ‘head’ of the penis.
Uncircumcised men also have to deal with foreskin infections a lot more frequently because of the growth medium the foreskin provides them little bugs. A circumcised penis is easier to keep clean.
There is also evidence to show a lower occurrence of cervical cancer of women married to circumcised men because it (Cervical cancer) is associated with herpes, which is one of those STDs that is curable. Male circumcision also helps preclude a rare kind of penile cancer in males. There is a slightly higher risk of HIV in partners of uncircumcised men due to the human papillomavirus but this can be alleviated with proper hygiene.
Because of the above advantages, there is a wide spread acceptance of male circumcision in the developed nations especially in the United States in comparison to female genital circumcision which tends to be more selfish than anything else.
The news that most of the parts of the Busoga region in Eastern Ugandan are now infested with jiggers is mind blowing and embarrassing to all of us considering that Busoga has been voting President Museveni and NRM in big numbers since 1996. For those who don’t understand what jiggers are, it’s a special pathological condition, caused by fleas of the genus Tunga. A jigger is also called chigoe. A jigger often attacks the feet or any exposed part of the human body, and when it burrows beneath the skin, it produces great irritation. When the female is allowed to remain and breed, troublesome sores result, which are sometimes dangerous. Most people in the developed nations know a jigger as a bartending tool used to measure liquor not as a dangerous insect as it is in Africa and Asia.
Now, as someone who partly grew up at a small village called Kisega( Kangulumira in Bugerere), I saw on a regular basis how jiggers affected people and what a lack of healthcare does to people. The next two major hospitals from Kisega are a lot of miles away at Nagalama and Kayunga towns. Health centers in the area are too ill-equipped to handle major health problems. As such I think health care should be designated as a special ”right” to everyone in Uganda, and probably the whole of Africa.I’m saying that heath care should be as much a right as life, liberty, and happiness because I don’t believe that only people with money should have X number of hours of a Doctor’s time available. Health care should be accessed too by people who can’t afford life-saving treatment because their lives are not worth less than those with a lot of money. Why should health care be any different from police, fire or military protection? Would one want one’s house to burn down because the neighbor paid for fire protection and one did not? Everybody needs a doctor at some time, just as everybody needs roads and schools and fire protection. These are things that only a government can supply to the people they represent.
Yes, I acknowledge that none of those things magically appear just because I say people have a right to them. No one has an unconstrained “right” to as much medical care as they think they need, just as no one has a right to a private public-funded tutor for their kid or a right to have a personal fire truck and firefighter always parked outside their home. But I think the government needs to find a way to make sure that the less privileged can access medical care as the wealthy ones. The picture in the Monitor Newspaper of the woman struggling to feed her kid when they are both suffering from jiggers is so upsetting, yet most of these conditions are treatable and preventable. As UK epidemiologists, Professor Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett also said in their book entitled’ The Spirit level: Why Equality is Better for Everyone’, social inequality is one of the causes of the poor health due to a big gap between the poor and the rich. As such, I think health care should be as much as a right as like free speech and like free speech has limits but in general is unrestricted. Cosmetic surgery, for example, might in general not be considered health care. If one wants to look 20 years younger it’s on one’s dime.
A feet affected with Jiggers(image sent by Otto Patrick)
Historically, National health care programs were first instituted by Otto von Bismarck in imperial Germany in 1883 before it later spread to the rest of Europe. In USA, former president, Harry Truman, proposed it to the Congress following World War 11, before it was defeated by a coalition led by American Medical Association. In his message to Congress on Nov. 19, 1945, Truman asked members to support his Economic Bill of Rights which included the “right to adequate.
For the meantime, I advice people in Busoga to put on Leather or rubber shoes which could shod their feet from jiggers at least as we wait for the government to address some of the social inequalities in our society. Jiggers will always be a problems as long there is still a big gap between the poor and rich.
Some Ugandans have been criticizing Vice president, Dr.Bukenya’s fluency in the English language, particularly when he appeared to be struggling with English at a business forum in India as indicated in the YouTube video:
The same groups have called for president Museveni’s press secretary, Tamare Mirundi’s head, because he cannot also express himself properly in English during press conferences. Others have also been mistakenly praising the president of one of the DP factions, Norbert Mao’s oratory skills for intelligence. Some have even, out of ignorance, said that Mao is more intelligent than the Mayor of Kampala, ‘illiterate’ Sebagala. But what is the truth in whole this?
Normally a person growing up just hearing a language will not speak it as a native speaker or someone that language is a mother tongue. However, if one begins speaking a language on a regular basis, one usually keeps an accent all their life. For instance, some of us have developed funny accents because of the regions where we live in Britain but does it mean that we can express ourselves better than Bukenya or Tamare Mirundi(presedential Press Secretary)? The answer is ‘no’.
For all practical purposes, a person speaking a language at mother tongue level is a native speaker. Therefore, Dr.Bukenya cannot speak English in the same way as an English man or like some Ugandans who have been abroad for ages. A native speaker may once have meant “native” in the original sense of the word, i.e. born in that country, but now it just means a person who grew up speaking that language – which is the only way to get perfect in one language.
Indeed, a lot of people that pass through educational institutions in Uganda can express themselves in English, but are not (and may never be) as good at English as a “native speaker” or someone who has lived abroad for years. So when Tamare Mirundi speaks English, he represents a large group of elites in Uganda, and this is ok as long as people understand what he is trying to say.
Again, it is not just about grammar. Understanding the various regional differences of English or American English can be quite challenging as well. For instance, I can bet several Ugandans would not understand a thing when they hear an English man from Yorkshire or Liverpool(UK) addressing them because of the accent. In the UK itself they accept people that know how to express themselves in good English but they don’t demand them to be from Anglophone countries, or speak English fluently. This means that Dr.Bukenya or Tamare Mirundi can get any job they want in the UK with their level of expression in English.
I am no expert on all these matters, but my personal experience is that there are really big differences between individual people. There are those who live in a country for more than 20 years and still speak the local language with a heavy accent while others are really hard to identify as non-native speakers after only three or four years. I don’t know what the reason for this is.
But of course it does not often happen that people have to be perfect in the language, and I don’t really think this is necessary. If we want an open society in Uganda, we have to be more tolerant against people not perfectly speaking our languages or any foreign language such as English. For instance, there are many people who are native Luganda speakers by birth, like me, but who speak a highly ungrammatical language that is not really rich on vocabulary. Many non-baganda beat their level of language.
It can also be proven that even a native speaker’s fluency is his/her own language can diminish given enough time in another linguistic environment. There has been several notable Ugandans example of this, but I won’t go into it.
Is Ssebagala Illiterate?
Let me also correct people one thing: Ssebagala Nasser is not an illiterate man as he can read and write. He can read and write Luganda fluently. He can read English but cannot speak it fluently. So their use of the word ‘illiterate’ is totally misplaced. But then again, history has shown that illiteracy is not in any way a measure of one’s intelligence. For instance, according to Islamic scriptures, prophet Muhammad (SAW) never knew how to read and write but he managed to spread Islam under very difficult conditions, and Islam today has got second biggest following after Christianity.
Wealth and intelligence
It is true that wealthy people are generally more intelligent than average all over the world. But this is not the same as saying that the current Mayor of Kampala,Hajji Sebagala, is more intelligent than Mao, but it is very possible. I don’t know, but it’s very possible, since intelligence is very difficult to quantify.My argument here all hinges on the word “generally,’ and I hope some people don’t equivocate on the meaning of that word. Yes, there is a distinct subset of wealthy people that are less intelligent than average but overall the rich tend to be smarter. That is a fact!
Alhajji Ssebagala, James Mulwana and most rich Kampala men are more street smart than the likes of Mao, and they are probably more intelligent than the likes of Mao. Probably, if Ssebagala had decided to invest more of his time in first acquiring more degrees before business, ‘theoretical’ elites would now be calling him so intelligent, because their definition of intelligence is on how much qualifications someone has got.
Look, Uganda, unlike USA or UK, people just don’t become rich through stockbrokers and mutual funds. One has to be ‘OMUYIYA’(creative) to make it to the top. Those who make it through straightforward means: acquiring education, getting a job, and becoming rich, are not many. But Pessimists are people who believe in elites and governments. They believe that famous college professors are smarter than ordinary men and women, which is totally wrong.
Education and intelligence
There is this false idea that education = intelligence. Education may lead to understanding of intelligence, but it can just as easily lead one away from their real abilities. We must not confuse education and intelligence with cult of education and intelligence. In many ways, an illiterate Ugandan peasant knows more about human nature, economics, and moral values than some highly educated Uganda bureaucrat steeped in Marxist theory, dialectical materialism, and historicist mumbo jumbo. A person can be highly educated with all the false ideas and idiocies. Only the CULT of education says that a person is more intelligent simply because he’s read more books, has earned a Ph.D. and given lectures.
For instance, I know a lot of uneducated men in Bugerere at Kisega Village, including my grandfather, who act more intelligent than this crop we have now got from Makerere university. For 1000s of years, the most highly educated Chinese believed that business was dirty and exploitative, and so China did not make economic progress like the West.
One can study for years and years, but if the ideas are false or misleading the educated can be more stupid, naive, and ignorant that those who learned of reality through everyday experience. Norbert Mao saw Ssebagala losing the trust of Ugandans by leaning himself more towards president Museveni and NRM, but the ‘intelligent’ Mao has been publicly praising president Museveni several times. The ‘intelligent’ Mao thinks that a fragmented opposition can stop NRM from leading Uganda for more 30 years.
That’s why I discourage people to go for postgraduate studies for the sake of beautifying their CV. One needs to find himself before going for further studies. We have all got abilities which we never exploit just because we are rushing to impress the society and those around us.
Is Mao more intelligent than Ssebagala?
Intelligence can’t even be quantified, let alone measured – and I see zero evidence anywhere that Mao is more intelligent than Ssebagala. If we define intelligence in terms of “success,” then Ssebagala has done well for himself than Mao.Speaking English fluently does not make Mao more intelligent.For instance,the computer with an NLP software understands plain English -but it is only as intelligent as its rules & database allow it to. It cannot acquire intelligence or use common sense.
Overall, we should all respect each other and never to make a mistake of measuring one’s intelligence, perfection or literacy depending on their fluency in a language. Yes, English is very important and we should all strive to learn it because the prevalence of English as a language of commerce and of technical communication easily connects us to the global village and global opportunities. It’s one of the reasons why I have been advocating for its promotion in East Africa at the expense of Swahilli.
I love men and women who fight for women rights all over the world but I think the latest proposals from Uganda women activists that appeared in the Newvision are kind of pulling the women behind. I’m not going to go into issues like ‘divorcing a man with a big penis’ because there is no law that can effect that, but I would like to pick on the issue of cohabitation because I think our society is again promoting concepts that are anti-cultural and anti -religious, something I find disappointing to our generation. We are copying a lot of things from the developed nations but we never asses them properly before we bring sell them to our people back home.
In these developed nations such as the UK where I live, marriage has been steadily weakened as cohabitation and homosexuality have intruded and fought to be accepted in the society. The marriage we have grown up knowing which a sacred union between a man is and a woman before God and man, has been rejected as unworkable, laughable, hopelessly old fashioned and contrary to the basest of human sexual urges. Marriage is now openly being supplanted with cohabitation which I find so contrary to our African beliefs and religion.
Therefore, if we give legal rights to couples cohabiting in Uganda, the laws safeguarding marriage between man and woman will not be promoted so much, yet in no way can cohabitation be placed on the same level as marriage. The sense of responsibility for another that distinguishes marriages from alternatives such as cohabitation will be lost in the process if it becomes a respectable alternative to marriage. For instance, in 2007, the Church of Sweden announced its willingness to allow gay couples to marry in church and suggested that marriage laws be renamed “cohabitation laws’’.
In USA, cohabitation is not legally allowed in about seven states though most of these laws are not enforced, among these include: Virginia, West Virginia, Florida, Michigan, Mississippi and North Dakota. Four other states — Illinois, Minnesota, South Carolina and Utah — have laws against fornication, defined as unmarried sex, according to Dorian Solot of the Alternatives to Marriage Project, a group based in Albany, New York which advocates for equality and fairness for unmarried people. Yes, Supreme Court, in 1967, ruled that Florida’s criminalization of interracial marriage and cohabitation was illegal, but I’m yet to find out how this case progressed. The American Civil Liberties Union has also unsuccessfully been trying to overturn some of these laws in several states but at least the Americans who made these laws should be applauded for fighting for marriage, religion and culture.
Some people claim that living together outside of marriage is the only way two people can learn if they are right for marriage, something some people call ‘testing’ or ‘okulozako’ in Luganda, but the truth is that the increase in cohabitation has been accompanied by an increase in the divorce rate. The ‘testing’ may become too much and leads to someone losing interest after a while, yet sex is one of the main sources of their bargaining power in a relationship. For example,Britain now has the highest divorce rate in the European Union. In 1983 there were over 147,000 divorces granted by the courts. By 1994, this number had increased to 165,000.In USA the divorce rate increased from 708,000 in 1970 to 1,175,000 in 1990. Whereas during the same period the marriage rates have remained virtually static, despite the rise in ‘marriageable age’ populations. One survey carried out in USA indicated that marriages are more likely to fail if preceded by cohabitation.
That said, I agree that if couples have been cohabiting for at least 10 years then they should have some small rights but not at the same level of marriage, for the sake of protecting the institution of marriage. For instance, France in 1999 introduced a civil contract called the Pacs, which gives some rights to cohabiting couples, regardless of sex. These do not include the full rights of marriage, notably over taxes, inheritance and adoption. Uganda being a poor country, most couples take about 10 years to do something meaningful with their lives- so that time frame for cohabiting couples looks fine. But the truth is that every parent who has got a daughter in marriageable age would like to see them settled in a proper, secure, and recognised relationship, and this can only be marriage, not anything else.
Decent and proper dressing are two different aspects. Decent means that you are dressed according to the function, culture or beliefs (decent clothing means non revealing stuff). Proper does not necessary need to be decent but in tune to what the surroundings are. Many hold the view that ‘kade ya baganda’ or Uganda’s national dress is a decent dress. Of course, it is, but only when one wears it properly! Any dress, for that matter, can be worn both decently and indecently. The mode of dress has nothing to do with decency, but the mode of wearing it has something to do with it!
I’ve always wondered, while many men have confessed that seeing sexy women is eye candy and exhibitive enjoyment to their sight and imagination, at the same time, many also prefer not to have to see girls in outfits less than robes and cloaks. One psychology professor once told me that most men naturally like seeing naked women and I’m wondering up to now if it is true or not since I cannot do primary research just on myself alone. But then again, Hawaiian women in their traditional dance attire, you’ve gotta admit, are sexy, but that’s their culture. Musician Madona on a stage singing used to get a lot of male customers because of her indecency dressing and sexual acts.
A lady with bums out in the name of fashion
However, a catalogue of social vices is plaguing the contemporary Uganda society. Among these, indecent dressing by the womenfolk stands out very vivid as one of those most problematic anomalies that have destructively engulfed the Uganda social system. In fact I will go so far as to say that Indecent Dressing is one of Uganda’s biggest problems though not bigger than lack of toilets but It is bigger than corruption, AIDS, and even domestic violence.
The way women dress in urban centres like Kampala and Jinja has turned out to be a breeding ground for many other societal malaises like sexual promiscuity, rape, prostitution, and spread of sexually transmitted diseases. The society has been penetrated with a lot of fashions from the western nations and most youths tend to take this as ‘modern’.
Though a girl is at perfect liberty to choose her own mode of dress, the fact remains that indecently revealing dresses instigate the opposite sex and adds fuel to the (already) burning fire. Though there is definitely some logic in the question, “Then, why should men eve-tease and molest even the decently-dressed girls?” a sane girl would ponder the consequences of inviting avoidable trouble on herself by wearing such dresses that border on obscenity by posing herself the counter-question, “When most men cannot behave decently even with decently dressed women, what a more dangerous situation an indecently dressed girl would be inviting upon herself?”
Even God knows that looking at a woman’s flesh is a torture for most men and that ‘s why Islam tells us not look more than twice at some body you are capable of marrying. As for the bible, you only have to look at Mark 9:47:’and if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell’.
Please don’t leave your values at home. Whatever you do professionally, don’t leave your values at home when you go to work just because you wanna impress other people. Many people think that dressing weird or having your body pierced is a statement of individuality, strength and rebellion against the dominant culture. Not true. The ultimate counterculture and strength in Uganda today is to take religions seriously. If you want to be an individual and to be strong, affirm a higher value system that enables you to say no to the prevailing culture that your subconciuos mind considers wrong.
Islam allows a Muslim male to marry a lady, either Christian or Jews – she should not be open polytheist. She is not obliged to convert to Islam for the sake of marriage. She will enjoy all the rights that a Muslim wife avails – proper willful contract, dower, right of nafaqa (sustenance) from husband, right of inheritance (if she gets widowed), and right of separation (khula’) if ever she so wants. And, the Qur’an ordains that wife – a Muslim or Christian – is equal partner to the marriage contract.
However, a Muslim lady can neither be married nor remain married to a non-Muslim, including one belonging to the “People of Book”. If some Muslim sister has indulged in this, she should approach the husband and try her best that he also converts to Islam. Meanwhile she will NOT act as his wife and stay divorced. If after lapse of some time, the husband embraces Islam, they can however, unite again without fresh marriage, as such instances are reported in the “Seerah” and the decisions given was by the Prophet (SWS) himself. In case he doesn’t embrace Islam, divorce is inevitable.
Yes, Qur’an gets precedence over all other opinions. Now you say that “these women do not even believe in or practice their own deen”. Does that mean they were not truly Christian or Jew, and were therefore, wrongly taken to be ahle-kitab? If so, one should not have married such a lady in the first place. One thing however, is clear. If a true Christian or Jewish lady (married to a Muslim man) sticks to her deen, she is not be compelled to convert to Islam. Preferably however, after the marriage the family should move to Dar al Islam. That will enhance her chances to become Muslim or at least stay closer to the True Faith. More important that the children of such couple will be raised Muslims.
The truth is that there is no true religion that encourages sex before marriage. Islam, Judaism, Christianity and other religions all preach the same story. But I’m one of those who believe in reality however much I love my religion(Islam). The fact is that human beings think about sex all the time. Scientific records show that men think about sex more than the women. So religious leaders or the popes are no exception, my friend. Actually, that is why I think they should be allowed to get married at some stage because these are human beings before anything else.
Now, if human beings cannot live without sex, then what do we do for them in this era of HIV/AIDS? Can we keep telling them that they should wait to have sex till when they are married very well knowing that they will sneak and have it anyway. As I’m writing to you now, I guess about a billion people are shagging each other and I guess ¾ of that billion aren’t married yet there are religions in their regions. Honestly, how can we save all these people from HIV/AIDS when the pope is giving them the classical or traditional method of controlling STDs and pregnancies? It’s like some Muslim brothers and sisters who advise each other not to use modern family planning methods but just stick to the traditional withdraw method. The reality is that the ‘HIV physical address’, as you described it, has got a certain form of ‘magnetism’ on the gate which can overpower several of our people. Because of this, we need to get the message out loud and clear that condoms and modern family planning methods are necessary to reduce HIV infections and controlling unwanted pregnancies.
The Vatican and other religious groups’ claims about permeable condoms are wrong. The World Health Organisation has already advised people to disregard messages from the pope about this issue. The message of “abstinence” and “high-risk partners” should be preached alongside the use of condoms. There are some people who cannot abstain from knocking on certain ‘HIV addresses’ even if they are not landlords or tenants. They may go there just to drop ‘letters’ or ‘leaflets’ or ‘ just delivering take-aways’. So postmen, ambulance people, take-away people and marketers all need to be protected from the dogs in the houses.
Lastly there’s a lot of disinformation on the internet about regarding the safety of condoms. I suspect that the Catholic Church or religious leaders have something to do with it. The main problem with condoms is that they may break, or fall off when using them. I just don’t see how an HIV virus would get through these pores when water doesn’t. It’s physically impossible. Unless the condom is damaged, the risk to HIV is very low. I will leave Dr. Kayondo and Mukyala Jeniffer to explain the safety of condoms in details since this is their field but Mr.Nsubuga should not stop people from delivering letters because they are not the owners or tenants of the houses they deliver to.
Obama and Clinton should not kill the homosexuality debate in Uganda by making endless phone calls threatening our president when they also don’t believe in this awkward behavior.Under Reagan administration, some of his people had strong anti-homosexuality feelings. Homos were believed to be the major spreaders of HIV/AIDS in USA.That’s why Bush senior proposed mandatory testing of homos when he was still VP to Reagan. Actually, Bush implemented mandatory HIV testing in some govt institutions when he later became the president.Some of Reagan’s friends were anti-homo but at least they were allowed to express themselves.Let Ugandans also be allowed to express themselves freely without any foreign intervention.
Sexual orientation is “behavior”, since one can be lesbian or gay and later decide to sleep with the opposite sex. Homosexuality isn’t a completely self defeating mutation. Homosexuals can in fact reproduce. They just don’t like it. Some become active homosexuals after reproducing, some before. There is also no conclusive scientific evidence that homosexuality is a natural thing.
By the way,I have no problem with homosexuality as long as it isn’t pushed into the public domain or them(homos) start asking for special rights in Africa. Of course, I feel the same way about a heterosexual couple having sex in public though the later is natural.
My argument about Africa is that these things are not generally part of us despite the fact that there was an element of this behavior among some people in our history. Even up to now, most white people are forced by the law or ‘liberalism’ to accept homos in their society but they privately don’t support them.For instance,Hilary opposed same sex unions in Newyork and it was an issue during her campaigns in NY as a senator.She later backed out of it because it was damaging her campaign but she did not support this behavior at first. I remember Hilary saying that she would have voted for the Defense of Marriage Act of 1996 because marriage “has always been between a man and a woman.” This legislation was signed into law by her husband(Bill Clinton) and it denies federal recognition of same-sex “marriage” and allows states to ignore those licensed elsewhere. I also read somewhere that it’s illegal to be gay in Texas though im not so sure how the law is now.So why is Clinton forcing homos down our throats if she herself found it a weird behavior.
I’m surprised that some Ugandans would not feel let down when their son or daughter comes to them and say that they are gay. I don’t know whether people in this category are trying to be politicians or not because its politicians who make such statements in public yet privately say different things. Anyway, just to let them know,such marriages end up encouraging off-springs to also become gay or lesbian. For instance,the new study by two University of Southern California sociologists said that children with lesbian or gay parents show more empathy for social diversity, are less confined by gender stereotypes, and are probably more likely to explore homosexual activity themselves.
Lastly,all religions condemn homosexuality.It may have existed before religions but it does not make it right,does it?
Two women wearing a Gomasi and a man in Kanzu in Kampala
Dear Ugandans,
I think we need to find a way to resolve some of the issues ourselves that have divided us for a long time- without even asking for government help. It’s just a matter of common sense. For example, If we agree on the national language as Luganda or national dress as Gomesi, then we can just go home and either implement it or encourage others to do so. We don’t need Museveni or anybody to tell us what to do on this one. Luganda is so widely spoken in the country and as such it qualifies to be our national language. Gomesi has become very popular in all tribes in Uganda such that it qualifies to be our national dress.However, it would be wrong for anybody to sing ‘Ekitibwa kya buganda’ on a national occasion instead of Uganda’s National anthem composed by Kakomo(RIP). The national language has got very good words in it and we should promote it along side the defacto dressing code and language.
women wearing gomasi on Kampala streets
As for Ugandans not wearing the national dress(in this case supposedly Gomesi) for dinner, I think this is just a matter of personal choice. Do I think that national dress should be encouraged? Yes, but it still remains a personal choice. Every body goes for dinner for different reasons and therefore telling people to put on traditionally or nationally may make some people miss out on their reasons for the dinner.
In Islam, we encourage women to dress in Hijjabu whatever the reasons for the dinner and probably this should be encouraged by all Muslim parents. Hijjabu refers to traditional Islamic dress, intended to encourage modesty, in which women often cover everything but the hands and face.
Gomesi is the de facto national dress of Uganda just like Luganda is the de facto national language. So it’s upon Ugandans to promote the national dress code or Gomesi in the fashion industry and to call upon their government to subsidize such products. Ugandans abroad can try to dress traditionally on their important occasions if possible.
The Kingdom of Swaziland today is composed of a homogeneous population who share language, culture and loyalty to their King and country. There are no tribal conflicts; the country is stable, orderly and at peace with her neighbors. Perhaps Swaziland’s greatest asset is her people, who are always happy, friendly, courteous and willing to assist visitors to their Kingdom. Swaziland has got a distinctive national dress which is regularly worn by men, women, and children in urban as well as rural areas. Probably, it makes sense if we also develop a few bits ourselves like: national language, national dress, national holidays like ‘Uganda day’,……… to somehow make us all feel like Ugandans. Honestly, why are we fighting over small things like national dressing and national language?
‘Busuti ‘or ‘kawunda’ (like those ones put on by some Makerere University lecturers and late Julius Nyerere of Tnaznia), or suits, have come to be accepted as official dressings in Uganda or East Africa. This is no surprise considering that English is already our official language. This explains why Kabaka Mutebi sometimes puts on suits on official businesses. On the other hand, Sabasajja normally puts on ‘eKanzu’ and ‘koti’ while on national or traditional businesses.
In England where I live, female Members of the Royal Family normally go for special clothes, hats or gloves. There is no requirement on the side of the general public for hats to be worn, though it is entirely acceptable to do so. Hats are not normally worn at functions after 6:30 p.m. Secondly, There is no requirement for gloves to be worn. However, if a woman wishes to wear gloves, they need not be white but should not be taken off before the wearer is presented.
I have worked with homos and these guys have failed to convince anyone that they have got a different body from ours. So you can understand why I’m as rigid about this as you called it. There is no conclusive scientific evidence explaining homosexuality.
Homosexuality used to be treated as a mental illness in the USA and Britain throughout the 1970s and 1980s and doctors used to use a method called “aversion” therapy to help these people. The World Health Organization only removed homosexuality from its list of mental illnesses in 1992 even Museveni was already strengthening his position in power. So you can understand why even the white people were so rigid about this ‘LIFE STYLE’ till when it got out of control. We should not let this situation get out of control in Uganda or Africa.
Secondly, there is a big difference between religion, race and homosexuality, so some people’s desire to equate them just does not work. Using their logic we will end up allowing paedophiles and rapists the same rights as homos.
Obviously I’m not in favour of ostracizing homos, demeaning them and driving them to suicide BUT I want them to accept that they have got some sort of sexual dysfunction and need our help to correct it rather than asking for the same legal rights as normal people. Homosexuality international groups are now pouring money into Africa because they know that being poor is the biggest sin any human being can commit. When you are poor, you are always vulnerable to all sorts of evils. They must be stopped using all means.
All religions are very clear on the issue of homosexuality.For instance, if you are a Christian and you believe in the bible, it is very clear on the issue of homosexuality. Actually, even African cultures are very clear on homosexuality. It is anti cultural and anti religious. Bible states it clearly and unambiguously when it comes to this sick ‘life style’.
It begins in Leviticus 18:22 (KJV): “Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.” That seems pretty clear to me. The chapter goes on to state that people who commit these acts, and others God considers abominations, causes the land itself to be defiled.
Then, in the New Testament, Paul writes in Romans 1:22-27: Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
Our people here need to know that homos are committing a sin by doing what they are doing. We should not legislate these ‘sins’.
Friends,
