How Uganda is feeding the World’s Banana Appetite.

An apple a day keeps the doctor away, so goes the famous adage that has inspired millions as they aspire to maintain healthy lives. In Western Europe, health-cautious masses are known to religiously follow this with the keenness only comparable to a physician at his work.

But Bananas and Apples share a lot in common including the properties of soluble fiber, Vitamins and Calcium. And the realization of this has arguably turned out to be one of Uganda’s biggest sources of inspiration regarding value addition to agricultural produce particularly, Bananas.

“I don’t want to choose between the two but the Banana is gradually replacing the Apple,” declares Doctor Florence Muranga, a Food Scientist who once headed Makerere University’s Department of Food Science.

“Go to Europe, people are appreciating the health properties of Bananas and that’s a positive sign,” adds Dr Florence Muranga.

Only second to India in Banana production, Uganda’s journey towards meaningful exploitation of Bananas begun around 2003 with the establishment of the Presidential Initiative on Banana Industrial Development (PIBID) with Dr Florence Muranga again at the helm.

Seven years down the road, PIBID has not only demonstrated that Uganda, famed for its agriculture friendly climate has the potential of feeding the world but also transforming the livelihoods of numerous farmers through value-addition.

Branding its products as “Tooke” which is Luganda for Banana, PIBID has brought on to our shelves a string of innovative products including baby foods, bread, biscuits, cookies, instant flour all made from systematically dried Bananas. The latter can be mingled to make the traditional Ugandan meal.

That way, PIBID has almost single-handedly revolutionalised the consumption of Bananas in Uganda. As apposed to the traditional ways which included steaming, eating them ripe or even brewing them into alcohol, Ugandans are now able to enjoy a cookie of a piece of Banana bread.

This diversity has also ensured that Bananas and the related products are granted longer shelf lives and the Banana flour can be preserved and transported for longer distances over a longer period of time. Thanks to this innovation, Ugandans overseas are able to have a taste of their home grown Banana delicacy.

It is such mile-stones that make Dr Florence so optimistic of the future that she declares plans to aggressively market Banana products across the region including Kenya where Maize flour is traditionally dominant.

Inevitably, marketing Banana products will involve challenging long held traditions in some countries surely sounds ambitious. How Dr Florence plans on doing this is a secret only well known to her self. But she gives a sneak peak.

“Our target is not the adults because their feeding habits can’t be changed,” she says noting that the young children are the future gold-mine of PIBID’s business because they can be groomed to love Bananas and the related products.

At its field project in the South Western District of Bushenyi, PIBID has along the years managed to transform an ailing District Farm Institute into one of the best agricultural demonstration centres in Uganda.

Indeed, the facility has been at the fore-front of churning out innovative farming technologies including the harnessing by-products which are peels as the main fuel for drying process of the Bananas. The residue is again picked from the bio-digester and put back into the plantation as fertilizer. This particular project recently won PIBID an award from the African Investor Forum as the Boi-fuel project of the year.

“Nothing goes to waste in our chain of production,” boasts Dr Florence saying the project was a deserved winner for the award.

The Boi-fuel model has indeed generated a lot of excitement across the country that PIBID is in final stages of disseminating the technology to the farmers so as to improve production levels.

Yet Dr Florence intimates that this is just the beginning. “We have been focusing on capacity building all these years and we are now set to undertake large-scale commercialization,” she says.

“Our ultimate goal is to facilitate the uptake research in our segment by farmers which will enable constant quality supplies as we take the Banana to the world,” she adds noting that as a personal observation, she has come to the conclusion that people who consume a lot of Bananas are more comparatively tolerant, flexible and peaceful.

Soon, PIBID will be launching a fully-fledged company to promote its “Tooke” products. The company will be based on a cooperative model to ensure inclusiveness of farmers who will be dynamic players in the project. “We will also bring the many food science graduates in the country to enable them become job-creators,” says Dr Florence.

Already, trade collaborators are being identified in the Asia and Europe to market the produce as PIBID expands its reach in vital markets.

Dr Florence says that Ugandan farmers should not be disenfranchised because they will be able to get great value for their produce. “When Ugandan Bananas start selling like hot cake all over the world, we all benefit from the success,” she declares.

Powering the nation.

 

As Uganda’s construction sector experiences booms, one highly imperative part of it is the electrical installation and engineering. Any kind of modern construction always requires the deployment of professional Electrical Engineers in order to ensure high safety standards.

Otim Maxon, an Electrical Engineer based in Kampala says many people in Uganda previously put cost before quality and the perception was that hiring professional Engineers is too expensive. “But people are now starting to appreciate the leverage that comes with hiring professionals,” he says noting that the reason for this trend is because people have learnt to consider safety as paramount.

“And we all know Electrical works are some of the most sensitive parts in construction,” says Otim who also runs a consultancy firm, Terrestrial Wan Technologies International LTD based in Kampala. “The guarantee of safety is any property owner’s dream especially for commercial buildings,” he adds.

Construction and Electrical works go hand in hand, declares Mrs Maureen Magandazi, also a Kampala based supplies contractor who deals in Electrical gadgets. “Several years back, investing in the electrical business was an obvious loss-making venture but that has changed of recent,” she says revealing that the economic boom over the years has enabled many people to indulge in construction hence require electrical installations.

Its no wonder therefore that electrical equipment manufacturers based in Uganda including Cable Corporation of Uganda and Kenyan based East African Cables have moved to increase capacity to meet market demand despite competition from imports.

But if the construction industry has cause the increase in demand for Electrical Services, then the latter has also returned the favour in more less the same currency. For, some of the country’s biggest ever electrical installations also double as some of the most expensive construction works in Uganda today.

The Multi-million dollar Bujagali Hydro-power dam under construction in Jinja is one such project with a two-pronged contribution. The 250MW dam expected to commence operations next year (2011) is expected to ease the deficit of power supply facing the country.

The deficit in Hydro electricity supply has however seen other sector players venture into the Ugandan market with alternative power sources especially thermal electricity. One such company is Norway-based Jacosen International which in 2008 contracted local companies to install a 50MW thermal power plant in the Kampala suburb of Namanve.

The complete set of works also included construction of cable trays and laying of all cables as well as connecting 11KV cables to the national grid. In all, this resulted into a direct flow of over USD770, 000(approximately Shs169bn) into Uganda’s economy. The same works had earlier been done for Aggreko International, also a thermal power firm.

On the other hand, Uganda’s fledging oil industry has already caused excitement across the Electricals spectrum with a couple of multi-million dollar installation is areas of Hoima.

Kampala-based Electrical firm, Keltron has worked on several Electrical installation projects for oil explorer, Tullow Oil some which include full camp electrical installations and an Airstrip facility in Hoima.

But one of the main local electrical installation marvels is at Uganda’s premier resort, the Commonwealth Resort in Munyonyo which was also designed by Keltron. Built ahead of the 2007 Commonwealth Heads of State Meeting hosted in Uganda that year, the lakeside resort boasts of 59 Presidential Suites, the only one of its kind in Africa.

For such a classy and sensitive resort, electrical works included cabling of low voltage installations, mounting of electrical panels, plus other electrical and mechanical consultancy all approximately totaling to $350,000.

Such is the pertinence of electrical installations in construction projects that it is only comparable to the Chicken and Egg tale.

According to Bernard Kisembo, a member of the Uganda Institution of Professional Engineers who also owns Multi-Konsults, an Engineering firm, Electrical works in Uganda came of age during the refurbishment of Crested Towers and construction of Workers House.

Both projects entailed the redevelopment of power stations, high voltage switchgears, installing power transformers of about 3MVA and 4MVA respectively as well as reviewing the entire power distribution systems. Together, this two projects which are both owned by NSSF remain some of Uganda’s most prominent engineering marvels.

Amir Lubega, currently an Electrical Engineer with National Water and Sewerage Corporation(NWSC) says electrical works are very vital even in Utility companies. “I spend most of my time at NWSC’s Ggaba Water Works station because without power, water won’t be pumped,” he notes adding that water as well is a very vital component in the construction industry.

“It’s an interdependent world, so is construction and electrical installation,” concludes Engineer Amir.

Jiggers declare war on Ugandans.

Some countries have plain health challenges, others have enormous health challenges. Uganda most probably lies in the latter. Most infections that haunt Ugandans lie in the largely preventable category.

Of late however, the phenomenal rise of jigger infections in the Eastern Ugandan region of Busoga has raised a lot of questions on Uganda’s strategic health communication and strategic sensitization of the public.

Recently, it took the death of a 3month old boy in Bugiri district before a mass sensitization and relief plan was launched by politicians from the region. If only the drive had been launched earlier, the boy would more less be saved.

Such is the reactionary attitude of Ugandans that experts have concluded that the major cause of these epidemics lies in the attitude of Ugandans towards health issues. “Until one is infected, many a Ugandan doesn’t care to take a check-up,” notes Dr Peter Kibuuka, a medical practitioner at Kampala-based Rubaga Hospital.

Dr Kibuuka adds that the case of Busoga can largely be blamed on negligence on the side of victims as well as regional health officers who ought to sensitize the public on the dangers posed by jiggers. He describes a Jigger as having a head that is angular, has no comb of spines, and the thoracic segments are narrow at the top.

The female Jigger feeds by burrowing into the skin of its host. The abdomen becomes enormously enlarged between the second and third segments so that the flea forms a round sac with the shape and size of a pea.

He says that the first evidence of infestation by this sand flea (Jigger) is a tiny black dot on the skin at the point of penetration. 

Because the flea is a poor jumper, most lesions occur on the feet, often on the soles, the toe webs, and around or under the toenails. A small, inflammatory papule with a central black dot forms early.

Within the next few weeks, the papule slowly enlarges into a white, pea-sized nodule with well-defined borders between 4-10mm in diameter. This lesion can range from asymptomatic to pruritic to extremely painful.

Multiple/severe infestations may result in a cluster of nodules with a honeycomb appearance.

While both male and female sand fleas intermittently feed on their warm-blooded hosts, it is the pregnant female flea that burrows into the skin of the host and causes the cutaneous lesion.

Jiggers are normally found in the sandy terrain of warm, dry climates. It prefers deserts, beaches, stables, stock farms, and the soil and dust close to farms. Not much stock farms exist in Busoga but the area is both dusty and the climate is warm.

Heavy infestations may lead to severe inflammation, ulceration, and fibrosis. Lymphangitis, gangrene, sepsis, the loss of toenails, auto-amputation of the digits, and death may also occur. In most cases, however, this lesion heals without further complications.“Nonetheless, the risk of secondary infection is high,” says Dr Kibuuka before noting that Tetanus is a common secondary infection that has reported associations with death.

The eggs of a female Jigger hatch on the ground in 3-4 days. In the next 3-4 weeks, they go through their larval and pupal stages and become adults. The complete life cycle lasts about a month.

At any one time, a Jigger can release over 100 eggs into your skin before dying and slowly being sloughed by the host’s skin.

An infestation begins to irritate and itch when is almost fully developed. Sometimes it causes severe inflammation and ulceration. If the female flea dies in the skin, it may cause a secondary infection. A clear effect of an attack by Jiggers is the inability to walk easily due to pain in the affected areas of the legs coupled with inability to carry out normal day to day activities.

The treatment consists of the extraction of the entire intact insect. The breaking of the jigger may cause inflammation and possible infection.  The best recommended treatment for this kind of attack would be to soak the feet in a solution of alcohol for instance hydrogen peroxide or the other commercial disinfectants.

According to experts, a victim should soak their feet for about 15 minutes every day for about two weeks and this will completely kill the bugs. For a complete eradication of the bug, their homes should be thoroughly fumigated and any animals that also have the fleas treated.

To ensure that the home is bug free, the victim and the rest of the family have to be educated on the need to observe hygiene and ensure that the bugs do not find a home in their homes again.

The prime preventive measure of the jigger is observing cleanliness. Wearing of shoes should also be encouraged to ensure that the flea does not find entry into ones feet. 

In infested areas, people should check their feet daily for freshly burrowing jiggers, which are visible as minute black spots and cause an itchy sensation. Indeed, Dr Kibuuka contends that the leading cause of Jigger infections is poor hygiene conditions hence insists on cleanliness as the best way to prevent infections. “Hygiene, hygiene, hygiene,” he exclaims before declaring that it all begins with you.

Love in the African Marketplace.

 

How capitalism eats the sense of love out of relationships.

By Burite Joseph

A Nigerian friend of mine, Joshua Eromosele asked his facebook friends whether money can really buy true love. I tried to ignore his post because first, this is not a strange question. In fact, it is common speak that Money can’t buy love, let alone true love. And still, I thought it was just another stereotyped question about the single most intriguing subject in the history of mankind – love.

Joshua got some really typical answers but in the same breath, bumped into some radical ones as well. “True love is a myth,” declares one Mulya Gonja who goes on to say that all relationships are for convenience. “Some people want company, sex, money, business while others do it to avoid loneliness,” says Mulya Gonja adding that if one loves their father, its because they need him.

Going by Mulya Gonja’s comments would seem logical until one Chijimakaoma Becky Ogbuka, another Nigerian reveals that true love indeed exists but can only be achieved by those who believe in it. And hence introducing another key twist to the debate – belief.

So, should all those who fail to find true love, if other factors are kept constant be deemed non-believers? For Becky, all one needs to find true love is belief. “There is no reason to explain true love because it just happens,” declares Becky noting that if there is reason or explanation for it, then it ceases to be true love.

Traditionally, and because of the chauvinist leaning societies in Africa, girls were always groomed to

Uganda's Oil Bonanza - Where do women stand?

Uganda’s oil sector is a buzz with activity. Over 2bn barrels already confirmed and further exploration in high gear. Even more exciting is the anticipated production phase that will see over $10bn worth of investments injected into the sector soon.

And perhaps a sign of the oil sector’s growing clout, the Petroleum Exploration and Production Department (PEPD) in Entebbe is one of the only two government departments to get a new modern office building this year, the other being the President’s office.

                                         A Ugandan Oil sample exhibited by Tullow officers.

Unlike other sectors, oil brings with it high expectations especially regarding employment and the expected increase in government revenue makes even the least optimistic of a Ugandan excited.

Asked what government policy is regarding gender equitability towards employment in the oil sector, Mr Mubarak Munaya, the Principal Gender Officer in the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development reveals that such sector-particular policy is yet to be put in place and the process is just being initiated.

“We have been at exploration stage and the oil is just a recent discovery,” he says, noting that now is the exact entry-point for policy makers, program implementers and capacity developers at the Ministry.

“It is like building a house. You can’t be brick-laying and then start sweeping,” He relates.

“Check on us in six months,” he jokes before revealing that the Gender, Labour and Social Development Ministry is in close contact with the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development regarding policy formulation for the sector which will start soon.

But if Mr. Munaya has his eyes on the policy, then his counterparts at Energy and Mineral development have other thoughts. Mr. Bukenya K. Matovu, the Senior Assistant Secretary in the latter says there will be no such policy because govt’s priority is to recruit competent personnel regardless of their gender.

“A sector this nascent can not afford to get into such politics,” declares Mr. Bukenya, noting that Oil and Gas is a very technical field and therefore can not compromise on skills and competence. “We will not discriminate against women but neither can we push for incompetent or incapable people,” adds Bukenya.

He notes that just operating a drilling rig needs internationally certified personnel and Uganda which has none remains with no choice but to out-source that kind of work.

Expected to employ between 10,000-20,000 people, he says that the oil sector is a bee- hive of activity that people should not limit it to just two products of oil and gas. “The establishment of a refinery opens up a lot of related industries and all people are encouraged to start companies irrespective of whether they are women or men,” he says.

He says plastics, bio-chemicals, industrial chemicals, electric generation, and synthetic industries are some of the industries that will be created as a result of the refinery. There are also opportunities to be service providers to these oil companies. “So, women should not sit and expect to be handed a share of the action on a silver platter. Let them compete for deals because govt won’t be handing out businesses since it does not control the private sector,” he notes.

He says the other angle is that the private sector by its nature seeks to minimize risk, loss and maximize profit. There is no way government will prevail over them to ensure gender equitability because in the oil sector, you either know something or you don’t.

“Women should form credible companies otherwise government will not suppress skills because this is a capital intensive, hi-tech, profit-oriented and private sector dominated affair,” he assures.

Generally though, Mr. Bukenya says the oil industry world over has reservations on women because it’s labour intensive and takes into account natural factors to do with women.

“All in all, business is not a charity and women must demonstrate competence in this highly competitive world. It’s the only way and we shall not stop them,” declares Bukenya.

But Hon. Florence Ibi Ekwau, the Shadow Minister for Gender, Labour and Social Development expresses displeasure at how government drags its feet when it comes to policy regarding gender and women affairs.

“Gender has a fully-fledged department, what have they been doing since the discovery of oil in 2007?” she questions. “Women ought to be involved at all stages but government always remembers us only during election campaigns,” she says.

“It is disappointing to see that women lead those three line ministries yet none of them is defending the interests of women in the lucrative oil sector,” she notes referring to Hon. Syda Bumba, Hon. Irene Muloni and Hon. Maria Kiwanuka who lead the ministries of Gender Labour and Social Development, Energy and Minieral Development as well as the Finance Ministry respectively.

“We should not be left to “prostitution” and cleaning in this lucrative sector by being given smaller things while kept in the dark when it comes to bigger things,” says Hon Ekwau noting that women are good managers and are good candidates to head the planned Petroleum Commission and the Petroleum Authority.

“Promoting one woman translates into elevation of many families,” she notes.

“How many women are apart of the undergoing training at Kigumba Petroleum Training Institute?” wonders Hon. Ekwau noting that since no particular percentage was allocated to women, the oil boom will turn out to be another male-dominated affair again.

“I am going to pursue the matter of Kigumba and ensure women don’t end up with peanuts,” she vows.

But although previous reports show that training is underway at the Kigumba Petroleum Training Institute, officials at the Ministry of Education insist the training is yet to commence and therefore the question of numbers should not arise.

“Nothing is going on yet but we are working to get this started,” says Mr James Mugwerwa, the Acting Assistant Commissioner for Technical, Vocational Education and Training at the Ministry of education and Sports leaving one to wonder what training strategy government has in place.

Peter Christopher Werikhe, the Secretary General of the National Organisation of Trade Unions (NOTU) urges caution though. “There is already good will on the side of government to promote women,” he says, adding that nothing can stop that.

“Women are everywhere now and what they should instead seek to enhance and strengthen is the unionization of labour in the oil sector,” he advices.

“Unionization ensures equitability and fairness for all,” says Werikhe adding that NOTU’s only worry is the entry of the Chinese into the sector because they have a history of not tolerating unionization and gender equality issues in their country.

“Govt should be tough on the Chinese to ensure they respect both gender and union laws of this country,” he says.

The two oil companies leading the concession race, Total E& P and CNOC decline to comment on issues regarding their gender policy because technically, they are not yet operating in Uganda.

However, a source at the former who asked not to be revealed because they are not authorized to speak to the press says the company has quite an impressive number of women in its hierarchy. “One of our lead Geological Engineers is a woman who used to work with the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development,” the source says adding that a number of other women occupy senior offices including the legal office.

Mr Jimmy Kiberu, the communications officer at Tullow Oil & Gas which is the lead exploration company operating in Uganda says while they emphasize skills and competence, Tullow Oil & Gas is an equal opportunity employer. “We do not discriminate against anyone on the basis of gender,” he notes.

For many an average Ugandan, the oil sector presents a vital opportunity for transformation of the country. The sector holds the hopes of many young Ugandans who yearn for an era of abundance and accelerated development.

Ankunda Pearl, a 22 year old student of Business Studies at Makerere University Business School says she expects to get a well paying job with an oil company after graduation which will enable her take care of her mum and siblings.

Mukisa Farahan, 34 and a motorbike transporter based in Kampala says he hopes that this will lift people out of poverty but he expresses fear about the rate of corruption in the public sector. “The oil money might never reach us,” he says.

Charity Komujuni, 28 and an administrative Secretary also based in Kampala says those who will benefit are already doing so. “The rest of us are blindly cheering on,” she notes, also expressing reservations over corruption.

Doreen Ngonzi, a 26 year old Nursing Assistant at Masindi regional hospital in Masindi says she hopes to see better health facilities in the region and improved working conditions as an impact of the oil.

But at the backdrop of this are concerns over government’s failure to set a minimum wage hence leaving room for possible exploitation of workers by employers in the oil sector.

Meanwhile, excitement continues to grow over Uganda’s oil fortunes as production is expected to start in less than a year. Government seems to have adopted a liberal approach on the sector. And as parliament pushes government to urgently table laws to govern the oil sector, women can only hope that they will ensure equitability for all.