[Ugnet] Uganda must look for an alternative to DDT
In our media, easily the best article on this topic. A gem of an article !! Thank you Mr Opio-Oloya. Uganda must look for an alternative to DDT Tuesday, 4th July, 2006 E-mail article Print article Opiyo Oloya OPIYO OLOYA Perspective of a Ugandan in canada There is a classic story of the Bedouin Arab, his camel and his tent. the shivering camel begs his master to allow him to put his nose in the warm tent, then asks to do the same with his front legs, then for his hump to enter the tiny tent, and finally, with complete disregard for his masters kindness, the beast kicks the man out from the tent altogether! The advocates for DDT are akin to the camel in the story. They have just won a hard lobby to get the government of Uganda to initiate indoor spraying of the pesticide in the fight to eradicate malaria-carrying mosquitoes. On Friday, health minister Dr. Stephen Malinga launched the Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS) at Maziba Primary School playground in Ndorwa East, Kabale district. Now, you would think that the advocates of DDT would be content, but you would be dead wrong. Their next big push is to get the government to agree to largescale outdoor spraying of DDT. For example, last week in this paper, Professor Donald Roberts correctly pointed out that there are currently no known harm in using DDT within the confines of building to eradicate the deadly mosquitoes. Yet, the world respected scientist of tropical public health, also went on to say, Additionally, environmental exposure to DDT does not cause birds to lay eggs with transparent membranes instead of hard shells. Here, Dr. Roberts is just flat out wrong. Although the laying of shell-less eggs is rare (it was observed in Brown Pelicans nesting off the coast of California), the laying of thin- shelled eggs owing to the biochemical effects of DDE on the process of shell formation was widespread among many species of birds in North America and Europe during the peak period of DDT use in the 1950s to early 1970s. The species most severely affected were raptors such as Peregrine Falcon, Bald Eagle, Osprey, and fish-eaters such as the pelican and some herons that underwent simultaneous population declines in the period when eggshells were abnormally thin and were either broken in incubation or failed to hatch. Furthermore, in his book titled Population Limitations in Birds (Academic Press, 1998), Dr. Ian Newton demonstrates the clear link between pesticides and pollutants and their impact on bird population. In the book, he brings together 16 studies that demonstrated the demise of birds over large geographical areas as a result of pesticide use, and nine other studies showing the immediate effects of pesticides on bird numbers. In addition, there are literally hundreds of other studies on the subject out there. Why, one asks, with so much research information available on the impact of DDT on some species of North American birds, would the good professor say something that he knows is patently untrue? The reason, as previously noted in this column, is that DDT is probably the most effective known pesticide against insects including malaria-causing mosquitoes. Easy to manufacture, cheap and effective against most insects including the anopheles mosquitoes, which carry the deadly malarial parasites that kill millions every year, its widespread use in North America in the 1950s and 1960s is credited with eradicating malaria-carrying mosquitoes altogether. As well, research show that wherever it is used, there is a tangible decline in malaria-related deaths. The problem is that the dramatic effectiveness of DDT in North America came about precisely because of its large scale use, including aerial spraying over the environment in order to eliminate certain insects including the mosquitoes in their own breeding grounds in the swamps and stagnant waters. For example, in order to get rid of the gypsy moth, the US Department of Agriculture carried out aerial spraying of millions of acres in New York State in 1950s, including Long Island. Whats more, DDT was mixed with oil to make it stick to the trees. And, as noted above, there was a real environmental cost attached to the indiscriminate use of the pesticide. American biologist Rachel Carson in her highly influential book Silent Spring, published in 1962, explains that many species of peregrine falcons, eagles, songbirds, brown pelicans, California sea lions and many fishes had dwindled to dangerously low numbers because of DDT poisoning. Consequently, Canada banned DDT use in 1969. Meanwhile, on June 30, 1972, the US Environmental Protection Agency banned the insecticide altogether. Scientists in Canada and United States who painstakingly nursed the species back from the brink of extinction have since upgraded the peregrine falcon from endangered list after three decades of heroic effort. Now, like the wily camel in the above story, the advocates of DDT know that so long
[Ugnet] To Buganda and Baganda MPs
Uganda Unviable Nation State To Buganda /Baganda Parliamentary Caucus C/O Speaker of Parliament Hon. Ssekandi Edward Parliament of Uganda, Kampala, Parliament Avenue Honourables, allow me to address you in this open letter, about issues of Buganda and Baganda, through the Honourable Speaker of Uganda parliament. I would have brought this letter directed to your offices, however, when I passed by the other week, the heavy armed combat ready soldiers around Uganda legislature, it appeared to me, we the commons were no longer welcome to the peoples parliament. Ive held a feeling that Buganda 72 elected members can do something to save Buganda and Baganda from total extinction. The National Resistance Movement, has been very critical of colonial creation, mechanication, and also very much instrumental in making sure, the Southern Sudan get a nation separate from the old Sudan or the Arab north. For that, I heartily congratulate the NRM leadership. As a consequence today, there is a government called the Government of the Southern Sudan under the leadership of General Salva Kiir. We congratulate him too. Likely in Uganda, the Odoki Commission, Ssempebwa Commission, the Constituent Assembly, under bush war of Professor Lule Kironde now resting at Kololo and else where, the Baganda have categorically stated, they want their nation the - Buganda Kingdom. Buganda Kampala Faeces Kampala today, stretches to about 196 square kilometres of Buganda and Baganda land. Those who have redesigned Kampala have made it multiply almost five times to about 960 square kilometres of Buganda and Baganda land. Kampala has a population, in my current estimations of about 2,500,000 million people. The sewerage system in Kampala, cover only 8 % of the 196 square kilometres of Kampala, which is only 16 kilometres. Currently 16 kilometres of sewer lines translate to 2% of the new Kampala metropolitan of 960 sq km. Honourables, if you take it that every individual of the 2,500,000 million people residing and working in Kampala, drops half a kilo of faeces daily (24 hours), then on a daily basis 1,250,000 million of human excrement is dropped on Kampala daily. Notice too that with 2,500,000 individuals on the current Kampala acreage implies, 12,755 people occupy every square kilometre. NRM government cant be ignorant of the state of affairs for it has been soliciting for funds to improve on water sanitation and supply in Kampala, one thing NRM has done with religious vigour albeit primitively. Water is one of the Programmes for modernisation of Agriculture however there is basically no proper designed water and sewerage lines. The media too, has abundantly written about sticking spring water. It would have been a government preoccupation to rectify the situation. Nothing, so far has been done! Let me put it to you members of parliament, show the Baganda yru study reports on that matter as shown above! Baganda MPs youre 72 in total. Buganda is being filled with human faeces, in fact Buganda is becoming a latrine infront of your eyes. Buruli, Bugerere and Ssembabule Emerging serious conflicts in Buruli, Bugerere and Ssembabule are interesting and fascinating. One watches the Baganda/Buganda 72 members of parliament including Baganda bush warriors, in such an inept state when terrible things are emerging. Serious contestation for power and struggle for primordial economic resources in these regions might seem subtle on the surface. We are informed NRM is modernising Buganda and Buganda. Those arrays have embedded; political, environment, sociological, tribal (NRMs sectarian) and economic intoxication for Buganda and Baganda. These and other many problems in Buganda are emerging, only under a regime that is vehemently albeit only verbally, opposed to sectarianism. The National Resistance Movement has been categorical, past colonial issues had to be resolved. It is exactly with the same stance, Buganda and Baganda are being chopped into different districts as if Buganda was a creation of the British. NRM is nationalistic so to say! Nonetheless, Buganda and Baganda have leaved here even before colonialism and facts talk for themselves! Kisanjja was passed without a hitch, at a reward its alleged, of 5 million shillings. I now wonder, why Baganda MPs ever supported constitutional changes, without supporting and with the same zeal, the interest of Buganda and Baganda getting being addressed! The intentions become murkier and questionable with every deeper analysis. It will be most interesting, for Baganda MPs to explain to the Baganda population all events that have taken place in Buganda since 1986, which requires state explanation. The state has virtually kept quite, yet such issues are quite pertinent to the political existence of Buganda and Baganda. Baganda must learn for once to be straight talkers and straight in approach to save t
