It's Tumwebaze Who Bought The M7 Thinkpad

In this tough economic climate, the last thing we would want is to see people out of a job. But in this case, it’s absolutely warranted. The way I see it, heads just have to roll. But more on that later in today’s ramble.

The 27th African Union Summit took place in Kigali, Rwanda two weeks ago but of course, I was busy sorting out my social night life to pay attention to it, until I saw a clip of Rwandan President, Paul Kagame (Below), looking rather tediously bored when he took to the dance floor with Singer who just would not let go of his hand. At one point, Singer was so obviously waiting for him to twirl her and when that was not forthcoming, she took matters into her own hand and twirled herself while still latching on to his hand. But again, that’s beside the point.

What is, is President Museveni’s briefcase that his ADC, Maj. David Koch (Below in military dress), flogs around and its contents. But pause a minute - what makes a good briefcase? It has to be lightweight with a comfortable handle; large enough to hold documents but not so bulky it looks like a weekender; and made of materials built to last so it can be passed on to the kid when he gets old enough to pull his weight – in this case, former ADC Maj. Wilson Mbadi passing it on to Maj. Koch.

However, M7’s briefcase does look like a weekender. Its big, bulky and looks fully laden. In all my time watching Mbadi and Koch lugging it around, I have never seen them opening it. What’s inside? A spare yellow tie, buttons or cuff-links? Some lip balm or Kleenex wipes? A pistol and ammunition? Or perhaps its a laptop because, where did the laptop he (M7) was using at the AU Summit last week spring from?

And this is where heads have to roll especially that of Information, ICT and Communications Minister, Frank Tumwebaze (Below). I am not the most computer savvy person there is in Uganda, but I do know that when I am buying one, I just don‘t walk into the computer shop, Kazinga Channel on Entebbe road and pluck the cheapest one off the shelf. By the way Frank, the top ten selling brands on the market today and in order are – Apple, Asus, Dell, Lenovo, Acer, Sony, Samsung, Hewlett Packard, Toshiba and MSI.

While the logo is not that clear on the one that M7 showed off at AU, it does look like a 17” IBM Thinkpad. Frank, who in today's world uses a bulky IBM Tinkpad? Not even my dad, Mr. Bukumunhe that is and who is not the most knowledgeable person when it comes to laptop brands uses an IBM Thinkpad but a Lenovo.

Another reason why Tumwebaze’s head has to roll, it that a 17” is too big to be used in such a confined conference venue. He should have procured for him at least a 13” Samsung tablet which is discreet and which M7 could have laid out on the table and done whatever he was was doing very privately with not a worry that Delegate and President of the countries that sit on the Z row behind him like Edgar Lungu of Zambia and Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe are not peering over his shoulders and reading our state secrets or private e-mails to the Minister of Education and Sports.

If the tablet was hard to come by, then I would have suggested a Samsung Note III cell phone as an alternative because it has a large enough screen at 5.9” for his (M7s) failing eyes to still be able to read – plus it comes with the extras meaning, he would be able to go online and pass time watching Bukedde TV, play candy crush, watch Scoop on Scoop on Urban TV, tweet or better still, watch the memes of the #M7 Challenge as Mugabe takes to the podium to deliver his usual lengthy rambling tirade of a speech.

No offence Frank, but I am sure at the moment you are seething and thinking of calling Robert Kabushenga at Sunday Vision to ask if he can haul me over the coals and discipline me. But can see where I am coming from Frank, for as ICT minister, I presume it’s you who The Treasury issues the cheque to for the procurement of government laptops.

IBM should I point out, is a brand just like Blackberry or Nokia which, are dead in the water and it was the wrong brand to have swung M7. And Frank, tell M7 to style up because that Katorchi Nokia 1100 phone (Below) which is so obviously a promotional phone and one favoured by Mobile Money Agent, does not even have a vibrate ring mode to it. Even House-ee at State House and whose grandmother lives in a kyalo in Kashari, wouldn’t take it in a brand new state or as a presidential hand-me-down.

     

Pictures: New Vision, Daily Monitor, Internet