WEEKLY NEWS ROUND UP
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RUBUMBURI EZEKIEL
Feb 1, 2016, 2:23:18 AM2/1/16
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Good Morning,
Here is a glimpse of what is happening around the country and in the world
Girl who made bricks for fees graduates
In the searing heat under clear skies in Kitagobwa village, Wakiso District, Ms Rebecca Nakiganda is bespattered with mud. She is wearing a black skirt and a matching top. Ms Nakiganda, 31, scoops a mound of wet mud, throws it with a bang into a mould and sprints to a levelled ground to lay out the brick. Dry banana leaves and grass cover lines of bricks made earlier; to prevent them from cracking in the sun heat. Soothing cold air blows from the leafy avocado and other overgrown fruit trees besides a new red-roofed bungalow. In the open field, the heat grows in intensity, pricking the skin with uncomfortable sensation. Brick laying has been a mainstay for Ms Nakiganda, not only for fending for her seven siblings, but also to fund her university education. Today, she will, with pride, join some 5,609 graduands to receive academic awards at Kyambogo University this week, capping years of unique struggles and long, lonely and draining 40-kilometre daily trek for lectures at the university. “It has been years of struggle. I thank my father who has supported me all these years,” says Ms Nakiganda. - See more at: http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/She-made-bricks-raise-tuition/-/688334/3050594/-/gy0g4z/-/index.html
Ugandan University Women on Study Tour
Young women from different universities of Uganda are in Rwanda for a two-day visit under the auspices of CEDA International, to learn about Rwanda's political organisation and participation of women in Parliament. The delegation was yesterday in Parliament, where they discussed with lawmakers matters relating to women's role in the House. "The purpose of our visit is to give young university girls an insight of what really happens in politics. We consider Rwanda as a role model state and we hope to learn as well as share ideas and experiences regarding women political empowerment," Rehmah Kasule, the head of the delegation, said. "The vision of our organisation is to help create a new generation of women leaders, who are economically independent, socially responsible and politically active," Kasule said. MP Francesca Tengera emphasised that women empowerment in Rwanda has been as a result of political will and the fact that Rwandan women have proved their capability in various sectors. - See more at http://allafrica.com/stories/201601280076.html
Kyambogo has 186 with 1st class; Mbarara graduates 917
Kyambogo University today starts its three-day ceremonies to award 5,829 graduands with certificates, diplomas and degrees. Some 186 graduands will receive first-class degrees and distinctions diplomas at the university’s sports grounds. Acting vice chancellor Eli Katunguka-Rwakishaya said on Monday that 63 of the excelling186 are female. Among other programmes, this year’s stellar performers came from bachelor of Adult and Community Education and bachelor of Engineering in Civil Engineering, with 13 first classes each; bachelor of Arts in Social Work and Community Development (10), bachelor of IT and Computing (9), Social Work and Social Administration (7) and bachelor of Human Nutrition and Dietetics (6). Emmanuel Magoba was the best student, with a bachelor of IT and computing and a cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of 4.90. He was followed by Mariam Naluwembe with a diploma in fashion designing and Omax Turyatunga with a diploma in Accounting and Finance at CGPA of 4.86 each. Prof Katunguka said the university could not establish the number of students missing on the graduation list although a few complaints had been raised since last week. - See more at: http://www.observer.ug/news-headlines/42307-kyambogo-has-186-with-1st-class-mbarara-graduates-917
Hundreds miss Kyambogo graduation over retakes
Professor Eli Katunguka, the acting vice chancellor of Kyambogo says some of the students whose names are missing on the graduation list have more than 10 retakes carried forward from their first year at the university. The most affected faculty is the School of Management and Entrepreneurship. Where the student population has gradually gone up. The school has 3, 900 students this academic year, several of whom accumulated retakes and were not able to beat the deadline of resitting the exams. Katunguka says that although the university offered amnesty to those who accumulated retakes to finish them ahead of the graduation, many of the beneficiaries still failed the examinations. He however adds that some of those missing on the list have outstanding financial obligations. "This is particularly at the School of management and entrepreneurship. Because there the students population has gone up, I think they have more than 3900 students - that is a very big number. And surprisingly you find these students have many retakes 10, 12, 13 and we have been been wondering how these people are going to manage”, he said. - See more at: http://www.observer.ug/news-headlines/42283-hundreds-miss-kyambogo-graduation-over-retakes
Top 100 A-Level schools over the last four years
Following the release of Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) results last Friday, the next task for students and parents is to find a school with a record of performing well at the next level; Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE), the gateway to university and tertiary institutions. Today, increasingly thoughtful employers require personnel that have relevant job skills and ability to improve the productivity of their companies and enterprises regardless of their academic performance. Nevertheless, academic excellence remains an integral yardstick for possible employment in many institutions. As such, every student and importantly parents, wish and are always out to take their children to the best performing schools academically. Some schools; both traditional and new entrants in the education sector, have over a period of time distinguished themselves academically by posting good results both at O-Level and A-level. Although there are other factors that influence where one takes his child, including discipline, affordability, and accessibility, among others, performance has always been a top consideration for parents. - See more at : http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/Education/Top-100-A-Level-schools-over-the-last-four-years/-/688336/3056764/-/q7bo8z/-/index.html
First consignment of ballot papers arrives today
The first consignment of ballot papers for presidential and parliamentary elections will arrive at Entebbe International Airport today. Without mentioning the number, the Electoral Commission (EC) said the papers will be flown in by Paarl Media, a South African company that was procured to print the presidential, parliamentary and district women councilors ballot papers. The other consignments of ballot papers from TALL Security Print Limited of UK, Al Ghurair Printing and Publishing House from the United Arab Emirates and local firm Picfare Industries will be delivered in due course. Uganda will hold its presidential and parliamentary elections on February 18. Seven presidential candidates are tussling it out with the incumbent President Yoweri Museveni. A total of 2,124 aspiring parliamentary candidates are also in the field battling it out for 455 parliamentary seats. About sh45b was spent on the procurement of ballot papers. About 15.3 million voters are expected to participate in this year’s election. - See more at: http://www.newvision.co.ug/new_vision/news/1415738/consignment-ballot-papers-arrives-tomorrow#sthash.kmYUdEYr.dpuf
Sejusa arrested as tensions mount ahead of elections
Ugandan security forces on Sunday arrested a former intelligence chief and outspoken critic of President Yoweri Museveni as tensions mount ahead of a presidential poll next month. Gen David Sejusa's arrest "followed a two-and-half-hour search by UPDF (Ugandan army) officers of the general's home. Gen. Sejusa also known as Tinyefunza, who has called President Museveni a dictator, is being detained at Makindye military barracks in the Ugandan capital Kampala, said his lawyer Ladislaus Rwakafuuzi. Sejusa's home was surrounded by armed military police early Sunday, he said. Sejusa's arrest is likely to raise tensions ahead of presidential elections on February 18. Museveni, who is campaigning for re-election, has ruled Uganda since 1986, when he led a group of rebels who had waged a bush war against a government they accused of rigging elections. Sejusa was one of the senior commanders of those rebels and eventually became a four-star general, was on the military high command and led Uganda's domestic and external spy agencies. Now Sejusa openly accuses Mr Museveni of violating the ideals for which they waged that guerrilla war. - See more at : http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Dissident-Ugandan-general-arrested-tensions-mount/-/688334/3056620/-/5ocjo7z/-/index.html
Otafiire: Museveni shouldn’t dictate choice of successor
The Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs Maj. Gen Kahinda Otafiire has warned President Museveni against dictating his choice of successor onto Ugandans, reasoning that such a decision could lead him into making an ideological mistake. “It would be wrong for Gen. Museveni to name anybody as his successor because the presidency of Uganda doesn’t belong to him,” he said. “He [Museveni] may advise just like any other Ugandan but that doesn’t mean that he would choose his successor for the people of Uganda. If he did the contrary, that would be a mistake both ideologically and legally and I don’t think he can do that,” Gen. Otafiire said during an interview at his home in Kashenshero in Mitooma district on January 24. Gen. Otafiire, one of the longest serving ministers in President Museveni’s government is currently facing a political race of his life, after he was defeated in the ruling NRM party primaries by little-known Capt. Donozio Kahonda. - See more at: http://www.monitor.co.ug/SpecialReports/Elections/Otafiire--Museveni-shouldn-t-dictate-choice-of-successor/-/859108/3050062/-/fxa95rz/-/index.html
UBC denies opposition airtime
Uganda’s public broadcaster, UBC TV, is biased in its reporting on presidential campaigns by offering most of its news coverage to incumbent President Museveni, a new report has found. The African Center for Media Excellence (Acme) released the findings on Friday at Royal Suites, Bugolobi. Titled ‘Monitoring Media Coverage of the 2016 Elections findings, December 2015,’ the report is part of Acme’s wider monitoring of media coverage of the election. It analyses media reporting on presidential and parliamentary campaigns with a view of indentifying good practices and gaps so that they are addressed in good time. As a public broadcaster, UBC TV is supposed to allocate adequate airtime to all candidates but in December, 2015, UBC TV allocated 79 per cent of its airtime to President Museveni. In November, UBC gave Museveni 44 per cent of its air time. “In other words, the situation has worsened,” the report reads. - See more at: http://www.observer.ug/news-headlines/42308-report-ubc-denies-opposition-airtime
Elections: Rugunda, Kayihura disagree on power transfer
According to Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda, if the opposition wins the February 18 election fairly, the NRM will hand over power gracefully. But to police chief Kale Kayihura, this is all but unthinkable. “We are ready to give power to [Amama] Mbabazi or [Kizza] Besigye when there is free and fair election,” Rugunda said last Saturday, while presiding at the police sports gala in the eastern Kapchorwa district. Rugunda, however, insisted that if the opposition rigged the elections, NRM would not surrender power. The NRM emerged out of fighting groups that took up arms after the 1980 elections were allegedly rigged for Milton Obote. However, since it came to power in 1986, NRM has been accused of rigging elections to stay in power, although courts ruled the rigging was not significant enough to topple the will of the majority of Ugandans. With elections due next month, independent presidential candidate Mbabazi and FDC’s Kizza Besigye are leading the push to end President Museveni’s 30-year hold on power. - See more at: http://www.observer.ug/news-headlines/42315-2016-elections-rugunda-kayihura-disagree-on-power-transfer
Kigunddu faces tough time convincing Uganda Law Society of EC readiness for elections
Chairman of the Electoral Commission Dr. Badru Kiggundu had a hard time during a meeting with members of the Uganda Law Society, the umbrella body of lawyers in the country. During the meeting that focused on the readiness of the commission to conduct free and fair elections next month, Dr. Kiggundu held his own, insisting that his team was doing everything in its power to deliver credible elections expected. However, Dr. Kiggundu said the commission would not hesitate to call on the army for help in managing the elections if the the need arises. - See more at: http://ntv.co.ug/news/politics/30/jan/2016/kigunddu-faces-tough-time-convincing-uganda-law-society-ec-readiness#sthash.Se2oywC0.dpuf
US Issues Security Alert Ahead of Presidential Elections
KAMPALA (HAN) January 25, 2016 – Public Diplomacy and Regional Stability Initiatives News. The US government has issued a security alert to its citizens residing in or intending to travel to Uganda ahead of the country’s presidential election slated for February 18 and local election scheduled between February 24 and March 10. In a statement published on its passports and international travel department website, U.S government says all its citizens are urged to exercise caution and remain abreast of the security situation throughout the electoral period. “This Travel Alert expires on March 31, 2016. The State Department recommends U.S. citizens maintain a high level of security awareness leading up to, during, and following the election period. U.S. citizens should avoid political rallies, polling centers, demonstrations, and crowds of any kind as gatherings intended to be peaceful can become confrontational and turn violent,” the statement reads in part. According to the statement, U.S citizens are supposed to review their personal security plans; remain aware of their surroundings, including local events; and monitor local news stations for updates. - See more at: http://geeskaafrika.com/2016/01/25/uganda-us-issues-security-alert-ahead-of-presidential-elections/
Kadaga to political parties: Fund women candidates
The Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga, has said that political parties in Africa need to support women candidates because their financial limitations pose a substantial obstacle for them making a contribution in the governance of their countries. She was closing a four-day Commonwealth Women Parliamentary Conference (Africa Region) in Dar-es-Salam, Tanzania recently. “Women have the confidence to run for public office. They have good public speaking skills and can mobilise the support of local groups. Their only setback is inadequate financial strength,” she said, according to a released statement. Laddi Ayii Ayambo, an MP from Ghana, reiterated that it is critical to fund and help women in political parties because when women remain under-represented in the political arena, women’s expertise and perspectives on policy agendas is underutilized. Lindiwe Maseko, who chairs the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, explained that increased presence of women in political offices helps parties to compete more effectively and thereby drawing attention to important policy issues that have previously been overlooked. - See more at: http://www.newvision.co.ug/new_vision/news/1415739/kadaga-political-parties-fund-women-candidates#sthash.e8ew2r0A.dpuf
Women call for peaceful 2016 polls
Women Democracy Group has called on all candidates vying for various elective posts countrywide to stick to clean and honest politics. The members of the consortium include non-governmental organisations, faith based organisations, academia, business, political parties among others. According to the statement made by the women, since the opening of the campaigning exercise for the 2016 general elections, a number of aspirants have started playing what they termed as 'dirty politicking’. Rita Aciro-Lakor, executive director of Uganda Women's Network (UWONET) said the women are expressing their deepest concern at the increasing level of political violence and intolerance which is countering citizens' aspirations for peace, inclusion and genuine democracy. "The political clashes that occurred in Ntungamo, Gulu, Bukwo and elsewhere between police, political parties and their supporters are increasing in the frequency and its effects are spilling over into the citizenry," she said. The women under their umbrella of the Women Democracy Group made the call after presenting their list of demands to Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) at the main opposition party’s headquarters in Najjanankumbi, Kampala.- See more at: http://www.newvision.co.ug/new_vision/news/1415703/women-peaceful-2016-polls#sthash.MtvRUMAF.dpuf
It’s not worth celebrating liberation day - Besigye
Forum for Democratic Change presidential candidate Kizza Besigye has said it’s not worth for the ruling NRM to celebrate the liberation day because several families of Ugandans whose relatives shed blood have not benefited from what they fought for . Addressing a rally at Bulakati playground in Lukaya Town Council yesterday , Dr Besigye said during the guerrilla war in Luweero Triangle over more than 500,000 people died while fighting for a fundamental change which, he said, has not been visible in the last 30 years . “Museveni is only celebrating his party’s day on the graves of those who died in the power struggle and it’s not worth celebrating,” he said. However, police in the district kept guard at Lukaya Health Centre III to prevent Dr Besigye and his entourage from accessing the facility.Dr Besigye criticised police for failing to do their work and focus on blocking him from visiting public health facilities which are in a bad shape. - See more at: http://www.monitor.co.ug/SpecialReports/Elections/It-s-not-worth-celebrating-liberation-day---Besigye/-/859108/3050258/-/sdgba9z/-/index.html
TASO founder urges HIV patients to prevent virus spread
The founder of The Aids Support Organisation (TASO), Ms Noerine Kaleeba, has called on HIV-positive patients to take preventive measures to prevent the spread of the virus. Speaking during the 29th memorial ceremony for people living with HIV and her late husband Christopher Kaleeba at TASO offices in Entebbe, Ms Kaleeba stated that it is not a crime to live with the virus and people should receive treatment at health facilities. “If you’re infected with HIV you keep living because we know with God’s mercy the cure will be discovered,” she said. Ms Kaleeba further advised people to get tested for HIV and get to know their status and if found positive, to carry out all necessary preventive measures to avoid spreading the virus. “When my husband was found with the HIV virus, we got tested and we found out that I was HIV-negative, that is how I was able not to contract the virus,” she said. - See more at: http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/TASO-founder-urges-HIV-patients-to-prevent-virus-spread/-/688334/3050160/-/14s3objz/-/index.html
Two medics arrested over government drugs, bribes
Patients and health workers at Kasambya Health Centre IV in Mubende District have deserted the facility after two medical practitioners were arrested over soliciting bribes from patients.The suspects, both female, were arrested last weekend after an investigation by a team from the State House Medical and Health Services Delivery Monitoring Unit revealed that some health workers ask for bribes in exchange for government drugs. According to Dr Diana Atwine Kanzira, the director of the Unit, several people have complained about health workers in government facilities in Mubende asking for money in exchange for services. “Many heath workers have turned selling government drugs into a business. This is illegal. We shall not relent until we completely fight the vice,” Dr Atwine said. She said the most sold drugs are anti-malarials and ARVs. Dr Atwine revealed this while addressing an impromptu meeting for both health workers and patients at Kasambya Health Centre IV. Patients narrated how they are forced to pay or services –something they say has been a practice at the health centre for years. - See more at: http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Two-medics-arrested-over-government-drugs-bribes/-/688334/3048604/-/cmjk3q/-/index.html
Future reproductive freedom starts by giving youth a seat at the table
When Ephraim Kisangala describes what he sees as a physician in Uganda, his voice is heavy with the weight of his work. He tells the story of his patient Jovia (not her real name) is a 14-year-old Ugandan girl who became pregnant after being raped by a family member. Jovia’s pelvis was too narrow and underdeveloped to deliver her baby, so Ephraim was forced to perform an emergency cesarean section. Jovia still hopes to pursue an education, though as a young, single mother it will not be easy. Jovia’s story is not unique. The education of thousands of girls in Uganda has been derailed because they have experienced sexual violence, unintended pregnancy, or have suffered from an unsafe abortion. If more young people had access to contraception, safe abortions and post-abortion care, there would be more girls in school and university.In developing countries, nearly 1 in every 5 girls becomes pregnant before her 18th birthday, putting her health severely at risk. In fact, complications due to pregnancy and birth is one of the leading causes of death for girls aged 15-19 globally. - See more at: https://www.devex.com/news/future-reproductive-freedom-starts-by-giving-youth-a-seat-at-the-table-87651
Face value: How fertile women spot rivals
It is not only animals that rely on physical cues to gauge the fertility of potential rivals for a mate, an unusual study asserted on Wednesday. Without knowing it, human women seem to be able to recognise others in the most fertile phase of their menstrual cycle, around ovulation, simply by looking at their faces, it said. And intriguingly, this ability was pronounced in women with high levels of oestradiol, a female sex hormone linked to high general fertility. The findings implied that more fertile women, who are likely to have more children in their lifetime, "are better at guarding their mate from potential adultery," study co-author Janek Lobmaier of the University of Bern told AFP. The paper was published in the Royal Society Journal Biology Letters. Previous research had shown that men prefer portraits of women taken around the ovulation period over those of the same women in a non-fertile phase. Few studies, if any, have tested whether women too can discern such cyclical facial differences. Lobmaier and a team showed pairs of photographs of women -- one taken in the most fertile and one in the least fertile phase of their menstrual cycle -- to over 200 other women, some in an online survey and others in the lab. - See more at: http://www.newvision.co.ug/new_vision/news/1415746/value-fertile-women-spot-rivals#sthash.7TweAGvz.dpuf
Businesswoman robbed of 12 tonnes of coffee, pins police
Doing business in Uganda can be tough. But Florah Mugisha never anticipated that the risk of theft could be the final blow to her business, as ALON MWESIGWA writes her harrowing tale.
For Florah Mugisha, June 16, 2015, was another normal day to transport her produce to Kampala for sale, just like she had done for the past year. At her store in Ntungamo, she spent the day with her 22-year-old son, preparing for the journey. Mugisha was to transport 12 tonnes of clean coffee worth about Shs 70m on a truck. Oblivious to the 41-year-old Mugisha was the fact that some people were monitoring her every move in order to rob her. “I became suspicious when we had just set off in Ntungamo that evening and a vehicle by-passed us with lights off,” Mugisha told The Observer. “It did not continue far; I suspect it was passing information to the thieves about our movements.” This was mere suspicion, she thought. At around 4am on June 17, they reached Lyantonde, which happens to be Mugisha’s home. She decided to take a rest at home in Lyantonde before she could resume her journey. - See more at: http://www.observer.ug/business/38-business/42288-businesswoman-robbed-of-12-tonnes-of-coffee-pins-police
Poor lag behind as rich enjoy ICT - WB report
The rich and the educated are enjoying the benefits of information and communications technology such as access to the internet, while the poor lag behind, a report by the World Bank, which was released recently, noted. The findings of the report have cracked a long-held narrative about ICT being an avenue for job and wealth creation, and a remedy for fighting poverty. “…the benefits of rapid digital expansion have been skewed towards the wealthy, skilled, and influential around the world, who are better positioned to take advantage of the new technologies… Not surprisingly, the better-educated, the well-connected, and the more capable have received most of the benefits—and the gains from the digital revolution have not been widely shared,” the new World Development Report 2016 pointed out. Uganda can easily relate to the mixed fortunes that have come with the growth of ICT. With the introduction of services such as mobile money, which allows the public to transact over their phones, institutions such as banks have reduced the number of tellers they employ as many people find comfort away from banking halls and via their cell-phones. - See more at: http://www.observer.ug/business/38-business/42286-poor-lag-behind-as-rich-enjoy-ict-wb-report
Uganda outreach: Families leave comfortable lives to help war-torn Africa
Julie is a hometown girl on a big adventure,” exclaimed the mother who agonized over the surrender of her daughter, two granddaughters and son-in-law into the care and providence of God as they departed for Africa seven years ago.Gerald and Carol Christensen and family are longtime residents of New Richmond. Daughter Julie graduated from New Richmond High School, then attended Bethel University where she graduated with a major in social work. Between Julie’s freshman and sophomore years at Bethel, she and a group of other students traveled to Canton, Miss., for a short-term mission trip to work with indigent children and their families. Always sensitive to the needs of others, this experience kindled the desire in Julie to serve those less fortunate in some capacity. During her senior year at Bethel, Julie completed a semester at Biola University in La Mirada, Calif. There she met Carl Gaede at a college group they both attended. Carl and Julie carried on a long-distance relationship until he moved to the Midwest. Carl enrolled at Bethel and completed a major in social work. - See more at: http://www.newrichmond-news.com/life/events/3932207-uganda-outreach-families-leave-comfortable-lives-help-war-torn-africa
Reaching Uganda’s Most Impoverished Youth in 2016
Next month, Educate! will launch our program expansion in Northern Uganda. This post-conflict area is the most impoverished region of Uganda – the poverty rate, at 43.7%, is nearly twice as high as the next-poorest region of Uganda, and more than two times the national average. After 23 years of conflict, two million people in Northern Uganda were uprooted from their homes and over 20,000 youth were abducted. Educate! has high potential to create an exponential impact in this unique and challenging region. In 2016, we will be working in 80 additional schools in this region and reaching over 25,000 youth facing joblessness and struggling with the psychological impacts of war. How did we prepare to operate in the region’s unique environment? Learning best practices and listening to the community.Thanks to our partner Segal Family Foundation, Richard Luuba, Educate! Senior Program Officer was able to travel to Northern Uganda to study best practices for Educate!’s expansion into the region. In a thought-provoking article he wrote for HuffPost Impact, he shares his insights on the importance of local leadership and community empowerment. - See more at: http://www.experienceeducate.org/blog/2016/1/25/reaching-ugandas-most-impoverished-youth-in-2016
Court Failing Gender Violence Cases - Activists
Civil Society Organisations in Acholi sub-region have accused Gulu High Court officials of letting suspects of gender-based violence (GBV) off the hook by dismissing cases brought against them on technicalities. Speaking at the GBV taskforce quarterly meeting in Gulu Town recently, the Action Aid project coordinator in Uganda, Ms Jennifer Ayot, said the court takes its time to hear such cases and the end result is that witnesses lose interest and cases are dismissed. "Survivors of GBV have not received justice, since the culprits are not punished," Ms Ayot said. Gulu District GBV focal officer, Ms Christine Akumu, said in instances where witnesses stay in distant places, they fail to turn up for court hearings as many lack transport. Gulu Resident senior state attorney Patrick Omia, acknowledged that some GBV-related cases have been dismissed for lack of prosecution witnesses. "Cases have been dismissed not because there are no defence lawyers but because many complainants who report to police don't actually reach court and it also applies to witnesses who also fail to show up in court," Mr Omia said. - See more at: http://allafrica.com/stories/201601291048.htm
Uganda brings maids home from S Arabia after abuse complaints
Ugandan officials are helping to bring back about 24 women working as domestic staff in Saudi Arabia after complaints about abuse that prompted a ban on sending Ugandans as housemaids to the Gulf state, a spokesman said on Friday. Seven women have returned to Uganda so far this week after the Ugandan Embassy in Saudi Arabia intervened when they left their employers complaining about abuse and mistreatment and moved into Saudi detention centres waiting to go home. Sheikh Rashid Yahya Ssemuddu, the Ugandan ambassador to Saudi Arabia, said the women were staying at a shelter operated by the Saudi Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs. The Ugandan government last week announced a ban on sending housemaids to Saudi Arabia after a barrage of complaints about workers being treated inhumanely and said the ban would remain until working conditions were "deemed fitting".- See more at: http://www.thenews.com.pk/print/94723-Uganda-brings-maids-home-fromS-Arabia-after-abuse-complaints#sthash.EX2A2mvC.dpuf
Trafficked into sex work, Uganda women stunned to be duped by other women
KAMPALA, Feb 1 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - At first, Sarah Nakintu was grateful to her friend for alerting her to job opportunities in marketing and retail in Dubai. Nakintu, a 27-year-old woman from the Ugandan capital Kampala, trusted her friend, who had worked in the United Arab Emirates and seemed successful with plenty of money. She followed her friend's instructions. Present a valid passport to the recruiter who would organise airline tickets and a visa. Once the documents were in order, Nakintu paid the recommended "token of thanks" to her friend - $200 in cash. Nakintu (who requested her real name not be used) was advised to only keep her boarding pass to Kigali, Rwanda, in sight and hide her connecting pass to Dubai as immigration officials stop migrants who bypassed government recruiting agencies to seek employment. But when Nakintu was met at Dubai airport by a Ugandan woman going by the name Jane Saad, she was told to hand over her passport and then informed she would be working as a sex escort. - See more at: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/reuters/article-3425835/Trafficked-sex-work-Uganda-women-stunned-duped-women.html
Amony: Kony wanted to commit suicide
“When I ask if it wouldn’t have been better for her to let him kill himself, Amony thinks carefully about her answer for a few minutes. “First, in my beliefs, suicide is wrong. Besides, if he had shot himself, his bodyguards would have killed me, thinking I was responsible for his death. Earlier, during one of our private moments, Ladit (Kony) had told me that I was a lucky woman and one day I would make it back home. He even wished me well.” In that moment, as she consoled Kony, she remembered his words. “I had hope that I would escape another day. If I had let him die, I would not have outlived him for more than an hour.” Although Amony never loved Kony, she says he was a considerate husband. She even manages to laugh at the memory. “Ladit did not want to show favouritism. He would give us gifts that benefited the other wives. He would give some wives a gift, and then a few days later, would give the remaining wives other gifts.” And to show his love, Kony’s wives never engaged in the fighting, although they received training. - See more at: http://www.monitor.co.ug/artsculture/Reviews/Amony-Kony-wanted-commit-suicide/-/691232/3049890/-/13kdp2y/-/index.html
Police want SK Mbuga in court, Singer Leila Kayondo protests
Police have insisted city businessman, SK Mbuga, being held for allegedly assaulting his partner, Ms Leila Kayondo, must be taken to court despite him settling the case with the victim. Mr SK Mbuga has been in detention at Kabalagala Police Station since January 1. The Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesman, Mr Patrick Onyango, said police leadership has resolved to push Mr Mbuga’s assault case to court. “Ms Kayondo recorded an additional statement yesterday stating that she wasn’t assaulted by Mr Mbuga, contrary to her earlier statement. She wanted us to release her partner immediately. But we need to investigate whether she recorded her additional statement under duress or not,” Mr Onyango said yesterday. On the night of January 1, Ms Kayondo reported an assault case against Mr Mbuga at Kabalagala Police Station. However, that night, police officers failed to trace Mr Mbuga at his home and called off the search but gave her police form III for a medical examination. - See more at:http://www.monitor.co.ug/artsculture/Entertainment/Police-want-SK-Mbuga-in-court--Singer-Leila-Kayondo-protests/-/812796/3020428/-/113vt4vz/-/index.html
Cranes fail Chan hurdle again
The game plan was for Cranes to take care of Zimbabwe in Rubavu, and hope Zambia handle Mali on their behalf in Kigali. In the end, Uganda failed at their own assignment, William Manondo’s 49th minute goal and substitute Geoffrey Sserunkuma’s last minute equaliser for a 1-1 draw condemning the Cranes to their third successive group stage Chan exit last evening. A case could be made that even victory would not have helped Uganda here, for as long as Mali did not lose to Zambia, as was the case. But there is no denying that there is no forward movement result-wise since all the previous three editions have ended at this stage. Zambia completed the group on seven points, Mali on five, Uganda on two and Zimbabwe on one. The quarterfinals start on Saturday. - See more at http://www.monitor.co.ug/Sports/Soccer/Cranes-fail-Chan-hurdle-again/-/690266/3051722/-/npcusjz/-/index.html
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Here is a glimpse of what is happening around the country and in the world
Girl who made bricks for fees graduates
In the searing heat under clear skies in Kitagobwa village, Wakiso District, Ms Rebecca Nakiganda is bespattered with mud. She is wearing a black skirt and a matching top. Ms Nakiganda, 31, scoops a mound of wet mud, throws it with a bang into a mould and sprints to a levelled ground to lay out the brick. Dry banana leaves and grass cover lines of bricks made earlier; to prevent them from cracking in the sun heat. Soothing cold air blows from the leafy avocado and other overgrown fruit trees besides a new red-roofed bungalow. In the open field, the heat grows in intensity, pricking the skin with uncomfortable sensation. Brick laying has been a mainstay for Ms Nakiganda, not only for fending for her seven siblings, but also to fund her university education. Today, she will, with pride, join some 5,609 graduands to receive academic awards at Kyambogo University this week, capping years of unique struggles and long, lonely and draining 40-kilometre daily trek for lectures at the university. “It has been years of struggle. I thank my father who has supported me all these years,” says Ms Nakiganda. - See more at: http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/She-made-bricks-raise-tuition/-/688334/3050594/-/gy0g4z/-/index.html
Ugandan University Women on Study Tour
Young women from different universities of Uganda are in Rwanda for a two-day visit under the auspices of CEDA International, to learn about Rwanda's political organisation and participation of women in Parliament. The delegation was yesterday in Parliament, where they discussed with lawmakers matters relating to women's role in the House. "The purpose of our visit is to give young university girls an insight of what really happens in politics. We consider Rwanda as a role model state and we hope to learn as well as share ideas and experiences regarding women political empowerment," Rehmah Kasule, the head of the delegation, said. "The vision of our organisation is to help create a new generation of women leaders, who are economically independent, socially responsible and politically active," Kasule said. MP Francesca Tengera emphasised that women empowerment in Rwanda has been as a result of political will and the fact that Rwandan women have proved their capability in various sectors. - See more at http://allafrica.com/stories/201601280076.html
Kyambogo has 186 with 1st class; Mbarara graduates 917
Kyambogo University today starts its three-day ceremonies to award 5,829 graduands with certificates, diplomas and degrees. Some 186 graduands will receive first-class degrees and distinctions diplomas at the university’s sports grounds. Acting vice chancellor Eli Katunguka-Rwakishaya said on Monday that 63 of the excelling186 are female. Among other programmes, this year’s stellar performers came from bachelor of Adult and Community Education and bachelor of Engineering in Civil Engineering, with 13 first classes each; bachelor of Arts in Social Work and Community Development (10), bachelor of IT and Computing (9), Social Work and Social Administration (7) and bachelor of Human Nutrition and Dietetics (6). Emmanuel Magoba was the best student, with a bachelor of IT and computing and a cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of 4.90. He was followed by Mariam Naluwembe with a diploma in fashion designing and Omax Turyatunga with a diploma in Accounting and Finance at CGPA of 4.86 each. Prof Katunguka said the university could not establish the number of students missing on the graduation list although a few complaints had been raised since last week. - See more at: http://www.observer.ug/news-headlines/42307-kyambogo-has-186-with-1st-class-mbarara-graduates-917
Hundreds miss Kyambogo graduation over retakes
Professor Eli Katunguka, the acting vice chancellor of Kyambogo says some of the students whose names are missing on the graduation list have more than 10 retakes carried forward from their first year at the university. The most affected faculty is the School of Management and Entrepreneurship. Where the student population has gradually gone up. The school has 3, 900 students this academic year, several of whom accumulated retakes and were not able to beat the deadline of resitting the exams. Katunguka says that although the university offered amnesty to those who accumulated retakes to finish them ahead of the graduation, many of the beneficiaries still failed the examinations. He however adds that some of those missing on the list have outstanding financial obligations. "This is particularly at the School of management and entrepreneurship. Because there the students population has gone up, I think they have more than 3900 students - that is a very big number. And surprisingly you find these students have many retakes 10, 12, 13 and we have been been wondering how these people are going to manage”, he said. - See more at: http://www.observer.ug/news-headlines/42283-hundreds-miss-kyambogo-graduation-over-retakes
Top 100 A-Level schools over the last four years
Following the release of Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) results last Friday, the next task for students and parents is to find a school with a record of performing well at the next level; Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE), the gateway to university and tertiary institutions. Today, increasingly thoughtful employers require personnel that have relevant job skills and ability to improve the productivity of their companies and enterprises regardless of their academic performance. Nevertheless, academic excellence remains an integral yardstick for possible employment in many institutions. As such, every student and importantly parents, wish and are always out to take their children to the best performing schools academically. Some schools; both traditional and new entrants in the education sector, have over a period of time distinguished themselves academically by posting good results both at O-Level and A-level. Although there are other factors that influence where one takes his child, including discipline, affordability, and accessibility, among others, performance has always been a top consideration for parents. - See more at : http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/Education/Top-100-A-Level-schools-over-the-last-four-years/-/688336/3056764/-/q7bo8z/-/index.html
First consignment of ballot papers arrives today
The first consignment of ballot papers for presidential and parliamentary elections will arrive at Entebbe International Airport today. Without mentioning the number, the Electoral Commission (EC) said the papers will be flown in by Paarl Media, a South African company that was procured to print the presidential, parliamentary and district women councilors ballot papers. The other consignments of ballot papers from TALL Security Print Limited of UK, Al Ghurair Printing and Publishing House from the United Arab Emirates and local firm Picfare Industries will be delivered in due course. Uganda will hold its presidential and parliamentary elections on February 18. Seven presidential candidates are tussling it out with the incumbent President Yoweri Museveni. A total of 2,124 aspiring parliamentary candidates are also in the field battling it out for 455 parliamentary seats. About sh45b was spent on the procurement of ballot papers. About 15.3 million voters are expected to participate in this year’s election. - See more at: http://www.newvision.co.ug/new_vision/news/1415738/consignment-ballot-papers-arrives-tomorrow#sthash.kmYUdEYr.dpuf
Sejusa arrested as tensions mount ahead of elections
Ugandan security forces on Sunday arrested a former intelligence chief and outspoken critic of President Yoweri Museveni as tensions mount ahead of a presidential poll next month. Gen David Sejusa's arrest "followed a two-and-half-hour search by UPDF (Ugandan army) officers of the general's home. Gen. Sejusa also known as Tinyefunza, who has called President Museveni a dictator, is being detained at Makindye military barracks in the Ugandan capital Kampala, said his lawyer Ladislaus Rwakafuuzi. Sejusa's home was surrounded by armed military police early Sunday, he said. Sejusa's arrest is likely to raise tensions ahead of presidential elections on February 18. Museveni, who is campaigning for re-election, has ruled Uganda since 1986, when he led a group of rebels who had waged a bush war against a government they accused of rigging elections. Sejusa was one of the senior commanders of those rebels and eventually became a four-star general, was on the military high command and led Uganda's domestic and external spy agencies. Now Sejusa openly accuses Mr Museveni of violating the ideals for which they waged that guerrilla war. - See more at : http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Dissident-Ugandan-general-arrested-tensions-mount/-/688334/3056620/-/5ocjo7z/-/index.html
Otafiire: Museveni shouldn’t dictate choice of successor
The Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs Maj. Gen Kahinda Otafiire has warned President Museveni against dictating his choice of successor onto Ugandans, reasoning that such a decision could lead him into making an ideological mistake. “It would be wrong for Gen. Museveni to name anybody as his successor because the presidency of Uganda doesn’t belong to him,” he said. “He [Museveni] may advise just like any other Ugandan but that doesn’t mean that he would choose his successor for the people of Uganda. If he did the contrary, that would be a mistake both ideologically and legally and I don’t think he can do that,” Gen. Otafiire said during an interview at his home in Kashenshero in Mitooma district on January 24. Gen. Otafiire, one of the longest serving ministers in President Museveni’s government is currently facing a political race of his life, after he was defeated in the ruling NRM party primaries by little-known Capt. Donozio Kahonda. - See more at: http://www.monitor.co.ug/SpecialReports/Elections/Otafiire--Museveni-shouldn-t-dictate-choice-of-successor/-/859108/3050062/-/fxa95rz/-/index.html
UBC denies opposition airtime
Uganda’s public broadcaster, UBC TV, is biased in its reporting on presidential campaigns by offering most of its news coverage to incumbent President Museveni, a new report has found. The African Center for Media Excellence (Acme) released the findings on Friday at Royal Suites, Bugolobi. Titled ‘Monitoring Media Coverage of the 2016 Elections findings, December 2015,’ the report is part of Acme’s wider monitoring of media coverage of the election. It analyses media reporting on presidential and parliamentary campaigns with a view of indentifying good practices and gaps so that they are addressed in good time. As a public broadcaster, UBC TV is supposed to allocate adequate airtime to all candidates but in December, 2015, UBC TV allocated 79 per cent of its airtime to President Museveni. In November, UBC gave Museveni 44 per cent of its air time. “In other words, the situation has worsened,” the report reads. - See more at: http://www.observer.ug/news-headlines/42308-report-ubc-denies-opposition-airtime
Elections: Rugunda, Kayihura disagree on power transfer
According to Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda, if the opposition wins the February 18 election fairly, the NRM will hand over power gracefully. But to police chief Kale Kayihura, this is all but unthinkable. “We are ready to give power to [Amama] Mbabazi or [Kizza] Besigye when there is free and fair election,” Rugunda said last Saturday, while presiding at the police sports gala in the eastern Kapchorwa district. Rugunda, however, insisted that if the opposition rigged the elections, NRM would not surrender power. The NRM emerged out of fighting groups that took up arms after the 1980 elections were allegedly rigged for Milton Obote. However, since it came to power in 1986, NRM has been accused of rigging elections to stay in power, although courts ruled the rigging was not significant enough to topple the will of the majority of Ugandans. With elections due next month, independent presidential candidate Mbabazi and FDC’s Kizza Besigye are leading the push to end President Museveni’s 30-year hold on power. - See more at: http://www.observer.ug/news-headlines/42315-2016-elections-rugunda-kayihura-disagree-on-power-transfer
Kigunddu faces tough time convincing Uganda Law Society of EC readiness for elections
Chairman of the Electoral Commission Dr. Badru Kiggundu had a hard time during a meeting with members of the Uganda Law Society, the umbrella body of lawyers in the country. During the meeting that focused on the readiness of the commission to conduct free and fair elections next month, Dr. Kiggundu held his own, insisting that his team was doing everything in its power to deliver credible elections expected. However, Dr. Kiggundu said the commission would not hesitate to call on the army for help in managing the elections if the the need arises. - See more at: http://ntv.co.ug/news/politics/30/jan/2016/kigunddu-faces-tough-time-convincing-uganda-law-society-ec-readiness#sthash.Se2oywC0.dpuf
US Issues Security Alert Ahead of Presidential Elections
KAMPALA (HAN) January 25, 2016 – Public Diplomacy and Regional Stability Initiatives News. The US government has issued a security alert to its citizens residing in or intending to travel to Uganda ahead of the country’s presidential election slated for February 18 and local election scheduled between February 24 and March 10. In a statement published on its passports and international travel department website, U.S government says all its citizens are urged to exercise caution and remain abreast of the security situation throughout the electoral period. “This Travel Alert expires on March 31, 2016. The State Department recommends U.S. citizens maintain a high level of security awareness leading up to, during, and following the election period. U.S. citizens should avoid political rallies, polling centers, demonstrations, and crowds of any kind as gatherings intended to be peaceful can become confrontational and turn violent,” the statement reads in part. According to the statement, U.S citizens are supposed to review their personal security plans; remain aware of their surroundings, including local events; and monitor local news stations for updates. - See more at: http://geeskaafrika.com/2016/01/25/uganda-us-issues-security-alert-ahead-of-presidential-elections/
Kadaga to political parties: Fund women candidates
The Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga, has said that political parties in Africa need to support women candidates because their financial limitations pose a substantial obstacle for them making a contribution in the governance of their countries. She was closing a four-day Commonwealth Women Parliamentary Conference (Africa Region) in Dar-es-Salam, Tanzania recently. “Women have the confidence to run for public office. They have good public speaking skills and can mobilise the support of local groups. Their only setback is inadequate financial strength,” she said, according to a released statement. Laddi Ayii Ayambo, an MP from Ghana, reiterated that it is critical to fund and help women in political parties because when women remain under-represented in the political arena, women’s expertise and perspectives on policy agendas is underutilized. Lindiwe Maseko, who chairs the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, explained that increased presence of women in political offices helps parties to compete more effectively and thereby drawing attention to important policy issues that have previously been overlooked. - See more at: http://www.newvision.co.ug/new_vision/news/1415739/kadaga-political-parties-fund-women-candidates#sthash.e8ew2r0A.dpuf
Women call for peaceful 2016 polls
Women Democracy Group has called on all candidates vying for various elective posts countrywide to stick to clean and honest politics. The members of the consortium include non-governmental organisations, faith based organisations, academia, business, political parties among others. According to the statement made by the women, since the opening of the campaigning exercise for the 2016 general elections, a number of aspirants have started playing what they termed as 'dirty politicking’. Rita Aciro-Lakor, executive director of Uganda Women's Network (UWONET) said the women are expressing their deepest concern at the increasing level of political violence and intolerance which is countering citizens' aspirations for peace, inclusion and genuine democracy. "The political clashes that occurred in Ntungamo, Gulu, Bukwo and elsewhere between police, political parties and their supporters are increasing in the frequency and its effects are spilling over into the citizenry," she said. The women under their umbrella of the Women Democracy Group made the call after presenting their list of demands to Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) at the main opposition party’s headquarters in Najjanankumbi, Kampala.- See more at: http://www.newvision.co.ug/new_vision/news/1415703/women-peaceful-2016-polls#sthash.MtvRUMAF.dpuf
It’s not worth celebrating liberation day - Besigye
Forum for Democratic Change presidential candidate Kizza Besigye has said it’s not worth for the ruling NRM to celebrate the liberation day because several families of Ugandans whose relatives shed blood have not benefited from what they fought for . Addressing a rally at Bulakati playground in Lukaya Town Council yesterday , Dr Besigye said during the guerrilla war in Luweero Triangle over more than 500,000 people died while fighting for a fundamental change which, he said, has not been visible in the last 30 years . “Museveni is only celebrating his party’s day on the graves of those who died in the power struggle and it’s not worth celebrating,” he said. However, police in the district kept guard at Lukaya Health Centre III to prevent Dr Besigye and his entourage from accessing the facility.Dr Besigye criticised police for failing to do their work and focus on blocking him from visiting public health facilities which are in a bad shape. - See more at: http://www.monitor.co.ug/SpecialReports/Elections/It-s-not-worth-celebrating-liberation-day---Besigye/-/859108/3050258/-/sdgba9z/-/index.html
TASO founder urges HIV patients to prevent virus spread
The founder of The Aids Support Organisation (TASO), Ms Noerine Kaleeba, has called on HIV-positive patients to take preventive measures to prevent the spread of the virus. Speaking during the 29th memorial ceremony for people living with HIV and her late husband Christopher Kaleeba at TASO offices in Entebbe, Ms Kaleeba stated that it is not a crime to live with the virus and people should receive treatment at health facilities. “If you’re infected with HIV you keep living because we know with God’s mercy the cure will be discovered,” she said. Ms Kaleeba further advised people to get tested for HIV and get to know their status and if found positive, to carry out all necessary preventive measures to avoid spreading the virus. “When my husband was found with the HIV virus, we got tested and we found out that I was HIV-negative, that is how I was able not to contract the virus,” she said. - See more at: http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/TASO-founder-urges-HIV-patients-to-prevent-virus-spread/-/688334/3050160/-/14s3objz/-/index.html
Two medics arrested over government drugs, bribes
Patients and health workers at Kasambya Health Centre IV in Mubende District have deserted the facility after two medical practitioners were arrested over soliciting bribes from patients.The suspects, both female, were arrested last weekend after an investigation by a team from the State House Medical and Health Services Delivery Monitoring Unit revealed that some health workers ask for bribes in exchange for government drugs. According to Dr Diana Atwine Kanzira, the director of the Unit, several people have complained about health workers in government facilities in Mubende asking for money in exchange for services. “Many heath workers have turned selling government drugs into a business. This is illegal. We shall not relent until we completely fight the vice,” Dr Atwine said. She said the most sold drugs are anti-malarials and ARVs. Dr Atwine revealed this while addressing an impromptu meeting for both health workers and patients at Kasambya Health Centre IV. Patients narrated how they are forced to pay or services –something they say has been a practice at the health centre for years. - See more at: http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Two-medics-arrested-over-government-drugs-bribes/-/688334/3048604/-/cmjk3q/-/index.html
Future reproductive freedom starts by giving youth a seat at the table
When Ephraim Kisangala describes what he sees as a physician in Uganda, his voice is heavy with the weight of his work. He tells the story of his patient Jovia (not her real name) is a 14-year-old Ugandan girl who became pregnant after being raped by a family member. Jovia’s pelvis was too narrow and underdeveloped to deliver her baby, so Ephraim was forced to perform an emergency cesarean section. Jovia still hopes to pursue an education, though as a young, single mother it will not be easy. Jovia’s story is not unique. The education of thousands of girls in Uganda has been derailed because they have experienced sexual violence, unintended pregnancy, or have suffered from an unsafe abortion. If more young people had access to contraception, safe abortions and post-abortion care, there would be more girls in school and university.In developing countries, nearly 1 in every 5 girls becomes pregnant before her 18th birthday, putting her health severely at risk. In fact, complications due to pregnancy and birth is one of the leading causes of death for girls aged 15-19 globally. - See more at: https://www.devex.com/news/future-reproductive-freedom-starts-by-giving-youth-a-seat-at-the-table-87651
Face value: How fertile women spot rivals
It is not only animals that rely on physical cues to gauge the fertility of potential rivals for a mate, an unusual study asserted on Wednesday. Without knowing it, human women seem to be able to recognise others in the most fertile phase of their menstrual cycle, around ovulation, simply by looking at their faces, it said. And intriguingly, this ability was pronounced in women with high levels of oestradiol, a female sex hormone linked to high general fertility. The findings implied that more fertile women, who are likely to have more children in their lifetime, "are better at guarding their mate from potential adultery," study co-author Janek Lobmaier of the University of Bern told AFP. The paper was published in the Royal Society Journal Biology Letters. Previous research had shown that men prefer portraits of women taken around the ovulation period over those of the same women in a non-fertile phase. Few studies, if any, have tested whether women too can discern such cyclical facial differences. Lobmaier and a team showed pairs of photographs of women -- one taken in the most fertile and one in the least fertile phase of their menstrual cycle -- to over 200 other women, some in an online survey and others in the lab. - See more at: http://www.newvision.co.ug/new_vision/news/1415746/value-fertile-women-spot-rivals#sthash.7TweAGvz.dpuf
Businesswoman robbed of 12 tonnes of coffee, pins police
Doing business in Uganda can be tough. But Florah Mugisha never anticipated that the risk of theft could be the final blow to her business, as ALON MWESIGWA writes her harrowing tale.
For Florah Mugisha, June 16, 2015, was another normal day to transport her produce to Kampala for sale, just like she had done for the past year. At her store in Ntungamo, she spent the day with her 22-year-old son, preparing for the journey. Mugisha was to transport 12 tonnes of clean coffee worth about Shs 70m on a truck. Oblivious to the 41-year-old Mugisha was the fact that some people were monitoring her every move in order to rob her. “I became suspicious when we had just set off in Ntungamo that evening and a vehicle by-passed us with lights off,” Mugisha told The Observer. “It did not continue far; I suspect it was passing information to the thieves about our movements.” This was mere suspicion, she thought. At around 4am on June 17, they reached Lyantonde, which happens to be Mugisha’s home. She decided to take a rest at home in Lyantonde before she could resume her journey. - See more at: http://www.observer.ug/business/38-business/42288-businesswoman-robbed-of-12-tonnes-of-coffee-pins-police
Poor lag behind as rich enjoy ICT - WB report
The rich and the educated are enjoying the benefits of information and communications technology such as access to the internet, while the poor lag behind, a report by the World Bank, which was released recently, noted. The findings of the report have cracked a long-held narrative about ICT being an avenue for job and wealth creation, and a remedy for fighting poverty. “…the benefits of rapid digital expansion have been skewed towards the wealthy, skilled, and influential around the world, who are better positioned to take advantage of the new technologies… Not surprisingly, the better-educated, the well-connected, and the more capable have received most of the benefits—and the gains from the digital revolution have not been widely shared,” the new World Development Report 2016 pointed out. Uganda can easily relate to the mixed fortunes that have come with the growth of ICT. With the introduction of services such as mobile money, which allows the public to transact over their phones, institutions such as banks have reduced the number of tellers they employ as many people find comfort away from banking halls and via their cell-phones. - See more at: http://www.observer.ug/business/38-business/42286-poor-lag-behind-as-rich-enjoy-ict-wb-report
Uganda outreach: Families leave comfortable lives to help war-torn Africa
Julie is a hometown girl on a big adventure,” exclaimed the mother who agonized over the surrender of her daughter, two granddaughters and son-in-law into the care and providence of God as they departed for Africa seven years ago.Gerald and Carol Christensen and family are longtime residents of New Richmond. Daughter Julie graduated from New Richmond High School, then attended Bethel University where she graduated with a major in social work. Between Julie’s freshman and sophomore years at Bethel, she and a group of other students traveled to Canton, Miss., for a short-term mission trip to work with indigent children and their families. Always sensitive to the needs of others, this experience kindled the desire in Julie to serve those less fortunate in some capacity. During her senior year at Bethel, Julie completed a semester at Biola University in La Mirada, Calif. There she met Carl Gaede at a college group they both attended. Carl and Julie carried on a long-distance relationship until he moved to the Midwest. Carl enrolled at Bethel and completed a major in social work. - See more at: http://www.newrichmond-news.com/life/events/3932207-uganda-outreach-families-leave-comfortable-lives-help-war-torn-africa
Reaching Uganda’s Most Impoverished Youth in 2016
Next month, Educate! will launch our program expansion in Northern Uganda. This post-conflict area is the most impoverished region of Uganda – the poverty rate, at 43.7%, is nearly twice as high as the next-poorest region of Uganda, and more than two times the national average. After 23 years of conflict, two million people in Northern Uganda were uprooted from their homes and over 20,000 youth were abducted. Educate! has high potential to create an exponential impact in this unique and challenging region. In 2016, we will be working in 80 additional schools in this region and reaching over 25,000 youth facing joblessness and struggling with the psychological impacts of war. How did we prepare to operate in the region’s unique environment? Learning best practices and listening to the community.Thanks to our partner Segal Family Foundation, Richard Luuba, Educate! Senior Program Officer was able to travel to Northern Uganda to study best practices for Educate!’s expansion into the region. In a thought-provoking article he wrote for HuffPost Impact, he shares his insights on the importance of local leadership and community empowerment. - See more at: http://www.experienceeducate.org/blog/2016/1/25/reaching-ugandas-most-impoverished-youth-in-2016
Court Failing Gender Violence Cases - Activists
Civil Society Organisations in Acholi sub-region have accused Gulu High Court officials of letting suspects of gender-based violence (GBV) off the hook by dismissing cases brought against them on technicalities. Speaking at the GBV taskforce quarterly meeting in Gulu Town recently, the Action Aid project coordinator in Uganda, Ms Jennifer Ayot, said the court takes its time to hear such cases and the end result is that witnesses lose interest and cases are dismissed. "Survivors of GBV have not received justice, since the culprits are not punished," Ms Ayot said. Gulu District GBV focal officer, Ms Christine Akumu, said in instances where witnesses stay in distant places, they fail to turn up for court hearings as many lack transport. Gulu Resident senior state attorney Patrick Omia, acknowledged that some GBV-related cases have been dismissed for lack of prosecution witnesses. "Cases have been dismissed not because there are no defence lawyers but because many complainants who report to police don't actually reach court and it also applies to witnesses who also fail to show up in court," Mr Omia said. - See more at: http://allafrica.com/stories/201601291048.htm
Uganda brings maids home from S Arabia after abuse complaints
Ugandan officials are helping to bring back about 24 women working as domestic staff in Saudi Arabia after complaints about abuse that prompted a ban on sending Ugandans as housemaids to the Gulf state, a spokesman said on Friday. Seven women have returned to Uganda so far this week after the Ugandan Embassy in Saudi Arabia intervened when they left their employers complaining about abuse and mistreatment and moved into Saudi detention centres waiting to go home. Sheikh Rashid Yahya Ssemuddu, the Ugandan ambassador to Saudi Arabia, said the women were staying at a shelter operated by the Saudi Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs. The Ugandan government last week announced a ban on sending housemaids to Saudi Arabia after a barrage of complaints about workers being treated inhumanely and said the ban would remain until working conditions were "deemed fitting".- See more at: http://www.thenews.com.pk/print/94723-Uganda-brings-maids-home-fromS-Arabia-after-abuse-complaints#sthash.EX2A2mvC.dpuf
Trafficked into sex work, Uganda women stunned to be duped by other women
KAMPALA, Feb 1 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - At first, Sarah Nakintu was grateful to her friend for alerting her to job opportunities in marketing and retail in Dubai. Nakintu, a 27-year-old woman from the Ugandan capital Kampala, trusted her friend, who had worked in the United Arab Emirates and seemed successful with plenty of money. She followed her friend's instructions. Present a valid passport to the recruiter who would organise airline tickets and a visa. Once the documents were in order, Nakintu paid the recommended "token of thanks" to her friend - $200 in cash. Nakintu (who requested her real name not be used) was advised to only keep her boarding pass to Kigali, Rwanda, in sight and hide her connecting pass to Dubai as immigration officials stop migrants who bypassed government recruiting agencies to seek employment. But when Nakintu was met at Dubai airport by a Ugandan woman going by the name Jane Saad, she was told to hand over her passport and then informed she would be working as a sex escort. - See more at: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/reuters/article-3425835/Trafficked-sex-work-Uganda-women-stunned-duped-women.html
Amony: Kony wanted to commit suicide
“When I ask if it wouldn’t have been better for her to let him kill himself, Amony thinks carefully about her answer for a few minutes. “First, in my beliefs, suicide is wrong. Besides, if he had shot himself, his bodyguards would have killed me, thinking I was responsible for his death. Earlier, during one of our private moments, Ladit (Kony) had told me that I was a lucky woman and one day I would make it back home. He even wished me well.” In that moment, as she consoled Kony, she remembered his words. “I had hope that I would escape another day. If I had let him die, I would not have outlived him for more than an hour.” Although Amony never loved Kony, she says he was a considerate husband. She even manages to laugh at the memory. “Ladit did not want to show favouritism. He would give us gifts that benefited the other wives. He would give some wives a gift, and then a few days later, would give the remaining wives other gifts.” And to show his love, Kony’s wives never engaged in the fighting, although they received training. - See more at: http://www.monitor.co.ug/artsculture/Reviews/Amony-Kony-wanted-commit-suicide/-/691232/3049890/-/13kdp2y/-/index.html
Police want SK Mbuga in court, Singer Leila Kayondo protests
Police have insisted city businessman, SK Mbuga, being held for allegedly assaulting his partner, Ms Leila Kayondo, must be taken to court despite him settling the case with the victim. Mr SK Mbuga has been in detention at Kabalagala Police Station since January 1. The Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesman, Mr Patrick Onyango, said police leadership has resolved to push Mr Mbuga’s assault case to court. “Ms Kayondo recorded an additional statement yesterday stating that she wasn’t assaulted by Mr Mbuga, contrary to her earlier statement. She wanted us to release her partner immediately. But we need to investigate whether she recorded her additional statement under duress or not,” Mr Onyango said yesterday. On the night of January 1, Ms Kayondo reported an assault case against Mr Mbuga at Kabalagala Police Station. However, that night, police officers failed to trace Mr Mbuga at his home and called off the search but gave her police form III for a medical examination. - See more at:http://www.monitor.co.ug/artsculture/Entertainment/Police-want-SK-Mbuga-in-court--Singer-Leila-Kayondo-protests/-/812796/3020428/-/113vt4vz/-/index.html
Cranes fail Chan hurdle again
The game plan was for Cranes to take care of Zimbabwe in Rubavu, and hope Zambia handle Mali on their behalf in Kigali. In the end, Uganda failed at their own assignment, William Manondo’s 49th minute goal and substitute Geoffrey Sserunkuma’s last minute equaliser for a 1-1 draw condemning the Cranes to their third successive group stage Chan exit last evening. A case could be made that even victory would not have helped Uganda here, for as long as Mali did not lose to Zambia, as was the case. But there is no denying that there is no forward movement result-wise since all the previous three editions have ended at this stage. Zambia completed the group on seven points, Mali on five, Uganda on two and Zimbabwe on one. The quarterfinals start on Saturday. - See more at http://www.monitor.co.ug/Sports/Soccer/Cranes-fail-Chan-hurdle-again/-/690266/3051722/-/npcusjz/-/index.html
Compiled by:
Ezekiel Rubumburi
Action For Development
Volunteer Public Relations and Communications Department
ACFODE House, Plot 623/624 Bukoto
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RUBUMBURI EZEKIEL
Feb 8, 2016, 1:52:17 AM2/8/16
to acfodeyo...@googlegroups.com, Lawrence Wanyama
Good Morning,
Here is a glimpse of what is happening around the country and in the world
Here is a glimpse of what is happening around the country and in the world
Uganda rights groups set to monitor violence against women during elections
KAMPALA, Feb 5 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Ugandan women's rights groups are setting up a control centre to monitor any violence against women in the East African nation's elections this month and to act quickly on any reports. The move comes after the United States voiced concern that the electoral environment in Uganda was deteriorating in the run-up to the Feb. 18 elections. Violence during an election cycle is common in many African countries where it may be triggered by political or ethnic tensions, or flawed electoral processes, with women and children the most likely to be affected. Jessica Nkuuhe, the National Coordinator of the Uganda Women's Situation Room, said the control centre will be launched on Feb. 15 at a hotel in Kampala and run until Feb. 20. Nkuuhe said there had not been reports of electoral violence targeting women in Uganda before but women did face more types of psychological violence, whether they are voters or candidates, and efforts to prevent them from voting. - See more at: http://af.reuters.com/article/ugandaNews/idAFL8N15K2KA
Fears of Violence Ahead of Elections
KAMPALA (HAN) February 5, 2016 – Public Diplomacy and Regional Stability Initiatives News. With barely two weeks till the presidential election in Uganda, civil society groups are concerned that the poll might be marred by violence. They are now campaigning for peace ahead of election day on February 18, 2016. A local NGO, the Human Rights Network-Uganda (HRINET-U) has issued a report citing cases of members from opposition parties who have gone missing, while others who have been arrested have not been charged or been brought before the courts. The report also says security organizations are believed to be favoring incumbent president Museveni. It sites incidents when Uganda’s main opposition leader and flag bearer of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), Kizza Besigye, was twice stopped by police on his way to a campaign rally in the Kabale district of south western Uganda. The reason the police gave, was that Besigye intended to disrupt business at a market on his way to his campaign venue. - See more at:http://geeskaafrika.com/2016/02/05/uganda-fears-of-violence-ahead-of-elections/
Obasanjo to head Commonwealth election observers in Uganda
Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma announced the composition of the Commonwealth Observer Group on Friday, having received an invitation from the Government of Uganda. Election day will see voters asked to choose a President as well as constituency representatives to the 418-member Parliament. The last general elections were held in February 2011. In a statement, Mr Sharma said: “The Commonwealth Charter recognises ‘the inalienable right of individuals to participate in democratic processes, in particular through free and fair elections in shaping the society in which they live’. In this spirit, we urge all stakeholders in Uganda to commit to ensuring a peaceful and transparent election in which candidates and voters are free from intimidation, and fundamental freedoms of expression, association and assembly are respected.” “I thank President Obasanjo for accepting my invitation to lead this team, and each of the Commonwealth observers for agreeing to undertake this important assignment. In offering their assessment on the conduct of the election and the overall credibility of the process, they will be contributing to the strengthening of democracy in Uganda.” - See more at: http://www.newvision.co.ug/new_vision/news/1416460/olusegun-obasanjo-head-commonwealth-election-observers-uganda#sthash.1nAyBQfq.dpuf
Ahead of Uganda's National Poll, Youth Feel Marginalized
As Uganda prepares for national elections this month, the country’s youth are split over the decision to exercise their right to vote. The growing number of young eligible voters could hold considerable sway in the balloting. Yet many feel ignored by candidates. Uganda is one of the youngest countries in the world, with 78 percent of the population below the age of 30. Yet when it comes to voting in the upcoming presidential elections, many youths are opting out. It is not a disinterest in politics, but rather a feeling expressed by many that their involvement lacks impact. National Youth Manifesto Shaban Kalema is the chairman of the Interparty Youth Platform, which helped establish a National Youth Manifesto. It identifies five main issues important to Uganda's youth, including: jobs, healthcare, education opportunities, sports and creative arts and youth participation in decision making.- See more at: http://www.voanews.com/content/ahead-of-uganda-national-poll-youth-feel-marginalized/3174592.html
Youth warned against selling their votes
The third Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for East African Affairs, Al Hajji Ali Kirunda Kivejinja has cautioned the Youth against selling their votes during the forthcoming elections. While officiating at the belated Liberations day celebrations in Wakisi sub-county, Buikwe on Thursday Kivejinja advised the youths not to sell their votes for cheap promises. “Most youths are sweet talked and they easily sell their votes for a little sum of money. We need the youths to make an informed decision by voting wisely,” said Kivejinja. “My dear sisters and brothers, the time has come for you to vote for focused people with a vision for the nation. You should not be misled,” he cautioned. Buikwe Resident District Commissioner, Nasser Munnoll also told the youth to be determined to make the right choice while choosing their leaders. - See more at: http://www.newvision.co.ug/new_vision/news/1415932/youth-warned-selling-votes#sthash.FWZe8oAW.dpuf
Elections will be peaceful, says government
Government has re-assured Ugandans that the forthcoming elections will be peaceful amid raising tension and concerns of likely occurrence of violence. According to the executive director of Uganda Media Centre, Mr Ofwono Opondo, government is committed to a peaceful and transparent elections scheduled for this month. Below is the full statement; As the country approaches the Election Day February 18, 2016, the Government would like to thank all Ugandans and other members of the public resident here for ensuring and observing the prevailing tranquil atmosphere that has generally characterized the campaign period over the last three months so far. Government would like to reiterate its commitment to a transparent democratic path and re-assure Ugandans that the elections will be held under a peaceful and tranquil environment, and that the elections will be free and fair, the outcome of which will truly reflect the will of the Ugandans. All necessary, adequate and robust arrangements have been put in place to ensure that elections go normally and that after elections Uganda continues to enjoy the prevailing peace and phenomenal development that we are witnessing. - See more at:http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Elections-will-be-peaceful--says-government/-/688334/3057616/-/9geugd/-/index.html
Election saboteurs will be shot dead - Jinja RDC
Whoever will be found disrupting the February 18 elections in Jinja District will be shot dead, the deputy Resident District Commissioner (RDC), Mr Erick Ssakwa, has warned. Mr Ssakwa said the decision to use live ammunition against election saboteurs was taken during a recent meeting of the Jinja District Security Committee. “Some people are preparing their groups to cause confusion but we have prepared security of both police and military to shoot anyone who will be involved in this,” Mr Ssakwa said. He made the remarks last Thursday during the launch of the Citizen’s Manifesto in Jinja Town. He said some politicians in the municipality were training militias to sabotage the elections and force the Electoral Commission to organise special elections in which people from other areas can come in to influence the outcome of such an election.- See more at: http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Election-saboteurs-will-be-shot-dead-Jinja-RDC/-/688334/3057798/-/9prrdp/-/index.html
EAC to deploy election observer mission in Uganda
The East African Community is set to deploy an Election Observer Mission team to General Election taking place on February 18, this year in Uganda. According to a statement issued by EAC secretariat, a 50 member of Short-Term Election Observer Mission Team which is being led by Ali Hassan Mwinyi, Tanzania’s former President is due to arrive in Kampala, Uganda, on Tuesday February 9, 2016, to observe the General Elections slated for February 18, 2016 in Uganda. The Mission’s mandate is to observe the overall electoral environment, pre-election activities, the polling day, the counting and tallying of results The Mission is preceded by a Pre-Elections Assessment Team which was deployed from 31st January 2016 to assess the level of preparedness by key stakeholders and prepare a report that will inform the Short Term Election Observation Mission.The members of the EAC Election Observer Mission has been drawn from different but complementary disciplines and includes, members of the East African Legislative - See more at:http://www.ippmedia.com/?l=88516
2016 election is army Vs voters - Makerere don
Makerere University professor Oloka-Onyango has said the February 18 presidential election is a contest between the military and the civilian-voting population as opposed to being one between the eight candidates. The Law lecturer said yesterday a transition from President Museveni, the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, to another leader will likely come violently, a claim both the military and government spokespersons dismissed. “What we are dealing with here is not an election,” Prof Oloka-Onyango said during a public dialogue at the Centre for Basic Research (CBR), a non-government organisation conducting public discussions on the 2016 elections. “We are dealing with a military struggle and that ultimately means that the only way you can achieve regime change as I have said this before at this stage we have reached now, is through a violent transition,” he said. The role of the military, which brought the ruling party NRM into power in 1986, has always been a sticky issue, with the Opposition alleging that security forces are used by the incumbent to intimidate voters into supporting him. Yesterday, army spokesperson Paddy Ankunda rejected Prof Oloka-Onyango’s remarks, saying the military derives it’s strengthening from its good relationship with citizens.- See more at: http://www.monitor.co.ug/SpecialReports/Elections/Election-army-Vs-voters-Makerere-don/-/859108/3059626/-/11q9royz/-/index.html
Gen Katumba attacks presidential candidates
Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), Gen Katumba Wamala, has in a rare move, asked presidential candidates to stop “telling lies” about the state of the country’s health institutions. “Instead of politicians saying nothing has been done, the question should be where did we start from?” he said. “I agree that the health situation is not a 100 per cent good; but the conditions are not very bad,” said Gen Katumba during a Tuesday Tarehe Sita function at Katwe Primary School in Kampala. The army chief who has recently been accused by the Opposition of making partisan political statements said on Tuesday that all the health facilities he had visited during the army’s Tarehe Sita week, were not in very bad conditions like it has been depicted by some presidential candidates in all their campaigns.- See more at: http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Gen-Katumba-attacks-presidential-candidates/-/688334/3061644/-/jtj444z/-/index.html
Museveni snubs presidential debate again
Ugandans’ hopes on NRM presidential flag bearer Yoweri Museveni participating in the second presidential debate slated for February 14 have been crushed following an official pronouncement that he will be busy winding up his campaigns. The NRM taskforce deputy spokesperson, Ms Maria Mutesi revealed that Mr Museveni has less time left and that this is the only time he will be making final touches to market his manifesto before campaigns close on 16 February 2016. “President Museveni made it clear that he can’t participate in the debate because of his tight campaign schedule and he has confirmed that he will not attend the second one because we are trying to beat the deadline. For example, people he hasn’t addressed are yearning to hear from him and he can’t disappoint them. So, he won’t be attending the debate.” Ms Mutesi said. Asked why Mr Museveni is shying away from a televised debate with his opponents to account for the three decades he has been in power, Ms Mutesi said that a debate is not the only way to campaign, arguing that most of the questions have been asked by journalists and Ugandans and that answering the same questions during the debate would be a repetition.- See more at: http://www.monitor.co.ug/SpecialReports/Elections/Museveni-snubs-presidential-debate-again/-/859108/3062436/-/3ef9y2/-/index.html
Lumumba shoot-to-kill threat sparks outrage
Ugandans have expressed outrage at NRM secretary general Justine Lumumba’s threat that those who will protest against the 2016 elections results will be shot. Some of the citizens who took to social media to vent their displeasure prayed that God saves Uganda from post-election chaos, while others demanded that President Museveni, who is also the chairman of NRM, replaces Ms Lumumba as the ruling party’s secretary general. Ms Lumumba while presiding over the launch of NRM campaigns in Wakiso District at Nsangi sub-county headquarters is quoted as having warned parents: “When President Museveni, the chief fighter, is still seated on the throne, whatever they are planning, tell them the government of NRM is not going anywhere! Don’t send your children to bring chaos in Kampala and cause confusion during elections, disrupt peace in the country, government will handle you…. you will be shot.- See more at: http://www.monitor.co.ug/SpecialReports/Elections/Lumumba-shoot-to-kill-threat-sparks-outrage/-/859108/3056812/-/uuv6twz/-/index.html
Uganda readies for tense presidential polls, but few doubt winners
As the only female presidential candidate in Uganda, a male-dominated country where the leader is eyeing a fourth decade in power, Maureen Kyalya admits the odds are stacked against her. "He uses force and intimidation," said Kyalya, describing her former boss, veteran leader Yoweri Museveni, who is seeking re-election on February 18. Candidates on all sides have raised fears of violence, with accusations of police brutality and recruitment of volunteer police, known as "crime preventers", as well as claims opposition groups are organising militia forces. "He's trained people he calls 'crime preventers', but their job is to beat everybody senseless to scare them that there's going to be war, so they vote for him," Kyalya said. Government spokesman Ofwono Opondo on Monday issued fresh warnings that opposition parties were organising militia gangs and planning to erect road blocks on main roads to "paralyse economic activities" and to "attack several offices of the Electoral Commission"- See more at:. http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Uganda-readies-tense-presidential-polls-winner/-/688334/3063356/-/p46a1t/-/index.html
Luzira inmates perform well in UCE
Luzira Prisons inmates who sat for last year’s Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) examinations have all qualified for Advanced Level education. According to the Uganda National Examinations Board (Uneb), which released the results last Friday, all the 38 candidates who sat for the examinations at Upper Prison Inmates Secondary School obtained Division One to Division Four. Four candidates passed in Division One; nine in Division Two; 12 in Division Three while 13 passed in Division Four. All the candidates were male. Mr Joram Hannington Lusonzi who is on remand since 2012 over aggravated defilement emerged best with Aggregate 20. The jubilant Lusonzi, 25, who had dropped out of school in 2008 at Primary Seven, said he wants to join Advanced Level and pursue his dream of becoming a lawyer in future.- See more at: http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/Education/Luzira--inmates-perform-well-in-UCE/-/688336/3056664/-/13eb5v9/-/index.html
Sejusa equates UPDF jail to Amin’s 1976 dungeon
Honourable chairman, I stand, especially on this aspect of bail. As we set out many of us to fight for freedom, we had very serious aims and aspirations. Those were for a just or fair society and also for good behaviour and consistence on issues of governance, honourable chairman. Gen Sejusa: I am a very senior member [lead state prosecutor interjects that the accused is making statements overtaken by procedure. But Gen Sejusa’s lawyer immediately reminds court that his client has asked the chairman for permission to say something. The Judge Advocate, Lt Col Gideon Katinda, maintains that whatever the accused says should not be on bail application because it’s a procedural matter. Court Martial chairman Maj Gen Levy Karuhanga allows Gen Sejusa to continue.Gen Sejusa: Thank you, honourable chairman, I am mindful of all that. I just wanted to say that there are legislative norms but also natural norms where people should be treated humanely with justice. The background to this bail is informed by the fact that, and this I intend to tell court, it relates to fairness. - See more at:http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Sejusa-equates-UPDF-jail-Amin-s-1976-dungeon/-/688334/3060370/-/tfifcj/-/index.html
Sejusa has not been retired from army over bad conduct, says Museveni
President Museveni has said the former coordinator of Intelligence services Gen. David Sejusa has not been retired from the army because of his bad conduct. While addressing the press on Friday, Mr Museveni said the army would have to first reform General Sejusa before offloading him onto society. Gen Sejusa, who the army arrested on Sunday at his home in Kampala and on Tuesday arraigned before the Court Martial, is now on remand in Luzira Maximum Security Prison. He was charged with several offences including insubordination, absence without official leave, conduct prejudicial to the good order of the army and engaging in political activity, contrary to the military law. During today’s press conference, Mr Museveni said, “Why should the army off load a trouble maker on society? Why don’t you first process him so that by the time he goes to society he is a reformed person?” He added, “Yes, he [Sejusa] will eventually leave the army. I don’t know whether he will be sentenced; I don’t know what will happen. But it is not correct to offload on to society somebody who has already shown signs of bad conduct in the army.”- See more at: http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Sejusa-Museveni-been-retired-army-bad-conduct/-/688334/3063786/-/hst4g4z/-/index.html
Health workers sent to north Uganda as malaria epidemic kills over 650
Uganda dispatched a team of more than 370 health workers to the northern part of the country on Monday where a malaria epidemic ravaging the region since July has killed about 658 people. Uganda reported an unusual outbreak of malaria in the north of the country in July, which health officials say has affected one million people from a population of about 39 million. Uganda has one of the highest rates of malaria in Africa, with some 100,000 deaths, mostly pregnant women and children under five, and 16 million cases a year, according to the country's Ministry of Health. The emergency team sent to deal with the epidemic consists of 26 medical doctors as well as clinical officers and nurses. "The team has been contracted for a period of 30 days to offer case management at the health facility level," said Asuman Lukwago, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Health. District leaders in the affected areas have also been asked to recruit more health workers, depending on the extent of the problem within their area. Northern Uganda has the highest number of registered cases of malaria in the country, government data shows- See more at:. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-uganda-malaria-idUSKCN0VB00R
Cholera hits Bulambuli
A cholera outbreak has been declared in Bulambuli District after the district health department registered four suspected cases. The District Health Officer, Dr Muhammadi Mulongo, said the first suspected case was reported in Muyembe Sub-county. “Let me take this opportunity to inform the local community that there is a cholera outbreak in our district. And so far, four cases have been detected from Muyembe sub-county,” said Dr Mulongo. The district health office has set up one treatment centre at Muyembe Health centre IV. He said they have notified the health ministry and the World Health Organisation about the outbreak. “We have set up a team of health officers to sensitise the local community on hygiene and sanitation,” he said. He, however, said about 1,000 people in the district were given some treatment in order to prevent the spread of the epidemic.- See more at:
http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Cholera-hits-Bulambuli/-/688334/3060978/-/9xacalz/-/index.html
Women of Africa: Laundry service gives Uganda women fresh start
Jamila Mayanja runs a door-to-door laundry service in Uganda which helps its employees save enough money to launch their own businesses. Since she started the J Mobile Laundry Service just over a year ago in the capital, Kampala, Ms Mayanja has built up a workforce of more than 30 women. J Mobile's work has not gone unnoticed, and was recognised by US President Barack Obama at his Young African Leadership Initiative summit last year. Ms Mayanja has ambitions of developing the company and strongly believes that women can make a big difference in the world of business.- See more at: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-35474126
Old woman remanded over leopard skin
A 63-year- old woman was yesterday remanded to Luzira prison for allegedly being in possession of a leopard skin. The Grade One Magistrate at City Hall Magistrate’s Court, Mr Moses Nabende, remanded Ms Celestine Bwanakwe, a Rwandan peasant and resident of Bugarauma village, Gatsibo Sub-county in Rwanda. She was charged with unlawful possession of protected species, contrary to Sec 30 & 75(b) of the Wildlife Act together with her accomplice Mr Olivier Aguma, a technician. Both are from the same area. However, they denied the charges.Prosecution alleges that Ms Bwanakwe on January 23 at Mackies Restaurant in Kamwokya, a Kampala suburb, was found in possession of a leopard skin worth Shs17m without a licence. They were remanded until February 12.- See more at: http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Old-woman-remanded-over-leopard-skin/-/688334/3057950/-/gs2ahj/-/index.html
Ongwen’s ex-wife escapes death
Ms Florence Ayot, an ex-wife of former Lord’s Resistance Army rebel commanderDominic Ongwen last Friday survived being burnt to death by her jilted lover who accused her of following the televised confirmation of charges hearing against Mr Ongwen. The woman together with her three children escaped the attack after her hut located in Holy Rosary parish in Laroo Division, Gulu Municipality, was torched at around 3am. Mr Ongwen who is accused of commanding mass killing in northern Uganda fathered the three children while in captivity. He is being tried by the International Court (ICC) at The Hague, in the Netherlands. Ms Ayot returned home in 2005 after 15 years in captivity and met a new soulmate identified with whom they have settled for the past two years although they had no child yet. In an interview with Daily Monitor last Saturday, Ms Ayot said all was well until January last year when Mr Ongwen was captured in Central African Republic- See more at:. http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Ongwens-ex-wife-escapes-death/-/688334/3057810/-/15r7ciyz/-/index.html
'My friend tricked me into sex work'
At first, Sarah Nakintu was grateful to her friend for alerting her to job opportunities in marketing and retail in Dubai. Nakintu, a 27-year-old woman from the Ugandan capital Kampala, trusted her friend, who had worked in the United Arab Emirates and seemed successful with plenty of money. She followed her friend's instructions. Present a valid passport to the recruiter who would organise airline tickets and a visa. Once the documents were in order, Nakintu paid the recommended “token of thanks” to her friend - $200 in cash. Nakintu (who requested her real name not be used) was advised to only keep her boarding pass to Kigali, Rwanda, in sight and hide her connecting pass to Dubai as immigration officials stop migrants who bypassed government recruiting agencies to seek employment. But when Nakintu was met at Dubai airport by a Ugandan woman going by the name Jane Saad, she was told to hand over her passport and then informed she would be working as a sex escort. “From the start I was terrified and tried to protest but she threatened us and said there were no alternatives as she had invested a lot of money in our trip,” Nakintu told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.- See more at: http://www.iol.co.za/dailynews/news/my-friend-tricked-me-into-sex-work-1978530
Ugandans Still Running to Saudi Arabia despite Ban, Abuse
Despite a government ban on the exportation of domestic workers to Saudi Arabia and other countries, Ugandans are still jostling and sneaking out of the country on forged documents in search of greener pastures abroad. The ministry of Gender Labor and Social Development recently banned the exportation of domestic workers after reports emerged that they were being subjected to abuse, sexual assault, slavery among others, but this has not deterred other desperate Ugandans from trying their luck as well. With the police no longer issuing certificates of good conduct since the ban, Ugandans desiring to go to Saudi Arabia are now forging them says Director of Interpol and International relations Asan Kasingye. A certificate of good conduct also known as a police clearance certificate, is an official document issued by police or government agency of a country to enumerate any criminal records that the applicant may or may not have.- See more at: http://allafrica.com/stories/201602020386.html
200 million girls and women subjected to FGM
At least 200 million girls and women worldwide have been subjected to female genital mutilation with half of those living in Egypt, Ethiopia and Indonesia, according to the UN children's agency. Somalia, Guinea and Djibouti continue to show the highest prevalence of FGM globally, but the overall rate in some 30 countries has dropped, said a UNICEF report released ahead of International Day of Zero Tolerance for FGM, on Saturday. The United Nations is working to end the practice of cutting women's genitalia by the target date of 2030, a goal set in its new development agenda that was adopted in September by all UN member-states. Of the 200 million FGM victims, 44 million are girls age 14 and younger. In the 30 countries where the practice is most widespread, the majority of girls have undergone FGM before their fifth birthday, said UNICEF which declared the practice a clear violation of children's rights. "In countries like Somalia, Guinea and Djibouti, the practice is practically universal," said Claudia Cappa, the lead author of the report. - See more at:http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/200-million-girls-women-subjected-FGM/-/688334/3063338/-/ef87v5z/-/index.html
Mothers' Union Programme Reduces Domestic Violence
Cases of domestic violence have reduced after the Mothers' Union in the Diocese of in South Ankole, Uganda, undertook a programme of awareness raising, marriage counselling and radio talk shows. The Mothers' Union in Uganda is gaining momentum, with around 210,000 members throughout the country. It has developed a Church and Communion mobilisation programme, which they have dubbed Eagle, and it is being used throughout the country. In South Ankole, in the south west of Uganda, an evaluation of the Eagle process was carried out at the end of last year. "We were thrilled to see some great outcomes of the community & church mobilisation work," a Mothers' Union spokesperson said. "Through this process Mothers Union in the diocese has been working on major issues such as raising awareness of domestic abuse. Through conducting marriage counseling sessions in parishes and organising two radio talk shows to address these issues the diocese has seen reduced cases of domestic violence where Eagle has been implemented.- See more at: http://allafrica.com/stories/201602041576.html
Women In Technology Uganda (WITU) Monthly Meet-Up
Last year in a bid to close the gender technological gap, a women’s technology hub, WITU (Women In Technology Uganda) began hosting a monthly networking event to bring together all the women of Uganda that are in the tech world; professionals, experts, employers and employees, students and business owners. The start of this meet-up was a success because the ladies believed in the purpose and took part in it. As such, WITU was able to hold about 5 such meet-ups throughout the year. The ladies turned up in good numbers, discussed achievements, aspirations, failures, experiences, you name it. From these meet ups came solutions, partnerships, mentorships and immense growth. This year the Women in Technology in Uganda are setting out to do so much more, better so they are inviting all girls & ladies out there who pertake in the interest in technology in whatever form to their first meet-up this year. This is the start of an even greater purpose. Join all the other ladies this Friday 5th February at 5:30 pm at the WITU Hub. - See more at:http://pctechmag.com/2016/02/event-women-in-technology-uganda-witu-monthly-meet-up/
Students Volunteer to Help Families in Uganda
Some William Peace University students used scissors and pencils on Martin Luther King day to benefit Sole Hope, an organization that helps children and their families in Uganda by making shoe patterns from recycled blue jeans. The project was one of several students worked on at WPU’s annual Day of Service. Other students were separated into groups that packed meals or sewed blankets for the homeless at the event hosted by Peace and the Community Together. For the Sole Hope project, students were set up in five stations to complete the task. In station one, participants cut blue jeans into strips. Next, in station two, patterns were traced onto the jeans. In station three, the patterns were cut out onto the jeans and in station four these pieces were organized into sets. Each of these sets of blue jean pieces will be sent to Uganda for women there to make into shoes for children in the country.
- See more at: http://www.peacetimesonline.com/news/2016/02/03/students-help-children-families-in-uganda-with-mlk-day-service-project/
DR Congo win record second CHAN title
The Leopards have now established themselves as the dominant side of the biennial tournament whose 4th edition was wrapped up on Sunday with a rain-soaked final inside a packed, noisy Amahoro Stadium in Kigali. Unfazed by the downpour, the majority DR Congo fans willed their side on from the very moment South African referee Daniel Bennett blew the whistle for kick-off. Just before the half-hour mark, midfielder Meschack steered home an angled shot to give The Leopards a deserved lead. The 18-year-old then made it two for the night, and his fourth of the tournament, as he sliced open the Malian defence, beat goalkeeper Djigui Diarra and slotted home. Goal number three was as spectacular, this time not by Meschack but by Jonathan Bolingi whose rasping low right-footed shot left Diarra beaten again. It was end-to-end action as the rain pounded the players but it was the Congolese, who have relished such a fete before, that eventually reigned supreme. With four goals, Meschack was crowned the tournament's top scorer as teammate and captain Joel Kimwaki received the Fair Play award. :- See more at: http://www.newvision.co.ug/new_vision/news/1416561/dr-congo-win-record-chan-title#sthash.YU0ozBoD.dpuf
KAMPALA, Feb 5 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Ugandan women's rights groups are setting up a control centre to monitor any violence against women in the East African nation's elections this month and to act quickly on any reports. The move comes after the United States voiced concern that the electoral environment in Uganda was deteriorating in the run-up to the Feb. 18 elections. Violence during an election cycle is common in many African countries where it may be triggered by political or ethnic tensions, or flawed electoral processes, with women and children the most likely to be affected. Jessica Nkuuhe, the National Coordinator of the Uganda Women's Situation Room, said the control centre will be launched on Feb. 15 at a hotel in Kampala and run until Feb. 20. Nkuuhe said there had not been reports of electoral violence targeting women in Uganda before but women did face more types of psychological violence, whether they are voters or candidates, and efforts to prevent them from voting. - See more at: http://af.reuters.com/article/ugandaNews/idAFL8N15K2KA
Fears of Violence Ahead of Elections
KAMPALA (HAN) February 5, 2016 – Public Diplomacy and Regional Stability Initiatives News. With barely two weeks till the presidential election in Uganda, civil society groups are concerned that the poll might be marred by violence. They are now campaigning for peace ahead of election day on February 18, 2016. A local NGO, the Human Rights Network-Uganda (HRINET-U) has issued a report citing cases of members from opposition parties who have gone missing, while others who have been arrested have not been charged or been brought before the courts. The report also says security organizations are believed to be favoring incumbent president Museveni. It sites incidents when Uganda’s main opposition leader and flag bearer of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), Kizza Besigye, was twice stopped by police on his way to a campaign rally in the Kabale district of south western Uganda. The reason the police gave, was that Besigye intended to disrupt business at a market on his way to his campaign venue. - See more at:http://geeskaafrika.com/2016/02/05/uganda-fears-of-violence-ahead-of-elections/
Obasanjo to head Commonwealth election observers in Uganda
Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma announced the composition of the Commonwealth Observer Group on Friday, having received an invitation from the Government of Uganda. Election day will see voters asked to choose a President as well as constituency representatives to the 418-member Parliament. The last general elections were held in February 2011. In a statement, Mr Sharma said: “The Commonwealth Charter recognises ‘the inalienable right of individuals to participate in democratic processes, in particular through free and fair elections in shaping the society in which they live’. In this spirit, we urge all stakeholders in Uganda to commit to ensuring a peaceful and transparent election in which candidates and voters are free from intimidation, and fundamental freedoms of expression, association and assembly are respected.” “I thank President Obasanjo for accepting my invitation to lead this team, and each of the Commonwealth observers for agreeing to undertake this important assignment. In offering their assessment on the conduct of the election and the overall credibility of the process, they will be contributing to the strengthening of democracy in Uganda.” - See more at: http://www.newvision.co.ug/new_vision/news/1416460/olusegun-obasanjo-head-commonwealth-election-observers-uganda#sthash.1nAyBQfq.dpuf
Ahead of Uganda's National Poll, Youth Feel Marginalized
As Uganda prepares for national elections this month, the country’s youth are split over the decision to exercise their right to vote. The growing number of young eligible voters could hold considerable sway in the balloting. Yet many feel ignored by candidates. Uganda is one of the youngest countries in the world, with 78 percent of the population below the age of 30. Yet when it comes to voting in the upcoming presidential elections, many youths are opting out. It is not a disinterest in politics, but rather a feeling expressed by many that their involvement lacks impact. National Youth Manifesto Shaban Kalema is the chairman of the Interparty Youth Platform, which helped establish a National Youth Manifesto. It identifies five main issues important to Uganda's youth, including: jobs, healthcare, education opportunities, sports and creative arts and youth participation in decision making.- See more at: http://www.voanews.com/content/ahead-of-uganda-national-poll-youth-feel-marginalized/3174592.html
Youth warned against selling their votes
The third Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for East African Affairs, Al Hajji Ali Kirunda Kivejinja has cautioned the Youth against selling their votes during the forthcoming elections. While officiating at the belated Liberations day celebrations in Wakisi sub-county, Buikwe on Thursday Kivejinja advised the youths not to sell their votes for cheap promises. “Most youths are sweet talked and they easily sell their votes for a little sum of money. We need the youths to make an informed decision by voting wisely,” said Kivejinja. “My dear sisters and brothers, the time has come for you to vote for focused people with a vision for the nation. You should not be misled,” he cautioned. Buikwe Resident District Commissioner, Nasser Munnoll also told the youth to be determined to make the right choice while choosing their leaders. - See more at: http://www.newvision.co.ug/new_vision/news/1415932/youth-warned-selling-votes#sthash.FWZe8oAW.dpuf
Elections will be peaceful, says government
Government has re-assured Ugandans that the forthcoming elections will be peaceful amid raising tension and concerns of likely occurrence of violence. According to the executive director of Uganda Media Centre, Mr Ofwono Opondo, government is committed to a peaceful and transparent elections scheduled for this month. Below is the full statement; As the country approaches the Election Day February 18, 2016, the Government would like to thank all Ugandans and other members of the public resident here for ensuring and observing the prevailing tranquil atmosphere that has generally characterized the campaign period over the last three months so far. Government would like to reiterate its commitment to a transparent democratic path and re-assure Ugandans that the elections will be held under a peaceful and tranquil environment, and that the elections will be free and fair, the outcome of which will truly reflect the will of the Ugandans. All necessary, adequate and robust arrangements have been put in place to ensure that elections go normally and that after elections Uganda continues to enjoy the prevailing peace and phenomenal development that we are witnessing. - See more at:http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Elections-will-be-peaceful--says-government/-/688334/3057616/-/9geugd/-/index.html
Election saboteurs will be shot dead - Jinja RDC
Whoever will be found disrupting the February 18 elections in Jinja District will be shot dead, the deputy Resident District Commissioner (RDC), Mr Erick Ssakwa, has warned. Mr Ssakwa said the decision to use live ammunition against election saboteurs was taken during a recent meeting of the Jinja District Security Committee. “Some people are preparing their groups to cause confusion but we have prepared security of both police and military to shoot anyone who will be involved in this,” Mr Ssakwa said. He made the remarks last Thursday during the launch of the Citizen’s Manifesto in Jinja Town. He said some politicians in the municipality were training militias to sabotage the elections and force the Electoral Commission to organise special elections in which people from other areas can come in to influence the outcome of such an election.- See more at: http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Election-saboteurs-will-be-shot-dead-Jinja-RDC/-/688334/3057798/-/9prrdp/-/index.html
EAC to deploy election observer mission in Uganda
The East African Community is set to deploy an Election Observer Mission team to General Election taking place on February 18, this year in Uganda. According to a statement issued by EAC secretariat, a 50 member of Short-Term Election Observer Mission Team which is being led by Ali Hassan Mwinyi, Tanzania’s former President is due to arrive in Kampala, Uganda, on Tuesday February 9, 2016, to observe the General Elections slated for February 18, 2016 in Uganda. The Mission’s mandate is to observe the overall electoral environment, pre-election activities, the polling day, the counting and tallying of results The Mission is preceded by a Pre-Elections Assessment Team which was deployed from 31st January 2016 to assess the level of preparedness by key stakeholders and prepare a report that will inform the Short Term Election Observation Mission.The members of the EAC Election Observer Mission has been drawn from different but complementary disciplines and includes, members of the East African Legislative - See more at:http://www.ippmedia.com/?l=88516
2016 election is army Vs voters - Makerere don
Makerere University professor Oloka-Onyango has said the February 18 presidential election is a contest between the military and the civilian-voting population as opposed to being one between the eight candidates. The Law lecturer said yesterday a transition from President Museveni, the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, to another leader will likely come violently, a claim both the military and government spokespersons dismissed. “What we are dealing with here is not an election,” Prof Oloka-Onyango said during a public dialogue at the Centre for Basic Research (CBR), a non-government organisation conducting public discussions on the 2016 elections. “We are dealing with a military struggle and that ultimately means that the only way you can achieve regime change as I have said this before at this stage we have reached now, is through a violent transition,” he said. The role of the military, which brought the ruling party NRM into power in 1986, has always been a sticky issue, with the Opposition alleging that security forces are used by the incumbent to intimidate voters into supporting him. Yesterday, army spokesperson Paddy Ankunda rejected Prof Oloka-Onyango’s remarks, saying the military derives it’s strengthening from its good relationship with citizens.- See more at: http://www.monitor.co.ug/SpecialReports/Elections/Election-army-Vs-voters-Makerere-don/-/859108/3059626/-/11q9royz/-/index.html
Gen Katumba attacks presidential candidates
Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), Gen Katumba Wamala, has in a rare move, asked presidential candidates to stop “telling lies” about the state of the country’s health institutions. “Instead of politicians saying nothing has been done, the question should be where did we start from?” he said. “I agree that the health situation is not a 100 per cent good; but the conditions are not very bad,” said Gen Katumba during a Tuesday Tarehe Sita function at Katwe Primary School in Kampala. The army chief who has recently been accused by the Opposition of making partisan political statements said on Tuesday that all the health facilities he had visited during the army’s Tarehe Sita week, were not in very bad conditions like it has been depicted by some presidential candidates in all their campaigns.- See more at: http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Gen-Katumba-attacks-presidential-candidates/-/688334/3061644/-/jtj444z/-/index.html
Museveni snubs presidential debate again
Ugandans’ hopes on NRM presidential flag bearer Yoweri Museveni participating in the second presidential debate slated for February 14 have been crushed following an official pronouncement that he will be busy winding up his campaigns. The NRM taskforce deputy spokesperson, Ms Maria Mutesi revealed that Mr Museveni has less time left and that this is the only time he will be making final touches to market his manifesto before campaigns close on 16 February 2016. “President Museveni made it clear that he can’t participate in the debate because of his tight campaign schedule and he has confirmed that he will not attend the second one because we are trying to beat the deadline. For example, people he hasn’t addressed are yearning to hear from him and he can’t disappoint them. So, he won’t be attending the debate.” Ms Mutesi said. Asked why Mr Museveni is shying away from a televised debate with his opponents to account for the three decades he has been in power, Ms Mutesi said that a debate is not the only way to campaign, arguing that most of the questions have been asked by journalists and Ugandans and that answering the same questions during the debate would be a repetition.- See more at: http://www.monitor.co.ug/SpecialReports/Elections/Museveni-snubs-presidential-debate-again/-/859108/3062436/-/3ef9y2/-/index.html
Lumumba shoot-to-kill threat sparks outrage
Ugandans have expressed outrage at NRM secretary general Justine Lumumba’s threat that those who will protest against the 2016 elections results will be shot. Some of the citizens who took to social media to vent their displeasure prayed that God saves Uganda from post-election chaos, while others demanded that President Museveni, who is also the chairman of NRM, replaces Ms Lumumba as the ruling party’s secretary general. Ms Lumumba while presiding over the launch of NRM campaigns in Wakiso District at Nsangi sub-county headquarters is quoted as having warned parents: “When President Museveni, the chief fighter, is still seated on the throne, whatever they are planning, tell them the government of NRM is not going anywhere! Don’t send your children to bring chaos in Kampala and cause confusion during elections, disrupt peace in the country, government will handle you…. you will be shot.- See more at: http://www.monitor.co.ug/SpecialReports/Elections/Lumumba-shoot-to-kill-threat-sparks-outrage/-/859108/3056812/-/uuv6twz/-/index.html
Uganda readies for tense presidential polls, but few doubt winners
As the only female presidential candidate in Uganda, a male-dominated country where the leader is eyeing a fourth decade in power, Maureen Kyalya admits the odds are stacked against her. "He uses force and intimidation," said Kyalya, describing her former boss, veteran leader Yoweri Museveni, who is seeking re-election on February 18. Candidates on all sides have raised fears of violence, with accusations of police brutality and recruitment of volunteer police, known as "crime preventers", as well as claims opposition groups are organising militia forces. "He's trained people he calls 'crime preventers', but their job is to beat everybody senseless to scare them that there's going to be war, so they vote for him," Kyalya said. Government spokesman Ofwono Opondo on Monday issued fresh warnings that opposition parties were organising militia gangs and planning to erect road blocks on main roads to "paralyse economic activities" and to "attack several offices of the Electoral Commission"- See more at:. http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Uganda-readies-tense-presidential-polls-winner/-/688334/3063356/-/p46a1t/-/index.html
Luzira inmates perform well in UCE
Luzira Prisons inmates who sat for last year’s Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) examinations have all qualified for Advanced Level education. According to the Uganda National Examinations Board (Uneb), which released the results last Friday, all the 38 candidates who sat for the examinations at Upper Prison Inmates Secondary School obtained Division One to Division Four. Four candidates passed in Division One; nine in Division Two; 12 in Division Three while 13 passed in Division Four. All the candidates were male. Mr Joram Hannington Lusonzi who is on remand since 2012 over aggravated defilement emerged best with Aggregate 20. The jubilant Lusonzi, 25, who had dropped out of school in 2008 at Primary Seven, said he wants to join Advanced Level and pursue his dream of becoming a lawyer in future.- See more at: http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/Education/Luzira--inmates-perform-well-in-UCE/-/688336/3056664/-/13eb5v9/-/index.html
Sejusa equates UPDF jail to Amin’s 1976 dungeon
Honourable chairman, I stand, especially on this aspect of bail. As we set out many of us to fight for freedom, we had very serious aims and aspirations. Those were for a just or fair society and also for good behaviour and consistence on issues of governance, honourable chairman. Gen Sejusa: I am a very senior member [lead state prosecutor interjects that the accused is making statements overtaken by procedure. But Gen Sejusa’s lawyer immediately reminds court that his client has asked the chairman for permission to say something. The Judge Advocate, Lt Col Gideon Katinda, maintains that whatever the accused says should not be on bail application because it’s a procedural matter. Court Martial chairman Maj Gen Levy Karuhanga allows Gen Sejusa to continue.Gen Sejusa: Thank you, honourable chairman, I am mindful of all that. I just wanted to say that there are legislative norms but also natural norms where people should be treated humanely with justice. The background to this bail is informed by the fact that, and this I intend to tell court, it relates to fairness. - See more at:http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Sejusa-equates-UPDF-jail-Amin-s-1976-dungeon/-/688334/3060370/-/tfifcj/-/index.html
Sejusa has not been retired from army over bad conduct, says Museveni
President Museveni has said the former coordinator of Intelligence services Gen. David Sejusa has not been retired from the army because of his bad conduct. While addressing the press on Friday, Mr Museveni said the army would have to first reform General Sejusa before offloading him onto society. Gen Sejusa, who the army arrested on Sunday at his home in Kampala and on Tuesday arraigned before the Court Martial, is now on remand in Luzira Maximum Security Prison. He was charged with several offences including insubordination, absence without official leave, conduct prejudicial to the good order of the army and engaging in political activity, contrary to the military law. During today’s press conference, Mr Museveni said, “Why should the army off load a trouble maker on society? Why don’t you first process him so that by the time he goes to society he is a reformed person?” He added, “Yes, he [Sejusa] will eventually leave the army. I don’t know whether he will be sentenced; I don’t know what will happen. But it is not correct to offload on to society somebody who has already shown signs of bad conduct in the army.”- See more at: http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Sejusa-Museveni-been-retired-army-bad-conduct/-/688334/3063786/-/hst4g4z/-/index.html
Health workers sent to north Uganda as malaria epidemic kills over 650
Uganda dispatched a team of more than 370 health workers to the northern part of the country on Monday where a malaria epidemic ravaging the region since July has killed about 658 people. Uganda reported an unusual outbreak of malaria in the north of the country in July, which health officials say has affected one million people from a population of about 39 million. Uganda has one of the highest rates of malaria in Africa, with some 100,000 deaths, mostly pregnant women and children under five, and 16 million cases a year, according to the country's Ministry of Health. The emergency team sent to deal with the epidemic consists of 26 medical doctors as well as clinical officers and nurses. "The team has been contracted for a period of 30 days to offer case management at the health facility level," said Asuman Lukwago, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Health. District leaders in the affected areas have also been asked to recruit more health workers, depending on the extent of the problem within their area. Northern Uganda has the highest number of registered cases of malaria in the country, government data shows- See more at:. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-uganda-malaria-idUSKCN0VB00R
Cholera hits Bulambuli
A cholera outbreak has been declared in Bulambuli District after the district health department registered four suspected cases. The District Health Officer, Dr Muhammadi Mulongo, said the first suspected case was reported in Muyembe Sub-county. “Let me take this opportunity to inform the local community that there is a cholera outbreak in our district. And so far, four cases have been detected from Muyembe sub-county,” said Dr Mulongo. The district health office has set up one treatment centre at Muyembe Health centre IV. He said they have notified the health ministry and the World Health Organisation about the outbreak. “We have set up a team of health officers to sensitise the local community on hygiene and sanitation,” he said. He, however, said about 1,000 people in the district were given some treatment in order to prevent the spread of the epidemic.- See more at:
http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Cholera-hits-Bulambuli/-/688334/3060978/-/9xacalz/-/index.html
Women of Africa: Laundry service gives Uganda women fresh start
Jamila Mayanja runs a door-to-door laundry service in Uganda which helps its employees save enough money to launch their own businesses. Since she started the J Mobile Laundry Service just over a year ago in the capital, Kampala, Ms Mayanja has built up a workforce of more than 30 women. J Mobile's work has not gone unnoticed, and was recognised by US President Barack Obama at his Young African Leadership Initiative summit last year. Ms Mayanja has ambitions of developing the company and strongly believes that women can make a big difference in the world of business.- See more at: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-35474126
Old woman remanded over leopard skin
A 63-year- old woman was yesterday remanded to Luzira prison for allegedly being in possession of a leopard skin. The Grade One Magistrate at City Hall Magistrate’s Court, Mr Moses Nabende, remanded Ms Celestine Bwanakwe, a Rwandan peasant and resident of Bugarauma village, Gatsibo Sub-county in Rwanda. She was charged with unlawful possession of protected species, contrary to Sec 30 & 75(b) of the Wildlife Act together with her accomplice Mr Olivier Aguma, a technician. Both are from the same area. However, they denied the charges.Prosecution alleges that Ms Bwanakwe on January 23 at Mackies Restaurant in Kamwokya, a Kampala suburb, was found in possession of a leopard skin worth Shs17m without a licence. They were remanded until February 12.- See more at: http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Old-woman-remanded-over-leopard-skin/-/688334/3057950/-/gs2ahj/-/index.html
Ongwen’s ex-wife escapes death
Ms Florence Ayot, an ex-wife of former Lord’s Resistance Army rebel commanderDominic Ongwen last Friday survived being burnt to death by her jilted lover who accused her of following the televised confirmation of charges hearing against Mr Ongwen. The woman together with her three children escaped the attack after her hut located in Holy Rosary parish in Laroo Division, Gulu Municipality, was torched at around 3am. Mr Ongwen who is accused of commanding mass killing in northern Uganda fathered the three children while in captivity. He is being tried by the International Court (ICC) at The Hague, in the Netherlands. Ms Ayot returned home in 2005 after 15 years in captivity and met a new soulmate identified with whom they have settled for the past two years although they had no child yet. In an interview with Daily Monitor last Saturday, Ms Ayot said all was well until January last year when Mr Ongwen was captured in Central African Republic- See more at:. http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Ongwens-ex-wife-escapes-death/-/688334/3057810/-/15r7ciyz/-/index.html
'My friend tricked me into sex work'
At first, Sarah Nakintu was grateful to her friend for alerting her to job opportunities in marketing and retail in Dubai. Nakintu, a 27-year-old woman from the Ugandan capital Kampala, trusted her friend, who had worked in the United Arab Emirates and seemed successful with plenty of money. She followed her friend's instructions. Present a valid passport to the recruiter who would organise airline tickets and a visa. Once the documents were in order, Nakintu paid the recommended “token of thanks” to her friend - $200 in cash. Nakintu (who requested her real name not be used) was advised to only keep her boarding pass to Kigali, Rwanda, in sight and hide her connecting pass to Dubai as immigration officials stop migrants who bypassed government recruiting agencies to seek employment. But when Nakintu was met at Dubai airport by a Ugandan woman going by the name Jane Saad, she was told to hand over her passport and then informed she would be working as a sex escort. “From the start I was terrified and tried to protest but she threatened us and said there were no alternatives as she had invested a lot of money in our trip,” Nakintu told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.- See more at: http://www.iol.co.za/dailynews/news/my-friend-tricked-me-into-sex-work-1978530
Ugandans Still Running to Saudi Arabia despite Ban, Abuse
Despite a government ban on the exportation of domestic workers to Saudi Arabia and other countries, Ugandans are still jostling and sneaking out of the country on forged documents in search of greener pastures abroad. The ministry of Gender Labor and Social Development recently banned the exportation of domestic workers after reports emerged that they were being subjected to abuse, sexual assault, slavery among others, but this has not deterred other desperate Ugandans from trying their luck as well. With the police no longer issuing certificates of good conduct since the ban, Ugandans desiring to go to Saudi Arabia are now forging them says Director of Interpol and International relations Asan Kasingye. A certificate of good conduct also known as a police clearance certificate, is an official document issued by police or government agency of a country to enumerate any criminal records that the applicant may or may not have.- See more at: http://allafrica.com/stories/201602020386.html
200 million girls and women subjected to FGM
At least 200 million girls and women worldwide have been subjected to female genital mutilation with half of those living in Egypt, Ethiopia and Indonesia, according to the UN children's agency. Somalia, Guinea and Djibouti continue to show the highest prevalence of FGM globally, but the overall rate in some 30 countries has dropped, said a UNICEF report released ahead of International Day of Zero Tolerance for FGM, on Saturday. The United Nations is working to end the practice of cutting women's genitalia by the target date of 2030, a goal set in its new development agenda that was adopted in September by all UN member-states. Of the 200 million FGM victims, 44 million are girls age 14 and younger. In the 30 countries where the practice is most widespread, the majority of girls have undergone FGM before their fifth birthday, said UNICEF which declared the practice a clear violation of children's rights. "In countries like Somalia, Guinea and Djibouti, the practice is practically universal," said Claudia Cappa, the lead author of the report. - See more at:http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/200-million-girls-women-subjected-FGM/-/688334/3063338/-/ef87v5z/-/index.html
Mothers' Union Programme Reduces Domestic Violence
Cases of domestic violence have reduced after the Mothers' Union in the Diocese of in South Ankole, Uganda, undertook a programme of awareness raising, marriage counselling and radio talk shows. The Mothers' Union in Uganda is gaining momentum, with around 210,000 members throughout the country. It has developed a Church and Communion mobilisation programme, which they have dubbed Eagle, and it is being used throughout the country. In South Ankole, in the south west of Uganda, an evaluation of the Eagle process was carried out at the end of last year. "We were thrilled to see some great outcomes of the community & church mobilisation work," a Mothers' Union spokesperson said. "Through this process Mothers Union in the diocese has been working on major issues such as raising awareness of domestic abuse. Through conducting marriage counseling sessions in parishes and organising two radio talk shows to address these issues the diocese has seen reduced cases of domestic violence where Eagle has been implemented.- See more at: http://allafrica.com/stories/201602041576.html
Women In Technology Uganda (WITU) Monthly Meet-Up
Last year in a bid to close the gender technological gap, a women’s technology hub, WITU (Women In Technology Uganda) began hosting a monthly networking event to bring together all the women of Uganda that are in the tech world; professionals, experts, employers and employees, students and business owners. The start of this meet-up was a success because the ladies believed in the purpose and took part in it. As such, WITU was able to hold about 5 such meet-ups throughout the year. The ladies turned up in good numbers, discussed achievements, aspirations, failures, experiences, you name it. From these meet ups came solutions, partnerships, mentorships and immense growth. This year the Women in Technology in Uganda are setting out to do so much more, better so they are inviting all girls & ladies out there who pertake in the interest in technology in whatever form to their first meet-up this year. This is the start of an even greater purpose. Join all the other ladies this Friday 5th February at 5:30 pm at the WITU Hub. - See more at:http://pctechmag.com/2016/02/event-women-in-technology-uganda-witu-monthly-meet-up/
Students Volunteer to Help Families in Uganda
Some William Peace University students used scissors and pencils on Martin Luther King day to benefit Sole Hope, an organization that helps children and their families in Uganda by making shoe patterns from recycled blue jeans. The project was one of several students worked on at WPU’s annual Day of Service. Other students were separated into groups that packed meals or sewed blankets for the homeless at the event hosted by Peace and the Community Together. For the Sole Hope project, students were set up in five stations to complete the task. In station one, participants cut blue jeans into strips. Next, in station two, patterns were traced onto the jeans. In station three, the patterns were cut out onto the jeans and in station four these pieces were organized into sets. Each of these sets of blue jean pieces will be sent to Uganda for women there to make into shoes for children in the country.
- See more at: http://www.peacetimesonline.com/news/2016/02/03/students-help-children-families-in-uganda-with-mlk-day-service-project/
DR Congo win record second CHAN title
The Leopards have now established themselves as the dominant side of the biennial tournament whose 4th edition was wrapped up on Sunday with a rain-soaked final inside a packed, noisy Amahoro Stadium in Kigali. Unfazed by the downpour, the majority DR Congo fans willed their side on from the very moment South African referee Daniel Bennett blew the whistle for kick-off. Just before the half-hour mark, midfielder Meschack steered home an angled shot to give The Leopards a deserved lead. The 18-year-old then made it two for the night, and his fourth of the tournament, as he sliced open the Malian defence, beat goalkeeper Djigui Diarra and slotted home. Goal number three was as spectacular, this time not by Meschack but by Jonathan Bolingi whose rasping low right-footed shot left Diarra beaten again. It was end-to-end action as the rain pounded the players but it was the Congolese, who have relished such a fete before, that eventually reigned supreme. With four goals, Meschack was crowned the tournament's top scorer as teammate and captain Joel Kimwaki received the Fair Play award. :- See more at: http://www.newvision.co.ug/new_vision/news/1416561/dr-congo-win-record-chan-title#sthash.YU0ozBoD.dpuf
Compiled by:
Ezekiel Rubumburi
Action For Development
Volunteer Public Relations and Communications Department
ACFODE House, Plot 623/624 Bukoto
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RUBUMBURI EZEKIEL
Feb 16, 2016, 8:52:27 AM2/16/16
to acfodeyo...@googlegroups.com
Good Evening,
Here is a glimpse of what is happening around the country and in the world
Police officer who executed Besigye arrest is murder suspect - DPP
The police officer, who commanded and executed the arrest of Dr Kizza Besigye yesterday, faces long overdue arrest for murder, the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has said. Superintendent of Police (SP) Aaron Baguma, the Central Police Station Commander is accused of murder jointly with the Pine Car Depot proprietor Mohammed Ssebuwuufu. The duo is accused of unlawfully taking the life of Dona Katushabe through torture on October 21, 2015, at Pine car depot on Lumumba Avenue in Kampala before reportedly robbing her of a mobile phone valued at sh300,000. Katusabe bought a car from Ssebuwufu worth sh19m and paid Shs10m cash but had not settled the balance of sh9m. Speaking to Daily Monitor yesterday, Ms Jane Kajuga Okuo, the DPP spokesperson, said in a telephone interview: “What we are doing is wait for the police to comply. We sent sanctions to police to have Baguma produced and the charge sheet amended so we wait to have him arrested and we proceed to court.” - See more at: http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Police-officer-who-executed-Besigye-arrest-is-murder/-/688334/3078402/-/wqg4sf/-/index.html
Anybody who causes election violence will face ICC - Sebutinde
Ugandans who will participate in election–related violence will be tried internationally, International Court of Justice (ICJ) judge Justice Julia Sebutinde has said.For now, she said the world is following “with interest” what is happening in Uganda. Therefore, the police, the army, intelligence services and ordinary Ugandans should conduct themselves peacefully. She said it is possible for the security forces to maintain law and order “without intimidating voters or meting out violence on unarmed civilians”. The ICJ judge noted that in the run up to national polls in some young democracies like Uganda, conflict and tension become common. And that some people take to forms of election violence such as thuggery, perpetrating it before, during and after the elections. Others use force to disrupt political campaigns, meetings or voting, use of deadly weapons to intimidate voters or to cause bodily harm and injury to other person connected with the electoral process. “I can guarantee you [the] perpetrators of election violence will be held to account by the international community, not just [by] the Ugandan population,” Justice Ssebutinde said at the official opening of the Women’s Situation Room (WSR) in Kampala yesterday.- See more at: http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Anybody-who-causes-election-violence-will-face/-/688334/3078292/-/mpalx8z/-/index.html
What voters must know
It is exactly nine days to the much-awaited February 18, when registered Ugandan voters will begin casting their ballot at 7am across the country to pick the next president and Members of Parliament. Other lower tier government voting will be happen in the weeks after. Because elections are high-stake, the exercise is often fraught with suspicion, tension and, in some cases, clashes. Uganda’s politics has over the years become heavily commercialised, with the Alliance for Campaigns Finance Monitoring estimating that all the parties and individual presidential candidates in the first two months combined spent Shs137 billion. Eighty-eight per cent of this campaign finance, Shs121b, of the overall campaign funding was spent by the ruling National Resistance Movement party alone. . - See more at: www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/2016-polls--What-voters-must-know/-/688334/3067950/-/xbsu4hz/-/index.html
EC apologises for extra names on voter register
The Electoral Commission (EC) chairperson Badru Kiggundu has apologised for having an extra 20, 000 names on the National Voters Register. With the 20, 000 names, the register had a total of 15, 297, 197 voters. Mr Kiggundu says the EC has now deleted the 20, 000 names from the register. “We apologise for the error; we are humans,” Mr Kiggundu said on Friday while addressing a press conference at the EC head office in Kampala. The EC’s apology comes on the heels of an exposé by Evelyn Namara and Javie Ssozi who reported an extra 20, 000 names on the register. Mr Kiggundu said 15, 297, 197 was the total of voters on the national voters register prior to the cleaning up of the register.During the update of the register, which took place from July 22 to August 11, the names of individuals identified for removal from the register were compiled. At least 20, 000 names were to be deleted – because those people had either died or were not known to the people in the polling stations.- See more at: http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/EC-apologises-extra-names-voter-register/-/688334/3073676/-/11fulvaz/-/index.html
Lawyer accuses Museveni of bribing voters
On Monday, government started distributing some of the 18 million hoes President Museveni promised last November. The first hoes were given out in Terego county, Arua district. The handover ceremony was presided over by Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda, who talked up Museveni as a leader who keeps his promises. But Walubiri told judges that should any petition be lodged challenging the outcome of the general election, the judges should expect the “hoe” to be the hot-button issue in such a case. “I think there is a lot of unfair competition; if a participant is giving out hoes amidst campaigns, that is clear voter bribery,” Walubiri said.- See more at: http://www.observer.ug/news-headlines/42574-lawyer-accuses-museveni-of-bribing-voters
Don’t sell your votes - Mafabi
The Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) secretary general has asked Sironko district voters not to dispense their vote in the February 18, elections for money. Mr Nathan Nandala Mafabi, who doubles as the incumbent MP for Budadiri West, also asked voters to reject NRM leaders dishing out Shs250,000 per village to buy their way into power. Mr Mafabi was addressing voters of Bushuwu village in sironko district last Friday at a campaign rally of Mr Isaiah Sasaga, the FDC candidate for the Budadiri East Member of Parliament seat. “I want to warn you, you have suffered for the last 30 years, they have made empty promises, they deceived you, deceived your children and they are deceiving your grandchildren. Tell them that your vote is not for sale because it serves as your voice and your country so when you sell it, you are selling your voice and country,” Mr Mafabi said. - See more at:http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Dont-sell-your-votes--Mafabi/-/688334/3067732/-/enxp4i/-/index.html
Ugandan authorities gag media in run-up to presidential election
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemns the government’s intimidation of the media in the run-up to the 18 February presidential election. What with threats, arrests, media closures and seizure of equipment, covering the election is becoming almost impossible for news media that do not kowtow to the ruling party. In the latest incident, a BBC crew was held for four hours at a police station in the northern town of Abim on 6 February after filming a public hospital from the road. The police arrested Catherine Byaruhanga, the BBC’s Uganda correspondent, cameraman Kelvin Brown and Sam Lawino, a local journalist acting as their fixer, after they refused to comply with orders to delete their video footage. The local police commissioner told RSF that they did not have the permits needed to film public health installations, and that they had posed as health ministry employees. They were released thanks to the personal intervention of Inspector General of Police Kale Kayihura, who was alerted by several journalists.- See more at: http://en.rsf.org/ouganda-ugandan-authorities-gag-media-in-09-02-2016,48821.html
Museveni has made us NRM MPs look like fools’
NULU BYAMUKAMA, the MP for Kitagwenda in Kamwenge district, is one of very few NRM MPs openly campaigning for former prime minister Amama Mbabazi in his bid to unseat President Museveni. Until his Mbarara-based Endigyito radio was closed two weeks ago, Byamukama had kept out of the public eye and off the campaign trail of Mbabazi, the Go Forward pressure group presidential candidate. But behind the scenes he vigorously campaigned for the former NRM secretary general in Tooro and Bunyoro. In a February 2 interview with Sadab Kitatta Kaaya, the MP discussed his decision to campaign for Mbabazi and not his party candidate and chairman Museveni.- See more at: http://www.observer.ug/news-headlines/42494-museveni-has-made-us-nrm-mps-look-like-fools
Uganda elections 2016: Opposition against Museveni grows as Ugandan exiles protest in London
As Uganda prepares to go to the polls, opposition against the country's president, Yoweri Museveni, has been growing steadily. Museveni, who has ruled Uganda for nearly 30 years, is widely expected to be elected to another five-year term – his fifth – but just days before the 18 February general election, memories of previous election-related violence have emerged across the country and abroad. The 2011 polls were held in an extremely bitter atmosphere, and followed by an unprecedented campaign of Walk-to-Work protests, riots in different cities and live bullets beingused against demonstrators. Around a dozen Ugandan exiles, all UK residents, stood outside Uganda House, home of the Ugandan embassy in London, on 8 February, to call for voters to choose either of Museveni's two opponents. These are Dr Kizza Besigye – leader of opposition party Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) – and John Patrick Amama Mbabazi, a former prime minister and former ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party secretary general, who will be running under the GoForward banner. - See more at:http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/uganda-elections-2016-opposition-against-museveni-grows-ugandan-exiles-protest-london-1542640
Uganda’s youth are choosing peace hash tags over violence as elections loom
At a bustling Kampala market, Desire Karakire listens to a group of young men express their frustrations over the state of their country. Like most of their peers, they’re underemployed and extremely poor—and they feel the only way the situation will change is through violent revolution. “Leadership involves blood,” says Richard Ssenyoga, 23. With Uganda’s Feb. 18 national election approaching, these sentiments of violence are exactly what youth activists like Karakire are trying to mitigate. “If violence broke out, we all have so much to lose. Violence is not going to pick a side… we will all be affected,” she says. Eight candidates are running for the presidency including Yoweri Museveni who has held the position for 30 years, his long-time rival Kizza Besigye and former prime minister Amama Mbabazi. From fights between government-funded “crime preventers” and opposition supporters to blasts of teargas and bullets at rallies, the campaign season has already been marred by violent incidents.- See more at: http://qz.com/613325/ugandas-youth-are-choosing-peace-hashtags-over-violence-as-elections-looms/
Government declares February 18 a public holiday
A joint communication issued Wednesday by permanent secretary public service ministry Catherine Bitarakwate said “First Deputy Prime Minister and minister of Public Service informs the general public that Thursday 18th February, 2016 will be a public holiday to allow Ugandans participate in the National voting activities being organized by the Independent Electoral Commission.”Eight candidates are vying for the presidency in the elections slated for this month with only one female contestant. The candidates are; National Resistance Movement (NRM)’s Yoweri Museveni, who has led the country since 1986 and is now eying a fifth term in office, Forum for Democratic Change (FDC)’s Kizza Besigye, a three time loser for the presidential seat; Amama Mbabazi, a former prime minister and ruling party stalwart now running as an independent; Benon Biraaro, former state house employee Maureen Kyalya and Prof Venansius Baryamureeba. - See more at:http://www.monitor.co.ug/SpecialReports/Elections/Government-declares-February-public-holiday/-/859108/3070642/-/o2u752z/-/index.html
Bush War veterans told to quit for youth
The coordinator for NRM party campaign task force in western Uganda, Ms Peace Mutuzo, has said its high time the Bush War revolutionaries gave way for the young generation to run the country. While addressing journalists in Mbarara on Tuesday, Ms Mutuzo said: “President (Museveni), [Dr Kizza] Besigye, Amama Mbabazi and his colleagues should retire. Their cause was to bring peace which we have, it is now us the young generation to bring development the country needs.” Youth to realize She challenged the youth to critically think and understand that the country now needs them to consolidate the peace. She added that is part of the NRM party strategy to groom the young generation to take over in the next five years. “I think in the next five years those in their 70s should give way for the young generation to take over. That’s why we need to be careful during these elections to choose a leader who will cautiously lead us to this transition,” said Ms Mutuuzo.- See more at: http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Bush-War-veterans-told-to-quit-for-youth/-/688334/3071166/-/si58gyz/-/index.html
Nantaba accuses RDC of intimidation
State minister of Lands Idah Nantaba and the parliamentary candidate for Ntenjeru South, Mr Fred Baseke, have accused the Kayunga Resident District Commissioner, Ms Rose Birungi, and security personnel in the district of intimidating their supporters. Ms Nantaba, who is contesting for the Kayunga Woman MP seat as an Independent candidate against Ms Juliet Nalunga, the NRM flag bearer, claims security operatives and officials from the RDC’s office often arrest and intimidate her supporters. “Many of my supporters have been arrested over trumped up charges whereas those of my competitor are carrying out acts of violence on my supporters but they have been left to go scot free,” Ms Nantaba complained.- See more at: http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Nantaba-accuses-RDC-of-intimidation/-/688334/3071156/-/o22sgbz/-/index.html
Senior Six examination results out
Uganda National Examination Board (UNEB) has withheld results of 279 candidates due to suspected malpractice. According to UNEB chairperson, Mathew Bukenya, Mathematics and Art were the most affected subjects. A total of 101,268 candidates registered for the exams compared to 108,419 in 2014. The results show that male candidates performed better in science subjects while their female counterparts performed better in history, economics, entrepreneurship, CRE, geography, Literature, sub mathematics, general paper. 56.7% of the students qualified for university as per the 2 principle passes. Bukenya said results have been uploaded on the UNEB portal. Those interested in hard copies were advised to pick them from UNEB offices in Ntinda, a Kampala suburb. “I wish take this opportunity to bid you farewell. This is the last exam am releasing,” Bukenya said.- See more at: http://www.newvision.co.ug/new_vision/news/1416982/senior-examination-results#sthash.pKMOyE31.dpuf
S5 admissions: schools warned on rejecting students
School head teachers who reject students allocated to them by the national selection exercise face dire consequences, the ministry of education warned yesterday. Speaking at the opening of the senior five selection exercise in Lugogo, the chairperson of the selection committee, Martin Omagor, said the student lists continued to be changed by head teachers. This, he said, is corruption. “If we acknowledge a list of students you are supposed to take on, who are you to say that I am taking on such a student and leaving out the other?” Omagor said. If a ministry official seeks a placement in a school, Omagor said, they should go at a personal level of a parent as long as their children do not appear on the official selection list. The government selection process, which ends today (Friday), will see students placed in senior five, Primary Teachers Colleges and Technical, Vocational and Education Training institutions.- See more at: http://www.observer.ug/news-headlines/42571-s5-admissions-schools-warned-on-rejecting-students
Judge quits Sejusa case
High court judge Lydia Ssali Mugambe has declined to hear a case in which under-fire Gen David Sejusa, the former coordinator of intelligence services, is challenging his stay in the army. Court records show that on November 24, 2015, Festo Nsenga, the then High court deputy registrar of the civil division, allocated the case to justice Mugambe. However, on February 4, the current deputy registrar Alex Ajiji reallocated the case to Justice Margaret Ouma Oguli, who was recently moved from Masaka to Kampala. Asked on Friday why she declined to hear the case, Justice Mugambe said she hadn’t even the read the case file, yet it had been fixed for hearing in April. “I don’t know the case; probably you can tell me the file number then I can crosscheck,” Mugambe said, adding: “But I think you should talk to the registrar [Ajiji]; he handles such issues.” - See more at:http://www.observer.ug/news-headlines/42489-judge-quits-sejusa-case
Gen Sejusa denied bail, further remanded
Former Coordinator of Intelligence Services David Sejusa alias Tinyefuza has been further remanded to Luzira Maximum Security Prison until February 23 this year for ruling on bail application. Gen. Sejusa, an outspoken critic of President Yoweri Museveni’s 30-years leadership, through his lawyers asked the Military Court chaired by Maj. Gen. Levi Karuhanga to release him on bail pending trial arguing that he is of advanced age and that the charges are bailable. Mr Ladislaus Rwakafuzi, one of Gen. Sejusa said that his client wanted to regain his liberty as provided for under the law that he is innocent proved otherwise.
He said that the charges against Gen. Sejusa are political in nature and not grave require him to stay in jail. “It is in interest of the public because that is a sense of justice,” he said before presenting two sureties; Lord Mayor Mr Erias Lukwago and Dr Deo Kizito Lukyamuzi a surgeon at Case Medical Center. - See more at:http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Gen-Sejusa-denied-bail-further-remanded/-/688334/3069168/-/jp18jpz/-/index.html
BBC journalists arrested for filming Abim hospital
Two journalists from the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) were arrested Saturday evening for filming the now famous Abim hospital without authorisation. David Ependu, the Abim District Police Commander, says Kelvin Brown and Catherine Byaruhanga were picked up for acting unprofessionally and being unapologetic for their conduct. He says although the journalists claimed to have received authorisation from Ministry of Health in Kampala to film the hospital, they didn't have any proof. He said that the journalists later admitted that they didn't have clearance from the ministry as permanent secretary Dr Asuman Lukwago had delayed to clear them. Abim hospital became a national sensation after opposition and Forum for Democratic Change presidential candidate Kizza Besigye last year visited in tow with the media during his campaign trail - exposing its deplorable state and lack of basic services.- See more at: http://www.observer.ug/news-headlines/42472-bbc-journalists-arrested-for-filming-abim-hospital
Mbarara University to launch emergency medicine programme
Mbarara University of Science and Technology (Must) is working to introduce programmes in emergency medicine following an expressed need in the health sector. University Chancellor Prof Peter Mugyenyi last week revealed that they would soon introduce a curriculum for the diploma in Emergency Medicine and a Master’s degree in Emergency Medicine to the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) for accreditation. He explained that the programme is a medical specialty involving care for unscheduled patients with potentially-serious acute illnesses or injuries that require immediate medical attention. The revelation came as Prof Mugyenyi presided over the university’s 22nd graduation ceremony at Kihumuro campus, 7km along Mbarara-Bushenyi road. At least 921 graduands were awarded degrees and diplomas in various disciplines. - See more at:http://www.observer.ug/education/42506-mbarara-university-to-launch-emergency-medicine-programme
Mulago Hospital to release patients on voting day
As the general elections draws closer, authorities at Mulago National Referral Hospital have disclosed that on voting day, patients who are recovering and willing to vote will be released. Speaking in an interview, the public relations officer Enock Kusasira said “if a patient has healed and wants to vote we shall discharge him and he will participate in elections”. He adds that the health workers on duty will also be allowed to participate in the elections but as soon as they cast their vote, they are expected to report to work since the hospital works 24 hours. On a daily basis, the facility treats over 6,000 out patients with different ailments and about 3,000 are admissions. Some of the patients New Vision talked to welcomed the idea and are eagerly waiting for the 18th February. Ronald Ntegeka 34, said although he is in so much pain he wants to go and cast his vote to his best candidate.- See more at: http://www.newvision.co.ug/new_vision/news/1416829/mulago-hospital-release-patients-voting-day#sthash.PnAqM0yH.dpuf
Mulago can do without interns - Health ministry
The government has not paid stipend to intern doctors for more than three months, a delay the parent Health ministry acknowledged and attributed to late funds’ disbursement by the Ministry of Finance. The ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Dr Asuman Lukwago, said the delay is a general problem that also applies to interns in other upcountry government hospitals. He added that the interns will be paid once the Finance ministry disburses monies for the third-quarter of 2015/16 financial year, which was expected in January. Dr Lukwago said the current high numbers of interns makes it difficult for the government to keep up its commitment, which is why they scrapped free housing. “It is simple; those who are not satisfied are free to go away. We can always do without them but they would never be confirmed as doctors,” Dr Lukwago told Daily Monitor in a phone interview last week.- See more at:http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Mulago-can-do-without-interns--Health-ministry/-/688334/3067792/-/w52bgaz/-/index.html
More women face genital mutilation than estimated
More than 200 million girls and women globally have suffered genital mutilation, far higher than previously estimated, which highlighted the need to accelerate efforts to eradicate the practice, the UN has said. Despite growing momentum to end female genital mutilation (FGM), experts warned that booming populations in some high-prevalence countries were undermining efforts to tackle the practice widely condemned as a serious human rights abuse. The European Institute on Gender Equality commissioned a study in 2012 to map the situation and trends of FGM in the EU’s 27 member states and Croatia. Although there were no representative calculations of women victims of FGM in Malta, an internal report of 2009 from the Migrant Health Unit on FGM claimed that a substantial number of women migrants came from countries with a high prevalence of FGM. A study conducted between 2003 and 2007 showed that there were 566 births in Malta by mothers of African nationalities.- See more at: http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20160208/health-fitness/more-women-face-genital-mutilation-than-estimated.601678
Infertility not just a woman’s woe
Berna Amullen is such a resigned woman; the way she walks, talks… It is clear she has been through a lot and is done hoping. In Kumi where she comes from, Amullen is a vendor dealing in perishables such as yellow bananas, greens and tomatoes. But her story is a complex one. As a teenager even before her first menstrual period, Amullen was married off. Today, almost 30 years later, she is still childless – the laughing stock of the village for being barren; disrespected by her in-laws and husband; relegated to the ceremonial babysitter. In her culture, a woman who has not given birth is regarded as useless. Currently, Amullen stays with her husband’s family because her own family regards her as an abomination. The husband’s side, on the other hand, feels she is their property, thanks to the seven cows, six goats and Shs 30,000 paid for her bride price decades ago. Yet, Amullen is a mirror of many Ugandan and African women battling infertility and living with scorn because they have ‘failed to give their husbands children’.- See more at: http://www.observer.ug/lifestyle/42-entertainment/42555-infertility-not-just-a-woman-s-woe
Aids activists rally behind Uganda Aids Commission
People living with HIV/Aids have condemned the move by parliament to dissolve the Ugandan Aids Commission (UAC) and incorporate it in the Aids Control Programme (ACP) under the Ministry of Health. The budget committee of Parliament recently made a recommendation that maintaining UAC under Office of the President duplicates activities already carried out by ACP. The committee recommended the act that established UAC be amended to make it answerable to the ministry. Now UAC’s stakeholders under their umbrella organization, National Forum of People Living with HIV/Aids Networks in Uganda (NAFOPHANU), maintain the move is wrong as the two entities are distinct and don’t overlap. Stella Kentutsi, the executive director, NAFOPHANU, said UAC largely coordinates the behavioral and structural interventions, while ACP is focused on biomedical interventions targeting health workers and patients. “The move would negatively impact [people living with HIV/Aids] and the population at large,” she said, wondering why the legislators did not consult them before reaching the recommendation.- See more at: http://www.observer.ug/lifestyle/42-entertainment/42553-aids-activists-rally-behind-uganda-aids-commission
Ugandan awarded for fighting depression in HIV patients
Ugandan biologist, Dr Etheldreda Nakimuli‐Mpungu is named among the five winners of the coveted Elsevier Foundation Award in recognition of her work in fighting depression among persons living with HIV/Aids. Nakimuli is listed alongside scholars from Indonesia, Nepal, Peru and Yemen in honor of their accomplishments in nutrition, psychiatry, biotechnology, women's health, bio-environmental sciences and epidemiology. They are also celebrated for mentoring young women scientists who are pursuing careers in agriculture, biology and medicine in their respective countries. Nakimuli is recognized for using psychotherapy as treatment of depression and alcoholism in Ugandans living with HIV. She is working with service providers to integrate depression screening with HIV treatment, as well as to include local communities in discussions of depression to help de-stigmatize the illness.- See more at: http://www.observer.ug/news-headlines/42561-ugandan-awarded-for-fighting-depression-in-hiv-patients
Wedding speeches that could ruin marriages
There was a wedding the other day. Everything was lovely – joyous bride, smiling groom, contented parents, good food, cake, bearable speeches – until it was time for the couple to say their “word or two.” The groom announced that he would speak for both of them. I thought to myself: oh! How lovely, they are taking that whole when-two-become-one thing seriously. Then he started to talk. First he thanked us for coming to his wedding. Then he told us about what he went through to organise his wedding and how he did this and he did the other and he and he and he! Just when I started to wonder what on earth my friend was doing in this guy’s marriage, he finally acknowledged her presence by saying his wedding was great because he has such a wonderful wife. How rude! To stop his speech from causing me physical pain, my mind wandered into the future. I could see him in his house, with his property, having his children, living his life… to which my friend would be a useful appendage. - See more at:http://www.observer.ug/lifestyle/42-entertainment/42460-wedding-speeches-that-could-ruin-marriages
Wife crashes own funeral after husband paid to have her killed
Noela Rukundo sat in a car outside her home, watching as the last few mourners filed out. They were leaving a funeral — her funeral. Finally, she spotted the man she’d been waiting for. She stepped out of her car, and her husband put his hands on his head in horror. “Is it my eyes?” she recalled him saying. “Is it a ghost?” “Surprise! I’m still alive!” she replied. Far from being elated, the man looked terrified. Five days earlier, he had ordered a team of hit men to kill Rukundo, his partner of 10 years. And they did — well, they told him they did. They even got him to pay an extra few thousand dollars for carrying out the crime. Now here was his wife, standing before him. In an interview with the BBC, Rukundo recalled how he touched her shoulder to find it unnervingly solid. He jumped. Then he started screaming.- See more at: http://www.monitor.co.ug/artsculture/Reviews/Wife-crashes-own-funeral-after-husband-paid-to-have-her-killed/-/691232/3068718/-/8djhpz/-/index.html
Christians commit to renew their faith as Lent begins
The Lent season started on Wednesday with a rallying call to Christians by religious leaders to pray, repent and be more generous. In and outside Kampala, the Ugandan capital, people thronged churches for the Ash Wednesday mass in which they received ashes as a sign of repentance. Lent is a season of 40 days, excluding Sundays, that begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Holy Saturday. It is marked by fasting, prayer and doing charitable acts. According to the United Methodist Church, Lent comes from the Anglo Saxon word 'lencten', which means 'spring'. “The forty days represents the time Jesus spent in the wilderness, enduring the temptation of Satan and preparing to begin his ministry," says the church. Throughout the country, people marked the beginning of 40 days of fasting with mass and prayer. Preacher after preacher reminded Christians to use this holy period to reflect on the three most important Lenten obligations for Christians: prayer, repentance and almsgiving. The day’s scripture emphasized that fasting that does not lead to works of charity does us no good. - See more at: http://www.newvision.co.ug/new_vision/news/1416839/clergy-christians-committed-prayer-lent#sthash.KPIjTaBD.dpuf
Okiring’s crusade is for youth empowerment
Helena Okiring’s knack for social change is unmistakable. In fairly- high-heeled shoes, she paces the office space, gathering information and trying to condense it into a working strategy. She lives, dreams and talks youth empowerment, leadership and development. The axiom driving her life’s engine has always been: ‘If you see a problem in the world, it is because God has placed a dream in somebody’s heart to solve that problem. Find that one thing that must be changed because you are here and take steps to change it.’ At 29 years, this youth activist has earned herself an enviable profile in the field of youth and women advocacy. In 2006, when she was only a freshman at Makerere University Business School (Mubs), she volunteered with the Forum for Women in Democracy (Fowode), a women’s rights organization. Okiring was at it for three years until she graduated from university in 2011. - See more at:http://www.observer.ug/lifestyle/42593-okiring-s-crusade-is-for-youth-empowerm
Unemployed Youth Bail Cancelled
Court has cancelled bail for one of the seven unemployed youths who were arrested in October last year over taking part in unlawful assembly. Mr Brian Atuhaire, commonly referred to as unstoppable, appeared before Buganda Road Court Grade One Magistrate, Ms Joan Aciro, who cancelled his bail on grounds that he had absconded from court thrice. He is accused alongside six other people, who include: Doreen Nyanjura, aka Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) preacher, Habib Buwebo, Robin Wabulembo, Bethurl Kawungi, Dickson Aineomugisha and Joweria Nakyeyune, who was absent and court issued criminal summons for her. - See more at: http://allafrica.com/stories/201602100840.html
Police, army officers cited in robberies
Police and the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI) are investigating whether some top police officials and soldiers were engaged in the recent spate of robberies and murders in and around Kampala. Most of the officers under investigation, The Observer has learnt, were implicated by low-ranking soldiers and policemen arrested during operations in December and January. Speaking to The Observer during the parading of suspects at police headquarters Naguru on Wednesday, Fred Enanga, the police spokesman, said if investigations establish a link between the senior army and police officers to the robberies, “the accused officers will be arrested and prosecuted because no one is above the law.” “When murders and robberies escalated in Kampala and other areas, security made joint operations to have the culprits arrested…,” said a high-ranking security officer.- See more at: http://www.observer.ug/news-headlines/42578-police-army-officers-cited-in-robberies
Refugees Give Back to Uganda
During Pope Francis's visit to Uganda, he said, "here in East Africa, Uganda has shown outstanding concern for welcoming refugees, enabling them to rebuild their lives in security and to sense the dignity which comes from earning one's livelihood through honest labour. Following the hospitality the refugees received, a group of Forum of Artistes Association and Refugees in Uganda (FAARU), organised a concert dubbed, Bless Uganda. Jeremiah Mbaha, the founder explained that the concert was the refugees' way of giving back to Uganda for the hospitality they have received from Ugandans. The association was formed in 2014 as an initiative aimed at uniting refugees in the country.- See more at: http://allafrica.com/stories/201602081423.html
Kiir re-appoints Machar as S.Sudan vice president
South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir has re-appointed his rival Riek Machar as vice president, a decree said on Thursday, the culmination of a deal to try to end months of civil war in the world's newest nation. The announcement returned the presidency to where it was soon before fighting erupted between supporters of the two men in December 2013 - a conflict that went on to kill thousands of people and force more than two million to flee. Both sides, under pressure from Washington, the United Nations and other powers, signed an initial pact in August, and agreed to share out ministerial positions in January. But that accord has repeatedly broken down and a U.N. report last month said both leaders qualified for sanctions over atrocities in the conflict. The decree read out on state TV said Machar would be first vice president, his position before he was sacked in 2013, and the move that eventually triggered the violence. There was no immediate announcement from Machar. Oil-producing South Sudan split away from Sudan in 2011 amid mass celebrations and promises of aid and good will from most of the developed world. . - See more at: http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Kiir-re-appoints-Machar-as-S-Sudan-VP/-/688334/3073288/-/liiex7z/-/index.html
Uganda's volleyball team leaves for Olympic qualifier in Cameroon
The Ugandan women's volleyball team has left for Yaounde, Cameroon to take part in the 2016 Olympic Games qualifier for the African continent. "Finally we are happy that the team will be in Cameroon to battle for a place at the Olympics," Zaid Sadik Nasiwu, Chairman of the Uganda Volleyball Federation told Xinhua on Thursday. "Our chances of qualifying for Olympics are slim because we are facing well prepared teams," Team captain Milly Laker told Xinhua. Head coach Tony Lakony said he is aware the event will be very competitive, but added that the team will play their hearts out. The squad includes, Milly Laker (Captain), Eunice Nuwabigaba, Joan Nabbuto, Zaina Kagoya, Saidat Nungi, Peace Busingye, Margaret Namyalo, Belinda Jepkirui, Irene Amoding and Flavia Nandawula.- See more at: http://www.shanghaidaily.com/article/article_xinhua.aspx?id=319711
The police officer, who commanded and executed the arrest of Dr Kizza Besigye yesterday, faces long overdue arrest for murder, the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has said. Superintendent of Police (SP) Aaron Baguma, the Central Police Station Commander is accused of murder jointly with the Pine Car Depot proprietor Mohammed Ssebuwuufu. The duo is accused of unlawfully taking the life of Dona Katushabe through torture on October 21, 2015, at Pine car depot on Lumumba Avenue in Kampala before reportedly robbing her of a mobile phone valued at sh300,000. Katusabe bought a car from Ssebuwufu worth sh19m and paid Shs10m cash but had not settled the balance of sh9m. Speaking to Daily Monitor yesterday, Ms Jane Kajuga Okuo, the DPP spokesperson, said in a telephone interview: “What we are doing is wait for the police to comply. We sent sanctions to police to have Baguma produced and the charge sheet amended so we wait to have him arrested and we proceed to court.” - See more at: http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Police-officer-who-executed-Besigye-arrest-is-murder/-/688334/3078402/-/wqg4sf/-/index.html
Anybody who causes election violence will face ICC - Sebutinde
Ugandans who will participate in election–related violence will be tried internationally, International Court of Justice (ICJ) judge Justice Julia Sebutinde has said.For now, she said the world is following “with interest” what is happening in Uganda. Therefore, the police, the army, intelligence services and ordinary Ugandans should conduct themselves peacefully. She said it is possible for the security forces to maintain law and order “without intimidating voters or meting out violence on unarmed civilians”. The ICJ judge noted that in the run up to national polls in some young democracies like Uganda, conflict and tension become common. And that some people take to forms of election violence such as thuggery, perpetrating it before, during and after the elections. Others use force to disrupt political campaigns, meetings or voting, use of deadly weapons to intimidate voters or to cause bodily harm and injury to other person connected with the electoral process. “I can guarantee you [the] perpetrators of election violence will be held to account by the international community, not just [by] the Ugandan population,” Justice Ssebutinde said at the official opening of the Women’s Situation Room (WSR) in Kampala yesterday.- See more at: http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Anybody-who-causes-election-violence-will-face/-/688334/3078292/-/mpalx8z/-/index.html
What voters must know
It is exactly nine days to the much-awaited February 18, when registered Ugandan voters will begin casting their ballot at 7am across the country to pick the next president and Members of Parliament. Other lower tier government voting will be happen in the weeks after. Because elections are high-stake, the exercise is often fraught with suspicion, tension and, in some cases, clashes. Uganda’s politics has over the years become heavily commercialised, with the Alliance for Campaigns Finance Monitoring estimating that all the parties and individual presidential candidates in the first two months combined spent Shs137 billion. Eighty-eight per cent of this campaign finance, Shs121b, of the overall campaign funding was spent by the ruling National Resistance Movement party alone. . - See more at: www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/2016-polls--What-voters-must-know/-/688334/3067950/-/xbsu4hz/-/index.html
EC apologises for extra names on voter register
The Electoral Commission (EC) chairperson Badru Kiggundu has apologised for having an extra 20, 000 names on the National Voters Register. With the 20, 000 names, the register had a total of 15, 297, 197 voters. Mr Kiggundu says the EC has now deleted the 20, 000 names from the register. “We apologise for the error; we are humans,” Mr Kiggundu said on Friday while addressing a press conference at the EC head office in Kampala. The EC’s apology comes on the heels of an exposé by Evelyn Namara and Javie Ssozi who reported an extra 20, 000 names on the register. Mr Kiggundu said 15, 297, 197 was the total of voters on the national voters register prior to the cleaning up of the register.During the update of the register, which took place from July 22 to August 11, the names of individuals identified for removal from the register were compiled. At least 20, 000 names were to be deleted – because those people had either died or were not known to the people in the polling stations.- See more at: http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/EC-apologises-extra-names-voter-register/-/688334/3073676/-/11fulvaz/-/index.html
Lawyer accuses Museveni of bribing voters
On Monday, government started distributing some of the 18 million hoes President Museveni promised last November. The first hoes were given out in Terego county, Arua district. The handover ceremony was presided over by Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda, who talked up Museveni as a leader who keeps his promises. But Walubiri told judges that should any petition be lodged challenging the outcome of the general election, the judges should expect the “hoe” to be the hot-button issue in such a case. “I think there is a lot of unfair competition; if a participant is giving out hoes amidst campaigns, that is clear voter bribery,” Walubiri said.- See more at: http://www.observer.ug/news-headlines/42574-lawyer-accuses-museveni-of-bribing-voters
Don’t sell your votes - Mafabi
The Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) secretary general has asked Sironko district voters not to dispense their vote in the February 18, elections for money. Mr Nathan Nandala Mafabi, who doubles as the incumbent MP for Budadiri West, also asked voters to reject NRM leaders dishing out Shs250,000 per village to buy their way into power. Mr Mafabi was addressing voters of Bushuwu village in sironko district last Friday at a campaign rally of Mr Isaiah Sasaga, the FDC candidate for the Budadiri East Member of Parliament seat. “I want to warn you, you have suffered for the last 30 years, they have made empty promises, they deceived you, deceived your children and they are deceiving your grandchildren. Tell them that your vote is not for sale because it serves as your voice and your country so when you sell it, you are selling your voice and country,” Mr Mafabi said. - See more at:http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Dont-sell-your-votes--Mafabi/-/688334/3067732/-/enxp4i/-/index.html
Ugandan authorities gag media in run-up to presidential election
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemns the government’s intimidation of the media in the run-up to the 18 February presidential election. What with threats, arrests, media closures and seizure of equipment, covering the election is becoming almost impossible for news media that do not kowtow to the ruling party. In the latest incident, a BBC crew was held for four hours at a police station in the northern town of Abim on 6 February after filming a public hospital from the road. The police arrested Catherine Byaruhanga, the BBC’s Uganda correspondent, cameraman Kelvin Brown and Sam Lawino, a local journalist acting as their fixer, after they refused to comply with orders to delete their video footage. The local police commissioner told RSF that they did not have the permits needed to film public health installations, and that they had posed as health ministry employees. They were released thanks to the personal intervention of Inspector General of Police Kale Kayihura, who was alerted by several journalists.- See more at: http://en.rsf.org/ouganda-ugandan-authorities-gag-media-in-09-02-2016,48821.html
Museveni has made us NRM MPs look like fools’
NULU BYAMUKAMA, the MP for Kitagwenda in Kamwenge district, is one of very few NRM MPs openly campaigning for former prime minister Amama Mbabazi in his bid to unseat President Museveni. Until his Mbarara-based Endigyito radio was closed two weeks ago, Byamukama had kept out of the public eye and off the campaign trail of Mbabazi, the Go Forward pressure group presidential candidate. But behind the scenes he vigorously campaigned for the former NRM secretary general in Tooro and Bunyoro. In a February 2 interview with Sadab Kitatta Kaaya, the MP discussed his decision to campaign for Mbabazi and not his party candidate and chairman Museveni.- See more at: http://www.observer.ug/news-headlines/42494-museveni-has-made-us-nrm-mps-look-like-fools
Uganda elections 2016: Opposition against Museveni grows as Ugandan exiles protest in London
As Uganda prepares to go to the polls, opposition against the country's president, Yoweri Museveni, has been growing steadily. Museveni, who has ruled Uganda for nearly 30 years, is widely expected to be elected to another five-year term – his fifth – but just days before the 18 February general election, memories of previous election-related violence have emerged across the country and abroad. The 2011 polls were held in an extremely bitter atmosphere, and followed by an unprecedented campaign of Walk-to-Work protests, riots in different cities and live bullets beingused against demonstrators. Around a dozen Ugandan exiles, all UK residents, stood outside Uganda House, home of the Ugandan embassy in London, on 8 February, to call for voters to choose either of Museveni's two opponents. These are Dr Kizza Besigye – leader of opposition party Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) – and John Patrick Amama Mbabazi, a former prime minister and former ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party secretary general, who will be running under the GoForward banner. - See more at:http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/uganda-elections-2016-opposition-against-museveni-grows-ugandan-exiles-protest-london-1542640
Uganda’s youth are choosing peace hash tags over violence as elections loom
At a bustling Kampala market, Desire Karakire listens to a group of young men express their frustrations over the state of their country. Like most of their peers, they’re underemployed and extremely poor—and they feel the only way the situation will change is through violent revolution. “Leadership involves blood,” says Richard Ssenyoga, 23. With Uganda’s Feb. 18 national election approaching, these sentiments of violence are exactly what youth activists like Karakire are trying to mitigate. “If violence broke out, we all have so much to lose. Violence is not going to pick a side… we will all be affected,” she says. Eight candidates are running for the presidency including Yoweri Museveni who has held the position for 30 years, his long-time rival Kizza Besigye and former prime minister Amama Mbabazi. From fights between government-funded “crime preventers” and opposition supporters to blasts of teargas and bullets at rallies, the campaign season has already been marred by violent incidents.- See more at: http://qz.com/613325/ugandas-youth-are-choosing-peace-hashtags-over-violence-as-elections-looms/
Government declares February 18 a public holiday
A joint communication issued Wednesday by permanent secretary public service ministry Catherine Bitarakwate said “First Deputy Prime Minister and minister of Public Service informs the general public that Thursday 18th February, 2016 will be a public holiday to allow Ugandans participate in the National voting activities being organized by the Independent Electoral Commission.”Eight candidates are vying for the presidency in the elections slated for this month with only one female contestant. The candidates are; National Resistance Movement (NRM)’s Yoweri Museveni, who has led the country since 1986 and is now eying a fifth term in office, Forum for Democratic Change (FDC)’s Kizza Besigye, a three time loser for the presidential seat; Amama Mbabazi, a former prime minister and ruling party stalwart now running as an independent; Benon Biraaro, former state house employee Maureen Kyalya and Prof Venansius Baryamureeba. - See more at:http://www.monitor.co.ug/SpecialReports/Elections/Government-declares-February-public-holiday/-/859108/3070642/-/o2u752z/-/index.html
Bush War veterans told to quit for youth
The coordinator for NRM party campaign task force in western Uganda, Ms Peace Mutuzo, has said its high time the Bush War revolutionaries gave way for the young generation to run the country. While addressing journalists in Mbarara on Tuesday, Ms Mutuzo said: “President (Museveni), [Dr Kizza] Besigye, Amama Mbabazi and his colleagues should retire. Their cause was to bring peace which we have, it is now us the young generation to bring development the country needs.” Youth to realize She challenged the youth to critically think and understand that the country now needs them to consolidate the peace. She added that is part of the NRM party strategy to groom the young generation to take over in the next five years. “I think in the next five years those in their 70s should give way for the young generation to take over. That’s why we need to be careful during these elections to choose a leader who will cautiously lead us to this transition,” said Ms Mutuuzo.- See more at: http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Bush-War-veterans-told-to-quit-for-youth/-/688334/3071166/-/si58gyz/-/index.html
Nantaba accuses RDC of intimidation
State minister of Lands Idah Nantaba and the parliamentary candidate for Ntenjeru South, Mr Fred Baseke, have accused the Kayunga Resident District Commissioner, Ms Rose Birungi, and security personnel in the district of intimidating their supporters. Ms Nantaba, who is contesting for the Kayunga Woman MP seat as an Independent candidate against Ms Juliet Nalunga, the NRM flag bearer, claims security operatives and officials from the RDC’s office often arrest and intimidate her supporters. “Many of my supporters have been arrested over trumped up charges whereas those of my competitor are carrying out acts of violence on my supporters but they have been left to go scot free,” Ms Nantaba complained.- See more at: http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Nantaba-accuses-RDC-of-intimidation/-/688334/3071156/-/o22sgbz/-/index.html
Senior Six examination results out
Uganda National Examination Board (UNEB) has withheld results of 279 candidates due to suspected malpractice. According to UNEB chairperson, Mathew Bukenya, Mathematics and Art were the most affected subjects. A total of 101,268 candidates registered for the exams compared to 108,419 in 2014. The results show that male candidates performed better in science subjects while their female counterparts performed better in history, economics, entrepreneurship, CRE, geography, Literature, sub mathematics, general paper. 56.7% of the students qualified for university as per the 2 principle passes. Bukenya said results have been uploaded on the UNEB portal. Those interested in hard copies were advised to pick them from UNEB offices in Ntinda, a Kampala suburb. “I wish take this opportunity to bid you farewell. This is the last exam am releasing,” Bukenya said.- See more at: http://www.newvision.co.ug/new_vision/news/1416982/senior-examination-results#sthash.pKMOyE31.dpuf
S5 admissions: schools warned on rejecting students
School head teachers who reject students allocated to them by the national selection exercise face dire consequences, the ministry of education warned yesterday. Speaking at the opening of the senior five selection exercise in Lugogo, the chairperson of the selection committee, Martin Omagor, said the student lists continued to be changed by head teachers. This, he said, is corruption. “If we acknowledge a list of students you are supposed to take on, who are you to say that I am taking on such a student and leaving out the other?” Omagor said. If a ministry official seeks a placement in a school, Omagor said, they should go at a personal level of a parent as long as their children do not appear on the official selection list. The government selection process, which ends today (Friday), will see students placed in senior five, Primary Teachers Colleges and Technical, Vocational and Education Training institutions.- See more at: http://www.observer.ug/news-headlines/42571-s5-admissions-schools-warned-on-rejecting-students
Judge quits Sejusa case
High court judge Lydia Ssali Mugambe has declined to hear a case in which under-fire Gen David Sejusa, the former coordinator of intelligence services, is challenging his stay in the army. Court records show that on November 24, 2015, Festo Nsenga, the then High court deputy registrar of the civil division, allocated the case to justice Mugambe. However, on February 4, the current deputy registrar Alex Ajiji reallocated the case to Justice Margaret Ouma Oguli, who was recently moved from Masaka to Kampala. Asked on Friday why she declined to hear the case, Justice Mugambe said she hadn’t even the read the case file, yet it had been fixed for hearing in April. “I don’t know the case; probably you can tell me the file number then I can crosscheck,” Mugambe said, adding: “But I think you should talk to the registrar [Ajiji]; he handles such issues.” - See more at:http://www.observer.ug/news-headlines/42489-judge-quits-sejusa-case
Gen Sejusa denied bail, further remanded
Former Coordinator of Intelligence Services David Sejusa alias Tinyefuza has been further remanded to Luzira Maximum Security Prison until February 23 this year for ruling on bail application. Gen. Sejusa, an outspoken critic of President Yoweri Museveni’s 30-years leadership, through his lawyers asked the Military Court chaired by Maj. Gen. Levi Karuhanga to release him on bail pending trial arguing that he is of advanced age and that the charges are bailable. Mr Ladislaus Rwakafuzi, one of Gen. Sejusa said that his client wanted to regain his liberty as provided for under the law that he is innocent proved otherwise.
He said that the charges against Gen. Sejusa are political in nature and not grave require him to stay in jail. “It is in interest of the public because that is a sense of justice,” he said before presenting two sureties; Lord Mayor Mr Erias Lukwago and Dr Deo Kizito Lukyamuzi a surgeon at Case Medical Center. - See more at:http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Gen-Sejusa-denied-bail-further-remanded/-/688334/3069168/-/jp18jpz/-/index.html
BBC journalists arrested for filming Abim hospital
Two journalists from the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) were arrested Saturday evening for filming the now famous Abim hospital without authorisation. David Ependu, the Abim District Police Commander, says Kelvin Brown and Catherine Byaruhanga were picked up for acting unprofessionally and being unapologetic for their conduct. He says although the journalists claimed to have received authorisation from Ministry of Health in Kampala to film the hospital, they didn't have any proof. He said that the journalists later admitted that they didn't have clearance from the ministry as permanent secretary Dr Asuman Lukwago had delayed to clear them. Abim hospital became a national sensation after opposition and Forum for Democratic Change presidential candidate Kizza Besigye last year visited in tow with the media during his campaign trail - exposing its deplorable state and lack of basic services.- See more at: http://www.observer.ug/news-headlines/42472-bbc-journalists-arrested-for-filming-abim-hospital
Mbarara University to launch emergency medicine programme
Mbarara University of Science and Technology (Must) is working to introduce programmes in emergency medicine following an expressed need in the health sector. University Chancellor Prof Peter Mugyenyi last week revealed that they would soon introduce a curriculum for the diploma in Emergency Medicine and a Master’s degree in Emergency Medicine to the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) for accreditation. He explained that the programme is a medical specialty involving care for unscheduled patients with potentially-serious acute illnesses or injuries that require immediate medical attention. The revelation came as Prof Mugyenyi presided over the university’s 22nd graduation ceremony at Kihumuro campus, 7km along Mbarara-Bushenyi road. At least 921 graduands were awarded degrees and diplomas in various disciplines. - See more at:http://www.observer.ug/education/42506-mbarara-university-to-launch-emergency-medicine-programme
Mulago Hospital to release patients on voting day
As the general elections draws closer, authorities at Mulago National Referral Hospital have disclosed that on voting day, patients who are recovering and willing to vote will be released. Speaking in an interview, the public relations officer Enock Kusasira said “if a patient has healed and wants to vote we shall discharge him and he will participate in elections”. He adds that the health workers on duty will also be allowed to participate in the elections but as soon as they cast their vote, they are expected to report to work since the hospital works 24 hours. On a daily basis, the facility treats over 6,000 out patients with different ailments and about 3,000 are admissions. Some of the patients New Vision talked to welcomed the idea and are eagerly waiting for the 18th February. Ronald Ntegeka 34, said although he is in so much pain he wants to go and cast his vote to his best candidate.- See more at: http://www.newvision.co.ug/new_vision/news/1416829/mulago-hospital-release-patients-voting-day#sthash.PnAqM0yH.dpuf
Mulago can do without interns - Health ministry
The government has not paid stipend to intern doctors for more than three months, a delay the parent Health ministry acknowledged and attributed to late funds’ disbursement by the Ministry of Finance. The ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Dr Asuman Lukwago, said the delay is a general problem that also applies to interns in other upcountry government hospitals. He added that the interns will be paid once the Finance ministry disburses monies for the third-quarter of 2015/16 financial year, which was expected in January. Dr Lukwago said the current high numbers of interns makes it difficult for the government to keep up its commitment, which is why they scrapped free housing. “It is simple; those who are not satisfied are free to go away. We can always do without them but they would never be confirmed as doctors,” Dr Lukwago told Daily Monitor in a phone interview last week.- See more at:http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Mulago-can-do-without-interns--Health-ministry/-/688334/3067792/-/w52bgaz/-/index.html
More women face genital mutilation than estimated
More than 200 million girls and women globally have suffered genital mutilation, far higher than previously estimated, which highlighted the need to accelerate efforts to eradicate the practice, the UN has said. Despite growing momentum to end female genital mutilation (FGM), experts warned that booming populations in some high-prevalence countries were undermining efforts to tackle the practice widely condemned as a serious human rights abuse. The European Institute on Gender Equality commissioned a study in 2012 to map the situation and trends of FGM in the EU’s 27 member states and Croatia. Although there were no representative calculations of women victims of FGM in Malta, an internal report of 2009 from the Migrant Health Unit on FGM claimed that a substantial number of women migrants came from countries with a high prevalence of FGM. A study conducted between 2003 and 2007 showed that there were 566 births in Malta by mothers of African nationalities.- See more at: http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20160208/health-fitness/more-women-face-genital-mutilation-than-estimated.601678
Infertility not just a woman’s woe
Berna Amullen is such a resigned woman; the way she walks, talks… It is clear she has been through a lot and is done hoping. In Kumi where she comes from, Amullen is a vendor dealing in perishables such as yellow bananas, greens and tomatoes. But her story is a complex one. As a teenager even before her first menstrual period, Amullen was married off. Today, almost 30 years later, she is still childless – the laughing stock of the village for being barren; disrespected by her in-laws and husband; relegated to the ceremonial babysitter. In her culture, a woman who has not given birth is regarded as useless. Currently, Amullen stays with her husband’s family because her own family regards her as an abomination. The husband’s side, on the other hand, feels she is their property, thanks to the seven cows, six goats and Shs 30,000 paid for her bride price decades ago. Yet, Amullen is a mirror of many Ugandan and African women battling infertility and living with scorn because they have ‘failed to give their husbands children’.- See more at: http://www.observer.ug/lifestyle/42-entertainment/42555-infertility-not-just-a-woman-s-woe
Aids activists rally behind Uganda Aids Commission
People living with HIV/Aids have condemned the move by parliament to dissolve the Ugandan Aids Commission (UAC) and incorporate it in the Aids Control Programme (ACP) under the Ministry of Health. The budget committee of Parliament recently made a recommendation that maintaining UAC under Office of the President duplicates activities already carried out by ACP. The committee recommended the act that established UAC be amended to make it answerable to the ministry. Now UAC’s stakeholders under their umbrella organization, National Forum of People Living with HIV/Aids Networks in Uganda (NAFOPHANU), maintain the move is wrong as the two entities are distinct and don’t overlap. Stella Kentutsi, the executive director, NAFOPHANU, said UAC largely coordinates the behavioral and structural interventions, while ACP is focused on biomedical interventions targeting health workers and patients. “The move would negatively impact [people living with HIV/Aids] and the population at large,” she said, wondering why the legislators did not consult them before reaching the recommendation.- See more at: http://www.observer.ug/lifestyle/42-entertainment/42553-aids-activists-rally-behind-uganda-aids-commission
Ugandan awarded for fighting depression in HIV patients
Ugandan biologist, Dr Etheldreda Nakimuli‐Mpungu is named among the five winners of the coveted Elsevier Foundation Award in recognition of her work in fighting depression among persons living with HIV/Aids. Nakimuli is listed alongside scholars from Indonesia, Nepal, Peru and Yemen in honor of their accomplishments in nutrition, psychiatry, biotechnology, women's health, bio-environmental sciences and epidemiology. They are also celebrated for mentoring young women scientists who are pursuing careers in agriculture, biology and medicine in their respective countries. Nakimuli is recognized for using psychotherapy as treatment of depression and alcoholism in Ugandans living with HIV. She is working with service providers to integrate depression screening with HIV treatment, as well as to include local communities in discussions of depression to help de-stigmatize the illness.- See more at: http://www.observer.ug/news-headlines/42561-ugandan-awarded-for-fighting-depression-in-hiv-patients
Wedding speeches that could ruin marriages
There was a wedding the other day. Everything was lovely – joyous bride, smiling groom, contented parents, good food, cake, bearable speeches – until it was time for the couple to say their “word or two.” The groom announced that he would speak for both of them. I thought to myself: oh! How lovely, they are taking that whole when-two-become-one thing seriously. Then he started to talk. First he thanked us for coming to his wedding. Then he told us about what he went through to organise his wedding and how he did this and he did the other and he and he and he! Just when I started to wonder what on earth my friend was doing in this guy’s marriage, he finally acknowledged her presence by saying his wedding was great because he has such a wonderful wife. How rude! To stop his speech from causing me physical pain, my mind wandered into the future. I could see him in his house, with his property, having his children, living his life… to which my friend would be a useful appendage. - See more at:http://www.observer.ug/lifestyle/42-entertainment/42460-wedding-speeches-that-could-ruin-marriages
Wife crashes own funeral after husband paid to have her killed
Noela Rukundo sat in a car outside her home, watching as the last few mourners filed out. They were leaving a funeral — her funeral. Finally, she spotted the man she’d been waiting for. She stepped out of her car, and her husband put his hands on his head in horror. “Is it my eyes?” she recalled him saying. “Is it a ghost?” “Surprise! I’m still alive!” she replied. Far from being elated, the man looked terrified. Five days earlier, he had ordered a team of hit men to kill Rukundo, his partner of 10 years. And they did — well, they told him they did. They even got him to pay an extra few thousand dollars for carrying out the crime. Now here was his wife, standing before him. In an interview with the BBC, Rukundo recalled how he touched her shoulder to find it unnervingly solid. He jumped. Then he started screaming.- See more at: http://www.monitor.co.ug/artsculture/Reviews/Wife-crashes-own-funeral-after-husband-paid-to-have-her-killed/-/691232/3068718/-/8djhpz/-/index.html
Christians commit to renew their faith as Lent begins
The Lent season started on Wednesday with a rallying call to Christians by religious leaders to pray, repent and be more generous. In and outside Kampala, the Ugandan capital, people thronged churches for the Ash Wednesday mass in which they received ashes as a sign of repentance. Lent is a season of 40 days, excluding Sundays, that begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Holy Saturday. It is marked by fasting, prayer and doing charitable acts. According to the United Methodist Church, Lent comes from the Anglo Saxon word 'lencten', which means 'spring'. “The forty days represents the time Jesus spent in the wilderness, enduring the temptation of Satan and preparing to begin his ministry," says the church. Throughout the country, people marked the beginning of 40 days of fasting with mass and prayer. Preacher after preacher reminded Christians to use this holy period to reflect on the three most important Lenten obligations for Christians: prayer, repentance and almsgiving. The day’s scripture emphasized that fasting that does not lead to works of charity does us no good. - See more at: http://www.newvision.co.ug/new_vision/news/1416839/clergy-christians-committed-prayer-lent#sthash.KPIjTaBD.dpuf
Okiring’s crusade is for youth empowerment
Helena Okiring’s knack for social change is unmistakable. In fairly- high-heeled shoes, she paces the office space, gathering information and trying to condense it into a working strategy. She lives, dreams and talks youth empowerment, leadership and development. The axiom driving her life’s engine has always been: ‘If you see a problem in the world, it is because God has placed a dream in somebody’s heart to solve that problem. Find that one thing that must be changed because you are here and take steps to change it.’ At 29 years, this youth activist has earned herself an enviable profile in the field of youth and women advocacy. In 2006, when she was only a freshman at Makerere University Business School (Mubs), she volunteered with the Forum for Women in Democracy (Fowode), a women’s rights organization. Okiring was at it for three years until she graduated from university in 2011. - See more at:http://www.observer.ug/lifestyle/42593-okiring-s-crusade-is-for-youth-empowerm
Unemployed Youth Bail Cancelled
Court has cancelled bail for one of the seven unemployed youths who were arrested in October last year over taking part in unlawful assembly. Mr Brian Atuhaire, commonly referred to as unstoppable, appeared before Buganda Road Court Grade One Magistrate, Ms Joan Aciro, who cancelled his bail on grounds that he had absconded from court thrice. He is accused alongside six other people, who include: Doreen Nyanjura, aka Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) preacher, Habib Buwebo, Robin Wabulembo, Bethurl Kawungi, Dickson Aineomugisha and Joweria Nakyeyune, who was absent and court issued criminal summons for her. - See more at: http://allafrica.com/stories/201602100840.html
Police, army officers cited in robberies
Police and the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI) are investigating whether some top police officials and soldiers were engaged in the recent spate of robberies and murders in and around Kampala. Most of the officers under investigation, The Observer has learnt, were implicated by low-ranking soldiers and policemen arrested during operations in December and January. Speaking to The Observer during the parading of suspects at police headquarters Naguru on Wednesday, Fred Enanga, the police spokesman, said if investigations establish a link between the senior army and police officers to the robberies, “the accused officers will be arrested and prosecuted because no one is above the law.” “When murders and robberies escalated in Kampala and other areas, security made joint operations to have the culprits arrested…,” said a high-ranking security officer.- See more at: http://www.observer.ug/news-headlines/42578-police-army-officers-cited-in-robberies
Refugees Give Back to Uganda
During Pope Francis's visit to Uganda, he said, "here in East Africa, Uganda has shown outstanding concern for welcoming refugees, enabling them to rebuild their lives in security and to sense the dignity which comes from earning one's livelihood through honest labour. Following the hospitality the refugees received, a group of Forum of Artistes Association and Refugees in Uganda (FAARU), organised a concert dubbed, Bless Uganda. Jeremiah Mbaha, the founder explained that the concert was the refugees' way of giving back to Uganda for the hospitality they have received from Ugandans. The association was formed in 2014 as an initiative aimed at uniting refugees in the country.- See more at: http://allafrica.com/stories/201602081423.html
Kiir re-appoints Machar as S.Sudan vice president
South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir has re-appointed his rival Riek Machar as vice president, a decree said on Thursday, the culmination of a deal to try to end months of civil war in the world's newest nation. The announcement returned the presidency to where it was soon before fighting erupted between supporters of the two men in December 2013 - a conflict that went on to kill thousands of people and force more than two million to flee. Both sides, under pressure from Washington, the United Nations and other powers, signed an initial pact in August, and agreed to share out ministerial positions in January. But that accord has repeatedly broken down and a U.N. report last month said both leaders qualified for sanctions over atrocities in the conflict. The decree read out on state TV said Machar would be first vice president, his position before he was sacked in 2013, and the move that eventually triggered the violence. There was no immediate announcement from Machar. Oil-producing South Sudan split away from Sudan in 2011 amid mass celebrations and promises of aid and good will from most of the developed world. . - See more at: http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Kiir-re-appoints-Machar-as-S-Sudan-VP/-/688334/3073288/-/liiex7z/-/index.html
Uganda's volleyball team leaves for Olympic qualifier in Cameroon
The Ugandan women's volleyball team has left for Yaounde, Cameroon to take part in the 2016 Olympic Games qualifier for the African continent. "Finally we are happy that the team will be in Cameroon to battle for a place at the Olympics," Zaid Sadik Nasiwu, Chairman of the Uganda Volleyball Federation told Xinhua on Thursday. "Our chances of qualifying for Olympics are slim because we are facing well prepared teams," Team captain Milly Laker told Xinhua. Head coach Tony Lakony said he is aware the event will be very competitive, but added that the team will play their hearts out. The squad includes, Milly Laker (Captain), Eunice Nuwabigaba, Joan Nabbuto, Zaina Kagoya, Saidat Nungi, Peace Busingye, Margaret Namyalo, Belinda Jepkirui, Irene Amoding and Flavia Nandawula.- See more at: http://www.shanghaidaily.com/article/article_xinhua.aspx?id=319711
RUBUMBURI EZEKIEL
Feb 22, 2016, 2:17:41 AM2/22/16
to acfodeyo...@googlegroups.com, Lawrence Wanyama
Good Morning,
Here is a glimpse of what is happening around the country and in the world
Besigye: election results must be rejected
Dr Kizza Besigye, the FDC candidate in Thursday's presidential elections, has urged Ugandans and the world to reject the results that gave President Museveni a 60 per cent win. In this statement released on Saturday, Besigye said democracy was on trial in Uganda. Citizens of Uganda, My Fellow Africans, International Citizens and Friends of Uganda Members of the Press Corps and the Diplomatic Community, We have just witnessed what must be the most fraudulent electoral process in Uganda. We participated in this process to highlight and show the world quite how fraudulent this military regime is. The Electoral Commission is not independent and its technical incompetence and partisanship has been made clear for all to see. The voting material was not delivered in time. People were unlawfully removed from the Voters’ Register whilst ghosts were wantonly added. Freedoms of assembly and expression were wantonly curbed. See more at: http://www.observer.ug/news-headlines/42723-besigye-election-results-must-be-rejected
1,700 untallied polling stations were Opposition strongholds
The presidential election results, which were not tallied by the Electoral Commission (EC) when it declared President Museveni winner at the weekend, were for polling stations mainly from Opposition strongholds where the runner up, Dr Kizza Besigye had won. In his re-election victory, President Museveni, 71, defeated seven candidates, including Dr Besigye, his four-time presidential challenger, in at least 98 districts to win a fifth elective term in office. The results, however, excluded tallies from 1,787 polling stations, particularly from Opposition strongholds, with a total of 1,051,720 voters, representing 6.88 per cent of the total number of registered voters. This is more than the votes obtained by the four fringe candidates combined. Some of the polling stations whose full results the EC said it had not received by the time the chairman, Dr Badru Kiggundu, declared Mr Museveni the winner, include Dr Besigye’s home district of Rukungiri. Only three out of 276 polling stations in Rukungiri was tallied by the EC, representing about 0.66 per cent of registered voters there. See more at: http://www.monitor.co.ug/Elections/1-700-untallied-polling-stations-were-Opposition-strongholds-/-/2787154/3087288/-/uls19mz/-/index.html
FDC recovers 10 ballot boxes from saloon
Forum for Democratic Change officials in Gulu district yesterday recovered and handed over ten ballot boxes to police found hidden in a saloon. According to the FDC party officials, they recovered the ballot boxes from Acet trading centre in Odek Sub County in Omoro County. 3 of the ballot boxes were sealed and contained ticked ballot papers, the remaining seven were empty. Deo Wilobo, an FDC agent, says they recovered the ballot boxes following a tip off from a resident who informed them that someone was hiding election materials in his saloon. “For us we got a call yesterday at around 9pm that there is a ballot box there, we struggled to get a vehicle to [get] there. In the morning, I asked like from four people, there was no answer. So I get a young girl and I ask and she told me ‘there is a box inside that saloon and very many buckets’ I asked which type?, she said the ‘white one’. I sat down a little bit and saw the guy open the saloon and I saw the buckets. I asked why did you put those things here”, Wilobo said. See more at: http://www.observer.ug/news-headlines/42711-fdc-recover-10-ballot-boxes-from-saloon
US slams polls, tells govt to free Besigye
One of President Museveni’s biggest allies, the US government, has slammed last Thursday’s presidential elections as “deeply inconsistent with international standards and expectations for any democratic process”, telling the Ugandan government to release Opposition leader Dr Kizza Besigye from house arrest immediately. The US Department of State, however, commended Ugandans for “participating actively and peacefully in the February 18, elections” and said they “deserve better.” “Delays in the delivery of voting materials, reports of pre-checked ballots and vote buying, ongoing blockage of social media sites, and excessive use of force by the police, collectively undermine the integrity of the electoral process,” the deputy spokesperson at the Department, Mr Mark Toner said in a statement. President Museveni, 71, was last Saturday announced winner by the Electoral Commission with 60.8 per cent of the vote tally, extending his 30-year rule for another five years. His main challenger Kizza Besigye, who has been placed under house arrest since Friday, received 35.4 per cent. See more at: http://www.monitor.co.ug/Elections/US-slams-polls--tells-govt-to-free-Besigye/-/2787154/3087230/-/5vmtim/-/index.html
Big names fall in NRM, opposition
Last Thursday’s parliamentary election was high on surprises – it claimed many parliamentary scalps from both the ruling party and the opposition. The ruling National Resistance Movement (MRM) lost more than 18 ministers while the opposition Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) lost more than 12 MPs including Leader of Opposition in Parliament Wafula Oguttu and other senior party leaders. The losing ministers include Attorney General Fred Ruhindi, Dr Crispus Kiyonga (Defense), Irene Muloni (Energy), Jessica Alupo (Education), Kahinda Otafiire (Justice and Constitutional Affairs), Rose Akol (Internal Affairs). Others are Flavia Munaaba (State for Environment), Jim Muhwezi (Information), Vincent Nyanzi (State in VP’s office), Michael Werikhe (Trade), Asuman Kiyingi (State for works), Fred Omachi (Finance), Rebecca Atengo (Northern Uganda), Rukia Nakadama (State for Gender), Alex Onzima (State for Local Government), Nekesa Barbara Oundo (State for Karamoja Affairs) and Henry Banyenzaki (State for Economic Monitoring). See more at: http://www.observer.ug/news-headlines/42721-big-names-fall-in-nrm-opposition
Muhwezi concedes loss
The Minister of Information and National Guidance Jim Muhwezi has conceded defeat after losing the Rujumbura parliamentary seat to his three-time challenger Fred Turyamuhweza of Forum for Democratic Change party. While accepting defeat, Maj Gen Muhwezi of the NRM party, said: “I accept the results and I promise to keep serving my people of Rujumbura County and the country if given chance in the next government.” He made the remarks to the media at his home in Kagunga, Nyakagyeme sub-county. Mr Muhwezi polled 14,587 votes against his opponent Turyamuhweza’s 16,859 votes. He said winning the presidential election was the biggest victory although many NRM parliamentary candidates lost their seats. Maj Gen Muhwezi is among the strong NRM figures and ministers who lost the February 18 elections. His defeat boosts FDC’s strength in Rukungiri, the home district of Opposition leader Dr Kizza Besigye. See more at: http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Muhwezi-concedes-loss/-/688334/3087138/-/bjww76z/-/index.html
Election was a fraud - Mbabazi
Go forward Independent presidential candidate Amama Mbabazi has dismissed the just announced election results saying they were a result of a fraudulent process. In a statement issued hours after the results were announced, Mr Mbabazi gave an account of how his rallies were disrupted by state agencies. He said the events that preceded the election “illuminates that this election was fundamentally flawed and that the announced results were not a reflection of the will of the Ugandan people.” Mr Mbabazi said his team is investigating what transpired on Election Day, “to determine our next course of action.” Mr Mbabazi, who garnered 132,574 (1.4%) of the 9,701,738 total votes cast, however, called on his supporters and the general public to remain calm. Mr Mbabazi’s statement came after that of FDC’s Kizza Besigye, who outrightly rejected the outcome of the elections saying it was a sham process. The electoral commission gave Mr Besigye 35 per cent of the total votes cast. See more at: http://www.monitor.co.ug/Elections/Election-was-a-fraud---Mbabazi/-/2787154/3087196/-/untsi6/-/index.html
Russia hails Museveni win
Russia has hailed Uganda’s Thursday presidential elections, saying it demonstrated broad support for the NRM-led government. The Russian Foreign Affairs ministry in a statement yesterday said: “Moscow hails the successful general election in the friendly Uganda, which have proved broad national support for the government’s course towards stable political and socio-economic development.” Russia, a former Cold War super power has of recent been getting close to Kampala against the backdrop of President Museveni’s continued attacks on European countries and the US, accusing them of “arrogance” and “meddling in internal affairs of other countries.” The statement in part hailed President Museveni’s victory indicating that African election observers had “noted a generally open and peaceful nature of the election campaign and the voting process...” See more at: http://www.monitor.co.ug/Elections/Russia-hails-Museveni-win/-/2787154/3087220/-/45kcwpz/-/index.html
Delayed poll material hampers exercise
Voting in Masaka, Rakai, Kalungu, Mpigi and Butambala, Mubende, and Mityana districts was calm. However, the exercise was delayed at several polling stations due to late arrival of polling materials. Voters were seen queuing as early as 7am but by 8am, voting had not yet started in many places. In Lugazi Municipality, voting had not begun by 9am .The EC area supervisor, Mr Meddie Ssekajigo, attributed this to failure by EC officials to locate the polling stations. “Some polling stations are in areas which are not easily accessible and some of them didn’t even know the places thus leading to some delays but we have sorted that out and voting is yet to commence,” he said At St Mary’s P/S Polling Station in Mubende Municipality, voting started at 9am. Juliet Nakatte, the presiding officer, said the officials waited for police constables and candidates agents before starting the exercise. She also said some names were not on the register. See more at: http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Delayed-poll-material-hampers-exercise/-/688334/3083608/-/sol4i2/-/index.html
Mabirizi concedes defeat, congratulates Museveni
He predicted his victory with 53%, now the Independent presidential candidate Joseph Elton Mabirizi has conceded defeat and was the first among the candidates to congratulate the National Resistance Movement (NRM) flag bearer Yoweri Kaguta Museveni after he was declared the winner. "I would like to convey my personal best wishes to President Kaguta Museveni. Lets work as Ugandans and build the nation," Mabirizi said on social networking site Twitter. He also commended security services for their role in ensuring that the elections were mostly peaceful and violence free. "I thank you all for turning out en-masse for the Feb 18th General Elections. I commend the election body for holding a free & fair election," he added. Mabirizipolled 23,762 votes representing 0.26% of the 9.2m votes cast. :- See more at: http://www.newvision.co.ug/new_vision/news/1417658/mabirizi-conceded-defeat-congratulates-museveni#sthash.0VncGqix.dpuf
Western, African observers differ on EC, election fairness
On Saturday, hours before Yoweri Museveni was announced winner of Thursday's presidential election, seven election observer missions converged at Sheraton hotel in Kampala and gave their preliminary assessments of the election. Each mission addressed a separate press conference, allowing YUDAYA NANGONZI to compare and contrast the various assessments. In a 12-page preliminary statement, the European Union Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) faulted the Electoral Commission (EC) for its lack of independence, transparency and trust of the stakeholders. In contrast, regional blocs such as the East African Community (EAC), the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa) and Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (Igad) concluded that the EC had done a good job in organizing a ‘generally-free and fair’ election. In his speech, the EU EOM chief observer, Eduard Kukan, said the EC narrowly interpreted its mandate by limiting it to the organisation of the technical aspects of the elections that was not in favour of the electorates. See more at: http://www.observer.ug/news-headlines/42719-western-african-observers-differ-on-ec-election-fairness
2016 polls not free and fair - Observers
Key election observer groups released preliminary reports on the February 18 presidential and parliamentary elections, with the European Union Election Observer Mission expressing concern over intimidation of voters and candidates by state actors. The European Union Election Observer Mission (EU-EOM) which has the largest number of observer deployed in the country since January noted that the Electoral Commission lacks independence, transparency and the transparency of election stakeholders. Eduard Kukan, the Chief Observer of the mission, which comprises of over 120 observers from all EU member states said the Electoral Commission headed by Dr Badru Kiggundu narrowly interpreted its mandate by limiting to the organisation of the technical aspects of the elections and that it had failed to inform voters and contestants on the key elements of the electoral process. See more at: http://www.observer.ug/news-headlines/42710-2016-polls-not-free-and-fair-observers
Local observers: what went wrong?
A woman is assisted to vote. Some polling stations had more votes than registered voters, casting doubt at the credibility of the results The February 18 general election and its aftermath was alarmingly chaotic in most parts of Kampala and the country, some election observers have concluded. The Citizens Election Observers Network Uganda (CEON-U) listed a catalogue of problematic areas, in a preliminary report released on Friday, February 19. The election, according to CEON, was dogged by violence, intimidation, harassment of voters, ballot-stuffing and long delays in arrival of voting materials, among others. CEON-U named 25 cases of irregularities. Dr Livingstone Sewanyana, the CEON-U chairman, said most polling stations in Kampala opened late and voting started as late as 3pm and 69 per cent of polling stations didn’t have authorized party agents present during the counting of votes. He noted this during the release of the preliminary election findings at Hotel Africana on Friday. See more at: http://www.observer.ug/news-headlines/42722-local-observers-what-went-wrong
Nantaba rejects Museveni reconciliation proposal
The State minister of Lands, Ms Idah Nantaba, has rejected a proposal by President Museveni to reconcile her with political nemesis, Mr Moses Karangwa, saying, she cannot work with “a land grabber”. Speaking to Daily Monitor in an interview on Sunday in Kayunga Town, Ms Nantaba, who is also the Kayunga Woman MP claimed she will only reconcile with Mr Karangwa if he relinquishes all the land he “took away” from innocent people. Last week, while campaigning in Kayunga District, President Museveni promised to reconcile Ms Nantaba and Mr Karangwa. The two have for long been embroiled in a bitter political dispute with the minister accusing Mr Karangwa of grabbing people’s land and trying to plot for her political downfall. See more at: http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Nantaba-rejects-Museveni-reconciliation-proposal/-/688334/3080046/-/kilfr1z/-/index.html
Shaka Ssali breaks silence on role in presidential debate
Voice of America senior editor Shaka Ssali has said he considered a last-minute withdrawal from co-moderating last weekend’s presidential debate after organizers told him he would not question Mr Yoweri Museveni, the ruling NRM party candidate, as a precondition for the latter’s participation. “I found myself in a box in a way because I am not a kind of a scripted guy (interviewer). I tried to get out of the box but there was not much opportunity,” Dr Shaka, host of the popular Straight Talk Africa programme, told this newspaper in an interview yesterday.The decision to sideline the Uganda-born American journalist, which was noticeable to the audience and viewers of the televised debate, and a subject of frenzied discussion on social media, caps more than a decade of his uneasy relations with the government that considers him as an Opposition points man. The fall-out resulted from Dr Shaka giving an international media platform to President Museveni’s main challenger, Dr Kizza Besigye, who, after losing the 2001 election, eluded a round-the-clock surveillance and fled the country. See more at: http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Shaka-Ssali-breaks-silence-on-role-in-presidential-debate/-/688334/3080168/-/5jnw97/-/index.html
Schools reopen for first term
Schools across the country open today for the first term of the academic year. The ministry of Education has said the school calendar has not changed with students expected to report to their respective institutions. There has been apprehension among parents that schools could be affected by post-election violence. The military and the police were heavily deployed in Kampala and major trading centres across the country to avert any protests from mainly the Opposition protesting the Electoral Commission declaration of President Museveni as winner of last Thursday’s presidential election, earning himself a fifth term in office and extending his reign to 35 years. Mr Alfred Chaka, the assistant commissioner in charge of secondary education, told Daily Monitor that schools will open today as earlier scheduled. See more at: http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/Education/Schools-reopen-for-first-term/-/688336/3087124/-/l324mtz/-/index.html
UNEB sets Feb 29 to hear out cases of examination 'cheats'
The Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) has set February 29 as the official date to start the hearing process of different schools, whose results were withheld. Examination results of different schools at different levels were withheld over suspected examination malpractice. Results of 909 candidates were withheld during the release of Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE) early this year, a total of 2,060 students from 41 schools across the country had their results withheld during the release of Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE), while results of 279((0.27%) learners had their results withheld during the release of Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE) results. Dan Odongo, the incoming UNEB executive secretary, while speaking to New Vision in a phone interview, said the examinations security committee would give a hearing first to PLE starting on February 29, followed by UCE and then UACE. - See more at: http://www.newvision.co.ug/new_vision/news/1417401/uneb-sets-feb-hear-examination-cheats#sthash.jJ5QYHdw.dpuf
Makerere lecturer wins award on HIV research
Flavia Kiweewa Matovu, a Cohort 4 CARTA fellow at Uganda’s Makerere University, has won a grant from the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) worth $625,000. The grant targets international Research in infectious diseases, including Aids (R01). An R01 is one of the most competitive sources of NIH funding, which includes direct support to independent investigators who wish to establish their research careers. Getting an R01 grant is an enormous step in any scientist’s professional development. “I am humbled. I feel greatly honored and challenged by this award,” said Matovu. “This is a result of what I have actually learned from the CARTA, fellowship. Through CARTA I have learned to be the best I can and the grant will give me an opportunity to carve my niche as a research leader.” Flavia was awarded this grant as the principal investigator and will lead the study on “The impact of the hormonal contraception Depo-Provera and the anti-retroviral drug Tenofovir on bone density/bone health in young women in Uganda.” See more at: http://www.observer.ug/news-headlines/42718-makerere-lecturer-wins-award-on-hiv-research
Cancer ravaging more children – WHO
More children are suffering from cancer across the world than previously thought, new estimates released by the International Agency for Research on Cancer have shown. Some 215,000 cancers are diagnosed every year in under 15-year-olds, and another 85,000 in 15-to-19-year-olds, according to data released by the agency, on the occasion to mark International Childhood Cancer day on February 15. The estimates are based on data collected by more than 100 population-based cancer registries in 68 countries around the world. The results found that while childhood cancer represents less than one per cent of all sickness in developed countries, the figure can be five times higher in poorer nations, where children may make up half of the population. “The proportion of children dying from cancer in poorer countries is unacceptably high, especially when we have the example from richer countries as to what can be achieved through access to care,” IARC Director Dr Christopher Wild said. See more at: http://www.observer.ug/news-headlines/42717-cancer-ravaging-more-children-who
Billions missed as govt blocks mobile money
Probably nothing had prepared Uganda's economy for the violence that the entire electoral process would come with. And the cost of shutting down platforms such as mobile money further compound a problem that has gotten out of hand, writes ALON MWESIGWA. The Uganda Revenue Authority failed to recover at least Shs 8 billion each day that the mobile money system remained off – an amount four times more than what the government allocated to the poorly-equipped cancer institute at Mulago hospital. The URA charges 10 per cent of all transactions made on the mobile money platform, which has increasingly become one of its soft revenue resource targets. According to Bank of Uganda, the value of transactions on the mobile money platform totalled Shs 80 billion a day as at September 2015. More than 1.3 million transactions take place on the mobile money platform in a day. These transactions are more than those in Uganda’s banking system. See more at: http://www.observer.ug/business/38-business/42716-billions-missed-as-govt-blocks-mobile-money
Dr Kizza Besigye, the FDC candidate in Thursday's presidential elections, has urged Ugandans and the world to reject the results that gave President Museveni a 60 per cent win. In this statement released on Saturday, Besigye said democracy was on trial in Uganda. Citizens of Uganda, My Fellow Africans, International Citizens and Friends of Uganda Members of the Press Corps and the Diplomatic Community, We have just witnessed what must be the most fraudulent electoral process in Uganda. We participated in this process to highlight and show the world quite how fraudulent this military regime is. The Electoral Commission is not independent and its technical incompetence and partisanship has been made clear for all to see. The voting material was not delivered in time. People were unlawfully removed from the Voters’ Register whilst ghosts were wantonly added. Freedoms of assembly and expression were wantonly curbed. See more at: http://www.observer.ug/news-headlines/42723-besigye-election-results-must-be-rejected
1,700 untallied polling stations were Opposition strongholds
The presidential election results, which were not tallied by the Electoral Commission (EC) when it declared President Museveni winner at the weekend, were for polling stations mainly from Opposition strongholds where the runner up, Dr Kizza Besigye had won. In his re-election victory, President Museveni, 71, defeated seven candidates, including Dr Besigye, his four-time presidential challenger, in at least 98 districts to win a fifth elective term in office. The results, however, excluded tallies from 1,787 polling stations, particularly from Opposition strongholds, with a total of 1,051,720 voters, representing 6.88 per cent of the total number of registered voters. This is more than the votes obtained by the four fringe candidates combined. Some of the polling stations whose full results the EC said it had not received by the time the chairman, Dr Badru Kiggundu, declared Mr Museveni the winner, include Dr Besigye’s home district of Rukungiri. Only three out of 276 polling stations in Rukungiri was tallied by the EC, representing about 0.66 per cent of registered voters there. See more at: http://www.monitor.co.ug/Elections/1-700-untallied-polling-stations-were-Opposition-strongholds-/-/2787154/3087288/-/uls19mz/-/index.html
FDC recovers 10 ballot boxes from saloon
Forum for Democratic Change officials in Gulu district yesterday recovered and handed over ten ballot boxes to police found hidden in a saloon. According to the FDC party officials, they recovered the ballot boxes from Acet trading centre in Odek Sub County in Omoro County. 3 of the ballot boxes were sealed and contained ticked ballot papers, the remaining seven were empty. Deo Wilobo, an FDC agent, says they recovered the ballot boxes following a tip off from a resident who informed them that someone was hiding election materials in his saloon. “For us we got a call yesterday at around 9pm that there is a ballot box there, we struggled to get a vehicle to [get] there. In the morning, I asked like from four people, there was no answer. So I get a young girl and I ask and she told me ‘there is a box inside that saloon and very many buckets’ I asked which type?, she said the ‘white one’. I sat down a little bit and saw the guy open the saloon and I saw the buckets. I asked why did you put those things here”, Wilobo said. See more at: http://www.observer.ug/news-headlines/42711-fdc-recover-10-ballot-boxes-from-saloon
US slams polls, tells govt to free Besigye
One of President Museveni’s biggest allies, the US government, has slammed last Thursday’s presidential elections as “deeply inconsistent with international standards and expectations for any democratic process”, telling the Ugandan government to release Opposition leader Dr Kizza Besigye from house arrest immediately. The US Department of State, however, commended Ugandans for “participating actively and peacefully in the February 18, elections” and said they “deserve better.” “Delays in the delivery of voting materials, reports of pre-checked ballots and vote buying, ongoing blockage of social media sites, and excessive use of force by the police, collectively undermine the integrity of the electoral process,” the deputy spokesperson at the Department, Mr Mark Toner said in a statement. President Museveni, 71, was last Saturday announced winner by the Electoral Commission with 60.8 per cent of the vote tally, extending his 30-year rule for another five years. His main challenger Kizza Besigye, who has been placed under house arrest since Friday, received 35.4 per cent. See more at: http://www.monitor.co.ug/Elections/US-slams-polls--tells-govt-to-free-Besigye/-/2787154/3087230/-/5vmtim/-/index.html
Big names fall in NRM, opposition
Last Thursday’s parliamentary election was high on surprises – it claimed many parliamentary scalps from both the ruling party and the opposition. The ruling National Resistance Movement (MRM) lost more than 18 ministers while the opposition Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) lost more than 12 MPs including Leader of Opposition in Parliament Wafula Oguttu and other senior party leaders. The losing ministers include Attorney General Fred Ruhindi, Dr Crispus Kiyonga (Defense), Irene Muloni (Energy), Jessica Alupo (Education), Kahinda Otafiire (Justice and Constitutional Affairs), Rose Akol (Internal Affairs). Others are Flavia Munaaba (State for Environment), Jim Muhwezi (Information), Vincent Nyanzi (State in VP’s office), Michael Werikhe (Trade), Asuman Kiyingi (State for works), Fred Omachi (Finance), Rebecca Atengo (Northern Uganda), Rukia Nakadama (State for Gender), Alex Onzima (State for Local Government), Nekesa Barbara Oundo (State for Karamoja Affairs) and Henry Banyenzaki (State for Economic Monitoring). See more at: http://www.observer.ug/news-headlines/42721-big-names-fall-in-nrm-opposition
Muhwezi concedes loss
The Minister of Information and National Guidance Jim Muhwezi has conceded defeat after losing the Rujumbura parliamentary seat to his three-time challenger Fred Turyamuhweza of Forum for Democratic Change party. While accepting defeat, Maj Gen Muhwezi of the NRM party, said: “I accept the results and I promise to keep serving my people of Rujumbura County and the country if given chance in the next government.” He made the remarks to the media at his home in Kagunga, Nyakagyeme sub-county. Mr Muhwezi polled 14,587 votes against his opponent Turyamuhweza’s 16,859 votes. He said winning the presidential election was the biggest victory although many NRM parliamentary candidates lost their seats. Maj Gen Muhwezi is among the strong NRM figures and ministers who lost the February 18 elections. His defeat boosts FDC’s strength in Rukungiri, the home district of Opposition leader Dr Kizza Besigye. See more at: http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Muhwezi-concedes-loss/-/688334/3087138/-/bjww76z/-/index.html
Election was a fraud - Mbabazi
Go forward Independent presidential candidate Amama Mbabazi has dismissed the just announced election results saying they were a result of a fraudulent process. In a statement issued hours after the results were announced, Mr Mbabazi gave an account of how his rallies were disrupted by state agencies. He said the events that preceded the election “illuminates that this election was fundamentally flawed and that the announced results were not a reflection of the will of the Ugandan people.” Mr Mbabazi said his team is investigating what transpired on Election Day, “to determine our next course of action.” Mr Mbabazi, who garnered 132,574 (1.4%) of the 9,701,738 total votes cast, however, called on his supporters and the general public to remain calm. Mr Mbabazi’s statement came after that of FDC’s Kizza Besigye, who outrightly rejected the outcome of the elections saying it was a sham process. The electoral commission gave Mr Besigye 35 per cent of the total votes cast. See more at: http://www.monitor.co.ug/Elections/Election-was-a-fraud---Mbabazi/-/2787154/3087196/-/untsi6/-/index.html
Russia hails Museveni win
Russia has hailed Uganda’s Thursday presidential elections, saying it demonstrated broad support for the NRM-led government. The Russian Foreign Affairs ministry in a statement yesterday said: “Moscow hails the successful general election in the friendly Uganda, which have proved broad national support for the government’s course towards stable political and socio-economic development.” Russia, a former Cold War super power has of recent been getting close to Kampala against the backdrop of President Museveni’s continued attacks on European countries and the US, accusing them of “arrogance” and “meddling in internal affairs of other countries.” The statement in part hailed President Museveni’s victory indicating that African election observers had “noted a generally open and peaceful nature of the election campaign and the voting process...” See more at: http://www.monitor.co.ug/Elections/Russia-hails-Museveni-win/-/2787154/3087220/-/45kcwpz/-/index.html
Delayed poll material hampers exercise
Voting in Masaka, Rakai, Kalungu, Mpigi and Butambala, Mubende, and Mityana districts was calm. However, the exercise was delayed at several polling stations due to late arrival of polling materials. Voters were seen queuing as early as 7am but by 8am, voting had not yet started in many places. In Lugazi Municipality, voting had not begun by 9am .The EC area supervisor, Mr Meddie Ssekajigo, attributed this to failure by EC officials to locate the polling stations. “Some polling stations are in areas which are not easily accessible and some of them didn’t even know the places thus leading to some delays but we have sorted that out and voting is yet to commence,” he said At St Mary’s P/S Polling Station in Mubende Municipality, voting started at 9am. Juliet Nakatte, the presiding officer, said the officials waited for police constables and candidates agents before starting the exercise. She also said some names were not on the register. See more at: http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Delayed-poll-material-hampers-exercise/-/688334/3083608/-/sol4i2/-/index.html
Mabirizi concedes defeat, congratulates Museveni
He predicted his victory with 53%, now the Independent presidential candidate Joseph Elton Mabirizi has conceded defeat and was the first among the candidates to congratulate the National Resistance Movement (NRM) flag bearer Yoweri Kaguta Museveni after he was declared the winner. "I would like to convey my personal best wishes to President Kaguta Museveni. Lets work as Ugandans and build the nation," Mabirizi said on social networking site Twitter. He also commended security services for their role in ensuring that the elections were mostly peaceful and violence free. "I thank you all for turning out en-masse for the Feb 18th General Elections. I commend the election body for holding a free & fair election," he added. Mabirizipolled 23,762 votes representing 0.26% of the 9.2m votes cast. :- See more at: http://www.newvision.co.ug/new_vision/news/1417658/mabirizi-conceded-defeat-congratulates-museveni#sthash.0VncGqix.dpuf
Western, African observers differ on EC, election fairness
On Saturday, hours before Yoweri Museveni was announced winner of Thursday's presidential election, seven election observer missions converged at Sheraton hotel in Kampala and gave their preliminary assessments of the election. Each mission addressed a separate press conference, allowing YUDAYA NANGONZI to compare and contrast the various assessments. In a 12-page preliminary statement, the European Union Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) faulted the Electoral Commission (EC) for its lack of independence, transparency and trust of the stakeholders. In contrast, regional blocs such as the East African Community (EAC), the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa) and Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (Igad) concluded that the EC had done a good job in organizing a ‘generally-free and fair’ election. In his speech, the EU EOM chief observer, Eduard Kukan, said the EC narrowly interpreted its mandate by limiting it to the organisation of the technical aspects of the elections that was not in favour of the electorates. See more at: http://www.observer.ug/news-headlines/42719-western-african-observers-differ-on-ec-election-fairness
2016 polls not free and fair - Observers
Key election observer groups released preliminary reports on the February 18 presidential and parliamentary elections, with the European Union Election Observer Mission expressing concern over intimidation of voters and candidates by state actors. The European Union Election Observer Mission (EU-EOM) which has the largest number of observer deployed in the country since January noted that the Electoral Commission lacks independence, transparency and the transparency of election stakeholders. Eduard Kukan, the Chief Observer of the mission, which comprises of over 120 observers from all EU member states said the Electoral Commission headed by Dr Badru Kiggundu narrowly interpreted its mandate by limiting to the organisation of the technical aspects of the elections and that it had failed to inform voters and contestants on the key elements of the electoral process. See more at: http://www.observer.ug/news-headlines/42710-2016-polls-not-free-and-fair-observers
Local observers: what went wrong?
A woman is assisted to vote. Some polling stations had more votes than registered voters, casting doubt at the credibility of the results The February 18 general election and its aftermath was alarmingly chaotic in most parts of Kampala and the country, some election observers have concluded. The Citizens Election Observers Network Uganda (CEON-U) listed a catalogue of problematic areas, in a preliminary report released on Friday, February 19. The election, according to CEON, was dogged by violence, intimidation, harassment of voters, ballot-stuffing and long delays in arrival of voting materials, among others. CEON-U named 25 cases of irregularities. Dr Livingstone Sewanyana, the CEON-U chairman, said most polling stations in Kampala opened late and voting started as late as 3pm and 69 per cent of polling stations didn’t have authorized party agents present during the counting of votes. He noted this during the release of the preliminary election findings at Hotel Africana on Friday. See more at: http://www.observer.ug/news-headlines/42722-local-observers-what-went-wrong
Nantaba rejects Museveni reconciliation proposal
The State minister of Lands, Ms Idah Nantaba, has rejected a proposal by President Museveni to reconcile her with political nemesis, Mr Moses Karangwa, saying, she cannot work with “a land grabber”. Speaking to Daily Monitor in an interview on Sunday in Kayunga Town, Ms Nantaba, who is also the Kayunga Woman MP claimed she will only reconcile with Mr Karangwa if he relinquishes all the land he “took away” from innocent people. Last week, while campaigning in Kayunga District, President Museveni promised to reconcile Ms Nantaba and Mr Karangwa. The two have for long been embroiled in a bitter political dispute with the minister accusing Mr Karangwa of grabbing people’s land and trying to plot for her political downfall. See more at: http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Nantaba-rejects-Museveni-reconciliation-proposal/-/688334/3080046/-/kilfr1z/-/index.html
Shaka Ssali breaks silence on role in presidential debate
Voice of America senior editor Shaka Ssali has said he considered a last-minute withdrawal from co-moderating last weekend’s presidential debate after organizers told him he would not question Mr Yoweri Museveni, the ruling NRM party candidate, as a precondition for the latter’s participation. “I found myself in a box in a way because I am not a kind of a scripted guy (interviewer). I tried to get out of the box but there was not much opportunity,” Dr Shaka, host of the popular Straight Talk Africa programme, told this newspaper in an interview yesterday.The decision to sideline the Uganda-born American journalist, which was noticeable to the audience and viewers of the televised debate, and a subject of frenzied discussion on social media, caps more than a decade of his uneasy relations with the government that considers him as an Opposition points man. The fall-out resulted from Dr Shaka giving an international media platform to President Museveni’s main challenger, Dr Kizza Besigye, who, after losing the 2001 election, eluded a round-the-clock surveillance and fled the country. See more at: http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Shaka-Ssali-breaks-silence-on-role-in-presidential-debate/-/688334/3080168/-/5jnw97/-/index.html
Schools reopen for first term
Schools across the country open today for the first term of the academic year. The ministry of Education has said the school calendar has not changed with students expected to report to their respective institutions. There has been apprehension among parents that schools could be affected by post-election violence. The military and the police were heavily deployed in Kampala and major trading centres across the country to avert any protests from mainly the Opposition protesting the Electoral Commission declaration of President Museveni as winner of last Thursday’s presidential election, earning himself a fifth term in office and extending his reign to 35 years. Mr Alfred Chaka, the assistant commissioner in charge of secondary education, told Daily Monitor that schools will open today as earlier scheduled. See more at: http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/Education/Schools-reopen-for-first-term/-/688336/3087124/-/l324mtz/-/index.html
UNEB sets Feb 29 to hear out cases of examination 'cheats'
The Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) has set February 29 as the official date to start the hearing process of different schools, whose results were withheld. Examination results of different schools at different levels were withheld over suspected examination malpractice. Results of 909 candidates were withheld during the release of Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE) early this year, a total of 2,060 students from 41 schools across the country had their results withheld during the release of Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE), while results of 279((0.27%) learners had their results withheld during the release of Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE) results. Dan Odongo, the incoming UNEB executive secretary, while speaking to New Vision in a phone interview, said the examinations security committee would give a hearing first to PLE starting on February 29, followed by UCE and then UACE. - See more at: http://www.newvision.co.ug/new_vision/news/1417401/uneb-sets-feb-hear-examination-cheats#sthash.jJ5QYHdw.dpuf
Makerere lecturer wins award on HIV research
Flavia Kiweewa Matovu, a Cohort 4 CARTA fellow at Uganda’s Makerere University, has won a grant from the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) worth $625,000. The grant targets international Research in infectious diseases, including Aids (R01). An R01 is one of the most competitive sources of NIH funding, which includes direct support to independent investigators who wish to establish their research careers. Getting an R01 grant is an enormous step in any scientist’s professional development. “I am humbled. I feel greatly honored and challenged by this award,” said Matovu. “This is a result of what I have actually learned from the CARTA, fellowship. Through CARTA I have learned to be the best I can and the grant will give me an opportunity to carve my niche as a research leader.” Flavia was awarded this grant as the principal investigator and will lead the study on “The impact of the hormonal contraception Depo-Provera and the anti-retroviral drug Tenofovir on bone density/bone health in young women in Uganda.” See more at: http://www.observer.ug/news-headlines/42718-makerere-lecturer-wins-award-on-hiv-research
Cancer ravaging more children – WHO
More children are suffering from cancer across the world than previously thought, new estimates released by the International Agency for Research on Cancer have shown. Some 215,000 cancers are diagnosed every year in under 15-year-olds, and another 85,000 in 15-to-19-year-olds, according to data released by the agency, on the occasion to mark International Childhood Cancer day on February 15. The estimates are based on data collected by more than 100 population-based cancer registries in 68 countries around the world. The results found that while childhood cancer represents less than one per cent of all sickness in developed countries, the figure can be five times higher in poorer nations, where children may make up half of the population. “The proportion of children dying from cancer in poorer countries is unacceptably high, especially when we have the example from richer countries as to what can be achieved through access to care,” IARC Director Dr Christopher Wild said. See more at: http://www.observer.ug/news-headlines/42717-cancer-ravaging-more-children-who
Billions missed as govt blocks mobile money
Probably nothing had prepared Uganda's economy for the violence that the entire electoral process would come with. And the cost of shutting down platforms such as mobile money further compound a problem that has gotten out of hand, writes ALON MWESIGWA. The Uganda Revenue Authority failed to recover at least Shs 8 billion each day that the mobile money system remained off – an amount four times more than what the government allocated to the poorly-equipped cancer institute at Mulago hospital. The URA charges 10 per cent of all transactions made on the mobile money platform, which has increasingly become one of its soft revenue resource targets. According to Bank of Uganda, the value of transactions on the mobile money platform totalled Shs 80 billion a day as at September 2015. More than 1.3 million transactions take place on the mobile money platform in a day. These transactions are more than those in Uganda’s banking system. See more at: http://www.observer.ug/business/38-business/42716-billions-missed-as-govt-blocks-mobile-money
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