UGANDA NEWS – KMAUPDATES

Aug62020 by Kayongo Brian TimothyNo Comments

UGANDA: DPP clears charges against MP Zaake

AFRICA, UGANDA

MITYANA- The Director of Public prosecutions, Ms Jane Frances Abodo has withdrawn charges of negligent act likely to cause spread of coronavirus and disobedience of lawful orders against Mityana Municipality Member of Parliament, Mr Francis Zaake. Mr Zaake was arrested on April 19, for allegedly distributing food relief to people in Buswabulongo, Mityana Municipality. He was allegedly tortured by the security forces and later produced in court while unable to stand and sit without support. This forced the Chief Magistrate to order for his hospitalisation and treatment before the case court be heard. Ms Kate Basuuta, the Mityana Resident state attorney on Wednesday told the Mityana Chief Magistrate that the DPP had discontinued prosecution. She gave no reason for...

Jun22020 by Kayongo Brian TimothyNo Comments

UGANDA: Jinja RDC, Eric Sakwa loses case to block interdiction.

AFRICA, FEATURE STORIES, UGANDA

Court in Jinja has dismissed a case in which Jinja Resident District Commissioner, Mr Eric Joseph Sakwa was challenging his interdiction after being charged with an alleged criminal offences.On April 24 this year, Mr Sakwa was charged and remanded to Kirinya Prison over accusations of manslaughter in connection with the death of Jinja businessman Charles Isanga. He is jointly charged with Bazimbyewa Bumali also known as Chris Umar Dindodi a mechanic and Mohammed Simba alias Meddie, a businessman in Jinja.High Court Judge Jeanne Rwakakooko ruled that Mr Sakwa, though appointed by the President in accordance with the Constitution, is a Public Officer and bound by the Public Service Standing Orders. The Public Service Standing Orders of 2010 defines interdiction as “the temporary removal ...

May272020 by Kayongo Brian TimothyNo Comments

UGANDA: Owner of collapsed Kampala building, engineer charged

AFRICA, FEATURE STORIES, UGANDA

The owner of the three-storey building that recently collapsed in a city suburb, killing dozens of construction workers and leaving scores injured, has been charged with several criminal offenses.Mr Abraham Kalanzi, 31, was presented before Makindye Chief Magistrate’s Court on Monday but denied the 19 counts slapped against him.He was charged alongside the site engineer, Mr Christopher Bandi Luhambya, 55.The collapsed building in question was located in Kiwempe-Lukuli Zone in Makindye Division, Kampala. According to the charge sheet presented before court, the two accused persons, face one count of building without a permit, one count of refusal to comply with the notice issued by a building committe and 17 counts of causing an accident on a building construction site.Under the 17 coun...

May272020 by Kayongo Brian TimothyNo Comments

UGANDA: Pastor turns down Shs182b award as he demands for more money

AFRICA, FEATURE STORIES, UGANDA

A pastor who was last week awarded Shs182 billion through court has rejected the award and petitioned the Court of Appeal, demanding more money in compensation for loss of his business after the cancellation of his permit for sand mining in Lwera, Kalungu District.Kampala High Court awarded Mr Daniel Walugembe through his company DMW Uganda Limited Shs182 billion as compensation for loss of his business and general damages caused.However, Mr Walugembe yesterday claimed that the award was less because transaction with the National Environment Management Authority (Nema) was of a commercial nature.“I acquired a commercial permit but the judge was lenient to give 10 per cent yet the special damages awarded were admitted by both the Attorney General and Nema,” Mr Walugembe said. Addressing...

May242020 by Kayongo Brian TimothyNo Comments

UGANDA: A total of More than 8,000 secondary school teachers recruited in two years- NRM Manifesto Week.

AFRICA, EDUCATION, UGANDA

ENTEBBE –A total of 8,300 new secondary school teachers were recruited in FY2018/19 and FY2019/20, Minister for Education and Sports Janet Museveni has revealed. When presenting the ministry’s accomplishments in the past 4 years during the ongoing NRM Manifesto Week, Ms. Museveni said there is ongoing recruitment of 2,000 teachers already advertised by the Education Service Commission in FY2019/20. “We promoted 1,200 teachers who had upgraded from Diploma to Graduate qualifications,” she said. According to the minister, the Conditional Inspection for Local Governments was raised from UGX 2.5 billion to UGX 5.5 billion since FY18/19. “All post-primary institutions including Secondary Schools, BTVET Institutions, and Teacher training institutions have been inspected at least twi...

Mar62020 by ShafiqNo Comments

UGANDA: Dr. Irene Kyamumi wins Harambee Prize 2020 in Madrid.

HEALTH, UGANDA, WORLD

Uganda’s Medical Doctor, Irene Kyamumi a famous promoter of the Child Health Project (CHEP), which provides care for Kampala’s most vulnerable children was Thursday night conferred with the Harambee 2020 award for the Promotion and Equality of African Women. The award announcement about Doctor Kyamumi’s recognition for the Promotion and Equality of African Women given to her on Thursday night at a colorful event in Madrid, Spain. The award acknowledges Doctor Kyamumi’s work as an ardent promoter of the Child Health Project (CHEP) which supports some of the most vulnerable children in Kampala. Kyamumi studied medicine at Makerere University and then worked on projects in favour of low-income families, first in Kenya and then in Uganda. In particular, she has collaborat...

Feb222020 by ShafiqNo Comments

UGANDA: UCC launches inaugural CyberStars competition.

AFRICA, UGANDA

Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) has moved to tackle the growing cyber threat by launching the first-ever cybersecurity competition targeting university students. More than 500 university students aged 18-24 participated in an inaugural workshop on cybersecurity techniques at the Commission head office in Bugolobi on Friday, February 21, 2020. The workshop, sponsored by UCC and Silensec, an Information Security Management Consulting and Training Company, and conducted by Kenyan cybersecurity specialist Kapere Ndege, sought to map the key areas for the competition – knowledge, innovation, and skills in relation to cyber attacking, defending and responding. The objective of the cybersecurity competition is to find young cyber talents that can foster the development o...

Feb202020 by ShafiqNo Comments

UGANDA: ‘Censure motion’ against Gen Tumwine flops.

AFRICA, UGANDA, Ugandan Parliamanet

Members of Parliament have withdrawn the censure motion against Gen Elly Tumwine after they failed to garner adequate signatures to propel the motion. As of last week, only 19 MPs had so far signed on the censure motion against the security minister, and by Wednesday evening 39 MPs had signed.A section of MPs started the process of censuring Gen Tumwine for frustrating investigations into torture of Ugandans and also blocking Members of Parliament in the Human Rights Committee from doing their work.The House amended the human rights committee report to include closing all safe houses in the country and initiating a censure motion against Gen Tumwine.However, the MPs who had started the censure process have withdrawn the matter due to a lack of interest by some MPs. Mr Mbwa...

Feb202020 by ShafiqNo Comments

UGANDA: Court Dismisses Promoter Bajjo’s charges of Cyber Harassment.

AFRICA, CRIME, FEATURE STORIES, UGANDA

Buganda Road Magistrates Court has dismissed a case in which Andrew Mukasa commonly known as Bajjo was accused of inciting violence and annoying the President. Trial magistrate Stella Maris Amabilisi ruled on Wednesday that prosecution had failed to present a witness. Amabilis said she could not keep adjourning the case. The case has been in court for seven months. The Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP) was not sure of when to bring witnesses. Court had adjourned Bajjo’s case eight times without the prosecution presenting its witness Bajjo’s lawyer Erias Lukwago opposed a request by the state prosecutor Ivan Kyazze to adjourn the case. Kyazze requested that the court issues a warrant of arrest against Henry Mugumya who had been presented as a witness but failed to ...

Feb202020 by ShafiqNo Comments

CRIME: Kumi RDC Hussein Kato arrested over corruption – Uganda.

AFRICA, CRIME, FEATURE STORIES, UGANDA

The Resident District Commissioner (RDC) for Kumi, Hussein Kato, has been detained at Entebbe police station over corruption and for threatening to fight security officers who tried to intervene in wrangle over sand mining in Kassanda district. According to the commandant of police Mineral protection Unit at Entebbe, Jessica Keigomba, Kato will be charged with eight counts of abuse of police, assaulting a police officer on duty, obstructing a police officer on duty, criminal trespass, threatening violence, corruption tendencies and forgery. He will also be charged with spreading harmful propaganda to all government offices, media houses and fighting the police mineral protection unit in addition to sabotaging government programmes. Keigomba told the press that police ...

Feb202020 by ShafiqNo Comments

UGANDA: All illegal schools countrywide to be closed – Government.

AFRICA, EDUCATION, UGANDA

Ministry of education has said that they will start to close schools that have are operating without licences across the country. Mr Edward Ssebuchu, the commissioner of private schools at the Ministry of Education said they have received numerous intelligence about mushrooming private schools without licenses and they will close them starting this week. “There is always a tendency of some people opening up and starting schools at the start of the year to target the new entrants from primary seven and those going to senior five. We have already received information and we shall go around the country arresting and closing them starting this week,” Mr Ssebuchu said during a thanks giving ceremony of Maryland High School Entebbe.A school survey done by Ministry of Education in...

Feb202020 by ShafiqNo Comments

CRIME: How Ugandan Bugiri Imam was assassinated.

AFRICA, CRIME, UGANDA

Police Flying Squad operatives on Wednesday arrested Abiyasad Mugoya, a supervisor at SGA private security company for pulling the trigger leading to the death of Sheikh Masudi Mutumba, 60, the Iman for Iwemba Mosque in Iwemba parish, Iwemba sub-county in Bugiri district who was shot dead as he returned home from prayers at around 9:45 pm on Friday. Police spokesperson, Fred Enanga confirmed the arrest but he had earlier said that the killing stemmed from a land wrangle that the deceased had with one Suleiman Kouta from Busimba village and that the deceased had won a civil suit in Bugiri high court, prompting the other side to appeal in a higher court but decided to eliminate him for fear of losing the appeal. He noted that the group later held a meeting in their hom...

Feb192020 by ShafiqNo Comments

CRIME: Prime suspect in Bugiri Imam shooting arrested.

AFRICA, CRIME, UGANDA

Police have arrested the prime suspect in the gruesome murder of Sheikh Mutumba Masudi, the Imam of Iwemba Masjid Noor in Bugiri district on Friday. Sheikh Masudi Mutumba, 60, the Imam for Iwemba Mosque in Iwemba parish, Iwemba sub-county in Bugiri district was shot dead as he returned home from prayers at around 9:45 pm on Friday. However, a source at police has confirmed the arrest in Kampala on Wednesday morning. “He has been arrested by the Flying Squad and is currently at CPS in Kampala,” the source that preferred anonymity told the Nile Post. When contacted for a comment, Busoga East Police spokesperson, James Mubi didn’t pick our repeated calls to him Early this week, Police arrested a boda boda rider for transporting the killers. Speaking to journalists on...

Feb192020 by ShafiqNo Comments

UGANDA: MP Ssekikubo’s lawyers plead to court for dismisal of the murder case.

AFRICA, CRIME, UGANDA

Masaka Chief Magistrates Court on Tuesday adjourned a case in which Lwemiyaga County MP Theodore Ssekikubo is accused of attempted murder.The case that is before Masaka Chief Magistrate Deogratious Ssejemba is said to have been committed in 2010 during the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) Party primaries. Prosecution claims that Ssekikubo shot Habibu Nsamba, a security operative during the hotly contested NRM party primaries where Ssekikubo defeated his rival Patrick Nkalubo.Mr Ssekikubo’s lawyers led by Mr Medard Lubega Ssegoona in their submissions on Tuesday asked court to dismiss the case saying the state seems to have lost interest in the matter. “The state has failed to make disclosure of their case despite repeated pleas to them which has made it hard for ...

Feb182020 by ShafiqNo Comments

BUSINESS: Exploit potential of Lake Victoria for marine tourism

AFRICA, Business, UGANDA

“The amount of nature that is available is reducing. But the number of people looking for nature is increasing; so it is important we conserve our lakes and take advantage of them, including rivers,” tour operator and guide, Amos Wekesa, also the director of Great Lakes Safaris Limited, observes. Three years ago, Olivier Van Pee sat his family down to tell them about the potential they could exploit in the marine industry in Uganda, on Lake Victoria - Africa’s biggest fresh water body in Africa. His family is seasoned in the transport business under Nyanza Evergreen Waterways, running MV Vanessa and MV Nathalie active in transportation of people and cargo on Lake Victoria as well as barge/ferries operated on Lake Albert. Wekesa’s tour company operates a 65-seater luxu...

Feb182020 by ShafiqNo Comments

UGANDA: MP Ssekikubo vows to stage demo over delayed cattle vaccination.

AFRICA, HEALTH, UGANDA

Lwemiyaga County MP Theodore Ssekikubo and a section of livestock farmers in Sembabule District have given government one week ultimatum to carry out mass vaccination against Foot –and –Mouth Disease (FMD) in the area threatening to stage a demonstration.Sembabule District, like many other cattle corridor districts has been under quarantine since last year, something that has crippled the livelihoods of residents in the district who are predominantly cattle keepers. According to Mr Ssekikubo, State Minister for Animal Husbandry, Mr Bright Rwamirama on January 16 promised livestock farmers in the district that government would vaccinate their animals in two weeks but this is yet to be done.“The two weeks promised by the Minister have already elapsed and there is nothing like ...

Feb182020 by ShafiqNo Comments

UGANDA: Electoral Commission clears Bobi Wine for the presidential post, 21 others to start consultation.

AFRICA, ELECTIONS, UGANDA

The Electoral Commission (EC) as cleared People Power founder Robert Kyagulanyi alias Bobi Wine to go ahead with his planned consultation meetings as soon as the Uganda Police gives the green light. The announcement was made by the EC chairperson, Simon Byabakama in a press briefing to journalists on Tuesday morning. Bobi Wine is among 20 other presidential hopefuls who have been cleared for the consultation exercise. Among those cleared include; Former presidential aspirant Elton Joseph Mbairizi, Apostle Ben Israel Sseninde, Timothy Mugerwa, Bob Paul Akileng, Steven Kaweesa, and Ambrose Kyomukama. Also cleared are: Joseph Mwambazi, John Herbert Nkangabwa, Fred Mwesigye, Tunawooza Makoma, Charles Mutaasa Kafeero, and Dr. Moses Amin. “Many people are still coming in,...

Feb182020 by ShafiqNo Comments

EAST AFRICA: Experts warn Ugandans about ‘Locusts’.

AFRICA, EAST AFRICA, FEATURE STORIES, locusts, UGANDA

The state Minister for Animal Industry Mr. Bright Rwamirama has noted that the locusts have been laying eggs and should the latest eggs hatch, Uganda may be faced with an outbreak. The minister made the remarks on February 18, while he was addressing the press at the Uganda Media Center in Kampala. According to Rwamirama, the swarms of locusts continue to spread to other districts in the region and laying of eggs is expected to continue while other locust swarms are still invading Uganda from Kenya. “It is worth noting that a female locust lays at least 300eggs in one sitting and will lay eggs three times in its lifecycle,” he said. Rwamirama said that the existing locusts have not caused significant damage to vegetation cover however, there’s is an imminent threat to f...

Feb182020 by ShafiqNo Comments

FEATURE STORIES: Uganda Red Cross and Coca-Cola give a hand to displaced families in Bundibugyo.

AFRICA, FEATURE STORIES, UGANDA

The Coca-Cola Company, through Coca-Cola Beverages Africa in Uganda has contributed 580 kits of Non-Food Relief Items towards the Bundibugyo floods affected families. The kits have been extended to the communities through the Uganda Red Cross Society, the humanitarian agency mandated by the Government to support the internally displaced communities in December 2019. This followed a heavy downpour between 6th and 7th December which devasted the entire district. A total of 1,152 households composed of 6,768 individuals were affected, 18 bodies retrieved, and left many homeless. Over 800 households became displaced and occupied churches and nearby school buildings, while others coped through their extended family members in safer communities. The Government gazetted Semulik...

Feb182020 by ShafiqNo Comments

EAST AFRICA: Uganda frees 13 more Rwandese nationals.

AFRICA, EAST AFRICA, FEATURE STORIES, RWANDA, UGANDA

The Ugandan government has released another set of Rwandan nationals who have been in custody since their arrest last year over various crimes. On Tuesday afternoon, the Foreign Affairs Minister, Sam Kutesa presided over the handover of 13 people to Noel Mucyo, the First Counsellor at Rwanda’s High Commission in Uganda to make it 24 people who have been released and handed over to Rwanda this year. Speaking at the function, Kutesa said this was part of the Kampala establishment’s efforts to normalize tensions with their brotherly neighbours which have not been at their best for the past two or so years. “The withdrawal of the charges from these people does not in any way suggest that they are innocent . It is simply done for government to facilitate the peace pro...