{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/World/-/688340/1370524/-/124gern/-/index.html","content":" Climate to cost $2 trillion year in damage to oceans: study - Greenhouse gases are on track for inflicting costs of nearly $2 trillion annually in damage to the oceans by 2100, according to a Swedish study published on Wednesday. The estimate by the Stockholm Environment Institute is based on the assumption that climate-altering carbon emissions continue their upward spiral without a pause. Warmer seas will lead to greater acidification and oxygen loss, hitting fisheries and coral reefs, it warns. Rising sea levels and storms will boost the risk of flood damage, especially around the coastlines of Africa and Asia, it adds. On a business-as-usual scenario, Earth's global temperature will rise by some four degrees Celsius (7.2 degrees Fahrenheit) by century's end, says the report, \"Valuing the Ocean.\" On this basis, the cost in 2050 will be $428 billion annually, or 0.25 percent of global domestic product (GDP). By 2100, it would rise to $1,979 billion, or 0.37 percent of output. If emissions take a lower track, and warming is limited to 2.2 C (4 F), the cost in 2050 would be $105 billion, or 0.06 percent of worldwide GDP, rising to $612 billion, or 0.11 percent, by 2100. \"This is not a scaremongering forecast,\" says the report. It cautions that these figures do not take into account the bill for small island states swamped by rising seas. Nor do they include the impact of warming on the ocean's basic processes, such as nutrient recycling, which are essential to life. \"The ocean has always been thought of as the epitome of unconquerable, inexhaustible vastness and variety, but this ‘plenty more fish in the sea' image may be its worst enemy,\" notes the report. \"The immense scale of the ocean, and its remoteness from most of our daily lives, has contributed to its chronic neglect.\""}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/Business/Commodities/-/688610/797488/-/h03nv2/-/index.html","content":"National Insurance Corp aids floods victims with Shs10m - KAMPALA National Insurance Corporation (NIC), has donated Shs10 million to support flood victims in Eastern Uganda. NIC Chief Marketing Manager Jocelyn Ucanda said the move was part of its corporate social responsibility to the community. \"NIC is still 40 per cent government owned and there would be no better time for NIC to the government than this time of need,\" she said at the handover to the Minister for Relief, Disaster Preparedness and Refugees, Prof Tarsis Kabwegyere.NIC joins more than a dozen other firms that have come to the aid of the flood victims."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/633514-fake-diapers-flood-ugandan-market.html","content":" - Does your baby show discomfort every time they wear a diaper? Have you had a situation where the baby’s clothes get soaked in urine despite the fact that they are wearing a diaper? Well, the problem could be with the quality of the diaper, writes Carol Kasujja. CLICK HERE FOR FULL STORY"}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/639828-floods-ravage-kampala-suburbs.html","content":" - The Wednesday afternoon heavy rains have destroyed property in most low-land suburbs."}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/OpEd/Letters/-/806314/1390322/-/11gmvsl/-/index.html","content":"When will problem of city floods be fixed? - Regarding the story, ‘When will flood problem be fixed? I want to say disaster preparedness, early warnings on rainfall patterns and rehabilitation of Nakivubo drainage channel cannot be solutions to flooding in the city. Why is there no flooding in lower Kololo or Nakasero? I have requested Nema, the National Forestry Authority, and KCCA to use simple methods - paleo-ecology (ecological history of Kampala) to reclaim forested areas in the city and all river streams in Natete, Nsoba, and Lugibi wetland. Bwaise was a wetland extending as far as Nsoba, which is currently just a stream - and over built. The same applies to Kyambogo wetland. Nakivubo Channel starts at Wandegeya, which was surrounded by football pitches and open green spaces now heavily built (Bat Valley is no more). Lugogo was planned to take up all water from Nakawa, Kololo and the adjacent hills. But now the road acts as a drainage channel since all open green spaces were sold off to so-called investors. They built modern supermarkets, which according to the urban planing regulations, should have been built in a 10-kilometer radius away from the city centre. What will happen in future following the encroachment of Luzira wetland will surprise many. City drainage channels should be turned into suds. However, with over building on the city hills, this may be impossible to achieve. Bwanika Nakyesawa, Luweero"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/-/688334/1287246/-/bg58j9z/-/index.html","content":"Luweero Electoral Commission chiefs suspended - Kampala The Electoral Commission has suspended Luweero District returning officer and his assistant following chaos and controversy that marred the recent by-election won by the opposition Democratic Party candidate. Mr Peter Kasozi and Ms Flavia Nakasi were recently each charged with three counts of omitting to act in breach of official duty and two counts of interfering with election materials. They are out on bail. This followed a failed vote recount of last month’s Luweero Woman MP by-election results. The two were then arrested together with 14 others by police and detained at the Central Police Station in Kampala. DP’s Brenda Nabukenya won the seat with a difference of 30 votes after the garnered 14,945 votes against the 14,915 votes attained by NRM’s Rebecca Nalwanga Lukwago. The loser protested and demanded a recount of the votes but Mr Kasozi declined, saying some of the ballot boxes had been tampered with. He maintained DP’s Nabukenya as the winner and urged NRM to seek court redress if they are not satisfied with the results. Chaos erupted as Ms Nabukenya’s supporters fought any attempt at a recount, while Nalwanga’s supporters pushed for it. But Commission Secretary Sam Rwakoojo yesterday said the officials had been suspended and that reports of sacking were perhaps attempts at forcing EC not to take administrative measures as per the human resource manual. “They have been suspended until their case is disposed of. The personnel manual says once you are charged, you step aside,” he said. Mr Rwakoojo also dismissed reports that EC was planning to transfer officials in areas where there are by-elections coming. “There are no transfers and even those once suspended will either be reinstated or discontinued depending on the court outcome. That is a procedural matter,” he said. The now controversial Luweero Woman parliamentary seat fell vacant after court nullified the election of Ms Nalwanga following a petition filed by Ms Elizabeth Lugudde, one of the candidates in the February election, who cited voter bribery. cobore@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/artsculture/Religion/-/689744/1286796/-/gkason/-/index.html","content":"FOURTH DIMENSION:Adamic nature is disastrous - It is increasingly becoming sad and predictable for the answers given to the investigating committees into corruption and abuse of office. In the days of Justice Julia Sebutinde, the answers were ‘it was an over sight my lord’. The police officers then turned it to ‘it was orders from above”. The current escape word now is “the president ordered me to act in the way that I did”. Of course there are letters in some of the instances to verify the claim. The question that arises now, is are all these letters from the president himself or computer generated? The wording though in some of these presidential orders would soon require the constitutional court to interpret as to whether the letters were commands or suggestions expressing the desired position of the president. Shifting the blame for decisions that have caused losses and pain to the beloved people of Uganda is very sad. Sad because of the unnecessary pain caused and the breach of trust in the offices held by these precious leaders. The oath of service taken to hold these offices implied the trust placed on these persons to serve with due diligence and for the betterment of the nation. To think that these persons served with no personal conviction as to what is right, is heart breaking. The reason we refer to the office holders as honourable is because they have been trusted to do the honourable thing. And the honourable thing sometimes would involve standing in a position contrary to the order given. We may blame the actions of these servants to the Adamic nature, but we must also be willing to face the consequences of this nature. Adam, the first man in the bible blamed his wife for causing him to act contrary to the known and given laws of existence in the Garden of Eden. He was heard, but he did not survive the eternal consequences of his actions. There is no excuse for the honourable to serve dishonourably. And why wait for the committee to speak out the truth if it is the truth? And if these bad decisions were acts of submission, then we need to appeal to the precedence of the American president who at his desk had the placard reading “the buck stops here”. He accepted the responsibility to be held accountable for his decisions without blaming others or circumstances. This American president admitted his errors and sought to move forward on the foundation of truth. Most likely, he had read the account in the bible of King David and his commander Joab. Are the people claiming to have acted on presidential orders plotting to hold him hostage to his demands or are they simple sinners who need to be saved?"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/-/688334/1285976/-/bg6glqz/-/index.html","content":"UBC, firm asked to settle case out of court - Kampala Court has asked lawyers to amicably resolve a case in which a limited liability company sued Uganda Broadcasting Corporation (UBC) over ownership of a 23.1-acre piece of land in Bugolobi in Nakawa Division, a Kampala suburb. Justice Joseph Murangira of the Land Division at the High Court asked UBC and DEO and Sons Property Ltd to meet on December 12 and report to court on December 15. DEO and Sons Property Limited, a real estate company said to have bought the land from HABA Group of Companies, dragged UBC to court following a letter which revoked the sale of the land to businessman Hassan Basajjabalaba, the owner of Haba Group of Companies. Breach of rulesThe company claiming damages and declarations for wrongful and unlawful pronouncements ordering for cancellation of its names from the property, contends that it bought the land at Shs11.5 billion. However, UBC insists that Mr Basajjabalaba breached the essential clauses of the sale contract prompting termination of the contract. Court heard yesterday that the transactions that involved HABA Group of Companies acquiring and selling the land to DEO and Sons were illegal because it had a purpose to defraud government through tax evasion. “The stamp duties paid for the transactions are less than the value indicated on the documents and that fraud nullifies the transaction between HABA and DEO. And transactions of UBC are governed by a statutory instrument that provides that three directors independent of a witness must sign on an agreement,” said UBC lawyer, Mr Kiryowa. DEO and Sons Property Ltd contends it has taken financial obligation and committed to development of structures through construction of facilities. ekasozi@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/World/-/688340/1285208/-/11l3m52/-/index.html","content":"34 killed in Afghan twin blasts - Twin blasts at Afghan shrines on the Shiite holy day of Ashura have left at least 34 people dead in Kabul and the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif yesterday, according to police. A massive blast at the entrance to a shrine in central Kabul where Shiite Muslims had gathered to mark Ashura left at least 30 people dead including children. “A suicide bomber detonated his explosives in the Abu-Ul Fazil shrine,” Kabul police said in a statement.A security official speaking on condition of anonymity told AFP that it was believed the bomber arrived with a group of Shiite pilgrims from Logar province, south of Kabul. Separately, four people were killed in Mazar-i-Sharif when another blast struck a shrine in the northern city. It was not immediately clear whether Shiites were targeted in that attack. “It was an explosion not a suicide bombing. It was some explosives hidden in a bicycle,” said Lal Mohammad Ahmadzai, a police spokesman for northern Afghanistan, adding that four other people had also been injured. Breach of rulesShiites were banned from marking Ashura in public under the Taliban who ruled Afghanistan until 2001. This year, there are more Ashura monuments around the city than usual, including black shrines and flags.There was no immediate claim of responsibility for either of the blasts from the Taliban or other insurgent groups operating in Afghanistan. The attacks came shortly after a major conference on Afghanistan’s future, held in the German city of Bonn, 10 years after talks there which put in place an interim government after US-led troops ousted the Taliban. However, Pakistan and the Taliban -- both seen as pivotal to any end to the bloody strife in Afghanistan -- decided to stay away from the talks, undermining already modest hopes for real progress. The 10-day Ashura ceremonies, which began on November 27 and peaked yesterday, mark the slaughter of Imam Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Mohammed, near Karbala by armies of the caliph Yazid in 680 AD.Tradition holds that the revered imam was decapitated and his body mutilated. His death was a formative event in Shiite Islam. The violenceSectarian violence periodically flares between Shiites, who beat and whip themselves in religious fervour during Ashura, and Sunnis, who oppose the public display of grief. On Monday, at least 28 people were killed and 78 wounded in a wave of bomb attacks in central Iraq against Shiite pilgrims making their way to Karbala. No comment from the Afghan President Hamid Karzai had been got by press time."}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/-/688334/1284868/-/bg76q7z/-/index.html","content":"Mafabi promises not to sing anthem - Leader of Opposition in Parliament Nandala Mafabi has said he will never sing the Uganda National Anthem until President Museveni leaves power, adding that it is only then that freedom and liberty for the citizens can be restored. “Whenever they sing the anthem, I do not sing because it has no meaning. For instance when we talk about liberty, do Ugandans have any liberty? When we talk about freedom, are we really free?’’ Mr Mafabi said while speaking as chief guest at the thanksgiving celebrations for Tororo County MP Geoffrey Ekanya in Mukuju on Saturday. “Mr Museveni talks about zero tolerance to corruption yet when he was delivering the State of the Nation address in Parliament and we walked out, he blamed us. Later when he went to Rwanda, he declared that his government was surrounded by thieves,” said Mr Mafabi. Citing the award of Shs146b to businessman Basajjabalaba as compensation for breach of contract regarding Kampala city markets, Mr Mafabi said the money could instead have been used to construct a 2,000 km road. Selfish interestsHe condemned what he called Mr Museveni’s attitude of trying to destroy the rest of the country in favour of his personal and family interests. FDC Secretary General Alice Alaso said FDC was now rejuvenating its organs right from the grassroots so as to uproot the NRM and its leaders who she described as the “biggest thieves of all time in Uganda’s history.” “When President Museveni went to Rwanda and said his government has thieves, he was speaking for us. Even the Bible says there is no peace for sinners,” Ms Alaso said. editorial@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/Business/Prosper/-/688616/1280860/-/b6lsn1/-/index.html","content":"Dora's Diary: Treat customers in a manner that builds loyalty - Treat customers in a manner that builds loyalty LOSERSDo you shift goal posts after sealing a deal? I am in the process of publishing a book and it has been quite the experience. Given the rocky negotiations with the printer I selected, I should have known a nightmare lay ahead. In spite of the warning signs however, I selected this particular printer for their superior equipment and rock bottom prices. The prices should have been another red flag but, I ignored it. No sooner had the printer received my 50 percent deposit, than their sales representative asked me to choose between changing my paper grade, lowering my order size or paying a higher unit price because paper costs had gone up. I had paid against a six day old proforma, well within the document’s 30 day validity period. So feeling cheated, I asked for a refund and simultaneously called my bank to stop cheque payment. Unfortunately however, the cheque had already been banked and in the absence of a national Consumer Protection Policy, it will probably be impossible for me to obtain a refund following this blatant attempt to breach our contract. I feel stuck and at best, can only insist on the original contract terms, much as I would prefer to go elsewhere. What makes that printer and all goal-post-shifters losers? The customers you cheat will tell every listening ear and will certainly not return.Moral: Fulfil contractual obligations WINNERS Do you entice customers back? Driving on the Northern By-pass last week, I noticed that the Food Court at the Metroplex Shopping Mall was open so I decided to sample the available cuisine. Not wanting to buy food off the Huo Guo menu just because it was the first menu presented to me, I walked towards the other two vendors. The waitress at Mama Africa looked me over and turned away, effectively crossing Mama Africa off my list. So I walked on to Nawab where Esther the cashier smiled as soon as our eyes met. She handed me a menu and started a conversation. As I scanned the menu, it was as though Esther could sense that I did not plan to buy anything. When she informed me of their free delivery service to locations close by, I had to confess that I had already committed to buying something from Hou Guo. Esther the consummate professional took this information in stride, handed me a menu to take home and announced that she would be happy to either deliver a meal to my home or serve me on my next visit. There was absolutely no pressure to buy and clearly, Esther was doing something she enjoys. That alone has me looking forward to returning. What makes Esther a winner? Her sunny disposition has this customer planning a return visit. Moral: Demonstrate hospitality and entice customers back E-mail:dorasdiary@gmail.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/-/688334/1281170/-/bg9f69z/-/index.html","content":"Luweero EC officials out on bail - The two Electoral Commission officials arrested after they halted a ballot recount in a hotly-contested District Woman parliamentary poll have been granted bail. Mr Peter Kasozi, the district returning officer, and Ms Flavia Nakasi, the assistant returning officer, yesterday appeared before Luweero Chief Magistrate Jesse Byaruhanga following their arrest over the aborted vote re-count. The duo was arrested by police after they indefinitely suspended the vote re-count exercise after it was discovered that 21 ballot boxes had their security seals tampered with. The duo is charged with breach of the Parliamentary Elections Act 2005 for their alleged failure to examine the seals affixed on the ballot boxes. They were each granted cash bail of Shs100,000 after they both denied the eight counts they are charged with. Mr Kasozi is also accused of interfering with Electoral Commission property when he supplied a total of 348 ballot boxes instead of the 340 for the by-election. Mr Kasozi, who announced the indefinite suspension of the vote re-count at Luweero District Council Hall last week, said the electoral guidelines call for an immediate halting of a recount exercise once it is discoverd that a ballot box seal has been tampered with. He maintained that the earlier result stands and Democratic Party’s Brenda Nabukenya is the Luweero District Woman MP-elect until courts of law pronounce otherwise.The vote re-count exercise, according to the Electoral Commission officials, had been secured under the Parliamentary Electoral Guidelines through Section 54 that gives the Electoral Commission powers to conduct a re-count in cases where the votes under contest are less than 50. Ms Nabukeya won the election last week, polling 14,945 votes to beat her bitter rival, Ms Rebecca Nalwanga (NRM), with only 30 votes. The two rivals faced off in the February general elections when Ms Nalwanga emerged victor. However, Ms Elizabeth Nabatanzi, one of the contestants, was not satisfied with the results and she successfully petitioned, citing voter bribery. editorial@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/-/688334/1280562/-/bga1dfz/-/index.html","content":"Police block Lukyamuzi power blackout protest - The police have written to Rubaga South MP John Ken Lukyamuzi halting a peaceful demonstration the lawmaker is organising against the current power blackouts that have engulfed the country. In a November 26 letter this newspaper has seen, Assistant Inspector General of Police Andrew Kaweesi said Mr Lukyamuzi’s planned protest would cause violence and chaos in the city. “Whereas it is your constitutional right to hold a demonstration, which by all means must be peaceful,” wrote Mr Kaweesi, “the subject matter of planned demonstration is to oppose which connotes a protest and ultimately could lead to breach of peace and general orderliness in the city.” A day after receiving the letter, Mr Lukyamuzi wrote back to the police stating he would defy the directive and proceed with his planned demonstration which is scheduled to start this morning. The stage is set for a showdown. Citing Article 29 of the Constitution on freedoms, Mr Lukyamuzi wrote that he had played his part in giving the police due notice for his peaceful demonstration and insisted the Force had no right to stop him. “Police does not have the locus standi to determine the merits of the planned demo. Whether my opposition to the ongoing load-shedding connotes a protest element is none of your business as police,” wrote the MP in a November 27 letter. “The Constitution demands that you act without partisan inclinations,” Mr Lukyamuzi added. The country has been facing power outages for the past few months as electricity distributor Umeme initially deployed a 12-hour load-shedding schedule before introducing a 24-hour total blackout schedule. Riot police were called into action last week to quell a violent demonstration staged by city traders protesting the blackouts. In blocking Mr Lukyamuzi, however, Mr Kaweesi said the country had recently experienced politically inspired “riots” and violence, and argued that some unscrupulous individuals may “hijack” the MPs “would be peaceful” demonstration “like it was during the July 2007 Mabira incident.” Mr Lukyamuzi also cited a 2008 Constitutional Court petition: Muwanga Kivumbi Vs Attorney General 2008), stating that court “over-ruled the contents of section 32(2) of the Police Act and held that the said provision is unconstitutional. Police, pursuant to that ruling, no longer has powers to stop a procession or demonstration in anticipation because it has the ability to intervene in any situation where it senses breach of peace.” The MP said patients were dying in hospital due to power cuts while businesses have come to a standstill. mnalugo@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/632970-why-don-t-poll-offenders-go-to-jail.html","content":" - By vision reporters In modern democracies, when people breach electoral laws, they are expected to bow out of office voluntarily. CLICK HERE FOR FULL STORY"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/OpEd/Letters/-/806314/874554/-/2tux1cz/-/index.html","content":"Why carry AK47 to the mudslide scene? - Daily Monitor of Thursday carried a picture of an AK47 wielding President Museveni consoling Bududa landslide victims. There are people who usually go overboard when the President is criticised. However, when did guns ever stop landslides? I cannot figure out why the Head of State went to Bududa with a gun. James Taylor Mwesigwa,Kampala"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/-/688334/1275944/-/bgs0krz/-/index.html","content":"Tourism probe wants Rukundo punished - Kampala Prof. George Kanyeihamba recommended action against ex-minister of state for Tourism Serapio Rukundo as one of the officials implicated in the findings of the mismanagement of funds in the protected areas. Released early this month by the Protected Areas Management and Sustainable Use (PAMSU) Commission chairperson, Justice Kanyeihamba, the report details investigations on how money was allegedly misused between 2002 and 2008. Uganda borrowed $38m (Shs108b) from the World Bank, repayable with interest and spent another Shs17 billion of taxpayers’ money on the project. According to the report, most of the money was stolen by Tourism officials, accounting officers, managers, operators, consultants and supervisors. Tourism officials are also accused of neglecting their supervisory role of Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA). The report has since called for the prosecution of former Permanent Secretary Julius Onen, former UWA Executive Director Moses Mapesa and its current head, Dr Andrew Seguya. In the latest development, Prof. Kanyeihamba on Friday said Mr Rukundo’s name was inadvertently omitted from the commission’s recommendations on individuals who are suspected of having committed offences. “The omission is regretted. Please insert this correction in the appropriate slot of the copy of the report you possess,” reads a notice titled “Erratum.” Mr Rukundo was named under group ‘D’ jointly with Mr Kalanguka Kayondo and Presidential Adviser on Media John Nagenda on caution for inefficiency, disregard of rules of engagement and lack of such a sense of responsibility. However, Mr Rukundo dismissed the report, saying he was not directly involved in the tourism sector. “There were a number of departments in one ministry but each worked independently and I was exclusively in industry.” The PAMSU also implicates the current sector minister, Prof. Ephraim Kamuntu, in alleged economic crimes and breach of the Leadership Code. However, Prof. Kamuntu and Dr Seguya dismissed the report findings accusing the committee of failing to follow the legal procedure. The minister and the UWA boss said the committee did not give them a hearing as required by law. Prof. Kanyeihamba told the media in Kampala that the two officials lied to the public because they are not supposed to possess their current offices after the recommendations. Recorded evidence“We have the recordings where Prof. Kamuntu is testifying but he is abusing the courtesy we gave him to testify in camera. Can you imagine Dr Seguya who voluntarily appeared before the probe and forged is also denying?” said the retired Justice. But Prof. Kamuntu denied appearing before the commission. The Commission has, however, been riddled with accusations and counter accusations since its mandate expired in July, with officials at the Tourism ministry and UWA vowing to challenge the findings and recommendations of the PAMSU commission of inquiry report. Former Trade and Tourism Minister Kahinda Otafiire instituted the probe to investigate allegations of misuse of funds and the quality and cost of infrastructure development concerning the funds managed by UWA in the billions’ PAMSU project. ekasozi@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/-/688334/1275168/-/bgs6sjz/-/index.html","content":"Minister dismisses Kanyeihamba report - Tourism and Wildlife Minister Prof. Ephraim Kamuntu yesterday dismissed the report findings by a probe committee on the mismanagement of funds in the protected areas, saying it did not follow the legal procedure during inquiry. Rtd Supreme Court Judge Prof. George Kanyeihamba released the report in which he called for the prosecution of former Permanent Secretary Julius Onen, among others. Prof. Kamuntu was implicated over economic crimes and breach of Leadership Code, which could land him into trouble with the Inspector General of Government. “How can you implicate me without giving me chance to explain my side of the story? What was the basis for implicating and recommending for prosecution against me without a hearing?” the minister asked.Prof. Kamuntu said Justice Kanyeihamba has never submitted the report officially to the ministry. “This is violation of my human rights. Prof. Kanyeihamba should apologise to me publicly for failing to perform,” he said after addressing journalists in Kampala about the country’s participation in the concluded World Travel Market in the UK recently. The private sector, civil society and government participated in the world’s biggest tourism exhibition on November 7 to 10, a move which stakeholders said would increase tourist arrivals in the country. Dr Andrew Seguya, the Ag executive director of the Uganda Wildlife Authority, who denied receiving the report, said he was surprised by the report implicating him in a project he was not party too. The report called for prosecution Dr Seguya. “I have all the respect to the commission and Justice Kanyeihamba but I find the report strange because it was compiled in total disregard of the terms of reference. I was not there when the controversial project was being implemented,” he added. The report says millions of dollars in the UWA project were stealthily removed from their offices and tempered with. Prof. Kamuntu said the country’s representatives have agreed to mount an advertising campaign to promote Uganda as a preferred tourist destination focusing on the mountain gorillas, 1,000 bird species and the snow caped ranges of the Rwenzori. “But the issue of electricity is more crucial in determining the income from tourism. Without electricity in the parks, tourists will be scared by darkness,” the minister said.ekasozi@ug.natonmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/OpEd/Letters/Make-stringent-laws-against-counterfeits/-/806314/1401280/-/exavtlz/-/index.html","content":"Make stringent laws against counterfeits - Regarding the story, ‘Weak laws aiding growth of counterfeits’ in the Saturday Monitor of May 5 raises many questions. For instance, if Uganda is the ‘dumping ground of counterfeits and substandard goods’, which are the sources of these commodities that flood the market? There are insinuations that counterfeit and substandard goods could be coming from some Asian countries. This is the view which is dominant among Ugandans. However, to solve this very big problem, there is need for Parliament to legislate punitive fines and other forms of stringent punishments that should be meted on the culprits. Customs and other relevant agencies should be empowered to maintain strict border checks and controls. Besides, UNBS should make regular checks on the market and arrest errant suspects to limit such items. Online reader,qujinwei@yahoo.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/-/688334/1371298/-/aws7hdz/-/index.html","content":"MPs demand report on undelivered bicycles - Members of parliament have tasked government to table a situational report on the steps taken to recover the money in the botched bicycle deal and the fate of the named players. Mbarara municipality member of parliament Medard Bitekyerezo wondered why government has taken long to prosecute the people implicated in the scandal and why no report on how far the House resolutions on the matter have been implemented has ever been brought to parliament. “The minister of local government promised to come back here to tell the House how far they have gone but this has not been done. He just told us that the Director CID finalized the investigation but now what has happened to the implicated people,” Bitekyerezo said. “For us to keep coming here and indict people and a few days later we see them putting on white in town is really bad! That’s why they call us a rumbling parliament.” In 2010 government advertised a tender for the supply and distribution of over 70000 bicycles, meant for LC1 chairmen all over the country, worth shs5 billion. The tender was later awarded to Aitel limited, a company which was registered only seven days after the advertisement. The bicycles were never delivered. While considering the report on the ministerial policy statement of the Ministry of Local Government, parliament ordered the line committee to investigate the matter. In its report, the committee recommended that government seeks legal redress from courts of law to recover the USD1.719m plus damages, costs and interest from Aitel for breach of contract. It also recommended that officials and others involved in brokering the deal be prosecuted for abuse of taxpayers’ money. The named include Local Government Permanent Secretary Kashaka Muhanguzi, Bank of Uganda senior officials and businessman Patrick Bagarukayo. The PS and a number of officials have since been interdicted. But in his defense before Parliament, Adolf Mwesigye, the minister for Local Government, said prosecution of the indicted people should be done by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Attorney General. “ Mwesigye said: “I have asked for a report from the CID and I have never seen it. So the minister of internal affairs should come and be given a chance to comment. I do not have any power to decide whether or not to prosecute any one in this country.” The Internal Affairs minister was not in Parliament to comment. The Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga, directed the ministers responsible to bring an extensive situational report to Parliament. iimaka@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/-/688334/1369664/-/ax93r9z/-/index.html","content":"Final court allows NSSF to amend Alcon appeal - Kampala The National Social Security Fund yesterday recorded a major breakthrough after the Supreme Court allowed the Fund to amend the pleadings in the appeal that seeks to overturn the award of $8.9 million (about Shs22 billion) to Alcon International Ltd in connection with the construction of Workers House. A panel of five judges led by Chief Justice Benjamin Odoki allowed the NSSF application to incorporate information to indicate that the fund signed the contract with Alcon International, incorporated in Kenya and not a Ugandan firm that was awarded Shs22b, including interest over the construction of Workers House. Other Justices on the panel are Christine Kitumba, John Wilson Tsekooko, Bart Katureebe and Esther Mayambala Kisaakye. “Applicant is allowed to amend pleadings. Hearing of the appeal is adjourned,” held Justice Odoki prompting an objection by Alcon lawyers led by Enos Tumusiime. Court has set April 12 and 13 for the hearing the case in which workers are struggling to defend the award of the pending $8.9m, with 6 per cent interest. The court decision was prompted by the arguments of State Attorney Patricia Mutesi, saying the proposed amendments would necessitate court to properly determine the 14-year-old case before the country’s highest appellate court. “The respondent asserted a cause of action for breach of contract by describing itself as a company with which the applicant (NSSF) had entered contract and co-financing agreement for erection of a building. But its directors while registering their company engaged in acts which are considered criminal under the Ugandan law,” argued Ms Mutesi. She asked: “What are the implications of the findings and validity of the award? Did the complaining party have the right to sue? And the arbitral award was fraudulently procured hence the need to seek court determination.” However, Mr Tumusiime had objected to the amendment, saying the issues were being raised in a wrong place. “This is an old case where the applicant (NSSF) is smuggling in new evidence at the late hour, ” he said. AmendmentAccording to the amended appeal, NSSF contends that the justices of the appeal court erred in law in upholding an arbitral award of damages for breach of contract to the construction firm in the absence of the cause of action against them. Ms Mutesi explained that the amendment provides a concise and accurate reading for the court to easily determine the matter. NSSF contracted Alcon International, a firm incorporated in Kenya, to build the Workers House. In May 1998, NSSF cancelled Alcon’s contract, accusing it of stalling work, escalating the project’s cost from its original $21m to $35m and sub-contracting a third party without its knowledge. Alcon sued NSSF for breach of contract and was awarded $8.9m in 2001. But the Fund later protested and lost at the High Court, giving rise to the appeal which was dismissed with costs in 2010. editorial@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/Business/Prosper/-/688616/1369280/-/bomksp/-/index.html","content":"Uganda’s meat export market under threat - Uganda’s hopes of developing the country’s meat industry now hang in balance following the breach of a key export deadline. If appropriate measures had been taken, Uganda would started exporting its meat to the European Union and Middle East by 2011. In 2007, Uganda partnered with the Norwegian government with an aim of developing the industry as it sought to venture into the lucrative overseas market the country’s dreams have been hurt by bureaucracy. Nortura BA, a Norwegian meat- company, which was to assist Ugandan meat dealers to develop the industry with the hope of exporting. Mr Sam Kizito in an interview with Prosper said: “There were misunderstandings within the ministry regarding, which region to start with, which is why we do not have disease control centres till now. This negatively impacted on the country’s livestock.” In the partnership, Nortura BA was among other things supposed establish cooperatives amongst the farmers to boost production of quality meat; control disease spreading which is a major challenge to the industry and also set-up modern abattoirs in the different districts in the cattle corridor.Currently the most worrying issue about the industry is the dwindling number of livestock due to the high mortality rate, which has seen many animals die at a tender age mainly from various diseases. He says, out of the close to 13 million heads of cattle in the country, 10 per cent of them die before maturity stage. “This leaves many ranches cleared of animals, thus hindering our would be export potential,” Mr Kizito said. Experts say, the meat consumed within the country and the little exported comes from a small fraction of farmers who are committed to producing animals for meat. The remaining 92 per cent are cattle keepers who want to either keep their cattle for other domestic use, prestige or for milk. It is believed between the years 2000-2007, the meat market was attractive as it was growing, faster than production which is not the case today. “The market is no longer big and it is not growing as fast, yet the cost of maintaining these animals is very expensive,” Mr Kizito told Prosper. In 2008, in a census by Uganda National Bureau of Statistics recorded about 13 million heads of cattle but out of them, less than a quarter is put out for sale. This too has had its negative effect the development of the industry. This is why even in the East African region, Uganda’s meat production is rated lowest, at 8 per cent.What is more disturbing is that government has not conducted any research and there are inadequate efforts going towards improvement of the local breeds. Mr Kizito said: “Even the few animals we have today that can be proudly talked about are the imported breeds like the Burans and Friesians. All our local breeds are almost extinct”. He attributes this to lack of incentives which has denied the country demonstration farms, breeding ranches, pesticides and disease control measures. However, hope is not all lost as the private companies like Top Cuts, Fresh Cuts and Ugachic have managed to penetrate the regional export market with some modest exports. The low export rate compared to other regions is also blamed on the poor state of the abattoirs. Ugandan abattoirs have been rated among the poorest in hygiene and the slaughter houses’ conditions leave a lot to be desired."}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/OpEd/Letters/-/806314/1368292/-/11ext2r/-/index.html","content":"The fight against corruption should move beyond demand for evidence - I applaud the 9th Parliament for its zeal to fight corruption and restore sanity in public institutions. We have seen MPs struggle to expose and eliminate corruption in the country. Their initiation of a process to impeach the President is the latest move in that direction. After analysing carefully circumstances surrounding corruption scandals and the public officials who have been cleared of any wrongdoing, these questions arise: When is a person deemed to be corrupt? When does one abuse office? What is the most convincing definition of abuse of office? The fight against corruption should move beyond demand for evidence. It should include demanding for accountability (even where one has not fulfilled their contractual obligations). It obvious that a person who engages in corruption do not do so openly. If your employer entrusted you to look after his 100 cattle and some are discovered to be missing years later, it should not matter whether you sold them or they were stolen. All you should do is to be held to account. Regarding the plot to impeach the President, the movers say “the President has dishonestly done acts and omissions prejudicial to the economy and security of Uganda.” But do the reasons given tantamount to a breach of oath of allegiance, misbehaviour or misconduct? How do we define misbehavior and misconduct? If the judicial system has failed to define abuse of office to convict the corrupt, will the tribunal define misconduct and misbehaviour? The tribunal might fail to justify that the President has misbehaved or committed acts of misconduct. In this case, Article 107 will make it difficult for MPs to impeach the even if they get the required signatures. Still, not all will be lost. The anti-corruption crusaders should continue to play their role of exposing corruption, bad governance and poor leadership to the citizens and the world. The anti-corruption MPs will in future, when the country fails its citizens, stand out from the crowd and say “we warned you.” What is most interesting but not surprising about the impeachment plot is the near total silence by the ruling NRM party MPs, Amidst all the public outcry against corruption, poor service delivery, mismanagement of public resources, and the huge expenditure on public administration, among others, one wonders what rings in the minds of NRM legislators. Both NRM and opposition legislators should not lose focus. They should demand that public officials account for their individual actions. They should not be allowed to hide behind the ‘no evidence’ curtains. This is the only sure way to end corruption in this country. Annet Murungi Waabo,Fort Portal"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/OpEd/Editorial/-/689360/1368268/-/am3lw6/-/index.html","content":"Government silence on NSSF woes is bad - Somehow the woes plaguing the National Social Security Fund don’t seem to have a cure and every something new seems to pop up even before the old scars are healed. A city lawyer who has represented the Fund for over a decade in its case against construction firm Alcon Uganda wants to be paid Shs30b, including interest. His claim is based on legal services rendered over the years that were abruptly terminated in 2010. But while that is on the cards, The Supreme Court is set to hear an application tomorrow by NSSF seeking permission to insert new information in its appeal over the case with Alcon, the company that claims to have constructed Workers House. NSSF claims it signed a contract with Alcon International incorporated in Kenya and not Alcon International incorporate in Uganda even though for the last 14 years, it has been embroiled in a legal battle with the latter, which was also awarded $8.9m against NSSF for breach of contract. When a new managing director was appointed to the Fund in 2010, it was received with a sigh of relief following serious financial and management scandals that characterised the previous management. The government has been conspicuously silent on the problems facing NSSF, especially the Alcon case, which has raised public concern that some bureaucrats and technocrats within government could be part of a stealth scheme to defraud workers of their money. The government must find within itself the authority to protect its citizen’s resources by exposing any possible fraudsters. The current two cases of Alcon and that of Dr Joseph Byamugisha, the former NSSF legal representative, have the potential to seriously deplete the Fund’s accounts. While both Alcon and Byamugisha could have genuine arguments, the government must see itself as the bigger loser as well if the cases go against NSSF. More than 250,000 Ugandans have their life-savings held up in NSSF and the government has a greater responsibility to these than two entities seeking compensation."}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/-/688334/1367396/-/axajo9z/-/index.html","content":"City lawyer wants Shs30b from NSSF - In a move that is likely to risk workers’ savings, city advocate Joseph Byamugisha has handed the National Social Security Fund a whooping Shs30 billion bill for legal services he rendered for a case that now spans more than a decade. Dr Byamugisha has made a formal demand for payment for representing NSSF in its protracted 14-year legal battle against Alcon International, including interest accrued over the years, but NSSF lawyers have dismissed the bill as “exorbitant”. Various courtsThrough his lawyers MMAKS Advocates, Dr Byamugisha has filed client bills before various courts, demanding a total of Shs31.2 billion as bills for instruction fees for leading counsel in the highly-charged and complex NSSF versus Alcon appeal case. The development may not come as a welcome surprise to the bulk of Uganda’s working citizens whose monthly contributions of about Shs40b inform NSSF’s net portfolio, now in excess of Shs2 trillion. On Wednesday, the worker’s Fund through attorneys Ms Kasirye, Byaruhanga and Co. Advocates, formally told the Supreme Court, which is currently assessing a Shs 9 billion bill of costs Dr Byamugisha filed for services executed at the court, that the advocate’s bill is downright “exorbitant.” The lawyers also argued that the Supreme Court does not have the necessary jurisdiction to handle Advocate-client bills, as the practice has rendered that function to the High Court. However, Court set March 29 as the date to determine Dr Byamugisha’s payment demands. In May 2010, Dr Byamugisha was unceremoniously withdrawn as the Fund’s external lawyer handling the Alcon case and replaced by Kenyan lawyer Prof. Githu Muigai who also withdrew from the case after he was appointed Attorney General of Kenya. The NSSF management did not give any reasons for Dr Byamugisha’s withdrawal but it is understood the current Board and management were not happy with the pleadings he filed in the appeal. It is understood that the apparent unavailability of Prof. Muigai allegedly caused a friction between top managers at the Fund over which lawyer should be hired, leaving Mr Godfrey Lule as the last man standing of three lawyers who had been assembled to represent NSSF. The court case dates as far back as 1998, after Alcon International, a construction firm, sued NSSF for wrongful termination of a contract to build the multibillion shillings Workers House in Kampala and demanded $28 million (about Shs67 billion) in compensation. An arbitration process ensued, reducing the compensation claims to $8.8million (about Shs19 billion) although NSSF still disputes the figures. On Monday, the Supreme Court will hear an application by NSSF seeking to amend their appeal pleadings to incorporate the argument that the contract to construct Workers House had been handed to a subsidiary of Alcon International in Kenya, and not its Ugandan entity, which eventually sued the fund and claimed compensation for breach of contract. ekasozi@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/-/688334/1367400/-/axaj4xz/-/index.html","content":"Firm sues UBC over breach of contract for Bugolobi estate - A real estate company has sued the Uganda Broadcasting Corporation for allegedly breaching a contract to develop a residential and commercial estate on a 46-acre land in Bugolobi, a Kampala suburb. Palmcroft Limited, a Middle East-based real estate developer, reportedly signed a joint venture deal with UBC for construction of the estate worth over $100 million (about Shs250b) in 2006. Through his attorneys Muwema & Mugerwa Advocates, the developer is seeking cancellation of the leasing of 22 acres of the land in question to six other developers. The developer claims he was tasked to prepare a feasibility study, provide the idea, concept, design study for constructing and marketing the project. The company was reportedly also charged with arranging financing and managing the project according to plan. Palmcroft Ltd alleges that UBC breached the agreement when they refused to provide the information needed by the architect, thereby stubbornly failing to perform its obligations under the memorandum of understanding. Allegation“The defendant (UBC) has over the years in total disregard of the memorandum, entered into agreements to lease parts of the suit land and attempted to dispose it of through public sale,” reads part of the complaint filed yesterday before the Commercial Division of the High Court. The plaintiff is seeking a permanent injunction restraining UBC from dealing with and or disposing of the suit land. The developer seeks to retain the land to develop the estate or alternatively be compensated $500m (about Shs120b) for loss of business. Court has summoned UBC to file their defence within 15 days. This is the second case filed against UBC in less than two weeks seeking compensation in connection with the Bugolobi land. Last week, UBC was summoned to file defence against a claim by a city advocate over the outstanding payment of legal fees amounting to over Shs529m it allegedly owes to the law firm. Paul Muhimbura of Muhimbura and Co Advocates is accusing the State broadcaster of engaging his legal services to secure and convey into its names several plots of land that had been taken over by private developers and encroachers but did not pay him. ekasozi@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/-/688334/1366036/-/axbbi4z/-/index.html","content":"Govt drafts new media Bill - The government has drafted a new Bill aimed at regulating broadcasters and telecommunication service providers in the country. The new Bill titled: “The Uganda Communications Regulatory Authority Bill, 2012” further tightens licence procedures for radio and television and prohibits any broadcasting which infringes upon the privacy of any individual or which contains false information. New laws The Bill, a copy Daily Monitor has seen, seeks among others, to consolidate the laws regulating communications in the country into one single body— the Uganda Communications Regulatory Authority. The Authority, under the leadership of the Minister in-charge of Information and Communications Technology, reserves the right to modify the licences at will, including limiting the area of reach. A person aggrieved by a decision of the Authority may appeal to the minister. “The Authority may suspend or revoke a licence issued under (the proposed legislation) in case there is serious and repeated breach of the licence conditions; any fraud or international misrepresentation by the operator applying for a licence; where the operator is engaged in or is supporting activities amounting to treasonable offence under the Penal Code Act or where the operator has ceases to be an eligible person,” the Bill reads in part. Junior Information and Communications Technology Minister Nyombi Thembo tried to table the Bill but was blocked due to the absence of the certificate of financial implication. If approved by Parliament, the authority headed by a director general, will become the official regulator of Uganda’s communications, broadcasting and postal services sector. The Bill is expected to dissolve Uganda Communications Commission and merge Electronic Media Act and the Broadcasting Council. Section 33 of the draft Bill makes it compulsory for every person with a television set to register it with the Authority. Under the provision for licensing of TVs, a person who contravenes this section commits an offence and is liable, on conviction, to a fine not exceeding two and half currency points (Shs50,000) or imprisonment of not less than one month or both. A person licensed by the Authority to install or operate a television station, radio station or communications apparatus shall, within 14 days after obtaining the licence, register the station or apparatus with the Media Council established under the Press and Journalist Act. Other legislations This is not the only legislation seen to curtail media freedoms in the country. The newspapers have not been spared either. Cabinet is also fine-tuning the Press and Journalist (Amendment) Bill, 2010, which contains several provisions that would further erode press freedom and free expression in Uganda. For instance, the proposal to expand the powers of the Media Council to include registering and licensing newspapers (on annual basis) has been criticised as uncalled for. There is also a proposal to change the composition of the Media Council and have the minister of information appointing six of the 12 members without consultation. ymugerwa@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/-/688334/1360998/-/axfa7nz/-/index.html","content":"Museveni to meet PAC again over compensation scam - The Public Accounts Committee is expected to question President Museveni on his role in the loss of about Shs40 billion in taxpayers’ money paid to anonymous company directors in another compensation scandal. Sources told Daily Monitor that President Museveni called PAC chairman Kassiano Wadri on Sunday and wanted to meet the committee yesterday to discuss Dura Cement compensation scandal and other accountability issues.However, Mr Wadri reportedly told the President that the committee can only meet him today. “We are not going to take tea at State House,” Mr Wadri said. “We are going for business. I cannot give you details but what you should take from me is that we are going to discuss issues of national importance.” Important issuesHe added: “When issues of accountability come up, I trust my members they will tell the President the truth.”Today’s meeting at State House Entebbe is a follow-up to another meeting the President had last week with a group of ruling party members on the committee in which he reportedly asked the legislators to go slow on Dura Cement Ltd. Information before PAC indicates that Mr Museveni cancelled the contract in a May 7, 2007 letter to the then Energy and Mineral Development Minister Daudi Migereko. PAC, in its draft report wants Mr Migereko to take political responsibility for the loss incurred and President Museveni pinned. “The President wants to meet PAC members to discuss issues of Dura Cement Ltd where we lost billions of shillings,” a source said.“He does not wish to see another minister asked to resign because of corruption. I am also told that he wants to clarify on some things before we take our report to Parliament. We have already discussed and agreed to go to State House tomorrow at 9am,” the source added. Sources told Daily Monitor that the President wants to defend himself from the accusations that he authorised the payments. Mr Migereko, who is now in charge of the Lands docket, and other technocrats in the Solicitor General’s office, told PAC that the President had a hand in the loss. Information before PAC shows that UPDF trading arm and National Enterprises Corporation, signed a mining contract with Dura Cement Limited in 2007 but was cancelled on orders of President Museveni, citing national interest. The contract was later given to Hima Cement Ltd, which owns a factory at Hima in Kasese District. “We don’t want the President to say we did not give him the opportunity to be heard,” MP Theodore Ssekikubo said. When government cancelled the deal, the company first demanded $103 million (about Shs268 billion) before it was reduced to $14.6 million (about Shs40 billion) and eventually paid Shs37.7 billion through unclear circumstances. The outcome of today’s meeting with the President, will only serve to question the President’s involvement in endless compensation scandals. In one of the letters tabled before PAC, Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi received a letter from former State Minister for Finance, Mr Mathew Rukikaire, in which they discussed the matter. 1 | 2 Next Page»The compensation originMr Rukikaire told Mr Mbabazi, who was the State Minister for Defence then, that the raw materials in the area be used to sustain Hima Cement factory. It was this intervention that led to the cancellation of Dura contract for limestone mining and the deal was awarded to Hima Cement. Dura sued the government for breach of contract and took away $16 million (about Shs40 billion) in disputed compensation claims. ymugerwa@ug.nationmedia.com « Previous Page 1 | 2"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/-/688334/1356694/-/axwpjfz/-/index.html","content":"Ministry pulls down website after hackers post Besigye photo - KAMPALA The website of the Ministry of Works has been pulled down after a hacker posted a picture of FDC leader Kizza Besigye seated on a stool in a rather pensive mood. The image stayed superimposed on the site for several hours yesterday until authorities shut down the website at about 5pm. It is the second time in as many months that the website has been hacked into and pulled down as a result. Web visitors had been greeted by a post on the site’s front page that read: “Welcome to Ministry of Hackers and Jobless Ugandans Republic of Uganda.” Works ministry’s Senior Information Scientist Isaac Ojok admitted in an interview that he was dumbfounded by the hack job. “I really don’t understand this. I have just seen this,” he said. “I have escalated the issue and contacted the people who host us.” It is understood that local firm, Uganda Home Pages, manages the ministry’s website, as well as several other government sites. The Ministry of Works website was redesigned in August 2011 after being hacked into a few months earlier. A hacker going by name Kaka Argentine posted a photo of Adolf Hitler with a Nazi party symbol on his chest on the State House website in May 2010. A year earlier, hackers calling themselves “the Ayyildiz team” posted pro-Palestine items on the website of the Ministry of Defence, accusing Israel of killing innocent Palestinians. No one has since claimed responsibility for the Works site hacking. “It is beyond our responsibility,” said Mr Ojok, when asked how the hackers were able to breach the website. “The database is not with us. It is with our service providers.” “They called us and we are sorting this out,” said an official at Uganda Home Pages who could only identify himself as Ernest. Officials at the National Information and Communication Technology Authority (NITA) admitted that it would be difficult to apprehend the hackers. “That is one of the biggest challenges,” said NITA spokesperson Charlotte Ampaire. “The hackers may not even be in Uganda.” egyezaho@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/-/688334/1333236/-/b07yknz/-/index.html","content":"Pioneer Easy Bus officials to harmonise Contractual obligations with KCCA - Proprietors of Pioneer Easy Bus Limited (PEB) Wednesday agreed to meet Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) officials and come up with a harmonized position regarding their contractual obligations with the authority. The officials while appearing before the Parliamentary Public Service and Local government committee probing into the validity of PEB contract said they will meet KCCA, with whom they entered a concessionaire agreement and sort out the current predicaments before the scheduled Friday meeting of all the stakeholders. Their reaction was provoked by calls from the legislators to review the contract they signed with KCCA as per the contractual terms and bring on board concerns raised by other stakeholders before they can roll out the buses. “We shall engage our partners in KCCA and come up with a harmonized position come this Friday. In the meantime we shall not operate in any area before we consult the leaders there,” said Mr Fred Senoga, the buses’ Executive director. The officials had earlier insisted they have a valid contract with KCCA and that come first March, buses will be rolled out to the designated lanes.The private company’s legal advisor Mr John Baptist Kakooza said PEB had not received a notification from KCCA that they had breached any contract.“There is a requirement in the law for the other party to review and serve us with a notice but they have not and we are continuing with our planned activities,” said Mr Kakooza. There is a requirement in the agreement for KCCA to assess the performance of Pioneer Easy Bus and review their contract incase of breach.PEB contract expired in December last year but is subject to a renewal term of 5 years by KCCA. Last week, Parliament questioned the rollout of the services in Kampala, Wakiso and Mukono districts following inquiries into whether its contract was valid. The parliamentary investigations followed a petition by the Kiira, Nansana, Mukono and Entebbe local councils, who were led by the Mukono Municipality MP, Ms Betty Nambooze. KCCA admitted before the committee on Tuesday that the contract they signed with PEB needs to be reviewed urgently before the buses can carry out operations in the city. The Executive Director, Ms Jennifer Musisi said on Tuesday that the authority and PEB management are willing to make amendments to the contract.The legislators insisted Wednesday that PEB should have the routes gazzeted to ensure that the required infrastructure is put in place. “When you said you have a valid contract, it means you will operate in other areas without negotiating with the authorities there and also run on an un-reviewed contract. Its unreasonable,” said Mr Raphael Magezi, the committee vice chairperson. Mr Roland Mugume,(Rukungiri Municipality) said PEB must allow authorities carry out sensitization on implementation of the services to be rendered before they can roll out. Nambooze said all the stakeholders must be consulted before the buses can begin work. Meanwhile PEB management said Wednesday that they shall not phase out commuter taxis (Kamunye) but will compete with them. They dismissed allegations that they were fronted by some ministers to carry out the bus services. “The issue of playing around with people’s names isn’t right. This company was founded by me who looked for partners,” Mr Senoga clarified on Wednesday."}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/World/-/688340/1332258/-/1221kk5/-/index.html","content":"Tanzania power company loses $66m appeal case - The High Court has rejected a petition by Tanzania Electric Supply Company Limited (Tanesco), seeking permission to appeal against an order to pay $65.8 million (about TShs105.3b) to Dowans Tanzania Ltd. Justice Fauz Twaib on Monday said Tanesco did not use the right law in applying for permission to challenge the original order. Tanesco got a lifeline, however, when the judge ruled that it was free to use other sections of the law to challenge the payment order. The application that was struck out springs from a judgment delivered in September last year by the High Court, which dismissed Tanesco’s first effort to get out of paying the $65.8 million. The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Arbitral Tribunal of November 2010 ordered Tanesco to pay Dowans Holdings SA (Costa Rica) and Dowans Tanzania Limited $65.8 million for breach of a contract for emergency power generation. The judge ordered that the ICC’s award be formally registered and be a decree of the court. Tanesco responded in October last year by filing an application to go on to the Court of Appeal in its appeal. But on Monday, Justice Twaib said: “The application is superfluous and I need not to consider it. The remedy is to strike it out.” According to the judge, Tanesco did not need permission to appeal against the decision. Monday’s decision must have come as a great relief for Tanesco, which has vigorously attempted to block the order for many months now. Tanesco’s lawyer Alex Nguluma, said they were happy with the decision as it indirectly gave them what they were seeking. The firm will soon be filing the case in the Court of Appeal. At the hearing of the application, Dowans’ lawyer Kennedy Fungamtama asked the court to dismiss the application, arguing it could not be maintained since the judgment against which the appeal was being sought was not open to appeal, with or without leave of the court. According to Mr Fungamtama, Tanesco would be entitled to appeal if it could at least claim that the decree was in excess of the award or was not in accordance with the award. He further argued that Tanesco only intended to seek a further opportunity to challenge the ICC award and to permit the appeal would be tantamount to creating a right of appeal by implication. Justice Twaib nevertheless agreed with Tanesco that some sections of the law could be applied to appeal against the decision."}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/Sports/Soccer/-/690266/1328562/-/n9n90j/-/index.html","content":"Cranes defender Kizito officially calls time on international football career - KAMPALA After allowing his mind to wonder back and forth, Uganda Cranes left back Nisteroy Kizito has officially retired from international football. A statement from Fufa indicates the former Partzan Belgrade player wrote to the local soccer body on February 9 informing them of his decision. “I am very happy for the last ten years I have played for the Cranes and I wish to inform you that I shall keep supporting this national team,” Kizito, who has been a Cranes international since 2001, is quoted on the Fufa website. “I wish to thank the federation, my fellow players and the team officials for the support towards my career in football,” he added. Kizito, 29, featured in all but one of the six 2012 Nations Cup qualifying matches, forming a formidable backline that conceded just two goals in the entire campaign. He hinted on retirement after the October 8 disappointment in which Uganda failed to breach the Kenya Harambee Stars defence. The scoreless stalemate ensured Uganda failed to secure a slot at the just concluded Africa Cup of Nations despite leading Group J going into the last round of qualification matches. Stylish surgesKizito featured for SC Villa from 2000–2004 with whom he won four league titles before playing for Serbian side; FK Srem between 2004 and 2005 where he scored two goals in 21 appearances. He later played for Vojvodina from 2005–2010 scoring once in 112 appearances. He fell out with his last club Serbia Partizan Belgrade late last year and is now a free agent. Known for his stylish surges forward and calm defending, he first appeared in national colours in 2000 for Uganda B side when the country hosted the Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup. He has no goals for the Cranes. Kizito has left behind under studies in Habib Kavuma, Alex Kakuba and Godfrey Walusimbi. ckyazze@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/Business/Markets/-/688606/1327936/-/t4nuje/-/index.html","content":"Proposed Building Control Bill to rid industry of quacks - Builders and contractors who breach the law shall be subjected to stringent penalties if the government goes ahead to pass the newly proposed Building Control Bill into law. While luanching the Alps Group offices in Kajjansi, Wakiso District, Eng Abraham Byandala, the minister of Works, said with a draft bill now in place, it was up to the Parliament to debate it and pass it into law. Alps Group was founded in 2005 as an engineering works and construction firm. Eng Byandala said the Bill would help to assess the performance of contractors and control unprofessional conduct, which has seen a number of buildings collapse. The Bill will require that companies employ professionals instead of employing people with little or no knowledge in the construction business. The building industry has for years struggled to rid itself of unprofessional and quack contractors, blamed for the rot in the construction sector. Several buildings have collapsed due to unprofessional conduct and have claimed a number of lives and property. Just last year seven people were injured and several property, including three cars, destroyed when a building under construction but partly occupied by tenants collapsed in Bukoto, a Kampala suburb. Mr Twaha Ssonko, the Alps managing director asked the government to speedily pass the Bill into law in order to protect the construction industry from quacks. The approved Bill demands that a person whose negligence causes or results into an accident on a construction site resulting into death of people and destruction of property commits an offence and is liable to imprisonment of up to 12 years. mnalugo@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/-/688334/1324722/-/b0sp9iz/-/index.html","content":"Investment authority in the spotlight over land giveaway - The Uganda Investment Authority is in the spotlight after reportedly illegally giving away five acres of land in Kasese District to a Cabinet minister and failing to recruit a new executive director. According to documents, Bukonjo Mixed Farmers, a company that belongs to Defence Minister Crispus Kiyonga, wrote to UIA on September 24, 2010, asking for land in Kasese Industrial Park to set up a fruit processing factory.“We are desirous of quickly moving on to construct the civil works for the factory. Accordingly, we would like to request you to cut out a five acre plot so that we start construction works,” reads the letter. However, former UIA boss Maggie Kigozi, replied that environment impact assessment studies of the park had started; therefore, Bukonjo Mixed Farmers would be notified when plot allocation starts. She, however, left office before the allocation started. It has, however, now emerged that the acting Executive Director, Mr Tom Buringuriza, gave the land to Bukonjo Mixed Farmers without consulting the UIA contracts committee. According to the committee’s minutes for a October 18, 2011 meeting, the giveaway of land to Dr Kiyonga did not adhere to procurement and disposal procedures because there was no board of directors’ resolution. There was also no bid notice, no bidding document, no evaluation team and no approval by the contracts committee among other anomalies. “This is a breach of both the PPDA regulations 2003 and the UIA manual for procurement and disposal of investment land under PPDA regulations… The contracts committee will not be liable for this mis-procurement and disposal of land,” reads the minute. Mr Buringuriza defended himself against the allegations. “The board resolution is there and the land department originated a paper which passed through the board audit committee,” he told Sunday Monitor yesterday. Sunday Monitor has seen a copy of the board minute that directed Mr Buringuriza to give the land to Kiyonga. Mr Buringuriza added: “I did not do anything without the contracts committee and it is strange that they behaved like that. They blocked it and we have stopped there. Kiyonga has no land and we have agreed to follow procedure.”This, however, raises question why, if procedure was followed in the first instance, should the process be taken through the same procedure again. He also disclosed that he was facing problems because he insists on transparency at UIA. “When I came in, UIA had nine bank accounts without reconciliation. People used to carry money for workshops in their bags,” Mr Buringuriza said. Sunday Monitor has seen internal memos that show some investment authority staff claiming money for suppliers who include themselves. cobore@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/-/688334/1318472/-/b1cj43z/-/index.html","content":"MPs want UMI bosses sacked - Members of the African Parliamentarians Network against Corruption- Uganda Chapter (APNAC) have petitioned Education Minister Jessica Alupo over allegations of corruption at Uganda Management Institute (UMI). In a January 31 letter signed by their chairperson Gerald Karuhanga, APNAC members have demanded that the institute’s directors be relieved of their duties for abetting irregularities which include lopsided appointments, abuse of office and corruption at the institute. Mr Karuhanga said in September 2008, the board of UMI Council illegally appointed Mr Kasozi Mulindwa as the director of programmes and student affairs. The same council reportedly renewed his contract for five years without following the legal procedures, in breach of the University and Other Tertiary Institutions Act. While Mr Mulindwa does not have a PhD, it is a requirement for a director of a higher institution under the Act. The Solicitor General had earlier advised the council to have the position advertised and follow the law to avoid legal implications. “This advice was ignored and the council proceeded to appoint Mr Lukonji Bbosa and Mr Kasozi to the positions of Director Finance and Student Affairs respectively,” Mr Karuhanga said. “Besides the appointment of the two directors, the chairman of the council, Mr Kiwanuka, also appointed Mr Christopher Kayima (his son) as an accountant through illegal means in connivance with Dr James Nkata, the Director General and Mr Lukonji,” reads the petition. Dr Nkata yesterday refused to comment on the accusations before reading the petition: “Call me after I have received the petition.” In 2006, then director general, Dr Kiyaga Nsubuga, had made a submission to the council on cost-cutting and budget improvement measures to be adopted by UMI. One of the issues discussed was a vehicle scheme for directors, which was not implemented due to inherent defects. But when Mr Mulindwa took office, he reportedly used his office to resurrect the car scheme. “Mr Mulindwa’s structured guidelines contain hidden implications of fraud, causing loss of public funds amounting to over Shs778m under the Monetized Car Benefits Scheme,” Mr Karuhanga said. Education Minister Jessica Alupo said she has not yet received the petition from Mr Karuhanga: “I received an anonymous petition and I have written to UMI managers to explain what is going on but UMI agreed with the issues in the petition. People must follow the law and as government we don’t compromise issues of integrity and accountability in public institutions.” ymugerwa@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/Sports/Soccer/-/690266/1313640/-/n8x990/-/index.html","content":"Court to determine fate of Fufa bosses - Court will on February 3 determine whether Federation of Uganda Football Association President Lawrence Mulindwa should be charged with forgery in connection with amendment of the Constitution without approval of the general assembly. Ms Silvia Nabaggala, the Chief Magistrate at Buganda Road set the date after defence lawyers led by Mr Alex Lugamba objected to the charges arguing that it was not clear on who drafted the charge sheet. “Court proceeding based on such a charge sheet tamper with my clients’ rights since it is not clear on who accorded private advocates the authority to sign on the charge sheet,” insisted Mr Lugamba while Mr Mulindwa’s co-accused persons, Edgar Watson Suubi the federation Chief Executive Officer and Mr Muhamadi Bazirengedde, the Fufa chairman in charge Legal Standing Committee were appearing for plea taking. Mr Mulindwa, Mr Watson and Mr Bazirengedde were summoned by the court early this month saying there was sufficient evidence against them. The trio is facing three charges of making documents without authority, forgery and making false documents as well as fraud and breach of trust, a case brought by private prosecution by advocates Mulema Mukasa and David Ssempala representing football activists through their body- Save Our Soccer (SOS). It is alleged that the trio made and executed a false document to wit the amended Constitution of Fufa 2010 by adding matters and clauses that were never approved by the federation general assembly. According to the charge sheet, Mr Mulindwa and the two administrators in discharge of their respective offices committed acts of fraud and breach of trust when they included extra contents in the amended constitution of Fufa. It is alleged that the suspected officials prepared or caused to prepare, signed a purported amended constitution of Fufa 2010 and presented it for registration and thereafter presented it to the public as the authentic amended constitution of Fufa 2010. editorial@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/-/688334/1312936/-/b1gl79z/-/index.html","content":"Shell sues Otafiire over breach of contract - KAMPALA Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister Kahinda Otafiire has been sued for allegedly breaching a land lease agreement in which he acted as an agent of another company to seal a deal with Shell Uganda Ltd. Gen. Otafiire, through Benzina (U) Ltd allegedly negotiated a land lease deal with Shell (U) but later failed to honour it. The petroleum company now wants a Shs1.2 billion refund for refusal to deliver land to it which it says resulted in loss of business. “Shell Uganda claim against Otafiire and Benzina company jointly is for an order of specific performance of the lease agreement entered into and in alternative damages for breach of contract and return of Shs1.287b being money he had received, ” reads part of the complaint filed in the Commercial Court on January 18. Benzina (U) Ltd is a private company involved in natural gas and petrochemicals manufacture, supply and distribution in Central and East Africa. The agreementCourt documents show that Shell Uganda entered into a lease agreement with Benzina on November 1, 2011, in respect to land located on Plot 174 in Kawempe Division.The fuel station that was to be run by Shell on the leased plot was meant to have a subsidiary shop, a restaurant, tyre clinic and Select Shop. According to the court documents, under the terms of the lease, the parties agreed that a total consideration of Shs1.37 billion would be payable as ground rent for the full 10-year lease period granted to Shell by Benzina whose agent is named as Gen. Otafiire. In a special resolution of October 24 last year, Benzina is recorded to have appointed Gen. Otafiire as the lead negotiator and also designated him as the person who was mandated to receive the agreed ground rent less withholding tax of Shs1.287 billion. Documents indicate that Shell paid the Shs1.287 billion to Gen. Otafiire’s designated bank account by way of electronic funds transfer through Cairo International Bank on November 9 last year. It is alleged that after Shell effected all the payments, Benzina refused to comply with its obligations under the lease agreement to deliver the land to them. AllegationShell through its attorney alleges that Benzina is responsible for the lost business due to non-use of the fuel station from the date of agreed operation from which they are seeking damages. “Shell Uganda shall claim that Benzina’s refusal to perform its obligations under the lease agreement amounts to a breach of contract for which it holds it responsible,” reads the suit. Court has summoned the minister and the company to defend themselves against the allegations within 20 days from the date Shell’s attorneys filed the suit. awesaka@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/-/688334/1305094/-/b2191wz/-/index.html","content":"UK-based radio denies breach of contract - Kampala The British Broadcasting Corporation has denied any breach in its standing agreement with Uganda’s national broadcaster, saying it is “investigating reports” that its relay transmissions in Kampala, Mbale and Mbarara have been switched off. “The BBC has adhered to the terms of the contract it has with the Ugandan Broadcasting Corporation to broadcast impartial news and current affairs,” said an email statement from Mr Peter Connors, the BBC corporate communications manager. The statement followed investigations from this newspaper in which high-ranking UBC sources said the action against the world’s biggest broadcaster was taken as a result of unpaid dues totaling more than Shs2.4 billion. Police have shut down at least 10 stations so far in the central and western regions, as they continue their countrywide sweep of UBC’s clients. Police Spokesperson Asuman Mugenyi said this week the BBC is among at least two others found to have been using UBC electricity without authorisation to power their private transmitters. UBC spokesperson Jane Kasumba was unable to comment on whether the use of electricity was a breach of contract, but said the national broadcaster is in the process of reviewing its client agreements in the face of the ongoing investigations. The UBC scandal began last month after former Minister for Presidency Kabakumba Masiko bowed to parliamentary pressure and resigned after her private radio station, Kings FM in Masindi, was found to have been illegally using state broadcaster equipment. Although Ms Masiko was accused of abuse of office, the station has since been restored on the airwaves. pcroome@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/Sports/Soccer/-/690266/1303384/-/n8bn3y/-/index.html","content":"Court summons Fufa’s Mulindwa over forgery - Like his predecessor Denis Obua, Fufa president Lawrence Mulindwa has been summoned over fraud in connection with alleged amendment of the constitution without approval of the federation’s general assembly. The summons issued by Buganda Road Court yesterday will definitely draw comparisons with November 2004 when the late Obua was dragged to court, and later jailed for a fortnight, over embezzlement. Obua resigned in February, 2005 but seven years on, the administrative wrangles in local football continue to explode, unabated. Private prosecuting advocates; Mulema Mukasa and David Ssempala are representing football activists, Save Our Soccer (SOS), a pressure group that also led to Obua’s fall. Football pundit Aldrine Nsubuga and SC Villa fans’ coordinator Dennis Mbidde are the known public figures behind SOS. Mulindwa is jointly charged with Fufa Chief Executive Officer Edgar Watson Suubi and Muhamadi Bazirengedde, the Fufa vice-chairman in charge of the Legal Standing Committee. The trio are facing three charges of making documents without authority, forgery and making false documents as well as fraud and breach of trust. “There is a prima facie case against the accused persons (Mulindwa, Watson and Bazirengedde) and they may be charged,” said Magistrate Silvia Nabaggala while directing the trio to appear before court on January 24. Prosecution alleges that on or about August 2010, Mulindwa, Watson and Bazirengedde, with intent to defraud or to deceive and without the lawful authority of the Fufa general assembly or excuse made, signed an amended Constitution of the body and included Articles that were never approved and excluded articles that were not a subject of amendment. Rogers Mulindwa, the Fufa publicist, confirmed receiving the court documents. “But I am surprised that we have delegates in the assembly who cannot recall some of the developments that transpired at the federation,” Mulindwa said. While accusing Uganda Super League (USL) chairman Kavuma Kabenge, who is not a known a public member of SOS but definitely a thorn to Fufa, Mulindwa said: “We are used to the Kabenge style and our lawyers are ready to handle the situation as it comes but the case will not stop him from appearing before the disciplinary committee on Friday.” According to the charge sheet, Mulindwa and the two administrators in discharge of their respective offices committed acts of fraud and breach of trust when they included extra contents in the amended constitution of Fufa. It is alleged that the suspected officials prepared or caused to prepare a false document, signed a purported amended constitution, presented it for registration and to the public as the authentic amended Fufa constitution. According to documents in court, the controversial amended constitution contains provisions that members and the public were never notified of in the proposed amendments. “That the three persons are abusing their powers and acting outside their authority by their actions and omissions committed acts of fraud so as to mislead the public for their personal benefit contrary to what is expected of them under the law,” reads part of the document. This is the second time in less than a year that court is summoning Fufa officials over alleged mismanagement of football operations in the country. The same court last year summoned Mulindwa jointly with then competitions committee secretary Moses Magogo and Sam Lwere (Fufa head of security) to appear for plea taking. 1 | 2 Next Page»The trio was facing three charges of neglect of duty, disobedience of statutory duty and common nuisance. The case was, however, settled out of court. editorial@ug.nationmedia.com « Previous Page 1 | 2"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/-/688334/1300982/-/b24illz/-/index.html","content":"Free secondary education has yielded mixed results - Headteacher David Wanyama sums up his assessment of the country’s five-year-old free universal secondary education as “three major achievements and five grave challenges”. Speaking from eastern Uganda, Wanyama praises the initiative for increasing enrolment, especially of poor students. His own student population has swollen from a few hundred in 2006 to almost 3,000 today, 45 per cent of whom are girls. The scheme has also created jobs and resulted in more schools being built. But it is not all good news. The grave challenges to which Wanyama refers include poor quality of education and insufficient teachers and equipment to meet the growing classroom population. In 2007, Uganda became the first country in sub-Saharan Africa to introduce universal secondary education. Coming 10 years after it introduced universal primary education; it represented a bold step by President Museveni’s government. At the time, a UN report said Africa had the worst secondary school enrolment rates in the world. Only 34 per cent of secondary school-age children were enrolled in class. Girls and poorer young people comprised the bulk of those locked out of school by financial and cultural constraints. Under the secondary scheme, students who get specific grades in each of the four primary school-leaving exams study free in public schools and participating private schools. The government pays the schools an annual grant of up to UShs141,000 per student, spread over three school terms. Parents, though, have to provide the students’ uniform, stationery and meals. Change in numbersAccording to Dr Yusuf Nsubuga, the director of basic and secondary education at the ministry of education, before the secondary scheme barely 50 per cent of primary school-leavers went on to secondary education annually. Within a year of the scheme being introduced, that figure rose to 69 per cent. Similarly, the number of O-level candidates in the country rose from 172,000 in 2006 to almost 265,000 2010, an increase of 54 per cent. Nsubuga says the government has increased funding for secondary schooling, which has meant more teachers being recruited, more classrooms and labs being built, and more textbooks. The government policy is to build at least one public secondary school in each sub-county. There is a gender dynamic, too. A recent study found that the secondary school scheme had particularly increased public school enrolment for girls from poorer households. The proportion of girls in the sample area attending public schools increased from 10.6 per cent in 2005 to nearly 15 per cent in 2009. At the same time, the scheme appears to have increased the migration of students from village schools to better-performing urban ones, which has resulted in some rural schools barely being able to find enough students. Grave challengesHowever, the scheme faces the same difficulties as primary and tertiary education: there may be increased access, but education standards have not improved, something acknowledged in a 2010 Overseas Development Institute report.Because of inadequate infrastructure – schools, classrooms, laboratories, libraries – the government has partnered with about 640 private schools. But the system is fraught with problems: inadequate teaching space and materials, a shortage of teachers, and inadequate and late disbursement of government funds. “Academic performance standards are deteriorating, and the education being universal, students are just pushed through,” Wanyama says. 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 Next Page»"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/artsculture/Reviews/-/691232/1300904/-/8g2uq/-/index.html","content":"Homeland;  will definitely get  you hooked! - Showtime brings us yet another mouth-watering drama/thriller series called Homeland adapted from an Israeli series called, Hatufin [translated as kidnapped in English]. Claire Daniels stars as Carrie Mathieson, a CIA intelligence officer who is currently on probation following an un authorised operation she conducted while in Afghanistan. On this mission she discovers from an asset about to be executed that an American prisoner of war captured by al Qaeda has been turned and is working for the terrorist organisation. So when an American soldier sergeant Nicholas Brody rescued during a delta force attack on a compound belonging to al Qaeda terrorist head Abu Nazir, returns home following eight years in captivity. She is definitely not as joyous to see him as the rest of the country which considers him a war hero. Knowing no one will believe her especially her boss with whom she had a disastrous steamy affair that cost him his marriage a few years ago. She takes matters into her own hands and decides to put him under surveillance in breach of the all privacy laws hence, risking her job and looking at possible prison time. Brody also returns home to find that a lot has changed over the past eight years. His family is in debt, a rift has developed between his daughter and wife. While, his best friend and fellow marine, Mike Faber is sleeping with his wife. And to add fire to the already visible smoke, he has become a devout Muslim. As the show builds on and the plot unravels, you only left in awe at the complexity and magnetism of all the characters. Having received much critical acclaim with a met critic average of over 91/ 100, the show has already been nominated for several award this year including best drama series at the golden globes and writer’s guild awards. The show has already been approved for a second season and season 1 is complete with 12 mind blowing episodes each with about an hour’s running time. The series is definitely worth all the hype surrounding it. It is undoubtedly a showcase masterpiece that will have you passing several hours with reckless abandon."}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/-/688334/1299426/-/bfh9hgz/-/index.html","content":"NRM party dragged to court over rent dues - KAMPALA The ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party has been dragged to court over allegations of failing to pay rent arrears amounting to Shs22 million for its party headquarters located on plot 10 Kyadondo Road in Kampala. The suit against the ruling party was instituted by Nile Travel Agencies Ltd on December 29 last year before the High Court Land Division. The agreementCourt records show that the tenancy contract between Nile Travel Agency and the NRM party demanded that upon elapsing, it was to be renewed after negotiations and also be determined by the current market rate. In furtherance of the above tenancy agreement, the lawyers of the complainant gave a notice of rent increment from $2,500 (about Shs6.1m) to $4,000(about Shs9.8m) monthly commencing July 1, last year. However, the NRM party allegedly refused to comply and remit the new rent of Shs9.8m but instead continued to pay the old rent of Shs6.1m up to date, which period is now six months. Loss of businessThe agency claims to have suffered as a result of NRM’s breach of contract with them and they now want court to hold them liable and pay the damages. The agency also accuses the party of refusing to vacate its building and allow the construction of the state of the art structure, which has led to loss of business. The NRM party spokesperson, Ms Mary Karooro Okurut, last evening in a telephone interview said she was not aware of the court case since she had not seen the court summons to that effect but promised to respond today. The court is yet to summon the NRM party to file in its defence on the allegations before a hearing date can be fixed. This suit comes barely five days after the Iganga NRM party offices were also closed and their property thrown out for reportedly failing to pay one year rent arrears amounting to Shs2.4m. The offices were located on Saza Road in Iganga District. awesaka@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/-/688334/1296884/-/bfj95vz/-/index.html","content":"MPs turn hit on Attorney General over Marriage Bill - Members of Parliament on the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee have written to the Attorney General, Mr Peter Nyombi, demanding to know when government will make its final input into the controversial Marriage and Divorce Bill. The Bill was due for second reading during the Eighth Parliament but the then Attorney General, Mr Khiddu Makubuya, blocked it, saying government was still consulting on the matter, forcing women activists to storm out of Parliament in protest as they accused government of frustrating the Bill. The Bill has stalled for over 40 years now. AG was not ready“The above mentioned Bill came up for second reading on May 11, 2011 but the then Attorney General informed Parliament that he was not ready for second reading since he was still making some consultations with those for and those against the passing of the Bill,” the December 19 letter, signed by committee chairperson Stephen Tashobya, reads in part. “The committee on Legal and Parliamentary Affairs would like to know how far the consultations have gone so that it can conclude the Bill and proceed for second reading,” Mr Tashobya said last week. Committee members demanded that the AG brings to Parliament the proposed amendments or else they go ahead and table their report to the House again. Ninth Parliament works“During the second meeting of the first session of the Ninth Parliament, a motion was passed to save and retain Bills which were tabled in the Eighth Parliament. The AG upon the Bill’s second reading promised to bring to Parliament the amendments but up to now it has not,” Mr Tashobya said as he vowed to table the report if the AG does not respond immediately. The Bill is among the 23 pending Bills that were shelved by the Eighth Parliament and re-introduced in the Ninth Parliament. Whereas the Ninth Parliament passed a resolution that the 23 Bills be retained, they have, however, not been debated. Women organisations like the Uganda Women Parliamentary Association, the Forum for Women in Democracy, Centre for Domestic Violence Prevention are pushing for the passing of the Bill. The main contention, especially among the religious leaders, has been the clause that permits cohabitation. They say the Bill will recognise cohabitation as a form of marriage in breach of their religious beliefs. The Christians are also opposed to another clause that legalises divorce and the tittle of the Bill. mnalugo@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/-/688334/1293320/-/bflg74z/-/index.html","content":"Former Museveni aide queries accounts committee powers - A former legal aide to President Museveni has questioned the Public Accounts Committee’s (Pac) powers to summon him as a witness over Shs3.6 billion, that a firm the aide is associated with received in an out-of-court settlement. Through a Kampala-based law firm, Birungyi Barata & Associates, Mr Fox Odoi, claimed Pac does not have the authority to investigate matters that court has pronounced itself on or those that are still pending. The committee is investigating the circumstances under which Beachside Development Services Ltd, where Mr Odoi is a director, is accused of attempting to defraud National Forestry Authority. “The matter for which my client is being sought, albeit irregularly, has been investigated and litigated upon before the High Court and the Court of Appeal,” Enoch Birungi, Mr Odoi’s lawyer said. Mr Birungi said if Pac went ahead to question Mr Odoi, it would be contravening Article 128 of the Constitution, which talks about the independence of the Judiciary. Incensed Pac members, however, said it is only court that could stop the committee from summoning a witness and ordered the duo (Mr Odoi and Mr Birungi) to leave. “I ask you to take leave of this committee,” the committee chairperson, Mr Kassiano Wadri said, before adding that the committee was operating within the paradigm of the law. In 2005, Beachside Development Ltd offered to rehabilitate and develop 209 hectares of Kyewagga Forest Reserve in Wakiso District as an ecology and eco-tourism facility. NFA then reportedly granted the company a 25-year licence to manage the area. But in June 2006, some people claimed ownership of the land, hence the legal battle. Beachside Development Services Ltd went to court accusing NFA of breach of contract, which the former said caused it management losses and damages including money spent on the project and future business. President steps inThe company was awarded damages, although President Museveni last year directed the Attorney General ‘to do whatever it takes and ensure the fraudsters do not succeed’. “It is astonishing that some senior NFA officials and judicial officers connived and corruptly imposed a consent judgement against the authority to pay Charles Twagira and Fox Odoi, the two owners of the claimant company, about Shs3 billion,” President Museveni wrote in January 2010. He directed the NFA board and the Environment Minister to investigate the officials who unjustifiably allowed an out-of-court settlement. nwesonga@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/Business/-/688322/1289504/-/4g1tkm/-/index.html","content":"Mobile phone subscribers to register sim cards by March - Kampala You will not be able to use your sim card to make or receive any phone calls as well as text messages if your card is not registered by 2013. Uganda Communications Commission passed the order on Monday in a statement issued to Daily Monitor in which they announced a sim card registration exercise for all nationals set to begin March 1, next year. The exercise seeks to check the use of mobile phone numbers for illegal activities, phone theft, unsolicited/hate and threat messages among others. “Failure to register is breach of the law and the service provider shall not provide any communication service to whoever fails or refuses to register,” UCC Manager communications Fred Otunnu said in a phone interview. He said that all unregistered sim cards will be deactivated by the start of 2013; a year after the registration process is complete. In a statement to Daily monitor on Monday, UCC said the exercise will be carried out alongside the communication service providers who will establish registration centres to assist customers in accomplishing the registration process. Requirements for registration will be personal identification that shall be provided through a valid passport or employee ID, student ID, voter’s card, valid driver’s license, local council letter or letter from employee. This too applies to foreigners leaving in the country. Mobile phone users will be expected to register all their sim cards regardless of how many an individual owns. Welcome moveCommunication companies have welcomed the move although they have been disappointed by the delay in the implementation of this law. Utl boss Donald Nyakairu said in a phone interview yesterday that firm was ready to take on the task so as to deal with the many cases of misuse of telecommunication services. “We will be part of this exercise and since it is just one year of implementation, we surely believe it will hardly affect our customers if all is being done for better service provision.” Mr Joseph Kanyamunyu, Airtel Uganda public relations officer said the rapid growth in the telecommunication sector had seen fraudsters take advantage of the cut-throat competition to fleece clients, a vice that the new regulation will help to curb. He added the the exercise will ease investigations into crimes that are committed through the use of mobile phones. fnalubega@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/315632-rastoon.html","content":" - MINISTER Abraham Byandala has blamed the current floods in the city on delays by KCCA in implementing Kampala drainage master plan."}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/-/688334/875758/-/wj7ic4/-/index.html","content":"Nsibambi injured in helicopter crash - Prime Minister Apolo Nsibambi was injured yesterday after a Police helicopter he was travelling in crashed in Bugiri District. Prof. Nsibambi was flying back to Kampala after receiving 150 tonnes of food aid from the Kenyan government to the victims of last week’s landslide in Bududa.Bizarrely, Kenyan Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka, who was supposed to hand over the food to Prof. Nsibambi, did not make it after his helicopter developed a mechanical fault and had to make an emergency landing. Six injuredSix people who were travelling with Prof. Nsibambi were also injured in yesterday’s incident, which occurred at Bugiri Hospital.They include the Permanent Secretary in Nsibambi’s office, Mr Pius Bigirimana and three aides to the premier identified as Rose Oyella, Apollo Munghinda and Peter Isabirye. Pilots Emmanuel Busuulwa, and Elijah Matovu, were also injured. The victims were taken into the hospital and were later airlifted to Kampala in an army helicopter for further medical attention.Mr Isaac Malinga, the Bugiri District medical officer, said many on board, including Prof. Nsibambi, had sustained serious injuries. “I think the prime minister, the pilot and the permanent secretary had spinal problems whose extent can only be ascertained after an X-ray is done,” Mr Malinga said. Prof Nsibambi, 72, reportedly complained of back pain and of aching ribs and could neither walk nor stand unaided. The Hospital Medical Superintendent, Ms Sarah Nambooze, said her team had given pain relief to the victims before they were transferred. “They left this place in stable condition and I think they will be okay,” she said. “We had the capacity to manage these victims, but this being a smaller hospital, they preferred Mulago.” The cause of the crash, which occurred just before 3p.m., had not been made public by press time last night. Information Minister Kabakumba Masiko later issued a statement and said the Civil Aviation Authority would investigate the matter and issue a full report. Samson Lubega, a Police spokesman, said the helicopter first struck a tree before hitting the ground. This is the second incident involving this helicopter following an earlier incident last April in Arua which eye-witnesses described as a crash-landing but which the Police described as a scheduled refuelling stop. Police sources said the chopper was bought in 2008 at a cost of Shs6 billion. Meanwhile, Kenya’s Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka’s charity mission to Uganda failed when the helicopter he was travelling in developed mechanical problems. Mr Musyoka, who was with three ministers, returned to Nairobi in a different plane after the one he was in made an emergency landing in Kabarak. A passenger said the helicopter ride started being bumpy as they overflew the escarpment. As they approached Nakuru, the helicopter started swaying and a steward approached the VIPs to inform them that they would have to make an emergency landing at the Kabarak airstrip as the helicopter had encountered mechanical problems. Other Kenyan officials on board were Special Programmes Minister Naomi Shaban and her assistant Mohamed Mahmoud. At least 83 people were confirmed dead and hundreds of others are missing after the tragedy. Many more have been displaced from their hillside homes. Defence spokesman Bogita Ongeri said the Kenya Air Force chopper landed at an airstrip at former Kenyan President Daniel arap Moi’s Kabarak home.Another chopper was sent to ferry Mr Musyoka with his entourage back to Nairobi, Mr Ongeri said. The delivery of the food donations went on in Uganda overseen by Prof. Nsibambi and Kenya’s High Commissioner to Uganda. Additional reporting by Ephraim Kasozi, Asuman Musobya and Lucas Baraza in Nairobi"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/-/688334/872860/-/wj5g6p/-/index.html","content":"BUDUDA LANSLIDES: Two more bodies found - Bududa Two more bodies have been recovered in Bududa, bringing the number of people confirmed dead in the Monday’s landslide to 83. Lt. Col. William Kabeera, head of the UPDF rescue effort in Bududa, says the two bodies recovered Thursday morning in Nametsi village were of a middle-aged man and woman. He says the names of the two are unknown because they were disfigured and had no personal items from which they could be identified.  Volunteers say they expect to pull out at least six more from the same location. District authorities, relief agencies and the army are holding a meeting to synchronise statistics of the dead as conflicting figures continue to be released by various authorities. Lt. Col. Kabeera adds that rescue and recovery efforts continue to be slow and laborious because Nametsi village, the epicenter of the disaster, was hit by another powerful rainstorm Wednesday night, setting back the rescue effort.  He says it is now impossible for vehicles to reach the site and rescue teams continue working with rudimentary tools like hoes and spades.  Several Red Cross volunteers and workers from the International Caritas Federation have joined the crowd of 300-plus civilians searching desperately to find anyone alive under the mud.  Edith Peke, one of the people in the rescue team, says villagers are digging through eight feet of mud to find the bodies.  She says this is extremely hard, considering that they also have to plough through the rubble of collapsed structures and thick vegetation.  Rescue efforts are also continuing in the villages of Kubewho and Namangasa. The UN office is working with the Office of the Prime Minister to coordinate the delivery of relief aid to affected families.  UNICEF has delivered 400 non-food item kits that contain a blanket, tarpaulin, soap, crockery, water purification tablets, tents and ropes.  The Office of the Prime Minister has dispatched a trailer with 26 metric tonnes of relief food to Bududa.  A statement from Antonio Guterres, the UN High Commissioner for refugees, says UNHCR will distribute tents and plastic sheeting to 5,000 people left homeless by the mudslide. The UN says it is particularly concerned about the protection of children who may have lost their parents or who are separated from their families. It says extra measures are being taken to ensure the protection of children, the sick and the elderly. The Uganda Red Cross Society is also registering survivors in an effort to ease their resettlement as private organizations begin to pledge help. The program Officer for Disaster Risk Reduction Shaban Mawanda says that much needed food, shelter and water cannot be easily distributed without an estimation of the affected number of people. During his visit to Bududa, President Yoweri Museveni directed that all people in the landslide prone neighbouring villages of Tunwatsi, Mulwere and Kubewo be relocated to Bulecheke, Bubiita and Bududa district headquarters. The humanitarian organization has also set up mobile clinics to counter any possible disease outbreak in the affected areas. The clinics are being run in collaboration with the office of the prime minister. The organization has already launched a shs2 billion appeal for the survivors. are feared to have claimed an estimated 300 people. 1 | 2 Next Page»Meanwhile, two oil companies, Tullow Oil and CNOOC International Limited have each made a contribution of shs100 million towards the emergency fund for the victims. The prime minister, Prof Apolo Nsibambi while receiving the money said the government is now putting more effort on saving more lives and ensure the survivors get all the required help.Nsibambi says a meeting will be held today to decide on how best to utilize the emergency fund. « Previous Page 1 | 2"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Floods-displace-500-in-Ntoroko-/-/688334/2507416/-/10odvtxz/-/index.html","content":"Floods displace 500 in Ntoroko  - NTOTOKO- At least 500 people in Ntoroko District have been rendered homeless by floods caused by heavy rains. According to Mr Bakari Muga Bashir, the Rwenzori Regional police spokesperson, River Semliki burst its banks due to the heavy rains, submerging homes, damaging roads and people’s property. Bakari identified the worst hit areas as Rwebisengo Town Council, Kiranga, Budiba and Bweramule sub-county. He said most of the people in the affected villages have been advised to move to Rwebisengo Sub-county headquarters and Rwebisengo church as the district administration sought assistance from the Ministry of Disaster Preparedness under the Office of the Prime Minister. editorial@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/642528-the-aftermaths-of-kasese-floods.html","content":" - Floods claimed lives and destroyed property in Kasese district."}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/Education/-/688336/742382/-/10fkbvm/-/index.html","content":"Selling change for a living - Kampala Between heavily stocked stalls, besides refrigerators and phone-charging stools they sit on benches with coins of varying denominations and some times Ushs1000 notes, strategically placed in view of potential clients. A few metres next to the steps into the old taxi park, just opposite the Ndeeba, Nateete taxis, Sam Mukwaya (not real name) rests behind a popcorn making machine absorbedly listening to his radio but with eyes focused on the merchandise on the bench. His dark-skin complexion reinforced by a seemingly permanent frown on his face painted a façade of an unapproachable person. After the introductions --as if he is being forced to breach an oath of remaining mute when asked about the business-- he hesitantly obliged to delve into the nitty-gritty of the business but let it be known that he is not the owner of the business. “The owner has gone to look for change and am simply helping out but business is not so good,â€Â� Sam stated; a statement that reverberated through all the interviewees. But the clandestine nature of the dealers in a business carried out in the glare of the public, defeated any conventional reasoning. It is like a pact most who partake in this industry sign upon entry in spite of a few who openly discuss it. “Most of the people in this business are secretive because they fear someone may go and tell KCC that it is very profitable and they end up being taxed,â€Â� reasoned Mohammad Tamale, 52. Sensing my hushed shock at his explanation, Mr Tamale painted a better picture. “If they can tax the grasshopper traders, what of us?â€Â� Mr Tamale asked. “All KCC may need to know is how profitable the job is.â€Â� 1 | 2 Next Page»By this time the query of how profitable the business is was lingering. “These days it’s no longer profitable. Back in 1998 when I had just joined this business I used to make up to about Ushs200, 000 per day,â€Â� he recalls. “These days the business has been infiltrated by so many young people who perhaps have fewer responsibilities hence have pushed our rates down. The competition has increased and the profits have dropped.â€Â� While he could charge Ushs800-1000 from a Ushs10,000 note sometime back, Tamale noted that it is impossible now. “You can’t charge that now when others will take Ushs200-300 off a Ushs20,000 note,â€Â� lamented Tamale who prides himself in the house he built in his village, Masaka out of the profits from this business. But there’s more than the cutthroat competition to contend with, said Hilda Nakato who was sitting in for the owner who was in search of change. “Like any other business, there are losses in this business too. At times people give us fake money which we only realise hours after they have left.â€Â� Theft is another vice that was echoed by all that were interviewed though Ms Nakato’s solution to the problem suggested that God owes her a favour. “Mungu yakuuma. (It’s God who protects),â€Â� she nonchalantly said. “Thieves are everywhere you just can’t say that you have fully guarded yourself against them.â€Â� As the money changers put aside their daily tribulations to serve their large clientele that ranges from hotels, bars, shops and even industries, they will hope that KCC continues looking the other way so they may one day get out of their cocoons between heavily stocked stalls, refrigerators and phone-charging stools to freely talk about their business. « Previous Page 1 | 2"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/-/688334/920498/-/x040ql/-/index.html","content":"New landslides deaths rise to eight - Mbale/Kabale Humanitarian agencies were by yesterday still trying to cope with multiple centres of urgent need as a new wave of landslides and floods in various districts rendered at least 1,500 people homeless. The quest for help ran from Mbale, Sironko and Tororo in eastern Uganda to Kabale and Kanungu in western Uganda. At least eight people were confirmed killed by landslides in Mbale, Sironko and Kabale. The Uganda Red Cross said at least 721 people were camped at Nawire Primary School in Tororo after being forced out of their homes by floods while 630 were camped at Bumatanda Primary School in Sironko District. “We are expecting another 120 families in Bumatanda,” said Ms Catherine Ntabadde, a spokesperson for the Uganda Red Cross, a charity that is helping coordinate humanitarian assistance to the victims. “As the rains continue, more people continue coming,” she told Daily Monitor by telephone from Kampala yesterday. Ms Ntabadde said the floods and landslides were escalating the danger of water-borne and other sanitation related diseases. She said three case of cholera had been confirmed in Tororo. The latest landslides come barely two months after another devastating landslide struck Nametsi in Bududa burying an entire trading centre of about 350 people. Three children, two of them from one family, were killed after torrential rains accompanied by hailstorms hit their homes in Bubyangu Sub-county in Mbale District on Saturday night. Amina Nandudu, 13, Juma Kikumi 12 and Siana Namusiru, 4, all residents of Makyese village were discovered two kilometers away from the scene of the landslide after they tried to run away when the torrential rains tore through their house.The area LCI chairman, Mr Abdu Masokoyi, said the rain started at around 10pm and by midnight, River Makyese had flooded rolling down heavy stones from uphill and knocked the house in which the children were sleeping.The Red Cross eastern field coordinator, Ms Kevin Nabutuwa, said the mudslides swept through villages of Makyese, Bumadanda, Bunandudu, Bunabuloli, Bukwaga and Makyese trading centre displacing about 320 people. In Sironko, three people were buried by another devastating landslide that struck Bugiboni parish in Bugitimwa Sub-county on the slopes of Mt Elgon.Kenneth Nasasa, 39, Akisoferi Nabende and David Masoboni, 27, who were walking home after shopping in the nearby trading centre, were buried by the landslide and only discovered later when somebody looking for banana stems saw a torch and a hand of a human being. “Immediately I saw a hand of a human being, I made an alarm. People came and we started digging. We retrieved the bodies that had broken limbs and shattered heads,” said Mr Atanas Walimbwa, a resident. The Wednesday tragedy that occurred at about 7pm followed by a heavy downpour accompanied by hailstorms in Namawugulu village. Student killedMeanwhile in Kabale, Regan Kwarijuka, 20, a second year student at Kabale University breathed his last after a landslide crushed the side of the house he was sleeping in Bukinda Sub-county, Kabale. Charles Mugarura died after running water swept him away as he tried to cross Mukoki Bridge in Kahondo-Maziba Sub-countyState Minister for Disaster Preparedness Musa Ecweru said the heavy rains in the Mt Elgon region signaled greater danger to come. “We have moved around with the local leaders and we have discovered that there are huge cracks along the Elgon Mountain in Manafwa, Bududa, Sironko and parts of Mbale,” said Mr Ecweru. “We have advised people to relocate from these dangerous areas prone to landslides and the response has been poor. “People seem not to have learnt anything from the Bududa tragedy but our appeal is that people must move away from these areas,” added the junior minister."}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/OpEd/Commentary/-/689364/898778/-/agbqtjz/-/index.html","content":"Forest conservation will check climate change in Uganda - The scientific debate, whether climate change is occurring or not, is over. Climate change is now a scientifically established fact. Climate change is growing every day, every hour and every minute of inaction. The world and Uganda in particular, have faced the challenge of adjusting to the continuously changing climatic. This can be evidenced by the recent tragic events in Bududa, Kabale, and Butaleja districts. Deforestation and forest degradation are some of the major environmental concerns in Uganda today. The UN and FAO estimated that in 1890, approximately 45 per cent of Uganda was covered by forests and woodlands, representing about 10.8 million hectares (108.000km2). This forestry estate had declined to only 20 per cent of the land area in 1900 and to about 3 per cent by 2000. FAO further estimates that Uganda is losing about 50,000 ha (0.8 per cent) of its forestland each year through deforestation. Official estimates of conversion of forestland in 1994 ranged from 70,000 ha to 200,000 ha (Nema, 2007). The deforestation rate is very high in Uganda and if no measures are taken, then we are doomed. According to Mr Xavier Mugumya, Uganda’s forest management specialist at the National Forestry Authority, Uganda is likely to have very low, if not completely no forest cover in the next 50 years, if nothing is done to reverse the trend, Reuters on July 9th 2009. Forests play a great role of mitigating and adapting climate change. They act as carbon sinks; serve as catchment for water bodies, control floods, and help in formation of rainfall. Today, more than 90 per cent of Ugandans do not to have access to electricity and other clean sources of energy and heavily depend on fuel wood for energy. Only about 1 per cent of Uganda’s rural population can access and utilise electricity. The majority of those who access electricity, can only use it for lighting and radio sets due to the high electricity tariffs. The impacts of limited access to electricity coupled with the high power tariffs directly reflect on the pressure experienced by forests as a source of energy and as a resource. On the other hand, poverty coupled with inadequate policies, poor policy implementation, high population, lack of awareness as well as isolating management of forest resources from community participation are leading factors that have led to their unsustainable use. In addition, reclamation of forested land for agricultural activities and the use poor farming methods as a result of lack of awareness about modern farming greatly contribute to forest degradation. There is need to sensitise people to modernise agriculture in order to reduce extensive cultivation associated with low-in put agriculture. This will reduce clearing of forests for agriculture. Rural people also use a lot of firewood; therefore, there is need to sensitise them to use the method that does not consume a lot of firewood like the use of improved cooking stoves and tree planting among others. Rural financing should be extended to rural farmers in order to reduce the cutting down of trees to expand land for cultivation. Farmers should participate in other activities like trade other than agriculture. Promoting the use of clean energy like geothermal, or wind and biogas will stop reliance on wood fuel and charcoal and this will lead to forest conservation.Rural electrification should be extended to the villages and the tariffs reduced in order to enable people access and afford electricity. Conserving forests and tree planting will help mitigate the effects of climate change by increasing carbon storage and cutting green house gases responsible for climate change. Ms Akankwasa is the programme assistant, Africa Institute For Energy Governance"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/OpEd/Commentary/-/689364/876042/-/ahldtjz/-/index.html","content":"Women deserve more than the tokens they are given - On Saturday afternoon (March 6), I suffered a technological disaster. Someone hacked into my yahoo e-mail address and accessed all my e-mail correspondents and immediately wrote to them using my e-mail and name begging for 2,700 pounds to rescue me from London. I had received such letters begging for other people but now my turn had come. I was alerted by calls from concerned people who had received those letters and when I tried to open my e-mail address, I could not because it now belonged to a certain omoyeleswagg@yahoo.com. It took me some time to reclaim my e-mail address and send information that I was not stranded in London and needed no urgent financial contributions. Technology has its advantages, but it can also be disastrous. The Bududa landslides have been a very serious calamity that has exposed the country’s lack of preparedness. Such natural disasters can happen anywhere, but countries prepare themselves to respond rapidly when they occur. Others have instituted early warning systems.The commander of the Navy in Chile has been dismissed for failure to give an early warning about the tsunami which resulted from the recent devastating earthquake in parts of Chile. The army in Chile deployed 14,000 troops with appropriate equipment to manage the consequences of the earthquake. Well, the Uganda government has also sent some UPDF personnel but they did not have any better equipment than other volunteers and the numbers were not adequate. It is the Red Cross and other volunteers that have played a prominent role, not the government. It is in such a time of need that governments show their value to the ordinary people and the Ugandan government found itself as helpless as the ordinary people. Where is the evidence of effectiveness in Bududa after 25 years of continuous rule? Where is the so-called Rapid Response….? Didn’t the floods in Soroti indicate an urgent need for preparedness for such natural disasters? Now in addition to Bududa, there are landslides in Kabale/Kisoro, Kabarole and floods in Butaleja and other places may yet suffer since the rains are still continuing. Some Kampala areas had also suffered because the government has allowed people to build in water channels and wetlands. Incidentally this government has spawned so many ‘prophets’, some of them in-house; why don’t they give warning before these disasters take place or do they only ‘prophesy’ for money? As I write, it is Women’s Day. When I asked why there is no Men’s Day, I was told that the remaining days of the year are Men’s Days. Now if you know the plight of men in Uganda then indeed the women are in a very sorry state. Every day you read about women beaten up, raped, murdered, thrown out of their matrimonial homes by their husbands, or their relatives after the death of their husbands, girl-children removed from school for all types of reasons, sex workers arrested, mothers begging on streets together with their children. In the countryside it is women, or girls you see carrying water or firewood with a hoe on the shoulder and a child on the back. Look at how (universally) women dress up in sports or on stage; they are just objects to feast on by the eyes of men. Their sports, or singing qualities are subordinated to their shapeliness as women. Their economic status will remain low so long as their right to own property is largely questionable and their status as human beings is considered a rang lower than men no matter how capable they may be. For example, consider their electability even if they are up against a man of lower capabilities and exposure. Women deserve better than the tokens they are given. Mr Ruzindana is the FDC deputy secretary general for policy and research a_ruzindana@yahoo.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/OpEd/Commentary/-/689364/873954/-/ahn9p0z/-/index.html","content":"Bududa disaster: Why govt doesn’t give a hoot - When disaster strikes, as journalists we are trained to be completely dispassionate. The rule is: just take the pictures and write a good story. If you feel like crying, you can do that when you get home. But quite often, even when you think you’ve seen it all, you come across some particularly tricky patches that crack you. And it is usually not the gruesome pictures that break you – somehow the mind is trained to face the worst. That’s why nothing in the conflicts in Rwanda, DR Congo, Sudan or Northern Uganda made me cry when I got there. The deadly ones are usually plain, simple, read-between-the-lines scenes that touch soft spots in you and send a knife through your heart. The first time I broke down was just four years ago when the [poorly constructed] City of the Lord Church in Kalerwe, Kampala, crashed, killing dozens. I was okay enough with the mangled bodies and crying victims at the scene of disaster – until I came across five or six bodies of pastors’ wives who were lying in Mulago Hospital; dead but bodies intact and looking serene as though they were just sleeping and would wake up in the morning. That is when I choked on tears as I faced the television camera to file a report. For the Bududa landslide, the hundreds dead notwithstanding, the sight of three sweet little children lying peacefully on the burial mat, faces uncovered and eyes closed will never leave my mind. It is scenes like this that make us angry when we realise these people need not have died, had they been in a country where systems work and service delivery is consistently placed above political expediency. Almost every disaster that has struck has to do with the government not playing its rightful role; failing to exercise its mandate. Landslides have been with us since time immemorial and in recent years, especially since 1997, particular areas – in the mountainous areas of eastern and western Uganda - have distinguished themselves as vulnerable to landslides.The last disastrous landslide was just six months ago (October 2009) in Kabale, western Uganda, with six dead. The whole country was put on notice in July 2009 that there would be heavy rains. As a media we endeavoured to make clarion calls for people to beware of floods and landslides. We called on government to take matters in its hands and prevent disaster in the vulnerable areas. The Bududa disaster is evidence that while this government will be all ears when a radio station broadcasts stuff that threatens its existence, it doesn’t give a hoot when journalists make noble clarion calls for action in matters that touch the day to day lives of ordinary people. On my daily early morning show on 98.5 Impact FM, whenever I discuss anything to do with the military, the Army Spokesman Lt. Col. Felix Kulayigye, will without fail (or warning), call in, or walk in and defend the Army. He never waits for invitation to do that. That means two things. One, Bwana Kulayigye is very efficient and always on the alert. But two, the State pays attention to anything to do with the military because that touches the very core of its existence. On the contrary whenever we discuss service delivery of non-military nature, everybody calls in – except the concerned government officials. And when you invite them, they tell you the show is too early and they cannot make it – unless they were caught in a scandal that they are trying to explain away. Natural disasters do not amount to existential threats to the State, so nothing is ever done to prevent them. And if the State is to do anything for the small people, it will only be because it is in enlightened self interest to do so. Mr Tegulle is a political/social commentatorwww.objectiontegulle.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/OpEd/Commentary/-/689364/815652/-/alb6ryz/-/index.html","content":"REGIONAL UNITY: EAC Common Market Protocol is a remarkable step - The signing of the East African Community (EAC) Common Market Protocol by leaders of the EAC partner states on November 20 in Arusha was a significant step towards achievement of total integration of East Africa. We must commend previous and current EAC leaders for their commitment and resilience. It is laudable that EAC leaders have been at the forefront in the integration of East Africa since early 1990s. It is expected that the Common Market will accelerate economic growth and development in EAC through realisation of free movement of East Africans, goods, services, labour and capital once the partner states have ratified the protocol by July 1, 2010. Obviously, a single market should lead to considerable benefits in terms of increased trade, economies of scale, efficiency and cost reductions. However, these prospective benefits could be actualised when there are effective and people-centred policies and legislation on labour, employment, investment, trade, infrastructure and industrial development. At international level, a united East Africa will have a substantial voice in diplomacy. One of the objectives of EAC is “the strengthening and consolidation of co-operation in the agreed fields that…lead to equitable economic development within the partner states and which would in turn, raise the standard of living and improve the quality of life of their populations” (Article 5(3c) of the EAC Treaty). To achieve this, an enabling environment is necessary so that East Africans can begin reaping the benefits of having a single market by engaging in productive activities that empower them. Further, there should be effective policies, laws and strategies at national and regional levels to deal with perennial problems such as food insecurity, famine, drought, cattle rustling, floods and displacement of people. It is unfortunate that East Africans are still dying of starvation in a region that has potential for food production. During last week’s Summit, President Paul Kagame of Rwanda rightly observed that the regional bloc should confront new threats to security such as climate change that is already affecting water resources, agriculture and pasture with devastating consequences on the people, food availability and livestock sector. Other challenges that should draw our attention in the region are poverty, proliferation of slums in urban areas and widespread unemployment. These challenges can also be a threat to security and have the potential to undermine stability and development. Establishment of programmes for addressing these challenges is vital. While EAC leaders have offered impressive leadership at the regional level, it is important that they equally pay attention to governance challenges in their respective countries. The governance concerns cannot be swept under the carpet. Kenyan leadership should ensure that constitutional and institutional reforms are realised this time round. The Ugandan government ought to come up with more inclusive process for land and electoral reforms where various stakeholders including opposition political parties could participate actively. Tanzania should continue to strengthen its democratisation processes and avert controversial polls in Zanzibar. Further, Rwanda and Burundi should be encouraged to manage their transition successfully by establishing credible institutions. All EAC states must fight corruption courageously so that the available resources are utilised for the common good of East Africans. Strong institutions in each country will be critical pillars for a united and a prosperous East Africa. Finally, Kiswahili should be encouraged in the partner states so that it truly becomes the lingua franca in the Community. Mr Odhiambo is a visiting researcher, Institute of Policy Analysis and Research, Nairobi- Kenya"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/Business/Insurance-body-in-public-awareness-drive/-/688322/2542602/-/ao9u4cz/-/index.html","content":"Insurance body in public awareness drive - KAMPALA As the local insurance industry struggles to attain significant penetration levels, the Insurance Institute of Uganda (IIU) has kicked off a countrywide public awareness campaign. According to the institute, the campaign which involves meeting people at their places of work is a move meant for demystifying insurance.Insurance takes the responsibility of compensating policy holders in case of losses due to incidents such as fire, floods, fraud, political instability, death, accidents, among many others; however, compensation is effected upon compliance in paying annual premiums to the insurers.According to IIU Chief Executive Officer Elvis Khisa, the biggest challenge is not about telling people about the existence of insurance because most of them know it exists, but they have a wrong belief that insurers don’t pay (compensate) in case of risks.“We are conducting a series of meetings with people, trying to understand the myths they have about insurance, a basis upon which we prevail to fully explain to them the relevancy of insurance and the way it works,” he said.Mr Khisa was speaking to the media on the sidelines of traders’ awareness meeting in Kampala recently. Training leviesMeanwhile, Insurance companies in the financial year 2013/14 remitted Sh2billion in training levy although some remain non-compliant.Mr Khisa said a few companies (he did not name) did not comply with the set 0.5 per cent of gross premium contribution to the institution.Insurance Regulatory Authority chief executive officer, Ibrahim Kaddunabi Lubega called on non-compliant companies to expedite their contribution before the authority takes action.Uganda has more than 25 insurance companies offering different products and services. ptajuba@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Poor-nations-to-be-paid-for-losses-from-natural/-/688334/2073514/-/4ipg6nz/-/index.html","content":"Poor nations to be paid for losses from natural disasters - POLAND- For the first time since climate change negotiations began, developing countries also known as the G77 and China, have agreed to establish an international mechanism to address loss and damage associated with the impacts of climate change. This is to be called the International Mechanism on Loss and Damage (IMLD). With these plans, poor countries can assess better the immediate impact of climate change like drought and floods, and what they need as support to become more resilient to them. The idea, which was debated in the last climate talks in Doha, Qatar was opposed by most developed countries who said it could impose large financial implications on developed countries, yet typhoons and floods are already wrecking them like it has happened in the Philippines. “The Group of 77 and China agrees that the international mechanism is established to address loss and damage associated with the adverse effects of climate change from extreme and slow onset events in developing country parties,” the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) secretariat submission read in part. The agreement is yet to be endorsed. Reports also indicate that Africa, which has a number of least Developed Countries, is the worst hit by climate change moreover it has the least capacity to cope with the effects of Climate Change. Dr Tom Okurut, the executive director National Environment Management Authority (Nema), said addressing loss and damage is a matter of urgency for Uganda.Dr Okurut said that currently, the burden of climate change lies on small holder farmers who suffer losses from crop failure albeit silently. He added that carbon levels as a result of gases emitted from rich nations industries have increased so raising global warming. editorial@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/OpEd/Commentary/We-knew-mudslides-would-happen-in-Bududa/-/689364/1947926/-/12aajjm/-/index.html","content":"We knew mudslides would happen in Bududa, why didn’t we prepare? - New mudslides in Bududa have exposed the heart-rending lack of preparedness when such disasters appear. Four villages destroyed and it was something we knew might happen. The existence of a Minister of Disaster Preparedness shows that the powers that be recognise the possibilities of natural or man-made disasters in the country. In October 2010, the Directorate of Relief, Disaster Preparedness and Refugees – Office of the Prime Minister, issued a wonderful 89-page document called The National Policy for Disaster Preparedness and Management. This document contains facts, good observations as well as brilliant ideas and outlines a policy that would have made the impact of occurrences like those we have seen recently in many parts of the country in terms of floods, drought, mud- and landslides more bearable than has been and is the case now. Implementation of suggestions from the policy document might even have prevented some of the incidents from developing into disasters. Three years after the previous Bududa landslide, the surviving victims are not yet finally resettled and given opportunities to resume their lives. First, they were offered a place in Kyankwanzi, where they did not want to go and where they were not welcome. Then somebody got the idea that Kiryandongo is a sparsely populated area with available land so let us try to resettle the Bududa victims there. A greater contrast than that between the fertile and humid slopes of Mount Elgon and the flat, almost semi-arid Kiryandongo can hardly be found within Uganda. Consequently, those few who resettled are trekking eastwards again, to their ancestral homes. Preparedness in this case would have been to anticipate what might happen and make sure immediate relief was at hand as a first aid in terms of food and temporary shelter, but the substantial preparedness would be to have plans set up for resettlement within the same district as the disaster occurred in. The catastrophe of losing relatives, home and property should not be followed by the tragedy of being uprooted completely. It might even be possible to develop resettlement schemes whereby people could continue to cultivate at least parts of the same land as their forefathers. To develop such plans, the authorities in charge of disaster preparedness need to be pro-active and not wait for an incident to occur and then go to the site and make contradicting statements as has been the case now. We have been told that there exist plans to resettle a large number of people “mainly in urban areas”, to do what? That sounds like a plan to deliberately create slums, not much better than trying to shift Bagisu to Buganda or Bunyoro; those ideas are dead on arrival. Disasters are a fact of life and they can happen anywhere on the globe. They are not unique to Uganda, but disaster types and patterns can vary from one country to the other and even within the same country. To prepare for them, it is necessary to identify what kind of calamity is most likely to appear in what locality and devise plans accordingly. Meteorological, geographical and geological data must be collected from areas where experience shows that natural catastrophes may happen, to ascertain the seriousness and probability of re-occurrences. Man-made disasters are a different matter altogether... When the type and probability of devastation has been ascertained, corresponding plans to avert or mitigate the consequences must be devised and means whereby they can be implemented can be mobilised without delay when the need arises. This would be preparedness in line with the stated national policy, dated October 2010. Mr Lund is a visiting senior lecturer, Department of Architecture and Physical Planning- Makerere University. catonlund@gmail.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Mudslides-kill-three-as-floods-displace-900/-/688334/1850270/-/ycys78/-/index.html","content":"Mudslides kill three as floods displace 900 - Kaabong Mudslides triggered by heavy rains have killed three people in Kaabong District. The mudslides on Thursday struck Piire, Puta, Kalapata and Kurubo villages located on the slopes of Morungole and Lwakaramoi hills in Kamion Sub-county, leaving a trail of destruction in their wake. The Piire Village LC1 chairperson, Mr Lokol Lochap, said the incident occurred at around 1.40pm after a five-hour downpour. He said most people were at home when the incident occurred. “We have lost a lot of crops, huts, animals and house property,” Mr Lochap said. Local leaders identified the dead as Machu Engatuny, Adupa Lomeri and Natuko Locham. The Kaabong District chairperson, Mr Joseph Komol Midi, told the Daily Monitor that district officials would travel to the affected villages to assess the situation and organise aid for the affected families. Elsewhere, in Nakapiripirit District, 900 families in Namalu Sub-county have been displaced when a dam burst its banks after heavy rains on Thursday, causing flooding. The Namalu Sub-county chairperson, Mr Simon Peter Lemukol, said no deaths had been registered but the floods destroyed several houses and acres of crops. Mr Lemukol said the most affected villages are Kokwam, Lopedot, Lomorimor and Namalu trading centre. “People are just squatting at the trading centre in Namalu but even the trading centre is flooded,” he said. Mr Lemukol said the dam could have burst its banks due to government’s reported failure to renovate it.“This dam is too old but if it had been rehabilitated it would not burst,” he said. The Nakapiripirit chairperson, Ms Hellen Pulkol, described the development as unfortunate, saying: “The affected areas are the only places that the district has been relying on for food production.” editorial@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Floods-displace-Buliisa-residents/-/688334/1849256/-/p5jnwhz/-/index.html","content":"Floods displace Buliisa residents - Floods have displaced more than 30 families in Piida, Kawebanda and Booma Villages in Butyaba Sub-county, Buliisa District. The affected families have reportedly sought refuge in homes of other residents. The floods have also blocked the road to Butyaba health centre. “Over 30 families were displaced but we are trying to create drainages (in the flooded areas) through which the water can flow,” the Butyaba Sub-county chairperson, Mr Seremosi Mulimba, said. The affected area, situated in the Albertine Graben, is flat and adjacent to Lake Albert.The displaced residents have called on the government and charity organisations to give them food and other relief items. Water purifier leavesMeanwhile, Water Purification Systems, an NGO that has been involved in purification of water for people displaced by floods in Kasese, has withdrawn from the exercise due to logistical constraints. Officials of the organisation on Wednesday said the district had failed to provide them with storage tanks for purified water. “We managed to come with our two small tanks of 60 litres each but it is not enough. Our big systems produces 1,800 litres per hour and the small one purifies 150 litres which need a big storage unit. We are taking away our services since we have not been able to produce to our expectations ” Ms Marriam Kiiza, an official of the organisation, told this newspaper. She added: “We were asked by the camp captain to leave behind the small system since our water is chemical free but we can’t, because there is no commitment from government officials to have all the water purified.”The camp captain, Mr Justus Baluku, said the number of people in the camp had reduced from 620 -435. “It is true people have left the camp to go to other places while others have escaped due to harsh conditions,” Mr Baluku said."}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/OpEd/Commentary/Using-seasonal-weather-forecast-and/-/689364/1717436/-/s4h2pez/-/index.html","content":"Using seasonal weather forecast and climate information to minimise risk - Weather and climate variability and change have become topical discussions across the globe and in Uganda, experiences of extreme weather events are quite common. The outlook of our rainfall seasonal extremes as normally characterised by frequent floods witnessed mostly in lowland areas of Teso and landslides in mountainous areas have drawn our attention to the challenges of climate change. In recent times, the drought conditions across the country, especially in 2005 and 2010, will always remind us of devastation that may result from suppressed rainfall conditions. Therefore, the seasonal forecast for March to May, which constitutes the first major rainfall season in Uganda, released on February 28, by the Department of Meteorology (DoM) provides an insight into expected rainfall performance and should be used for planning and decision making at all levels. The results of the released forecast indicate that a near normal to above normal rainfall is very likely in different areas:• Central, parts of western and the Lake Victoria basin – near normal to above normal rains.• North eastern and northern parts of eastern Uganda – near normal to above normal• Northern region – near normal to below normal• Western region – near normal to above normalThis forecast is likely to impact on highly vulnerable ecosystems, infrastructure, agriculture, energy, water resources, among others. The forecasts also point to below normal rains, which is likely to have enormous impact on different sectors. These figures from DoM give probable indications for a 50 per cent chance of above-normal activity, 35 per cent chance of near-normal activity and a 15 per cent chance for below-normal activity. Put in simpler terms, this means the chance of having near normal/above-normal rains is more than three times the chance of having a below-normal one. Although the forecast calls for a relatively active rainfall season, in some areas around the Lake Victoria basin, this doesn’t guarantee that devastation due to heavy rains will occur. However, the forecast provides an early warning as to which of the regions are at greatest risk and where the impacts are of paramount importance. There is plenty of scope highlighted in the forecast and we, therefore, need to brace ourselves for the climate change related risks the vulnerable communities are likely to face due to the changes in weather and climate. During this period of near normal to above normal rains, households are advised to undertake rain water harvesting where applicable – this does not only guarantee your household water for domestic use but also reduces the amount of runoff that is likely to increase the intensity of floods in the areas of above normal rainfall. Farmers are also advised to make use of meteorological seasonal forecasts to select appropriate crop variety to grow within the season, Land degradation management, better practices for managing soil (terracing, mulching and crop rotation). All these interventions are clearly highlighted in the National Adaptation Programmes of Action. But to make these measures as effective as possible, they must be targeted in advance and with a reasonable degree of precision to the places where they will be most needed and are most likely to work. We need win-win approaches to better manage current climate risks and to build capability to cope with the climate of the future, especially the immediate ones that may come with the just-released forecast. My hope is that the population embraces these actions in response to the just-released seasonal forecast and other types of climate information so as to feed into emergency networks and early-warning systems currently operating in the Uganda. Mr Khalid Muwembe, a senior meteorologist, contributed to this article."}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/City-works-on-snail-pace---survey/-/688334/1620288/-/92ld6cz/-/index.html","content":"City works on snail pace - survey - KAMPALA Kampalans will have to suffer flooding longer than expected as drainage black spots under construction are far from completion. A survey done by the Daily Monitor has found that little work has been done on a number of waterway channels and drainage under construction by the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA). The construction works are behind schedule. The project that started in March this year is set to end far from its timeline of early next year. The city authority in response to the frequent flooding within the city, early this year, embarked on implementation of the city drainage master plan, where trenches on Jinja Road, Ben Kiwanuka, Dastur and Channel streets were to undergo immediate infrastructure improvement. Other key floods black spots included the Shs8b Nakivubo channel, Luthuli Avenue, Queen’s way, Wampewo round-about and Mambule road in Kawempe division. Contractors are to blameHowever, nearly all the projects are far from completion and the city authority is blaming the contractors for “taking the work unserious” in the wake of torrential rains that have sparked off a series of floods in the city and traffic disruptions. According to officials in KCCA, the contractors, Omega Constructors and Prime Construction Company, “are doing the work at their own pace”, Floods in the city have become habitual, affecting business and transport after roads become inaccessible when they become submerged in water. Deaths have also been recorded after motorists fail to identify demarcations of drainage systems. It is estimated that the construction work requires more than $100b to implement the proposed Kampala District drainage plan. However, even the few existing projects are far from being completed in the spelt out time span. fmusisi@ug,nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/World/Zambia--Angola--border-conflict--Africa--former-colonies/-/688340/1609770/-/i2rwec/-/index.html","content":"Zambia set for talks with Angola - The Zambian government says it will soon engage its northwestern neighbour Angola on a bilateral level regarding a \"brewing border discomfort\".Zambia Deputy Minister of Lands, Mr Elijah Muchima told that country's Parliament Thursday that Zambia and Angola inherited border marking left by the government of Rhodesia that governed Zambia and that of the Portuguese that controlled Angola before Northern Rhodesia's independence in 1964.\"The government will consider looking at the issues in detail while bearing in mind AU guidelines on these matters. We shall engage our counterparts on a bilateral level,\" he said.Zambia parliamentarians hailing from Western Province of Zambia on the border with Angola claim that the oil-rich country has been making claims that a river called Kuando-entirely- and some property including a school belong to it.\"The river is on the Angolan side, but during floods where the water stretches is on that Zambians side.\"The government will only move when there reports of \"discomfort\", he said.President Michael Sata, on assuming office,sent first Republican president Kenneth Kaunda in October to Angola to apologise to that government over the previous regime's (Movement for MultipartyDemocracy) treacherous conduct during that country's civil war led by the late rebel leader Jonas Savimbi.Savimbi was the founder of the UNITA movement in March 1966, that first waged a guerrilla war against Portuguese colonial rule between 1966-1974, then confronted the rival Movement for the Liberation of the People of Angola (MPLA) during the decolonisation conflict between 1974 and 1975. After independence in 1975, Savimbi fought the ruling MPLA in the Angolan civil war until his death in a clash with government troops in 2002.Zambian government officials say since then, relations between the countries have normalised."}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Kasese-landslides-claim-four/-/688334/1409270/-/vo5qh5z/-/index.html","content":"Kasese landslides claim four - Four people have died after torrential rains triggered landslides in Butalimuli village, Mahango Sub-county in Kasese District on Thursday night. Three of the dead -- Belivin Mbwambale, 9, Winnie Biira, 5, and Constance Mbindule, 7 -- died after a rock hit the house they were sleeping in, according to a relative, Mr Mathias Masereka. He said the children were sleeping when one side of their bedroom wall collapsed due to pressure that was exerted by the heaps of mud following a heavy downpour that started at 9pm and lasted for more than four hours.Their mother, Fridina Baluku Kyamukagha, and two other children survived narrowly as they were sleeping in another room. In another family, a seven-year-old girl died after the upper wall of their house collapsed while she was sleeping in Nyakabingo Village, Rukoki Sub-county. The deceased is a daughter to Mr Zironi Masanduku who was not at home by the time the tragedy befell his family.The district environment officer, Mr Augustine Koli, warned that rains are likely to cause a lot more disasters in the district because of the poor cultivation methods that have left the ground bare hence weakening the soils. The disaster comes barely eight months after five children were killed in Mahango by another mudslide at the home of Kambale Mulemba. Previous casesMay 2001. About four people were killed in landslides and floods in various parts of Kasese district. The landslide and wide spread floods followed heavy rains in the district. May 2010. More than 300 people in Kisinga Sub-county left their houses due to landslides. It was the second time the parish was hit by landslides and floods in two months.October 2011. Five members of a same family perished following a landslide that hit their house in Mahango village. editorial@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/-/688334/1332400/-/b08meqz/-/index.html","content":"Weekend storm ravages Lira schools - Learners at Canon Lawrence Demonstration Primary School and Canon Lawrence Primary Teachers College, both in Adekokwok Sub-county in Lira District, are stranded after hailstorms ravaged their buildings at the weekend. Canon Lawrence Demonstration Primary School head teacher Lilly Omara said: “The situation calls for immediate action because basic requirements, including teaching materials, were destroyed.” Poor situationThis is the second time in about six months that storms have ravaged the two schools. Ms Omara said their school’s situation has been worsened by the low Parents and Teachers’ Association contribution of only Shs5,000 per pupil that is not enough to respond to emergency situations, adding that the school could be crippled if such calamities continue. Meanwhile, Mr Patrick Okada Opito, a senior tutor at Canon Lawrence PTC, said lack of cost-sharing at PTCs across the country has left them in a fix after the destruction as they entirely rely on government funding. Mr Okada added that the school grant does not support all the development programmes because “the grants normally come late and end up in pockets of suppliers”. The most affected buildings in the two institutions are those constructed in the early 1920s. The Assistant District Inspector of Schools, Mr Denis J. Omara, however, said efforts are under way to have the schools surveyed by the office of the district engineer to get rehabilitation grants from the Office of the Prime Minister under the ongoing rehabilitation programme of Northern Uganda. Judith Anyango, 19, a second year Grade III student, said students have been gripped by fear of a repeat of the storm as the rains return. The primary section has 900 pupils whereas the teachers’ college enrolls at least 400 student teachers. editorial@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/Sports/Boxing/-/690270/1273942/-/6c8k5y/-/index.html","content":"Golola camps in Kabale ahead of fight - KAMPALA Moses Golola has set camp in Kabale ahead of his intercontinental fight against Hungarian Andras Nagy on December 9. The Africa Kickboxing champion was initially supposed to camp in Thailand but the floods that affected the Asian country prompted his promoters to find another suitable alternative within a short time. “There was need to help Golola work on his endurance, hence the decision to have intense high altitude training in Kabale,” Golola’s coach Fazil Biku said. The Ugandan kickboxing sensation is to spend 20 days in Kabale before returning to Kampala for the highly-anticipated fight at Hotel Africana. Because of its high altitude, Kabale is an ideal place for athletes seeking to build endurance. John Akii-Bua camped in the area before winning Uganda’s only Olympic gold medal in 1972. Western Athletics, a voluntary organisation, is now planning to construct a permanent camp in the area to help sportsmen across the country. Speaking to Daily Monitor on phone from his base, Golola in his usual bravado style, said his presence has already been felt in Kabale although he has been there for a few days. “People are wondering why all of a sudden Kabale has become hot yet it’s always very cold,” Golola said. “My training methods have already changed the weather.” “So that Hungarian should really get worried.” He added: “Kipsiro (Moses) should not think of coming to Kabale for training because by the time he gets here, all the hills will have turned into slopes.” The Hot Temper, as he is popularly known, is training under coaches Biku and Abdu Nasser. He is also having sparring sessions with two professional boxers; Achilles Ssemwogerere and Musa Batantu. Kickboxer Shakur Bwete is helping him with the kicking sessions. ckyazze@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/-/688334/1404566/-/ahy3rnz/-/index.html","content":"Flood victims living on porridge - Kween/Nakapiripirit At least 900 families, who were displaced by floods in Kween and Nakapiripirit districts have been living on porridge, an official has said. Residents of Kaptelet Village in Kween District and Lokududu Village in Nakapiripirit District, were left homeless last Friday when floods hit the area. At least 20 goats and 200 chicken were killed by he floods, while several houses were also destroyed. The chairperson of Kaptelet Village, Mr Sadik Chepteke, said they have been surviving on porridge provided by Charity Sisters of the Catholic faith. He said 400 households lack food, beddings, such as mosquito nets and blankets, among other household items. Kween Woman MP Lydia Chekwel pledged to submit a report to the Ministry of Relief and Disaster Preparedness for assistance. Meanwhile, some of the 500 flood victims in Lokududu Village have since Friday been eating wild fruits. The chairperson of Namalu Sub-county, Mr Simon Peter Lemukol, said the situation is bad compared to the previous floods of last year. “We have all the data of the people affected and it has been sent to the district. We are waiting for the feedback,” he said. The Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister, Mr Pius Bigirimana, said they have not received details of the affected families from the district for action.“Normally when disaster strikes in the district, the district disaster team is supposed to submit the report to us so that we take action but as per now, we have not received their report about the current floods,” he said. Karamoja and Sebei region are currently receiving heavy rains that have displaced families and washed away gardens. holukx@ug.nxtionmzdix.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Court-Martial-convicts-two-for-deserting-army/-/688334/1907160/-/4udr0o/-/index.html","content":"Court Martial convicts two for deserting army - KAMPALA. The Second Division Court Martial has convicted two UPDF soldiers for alleged desertion. They are Pte Emmy Arinaitwe and Lance Corporal Wilberforce Kato, both attached to the Second Division army headquarters in Makenke, Mbarara Municipality. The Second Division Court Martial chaired by Col. Geoffrey Mujuni heard on Friday that Arinaitwe was attached to the 2nd Division before he was deployed under the African Union Peace keeping Mission in Somalia-AMISOM. Prosecution alleges that on his return in the country in 2011, Arinaitwe deserted the Force.He allegedly absconded from work after he was given one month official leave, prompting the UPDF to declare him Absentee without Leave-AWOL. According to prosecution, Arinaitwe got involved in criminal offences in Mbarara such as fighting civilians in bars, which tainted the image of the Force in breach of Section 146(1) and (3) of the UPDF Act. Col. Mujuni, found Arinaitwe guilty and therefore convicted him to seven years in jail so as to deter other soldiers from desertion. He, however, advised Arinaitwe to appeal the ruling in a higher court within 14 days if he is dissatisfied with the sentence.The same court also convicted Lance Corporal Wilberforce Kato to dismissal from the Force for alleged desertion. Court heard that Kato, who was serving under the 37th Battalion during Operation Lightening Thunder in Central African Republic, asked for leave in 2001 but did not go back. He was picked up and detained at Makenke Army Barracks. Reading out his judgment, Col Mujuni noted that desertion had become a very serious concern to the army. He said some of the soldiers were involved in criminal and subversive activities, which jeopardise the country’s security. Colonel therefore convicted Kato to dismissal from the army with disgrace.As a result of the ruling, Kato, who has served in the army for more than 10 years, will not receive any benefits. The ruling comes in the wake of the illegal recruitment of Ugandans from western region into the M23 rebel ranks in the Democratic Republic of Congo. At least more than seven Ugandans were recruited last month by M23 rebels from Kiruhura District. Mr Martin Abilu, the Rwizi Regional Police Commander, said they had got intelligence, indicating that M23 rebels and other armed groups involved in subversive activities in the neighboring countries were targeting Ugandan deserters mainly from the UPDF, Police and private security groups. editorial@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Mubs-boss-Balunywa-gets-more-five-years-in-office/-/688334/1895782/-/1175wbsz/-/index.html","content":"Mubs boss Balunywa gets more five years in office - Kampala The government has renewed the contract of Makerere University Business School (Mubs) Principal Waswa Balunywa for another five years. Mubs spokesperson Peter Odoki confirmed to the Daily Monitor yesterday that Prof. Balunywa had already received his instrument of appointment from the Education Service Commission. The Universities and Other Tertiary Institutions Act, 2001, tasks the Education Service Commission to appoint principals and deputy principals for public tertiary institutions like Mubs. “I can authoritatively confirm that Prof Balunywa’s contract has been renewed for five more years and as staff, we congratulate him on his renewed mandate and we are ready to support him,” Mr Odoki said by telephone yesterday Promise of supportEducation Minister Jessica Alupo also confirmed Prof. Balunywa’s reappointment, promising that government would give him full support to transform the institution.This is the third time Prof Balunywa, whose contract expired on May 28, 2013, is retaining this coveted top position. He was first appointed principal of Mubs in 2003 and re-appointed on May 28, 2008. His reappointment seems to water down allegations that he has mismanaged the institution. A whistleblower recently sent a dossier to Parliament, accusing Prof Balunywa of using the school’s money to treat his mother, supplying goods to the institution in breach of procurement regulations and mismanaging a computer project, allegations he vehemently denies. When contacted, Prof Balunywa was upbeat about his reappointment, saying he was ready to continue serving Mubs. “Yes, it is true . I received my appointment instrument yesterday (Tuesday) and the fact that I have retained my position shows the confidence the appointing authority has in me and I am ready to continue serving,” he said. Prof Balunywa promised to focus on improving quality of programmes offered at the school as well as training staff to improve efficiency and productivity. assenkabirwa@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Balunywa-explains-self-to-staff/-/688334/1891298/-/gx5mi9/-/index.html","content":"Balunywa explains self to staff - KAMPALA- Makerere University Business School Principal Waswa Balunywa has written to the staff of the business school about the controversy caused by a whistle-blowers’ dossier to Parliament, accusing him of mismanaging the institution. In an emailed response under the title “Information on Issues Appearing in the New Vision”, Prof. Balunywa responded to the accusations raised in the dossier, including using the school’s money to treat his mother, supplying goods to the institution in breach of procurement regulations and mismanaging a computer project. Regarding the more than Shs40 million he received to treat his mother for heart complications, Prof Balunywa wrote: “It is unfortunate that whoever is making these accusations goes to this level. Nonetheless, I would like to thank my colleagues who took the decision to support my mother. I think our mothers should be spared our politics”. His farmProf Balunywa said he owns a farm, “Maya Farm, which I have every year declared publicly as required by PPDA.” This farm, he said, “supplies pineapples and eggs to the school and sometimes potatoes.” “The rest of the allegations are untrue and those making the allegations must have ulterior motives,” read the email. The Principal added that the Socket Works Computer Project, for which students were charged money but never took off, “has been investigated several times and it is clear that the intention of bringing this up is to get people to see me in bad light.” The professor also said all his travels are documented and “those of you who read my Facebook, I post stories of my journeys and benefits from them.” Regarding the accusation that he influenced the appointment of former Makerere University vice chancellor Venansius Baryamureeba as chairperson of the Mubs Council, Prof Balunywa said he was not “competent enough to mention anything about this.”He added, however, that “Prof. Baryamureeba was identified through a legitimate system and elected by Council (and) to make such remarks is to demean Council.” The complainants asked the parliamentary committee that investigated the accusations of mismanagement at Kyambogo University to also take interest in what they called a “suffocating” environment at Mubs. They also wanted Prof Balunywa, who has led the school since its founding in 1997, to leave office since his last five-year contract expired on May 28, 2013. Five more yearsBut the Mubs Council has since recommended to the Ministry of Education that Prof. Balunywa is given another five years. This was after the Principal wrote to the council, arguing that he had “served diligently” as Principal, managing “to achieve modest growth of the institution.” He asked for a chance “to serve my last term as head of this institution to see this transition (to a degree awarding institution or fully fledged university).” Overstayed?But Dr Collin Sentongo, who was replaced as chairman of Mubs Council by Prof Baryamureeba last year, thinks the problem is that Prof Balunywa has been in the job for too long. “He has been in charge of that institution for more than 15 years now; isn’t that enough? When people get tired of you they start digging up everything.” When he was chairman of the Mubs Council, Dr Ssentongo says he received a number of such petitions, from as far back as 2007. emukiibi@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/OpEd/Commentary/How-Kazinda-lost-OPM-case/-/689364/1891126/-/140qu4u/-/index.html","content":"How Kazinda lost OPM case - On Wednesday June 19, the Anti-Corruption Court in Kampala found the interdicted Principal Accountant in the Office of the Prime Minister, Geoffrey Kazinda, guilty of 29 counts of fraud and illegal possession of government documents. The trial has been ongoing since late last year when the scandal was unearthed. Sunday Monitor’s Anthony Wesaka brings you how the case was handled and ruled. It is 4pm on a Wednesday evening. Out-going Anti-Corruption Court Judge David Wangutusi delivers his verdict by pronouncing interdicted Principal Accountant in the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), Mr Geoffrey Kazinda, guilty of 29 counts of fraud. Mr Kazinda, who now awaits his sentence this week on Wednesday, was found guilty of one count of abuse of office, one count of making a document without authority, 26 counts of forgery and two of unlawful possession of government documents. He denied all the above charges, prompting the prosecution, led by the police to conduct a search at the OPM and at his mother’s home in Bukoto, a city suburb. Vital documents including Security Papers and Withdraw Forms that are used in transferring huge sums of money, were found which formed the basis of this trial that ended up in conviction on Wednesday. So how did Kazinda lose? On the charge of being in possession of government stores Prosecution’s takeSince there was no witness who saw Kazinda carry the documents to his mother’s house, the prosecution had to link the recovered documents to Kazinda. The prosecution did this by bringing to court Kazinda’s brother, Mr Fredrick Wamala, who told court that in March 2008, after the death of their father, they decided to move their mother near Kazinda’s home in Bukoto, Kampala. She was in a rented home paid for by Mr Kazinda. His brother further answered court’s question that it was only Kazinda from their family who worked with the OPM.The prosecution also took photographs of the exterior and interior, as well as the room from which the documents were recovered. There was no objection from the defence either through cross-examination or by Kazinda during his unsworn statement denying the photos that revealed that the documents were recovered from the home of Kazinda’s mother and not from OPM. Kazinda’s takeKazinda’s lawyers argued that the documents that were brought to court might have been those that were recovered from their client’s office since it was also searched. Judge’s takeThe duty of the prosecution is to link the accused to the documents by showing that although he was not in actual possession of OPM documents, he knew about them, exercised dominion and control over them. The accused was a bread winner, the provider of shelter and medical care for his sick mother. His nephew, Peter Lubulwa, stayed therefore under his care and direction.Mr Lubulwa was not there and could not be found, the person with access to the house and the only one who had access to the OPM documents was the accused (Kazinda).Before I leave the issue of documents, the judge said, my view is that by keeping such important documents such as those exhibited away from his office, even after taking them home, away from his immediate contact and away from his house, the accused can only be said to have hidden them from whoever might come across looking for them. On the charge of forgery Prosecution’s takeThe prosecution charged Kazinda with 26 counts of forgery. The particulars are that Kazinda with intent to defraud or deceive, forged the signature of Mr Bigirimana contained in cash withdraw forms purporting to show that the same was signed by Mr Bigirimana whereas not. 1 | 2 | 3 Next Page»"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/Sports/Tennis/Nadal-crowned-clay-court-king-for-eighth-time/-/690280/1877888/-/10gx5j7z/-/index.html","content":"Nadal crowned clay court king for eighth time - Rafael Nadal defied David Ferrer as well as a worrying security breach to become the first man to capture the same Grand Slam title eight times with victory in the French Open final. Nadal claimed his 12th major with a 6-3, 6-2, 6-3 win over his Spanish compatriot who was playing in his first Grand Slam final at the age of 31 and at the 42nd time of asking. It also gave Nadal his 59th win out of 60 matches played in Paris.However, the 27-year-old’s push to victory suffered a heart-stopping moment when a protestor, naked from the waist up, leapt from the stands on Court Philippe Chatrier, carrying a flare and protesting France’s controversial same sex marriage law. The protestor, who was wrestled away by security staff, came within just a few feet of the Spaniard as he prepared to serve at 5-1 in the second set. A burly security official immediately came to Nadal’s aid in front of the VIP box where Olympic sprint champion Usain Bolt and Hollywood superstar Leonardo DiCaprio were watching.Ferrer vowed to keep fighting to break the Grand Slam stranglehold of Nadal, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray. Nadal’s eight titles2005- Rafael Nadal (Spain)2006- Nadal 2007- Nadal2008- Nadal 2010- Nadal 2011- Nadal2012- Nadal2013- Nadal"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/EC-gives-guidelines-for-Butebo-election/-/688334/1872444/-/nyfw7p/-/index.html","content":"EC gives guidelines for Butebo election - Kampala The Electoral Commission (EC) has issued guidelines to be adhered to by candidates and election observers ahead of the Butebo County by-election slated for tomorrow (Thursday).The seat fell vacant in April this year following the death of former MP and Disaster Preparedness and Refugees minister, Stephen Mallinga. EC chairperson Badru Kiggundu told journalists yesterday that in order to avoid congestion at the polling stations, each candidate will be restricted to only two agents at a polling station.“Each political party or candidate is advised to appoint a maximum of two agents, who shall be required to present appointment letters to the presiding officer before being allowed at a polling station,” Eng. Kiggundu stressed. The Commission has gazetted Pallisa Local Government Council Hall, where the tallying and declaration of final election results will be made. Eng. Kiggundu said parties have been asked to designate two officials to observe the tallying process. The agents have also been warned against interfering with the polling process and restrict themselves to representing the interests of their candidates. “The same advisory will apply to the accredited election observers, who should take address any concerns through supervisors or the complaints desk,” he said. A Query/Complaints’ Desk has been set up at Kararaka Primary School in Butebo Sub-county where election officials will receive and handle complaints that may arise from the by-election between 7am and 5pm on polling day. A total of 52,835 voters are expected to cast their ballot. Mbabazi warns independents The National Resistance Movement party general secretary has described those contesting in Butebo by-election after failing in the party primaries as indisciplined, spoilers and rebel candidates bent on destroying the party. Mr Amama Mbabazi, who is also the Prime Minister, said to contest against the NRM party decision as independents was a breach of the party agreement, indiscipline and betrayal and asked the voters to shun him. This comes after Mr Martin Osekeu, an NRM-leaning independent candidate, accused the party of rigging him out in favour of Dr Patrick Mutono, the flag bearer. Mr Oseku has reportedly split many party votes as a result. The party secretary general, who was representing President Museveni in the campaigns for the party flag bearer at Kathocha Primary School on Petete Sub-county, said the NRM is considering amending the party constitution to make sure that whoever loses party primaries does not contest as an independent to divide the party. He also said district leaders supporting the independent will face party disciplinary committee. [Additonal reporting by Mudangha Kolyanga, Monitor] editorial@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/NRM-warns-Butebo-County-contestant-/-/688334/1854040/-/9c2r5hz/-/index.html","content":"NRM warns Butebo County contestant  - The National Resistance Movement (NRM) party has threatening to take action against one of the candidates in the Butebo County MP by-election. Mr Richard Oseku, who contested and lost the NRM primary elections last weekend to Dr Patrick Lodoi Mutono, went ahead and got nominated as an independent candidate. Mr Oseku came third in the election that had six candidates. His decision has drawn angry reactions from the party leadership who accuse him of breach of agreement, indiscipline and betrayal. Prof Elijah Mushemeza, the NRM electoral commission vice chairperson, described the move as indiscipline and betrayal of the highest level, which he said the party would not sit back and watch.Seven candidates are contesting for the Butebo seat. The contestants are FDC’s Samuel Khalwa, DP’s Zaidi Ziwa, NRM’s Patrick Mutono Lodoi. Independent hopefuls are Elisabeth Aisu, Kachio Eria, Richard Oseku and Sajjabi Yothia. editorial@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Shs100-000-for-driving-while-on-phone/-/688334/1853032/-/khvajx/-/index.html","content":"Shs100,000 for driving while on phone - Kampala If you are one of those drivers fond of making or receiving phone calls while driving, you may want to reconsider the habit or have Shs100,000 in your pocket. And if your seatbelts are faulty, it is time to fix them or else you will be made to part with a Shs80,000 fine when caught. In the new statutory instrument issued by the Minister of Transport and Works, traffic offenders given Express Penalty Scheme tickets but fail to pay within 28 days will pay a surcharge of 50 per cent to Uganda Revenue Authority. According to the deputy police spokesperson, Mr Patrick Onyango, enforcement of the new traffic regulations published in the Uganda Gazette will go on as announced by the head of traffic police two weeks ago. “Our work is to enforce what the minister approved. So we are starting on Wednesday,” Mr Onyango said yesterday. In the new regulations, drunk-drivers will be fined Shs200,000 but police said the fine does not rule out detention for up to 12 hours until the driver sobers up. Before the new instrument, drunk-drivers were arrested and arraigned in court where they were fined between Shs400,000 and Shs1.2 million or sentenced to imprisonment for not less than six months but not exceeding two years or both. While drivers found not wearing seatbelt will pay Shs80,000, passengers who do not wear seatbelts will also be given EPS tickets of Shs20,000. Senior Traffic Commissioner Steven Kasiima said the new rules are meant to reduce inconveniences caused to errant motorists when they have committed minor traffic offences. The second regulation on driving tests and special provisions expects drivers of public service vehicles and vehicles carrying goods, including boda boda riders, to have badges. In the process of acquiring badges, the drivers will be tested by police officers to ascertain their driving competence and criminal record. The badge, which will be issued free of charge may be withdrawn in case of an accident. By yesterday, several drivers had not submitted their driving permits for verification for badges. The new driving penalties Offences Fines Old FinesDriving uninsured vehicle Shs40,000 Shs40,000Car with obscure registration numbers Shs40,000 Shs40,000Driving without valid permit Shs100,000 Shs40,000Permitting driving without valid permit Shs100,000 Shs60,000Using a goods vehicle in dangerous manner Shs200,000 Shs40,000Carrying passengers when not licensed Shs100,000 Shs40,000Using licence in breach of that issued Shs200,000 Shs60,000Using vehicle in bad condition Shs60,000 Shs50,000Driving under the influence of alcohol Shs200,000 Nil Careless or inconsiderate driving Shs100,000 Shs40,000Driving in excess speed Shs200,000 Shs100,000Denying right of way to authorised vehicles Shs100,000 Shs100,000Failing to stop at a railway crossing Shs40,000 Shs50,000Carrying more than one on motorcycle Shs100,000 Shs20,000Obstructing a road or waiting Shs100,000 NilRiding motorcycle without a valid permit Shs40,000 NilRiding motorcycle without a crash helmet Shs40,000 NilDriver not wearing a safety belt Shs80,000 NilPassenger not wearing a safety belt Shs20,000 NilUsing a mobile phone while driving Shs100,000 NilUse of vehicle without reflectors Shs100,000 NilDriving a PSV without a badge Shs200,000 NilInstructing without a valid certificate Shs200,000 Nil abagala@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Police-interrogate-Monitor-journalists/-/688334/1853038/-/84npfr/-/index.html","content":"Police interrogate Monitor journalists - Kampala Police yesterday charged three Monitor journalists with refusal to cooperate and divulge information in relation to the Gen. David Sejusa affair. Managing Editor Don Wanyama and reporters Risdel Kasasira and Richard Wanambwa endured a full day’s interrogation. At one point, the police suddenly changed their status from potential witnesses to potential suspects when it asked them late in the afternoon to sign charge-and-caution statements. Mr James Nangwala, the Daily Monitor lawyer, said his clients were also charged with refusal to avail a document contrary to the Police Act. “My clients gave them all possible information and explained why they could not name their source. We were, however, surprised that they were later charged contrary to the summon which called them to give light and help in investigations,” Mr Nangwala said. The journalists were questioned by a group of 10 detectives led by Mr Fred Mulondo of the Media and Political Crimes unit. Police wanted to establish the source of Gen. Sejusa’s letter to the Director General of ISO. Mr Wanyama later said naming sources of information contravenes journalists’ ethical obligations. “The police largely wanted to know the source of the letter. We politely told them we could not divulge such information since it would be a breach of our trust with the public and our sources. We also made it clear that the law protects us,” he said. Police ordered the trio to re-appear today (Wednesday) at 11am. The letter was instructing the Internal Security Organisation boss to investigate claims of an alleged plot to assassinate top government officials who are perceived to be opposed to the so-called ‘Muhoozi project.’ editorial@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/World/Syria-accused-of-seeking-to-pull-Turkey-into-a--quagmire-/-/688340/1851116/-/ciko1cz/-/index.html","content":"Syria accused of seeking to pull Turkey into a ‘quagmire' - Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has accused Damascus of trying to drag his country into the Syrian \"quagmire\" after twin bomb attacks killed 46 people in a town on the border. Turkey said Sunday it had arrested nine people over the twin car bombings that sowed death in Reyhanli the previous day, but the Syrian government denied any involvement. Ankara said it was holding suspects who had confessed and accused Damascus of trying to drag Turkey into its civil war. \"They want to drag us down a vile path,\" Erdogan said at a rally in Istanbul, urging Turks to be \"level-headed in the face of each provocation aimed at drawing Turkey into the Syrian quagmire\". The attacks were the deadliest incident in what observers see as an increasing regionalisation of the conflict that started in March 2011 and came as key brokers Washington and Moscow made an unprecedented joint push for peace talks. Speaking during a visit to Berlin, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu called the attacks a breach of Turkey's \"red line\" and warned that Ankara reserved the right to \"take any kind of measure\" in response. Cranes were seen lifting debris from buildings destroyed by Saturday's blasts in Reyhanli, a major Turkish hub for Syrian refugees and rebels. The attacks provoked a backlash against Syrian refugees as rampaging crowds wrecked dozens of cars, according to witnesses. \"I heard the first blast, walked out, thinking it was a missile being fired from Syria. Then I found myself on the ground, my arms and right leg hurting, my ears ringing. It must have been the second bomb,\" said Hikmet Haydut, a 46-year-old coffee shop owner who had minor injuries to his head and body. \"I am alive, but all I have is gone.\" Deputy Prime Minister Besir Atalay told a news conference that nine people -- all Turks -- were detained for questioning and that some had confessed involvement in the attacks, which also left dozens wounded. Interior Minister Muammer Guler said the explosives were smuggled into the area, then placed into Turkish vehicles with special compartments to conceal their deadly cargo. \"A spark transforms into a fire\" The suspects were said to belong to a Turkish Marxist organisation with direct links to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime. Damascus rejected the allegations that it masterminded the attacks. 1 | 2 | 3 Next Page»"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/World/Turkey-blames-world-for-inaction-on-Syrian-attacks/-/688340/1851400/-/1537k1jz/-/index.html","content":"Turkey blames world for inaction on Syrian attacks - Berlin Turkey’s Foreign minister has blamed the world’s inaction on the Syrian war for the “barbarian act of terrorism” that claimed dozens of lives near the border. Ahmet Davutoglu’s comments in Berlin came a day after a twin bombing in the small town of Reyhanli, in the southern Turkish province of Hatay bordering Syria, that left at least 46 people dead and 100 others wounded. They also followed a vigorous denial by Syria of any links to Saturday’s blasts - the deadliest incident on Turkish soil since the Syrian conflict began. Holding Turkey indirectly responsible for the blasts, which took place just a few miles from the main border crossing into Syria, Omran al-Zoubi said: “Syria did not commit and would never commit such an act because our values would not allow that.” Turkey has taken in more than 400,000 Syrian refugees, many of whom have settled in Hatay, and has thrown its full weight behind the armed opposition fighting to overthrow president Bashar al-Assad, although it denies supplying weapons. Davutoglu had earlier told Turkey’s TRT television that he did not believe the attacks were linked to the Syrian refugees in his country, but that they had “everything to do with the Syrian regime”. Besir Atalay, Turkey’s deputy prime minister, said authorities had arrested nine people, all Turkish citizens and including the alleged mastermind of the attacks. The developments came as hundreds of protesters took to the streets of Antakya, about 50km from the Syrian frontier, on Sunday. Several hundred people, mostly leftist and nationalist demonstrators, marched through the centre of the city, carrying banners and shouting anti-government slogans while onlookers cheered.In a speech in Istanbul later broadcast on state TV, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish prime minister, said: “Whoever targets Turkey will sooner or later pay the price.” Davutoglu, for his part, called the blasts a breach of Turkey’s “red line” and said that “it’s time for the international community to display a common stance against the regime ... immediately and without delay”.He called for an “urgent, result-oriented diplomatic initiative” to find a solution to the Syrian crisis and said that “Turkey has the right to take any kind of measure” in response to the killings. During his talks with Davutoglu, Guido Westerwelle, the German foreign minister, expressed his condolences for the victims of the “barbaric act of terrorism” and pledged his country’s support for Turkey.Muammer Guler, Turkey’s interior minister, said the bombings were carried out by a group with direct links to Syria’s intelligence agency."}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Court-orders-attachment-of-NRM-accounts/-/688334/1841366/-/amwl54z/-/index.html","content":"Court orders attachment of NRM accounts - KAMPALA Court has ordered the attachment of bank accounts for the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) to recover Shs177 million, for purchase of laptop computers for the party’s biometrics programme. “It is hereby ordered that all debts owing or accruing due from the garnishee (Housing Finance Bank) to the mentioned judgement debtor (NRM) be attached to answer a decree recovered against the judgment debtor by the named decree holder in the High Court,” held Mr Isaac Muwata, the registrar of the Execution Division of the High Court Registrar on Thursday. The court order comes hardly a month after Justice Geoffrey Kiryabwire of the Commercial Division ordered the ruling party to pay technology firm, Mobile Computers Limited the money on April 4 this year. Mobile Computers through their attorneys; Tumwebaze, Atugonza, Kobusingye Advocates dragged NRM to court last year for breach of contract arising from non-payment for the supply of 203 Toshiba Lap-tops in 2010. However, NRM did not file a defence within the prescribed time leading to a judgement in October 2012. OrderedJustice Kiryabwire ordered NRM to pay Shs129 million with 21 per cent interest per annum from date of filing the case till payment in full. “Counsel has prayed for Shs300 million and damages for anguish, stress and medical challenges suffered. This is far in excess of the contract sum,” held Justice Kiryabwire in last year’s decision. “I will, however, award the plaintiff company general damages of Shs15 million with interest of 8 per cent per annum from date of this judgment till payment in full. I will also award the plaintiff company the costs of the suit.” editorial@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/Sports/Rugby/Rugby-league-refereeing-needs-improvement/-/690276/1754460/-/3sse49z/-/index.html","content":"Rugby league refereeing needs improvement - The Nile Special Super Rugby League is now water under the bridge following MTN Heathens’ 20-6 victory over Toyota Buffaloes at Kyadondo ground last Saturday. That’s now a record 11 titles for Heathens and five in a row. On the whole, the league was a success as it all went on smoothly, albeit some areas that need revisiting. It’s those areas that Sunday Monitor tackles this week. The standard of refereeing has become a routine complaint as all clubs have had their fair share either through confrontation or the media. The refereeing body should come up with punitive measures like demotions, fines and bans for match officials who display unacceptable levels of refereeing.No one wants a repeat of the 2008 saga when DMark Kobs players got into an altercation with Collin Mulindwa, accusing him of double standards.Controversial calls change games as teams lose unconvincingly. Kicking The inability of teams to get points from the boot has haunted many at the end of the 80 minutes. This can be supported by the fact that clubs change kickers during one game. The best kicker this campaign with no doubt has been Heathens’ Phillip Wokorach with no clear second. The boot will always salvage victory especially when the opposition’s defense becomes hard to breach. All clubs should groom kickers to fade away memories of the blunt kicking we have witnessed through the just concluded campaign. FansOnly hardcore fans have kept on showing up to support their teams this season. Imagine how big and fun local rugby would be if all games had that mammoth crowd that shows up when Kobs and Heathens are clashing! The game should be marketed because fans always provide the financial success of any professional organization. A great number of fans attracts more sponsors and the incentives that come along. ExpansionThe Super 8 should have teams outside the central region. At least each region like the east and north should have a representative. This will play a vital role in developing of talent country wide. Rugby teams and fans in the north and east are pushing for league structures that allow them to compete with central clubs. TransfersThe union should regulate transfer of players between different teams to protect the smaller teams from exploitation. On various occasions, the modest clubs have complained about having their players tapped and taken with little if any rewards. Small teams groom young talent before the big sides lure them to their franchises without offering decent compensation. It is also clear that record-keeping is somewhat lacking. Yet, without statistics, it is hard to keep track of the growth of the game. Penalties given away or converted, scrum downs lost/won, line outs won/lost, balls turned over, need to be recorded for future analysis. editorial@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/Business/Commodities/Chinese-firm-drags-UTL-to-court-over-Shs17-billion/-/688610/1751398/-/12clildz/-/index.html","content":"Chinese firm drags UTL to court over Shs17 billion - Kampala Uganda Telecom Limited (UTL) has been dragged to court over alleged failure to pay more than $6.7 million for designing, planning, integration, operation and maintenance of the backbone Link project over five years ago. A Chinese firm, ZTE Corporation, has sued the telecommunication firm seeking to recover the value of the contract involving supply and installation of specific components and hardware. It is alleged that the complainant firm executed the contract on October 29, 2007 at the value of $3,4m, which subsequently varied as parties made local purchase orders that exceeded the contract sum. Through their lawyers, the technology firm alleges that UTL defaulted on the payments to the contract price as payments were intermittent and inconsistent leading to signing of a repayment agreement on the mode of payment. “The sum due to the plaintiff (ZTE Corporation) as stated in the repayment agreement was/is $6,738,272.38 and the parties agreed to have the said sum paid over a period of time with the last installment falling due on April 30 2012,” read part of the complaint filed before the commercial division of the High Court. According to the documents, despite numerous demands from the complainant, UTL that has since admitted signing the repayment agreement, failed to settle the amount constituting to a breach of contract. Meanwhile, UTL is yet to file its defence. The Chinese firm is seeking to recover $6.7 million owed on the contract, general damages and interest at 23 per cent from the date of the cause of action till payment in full.ZTE Corporation is the second firm to sue UTL in less than a year over alleged failure to pay for supplies and services offered by technology firms. Two other firms, Huawei Technologies Limited Company and Huawei International PTE Limited incorporated in China and Singapore, respectively, have since sued the telecom operator on two separate files seeking to recover $10,247,501 and $2,777,290 as outstanding on the cost of telecommunications equipment and services supplied between 2005 and 2009. However, UTL manager in-charge of brand and communications, Mr Sultan Jamal, declined to give an immediate comment on the matter, promising that the company would pronounce itself on the allegations in due course.“At the moment, we have no comment,” he said in a telephone interview yesterday. It is alleged that failure to settle the amount led to a breach of contract. ekasozi@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/EU-envoy-wants-open-tender-for-Karuma-dam/-/688334/1751430/-/11qtnkfz/-/index.html","content":"EU envoy wants open tender for Karuma dam - Kampala The government should re-open up the tender for construction of the 600-megawatt Karuma hydro-dam to all interested “competent” firms irrespective of which country finances the project, the Head of the European Union Delegation in Uganda has said. Ambassador Roberto Ridolfi told the Daily Monitor on Tuesday that handpicking a firm from a country offering a $2.2 billion loan for the construction works, would amount to “breach of the public procurement rules”.“Public procurement rules are very simple and are at the core of good governance: transparency, free and open access to everybody to the tendering and no discrimination,” he said. Government urged“I hope the government will abide by the court ruling and the (Inspectorate of Government’s) recommendations without breaching the public procurement laws because a loan, even if it’s a very soft loan or concession loan, will have to be paid back by Ugandans.” The considerations, he said, would however be different if Uganda received a grant. The envoy’s comments come weeks after the largely state-owned New Vision reported that China has agreed to deploy resources and firms to build Karuma dam. President Museveni and his new Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping reportedly sealed the deal during the recent BRICS summit in South Africa, the newspaper reported, quoting unnamed sources.In the Tuesday interview, Mr Ridolfi made no mention of China but said it would be unfair for the Ugandan government to exclude other “competent” companies and only favour firms from country bankrolling the project. Call for respect of the law“The laws of public procurement must be respected. If we are talking about loans, Ugandan tax payers have to pay it back, which means ultimately that the infrastructure will be paid for by Ugandans tax payers, he said, “Therefore, Uganda has the right to get the best value for money. The laws of public procurement were not invented to delay projects, they were invented to give value-for-money to the tax payers, avoid corruption and collusion.” The process of procuring a contractor for the already delayed Karuma dam has been rife with allegations of corruption, bidders falsifying work records and violation of procurement rules, prompting a plethora of lawsuits and investigations by police, the statutory public procurement entity and Ombudsman. The Inspectorate of Government cancelled the initial process that placed China International Water and Electric Corporation (CWE) in pole position to win the $2.2 billion tender, and advised government to restart the process but through restricted international bidding. Salini, an Italian company, has fought hardest, including through the courts, over the Karuma dam deal. tbutagira@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/World/Bashir-to-skip-Kenya-president-inauguration/-/688340/1743350/-/bhr6sc/-/index.html","content":"Bashir to skip Kenya president inauguration - Sudan President Omar al-Bashir will skip Tuesday’s inauguration of Uhuru Kenyatta as Kenya's fourth Head of State. This comes as a section of lawyers petitioned Attorney-General Githu Muigai to arrest and hand over President Bashir to The Hague in case he comes to Nairobi Government spokesman Muthui Kariuki said the Sudan President had indicated that he would not attend the occasion in spite of being among the 54 Heads of State who were invited. “President Bashir, like all other African presidents, was invited. However, I can confirm that he will not be attending,” he said. The Kenya Chapter of the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ Kenya) warned that the country would be failing in its duties as a member state of the treaty establishing the International Criminal Court (ICC) if it allowed President Bashir, an indictee of The Hague, safe entry and exit. In addition to the two warrants issued by the ICC, lawyers Wilfred Nderitu and Elias Mwenda reminded Prof Muigai that the High Court issued a provisional warrant compelling the government to arrest the Sudan President any time he sets foot on Kenya’s soil. “As a State Party to the Rome Statute establishing the ICC,  Kenya is under an obligation to enforce the warrants by arresting and surrendering President Bashir to the ICC if he enters Kenyan territory,” they said in their petition. The ceremony Warning of serious consequences to the country, they asked the AG to advise both incoming president Kenyatta and his predecessor Mwai Kibaki that it would be in breach of the Constitution and the Rome Statute to entertain President Bashir to the Kasarani Stadium ceremony Tuesday. “We request you as the principal adviser to the government and as a member of the Committee to the Assumption to the Office of President, to advise both the incoming and outgoing president that President Bashir’s invitation and subsequent presence on the territory of Kenya amounts to a breach of the Constitution, the International Crimes Act, and the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. In addition, we request you to enforce the provisional warrant in keeping with the decision of the High Court to the effect that any legal person may enforce the provisional warrant,” they stated. Mr Nderitu and Mr Mwenda petitioned the AG following reports by Sudanese newspapers stating that President Bashir would fly in today to attended the ceremony for the swearing in of Kenya’s fourth President. A total of 54 heads of states have been invited to the ceremony during which President Kibaki will hand over power to Mr Kenyatta. President Bashir is wanted by the ICC to answer charges of war crimes committed in  the Darfur region that broke out in 2003. The Hague issued the warrants in March 2009 and July 2010. The High Court issued the provisional warrant in November 2011."}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/World/WikiLeaks-to-release-more-US-diplomatic-records/-/688340/1742444/-/14osap3/-/index.html","content":"WikiLeaks to release more US diplomatic records - Whistleblowing website WikiLeaks was on Monday to publish more than 1.7 million US diplomatic and intelligence documents from the 1970s, founder Julian Assange revealed. The website has collated a variety of records including cables, intelligence reports and congressional correspondence and is releasing them in a searchable form. Assange has carried out much of the work from his refuge in Ecuador's embassy in London and told the domestic Press Association that the records highlighted the \"vast range and scope\" of US influence around the world. Assange has been holed up in the tiny diplomatic mission for nine months as he seeks to avoid extradition to Sweden over allegations of rape and sexual assault, which he denies. WikiLeaks sent shockwaves around the diplomatic world in 2010 when it released a set of more than 250,000 leaked US cables. The new records, dating from the beginning of 1973 to the end of 1976, have not been leaked and are available to view at the US national archives. They include many communications which were sent by or to then US secretary of state Henry Kissinger. Many of the documents, which WikiLeaks has called the Public Library of US Diplomacy (PlusD), are marked NODIS (no distribution) or Eyes Only, while others were originally marked as secret. Assange fled to the Ecuadorian embassy in June after losing his battle in the British courts against extradition to Sweden. Ecuador granted him asylum in August but Britain has refused to allow him safe passage out of the country, sparking a diplomatic stalemate. Assange founded the WikiLeaks website that enraged Washington by releasing cables and war logs relating to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan in one of the biggest security breach in US history.  AFP"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Heritage-Oil-case--What-London-court-decision-means-for-Uganda/-/688334/1740218/-/1148hlrz/-/index.html","content":"Heritage Oil case: What London court decision means for Uganda - Uganda is revelling in the delight of a favourable decision on Wednesday by an arbitration hearing in London dismissing objections filed by Heritage Oil and Gas against a much drawn-out multibillion shilling tax dispute. While it is easy to understand why glasses will be raised in toast to the news, the decision to dismiss the British Oil explorer’s objections against paying a $434million (Shs1.2 trillion) capital gains tax bill will come to vindicate Uganda’s decision to marshal international expertise by hiring US-based law firm Curtis, Mallet-Provost, Colt & Mosle LLP to bolster its defence at the London hearing. “This ruling means a lot to the government,” Mr Robert Kasande, the assistant commissioner Petroleum Exploration and Production Department, said on Thursday. “It sends a message that if you come to do business, you must pay your dues and that the country will always ensure that what is due to it is paid in order to realise the benefits of the oil and gas industry.” Mr Kasande said any criticism against the government’s expenditure on this arbitration is unwarranted because “you need to realise that the oil industry is a high expense business because it can be high returns also, in this case, a few billions for Shs1.1 trillion.” The London tribunal, led by three eminent personalities—Australian, Prof. Campbell Maclachlan (chairperson), Egyptian, Ahmed Kosheri (for Uganda), and Briton (Julian Lew, for Heritage Oil), are reported to have agreed to Uganda’s jurisdictional arguments against Heritage’s fight to keep more than a trillion shillings in capital gains tax following its 2010 $1.45billion sale of stakes in two oil blocks to Tullow Oil. Court battleUganda argued that tax matters were not an issue for arbitration because they were never part of production sharing agreements with Heritage Oil, while the oil explorer argued, just as it did in a previous legal case heard by the Tax Appeals Tribunal in Uganda, which it lost, that no tax was due from the deal.Uganda also argued, and won, that the London tribunal did not have jurisdiction to handle the tax matters. In a statement on Thursday, Heritage Oil expressed displeasure at what it said was Uganda’s breach of confidentiality imposed upon both parties to the proceedings and noted that Wednesday’s decision only marked the end to a “preliminary” phase of the international arbitration process. The company said it looked forward to the Tribunal dealing with “the merits phase” of Heritage’s contractual claims against the government. “As far as it relates to tax, this matter is closed,” said Uganda Revenue Authority’s Ali Ssekatawa, the assistant commissioner for litigation. “For all we know, whatever quarrel we have had with them for the last three years has all been related to tax. Nothing else!”. egyezaho@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Salini-loses-Shs60b-London-appeal-over/-/688334/1739786/-/v9ysrd/-/index.html","content":"Salini loses Shs60b London appeal over Northern Bypass - A London arbitration panel has ordered Italian construction firm Salini Costruttori to complete defects on the Northern Bypass, after dismissing their application for a further Shs60 billion for the delays in completing the hitherto controversial project. The panel of three arbiters – John Beechy, Paul B. Hanoon and Robert Gaitskell in a March 20 ruling, said Salini had breached their contract and therefore was not eligible for compensation because the firm had “failed to justify its inability to meet the specification and to justify its decision to stop work on January 2, 2008”, adding that the government had “successfully rebutted” Salini’s arguments. Salini had dragged Uganda to court, seeking an additional Shs60 billion pay, following its work on the Northern By-pass that cost Shs98 billion. The European Union provided funding to the tune of Shs84 billion at the time. The project delayed for more than three years (from November 2006 to October 2009) after Salini suspended works on the final layer of the road, disputing designs provided by BCEOM of Guyancourt, France. Acting Uganda National Roads Authority executive director Ssebuuza Kimeeze could not be reached for comment by press time. However, UNRA legal counsel Marvin Baryaruha said the ruling is a warning to contractors to take the roads agencies enforcement role seriously. “No contractor will take UNRA for a ride using fictitious claims because we shall not accept such claims again. We have the capacity to defend our decisions,” he said by telephone. In their ruling, the London arbiters dismissed Salini’s technical arguments that the designs for the road were flawed. “Nor, on the basis of the evidence before it, does the Tribunal accept Salini’s contention that its workmanship was not in any way a factor in its inability to achieve compaction. The BCEOM Asphalt Specification was plainly not impossible to achieve,” they added. BCEOM had also been hired as a Works ministry consultants. “Accordingly, the Tribunal finds that Salini’s decision to suspend the works on January 2 2008 was not justified under the terms of the contract,” the Tribunal concluded. Road to crackSalini had argued that “the road would crack in less than two years”, although it was expected to last between 15-20 years. Salini engineers told the government that they opted to seal the road “with an additional layer of asphalt or have the design changed.” According to Salini engineers, the BCEOM designs were “so open textured that the bitumen oxidizes quickly”. The required complexion could not be achieved “because the mix design was wrong”. “The Tribunal has determined that the relevant delays to the project arose from delays caused by both Salini and by Uganda. It concludes that Salini is entitled to an extension of time to the extent claimed. However, Salini was nevertheless in breach of its contractual obligations, as detailed above, and so it is not entitled to additional payments under GC Artilce 55, nor is it entitled to damages under GC Article 63,” the abettors ruled. The arbiters attributed their decision on the basis of “the documentary record and the evidence before it”. jnjoroge@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Tax-dispute-not-yet-over--Heritage-Oil-says/-/688334/1739380/-/w4iwj8z/-/index.html","content":"Tax dispute not yet over, Heritage Oil says - British oil and gas exploration company Heritage Oil PLC has dismissed press reports that it lost a $434m tax arbitration case against the Ugandan government currently ongoing in a London Court. The government-owned New Vision newspaper on Thursday reported that the tax arbitration tribunal ruled in favour of the Uganda government. The paper quoted Ali Ssekatawa, Assistant Commissioner for litigation at the Uganda Revenue Authority, who said the London tribunal was satisfied with the ruling made by a tax appeals tribunal in Kampala against the oil company. However, Heritage has called the remarks “speculation” and premature. In a statement released today the company said the “press comments attributed to the Ugandan authorities regarding the arbitral decision are inaccurate as well as being breaches of the requirement of confidentiality imposed upon both parties to the proceedings.” The case arises from a $434m capital gains tax dispute between the Uganda government and Heritage Oil URA asked Heritage to pay after Heritage sold its oil licenses to Tullow for $1.45 billion. Below is the full statement: HERITAGE OIL UPDATE IN RELATION TO ARBITRATION PROCEEDINGS AGAINST UGANDAN GOVERNMENT Heritage Oil Plc (LSE: HOIL), an independent upstream exploration and production company, responds to recent press speculation and statements attributed to Ugandan officials in relation to confidential international arbitration proceedings which are ongoing between the Government of the Republic of Uganda (the “Ugandan Government”) and Heritage Oil & Gas Limited (a wholly owned subsidiary of Heritage) (“HOGL”) following HOGL’s sale of its interests in Blocks 1 and 3A in Uganda on 26 July 2010. Heritage can confirm that a determination on jurisdictional challenges raised by the Ugandan Government was issued last night by the arbitration tribunal. Heritage is still reviewing the decision but the recent press comments attributed to the Ugandan Government and/or the Uganda Revenue Authority are a misleading representation of a detailed decision. While the arbitral tribunal concluded that it does not have jurisdiction to hear arguments relating to the underlying substantive Ugandan tax matters, Heritage is delighted that the tribunal has rejected the Ugandan Government's challenge to jurisdiction to determine the central question as to the propriety of the alleged imposition of tax with reference to contractual stabilisation clause protection invoked by Heritage together with the breach of other contractual obligations. The determination by the arbitral tribunal is supposed to be confidential and marks the end to the preliminary phase of the international arbitration proceedings. The international arbitration will now continue and move to deal with the merits phase of Heritage’s contractual claims against the Ugandan Government and the underlying substantive Ugandan tax matters remain under appeal in the Ugandan courts. Heritage is concerned to note that press comments attributed to the Ugandan authorities regarding the arbitral decision are inaccurate as well as being breaches of the requirement of confidentiality imposed upon both parties to the proceedings. The $283.4 million placed in escrow in July 2010 by Heritage in relation to any potential Ugandan tax liability remains in escrow in London held by Standard Chartered Bank. -ENDS- editorial@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/UYD-elections-hang-in-balance-as-police-deploy-at-Namboole/-/688334/1738728/-/13otyknz/-/index.html","content":"UYD elections hang in balance as police deploy at Namboole - Kampala Police have blocked the Uganda Young Democrats (UYD) elections slated for today after detecting “potential breach of peace” by warring youth. Kampala Metropolitan Spokesperson Ibin Ssenkumbi said DP president Norbert Mao had written to them denouncing the organisers of the elections and that their defiant stance to hold the elections could provoke rival groups into disruptive conduct. “We are there to keep law and order and we cannot hear groups planning to fight and we sit back. Let them first put their house to order,” Mr Ssenkumbi said. In his letter, Mr Mao said the party does not recognise the conference and could not take responsibility for it. The latest internal disagreements within DP started weeks ago when the party secretary general, Mr Mathias Nsubuga, issued a statement stopping the youth elections on grounds that the organisers faulted the normal procedures of holding such elections. This was after the party’s national executive committee failed to agree on the matter and members chose to take individual positions. Some upcountry delegates, who started arriving yesterday, were denied access to the stadium. The intervention of Mr Kenneth Paul Kakande, the suspended party spokesperson, did not save the situation. He said they expected police to provide them with security rather than blocking them.“We actually don’t know whose instructions they are enforcing because we informed their superiors about the conference and the management of Namboole also says they are disturbed by their presence,” he said. Mr Sulaiman Kidandala, the UYD organising secretary, said: “When did our president become a state operative to know who is likely to cause chaos and who cannot?” By press time yesterday, a group of UYD leaders were reportedly meeting Lt. General Kayihura to try and keep the conference on, while a number of delegates were stranded with their luggage at the stadium. Mr Christopher Okidi, a delegate from Agago District, who is aspiring for the UYD vice presidency, said the conference would take place at all costs, even if it means converging under trees. assenkabirwa@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Police-block-DP-youth-from-accessing-Namboole/-/688334/1738262/-/2r4epv/-/index.html","content":"Police block DP youth from accessing Namboole - Police have deployed at Mandela National Stadium blocking delegates who had turned up for tomorrow's delegates conference of the Uganda Young Democrats (UYD). Members of the UYD subscribe to the opposition Democratic Party(DP) which is Uganda's oldest political organisation. Some delegates from upcountry who had started arriving at the stadium were denied access by police officers manning the stadium gates. A police officer , Mr David Epedu ,who is in charge of security at the stadium ,told journalists that he had instructions from his ‘superiors’ not to allow the Democratic Party (DP) youth into the stadium . “As of now , we cannot allow you in until you get clearance from the Kampala Extra Police Spokesperson Ibin Ssenkumbi . We are simply here to ensure that there is no breach of peace and nothing else,” he said. Mr Kenneth Paul Kakande , the suspended party spokesperson, who is also among the organisers said they expect police to provide them security not to block the conference . “We actually don’t know whose orders they are enforcing because we informed their superiors about the conference and the management of Namboole also says they are disturbed by their presence,” he said. But Mr Ssenkumbi said the conference had been blocked after getting conflicting statements from DP leaders, and feared there could be breach of peace. “We received a letter from DP president(Norbert Mao) yesterday(Tuesday ) denouncing the group organising the conference yet we had already got another letter from UYD secretary general Samuel Muyizi asking for protection . So, as police, we cannot protect people the party president says doesn’t know ,” Mr Ssenkumbi said, adding; “Let them first put their house to order and then organise the conference.” By midday about 20 delegates were seated at the gate, stranded with their luggage. Mr Christopher Okidi ,a delegate from Agago District and aspiring to become UYD vice president said the conference would take place at all costs, even if it means converging under tree shades. The UYD , has not held elections for almost a decade due to internal bickering. assenkabirwa@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/KCCA--city-musicians-plan-meeting/-/688334/1736462/-/kb77ip/-/index.html","content":"KCCA, city musicians plan meeting - Kampala Following the Easter Sunday scuffles between Kampala Capital City Authority and event organisers over breach of city order laws, in which Ggaba Beach Hotel and Monalisa Bar concerts were affected, KCCA has said it will meet all the artistes in Kampala at City Hall in two-week’s time to iron out ignorance of the law. “We want to sensitise them from A to Z about what the authority’s law on city events entails,” Mr Robert Kalumba, the KCCA deputy spokesperson, said. He noted that many artistes do not want to seek permission from the Authority and keep littering the city with promotional items, which is against the city by-laws. “Nobody is above the law,” he said. “Since they (organisers and artistes) are at the peak of their supporters, they should act exemplary and abide by the law.” Mr Robert Ssemakula Kyagulanyi alias Bobi Wine, said it was a good move for both sides. “They didn’t do first things first,” Bobi Wine said. “We appreciate KCCA’s job in the city but its officials should draw clear lines between ego and duty and we operate in harmony. We need each other to promote this city,” he added in a telephone interview. ‘Disobeying laws’Last week, KCCA listed a number of shows that would not take place after it accused the organisers of littering the city with promotional items. On Sunday the Authority enforcement team went around the city and temporarily intercepted two big events by prominent singers Bebe Cool and Chameleone. Yesterday, the Authority had scheduled to close Ngoma Bar show by Kato Lubwama, but Mr Kalumba said they reached a compromise with him. Elsewhere, the authority has banned a taxi park from the newly constructed Usafi Market, saying it is illegal.In February, Safinet, who are the proprietors of the market land, had asked the city authority to establish a taxi park to ease the transportation of goods to and from the market as well as aiding transport to traders and consumers but KCCA remained silent. Since the market officially opened on March 1, there has been an established commuter taxi park for vehicles plying the Entebbe route in the second part of the market that is still under construction. On if KCCA had permitted the proprietors of the market to operate a park, Mr Kalumba said: “It is illegal. They are doing it illegally because that place was designated for a market not a taxi park.” editorial@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Bishop-in-Arua-bans-offering-gifts-to-priests/-/688334/1734188/-/1fo5b9/-/index.html","content":"Bishop in Arua bans offering gifts to priests - Arua The Rt. Rev. Sabino Odoki, the bishop of Arua Catholic Diocese, has banned Christians from donating alcohol and other gifts to priests and other church leaders without notifying his office. Bishop Odoki announced the ban during the celebrations of the chrism mass for the church leaders on Wednesday. The ban follows reports that some leaders were soliciting for support from catholic faithfuls without the knowledge of the Bishop, which he said “turned them into a public nuisance”. Why no alcoholAccording to Bishop Odoki, offering alcoholic drinks and other gifts to priests can make them indulge in evil acts, in breach of their celibacy vows. At least three Catholic priests in West Nile region have been implicated in sex scandals. One of the priests has already been sentenced to jail for defilement, while two others are waiting their judgement on similar offenses. Apart from the sexual scandals, the Bishop also clashed with Rev. Fredrick Drandua, the Bishop Emeritus of Arua diocese, after it emerged that some Christians were collecting money to buy him tyres for his vehicle after they found him stranded. ChallengedThe ban on the donation of gifts has not gone unchallenged by some priests who have asked Christians to ignore the directive. Fr. Ceaser Dralega, the head of priests in Arua Diocese, said Christians offer gifts to priests out of love, “which the Bishop should embrace”. Mr Martin Andama, the chairperson of the Laity in the diocese, said the Bishop should encourage Christians to be more generous to priests instead of discouraging them. Mr Andama urged the priests to accept the gifts presented to them by Christians, saying it is a sign of their love for the church. editorial@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Makerere-sets-date-for-pre-entry-Law-exams/-/688334/1719488/-/jyj230z/-/index.html","content":"Makerere sets date for pre-entry Law exams - Kampala Makerere University has set April 13 as the date on which students wishing to offer Bachelors of Laws degree in the 2013/2014 academic year will sit for pre-entry examinations. According to a communication from the Academic Registrar, Mr Alfred Masikye Namoah, eligible candidates for this set of examinations are A-Level leavers with at least 15 points (males) or 14 points (females). Others are second class credit diploma holders, mature age applicants who have passed mature entry exams in the discipline of Bachelors of Laws for the academic years 2012/2013 and 2013/2014. Last year, the university examined 1,600 prospective students of which 721 managed to obtain the 50 per cent pass mark. “All applicants wishing to be admitted to the bachelors of laws programme offered by Makerere University are required to take this pre-entry examination,” Mr Namoah said in a statement. Taken to courtLast year, a group led by Ntenjeru South legislator Patrick Nsanja, dragged the university to court, saying it acted in breach of Article 21 of the Constitution when it subjected prospective students to an examination whose mode of setting, grading and marking is unknown. They also reasoned that pre-entry examinations would exclude many students who would have qualified for the course. The university, however, reasoned that the examination was aimed at giving a chance to students who would have failed the exams set by the Uganda National Examinations Board, but rather have a high degree of comprehension and analysing situations as required by the law field. The introduction of the examinations means that there is no more automatic admission of students with 25 or 24 points in the law programme. However, names of students who pass the Bachelors of Laws pre-entry exams are forwarded to the Public Universities Joint Admissions Board for consideration for government sponsorship. akiyaga@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Mbuya-raid--3-charged--remanded/-/688334/1718542/-/e0euxvz/-/index.html","content":"Mbuya raid: 3 charged, remanded - KAMPALAThree people, including two soldiers who were arrested in connection with the March 4 attack at Mbuya military barracks have been charged before the Military Court. They were all remanded. Lt. Augustine Moro and Private Kenneth Kalokwera Okello were charged before the Makindye-based General Court Martial over alleged offences relating to security, treachery and those relating to guard duties contrary to the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF) Act. They were charged jointly with a guard, Ivan Ebong attached, to private security company- Damocles who has pleaded guilty to the two offences relating to security and treachery. Mr Ebong, however, denied the alleged offence relating to guard duties while Lt. Moro and Private Okello denied all the charges. Driven to the court by plain clothed armed operatives, the trio appeared before the court for plea taking.Court chairman, Brig. Fred Tolit remanded Lt Moro and Private Okello to Makindye Military Police Barracks while Mr Ebong was remanded to Kigo government prison pending investigations. They are slated to appear in court on April 11 for mention and reading of brief facts in cases where Mr Ebong pleaded guilty to the offences. The offence comes hardly a fortnight since the security breach at Mbuya barracks amid reports that the foiled intrusion most likely involved subversive elements and some insider accomplices. But the army has since downplayed the daring attack as nothing more than an attempted gun grab by some “thugs”. AccusationsProsecution led by Capt. Fred Kangwamu alleges that on March 4 this year, Lt Moro, Pt. Okello, Mr Ebong and others still at large at Lower Mbuya Military Barracks in Nakawa Division near Kampala while armed with a firearm attacked the guards with the aim of acquiring guns; an act that was intended to prejudice the security of the defence forces. It is alleged that Lt. Moro and Pt. Okello, both persons subject to military law and others at Kataza on the Railway Line in Nakawa without authority gave out confidential information regarding the location of weapons in the barracks to persons not entitled to receive the same. Prosecution alleges that the trio also assaulted Cpl Stephen John Ojakol who was on guard duties at the barracks. Capt. Kangwamu asked court for time to allow the prosecution conclude the inquiries and submit the brief facts regarding Mr Ebong. editorial@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Museveni-has-forgotten-me--says-Nadduli/-/688334/1717316/-/u97mvpz/-/index.html","content":"Museveni has forgotten me, says Nadduli - The Luweero LC5 chairperson and liberation war veteran has accused President Museveni and other NRM party officials of failing to recognise his contribution and love for the party. Addressing a press conference in Luweero Town at the weekend, Hajj Abdul Nadduli accused the President of failing to respond to his appeals for intervention in some matters, including issues regarding his personal property allegedly grabbed by some people. According to Hajj Nadduli, he has risked his life by standing with the President and the NRM party in good and trying times but his efforts were ignored. “I have problems with my property now being grabbed by Kampala University but the matter, which came to the attention of the President two years ago has never been resolved. I was promised that the issue would be handled after the presidential elections but nothing has been done, not to mention the unfulfilled pledges for Luweero,” Hajj Nadduli said. Contacted for comment, Information Minister Mary Karooro Okurut referred us to the minister for Luweero Triangle, Ms Rose Namayanja. “I have 17 districts and Luweero is one of them. I don’t know the specific pledges Hajj Nadduli was referring to. I also think the university project was an undertaking between him and the university professor,” Ms Namayanja said. Hajj Nadduli claims that the university has refused to pay him Shs240 million for two years, in breach of a memorandum of understanding he signed in 2008. Prof. Badru Katerega, the proprietor of Kampala University, however, said Hajj Nadduli was being dishonest as the matter was before court. “We are surprised that Hajj Nadduli as an individual is claiming that the university owes him about Shs240m,” Prof. Katerega said through the university’s lawyer, Mr John Kabagambe. He added that the LC5 boss could have failed to interprete some of the clauses in the MoU signed in 2008 between the university and Luweero University Project. editorial@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/SpecialReports/The-national-ID-scandal/-/688342/1714690/-/mccfcwz/-/index.html","content":"The national ID scandal - It all started as a noble idea. Every Ugandan holding a National Identity Card (NIC) that would be acceptable for elections, to financial institutions, travel within East Africa and more. A decade down the road, with about Shs240 billion spent, only 401 identity cards have been issued. Uganda is a country of about 33 million people. Muhlbauer Technology Company Ltd was reportedly procured under dubious circumstances in March 2010 on the orders of President Museveni after his meeting with the German ambassador at State House. The company was given over Shs200b to make IDs for Ugandans but to-date, it has only reportedly produced only 400 Ids, among which is one for the president and the other for Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi. Several government bodies such as the IGG have investigated the project and last year, Parliament also joined in. Investigations and the inquiry reports into the procurement of equipment for the national ID project indicate that there was outright breach of procurement laws in the procurement of the firm. The IGG investigations in 2005 established that the procurement process of the vendor, who would implement the project, was riddled with illegalities. The probe also found that the process was characterised by patronage and in-fighting by public servants who had vested and even competing interests in the outcome. Parliament, in its report, advised that former Attorney General KhidduMakubuya should take full responsibility for the irregular clearance of the procurement agreement in disregard of the Procurement Authority objection, the former State Minister for ICT, Alintuma Nsambi’s, alleged trip to Germany be investigated, that the business interests of Igara East MP Michael Mawanda in Contec Global, another company that had interest in the project also be investigated. Also of concern is the fact that the ID cards yet to be issued is will use barcode technology instead of the smartcard technology that uses a chip. A chip can accommodate a lot more information, such as medical records, criminal records, educational data, driving permits and social security data. It can also authenticate fingerprints and photographs, which are additional safeguards against forgery. Blank ID cards using the barcode technology will cost the government 22.5 million euros (Shs63 billion) for 15 million cards, amounting to $2 per card."}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Bad-Black-sued-over-non-payment-of-legal-fees/-/688334/1705172/-/g2ikaj/-/index.html","content":"Bad Black sued over non-payment of legal fees - Embattled city socialite Shanita Namuyimbwa, also known as Bad Black, has been sued for allegedly failing to pay legal fees amounting to over Shs162 million. Bad Black was sued by HM Onoria Advocates, a law firm that claims to have offered her legal services before the Court of Appeal and claims she never honoured her contract with them. The suit was filed on Tuesday before the High Court in Kampala. The law suit is in connection legal fees she allegedly defaulted to pay after being represented to secure bail to enable her fly to Dubai to have her breast implants removed. The Anti-Corruption Court in July 2012 convicted and sentenced Black to four years in jail for embezzling over 11 billion shillings from Daveshan Development Company Ltd, a real estate company belonging to her lover. She has since appealed against the judgment. On October 17 last year, Black entered into an agreement with the law firm to help her secure bail, pending the hearing of her appeal. Late last year, court released her on bail so she could fly to Dubai. She has apparently not returned to the country since, and the Court of Appeal has since cancelled her bail and ordered for her rearrest. The court says she deceptively secured bail after she changed sureties without its knowledge. Court documents show that Black and the law firm agreed to have the legal fees in question paid two weeks upon her release on bail. But the law firm claims that despite several reminders and promises by Black to pay the legal fees, nothing has come forth, hence this suit against her for breach of contract. The law firm now wants the court to compel Black to pay the said legal fees and also the costs of the suit. The Court registrar, John Eudes Keitirima, has summoned Black to file in her defense within 15 days from the date of receiving the summons before a hearing date can be fixed. online@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/Business/Businesswoman-battles-insurance--courier-firms-over-compensation/-/688322/1698954/-/9j7jwsz/-/index.html","content":"Businesswoman battles insurance, courier firms over compensation - Mukono A businesswoman who lost her goods in transit has dragged insurance firm and courier firms to court seeking for compensation worth of $600,000 of her goods. Ms Irene Muteteri, the proprietor of Keen Services Limited, sued the Insurance Company of East Africa Uganda (ICEA) Limited and the East African Courier (Uganda) limited, a licensee of FedEx Express Corporation, for recovery of the sale price of four artworks that were destined to Haifa, Israel. Through her attorneys, Ms Muteteri dragged the two firms to the Commercial Division of the High Court, citing breach of contract and negligence for allegedly failing to ensure proper labeling and handling of her package that led to the loss and misplacement of the paperwork. It is alleged that in October 2009, the complainant contracted the courier firm to safely transport the package of pieces of artwork weighing 30 Kilogrammes to Israel and insured them with the ICEA for the value of $600,000. “On November 10, 2009, the plaintiff (Muteteri) was informed by the first defendant (Fedex) about the delay of the package caused by the misplacement of the paperwork and poor handling of the package. The first defendant also informed the plaintiff that the package weight had changed to 33 Kilogrammes,” reads part of the complaint. Ms Muteteri alleges that she received a copy of an e-mail of the intended buyer of the artwork by an official of FedEx Israel informing him that the package had arrived in Israel on November 12, 2009 but when it was opened, it contained shreds of newspapers, corrugated cardboards, five floppy discs and empty FedEx bags. However, the insurance firm has since denied liability on grounds that the complainant allegedly violated the insurance agreement by not reporting the loss immediately. Meanwhile, Justice Hellen Obura has set April 29 to May 2 for the hearing of the case. editorial@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/Business/Markets/Employers--body-faults-SMEs-on-labour-laws/-/688606/1698960/-/12nclw4/-/index.html","content":"Employers’ body faults SMEs on labour laws - Kampala Despite being the biggest employers in the country, majority of small and medium enterprises either do not or partially comply with laws governing employee-employer relations, costing them heavily.Presenting findings of a study commissioned by Federation of Uganda Employers (FUE) and the International Labour Organisation (ILO), Mr Douglas Opion, a consultant said non-compliance to labour related regulations has forced many SMEs to pay. Out of the 120 SMEs that were interviewed between July and October last year in Kampala, 53 said they were partially aware of the laws, 26 were not aware, one felt such laws are not relevant while only 40 of them were aware of the laws. Although all the enterprises that took part in the survey are in Kampala, 55 of the 120 SMEs were not aware of FUE’s existence while 98 were not even aware of services offered. Of about 400 members of FUE, SMEs account for only 35 per cent. Mr Hezron Njuguna, the International Labour Organisation specialist, employers’ activities, said FUE can help SMEs comply with labour laws by creating a guide which would contain the model letters of appointment, warning letter, dismissal, and setting up a grievance procedure, among others. “All enterprises have to comply with labour regulations to avoid repercussion that may arise for breach of laws,” Mr Njuguna said. Ms Rosemary Ssenabulya, the FUE executive director, said the organisation plans to follow up with interest SMEs to join the federation. fkulabako@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Parliament-rejects-PAC-report/-/688334/1696986/-/5xeioyz/-/index.html","content":"Parliament rejects PAC report - Parliament has dismissed the Public Accounts Committee report on the loss of Shs46.1billion to a French company irregularly contracted to work on the Jinja-Bugiri Road, saying the committee recommendations are not clear on who should be held responsible. The report, which revealed gross abuse of public funds in yet another compensation scandal, was said to have been compiled in haste, a claim the PAC leadership yesterday contested as “unfair” and “in bad faith.” But some committee members who requested not to be named supported the House’s decision. Last week, Sembabule Woman MP Anifa Bangirana Kawooya with support from the majority in the House, proposed a motion suggesting the report be sent back to the PAC for review. In the report, PAC had recommended that the Ministry of Works be held responsible and that the government synchronises its policies without pointing at specific individuals. Speaker Rebecca Kadaga agreed with Ms Kawooya and other members who criticised the report as “general”, and told the committee sit again and come up with clear recommendations on the officials responsible for the loss of public funds. During the debate, members rejected “blanket culpability” in the report even as Mr Wadri pleaded with the House to improve on the PAC recommendations without necessarily referring the report back to the Committee. MPs ‘obsessed’“As PAC, we never went wrong on the Jinja-Bugiri Road report, the members are so obsessed, they want to axe people but for us to mention names, we must have evidence,” PAC chairman Kassiano Wadri said. “I must be sure of evidence; I don’t want people to lose jobs on wrong evidence, I will be haunted by my conscience. We could not name individuals because the recommendations are of a policy nature.” Mr Wadri told Daily Monitor yesterday that the committee would photocopy the AG report for members to appreciate why PAC failed to name individuals in the report. An investigation by PAC shows that although Basil Engineering did not have a successful bid, it was given the deal, which, however, went bad and the company directors, whose details remain unclear, sued government in a Euro 39m claim.The claim was eventually reduced to Euro 18m before settling for Euro 13m (about Shs46 billion) for breach of contract."}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Ingrid-slaps-police-with-Shs500m-suit/-/688334/1696606/-/w1fv20/-/index.html","content":"Ingrid slaps police with Shs500m suit - Ms Ingrid Turinawe, the chairperson for Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) Women League, has sued the police for allegedly squeezing her breast while she went to attend a political rally in Nansana, Wakiso District last year. Those sued by Ms Turinawe include Mr Felix Andrew Kaweesi, the commander Kampala Metropolitan Police and the Attorney General, Mr Peter Nyombi. Mr Kaweesi has been sued in his capacity as an individual for being the most senior officer on that fateful day of April 20, 2012, who commanded others and squeezed her breasts in the process. The matter has been filed before the High Court in Kampala through her lawyers, Rwakafuuzi and Co. Advocates. Breaking it downIn her complaint, the FDC iron lady is demanding for more than Shs560 million in damages, saying the brutal action by the police embarrassed her before many people in Nansana who watched her being harassed, and also her five children and husband. She further says the rude act by the police was viewed on television stations, and internet among others. Breaking the damages down, she is seeking for Shs300 million as punitive damages and compensation for her vandalised car, Shs200 million as general damages, Shs30 million as breach of her right to liberty and another Shs30 million as punitive damages. She is also seeking court directing that the male police officer who continuously pulled and squeezed her breast be brought to court.She is also further asking court to make orders for the male police officer who seized her arms and legs in an attempt to undress her to be brought to court plus being dismissed from the Force. This act by the police caused a public outcry with some two women members of Concerned Citizens pressure group, storming CPS half-naked in protest. According to court records, Ms Turinawe’s woes on that fateful day began when she drove to Nansana Town Council to join other opposition politicians for a rally. She claims that when she was about to reach the venue for the rally (about a kilometre away), she was approached by a group of about 40 police officers. She says when she confronted them; they explained to her that she would not be allowed to attend the rally as it was unlawful. She says in the process of arguing, a male police officer grabbed her in an attempt to forcefully get her out of her car and grabbed her left breast with all bitterness and hostility that he could gather. Court records further show that another male police officer grabbed her legs and arms in an attempt to undress her. She was finally overpowered and pulled out of her car, bundled on a police van and driven to Kawempe Police Station where she was asked to make a statement. She was only released after Kampala Mayor Erias Lukwago and Kyadondo East MP Ibrahim Semujju intervened. Court is yet to summon the Attorney General and Mr Kaweesi."}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/NRM-Caucus-to-debate-controversial-PAC-reports/-/688334/1691630/-/mpfl9i/-/index.html","content":"NRM Caucus to debate controversial PAC reports - President Museveni has summoned NRM MPs to a meeting to take a position on a report by the Parliamentary Accounts Committee (PAC), exposing the controversial cancellation of a mining lease that cost taxpayers Shs43.5 billion. The impromptu meeting was called ahead of the PAC report debate by the House, which begins today. “Kindly carry your reports on Dura Cement, Jinja-Bugiri Road compensation and the adhoc committee on the electricity sector,” reads the message from chief whip’s office sent to all the MPs. The reportThe report, which was tabled by the Public Accounts Committee vice chairperson, Mr Maxwell Akora, on Thursday, implicates senior government officials, including the President, Nyabushozi MP Fred Mwesigye, who was then head of National Enterprises Corporation (NEC), Justice Billy Kainamura, the former Solicitor General and former Attorney General Khiddu Makubuya among others for their role regarding a decision by the government in 2007 to cancel a mining lease that had been awarded to Dura Cement Ltd. According to the report, President Museveni ordered the termination of the contract and instead asked that it goes to Lafarge/Hima Cement. In the resultant suit for breach of contract by Dura, the government forked out Shs43.5 billion. MPs dividedBy press time yesterday, details of the MPs’ meeting remained scanty but according to sources that attended the meeting and are not authorised to speak on behalf of the caucus, the lawmakers were divided over the matter. The legislators that Daily Monitor talked to before yesterday’s caucus meeting said the caucus will listen to the President and make an informed decision. Mr Steven Tashobya (Kajara County) said the caucus would take a decisive measure not to exonerate thieves.Dr Chris Baryomunsi (Kinkizi East) said yesterday that if investigations were carried out and incriminating evidence tabled before Parliament then, “we shall move as Parliament to condemn corruption irrespective of our parties. We must look at corruption without partisan lenses.” Mr Akora (Maruzi County) said yesterday they came up with the report based on evidence and appended all the necessary documents which indicate the roles played by those implicated. “The report will be open for debate .But each time PAC comes out with a report implicating the corrupt, NRM rushes to caucus to influence the debate,” he said. editorial@ug.nationmdia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Government-told-to-pay-800-retrenched-employees/-/688334/1691524/-/12sh40l/-/index.html","content":"Government told to pay 800 retrenched employees - Kampala A court has ordered the government to pay terminal benefits and pension packages to 825 former employees of the defunct Uganda Posts and Telecommunications Corporation (UPTC). The group was retrenched 10 years ago, when UPTC underwent structural re-organisation on March 15, 1998.Several companies, including Uganda Telecommunications Ltd, Uganda Posts Ltd, Uganda Communications Ltd and Post Bank Ltd, were created out of this re-organisation of the UPTC. Uganda Telecommunications Ltd, took on most of the workers from the defunct UPTC. Between 1998 and 2001, the services of the claimants were terminated by the successor companies, who subsequently paid them only gratuity. PaymentsThis caused the group to sue the companies along with the Attorney General, claiming that they were entitled to pension.Last week, judgment was delivered in their favour. Justice Kibuku Musoke said: “The denial to pay pension to the plaintiffs and the purported change in terms and conditions of service, clearly constituted to breach of plaintiffs contract service.” He ordered that each of the former workers be paid his pension calculated basing on the emoluments they received from the each successor company at the time. Justice Kibuuka awarded Shs5 million to each of the former workers as general damages for breach of contract of service.The court further awarded an 18 per cent interest per annum to the yet-to -be paid pension to the former workers from the date of termination till payment in full. The judge regretted that the case had dragged on for so long with four different judges handling it. awesaka@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/OpEd/Commentary/Accuracy-is-paramount/-/689364/1690374/-/11p3ru8z/-/index.html","content":"Accuracy is paramount - For the last two months, I’ve been having an email discussion with a reader who wants to understand the process of producing this newspaper. He is particularly keen on knowing more about our story choices, angling and placement on different pages. This reader is resilient, critical and gives brilliant insights to help us improve. He is one of those people I like to call genuine friends of Monitor Publications. Not all correspondences, however, go smoothly. Some readers have their own perceptions about this newspaper, which we may disagree with but respect all the same. As we seek to promote transparency and a continued conversation with readers about, say, our story choices, we always defend our decisions when we know we’re right and eat humble pie when we breach core journalism tenets. I have disagreed with some readers on a number of issues. One such involved a “Letter to the Editor” in which the reader made grave allegations against a company that, if we published, would have serious legal implications for this publication. The letter, for instance, accuses the company in question of grabbing the complainant’s land five years before the said company came to Uganda. When I called this reader for clarification, he insisted that his letter must be published in that form to “expose those people”. While we are happy to expose wrongdoers, we cannot be used to tarnish the image of companies and individuals using baseless accusations. Readers should appreciate that all sections of this newspaper must carry factual information as proof. We are open to critical views but malicious letters that accuse companies or individuals without backing evidence do not deserve space, precisely because they add no value to informed debate. Let’s all strive to be fair, honest and informative. Most importantly, let’s keep this conversation going, even if we disagree on some issues. As a social institution, our role is to offer a platform for news, debates and critical but responsible viewpoints. Our policy is clear: We encourage objective and constructive criticism of any group or person, action or policy where such criticism is considered to be well founded, based on a full and accurate assessment of the factual realities, and offered in the interests of the public. Ms Vuchiri is the Public Affairs Editor.E-mail: mvuchiri@ug.nationmedia.com Twitter: @MVuchiri and @DailyMonitor"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Tooro-clan-council-seeks-meeting-with-king-over-mismanagement/-/688334/1684572/-/l4047nz/-/index.html","content":"Tooro clan council seeks meeting with king over mismanagement - Several members of the Tooro Kingdom Clan Council are seeking a meeting with King Oyo Nyimba over alleged breach of the kingdom’s constitution and mismanagement.The clan council members claim a consent judgement made in April 2012 after four people sued the king over alleged mismanagement, had been breached. Mr John Baranga, the assistant minister of culture and also a member of the clan council, told journalists in Fort Portal on Monday: “One of the grounds in the consent judgment was to build harmony in the kingdom, but not using the police and other institutions to solve kingdom affairs.”In 2010, King Oyo and three others were taken to the High court in Fort Portal for alleged “unconstitutional decisions” that the plaintiffs said had messed up the kingdom administration. The plaintiffs, Mr John Baranga, Mr John Kusemererwa, Mr Mordecai Kakorwa and Mr Lawrence Kawamara sued King Oyo, the head of the ruling Babiito clan, Mr Charles Kamurasi, Mr Francis Mugenyi, the king’s principal private secretary, and Mr Augustine Kayonga. The court later advised the parties to settle the matter outside court, which they did in April 2012.Mr Baranga told the Daily Monitor on Monday that they want King Oyo to explain the alleged mismanagement and fraudulent sale of the kingdom property. “The Tamteco land, which is about 650 hectares, is an official property of Tooro Kingdom but we were all ‘amused’ about its disappearance from the office of the prime minister. We heard from the squatters on the land that some strangers came and surveyed the land. The land was supposed to be leased but instead we heard that some Tooro kingdom officials, who are based in Kampala, sold it off,” he said.The outgoing prime minister, Mr Amos Mugisa, who resigned two weeks ago, was arrested by police on Friday on allegations of financial impropriety.Mr Mugisa later accused the Queen Mother, Ms Best Kemigisa, and Mr Mugenyi of alleged interference with administration of the kingdom.The queen mother and Mr Mugenyi denied the allegations.When contacted, the Tooro Kingdom information minister, Mr Fredrick Nyakabwa, said: “We are waiting for the Supreme Council (Orukurato) to suggest names to the king to replace Amos Mugisa”.Article 2 (7) of the Tooro constitution grants the clan council powers to “advise the king on administrative issues for the smooth running of the kingdom”. editorial@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/OPM-scam--BoU-director-named-in-theft/-/688334/1681130/-/5syd25z/-/index.html","content":"OPM scam: BoU director named in theft - The House Committee investigating misuse and suspected theft of foreign aid in the Office of the Prime Minister yesterday accused a director at the Central Bank of aiding fraud. The Public Accounts Committee said Mr Milton Opio connived with the suspended Principal Accountant, Mr Geoffrey Kazinda, to withdraw billions of shillings meant for post-war recovery efforts in northern Uganda and Karamoja sub-regions using forged signatures. Mr Opio, who is currently suspended from his position as director banking, pleaded his innocence. Committee lead counsel Maxwell Akora noted that more than Shs38.9 billion was transferred to different project accounts without the knowledge of the accounting officer, violating agreements with the donors. “One individual cannot execute this fraud. That’s why I was asking you [Mr Opio] whether you knew Amon Takwenda, Boniface Obbo and Isaiah Oonyu,” Mr Akora said. The committee agreed with the Auditor General that 61 payments worth Shs10.9 billion were not confirmed as required by BoU regulations, a breach the MPs said facilitated fraud. Although BoU said they were not confirming inter account transfers since they regarded them “low risk”, Auditor General John Muwanga said this contravened banking guidelines. Mr Opio, it emerged, on several occasions did not call the OPM PS, Mr Pius Bigirimana, to confirm signatures. He instead dealt with Mr Kazinda, who is in prison. Thus, 131 transactions reportedly went without the knowledge of the PS. “We had a tendency of dealing with principal accountants because they are accessible and cooperative,” Mr Opio said. “The PS was always busy. He wouldn’t pick calls and sometimes he tells you he is in a meeting, call the principal accountant.” The director pleaded that BoU thought these phone conversations had been recorded. “But this was not the case. We are sorry; this was a weakness in our system,” he said. Mr Bigirimana still described Mr Opio as a “liar” yesterday: “The BoU authorised these payments behind my back, they had mupango (collusion) with Kazinda to forge my signature.” The Auditor General said: “It can be concluded that negligence on the part of the bank is apparent and collusion with OPM staff cannot be ruled out. The responsible officers should be held accountable.” The PAC vice chairperson, Mr Paul Mwiru, also noted that Shs14.8 billion was disguised as salary using a forged security paper. That there was a plan to cover up the fraud and Mr Opio was involved. Takwenda, who took the forged document to BoU has since died. But Mr Opio denied knowledge of the security paper even after Dr Nsamba, who worked on the report, said he recovered the document from Mr Opio during the auditing process. ymugerwa@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Fairland-goes-against-NCHE-order-on-varsity-admissions/-/688334/1680168/-/10ijovwz/-/index.html","content":"Fairland goes against NCHE order on varsity admissions - Fairland University has defied a warning by the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) not to admit students to unaccredited courses. The university Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Solomon Wakabi, yesterday said the NCHE had not been fair to the institution since its establishment 12 years ago. He asked those interested in pursuing their studies at the institution to go ahead and apply. The university is about 500 students. “The new semester begins on February 4. We are licensed. When they (NCHE) tell the public to consult them before they apply to our university, they are wrong. They are not the university. We are the university,” Prof Wakabi told the Daily Monitor. But the NCHE insists that the university continues to breach the Universities and other Tertiary institutions Act, which does not permit any institution to offer courses they do not recognise. Also, the NCHE states that the university, besides opening illegal study centres, has been awarding postgraduate degrees, and honorary degrees and yet it is not chartered. “Fairland University continues to breach several provisions of the law. They are running academic programmes including distance programmes that haven’t been accredited by NCHE. They are awarding postgraduate degrees which the university is not permitted to do,” Ms Faridah Shamilah Bukirwa, the NCHE senior legal officer said in a January 15 press release. Licence troublesFairland University has been battling in court with the NCHE after the latter issued a notice to revoke a provisional licence in 2009 if the former failed to comply with the body’s standards. Three years later, the High Court in Jinja ruled in favour of the NCHE. In the ruling, Judge Irene Mulyagonja Kakooza said: “The applicant (Fairland University) cannot continue to sustain its operations by court orders for there is due process under which she can obtain the necessary licence and finally a charter to operate lawfully.” But Prof. Wakabi said the university appealed against the ruling in February last year. However, Ms Bukirwa said they had not been served with the notice. “Members of the public are advised to seek guidance from the NCHE before seeking any admission to any programme at Fairland University,” Ms Bikirwa said. She added that the council was by yesterday at the premises to verify whether the university had rectified the weaknesses stated in 2009 in a notice intended to revoke their licence if they failed to comply with the standards. pahimbisibwe@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/4-officers-held-over-negligence/-/688334/1674574/-/1abf0f/-/index.html","content":"4 officers held over negligence - Four officers of Old Kampala Police Station have been arrested for allegedly looking on as a mob lynched several people in Kisenyi, a Kampala suburb. Another nine people suspected to have participated in the same mob action have also been arrested on charges of murder and causing grievous harm.The officers, all below the rank of Inspector of Police, are currently detained at Old Kampala Police Station for negligence. On Wednesday, the officers allegedly failed to act as a mob attacked several Kisenyi dwellers suspected to be behind the stabbing of one Siraje Kaweesa to death. The mob killed one person and left others with severe injuries.The Kampala Metropolitan Police Commander, Mr Andrew Felix Kaweesi, said the officers acted contrary to the Police Act, which requires them to protect lives and property of citizens regardless whether they are suspects or not. Breach of law“How can a police officer just look on when a citizen is being beaten to death? This is unacceptable. Police Professional Standards Unit is investigating the arrested officers and their superiors,” Mr Kaweesi said.The incident started on Tuesday night when Kaweesa was stabbed by unknown thugs in Kisenyi and died later on his way to hospital. His death sparked outrage among the mourners, who had gathered at his home in Lungujja, a city suburb. They picked sticks and stones and marched on to the scene of crime in Kisenyi. “When they reached Kisenyi, they jumped off their vehicles and started beating people they suspected to be behind the stabbing of their colleague,” police said. Mob action is on the rise in the country and police are looking at charging even journalists, who witness the killing without reporting to the police ,with charges of compounding a felony. At least 466 people are killed in mob action annually, according to police reports. abagala@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Buyende-district-sued-over-pay/-/688334/1670998/-/fv46s6z/-/index.html","content":"Buyende district sued over pay - A construction firm that won a tender to construct a three classroom block, an office and a store at Kirimwa Primary School has sued Buyende District Council to court for breach of contract. Bisca Uganda Limited won the Shs57.2 million contract in November 2011 under the School Facilitation Grant of the Ministry of Education. It is demanding that the district council meets the terms of the contract and also pays general and special damages for breach of contract. According to the executive director of the firm, Mr Ismail Mufumbiro, the company was advanced Shs24 million with a promise that the balance of Shs28 million would be paid upon completion, but that this has not happened despite the fact that the building was handed over and is in use. ‘’The district recognised that we had completed 100 per cent satisfactorily and the second and final certificate for the balance of Shs28 million was dully prepared and signed but it was blocked by the CAO,” Mr Mufumbiro said. He claimed that he had on several occasions visited the CAO’s office about the delayed payment, but had not received any plausible explanation. However, the CAO, Mr David Kyeyago Maleka, told the Daily Monitor that Bisca Uganda Limited does not have any documentation to prove that they had done the work satisfactorily. Mr Maleka said the documents the firm is carrying around showing the completion of work is suspect. Buyende District in October came under the spotlight after several of its top administrators were handed over to the Criminal Investigations Department operatives attached to Local Government Public Accounts Committee of Parliament for investigations over alleged forgery of accountability receipts. The officials were tasked to explain the queries raised by the Auditor General in the expenditure of Shs20 million for fuel with no proper receipts. editorial@ug,nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/The-private-prosecution-against-city-businessman/-/688334/1669058/-/1qe53jz/-/index.html","content":"The private prosecution against city businessman - On January 9, after Mr Hassan Basajjabalaba had snubbed police summons twice, Mr Allan Mulindwa, a private prosecutor, and his client Mr Bernard Kakande, filed a complaint at Buganda Road Court through the Chief Magistrate, a case that was majorly based on media reports and documents whose sources remain unknown. Though police had failed to trace Mr Basajjabalaba, on January 11, the private prosecutor issued court summons to his lawyers to appear on January 14 and the city businessman and his brother, Mr Muzamiru Basajjabalaba, appeared and pleaded not guilty to the charges and was granted bail. The chargeMr Basajjabalaba was jointly charged with Muzamiru before Buganda Road Chief Magistrate Eleanor Khainza, in a matter brought to court by way of private prosecution. Through Mr Mulindwa, the duo was charged with three cases of conspiracy to defeat tax laws, forgery of a court document and uttering a false document. According to records, Mr Kakande, through his attorney (Mulindwa) lodged the complaint on oath to have formal charges drawn against the two brothers and that criminal summons be issued immediately. Documents indicate that Mr Kakande, described as a male adult of sound mind and businessman, resident of Kategula Zone LC I, Kibuye Parish in Makindye Division made the complaint on January 9. The complainant, who upon learning that a case where public property and breach of the law had occurred, informed his attorney, who advised him that the alleged actions of the accused persons were in connection to a consent agreement in a case against the Attorney General. “That I have accessed a letter from Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) written by the Commissioner General to the registrar of the High Court to verify the consent judgment, which registrar signed at the right hand corner stating that this document does not originate from the civil registry,” reads part of the complaint. DPP takes overThe case has, however, been taken over by the DPP, a move that has solicited unkind words from the private prosecutor.Mr Mulindwa describes the takeover of the case by the DPP as ‘hijacking’ his case. “We maintain that the court competent jurisdiction is still Buganda Road Court because the procedure applied by DPP was irregular since the private prosecutor was not informed of the application for take over as required by law,” said Mr Mulindwa, who has since petitioned the DPP and judicial officers and the police, challenging the takeover. ekasozi@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/OpEd/Letters/-/806314/1668948/-/13276mx/-/index.html","content":"Govt has no right to give away Mabira - The Mabira give away is not a new song on Ugandan airwaves; the first attempt in 2007 had bitter consequences. Giving away Mabira should be justified and endorsed by the citizens and not the President alone since no one owns the forest. The principle of Public Trust Doctrine enjoins government ( and not the president) to protect and preserve natural resources on behalf of the citizens ( Part 13 of the National Objectives and Principles: 1995 Constitution). Whatever decisions the government makes should be people powered and should lead to protection of natural resources. There is no provision to the contrary that the government should give away natural resources for sugar, even if it invokes sustainable development, it is in breach of inter-generational equity. Michael Aboneka, abonex2007@yahoo.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/DRC-talks--Facilitator-reports-progress/-/688334/1667672/-/dwptxlz/-/index.html","content":"DRC talks: Facilitator reports progress - The facilitator at the ongoing peace talks between the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the main rebel group, M23, Dr Crispus Kiyonga has announced some progress at the talks after the two groups agreed to sign the agenda, a key step to moving to substantive negotiations. In a statement issued at the talks’ venue yesterday, Dr Kiyonga said the talks would now move to discuss the March 23, 2009 agreement whose alleged breach by Kinshasa sparked off the latest round of fighting.“The dialogue has so far approved two documents; the rules of procedure and the agenda,” Dr Kiyonga said in a statement. “The parties henceforth begin negotiations of the substantive issues of the agenda,” the statement added. Delegates told the Daily Monitor that the M23 had dropped their insistence on Kinshasa first signing a formal ceasefire as a precondition to the talks. “Since we already declared a unilateral ceasefire, we thought it is not necessary to insist on the ceasefire,” an M23 delegate said. “We have also agreed (to ignore the ceasefire) because the ICGLR is the guarantor of the subsisting ceasefire and they are the ones who asked us to withdraw from the positions we had captured, if Kinshasa violets it then we shall see,” he added. cmwangusya@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/-/688334/1664884/-/9b4bj7z/-/index.html","content":"Nzeyi, business partner in legal battle over Nando’s restaurant  - Businessman Amos Nzeyi is battling a multi-million shilling lawsuit in the High Court following a fallout with former business associate, Mr Menna Tewahade. Mr Tewahade accuses the city tycoon of defaulting on payments for shares in Nando’s restaurant, a city food joint the two owned. At stake is a claim for more than Shs800 million which Mr Tewahade wants court to compel Mr Nzeyi to pay for shares in Innscor Uganda Limited, a company the two men co-owned which operated a franchise of the celebrated Dutch chain of Nando’s restaurants in Uganda. Innscor and Nando’s Resorce B.V, the parent company that owns the brand and chain of Nando’s fast food restaurants, signed a Master Franchise Agreement (MFA) in December 2004, in which the Netherlands-based outfit granted the company the Nando’s Franchise to operate restaurants under the name and style of Nando’s. According to documents filed at the Commercial Court Division of the High Court, the two businessmen entered into an agreement on August 31, 2009 with Mr Tewahade agreeing to sell his 29.5 per cent equity in the company to Mr Nzeyi, a majority shareholder with a 51 per cent stake at Innscor (U) Ltd, for $400,000 (about Shs 1 billion). Mr Nzeyi had agreed to pay for Mr Tewahade’s equity; $50,000 (Shs132 million) on execution of the agreement, two separate instalments of $100,000 payable on or before March 31, 2010 and December 31, 2010 and a last instalment of $150,000 payable on or before March 31, 2011. However, Mr Nzeyi, the documents show, made only one down payment of $50,000 and declined to issue any further payments, a matter that severed a business relationship spanning several years and one that prompted Mr Tewahade to seek legal redress two years after the botched sale of shares. The case is now being mediated by a High Court judge in effort to strike a compromise over the row.In declining to issue any more payments for the shares, Mr Nzeyi, according to a written statement of defence, cited a January 2010 decision by Nando’s Resource B.V to terminate the franchise agreement with Innscor on grounds that Mr Tewahade’s sale of equity had breached the MFA which required any shareholder selling shares to offer first right of purchase to Nando’s Resources B.V.The MFA, Mr Nzeyi said, had also outlawed any change in control of Innscor without prior written consent from Nando’s Resource B.V. Frustrates business“The plaintiff [Mr Tewahade] did not make such offer to the said Nando’s Resources B.V thus the purported agreement to sell to defendant [Mr Nzeyi] constituted a breach of the Master Franchise Agreement leading to the cancellation of the Franchise thus frustrating the company’s business interests and hence continued payment for shares,” wrote Mr Nzeyi’s lawyers KGN Advocates.Mr Nzeyi proceeded to file a counterclaim in court and is now demanding a refund of the $50,000 (Shs 132m) he paid to Mr Tewahade with interest at 21 per cent per annum from August 31, 2009 “till payment in full.” However, Mr Tewahade’s lawyers said Mr Nzeyi “was at all times” in control of the company by virtue of his majority shareholding and accordingly his acquisition of his partner’s equity could not “by any measure amount to a change in control of the Company to constitute a breach of the Franchise Agreement.” “Accordingly, the defendant [Mr Nzeyi] has no basis both on law and fact for not effecting payment for the share purchase in accordance with the agreements,” wrote Mr Tewahade’s lawyers, MMAKS Advocates."}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Court-orders-clearing-firm-to-pay-client-Shs25m/-/688334/1651224/-/3plfxlz/-/index.html","content":"Court orders clearing firm to pay client Shs25m - KAMPALA Court has ordered a Kampala clearing firm to pay its client Shs25 million as costs for breach of contract. The firm reportedly failed to deliver the car nor compensate the client when the vehicle was involved in an accident in Namanve, just outside Kampala, about 18 years ago. The company was transporting the car from Mombasa to Kampala. Kampala High Court Judge Benjamin Kabiito ordered MS All Port Freight (APF) Limited to pay its former customer, Dr George Otim Nape, saying the company refused to promptly bear the cost of repairing the vehicle. “The defendant (APF)’s agent had a duty to take reasonable care of both the plaintiff’s vehicle from Mombasa to Kampala and his personal effects after the accident, but he did not do so,” held Justice Kabiito. “As a result, the complainant’s personal effects packed in the vehicle and under the defendant’s agent custody were stolen,” he added before ordering APF to pay a 20 per cent interest of the costs from the date of judgment until the amount is fully cleared. Dr Otim, an agricultural researcher, sued the clearing firm in December 1996, seeking to recover costs of the purchase of spare parts, freight charges for spares, repair charges worth Shs3.7 million and British Pounds 2,736.10 and interest. Abandoned carCourt heard that Dr Otim imported a saloon motor vehicle from the United Kingdom for his family while studying and contracted the clearing firm to clear and transport it to Kampala. “The vehicle was abandoned at the accident scene. The complainant’s personal belongings such as books, scientific data and clothes that had been packed in it were stolen,” reads the judgment in part.“He (Otim) was not immediately notified of the accident and it was only when the expected delivery of the vehicle had been delayed that he learnt of the accident and loss of his personal effects.” Court also heard that Dr Otim and APF had agreed that the clearing firm would be responsible for any damages on the vehicle. Justice Kabito said he considered the inconvenience, emotional trauma that Dr Otim and his family went through with the loss of a dedicated vehicle meant to transport their young children to school for a period of about three years. “This case should not have come to court at all. It is a needless case. It is the case that accidents do happen and they will happen. What is important, however, is how the parties react to the causation of such an accident,” Justice Kabiito held. editorial@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Two-real-estate-heads-arrested-over-services/-/688334/1648682/-/29bytcz/-/index.html","content":"Two real estate heads arrested over services - Kampala Police and security agencies yesterday raided the offices of a real estate firm, Shumkho Construction Company, and arrested two top managers for allegedly failing to pay suppliers and services. The officers also confiscated documents and local purchasing orders allegedly issued by the two suspects on behalf of the company. Led by Kampala Metropolitan Police Commander Andrew Felix Kaweesi flanked by the deputy Resident City Commissioner in-charge of Nakawa Division, Ms Faridah Kimbowa, they stormed Shumkho offices following a complaint about alleged non-payment of hundreds of millions of shillings. In a dramatic event that attracted angry proprietors of enterprises to a company said to have started in June, some suppliers shed tears and others accused the company of breach of contract. It is alleged that a total 13 companies and individuals provided services and construction materials to the company based in Ntinda since August and are now demanding more than Shs1 billion. The companies include Ajit Motors, which is demanding at least Shs150 million for supply of six vehicles, Khalid Motors (Shs162 million) for another six motor vehicles and Seroma Limited (Shs197 million) for supply of cement. “We are seeking to recover our motor vehicles because with these complaints, there is no confidence that we shall be paid,” Mr Godwin Murungi, a lawyer for Ajit, said despite a promise to be paid in January next year. Ms Margaret Ssekidde, the proprietor of Seroma, told Mr Kaweesi that the company had not paid for the cement despite an agreement to pay every 30 days. “We supplied the cement and each truck delivering would come with a tax invoice,” she added. Mr Kaweesi, who ordered for the arrest of the duo holding positions of company chairperson and procurement manager, described the incident as an eye opener. “There could be other companies of this nature. I have realised that these suspects were just used as workers fronted by other people.” “We need to know where the suspects got the powers to act on behalf of the company and also the liquidity of the company. In case of any settlement we need to know the owners,” said Mr Kaweesi before ordering for seizure of the property until the company owners are got. editorial@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Tullow-sues-government-in-new-tax-dispute/-/688334/1645452/-/10bijel/-/index.html","content":"Tullow sues government in new tax dispute - Kampala Tullow has sued the government in an international court based in the United States, challenging imposition of value added tax on goods and services it buys for its oil exploration work in Uganda. The London-listed oil company, represented by UK’s Ashurst and Kampala Associated Advocates law firms, filed the case at the World Bank-created International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) on October 31. The case is under seal, meaning its specifics are not public. However, the subject matter up for determination relates to “petroleum exploration, development and production agreement”, according to information on the ICSID website. Tullow confirmed the lawsuit, which is separate from the on-going arbitration in a London court over the recovery of $404 million capital gains tax arising from its $1.45 billion buy-out of Heritage Oil’s Uganda assets. Determination of the arbitration case is pending. In an email to the Daily Monitor, Tullow Uganda’s General Manager Jimmy Mugerwa said “the [new] dispute relates to the assessment of Value Added Tax on Tullow Uganda on the importation of certain goods and services.” Energy Minister, Ms Irene Muloni, yesterday said she did not have details and would only be able to provide “credible information” today. This newspaper understands that proceedings of the latest arbitration sought by Tullow have not commenced because ICSID secretary-general, Ms Meg Kinnear, is yet to appoint members to constitute the tribunal to handle it. Mr Karoli Ssemogerere, an attorney at Law in New York, told the Daily Monitor that Tullow’s new case against the Uganda government could have serious ramifications because “multi-lateral investment treaties and associated guarantees are a pre-condition to membership of the World Bank.” This would mean that the Britton Woods institution could sanction Uganda if found in breach of trade and investment agreement signed bilaterally with the United Kingdom, where Tullow originates, or under other multilateral arrangements. To be accepted by the international community after years of isolation, Uganda was in 1982 forced to pass a legislation reversing expropriation of assets owned by British Asians, which Idi Amin’s government seized in 1972. Kampala Associated Advocates partner Peter Kabatsi, who was Uganda’s Solicitor General from 1990 to 2002, said his colleague Oscar Kambona is representing the firm in the case to be heard in Washington D.C. Mr Kabatsi said he did not, in his tenure as Solicitor General negotiate agreements with foreign oil firms, and the case of possible conflict of interest raised by other quarters would not arise. “Not at all,” he said. KAA law firm founder, Mr Elly Karuhanga, is the President of Tullow Uganda. tbutagira@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/World/Police-fights-protestors-outside-Egypt-presidential-palace/-/688340/1636942/-/1421ene/-/index.html","content":"Police fights protestors outside Egypt presidential palace - Police clashes protestors outside Egypt presidential palace Police in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, have clashed with protesters angry at what they say is the rushed drafting of a new constitution and by President Morsy's recent extension of his powers. Tens of thousands of people had gathered outside the presidential palace. The police fired tear gas to disperse the crowd, some of whom managed to cut through barbed wire around the palace. Mr Morsy was in the palace but left as the crowds grew, sources there said.  Many of those gathered outside the palace, in the suburb of Heliopolis, chanted slogans similar to those directed against the regime of former President Hosni Mubarak during the uprising in February 2011. Tear gas was fired after protesters managed to breach a barbed wire cordon surrounding the palace, correspondents say. But the police quickly retreated, allowing protesters to get closer to the palace walls. Eighteen people were injured in the brief burst of violence but none seriously, the official Mena news agency reported. Large crowds remained outside as night fell, while thousands of demonstrators also gathered in Cairo's Tahrir Square. \"We won't be able to speak - there won't be a court that we can go talk to,\" one protester, Israa Wafid, told Reuters. \"He has made himself a fort and he says it is a temporary fort - this is something we cannot believe. \"We've spent 30 years being betrayed - we won't believe Morsy, he will remain seated in the chair and not leave it.\" In a statement read out on television, Egyptian security forces called for calm among the protesters. A sizeable crowd has also turned out in Egypt's second city Alexandria."}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Donors--cut--all-direct-aid--government--until-2015/-/688334/1635792/-/tc4u1pz/-/index.html","content":"Donors cut all direct aid to government until 2013 - KAMPALA Government will have to tighten its financial belt significantly after donors announced deeper and longer aid cuts yesterday in response to massive public corruption. The European Union ambassador to Uganda announced yesterday that the EU, United Kingdom, the World Bank, Austria and other countries had suspended up to $300 million promised in budget support each year, up to 2013. Other countries that have cut budget support include Belgium, Germany, Ireland and Sweden. “Ugandan citizens are going to lose close to $300 million in budget support from all the eight development partners,” Ambassador Roberto Ridolfi said yesterday. “Though the suspension is not going to affect running programmes, it will impact highly on the lives of the citizens.” The Shs750 billion in aid cuts is about as much as government planned to spend on agriculture, water and environment in the current financial year. Sweden and Ireland had earlier suspended their project support and thus the new agreement suspends all their funds to Uganda while Norway withdrew all its support in 2011. Speaking at an anti-corruption convention in Kampala, Ambassador Ridolfi said yesterday that although corruption in Uganda was nothing new, the extent of the problem discovered in the Office of the Prime Minister revealed a disappointing absence of financial controls. “How can I now go back to Europe and ask for aid for Uganda?” Mr Ridolfi asked. “The recent corruption scandals are a breach of trust between the country and its development partners.” This newspaper has learnt that more than eight development partners met last week and agreed in their assessment that government lacks the ability to fight public corruption. It informed the decision to suspend aid until 2013. “I believe this will give government enough time to lay down frameworks to control financial resources. It is upon government to now move to re-allocate the budget without making the situation worse for the common man,” Mr Ridolfi said. In October, Sweden and Ireland suspended project support aid to Uganda over alleged corruption in the OPM and sent a team to investigate the matter. The move followed a draft report by Auditor General John Muwanga, which found that at least Shs50 billion in aid from Ireland, Norway, Sweden and Denmark had been misused. The Auditor General’s inquiry was prompted by investigations by this newspaper, which broke the story of the graft in the OPM. The Public Accounts Committee of Parliament is currently investigating the matter based on the findings in the Auditor General’s report. A separate investigation by the Criminal Investigations and Intelligence Directorate of police is also underway. Meanwhile, a day after Germany’s Envoy to Uganda Ambassador Klaus Dieter Düxmann said his country had not suspended Aid to Uganda, his embassy yesterday sent communication to the contrary, officially announcing the suspension of three million Euros in budget support to Uganda.Between 2010 and 2013, Germany had committed 120 million Euros to Uganda, 24 million Euros of which had been allocated to budget support. editorial@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/Business/-/688322/1632794/-/6j59lp/-/index.html","content":"Airtel wins battle for ownership - Nairobi. Airtel Kenya has won a fresh waiver on the shareholding rule that required it to sell a 15 per cent stake to local investors by April next year, leaving India’s Bharti Airtel firmly in control of the second largest telecoms operator.Finance minister Njeru Githae told the Business Daily the waiver was granted after Airtel reported it was having difficulties finding Kenyan buyers of the 15 per cent stake worth more than Ksh5 billion. The law requires telecom firms to have at least 20 per cent local ownership but Airtel is 15 per cent in breach of the rule because businessman Naushad Merali has a 5 per cent stake in the company. Bharti Airtel owns 95 per cent.Unlike in the past when exemption to the local shareholding rule was limited to a determined period, Mr Githae said the fresh exemption would be open-ended.That means Airtel can now do business in Kenya unconstrained by pressure to find local buyers of the stake. “The exemption of Airtel from the local shareholding rules is now open-ended,” Mr Githae said adding that the shares will remain available for interested locals to buy.editorial@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Top-ministers-caught-on-film-in-House-chaos/-/688334/1633018/-/iqqkfz/-/index.html","content":"Top ministers caught on film in House chaos - The Rules and Privileges committee has so far identified five ministers among the MPs who took part in the chaotic scenes that broke out in Parliament during Tuesday’s heated debate on the oil Bill. Those identified during the first day of the investigation into the matter yesterday are Attorney General Peter Nyombi, Defence Minister Crispus Kiyonga, Junior Foreign Affairs Minister Okello Oryem, Government Chief Whip Kasule Lumumba, Youth Minister Ronald Kibuule and Primary Health Care Minister Sarah Opendi. Other legislators named include: Aruu County MP Odonga Otto, Kitgum Woman MP Beatrice Anywar, Opposition chief Whip Winnie Kizza, Wafula Oguttu (Bukhooli Central), Odo Tayebwa (Ishaka), David Bahati (Ndorwa), Harriet Ntabazi (Bundibugyo), Vincent Kyamadidi (Rwampara) and Florence Namayanja (Bukoto).Those cited will be asked to appear before the Rules committee. Following the Tuesday chaos Speaker Rebecca Kadaga on Wednesday ordered the Rules and Privileges Committee to investigate the matter and propose disciplinary actions by Monday next week. The Speaker asked for the identification of MPs who attempted to grab the Mace from the Sergeant-at-Arms and those could have exhibited gross disorderly behaviour (rowdy conduct and heckling). However, committee members yesterday resolved to ask Ms Kadaga for more time and to also lift the suspension on parliamentary proceedings. “Let’s ask the Speaker and plead with her to resume House business which isn’t as explosive as the oil debate because there is a practical difficulty on our hands since it seems everyone in the House was unruly,” said Mr Medard Sseggona (Busiro East). The Rules committee was also split on the legality of the Speaker’s directive. Some MPs said she didn’t respect Rule 163(1a) of the House Rules of Procedure which provides that: “it shall be the duty of the committee on Rules, Privileges and Discipline by the order of the House to inquire into any complaint of contempt of Parliament or breach of privilege….” MPs’ takeThe MPs say the Speaker’s order was not an order of the whole House. Others, however, felt that Ms Kadaga was in order in respect to Rule 163(1b) which says: “it shall be the duty of the committee to consider any matter of discipline referred to it by the Speaker or the House …” The MPs agreed to refer the matter to the Parliament legal team. Maj. Gen. (rtd) Jim Muhwezi (Rujumbura) observed that “going by what happened, this could be just symptoms of more serious underlying problems between Parliament and the Executive so we need to take our time and make a good report.” During the review of video footage of the chaotic scenes, MPs disagreed on whether there was an attempt to grab the Mace, which is a symbol of the Speaker’s authority. Although the videos recordings provided by the Hansard Department and the Public relations Office show the Sergeant-at-Arms and the Parliament door men standing around the Mace it does not clearly show any MP attempting to grab it. “May be the Sergeant was acting on anticipation that someone may grab the Mace and so he was doing his job by standing there,” said Committee Chairman Fox Odoi (West Budama North). “The Hansard department says the rules only mandate them to capture the Speaker, the members on the floor debating and never to capture any scandalous moments of the House.” editorial@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/Business/Markets/Addax-seals-deals-to-take-over-Engen/-/688606/1632244/-/ek2fm0z/-/index.html","content":"Addax seals deals to take over Engen - Addax, a Kenyan oil company, has closed a deal to take over Engen Uganda, which early this year announced its exit from the Ugandan market. The deal comes after protracted negotiations, which gives the new owners the power to manage Engen’s 11 service stations spread in different parts of Kampala. However, Daily Monitor understands the employees who had sued the South African oil company - Engen Uganda, early this year for wrongfully sacking are now planning to enjoin Addax as a defendant.The employees had dragged Engen Uganda to court seeking for a court pronouncement challenging the unlawful termination of their contracts. The 11 had asked court to force Engen to pay each of them about Shs500 million for statutory breach, illegal employment practices, breach of contract, and slavery among others. Engen’s Group communication manager, Tania Landsberg recently declined to comment on the matter saying it was an issue before courts of law. Mid this year, Engen Petroleum Limited, secretly took a decision to close shop in Uganda on claims that the company was sharpening its business focus in Sub Saharan Africa and as a result has decided to cease its Ugandan operations. Mr Landsberg said in an email recently: “Engen’s business here is no longer viable in the current economic and trading environment.”He added: “Engen will, however, remain poised for any future investment that may allow its business to acquire the necessary critical mass.”iladu@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/OpEd/Letters/Proper-nutrition-for-girl-child-can-decrease-obstetric-fistula/-/806314/1630400/-/11h9lke/-/index.html","content":"Proper nutrition for the girl-child can decrease obstetric fistula occurrences - It is good to know that government is to set up a fistula unit at Kibuli Hospital, this will provide more support for fistula surgical repairs. However, prevention strategies need to be strengthened since most fistula incontinence patients remain unnoticed. Poor feeding habits need to be addressed. In a situation where the body is not fed with the right micronutrients- iron, zinc, vitamin and calcium, iodine among others, obstetric fistula easily occurs. Poor feeding habits among the girl- child, inadequate calcium and iron affects the physical growth of the pelvis system. When the pelvis system is retarded, then the pelvic bones will be narrow. Underdeveloped pelvic bones may not be able to handle normal virginal birth in the future. Narrow pelvic bones contribute to natal death and obstetric fistula incontinence. During birth, the baby will have very little room for passage, and eventually that little room could cause the baby to suffocate thus leading to natal death. According to health records, a narrow pelvis as a result of poor feeding causes more natal deaths than the other cases of awkward positioning of the baby like breach or transversal position of the baby in the womb. For the mother, because of the underdeveloped pelvic bones, during birth, there will be prolonged impaction of the baby’s head compressing the mother’s soft tissue against her pelvic bone that is already small. This results into ischemia, tissue death and the development of a fistula either vaginal vesco fistula or rectum vesco fistula with its incontinence. From the earliest times, people have advanced only as far as their nutritional resources have allowed and conventional knowledge tells us that those with inadequate nutrition suffer a form of immune deficiency, making them far more vulnerable to all microbial pathogens. Globally, poor feeding causes more immunodeficiency than other external factors by a wide range. improved basic nutrition arms the immune system to fight off illness, comprising the best protection against diseases, far better than any public health or medical intervention. Advance in nutrition comes through better understanding of nutritional cause of poor health for example, knowing how calcium can cause bone retardation. As the government and other bodies go ahead to treat obstetric fistula surgically, there is need to improve the nutrition standards of the girl-child as a prevention strategy. Mothers attending antenatal care are encouraged to eat vegetables. NGOs and VHTs should expound on the benefits of growing resources- efficient kitchen gardens, to increase the consumption of greens like Dodo, Sukuma wiki and other leafy greens that might lower the prevalence of vitamin A deficiency, and calcium and improve bone formation and better maternal health. Julius Ntalo,ntljulius@hotmail.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/OpEd/Editorial/Take-interest-in-border-disputes/-/689360/1628882/-/11ca580/-/index.html","content":"Take interest in border disputes - On Friday, this newspaper reported that tension was mounting at the Elegu border post in Atiak Sub-county after authorities in South Sudan ordered a stop to developments, claiming the area belongs to them. This is the latest of a series of claims by South Sudan that Ugandans in different border towns are in South Sudanese territory. Whether there is legitimacy in these assertions can be ascertained by a competent border assessment and verification team, informed by historical factors. What is of concern is that the trend of these claims and the manner in which they are made, are unbecoming. In the latest incident, for instance, South Sudan authorities claim the construction of a border market and permanent structures on “their land” is a breach of “bi-lateral understanding” between the two countries. While no one can at this point state with certainty who owns the disputed land, it is only proper to handle the matter without causing unnecessary tension and unsettling the residents who have lived in the disputed areas for ages! We encourage the government to urgently take interest in this matter, more so because this particular case is just one of similar incidents where Ugandans have been ordered by elements from South Sudan to vacate villages they have called home for generations. Two years ago, leaders of Magwi County in South Sudan claimed their territory extends about seven kilometres into Uganda. In the West Nile town of Moyo, errant soldiers from the South Sudan have for many years carried out attacks on Ugandan citizens, going as far as abducting and holding them hostage inside South Sudan. One such incident involved some MPs who were on a fact-finding mission at the Uganda-South Sudan border point. That foreign forces can easily cross into a neighbouring country and go as far as burning huts in villages inside Uganda; and firing indiscriminately to compel villagers to abandon their homes, as has happened a number of times, is unlawful and provocative. It is positive that authorities in Moyo District and their counterparts from South Sudan last week agreed to resolve the border dispute following a series of attacks by South Sudan soldiers on farmers in Moyo. The same step of dialogue should be vigorously pursued to resolve the tension at the Atiak border point. More crucial is the need to seek a lasting solution to these border disputes that have gone on for too long."}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/OpEd/Commentary/Plagiarism-in-newsrooms/-/689364/1628892/-/3ugsojz/-/index.html","content":"Plagiarism in newsrooms - After our first public affairs column was published last week, I have received overwhelming feedback from the public. Predictably, 99 per cent of them are about the quality of our journalism. Below is an email that deserves immediate response. “That the Daily Monitor, by all standards a respectable newspaper, takes such a lazy turn is surely a cause of concern. “Why Goma is a point of interest” in today’s (Wednesday) paper is basically a rewrite of the Wikipedia entry of Goma. Heads should be hung in shame that the most respectable newspaper in Uganda is plagiarising. We, your readers, deserve an apology. It’s enough that such laziness is a national problem without a newspaper, which should be showing the right way, engaging itself in such!” This newspaper, like any other media house, has a strict policy on plagiarism as stated in our editorial guidelines. It states in part: “Using someone else’s work without attribution - whether deliberately or thoughtlessly - is a serious ethical breach...Words directly quoted from sources other than the writer’s own should be attributed.”This policy places obligations on every member of our editorial staff. We have read and compared our story with the Wikipedia entry and there is no difference in phrasing. The concern raised by the reader above is therefore valid. The article in question did not meet our set standards of crediting work from other sources and in that regard, it fell far short of our code of conduct and compromised the newspaper’s integrity. We unreservedly apologise to our readers and we will endeavour to tighten our gate keeping to ensure that we live up to our own standards and minimise such lapses. As the NMG editorial policy clearly spells out, our journalists are free to borrow ideas --and it is fair journalistic practice to do so -- but they must always acknowledged their sources. There are disciplinary measures in case a section of our guidelines is breached and appropriate action will be taken against the reporter who compiled the Goma story. This column is here to answer your questions about our journalism. I would like to hear from you because your feedback sets the agenda for our discussion. Ms Vuchiri is the Public Affairs Editor and can be contacted at: P.O. Box 12141 Kampala. E-mail: mvuchiri@ug.nationmedia.com and editorial@ug.nationmedia.com. Twitter: @MVuchiri and @DailyMonitor"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/OpEd/Letters/Pioneer-Easy-Bus-should-reconsider-its-initial-operational-terms/-/806314/1627464/-/2vkgpr/-/index.html","content":"Pioneer Easy Bus should reconsider its initial operational terms - The persistent threats of Pioneer Easy Bus Company to pull out of the transport business or else raise transport fares could be the ‘last kicks of a dying horse’. The company is giving excuses of breach of contract by government through Kampala Capital City Authourity (KCCA), for instance failure to provide bus lanes as deterrent issues to their success. Kampala is full of narrow roads, made worse by lack of road reserves, all this resulting from poor structural urban planning. How does Pioneer bus company expect KCCA to establish bus lanes to meet their demands? Could this be a plot by the company to evade paying taxes and other dues? Could this be the reason why they included the ‘impossible’ clause in the contract? Perhaps, they could have chosen to ignore or cancel operations before the implementation of the required demands. What caused the hurry? Did the company carry out a feasibility study to verify whether their demands would be met? Instead of being defensive and pointing fingers at KCCA, they should settle the matter amicably. Threatening to pull out creates a negative image of incompetence and dishonesty. Ivan ssegamwenge,ssegamwengeivo@gmail.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Tension-looms-at-border-point/-/688334/1627118/-/11tuw3gz/-/index.html","content":"Tension looms at border point - Tensions is mounting at the Elegu border post in Atiak Sub-county after authorities in South Sudan ordered a stop to developments, claiming that the area belongs to their country. The South Sudanese claim that the construction of a border market and other permanent structures on “their land” is a breach of “bi-lateral understanding” between the two countries. In an October 17 letter to the Atiak LC3 chairperson copied to other local area officials, Mr George Livio Ajuga, the head chief of Nimule Payam, expressed shock over developments on the land, which they claim still has ‘issues’. “I would like to bring to your attention that the entire village of Elegu lies within South Sudan territory and therefore, the current construction of permanent and intended demarcation of Elegu Village should be stopped or altered,” the letter reads in part. The Atiak LC3 chairperson, Mr John Bosco Ochan, said he would forward the complaint to the central government because it involves an international boundary. Business continuesMr Ochan, however, encouraged traders already investing in the disputed area to continue with their projects as they engage in dialogue with Magwi County authorities. The concern follows demarcation and surveying of the prime area by members of the sub-county lands committee for possible establishment of commercial structures. About two years ago, leaders of Magwi County claimed that their territory extends about seven kilometres into Uganda, where they used to graze their animals, make bricks and extract building materials. The border currently boasts of high-level trade between the two countries. editorial@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/World/UN-boss-vows-peacekeepers-will-stay-in-threatened-Goma/-/688340/1623902/-/l2ad5m/-/index.html","content":"UN boss vows peacekeepers will stay in threatened Goma - UN leader Ban Ki-moon vowed Sunday that peacekeepers will stay in the DR Congo city of Goma after UN combat helicopters and government troops failed to stop a rebel advance amid growing international alarm. Government troops and local officials were already fleeing the city, said several sources. The M23 rebels, army mutineers whose uprising in April has unleashed fresh unrest in the Democratic Republic of Congo's chronically unstable east, are now near the airport of Goma, the main city in the mineral-rich region. The UN warned there was a \"real threat\" that Goma would fall. Rebels had already warned that they would seize the city if they came under attack from the army. But Ban said the UN troops \"will remain present in Goma and will continue all efforts to robustly implement its mandate to the fullest of its capabilities with regard to the protection of civilians.\" The UN chief \"emphasises that any actions to undermine or target MONUSCO (the UN mission) will not be tolerated,\" according to a statement released by his office. The United Nations has about 6,700 troops in Nord Kivu province, backing government forces against rebels who have moved to the edge of Goma in recent days. About 1,500 of them are in Goma. UN attack helicopters have staged cannon and rocket strikes against the rebels but have not been able to stop the steady advance towards the capital of Nord Kivu, a key mineral producing region. Innocent Kayina, M23 operations commander for the area, told AFP: \"If the FARDC (government forces) attack us, we will take the city.\" Government troops said they were trying to avoid a \"bloodbath\" in the area. In New York, UN peacekeeping spokesman Kieran Dwyer told AFP that UN forces were supporting government troops in the region by firing cannon and rockets at the rebels, after similar action on Saturday. \"The situation in Goma is extremely tense. There is a real threat that the city could fall into the M23's hands,\" said Dwyer. About 625 UN expatriate workers had gathered at special protection points across the city, he added. UN peacekeepers in 17 \"quick reaction units\" had been deployed across Goma. After a three-month truce, fighting in the region resumed on Thursday, just two days after the United Nations and the United States imposed sanctions on the leader of the M23 group. The rebels are ethnic Tutsi former soldiers who mutinied in April after the failure of a 2009 peace deal that integrated them into the regular army. 1 | 2 | 3 Next Page»"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/OpEd/Letters/Did-Pioneer-Easy-Bus-carry-out-study-before-starting-operations-/-/806314/1623442/-/2f6pvkz/-/index.html","content":"Did Pioneer Easy Bus carry out study before starting operations? - I find the threats by Pioneer Easy Bus Company to pull out of the transport business or else raise transport fares rather strange. The company is citing breach of contract by Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA), including not providing bus lanes as deterrent issues to their success. Over the years due to the swelling population in Kampala, residents have been complaining of narrow roads, made worse by lack of road reserves, all resulting from poor structural urban planning. Where does Pioneer bus company expect KCCA to establish bus lanes in Kampala, to meet their demands? Why was the “impossible” clause included in the contract? Perhaps, they could have chosen to ignore or cancel operations before the implementation of the required demands. What caused the hurry? Did the company carry out a feasibility study to verify whether their demands would be met? Ivan Ssegamwenge,ssegamwengeivo@gmail.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/artsculture/Religion/FOURTH-DIMENSION---The-acceptable-mourning/-/689744/1622488/-/qff6px/-/index.html","content":"FOURTH DIMENSION : The acceptable mourning - The call for a season of mourning is very appropriate. It rhymes with Prophet Isaiah’s words: “Shout loudly! Don’t be quiet! Yell as loud as a trumpet! Confront my people with their rebellious deeds! ( Isaiah 58) It’s appropriate for the constituents to let their leaders know that they are aware of the breach of trust. Leaders need to remember it will take more than mere political rhetoric to rebuild that trust. It demands deep commitment to doing what is right and respect to the laws of God. We cannot act unjustly on all fronts of life and expect to reap a beautiful harvest.The unfortunate side to the call to mourning is that it comes from illegitimate leaders. These are self-appointed leaders filling in a vacuum created by the lethargy of the legitimate leaders. We may have a cause, but we need to have the right order of operation if we are going to see the blessing of God on our endeavors. When it became obvious that Idi Amin was destroying the nation, the rallying call for change came from legitimate leaders in the nation. Though it cost the Archbishop of the Church of Uganda his life, the Church remained with the burden to call on the God to sort out the nation. This is part of our history of bringing change to the nation. We must all reach consensus that the nation is systematically undergoing destruction. The daily reports of abuse of office and scandals of financial misconduct should not numb our feelings instead of stirring them to true mourning that leads to God’s intervention. When Uganda stops applauding the chaos and seeks deliverance, then the rescue from above will happen. It’s also necessary for the legitimate leaders to stand against every form of corrupting laws and lead people in the right direction. The corrupting laws are hidden in what we have been made to believe are the privileges of the leaders. For certain, the leaders must be well facilitated. But when they accept exorbitant privileges, they open the door to abuse in other offices. Whereas the Mayor needs a decent vehicle for his services, I want to think that his new official car is a snare that drains his capacity to demand for truth and justice in government ministries. Coupled with this snare is the Mayor’s angry and abusive reference to the Executive Director of the city. This animosity does not help the people, but rather wounds them further. The prophet Isaiah explained why God stayed away from the cries of the people: “At the same time you fast, you satisfy your selfish desires, you oppress your workers. Your fasting is accompanied by arguments, brawls, and fistfights.” He clearly indicates that such behaviour is retrogressive. His recommendations included the “removal of the sinful chains, and the burdensome yoke of oppression.” I suppose this calls for a national commitment of all people to cease from words and deeds of injustice. We cannot be perpetrators of injustice and expect others to act contrary to our very ways of life."}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/Business/Commodities/Kenyan-firm-to-take-over-Engen/-/688610/1611490/-/j6lxg7/-/index.html","content":"Kenyan firm to take over Engen - Kampala An arrangement to pass over the operations of Engen petrol stations to a Kenyan company is in the offing, six months after the South African based fuel dealer announced its exit from Ugandan. Daily Monitor reported early this year that the South African company would exit Uganda due to low returns from its operations here. Mr Tania Landsberg, the Engen Group communications manager, told this newspaper recently that one of its reasons for exit was that the firm was rethinking its focus in Africa. Although the process to exchange ownership had stalled, this newspaper understands that a deal has been reached with Addax Kenya to take over Engen Uganda as a “going concern”. “Going concern” is an option that protects the value of a company’s assets and stocks from being easily traded off. Engen Uganda opened shop in January 2003, with operations in retail and commercial fuel distribution, lubricants and bitumen. It has 10 service stations spread across Kampala and has a presence in 18 other African countries. In an email last week, Mr Landsberg said Engen Petroleum position to cease operation in Uganda had not changed, although the firm’s status quo still remained as is. “We are still proceeding with our plans,” reads an email from Landsberg. However, contrary to the law, Engen Uganda had by last week, not terminated storage contracts with other petroleum companies as well as property lease and transportation contracts. Under the Employment Act 2006, the law requires that where a business is transferred in whole or in part, contracts of service of employees shall automatically be transferred to the transferee. Asked about the legal issues with employees, Mr Landsberg declined to comment saying the matter was sub judicial and would only wait for a court pronouncement. Mr Christian Callede, the Addax Kenya managing director, had by press time not responded to our emails seeking clarification on the deal. Addax deals in the distribution of petroleum and crude oil products. However, the deal has to wait a little longer pending the settlement of a case against the South African company. Early this year 11 employees from Engen dragged the fuel company to court seeking for a court pronouncement challenging the unlawful termination of their contracts. The 11 asked court to force Engen pay each of them about Shs500 million for statutory breach, illegal employment practices, breach of contract, and slavery. iladu@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Junior-minister-Nantaba-vows-to-take-on-land-title-thieves-/-/688334/1610744/-/fxiyk6z/-/index.html","content":"Junior minister Nantaba vows to take on land title thieves  - Kayunga Woman MP Idah Nantaba was on Friday handed over the instruments of power for her new office as the state minister of lands. Ms Nantaba finally takes over office from Ms Sara Opendi, the new state minister for Primary Health care, after a series of failed attempts by a section of MPs to block her from swearing in, alleging that her approval by the deputy speaker, Mr Jacob Oulanyah, was in breach of the parliamentary rules of procedure. During the ceremony presided over by Lands Minister Daudi Migereko, Ms Nantaba vowed to fight land scams in the ministry. “Iam aware of connivance between some individuals and staff in the ministry to grab people’s land tittles but this will not be tolerated in anyway. I am already investigating a scenario where some ministry staff connived with the chairperson to grab orphans’ land in my district,” Ms Nantaba said. She said the ongoing fraud is more in the lands titles’ office. “In my capacity, I am going to ensure that the computerisation of titles takes effect to fight this gross scam that is tarnishing the ministry,” she added. Ms Nantaba promised to unveil a strategic plan for land distribution in the country.At the same function, the State Minister for Urban Development, Ms Rosemary Najjemba Muyinda, officially assumed office after taking over from Ms Kasule Lumumba, now government Chief Whip. The two are among other ministers who were sworn in on Tuesday."}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Wavamunno-got-no-car-deal-from-us---Works/-/688334/1593612/-/1vcn8n/-/index.html","content":"Wavamunno got no car deal from us - Works - Kampala The Commercial Court yesterday heard that Spear Motors, which sells Mercedes Benz, lost the Chogm car deal because they lacked a confirmation letter and declaration. The Permanent Secretary in Ministry of Works and Transport, Mr Charles Muganzi, during the re-cross examination, told court yesterday that the notification of the award had been prepared, signed and stamped but not issued out pending confirmation of availability of funds. “Giving a notification of an award by a contracts committee does not mean an award itself because there are a lot of things involved. And being an evaluated bidder does not mean you can count yourself as the best evaluated bidder if you do not have the confirmation letter and declaration,” Mr Muganzi said. He said the tender was cancelled before issuance of the letter of bid acceptance and without signing of the supply contract by the parties. Spear Motors was also informed of the absence of a binding contract between the ministry and themselves.Spear Motors, owned by businessman Gordon Wavamunno, sued the government, MotorCare and Intercar, the agents for BMW that won the deal, for alleged breach of contract and interference in contractual relations. Spear Motors argues that in March 2007, the Works ministry solicited for the supply of executive vehicles for Chogm and they want compensation amounting to more than Shs5.33 billion plus general damages and interest. According to the suit, on May 2, 2007, the contracts committee awarded Spears Motors the tender for the supply of 204 executive saloon cars at a total cost of 8.3 million euros (about Shs28.3b). Mr Wavamunno further argues that he agreed to the terms of the contract and in light of the tight CHOGM timelines, immediately placed an order for the 204 cars.However, Mr Wavamunno says, he received a letter from the ministry in June 2007 cancelling the tender due to insufficient funds. He alleges that MotorCare and Intercar interfered with the procuring process to cancel the contract and award it to the two companies (Motor Care and Intercar). The Attorney General denies allegations that the ministry awarded Spear Motors the contract. Of the 23 firms that had submitted bids, only two – Spear Motors and MotoCare – reportedly had the capacity to lease and sell some vehicles to the government. The two companies were therefore asked to submit bids for the supply of the 240 vehicles.When the bids were opened, Mr Wavamunno had the better proposal. He was selling cars at a lower price and leasing at a slightly higher price than MotorCare.The case resumes today. jkigongo@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/MPs-reject-proposal-to-transfer-ID-project-to-EC/-/688334/1535172/-/nc12o3/-/index.html","content":"MPs reject proposal to transfer ID project to EC - The Parliamentary Committee on Internal Affairs and Defence on Tuesday rejected a proposal to transfer the Shs200 billion National Identity Card Project from the Immigration Department to the Electoral Commission. Members of the committee also rejected a proposal to sanction the appropriation of Sh125 million from the Immigration Department’s Sh25 billion budget to steer the ID project. The MPs said acceptance of the proposals would lead to bad blood between or among the various government departments with an input in the project. Mr Godfrey Sseruwagi Mitchinger, a consultant on large population registration, had petitioned the committee to boost the EC in order to clean the voters’ register ahead of the 2016 general elections.“Our fear is that if we agree to that, it could spark another inter-agency rivalry, which would further delay the project,” Kapelebyong MP, Mr Peter Emmanuel Eriaku, said. “I do not agree that the EC should take the lead. The only experience we could capture from the EC is the elaborate structure that it has to capture people,” said Mr Mathias Kasamba, (Kakuuto). Mr Theodore Ssekikubo (Lwemiyaga ) added: “Sinking more money into a bottomless pit will not help Uganda.” Mr Eriaku said squabbles involving the EC and the ministries of Internal Affairs and Information and Communication Technology had delayed the project. Mr Sseruwagi said during the initial stages of the project, EC staff were involved in collecting the necessary information, and, therefore, the commission has the capacity to execute it. “Some of the people who were involved in the first phase of the project were EC personnel. So, it would be easier if this is agreed upon since these people have the skills,” said Mr Sseruwagi. In June 2010, the government promised to issue national IDs to at least 5.2 million Ugandans whose bio-data the EC had captured. Since then, it is only President Museveni, and the Speaker of Parliament, Ms Rebecca Kadaga, whose details have been publicly captured. Mr Sseruwagi, who at some point consulted for Muhlbauer, claimed that plastic sheets, enough to make 10 million IDs are stored at Bank of Uganda. Meanwhile, equipment that was imported to process the cards remains “idle” at the Uganda Printing and Publishing Corporation in Entebbe. Mr Sseruwagi warned that Muhlbauer, a German company that had been contracted to undertake the project, might sue the government for breach of contract. The committee, mid this year, recommended that three public officials who were involved in the deal should be held accountable."}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/MPs-reject-proposal-to-transfer-ID-project-to-EC/-/688334/1534980/-/nc0jne/-/index.html","content":"MPs reject proposal to transfer ID project to EC - The Parliamentary Committee on Internal Affairs and Defence on Tuesday rejected a proposal to transfer the Shs200 billion National Identity Card Project from the Immigration Department to the Electoral Commission. Members of the committee also rejected a proposal to sanction the appropriation of Sh125 million from the Immigration Department’s Sh25 billion budget to steer the ID project. The MPs said acceptance of the proposals would lead to bad blood between or among the various government departments with an input in the project. Mr Godfrey Sseruwagi Mitchinger, a consultant on large population registration, had petitioned the committee to boost the EC in order to clean the voters’ register ahead of the 2016 general elections. “Our fear is that if we agree to that, it could spark another inter-agency rivalry, which would further delay the project,” Kapelebyong MP, Mr Peter Emmanuel Eriaku, said. “I do not agree that the EC should take the lead. The only experience we could capture from the EC is the elaborate structure that it has to capture people,” said Mr Mathias Kasamba, (Kakuuto). Mr Theodore Ssekikubo (Lwemiyaga ) added: “Sinking more money into a bottomless pit will not help Uganda.” Mr Eriaku said squabbles involving the EC and the ministries of Internal Affairs and Information and Communication Technology had delayed the project. Mr Sseruwagi said during the initial stages of the project, EC staff were involved in collecting the necessary information, and, therefore, the commission has the capacity to execute it. “Some of the people who were involved in the first phase of the project were EC personnel. So, it would be easier if this is agreed upon since these people have the skills,” said Mr Sseruwagi. In June 2010, the government promised to issue national IDs to at least 5.2 million Ugandans whose bio- data the EC had captured. Since then, it is only President Museveni, and the Speaker of Parliament, Ms Rebecca Kadaga, whose details have been publicly captured. Mr Sseruwagi, who at some point consulted for Muhlbauer, claimed that plastic sheets, enough to make 10 million IDs are stored at Bank of Uganda. Meanwhile, equipment that was imported to process the cards remains “idle” at the Uganda Printing and Publishing Corporation in Entebbe. Mr Sseruwagi warned that Muhlbauer, a German company that had been contracted to undertake the project, might sue the government for breach of contract. The committee, mid this year, recommended that three public officials who were involved in the deal should be held accountable."}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Farmers-demand-pay-from-tobacco-company/-/688334/1533130/-/puo5lcz/-/index.html","content":"Farmers demand pay from tobacco company - Several farmers in Hoima District, who reportedly supplied tobacco to Continental Tobacco Uganda Ltd last year, have accused the company of not paying them. However, the company has dismissed the claims, saying all farmers had received full payment for their produce by June this year. The chairman of Continental Tobacco Farmers Association, Mr Anthony Byaruhanga, said he received hundreds of complaints from farmers, with some saying they had not been paid while others claimed that they received partial payment. At least 4,000 farmers supplied more than 1.2 million kilogrammes of tobacco to the company in 2011. Ms Emily Nagawa, 28, a farmer from Bugambe Sub-county, said she received partial payment for her tobacco in August, 2011. She said she expected to earn Shs3 million but got only Shs2 million. “The company paid me Shs2 million in June this year and when I presented receipts for the remaining Shs1 million, cashiers claimed my claims were forged,” Ms Nagawa, a mother of three, said. Ms Nagawa said she needs the money to pay her children’s school fees and cater for her family. Mr Herbert Busobozi, also from Bugambe, who reportedly supplied 800 kilogrammes of tobacco to the company, said according to his sale receipts, he expected to earn Shs1.5 million. “I went ahead to secure a loan of Shs1.5 million in anticipation that when the company pays me, I would pay back the loan. Up to now the company has not paid me. I had to sale my two cows to pay up the loan,” he said.However the company officials said they do not owe the farmers any money. “By June, we had paid over Shs2.7 billion to all the farmers who supplied tobacco to us. We have gone ahead to ease payments to our farmers this season because they now receive their money after three days (after selling tobacco to the company),” the Continental Tobacco Area Manager in Hoima, Mr Ali Sumuni, said in an interview yesterday. He said evidence of farmers’ payments was availed to the Hoima tobacco task force in July and the task force recommended the company to obtain a tobacco buying licence for this season. However, the Deputy Resident District Commissioner, Mr Abdu Swamadu Wantimba, said his office had received complaints from some farmers who claimed not to have been paid by the company. “We shall verify these claims. Crosscheck with us next week,” Mr Wantimba told this newspaper yesterday by telephone. Tobacco industry players are expected to meet the minister of trade today over farmers claims and alleged breach of agreement. fmugerwa@ug.nationmedia.com ======================================== Recommendation On December 7, 2011, on behalf of tobacco farmers in Kibaale, the Bungangaizi west county MP Dr Kasirivu Atwooki presented a report to Parliament seeking parliamentary intervention on allegations that Continental Tobacco Uganda Ltd had failed to pay for the tobacco it obtained from farmers in the buying season of July to November 2011.The matter was referred to the parliamentary Committee on Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries which investigated the company’s operations in Bunyoro. According to the report, as of October 2011, the company had not paid more than Shs600 million to Kibaale farmers. The committee recommended that the trade ministry should not issue tobacco buying licences to the company until it has ascertained that all farmers who supplied tobacco leaf to the company are fully paid."}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Oil-officials--companies-deny-inking-new-licences/-/688334/1531164/-/qf1s0k/-/index.html","content":"Oil officials, companies deny inking new licences - The Petroleum Exploration and Development Department has denied it signed off new licences to Tullow Oil as alleged by MPs. Led by their chairman, Mr Theodore Ssekikubo, members of the Parliamentary Forum on Oil and Gas yesterday said the government had issued new exploration licences for Mputa and Nzizi oil wells in the Albertine Graben. They said this was contrary to a decision by Parliament in October last year that no new licences should be given out until the oil laws are passed and assented by the President.“Those two wells were never part of the initial Exploration Area 2,” Mr Ssekikubo said. “They are just using that as their first line of defence. It is a serious breach of the moratorium which was agreed upon by Parliament and even the President.” However, PEPD Commissioner Ernest Rubondo said Tullow had been granted licences for the two wells even before the farm down process and that his department has never given out any new licences to any oil company, not even production licences. “They are the ones who explored and discovered those areas. They completed the appraisals and they applied for the production licences and government has not given them any production licences yet,” he said. Tullow Oil’s Corporate Affairs Manager Cathy Adengo also said the company has not received any new licences. “Maybe they are talking about extension of exploration licence for approval … but we have not been issued with any new licenses, not even production licenses,” she said. iimaka@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/UBC-sues-UCC-over-breach-of-contract/-/688334/1530462/-/igqk6l/-/index.html","content":"UBC sues UCC over breach of contract - State broadcaster Uganda Broadcasting Corporation (UBC) has sued the regulator of the communications sector, the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC), for allegedly dishonoring the contract they had earlier signed, making the former the sole signal provider as the country migrates to digital broadcasting from analogue. In a suit filed on October 4 before the High Court, the state broadcaster accuses UCC of terminating a memorandum of understanding signed this year on May 29 bybringing on board new service providers. The case file has been allocated to Justice Vincent Zehurikize who is yet to set the date for the hearing. awesaka@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Police-cordons-off-Mayor-Lukwago-s-home/-/688334/1528240/-/4w5ok7z/-/index.html","content":"Police cordons off Mayor Lukwago’s home - Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago was on Monday forced to cancel three invitations after Police surrounded his Rubaga home. Mr Lukwago, who returned to the country on Sunday from official duty in Sweden, was not allowed by Police to get out of his home for the rest of the day. “I slept at 11pm [Sunday] and Police were not around my house. But my guard told me at around 4am that Police had surrounded my home,” Mr Lukwago, who we spoke to inside his home, told this paper. “They told me that it is suspected that I am going to breach public peace and that I only have two options; to stay in the house or to be kept at Police.” Several police personnel were still surrounding Mr Lukwago’s home by press time, with a patrol car parked right in front of the mayor’s gate. “This is so reminiscent of the colonial rule because as we celebrate 50 years of independence, our brothers are putting us under house arrest,” Mr Lukwago said. Kampala Metropolitan spokesperson Ibn Ssenkumbi earlier said he is not aware of the action. However, he later denied that Mr Lukwago was under house arrest. “He is not under house arrest. We got information that there was a plan to disrupt peace in the city and torching police stations so we had to guard places of people who we suspect to be behind the attacks until the threat is out,” Mr Ssenkumbi said. akiyaga@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/OpEd/Editorial/Make-jubilee-more-than-a-celebration/-/689360/1526438/-/14u1jh2z/-/index.html","content":"Make jubilee more than a celebration - In the run up to Uganda’s Independence golden Jubilee, the government has been launching several initiatives aimed at showing a country on the move. That is one side of the coin. The other side has a clear breakdown of plans the government has to take the country to the promised land. Clarity of that promise is important. Ugandans should expect that the President and a host of officers, political and technical, will continue to spell out that clear vision, which fortunately now, the President and his cohorts are beginning to agree cannot be a one-man vision but a shared one. However, a major blight still stands in the way of these efforts to a greater extent. The whole idea of struggle for independence was premised on winning back our freedoms and the right to direct the course of our development in dignity. The events over much of last week suggest dignity, freedom and the independence of thought and opinion, is not something this government is ready to entertain, especially from sections of Ugandans who disagree with its policies, or leadership generally. A week to Independence, the road between the Constitution Square, the biggest symbol of an independent country, has been closed with police occupying the grounds as if the government is the old colonial establishment afraid that it will be overthrown. It is wrong for the police to continue defining movements and activities for some Ugandans. The police should be up to the task of containing a breach of the peace without unnecessarily infringing on others’ peace and freedoms. It is every Ugandans hope that on Tuesday, President Museveni and all peace loving Ugandans, will proclaim a new chapter on how we deal with our politics. We are a young democracy and a clearly spelt out steps on political transitions as had been proclaimed in the 1995 Constitution, are critical if we to aspire for real independence."}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Government-finally-accepts-bids-for-Karuma/-/688334/1524238/-/8rvs11/-/index.html","content":"Government finally accepts bids for Karuma - Officials in the Ministry of Energy have accepted bids for the delayed and controversy-hit Karuma hydropower deal, which were reportedly smuggled to the Contracts Committee. On Tuesday, the junior Energy minister, Mr Simon D’Ujanga, told MPs on the House Energy Committee investigating allegations of corruption in the $2 billion Karuma deal, that bids from companies which were not pre-qualified found their way to the evaluation committee, in breach of procurement procedures. Pre-qualification is the process of screening potential contractors to develop a list of qualified bidders who would then be invited to bid. The procurement breach, contained in the minister’s confidential document to the committee, was singled out by Aswa MP Reagan Okumu, who demanded an explanation from the minister. ‘Abuse of procedure’Confirming what legislators have called “open” abuse of procedures, the minister said the Contracts Committee, on March 15 last year, approved the pre-qualification of Salini Construttori SpA but the bids they received were from Salini S.p.A. Another pre-qualified company was SinoHydro C.M.C but the bids belonged to Sinohydro-CMC Karuma JV. The minister’s statement also shows that instead of Perlite Construction, it was Perlite Construction Company that submitted the bids. Salini S.p.A is one of the companies which have petitioned the public procurements authority for an administrative review of the evaluation. But before the outcome of the review Salini S.p.A secured a High Court injunction stopping the process. Energy PS Kabagambe Kaliisa, the accounting officer, did not answer our calls. Parliament’s investigation comes after a Kampala court last week issued fresh orders directing the government and all authorities to stop considering a bid to build the dam. ymugerwa@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Officials-smuggle-bids-in--2b-Karuma-deal/-/688334/1523790/-/i49kdt/-/index.html","content":"Officials smuggle bids in $2b Karuma deal - Officials in the Ministry of Energy accepted bids for the long-delayed and controversy-hit Karuma hydropower deal which were reportedly smuggled to the contracts committee, it emerged Tuesday evening. Junior Energy minister Simon D'Ujanga told MPs on the House Energy Committee investigating allegations of corruption in the $2 billion Karuma deal that bids from companies which were not pre-qualified found their way to the evaluation committee in breach of procurement procedures. Pre-qualification is the process of screening of potential contractors to develop a list of qualified bidders who would then be invited tobid. The procurement breach, contained in the minister’s confidential document, to the committee was singled out by Aswa MP Reagan Okumu who demanded an explanation from the minister. “From your statement we are seeing ghost companies being smuggled into the contracts committee. Can the minister explain the circumstances under which Salini S.p.A and Sinohydro-CMC Karuma JV submitted bids for consideration,” Mr Okumu asked. Confirming what legislators have called, “open” abuse of procedures the minister said contracts committee, sitting March 15, 2011, approved the pre-qualification of Salini Construttori SpA but the bids they received were from Salini S.p.A. Another company pre-qualified company was SinoHydro C.M.C but the bids belonged to Sinohydro-CMC Karuma JV. The minister’s statement also shows that instead of Perlite Construction, it was Perlite Construction Company that submitted the bids. Salini S.p.A is one of the companies which have petitioned the public procurements authority for an administrative review of the evaluation process. But before the outcome of the review Salini S.p.A secured a High Court injunction stopping the process. “There is something fishy about the procurement for this Karuma project. For instance, why did the contracts committee open the bids which were not pre-qualified? The accounting officer even went ahead to waste taxpayers money in a hopeless administrative review,” Alex Ruhunda (Fort Portal Municipality) said. PS Kabagambe Kaliisa, the accounting officer, didn’t answer calls. Parliament’s investigation comes after a Kampala court last week issued fresh orders directing the government and all authorities to stop considering a bid to build the Karuma Hydro Power Dam. The orders followed a petition filed by a private citizen, Mr Twine Muganga, on September 10 in which the government was asked to withhold the feared award of the contract a Chinese company, China International Water and Electric Corporation, which stands accused of having falsified bid documents. There was some drama when Mr D’Ujanga and Eng. Paul Mubiru, the director for energy and mineral development, could not remember Mr Muganga’s particulars, prompting the committee to kick him out with instructions to return on Thursday with a full explanation about the apparent breach of in procurement procedures. Energy committee chair Michael Werikhe yesterday said: “We are not going to injure the legal process in any way. Our view is that as a committee, we cannot keep quiet on the Karuma project when we read in the papers that all is not right. The consequences will be dire if we don’t get it right.”"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/KCCA-seeks-court-guidance-on-Centenary-Park-injunction/-/688334/1522678/-/12byo6e/-/index.html","content":"KCCA seeks court guidance on Centenary Park injunction - Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) has sought “indulgence and guidance” from the commercial division of the High Court in Kampala on an interim order the latter issued to them blocking termination of Centenary park contract and eviction of tenants. KCCA’s legal department claims that the status quo remains as the issues highlighted in the court restraint had already been over taken by events. “We are writing to seek court’s indulgence and guidance on how to implement the interim order issued by the court on September 28, 2012,” the letter by Mike Okua, the authority’s director of legal affairs, reads in part. A day after KCCA moved in and cleared part of the park claiming it must be a public open space, Ms Kizito through her company Nalongo Estates Ltd, asked court to temporarily halt this process. An interim order was subsequently granted on Friday to halt the breach of management agreement and eviction of tenants. KCCA had earmarked yesterday October 1 as the date for demolition of the park.However, this newspaper understands that the agreement Nalongo Estate’s contract was terminated in April. Acts already in placeTo this case Mr Okua noted that, “It is abundantly clear that from the foregoing, the interim order that you granted requires rectification to the extent that it seeks to restrain acts that have already taken place; that is, termination of the management agreement and taking possession of the premises.” KCCA deputy spokesperson Robert Kalumba said the Authority will now wait for a response from the commercial division of high court and as such the status quo remains as no statutory notice was served upon KCCA as per the Civil Procedure and limitations (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act.The Judicairy Spokesperson, Erias Kisawuzi, however, said the order was in “clear sentences” and therefore KCCA should act according as instructed. “It is not a matter of defying court orders every time they are issued. If KCCA goes on to defy that, then that will be another case,” Mr Kisawuzi said in an interview with Daily Monitor yesterday. akiyaga@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/Business/Accountants-urged-to-take-professional-liability-cover-/-/688322/1517318/-/37ek22/-/index.html","content":"Accountants urged to take professional liability cover  - Accountants have been urged to take up professional liability insurance cover to guard against financial shortcomings that may affect them in the course of executing their duties. Mr Alex Wanjohi, the managing director, Chartis Uganda, observed that the accountancy profession is more vulnerable to risks, given the nature of their daily executions. “Dealings with money matters means that accountants do some of the most critical tasks in facilitating the running of enterprises, yet complex duties are equally more susceptible to shortcomings. This calls for professional liability cover for the good of the establishments,” Mr Wanjohi said at a recent Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Uganda annual seminar in Entebbe. Professional liability insurance cover or professional indemnity insurance caters for legal defence costs or any damage awards for claims made against professionals for losses that may arise due to breach of confidentiality, professional errors or negligence, copyright breaches and loss of data among others. “You ought to be aware that a single claim can ruin a business financially because it comes with legal costs, it’s time-consuming and resource hungry. In such events, the insurance will provide protection against such claims so that business continues,” he said. Ms Mariam Nalunkuuma, the Insurance Regulatory Authority of Uganda’s publicist, said although there are no readily available statistics regarding the number of professionals who have taken up the cover, she noted that it is imperative for every professional to take it up to safe guard from any liability. She noted that the cover is priced depending on the profession and level of risk.“Different professionals have different levels of risks and even different professions have different risks they are exposed to,” she said. The cover is available for all professionals ranging from doctors, engineers, accountants, lawyers, architects and journalists among others. fkulabako@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/World/Google-blocks-anti-Islam-film-in-Malaysia/-/688340/1509502/-/c4hknfz/-/index.html","content":"Google blocks anti-Islam film in Malaysia - Google has begun barring access in Malaysia to an anti-Islamic film that has sparked fury across the Muslim world after the country's Internet regulator lodged an official complaint. The low-budget movie, entitled \"Innocence of Muslims\", has angered followers of Islam for its mocking of the Prophet Mohammed, and for portraying Muslims as immoral and gratuitously violent. A spokesman for video-sharing site YouTube, owned by internet giant Google, told AFP on Monday that it began restricting access to clips of the privately-produced film Sunday, in line with its community guidelines. \"When videos breach those rules, we remove them. Where we have launched YouTube locally and we are notified that a video is illegal in that country, we will restrict access to it after a thorough review,\" he said. The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) was reported to have asked Google Saturday to remove clips of the controversial film, believed to have been produced by a small group of extremist Christians in the United States, from YouTube. Some extracts of it were still available on the video-sharing website on Monday but several other clips had been blocked to users in the Muslim-majority country. Google has also denied access to the videos in Indonesia, Libya, Egypt and India. In cities across the Muslim world protesters have vented their fury at the amateur film by targeting symbols of US influence ranging from embassies and schools to fast food chains. The US ambassador to Libya, Chris Stevens, and three other US officials were killed last week in an attack by suspected Islamic militants on the US consulate in Benghazi in protest against the film. A total of 17 people have died in violence so far. Muslims held demonstrations across Malaysia on Friday, calling for the United States to prevent distribution of the film they said was part of a plot by \"Christian extremists\". Cabinet ministers have reportedly also demanded the film be taken offline and condemned YouTube for being \"insensitive\" and \"oblivious to the tumult it has caused\". editorial@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/MPs-summon-Ssekandi-over-illegal-city-building/-/688334/1504578/-/9lvgrhz/-/index.html","content":"MPs summon Ssekandi over illegal city building - A House committee yesterday said it will today ask Vice President Edward Ssekandi to explain his actions in stopping the police from assisting Kampala Capital City Authority from enforcing the demolition of a building being constructed on part of a key road reserve. The Presidential Affairs Committee also said they would write to police chief, Lt. Gen. Kale Kayihura, directing that he ensures the Force backs KCCA in its efforts to tear down the incomplete structure on Plot 42, Nile Avenue. The said plot is opposite Garden City and Nakumatt Oasis shopping malls. Committee chairperson Barnabas Tinkasimire said Lt. Gen. Kayihura, who they also plan to meet today, must ensure that the structure is razed by tomorrow. The building is registered under Foton East Africa, a Chinese firm which KCCA said had only been permitted to put up a semi-permanent motor vehicle showroom. Mr Tinkasimire received a complaint from KCCA boss Jennifer Musisi to the effect that she has faced hurdles while executing her mandate “because of some powerful shots in the country.” The committee wrote to Lt. Gen. Kayihura upon learning from Ms Musisi that police had developed cold feet when she sought manpower from them. The committee said Mr Ssekandi and President’s younger brother, only known as Toyota, were behind the Chinese investors who are constructing the structure in the road reserve. Although the committee has invited the Vice President for a meeting today on the matter, his press secretary James Mututa yesterday told Daily Monitor that although the VP halted the demolition, he “was an arbiter when KCCA and the proprietor failed to agree.” This newspaper has learnt that the investors complained to VP Ssekandi upon learning that Ms Musisi had called upon police to demolish their building. The President’s brother, however, said he has nothing to do with the building, although he is an employee of the company. He also denied that he personally supervises the building with armed officers. Foton East Africa was on July 18 given a permit to commence construction but declined to follow the guidelines put in the permit and extended construction into the road. SetbacksOn August 15, KCCA revoked the permit because the developer was in breach of one of the conditions which was to the effect that the front setback along Nile Avenue and Kitante Road should be a minimum of 15 metres from the road reserve. KCCA also ordered the developer to demolish the structure within two days or else the authority would demolish it- that is when the developers reportedly sought refuge in the VP’s office. Police Deputy Spokesperson Vincent Ssekate said they were ready to proceed but KCCA did not inform them of the outcome of the meeting with the VP. In her August 29 letter to Kampala Metropolitan Police, Ms Musisi indicated that she was given officers under the command of the DPC, Central Police Station but on the day of demolition, KCCA was notified by police of a letter from the VP’s office calling for stay of action. snaturinda@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Advertisers-drag-KCCA-to-court/-/688334/1503820/-/39oawm/-/index.html","content":"Advertisers drag KCCA to court - The National Outdoor advertising Contractors Association Limited has sued Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) for destruction of their billboards. The advertising association in a case filed through their lawyers, alleges that on September 1, officials of KCCA in bad faith started destroying their lawfully placed billboard sites in Ntinda-Bukoto, a Kampala suburb. DamagesThe lawyers are seeking a court declaration that the destruction of the outdoor advertising tools is in disregard to the city advertising policies and breach of contract. According to Mr Umar Kakonge Ssali, the managing director Contact Graphics, a member of the plaintiff association, in his affidavit, said the conduct of KCCA has caused them losses in business to which they seek damages. Mr Ssali added that they held a meeting on July 17 with KCCA which informed them they are going to issue new guidelines within four days on the advertising tools. “We agreed in the meeting that all existing tools would remain intact and development of any new sites would not be permitted,” Mr Ssali said. He added that they also agreed that the exercise of removing any illegal structures had to start after new guidelines are issued by KCCA which they have not done. The deputy registrar of Commercial Court, Mr John Alutu, has ordered KCCA to file its defence in two weeks from now in respect to the allegations. It is alleged that sometime in 2007 Kampala City Council recognised the plaintiff by writing to them to warn all its members of impending crackdown of illegitimate advertising tools. bndagire@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/OpEd/Commentary/Isn-t-it-time-for-the-govt-to-let-the-media-regulate-itself-/-/689364/1501370/-/66l1oez/-/index.html","content":"Isn’t it time for the govt to let the media regulate itself? - In the past few days, there have been media reports that the government is once again on the brink of re-tabling the controversial Press and Journalists Amendment Bill (2010) to Parliament for consideration. The Bill seeks to among other things, amend the Press and Journalist Act in order to provide for registration and licensing of newspapers; and impose excessively vague and broad restrictions on the content of what may be published. If passed, this Bill would bring to 10 the number of laws that govern or have a direct impact on media freedom and freedom of expression. The others, enacted or amended within the last 15 years include: The Press and Journalist Act (2000) (formerly Statute 1995); The Electronic Media Act (2000); The Penal Code Act (1950) as (Amended in 2007); The Uganda Broadcasting Corporation Act (2005); The Uganda Communications Commission Act (2000); The Access to Information Act (2005); The Anti-Terrorism Act (2002); The Police Act (1994) (Amended in 2005); The Regulation of Interception of Communications Act (2010). The other two proposed Bills include The Public Order Management Bill (2010); and the Uganda Communications Regulatory Authority Bill (2012). Without going into the specific provisions of each of these laws and Bills, the fact that all these legal instruments are dedicated to regulating the media begs question: are they really necessary, have they been effective, but more importantly, do they espouse media freedom, professionalism and freedom of expression? The answer to the last two is a no! Twenty years ago, it was perfectly understandable for some form of government media regulation. The air waves had just been liberalised, and indeed, there were just a handful of media outlets, and few “professional” media practitioners – if the definition of a journalist in the Press and Journalist Act is anything to go by. A law to regulate the media was may be necessary – then. For the past few years now, the media fraternity has taken significant efforts to establish mechanisms of self-regulation, resulting in the establishment of the Independent Media Council of Uganda (IMCU), launched in 2009 by veteran journalist and former premier Kintu Musoke. The IMCU raised a lot of hope mainly because it was organic, and an initiative by the media themselves. It developed a code of conduct which was endorsed by media practitioners after nationwide consultations. There have and will always be questions on the ability and capacity of the media not only to put their houses in order, but also to develop a functional peer review mechanisms. This is because the mechanism assumes the existence of and seeks to promote a certain level of maturity in the professional ranks as well as a culture of civility and respect for both media peers and the society in general. There is no doubt today that the media are more professional and principled than ever before – of course with some exceptions – and capable of regulating itself. Instead of seeking to amend the Press and Journalists Act, giving more powers to the statutory Media Council and the disciplinary committee or the Minister of Information, the government should seek to support the initiatives and structures of the IMCU. In as much as it is easier for the government to legislate and spell out punitive measures against those who breach the laid down standards, this has not always resulted in the desired goal, unless if that goal has been to stifle media freedom and freedom of expression. If the government is genuinely concerned about promoting media professionalism and freedom of expression, now is the time to let the media to regulate itself. Mr Kimumwe is senior programme officer, ARTICLE 19 Eastern Africapaul@article19.org"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/OpEd/Letters/Apparent-neglect-of-children-by-schools-becoming-a-growing-trend/-/806314/1500340/-/yqlgkgz/-/index.html","content":"Apparent neglect of children by schools becoming a growing trend - For the past three days, the newspapers have been awash with reports of a two and a half year old who drowned in a swimming pool at Acorn International School. Initial reports state that Sunshine Barasa drowned during the morning break and her body was discovered floating in the pool with the school’s swimming pool attendant nowhere in sight. According to news reports, the child’s parents warned the school administration twice about the potential danger this swimming pool (which apparently was still under construction and not gazetted) could be to the children. Police have attributed the incident to negligence by the school administration who failed to monitor one of their pupils causing her death. The Uganda Law Society whose mandate it is to assist the public in all matters touching, ancillary or incidental to the law, will not sit back but speak out just like it always has, against such unacceptable conduct by the authorities we entrust our children with. What went wrong and issues of liability. This incident no doubt screams negligence and is essentially a breach of trust whereby the school that was entrusted with the care and safety of this child failed to ensure her safety nor heed the warnings of her parents; resulting in her death. Schools are placed with a duty of care and owe it to children in their custody. In the premises, the school in question is liable for negligence and breach of trust. It is also liable under occupier’s liability as it opened and allowed onto its premises, children of a tender age; one of whom unfortunately lost her life. Vicarious liability falls on the school administration for the action of its employee (the swimming pool attendant), who was not at his duty station when this unfortunate incident happened. Increasing negligence of children: The above incident is one of a myriad of cases in the recent past of child neglect. This is not the first time cases of abuse and neglect have been reported concerning children. There have been reports of children not having lunch that is meant to be provided by the school, involved and perishing in school fires, burning in school porridge, unstable and unsafe school structures, uncontrolled traffic on the school premises, to mention but a few. The ULS is concerned about these occurrences and will no doubt defend the rights of children to a safe and healthy environment. Children like all other citizens of this nation enjoy human and children’s rights as stipulated in the Constitution and the Children Act of Uganda and these must be promoted, preserved, observed and defended at all times. In conclusion, we recommend that: The long arm of the law brings all those responsible for negligible acts against children, to justice. That full and prompt compensation be given for all children who have been injured and whose lives have been lost as a result of such negligence. That the government through the Ministry of Education should ensure introduction of safety measures or precautions in schools. That schools should ensure that their premises and facilities are safe for children so that such incidents do not happen again. James Mukasa Sebugenyi,President - Uganda Law Society"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Ministry-tasked-to-act-on-school-negligence/-/688334/1498410/-/12eka7z/-/index.html","content":"Ministry tasked to act on school negligence - The Uganda Law Society (ULS) has asked Ministry of Education and Sports to take action against neglect of children in schools. The ULS warning comes at the time when two-and-a half year old Sunshine Mitchelle Barasa drowned in a swimming pool at Acorn International School on her first day in school. Warning issuedThe incident has been attributed to the school administration’s negligence as the parents of the deceased said they warned the school twice about the potential danger posed by the swimming pool that is still under construction. In a press statement to Daily Monitor, Mr James Mukasa Sebugenyi, the president ULS, said Sunshine’s death was a breach of trust where the school that was entrusted with the care and safety of this child, failed in its role. “The school’s administration should know that they are placed with a duty of care and owe it to children in their custody,” Mr Sebugenyi said. He said liability falls on the school administration for the action of its employee (the swimming pool attendant) who was not at his duty station when this unfortunate incident happened. Compensation callHe added that government should cause full and prompt compensation for all children who have been injured and died as a result of negligence. mdagire@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Woman-sues-fianc--over-wedding/-/688334/1485784/-/fgff4p/-/index.html","content":"Woman sues fiancé over wedding - When Catherine Kalembe introduced Emma Mutaka to her parents in Kisozi Village, Kamuli District in 2010 as her fiancé, she was sure a wedding would follow shortly to cement their relationship. However, two years later and without a wedding ring, Ms Kalembe has decided to seek legal recourse, dragging her fiancé to court for allegedly failing to wed her. In what many in Iganga have described as a “strange” case, Ms Kalembe, a resident of Nkono Zone in the municipality, says Mr Mutaka, who is the National Agricultural Advisory Services, (Naads) coordinator for Bukanga Sub-county in Luuka District, should pay for failing to marry her. In the suit, Ms Kalembe says she went an extra mile to facilitate their introduction ceremony and make it “colourful” with a Shs2 million cash injection—and it is just proper that her fiancé—who “had a small income” then, reciprocates a good turn. In her submission to the Iganga Chief Magistrate, Ms Kalembe laments that Saturday December 17, 2011, should have been her lucky day—when she should have walked down the aisle with her heartthrob. Instead, Ms Kalembe says, she nearly dropped dead when Pastor Kasakya of Iganga Deliverance Church, who was to preside over the function, told her Mr Mutaka had halted the wedding “until further notice”. Ms Kalembe told court her misery is further compounded by the fact that her house in Nkono Zone in Iganga town is where the couple had co-habited in “tough” times and that she had contributed Shs2 million to help her fiancé get a job. Ms Kalembe’s lawyer told court: “Since then my client has suffered mental anguish and torture, lost chances to marry and suffered injured feelings and shame in community.” The lawyer says court should compel Mr Mutaka to pay Ms Kalembe Shs20 million in costs and general damages, noting that the former’s conduct was “unlawful” and tantamounts to “breach of promise”. Mr Mutaka in his defence, however, states that he is still in love with Ms Kalembe and is surprised by the suit.Chief magistrate Susan Kanyange has given the pair up to November 19 to organise a wedding or have the case resume."}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Nakaseke-officials-verify-60-suspected-illegal-immigrants/-/688334/1483146/-/i5u9cj/-/index.html","content":"Nakaseke officials verify 60 suspected illegal immigrants - NAKASEKE. Authorities in Nakaseke District have embarked on a verification exercise of documents for suspected 60 Congolese immigrants who have settled in the district. The exercise is geared at ensuring that their stay and settlement is not in breach of the law.According to the Resident District Commissioner, Mr Geoffrey Kyomukama, the District Security Committee has been receiving information from officials at Kapeeka and Kito sub-counties concerning Congolese immigrants in their respective areas who do not have documents indicating their respective areas of origin and purpose for which they are settling in the area. “We have advised them to present documents detailing their respective particulars and possibly letters from authorities where they came from.It is a normal practice that anybody settling in an area is introduced to the area local councils,” Mr Kyomukama said on Friday. Kito Sub-county Chairman Abel Lubowa told Daily Monitor on Friday that his area has more than 50 Congolese who have settled at Katalekamese and Bulamazi villages. He, however, said some of the congolese have settled in these areas for more than five years while about 20 of them arrived recently and could be part of the many displaced by the insurgency in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. “We do not have problems with these people but we want their respective stay in the area to be in line with the law.They have to register with the authorities in the areas where they are staying,” Mr Lubowa said. A Congolese woman, who identified her self as Janet Farah Winny, who claims to have been forced to flee her home town of Bunagana in June this year, said many of her relatives were abducted by the rebels and that those who crossed to Uganda are in Kisoro District. “I left some of my relatives at Kisoro refugee camp. I have a relative who has settled and is married here in Kapeeka Sub-county. We were forced to live our home town after the rebels abducted several youths at Bunagana Town,” Ms Farah Winny said, adding: “We are many here and working on farms. I do not hope to go back to Congo.” Kapeeka Sub-county Chairman Moses Ssenfuma said registration for all residents at their respective local council offices is now mandatory with all residents directed to register their respective visitors at their respective LCs since many of the congolese claim that they came to visit their relatives in the area. According to Kapeeka LC3 Chairman, the Congolese in his area are law abiding but need to register with the LCs in their respective areas for security purpose. editorial@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Patients-stuck-as-Jinja-Hospital-suspends-senior-gynaecologist/-/688334/1475572/-/2cfgspz/-/index.html","content":"Patients stuck as Jinja Hospital suspends senior gynaecologist - The suspension of a doctor, who allegedly neglected a patient that later died at Jinja Referral Hospital, has left a human resource gap at hospital. Dr Michael Osinde, the hospital director, said the suspended doctor is a senior gynaecologist, whose absence has left the hospital stranded. “He cannot go back to the ward under the circumstances. I am also stranded, my hands are tied,” Dr Osinde said in an interview with this newspaper on Wednesday.Jinja Regional Referral Hospital has four gynaecologists, the suspended doctor being the most experienced among them. The accusationThe development follows the death of 20-year-old Shanita Nakato Namubiru, last Friday, whose relatives claimed had been neglected as the medic allegedly demanded for a bribe of Shs700,000. The deceased died during a caesarian operation, leaving behind a baby girl. The death sparked mayhem at the hospital as relatives attacked health workers.The doctor was later evacuated and kept under detention until Monday, when his colleagues went on strike, protesting his arrest. It was only after the intervention of Lands minister Daudi Migereko that the health workers at the hospital agreed to return to work. Mr Migereko assured the health workers that their security was guaranteed and that their colleague would be released. Investigations dueDr Osinde said the Uganda Dental and Medical Practitioners Council has been given a week to conclude the investigations into the cause of death. “We are currently doing a maternal mortality audit which we have to complete by Friday (today) morning. The Uganda Dental and Medical Practitioners’ Council have also been told to do theirs,” he said. Keeping the doctor under probe out of the ward, he said, was in line with Public Service standing regulations which he could not breach, despite the service gap.As the medical authorities do their investigations, the police are also continuing to probe the bribery allegations. This means even if the medical probe is concluded, the doctor will remain suspended until the police case is also put to rest. Meanwhile, Dr Osinde said the hospital is still taking care of the deceased mother’s baby and a sister to the father had come in to supplement the hospital’s efforts ."}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Kagame-has-questions-to-answer---Britain/-/688334/1471084/-/ho6s2hz/-/index.html","content":"Kagame has questions to answer - Britain - The British government has accused President Paul Kagame’s government of fueling violence in Congo and endorsed a UN report- linking Rwanda to a bloody regional conflict that has so far left over 260,000 people displaced and others dead. A senior government official also told Sunday Monitor on Wednesday that this year, Britain would not release an estimated £16 million (Shs56 billion) in aid for Rwanda, adding that “UK is taking the UN report seriously and “Rwanda government must explain what is going on.” “Rwanda has questions to answer,” a government official said. “We (British government) understand (s) that there is a UN report and it’s very clear on who is behind the conflict in Congo. Our position is that whoever is involved must work to promote peace not conflicts.”The UN Group of Experts (GoE) on the Congo report accuses President Kagame of funding and arming the rebel group M23 in violation of UN sanctions. This rebel group is led by renegade Gen. Bosco Ntaganda, who is wanted by the ICC for war crimes. M23 rebels have, over the last two months, seized parts of eastern DRC- creating a refugee crisis in the region. Ntaganda had been a Tutsi rebel warlord operating in eastern DRC until 2009 when he was integrated into the Congolese army as part of an undisclosed peace deal.This high-ranking official in British government said the British government and other development partners are closely following the developments in Congo. The US has suspended £127,198 (about Shs445m) in military aid to Rwanda over the allegations. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was in Kampala this week to meet President Museveni over regional security, including DR Congo and Somalia. The two held closed door meetings. Kagame denies allegationsBut President Kagame has reacted furiously and blamed the conflict in Congo on the international community. Rwanda also dismissed UN claims that the Rwanda Defence Forces (RDF) trained and provided rebel commanders with 75mm canons and other ammunitions. Britain is the latest country to blame Rwanda for the mutiny in DR Congo, that has seen M23 rebel group taking up arms to fight the elected government in Kinshasa over an alleged breach of a deal that had been signed between the DRC government and another political armed militia— the National Congress for the Defence of the People. During the inauguration of a military college last week, President Kagame said the ongoing problems in DRC were a creation of the international community, and not Rwanda. “Rwanda has not supplied one bullet to DRC conflict if we had I would say we did because we would have done it with a reason,” he said. Rwanda’s Foreign Office said the UN report on Congo conflict was hypocritical, adding that it was intended to make Rwanda a scapegoat for its neighbour’s problems. Earlier, Mr Kagame complained at a public function in Kigali that although the money donors withheld was insignificant, the allegations were damaging his reputation. Meanwhile, although RDC President Joseph Kabila said he questioned Uganda over allegations that Kampala was also aiding rebels fighting his government, and that he also sent an envoy to Kampala to rally diplomatic support, Britain remains silent on Uganda’s fate. Uganda government however, denies reports that it is also supporting the rebels. editorial@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/US-warns-Kagame-could-face-charges-of-aiding-war-in-DRC/-/688334/1463480/-/hi5cfx/-/index.html","content":"US warns Kagame could face charges of aiding war in DRC - The head of the US war crimes office has warned Rwanda’s leaders, including President Paul Kagame, that they could face prosecution at the International Criminal Court for arming groups responsible for atrocities in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Stephen Rapp, who leads the US Office of Global Criminal Justice, told the Guardian that the Rwandan leadership may be open to charges of “aiding and abetting” crimes against humanity in a neighbouring country – actions similar to those for which the former Liberian president Charles Taylor was jailed for 50 years by an international court in May. Rapp’s warning follows a damning United Nations report on recent Rwandan military support for M23, an insurgent group that has driven hundreds of thousands of people from their homes since April as it seized territory in the eastern DR Congo. The group is led by Bosco Ntaganda, known as the Terminator, who was indicted by the international criminal court six years ago for war crimes including the forced recruitment of child soldiers. The UN report accuses Rwanda of shielding Ntaganda from justice. On Saturday, Washington said it would halt some military aid to Rwanda after the UN report. The aid freeze and Rapp’s public intervention mark a significant shift away from once solid US support for Mr. Kagame, which was rooted in lingering guilt over international inaction during the 1994 genocide. Rapp, who previously served as chief prosecutor at the Rwanda genocide tribunal and later initiated the prosecution of Taylor over his crimes as president of Liberia in supporting rebels in neighbouring Sierra Leone, said Rwandan support for M23 and other armed groups “has to stop” because it “maintains the lawlessness and at the end of the day enables the ongoing commission of atrocities”. “There is a line that one can cross under international law where you can be held responsible for aiding a group in a way that makes possible their commission of atrocities,” he said. Rapp said the evidence by the UN group of experts of Rwandan government support for M23 and other armed groups, including sending weapons and troops into the DR Congo, exposed Kagame and other senior officials to investigation for war crimes. The UN report by a group of experts appointed by the security council said it had “found substantial evidence attesting to support from Rwandan officials to armed groups operating in the eastern DR Congo”, including shipping weapons and money to M23 in breach of a UN arms embargo and other sanctions. It also offers evidence of “direct Rwandan Defence Forces (RDF) interventions into Congolese territory to reinforce M23” and “support to several other armed groups”. Rwanda’s foreign minister, Louise Mushikiwabo, described the UN report as “bad information”. “As we have made clear from the outset, Rwanda is neither the cause nor the enabler of instability in the eastern DRC,” she said. Rwandan officials are expected to meet the UN group of experts in Kigali this week. “We will go through each allegation contained in the interim report and debunk them line by line,” she said. Rwanda’s invasion of what was then Zaire in 1996 to clear out refugee camps sheltering armed groups responsible for the genocide two years earlier was quietly backed by Washington and London, which did not challenge a second invasion two years later and Kigali’s attempt to create a proxy administration in eastern DR Congo using loyal armed groups."}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/Business/Markets/Ugandan-traders-sue-South-Sudan-over-Shs100-billion/-/688606/1456684/-/2luwil/-/index.html","content":"Ugandan traders sue South Sudan over Shs100 billion - The government of South Sudan has been dragged to court over failure to pay for grains worth about Shs101 billion to Ugandan traders.A group of 24 Ugandan companies under their umbrella organisation; Uganda South Sudan Grain Traders and Suppliers Association have lodged a case at the Commercial Division of the High Court, seeking for a declaration that the refusal of the South Sudan government to pay them as per the Memorandum of Understanding with Uganda is unlawful. The traders through their lawyers allege that they supplied the South Sudan government with grain comprising of sorghum and maize between 2009 and 2010 worth about Shs137 billion ($56 million) but have not paid. Government interventionThis prompted the Ugandan government to intervene on behalf of the traders leading to the signing of MoU with South Sudan in November 2010.According to court documents, the government of South Sudan allegedly signed a MoU with the Ugandan government committing itself to pay the said monies in installments starting with an advance payment of Shs36.7 billion ($15 million) as partial payment. However, the traders allege: “The respondent (South Sudan) has in breach of its commitments under the MoU neglected to settle all the applicants’ claims as set out in the said MoU.” It is alleged that the traders have continuously been deprived and denied access to their financial assets in contravention of their right to property under the Ugandan law. Meanwhile, court has summoned the government of South Sudan to file its defence in the matter within 15 days. Kampala High Court Judge Hellen Obura has set July 30 this year to hear the maiden case against South Sudan government in the Ugandan courts. The traders are seeking for a court order for the government of South Sudan execute or perform its commitments under the November 21, 2010 agreement. ekasozi@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/World/EU-threatens-Microsoft-with-antitrust-fine/-/688340/1456560/-/imcc4yz/-/index.html","content":"EU threatens Microsoft with antitrust fine - The European Commission threatened Microsoft with another big fine on Tuesday after the US software giant failed to give 28 million European customers the ability to choose their web browser. Microsoft immediately apologised for the \"technical error\" after 28 million users of the Windows 7 operating system were unable to choose between the company's default Internet Explorer and other browsers. \"While we have taken immediate steps to remedy this problem, we deeply regret that this error occurred and we apologise for it,\" the US company said in a statement. In order to ease European Union competition concerns in 2009, the US software giant committed to provide Windows users in Europe a \"choice screen\" enabling them to choose an alternative web browser until 2014. But the screen has been missing from a service pack 1 update to Windows 7 since February 2011. \"We have fallen short in our responsibility to do this,\" Microsoft said. The European Union's executive arm announced an antitrust probe against Microsoft, which has already been fined hundreds of millions of euros in a separate case. \"We are now opening formal proceedings against the company,\" European Union Competition Commissioner Joaquin Almunia told a news conference. \"If following our investigation this breach is confirmed, and Microsoft seems to acknowledge the facts here, this could have severe consequences,\" he said. \"If infringements are confirmed, there will be sanctions.\" A company that is found to have breached legally-binding commitments can face fines of up to 10 percent of total annual turnover. Microsoft had stated in a report to Brussels on December 2011 that it was complying with the 2009 commitments, but \"market players\" later revealed that the company was breaking its pledge, Almunia said. \"I consider that commitments by companies themselves are a good way to solve competition problems... as an alternative to lengthy proceedings,\" he said. \"But this can only work if companies implement these decisions fully.\" Microsoft indicated that it believed it was complying with its commitment when it issued the December report, but the company said it later learned that the screen choice was missing from Windows. The company said it developed software to fix the problem on July 2, one business day after it was discovered. \"We expect to substantially complete distribution of the BCS (browser choice screen) software to the PCs we initially missed by the end of the week,\" the statement said. 1 | 2 Next Page»Microsoft also opened its own outside investigation to determine how the mistake happened and offered to extend the time during which the browser choice screen will be available by 15 months. \"We understand that the Commission will review this matter and determine whether this is an appropriate step for Microsoft to take. We understand that the Commission may decide to impose other sanctions,\" it said. The commission already fined Microsoft 899 million euros in 2008 for failing to comply with an order to share product information with rivals so that their software can work with Windows. Last month the General Court, the EU's second highest tribunal, dismissed Microsoft's bid to annul the penalty but cut the US software giant's fine by 39 million euros to 860 million. editorial@ug.nationmedia.com « Previous Page 1 | 2"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/OpEd/Letters/Sue-government-over-breach-of-Maputo-Protocol/-/806314/1451398/-/hu39ofz/-/index.html","content":"Sue government over breach of Maputo Protocol - Farmers in Uganda have a case against the government for failure to fund adequately the agriculture sector. The sector has been getting a token budget allocation of between only 3 per cent and 5 per cent a year. While in the FY 2011/12 it got 4 per cent, it got only 3 per cent in the FY2012/13. During a meeting in Maputo, Mozambique in 2003, the ‘Maputo Protocol’ requiring all African governments to allocate 15 per cent of their annual budget to agriculture sector was signed. The intention was to boost the sector, which is considered as the backbone of African economies. Sadly, despite being a signatory, the government of Uganda has failed to abide by this protocol. This is criminal and farmers have a duty to sue the government for the breach of the protocol. In 2001, an agreement that gives health sector 15 per cent of budget was signed in Abuja, Nigeria. Yet even here, the government is not abiding by the agreement.Dan Okello, Lira"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Hold-former-ministers-accountable-for-IDs--MPs-tell-govt/-/688334/1445766/-/13okims/-/index.html","content":"Hold former ministers accountable for IDs, MPs tell govt - Legislators across the political divide have demanded that the three former ministers implicated in the messy Shs200 billion national identity cards scandal, refund tax payers’ money or else have their properties attached. Former minister Kirunda Kivejinja, former Attorney General Kiddhu Makubuya and former State Minister for ICT, Alintuma Nsambu were recommended for sanction following a House investigation into the tendering of the National Identity Cards’ project to M/s Muhlbauer of Germany. Debating the report yesterday, the MPs said those indicted must be brought to book to scare away those that intend to occasion loss of tax payers’ money. The MPs led by Mr Gilbert Oulanyah (Kilak County), Benson Obua Ogwal (Moroto), Rona Ninsiima (Woman, Kabale) and Mr Vincent Kyamadidi (Rwampara County) demanded that all those implicated be prosecuted and made to refund the money. Mr Vincent Kyamadidi (Rwampara County) said the Inspectorate of Government must attach properties of those thieves he said are a disgrace to the country. Anite Evelyn (Youth, northern) said they shall move across the country telling people not to pay money for identity cards until the ministers return the money. The legislators observed in the report that there was outright breach of the procurement laws, dishonesty on the part of some senior officials, both political and technical, whose roles are highly questionable. They observed that the project was procured in a haste and there was no adequate time allowed for ascertaining the company’s ability to deliver the required service and ensire value for money. They recommended that those found responsible for occasioning loss regarding procurement and implementation should take full responsibility for their role in mismanaging a project of that magnitude. Since the inception of the project, only 4,000 out of the expected 3.5 million identity cards have been personalised, of which only 218 have been issued. mnalugo@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Dismiss-part-timing-teachers---official/-/688334/1443686/-/bl9cn6/-/index.html","content":"Dismiss part-timing teachers - official - Head teachers of government-aided secondary schools have been directed to sack all teachers taking extra duties outside their designated schools. “As the commission entrusted with the recruitment of teachers, we are saying that there should be no more tolerance to the part-time teachers because they do not only lead to the poor performance but they also breach their terms they have with us. Therefore they must be sacked,” Education Service Commissioner, Mr Abdallatif Wangubo said on Sunday at a science fair organised by Pilkington College-Muguluka. Mr Wangubo urged school inspectors and head teachers to intensify their supervision and smoke out the teachers engaged in the act and forward their names to the Education Service Commission for action. The commission, he said would not offer any other opportunity to any teacher who will lose his/her job over the malpractice. Mr Wangubo downplayed the excuses of meager payment to the teachers by government, which some teachers claim forces them to take on extra duty in private schools to make extra income. editorial@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/-/688334/1443806/-/afikbiz/-/index.html","content":"Former ministers Kivenjinja, Makubuya face sanction over ID deals - Three former ministers were yesterday recommended for sanction following a House investigation into the tendering of the controversy-wracked Shs200 billion national Identity Cards project to M/s Muhlbauer of Germany. MPs want Mr Kirunda Kivejinja (Internal Affairs), former Attorney General Kiddhu Makubuya and former State Minister for ICT, Mr Alintuma Nsambu, punished for their role in the disputed deal. In a report presented the House Defence Committee chairperson, Mr Simon Mulongo (Bubulo East), Mr Kivejinja, Mr Makubuya and the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Internal Affairs, Mr Stephen Kagoda, reportedly flouted procurement laws. The report calls for an investigation into Mr Nsambu’s trip to Germany. Mr Kivejinja is implicated as having deliberately avoided and ignored the laid down procurement procedures under the law. The committee also recommended that Makubuya should take full responsibility for the irregular clearance of the National Security Information Systems procurement agreement in total disregard of Public Procurement and Disposal of Assets Authority. “He (Kivejinja) therefore failed to provide correct political guidance to the ministry which failed to follow the established procedures for classified procurements under PPDA. Despite the technical and professional guidance provided by PPDA, the minister ignored this advice and went ahead to single source the Germany company, to which he dared to take full responsibility as warned by PPDA,” the report to be debated today, notes. The Defence committee inquiry into the procurement of the Shs200 billion ID project set out to, among others, ascertain the mode of procurement of the equipment, examine the parties involved in the procurement process and review the contractual dimension of the procurementThe report further notes that: “There was outright breach of the procurement of the procurement laws, dishonesty on the part of some senior officials, both political and technical whose roles are highly questionable.” It adds: “Those found responsible for occasioning loss regarding the procurement and implementation should take full responsibility and the committee prays that Parliament resolves to have clear and deserving penalties against them by the relevant authorities for mismanaging a project of a magnitude of about Shs200 billion,”. The committee said whereas the ID project was conceived with good intentions, it had critical shortfalls in its procurement. “Although the ministry presented letters from the President dated April, 2, 2009 and February 13, as their justification for selecting Muhlbauer as the sole company of choice without any competitive bidding, the committee did not [see] evidence of a presidential directive for single sourcing in any of the two letters specifically directing them to proceed as such.” They insisted that the President’s role was advisory. “In any case the guidance in the letters did not amount to restricting to single sourcing let alone circumventing the PPDA regulatory framework, which effectively provides for classified procurement but which was eluded.” editorial@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Basajja-loses-land-in-judgement/-/688334/1439636/-/7vgblc/-/index.html","content":"Basajja loses land in judgement - City businessman Hassan Basajjabalaba on Thursday lost 300 acres of land worth billions of shillings in Lubowa, Wakiso District following a court judgement that cancelled the transfer of the land to him by Kikonyogo Investments Ltd, saying the transfer was illegal. The businessman trading as Haba Group (U) Limited was in 2010 sued by Lakeside City Ltd jointly with junior Lands minister Sam Engola, Lakeside Township Ltd, Kikonyogo Investments Ltd, and the Attorney General, for breach of contract, fraudulent sale and transfer of the suit land. While cancelling the transfer, Justice Joseph Murangira of the High Court, Land Division, noted that at the time of the said transfer, there was a court injunction barring the same but the two companies ignored the order. “The transfer of the suit land by the 3rd defendant (Kikonyogo Investments Ltd) to the 5th defendant (Haba Group (U) Ltd) when there was a court order to maintain the status quo was null and void.” Justice Murangira ruled. The judge ordered the Commissioner for Land Registration, whom he also faulted for ignoring earlier court orders, to register Lakeside City as the lawful owners of the land. This is the very civil case that had technically barred the IGG from prosecuting Ms Sarah Kulata, the then land commissioner over the same alleged charges before the Anti-Corruption Court acquitted and discharged her early this year. “The transfers from the 1st defendant (Mr Engola) to the plaintiff (Lakeside City) that were rejected by the Commissioner for Land Registration are good in law and should be effected” ruled the judge. The judge ordered the defendants to meet all the costs incurred by Lakeside City in pursuing the case. But on the contrary, defence lawyers led by Geoffrey Mutaawe of Kikonyogo, who unsuccessfully sought court orders to set aside its orders, vowed to appeal against the judgement. The matter arose in 2009 when Lakeside City bought the land from Lakeside Township but put in Minister Engola’s names. Later on, Mr Engola withdrew from the deal citing pressure from his party, NRM as the 2011 polls were drawing near. However, at the time of his withdraw, the land title that was still in his names had not been formally transferred into the names of Lakeside City. It is alleged that Ms Kulata in her capacity as the then Commissioner Land Registry, illegally cancelled Lakeside City as the lawful owners before registering Lakeside Township. It is also alleged that Ms Kulata again transferred the said land title from Lakeside Township to Kikonyogo before transferring again transferring it to Haba Group, hence the legal battle. editorial@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/World/Kenya-seeks-to-eliminate-fraud-in-financial-markets/-/688340/1437304/-/14bmlgjz/-/index.html","content":"Kenya seeks to eliminate fraud in financial markets - Kenya's financial markets regulator on Wednesday lanced an advanced industry's surveillance system as part of measures aimed at protecting investor interests in the East African nation. The Capital Markets Authority (CMA) Capizar Market Surveillance will enable it to maintain an orderly, fair and efficient market as it stepped up its oversight role to ensure real time surveillance and any irregularities in trading are identified and curbed early enough. \"The Authority reaffirms its commitment to create, maintain and regulate a market in which securities can be traded in an orderly, fair and efficient manner,\" CMA Chief Executive Officer Stella Kilonzo told journalists in Nairobi. The development follows a public procurement process that commenced in June 2011 with the release of an international expression of interest subsequently followed by a request for proposal and finally the identification of a competitive bidder with the best market fit. Kilonzo said the new surveillance system will enable CMA to monitor trading activities in the market on real time basis by providing early warning signs through the use of alerts. The investment in the new market surveillance system is part of efforts of the regulator to proactively step up its oversight role to ensure real time surveillance and any irregularities in trading are identified and curbed early enough. CMA previously conducted surveillance through a market control system that was provided by the trading platform vendors. This system has been found to be inadequate due to increased market sophistication and innovation. The new market surveillance system has been rolled out successfully for capital market regulators in Pakistan, Ghana and Butan. The enhanced surveillance system is provided by the premier IT system and e-infrastructure provider InfoTech Middle East FZ-LLC. The new Surveillance system is also capable of undertaking multiple analyses by rapidly identifying abnormal trading behavior which will be saved in the system to assist in investigations and to gather further evidence for prosecution in cases of breach of Capital Markets Acts and Regulations. \"This will enable replay of an earlier market activity at a convenient time. The system will be able to print exception reports,\" Kilonzo said. She added that the surveillance function of the Authority plays a key role in ensuring that trading of securities at the Nairobi Securities Exchange is carried out in a manner consistent with the laws, regulations and guidelines governing securities. \"The decision to set up an advanced and enhanced surveillance system is informed by evolving sophistication in the market and that this will enhance the Authority's investor protection initiatives through its ability to identify and prevent market manipulation,\" she said. Kilonzo said that for the Authority to keep abreast with the changing market environment, it is essential that its functions are continuously strengthened thus the new robust system will enhance oversight role and efficiency. Implementation of the robust surveillance system is expected to increase the depth and numbers of investors while attracting new issuers to the market due to improved market integrity and investor confidence. The system has pre-configured rules to determine common trading patterns that constitute market abuse, including front running and insider trading. The Authority will spend 570,000 U.S. dollars in total towards implementation of the advanced market surveillance system which is expected to be fully functional by October."}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Free-education-probe-team-in-central-region/-/688334/1434824/-/feah6k/-/index.html","content":"Free education probe team in central region - After completing public hearings in the north, west and east, the commission set up to investigate alleged mismanagement of free education scheme has shifted to central region. The commission secretary, Ms Keturah Katunguuka, told Daily Monitor yesterday that public hearings for central region start today at Grand Imperial Hotel in Kampala and will run up to July 2 . “We are through with other regions and we are optimistic that this last segment of public hearings will give us a clear picture of what we want,” Ms Katunguka said by telephone. Those to appear before the commission, according to Ms Katunguka, include; school heads, chief administrative officers and district education officers from all districts in the central region. The process of disbursing UPE and USE funds to districts and schools is being investigated, as well as how the money meant for the construction of new classrooms is spent. Breach of rules“Come July 9, we shall meet officials from ministries of Education, Finance, Local Government and Public Service,” she addedDuring recent public hearings in the western region, the commission discovered that some head teachers in some schools implementing USE had acted contrary to the guidelines of scheme and diverted funds to pay teachers’ salaries. President Museveni commissioned the five –member commission on December 11, 2009, headed by Justice Ezekiel Muhanguzi and gave it a six-month deadline to produce a report. This followed reports that government was losing billions of shillings to corrupt officials since the UPE programme started in 1997.However, its tenure was twice extended on request of the commission with the last extension having expired in June 2011. The inquiry has so far spent Shs7 billion. The delay and huge expenditure of the commissioners caused an uproar among stakeholders, forcing Parliament to suspend its operations for two months early this year. The body was, however, given a green light later by the President, extending its deadline to August 14 this year. HopeDespite all delays to complete its work on time, Ms Katunguka said she is optimistic they will beat the August 14 deadline. “Notwithstanding the two –months we lost when parliament suspended our operations, we shall beat the set deadline this time round and deliver a report,” She added. Donor countries have threatened to slash funds meant for the scheme citing corruption. The government in the 2012/2013 budget that was read two weeks ago allocated Shs1.6 billion to the education sector. assenkabirwa@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Baryamureeba-takes-to-the-dock-over-Shs500m/-/688334/1429998/-/4d7n8x/-/index.html","content":"Baryamureeba takes to the dock over Shs500m - Makerere University Acting Vice Chancellor, Venansius Baryamureeba is slated to take to the dock over allegations of fraud. Early this month Buganda Road Chief Magistrate, Ms Sylvia Nabagala summoned Prof. Baryamureeba to appear before Court on Tuesday (19 June) over allegations of fraud and breach of contract. The magistrate noted that Prof. Baryamureeba’s attendance is “necessary to answer charges of fraud and breach of trust, contrary to Section 113 of the Penal Code Act”. Section 113 of the Penal Code Act provides that Any person employed in the public service who, in the discharge of the duties of his or her office, commits any fraud or breach of trust affecting the public, whether such fraud or breach of trust would have been criminal or not if committed against a private person, commits a misdemeanour. The case against Prof. Baryamureeba arises from a private prosecution filed by Makerere University Academic Staff Association chairman, Mr Fredrick Tanga Odoi, through his attorneys Ms Katuntu & Company Advocates. Mr Odoi accuses Prof. Baryamureeba of mismanaging Euros 170,000 (Shs518 million) that the Dutch government donated for the payment of tuition fees for 20 PhD students under the Netherlands Organisation for International Cooperation in Higher Education project. It is alleged that Prof. Baryamureeba committed the offence in 2009 during his tenure as the Dean of the Faculty of Computing and Information Technology. Mr Baryamureeba was the overall coordinator of the project that formally wound up on May 31, last year. Mr Odoi alleges in his affidavit that whereas the Dutch government disbursed the scholarship funds, the money was never used to pay tuition as required under the project since at least a dozen of the would-be beneficiaries had been granted fees waivers by a March 4, 2008 CIT faculty meeting that Prof. Baryamureeba reportedly chaired. ekasozi@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Barya-wanted-over-Shs500m/-/688334/1423076/-/ogsubg/-/index.html","content":"Barya wanted over Shs500m - Buganda Road Chief Magistrate Sylvia Nabagala has ordered Makerere University acting Vice Chancellor Venansius Baryamureeba to present himself in court on June 19, 2012 over allegations of fraud. In the summons which the VC’s office received on Wednesday, the magistrate noted that Prof. Baryamureeba’s attendance is “necessary to answer charges of fraud and breach of trust, contrary to Section 113 of the Penal Code Act”. The university spokesperson, Ms Ritah Namisango, yesterday said they would not comment on the case. The court summons follows a private prosecution that Makerere University Academic Staff Association chairman, Mr Fredrick Tanga Odoi, initiated against the VC through MP Abdu Katuntu’s law firm, Katuntu & Co. Advocates. In a May 31, 2012 affidavit, Mr Odoi accused Prof. Baryamureeba of mismanaging Euros 170,000 (Shs518m) that the Dutch government offered for payment of tuition fees for 20 PhD students under the Netherlands Organisation for International Cooperation in Higher Education project. Prof. Baryamureeba, then dean of the Faculty of Computing and Information Technology in 2009, was the overall coordinator of the project that formally wound up on May 31, last year. Makerere, Mbarara, Kyambogo and Gulu universities were the southern partners of the total Euro5.7m (Shs17.4b) project while Groningen, Radbpound and Einhoven universities in Netherlands were co-implementers as the northern consortium. Court documents show that the four-year PhD programme tenable at Makerere, was designed to build capacity of academic staff at the four Ugandan public universities in ICT training. Mr Odoi avers in his affidavit that whereas the Dutch government disbursed the scholarship funds, it was never used to pay tuition as required under the project since at least a dozen of the would-be beneficiaries had been granted fees waivers by a March 4, 2008 CIT faculty meeting that Prof. Baryamureeba reportedly chaired. Barya reactsWhen this newspaper broke the story of the suspected use of the NUFFIC finances in January, Prof. Baryamureeba denied any wrongdoing and accused his detractors of hounding him unfairly over the VC job - which the university this month put up for grabs. tbutagira@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/Business/Markets/Engen-closes-operations--employees-run-to-court/-/688606/1421812/-/p0ohfq/-/index.html","content":"Engen closes operations, employees run to court - Engen Petroleum Limited has closed its operations in Uganda, leaving employees not only stunned but stranded. In an email yesterday, Tania Landsberg the Group communications manager, said Engen Petroleum was sharpening its business focus in Sub Saharan Africa and as a result had decided to cease the operations of Engen Uganda Limited. Although the major reason for the abrupt closure is yet to be known, it is understood that the decision was reached by the firm’s shareholders, pending other operational details. In an May 11 email seen by Daily Monitor, Mr Andre de Wet, the acting general manager, informed Mr Duncan Murashiki, the East Africa regional manager of the pending closure, saying the decision had been premised on the failure by the Uganda operations to attain desired profit levels. Different strategy “It is with regret that we announce the closure of our Engen Uganda operations, as the size of the business has over time proved to be too small to be viable,” reads the email in part. “A decision has been made to withdraw from the country, with a view to re-enter the market if a reasonably sized business can be acquired.” Sources privy to the matter but could not speak freely due to fear of retribution, told Daily Monitor the matter had been unprofessionally handled by managers in South Africa where decisions are often taken. So far a number of companies including: Puma Energy, Gulf Energy, City Oil, Petro Uganda, Gallana and Addax have expressed interest in acquiring Engen’s assets. According to a source, when the news of the closure was passed on to the management in Uganda under Mr Sifiso Nzimande, no updates were relayed to the employees until on June 3, when they were given 10 minutes to decide on the terms of the termination. This has prompted 11 local managers to seek court intervention, saying the company should pay each of them about Shs500 million for among others terminating their contracts without following due process. According to a court document, seen by Daily Monitor, the employees want the service station to be held culpable for statutory breach, illegal employment practices, breach of contract, and slavery. Other demands against the fuel company include; discriminatory treatment and violation of privacy and dignity. Seeking justice According to court documents filed on May 3 employees were given only 10 minutes to consider and respond to the management’s proposals—the termination package. It included among others on termination an offer of one week’s severance pay for every year worked, one month pay in lieu of notice, accrued leave earned but not taken and months of May 2012 salary in full. They declined to take the offer demanding more time, in which they were granted until May 4. But in the meantime, security was already deployed and they were cut off from all company communication and barred from accessing company’s premises. By press time Engen had not addressed the issue of filing a defense, given that all the email communication to senior managers who are based outside Uganda, mostly in South Africa, had not addressed the matter. Efforts to reach the new director appointed on May 9, Mr Patrick Bukenya and the company secretary Ms Rehema Khalisa were futile. It is alleged that the company put the two on the board dominated by foreigner directors in preparation for any eventuality. Engen Uganda began operations in January 2003. Before its closure, the firm has been operating in retail and commercial fuel distribution, lubricants and bitumen. It had 10 service stations within and around Kampala. It also has presence in 18 African countries. iladu@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/artsculture/Reviews/Understanding-Police-ranks/-/691232/1409616/-/fftkva/-/index.html","content":"Understanding Police ranks - When Assistant Inspector of Police John Michael Ariong died after sustaining serious injuries on the head, the biggest debate was not only on the cause of his death but also whether he was a senior or junior officer. Given the fact that he had served for more than 26 years in the force, some people argued that that was enough to bestow on him “seniority”. Some wondered how an officer with 26 years of policing experience could be at the rank of an Inspector while those who have recently joined the force have quickly graduated to Superintendents or Commissioners. The debate of who is who in the police ranks, promotions and postings, has widely spread among senior officers. However, Police spokesman Commissioner Asuman Mugenyi says ranks are given to officers basing on the police structure. “The lowest rank in the force is Special Police Constable and the highest is the Inspector General of Police. The police structure stipulates what every officer does basing on the rank,” Mugenyi said. The force also classifies those ranks into four other categories. In the first category, there are senior officers, who are at or above the rank of an Assistant Superintendent. They are also known as gazetted officers. The next category is of the Inspectorate which covers Inspectors and Assistant Inspectors. Sergeant and Corporals are tied in the third group and are referred to as Non-Commissioned Officers. The rest are in the fourth category and they are the Constables and Special Police Constables, who are regarded as “officers of other ranks”. The higher the rank the bigger the salaryAt the top of the police structure is the Inspector General, who is the chief executive and the chief in command. He or she is assisted by the Deputy Inspector General (DIGP), according to Article 213 of the Constitution of the Republic of Uganda. It is this Article of the Constitution that the Inspector General of Police, Lt. Gen. Kale Kayihura, invokes whenever people question why he is always at scenes of crime other than delegating to his subordinates. “I am here because my primary duty as the Inspector General of Police is to inspect. So I am here to do my constitutional obligations,” he often says. Below the IG is the DIG whom many people believe gets most of his assignments from the IG which is not wholesomely the case. A 2009 police structure report of the Public Service indicates that the DIG handles the Inspectorate department and Finance and Office Support Services. Special unitsThese two departments carry out monitoring and evaluation, general and special inspection. In other words, he is in charge of the finances of the police and the procurement committee. 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 Next Page»"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Otafiire-shuns-Shell-case-mediation/-/688334/1408208/-/tjpr6m/-/index.html","content":"Otafiire shuns Shell case mediation - Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister Kahinda Otafiire yesterday failed to show up in court to explain his side of the story in a case in which petroleum giant Shell (U) Ltd sued him over alleged breach of contract. The minister together with his legal team were expected to appear before the Commercial Court for mediation and see whether the matter can be solved through an out-of-court-settlement, but the group did not show up. Gen. Otafiire, through Benzina (U) Ltd, allegedly negotiated a land lease deal with Shell (U) but later failed to honour it. The petroleum company now wants a Shs1.2 billion refund for refusal to deliver land to it, which it says resulted in loss of business. However when the matter came up before Shane Michael, a mediator, for further mediation, only lawyers of Shell showed up. The two parties met at Shane’s chambers but stopped the press from covering the proceedings, saying mediation matters are heard in camera. After their brief meeting, one of the Shell lawyers, who preferred anonymity in order to speak freely, said the mediator was forced to adjourn the mediation to June 5. When contacted, Gen. Otafiire’s known telephone number was unavailable. awesaka@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/-/688334/1407382/-/ahw2cez/-/index.html","content":"Lira vendors sue micro-finance agency over breach of contract - Lira Vendors in Lira District have sued the Microfinance Support Centre (MSC) after a contract they signed for a Shs176.4 million loan, was cancelled. The 4,800 vendors now want the High Court in Lira to compel the government-owned centre to pay them Shs41 million for breach of a contract they signed through a Memorandum of Understanding. According to the MoU signed on August 12, 2011 by the vendors headed by James Okello of Barogole Dongo Saccos and the zonal manager of the Centre, Ms Jessica Nanongo, the soft loan was meant to boost the business of the vendors in line with the presidential initiative to reduce poverty at grass roots. Loan cancellationThe MoU also indicates that upon receipt of the loan, the vendors under their different groupings, would get five per cent from the centre as management fee. Mr Peter Olwoch, the chairperson Lira Municipal Saccos, said they expected the loan within two weeks after signing the agreement but were shocked to learn that the transaction was cancelled under unclear circumstances. He said the cancellation affected their business plans. Efforts to get Ms Nanongo’s comment on the matter were futile yesterday, but an official at MSC who preferred anonymity, said it is upon the Centre to either advance loans or not to certain Saccos. An August 22 letter signed by the State Minister for Micro Finance, Ms Caroline Okao Amali, directing the cancellation of the agreement, says the move follows an investigation by the office of the Inspector General of Government that many Saccos in the district were abusing the money they receive from the government. Ms Amali recently said money cannot just be dished out to any Sacco to be mismanaged by some officials for their selfish motives, but only genuine ones would benefit from government funding. Mr Bob Opio, the deputy resident district commissioner, said the operations of some Saccos in Lira were improper. “We are still investigating some Sacco officials after they failed to return the money they received,” said Mr Opio, adding that some of the officials used the money for their campaigns during the 2011 polls. editorial@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Govt-firm-evicts-Libyan-investors-from-city-land/-/688334/1405252/-/10vnxbgz/-/index.html","content":"Govt firm evicts Libyan investors from city land - Government has evicted Libyan textile investors from the Bugolobi land formerly owned by Coffee Marketing Board despite an interim court order halting the takeover. Uganda Property Holdings Ltd (UPHL), a government real estate company, using private security guards, last week evicted LAP Textiles Limited managers off the land. But the Libyans and their lawyers sought the intervention of police officers at Jinja Road Police Station, who halted the takeover. However, on Friday, the same police officers returned with the security guards and ordered Property Holdings to take over the land. UPHL had earlier written to the Managing Director LAP Textiles Ltd, terminating the 49-year lease on grounds that the firm had breached terms of the sub-lease agreements. “UPHL has for over the one year noted that the top managers of LAP Textiles left the premises and that the company hasn’t been carrying out business for over a period of three years in total breach of the above mentioned sub lease,” UPHL letter reads in part. LAP Textiles Ltd lawyer David Ssempala replied, accusing the government, which had 35 per cent shares in LAP Textiles, of delays in its departments to register a sub-lease. “A case in point is the sub lease registration for plots 29A-41A which required the controlling authority’s consent to change user from coffee storage to textile manufacturing. The consent has not been granted in spite of several reminders,” Mr Ssempala said. The land and property was first offered to Tristar Apparels to make garments destined for US under the African Growth Opportunity Act, but the project failed. Government later handed the land to the Libyan investors, whose management reportedly failed to produce any tangible results. Contentious issues in the Bugolobi land lease Court order: The High Court land division registrar, Mr Festo Nsenga, on May 9 ordered UPHL to desist from any activity that could affect the status quo. “This order shall be in force until May 21, 2012, where the application for an interim of a temporary injunction shall be heard inter-parties,” he wrote. Contention: The land under dispute is Plot 1-7 on Kalitunsi Road, Plot29A-41A on Spring Road in Bugolobi, Kampala. Employment: LAP Textiles Ltd allegedly employed 200 workers and reportedly had a potential of employing up to 600 workers to manufacture garments from Uganda’s cotton. abagala@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Residents-invade-cooperative-land/-/688334/1405142/-/kj286y/-/index.html","content":"Residents invade cooperative land - Farmers in Sebei have invaded land belonging to Sebei Elgon Cooperative Union, claiming they paid money to some of the cooperatives’ officials. Capt. Juma Seiko, the chairperson of the union, during an interview with this newspaper last week said residents, who were evicted from Mt. Elgon Forest Reserve last year, invaded the farm, arguing that even Kenyans were being given land yet they had nowhere to cultivate. He said others claimed they paid money to hire land but are not reflected in the union’s books. “We appeal to the government to resettle these people (about 400) because they have encroached on ccoperative’s land which has led to shortage and Nile Breweries, which had been allocated land in the farm, has threatened to so us over breach of contract,” Capt. Seiko said. He added that he had ordered his managers to advertise the available land such that farmers would apply for it but he was defied and land was given away irregularly. Crafty collections“The collection of money from farmers was crafty. We need to verify those who entered the land illegally and those who deserve land,” he said. The chairperson said the cooperative had given at least 750 acres of land to Nile Breweries to plant barley but farmers encroached on it, leaving a paltry 450 acres for the beer company. This forced the Jinja-based brewers to threaten a suit. Capt. Seiko, with the union’s secretary general, Mr Basil Mangusho, told this newspaper that some of their managers pocketed farmers’ cash and did not register them in the company’s books. The duo added that there are those who genuinely paid money for land but did not get it. While meeting farmers in Bukwo last week, Capt. Seiko appealed to them to be calm as the issue is settled.“We ask all those who did not pay to the union to do so such that we compensate those who paid but did not get land,” he said, adding that farmers should not take the law into their own hands. Capt. Seiko indicated that they had written a letter of apology to Nile Breweries and a meeting would be held this week in Jinja over the issue. Mr George Mbogo, the local material sourcing manager at Nile Breweries, represented the company in the meeting with farmers. The farmers said they would wait for the matter to be settled and called for transparency on the part of the cooperative. They said because they do not have elsewhere to cultivate, the farm is their only hope. Nile Breweries Corporate Affairs Manager Onapito Ekomoloit was not available for comment yesterday as he was reported to be out of the country. Kapyoyon farm has about 1,766 acres but only 1,350 acres are arable. Of these, 750 were given to Nile Breweries, 300 to 400 were to go to local farmers, and 200 would be cultivated by the cooperative. The union had hired out the land to Nile Breweries for two years at a cost of Shs140,000 per acre. Each farmer was also expected to pay the same amount to the cooperative. 1 | 2 Next Page»The cooperative was established in the 80s by the government but was privatised in 2003. It is located in Kapchorwa Town but no longer processes coffee and maize. achekwech@ug.nationmedia.com « Previous Page 1 | 2"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Company-sues-electoral-body-over-alleged-contract-breach/-/688334/1400826/-/tkfkm0z/-/index.html","content":"Company sues electoral body over alleged contract breach - Entebbe Handling Services (ENHAS), which is the leading ground handling company at Entebbe International Airport, has sued the Electoral Commission (EC) for alleged breach of contract.ENHAS alleges that the EC hired it to deliver election materials for last year’s general poll but did not pay all the delivery fees. The company is seeking to recover an alleged debt of Shs65.6 million from EC. ENHAS filed the suit before the Commercial Court on April 30. The debt reportedly follows a part payment of Shs171 million from the total sum of Shs236.6 million that the EC allegedly owed the handling service for the work done. The company’s services include: passenger baggage handling, cargo handling, courier, quality control, and training. AllegationsIn its complaint, the company claims that Mr Sam Rwakoojo, the EC secretary, on January 23 last year, formally engaged its services to dispatch the election materials to different parts of the country. “The Commission through its secretary Sam Rwakoojo, engaged the plaintiff’s (ENHAS) services to handle, clear and deliver electoral consignments including ballot papers to the designated places which was diligently executed,” the plaint states. ENHAS contends that three months later after the delivery of the election consignment, it demanded for its fees but it was partly paid and that EC has remained nonresponsive to clear the outstanding debt of Shs65.6 million. The company says EC is liable for the financial loss it allegedly suffered for its purported failure to clear the outstanding debt. When Daily Monitor contacted the Commission’s spokesperson, Mr Paul Bukenya, about this allegation, he said he did not have the facts of the case before referring this paper to his boss Mr Rwakoojo. Mr Rwakoojo on being contacted, could not pick our repeated calls. Meanwhile, the Commercial Court Registrar, Ms Margaret Tibulya, has ordered the EC to file its defence in light of the allegations, within 15 days from the date they receive the summons. In the May 2, 2012 summons, the EC has been ordered to heed to the summons, failure of which could lead to passing judgement in their absence. The case file has been allocated to Justice Helen Obura, though the hearing date has not yet been fixed. awesaka@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Investors-lose-bid-to-block-ministers-from-selling-bank-shares/-/688334/1399922/-/ikmj2x/-/index.html","content":"Investors lose bid to block ministers from selling bank shares - United Arab Emirates (UAE)-based investors who sued the ICT minister, Prime Minister and business associates over breach of contract have lost a bid to block the sale of National Bank of Commerce (NBC) shares. Kampala High Court Judge Christopher Madrama dismissed the application that sought to block ICT Minister Ruhakana Rugunda, Premier Amama Mbabazi and businessman Amos Nzeyi from interfering in the management of the bank, saying the matter was stayed pending arbitration in London. “The injunction applied for arising out of the main suit was already stayed. All applications under this suit are also stayed,” held Justice Madrama, who also quashed an interim injunction earlier obtained from the registrar. The judge argued that the interim injunction obtained before the registrar was illegal because the matter was already stayed. The investors sued the trio for allegedly failing to hand over 76 per cent shares in National Bank of Commerce they paid for. Arbitration in LondonHowever, last month the court referred the matter for arbitration in London as per the agreement between the accused parties and the complainants. Mr Noah Mwesigwa, the lawyer representing the investors, had sought court orders restraining the trio from selling shares and to force them to handover the paid up shares. ekasozi@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/-/688334/1395714/-/avh8oyz/-/index.html","content":"KCCA terminates Centenary Park management contract - Kampala Capital City Authority has terminated the contract for the management of Centenary Park citing several breaches of the agreement. A leaked document signed on April 26 by Mr Mike Okua, the director legal affairs at KCCA, indicates that Centenary Park does not conform to the management contract to run and reserve the land as a public open space. “And the developments thereon do not conform to the design guidelines; the area is being occupied illegally due to the fact that there is no evidence of an occupation permit.” “Therefore, notice of termination of management agreement for fundamental breach of the provisions of the agreement is hereby given to Nalongo Estates Limited. The management and control of the Centenary Park shall revert to KCCA,” reads part of the letter to the Managing Director of Nalongo Estates. The cancellation of the contract in respect of plots 34E -38E comes hardly six years since the developer signed a deal with the defunct Kampala City Council (KCC). In May 2006, KCC entered into a management agreement with the proprietors of Nalongo Estates Limited to develop, utilise and maintain Centenary Park as a recreational park and bridal garden. The proprietors include Sarah Kizito, Babirye Kizito and Aisher Kizito. According to the 10-year agreement, the developer had to ensure that no other permanent structure is constructed in the park other than those components which are a subject to the environment impact assessment like a swimming pool, store, office facility, flush toilet, walkways and tennis court. Ms Sarah Kizito, one of the directors, yesterday confirmed receiving the letter describing it as irrelevant saying it was authored without information. “It is because Centenary Park is the only free land around the city and everyone is getting interested, that is why such letters are coming in now. There is a varied memorandum of understanding and I will provide you with all the necessary documents regarding the same,” Ms Sarah Kizito, who promised to reveal the details after her busy schedule, said. Kampala Central Division Chairman Godfrey Nyakaana, husband to Ms Sarah Kizito, confirmed knowledge of the letter but declined to be drawn into the matter. “Land issues are handled by KCCA and the land board. But the letter is unfortunate because there is already an agreement which has never been cancelled,” he said in a telephone interview. Next move awaitedKCCA spokesperson Peter Kaujju confirmed the development, adding, “That was a management decision and the next move will be communicated soon.” This is the second disagreement in the Centenary Park management contract since it was signed. In 2007, the three proprietors were charged before City Hall Magistrates Court for allegedly altering the approved plans to erect a permanent structure on the park without KCC approval. The court had earlier directed that construction of an office block, store, gymnasium, sauna and a changing room on the park be halted but the matter was rectified. 1 | 2 Next Page»Alleged breach of dealCommencing works on the property without the prior approval by council contrary to Clause 2 of the management agreement. Erection of structures on the Centenary Park without the express permission of council contrary to Clause 7 of the management agreement. Failure to keep the Centenary Park at all times free from obstruction and failure to maintain the green free and open for public use in violation of Clause 8 of the management agreement. ekasozi@ug.nationmedia.com « Previous Page 1 | 2"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/-/688334/1387942/-/aw2cbfz/-/index.html","content":"Buganda riots: Judge storms out of court - Kampala A High Court judge yesterday walked out of court after a State witness failed to answer some questions during cross-examination. Mr John Stephen Okello, a police officer at Katwe Police Station, was being cross-examined in regard to the trial of 18 suspects of the September 2009 Buganda riots. Mr Okello angered Judge Ralph Ochan when he said he did breach the Constitution by locking suspects for two weeks which is beyond the mandatory 48 hours. Mr Okello, the 11th witness, who identified himself as the investigating officer, said he presented his statement after the suspects were charged because he was busy. “I first handed over the file to the Director of Public Prosecutions before fixing my statement and the procedure of getting back the file was not easy,” he said. However, when asked when the suspects were charged, Mr Okello gave no response. Justice Ochan said he was fed up of junior police witnesses. “I think the terrorism offence should be pursued by senior police officers but not detective constables who always work under orders. I am fed up with such witnesses,” he said, before walking out of court. Other witnesses were Isaac Nyamanza (detective sergeant) and Joseph Otim, a constable at Kira Road Police Station. Mr Apolo Mugabi, a junior police officer, last week said his former boss and former DPC at Nateete Police Station, Mr Reuben Wasiima, lied to court when he said he released all suspects from the cells due to smoke, following the torching of the station by rioters.“Mr Wasiima opened the police cell for only Nsubuga, locking the others in (the) cells,” Mr Mugabi said. Other witnesses who appeared on the second day of the trial are Boaz Muhairwe, Meddie Dumba, Edward Mukholi and Loy Nambozo. FDC treason suspectsProsecution alleges that on September 10, 2009, at Nateete, Kampala District, the group set fire on buildings housing Nateete Police Station and other property, including motor vehicles and motor cycles. Meanwhile, the trial of three FDC officials and three others accused of treason, was yesterday extended after the Nakawa Court Chief Magistrate Esta Nambayo was absent. The suspects are Ms Ingrid Turinawe, the FDC Women League leader, Mr Sam Mugumya, an aide to FDC leader Kizza Besigye, and Mr Francis Mwijukye. Others are Mr Tony Ssempebwa, the Nangabo Sub-county chairperson, Mr Mathew Walakira and Mr Robert Mayanja. The case was deferred to May 14. editorial@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/-/688334/1387098/-/aw2j8xz/-/index.html","content":"MV Kalangala suspends operations - KAMPALA MV Kalangala ferry, which travels from Nakiwogo landing site in Entebbe to Lutoboka, Buggala Islands in Kalangala District, yesterday temporarily suspended operations to allow it undergo servicing. Ms Suzan Kataike, the Ministry of Works and Transport spokesperson, said the exercise, which is aimed at checking the vessel’s operational safety status, will last for a week. “We urge our people to remain patient because this exercise is for their own safety,” Ms Kataike said by telephone yesterday. Every year, the vessel undergoes servicing. “This exercise doesn’t take long and the surveyor from UK is already in the country to do the work and the vessel will resume operations hopefully by next Saturday,” Ms Kataike added. She said the exercise will be carried out at Nakiwogo pier where the vessel is currently docked. The vessel can carry 150 passengers. It plies only two routes from Kalangala, starting at 8:30am to Nakiwogo in Entebbe where it docks at 11am. At around 2pm it leaves Entebbe for Kalangala which it reaches at 5pm. Passengers who use the vessel to connect to Kalangala had difficulty in travelling yesterday. They were forced to hire boats that charge exorbitant fares to travel.However, with the coming of a new vessel, MV Amani, which plies the Port Bell- Kalangala route, passengers, mostly those from Kampala, now have an alternative means of transport to the islands. Unfortunately, this vessel which is run by Earth Wise Ferries only takes passengers.In the meantime, Ms Kataike advised people with cars and heavy loads like timber to use the ferry from Bukakata landing site in Masaka as they sort out the problem. However, the distance from Kalangala through Bukataka to Kampala is longer compared to Kalangala –Entebbe route and travellers have to incur more expenses. MV Kalangala, which was the only active Ugandan vessel on Lake Victoria, was built in 2005, in fulfillment of President Museveni’s 2001 campaign pledge to the islanders. Early this year, government took over management of the vessel which was initially run by Muloowoza and Brothers Ltd, a local company. The company was accused of gross mismanagement and breach of contractual obligations. Uganda’s marine transport has over the years had a number of challenges, with travellers spending more time in transit than required. assenkabirwa@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/-/688334/1387204/-/aw2hw4z/-/index.html","content":"Mbabazi, Rugunda bank case pushed to London - Kampala Court has stayed proceedings of the case in which ICT Minister Ruhakana Rugunda, his business partners Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi and Mr Amos Nzeyi were sued over breach of contract in connection with shareholding of the National Bank of Commerce. Kampala High Court Judge Christopher Madrama referred the matter for arbitration in London last week as per agreement between the accused and complainants. “It is hereby ordered that civil suit No. 73 of 2012 be stayed and the dispute be and is hereby referred for arbitration in London to be conducted in accordance with the rules of the International Chamber of Commerce,” Justice Madrama ruled. The United Arab Emirates-based investors dragged Dr Rugunda and his business associates to court in February over failure to hand over 76 per cent of shares at the bank they had reportedly paid for through their companies International Investment House LLC and Emirates Africa Link for Strategic Alliance. The investors claimed Dr Rugunda and partners fleeced them of $6m (Shs 14b) in the process. The investors wanted court to restrain Dr Rugunda, Mr Mbabazi and Mr Nzeyi, the banks top three shareholders, from issuing, re-issuing, allocating, transferring, selling, disposing of or dealing with the shares they acquired. They also wanted court to force Dr Rugunda and his partners to hand over the paid shares. However, in raising objection to the suit, the trio cited contractual obligations in agreements signed with the Arab investors, which stated that any dispute arising out of the agreement be referred to arbitration as per rules of the International Chamber of Commerce. They stated that the High Court in Kampala did not have the jurisdiction to try the case matter. ekasozi@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/-/688334/1384012/-/aw4mepz/-/index.html","content":"Hold Mafabi liable for BCU funds misuse, report says - Leader of Opposition in Parliament Nandala Mafabi should be held liable for financial mismanagement and taking illegal decisions that impacted negatively on Bugisu Cooperative Union (BCU), a report of an inquiry into the union has said. The report, handed over to the Minister of Trade, Industries and Cooperatives, Ms Amelia Kyambadde, also recommended the dissolution of the Mafabi-led board that government suspended in December 2010 over “corruption and mismanagement complaints” from some union members. “The board chairman institutionalized an elder’s forum as an alternate member’s channel of communication. This group was given allowances to the tune of Shs11.5 million in 2010, yet this constituted an illegal payment, and the Chairman is accountable,” reads the report in part. But Mr Mafabi said for each zonal meeting, delegates were given Shs5,000—therefore it is wrong for it to be referred to as elder’s meeting. Mr Emojong Odeke, a member of the two-man committee that carried out the probe, said Mr Mafabi contravened the union by-law when he signed a sublease on behalf of the union and Adonai investments, a role that does not fall under his docket. However, Mr Mafabi yesterday said it is his responsibility to sign for purchases among other things, and that he didn’t breach any law when subleasing to Adonai investments. The report also faults the board for failing to deduct and remit PAYE tax on sitting allowances worth Shs4.3b between 2005-2010. But Mr Mafabi said he inherited the tax arrears from the previous board before his tenure at the country’s lone surviving union in 2008. The investigation, covering 1996 to 2010, also faulted the previous board, for mismanaging Shs773m on a waiver on the UDB loan and granting Shs666m to members and individuals. Mr Mafabi said he was not invited to respond to the allegations against him and his board. “Before writing a report, you must give opportunities to people being accused to respond. This didn’t happen,” he said, calling the report a “malice”. He added: “I turned the fortune of BCU from Shs1.7 billion deficit to Shs2.5 billion cash. I also oversaw the price of coffee per kilogramme rising from Shs800 to 12,000 per kg.” Mr Mafabi said he will take the matter to court and walk away with a lot of money in damages. iladu@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/-/688334/1381526/-/aw6lexz/-/index.html","content":"Mukono company sues Pioneer Bus over land lease agreement - A month after Pioneer Easy Bus Company (PEB) turned the keys in the ignition after legal battles before Parliament, a Mukono-based company has dragged it to court over breach of contract. According to the complaint, Kasenge Dairy Farm Ltd, through their attorneys Katongole, Iga & Masane Advocates, PEB in 2005 after negotiations signed a 49 -year land lease with the firm for Plot 76 totalling about 5.710 hectares. The civil suit has been filed before the Commercial Court Land Division of the High Court in Kampala. Mr Timothy Njakasi, one of the directors of the dairy farm, alleges that PEB was meant to use the land to construct a bus terminal at Mbalala on the Jinja-Kampala highway. “Pioneer Easy Bus was to pay a ground rent of Shs36 million annually for the 49 years but the company only paid an initial deposit of Shs15 million only in four years until 2009 when a reminder was made to them to pay the arrears but they failed,” Mr Njakasi said in an affidavit. Selling off landIt is further alleged that in 2009, PEB issued two cheques; one of Shs20 million and another of Shs16 million, but both cheques were dishonoured. The complainant argue that PEB, in breach of contract and without their consent, sold off the land it had leased to Tredinnik (U) Ltd despite a provision in the lease agreement for non-transfer or sub-lease of the land. It is not clear how a land title on which a caveat had been lodged was transferred to Tredinnik by Pioneer Easy Bus Company. “Owing to grounds of breach of contract, Kasenge Dairy Farm Ltd is asking court to order the registrar of titles to cancel the leasehold for the said land that was obtained by Pioneer Easy Bus and later transferred to Trediinnik (U) Ltd,” reads the complaint that is also seeking for a declaration that the defendants are trespassers. Pioneer head of marketing Herbert Odanki said he was aware of the court case against the company but said the 2007, tan agreement with Tredinnik whereby Pioneer Easy bus was to bring the bus while Tredinnik would purchase land for the bus terminal, was affected by delays to import buses, leading to PEB loss of interest in the land. “We shall defend ourselves in court but Pioneer Easy bus absolutely has no interest in that land because the time frame in which we wanted to use the expired before the buses were brought in,” Mr Odanki said on phone. He, however, refused to explain why they breached the contract agreement by selling the land in suit to Tredinnik without the consent of Kasenge Dairy Farm Ltd as stipulated in the lease agreement."}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/OpEd/Letters/-/806314/1380818/-/11g1gsu/-/index.html","content":"Investigate the national ID project to restore sanity in our country - The country will continue to be robbed by self-seeking persons as government looks on with hands folded, especially if established processes are not adhered to. The national ID project was surrounded by controversy since inception. One is left wondering how equipment of such magnitude can go missing from a government office and with such theft, no arrests or investigations were done! The number of equipment missing is sizable for it not to be noticed, which clearly portrays the levels of connivance, theft and impunity that characterise certain government offices. The ID project is an example of a bad precedent that the government has systematically over time set regarding its dismal action against the thieves. MP Micheal Mawanda (Igara East, NRM), who is one of the lead investigators into the project, allegedly stated that the President was duped in regard to the project. However, if that were true, then the rate at which our President is being duped is startling because this is one of the many projects where the government has lost billions of money, over allegations of duping the President. Is the President aware of separation of roles and delegation and why we have the various institutions of government? It is alleged that the ID project did not follow established procedure as the contract was awarded to Mühlbauer Technology Group in March 2010 on the orders of President Museveni, it is alleged that the German ambassador to Uganda lobbied for the contract. It is not in dispute any more that in some contracts where the President has directly given orders, there has hardly been any value for money as the contractors have on numerous occasions, palpably, if not deliberately, breached contracts. This leaves one pondering as to why the President does not give room for his officers to perform their duties. It is frustrating to even think that despite the breach of contract by the German firm, another 5.1 million euro is still outstanding in contractual obligations. This clearly shows that in Uganda, one can go against the contract, but still get paid. We request that our Members of Parliament interest themselves in this matter in order to restore sanity in our country. The levels of theft are exacerbating and there is need to demonstrate political will in the anti-graft fight by taking action against all those involved in this theft. Lastly, it is also important for the German Embassy to clear the air on the undue influence they exerted on the government, which has cost the taxpayers huge sums of money. Cissy Kagaba, Executive Director, Anti-Corruption Coalition Uganda, gladysn@accu.or.ug"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/-/688334/1380454/-/aw7bfyz/-/index.html","content":"Alcon proprietor dies before NSSF dispute court verdict - KAMPALA The proprietor of Alcon International, the construction firm which sued the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) for breach of contract, has died of stroke. Kultar Singh Hanspal, a Kenyan of Indian orgin, was a director in Alcon International Kenya and Allied Contractors (Kenya)- which companies, reportedly through a series of name-swapping, fraudulently won the NSSF tender before transferring it to Alcon Uganda, where Kultar was the Managing Director and majority shareholder. On March 19, Alcon’s attorney Enos Tumusiime, while appearing before the Supreme Court, said his client had succumbed to stroke, two weeks before the Supreme Court allowed NSSF to amend its pleadings. The death of Kultar, who was said to be the key figure in the signing and execution of the Workers House contract, is likely to pose a number of challenges to the Alcon defence, which was already suffering from infighting by the directors of the two Alcons. The Supreme Court is set to hear fresh evidence from NSSF, that Alcon, which sued and was awarded a sum of $8.9m (about Shs22 billion) with 6 per cent interest in damages for breach of contract, was in fact a stranger to the contract and therefore not entitled to any claims whatsoever. NSSF will also be arguing that it is instead Alcon Kenya, which breached the contract by assigning it to a third party (Alcon Uganda) without the express consent of NSSF as stipulated in the contract.This set of evidence, is contained in an earlier Court of Appeal ruling in which Justices Leticia Mukasa-Kikonyogo, G.M. Okello and Amos Twinomujuni faulted Kultar and his fellow directors in the two Alcons for manipulating the names of their companies in a “manner calculated to confuse any tax authorities and those individuals and entities they deal with and the manner in which they contrived to fraudulently win the Workers House construction tender bid.” “Under the laws of Uganda, these practices would be considered criminal. The worst culprits of them all are Kultar and Davinder Hanspal... we hold the view that these men are not credible at all and they can only tell some truths by accident,” ruled the judges. A panel of five judges led by Chief Justice Benjamin Odoki is hearing NSSF’s appeal in a case that has attracted a lot of public attention. Other Justices on the panel are Christine Kitumba, John Wilson Tsekooko, Bart Katureebe and Esther Mayambala Kisaakye. There has been outcry from a number of stakeholders who have called for a speedy conclusion of the case that has now spanned for over 14 years. There are concerns over the spiralling costs of the case that have now grown from the original $8.8m to now about $ 16m. The case has also had a significant impact on the performance of the Fund and interest paid to its members as moneys have to be set aside every year to cater for the award, should the Fund lose the case. There are also huge legal costs associated with the case that have led to an increase in the cost structure of the Fund. ekasozi@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/Business/Markets/-/688606/1379752/-/t7rw52/-/index.html","content":"Tamoil pipeline deal expires - Seven years after failing to deliver, Tamoil East Africa Limited is yet to know its fate over its expired agreement to construct a Shs756 billion fuel pipeline from Eldoret to Uganda. A source in the ministry of Energy told Daily Monitor that although Tamoil’s agreement with government expired in November last year, officials in the ministry of energy could be planning to extend the contract without following the due process of advertising the offer and opening it up for bidding. In 2007, Tamoil, a Libyan company, won the contract to construct an oil pipe line to transport refined oil from Eldoret to Uganda- but the company has not done anything and it has been asking the two governments to extend the deadlines. Uganda has continued to struggle with insufficient fuel supplies due to supply chain problems that are partly occasioned by the challenges of accessing refined oil. Mr Habib Kagimu, the chairman of Tamoil could not be reached to explain why the company has failed to honor the agreement but the spokesperson of the ministry of Energy, Mr Bukenya Matovu said the agreement has not officially expired and the situation is being studied by the two countries, pending a conclusive decision. Mr Matovu said Tamoil had applied for the contract to be extended but the Joint Coordinating Commission [JCC] didn’t respond to the request. JCC is a body set up by the governments of Kenya and Uganda in October 2000 under the memorandum of understanding with the objective of implementing the project on behalf of the governments. “The final investment decision date was not extended and therefore the Joint Coordinating Commission between Uganda and Kenya didn’t terminate the agreement,” Mr Matovu said. “What is important to note is that Tamoil East Africa had requested for an extension of the joint investment decision date and JCC accepted with conditions. The deadline was pushed to 30 November 2011 then later Tamoil requested JCC to extend it to March 31 2012 but JCC didn’t respond to the request and the deadline expired.” The issues at stake Yet to negotiate. According to Mr Matovu the two countries will be meeting later this month with officials from Tamoil to consider the situation and agree on a way forwardDenying claims. Mr Matovu also denied claims from a whistleblower in the ministry that officials were planning to extend Tamoil’s contract without following due process.Paying for damages. In the event of failure by the company to deliver the services it was contracted to do, the government is protected by a clause in the agreement that failure by Tamoil to deliver the project is a breach of contract and Uganda can sue and compel Tamoil to pay for damagesiimaka@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/-/688334/1379306/-/awmmdkz/-/index.html","content":"MP Bihande Pleads guilty to Stealing Parliament Money - The Anti -Corruption court on Tuesday convicted Bukonzo East legislator, Mr Yokasi Bihande of embezzling Shs10m and uttering false documents. He was convicted on his own plea of guilt by Justice Catherine Bamugemereire and ordered to pay a fine of Shs1m or be jailed for two years on the count of uttering false documents and paying a fine of Shs2m for the charge of embezzlement or be jailed for three years in default of the fine. “This court takes into account the nature of breach of trust, the money involved, the sophistication involved and the impact on the institution. This case was committed by an MP against parliament. It was unsophisticated and done without pre-mediation I therefore sentence and order you (Bihande) to refund Shs10m to parliament with interest at court rate,” Justice Bamugereire ordered. Justifying the sentence the judge noted that the sum of money involved was little. His lawyer Ivan Engoru had pleaded that he be cautioned or given a fine in the alternative because he had offered to take both personal and political responsibility for the charges. “The prosecution had lined up 20 witnesses, but only one had testified and the accused decided to plead guilty because of his need to be truthful and take responsibility. This court should put it into consider the fact that the accused had employed a one Robert Baruku as a personal assistant to link him to his constituents and it is Baruku who disappeared with the money. The accused takes responsibility of his political assistant’s conduct,” Mr Engoru said. On the other two counts Bihande was sentenced to a suspended 2-year imprisonment term whereby should he commit any offense within the next two years, he will have to serve the two years in jail. “So since you are an honourable, you need to remain honourable within the next 2 years,” Justice Bamugereire said. Bihande was dragged to court by the Inspector General of Government (IGG), for uttering false documents and embezzling CDF money amounting to over Shs20m. Bihande, who is the first MP to face and be convicted of falsely accounting for CDF, was last year sent to prison after he was committed to the high court for trial. Patrick Henry Kunobwa the chief accountant to parliament was the first and only witness to testify. Kunobwa said he was asked by the IGG to hand over documents that Bihande tendered in to his office as accountability for CDF which he did. He added that guidelines are given to MPs as to how to utilise this money before giving it to them. Kunobwa testified that indeed Bihande received this money and all these documents were tendered into court as prosecution evidence. In all Bihande has been convicted of four counts all stemming from uttering false documents and embezzlement. BackgroundIn 2005, the Government of Uganda introduced the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) to tackle poverty at the grassroots through financing development at constituency level through the elected Members of Parliament.The current annual amount disbursed per constituency was Shs10 million which is, unconventionally, paid directly to the MPs accounts. As a result of lack of a regulatory framework and accountability by the MPs, CDF has since been scrapped off in the 9th Parliament. jkigongo@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/-/688334/1378148/-/awnd62z/-/index.html","content":"Heavy police deployment in Kasangati after Besigye release - Police were by yesterday still heavily deployed in Kasangati, home to opposition Forum for Democratic Change leader Kizza Besigye, with at least three roadblocks mounted on Gayaza Road. Dr Besigye was on Saturday placed under preventive arrest after a confrontation with the police turned into a comical act. The car and its occupatns were towed by a breakdown truck to Kasangati Police Station. However, Activists for Change officials say Dr Besigye is in good condition. “Dr Besigye is fine as usual, but the police are hovering around. Many of our colleagues have been released but we are still negotiating the bail of two other colleagues (Francis Mwijukye and driver Kato) and see how everything goes on,” A4C coordinator Mathias Mpuuga told this newspaper by telephone yesterday. Police to charge driverDr Besigye was arrested together with the Kampala Woman MP Nabila Ssempala, and FDC women league leader Ingrid Turinawe, whose cars were also towed to Central Police Station. Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson Ibin Senkumbi, however, said Dr Besigye’s driver will have to be charged for breach of traffic law. “We will definitely charge them with disobedience of law and order. They decided not to drive away, which caused a lot of chaos in town. About the deployment, we are making sure that the area is peaceful enough for everyone but it is not aimed at Besigye,” Mr Ssenkumbi said. Police fear the opposition is bent on disrupting the ongoing Inter-Parliamentary Union assembly, the world’s largest meeting of all the parliaments, that started at the weekend in Kampala. Last week, Activists for Change leadership promised at a press conference that they would disrupt the IPU proceedings so that their defiance campaign is given audience. Dr Besigye’s aide, Francis Mwijukye, was released yesterday. akiyaga@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/658478-kampala-floods.html","content":" - Kampala's low-lying areas Thursday afternoon turned into a big lake following a downpour that lasted for over two hours. Slums and wetlands in Kampala and its suburbs were most affected.  RELATED STORIES  Floods paralyse Kampala traffic"}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/327636-janet-museveni-wins-ruhama-seat.html","content":" - THE First Lady, Janet Museveni, has won a landslide victory to retain her seat as Ruhaama county MP with 85.86% of the votes. Janet Museveni led in all the 176 polling stations in the seven sub-counties of Ruhaama, getting 57,318 votes out of the total 66,967 votes cast. She trounced FDC‘s Augustine Ruzindana, who polled 8,035 votes (12.14%), Uganda Federal Alliance’s Musasizi Hannington with 984 votes (1.4%) and independent Ellias Abaine with 630 votes (0.57%)."}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/OpEd/Letters/-/806314/1377564/-/11fjpwo/-/index.html","content":"The campaign for term limits is timely - Every peace-loving Ugandan should get behind project restoration of term limits that was recently launched in Masindi and is spearheaded by the Rev. Dr David Zac Niringiye. If we love our country Uganda, if we want a stable future, there is no alternative but to rise up as a nation and demand an open, free and accountable democratic system. Any sensible Ugandan reading the signs and the writing on the wall, should know that political stability still eludes the country. Ugandans, especially those who have born the brunt of the political chaos in the country should know better. Remember the blood we have spilled in this country due to political turbulence and you will shudder to imagine that we could go back to the same. What Uganda needs is a system that ensures freedoms and stability. A system where people make a contributions and leave the stage and space when they should in an orderly manner. It is so shameful to keep seeing citizens beaten and roughed-up on the streets sections of security forces. Uganda belongs to all of us and we should not allow it to the dogs. Currently, the country’s leadership is more pre-occupied with how entrenching themselves in power rather than ensuring development. There will be no genuine development or investments in Uganda until we put in place a predictable political dispensation. Richard P. OkiriaWaterbury, Ct. The agitation by many Ugandans for the restoration of presidential term limits has been on for long. Proponents of term limits believe that removing term limits was a gross breach of democracy. The rationale for including Article 105 (2) in the Constitution by the Constituent Assembly envisaged a situation of arbitrariness at some point hence the need to put a limit for a president to rule for two five-year terms at the maximum. The scraping of this constitutional provision is evidence of a few individuals’ selfish interests. The presidential term limits was meant to act as a deterrence against arbitrary rule and the scrapping it from the Constitution simply points to ultra motives by people behind the move. Therefore, the push to restore term-limits is a move in the right direction. I appeal to the 9th Parliament to move quickly and correct the big mistake of removing the term limits the 7th Parliament and restore the term limits. I want to thank Bishop David Zac Niringiye, CCEDU, and other stakeholders, who recently launched the restoration of term limits campaign in Masindi. As citizens, we should join the campaign because we have the power. Power belongs to the people as prescribed by Article 1 of the Constitution. For good governance, time for action is now. Michael Aboneka, abonex2007@yahoo.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/artsculture/Dining---Recipes/-/691226/1377140/-/yrud5z/-/index.html","content":"SUNDAY CUISINE: Great food, lousy ambience - Late last year saw the demise of two well known and respected eating joints, the first to close down was Reed Fields Catering limited that was located in Laburnum Courts in that sprawling apartment complex on Aki Bua Road. Another casualty of the times is Afdal Restaurant that opened with much acclaim on Buganda Road and closed shop within less than six months. In the case of the former, apparently, the landlady’s tenants in her apartments were not very happy with the idea of a restaurant in their midst and viewed it as some form of security breach. That being the case, they had no choice but to find alternate premises. As for Afdal, when the land lord hikes the rent by 50 per cent, clearly this is an indication that he wants you out. Nowadays, the least amount of money that one will pay for acceptably good local food is around a tenner, give or take, and at that there are not many places that reliably serve decent caliber of food. Mind you I am referring to such places as St. Anthony’s over on Lumumba Avenue, but our latest foray to the newly opened Nalongos Restaurant in Mengo left us agape, when the bill for three chicken items and some soft drinks came to over shs35,000 and some change. The point here is not so much the price as the generally shabby surroundings and the disheveled looking waitresses. Nalongo’s recently moved and used to be some sort of member’s club and they have now decided to test the waters and go public. A members club is different from a public restaurant and in my view what could have very well worked in the case of the former would never fly where one is open to the general public. In other words, once one exposes oneself to the public at large, expect great scrutiny and criticism. What can one say about a place that has no written menu, no uniforms, sourly workers, and a few tables and chairs arranged in a seemingly topsy turvy manner; frankly you need to do a lot of improvement or else you are in for a rude surprise and doomed for failure. They need to spruce up the place and work on the interior décor, find uniforms for the staff, get a menu in place and then think about being in business. Mind you, there are different levels of “dining out” so to speak and my impression of Nalongos is that they are more suited to be in the lower ranks, where the dinners would be lot less fussy and less sophisticated. editorial@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/-/688334/1377308/-/awo10uz/-/index.html","content":"Police arrest Besigye - KAMPALA Opposition Forum for Democratic Change leader Kizza Besigye was yesterday placed under “preventive arrest” after confrontation with the police turned into a comical act even as a journalist was critically injured reportedly by a police tow vehicle. A journalist, Ivan Kabbale, of the Nile Broadcasting Services, was according to eyewitnesses knocked down by a police breakdown vehicle that was towing Dr Besigye’s car from the city centre to Kasangati Police Station with Besigye and his political assistant Sam Mugumya seated inside. At Kasangati, Dr Besigye was placed under “preventive arrest”, according to Police Deputy Spokesperson Judith Nabakooba. Dr Besigye was arrested together with the Kampala Central Woman MP, Ms Naggayi Nabila SSempala, and the FDC chairperson, women’s league, Ms Ingrid Turinawe, whose cars were also towed to Central Police Station. Ms Nabakooba told Sunday Monitor at CPS yesterday that police had to act fast because they suspected there was a likelihood of breach of peace. Citing Section 24 of the Police Act, Ms Nabakooba said it is the duty of the police to prevent a crime from occurring and people from being injured. “If you suspect danger, definitely you have to move very fast and arrest the situation. We have arrested them and taken them to a lawful place but we shall let them go home if we find no case against them,” said Ms Nabakooba. Police fear that the Opposition is bent on disrupting the ongoing Inter-Parliamentary Union Assembly, the world’s largest meeting of all the parliaments, that officially opened yesterday (Saturday) at the Commonwealth Resort Munyonyo. Earlier plansLast week, Activists for Change leadership promised at a press conference that they would disrupt the IPU proceedings so that their defiance campaign is given audience.Dr Besigye was detained at Kasangati Police Station while Nabila and Turinawe were briefly held at CPS and later taken to Jinja Road Police Station to record statements. editorial@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/OpEd/Letters/-/806314/1376378/-/11fj02l/-/index.html","content":"Investigate the national ID project  to restore sanity in our country - The country will continue to be robbed by self-seeking persons as government looks on with hands folded, especially if established processes are not adhered to. The national ID project was surrounded by controversy since inception. One is left wondering how equipment of such magnitude can go missing from a government office and with such theft, no arrests or investigations were done! The number of equipment missing is sizable for it not to be noticed, which clearly portrays the levels of connivance, theft and impunity that characterise certain government offices. The ID project is an example of a bad precedent that the government has systematically over time set regarding its dismal action against the thieves. MP Micheal Mawanda (Igara East, NRM), who is one of the lead investigators into the project, allegedly stated that the President was duped in regard to the project. However, if that were true, then the rate at which our President is being duped is startling because this is one of the many projects where the government has lost billions of money, over allegations of duping the President. Is the President aware of separation of roles and delegation and why we have the various institutions of government? It is alleged that the ID project did not follow established procedure as the contract was awarded to Mühlbauer Technology Group in March 2010 on the orders of President Museveni, it is alleged that the German ambassador to Uganda lobbied for the contract. It is not in dispute any more that in some contracts where the President has directly given orders, there has hardly been any value for money as the contractors have on numerous occasions, palpably, if not deliberately, breached contracts. This leaves one pondering as to why the President does not give room for his officers to perform their duties. It is frustrating to even think that despite the breach of contract by the German firm, another 5.1 million euro is still outstanding in contractual obligations. This clearly shows that in Uganda, one can go against the contract, but still get paid. We request that our Members of Parliament interest themselves in this matter in order to restore sanity in our country. The levels of theft are exacerbating and there is need to demonstrate political will in the anti-graft fight by taking action against all those involved in this theft. Lastly, it is also important for the German Embassy to clear the air on the undue influence they exerted on the government, which has cost the taxpayers huge sums of money. Cissy Kagaba, Executive Director, Anti-Corruption Coalition Uganda, gladysn@accu.or.ug"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/-/688334/1374296/-/awq4iwz/-/index.html","content":"RDC wants rioters blacklisted - Francis MugerwaThe district service commission should file names and photos of people who participate in riots so that they are not considered for employment, the Masindi Resident District Commissioner has said. Maj. (Rtd) David Matovu said riots are unnecessary. “The district service commission should file photos of those who participate in riots and when they come to seek vacancies, do not consider them because they are a nuisance,” Maj. Matovu said. Maj. Matovu’s remarks come a few days after Stephen Akol, a resident of Kumi District, was killed after police fired live bullets to disperse a crowd that had stormed a police station. DeathsA police officer Michael Ariong, was also on Wednesday killed by a blunt object after an inspection of roads by Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago and FDC leader Kizza Besigye, turned into running battles between the police and youth. Maj. Matovu hailed the media for exposing photos of riots which he said can be used by the criminal investigations officers and the district internal security officers to follow up suspected criminals. He wondered why, despite the existence of various institutions and offices that can resolve conflicts, people are resorting to strikes and demonstrations, which he said cause breach of public order. Maj. Matovu made the remarks during the pass out of 650 students of Kabalega SS at Masindi Boma grounds who underwent a three-week training in patriotism. The chairman of the Bunyoro parliamentary caucus, Mr Ernest Kiiza, said the patriotism lessons are well intentioned and explains the visionary, people-centred leadership of the NRM government. The students, who were instructed by the police, army and government officials, acquired skills in field craft, personal camouflage and concealment, how to use a gun, self defence and martial arts. Patriotism lessonsThey were taught topics which included the significance of the 1981-86 bush war, the dangers of HIV/Aids and basics in crime prevention. Mr Kiiza said all leaders in the country should promote the patriotism crusade, arguing that it promotes unity and makes the country secure. Mr Matovu urged all schools in Bunyoro to emulate Kabalega SS by organising patriotism trainings and also appealed to school girls to learn martial arts to protect themselves against men who would want to sexually harass them. “Such skills are good for school girls to deal with lousy men who want to defile them,” he said. The opposition has, however, often argued that patriotism cannot be taught in schools. editorial@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/Business/Markets/-/688606/1371966/-/t7me6l/-/index.html","content":"Kenya telecom regulator to spy internet for safety - Kenya telecommunications industry regulator, CCK, is setting up a system to spy on private emails, citing a rise in cyber security threats since Kenya entered the global superhighway with the landing of the undersea fibre optic cable in Mombasa three years ago. Plans to install the spyware kicked off on Monday after the Communications Commission of Kenya (CCK) sent letters to telecoms service providers demanding their co-operation in the installation of the Internet traffic monitoring equipment known as the Network Early Warning System (NEWS). CCK said in the letter seen by the Business Daily that the system will monitor both incoming and outgoing traffic on Kenyan networks to detect and facilitate response to possible cyber threats. “The NEWS tool will need to interface with your systems, mainly to access data that goes through your network, and we will therefore require your assistance on this,” the letter said without stating what types of threats would be monitored and what use would be made of the information gathered. The system, which acting CCK director-general Francis Wangusi said will be operational by July, has already run into opposition from Internet Service Providers (ISPs) who say it is in breach of the Constitution. CCK is banking on the Kenya Information and Communications Act, which gives it power to develop a national cyber security management framework as the legal basis for its latest action. Kenya has in the past year had at least 2,000 local Web sites hacked or defaced, including government portals. Mr Wangusi insisted that the system will not be in breach of the constitution as it will only target potential cyber threats but critics said it was possible for government spies to infiltrate it and use the information for political purposes. editorial@ug.nationmedia.com"}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/327572-tragedy-as-two-die-in-gulu-landslide.html","content":" - By Cornes Lubangakene TRAGEDY befell two families in Gulu municipality when a landslide at a murram quarry killed their sons. The 10:00am incident on Sunday happened at Te-dam sub-ward in Kasubi parish, Bardege division while the boys were excavating murram for sale at the quarry site. The deceased, identified as Innocent Ouma, 15 and Solomon Olweny, 19, died instantly when they were hit by a lump of earth. Ouma’s sister, Janet Apiyo, said there were seven boys who were loading the murram onto a tipper and excavating more to fill the lorry, but one sustained injuries on his leg while four others escaped unhurt. The injured boy was rushed to Gulu hospital, but was later discharged after receiving stitches on the injured leg. Relatives said Ouma was a primary six pupil at Laliya primary School, while Olweny had dropped out of school and was trying to raise fees from the quarry works so that he could resume studies. The area LC1 chairperson, Sofia Laker, said it was the third time the quarry was causing problems to people in her area. Last year, a seven-year-old boy narrowly escaped death when he was buried by a landslide, while an old woman had her leg broken. Laker said he had advised people to abandon the site, but they declined because it was their source of income. Alex Otim, the Gulu district secretary for works, said an alternative income-generating project should be extended to the youths in such areas so that they can abandon such activities. He said there was biting poverty among the youth leading them to engage in such risky ventures."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/327832-museveni-predicts-landslide-victory.html","content":" - By Milton Olupot PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni has said he will have a landslide victory in the presidential elections slated for tomorrow. “Elections are a few hours away, and you will know what the people of Uganda want,” a jovial Museveni told the over 50 local and foreign-based journalists during a press conference at State House, Entebbe yesterday. The country goes to the polls tomorrow to elect a new president and members of Parliament. “We have been winning elections when we had wars within the country. Now the whole country is peaceful. We shall win with a big majority,” he added. Museveni dismissed claims from the opposition political parties that the NRM was dishing out money to bribe voters. “Unless they are worried about our programmes to modernise agriculture, we have been giving revolving funds to groups. If that is what they are talking about, yes, it is called the Prosperity-for-All Programme. “How can we bribe voters? To give money to voters is sacrilege. We don’t do that, it is actually the opposition who do that,” he said. About the trend set in the North African Arab countries like Tunisia and Egypt, where the masses deposed their governments through demonstrations, Museveni said he was not worried. “I am the biggest enemy of dictators, so I am not worried,” the President said. Museveni noted that the Egyptian scenario would not occur in Uganda because the government here was in touch with the people, and that there were transparent democratic practices. “There is no way you can use unconstitutional means to take over power here. We shall arrest them in the most humane way and bundle them up in prison,” he said. The President explained that in the next five years, Uganda would be transformed into a middle class economy. “By the end of the next five years, Uganda will be a middle class economy and I will not allow Besigye and his crowd to mess up that plan,” he said. Asked about the legacy he would want to leave behind, Museveni said he did not go to the bush to fight for a legacy. Likening politics to a relay, the President said when you were expected to run for 400 meters before handing over the baton to the next runner and you only run for 300 meters, then the relay will not succeed. “The economy is now doing well why should you be so agitated with continuity. I also want to go and look after my cattle but the transition must be planned. “I like my cows slightly more than State House, I will gladly go to Rwakitura, but this State House will destabilise my cows if it is not occupied by the right people,” he stated. Museveni also said his other aspiration was the launching of the East African federation."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/328054-relocated-bududa-idps-may-not-vote.html","content":" - By FRANCIS KAGOLO OVER 1,000 Bududa landslide survivors resettled in Kiryadongo are worried that they may not be able to vote in the general elections because the Electoral Commission (EC) has neither set up a polling centre there nor registered them. The IDPs said they expressed their concern to the Office of Prime the Minister and to Bududa local leaders but received no response. They also said they lost their voting cards during the March 1 tragedy. They said the commission had neither conducted civil education nor recruited polling officials in their area. When contacted yesterday, EC spokesperson Charles Ochola confirmed that the IDPs were registered in Bududa and they would have to either go back there to vote or miss out. Ochola said the commission had written to the disaster preparedness ministry, asking them to provide the list of relocated IDPs so that they organise elections in Kiryandongo, but nothing was done. Catherine Mutonyi, an IDP and a social worker, said on Friday that a resettlement officer in the Office of the Prime Minister conducted emergency registration on December 9, of about 1,000 eligible voters at Panyadholi IDP camp in Kiryandongo, but had not yet got back to them. She said some of the IDPs lacked an alternative place to vote from after their villages were destroyed by the landslides, adding that some of them wanted to travel to Bududa in order to vote, but lacked money for transport."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/328312-salva-kiir-leads-region-to-nationhood.html","content":" - WITH his cowboy hat and thick charcoal beard, Salva Kiir is a respected former rebel commander and devout Christian who has led South Sudan to a landslide vote for secession. The towering 60-year-old president of the autonomous south, with its 8.5 million inhabitants, has led the region since the death of veteran rebel leader, John Garang in 2005. “Salva,” as he is known in the south, has made no secret of his ambition to lead the vast, underdeveloped region to nationhood in the recently concluded referendum, breaking with Garang’s longstanding campaign for a new, federal and democratic Sudan. Hailing from Bahr al-Ghazal, near the flashpoint Abyei border district, Kiir belongs to the Dinka tribe, south Sudan’s largest ethnic group, and preaches at mass every Sunday at the main Roman Catholic cathedral in Juba. He took over from the charismatic Garang, with whom he co-founded the rebel Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in 1983, after the latter was killed in a helicopter crash in Uganda shortly after signing the 2005 peace agreement that ended the resulting civil war with the north. Kiir at once became the group’s political and military leader, president of the south and vice president of Sudan, which led to him working for six years alongside civil-war foe, President Omar al-Bashir, in a government of national unity. A career military man who is more comfortable speaking in Juba Arabic dialect than in English, Kiir has failed to shake off the shadow of his predecessor, whose legacy is honoured by both southerners and northerners. “Salva Kiir is not flamboyant. He is not very communicative but he has nevertheless managed to steer the boat successfully to the referendum. He has also to a certain extent managed to rally some of his opponents in the south,” says one political observer. Over the past year, Kiir has made peace with his main rivals in order not to let the internal politics of south Sudan undermine the referendum, in which partial preliminary results released this week show an almost unanimous vote in favour of secession. But Kiir faces the daunting task of building a country that still lacks basic infrastructure after a devastating 22-year war with Khartoum, and which is divided by historical ethnic rivalries and struggling to reintegrate those displaced by the fighting, which killed an estimated two million people. If Garang made history as pioneer of the southern rebellion and architect of peace, Kiir is set to become an iconic figure as father of a newly independent south Sudan. AFP"}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/606696-bududa-idps-to-vote-in-kiryandongo.html","content":" - By Samuel Balagadde THE Electoral Commission has finished capturing data of displaced Buduuda landslide victims to enable them to vote from Pandadori internally displaced peoples’ camp in Kiryandongo district. Information minister Kabakumba Matsiko said the election results would be forwarded to their respective polling stations in Buduuda. Matsiko, who was accompanied MPs and Bunyoro kingdom officials who visited Panyadori camp on Friday, said transporting the voters back to their former polling stations would be expensive. The Government allocated each of the 485 families resettled in Kiryandongo 2.5 acres of land. About 200 more landslide victims from Buduuda are expected in this camp next week. Julius Wereka, the chairman of Buduuda’s displaced community, applauded the Government for rescuing them from their plight."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/606950-bududa-idps-to-vote-in-kiryandongo.html","content":" - By Samuel Balagadde THE Electoral Commission has finished capturing data of displaced Buduuda landslide victims to enable them to vote from Pandadori internally displaced peoples’ camp in Kiryandongo district. Information minister Kabakumba Matsiko said the election results would be forwarded to their respective polling stations in Buduuda. Matsiko, who was accompanied MPs and Bunyoro kingdom officials who visited Panyadori camp on Friday, said transporting the voters back to their former polling stations would be expensive. The Government allocated each of the 485 families resettled in Kiryandongo 2.5 acres of land. About 200 more landslide victims from Buduuda are expected in this camp next week. Julius Wereka, the chairman of Buduuda’s displaced community, applauded the Government for rescuing them from their plight."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/607855-bududa-idps-complain-of-mishandled-relocation.html","content":" - By Daniel Edyegu RESIDENTS of Bukalasi sub-county in Bududa district have accused the Government of relocating people who were not affected by the landslides in March. They said most people who were being ferried to Kiryandongo from Bulucheke were masqueraders seeking to get land, those who fled Mt. Elgon cracks in Manafwa district and people from areas that suffered the subsequent mini-landslides in Bududa, but not the priority areas. “When the landslide occurred, most people fled to Bukalasi trading centre where the first camp was established. But when the Government gazetted Bulucheke camp and disbanded Bukalasi, a few survivors opted to return to here (Nametsi village) to tend their gardens. “The Red Cross turned us away when we went to register later, saying the camp was full and lacked additional space to set up tents,” Job Wetaya, a coffee farmer, said. The Office of the Prime Minister has relocated 1,323 persons to Kiryandongo since the exercise started on October 6. First priority was given to survivors of the landslide and displaced persons from the 14 villages of Nametsi, Kubeho, Tunuwasi, Murerwe, Masakhanu and Nakoyonzo, Subisi in Bukasi sub-county. Others are Matuwa, Tiila, Bunabilabi, Nambere, Rukulu, Nafunani and Tsalitsali in Bumayoka sub-county. However, continuous heavy rains in the Mt. Elgon region in April displaced more people from Bushika sub-county in Bududa. In Manafwa, the rains created cracks stretching over 40km in the sub-counties of Mukhoto, Bupoto, Bumbo and Bukhoko. During the assessment tour in April, the general duties state minister, Janat Mukwaya, told affected residents to relocate to Bulucheke camp. Except for a few, most houses that were abandoned in Bukalasi sub-county in the wake of the landslides have been reoccupied. However, Agatha Namee of Tunuwasi village noted that some residents were hesitant to leave the area due to the fertile soils, the cultural attachment to the land and uncertainty about the new place. Pamela Komujuni, the disaster management officer in the Prime Minister’s office, explained that after the closure of Bulucheke camp, the Government would register people at Bukalasi sub-county and relocate them to Kiryandongo. “Thereafter, we will end social services such as schools and health centres in the area. Some people have asked us to allow them to finish harvesting food crops and coffee from the fields which will help them start new life in Kiryandongo,” Komujuni said."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/609776-bududa-survivors-sue-over-relocation.html","content":" - By Andante Okanya A group of Bududa landslide survivors, currently living in the Bulucheke internally displaced persons camp, have filed a suit at the Kampala High Court against the Government, challenging their continued stay there. The devastating landslide that occurred on March 1 claimed hundreds of human lives plus those of animals and left thousands displaced. Houses and property were also buried under the mud. Over 5,000 survivors live in the camp. The survivors argue that the delay by the Government to relocate them to a decent place has worsened their living conditions. Their camp is situated in Bududa. The suit was filed on Friday against the Attorney General on behalf of the survivors by the Centre for Public Interest Law Limited, a local non-governmental organisation (NGO), which provides free legal services to the people. The NGO accuses the Government of failure to protect the constitutional rights of the survivors, arguing that they are being denied privacy. The survivors further contend that being housed in makeshift tents, have exposed them to diseases, starvation, and even death. The suit is supported by an affidavit sworn by Michael Makayi, who claims to be one of the survivors."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/609800-government-relocates-bududa-idps.html","content":" - By Paul Watala THE Government has started registering people who were displaced by landslides in Bududa district and are living in Bulucheke camp. The registration is in preparation for their relocation to Kiryandongo district. The relocation exercise is expected to begin on October 6. Officials from the Prime minister’s office, in partnership with the Adventist Development and Relief Agency Uganda, are in charge of the exercise. Pamela Komujuni, the disaster management officer in the prime minister’s office, said the registration was aimed at ascertaining the number of households for purposes of planning. “We are overwhelmed with the number of people turning up for registration. We have registered 130 households since we started the exercise on September 30,” Komujuni said. She explained that the exercise involves the registration of households, property and taking photos that will be attached to the lists for easy recognition. Komujuni added that each of the displaced persons will be given a card that will allow them to travel to Kiryandongo. She said they would relocate the people in batches of 50 households each, adding that each household will be allocated one-and-half acres of land. Komujuni explained that the landslide victims could not be relocated to Kayunga because there were squatters already living there. “The Government could not buy expensive land in Kayunga yet it owns big chunks of land in Kiryandongo and Kyankwanzi where they can be settled. The land is as fertile as that in Bugisu. Perhaps the only thing the people will miss is the hilly terrain,” Komujuni said. She said each household would receive relief food for the first six months, seedlings and farm implements so they can cultivate to sustain themselves. Komujuni said the Government would also construct houses for each household. She said the relocation would be voluntary and urged camp leaders to encourage those hesitant to do so."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/610586-bududa-survivors-eye-kayunga.html","content":" - By Madinah Tebajjukira and Brian Mayanja SURVIVORS of the Bududa landslides have demanded for the expeditious procurement of land in Kayunga district for their resettlement. In a petition to the Speaker of Parliament, Edward Ssekandi yesterday, the survivors said they wanted to be resettled in Kayunga, particularly in Bbaale and Galilaya, instead of Kiryandongo, which was proposed by the Government. Michael Macky, who led a group of eight other members, noted that they visited Bbaale and Galiliya and discovered that the area is suitable for their resettlement. According to the petitioners, Kayunga is nearer to Bududa, which will keep them in touch with their ancestral homes: “Kayunga is much nearer than any other place. Since our communities are still poor, keeping in touch and addressing issues at our ancestral homes will be difficult if we are taken to other places,” Macky said. They rejected the suggestion to resettle them in Kihuura forest in Kayunga so as to avoid an incident similar to the 2007 Mabira forest demonstration. The group also demanded to be consulted from time to time on the issue of re-location. They told Ssekandi that they were not ready to re-settle in Kiryandongo for fear of being attacked. “Banyoro are known to be very protective of their land. By resettling in Kiryandongo, we might be exposed to situations similar to the ones the Bakiga had with the Banyoro, which is dangerous to our lives and property,” Macky said. The Speaker promised to communicate their suggestions to the relevant authority."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/610644-bududa-displaced-pupils-use-floor.html","content":" - By Daniel Edyegu OVER 600 pupils at Bulucheke internally displaced people’s camp in Bududa district sit on the bare floor during lessons.The camp was established after the March landslides in which over 300 people died. The pupils were enrolled in Hope Education Centre and Bumwalye Primary School. Ezra Nebute, the Hope headteacher, said the two schools have over 1,400 pupils, but there are only 265 desks, which can cater for 795 pupils. “We decided to distribute the existing desks in all the classes to avoid projecting a picture of bias among the community. So some pupils sit on the desks while the rest are on the floor or stones. At times, pupils squeeze on the existing desks,” he explained. Nebute said the dusty classroom floors have led to jiggers among the pupils. He added that during heavy rains, the classrooms flood. Hope enrolls pupils from nursery to Primary Five. Worn-out tents and make-shift structures serve as classrooms. The Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) yesterday gave the two schools 50 three-seater desks. The authority also donated 125 dozens of exercise books, 20 boxes of pens, 50 dozens of pencils and mathematical sets to the 73 PLE candidates. “The choice of desks was done after a priority assessment in the schools. Though we are a wildlife management institution, we do not tolerate wildlife (jiggers) thriving in people’s bodies,” observed Fred Kizza, the Mt. Elgon deputy area conservation manager. According to him, an educated population would ease the pressure on the park as they would seek alternative means of livelihoods other than solely relying on agriculture."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/612051-makubuya-in-landslide.html","content":" - By Frederick Kiwanuka ATTORNEY General Kiddu Makubuya won a landslide victory over his two rivals in the Katikamu South NRM race, beating them in all the sub-counties. Makubuya, who has been the area MP since the NRM came to power in 1986, beat his former campaign managers Habib Suleiman, a teacher from Bombo, and Erasmus Musisi, a district councillor from Nyimbwa sub-county. According to the provisional results declared in Luwero on Wednesday, Makubuya scored 12,288 votes against 5,502 for his closest rival, Musisi. Makubuya led in almost all the 202 polling centers. Musisi led in his home sub-county of Nyimbwa, while Suleiman led at a few polling centers in the predominantly Nubian community of Bombo. Musisi, who accepted the defeat, said he lost ‘honourably’"}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/612136-bravo-govt-on-bududa-victims-resettlement.html","content":" - THIS is a critical moment for both the Government and the landslide survivors. The Government’s decision to move people to Kiryandongo and not Kayunga, Sironko, Buikwe and Bunambutye as earlier suggested, could be the best move as long as the affected party adjusts to these new changes. The Government and the Ministry of Disaster Preparedness is in a better position to make a consultative decision which will have a positive impact on the landslide victims. The issue should not be losing potential voters to another region, as noted by one councillor. “Many of these people are our voters. When you relocate them now, we are going to suffer. As a council, we made recommendations and these must be followed.” Our concern at this critical moment should be getting the people out of the unfavourable camp conditions to a favourable place in Uganda where they will be free to recollect and reconstruct their lives. What the victims need now is the freedom and a place they can call home. They need a place where they can commercialise, socialise, freely absorb in the decentralised labour industry, access education and health services, dig, rear goats, cows, poultry, piggery, and other petty activities for their livelihood instead of being confined in camps. The relocation exercise will be hampered if people insist that they should be shifted to places where their relatives are. I strongly believe the Government is doing their best to quicken the phased relocation and settlement process as noted by the Minister of State for Disaster Preparedness, Musa Ecweru. The exercise will essentially help families to reunite and begin to interact in a conducive atmosphere where security and freedom to make rightful communal choices are constitutionally guaranteed. It is the Government’s prerogative to protect and provide for all her citizens especially under such disastrous circumstances."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/612407-relocating-bududa-victims-requires-time.html","content":" - Ezra Mbonye IN March this year Bududa in eastern Uganda suffered a major landslide in which hundreds of people died. Landslides are nothing new in Bududa, but never before has the death toll or damage been as high as the one that happened in March. Generally, landslides occur when masses of rocks, earth and debris move down a slope. Mudslides are different. They are fast-moving landslides that move in a channel and carry debris as it happened in Bududa. Landslides do not occur only during heavy rains. They can occur during the dry season, volcanic eruption, or earthquake. Last week on August 14, another landslide happened in Bududa and this time registered a few deaths. However, it prompted the Government to relocate the people of Bududa to various places countrywide. The relocation of the victims as reported in media on August 20 leaves a lot to be desired. It was reported that the Government, through the Ministry of Disaster Preparedness, has finally come up with a bold decision to relocate the landslide victims to Kiryandongo in Masindi, Nshaka in Kiruhura, Nkyankwanzi in Kiboga and Sembabule districts. While this seems like a sigh of relief to the victims, it leaves one pondering more questions than answers. How did the Government come up with a plan to relocate these people to the identified places? Given that land is a major factor of production in Uganda from which most people derive their livelihood, are we not going to see resentment from the ‘host’ communities? What will happen to the much cherished social-cultural fabric of the Bududa people when they are moved elsewhere? The climate in most of the areas where the victims are going to be settled is harsh to agriculture. Most of these areas are semi-arid and the major economic activity is pastoralism. This is in sharp contrast to the economic activity that most Bududa residents were used to, which is crop farming. To make matters worse, the likelihood of clashes between the old settlers and the Bududa victims in their new areas of resettlement are high. There will also be a danger of depletion of resources because of the over utilisation of land for both animal rearing and crop farming. It is also a known fact that the Bamasaba community from the areas of Mbale and Bududa practise circumcision, a practice that is alien to some of the communities where they are going to be relocated. Such practices are intolerable in some communities in Uganda, and this is likely to spur confusion which may ignite violence in a few years to come. The relocation has also been given a very limited time frame. To say that these people relocate by September 2, is quite unrealistic. Perhaps the time frame has been arrived at considering that more rains are yet to come, thus fear of more landslides. But for a person who has been living in an area for a number of years moving hastily to a completely new setting requires more time, resources and planning, which seems to have skipped the policy makers in the disaster preparedness ministry. Before the exercise commences, there is need for community involvement because the community has their own expectations. This way the Government would be able to handle the concerns of the victims of the landslides and the host communities. In today’s planning process, it is being argued that if any intervention is to be sustainable, consultations should be made at all levels right from grassroots levels up to the highest level of leadership. Although it has been reported that a technical team which comprises elders from Bududa will visit the new sites to ascertain the levels of preparedness in terms of social services and climatic conditions among others, its doubtable whether this will have any meaningful change on the people’s lives. The Government decision to relocate the landslide victims is commendable, but such decisions require more time, resources and a number of stakeholders if a sustainable solution to such calamities is to be provided. The disaster preparedness ministry has to sufficiently plan in order to avoid creating more disasters in the process of providing solutions. A masters student of governance and development at Makerere University"}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/612900-bududa-resettlement-starts.html","content":" - By Conan Businge and Taddeo Bwambale The Government will next week start relocating people from Bududa district, who were affected by the landslides early this year. Disaster preparedness state minister Musa Ecweru said: “The Government is finalising plans to resettle the landslide victims. About 3,000 people will be moved at first.” The minister said the Government had identified land to resettle the victims in Kyankwanzi, Kiryandongo and Kiruhura in western Uganda. He added that the Government was also considering land in Ssembabule district. “For the start, we need to zero in on a particular area and move the people,” Ecweru said. UN resident coordinator Theophane Nikyema on Tuesday urged the Government to quickly the relocate people from landslide-prone areas. Over 90 people died and more than 350 are still missing, following a landslide that hit Bududa on March 2. As a result, about 9,000 people are currently living in camps. Red Cross vice-chairperson Robert Ssebunya said only 471 households living in camps have family tents, adding that the rest live in communal tents and shacks. Bududa sits on the edge of Mount Elgon in the east. The displacement of people was worsened last week when continued rains caused more mudslides in the district that killed five children."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/615305-bududa-victims-want-to-be-relocated.html","content":" - By Daniel Edyegu LEADERS in Bududa district have expressed concern over the delayed relocation of the victims of the March 1 landslides from Bulucheke camp. “This was meant to be a temporal camp to last a month. But until now, we haven’t received communication from the Government on the scheduled date for relocation. The stores have run out of relief food. If the situation is not urgently addressed, displaced persons may be prompted to start stealing food in the neighbourhood to survive,” Geoffrey Natubu, the district vice-chairman, stressed. He explained that the pit latrines in the camp had almost filled up and there was no more space to dig new ones. Natubu noted that diseases were likely to break out. He said some displaced pupils at the Hope Education Centre and Bumwalye Primary School had abandoned school due to inadequate food in the camp. Natubu was speaking during celebrations to mark the Day of the African Child at Bulucheke camp on Friday. Whereas the number of displaced persons in the camp has shot to 8,177 from 5,000 in March, relief items have considerably reduced, save for the occasional deliveries from the office of the prime minister. During a meeting with leaders from Bugisu in April, the Government pledged to relocate the displaced persons to Bunambutye sub-county in Sironko district at the end of May. Kayunga district was also cited as one the places where the victims would be relocated. However, the resettlement bid has been shrouded by differences among political leaders in Bududa district. Whereas some politicians argue that the displaced persons must be resettled in Bunambutye so they would not be alienated from relatives, others are in support of resettlement in Kayunga on grounds that the land is fertile and not prone to flooding."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/615819-un-warns-of-more-landslides.html","content":" - By Joe Nam and Sebidde Kiryowa UGANDA will experience more devastating landslides soon and should be prepared for the disaster, experts have warned. Speaking at a climate symposium convened by the United Nations in Bonn, Germany, recently, Dr. Manavva Sivakumar, the director for climate prediction and adaptation at the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) in Geneva, Switzerland, said: “Landslides will become more frequent. They occur mainly due to above average rainfall which we are experiencing now as a result of global warming and climate change. This is worsened by unplanned human settlement which in Uganda’s case is on the hillsides.” Sivakumar said the double tragedy of deforestation, especially on hills and dwindling land available for productive agriculture meant that governments, especially in developing countries, have to quickly find solutions to assist their populations adapt to the effects of climate change. “Authorities must bring about change in the way they do things, to be able to adapt to new climate challenges, surveys must be carried out to find the most climate disaster-prone areas and human settlements should be evacuated from such areas,” he said. He added that WMO is committed to its role in helping countries adapt to climate change through partnerships with government and civil society organisations. More than 100 people were buried alive and over 2000 people were displaced from their homes."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/616359-bududa-children-shun-camp-schools.html","content":" - By Daniel Edyegu OVER 600 displaced pupils in Bulucheke camp, who enrolled for primary education in the aftermath of the March 1 Bududa landslides, have dropped out of school. Last term, the Government partnered with civil society organisations in the camp to enroll pupils at Hope Education Centre, located within the camp and Bumwalye Primary School, about a kilometre away. The schools took on pupils from Tunuwasi, Nametsi and Kitsatsa primary schools in the neighbouring Bumayoka sub-county that were closed after the landslides. According to the pupil’s attendance register, enrollment has dropped from 2001 in the first term to 1,401 this term. The lower classes, apart from Primary Two, suffered the highest dropout rate. Only seven pupils dropped out of Primary Two, out of 302. Out of the 348 pupils enrolled for Primary One, 117 dropped out, while 71 pupils dropped out of Primary Three, out of the 355 that were registered. A total of 139 pupils dropped out of Primary Four, out of the 350 registered. The figure fell to 160, from 198 registered in Primary Five. Betty Nabwala, the senior woman teacher at Hope Education Centre, attributed the dropout to the discontinuation of meals at the two schools. “In first term, pupils used to get biscuits and juice during break and lunch time. This attracted many pupils, but the programme was stopped in May. Some pupils walked 7km from Bukalasi sub-county to school, they could not cope without food. The majority are now redundant at home, while others opted to join nearby schools,” Nabwala explained. She said some parents withdrew their children from school when Save the Children, a child advocacy agency, stopped providing pupils with scholastic materials in May. Save the Children, which focused on the education programme in the camp, wound up its activities last month. However, Michael Wanyama, the organisation’s operations coordinator, argued that the current enrollment reflects the exact number of children who were displaced by the landslides. Wanyama said those who dropped out of school were from unaffected families, which had been attracted to the emergency schools by the food rations. “The biggest challenge we had during the emergency operations is that parents removed their children from other schools and took them to the camp, where they were being provided with free food. Those remaining now are the genuine ones. The rest may have rejoined their former schools,” Wanyama said."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/616783-tourists-shun-mt-elgon-over-bududa-landslides.html","content":" - By Daniel Edyegu TOURISTS have shunned Mt. Elgon Forest National Park over the March 1 landslides that ravaged Bududa. The park indicated in a report that out of 410 tourists that visited Mt. Elgon from January to May, only 144 were registered in March. Of the 144 visitors, 122 were local students. This was a drop from the 152 tourists that were registered during the same period last year. The figure dipped further to only 40 tourists in April although it rose to 92 in May. But this was still lower than the 98 to 190 tourists who visited the park during the same period last year. The report noted that most of the foreign tourists who comprise nearly 90% of the park’s visitors, kept away. Regular foreign tourists at the park include Britons, Germans, Americans, Dutch, Israelites and Canadians. March and April each registered only 27 foreign tourists. However, the figure slightly rose to 37 in May. Save for the 13 German tourists, one Dutch and an American who visited the park in March, the Israelites, British, and Canadian visitors kept away during the tragic month. Similarly, no tourists from the neighbouring Burundi, Rwanda, Tanzania of Burundi, Tanzania and Kenya visited the park in March. “Heavy rains characterised with landslides were occurring on various parts of the mountain. The Bududa landslide scared away many tourists,” Stephen Nyadros, the Budadiri entry point information officer, said. “About 15 foreign tourists expected to hike on Mt. Elgon through the Budadiri trail cancelled their bookings with us in March. “Fortunately, the trend is steadily picking up again,” Nyadros pointed out. He disclosed that most of the cancelled bookings had been rescheduled for May to September. The park experiences peak periods from June to September, and December to March, statistics show. Other prominent visitors to the park comprise scouts and students on holiday from Europe and North America. A total of 2,903 tourists visited the park in 2009, down from 3,844 the previous year. The main tourist attractions for hikers on the mountain include the wildlife, hotsprings, caves, waterfalls and the Wagagai peak that stands at 4,321 metres above sea level. However, after the Bududa tragedy that claimed over 350 people at the Nametsi trading centre, the Government declared Mt. Elgon prone to more landslides and warned residents to evacuate to the temporal camp at Bulucheke. To allay fears among tourists, a 16-member-team from The Uganda Tourism Board took a four-day hike on Mt. Elgon through the Budadiri trail in Sironko district from June 15 to 18. Molly Mpiriirwe, the board’s senior information officer, narrated that there was no imminent danger to tourists on the mountain. “We had a thrilling experience on the mountain. “Throughout our journey, we neither saw cracks nor mini-landslides. “We call on more people to come and tour the park to explore its beauty,” Mpiriirwe said. Tourism, agriculture and forestry are top on the list of the national primary growth areas of the newly-released National Development Plan. In 2008, tourism contributed 9.2% or $1.2b to the gross domestic product (GDP), while in Kenya, it brought in $3.5b or 10.8% to GDP according to the World tourism and Travel Council. This variation maybe directly linked to the massive investment that Kenya puts into the sector. According to the draft corporate strategy plan 2009-2012, Kenya spends sh27b in marketing. Tourism arrivals surged from 512,000 in 2004 to 844,000 in 2008; an increase of 65% boosted by the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in 2007."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/617498-unicef-donates-to-kabarole.html","content":" - Kabarole district chairperson Michael Mugisa (left) addressing residents of Katebwa sub-county in Bunyangabu county during the distribution of 30 hoes, 30 wheel-barrows, 32 rakes and 30 pick axes donated by UNICEF on Sunday. The items were given to people whose roads were blocked by landslides"}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/617925-news-in-brief.html","content":" - ‘Penalise encroachers’ KABALE-The agriculture minister, Hope Mwesigye, has urged leaders to penalise wetland encroachers. Handing over food relief to victims of the recent landslide, Mwesigye, who is also the district Woman MP, said the landslides in the region were a result of farmers destroying swamps. She urged the locals to protect the environment in order to prevent such calamities. Councillors blame chiefs KABAROLE-District councillors have complained about the parish chiefs’ poor performance, which they said has affected revenue collection and the implementation of government programmes. During a meeting at Mucwa Toro Kingdom chambers last week, the district chairperson, Michael Mugisa, said he was aware of the chiefs’ poor performance and pledged to intervene."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/618075-nambooze-win-does-not-predict-nrm-loss-in-2010.html","content":" - WATCHING a broadcast on the Mukono North parliamentary by-election recently on TV, I heard the newscaster say that Democratic Party’s Betty Nambooze had won by a landslide! Granted, DP and Nambooze won the seat; but the margin was not big by any means. The difference between 16,142 and 14,302 is a mere 1,840 which is a small margin. It is at times like this that one wonders what the intention of some media houses could be; excelling at hyperbole (exaggerated exaggeration for the sake of sheer sensationalism) and wishing things into existence. The victory of Nambooze is not in dispute; but what is equally not in dispute is the fact that the NRM performed very well given that the vote was almost equally divided. This means that far from being a landslide, this was a very tightly contested by-election that went beyond the individual candidates and extended to the credibility and strength of the institutions that they represent. This therefore suggests that when the time comes for the main election – just a few months now – the race will be tighter. This should be sufficient cause to dispel the myths that continue to surround the Mukono North by-election that the next election is done and dusted from the opposition point of view and that this by-election is a test case of how Buganda will vote in February 2011. I want us to analyse this issue without fear or prejudice. The problem with our people is that they do not bother to analyse. On the whole, the dynamics in a by-election are far removed from the dynamics in a general election. In a by-election, all the attention of the country (barring some extraordinary event) is focused on that small plebiscite. Many of the bigwigs from the political parties concerned will want to come in and intercede for their candidates. The political rivalry at such elections is at its highest; and often reaches a magnitude that is often unseen even in the general elections. On the contrary in a general election, the atmosphere is usually more relaxed because every area in the country is having an election. Each place therefore focuses on its own concerns; with everyone minding their business. Because of all this, the mentality of the voter is different, depending on the pressure that is subsisting at the time. It is therefore inaccurate to jump on a by-election and claim it will influence the outcome of the main election. Furthermore, whereas Nambooze had almost all opposition parties uniting behind her, it will be different in the general elections, as parties like DP will be spinning their own yarn. In a press interview recently, Nambooze admitted herself that she won because of the Inter-Party Cooperation (IPC). She cannot therefore count on a block opposition vote if we go by her analysis and admission. Let us now turn to the claim that this by-election shows that the majority of Baganda will not vote NRM come 2011. It should be noted that Mukono being in Buganda means that the majority of those who voted NRM and Peter Bakaluba were also Baganda and as already said, were a sizeable number. When you have more than 30,000 people voting and equally divided among two candidates you cannot use the tribal factor as an excuse for the victory when all those concerned (at least 95 per cent) are all from the same tribe. As matter of fact, it is in Mukono Town Council (which is very cosmopolitan) that the victory was decided. Cosmopolitan means that it is an area with all kinds of people; every tribe, every race more or less. One distinguishing feature in cosmopolitan areas is that the voting patterns are seldom determined by tribal allegiances, as the urban mentality is often removed from the rural one. But having said this, we should not think the people of Buganda are too dumb to understand where their vote should, once again, go. They recall only too well where they have come from over the years. They recall the days when they yearned for the restoration of their beloved kingdom and the fact that no leader was willing to do that until President Museveni entered the picture. And lest it be forgotten, let us bear in mind that the voter turn-up was just 50 percent maximum. Usually, Uganda registers an average of 70 percent voter turn-up; which means there was another 20 to 30 percent of voters (that falls within the bounds of ‘sizeable minority’) who stayed away. If the election was swayed by just 1,800 odd votes, and yet there was another sizeable minority that did not show up, you want to ask what they were saying or what they will say when the moment of decision comes, in February 2011. One also needs to understand how the low voter turn-up affected the results in the rural areas which as we all know is the traditional stronghold of the Museveni administration. Since the bush war days, the NRM has always been a party with a passion for the rural populace and that is the one domain that the opposition has failed to beat the NRM in, in most parts of the country. And let us not forget that that is where the majority of the population lives. The low voter turn-up was attributed to the intense rain that made some of the newly dug-up roads impassable in the rural areas. That is why it is clear that whereas in the urban centres which had good roads, people were not unduly troubled by the rain and the impassability of the roads, in the rural bit it was a nightmare. Lastly, you suspect that when we are talking about a by-election whose winner will be in office for just four months, then come back to seek fresh mandate in the general election, the mentality of the voter is tentative. There are many more who reserved their vote for the big time – election 2011 where the winner will take the real big thing—a five-year term. So those who say that this election shows what will take place in Buganda in 2011 should think again. The Baganda in Mukono voted massively for NRM and we can count on them to do the same in February 2011."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/618494-bududa-gets-kigezi-relief.html","content":" - By Caleb Bahikaho North Kigezi Christians have donated relief to Bududa landslide victims. The aid, consisting of 153 sacks of clothes and 14 of maize, was passed over by Bishop Edward Muhima. He appealed to Christians to pray for the weather. “As we help Bududa, many other areas have similar problems.” Last week, mudslides hit Enengo in Nyakagyeme in Kabale. “God rescue us,” Muhima said."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/618804-kanungu-asks-for-new-road.html","content":" - By Abdulkarim Ssengendo and Caleb Bahikaho Residents of Rukungiri and Kanungu districts have asked the Government to construct a road connecting the two districts. On Saturday, landslides struck the area after heavy rains, blocking the road that links the districts. Passengers have been stranded. The Rev. Silas Tushabomwe of the Charismatic Church in Kihihi said the road is dangerous. “The Government should intervene quickly and construct a new road for us,” he said. Tushabomwe and his wife were among the passengers who were stranded at Omunengo (rift valley escarpment), where two buses and other small vehicles got stuck. A trader, Loyce Turyahebwa, who was heading to Rukungiri, said traders in Kanungu were most affected by the incident. The blockage is between Kamujegye and Nyankumba in Nyakagyeme sub-county. Passengers walk for over five kilometres to board vehicles. Those bound for Kanungu board from Nyankumba, while the Rukungiri stage is at Kamujegye."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/618910-corridors-of-power.html","content":" - Fungaro’s dream If you think ending the problem of landslides which has affected parts of eastern and western Uganda is complicated, appoint Opposition MP Hassan Kaps Fungaro as minister for disaster preparedness. The MP believes he has the skills to solve the problem immediately after his appointment. During debate in Parliament on Tuesday, he amused his colleagues when he said he has a lasting solution to the problem. “If you think grading the highlands is impossible, give me the chance to be in Government. I will do it in a few days and landslides will be no more,” he said. Most of his colleagues booed him. Eriyo in the mud State minister for environment Jessica Eriyo is known by works minister John Nasasira for the bad road to her constituency, because she is always stuck in the mud. Debating a loan for the upgrading of the Atiak-Nimule road on Tuesday, Eriyo heaved a sigh of relief, saying she will be saved from having to call Nasasira whenever she is stuck in the mud. “Every time I call minister Nasasira, even if it is on other issues, his first question is, ‘Honourable Eriyo, are you stuck in the mud?’” Eriyo said, throwing the House into laughter. Power of the pen Politicians have started pleading with journalists to cover their functions as 2011 draws near. Last week, Rubanda West MP Henry Banyenzaki pleaded with journalists to cover him when he wanted to correct what he called “wrong information” published by a local tabloid alleging that he mobilised his colleagues to undress the Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga. He even resorted to Luganda to convince the journalists to stay around. “Bannange, mbegayiridde, temuvawo leero mbetaga… ” (Please don’t go, I need you today). Women’s unity Women, especially politicians, will always find reason to link issues related to gender even when they are not related. Last week, the Uganda Women Parliamentary Association (UWOPA) condemned the manner in which deputy speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga, was demeaned. The women found time to show their solidarity. However, they totally failed to answer some of the questions put to them by journalists."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/619150-mudslides-ravage-mbale-and-kanungu.html","content":" - By Vision Reporters LANDSLIDES over the weekend ravaged the districts of Mbale in eastern Uganda and Rukungiri in the west, causing human deaths and destruction of infrastructure, food crops and household property. Three children, two of them from the same family, were killed after torrential rains caused a mudslide that struck their homes in the newly-created Bubyangu sub-county in Mbale district on Saturday night. The dead, whose bodies were recovered about two kilometres away from their homes, were Amina Nandudu, 12, Juma Kikumi, 12, and Siana Namusiru, 4, all residents of Makyese village. Twelve people have been reported missing. Residents narrated that heavy rains pounded the area from 10:00pm for three hours, offsetting big stones and soil to roll downhill, destroying about 30 homes. The victims reportedly ran out of their houses but were overtaken by the fast-rolling mud. Eastern region Police commander Joel Aguma, who visited the area, advised the survivors to leave the dangerous slopes. Kevin Nabutuwa, the Uganda Red Cross field coordinator for the eastern region, yesterday said the landslide swept through nine villages, displacing 320 people. She explained that 35 households were water-logged, while 150 households were at risk. The survivors are camped at Bumadanda Primary School. In Rukungiri district, motor traffic stalled after landslides blocked the road at Kamujegye in Rwerere, Nyakagyeme sub-county, cutting off Kanungu district. Over 300 people who were travelling to and from Kanungu are stuck in the enengo (gorge) at Nyakagyeme. The alternative route to Kanungu via Queen Elizabeth National Park was also cut off after the Ishasha Bridge was submerged. Residents used the calamity to make money by selling food, beer, waragi and local brew to the trapped travellers. The LCI chairperson for Kamujegye village, Domiano Kasigwa, said the landslides started at around 10:30pm on Saturday during a heavy downpour that lasted for over eight hours. A Uganda Red Cross official, Edson Turyatemba, reported that people in a radius of 10km have been affected. Rukungiri district secretary for social services Emmy Ngabirano described the incident as “a disaster which needs the attention of the Government.” Ngabirabo said several acres of banana, cassava, beans, potatoes, coffee and maize crops were destroyed. Last Monday, four people were killed by mudslides at Bugipawa in Sironko district. On March 1, a massive landslide swept the slopes of Mt. Elgon in Bududa district, killing about 350 people. The landslide erased Kubehwo, Namakansa and Nametsi villages located in Bukalasi sub-county. Meanwhile, in low-lying Tororo district where most Mbale water drains, Paya sub-county has been hit by floods, leaving 721 people affected, according to the Uganda Red Cross. By Joseph Wanzusi in Mbale, Caleb Bahikaho in Rukungiri and Henry Mukasa in Kampala"}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/619117-nine-more-bodies-recovered-in-bududa.html","content":" - By Daniel Edyegu NINE more bodies have been excavated from the Bududa landslide site two months after the tragedy. This raises the number of bodies recovered to 105. Over 350 were reported missing after the landslides that were triggered off by heavy rains in the mountaineous district. Last month, graders were airlifted to Nametsi, the epicentre of the landslide, to assist in the recovery of the more than 250 bodies believed to be buried in the rubble. Lt. Col. Wilson Kabeera, the commandant of the rescue force at Nametsi, explained that the fresh recoveries included remains of four children, two women, two men and a head smashed beyond recognition. “Save for the head, all the eight bodies have been claimed by the relatives. “The bodies had turned white. Relatives have been identifying them by the clothes the deceased wore before the tragedy. The remains that cannot be identified will be set aside for mass burial,” Kabeera explained. The excavation operation is jointly being carried out by the UPDF infantry forces, the engineering brigade and the residents. Kabeera said the operation had covered about 15% of the area that is supposed to be excavated. “We do not expect to get more than 240 bodies suspected to still be buried under the soil,” he said. Kabeera lamented that the incessant heavy rains in the area had caused the excavators to break down frequently, slowing down the operation."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/619596-bukenya-urges-landslide-survivors-to-relocate.html","content":" - By Paul Watala THE Vice-President, Prof. Gilbert Bukenya, has supported the relocation of the Bududa landslide survivors in Bulucheke camp to Kayunga district. He appealed to those still in the area to move, saying the Government has the capacity to relocate them anywhere they wish. “More disaster is expected in the hills. I, therefore, request you to move. The Government is working around the clock to relocate you by May 31,” Bukenya said. He asked local leaders not to politicise the process but think of how to restore hope among the victims. The vice-president was addressing survivors at Bulucheke camp last week. He planted a tree and handed over relief items from both his family and office. He also appealed to the relief and disaster preparedness ministry to teach residents the warning signs of landslides to avert loss of more lives. Bukenya encouraged the residents to start massive planting of trees to avoid future calamities. He hailed President Mwai Kibaki of Kenya and his government for the support they extended to the victims, adding that the East African Community was a reality. The Bududa district chairperson, Wilson Watira, said sanitation at the camp was becoming poor because the pit-latrines are full, posing a danger of disease outbreak."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/619707-land-disputes-disrupt-bududa-resettlement.html","content":" - By Frederick Womakuyu A piece of land where the Government intends to resettle people displaced by the Bududa landslide is at the centre of a dispute between Sironko and Kapchorwa districts. The Sabiny of Kapchorwa say the land in Bunambutye sub-county, which currently falls in Sironko belongs to them. They want the land to be under Kapchorwa. The residents, who are mostly Sabiny, identify more with their kinsmen in Kapchorwa. They are now accusing the Government of trying to grab their land and give it to landslide victims, who are mostly Bagisu. Accordingly, they have threatened to cause trouble if the Government goes ahead with plans to resettle the displaced people there. “This is declaration of war. As soon as they are resettled in Bunambutye, our people will also go there to defend our land. The uncoordinated activities by the Government are a recipe for violent confrontation,” says Nelson Chelimo, LC5 chairman Kapchorwa. “While the President has ordered people in Sironko and Kapchorwa to stop any activities on the land until the issue is resolved, the same government wants to resettle Bududa people in ‘hot soup.’” Gyabi Bukeni, the chairman of the Bugisu Parliamentary Group, says the Government has identified over 25,000 acres of land in Bunambutye to resettle over 5,000 people displaced. Bukeni says the Ministry of Lands is in the last stages of verifying the land. According Geoffrey Khaukha, the Bunambutye chairman LC3, the leaders of the IDPs also visited the area last month. After inspecting the land, about 200 IDPs were not happy with what they saw. The land is flat with clay soil and it floods when it rains. It may be unsuitable for settlement but good for crops like maize and rice. “They visited 26,000 acres of land. It is true that some Sabiny own part of this land but this is not the disputed part. They have all agreed to sell the land to Bududa IDPs,” Khaukha explains. Chelimo says: “All the land in Bunambutye is contested.” He says it covers over 300,000 acres stretching from Atari River on the Karamoja-Sironko boundary to Sipi river on the Kapchorwa-Sironko boundary. It is located in Bunambutye and Bwikhonge sub-counties of Sironko. In late 2009, there was almost a violent confrontation between the two tribes when the Sabiny, armed with machetes, hoes and suspected fire arms, occupied Bunambutye land to confront suspected land grabbers. Dismayed, the Bagisu responded by arming themselves with machetes, bows and arrows. It took the intervention of the Police to calm them and to convince the Sabiny to withdraw from the region. The Government promised to solve the dispute. On September 1, 2009, President Yoweri Museveni wrote to lands minister Omara Atubo, directing him to demarcate the boundary between Sironko and Kapchorwa. According to the letter seen by Saturday Vision, the President also directed Atubo to suspend surveys for three months, caveat, investigate and cancel titles of land, which was irregularly sold or bought in the mentioned areas. The President expected the report within three months. Atubo says the ministry set up a verification committee and they are on the ground. Francis Mugizi, the secretary general of the verification committee, says: “We have told all stakeholders to remain calm as we solve the issue. Some activities may have taken place illegally and this is what we are investigating. We shall stop the activities.” Chelimo says the committee was set up five months ago but they have done nothing. “Instead, they are provoking us by planning to take Bududa IDPs there.” Stephen Musobo, the LC5 councillor for Kawowo sub-county in Kapchorwa says: “We calmed down the Sabiny. But it is like the Government is grabbing our land. We are going to have a war of land owners against land grabbers,” he says. Wambi Kibaale, the chairman LC5 Sironko, says: “I do not advocate violence. There are legal ways and the Government is settling the boundary dispute. Let’s wait for the outcome,” he says. Illegal activities have been taking place on the land. Several individuals claiming to own land in the disputed area, through Sironko district land board leased out land to several agencies. In his letter to Atubo, the President noted that over 12,000 acres had been sold to Nileply. The Sabiny Land Lobby Group also claimed that the land grabbers in Sironko have also sold over 1,358 acres to Mbale Municipal Council to resettle persons to be displaced by the expansion of the Municipality. David Kapcherono, the chairman National Resistance Movement Kapchorwa elders league, accused Sironko and Bugisu politicians of leading the land grabbing. “Some fraudulent people spearheaded by the LC5 chairman Sironko and Member of Parliament Bulambuli county, Mudimi Womakuyu, have grabbed the land. They have gone ahead to sell some of it to a timber logging company, NilePly Limited,” he explained. However, the MP denies this, saying he bought 84 acres of land from a Sabiny man in 2002. On his part, Wambi said he owns land in Bunambutye but says he got it legally. “ I am a leader of all the people in the area and I cannot grab land,” he said."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/619726-uganda-needs-useful-solutions-for-disasters.html","content":" - Milcha Busingye THE role of the Government is to protect its people and their property. Therefore, the Government should be in a position to resettle the victims of the Bududa landslides. Uganda cannot afford to lose more people in similar disasters. Bududa victims are reluctant to leave their ancestral homes because the Government has not allocated them a specific area to settle in. The Government should issue the victims with land titles as security to avoid future land conflicts. In addition, each family should be given a reasonable amount of money and the necessities that a person needs to begin a new life. Resettlements are not new to the country. The People’s Development Party (PDP) advises the Government to borrow a leaf from the resettlement of the 1940s and 1950s of the then Kigezi district. In these resettlements, the excess Bakiga were resettled in some parts of Ankole and Ruhinda county. A few years back, the Government undertook to resettle people on the slopes of Mt Elgon but nobody knows what befell the venture. With the rains expected to continue until June, the Government should embark on classification of soil and identify which strata of rocks and layers are prone to landslides. This will help them to manage future landslides. Urgent attention for more disastrous landslides need to be focused in other regions like Kisoro district. The ranges of Mt Muhabura in the district are made of volcanic ashes, which can be disastrous in case of a volcanic eruption. The PDP baseline survey demands that the Government conducts a demographic implementation agenda for current and future landslide victims. The current concentration of people in Bududa camps is not only dehumanising, but also not a permanent solution. The disaster preparedness minister said: “The Government will continue warning the public to be on the look out for signs of landslides and move swiftly”, but this is practically impossible. What we need are practical solutions to disasters. The writer is the deputy president of the People’s Development Party"}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/619973-kinyara-sugar-sweetens-bududa.html","content":" - Representatives of the Masindi-based Kinyara Sugar led by board director, Cyprian Batala (checkered shirt) and the general manager P.V. Ramadasan on his immediate left, recently surprised the Bududa landslide victims at their makeshift camp at Buluchekke by donating five metric tonnes of sugar. Batala said Kinyara deemed it necessary to offer sympathy and encouragement to the affected people. Ramadasan, speaking on behalf of the Kinyara employees, delivered a message of hope, saying the suffering would end and residents must stay positive even though their circumstances were dire"}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/620236-2-more-landslide-victims-recovered.html","content":" - By Daniel Edyegu Excavators on Wednesday recovered two bodies from Nametsi trading centre, the picentre of the landslides in Bududa district last month. This brings the number of bodies to 98 out of the 350 suspected to be buried under the earth. The UPDF 3rd Division spokesman, Capt. Henry Obbo, said the graders dug out the bodies while testing the efficiency of the equipment. The skins of the one-and-a-half-year-old male child identified as Titus Wambedde and his mother, Ida Nauta, had reportedly peeled off, though they were recognisable. “They were claimed by Jack Walisiba. He identified them by the clothes on their bodies. We could not set aside the bodies for mass burial, yet their relatives were available. The UPDF is there to remove the bodies for a decent burial,” Obbo said. He noted that though the residents are impatient with the delay in excavation, the necessary items to run the operation were still inadequate. “We have got most of the equipment needed for the operation. But the protective gear is still not enough. “These bodies have stayed underneath for long and are bound to be in bad condition. This will pose a health risk to our soldiers if they are not protected,” Obbo said. Maj. Gen. Julius Oketta, the national emergency co-ordinator in the Prime Minister’s office, said the excavation process would take about three months. During a meeting with the leaders from Bugisu region at Mbale Resort Hotel on April 14, the Government announced that all the subsequent bodies excavated from Nametsi would be collected for mass burial as they were likely to be in pieces or beyond recognition. “We are going to identify a place within Bududa where we shall construct the grave. Thereafter, we shall construct a monument and inscribe the names of all those who perished in the catastrophe,” the general duties state minister, Janat Mukwaya, said. The UN M-26 choppers early this month airlifted two graders and water bowsers to Nametsi to start the excavation."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/620238-gang-held-over-theft-of-bududa-relief-items.html","content":" - By Steven Candia The Police have netted a gang suspected to be part of a racket behind the theft of relief items meant for the Bududa landslide victims. Three of the 36 suspects, who were arrested in a recent nation-wide operation, are private security guards. The guards were identified as Lawrence Drate, Robert Wabwire and Isaac Musabe, who had been deployed at the Uganda Red Cross stores in Nakawa where the relief items were stolen. The Police yesterday also said it had broken up a car and motorcycle theft syndicate. The key players in the car thefts were identified as Musa Kalule and Hasan Kisembo. The Police also said 20 suspects connected to motorcycle thefts have been arrested and 17 motorcycles recovered. Most of the suspects are boda boda cyclists. Addressing the journalists at the Rapid Response Unit (RRU) headquarters in Kireka, the spokesperson, Judith Nabakooba, said two rifles, 10 bullets, two grenades and three motorvehicles were also recovered in the swoop."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/620276-more-landslides-hit-bududa.html","content":" - By Daniel Edyegu FOUR separate landslides on Saturday occurred at Namasheti parish in Bukalasi sub-county near the spot where other landslides buried over 350 people in Bududa district in March. The incident occurred at a cliff inside Mt. Elgon National Park in Murerwe village while the others happened in Nametsi and Maika villages. Elisaphani Wafutseyo, 57, a resident of Namesti said the landslides happened after heavy rains that lasted four hours.“The rain was so heavy that most of us feared the same disaster at Nametsi trading centre would happen again,” Wafutseyo narrated. A team from the Uganda Red Cross Society visited the affected villages to acess the damage. The landslide left wide cracks at the slopes of the mountain. The cracks stretched about 2km from the spot of last month’s landslides. “If the rains continue, these rocks will overcome tree trunks and cause another disaster. We have advised the leaders to evacuate the people residing at the slopes beneath the cracks,” the Red Cross team leader, Tumwa Wanambwa, said. The landslides destroyed gardens and the rains flooded rivers. However, no deaths were reported."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/620570-80-families-flee-sipi-over-landslide-threat.html","content":" - By Rashid Muzungyo OVER eighty families in Gamatui, Sipi sub-county in Kapchorwa district, have been requested to relocate following reports of a pending landslide. The sub-county chief, Vincent Kipsiwa, said: “We have asked families living near a cliff to relocate. We have visited the homes to assess the situation because we do not want a situation similar to that of Bududa.” “We have informed the office of the chief administrative officer, the LC5 chairman and the resident district commissioner,” Kipsiwa said in an interview with Saturday Vision on Wednesday. The Sipi LC3 chairman, Patrick Murtamai, said the situation was worrying. He said councillors had been urged to monitor it and inform technical authorities about mudslides. Other areas under threat are Kamoko and Benet sub-counties where people live near huge boulders and steep areas. Kawowo LC3 chief Stephen Sabila said families residing at the foothills of Tewei hill had resisted warnings to move, arguing that they had lived there all their lives."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/620857-zain-donates-to-bududa-schools.html","content":" - By Daniel Edyegu Zain Uganda and two other organisations recently donated relief items worth sh45m to the survivors of the Bududa landslides at Bulucheke camp. The assortment of scholastic materials included text books, chalkboards, pens, exercise books, phones and Zain mobile Internet modems to the staff and pupils of Hope Education Centre and Bumwalye Primary School. The Indian Community Association and Britannia Allied Industries gave glucose biscuits, Splash juice, Tilda rice, soap and three bicycles. The items were handed over to Robert Okilla, a Red Cross Society official. Yesse Achoki Oyenga, the Zain managing director, said the items were meant to step up the education standards of the pupils in the camp. “Education is core to Zain’s corporate social responsibility. This manifests a step further in the dedication of both Zain and the Indian community to help the people who suffered effects of the landslides,” Oyenga said. He noted that the scholastic items were channeled through the ‘Build Our Nation’ programme, whose focus is to avail scholastic materials to schools in all African countries where Zain operates. A total of 2,001 children from the former primary schools of Nametsi, Tunuwasi and Katsatsa have enrolled at Hope education Centre and Bumalye Primary School. About 23 teachers have been recruited to teach the pupils. Ezra Nabute, the headteacher of Hope Education Centre, said the schools were faced with a shortage of infrastructure to accommodate the learners. “The classrooms are makeshift tents that leak. Whenever it rains, we have to send the pupils back home because the classrooms become flooded,” Nabute said. He added that the pupils were at risk of contracting diseases because the number of pit-latrines in the camp was insufficient. Okila said the food donation was a timely intervention that would replenish the stock to sustain the camp in the next three months."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/620955-fresh-landslides-hit-bududa-district.html","content":" - By Daniel Edyegu TORRENTIAL rains in Bududa district have triggered fresh landslides in Bumboi and Bunanda villages in Bushika sub-county in Bududa district. On March 1, a disastrous landslide buried over 350 people at Nametsi trading centre in Bukalasi sub-county, while another five were buried in Bumayoka sub-county. Over 5,000 survivors are currently sheltering at Bulucheke and Bukalsi camps awaiting permanent resettlement. In the latest disaster that took place on Sunday, rains that were coupled with hailstones pounded the two villages for three hours, destroying over 400 acres of maize, banana, coffee, cassava and bean gardens. There are about 120 families in the two villages affected, according to Michael Wanditi, the councillor for Bushika sub-county. In Bunanda village, a huge mass of land broke loose along the steep mountain slopes and covered about 50 square meters of gardens. At Bumboi village, the landslide uprooted trees and crops on the banks of River Kibisi that were swept downstream by the floods. Gaping cracks developed on the mountain slopes. In some areas, the faults weighed in large chunks of land. The hailstorm also destroyed ten houses in Bunanda village. Desolate houses were a common sight in the affected villages, as residents fled the area for fear of more landslides. Some abandoned livestock but no injuries or deaths of humans or animals were reported. Stephen Mumboji, 35, a resident of Bumboi village explained that the rains started at midday and lasted up 3:30pm. “The whole ground was covered with hailstones. The floods swept all the crops planted at the slopes of the mountain,” Mumboji said. The floods also destroyed the Bushika gravitational flow scheme that had been supplying the sub-county with piped water. A total of six wooden bridges that had been built over the river to connect villages and schools in Bushika sub-county were swept away. Wanditi yesterday said the floods affected over 1,000 pupils in Lwakha, Busauza and Bumukoyuya primary schools. “Pupils were using the bridges to access the schools. Some of the pupils in the upper primary were doing end of term examinations,” Wanditi said. An assessment team from the Uganda Red Cross Society yesterday visited the affected villages to ascertain the extent of the damage."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/621090-excavation-of-the-soil-begins.html","content":" - By vision reporter The long-awaited excavation of the remaining bodies that were buried by landslides in Nametsi is expected to start this week. The UN M-26 choppers arrived on Wednesday with the first batch of earth equipment. Brig. Timothy Sabiiti of the UPDF engineering brigade said work would commence as soon as all the equipment is airlifted to the scene. He said a team from the UPDF and the ministry of works would carry out the excavation. “Where there’s a lot of water, we shall be using the water bowsers to siphon it out before work. The duration of the exercise will be determined by the task at hand. We cannot predict what challenges may come. The health ministry will provide the protective gear such as gloves and masks for the people who will be retrieving the bodies,” Sabiiti said. Since the tragic landslides that claimed over 350 people, the UPDF and residents have dug out 96 bodies using hand tools. More than 200 bodies are still feared buried. Every morning, some of the bereaved people go to the site with hopes that their loved ones will be recovered. Dr. Charles Okot of the World Health Organisation (WHO) explained that such behaviour manifested early symptoms of mental disorder caused by the loss of loved ones. “Such people start hallucinating and their behaviour becomes strange. We had a case of a lady who denied her child,” Okot said. Whereas the new development comes as relief to the survivors who had lost hope of recovering their relatives, an immense task of managing the recovered bodies is apparent. With 49 days under the ground, the identification poses greater challenge. Recently, a limb of a victim was recovered and reburied by the army because no one claimed it. The limb had turned pink after the skin peeled off. “It is now becoming apparent that more bodies will be recovered in pieces,” says Lt. Col. Wilson Kabeera, the UPDF officer in charge of the rescue team. The Bududa LC 5 chairman, Wilson Watira, said bodies that cannot be identified will be set aside for mass burial. “Then we hope to have a day of national prayers for all those who died,” Watira said."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/621240-no-contraceptives-for-bududa-idps.html","content":" - By Frederick Womakuyu Before the devastating Bududa landslide struck on March 1, 2010, Irene Sambura was using Injectaplan to space her births. By then, the 26-year-old mother had seven children. After the landslide displaced over 5,000 people, Sambura found herself among 800 women who have been settled temporarily at Bulucheke Internally Displaced Peoples (IDP) Camp. The only available family planning methods in the camp are pills and condoms. Sambura is pregnant again. She cannot use pills because they make her sick, while her husband dislikes condoms because they are a married couple. Zipola Wamoto, the midwife at Bulucheke IDP Health Centre, fears that many women may become pregnant against their will because of insufficient family planning services. Since the IDPs came to the camp a month ago, over 50 babies have been born. But what is worrying is that more women are getting pregnant. When The New Vision visited, the health centre only had pills and condoms. Wamoto says mothers who have been using contraceptives like Injectaplan are being referred to Bukigai Health Centre III or Bududa Hospital. However, these centres also lack long-term family planning methods like tubaligation, Intera Uterine Device (IUD) or injections. Dr. Peter Wakoba, the Bududa district health officer, confirms that Injectaplan has been out of stock for about a month now. Wakoba says the need for family planning in Bududa district is at 38% and each woman produces about eight children. Twenty-five-year-old Anne Nabumaale is pregnant with her eighth child. She is already feeling the burden of caring for the seven children. “My husband is a peasant. We can hardly cope,” she says. Apart from the small tent she shares with her husband and children, Nabumaale says they receive food meant for about five people to feed a family of nine. Nabumaale and her husband would like to use Injectaplan to stop giving birth but cannot find it. Fifteen-year-old Junik Nabugo, pregnant with a second child, says she has never heard of family planning before. Hailing from Tunuwasi village, she says the nearest health centre is about 10km away. “Nobody had come to educate us about family planning. I thought family planning means having no children at all,” she says. Her 45-year-old husband, Muses Gubi, does not want her to use family planning methods. “Whenever women use the injection, they vomit and lose interest in sex,” he says. Zipolo says people in Bududa produce many children due to ignorance, for prestige or security, even when they cannot take care of them. She says polygamy is very high, with some men marrying over five wives and producing over 10 to 30 children. The polygamy there stands at 35% compared to the national rate of 10%, says the 2002 Population census by Uganda Bureau of Statistics. Wakoba says the infant mortality in the district is 70 deaths per 1,000 live births compared to the national rate of 76 deaths per 1,000 live deaths, according to the 2006 Uganda Demographic and Health Survey. Access to decent healthcare services remains a major problem for women. Hamis Kaheru, the spokesperson of National Medical Stores (NMS), says Uganda’s health sector depends on donor funding because the Government does not have enough money to buy contraceptives and other drugs. No one wants to be displaced. But imagine a situation of a displaced mother with an unwanted pregnancy."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/621337-who-trains-emergency-team-for-bududa-landslide-victims.html","content":" - By Daniel Edyegu THE World Health Organisation (WHO) has trained an emergency team of 508 health workers in the eastern districts hit by landslides and torrential rains. Dr. Charles Okot, the focal person for epidemic preparedness and response, said 128 workers in Bududa, Butaleja and Manafwa districts had been trained to handle cholera, dysentry and measles. He added that WHO had also trained 380 village health teams on basic health care. Okot said they would be deployed in the rural areas and Bulucheke camp to strengthen disease surveillance. Village health teams are community volunteers used in health supervision, distribution of drugs and provision of first aid in the rural areas before referral to health centres. Okot said some of the health teams would be deployed to serve at Bukalasi. “We have trained 200 teams in Bududa and 180 in Butaleja. Our emphasis is on how to detect and treat the disease,” he said. “The team members will identify cases at community level and refer them to health centres. In case of a disease outbreak in the camp, we shall use them to search from tent to tent,” Okot said. “Our biggest fear is an infectious disease outbreak. The congestion will fuel the spread of the disease. This is why we have technical people suppress any outbreak,” he said. Recently, we recorded a suspected case of cholera in the camp. We sent the stool to Mbale for a test and found that it was diarrhoea, he said. Okot noted that poor sanitation, coupled with heavy rains, might scale up cases of water-borne diseases and malaria. He said the situation was still under control. Okot added that WHO had supplied two cholera kits of drugs, intravenous fluids, gloves and oral rehydration salts. A total of 3,746 people displaced by the disastrous March 1 landslides are currently sheltered at Bulucheke camp, according to the Uganda Red Cross Society. There are 2,467 children, 2,078 males and 1,668 females. The camp has 271 giant and family-size tents to cater for 932 households. Heavy rains in the eastern region are expected to last until the end of next month, according to the meteorological department."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/621338-news-in-brief.html","content":" - Salini donates to Bududa BUDUDA - The management of Salini Construttori, the company constructing the Bujagali hydro power dam, has donated relief items to the landslide victims. The items that included two huge tents that accommodate 50 people each and 100 mattresses worth sh19m were handed over by Salini’s finance and administration manager Biancon Tommaso. Children start campaign BUSIA - A campaign by school children using drama to create bilharzia awareness has been launched. The vector division of the health ministry and the schistosomiasis control initiative based at the Imperial College London, are supporting the programme. It is carried out in Lunyo and Lumino sub-counties where bilharzia is rampant. Police receive new vehicle JINJA - The south-eastern regional Police have received a new patrol vehicle for the traffic officers. Their boss, Hellen Apolot, said the regional Police did not have any vehicle to carry out patrols, especially on highways. She said they received the car from the Police headquarters in Kampala. Volunteers get bicycles BUGIRI - A total of 24 volunteers in Bulesa sub-county have received bicycles to enable them reach out to people infected with HIV/AIDS. The programme officer of the Uganda Community Based Association for Child Welfare, Francis Birungi, handed over the bicycles to the volunteers at St. Jude Primary School on Saturday. He said the volunteers also received 65 boxes of septrin tablets."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/621495-minister-pleads-for-teachers.html","content":" - By Daniel Edyegu THE Minister for General Duties, Janat Mukwaya, has directed Bududa district authorities and relief agencies to consider teachers and health workers affected by the landslides. Addressing district leaders and civil organisations at Bulucheke camp last Friday, Mukwaya stressed that teachers who relocated from their former schools to teach at the camp should be facilitated. “I was not impressed when I learnt that teachers in Bulucheke camp were not well-facilitated. Just because they earn a salary does not mean they did not suffer the effects of the landslide. These people have been displaced from their former schools,” she said. About 23 teachers from Tunuwasi, Nametsi and Kitsatsa Primary School have been enrolled to teach over 2,000 displaced pupils at Hope Education Centre in Bulucheke camp and Bumalye Primary School near the camp. The teachers have to travel 10km to work. “It’s a tedious routine. By the time the teachers arrive at school, they are too exhausted to conduct lessons. We tried to agitate for sleeping tents from the camp authorities to no avail,” Benedict Nasasa, a teacher at Hope Education centre, said. Mukwaya noted that denying teachers privileges would demoralise them and affect academic performance. A month ago, over 250 people were buried by landslides at Nametsi village in Bududa district."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/621483-why-we-need-to-be-disaster-prepared.html","content":" - By Felix Kulayigye MARCH 16, 2010 will go down in Uganda’s history as a day of misfortune that one wishes had never happened. The events of that day saw the country lose an entire parish to landslides, due to heavy rains in the East. Although rain in Africa is considered a blessing, it contributed to the Bududa landslides and the floods in Butaleja district. There have been debate as to whether the landslides could have been avoided. Another debate that arose was whether it was a disaster, an emergency or a crisis. The first debate is for another day because in Africa it is rude to debates over disaster when people are still moaning and burying their loved ones. To understand disaster management, we need to dissect the three concepts of disaster, emergency and crisis. What constitutes a disaster? Is it the number of deaths? Or is it the property damaged? Are there other elements for consideration to qualify an event as a disaster? A disaster is a serious disruption of the functioning of a society or community, causing major human, property, socio-economic or environmental losses which exceed the ability of the affected society to cope. On the other hand, a crisis is created by lack of governance, rules, regulations or policy guidelines. It is a state of confusion. One can say emergency is more often used synonymously with disaster, which is misleading. There are two correct usages: If it is an embryonic disaster, which if not well managed will grow into full-scale disaster. Or it is a phase immediately following a disaster (state of emergency issued by the Government). Then there is the term hazard. This is a threatening event or circumstance that has a potential to lead to an emergency or disaster. Examples include earthquakes, heavy rains and active volcanic mountains. Then lastly risk which is the likelihood of a population to suffer disruption of a disaster. Disaster preparedness, response and management There are six disaster management elements which constitute a holistic approach to disaster management. These are preparedness, mitigation, prevention, development, recovery, and response. Prevention includes measures designed to delay the occurrence of a disaster and prevent harmful effects on the community, for example, building dams and dykes to prevent floods, strong infrastructure, vaccination and immunisation programmes and planting trees. Disaster prevention refers to activities aimed at minimising the disruptive effects of a disaster. They include physical measures such as: strong construction and engineering works, proper land zoning, reducing population density from prone areas and regulating land use. There are also economic measures like diversifying business and agricultural activities, insurance cover, diversity in sources of income and economic incentives. Prevention can also be effected administratively, via management policies such as public awareness to communities, research and development, encourage relevant technical expertise, strengthen the capacity of responders and decision-makers, conflict resolution, early warning systems and resettlement plans. Disaster preparedness includes activities aimed at reducing the impacts of a future disaster. Examples are: Having an integrated plan to handle disaster and building a team of trained personnel to handle victims. Disaster response are the measures taken immediately after, during and following a disaster. Such measures are directed towards saving lives and protecting property. Disaster recovery embodies activities undertaken to restore the community or nation’s life. This process involves, relief supply, rehabilitation, restoration, reconstruction (full restoration of all services). Management of disaster involves meticulous employment of the existing administrative structures; from the individual to village and national level. In conclusion, disaster management is unity of purpose, as that should be the time when all the leaders and managers speak the same language. In case of insufficiency, corrective ideas should be contributed. We are better off working towards prevention, so as to minimise the impact of natural calamities. The writer is the UPDF spokesman"}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/621646-news-in-brief.html","content":" - Residents aid Bududa victims JINJA - Residents of Jinja town have donated relief items worth over sh50m to the landslide victims in Bududa district. The items were collected at Nile Broadcasting Service (NBS) 89.4 FM radio station following a campaign launched by the Uganda Red Cross Society in Busoga region. The items included sacks of posho and beans, shoes, hoes, clothes, mugs, plates and jerrycans. Others were basins, washing soap, salt and sugar. 2 people get electrocuted MAYUGE - Two people were recently electrocuted as they tried to reconnect power lines. Yolamu Mukembo, 30, and his younger brother Ronald Kawuta, 22, both residents of Bufulubi trading centre, were reportedly trying to tap power from high voltage power lines. The south eastern regional Police commander, Christopher Kubai, said Mukembo died instantly, while Kawuta died as he was being rushed to Mayuge Health Centre. 50 miss army over ring worms KAMULI - At least 50 youth in Kamuli, Buyende and Kaliro districts missed recruitment into the Uganda People’s Defence Forces for having ringworms and lack of authentic academic papers. Some women who claimed to be 18 years were also disqualified after it emerged that they were mothers. The two-day exercise, headed by Lt. Col. Lugeni, was held at Kamuli Works Yard. 2 charged over theft of turkeys TORORO - Hatena Obonyo and martin Owor were last week charged in court over stealing turkeys. They allegedly stole six birds from Vincent Wafula’s home on the night of March 20 in Peta Peta sub-county. Court remanded them to Morukatipe Prison until April 17 when their case will be heard again."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/621643-bududa-lc5-chief-warns-politicians-on-camp-issues.html","content":" - By Paul Watala POLITICIANS in Bududa district have been told to stop politicising issues in Bulucheke camps for the landslide victims, but work towards restoring hope among survivors. “I am not happy with politicians within and outside the district who are inciting the residents to burn the stores in Bulucheke,” the district chairperson, Wilson Watira, said. Receiving relief items from the Uganda Police at the Mbale regional block, Watira said some politicians had turned the camp issues a subject for a politicking in the run-up to the 20011 polls. He said it was bad for leaders to cause problems instead of looking for ways to assist the victims. “They have several times organised the residents to beat up the Uganda Red Cross Society staff. “We suspect they are behind the bad acts happening during the distribution of relief items where some of the items are stolen,” Watira said. He appealed to the leaders to deal with human challenges in the camp other than fronting their selfish interests which may jeopardise the programme.  Watira hailed the Police for the donation and the security they provide in the camp. He requested for more security to protect the stores of the relief items. Joel Aguma, the eastern regional Police commander, handing over the relief items, said the gesture was meant to rebuild the homes and dignity of the victims, besides their duty of keeping law and order. The Police donated clothing, maize flour, spoons, saucepans, plates, blankets and cups. Aguma added that they established a child protection unit at the camp to deal with offences against the girl-child. However, Aguma revealed that one local defence unit guard, Nabende Kyamalo, was prosecuted and sentenced to a one-year imprisonment for stealing relief items."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/621893-landslide-victims-get-easter-treat.html","content":" - DISPLACED persons at Bulucheke and Bukalasi camps in Bududa district got an Easter treat from Kimse Yokmu, a Turkish-based civil organisation. The NGO gave a tonne of fresh meat and seven tonnes of rice, bread, sugar and 100 blankets to the persons displaced by the March landslides. The Finish Red Cross Society also donated clothes to the displaced persons as an Easter gift. A total of 932 households from both camps received the items."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/621945-muyenga-tank-hill-faces-landslide-say-experts.html","content":" - By Andante Okanya PARTS of Muyenga Tank Hill suburb are threatened by a landslide, experts from National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA) have warned. The persistent rains have weakened the soil in Monkey Zone below Kampala’s main water reservoirs. Mary Kitutu, a NEMA official, who led a team of geological experts on an inspection tour on Saturday, said: “Indicators show the slope is slowly failing. The rocks are being pushed down. The rock is completely weathered.” She said the five permanent houses on the slope are built on a weak foundation. Dr. Andrew Muwanga, an environmental geologist, said rain water is washing away the soil, exposing the residents to danger. He explained that marram has low resistance to erosion and that the owners of the houses should have removed it and remained with the rocky soils before embarking on construction. The hill also houses five massive water tanks owned by National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) with a capacity of 4,000,000 litres of water. A two-storey building that doubles as a church and home for destitutes is facing the biggest risk. The experts also said an apartment block under construction is slanting after the foundation got exposed due to the extensive excavation on the slopes of the hill without stabilising it. The experts pointed out evident signs like the weakening soils, buildings which have developed cracks and trees that are slanting. The experts also noted five others mansions at a lower level risk being submerged if the soils give away. Police chief Maj Gen. Kale Kayihura on Friday visited the area. According to local authorities, Kayihura who quoted a report from geological experts, ordered suspension of the construction activities until the slopes are stabilised. He also advised the residents to vacate but they have, however, declined. NWSC experts have also made frequent visits to the area, as the water tanks are also at risk. Yasin Omari, the LC1 chairman, blamed Kampala City Council (KCC) engineers for failing to guide the development of structures in the area."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/621894-indians-boost-bududa-landslide-victims.html","content":" - By David Ssempijja THE Indian Association of Uganda (IAU) has donated food and non-food relief items worth over sh100m to the landslide victims of Bududa. The items were contributed by individuals, community associations and Indian-owned companies. The body also offered an ambulance with doctors and nurses to tackle health challenges through offering free medical assistance to residents for 30 days. “Our association has been helping and continues to assist the less fortunate and needy among the local community at large. “It has always been our primary goal to be a part of every noble cause and our mission is to help, in whatever way we can,” the association chairman, Naren Mehta, said in a statement. He explained that the Indian community had always considered the social obligation element as an important giveback in response to the existing support rendered by Ugandans. “This great country has given us numerous opportunities and the vision of the Indian association is to make it a better place for each and everyone of us,” he said. Metha noted that the partnership that exists between India and Uganda had created a conducive atmosphere for investment, giving rise to employment opportunities and enhanced domestic revenues. Last December, the IAU offered sh200m to 11 heart patients to undergo surgery at the famous Narayana Hrudalaya, Bangalore, a five-star hospital in India. Several individuals and organisations, including Pope Benedict XVI have sympathised with the Bududa victims since the disaster struck early last month. of the landslide that buried three villages and displaced hundreds in bududa district earlier this month."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/621928-britania-donates-to-bududa-victims.html","content":" - By Patrick Jaramogi THE Indian Association of Uganda, in collaboration with Britania Allied Industries, has donated food items worth sh10m to the Bududa landslide victims. The relief items in form of processed juice, mineral water and confectionaries were delivered to the Uganda Red Cross in Bududa last week. “We felt the same pain like any other person and decided to share our grief with the people of Bududa by donating to them at this time of need,” the Britania Allied Industries general marketing manager, K.R Sridharan said. He said Britania also provided transport for other relief items donated by the Indian Association in Uganda. “We shall continue to offer support until the situation normalises,” he added. The items were delivered by the chairperson of the Indian Association of Uganda, Naresh Mehta. The Bududa landslides that occurred in early March left over 500,000 people homeless and killed at least 300 people."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/622036-250-remain-buried-under-bududa-landslides.html","content":" - By Daniel Edyegu and Henry Mukasa OVER 250 people are still missing in Bududa district one month after a landslide buried three villages on the slopes of Mountain Elgon. The landslide, caused by torrential rains, is said to have killed over 300 people. A total of 94 bodies have been recovered. The terrain of the area, lack of proper tools and the incessant heavy rains have complicated the recovery efforts. The rains have also hampered the speedy completion of the landing field at Nametsi where the UN helicopters carrying earth moving equipment are expected to land. Maj. Gen. Julius Oketta, the officer in charge of emergency coordination in the Prime Minister’s Office, said the rains have reduced the working hours the UPDF soldiers spend clearing the field to about three per day. UN officials and the UPDF airforce recommended that the field be expanded from 30 by 50 meters to 50 by 70 meters. “The biggest hindrance to our operation has been the continuous torrential rains. The rains normally start at 11:00am just three hours after we have started work. We then have to call off the exercise. We would have already completed the field and exhumed the remaining bodies for descent burial,” Oketta said. He said the soldiers had reached rocky ground, adding that this has also slowed down the clearing of the field. “We are now using explosives to clear the ground. We set the explosives on the rock, blow it up and soldiers fall in with hand tools to level the ground,” Oketta said. He added that the Office of the Prime Minister had given the Government four months to discuss the way forward on the remaining bodies and the resettlement of the displaced people currently camped at Bulucheke sub-county headquarters. “During the four months, the Government should be able to identify land and purchase it. We are screening the displaced persons at Bulucheke to ascertain their identities. The process involves getting their names, ages and where they come from. Bulucheke camp has been infiltrated by people who did not suffer any effects of the landslides,” Oketta said."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/622129-posta-donates-to-bududa.html","content":" - By Emojong Osere SURVIVORS of the recent calamity in Eastern Uganda’s district of Bududa, where a landslide killed more than 100 people have reason to smile as humanitarian assistance continues to trickle in. Posta Uganda has donated an assortment of goods to be handed over to the victims, by the Uganda Red Cross Society (URCS). The goods which included 30 bags of clothes, two bags of stationery items and nine bags of beans and maize, were handed over to Michel Nataka, the URCS secretary general, by James Arinaitwe, the Posta Uganda’s managing director. “Nobody expected the landslide to happen. We have to mobilise communities to handle the response mechanisms,” Arinaitwe said during the hand-over which took place at the firm’s head office in Kampala recently. Arinaitwe added that the disaster also affected Posta Uganda because they dealt directly with the residents. Many firms have come up to help the Bududa victims."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/622244-bugembe-babirye-support-bududa.html","content":" - By Mathias Mazinga THE Bududa landslide tragedy continues to pierce hearts. As a result, many people are still coming out to help the victims. Gospel artistes: Wilson Bugembe and Judith Babirye also supported this noble cause with a concert at Theatre La Bonita last week. The fairly attended fundraising show dubbed ‘Help Buduuda’ was organised by the Watoto Church affiliate-radio, Power FM and supported by novida. The proceeds from the sell of the tickets will be sent to the Bududa victims. Besides buying entry tickets, some people donated cash/cheques to further their sympathy and solidarity with the Bududa victims."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/622303-expert-tips-govt-on-landslides.html","content":" - By Andante Okanya and Justus Akampa AN expert on landslide management has advised the Government on ways to avoid a repeat of the Bududa disaster. Mary Goretti Kitutu, the environmental information systems specialist at the National Environment Management Authority, said the Government has to compel people in the landslide- prone areas to plant forests. The landslide swept away the slopes of Mount Elgon and erased three villages of Kubehwo, Namakansa, and Nametsi in Bukalasi sub-county in Manjiya county. In a presentation at a public dialogue held last week on landslides in Bududa, Kitutu said forest cover could avert a landslide. “Forests should be planted in Bududa. Seasons are now erratic and you cannot tell when the landslides will occur,” she said. The dialogue, held at the Uganda Museum, was organised by Nature Uganda, an environmental non-governmental organisation. It was aimed at raising awareness on the causes of landslides and mitigation measures to avoid disaster."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/622325-tororo-archdiocese-prays-for-bududa-residents.html","content":" - By Paul Watala The Tororo Archdiocese has held prayers for the victims and survivors of the Bududa landslide. The Apostolic Nuncio, Paul Tschang In-Nam, the representative of the Pope, led the prayers at St. Joseph Church in Bududa district on Friday. “Today, we celebrate this holy mass for the victims who were killed, for those who lost their dear ones and all those who are suffering the consequences of the disastrous landslides,” Tschang said. “The Pope has expressed his spiritual closeness and sympathy towards the suffering population of Bududa, manifesting his fatherly concern for each of you,” he remarked. Tschang said the Ugandan community in Rome was deeply moved by the landslides, which hit three villages. He urged the residents not to turn away from God and counselled them not to relate the incident to superstition. “Jesus refutes the traditional belief of the people who consider a disaster, as punishment from God. Misfortunes must not awaken curiosity in us or the quest for presumed sins. They must be an opportunity for reflection to overcome illusion,” Tschang advised. He handed over a contribution of $30,000 (sh62m) from the Pope to the victims. Other parish churches brought donations, including foodstuffs and clothes for the victims. Tschang toured Bulucheke camp after a heavy downpour and encouraged the victims to vacate the hills. The resident district commissioner, Wanzusi Wasieba, said the Government had secured 40 square miles of land to relocate the locals. Present were Dennis Kiwanuka Lote, the archbishop of Tororo diocese, Charles Martin Wamika, the bishop-elect of Jinja diocese and Bishop Emeritus Joseph Oyang of Lira diocese."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/622463-pope-donates-sh62m-to-bududa.html","content":" - By Juliet Lukwago POPE Benedict XVI has donated sh62m to help victims of the landslide that buried three villages and displaced hundreds in Bududa district earlier this month. The Archbishop of Kampala Archdiocese, Cyprian Lwanga, said the Pope sent the aid through the Apostolic Nuncio, Paul Tschang In-Nam. Speaking during Palm Sunday mass at Rubaga cathedral, Lwanga said: “The Pope sympathises with the victims of the tragedy that occurred in Bududa. He has sent help worth $30,000.” The archbishop said the donation was part of the Pope’s efforts to help the less privileged during the lent period. He urged Christians to emulate the pontiff. He added that the church would continue to support relief efforts through organisations like Caritas Uganda. He warned Christians against donating worn-out or torn clothing. “Give out something that even you want to be given, not just items that are worth discarding. It gives happiness and builds a good relationship between you who gives and those who receive.” Over 300,000 people have been displaced in eastern Uganda following the landslides that hit Nametse, Kubweho and Namanga villages on March 1. According to the Uganda Red Cross, 94 bodies were recovered and over 300 people are still missing. Meanwhile, the archbishop dismissed reports that the statue of Mother Mary outside Rubaga cathedral is a curse to Buganda. He said people have been alleging that the events in Buganda are a result of a curse by the Catholic Church since the statue faces Mengo. He explained that the statue was constructed to symbolise the church’s devotion to the mother of Jesus. “I appeal to you to leave the statue alone because it has nothing to do with the Mengo establishment. It has existed since the missionaries set foot in Uganda in 1879,” he said. He also urged Christians to desist from violence during the Holy Week. Christians all over the world celebrated Palm Sunday yesterday to mark the beginning of the Holy Week before Easter. The day symbolises the triumphant entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem about 2,000 years ago."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/622623-helfen-aid-gives-bududa-victims.html","content":" - BUDUDA - Helfen Aid, a German Muslim relief agency, has donated items worth sh81m to the victims of the Bududa landslide. The organisation gave 250 bags of maize flour, 100 bags of beans, 71 bales of blankets and six cartons of water-purifying tablets. Receiving the items, a Red Cross official, Stephen Wamukota, said the aid would ease the shortages they had been facing. Mutwalibi Kafo, the Helfen Aid coordinator in Uganda, said the organisation is active in 70 countries and it assists people in need as a result of natural disasters, epidemics, armed conflict or civil unrest, as a way of sharing Allah’s love."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/622582-bududa-troops-to-get-therapy.html","content":" - By Daniel Edyegu THE UPDF troops that were deployed to recover bodies of the landslide victims at Nametsi trading centre in Bududa district have been pulled out to undergo psychological therapy and attend to their domestic obligations. The UPDF 3rd Division spokesman, Capt. Henry Obbo, said the soldiers would be taken to Bugema Army Garrison in Mbale district for the therapy. “These soldiers are human too. They have been working in shifts at the tragic scene digging out and touching dead bodies for the last three weeks. About 100 would be at the top of the mountain, while another 100 would rest at the bottom,” he said. Obbo disclosed that the soldiers used to sleep very close to where the landslide victims were buried. “This can cause severe psychological effects. So we are going to bring psychiatrists to counsel them before they are redeployed to other areas,” he added. Since the landslides that buried over 350 people in Nametsi about a month ago, a team of UPDF soldiers and residents have recovered about 94 bodies. Obbo noted that within the last two weeks, over 30 soldiers deployed to work at the sight suffered skin allergies due to contaminated water from the streams, while others were admitted at Bududa Hospital with diarrhoea. The national director for emergency coordination, Maj. Gen Julius Oketta, explained that the therapy would be done by experts from the health ministry and civil organisations working in Bududa. “UPDF is a people’s army. As we concentrate on recovery, other partners should be able to render alternative services. \"Counselling is a routine exercise done in form of briefing and debriefing before and after the soldiers are from a mission. These soldiers will also undergo medical checkup for any other ailments,” he said."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/622705-anglican-church-aids-bududa-victims.html","content":" - MBALE - The Church of Uganda has donated relief items worth sh118m to victims of the Bududa landslides and people displaced by floods in Butaleja district. The items were handed over by Mbale diocesan bishop, the Rt. Rev. Patrick Gidudu, to Kevin Nabutuwa, the Red Cross eastern regional disaster programme manager, at the organisation's offices in Industrial division. Amanda Onapito, the church’s spokesperson, explained that the items were collected from Action for Churches Together, an alliance of over 100 churches and church-based organisations that provide relief to the world’s poorest countries."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/622650-a-moment-of-silence-for-bududa.html","content":" - By Emmanuel Buufu IN a move to support victims of the recent Bududa landslides, young musicians under their umbrella organisation, Young Talent Uganda, in conjunction with 94.8 Vision Voice FM and Go Lotto, executed a campaign dubbed, “Moment of Silence Bududa” on Monday. Ninety two bodies were recovered while 350 were feared dead after the devastating landslide swallowed three villages on the slopes of Mt. Elgon. Paddy Masembe, director of the group, said the campaign is an addition to the national response to aid the affected communities.“This should be a challenge to the rest of us that it is our responsibility as Ugandans to respond to such challenges in our community,” he said. The campaign started with a press conference, a fundraising drive at the National Theatre and was followed by a charity walk from the theatre to KCC Grounds in Lugogo, where different artistes performed. Among these were Mowzey Radio and Weasle, Rabadaba, Aziz Azion, Michael Ross, Cindy and GNL. Items like clothes, shoes, blankets and money were collected. Ernest Wasake, the promotions manager of Vision Voice, appreciated the musicians for supporting a good cause."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/622741-tree-plantings-should-be-for-dual-purpose.html","content":" - THE Government is to embark on an aggressive tree-planting programme in the degraded mountainous areas to prevent future landslides. Reforestation is one of the major solutions to landslides and other effects of deforestation, especially on hilly areas. Many communities in Uganda do not yet know the dangers inherent in unfriendly human activities like cutting trees without replacing them. Few people understand issues like environment conservation, climate change and tourism. However, the reforestation plan should also focus on improving the livelihoods of the people surrounding these areas. One of the major reasons why many forests have been depleted is the lack of visible benefit from the resource yet alternatives like charcoal, timber and farming are more visible and provide direct benefit to the people. The country is facing a challenge of unemployment, which has affected many, and tree planting could be one of the areas where people, especially the youth, can generate some income through provision of labour. Tree planting is a business which has costs like any other business. At the same time, planting any type of tree just for the sake of creating a forest will not be a solution as the same reasons given above for deforestation will be repeated in future. Tree planting should be for environment conservation and business in one package. Perhaps the selected areas on which trees are to be planted should be leased out to private individuals who can establish commercial tree plantations. These plantations will provide employment for the rural communities and reduce Government expenditure. To boost the implementation of the project, the Government can provide free seedlings to farmers upon agreeing with them on the species of trees to plant, the season for planting and sources of the seedlings. The Government should also ensure that the areas designated for tree planting are free from conflict over land, otherwise, the trees could be burnt down as revenge for forceful eviction."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/622872-news-in-brief.html","content":" - Expert tips on landslide control KAMPALA - Landslides in hilly areas can be alleviated by promoting appropriate soil conservation technologies, Prof. Abwooli Banana of Makerere University has said. This follows the recent landslide that buried three villages in Bududa district, killing hundreds of people. In an interview, Banana attributed the lack of trees on hills to the increased occurrence of landslides in the country. Refugee gender violence study on KAMPALA - A survey to ascertain the level of gender-based violence among refugee communities in Uganda has started. The three-month exercise that is being conducted by the Pan African Development Education Advocacy Programme, was recently launched in Kisenyi, a Kampala slum area, heavily populated with Somali refuges. “A lot of research on gender-based violence has been conducted in Uganda but nothing has been done regarding the refugee community yet their rights are also violated,’ said Irunga Kibakhs, the programme officer."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/623004-300-manafwa-families-flee-imminent-landslides.html","content":" - By Daniel Edyegu OVER 300 families residing on the mountainous parts of Manafwa district have fled their homes due to the emergence of cracks in the ground, signaling an imminent recurrence of landslides. The gaping cracks that slither through gardens, compounds and under rock are visible in the seven sub-counties of Mukhoto, Bupoto, Bumbo, Bwabwala, Mukhoho, Tsekhululu and Kaato. In some areas, mini landslides that occurred about two weeks ago, have destroyed banana crops. Rose Wangaya, 38, of Nabirara village in Mukhoto, narrated that she abandoned her home on a steep slope with her five children after narrowly surviving a mini-landslide. “We were getting shelter from the evening drizzle when the landslide occurred. The ground faulted and carried down the poultry house located about three metres from our house. This frightened us. I decided to rent a house in the village to avoid danger,” Wagaya said. Moses Masabasi, 56, from Maalo village, said the mini-landslide buried about two acres of his coffee plantation that was inter-cropped with cassava, potatoes and bananas. “I have eight children who are all at school. That is the only piece of land that I have been tilling to earn money to cater for their education and feeding. My family now lacks food and I’m relying on handouts from relatives,” he said. Solomon Nagimolo, a local council official of Nabirara village, explained that much as the landslide did not kill people, it would result into hunger, as most people lost crops. “What saved us was that the landslides occurred during the day so people who saw cracks on the ground fled to safety before they could be carried off. Displaced people are living with relatives, while some have opted to rent houses in the local trading centres at ranging between sh5,000 and sh7,000 per month,” Nagimolo said. George Wanakina, the Manafwa natural resource’s officer explained that the fresh cracks were signs of a looming landslide and urged the residents to stay away from such spots. Wanakina said the faults were created due to the poor farming methods and population pressure. Following a directive from the office of the prime minister, the Manafwa disaster management committee led by the district chief administrative officer, Juma Nkunyinji, visited the sub-counties to analyse the extent of the disaster and determine appropriate intervention. Nkunyinji stated that the district was planning to evacuate most of the residents who were residing on the faulted slopes. “We plan to temporarily put them up in schools and churches. What we need urgently is food, tarpaulins and toilets. This disaster has come in the wake of a cholera outbreak in the district. We have to find measures to mitigate the spread of the disease,” Nkunyinji said. He lamented that only 50 bags of sugar and 200 of maize had been delivered by charity organisations to the victims. Manafwa neighbours Bududa district, which was hit by a devastating landslide three weeks ago. The Government declared that the whole of Mt. Elgon was prone to more landslides, after they swept away three entire villages and claimed over 300 lives in Bududa on March 2. In the aftermath of the Bududa landslide, search teams consisting of UN Agencies, the Red Cross and the UPDF have recovered 95 bodies. over 350 people are still missing. According to the ministry of disaster preparedness, over 3,000 people from 800 families have been resettled in Bulucheke camp. However, the number of displaced families is projected to climb to 900. Also, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported that more than 300,000 people near the mountain and the neighbouring lowlands had been displaced by floods. Of these, more than 33,000 people have been affected in Butaleja district, mainly due to crop loss. Among the displaced are over 800 school-going children from the three affected sub-counties. The children have been transferred from Tunuwasi, Nametsi and Kitsatsa primary schools, located within Bulucheke camp."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/623106-cmc-supports-tombs-re-building.html","content":" - By Johnson Were THE Central Motor Club (CMC) has dedicated next weekend’s motor sprint in Lubiri to the Bududa landslide victims in Mbale and Kasubi Tombs razed down by fire. CMC secretary Leone Ssennyange announced at the launch of the Race to Race Sprint in Lubiri yesterday. “We are going to give part of the proceeds to our brothers and sisters in Bududa, and aid the reconstruction of Kasubi Tombs as part of our social responsibility,” Ssennyange stated. The motor rally fraternity joins several firms and individuals that have assisted the Bududa victims. The rallying group is also keen to play a part in re-building the Kasubi tombs. On Tuesday, fire gutted the over 130-year old structure where remains of four Buganda Kings are buried. The Katikkiro of Buganda John Baptist Walusimbi said on Wednesday that the tombs will be rebuilt. The tombs are an example of traditional Ganda architecture and a testimony of the living Ganda traditions. For Uganda, the site represents an important symbol of its history and culture. The tombs were listed as a UNESCO world heritage site in 2001. The Race to Race Sprint organisers said 40 drivers are expected to compete with the registration expected to start soon."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/623200-wangari-maathai-warns-on-deforestation.html","content":" - By Cyprian Musoke A HIGH deforestation rate leaves the soils exposed, increasing the population’s vulnerability to the negative impacts of climate change like landslides, Wangari Maathai, an environment activist and nobel Prize winner, has said. Addressing the 15th African water and sanitation congress at Speke Resort Munyonyo on Tuesday, Maathai stressed that governments must curb deforestation. “One of the destructive initiatives introduced into the East African region during the colonial era is the clearing of indigenous forests and replacing them with commercial plantations of exotic species,” she said. Sacrificing the welfare of future generations to please big business interests is short-term, Maathai added. Life, she stressed, can go on without sugar, paper and furniture, but people will die if the ecosystem is tampered with."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/623255-kampala-teens-donate-to-bududa.html","content":" - By Pidson Kareire IF you thought our teenagers were good for nothing, you should have been at Garden City last Saturday. Teens residing in Kampala showcased their various talents in a charity campaign to donate items to Bududa landslide survivors and other needy people. The event kicked off in the morning at Watoto Church in Kampala, where participants gave out various items. A charity walk, along Parliament Avenue, to Oasis Mall and Garden City followed from 10:00am to 11:00am. The event climaxed into a random spelling competition for all charity walkers. There was also voluntary car wash, dance competitions and blood donation with the Uganda Red Cross."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/623275-bududa-tragedy.html","content":" - By Fredrick Womakuyu Schools on rough road to recovery The pain of the landslide tragedy that hit Bududa district will stay on for long. The education sector was severely affected. About 100 pupils perished. As seventy-eight-year-old Dison Kuloba remembers the sight of helpless children who could not run to safety, he is overcome with grief. On the day of the tragedy, over 100 children who took shelter at Nametsi Health Centre perished. At Nametsi Primary School, Ezra Obed, the head teacher confirmed that 37 pupils died. “We had the highest number of the pupils that were killed. We have recovered only 17 bodies,” he says. He recalls that after realising the rain was not stopping, the teachers sent the pupils back home, advising them against crossing flooded rivers. The children took the teachers’ advice and took shelter at Nametsi trading centre. However, at about 8:00pm, at Nametsi trading centre, an estimated 400 people were buried alive. To date, about 300 are still missing. Enock Makobi, a teacher at Bukalasi Secondary School says most of the missing are children who had taken shelter at the health centre. “We have recovered only 10 bodies. About 26 pupils from Tunuwasi Primary School are still missing. Over 40 students of Bukalasi Secondary School are also still missing, after only about 23 bodies were recovered,” he says. Amosi Mulahama, a teacher at Nametsi Primary School says: “If the landslide had reached the schools, the teachers would probably have died. Thankfully, no teacher was hurt or killed,” he says. He says many children died because they walked several kilometres to and from school. “The community of over 5,000 people has only three primary schools and the nearest secondary school is 21km away. The rain trapped them at the trading centre,” Mulahama says. Parents tell sad stories Parents and teachers at Namashet parish have sad stories to tell. John Musumba, a parent at Nametsi lost 12 children and two wives. “Six of my children were studying at Tunuwasi Primary school. I had a house in the trading centre, where some of my other children were staying. I was away in Mbale district when tragedy struck,” says Musumba. Fred Wangwe, a teacher at Nametsi Primary School says since the river next to their school was flooded, he had to use a wooden door as a bridge. He believes pupils and students in Namashet had been living dangerously. “This place has steep hills and valleys — crisscrossed by water sources. The water sources flood whenever it rains heavily, which hinders students from crossing,” he says. In fact, sometimes the rain would be so heavy that many would not attend school. This gradually affected the school’s performance. In last year’s national examination results, Nametsi Primary School had no pupils in first division. Only three out of 40 pupils who sat the 2009 Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE), passed in second grade. Of the 2,206 candidates who sat PLE from Bududa district, only 16 passed in division one. This was the second worst performing district in Uganda after Manafwa. Since it was founded in 1989, Nametsi Primary School has had only one pupil passing in the first grade. “Over 70% of the pupils drop out by P.6. The few pupils who continue to S.1 drop out due to lack of school fees and morale. Most parents engage their children in farming and marry the girls off early,” Wangwe says. Way forward Ezra Nabute, the headteacher of Nametsi Primary School requests the Government to transfer the schools from Namashet parish to a flat ground. “There are no role models for the children to emulate in this village. People don’t value education and depend on farming for survival. Maybe this could have contributed to the disaster due to over cultivation and poor farming methods,” he says. Schools to be relocated Bududa district chief accounting officer, Vitalis Oswan, says classes had been suspended in the affected area indefinitely while residents are urged to relocate. “We are convincing them to leave. We have set up temporary classes in the camp and some of the children are learning,” he says. The two primary schools in Namashet — Tunuwasi and Nametsi primary schools, were not affected by the floods and the residents think they can still use the schools. “However, the area is prone to landslides and if we neglect our children, they will perish. That is why we are trying to get them out,” Oswan says. Over 1,500 pupils are to be relocated to new schools. Seven temporary tent classrooms with about 150 pupils have been set up. These have about 150 pupils already studying. “We need to sensitise and counsel the affected. With time, they will go back to school,” he says."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/623276-bududa-tragedy.html","content":" - By Fredrick Womakuyu Schools on rough road to recovery The pain of the landslide tragedy that hit Bududa district will stay on for long. The education sector was severely affected. About 100 pupils perished. As seventy-eight-year-old Dison Kuloba remembers the sight of helpless children who could not run to safety, he is overcome with grief. On the day of the tragedy, over 100 children who took shelter at Nametsi Health Centre perished. At Nametsi Primary School, Ezra Obed, the head teacher confirmed that 37 pupils died. “We had the highest number of the pupils that were killed. We have recovered only 17 bodies,” he says. He recalls that after realising the rain was not stopping, the teachers sent the pupils back home, advising them against crossing flooded rivers. The children took the teachers’ advice and took shelter at Nametsi trading centre. However, at about 8:00pm, at Nametsi trading centre, an estimated 400 people were buried alive. To date, about 300 are still missing. Enock Makobi, a teacher at Bukalasi Secondary School says most of the missing are children who had taken shelter at the health centre. “We have recovered only 10 bodies. About 26 pupils from Tunuwasi Primary School are still missing. Over 40 students of Bukalasi Secondary School are also still missing, after only about 23 bodies were recovered,” he says. Amosi Mulahama, a teacher at Nametsi Primary School says: “If the landslide had reached the schools, the teachers would probably have died. Thankfully, no teacher was hurt or killed,” he says. He says many children died because they walked several kilometres to and from school. “The community of over 5,000 people has only three primary schools and the nearest secondary school is 21km away. The rain trapped them at the trading centre,” Mulahama says. Parents tell sad stories Parents and teachers at Namashet parish have sad stories to tell. John Musumba, a parent at Nametsi lost 12 children and two wives. “Six of my children were studying at Tunuwasi Primary school. I had a house in the trading centre, where some of my other children were staying. I was away in Mbale district when tragedy struck,” says Musumba. Fred Wangwe, a teacher at Nametsi Primary School says since the river next to their school was flooded, he had to use a wooden door as a bridge. He believes pupils and students in Namashet had been living dangerously. “This place has steep hills and valleys — crisscrossed by water sources. The water sources flood whenever it rains heavily, which hinders students from crossing,” he says. In fact, sometimes the rain would be so heavy that many would not attend school. This gradually affected the school’s performance. In last year’s national examination results, Nametsi Primary School had no pupils in first division. Only three out of 40 pupils who sat the 2009 Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE), passed in second grade. Of the 2,206 candidates who sat PLE from Bududa district, only 16 passed in division one. This was the second worst performing district in Uganda after Manafwa. Since it was founded in 1989, Nametsi Primary School has had only one pupil passing in the first grade. “Over 70% of the pupils drop out by P.6. The few pupils who continue to S.1 drop out due to lack of school fees and morale. Most parents engage their children in farming and marry the girls off early,” Wangwe says. Way forward Ezra Nabute, the headteacher of Nametsi Primary School requests the Government to transfer the schools from Namashet parish to a flat ground. “There are no role models for the children to emulate in this village. People don’t value education and depend on farming for survival. Maybe this could have contributed to the disaster due to over cultivation and poor farming methods,” he says. Schools to be relocated Bududa district chief accounting officer, Vitalis Oswan, says classes had been suspended in the affected area indefinitely while residents are urged to relocate. “We are convincing them to leave. We have set up temporary classes in the camp and some of the children are learning,” he says. The two primary schools in Namashet — Tunuwasi and Nametsi primary schools, were not affected by the floods and the residents think they can still use the schools. “However, the area is prone to landslides and if we neglect our children, they will perish. That is why we are trying to get them out,” Oswan says. Over 1,500 pupils are to be relocated to new schools. Seven temporary tent classrooms with about 150 pupils have been set up. These have about 150 pupils already studying. “We need to sensitise and counsel the affected. With time, they will go back to school,” he says."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/470398-why-we-wrote-to-wb-on-bujagali.html","content":" - By Geoffrey Ekanya SOME people are alleging that the letter Salaam Musumba, Ken Lukyamuzi, Nathan Mafabi, Frank Nabwiso, Nsubuga Nsambu, Daniel Kiwalabye and myself wrote to the World Bank (WB) is what the reason Bujagali dam failed to take off and that we are the cause of loadshedding. This is misrepresentation of the facts. The letter we wrote to WB was part of the Bank’s request to the public that anybody with information relating to the project that is relevant to the improvement as regard to designing, funding and implementation should avail the bank with such information. Under the WB’s policy, for any project the bank intends to fund, there is a department of investigation that it deploys to verify any anomalies that might arise. Ugandans should remember that the power purchase agreement that was negotiated between the government of Uganda and AES Nile Power, the company that was to build the dam, had so many anomalies and most of them were leading to government’s refusal to avail documents to the public for scrutiny. When the committee of parliament on National Economy, then chaired by Isaac Musumba, realised this it summoned the Minister of Energy and caused reviews and adjustments to be made. Some of these reviews were related to the issue of unit cost of power at generation. Whereas government had signed an agreement to buy power at generation at a cost of $10 cents per unit generated, when some of us intervened, through a committee, the company accepted to adjust the cost to $4 cents per unit at generation. That meant that if we had not intervened, $10 cents at generation plus the cost of distribution and cost of power loss, which is now sh216, plus tax and profits, the consumer would pay over sh450 per unit. This would have been unaffordable to many Ugandans. With this, people should appreciate our intervention. Secondly the government and the company had guaranteed the level of Lake Victoria. The clause in the agreement stated that in case the level receded, as is the case today, and the company is unable to generate power the government would pay as if the company would be generating 250mega watts. If we had not written, today we would be paying because the level of the water has gone down. Ugandans must be grateful and appreciate our intervention. The money government would be paying the company generating nothing is now being injected into the diesel tax exemption. It was amazing that two months after we wrote to WB, the company collapsed. This was because in our letter we had indicated that the company was involved in financial scandal and corruption. It ran bankrupt, its leaders were even charged in US courts for several financial illegalities. It was de-registered from the US financial markets. If it were not for our letter, the company would have used the license and the rights on Bujagali to borrow money whose liability would be a burden of Ugandans. From that time we continued to advocate that the best option was the construction of Karuma dam which is environmentally friendly, less costly and requires less water. The WB is a worldwide institution with offices all over the world. It has mechanisms to verify information it receives. It’s unlikely the Bank took information from a group of MPs as the gospel truth. The Bank took the position because of its own findings on this project besides our letter, which was in the best interest of all Ugandans. The writer is MP for Tororo As told to Mary Karugaba"}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/672756--i-stopped-counting-doctor-on-discovering-migrant-boat-dead.html","content":" - Stiff lifeless bodies submerged in water -- it's a sight Canadian doctor Simon Bryant won't soon forget after he found dozens of dead migrants in the hold of a boat off Libya. \"Yesterday was a difficult day,\" Bryant said in a Skype interview with AFP on Thursday. The 56-year-old doctor was on a mission Wednesday with Doctors Without Borders on the Phoenix, a vessel dedicated to rescuing migrants, when he was asked to help the Swedish coast guard during their rescue of a wooden boat with over 450 people on board. \"I went over there, with one of our nurses...We quickly saw that there were three or four people who were improving on the deck, so I went back on to the wooden boat and below deck, and I discovered many dead bodies.\" Fifty-two dead bodies to be precise. People that left lives of poverty and countries wrenched by conflict in hopes of reaching Europe and a better life. Bryant said that when he began examining the bodies, many of them were already stiff. Equipped with a headlight, and an air hose for air supply below deck, Bryant continued to look for possible survivors. \"I started checking people for signs of life, and I stopped counting after 24...\" The doctor said there were fumes from petrol in the hold. \"I just quickly checked for signs of life and moved on. There was water in the boat, some people were half in the water, face down...\" \"When I came back up on top, there was a little more space and there were four bodies lying, but one of them was actually just barely breathing,\" Bryant said. The man was quickly taken to a hospital on the Italian island of Lampedusa via helicopter. Bryant's work was not over yet, however. He then examined the other migrants on the boat, as well hundreds more rescued in the same area Wednesday. Reflecting on the macabre scene in the boat, he said: \"It's not something that I want to do again. \"I didn't sleep last night, afterwards. Actually, many of our staff just rested but didn't sleep.\" According to the Italian coast guard, which coordinates rescue operations between Libya and Italy, around 3,000 migrants were rescued Wednesday, with another 1,400 rescued Thursday.  \"When they come on board, we have the opportunity to speak with them. On the first day, most of them are exhausted, they sleep a lot.\" But soon, many of the migrants begin opening up about their journeys. \"After that you get to hear their stories, and it can be a very sad time, a very anxious time,\" Bryant said. Bryant calls the situation \"avoidable\" if there is enough of a global response. But more deaths are inevitable, the medic said. \"Unfortunately, there will be deaths, there will be many deaths...\" \"These aren't just numbers, these are people who have stories that we will never get a chance to hear.\" Related to the story 40 dead in new migrant tragedy in Med, 2,000 in danger 700 feared dead in migrant shipwreck 29 African migrants die off Italian coast"}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/656132-diver-dies-at-s-korea-ferry-disaster-site.html","content":" - SEOUL - A South Korean diver died Friday during efforts to cut a new access hole into a submerged ferry that sank last month with the loss of around 300 lives, the coastguard said. The 46-year-old diver, identified only as Kim, was pulled from the water unconscious and bleeding from his face, a coastguard official said. He was later pronounced dead in hospital, but the precise cause of death was not immediately clear, the official said. He was the second diver killed in the operation to retrieve hundreds of bodies from the 6,825-tonne Sewol ferry, which sank on April 16 off the southern coast. Most of the people on the sunken ferry were schoolchildren. PHOTO/AFP   Relatives of those on the ill-fated vessel hoped for any news from the rescue operation. PHOTO/AFP/Getty Images The Sewol was carrying 476 people -- most of them schoolchildren. No bodies have been recovered since May 21, leaving the confirmed death toll at 288, with 16 still unaccounted for. Divers have had to battle strong currents and work in near-zero visibility. Two dozen have been treated for injuries and decompression sickness. AFP Also related to this story Students on ill-fated ferry joked about 'the Titanic' S. Korean PM resigns over ferry disaster President apologises for ferry disaster Ferry crew could face murder charges"}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/654841-body-of-first-caller-from-s-korean-ferry-found.html","content":" - SEOUL - The body of a high school student who made the first distress call from a sinking South Korean ferry was recovered from the submerged vessel on Thursday, news reports said. The student, identified by his surname Choi, had called the emergency 119 number at 8:52am on Wednesday last week, three minutes before the crew of the 6,825 tonne Sewol sent their first distress signal. The timing of his terrified message -- \"Save us. The ship is sinking\" -- has fuelled anger over the slow response of the Sewol's captain and crew as the disaster unfolded. The confirmed death toll stood at 162 on Thursday, with 140 still unaccounted for -- their bodies believed trapped in the ship that capsized in circumstances that have yet to be fully explained. Yonhap news agency said divers had retrieved the boy's body from inside the ferry on Thursday morning and it had been identified by his parents. A DNA test was being carried out to formally confirm his identity, Yonhap said. The boy was one of 325 students from the same high school who were on the ferry, bound for the southern resort island of Jeju, when it capsized. During his 119 call, Choi was bombarded with questions about the ferry's coordinates and the number of people on board. A coastguard official later told reporters that emergency services had mistaken him for a crew member. The captain and 11 crew members have either been arrested or taken into police custody awaiting charges. AFP"}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/654713-first-bodies-pulled-from-submerged-korean-ferry.html","content":" - JINDO  - Divers began retrieving bodies Sunday from inside the submerged South Korean ferry that capsized four days ago with hundreds of children on board, as families angered by the pace of the rescue efforts scuffled with police. Coastguard officials said 16 bodies had been removed from the ship which sank on Wednesday morning, pushing operations further along the painful transition from rescue to recovery and identification. The retrieval of the first bodies from the interior came after prosecutors revealed that the officer at the helm of the 6,825-tonne Sewol when it capsized was not familiar with those particular waters. The confirmed death toll from the disaster stood at 56 with 246 people still unaccounted for. Three bodies were pulled out of the fully submerged ferry just before midnight and another 13 were recovered later Sunday morning, a coastguard spokesman said. The breakthrough followed days of fruitless efforts by more than 500 divers to access the capsized ship, while battling powerful currents and near-zero visibility. It was a watershed moment for distraught relatives who have clung desperately to the idea that some passengers may have survived in air pockets in the upturned vessel. The bodies were placed in tents at the harbour on Jindo island -- not far from the disaster site -- where the relatives have been camped out in a gymnasium since the ferry went down. In a process that looks set to be repeated with tragic frequency in the coming days, they were checked for IDs and other particulars, after which their relatives were informed and asked to make an official identification. - Trauma of identification - Some of the policemen standing guard at the tents were openly weeping, while the cries of the family members could be heard from inside. Of the 476 people on board the Sewol, 350 were high school students headed for the holiday island of Jeju. The devastated relatives have repeatedly denounced what they feel has been a botched, delayed and incompetent emergency response to the disaster. Nearly 200 family members set off Sunday on a hike from Jindo to Seoul -- 420 kilometres (260 miles) to the north -- where they planned to march on the presidential Blue House in protest. Scuffles broke out when they were prevented from crossing the bridge to the mainland by a large police detachment, and eventually they were forced to turn back. One of the marchers, Chung Hye-Sook, a mother of one of the missing students, said she was appalled that the authorities had begun taking DNA samples to facilitate identification of the bodies before the entire ferry had been searched. \"What are those people thinking?!,\" Chung shouted. \"We are asking them to save our children's lives. We can't even think about DNA testing. I want to save my child first,\" she said. Three giant floating cranes have been at the disaster site off the southern coast of South Korea for days, but the coastguard has promised it will not begin lifting the ferry until it is clear there is nobody left alive. Investigators have arrested the ferry's captain, Lee Joon-Seok who has been bitterly criticised for abandoning hundreds of passengers still trapped in the ferry as he made his own escape. Also detained were a 55-year-old helmsman and the ship's young and relatively inexperienced third officer, identified by her surname Park, who was in charge of the bridge when the disaster occurred. Tracking data shows the ship took a radical right turn while navigating through a group of islets off the southern coast. Such a sharp turn could have dislodged the heavy cargo manifest -- including more than 150 vehicles -- and destabilised the vessel, causing it to list heavily and then capsize. - Inexperience at the helm? - While Park, 26, had been sailing the Incheon-Jeju for six months, \"it was the first time for her to navigate this particular route,\" a senior prosecutor told reporters Saturday. The captain said he was returning to the bridge from his cabin when the ship ran into trouble. Questioned as to why passengers had been ordered not to move for more than 40 minutes after the ship first foundered, the captain insisted he had acted in their best interests. \"The currents were very strong ... I thought that passengers would be swept far away and fall into trouble if they evacuated thoughtlessly,\" Lee said. The ferry tragedy looks set to become one of South Korea's worst peacetime disasters. A Seoul department store collapsed in 1995, killing more than 500 people, while nearly 300 people died when a ferry capsized off the west coast in 1993. Around 30 percent of South Koreans are practising Christians and special prayers were said across the country on Easter Sunday for the ferry victims. AFP"}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/654692-korea-ferry-captain-arrested-divers-enter-ship.html","content":" - JINDO, April  - The captain of a South Korean ferry that capsized three days ago was reportedly arrested early Saturday, as divers overcame strong currents and near zero visibility to enter the submerged vessel for the first time.   A team of police and prosecutors had sought on Friday arrest warrants for Lee Joon-Seok, 52, and two of his crew without specifying charges, the coastguard had said, after the incident that left 28 people confirmed dead and another 268 still missing.   On Saturday the Yonhap news agency reported that Lee was in custody and faced five charges, including negligence of duty and violation of maritime law.   Yonhap said a local court in Mokpo had issued arrest warrants for him and two other crew members, citing the possibility that they may flee or destroy evidence.   Earlier, prosecutors said Lee had handed the helm to his third officer before the ferry capsized.   Three days after the sinking, relatives were clinging to increasingly slim hopes that some may have survived in air pockets.   The unfolding tragedy was compounded by the apparent suicide of a high school vice principal who had been rescued from the 6,825-tonne Sewol that sank Wednesday morning with hundreds of his students trapped inside.   The breakthrough by dive teams in finally accessing the ship came more than 48 hours after the 6,825-tonne Sewol went down -- a delay that has incensed the relatives of those still unaccounted for.   After several attempts, two divers managed to pry open a door and enter the cargo section on Friday afternoon, a senior coastguard official said.   Hours later another two-man team accessed one of the cabins, but found nothing.   \"The search operation will continue through the night,\" the official said.   \"Visibility is almost non-existent. You can hardly see your hand in front of you face,\" said one diver when he returned to the harbour at nearby Jindo island.   Of the 475 people on board the Sewol, only 179 were rescued and no new survivors have been found since Wednesday.     AFP"}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/654673-captain-not-at-helm-of-capsized-s-korean-ferry.html","content":" - JINDO - The captain was not at the helm of the South Korean ferry that capsized two days ago, investigators said Friday, as anger spread over stalled rescue efforts for hundreds of missing passengers trapped by the submerged vessel.   More than 48 hours after the 6,825-tonne Sewol suddenly listed and then sank, a small army of more than 500 exhausted divers -- battling powerful currents -- have yet to obtain any real access to the ferry's interior.   Two divers managed to partially pry open a door on the side of the ship, but did not swim inside, the coastguard said.   \"Visibility is almost non-existent. You can hardly see your hand in front of you face,\" said one diver when he returned to the harbour at nearby Jindo island.   The confirmed death toll stood at 28, but the focus of concern remained the 268 people still unaccounted for -- hundreds of them children on a high school outing to the southern resort island of Jeju.   As the dive teams worked on accessing the ferry, two divers bored holes in the hull and began injecting oxygen into the ship.   The weather conditions were challenging, with rain and fog, and strong sea swells that covered the small keel section of the Sewol that had previously poked above the surface.   Of the 475 people on board when the Sewol capsized, 179 were rescued, but no new survivors have been found since Wednesday.   Three giant, floating cranes reached the disaster site, but regional coastguard commander Kim Soo-Hyun stressed they would not begin lifting the multi-deck ferry until they were sure there were no survivors inside.   No salvage before rescue    \"I want to be clear: There won't be any salvage work done against the will of the families,\" he said.   There were 352 students on board and for the parents of those who were not rescued there was bitter resentment at what they saw as the inadequacy of the official response.   \"It's been two days but no one has been brought out alive,\" complained Lee Yong-Gi, whose son was among the missing students.   \"I firmly believe that the kids are alive. We need to rescue them as soon as possible. But officials are dragging their feet,\" Lee told AFP.   Another father accused the authorities of indifference and deception in an appeal broadcast live on television.   \"The government lied yesterday,\" he said, speaking from a podium in a Jindo gymnasium where hundreds of blanket-wrapped relatives have been sleeping on the floor since the tragedy unfolded.   Disputing the official figures of hundreds of divers, vessels and aircraft being deployed, he said he and other relatives had visited the rescue site and seen only a dozen ships and helicopters.   \"Everyone, is this the reality of South Korea? We plead once more, please save our children,\" he said.   A coastguard official trying to brief the relatives was pushed and slapped around the face.   The initial public backlash has centred on the captain, Lee Joon-Seok, and his 28 crew, most of whom survived the disaster.   State prosecutors said preliminary investigations showed the third officer was at the helm of the ferry.   Captain not in command    \"The captain was not in command when the accident took place,\" prosecutor Park Jae-Eok told a press briefing.   The captain was \"in the back\" he added, without elaborating.   The captain apologised Thursday to the victims and their relatives, but offered no clear explanation for what caused the Sewol to capsize.   \"I feel really sorry for the passengers, victims and families,\" Lee said. \"I feel ashamed.\"   Tracking data from the Maritime Ministry showed that the ferry made a sharp turn just before sending its first distress signal.   Some experts believe a tight turn could have dislodged the heavy cargo manifest -- including more than 150 vehicles -- and destabilised the vessel, causing it to list heavily and then capsize.   But others suggested the turn might have been caused by a collision with a rock or other submerged object.   Chief prosecutor Lee Seong-Yoon stressed there was \"no limit\" to the range of the investigation.   \"We will make sure... those responsible are sternly held accountable,\" Lee said.   As well as the cause of the disaster, investigators will be looking at why passengers were ordered to stay in their cabins and seats for up to 40 minutes after the ferry ran into trouble.   Furious relatives believe many more people would have escaped if they had reached evacuation points before the ship listed sharply and water started flooding in.   Newspaper editorials were scathing with the Dong-A Ilbo daily calling the rescue response \"ludicrous\".   \"We have the world's finest shipbuilding industry in the 21st century, but our mindset is in the 19th century,\" the newspaper said.   AFP"}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/636607-pioneer-bus-sacks-chief-executive-officer.html","content":" - By Brian Mayanja and Taddeo Bwambale After only seven months in the city transport business, Pioneer Easy Bus may be closing business. The bus company seems to be submerged in a chain of endless problems. New Vision online has learnt that the company has fired its chief executive officer, Seyi Osiyemi. The move came after a drivers’ sit-down strike that paralysed city transport recently. Fred Senoga, the managing director of the company, said they fired Osiyemi due to incompetence. Another director, David Baingana, said: “He was hired to meet certain targets, which he failed. We are in business to excel,” Baigana explained. Efforts to talk Osiyemi were futile as he is reportedly out of the country. The bus company has phased-out some routes formerly plied by the buses, like Kampala-Luzira and Kampala-Kajjansi is also to follow suit. The bus owners say they cut down the operations to pave way for the introduction of an automated fare collection system, following reports that some stewards were collecting money without issuing tickets. The drivers said they had never received their daily allowances since the company started operating in March. The drivers are entitled to a daily allowance of sh15, 000 and a sh300, 000 monthly salary. They added that even the free medical services they used to get at Naguru Hospital stopped. Senoga said delays in paying salaries were due to management problems. “Some sectors had been neglected. But we have started making reforms,” he said. Other sources within the company attributed the financial crisis to a $10m loan they secured from Standard Chartered Bank to procure the 100 buses. “We serve that loan at 15%. We secured another sh6b loan to pay URA. This why we are facing a lot of problems,” a source said. Another issue they highlighted was that the buses are ever facing mechanical problems. Senoga accused KCCA of failing to play its part in the contract, which had made it hard for the company to fulfill their side of the deal. “KCCA wants us to pay the dues on time, yet we are competing with taxis. How shall we raise the funds,” he said. Since the firm phased-out some routes, a fleet of about 20 buses were parked and the drivers are reportedly working in shifts. The company had also promised to import about 500 buses in one year, but there have been no new arrivals since 100 came in February. New Vision has also learnt that since the bus company started operating in the city, it has also never remitted dues agreed on with KCCA. According to the agreement, the firm was to pay sh300,000 per month for every bus operating in the city. Each bus reportedly makes about sh500, 000 per day. City Lord Mayor, Erias Lukwago said the company owes KCCA approximately sh2.4b in uncollected taxes."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/628395-14-still-missing-from-italian-ship-disaster.html","content":" - GIGLIO, Italy - Rescue workers searched the half submerged hulk of a capsized Italian cruise ship for 14 people still missing on Monday, more than 48 hours after the huge vessel capsized, killing at least six and injuring more than 60. Three people, a South Korean honeymoon couple and a member of the ship's crew, were rescued on Sunday and police divers also recovered the bodies of two elderly men, still wearing emergency life jackets. A sixth body, that of an adult male passenger, was found just before dawn on Monday, according to Italian television. Nine passengers, one of them a young child according to Italian media, and five crew members were still unaccounted for from the disaster off Italy's west coast. The captain of the 114,500 tonne Costa Concordia was arrested on Saturday, accused of manslaughter and abandoning his ship before all of the more than 4,200 passengers and crew had been evacuated. Francesco Schettino's employers, Costa Crociere, said in a statement on Sunday that he appeared to have made \"serious errors of judgment\" and had brought the ship too close to shore, where it struck a rock that tore a large hole in the hull. The disaster occurred when the ship struck a rock as dinner was being served on Friday night, triggering scenes of panic that witnesses said were like the film \"Titanic\" with passengers jostling to get on lifeboats and some leaping into the icy sea. Passengers say there were unexplained delays in organising the evacuation of those on board and this had resulted in chaos. The vast hulk of the 290-metre-long ship, half submerged and lying on its side, loomed over the little port of Giglio, an island in a maritime nature reserve off the Tuscan coast. A large gash could be seen in its hull but salvage experts said its fuel tanks did not appear to have been damaged, lessening the danger of an oil spill in the pristine waters. Paolo Tronca, a local fire department official, said the search would go on \"for 24 hours a day as long as we have to\". Investigators were working through evidence from the equivalent of the \"black boxes\" carried on aircraft to try to establish the precise sequence of events behind the disaster, which occurred in calm seas and clear weather. \"Serious human error\" Defence Minister Giampaolo Di Paola, a naval admiral, said the disaster did not appear to have been caused by natural or technical factors. \"In my estimation there was a serious human error, which had dramatic and tragic consequences,\" he told RAI state television. Operators Costa Crociere said Schettino appeared to have failed to follow standard emergency procedures. \"The route followed by the ship was too close to the coast and it seems that his decisions on the management of the emergency did not follow the procedures of Costa Crociere,\" said the company. Prosecutors accused Schettino, who has worked for Costa Crociere since 2002 and who was promoted to captain in 2006, of leaving the ship before the evacuation was complete. Coastguard officials said he had refused to return to the vessel when asked to. Schettino has told Italian television that the ship hit rocks that were not marked on maps and were not detected by navigation systems. He said the accident occurred some 300 metres from shore. Costa Crociere expressed \"deep sorrow\" for the disaster. It said all crew had been properly trained in safety procedures and that the ship was fully equipped with life jackets, medical supplies and other safety equipment. (Writing by James Mackenzie; Editing by Ralph Gowling) Source: Reuters"}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/545173-floods-destroy-tororo-mbale-bridge.html","content":" - By Moses Nampala THE Tororo-Mbale highway might be closed after floods damaged a bridge built over Manafwa stream, eight miles from Tororo town. On Thursday, hundreds of motorists had to wait for over eight hours for the water that had submerged the bridge to receede. Uganda National Road Authority Tororo branch engineer Stephen Seninde on Friday said: “Because the narrow canals cannot hold the enormous water volume, it has made the stream to swell, causing water to submerge part of the road.” He said he had made a report to the roads authority and was waiting for approval and logistical support. The route is also used by cargo trucks going to Sudan from Mombasa port in Kenya Tororo deputy resident district commissioner Richard Gulume said: “The country is bound to lose revenue and at the same time it may interrupt the flow of cargo to Sudan, particularly trucks from Mombasa using the border route of Malaba in Tororo which is said to be the shortest way to Sudan.” When the New vision visited the bridge, the floods had washed away a layer of the tarmac and part of the bridge canal."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/570113-floods-destroy-tororo-mbale-bridge.html","content":" - By Moses Nampala THE Tororo-Mbale highway might be closed after floods damaged a bridge built over Manafwa stream, eight miles from Tororo town. On Thursday, hundreds of motorists had to wait for over eight hours for the water that had submerged the bridge to receede. Uganda National Road Authority Tororo branch engineer Stephen Seninde on Friday said: “Because the narrow canals cannot hold the enormous water volume, it has made the stream to swell, causing water to submerge part of the road.” He said he had made a report to the roads authority and was waiting for approval and logistical support. The route is also used by cargo trucks going to Sudan from Mombasa port in Kenya Tororo deputy resident district commissioner Richard Gulume said: “The country is bound to lose revenue and at the same time it may interrupt the flow of cargo to Sudan, particularly trucks from Mombasa using the border route of Malaba in Tororo which is said to be the shortest way to Sudan.” When the New vision visited the bridge, the floods had washed away a layer of the tarmac and part of the bridge canal."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/547064-what-of-the-presidentâ-s-health.html","content":" - BY JOHN NAGENDA Sometimes the real import of a piece of news comes hidden, or partly submerged! What is its significance, and what lies behind it? In the case of the question raised in the House this week by Hon Okello Okello MP regarding President Museveni’s health, was I wrong to smell a rat? True, citizens have a right, a duty even, to worry about the person of their Leader. Mr Okello (is it allowed to address him in the singular?) might even expect to be thanked by a grateful nation. But the tone was, if not deliberately gleeful, certainly not over-full of the milk of human kindness. He seemed far more interested in putting the President on the reserve bench, while employing someone else to do his duties. And all this on the evidence, which the President had freely given previously, that he was suffering from an injured finger on his greeting right hand! This had caused him to shake hands with his left, including with your humble columnist in London. (Interestingly enough, the thumb on my left hand has this week given me jip through entunuka - poisoned finger - but I doubt anyone, including the parliamentarian, would want me put aside for a while!) In the dim recesses of histories learnt at Budo, I remember a war, between the English and the Spaniards, referred to as the War of Jenkins’s Ear. Are we now to start a Skirmish, based on the President’s Ring Finger? Perish the thought! Is this finger ailment so grievous that it can impair a president’s ability to a point where, as Mr O O seems to imply, he cannot adequately carry out his duties? In which case as, demanded by the Constitution, someone else, usually his Vice, must take over for the duration? Obviously that is nonsense, passing off as sense, affording the lack-lustre Opposition a rare chance to scoff at Government. (Enjoy while you may!) But for a second my heart gave a lurch, not because of Okello Okello’s fancies but at the thought that Y.K.Museveni was after all nothing but human and what a hole his absence, if it came, would create. Most of all I thought of the Security, with the Barbarians from the far corners moving in to break down the gates. Let the bugle blow. It is high time the very same people he is now visiting round the clock in order to re-stock on their patriotism, came to the protection of their National Treasure. We must all implore the President to cut down on his workload; though it is inconceivable that he will ever relinquish his sacrifice to the nation. It is time to come to his aid, as we shall illustrate from next week. ***************** Meantime elsewhere in the world time rushed along as always. To London the wealthiest 20 nations on the globe, the G20, came to debate the best way forward to beat the worldwide Recession. It was also a good chance to take a look together at the “new kid on the block”: President Obama, (and, as it happened, on his First Lady. Years ago John F Kennedy took his to Paris on a State Visit, and announced: “I am the one accompanying Mrs Jackie Kennedy…!”). In less than a couple of days Obama grasped with both hands the chance of discoursing with the world’s biggest leaders; what a chance on both sides! What’s more he looked fully the part, regardless of shouldering all the cares of the world. It was a mighty feat, especially in one so comparatively young and untried. Some had questioned what realistic gain could possibly come from this G20 meeting, with the globe covered in ash. Obama was one gain, and was a catalyst in the reaching of the Agreement. More than $1.1 trillion was pledged by the Summit, as well as tougher financial regulations worldwide. Each leader went away saying it was their ideas which had won the day! **************** Let me briefly retrace my steps to my gentle piece on the Holy Father last week, or, the Vicar of Christ, as a Mr Deo Ryamugema called him, giving me weak slaps on the wrist, of which I will only counter three. First, there have been studies on why the birth rate of those devout Catholics, the Italians, has dropped well below two kids per family. It is not via abstaining or following that ridiculous “monthly circle” approach perhaps beloved of Deo R and his ilk; it is the pill and the rubber, sometimes together. As for being rude in bringing up the universally known fact of Abstaining Priests, proudly preached by themselves from pulpit and street, I was merely questioning the efficacy of their role in matters sexual. For this, Brother Deo would have me excommunicated from his church (I would first have to be “communicated” there: no chance!), next to cut off my head, and probably to boil me in oil. What a nice man! He must surely be joking to aver “the Catholic doctrine is time-tested and the surest way of avoiding (Aids).” Go look into hospitals and graves! Let me end on a tastier note: singing the praises of our famous Ugandan cricketers down in South Africa, striving to make the Cricket One Day World Series. First they beat Namibia, no mean feat, and then lost narrowly to Canada. Keep your fingers crossed for the next games, and think what our people in all Sport would do if better funded by the nation!"}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/572004-what-of-the-presidentâ-s-health.html","content":" - BY JOHN NAGENDA Sometimes the real import of a piece of news comes hidden, or partly submerged! What is its significance, and what lies behind it? In the case of the question raised in the House this week by Hon Okello Okello MP regarding President Museveni’s health, was I wrong to smell a rat? True, citizens have a right, a duty even, to worry about the person of their Leader. Mr Okello (is it allowed to address him in the singular?) might even expect to be thanked by a grateful nation. But the tone was, if not deliberately gleeful, certainly not over-full of the milk of human kindness. He seemed far more interested in putting the President on the reserve bench, while employing someone else to do his duties. And all this on the evidence, which the President had freely given previously, that he was suffering from an injured finger on his greeting right hand! This had caused him to shake hands with his left, including with your humble columnist in London. (Interestingly enough, the thumb on my left hand has this week given me jip through entunuka - poisoned finger - but I doubt anyone, including the parliamentarian, would want me put aside for a while!) In the dim recesses of histories learnt at Budo, I remember a war, between the English and the Spaniards, referred to as the War of Jenkins’s Ear. Are we now to start a Skirmish, based on the President’s Ring Finger? Perish the thought! Is this finger ailment so grievous that it can impair a president’s ability to a point where, as Mr O O seems to imply, he cannot adequately carry out his duties? In which case as, demanded by the Constitution, someone else, usually his Vice, must take over for the duration? Obviously that is nonsense, passing off as sense, affording the lack-lustre Opposition a rare chance to scoff at Government. (Enjoy while you may!) But for a second my heart gave a lurch, not because of Okello Okello’s fancies but at the thought that Y.K.Museveni was after all nothing but human and what a hole his absence, if it came, would create. Most of all I thought of the Security, with the Barbarians from the far corners moving in to break down the gates. Let the bugle blow. It is high time the very same people he is now visiting round the clock in order to re-stock on their patriotism, came to the protection of their National Treasure. We must all implore the President to cut down on his workload; though it is inconceivable that he will ever relinquish his sacrifice to the nation. It is time to come to his aid, as we shall illustrate from next week. ***************** Meantime elsewhere in the world time rushed along as always. To London the wealthiest 20 nations on the globe, the G20, came to debate the best way forward to beat the worldwide Recession. It was also a good chance to take a look together at the “new kid on the block”: President Obama, (and, as it happened, on his First Lady. Years ago John F Kennedy took his to Paris on a State Visit, and announced: “I am the one accompanying Mrs Jackie Kennedy…!”). In less than a couple of days Obama grasped with both hands the chance of discoursing with the world’s biggest leaders; what a chance on both sides! What’s more he looked fully the part, regardless of shouldering all the cares of the world. It was a mighty feat, especially in one so comparatively young and untried. Some had questioned what realistic gain could possibly come from this G20 meeting, with the globe covered in ash. Obama was one gain, and was a catalyst in the reaching of the Agreement. More than $1.1 trillion was pledged by the Summit, as well as tougher financial regulations worldwide. Each leader went away saying it was their ideas which had won the day! **************** Let me briefly retrace my steps to my gentle piece on the Holy Father last week, or, the Vicar of Christ, as a Mr Deo Ryamugema called him, giving me weak slaps on the wrist, of which I will only counter three. First, there have been studies on why the birth rate of those devout Catholics, the Italians, has dropped well below two kids per family. It is not via abstaining or following that ridiculous “monthly circle” approach perhaps beloved of Deo R and his ilk; it is the pill and the rubber, sometimes together. As for being rude in bringing up the universally known fact of Abstaining Priests, proudly preached by themselves from pulpit and street, I was merely questioning the efficacy of their role in matters sexual. For this, Brother Deo would have me excommunicated from his church (I would first have to be “communicated” there: no chance!), next to cut off my head, and probably to boil me in oil. What a nice man! He must surely be joking to aver “the Catholic doctrine is time-tested and the surest way of avoiding (Aids).” Go look into hospitals and graves! Let me end on a tastier note: singing the praises of our famous Ugandan cricketers down in South Africa, striving to make the Cricket One Day World Series. First they beat Namibia, no mean feat, and then lost narrowly to Canada. Keep your fingers crossed for the next games, and think what our people in all Sport would do if better funded by the nation!"}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/523264-kampala-flooded-by-overnight-rains.html","content":" - By Conan Businge, Gerald Tenywa and Madinah Tebajjukira FOR the third day running yesterday, heavy rains battered Kampala residents. Business in the city came to a halt as the early morning downpour flooded markets, submerged shops and blocked roads in the city centre and suburbs of Bwaise, Kalerwe and Nateete. Accompanied by strong winds and hail stones, the rains pounded the city, sweeping away houses, billboard and trees. The whole day, Kampala and the areas around the Lake Victoria basin were covered in a thick nimbus cloud, thunder and lightning. The rains, which started on Easter Sunday, are expected to go on for the next two months, according to meteorologists. Inside Royal Complex building on Market Street, the flood waters were at the waist-high level of the workers. The building’s electronic gadgets were also buried in water. Some of them could be seen floating on water. “This is not the first time this building has flooded. Today, it is just worse. The management is aware, but is negligent,” said a worker. Most shop owners fought the floods, to save their merchandise. Buckets, basins and two generators were hurriedly procured to clear the building that had a sewage stench. Most vendors, shopkeepers, and hawkers in the city suburbs, yesterday deserted their work stations, as the water swept into their buildings. Some of the residential houses in slums were almost submerged, by the floods. At Kalerwe, the Nsooba channel was completely flooded. “I have lost all I had in my shop. I had several maize flour sacks and they are destroyed,” explained Muhammed Kiyemba, a shopkeeper in Nsooba. Several temporary houses on the Northern By-pass between Bukoto and Kalerwe were reduced to floating debris. In Nateete, latrine slabs were swallowed-up. Human waste could be seen floating away. Dr. Aryamanya Mugisha, the executive director of the National Environment Management Authority blamed the floods on the poor drainage system. He added that the poor construction of the by-pass in a belt of wetlands was also responsible for floods."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/482360-cheptui-awoja-bridges-closed.html","content":" - By Herbert Ssempogo WORKS minister John Nasasira has ordered for the closure of two bridges in eastern Uganda. He said the bridges were death traps. Cheptui, which links Mbale to Kaphorwa and Awoja, which connects Soroti to Kumi, cracked and were submerged during the recent floods that displaced several people. “People should stop using these bridges or they will die,” he told Policemen stationed at the bridge. He advised the people to use alternative routes. Daring residents and businessmen still cross the bridges despite their precarious state. Enterprising residents use boats to ferry people from one side to the other at sh500 per person. “It is our responsibility to ensure that people move from one place to another easily and safely. The brides are not safe,” Nasasira said. Awoja, Nasasira said, would be repaired when the water level reduces, while a new bridge would be erected at Cheptui, but he did not disclose when it would be done. Nasasira was on a three-day tour of eastern Uganda to assess the damage onto the road network and the bridges. According to Nasasira, the ministry could not respond immediately due to the strict procedures supposed to be followed while awarding tenders. “Even during disasters, the laws demand that we go through the tendering process, which is often slow. People caught in floods cannot wait,” he argued. Nasasira said the laws and policies should sometimes be “bent” so as order to assist people during disasters. The ministry engineer-in-chief, Samson Bagonza, added: “We are told that there should be some form of competition before arriving at a price. A firm that loses can even appeal, leading to more delay.” Nasasira hailed Mulowoza Construction officials for successfully re-connecting Soroti to Katakwi via a new road built through Komolo swamp. Earlier, while meeting the Mbale district leaders, Nasasira said the Uganda National Road Authority boss would be appointed next month. He was optimistic that the authority would change the state of roads in the country. District leaders led by the chief administrative officer, Steven Ouma, demanded that the Government takes over the maintenance of some roads."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/484222-marines-at-aswa-bridge.html","content":" - By Dennis Ojwee THE Police has deployed marines to transport travellers across Aswa Bridge in northern Uganda. The 30-metre bridge, situated 40km on the Gulu-Pader-Kitgum highway, has been submerged for over three weeks by the flooded Aswa River. Hundreds of people have on several occasions been stranded at Aswa Bridge. Three people, including a woman and her baby, last week drowned as they tried to cross the bridge. Gulu district Police commander, Yasin Ndimwibo, said the team of marines from the Police headquarters in Kampala arrived in Gulu town last Saturday and were taken to the bridge the following day. Ndimwibo said the experts were camped at the bridge awaiting motorised boats from Kampala to start ferrying people."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/454697-kampala-flooded-after-downpour.html","content":" - By Chris Kiwawulo, Patrick Jaramogi and Conan Businge BUILDINGS flooded, roads submerged and bridges were washed away in several parts of the capital yesterday as a result of heavy rain fall. The downpour in Kampala, which lasted for eight hours, caused damage worth millions of shillings, brought business and traffic to a standstill and increased the risk of epidemics. At least 50 families were rendered homeless in Naguru, Banda, Kinawataka, Namuwongo, Kibuli, Kamwokya and Bwaise suburbs. Hundreds of shops were forced to close and at least one school, Aga Khan Nursery School in Old Kampala, was relocated. The Police said nobody died. “Despite the heavy downpour, no deaths were registered,” said Joseph Mugisa, chief officer of the Police Fire Brigade. Some people narrowly survived. In Mosque Zone, Kibuli, resident Jacinta Olum had just left her house when it collapsed. “I had just taken my daughter to school. When I returned, I found my roof had collapsed and all my belongings had been washed away.” Kawempe Division was hit particularly hard. Over 300 houses in the slum areas of Bwaise and Kalerwe were submerged by the water, forcing residents to flee. Others were trapped inside their houses, trying to battle the floods with basins and buckets. The heavy rains also submerged schools, markets and roads in Bwaise and Kalerwe, and washed away construction material for the Northern By-pass, forcing works to stop. Several cars were stuck in the water, which reached knee-high levels. Business in Bwaise came to a standstill as water entered shops and destroyed merchandise worth millions of shillings. A shop attendant in Buzana Hardware looked on helplessly as his bags of cement got soaked and plastic containers were swept away. The compounds of Happy Hours Nursery and Bilal Islamic schools looked like lakes, forcing teachers and pupils to stay indoors. Kampala City Council has on several occasions blamed residents for increasing the risk of floods by dumping garbage into the Bwaise Lubigi channel. In an attempt to reduce the risk of floods, Kawempe Division chairman, Nasser Takuba, said KCC was planning to enlarge the channel, at a cost of sh15b, with funding from the World Bank. Bugolobi suburb was also affected. Factories like Uganda Baati, Aquba International Limited and Unilever Uganda were flooded, destroying property and stalling operations. “The area has flooded before but today is the worst,” executive director of Uganda Baati, Rakesh Bhatnagar, said. “On days like this, we lose business worth sh5m. \"We have appealed to the Kampala City Council over the issue. People are blocking the Bugolobi water channel by putting up structures on top of it.” At Unilever premises where the water was waist-high, the Fire Brigade rushed in to rescue trapped workers. The floods are increasing the risk of cholera and other waterborne diseases. “The floods have not only displaced people but they have also worsened the cholera problem in Kampala,” Takuba said. Unlike in the past when most of the affected areas were wetlands, the water was running down from the hilly areas of Mpererwe, Kanyanya, Kisaasi and Kawempe. Experts predict the rains will last until February. Only the boda-boda cyclists were happy. They took advantage of the disaster, charging up to sh1,000 to ferry passengers across submerged areas. Related stories under the NATIONAL category on the left menu."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/467377-egypt-to-excavate-submerged-roman-city.html","content":" - The Egyptian authorities have given the go-ahead for the underwater exploration of what appears to be a Roman city submerged in the Mediterranean, Egypt’s top archaeologist said on Monday. Zahi Hawass said in a statement that an excavation team had found the ruins of the Roman city 35km (20 miles) east of the Suez Canal on Egypt’s north coast. Archaeologists had found buildings, bathrooms, ruins of a Roman fortress, ancient coins, bronze vases and pieces of pottery that all date back to the Roman era, the statement said. Egypt’s Roman era lasted from 30 BC to 337 AD. The excavation team also found four bridges that belonged to a submerged castle, part of which had been discovered on the Mediterranean coastline in 1910. The statement said evidence indicated that part of the site was on the coast and part of it submerged in the sea. The area marked Egypt’s eastern border during the Roman era. Ends"}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/587845-floods-wash-kapchorwa-â-cleanâ.html","content":" - By Gerald Businge HELL has broken loose for the people of Chepskunya and Seretiyo villages in Ngenge sub-county, Kapchorwa district because of the floods that has submerged the area. For William Bukose, 54, a resident of Chepskunya, the saying that water is life couldn’t have been more wrong! Yes, he has been drinking water to live, but for the last three years, it is the same water that has chased him away, four times from a new house. Although Bukose was among the few courageous people to stay out of the camps in Ngenge where his villagemates are taking refugee from the Karimojong cattle rustlers, water has come with heavier punishments than the gun-wielding Karimojong. “The situation started getting worse about 15 months ago. The river here flooded and water filled our house. I built another one a 100 metres away. After two months, the water had come. I built another and another until I could no longer stay on that land. I had to move here to the trading centre, and the water has still followed me,” says Bukose. Every night, the not so religious Bukose has to go down on his knees to pray to God that the marauding floods don’t reach him here at the trading centre. His prayers bore fruit for him and his extended family for only a short time. In May this year, when it started raining heavily, the water invaded the trading centre forcing people out of their houses. After four weeks, Bukose lost one of his houses and all the family have now moved to the main house when they can still fight the water. “All our houses are now full of water. Sometimes we have to shift at night when the water becomes unbearable and move to our neighbours’ houses, which are less affected. The people here have learnt to share. But we need help,” Bukose says. Bukose attributes the floods to flooding rivers, which have been filled with soil. The problem originates from Benet sub-country, almost 30km away, where improper farming methods have caused soil erosion. Officials here say this is because the land tenure insecurity that the Benet community faces as many await official government resettlement. And for this, the rivers are spreading mayhem and destroying plants Ngenge plains. David Mukwana, an official with Actionaid Kapchorwa, who took The New Vision around the places says there are no more fish in the rivers and that people near the rivers are being threatened with eviction and loss of life daily. Soil erosion has resulted in siltation, where water in different rivers has diverted into different directions as it carries soils from the slopes, causing destruction in its wake. At Atari River, on the Mabale-Moroto road, the muddy water has flooded the environs. The water, which used to flow 12 feet under the bridge has started flowing on top of the bridge. On the road to Moroto, new rivers of water are now flowing on both sides of the road, at some points making intersecting. This is the same scenario with Ngenge River on the same road. Many residents at Seretiyo village have abandoned their homes due to the waters. “The water is attracting lots of mosquitoes and we fear this may result into a cholera outbreak,” says a lady who was drawing the muddy water from the river. She says the residents can no longer access the two boreholes, which have been submerged in the waters. The dirty water has become the only resolve for the over 300 families at Seretiyo camp. “All the latrines have been taken over by the water and we can’t dig new ones since there is too much water underground,” Bukose says. Other residents are complaining that the water has interfered with their burial grounds and their daily ways of life, making survival difficult. “People can no longer go to the forests to cut logs for making charcoal which is their main source of income here. They can’t even go to the fields to look for food. We may soon die of hunger,” Bukose who is also the area LC2 Councillor says. When we go to Siiti River, which borders Kapchorwa and Nakapiripiti districts, the situation is different as the water is flowing in the main stream river only, far below the bridge. Mukwana says Siiti river, unlike other rivers which are flooding, pass through Benet, and unless the land problem in Benet is solved and more environmentally friendly methods are adopted, the problem could become a disaster. “Actionaid wanted to undertake a conservation programme on the other side (Benet), but we can’t do it unless the land question is resolved,” Mukwana says. The problem is always worse when it rains as normally happens in this tropical area. It is feared that soon, the beautiful green perched Kapchorwa could become bare rocks. Also, due to the silting, all the soils may soon come down here to the plains. “This is due to the fact that Benet is about 99% steep slope and nobody is paying attention to ensure proper land use due to uncertainty of land tenure. The brown water streams flowing from this region tell the story,” reads a Benet memorandum. Even the Benet Resettlement consultative Committee acknowledges that land degradation through soil erosion in Benet is the worst in the country. Locals claim that as a result of tenure uncertainty and restrictions by laws governing management of National parks, civil society organisations and the local government have been reluctant to help out or sensitisation in this area. “Since the area hadn’t been gazetted until 1993, people here continued to plough the land undeterred. Now there is too much degradation and given the terrain, erosion has been the order of the day,” says William Cheptegei, a Benet leader. Moses Mwanga, the Benet councillor, says this is ironical because when the people were brought together in a confined area it was to stop the wanton destruction of the environment, but due to tenure insecurity, and lack of sensitisation, this did not work."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/382303-lake-kyoga-rising.html","content":" - THE Lake Kyoga water level has risen a metre in the past three years and has submerged 375 square kilometres of surrounding land due to the blockage of its outlet, a senior directorate of Water Development (DWD) official has said. The rise has been caused by the floating islands which were loosened by the 1997/98 El-Nino rains that blocked the lake outlet near Masindi port. Senior DWD hydrologist Jackson Twinomujuni over the weekend told a workshop on the lake Kyoga floods awareness in Luweero district, that the four year lake blockage is likely to cause another flood disaster if the current El-Nino rains persist. The two-day workshop was aimed at creating awareness and boosting exchange of ideas among local leaders and technical persons from Luweero, Apac, Nakasongola and Lira districts which surround Lake Kyoga. Twinomujuni advised people living on the lake flood plains to find alternative homes, saying they were facing a possible flood disaster worse than that of 1997/98. He said government interventions including dredging the lake to ease the water flow and regulating the inflow from Lake Victoria, had received minimal results. He, however, said a machine that will effectively dredge the water outlet to ease the water flow has arrived. He criticised local leaders for their failure to advise residents."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/356722-lake-kyoga-rising.html","content":" - THE Lake Kyoga water level has risen a metre in the past three years and has submerged 375 square kilometres of surrounding land due to the blockage of its outlet, a senior directorate of Water Development (DWD) official has said. The rise has been caused by the floating islands which were loosened by the 1997/98 El-Nino rains that blocked the lake outlet near Masindi port. Senior DWD hydrologist Jackson Twinomujuni over the weekend told a workshop on the lake Kyoga floods awareness in Luweero district, that the four year lake blockage is likely to cause another flood disaster if the current El-Nino rains persist. The two-day workshop was aimed at creating awareness and boosting exchange of ideas among local leaders and technical persons from Luweero, Apac, Nakasongola and Lira districts which surround Lake Kyoga. Twinomujuni advised people living on the lake flood plains to find alternative homes, saying they were facing a possible flood disaster worse than that of 1997/98. He said government interventions including dredging the lake to ease the water flow and regulating the inflow from Lake Victoria, had received minimal results. He, however, said a machine that will effectively dredge the water outlet to ease the water flow has arrived. He criticised local leaders for their failure to advise residents."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/383777-norpak-engineer-found-dead-in-ditch.html","content":" - SUBMERGED in sewage and rainwater in a trench next to the Police Vehicle Inspectorate on Nakawa-Ntinda Road, an engineer and consultant with Norpak International, was found dead yesterday morning, reports Simon Mugenyi. The police said Quinto Ouma Amooli, 58, left office in his car at 5:30pm on Tuesday. Quoting Norpak officials, police said Ouma’s son went to the office looking for his father but did not find him. His body was found in a ditch with a big wound on his head and bruises on one of the ears. Norpak employees said Ouma was a resident of Ntinda near the Department of information flats. Police took the body to Mulago Hospital. Police spokesman Asuman Mugenyi said Ouma’s body was swollen, “indicating that he was hit or strangled.” “We shall get the postmortem report soon,” he added. His phone was intact in his pocket but switched off. He had his glasses and identification documents. Norpak is a Norwegian company planning to construct a power dam to generate hydro electricity at Karuma Falls. By press time, police had not yet found out whether Ouma reached home on Tuesday or whether he was driving himself. On the fateful night, however, the police said Ouma left office at Portal Avenue on Crusader House in his old Mercedes Benz. The whereabouts of the car were not clear. Ends"}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/358196-norpak-engineer-found-dead-in-ditch.html","content":" - SUBMERGED in sewage and rainwater in a trench next to the Police Vehicle Inspectorate on Nakawa-Ntinda Road, an engineer and consultant with Norpak International, was found dead yesterday morning, reports Simon Mugenyi. The police said Quinto Ouma Amooli, 58, left office in his car at 5:30pm on Tuesday. Quoting Norpak officials, police said Ouma’s son went to the office looking for his father but did not find him. His body was found in a ditch with a big wound on his head and bruises on one of the ears. Norpak employees said Ouma was a resident of Ntinda near the Department of information flats. Police took the body to Mulago Hospital. Police spokesman Asuman Mugenyi said Ouma’s body was swollen, “indicating that he was hit or strangled.” “We shall get the postmortem report soon,” he added. His phone was intact in his pocket but switched off. He had his glasses and identification documents. Norpak is a Norwegian company planning to construct a power dam to generate hydro electricity at Karuma Falls. By press time, police had not yet found out whether Ouma reached home on Tuesday or whether he was driving himself. On the fateful night, however, the police said Ouma left office at Portal Avenue on Crusader House in his old Mercedes Benz. The whereabouts of the car were not clear. Ends"}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/396340-rakai-leaders-appeal-over-kasensero-road.html","content":" - RAKAI district leaders have appealed to the Government to work on the road to Kasensero landing site in Kakuuto, after heavy rains submerged two swamps making it impossible for vehicles to ferry fish from the fishing site, reports Eddie Ssejjoba. The LC5 chairman, Vincent Ssemakula, told The New Vision at the weekend that the district was making efforts to contact the Ministry of Works, Housing and Communications to work on the swampy area. He said Nzizi and Kamulindwa swamps had been submerged by water and vehicles could not cross over to Kasensero. He said fish from Kasensero provided one of the biggest sources of local revenue and many fishermen were stranded with fish, forcing them to drop the prices. “Its only heavy duty vehicles that can cross through these flooded swamps. But still very few of them were willing to risk and the whole of Kyebe sub-county has become an island,” he said. However, he said Bukoola bridge was safe and secure. Ends"}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/370760-rakai-leaders-appeal-over-kasensero-road.html","content":" - RAKAI district leaders have appealed to the Government to work on the road to Kasensero landing site in Kakuuto, after heavy rains submerged two swamps making it impossible for vehicles to ferry fish from the fishing site, reports Eddie Ssejjoba. The LC5 chairman, Vincent Ssemakula, told The New Vision at the weekend that the district was making efforts to contact the Ministry of Works, Housing and Communications to work on the swampy area. He said Nzizi and Kamulindwa swamps had been submerged by water and vehicles could not cross over to Kasensero. He said fish from Kasensero provided one of the biggest sources of local revenue and many fishermen were stranded with fish, forcing them to drop the prices. “Its only heavy duty vehicles that can cross through these flooded swamps. But still very few of them were willing to risk and the whole of Kyebe sub-county has become an island,” he said. However, he said Bukoola bridge was safe and secure. Ends"}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/332866-kabale-floods-sink-100-farms.html","content":" - - Over 20 families displaced By Darious Magara OVER 100 farms in Kabale district have been submerged by floods following two days of heavy downpour at the weekend. Residents of Rubaya and Kamugaguzi sub-counties have been forced to relocate their cattle"}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/619470-tororo-floods-displace-over-700.html","content":" - By Moses Nampala FLOODS have displaced over 700 residents of Paya sub-county in Tororo district. Payanga swamp, which neighbours the sub-county, overflowed due to heavy rains. The swamp starts from Manafwa district and meanders into Tororo, Butaleja and Namutumba districts. The rains, which started on Thursday, had submerged several homes by Saturday. They also destroyed household property and roads, including the Tororo-Butaleja highway. The victims have camped at Nawire Primary School in Paya. The affected villages are Sikwala, Paya West, Kabosan and Sengo. Others are Atapara A and B, Popon, Payede, Pasule and Ramogi. The Paya LC3 chairperson, Joseph Sule Okong, asked the Government for relief items. The Tororo resident district commissioner, Samuel Hashaka, said the district sent 20 bags of maize flour and five of beans to assist the victims. He also said they had appealed for assistance from the disaster preparedness ministry."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/419300-seven-die-in-moroto-rain.html","content":" - By Joseph Orisa Seven people on Wednesday drowned when two seasonal rivers overflowed after a three-hour heavy down pour in Moroto district. The district Police commander, Charles Musana identified three of the dead as Noor Kaiza, a businesswoman from Mbale, her one-year-old child, Quassim Wakholi and Lochole, a 20-year-old casual labourer. Musana said they drowned as they tried to cross the bridge. He said others drowned in a river popularly known as Nangolol at Rupa as they were returning from work. Musana said two of the dead were Karimajong warriors armed with guns. He said some of the victims were carried off as far as 5km by the running water, which flowed from Mt Moroto and destroyed a lot of property. Musana advised the residents not to move when it rained, saying the bridges were dangerous to use. Most of the residents, including district officials, spent the night in Campswahili because the only bridge, which could take them out of the town had over flowed."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/424135-big-5-deishovida-thrill-crowds.html","content":" - By Patience Atuhaire and Raphael Okello THE sudden twinge of anticipation that crept from the anxious crowd that overflowed the rim of Ndere Centre’s amphitheatre was understandable. The audience had been served with the same diet of traditional African music by over 30 groups from different districts. Never mind that it had been well served. The coalition of Deishovida band from Austria and the Big 5 band from Uganda promised to serve a unique Afro-Western music cuisine. The evening concert was a harmonious combination of African and western music instruments. The African drums and xylophone played by Albert Bisaso and the enthusiastic Godfrey Lubuulwa respectively fused with Kurt Baver’s honeyed violin fluctuations, Mathias Loibner’s thrilling Hurdy Gurdy, Lothar Lasser’s accordeon and Sasa Prolic’s E-bass to back-up Juliet Ssesanga’s slithery vocal in the songs Tweyanze, Ssemusajja and After Midnight. The cheesy jazz Ewaffe and African Child, the brainchild of Lubuulwa, left the audience intrigued. The two songs were a hybrid of Afro-Western sounds. It was almost an hour-long concert but an engaging one for both the audience and the artistes. However, the ease with which the two different bands merged was not only a remarkable feat but also a symbol of unity between Austria and Uganda. Ends"}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/672858-police-hunt-for-maj-mutale-lukwago-militias.html","content":" - By Simon Masaba The Police have embarked on a hunt of militias who appear in two separate video footage in which the Presidential Advisor on Political Affairs, Maj. Kakooza Mutale, and Kampala Lord Mayor, Erias Lukwago aimed to breach the law as they embark on political mobilization ahead of the 2016 general elections. The police said they (Militias) tend to unleash and cause violence to those that don't belong nor subscribe to their political groups. They must be stopped and foil their plans. \"We managed to analyse the footage to help identify them and a team has been dispatched to ensure arrests,\" Police spokesperson, Fred Enanga said, while addressing journalists Monday, at the Police headquarters in Naguru, a city suburb. He said police was in search of the militias from various city suburbs. By press time no arrests had been made. \"Among the politicians (Mutale and Lukwago) none has the mandate to recruit and train. The mandate regarding the exercise is granted by the police, Army or prisons and have not done so,\" Enanga said.  Subsequently, Enanga said Mutale and Lukwago had been summoned to record a statement over the self-styled militias at the police's Political crime desk attached to the Criminal Investigations and Intelligence Directorate (CIID) in Kibuli, a city suburb. When asked on when the duo would appear, Enanga said he would cross check and get back, however by press time he had not. Efforts to get comment from CIID chief, Grace Akullo, were futile as calls to her known official line went unanswered by press time. Last week, Maj. Gen. Jim Muhwezi, the minister of information and national guidance, warned that Government would deal with actors, including Mutale if they cross the line. \"The position of Government is that there must be respect of law and order. We don't expect anybody to break the law because we have enough security personnel. If anybody infringes any law, he or she will be brought to book but every political party has a right to mobilise within the law,\" he said. Muhwezi was replying to questions from journalists over the ongoing moblisation of militias by various political actors within the country. \"Kakooza Mutale's group is for mobilization. Political parties are free to mobilise according to the law. However, law and order must be respected at all times—during elections and after elections. Anybody who crosses the line we shall deal with them,\" he said. Previously, Mutale had told journalists that he is training various NRM cadres to ensure that President Yoweri Museveni wins the 2016 elections. Mutale warned that whoever will stand in the way of his candidate for 2016 would be quashed. To counter Mutale's group, Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago, an opposition activist also launched a youth group dubbed: Trust and Justice Solida. Muhwezi said that such groups should not over-step the mobilization role to engage in violence and other unlawful related activities. Also related to this story Lukwago forms vigilante group"}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/671554-putin-orders-destruction-of-smuggled-western-food.html","content":" - MOSCOW - Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday signed a decree ordering the destruction of Western food smuggled into the country in breach of an official embargo. Moscow last year banned a slew of food products from the West in retaliation for biting economic sanctions over the Ukraine crisis. The decree says that banned food products that are smuggled into the country must be destroyed from August 6 this year. The embargo has seen truckloads of delicacies, from cheese to pate, stopped at the border, with allegations swirling that products are being re-labelled in neighbouring ex-Soviet countries and imported illegally.   Up until now, any smuggled produce being caught has been turned around and sent back. The decree did not make it clear whether the food would be destroyed immediately at the border. It calls for the government to decide on a procedure for destruction. At a meeting with Putin last week, agriculture minister Alexander Tkachev called for produce to be destroyed by customs officers. The decree still allows people to bring in banned foods for personal consumption. Yevgeny Bobrov, a member of the Kremlin rights council, an advisory body, last week called the proposal to destroy food \"high-handedness,\" saying smuggled food should be given to the less well-off. AFP"}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/670681-fifa-bans-ex-world-cup-bid-inspection-chief-for-seven-years.html","content":" - Football's world governing body FIFA on Monday banned the former head of their bid evaluation committee for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups for seven years for \"confidentiality\" breaches. Harold Mayne-Nicholls, a former Chilean FA president, wrote the report that gave Qatar the worst ranking of the candidates for the 2022 World Cup finals which the wealthy Gulf state went on to win. FIFA's Ethics Committee adjudicatory chamber banned Mayne-Nicholls, 54, \"from taking part in any kind of football-related activity at national and international level for a period of seven years\", a statement said. The world governing body did not give details of the charges against Mayne-Nicholls, but said it was for a breach of a confidentiality rule in FIFA's code of ethics. Mayne-Nicholls took to Twitter to confirm he would appeal the suspension, and question the decision to announce the ban before he has gone through that process. \"Concerning FIFA Ethics Committee ruling before the first instance, I will appeal to higher courts established in FIFA statutes and TAS (the Court of Arbitration for Sport),\" he said. \"I wonder why @FIFAcom publishes a sanction that has outstanding resources, as this may be modified by higher courts. \"I ask for understanding. I can not comment because there is express prohibition to inform by the Ethics Committee.\" Mayne-Nicholls revealed in November that he was under investigation over emails he sent to the Aspire Academy in Qatar seeking internships for his son and a nephew. He also sought tennis coaching opportunities for a brother-in-law. He was at the time considering running against Sepp Blatter for the FIFA presidency. The Chilean said the internships were \"unpaid\", British media said. Aspire Acedemy turned down Mayne-Nicholls' requests. The reports quoted an email sent to Mayne-Nicholls by a FIFA Ethics Committee deputy chairman, Cornel Borbely, which said the approaches were made \"shortly after the inspection tour and prior to the issuance of the evaluation report on Qatar.\" \"Furthermore, said behaviour seems to be a cause enough to doubt the integrity of the inspection process and your evaluations.\" Mayne-Nicholls denied at the time he had done anything wrong. FIFA said that Mayne-Nicholls was present at a hearing where the ban was decided and that more detailed information would be given after the final decision becomes effective. The FIFA evaluation committee gave Qatar its worst ranking, mainly because of the summer heat in the Gulf state. FIFA has since held an inquiry into the bid process for the 2018 World Cup in Russia and the 2022 tournament, and has changed the date of the Qatar tournament to November-December because of concerns about the heat. RELATED STORIES: Qatar World Cup should be played in winter - FIFA boss Sepp Blatter re-elected as Fifa president Blatter resigns as FIFA president AFP"}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/670162-trial-of-zambian-singer-accused-of-defaming-president-postponed.html","content":" - The trial of a Zambian musician charged with conduct likely to breach the peace over his song which accuses President Edgar Lungu of drinking too much, was on Wednesday postponed to July 13.   Chama Fumba was arrested early this month over the song which some government officials allege was defamatory to the head of state because it accused Lungu of being incompetent.   In an interview with AFP on Tuesday, Fumba -- whose stage name is Pilato -- denied allegations that his song was either defamatory or likely to have disturbed the peace.   \"I don't think that (it) is defamatory in any way. I don't think it is causing any breach to our beloved peace,\" said Fumba. \"I don't think it's a controversial song.\"   But he warned that freedom of speech was under threat in Zambia.   \"As it is now, I can assure you that it's under very serious threat,\" said the musician. \"I feel that the powerful who happen to be the politicians who originally were supposed to be our servants have become our masters.\"    \"They don't want us to exchange ideas through expression, they don't want us to talk about them.\"     The song's lyrics tell the story of a character named Lungu who grows up in a slum and becomes president.   The Lungu in the song is described as carrying a suitcase filled with bottles of Jameson Irish whiskey and having no idea how to govern.   President Lungu, 58, who took office in January, is a former defence minister.   He suffers from recurring achalasia, a condition caused by narrowing of the oesophagus, and has been regularly hospitalised for treatment.   His election victory followed the death of predecessor Michael Sata.   Fumba's trial failed to commence on Wednesday due to the non-availability of state witnesses.   If convicted, Fumba, 31, faces a maximum sentence of six months in prison or a fine.   The case has attracted the interest of opposition politicians, civil society organisations as well as US and German diplomats in Zambia, some of whom were in court on Wednesday.   AFP"}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/669046-rcc-boss-summoned-over-breach-of-contract.html","content":" - By Fred Turyakira   THE Reynolds Construction Company (RCC) managing director Yaron Bunsky has been summoned to appear in Mbarara High Court in a case the company management constructing Mbarara-Ntungamo- Katuna Road was sued for breach of contract.   Peter Twongyeirwe, the managing director CEDA Uganda through his lawyer Moses Kimuli of Kimuli & Sozi advocates, dragged RCC to court seeking to recover over sh3b arrears owed to his client when they hired his structures and used them as their campsite at Rubaare in Ntungamo district.   Appearing before Justice Duncan Gaswaga on Wednesday, court heard on March 10, 2011 RCC signed a lease for 48 months to use Twongyeirwe’s premises in the suit as the station for the campsite. However the lease expired on March 10, 2015 and RCC has refused to vacate the premises.   “My client is also seeking an order to evict RCC and repossess his structures because the current occupants are arrogant and don’t want to vacate the premises and Twongyeirwe is not renewing it. In March 2015 we raised the matter of lease expiry before this court and you advised us to come to terms but they have not agreed on the settlement,” Kimuli added.   However, RCC’s lawyer, Raymond Ndyagambaki of Verma Jivram & Associates, disagreed with Kimuli’s submission seeking for the order of eviction, saying the lease has not yet expired.   “We don’t agree the lease expired. We signed for the lease and a memorandum of understanding and agreed to lease to start running in December 2011 because there were a few structures and plaintiff was sub contracted to construct other buildings. Therefore we started counting in December 2011 and our lease ends in December 2015,” Ndyagambaki explained.   But his explanation raised more questions and the judge asked him to explain what RCC signed on March 10, 2011; whether it was a lease or a memorandum of understanding.   “Counsel explain to us what you were signing on March 10, 2011 and why did you sign for the lease before it starts running?” Justice Gaswaga asked.   The  Judge  issued  summon  to  RCC directors through their lawyer to appear in court  after plaintiff’s lawyer complained of the defendants  failure to attend court session and answer some  questions put direct to them for clear explanation.   Gaswaga advised  both parties to look for mediation and settle the case after RCC’s lawyer told court that his client were willing to pay.  He adjourned the case to June 10, 2015.   Twongyeirwe told New Vision that he will continue to push for an eviction order if RCC don’t pays him his arrears and vacate the premises.   “I have invested a lot of money in the construction of the campsite. It is a big project sitting on 70 acre of land.  I have accommodation for 60 expatriates, Police and UPDF Soldiers protecting explosives, there administration offices, it has two fuel filling stations, a parking yard, conference halls among others. I therefore need my money or they vacate,” Twongyeirwe added.   If the two parties don’t come to terms of payment and court issues an eviction order, it would affect and delay the completion for construction of the road in time.   President Yoweri Museveni in 2011 commissioned the construction of 124km-stretch from Mbarara to Katuna in western Uganda   The construction work funded by European Union at a cost of €117m commenced in August 2011 and is expected to be completed in August 2014.   However, Wilber Mugyenyi, the RCC spokesperson when contacted on phone, he  laid off the fears that the court case would affect their work, saying the RCC management was in the process of coming to terms with the complainant (Twongyeirwe)."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/668766-adult-dating-website-hack-exposes-personal-data.html","content":" - A data breach at a website billed as \"the world's largest sex and swinger\" community may expose personal and sexual information on millions of users worldwide, a report said Friday. Stolen data from some 3.9 million members of Adult FriendFinder was leaked by hackers, according to an investigation by Britain's Channel 4. The report said the leaked data included the sexual orientations and preferences of users, and whether they are seeking extramarital affairs. Also exposed were email addresses, user names, dates of birth, postal codes and Internet addresses of the users' computers, according to Channel 4. In a statement on its corporate website, the parent company FriendFinder Networks said it \"has just been made aware of a potential data security issue and understands and fully appreciates the seriousness of the issue.\" \"We have already begun working closely with law enforcement and have launched a comprehensive investigation with the help of leading third-party forensics expert.\" The data breach was first reported a month ago by security researcher Bev Robb who discovered the data on a \"dark Web\" site. But the name of the dating site was not disclosed before Friday's report. \"There is a ton of personally identifiable information sitting in a forum on the Darknet,\" Robb noted last month. \"Though the files were stripped of credit card data, it is still relatively easy to connect the dots and identify thousands upon thousands of users who subscribe to this adult site.\" Security experts say such stolen data can be used for various email scams and potentially for blackmail. Security researcher Graham Cluley said in a blog post Friday that the website has an obligation to inform its 63 million members worldwide. \"How about posting a warning on your website so your members can look out for phishing emails, or malware which might be sent to them?\" Cluley said. \"What about some advice about the type of threats that users could be exposed to -- including, potentially, blackmail -- if their membership of the site is uncovered?\""}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/666290-dp-members-disagree-on-2016-roadmap.html","content":" - By Nicholas Wassajja   A fresh row has emerged within leadership ranks of the Democratic Party (DP) over their internal political roadmap to the 2016 general elections.    A group led by DP national organizing secretary Charles Sserunjoji said that the DP national executive committee meeting in Masaka which drafted the roadmap breached the party constitutional provisions.    “In addition to not being invited for the meeting as a NEC member, article 33 gives me the mandate to organize issues related to electoral processes but rather my duties were seized by my deputy Kidandala,” Sserunjoji lamented.   On March 13, 2015, DP held a NEC meeting in Masaka where a draft roadmap to 2016 polls was presented by the deputy Organizing Secretary Suleiman Kidandala.   The meeting which was also open to factions opposed to Norbert Mao’s leadership adopted that the national delegate’s conference will be held from July 18-20 and that all positions were open for contest in a campaign to bolster reconciliation.   Addressing journalists at a weekly news conference, Sserunjoji urged that, “the internal electoral process indicated in the proposed roadmap be halted and a new draft roadmap presented by 27th March 24, 2015 and the process handed over to my office immediately.”   He also outlined that for DP to recover from internal divisions, a process management committee be established, a balanced independent electoral commission including warring factions be set up and a reconciliation summit organized within one week.   Factions within the party emerged after the 2010, delegate’s conference held in Mbale that was sharply contested by sections of the members especially from the central region with some pointing at the process as flawed and others accusing Mao of being an NRM mole.   However the party spokesperson Kenneth Kakande said that much as the issues raised were pertinent, the process for reconciliation was ongoing on the same and condemned the forum at which they were presented.   “Our friend did not attend the meeting yet everyone was invited including independents. But what he is saying are some of the issues that were tackled but most importantly the media is not the right platform to address internal bickering because we have organs like the National Council,” Kakande explained.   Kakande who disputed allegations that they had factions within accused Sserunjoji of having justified arguments but wrong expressions and abandoning party activities for over four years.   Kawempe south MP Sebuliba Mutumba and former presidential aspirant Samuel Lubega who are also opposed to Mao’s leadership both agreed that, “strides are being made to reconcile the party and resolve internal bickering thus going publically parallel against the efforts will add slat to injury.”"}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/664646-samsung-and-microsoft-end-patent-dispute.html","content":" - Samsung and Microsoft said Tuesday they had ended a patent dispute that had seen the US software giant sue the South Korean conglomerate for breaching a 2011 licensing contract. Microsoft had filed its complaint in a court in the US in August, accusing Samsung of withholding payments for the use of patented Microsoft technology in its smartphones and tablets. Two months later, Samsung filed a petition for arbitration with the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC). In a joint statement issued Tuesday, the two companies said a resolution had been reached. \"Samsung and Microsoft are pleased to announce that they have ended their contract dispute in US court as well as the ICC arbitration,\" said the statement, attributed to Jaewan Chi, Samsung executive vice president, and David Howard, corporate vice president of Microsoft.  The statement did not elaborate on the terms of the agreement, describing them as confidential. Samsung has been embroiled in a series of patent disputes in recent years, most notably with US archrival Apple. Related Microsoft sues Samsung over 'breach of contract' Samsung seeks state probe of LG executives for vandalism Apple ties with Samsung as world's top smartphone vendor"}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/663833-us-penetrated-n-korea-computer-systems-in-2010-report.html","content":" - The United States secretly penetrated North Korea's computer systems four years ago -- a breach that allowed Washington to insist Pyongyang was to blame for the recent cyberattack on Sony Pictures, the New York Times reported Monday. Citing former US officials and a newly released National Security Agency (NSA) document, the Times detailed how the US spy agency in 2010 \"penetrated directly\" into the North's systems via Chinese networks and connections in Malaysia favored by North Korean hackers. Primarily aimed at gathering information on the reclusive nation's nuclear program, the NSA's clandestine operation switched focus to the growing threat posed by North Korea's hacking capabilities following a destructive cyberattack on South Korean banks in 2013. Hidden US software provided an \"early warning radar\" for North Korean activities, and provided the evidence that persuaded President Barack Obama that Pyongyang was behind the Sony hack, the Times said, citing an anonymous official familiar with the NSA mission. US investigators concluded that North Korean hackers spent two months mapping Sony's computer systems in preparation for what became the biggest cyberattack in US corporate history. North Korea denies any involvement, although it had publicly threatened Sony if it released the comedy film \"The Interview\" about a CIA plot to assassinate leader Kim Jong-Un. Given that threat and the reported level of US penetration, the Times report raised the question of why the NSA was unable to warn Sony in advance. According to one US official cited by the newspaper, the intelligence agencies \"couldn't really understand the severity\" of the attack that was coming. While North Korea's conventional military hardware is largely outdated and unsophisticated, its cyberwarfare capabilities have long been considered a significant threat. South Korean intelligence believes North Korea runs an elite cyberwarfare unit with at least 6,000 personnel, trained in secret government and military programs. A number of experts suggest the North's cybercapacity is heavily reliant on China, in terms of both training and the necessary software and hardware. They say telecommunications giant China Unicom provides and maintains all Internet links with the North, and some estimate that thousands of North Korean hackers operate on Chinese soil. According to South Korea's National Intelligence Service, more than 75,000 hacking attempts were made against South Korean government agencies between 2010 and September 2014 -- many of them believed to be from Pyongyang. The Times interviewed a former North Korean army programmer who said the North began training computer \"warriors\" in earnest in 1996, despatching many to undergo two years' training in China and Russia. AFP"}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/659155-gulu-bus-impounded-in-lira-passengers-stranded.html","content":" - By Hudson Apunyo Over 40 passengers from Mbale to Gulu were left stranded when a bus they were travelling in was impounded by traffic police in Lira for breaching operators’ license. The Rock Express bus, registration number UAK 935T, was supposed to arrive in Lira at 3.00pm but by midday it was already in town prompting police to act. Lira traffic boss John Maikula said when the bus was stopped by police, the driver instead sped off. He said the bus was followed and the driver identified only as Sentongo fled.   The bus was driven to Lira Central Police Station and the conductor ordered to refund passengers’ money. The transport licensing board has become strict on measures regulating the operation of buses following a recent rise in road carnages involving buses. The traffic boss said the driver breached operator’s license when they arrived in Lira by midday instead of 3.00pm Also related to this story Traffic police limits bus drivers' distances to 300km a day"}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/658611-audi-says-will-accept-penalty-in-china-anti-monopoly-probe.html","content":" - SHANGHAI- German luxury car brand Audi will accept punishment from Chinese authorities for breaching anti-monopoly laws in the world's largest auto market, it said Monday. An investigation by Chinese authorities found that an Audi dealer network had \"violated national anti-monopoly laws\", the brand's China arm said in a statement, adding the Audi joint venture involved had \"closely cooperated with the investigation and will accept a penalty\". China has recently launched probes into alleged wrongdoings by a host of foreign firms in multiple different fields, among them pharmaceuticals, technology and baby milk. The statement came after China's National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), which polices violations of \"anti-monopoly\" law, said it had been investigating the auto sector -- dominated by foreign companies and their joint ventures -- for more than two years. Last week it pledged to punish Audi, and Chrysler of the US, now part of Italy's Fiat group, without stating what penalties they would receive. China considers using a dominant market position to set prices as a form of monopoly. Violators' \"illegal gains\" can be confiscated, and they can be fined up to 10 percent of their sales revenue in the previous year. Audi is owned by the German car firm Volkswagen, which set up a joint venture with Chinese auto giant FAW to manufacture Audis and other models. \"Management processes in the sales and dealership structure are getting improved to prevent similar incidents in the future,\" the Audi China statement sent to AFP added. It did not explicitly state that Audi acknowledged any wrongdoing. But it added: \"Audi and FAW-Volkswagen attach great importance that all applicable antitrust and competition laws are adhered to.\" China has become critically important to foreign carmakers, given the size of the market and weak sales elsewhere in the world. China's full-year auto sales hit 21.98 million vehicles last year, when a recovery in Japanese brands offset the impact of slowing economic growth. The inquiry into carmarkers comes as the State Administration for Industry and Commerce (SAIC), which also enforces the anti-monopoly law, investigates US software giant Microsoft for allegedly operating a monopoly. In another chill for US tech firms, state media have said China is planning to announce chip maker Qualcomm has monopoly status in the mobile phone chip market. Foreign pharmaceutical companies including Britain's GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) have also been the target of wide-ranging investigations. Others businesses, such as Apple and Starbucks, meanwhile, have sometimes received unfavourable coverage in state media over issues regarding service and pricing. The moves have prompted fears from investors that overseas companies are being especially targeted, but China said Saturday that its anti-monopoly law does not discriminate between domestic and overseas companies. AFP Related Stories Apple never on China government procurement list China's biggest mobile firm launches Apple iPhone sales"}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/658315-microsoft-sues-samsung-over-breach-of-contract.html","content":" - NEW YORK - Microsoft on Friday fired a legal salvo at longtime partner Samsung, accusing the South Korean giant of breaching a contract over licensing of technology used in the competitive smartphone market. \"After becoming the leading player in the worldwide smartphone market, Samsung decided late last year to stop complying with its agreement with Microsoft,\" the US technology firm's deputy counsel said in an online post. The complaint filed in federal court in New York alleges Samsung is balking at making payments for patented Microsoft technology used in smartphones and tablets. \"We will review the complaint in detail and determine appropriate measures in response,\" Samsung told AFP. Microsoft contends the South Korean consumer electronics colossus is not adhering to a contract from 2011, and said it filed the court action after months of \"painstaking negotiation.\" The legal pact involved Samsung paying to use Microsoft intellectual property, according to the post by deputy counsel David Howard. Samsung's smartphone sales have quadrupled since the contract was signed as the company grew from shipping 82 million Android-powered handsets in 2011 to shipping 314 million three years later, Microsoft maintained. Samsung a smartphone star Samsung has become a smartphone Goliath, and the biggest maker of handsets powered by Google's free Android software. \"Samsung predicted it would be successful, but no one imagined their Android smartphone sales would increase this much,\" Howard said. After Microsoft made a deal last year to buy Nokia's smartphone business, Samsung stopped abiding by the cross-licensing contract, the US company says. Microsoft said in the filing that Samsung used the Nokia business acquisition as grounds to step away from the licensing deal. Microsoft closed the deal for Nokia's smartphone business in April with some adjustments from the announced price of $7.52 billion (5.44 billion euros). Samsung's smartwatch. (AFP) Nokia was the world leader in mobile phones before the introduction of Apple's iPhone in 2007 and the onslaught of Android phones, mainly from Samsung. Microsoft in June opted for the Android operating system from arch-rival Google for its new Nokia smartphone, in a move aimed at regaining momentum in the competitive mobile sector. Microsoft said the Nokia X2 was \"designed to introduce the 'next billion' people to the mobile Internet and cloud services.\" The device is an updated version of a phone unveiled by Nokia before Microsoft acquired the handset division of the Finnish giant. Samsung baffles Microsoft said that Android software incorporates some of its patented technology and the company's practice is to license the intellectual property to handset makers. Samsung has been a longtime Microsoft partner, making an array of computing devices powered by the US company's software, including a version of Windows for mobile devices. \"Microsoft values and respects our partnership with Samsung and expects it to continue,\" Howard said. \"We are simply asking the court to settle our disagreement, and we are confident the contract will be enforced.\" Microsoft said this was the first time it has sued Samsung and that its intent is to keep getting royalty money due under terms of the contract, along with interest charges for late payments. \"Unless one side or the other screwed up in writing the contract, I don't know what Samsung is thinking,\" said Silicon Valley analyst Rob Enderle of Enderle Group. \"I am at a loss to understand why Samsung stopped paying the money.\" Microsoft's track record leaves little doubt it would fight to enforce a legal contract, according to the analyst. If anything, buying Nokia's smartphone business would strengthen Microsoft's intellectual property portfolio not weaken its position, Enderle reasoned. AFP"}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/657417-no-likely-data-breach-from-reported-chinese-hacking-us.html","content":" - WASHINGTON- The personal data of thousands of US government workers was not compromised in a recently reported cyber attack, officials said Thursday amid fresh allegations that Chinese hackers accessed computers housing employee information.   The Office of Personnel Management and the Department of Homeland Security too steps to mitigate the possible breach as soon as they learned of it, State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said after The New York Times reported that Chinese perpetrators had penetrated computer networks containing personal information on all federal employees in March.   \"We have no reason to believe that any personally identifiable information was compromised,\" she said, declining to directly confirm the account detailed in the Times.   The White House offered a similar message.   \"We have systems in place to deal with these kinds of threats and intrusions, and I know that those systems responded to this incident,\" White House spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters.   The paper quoted senior US officials as saying the hackers appeared to be targeting the files of people who had applied for top-security clearances.   It is not yet clear how far the hackers got into the agency's systems. In the databases, people seeking a security clearance list their foreign contacts, previous jobs and personal data such as past drug use.   The attack was reportedly traced to China, but it’s unclear if the hackers were connected to the Chinese government.   The report came just as US Secretary of State, John Kerry concluded two days of high-stakes talks with Chinese officials in Beijing, where he warned that cyber theft was having a \"chilling effect\" on US businesses innovation and competitiveness.   China insists that it too is a victim of hacking, and accuses Washington of hypocrisy since it conducts sweeping surveillance around the world.   Washington and Beijing launched a cyber-security working group last year to help manage and tamp down the rising international threat from cyber espionage.   But Beijing suspended the dialogue in May after the United States accused China of commercial spying and indicted five Chinese military officers for hacking into US companies.   The United States wants the dialogue jump-started.   \"We are eager to re-engage through the cyber working group that we have recently established with the Chinese, and that's been long the case before today,\" Psaki told reporters.   \"We hope that that is something that we can reconvene in the near future.\"   Related Stories   Govt sets up internet monitoring center New cyber attack targets chemical firms - Symantec   Hackers hit Jordan PM website over prices"}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/657147-kanyeihamba-chinese-man-in-sh300m-property-row.html","content":" - By Andante Okanya Former justice of the Supreme Court of Uganda, George Kanyeihamba and a Chinese businessman are locked in a sh300m feud over breach of contract on a residential property located in Entebbe. On  June 25, Kanyeihamba  filed a civil suit at the Land division of the High Court in Kampala against Yue Kong. Kanyeihamba, now a practicising advocate, accuses the Chinese national of damaging the property located on Plot 30, Lugard Road, Entebbe Municipality. Through the firm G.W Kanyeihamba and Company Advocates, he states that this year on February 18, he signed a tenancy agreement with Kong. He contends that the terms of the agreement stipulated that the house was to be used  for hotel business. However, Kanyeihamba laments that Kong, without his authorisation, converted the premises from a residential to a commercial property. “The plaintiff shall contend that by reason of the acts of the defendant, the plaintiff  has  lost the value of his property to the tune of sh300mand will pray  to court to grant him compensation that sum,” the plaint states. Kanyeihamba also alleges that he has not been paid rent since May this year. Court has ordered Kong to file his defence within 15 days from the date of receipt of the court summons. Kong has been cautioned to heed, lest judgement is passed in his absence. The case file has been allocated to Justice Monica Mugenyi. However, a hearing date is yet to be scheduled. RELATED ARTICLES Kanyeihamba sues lawyer over defamation Kanyeihamba sued over defamation"}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/656825-investor-sues-kampala-district-land-board-over-sh5-3b.html","content":" - By Andante Okanya An investor has dragged Kampala district land board (KDLB) to court, demanding sh5.3b for breach of contract and special damages over failure to access a piece of land located in the upscale suburb  of Kololo. On June 18, the investor Zhang’s Group Company Limited filed a civil suit at the High Court in Kampala through Kiwanuka and Karugire Advocates. The claim arises from alleged failure to hand over vacant possession of land comprised in LRV 4452 Folio 15 Plot 29 Hill Lane. “The plaintiff shall at the trial contend and prove that  as a result of defendant’s breach, the plaintiff has suffered loss and damages for which it holds the defendant liable,” the plaint states in part. The investor laments that despite frequent appeals, KDLB has failed to hand over vacant possession of the land. The board has powers to acquire, sell and lease land. It also has the authority to improve or demolish any building in Kampala. Court documents show that on the investor submitted  to KDLB a lease application for the unsurveyed piece of land. Subsequently in a letter dated February 16, 2009, the Kampala central division land committee recommended to KDLB that a lease be granted to the investor. The letter stated that land was free of any encumbrances. Documents further indicate that on May 4, 2011, KDLB made a formal lease offer to the company, and asked for a sh173.6m premium, and sh13.8m ground rent. On June 6, 2012, the chairman and secretary of KDLB executed a lease agreement in favour of the investor. But the investor states that no vacant possession was effected. The investor has attached  a Uganda Revenue Authority payment receipt dated June 14, 2011, showing payment of sh3.8m stamp duty. Court documents further indicate that last year on August 2, the investor paid a premium of sh173.6m , plus sh13.8m ground rent. Documents show that last year on August 6, the investor was registered as the proprietor of the land and a title was issued under LRV 4452 Folio 15. Attached among the court documents are deed prints issued by the commissioner land surveys dated July 30, 2013. Efforts by New Vision to seek a comment from KLDB Yusuf Nsibambi,  on whether he was aware of the case, were futile. Despite repeated phone calls, his known mobile number was not reachable. Court is yet to schedule a hearing date RELATED ARTICLES Court stops KCCA from disbanding Kampala Land Board Kampala land board to expose land grabbers City land board gets secretary Kampala land board not recognised-Mbabazi"}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/656756-liberia-s-taylor-applies-to-serve-jail-term-in-rwanda.html","content":" - LONDON - Former Liberian president Charles Taylor says his imprisonment in Britain breaches his human rights and has applied to serve the rest of his jail term for war crimes in Rwanda, his lawyer said Thursday. Taylor was jailed for 50 years in 2012 on 11 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity over acts committed by Sierra Leonean rebels he aided and abetted during the brutal 1991-2001 civil war. He was the first former head of state to be jailed by an international court -- the UN-backed Special Court for Sierra Leone in The Hague -- since the Nazi trials at Nuremberg in Germany after World War II. Taylor's lawyer John Jones told the BBC: \"What he has applied for is for the revocation of the sentence to be served in the UK so that he can serve his sentence in Rwanda where all the other prisoners convicted by the special court for Sierra Leone are.\" Jones added: \"The UK has a duty to ensure family life, not just for him but for his family. It's a clear duty under international law and English domestic law. \"If the UK is unable to make these family visits possible, no matter what he has been convicted of, he is going to serve a 50-year sentence, he has got a right to see his wife and children.\" Taylor's family, which reportedly includes 15 children, has previously complained about conditions at HMP Frankland in northeast England, the maximum security prison where he is being held. \"They took him to this prison where high (-risk) criminals, terrorists and other common British criminals are kept and he is being classified as a high-risk prisoner,\" his wife Victoria Addison Taylor told AFP last year. \"He is going through humiliation and you cannot treat a former head of state that way.\" Britain's Foreign Office said Taylor was treated in the same way as any other prisoner and the court in The Hague would decide on his application. \"In terms of him being mistreated, the answer is no. As with any other prisoner in the UK, he's being held in decent conditions,\" a spokesman told AFP. \"He and his family have the same conditions and visiting rights as any other UK prisoner.\" AFP Also related to this story Ex-Liberian President gets 50 years in jail Charles Taylor asks to be jailed in Rwanda Taylor faces final war crimes verdict Taylor’s verdict a big lesson to leaders hanging in the similar boat"}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/656045-iran-court-summons-facebook-s-founder-over-privacy.html","content":" - TEHRAN - An Iranian judge has summoned Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg to answer allegations that his company's apps have breached people's privacy, it was reported Tuesday. In a case that underscores the gulf between Iranian moderates, who seek fewer Internet restrictions, and conservatives who want more, the Silicon Valley leader has been dubbed the \"Zionist manager\" of Facebook, on account of his Jewish heritage. The court in Fars province ordered that Zuckerberg address unspecified \"violation of privacy\" claims made by Iranians over the reach of Facebook-owned apps, ISNA news agency reported. Access to social networks, including Twitter and Facebook, are routinely blocked by Iranian authorities, as are other websites considered un-Islamic or detrimental to the regime. \"Based on the judge's verdict, the Zionist manager of Facebook... should report to the prosecutor's office to defend himself and make compensation for damages,\" Rouhollah Momen-Nasab, a senior Iranian Internet security official, told ISNA. \"Following a complaint lodged by some of our fellow countrymen over the violation of their privacy and problems ensuing from WhatsApp and Instagram, the judiciary official has ordered a ban on these two software devices,\" he said. Facebook owns Instagram and WhatsApp. The report did not say what violations of privacy are alleged to have occurred. President Hassan Rouhani, a self-declared moderate, has promised greater tolerance on social, cultural and media issues -- a vow that helped him defeat conservatives in last year's election. But his fledgling push has been opposed by traditionalists and ultra-conservatives that hold sway in the establishment and key institutions. Officials have voiced support for lifting the wider ban on social media, with some of them having Facebook or Twitter accounts. Rouhani earlier this month vetoed a plan to ban WhatsApp, preventing implementation of curbs sought by Iran's Committee for Determining Criminal Web Content. AFP"}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/655893-145-million-ebay-users-at-risk-from-breach.html","content":" - NEW YORK - US online giant eBay said Thursday the number of users potentially affected by a massive data breach could be as many as 145 million. \"All eBay users are being asked to change their password,\" a spokeswoman said in an email on Thursday. \"At the end of the first quarter, we had 145 million active buyers.\" The number is higher than the 128 million active users cited on the eBay website. The company disclosed Wednesday that cyberattackers broke into its database containing customer passwords and other personal data in what could be one of the biggest breaches of its kind. An eBay statement said the database was compromised between late February and early March and \"included eBay customers' name, encrypted password, email address, physical address, phone number and date of birth.\" But it added that it \"did not contain financial information or other confidential personal information.\" The attack did not affect data from PayPal, the finance and payments unit of the company. AFP"}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/655445-s-sudan-government-rebels-trade-blame-as-ceasefire-broken.html","content":" - JUBA - South Sudan's government and rebels accused each other Sunday of breaching a ceasefire just hours after it came into effect, dealing an early blow to hopes for an end to the five-month civil war. The rebels accused government soldiers loyal to President Salva Kiir of launching ground attacks and artillery barrages against their positions in two oil-rich northern states, including near the key hub of Bentiu. The government insisted the rebels attacked first and that it killed around 27 fighters in the morning fighting. President Kiir also accused rebel leader Riek Machar of having been opposed to the peace deal signed in Addis Ababa on Friday. \"The violations... shows that Kiir is either insincere or not in control of his forces,\" rebel military spokesman Lul Ruai Koang said of the president. Kiir and rebel leader Riek Machar met in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa on Friday and agreed to halt fighting within 24 hours -- or by late Saturday evening. Independent witnesses said fighting broke out by dawn Sunday around Bentiu -- the Unity state capital which has changed hands several times in recent weeks -- but that was impossible to say which side fired first. The rebels said government troops also attacked in neighbouring Upper Nile State, and that they reserved \"the right to fight in self-defence\". But South Sudan's defence minister, Kuol Manyang, told AFP that it was the rebels who attacked first in Bentiu and that the opposition suffered heavy casualties. \"They attacked first thing this morning. They attacked our position and 27 of them were killed. They have a policy of attacking then going to the media,\" he said. Kiir also insisted he wanted peace, telling a crowd in Juba that \"we have ordered our forces not to lift a foot from where they are to attack rebels\". He said, however, that Machar only signed the deal \"under pressure\". Salva Kiir (L), President of South Sudan, and Riek Machar (R), SPLM Opposition leader, hand over the Cessation of Hostilities treaty over the war in South Sudan on May 9, 2014 in Addis Ababa. AFP PHOTO The two sides had agreed to a ceasefire in January, but that deal quickly fell apart and unleashed a new round of fierce fighting. - International pressure - Observers have said both side will face challenges in implementing a truce, with the rebels made up of a loose coalition of army defectors, ethnic rebels and, allegedly, mercenaries from Sudan. On the government side, the command structure under Kiir is also seen as weak. The peace deal signed on Friday came after massive international pressure on both sides to stop a war marked by widespread human rights abuses, a major humanitarian crisis and fears the world's youngest nation was on the brink of a genocide and Africa's worst famine since the 1980s. The war in the world's youngest nation has claimed thousands -- and possibly tens of thousands -- of lives, with more than 1.2 million people forced to flee their homes. The conflict, which started as a personal rivalry between Kiir and Machar, has seen the army and communities divide along ethnic lines, pitting members of Kiir's Dinka tribe against Machar's Nuer. UN rights chief Navi Pillay, a former head of the UN genocide court for Rwanda, said she recognised \"many of the precursors of genocide\" listed in a UN report on atrocities that was released during the week. These included broadcasts urging rape and \"attacks on civilians in hospitals, churches and mosques, even attacks on people sheltering in UN compounds -- all on the basis of the victims' ethnicity\". Testimonies in a report this week by Amnesty International describe civilians, including children, executed by the side of the road \"like sheep\" and other victims \"grotesquely mutilated\" with their lips sliced off. The war erupted on December 15 with Kiir accusing Machar of attempting a coup. Machar then fled to the bush to launch a rebellion, insisting that the president had attempted to carry out a bloody purge of his rivals. RELATED ARTICLES South Sudan peace talks resume EAC leaders to convene over South Sudan South Sudan army claims capture of rebel base South Sudan rebel chief vows to take key oil fields, capital UN rights chief arrives in South Sudan AFP"}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/654220-uk-holds-china-s-cheng-over-iran-exports-ban-breach.html","content":" - LONDON  - Britain is holding a Chinese national who is wanted in the United States on suspicion of conspiring to evade a goods export ban, London police said Saturday. Cheng Sihai, 34, was arrested in February at London Heathrow Airport. The BBC said he faces allegations of conspiracy to export devices to Iran that could be used in uranium enrichment. London's Metropolitan Police force said Cheng had already appeared at a court in the capital and was awaiting his next appearance. \"On February 7, Cheng Sihai, aged 34, was arrested by Met Police officers at Heathrow Airport in connection with alleged offences in the United States of conspiracy to evade the prohibition on the export of goods,\" a spokesman told AFP. \"Cheng Sihai, a Chinese national, was arrested on a provisional arrest warrant issued at Westminster Magistrates Court on February 7. \"He was taken into police custody and later appeared at Westminster Magistrates Court where he was remanded in custody. We await the date of his next court appearance.\" The BBC said Shanghai-based Cheng is suspected of conspiring with an Iranian figure to supply US-made pressure transducers to Iran illegally via China. Western powers and Israel suspect Iran is covertly pursuing a nuclear weapons capability alongside its civilian programme, charges adamantly denied by Tehran. Iran's oil-reliant economy has struggled under US-led sanctions aimed at curtailing its nuclear ambitions. The so-called P5 plus 1 group -- Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States plus Germany -- hopes to reach a final accord with Iran by July 20 which would lift all sanctions in exchange for Iran scaling back its programme to the point where it would be difficult if not impossible to develop nuclear weapons. AFP"}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/653640-rapper-chris-brown-ordered-to-remain-in-jail.html","content":" - LOS ANGELES - A US judge ordered US rapper Chris Brown on Monday to remain behind bars for allegedly breaching his probation stemming from his notorious 2009 assault of then-girlfriend Rihanna. The 24-year-old, arrested Friday after being booted out of a rehab facility in Malibu, will have to stay in custody until a probation violation hearing on April 23. Judge James Brandlin said he found it troubling that Brown had told a group therapy session there: \"I am good at using guns and knives,\" prompting his ejection from the center for drug and anger management. Brown also violated the center's internal rules by \"touching elbows or standing very close to a female client,\" the singer's attorney Mark Geragos acknowledged. Geragos asked for Brown to be allowed to begin another rehab program immediately, but prosecutor Mary Murray opposed this, saying the court had given him \"repeated opportunities. \"He's put himself in custody,\" Murray told the Los Angeles Superior Court judge. Attorney Mark Geragos speaks during a news conference after his client R&B singer Chris Brown was ordered to remain in jail without bail for allegedly violating his probation. PHOTO/AFP Brown was arrested in February 2009 after getting involved in a physical confrontation with Barbadian superstar Rihanna that left her with a bruised and battered face. He pleaded guilty to the assault and was sentenced to five years' probation and community service, as well as being required to take part in domestic violence counseling. California authorities filed probation violation charges against Brown last year, giving him an additional 1,000 hours of community service work on his sentence for beating the pop star. In October, Brown checked into the rehab facility two days after being charged over an altercation in the US capital Washington, in which he allegedly hit a man trying to take a picture of him outside a hotel. In February, judge Brandlin said Brown was doing well with the court-ordered treatment program, but ordered him to remain at the rehab facility. The judge warned him at the time that any negative change in behavior \"could dramatically change your custodial status.\" AFP"}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/652670-digital-migration-ucc-sued.html","content":" - By Vision Reporter MOTV Africa Ltd has sued Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) for breach of contract in relation to digital migration process. The aggrieved company claims to have pioneered investment in digital broadcasting services in the country.It contends that it was licensed to that effect. MOTV Africa Ltd DVB-T, a cheaper technology solution that could allow even the poor access digital broadcast services. MOTV contends that the Government instead adopted DVB-T2 technology without notifying it and branded the earlier technology as outdated. As result, MOTV says it lost market and other damages for which it demands over sh14b in compensation. Government had set July 2011 as a switch-on date for digital TV services and December 2012 as a switch-off date for analogue TV broadcasting. Government will roll out digital migration by December 2014 to replace analogue Television transmission, the executive director of Uganda Communication Commission (UCC) Godfrey Mutabazi has revealed. This means that the broadcasters will shut down their analogue TV transmitters and only digital TV signal will be available thereafter. The transition or switch from analogue television to digital television is referred to as digital migration. TV set owners have been advised to purchase central box equipment also known as set- top-box to connect to analogue TV or buy new set of digital TV in order to receive television services."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/650116-insurer-forwarding-firm-in-sh500m-lost-goods-battle.html","content":" - By Andante Okanya Trans Africa Assurance Company and SDV Transami Uganda Limited are locked in a $199,812(about sh500m) breach of contract battle over purportedly lost goods. On November 28, distribution company Translink Uganda Limited filed a suit at the High Court in Kampala on behalf of Trans Africa Assurance Company Limited. It was filed through Sebalu and Lule Advocates. The items,549 Samsung Television pieces, purportedly disappeared in transit under the custody of SDV Transami from  Mombasa Port, Kenya to Kampala. “In so far as the defendant failed to safely and securely transport and deliver the said goods to the plaintiff, the plaintiff contends that the defendant fundamentally  breached the contract and is liable to pay general damages,” the plaint states. On July 15, 2011, Translink obtained a deed of subrogation from Trans Africa to pursue SDV Transami. Subrogation refers to substitution of one person in the place of another with reference to a lawful claim, demand, or right. The defendant is listed as SDV Transami, although it rebranded last year and now trades as Bolloré Africa Logistics Uganda Limited. Bolloré Africa Logistics is a subsidiary of Bolloré group in France. It is one of the leading logistics networks in Africa with 250 subsidiaries. With a global presence in 55 countries, 45 of them are in Africa. The company’s foot print is visible in freight forwarding, customs brokerage, supply chain support, and purchase order management. Court documents show that on February 14, 2011, Translink purchased 549 pieces of Samsung colour televisions from Thai Samsung Electronics Company Limited, Thailand. The total invoice value of the goods was $182,311(about sh460m). Documents also show that the items were dispatched from Thailand on February 27, 2011 aboard ocean vessel S055 Nanta Bhum. They arrived at Mombasa Port, Kenya on March 27, 2011. However, prior to the arrival of the consignment at Mombasa, SDV Transami was contracted to handle the clearing, forwarding, and transportation of the container. On April 10, 2011, the items were transported by road from Mombasa to Translink’s office on Plot 4, Muwesi Road, Kampala. Court documents further show that Translink had taken a goods on transit policy from Trans Africa Assurance, and claimed compensation of $199,812(about sh500m). SDV Transami is yet to file is yet to file its defence. A hearing date is yet to be scheduled."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/647990-hostel-bank-row-over-sh950m.html","content":" - By Andante Okanya Lodging facilities company Yolanda Hostels Limited and Uganda Development Bank (UDB) are rowing over sh950m, with former accusing the latter of breach of contract. On September 11, Yolanda filed a civil suit at the High Court in Kampala, contending that UDB’s unprofessional actions caused it loss. It was filed through Bwambale, Musede and Company Advocates. Court documents show that in July 2011, the company managing director Piro Santos acting on its behalf, sought financing from UDB to refinance a loan from Centenary Bank. The company also intended to finance the completion of two floors comprising 46 rooms at a hostel. After five months, the bank made an offer to finance the company’s projects. Subsequently the parties struck a mortgage deed where the UDB advanced sh950m secured by land comprised as Kibuga Block 9 Plot 701, near Makerere University. The loan agreement was then executed on March 14, 2012. But the company alleges that the bank delayed the transmission of the first installment, for “such unreasonably long period of time” which caused the project setbacks. “The prices of the building materials escalated due to the inflation crisis making it hard for the plaintiff(Yolanda) to complete the proposed project within the specified period of time,” the plaint states. The plaint does indicate neither  the amount of money, nor the period in which the funds would be disbursed. Santos asserts that the entire project stalled, yet its completion was intended to service the loan. The company accuses UDB of dishonesty, saying despite the central bank’s reduction of commercial bank’s lending rates, it has continuously charged a higher interest rate. The company also cites a clause in the agreement “to vary the interest rates depending on the circumstances”. Yolanda wants court to permanently restrain UDB from taking over its management, putting the company on receivership, and attaching its property for sale. Court summons to file a defence within 15 days, dated September 13, 2013, have since been issued by registrar Tadeo Asiimwe. It has been cautioned to heed, lest judgement is delivered without its input. However, the bank is yet to file its defence. The case  file has been allocated to Justice Yasin Nyanzi. However, a hearing date is yet to be fixed."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/647718-hostel-development-bank-row-over-sh950m.html","content":" - By Andante Okanya Lodging facilities company Yolanda Hostels Limited and Uganda Development Bank (UDB) are rowing over sh950m, with former accusing the latter of breach of contract. On September 11, Yolanda filed a civil suit at the High Court in Kampala, contending that UDB's unprofessional actions caused it loss. It was filed through Bwambale, Musede and Company Advocates. Court documents show that in July 2011, the company’s managing director, Piro Santos acting on its behalf, sought financing from UDB to refinance a loan from Centenary Bank. The company also intended to finance the completion of two floors comprising 46 rooms at a hostel. After five months, the bank made an offer to finance the company's projects. Subsequently the parties struck a mortgage deed where the UDB advanced sh950m secured by land comprised as Kibuga Block 9 Plot 701, near Makerere University. The loan agreement was then executed on March 14, 2012. But the company alleges that the bank delayed the transmission of the first installment, for \"such unreasonably long period of time\" which caused the project setbacks. \"The prices of the building materials escalated due to the inflation crisis making it hard for the plaintiff (Yolanda) to complete the proposed project within the specified period of time,\" the plaint states. The plaint does indicate neither the amount of money, nor the period in which the funds would be disbursed. Santos asserts that the entire project stalled, yet its completion was intended to service the loan. The company accuses UDB of dishonesty, saying despite the central bank's reduction of commercial bank's lending rates, it has continuously charged a higher interest rate. The company also cites a clause in the agreement \"to vary the interest rates depending on the circumstances\". Yolanda wants court to permanently restrain UDB from taking over its management, putting the company on receivership, and attaching its property for sale. The case  file has been allocated to Justice Yasin Nyanzi. However, a hearing date is yet to be fixed."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/647465-mukula-defeats-aviation-firm-in-contract-breach-suit.html","content":" - By Andante Okanya   The Commercial Court in Kampala has dismissed allegations that Soroti Municipality MP, Flight Captain Mike Mukula, breached a contract in a rental agreement he signed with South Sudan aviation firm Nanam Aviation Limited. In the judgment of Justice Christopher Madrama, delivered on September 13, he ruled that the firm failed to adduce evidence that it incurred losses. The parties had been locked in an acrimonious six-year legal battle. Mukula was jointly sued with his aviation company, Sun Air (U) Limited. “The plaintiff (Nanam) did not prove any loss it suffered for which it was entitled to compensation by way of an award of either special or general damages,” Madrama stated. The firm was seeking $303,437 damages (about sh576m, then), alleging Mukula dishonoured the rental agreement in which he was supposed to provide two air crafts. Nanam claimed he provided one which only operated for 22 days instead of the two months paid for in advance. Prior, the lease was for two years. Court documents show that sometime in May, 2008, the firm’s officials struck a business deal with Mukula. In his defence, Mukula launched a counter claim, saying the firm failed to operate the planes on proper, safe and internationally accepted runways. He stated that on August 8 2008, the firm forced the crew to land  the plane in a wet and muddy runway at Boma, South Sudan. He adduced photographs taken by the pilots. According to court papers, Mukula offered Nanam two other planes but the firm declined, and instead demanded refund of its money. Nanam explained that one of the planes, was barred from flying more than five hours. It insisted that the agreement was to fly 65 hours per month. The judge declined to grant Mukula general damages in his counterclaim. He explained that no loss was indicated, as evidenced in the testimonies of his witnesses, who included his  former flight operations manager Joram Kakooza. Each party was ordered to foot its own bill of costs."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/644646-govt-says-police-right-to-stop-mumbere.html","content":" - By Moses Walubiri and Joyce Namutebi Police acted to prevent breach of security and possible attack on Rwenzururu king, Charles Wesley Mumbere during his planned visit to Bundibugyo late last month, Internal Affairs State Minister James Baba told parliament on Tuesday. The National Council for Security advised Mumbere, a Mukonzo, to stay his planned visit to Bundibugyo as part of festivities for his coronation anniversary on account of antipathy the Baamba - who are the majority in Bundibugyo - nurse against his kingdom. Since then, the government’s decision has spawned considerable disquiet among Mumbere’s supporters, especially in his stronghold of Kasese, with many seeking an explanation from government. During yesterday plenary sitting, it was Kasese Woman MP Winnie Kiiza who tasked the Internal Affairs minister to explain why “government was restricting Mumbere’s movement in his own kingdom yet it had okayed his coronation as a traditional leader.” Supported by Busongora North MP William Nzogou, Kiiza also decried what she described as the “high handed manner” in which Assistant Inspector of Police Grace Turyagumanawe handled the operation to stop Mumbere’s visit. Kiiza asked the minister to cause the suspension of Turyagumanawe for allegedly roughing up fellow police officers under his command during the operation. However, Baba defended the police saying Mumbere would have been in mortal danger if he had gone ahead with his visit to Bundibugyo. The minister revealed that futile marathon mediation meetings between Baamba and Mumbere’s representatives took place, and it was after failure to strike a middle ground by the warring parties that government deemed it prudent to cancel the Rwenzururu monarch’s Bundibugyo visit. “We wanted to make sure that Mumbere was not attacked or even killed by those opposed to his visit,” Baba said, adding, “This country must be ruled by law and stopping the visit was meant to prevent unnecessary bloodshed.” Baba also defended Turyagumanawe’s conduct during the operation telling raucous legislators that he (Turyagumanawe) was “trying to stop reckless officers from shooting.” “If he acted in a manner that is in breach of his code of conduct as a police officer, that is a matter for police to sort out,” Baba said. Mumbere has since accused government of “betraying the Bakonzo” by stopping him from visiting his people who had invited him to Bundibugyo. The latest flare up in Bundibugyo over Mumbere’s planned visit comes hot on the heels of protests by Bakonzo in July 2012 over attempts by the Rwenzururu monarch to visit the district."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/642891-railway-workers-demand-sh2b-from-rvr.html","content":" - By Andante Okanya A group of 492 railway workers under the umbrella trade union Uganda Railway Workers' Union has sued Rift Valley Railways(RVR) demanding sh2b for salary and damages, claiming the latter cheated them by breaching agreements signed that spelt out the mode of payment. In the suit filed on May 9 at the High Court in Kampala, the plaintiffs including both serving and laid off workers. They allege that RVR reneged on an undertaking to honour the Interim Partial Collective Bargaining Agreement(CBA) dated  April 3, 2013, and the Agreement  for Redundancy Pay for RVR Uganda staff dated  November 27, 2012. Through Barya, Byamugisha and Company Advocates, they are demanding that the company be restrained from laying off staff until the agreements are implemented.  Court documents show that on December 3, 2008, RVR signed  a recognition agreement with the union identifying the union as representatives of the workers. \"The defendant has since issued new  redundancy notices dated April 30, 2013, and May 1, 2013 to lay off employees by the end of May 2013. Plaintiffs demand that proper redundancy procedures are followed ,\" the plaint states. The workers purport that  the agreements have not been adhered to, and that  RVR has violated it, as it does not pay  all its employees  in accordance with CBA. The workers further  state that when they complained, the company issued a notice of redundancy dated  November 15, 2012, stating that it intended to automate various manual  systems  and other process improvement projects. The notice indicated that 200 employees were to be laid off. Court documents also show that last year between November 19 to 21, meetings were held between representatives of the warring parties  to  negotiate terms of the proposed redundancy. Proposals and counter proposals were made. The complainants  purport that before conclusion of the negotiations, RVR  issued  termination letters to 108 workers, dated November 27, 2012, that was to take immediate  effect. The plaintiffs further state that the workers still in service have since last year March 1 been paid wrong and lower slaries. The complainants state that details of the actual mode of payments for each of the complainants will be adduced during the trial. Court has asked RVR to file its defence within 15 days. In the summons signed by registrar Eudes Keitirima dated May 9, 2013, the company has been cautioned to heed, lest judgement is issued in its absence. The case file has been allocated  to Justice Benjamin Kabiito. However, a hearing date is yet to be scheduled."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/642867-kitende-face-zana-in-copa-final.html","content":" - By Samson Opus Final Kitende vs Zana 4PM Results St Juliana 1 Zana 2 Kitende 4 St Leo’s 1 DEFENDING champions St. Mary’s Kitende’s defence was breached for the first time in the COPA Coca-Cola yesterday but St. Leo’s Kyegobe could not stop their march into the final. Henry Bwambale scored in the 8th minute to hand St. Leo’s a shock lead but Kitende replied with a quick fire brace either side of half time through Yunus Ssentamu. Farook Miya and Shafik Bukenya scored late in the second half to see Kitende through. In the second semi-final, Standard High Zana’s Shaffa Kafeero struck a brace against St. Juliana High School Gayaza to book his team a place in the final. Zana took the lead from the penalty spot when Kafeero sent St. Julian’s keeper the wrong way after the referee pointed to the spot for a foul in the penalty box. Jerry Jakisa scored a fantastic equaliser in the second half but Zana were not to be denied and Kafeero popped up late on to score a dramatic winner. Investment drives giants No team can win the COPA Coca-Cola without massive investment, team work and patience. Perhaps this explains why only schools that offer bursaries to players like defending champions St. Mary’s Kitende, Standard High Zana and St. Julian High School Gayaza and St. Leo’s Kyegobe made it to the penultimate stage of the coveted tournament. To Kitende tactician Joseph Kasana besides massive investment, team work and discipline is what gives the Wakiso giants an edge over the rest. “We offer bursaries to over 40 players in football alone, besides other sports. So there is a lot of competition for a place in the team. Sometimes we are spoilt for choice. We have a good stadium that enables us to do any drill,” says Kasana. “I cannot say how much but it is definitely costs a lot of money. If a school does not have a director who loves sport, it is quite impossible to achieve success” says Kasana. According to Kasana, besides recruiting the best talent, Kitende invests in players from early as Senior One. Among the Kitende players who made it from Senior One include team captain Dan Birikwalira, Bob Olwoch and Miya Farouk. It is such investment that has made St. Juliana High School Gayanza stand out after only four years of its existence. St. Juliana has assembly the best school going children from northern Uganda according to the school director Jeff Serunjogi. “I treat my players like my children. Because most of them come from disadvantaged families, I stay with most of them during holidays,” he says. Kitende who have also dominated the East Africa Secondary Schools Games boasts of a five-man technical team led by coach Edward Golola. “We do not wait for COPA Coca-Cola. We work around the clock all year to maintain the team. We compete in various tournaments,” said Kasana who attributed Kitende’s success to the support of the school director and FUFA president Lawrence Mulindwa. The show the pedigree, Kitende has conceded only one goal as they march into today's final-seeking a seventh title in the event. A technical team led by coach Matia Lule has picked a cream of 23 Under-16 players for a one week training camp. The team captained by Kololo SS Emmanuel Oringa for a tour of Kenya. Thereafter, the squad will have an international camp in South Africa."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/641344-mukulu-sued-over-sh141m-land.html","content":" - By Andante Okanya  Renowned playwright Alex Mukulu has been sued for purported breach of contract over city land located in Namirembe a Kampala suburb valued at sh141m. A one Arnold Muwonge  has filed a civil suit at the High Court in Kampala, lamenting that despite signing a sale agreement in January last year, Mukulu has declined to vacate the premises located at Kibuga Block 4 Plot number 160, Namirembe. Through Kimuli and Sozi Advocates, Muwonge is demanding that Mukulu refunds the sh141m plus a 26% annual interest from January 11 last year till full payment. Court documents indicate that the land has a residential house. Muwonge asserts that at the time of the sale, the land was encumbered with a mortgage by one Moses Kibirige in favour of FINA bank.  Muwonge states that there was a debt due from Mukulu to the same Kibirige on account of redemption of the land by Kibirige from National Bank of Commerce. Additionally, court documents show that the purchase price was to be paid by Muwonge in installments, of which the first installment was to be paid to offset the liabilities encumbered on the land. The subsequent installments were to be paid directly to Mukulu. Under the agreement, Mukulu was to vacate the land in six days after payment of the initial installment, at Muwonge's cost. Muwonge asserts that after paying the first installment, the certificate of title was released by FINA bank, and given to his (Muwonge’s) lawyers. \"As result of the defendant's said breach of contract, the plaintiff suffered enormous  loss as his money  remained in the hands of the defendant for over a year  without him having ever received  possession of the land whilst the defendant continues to benefit,\" Muwonge states. He also states that despite several reminders from his lawyers, Mukulu has ignored demand for payment, and also ignored the notice of intention to sue. Mukulu is yet to respond to the allegations."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/641156-playwright-mukulu-sued-over-sh141m-land.html","content":" - By Andante Okanya Renowned playwright Alex Mukulu has been sued for purported breach of contract over a plot of land located in the suburb of Namirembe valued, at sh141m. On Wednesday, a one Arnold Muwonge filed a civil suit at the High Court in Kampala, lamenting that despite signing a sale agreement in January last year, Mukulu has declined to vacate the premises comprised in Kibuga Block 4 Plot number 160, Namirembe. Through Kimuli and Sozi Advocates, Muwonge is demanding that Mukulu refunds the sh141m plus a 26% annual interest from January 11 last year till full payment. Court documents indicate that the land has a residential house. Muwonge asserts that at the time of the sale, the land was encumbered with a mortgage by one Moses Kibirige in favour of FINA bank.  Muwonge states that there was a debt due from Mukulu to the same Kibirige on account of a redemption of the land by Kibirige from National Bank of Commerce. Additionally, court documents show that the purchase price was to be paid by Muwonge in installments, of which the first installment was  to be paid to offset the liabilities encumbered on the land. The subsequent installments were to be paid directly to Mukulu. Under the agreement, Mukulu was to vacate the land in six days after payment of the initial installment, at Muwonge's cost. Muwonge asserts that after paying the first installment, the certificate of title was released by FINA bank, and given to his(Muwonge’s) lawyers. \"As result of the defendant's said breach of contract, the plaintifff suffered enormous  loss as his money  remained in the hands of the defendant for over a year  without him having ever received  possession of the land whilst the defendant continues to benefit,\" Muwonge states. He also states that  despite several reminders from his lawyers, Mukulu has ignored demand for payment, and also ignored the notice of intention to sue. Mukulu is yet to respond to the allegations. A hearing date it yet to be scheduled."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/637303-ugandan-shilling-falls-as-banks-energy-firms-seek-dollars.html","content":" - THE Ugandan shilling slipped against the dollar on Wednesday, breaching a key support level, as commercial banks and energy companies sought dollars aggressively to meet end-year obligations. A decline in dollar selling by commodity exporters also helped push the shilling firmly beyond the key 2,600 level with commercial banks quoting the currency of east Africa's third largest economy at 2,605/2,615 by 1244 GMT, weaker than Tuesday's close of 2,595/2,605. The shilling has been under escalating pressure this week, fuelled by strong greenback demand from energy firms and offshore investors closing their local currency positions ahead of year-end. \"There's a marked decline in (dollar) inflows from commodities like coffee and fish because export volumes have been declining,\" said David Bagambe, trader at Diamond Trust Bank. \"And now that we have firmly broken the key level of 2,600, the shilling is likely to drop at a much faster pace.\" Uganda's coffee exports last month fell by 17 percent from a year earlier, as heavy rains disrupted the beans' transportation from growing areas to processing centres. Uganda is Africa's largest coffee exporter and earnings from crop are a key source of hard currency that helps prop the shilling. The Ugandan currency has lost nearly five percent against the greenback in the year to date, partly undermined by the central bank's policy loosening run although the pace of that easing has now been slowed down. Bank of Uganda (BoU) this month cut 50 basis points off its key lending rate to 12.5 percent after a run of much bigger cuts. \"The market is very short on dollars while on the other hand demand in the interbank market and from oil companies is still very strong,\" said Faisal Bukenya, head of market making at Barclays Bank. Analysts say the shilling is likely to remain relatively weak for the rest of the year, undermined by Christmas-related import demand, but could rebound in the medium term. Reuters"}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/636864-ubc-withdraws-case-against-ucc.html","content":" - By Andante Okanya KAMPALA - State broadcaster Uganda Broadcasting Corporation (UBC) has dropped the digital migration breach of contract case it filed against the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) at the High Court in Kampala. According to court records, acting UBC managing director Paul Kihika in a letter addressed to the broadcaster’s lawyer, Henry Rwaganika, dated October 17, 2012, instructed him to withdraw the case. The letter filed at the court on Wednesday explains that the dropping of the suit was based on advice of Justice Vincent Zehurikize who had earlier asked the two government bodies to reconcile, rather than clash. “UBC management has unconditionally decided to discontinue the proceedings in the above suit and all attendant miscellaneous applications. This is, therefore, to instruct you to ensure that proceedings in the aforementioned suit are properly discontinued,” the letter states. Rwaganika was further instructed to ensure that a withdrawal consent order is signed and unconditionally endorsed by all the parties. The letter is copied to UCC executive director Godfrey Mutabazi, UCC lawyer Joseph Matsiko and the deputy registrar of High Court Civil division, Eudes Keitirima. Justice Zehurikize had earlier on advised the warring parties to settle the dispute amicably by engaging the relevant government authorities like ministers. He said it is illogical for government bodies to get muddled in a bitter rift, yet they are expected to function harmoniously. In the suit filed on October 4 at the High Court in Kampala, UBC accused UCC of terminating a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed on May 29. According to the Digital Migration Policy for Uganda 2011, UBC was appointed sole signal provider for a five-year period. UBC contended that the MoU stated that the broadcaster was tasked with installing equipment for the Digital Terrestrial Television Project for Greater Kampala. This was in line with the transition from analogue broadcasting format.The MoU was terminated on August 21."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/636798-ubc-drops-digital-migration-case-against-ucc.html","content":" - By Andante Okanya State broadcaster Uganda Broadcasting Corporation (UBC) has dropped the digital migration breach of contract case it filed against the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) at the High Court in Kampala. According to court records, acting UBC managing director Paul Kihika in a letter addressed to the broadcaster's lawyer Henry Rwaganika dated October 17, 2012, instructed him to withdraw the case. The letter filed at the court on Wednesday, explains that the dropping of the suit was based on advice of Justice Vincent Zehurikize who had earlier asked the two government bodies to reconcile, rather than clash.      \"UBC management has unconditionally decided to discontinue the proceedings in the above suit and all attendant miscellaneous applications. This is therefore to instruct you to ensure that proceedings in the aforementioned suit is properly discontinued,\" the letter states. Rwaganika was further instructed to ensure that a withdrawal consent order is signed and unconditionally endorsed by all the parties. The letter is copied to the UCC executive director Godfrey Mutabazi, UCC lawyer Joseph Matsiko of Kampala Associated Advocates, and the deputy registrar High Court civil division Eudes Keitirima. Prior, Justice Zehurikize had advised the warring parties to settle the dispute amicably by engaging the relevant government authorities like ministers. He said it is illogical for government bodies to get muddled in a bitter rift, yet they are expected to function harmoniously. In the suit filed on October 4 at the High Court in Kampala, UBC accused UCC of terminating a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed this year on May 29. The MoU was terminated this year on August 21. According to the Digital Migration Policy for Uganda 2011, UBC was appointed sole signal provider for a five-year period. UBC contended that the MoU stated that the broadcaster was tasked with installing equipment for the Digital Terrestrial Television Project for Greater Kampala. This was in line with the transition from analogue broadcasting format. UBC also contended that UCC was to provide funding for the project, and that the two entities were to work jointly to ensure that the supplier responds to the project proposal requirements, and to procure the turnkey solution."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/636336-ubc-sues-ucc-over-digital-migration.html","content":" - By Andante Okanya   State broadcaster Uganda Broadcasting Corporation (UBC) has sued the regulator of the communications sector Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) over alleged breach of contract. In the suit filed on October 4 at the High Court in Kampala, UBC accuses UCC of terminating a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed this year on May 29. The MoU was terminated this year on August 21. According to the Digital Migration Policy for Uganda 2011, UBC was appointed sole signal provider for a five-year period. \"In violation of the spirit of the MoU, the defendant(UCC) run adverts in the print media for purchase of equipment  without consulting the plaintiff(UCC), yet the  plaintiff was the ultimate owner of the equipment,\"  the plaint states. Through Rwaganika and Company Advocates, UBC contends that the MoU stated that the broadcaster was tasked with installing equipment for the Digital Terrestrial Television Project for Greater Kampala. This was in line with the transition from analogue broadcasting format. Additionally, UBC contends that UCC was to provide funding for the project, and that the two entities were to work jointly and ensure that the supplier responds to the project proposal requirements, and to procure the turnkey solution. The broadcaster wants UCC permanently restrained, and is demanding damages plus costs of the suit. The amount of money demanded in damages is however not specified. According to court documents, prior to the MoU and with full knowledge of UCC, UBC as the signal distributor had already started building a new countrywide coverage digital television terrestrial distribution network. Kololo was the nucleus for transmission with radius coverage of 80 kilometres. UBC asserts that UCC violated the MoU by appointing a consultant, and licenced other signalers without consulting its partner (UBC). The broadcaster alleges that the regulator is planning to hijack its mandate by building a new transmission site at Migadde located 25 kilometres north of Kampala. \"The licencing by the defendant of other signal distributors will contradict the Digital Migration Policy 2011 that gave the plaintiff exclusive right to provide signal distribution for five years,\" UBC asserts. The broadcaster is seeking a court declaration that UCC's conduct is illegal, and that the termination of the MoU was in bad faith. UBC also wants court to declare that UCC's actions will lead to conflict of interest, as it will cease being a regulator and turn into a competitor. The case file has been allocated to Justice Vincent Zehurikize. UCC is yet to respond to the allegations. A hearing date is yet to be fixed."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/636288-sacked-officials-sue-women-parliamentary-association.html","content":" - By Andante Okanya   Three officials sacked by a Women MPs lobby group Uganda Women Parliamentary Association (UWOPA), have sued it over breach of contract. The trio that was sacked on May 24 this year are Rita Atukwasa (Chief executive officer and coordinator), Sylvia Omolo Kyomuhendo (ex-advocacy and communications officer), and Maria Goretti Kabasomi (administrative assistant). In the suit filed at the High Court in Kampala on October 5, they contend that they had running contracts of service fixed for six years, expiring in December 2016. Through Kwari-Kyerere and Company Advocates, they are demanding damages and salary arrears. \"Plaintiffs aver that by reason of defendants’ wrongfully terminating their contracts, they suffered loss of anticipated income, other attendant privileges and benefits for the terminated period,\" the trio contends. The aggrieved assert that in a letter dated May 24, 2012, the association executives, without giving the mandatory three notices, instructed them to handover duties, vacate by the end of the month, and give way for fresh recruits. The trio states that effective this year on July 1, new staff have since been hired, which in effect means they have been removed from their jobs. For special damages, Atukwasa whose monthly salary was sh3.5m, multiplied by three months, wants sh10.5m. Kyomuhendo whose salary was sh2.1m wants sh6.3m, while Kabasomi whose salary was sh900, 000 wants sh2.7m. For salary arrears, Atukwasa is demanding sh49.5m for 14 months, Kyomuhendo sh25.2m for 12 months, while Kabasomi's is sh12.6m. The trio is also claiming work expenses, with Atukwasa demanding sh550, 000, sh650, 000 medical expenses, and sh3.5m annual leave not taken. Kyomuhendo wants sh590, 000 expenses refund, and sh2.1m annual leave not taken. Kabasomi wants sh300, 000 expenses refund plus sh900, 000 annual leave not taken. For loss of anticipated income for the remaining 54 months, Atukwasa is demanding sh189m; Kyomuhendo wants sh113.4m, while Kabasomi wants sh48.6m The trio further state that by virtue of part of the Employment Act Laws of Uganda, they are entitled to severance pay, which is a retrenchment benefit. Court has ordered the UWOPA executive to file its defence within 15 days. In the summons dated October 5, 2012, issued by the civil division registrar Eudes Keitirima, they have been asked to comply, lest judgement is given in their absence. The case file has been allocated to Justice Elizabeth Musoke. However, a hearing date is yet to be fixed."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/635088-court-orders-microcare-to-pay-kadic-sh80m.html","content":" - By Hillary Nsambu                          THE Commercial Court has ordered a health insurance company, Microcare Health Limited, to pay over sh80m to Kadic Hospital Limited for breach of contract. However, Justice Geoffrey Kiryabwire, the head of the court, rejected a counter claim in which Microcare Health Ltd had sought to recover sh30m as an overpayment against the hospital. The judge strongly agreed with John Mary Kiwuuwa, the lawyer representing Kadic Hospital that the claim that Microcare Health Ltd made a year after the hospital had presented its demands for payment was an afterthought that cannot be accepted by the court. “I am satisfied with the evidence by the auditor, Masereka Nsibasi, of Toptech Consults that proved that a total of sh78, 197,715 as the outstanding amounts due to the plaintiff against the defendant and I order that they be paid with interest at 21% pa from the date of filing until payment in full,” the judge ordered. He also ordered that given the circumstances in which both sides managed their agreement, he would also grant nominal general damages of sh2m with 8% pa against Microcare Health Ltd from the date of judgment till payment in full. Kiwuuwa had told the court that following a signed agreement, Kadic Hospital provided services to Mircocare Health's clients between 2005 and 2007 to the tune of over sh87m as unpaid medical bills; but the defendant defaulted all the time. The plaintiff terminated the contract after the defendant issued two bouncing cheques of over sh17m, hence the law suit for breach of contract. However, Microcare Health Ltd, represented by Allan Nshimye, had vehemently denied the allegations, claiming overpayment of sh30m that it sought to recover from the plaintiff, belatedly though. The judge, however, observed that there was nothing to show that Microcare Health rejected the bills when they all bore stamp with words “processed”; without anything to show that they were rejected. “To my mind, therefore, the attempt to impeach the said claims by the plaintiff is an afterthought by the defendant in some cases being one year old. This is clearly dilatory conduct on the part of the defendant company,” the judge agreed with Kiwuuwa."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/632405-musicians-are-not-tax-exempt.html","content":" - By Herbert Ssempogo DAYS after musician Joseph Mayanja a.k.a. Jose Chameleon received a sh14m tax invoice from Uganda Revenue Authority (URA), he was enraged. The invoices were in respect of the performances he held from December 2011 to March 2012. Chameleone wondered how the revenue collectors computed them. “My voice is a natural gift from God, why do you want me to pay for my voice?” a vexed Chameleone wondered. However, all citizens worldwide have obligations to the state. One of them is paying taxes from which revenue is generated for provision of infrastructure and social services. A person, who earns an income and fails to pay taxes, breaches a constitutional obligation. Taxes could be direct, that is, pegged on income like Pay As You Earn or indirect like Value Added Tax (VAT) paid whenever an item is purchased. Like any citizen with an income, musicians are not exempt from taxes. Ideally, musicians should file their income tax returns at the end of the year. From the total income, a sh30% tax is levied. However, because musicians’ income is largely seasonal, there are two friendly options for them. One of them is that once a promoter hires them, that person withholds 6% of the total amount, which is handed over to URA as tax. That person must be a withholding tax agent. While filing returns at the end of the year, a musician has to indicate how much tax was withheld by promoters. Alternatively, 18% of VAT could be levied on the total gate collections. Under this arrangement, a URA official is supposed to be at the entrance to scrutinise receipts. Taxing musicians is not a reserve of the Ugandan Government. Worldwide, this group has to fulfil obligations to the state. And there are repercussions for evasion. The Daily Mail reported last week that the US artiste, R. Kelly, owes the state $4.8m in back taxes after ‘not paying anything’ on his superstar earnings for almost seven years. The ‘I Believe I Can Fly’ singer stopped paying taxes in 2005, according to documents fi led by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). In July 2011, Jeffrey Atkins (Ja Rule) was handed a 28-month prison sentence for failing to pay taxes on more than $3m in earnings between 2004–2006. Therefore, instead of complaining, Chameleone, who has a huge following, should comply. The writer is a public and corporate affairs offcer, Uganda Revenue Authority"}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/632190-gov-t-sues-lc-bikes-insurer-wants-sh1-1b.html","content":" - By Andante Okanya Government has sued insurance firm NIKO Insurance Company, demanding sh1.1b for breach of contract when the company acted as guarantor to the firm that was supposed to supply the 70,000 local council bicycles. Amman Industrial Tools and Equipment Limited was contracted to supply the bicycles worth sh4.2b meant for chairpersons of parish and village councils countrywide. The insurance firm undertook a Performance Guarantee Bond of sh1.1b in favour of Amman on November 25, 2010, to be paid in the event of breach of contract. In the suit filed on Tuesday at the Commercial Court  in Kampala by Government's chief legal advisor -the Attorney General(AG) Peter Nyombi - he contends that the insurance company has deliberately declined to make good its obligation. \"The plaintiff [AG] contends that the defendant[insurance firm] has no plausible defence to the claim  of $489,650 after the plaintiff demanded for the same pursuant to the terms of the performance bond furnished by the defendant on behalf of Amman Industrial Tools and Equipment Limited,\" the AG contends. Government is also demanding general damages with a 28% annual interest from the date of judgement till payment in full. It also wants costs for the suit in addition to a 28% annual interest on the $489,650 from May 24, 2011 till full payment. In the plaint, the AG asserts that on November 26, 2010, the local government ministry on behalf of government awarded Amman the contract to supply the bicycles. The Performance Bond was to be valid from November 25, 2010 to May 24, 2011. However, the AG states that on May 10, 2011, the local government ministry permanent secretary John MuhanguziKashaka (now suspended) wrote to the managing director of the insurance firm, informing him that Amman had failed to deliver the bicycles. The AG notes that Amman had agreed to deliver the bicycles by February 25, 2011. He claims that although the deadline was extended to May 25, 2011, the company still failed to comply. The AG subsequently wrote to the company on May 23, 2011, informing it that the bond's expiry date was two days away. A bank payment advice form was attached to the letter. Subsequently, in a letter dated August 4, 2011, the insurance firm's claims manager wrote to the AG, and informed him that the firm had started the process of paying the bond. But the AG asserts that in a letter dated September 11, 2011, the firm drew his attention to a parliamentary probe when the subject of the LC bicycles became a stormy topic of debate. The firm stated that Government officials had been implicated in the purported fraud. The AG states that on October 4 last year, he expressed discontent when the firm introduced new conditions like the parliamentary probe, which were not part of the agreed terms. Court documents indicate that the AG in a letter to the firm dated January 3 this year, threatened to sue within 14 days. The court's registrar Margaret Tibulya in summons dated June 19, 2012, has ordered the firm to file its defence within 10 days, from the day it received the summons. The case has been allocated Justice Christopher Madrama. However, a hearing date is yet to be fixed."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/632067-lap-textiles-thrown-out-of-bugolobi-facility.html","content":" - By Felix Osike The Government has repossessed  the Bugolobi  apparel  complex that had been  sub-leased  to  LAP Textiles, a Libyan  company,  over  breach  of  contract. The land and buildings belonged to the defunct Coffee Marketing Board. The complex was repossessed on May 7. An inspection of the premises revealed that the company had closed business.  On June 25, 2007, Cotton & LAP Textiles Industries of Libya, signed a deal with the Government to partner in the development of the textile sector and in particular, to enable the Government benefit from concessions and benefits arising out of the US Africa Growth and Opportunities Act (AGOA). However,  LAP Textiles  failed to honour  the conditions  to export textiles to the US,  Martin Kihembo,  the  Uganda  Property  Holdings chief, the company  managing  government  property, said. LAP is also said to have abused the tax incentive scheme. “The complex has been under LAP on a 49 -year sublease. “But we terminated the sub-lease because we thought they would not achieve what we wanted. When they took over, they were supposed to export textiles to the American market. Unfortunately, they have not been able to do it,” Kihembo explained. He said the war in Libya could not have hampered the company’s activities because, the rebellion started in February 2011, four years after the deal was sealed.  Under the agreement, the Government was to offer LAP incentives available to the textile industry. This included payment of Value Added Tax and import duty on raw materials imported for manufacturing textiles and VAT on the supply of manufactured textiles. Uganda Revenue Authority said the tax incentive was to add value to the local products based on the assumption that these companies would source raw materials from Uganda. However, it turned out that almost all the materials used were imported and taxes not paid. “In disregard of the agreement, a total of sh209, 449,343 was refunded to LAP Textiles in respect of PAYE for expatriate staff for the period November 2007 to February 2009. “Included were fees for work permits for the same expatriates. Both PAYE and work permit fees were not provided for in the incentives as communicated to URA,” stated a recent Auditor General’s report.  The Auditor General (AG) John Muwanga said the payment of PAYE for expatriates by the finance ministry was irregular. The AG had also warned of a risk of government losing the title of the land on which the Libyans were operating since they had the land title. But Kihembo confirmed that the titles were safe."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/314993-ex-minister-wasieba-sues-airline.html","content":" - By Hillary Nsambu       FORMER State Minister for Works Sylvester Wanjusi Wasieba has dragged South African Airways to court for breach  of contract seeking to recover over US$100,000 plus general damages. Wasieba, who is also a former Constituent Assembly (CA) member and MP for Bubulo and Mbale Municipality respectively, filed his law suit in Kampala.   Meanwhile, the High Court has issued summons requiring the South African Airways to file a defence within 15 days.    “Whereas the plaintiff has sued you upon the claims, particulars of which are contained in the plaint, you are hereby required to file a defence in the suit within 15 days. Should you fail to enter an appearance within the prescribed period, the plaintiff may proceed with the law suit and judgment may be given in your absence,” the summons reads.   He contends that on May 10, 2011 he travelled by South African Airways from Entebbe destined for Australia via Johannesburg (SA) on a business trip. Upon arrival at Johannesburg International Airport, he alleges, the airways officials stopped him from proceeding to Australia, claiming that he did not have valid Australian visa.   Suing through Sserwanga, Maiteki & Company Advocates, Wasieba alleges that despite his documentary proof and his frantic efforts to explain that he had a valid Australian visa, the Airways agents cancelled his travel to his destination.   Wasieba further contends in his plaint that although the South African Airways apologized and regretted the unfortunate events, through its Kampala agents, he had already suffered great loss and damages that arose out of the cancellation of his travel to Australia, for which he would ask the court to award him special damages.   According to the plaint, Wasieba lost business contract Australia and cost of the return air ticket to Australia. He also incurred living expenses in South Africa after cancellation of his travel to his destination and a return air ticket from South Africa to Entebbe International Airport plus the visa fees.   Wasieba contends that he was duly checked in by the South African Airways officials at Entebbe International Airport and was allowed to board their plane to Australia via Johannesburg. However for reasons best known to the airways officials at Johannesburg the defendant’s agents simply blocked him from travelling any further."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/314885-central-bank-owed-sh5b-in-benefits.html","content":" - By Andante Okanya   A GROUP of 20 ex-employees have sued the central bank over unlawful dismissal, plus breach of the bank's retirement agreement, and are demanding over sh5b in benefits.   The group claims to have served the bank in various capacities for over 15 years.They filed their civil suit on Tuesday at the High Court in Kampala, through Barugarahe and Company Advocates.They were  dismissed and retired between July and August  last year, and their letters were signed by the  executive  director administration Johnson Mubangizi.   They contend that they made monthly contributions to the  banks staff savings scheme.   The complainants were categorised into  three groups of termination, retirement and early retirement.10 of them contend that  they were sacked without  being given a chance to defend themselves.They state that their fate was decided after a resolution by the bank's disciplinary committee meeting of June of last year.   \"The plaintiffs will contend that the disciplinary action taken against them violated the principles of natural  justice by failing to accord them an opportunity to prepare their adequate defences,\"  the plaint states.   The other 10 contend that prior to their forced retirement, the  bank had set parameters for early retirement, which was agreed upon in its  Resolution of  Board Meeting number 300.   \"The plaintiffs will contend  that the defendant involuntarily retired them and acted unjustly  and deprived them  of benefits they were  entitled to  in not following the  manner  of retiring employees as communicated.   Additionally, they want court to quash the bank's Administration Manual, arguing that it conflicts with provisions in the Employment Act.   Court records show that a notice  of intention to sue dated October 19,2011, was sent to the bank. However.the complainants contend that the bank ignored.   They further claim that at the time of their sacking and retirement, they had loan obligations with the  bank, and that the  pay received was  insufficient  to service the loans.They claim it has  caused them mental anguish.   The complainants want general damages plus costs of the suit.They also want to be  paid a 30% annual interest  on the pension benefits and  compensatory awards  from  the time of  the  sacking  and early retirement, till  payment  in full. The central bank is yet to file its defence to the allegations."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/1592-ubc-cancels-basajja-land-deal.html","content":" - By Steven Candia THE Uganda Broadcasting Corporation (UBC) has revoked the sale of the controversial plot of land in a city suburb to renowned entrepreneur Hassan Basajjabala, citing breach of contract and strategic interests of the corporation. In a letter dated August 31 and addressed to HABA Group chairman, the UBC acting managing director, Paul Kihika, cited breach of essential clauses of the sale contract by Basajjabalaba, as the main reason for termination of the contract. Haba Group is owned by Basajjabalaba. In the letter, Kihika accused Bassajjabalaba of breaching clause 2.5 of the sales agreement which empowered UBC (vendor) to repossess the land upon Haba’s failure to pay the outstanding balance on the due date. Clause 3.3 also provided that the purchaser shall not transfer or part with possession of the property until the full purchase price is received by the vendor on its accounts. Clause 3.3 of the same agreement, according to the letter also gave the corporation powers to lodge a caveat on the land which shall be vacated upon payment of the full purchase price. “In view of the foregoing, it is the position of UBC caretaker management that Haba Group blatantly breached paragraph D of the recitals in the sale agreement by failing to pay the purchase price upfront as proposed in the foregoing recital D. HABA Group also failed to honour Clause 2.5 of the sale agreement of paying the full purchase price and the said clause arms UBC with power to repossess the said property,” the letter signed by Kihika reads. In the letter, Kihika accused Bassajjabalaba of fraudulently selling the land, despite an outstanding balance of sh4.9b. “It was also a condition under Clause 3.3 of the agreement that HABA Group shall not sell, transfer or part with the property before the full purchase price was paid. However, without due consideration to the foregoing clause, Haba Group on June, 1 fraudulently and without any notice to UBC and even without paying the outstanding balance of sh4.9b, transferred the said demised property."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/316357-ubc-cancels-basajja-land-deal.html","content":" - By Steven Candia THE Uganda Broadcasting Corporation (UBC) has revoked the sale of the controversial plot of land in a city suburb to renowned entrepreneur Hassan Basajjabala, citing breach of contract and strategic interests of the corporation. In a letter dated August 31 and addressed to HABA Group chairman, the UBC acting managing director, Paul Kihika, cited breach of essential clauses of the sale contract by Basajjabalaba, as the main reason for termination of the contract. Haba Group is owned by Basajjabalaba. In the letter, Kihika accused Bassajjabalaba of breaching clause 2.5 of the sales agreement which empowered UBC (vendor) to repossess the land upon Haba’s failure to pay the outstanding balance on the due date. Clause 3.3 also provided that the purchaser shall not transfer or part with possession of the property until the full purchase price is received by the vendor on its accounts. Clause 3.3 of the same agreement, according to the letter also gave the corporation powers to lodge a caveat on the land which shall be vacated upon payment of the full purchase price. “In view of the foregoing, it is the position of UBC caretaker management that Haba Group blatantly breached paragraph D of the recitals in the sale agreement by failing to pay the purchase price upfront as proposed in the foregoing recital D. HABA Group also failed to honour Clause 2.5 of the sale agreement of paying the full purchase price and the said clause arms UBC with power to repossess the said property,” the letter signed by Kihika reads. In the letter, Kihika accused Bassajjabalaba of fraudulently selling the land, despite an outstanding balance of sh4.9b. “It was also a condition under Clause 3.3 of the agreement that HABA Group shall not sell, transfer or part with the property before the full purchase price was paid. However, without due consideration to the foregoing clause, Haba Group on June, 1 fraudulently and without any notice to UBC and even without paying the outstanding balance of sh4.9b, transferred the said demised property."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/320916-gulu-mayor-warns-workers-against-delays.html","content":" - BY CORNES LUBANGAKENE Gulu mayor George Labeja has warned construction firms against breaching timeframes set by the contracts committee. Labeja said the municipal council executive committee and technocrats had inspected several construction works in schools last week and found that out of the eight projects started in December last year, only one was ready for commissioning. “In Obiya West Primary School, construction of a teachers’ house has not reached the ring beam, while only the foundation has been constructed at Police Primary School. This will make it difficult for the technocrats to account for the money. We shall not entertain incompetent contractors,” Labeja, who is also the municipal secretary for works and technical services, warned. He said he had asked the town clerk to write to the ministry, saying the money had already been used so that it is not returned as required at the end of the financial year."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/322574-besigye-denies-breaching-peace.html","content":" - By Herbert Ssempogo OPPOSITION Forum for Democratic Change president Kizza Besigye has denied fresh charges of breaching peace. Besigye, who faces several court cases, appeared before the Kasangati Magistrates’ Court in Wakiso district yesterday. According to prosecutor Gladys Nyanzi, Besigye on April 28 between Kasangati and Mulago roundabout in Kampala, assembled with other people in a manner which could have breached peace. Nyanzi also alleged that their presence would have incited people to breach peace. Another co-accused, Aaron Kaijja, denied similar charges. Grade One Migistrate James Ereemye released them on bail after lawyer David Mpanga presented FDC chairman Sam Kalega Njuba, Tororo municipality MP Geoffrey Ekanya and Besigye’s sister Dr. Olive Kobusingye Kifefe, as sureties. Ereemye asked the state to expedite investigations. The case will return for mention on June 13. The other suspects, Fred Kato, Robert Kavuma, Sam Mugumya, Geoffrey Kalanzi, Francis Mwijukye and Martin Byomuhanji, got bail on May 9. They also denied the allegations. Earlier, court had handled three cases against Besigye. They included failing to comply with a Police officer’s instructions allegedly committed on April 11 and unlawful assembly reportedly on April 18. Before the court session, Besigye vowed to continue with the walk-to-work protests (on Mondays and Thursdays) against inflation and high fuel prices. “We shall continue to express our rights and to show our displeasure over the manner in which affairs of this country have been handled. We shall continue to show solidarity with fellow citizens in this crisis caused by the Government’s actions,” he said. He added that the demo was being used to “shine a torch” on the problems. Besigye stressed that the demos were not being used to overthrow the Government. However, he added that if there was a steady degeneration, the people would be compelled to ask the Government to “step aside”."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/323031-kampala-rugby-club-in-trouble.html","content":" - By Johnson Were KAMPALA Rugby Union Football Club (KRUFC) are at risk of losing millions of shillings if they fail to successfully defend a case filed against them by Capital Ventures Limited for breach of contract. In suit No.139 of 2011 filed in the High Court Commercial Division, Capital Ventures accuse KRUFC for breach of contract in which the company wanted to buy club property. The plaintiff wants a sh214m refund that had already been advanced, on top of costs for the suit. The complainant alleges that KRUFC illegally terminated a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with them and sold the 3.5 acres of land housing both the club house and the rugby pitch on Plot 11 Naguru Road and Plot 1 Sports Lane to another buyer. KRUFC sold the said property to Solution and Conveyors Company Limited at $1.6m (sh3.8bn) from which the sellers then acquired an 11-acre private land in Luzira. In defence KRUFC, through their attorneys Ahamya Associates, aver that the plaintiff deposited the sh214m after the MOU had been terminated. They want court to dismiss the case with costs. “We terminated the contract, informed them and they acknowledged but went ahead and deposited money on the account which I consider negligence on their part,” KRUFC treasurer Henry Musoke stated."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/323162-palestine-is-ripe-for-a-revolution.html","content":" - By Gwynne Dyer PALESTINE is ripe for a revolution. How do we know that? Because the two rival governments that have so spectacularly failed that hypothetical country are finally ending their four-year-old breach and getting back together. Or at least that is what they say they are doing. The reconciliation took place in Cairo on Wednesday, when Mahmoud Abbas, the president of the Palestinian Authority (which controls the West Bank), and Khaled Meshaal, the leader of Hamas (which controls the Gaza Strip), signed an agreement to form an interim government to rule both parts of the would-be country. “We forever turn the black page of division,” said Abbas in his opening remarks. The two men went further than that. They agreed that no member either of Hamas or of Fatah (the movement that is Mahmoud Abbas’s political base) could be part of the interim government. That government would pave the way for free elections next year in both parts of the disjointed proto-state that would really restore Palestinian national unity. Or so the deal says. But Fatah and Hamas still hate each other, and they have not actually made a single compromise on the key areas where they disagree, like the question of whether to make peace with Israel. Most observers still doubt that the gulf between the two sides can ever be bridged. So why would they even bother to sign such a “unity” accord? Because they are both running scared. They have seen what happened to other oppressive and/or corrupt regimes in the Arab world as the “Arab spring” has unfolded and they are afraid that a comparable revolution could drive them from power too. Fatah, after all, is very corrupt and quite authoritarian, while Hamas is less corrupt but extremely repressive and economically incompetent to boot. There have already been large popular demonstrations in the Palestinian territories, although they have not been widely reported. The protesters’ main demand is “national unity”, but there is good reason to suspect that many of them actually have a broader agenda. Like the Syrian demonstrators demanding the repeal of the 48-year-old “state of emergency” in that country, when what they really want is the end of the regime, many of the Palestinian protesters are using “national unity” as a popular mobilising call when what they really want is the end of both Fatah and Hamas. So Fatah and Hamas are giving them what they say they want, in order to avoid having to give them what they really want. But it is a shotgun marriage at best, and most unlikely to last. This is mere gesture politics, since it will not force Israel to remove its troops or make any other concessions, but Abbas hopes that it will strengthen his standing with his own people. Besides, he can hardly ask the UN members to recognise Palestinian sovereignty so long as different parts of its territory are ruled by rival and indeed hostile regimes. A cosmetic reconciliation with Hamas is necessary, at least for a while. The probable price of this Fatah-Hamas deal is a complete shutdown of peace negotiations with Israel, because Israel, the EU and the US define Hamas as a “terrorist movement”. Therefore, they will have nothing to do with a Palestinian government that includes Hamas (or so they say). Israel’s hard-line prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, said the accord was a \"tremendous blow to peace and a great victory for terrorism\". But Netanyahu is widely and probably correctly seen as a man who is not interested in a peace agreement anyway, so Abbas does not think anything important will be lost if he cozies up to Hamas for a while. The real question is whether the Palestinians will ignore all this window-dressing, and rise up like their Egyptian neighbours to rid themselves of the arbitrary and corrupt governments that now rule them. The answer is probably no, because the felt need for “unity” in the face of the Israelis usually cripples Palestinian attempts to address the failings of their own institutions. Indeed, the biggest short-term consequence of the “Arab spring” for the Palestinians may be another Israeli military assault on the Gaza Strip, or even a full-scale re-occupation of that territory, because the new Egyptian government plans to reopen its border with Gaza very soon. Under Hosni Mubarak, Egypt’s recently deposed dictator, Cairo fully cooperated with Israel in enforcing a tight blockade of the Gaza Strip. Once the border with Egypt is re-opened, Israel fears, the extremists who regularly fire rockets into Israel from the territory will have access to an endless flow of weapons. Trying to shut that border down again would immediately embroil Israel in a conflict not only with Hamas but with newly democratic Egypt. That would certainly not be to Israel’s long-term advantage, but that does not mean they will not do it. The writer is a London-based independent journalist"}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/323714-col-kizza-besigye-faces-sh50m-fine.html","content":" - By Edward Anyoli and Frederick Kiwanuka FDC party president Col. Kizza Besigye has been granted bail and cautioned against demonstrating or engaging in activities that would breach peace. Nabweru Court Chief Magistrate Justine Atukwasa, sitting at the Nakasongola Chief Magistrates’ Court, granted Besigye bail. She told him that he would pay sh50m if he engaged in unlawful activities in the next seven months. However, minutes after leaving the courtroom, Besigye told journalists that he intended to continue demonstrating. He said he would meet with other “activists for change” to plan more walk-to-work demonstrations. Besigye, who was led to court by prison warders, personally applied for bail because his lawyers were absent. He was granted bail and bonded at sh10m (not cash). His two sureties, Chapaa Karuhanga and Joseph Mulwanyamuli Ssemwogerere, were both bonded at sh50m, also not cash. Kampala businessmen Francis Tumwijukye, Harold Kaija and Jethro Nuwagaba, Besigye’s co-accused, were also granted bail. Lino Anguzu and Gladys Nyanzi, who led the prosecution, did not oppose the bail applications, but asked court to impose stringent terms to deter the four from acts that would cause violence. Earlier, Besigye who was clad in a blue Kitenge shirt, a grey pair of trousers and black shoes, had been charged with taking part in an unlawful assembly. He allegedly committed the offence on April 21. He, however, denied the offence. He is expected to reappear at the Nabweru Magistrates’ Court on May 13. Security was tight at the court premises by both the Police and the army. Besigye was taken to Nakasongola last week after he was arrested on April 21. A few kilometres from Kampala, there was heavy deployment of traffic Police officers, checking every vehicle that was coming to the city. Besigye left court in a convoy with his supporters shortly after signing his bond papers. Several FDC members were present at the court."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/324591-peace-security-vital-to-ugandans.html","content":" - By Dora Byamukama THE walk-to-work demonstration by opposition leaders in protest of escalating commodity prices has raised several arguments. Were the ensuing arrests in breach of the walkers’ rights to freedom to demonstrate together with others peacefully and unarmed as provided for under Article 29(1) (d) of the Uganda Constitution. There are counter arguments on the basis that human rights are not absolute as provided for under Article 43 of the Constitution. This Article states that no person shall prejudice the fundamental or other human rights and freedoms of others or the public interest. Enjoyment of human rights and freedoms, therefore, calls for a delicate balance. For example, one cannot kill and eat a person on the basis that their religion allows them to do so. When the right to practise a religion prejudices the right to life and is against public interest then law and order steps in. Arguments on human rights and freedoms were interspersed with debates on whether the manner and force used were appropriate in the circumstances. This debate will go on for a while. Apart from the action of walking to work to demonstrate escalating prices, my persistent question is so what? Frankly, the walkers could have walked to work for a week, a month and maybe a year… but to what avail? Escalating commodity prices is a matter of national interest; it is about the wellbeing of all Ugandans regardless of party affiliation and status. It, therefore, provides an avenue for all peace-loving Ugandans to put their best foot forward. Politicians could have, for example, used the Inter- Party Dialogue to address this issue because questions will be put to leaders on what action was taken to address it. The Inter Party Dialogue could, for example, have invited key stakeholders such as farmers, the business community and Government officials to ascertain the causes and to discuss possible action to address the issue. Possible solutions to avert escalating commodity prices could include: Government intervention in form of subsidies which could have the effect of reducing prices of fuel and staple foods; Food storage and increased value addition to food in order to increase its shelf life; Creation of awareness on ways Ugandans can adopt and mitigate in order to maintain their ideal lifestyles even amidst escalating commodity prices such as tightening budgets and more efficient utilisation of available supplies; Increase of fuel reserves and efficient and effective utilization of fuel, which could include cycling or walking to work! These are some practical examples which could assist in averting escalation of food prices because much as we have rights; we also have a duty as citizens to find solutions to issues such as escalating commodity prices brought about by several factors that include seasonal factors, a weaker shilling and uncertainty brought about by the recently concluded elections. Facilitation of uncertainty by demonstrations and chaos has potential to perpetuate the issue of escalating commodity prices and therefore may not serve us well. Actions taken, therefore, need to be carefully weighed as to whether they provide solutions or aggravate the situation. One good lesson I have learnt in advocacy for human rights is to use positive images in order to get the desired outcome. One of the hardest challenges is to change beliefs. For example, the Chinese believed that a woman had to have small feet in order for her to be considered beautiful. The Chinese therefore, dutifully bound women’s feet from an early age in order to attain this. Successful advocacy to change this belief focused on a beautiful foot, which is allowed to develop fully and thus become strong. Over time, this positive marketing, coupled with other strategies, paid off. Now foot binding is a thing of the past in China. Mother Theresa reaffirmed the principle that positive action has potential to yield more positive results. Post-elections, the Inter Party Dialogue is one mechanism that can be used by all political actors to focus on working towards a positive vision that serves our national interests of peace, security and development. Whereas the walk-to-work demonstration was in itself not negative, the intent and context had the potential to cause disruption. The duty to maintain peace and order which nipped it in the bud was a stitch in time which saved nine. Peace and security are of paramount interest to all Ugandans as we search for solutions to this passing phase of escalating commodity prices."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/324722-bujagali-hydro-power-works-on-track.html","content":" - WORKERS breaching the up-stream coffer dam to allow River Nile to revert to its original western channel and flow through the powerhouse and the newly-constructed concrete spillway. The coffer dam was removed at 3am on Sunday."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/325416-accounts-committee-investigates-sh97b-loss.html","content":" - By Mary Karugaba MPs are investigating circumstances under which the Government lost over sh97b paid to two companies as compensation for breach of contract. Appearing before the public accounts committee yesterday, the acting Solicitor General, Harriet Lwabi, said the compensation was paid out to Dura Cement (sh60b) and a French firm, Basir Read Bouygues, (sh37b). Lwabi said the Government entered into a mining contract with Dura Cement in 2006. According to the contract, Dura was to mine and set up a cement factory in Kamwenge district for 19 years. In 2007, the Government, through the Ministry of Defence, cancelled the contract and awarded it to Hima Cement. “The Government realised that a new proposal submitted by Hima was in the best investment interest of Uganda and that the agreement between Dura and theGovernment be terminated,” Lwabi said. Dura, however, sued the Government in the Commercial Court seeking to recover compensation for allegedly cancelling their contract without notice. The company demanded compensation for the loss incurred due to breach of the contract and the earnings it would have made for the agreed 21-year period."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/326308-company-sued-over-breach-of-contract.html","content":" - By CHRIS KIWAWULO WHEN Godfrey Korinako Atuheire heard about an entrepreneurial competition with a sh50m grand prize in 2007, he thought of how to recycle used paper. Then in his last year at Makerere University where he was pursuing a Bachelors of science in wood science and technology degree, Atuheire took part in the Commonwealth Finance Solutions (CFS) “Show Me the Money” challenge. He submitted a proposal on paper recycling and competed with over 8,000 people. At the end of the challenge, all the judges were convinced with Atuheire’s paper recycling presentation and duly announced him as the overall winner. However, Atuhaire has never got the sh50m. Feeling cheated, the 28-year-old has taken the matter to court where he is suing CFS for breach of contract. Atuheire said he had used at least three lawyers whom he suspects were compromised. He has hired yet another lawyer who has assured him that he would pursue the case to its logical conclusion. In his current civil suit filed through Mpeirwe and company advocates at Mengo magistrate court, Atuheire wants damages amounting to sh50m and any other relief that court deems fit. Daily Monitor newspaper in partnership with Ezra Track Team Board (ETTB) and CFS organised the challenge which was aired live on Nation Television. The organisers premised the challenge on harnessing entrepreneurial energy by offering startup capital to anyone who would conceive an original business idea. At the end of the challenge, a total of sh140m was to be won by seven people. The overall winner, (Atuheire) was to get sh50m, and six other people would get sh15m each. New Vision has, however, learnt that the six other young entrepreneurs who qualified to get sh15m each have also never received the money. Asked why he did not include Daily monitor, NTV and ETTB in the suit, Atuheire said Daily Monitor and NTV did publicity for the competition, while ETTB owned by embattled Mike Ezra paid for supplying papers to university students country-wide to vote for the winners. “All the partners referred me to CFS for my money,” said Atuhaire."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/327635-shilling-may-breach-2-400-level.html","content":" - By Vision Reporter THE shilling fell against the dollar for the third day running on Thursday and it was expected to slide further ahead of presidential elections on Friday, traders said. The shilling was quoted at 2,383/88 per dollar, down from 2,376/2,381 at Wednesday’s close. The currency touched a record low of 2,395/40 on January 18. Some traders said the shilling could breach the psychological level of 2,400 if the Central Bank stays out of the market and if concerns about potential post-election violence persist. The Bank of Uganda injected dollars into the market on Tuesday but it failed to stop the shilling ending the session lower. “I think we will touch 2,400,” said Lucas Ochieng, a trader at Orient Bank. “We should have expected a quiet day but one or two corporates might want dollars because next week marks the end of the month and they may think demand will build up so now could be a good opportunity,” he said. When the shilling tumbled to its fifth record low of the year on January 18, the Bank of Uganda said it would take an aggressive stance on the exchange rate. It has pumped tens of millions of dollars into the market to halt the downward spiral. Some traders, however, said business could be flat as people wait for the elections to finish. “I think most people are out of the market until the elections are finished,” Phillip Ssali of Standard Chartered Bank, said. “As long as it’s not depreciating too much I think the Central Bank can stay out until afterwards, too.”"}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/328641-mp-apiliga-wanted-by-moyo-police.html","content":" - By FRANCIS APILIGA Dr. Moses Apiliga, the incumbent MP for West Moyo County is wanted by Police in Moyo for breach of electoral law. The district Police commander Ahmed Kimera said Apiliga on Thursday campaigned up to 10:00pm in Metu quarters. According to Moyo’s electoral commission office records, there were about 80 people who attended Apiliga’s night rally. On Saturday, Apiliga again campaigned up to 11:00pm in Logoba parish. The Electoral Commission campaign guidelines requires that candidates end rallies by 6:00pm."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/604487-resolve-dispute-through-dialogue.html","content":" - THE tenants of the Nakawa and Naguru housing estate have sued the Government alleging breach of agreement. The tenants are seeking to block their eviction by January 8, 2011 to pave way for the redevelopment of the estates. The ministry of local government issued an eviction notice on December 15, 2010 and it was expected that the fencing of the estate will start on January 9, 2011. But the tenants argue that the eviction was in breach of the memorandum of understanding they signed with the Government. The tenants are demanding that they be resettled elsewhere. The tenants are also insisting that their interest in the land must be guaranteed before they are evicted. However, the local government minister Adolf Mwesige says the memorandum tenants signed withr the Government does not include provision of alternative accommodation. In August this year, the Government set up a tribunal to handle the tenants’ complaints. Subsequently the tenants and the Government signed a Memorandum of Understanding under which, among other things, the Government offered the tenants first opportunity to buy and own the new flats at a subsidised price. It is unfortunate that the dispute over the redevelopment of the Nakawa and Naguru estate has dragged on since 2007 and rendered it quite impossible for the developer, Opec Prime Properties Ltd, a UK-based construction firm, to carry out the project. The Government has demonstrated its readiness to engage the tenants in dialogue. The tenants, therefore, should revisit their decision to go to court. The two parties should, instead, resolve their outstanding disagreements through dialogue."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/604535-naguru-nakawa-estate-tenants-sue-govt.html","content":" - By Andante Okanya TENANTS of the Nakawa-Naguru housing estate have sued the Government for breach of agreement. The tenants filed a suit on Tuesday at the High Court in Kampala against an eviction notice to leave the estate on January 8, 2011 to pave way for its redevelopment. The eviction notice dated December 15, 2010 was issued by the local government ministry. The fencing of the estate is set to start on January 9, 2011. But the aggrieved tenants said the eviction was in “contravention of the memorandum of understanding” signed with the Government between 2007 and January 2008. They say evicting them “without guaranteeing their interest in the land” will breach the memorandum of understanding. The tenants say under the agreement, each registered tenant was given “first priority to purchase” a house. The also say evicting them without resettling them first will breach their right to shelter. But local government minister Adolf Mwesige said the memorandum does not include provision of alternative accommodation. “They should trust the Government and leave. We will give them flats after completion as agreed,” Mwesige said. Alongside the Attorney General, also sued are the Uganda Land Commission and the developer, Opec Prime Properties Limited, a UK-based construction firm. According to official figures, there are 1,747 tenants. Both estates were condemned in 1994 by the health ministry as unfit for human habitation. In 2007, the Government contracted Opec to redevelop the estate into two satellite towns, with residential, commercial, and recreational facilities. The redevelopment had been scheduled to start in February 2008 but was delayed due to the queries. The tenants insist that Opec won the contract without following the public procurement and disposal of public assets procedures. Naguru housing estate has 753 housing units on 37 hectares, while Nakawa has 932 units on 29 hectares. They were all built in the 1950s."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/608226-govt-loses-sh1b-in-botched-deal.html","content":" - By Mary Karugaba THE Government has lost sh1.3b in legal costs to a private firm for breach of contract to develop and manage Namanve Industrial Park. According to documents presented to the public accounts committee yesterday by the accounting officer of the finance ministry, the Government paid the money to Xpectrade 245 (PTY) Limited, a South African company. The money was advanced to Uganda Investment Authority (UIA) in 2007 by the finance ministry, but it was never accounted for. According to the Finance and Accountability Act, advances are supposed to be accounted for within 60 days. Documents showed that payments were done by July 30, 2008, but UIA books of account for the year 2008 indicated that the money was still on the account. According to Dr. Maggie Kigozi, the UIA executive director, the Government signed a contract with the firm in 2006 to develop and manage the park. However, the plan was later changed to a private-public partnership agreement. Kigozi and officials from the finance ministry, led by the undersecretary, Betty Kasimbazi, were appearing before the committee to answer queries raised by the Auditor General in a report for the year 2008. The MPs accused the investment officials of rushing to make an agreement with the firm without plans for the park. The committee demanded that the officials who signed the contract be brought to book. The officials were also grilled over sh3b that was spent to purchase 619 acres of land in Mbale. The land was allegedly purchased from Bugisu Cooperative Union without following the PPDA Act. The auditor said although the title has been transferred to UIA, the Government may not obtain possession of the land because almost 80% of the land is occupied by over 250 squatters. “These have since taken UIA and Bugisu Cooperative Union (BCU) to court for trespass,” the report stated. “The law says you are not supposed to evict people from their land, why did you purchase land that was encumbered? Why did you also sign an agreement with a board whose members’ term had expired?” MP Tom Kazibwe asked as BCU chairman Nandala Mafabi looked on. “I will not chair the meeting,” Mafabi said. Kigozi asked for more time to offer an explanation. The committee also queried advances amounting to sh5.9b to settle teachers’ salary arrears. The MPs wondered how the arrears arose given that teachers are on the payroll."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/612199-aya-investments-loses-court-suit.html","content":" - By Hillary Nsambu Justice Geoffrey Kiryabwire of the Commercial Court has ordered Aya Investments to pay Hansa and Lloyds, a consultancy firm, over sh13.4m as consultancy fees. The judge also awarded Hansa and Lloyds sh2m as nominal damages against Aya Investments for breach of contract. Aya Investments had denied any business dealings with Hansa and Lloyds. Its lawyer, Godfrey Lule, had said another firm, Knick Waks Certified Public Accounts, provided the services for which Hansa and Lloyds claimed payment. Hansa and Lloyds had originally sought over sh600m as consultancy services fees, but the court said there was no evidence that the firm had an agreement for that amount."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/616026-nssf-officials-admit-breaching-procedures.html","content":" - By Milton Olupot THE former chairman of the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) procurement committee yesterday said procurement procedures were flouted due to pressure to deliver. Sam Mpiima, who was also the fund’s chief operations officer, told the Parliament committee probing the mismanagement of the fund that he eventually became uncomfortable with the procurement methods and resigned. “I was under pressure to deliver, just like everybody else. Clients were not getting their monthly statements and people were not being paid their money because machines were down,” he said. Mpiima admitted that there was conflict of interest in the hiring of Comtel Integrators Africa, an IT company, to support the Fund’s Integrated Management Information System. He, however, added that they could not see the conflict of interest due to pressure. Comtel was paid $5.4m (over sh11b), but the system continued failing. Asked who was responsible for flouting the procurement systems, Mpiima said the embattled former MD David Chandi Jamwa was to blame. The committee is investigating the officials on the basis of queries raised in the Auditor General report on the Fund’s operations between February 2005 and November 2009. Jamwa was on June 22 remanded to Luzira Prison by the Anti-Corruption Court. He faces charges of corruption and abuse of office brought against him by the Inspector General of Government. He is accused of causing a financial loss of sh2.7b to NSSF. The pension fund’s head of procurement, Alex Muhoozi, and procurement officer Josephine Kaheru were grilled over several suspicious procurements, including the procurement of only 60 cars, instead of the 67 which had been approved. They also failed to explain why they did not follow procedures in procuring private legal services and a private investigator, Freddie Egesa, who was paid sh82m for a three-month contract. Kaheru accepted responsibility for failure to get the profiles of the lawyers and law firms that were given contracts to run the Fund’s legal matters. Kaheru laboured to convince the committee that she did her part to sensitise and guide the management on procurement issues in vain. “What was your role as the procurement department, were you just a conduit taking water from Muyenga to Ntinda? You acted as sewers taking in everything that was brought to you. You did not advise,” committee chairman Reagan Okumu said."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/617608-agent-wants-sh13b-for-national-id-deal.html","content":" - By Hillary Nsambu A city commission agent, John Katto, has dragged a German firm, Muhlbauer High Tech International, to court alleging a breach of contract, seeking to recover over euros6m (about sh13b). Muhlbauer High Tech International was contracted by the Government to update the voters’ register for 2011 general elections and to produce the national identity cards for Ugandans. Katto also sued Muehlbauer Uganda Limited, together with the Muhlbauer High Tech International. According to the complaint, which Katto filed in the Commercial Court on May 24 through Okello-Oryem and Company Advocates, the company instructed him, as a commission agent, to procure the contract for it and that it had been agreed upon that he would be paid 10% of the total amount for the deal. Katto alleges that in 2009, he received instruction from the company representative, Dietmar Ernemann, upon whose instruction he secured for the company the deal to update the voters’ register and the national ID project. The job of updating the voters’ register that is estimated to be worth euros 64m (about sh185b) and is in progress throughout the country, is slated to be concluded on June 14. However, Muhlbauer High Tech International, which is represented by Muwema, Mugerwa Advocates and Solicitors, denies dealing with Katto in respect to the deals. According to the statement of defence, Muhlbauer High Tech International is just a brand logo, which has no corporate personality and is thus not capable of suing or being sued. The statement also says Muehlbauer Uganda Limited is a Ugandan registered company, and not a German corporate entity, as Katto’s complaint seems to imply. Muhlbauer High Tech International and Muehlbauer Uganda limited have, therefore, also asked the court to reject Katto’s claim on the grounds that they have never had any contractual relationship with Katto. The defendants say they would demand proof from Katto to show the alleged bid for the voter registration and biometric identification system in 2009. They also demand proof of Katto’s alleged appointment to play a role in helping them (companies) to secure the deals."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/618222-establish-leadership-code-tribunal.html","content":" - THE Inspector General of Government has again lost another landmark case involving the removal of a public servant from office and seizure of his assets for alleged breach of the Leadership Code of Conduct. The High Court ruled that it was improper for the IGG to cause dismissal of Nestor Gasasira as the Ministry of Health principal accountant and seize his wealth for breach of the code. Gasasira, according to the IGG, has wealth that is beyond his income. He also allegedly did not declare some of the wealth as required by the Leadership Code. After investigations, the IGG ordered Gasasira’s dismissal and seizure of his wealth. But Gasasira went to the Court challenging the IGG’s decision. The Court reasoned that the IGG never gave Gasasira a fair hearing. Above all, the removal of Gasasira was a matter that should have been decided on by a Leadership Code Tribunal and not the IGG. Article 235 (a) of the Constitution provides for a Leadership Code Tribunal whose composition and functions are to be prescribed by Parliament by law. The tribunal is intended to adjudicate in cases involving breaches of the Leadership Code. Gasasira’s case is the third that the IGG has lost relating to the removal from office over issues relating to the Leadership Code. Recently, the IGG also lost a case against former legislator Ken Lukyamuzi who was removed from Parliament in 2005 for not declaring his wealth. The IGG had also lost a case against Maj. Roland Kakooza Mutale who had also been dismissed as presidential advisor again over wealth declarations. The absence of the Leadership Code Tribunal has been cited as a fundamental flaw in all these cases. While the Constitution gives the Inspectorate of Government powers to enforce the Leadership Code, it also provides for a tribunal to hear cases involving breaches of the Leadership Code and mete out punishment against those guilty. The absence of the tribunal has frustrated efforts to enforce the Code. It is, therefore, important that the establishment of the tribunal is expedited."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/618394-igg-loses-case-on-gasasira-assets.html","content":" - By Edward Anyoli THE Inspectorate of Government (IGG), Raphael Baku, has lost a case in which he was seeking dismissal of Nestor Gasasaira as principal accountant in the Ministry of Health and to seize his wealth for breach of the Leadership Code. High Court Justice Yorokamu Bamwine yesterday ruled that the IGG had not offered Gasasira an opportunity to defend himself against the accusation brought against him. The court also ordered the Government to pay costs to Gasasira and that the caveats, which were placed on his properties be lifted. The IGG had accused Gasasira of not declaring his wealth and failing to explain its source. He argued that Gasasira’s wealth did not correspond with his income. Gasasira, through his lawyer, Geoffrey Kandeebe, dragged the IGG to court challenging his move, saying he had worked for 31 years to acquire the wealth, jointly owned by his wife, who also works as an accountant. According to the IGG, Gasasira owns a residential house at Nyakabande in Kisoro district and flats on two plots in Banda, Kyambogo worth sh548m. He is also said to own a plot on Lake Drive Luzira valued at sh330m, a plot on Luthuli Avenue in Bugolobi worth sh200m, a plot on Bukoto Crescent valued at sh30m, a Land Cruiser worth sh31m and a block- making machine worth sh17m. In his report, the IGG said Gasasira deposited sh102m into his Sagimex bank account in 2003, sh162.5m in 2004 and sh60m in 2005. He further deposited sh57m, sh130m in 2004 and sh52.3m in 2005 but “failed to explain the sources of the money.” Giving his ruling, Justice Bamwine, citing the recent Supreme Court judgement in John Ken Lukyamuzi’s case against the Inspectorate of Government, said it was improper for the IGG to act as a tribunal that would hear the case and at the same time order for Gasasira’s dismissal and seizure of his assets. He said it was also wrong not to give Gasasira fair hearing. “I have no doubt that the investigation into this case was conducted behind the appellant’s back,” Bamwine said. He added that although the Constitution gives the IGG powers to enforce the leadership code, it should also act within other laws. Gasasira’s lawyer argued that the IGG should not have acted without properly investigating the matter."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/621608-heritage-could-drag-tullow-to-court-over-breach-of-agreement.html","content":" - By Ibrahim Kasita A DEAL to buy $1.5b oil fields owned by Heritage Oil has hit a snag, threatening investment in Uganda’s nascent oil and gas industry.Tullow Oil and Heritage are joint partners in two oil fields, blocks 1 and 3A. Tullow wants to buy out Heritage and the process is ongoing after the two entered into a sales and purchase agreement. This was after Tullow pre-empted Italian firm, Eni’s earlier bid to buy the assets and the consent to transfer them signed on January 26, subject to the Government approval. Heritage has, however, raised concern over Tullow’s delay in approving the transactions, lack of disclosure, transparency and information sharing. In a March 23 letter to Hilary Onek, the energy minister and the permanent secretary, Fred Kabagambe-Kaliisa, wants an explanation for the delay. “Any delay in the approval process puts at risk the needed investment in infrastructure that, once made, will benefit the entire country,” Heritage stated through their lawyer, Robert Brant. The firm indicated that the approval process and transfer of the oil fields would have been finalised by the end of last month. “This is the timetable that both Tullow and heritage have communicated to the shareholders and other stakeholders,” Heritage pointed out. It said since the deadline had not been met, Heritage needed to know the cause of the delay to explain to shareholders why the process was taking longer that expected. It added that this would help the firm to decide whether the delay was justified or not. Brian Glover, the Tullow managing director for Uganda operations, admitted there were delays in the process. But he pointed out that Tullow was about to complete its pre-emption and farm-down process. “While getting the Government consent letter may have taken longer than originally anticipatated, we are confident that all required due diligence has been followed and outcome will stand the test of time,” he stated in an e-mail to The New Vision. He added that creating partnership with strong international players, they would accelerate the development and production of Uganda’s oil. Glover claimed that the process was in the best national interests of Uganda and, therefore, the Government should not be hurried by any party. He added that it was unreasonable to expect such a process to take a few months to be completed, saying they have to follow regulations. Under the sales and purchase agreement of blocks 1 and 3A, Tullow is obliged to keep Heritage informed of the progress about the Government’s written consent, according to the lawyers. Tullow is also expected to give Heritage the opportunity to comment on any submissions, notifications or filings made to the Government in relations to the Blocks 1 and 3A transactions. “Tullow has failed to do so, thus, breaching its contractual obligations to Heritage,” Heritage’s lawyer explained. “Apart from the legal consequences of this, we would like to understand the nature of the submissions, notifications that Tullow has made and their impact on the Government’s lack of consent, thus far, to the proposed transfer of the Heritage interests to Tullow.” Heritage wonders whether such consent has been withheld or delayed unreasonably. Kabagambe-Kaliisa told The New Vision in an interview that the transaction has strong implications on Uganda’s economy. “We don’t want to have a monopolistic situation. The Government also has to evaluate the transaction in a transparent manner,” he said, adding that he was not allowed to divulge any information he gets from Heritage, Tullow or any other key player in the industry. According to Heritage, Tullow said it had a written a confirmation from the Government supporting its takeover of Heritage’s interests in the two blocks. The firm said it relied on this warranty and representation when it signed the takeover deal with Tullow on January 26 because “we were assured any delays that may occur in getting the Government’s consent to the deal would be minimal. “We are particularly keen to discover whether the above representation was false when Tullow announced the pre-emption deal on January 17. “This explains the reasons for the delays and would imply that the terms of the agreement were procured by wrongly in breach of the warranty.” If found to be true, it entitles Heritage to apply for an order to rescind the agreement and/or damages.” However, Heritage stated that it was committed to the transaction with Tullow. It cautioned that if Tullow misled them to sign the agreement when it was aware it had no written confirmation from the Government supporting the transaction, Heritage will call its cancellation, and/or seek damages. The firm said there were willing investors now and it would like to assist the Government to do everything possible to secure the investment quickly. It added that further delays in approval the deal may taint Uganda’s image as an investment destination. “We know the Government will be concerned that if the process is slow there is a risk that the investment may not remain committed to the country,” Heritage said. “Further delays will also put the assets themselves at risk because while the proposed sale to Tullow is effectively in limbo, the Government cannot expect significant investments or activity to be pursued in the blocks.” However, in a dramatic move, Heritage yesterday announced that it had received a letter from the Government supporting the sell and transfer of its assets to Tullow. The Government, it added, would conclude reviewing the transaction within eight weeks. This means that Heritage will get the formal consent and conclude the transaction."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/624405-govt-to-pay-37b-penalty-to-french-firm.html","content":" - By Mary Karugaba and Milton Olupot THE Government has been forced to pay sh37b to a French firm, Basir Read Bouygues, for breach of contract. The company in February 2004 won the sh85b contract to rehabilitate the 73km Jinja-Bugiri road, funded by the European Union. Justice minister Khiddu Makubuya said the money was awarded to the firm after the arbitration tribunal in France and South Africa ruled that it was wrong for the Government not to modify the contract after a change in the Value Added Tax law. The arbitrators also ruled that the Government failed to notify the changes in asphalt specification to the firm within reasonable time. Makubuya explained that after negotiations conducted in Paris in June 2009, the Government agreed to pay the firm 13m euros by October 31, 2009. “On October 21, the Attorney General approved that the Government pays euro 13m as its best option and accordingly a settlement agreement was concluded,” he said. He was responding to questions raised by the legal and parliamentary affairs committee on supplementary expenditure. Makubuya wants the funds through a supplementary budget. In February 2005, the contractors terminated the contract on grounds that the Government had delayed to make payments of VAT and to make a decision regarding modification of asphalt specifications. Other reasons were that the Government did not amend the contract to provide for compensation to the firm for changes in VAT law. The firm said the Government did not take appropriate measures to mitigate the effects of unexpected cables and utilities on the project site and did not supply original project drawings and design data within the prescribed time. But the Government regarded the termination as invalid and argued that issues raised by the contractor were being addressed with a view of giving the firm compensation and extension of time. Makubuya explained that when the two parties failed to reach an amicable resolution, the firm took the matter for arbitration in London, seeking euros 18m (about sh48b). “We called on the advance payment guarantees that had been issued by banks in France and South Africa but again the firm challenged the calls in the courts of law in both countries.” Makubuya said out of the five grounds presented by the firm, the tribunal upheld only two, saving the Government sh2.3b and euro 9.7 million. “The implication of this ruling was that although the Government succeeded in challenging the other three grounds, the two grounds won by the firm meant that their termination was valid,” he said. Scrutinising the supplementary budget yesterday, MPs were shocked to find that despite the minister’s assurance that the Government would win the case, the ministry is looking for funds to compensate the firm. “The minister lied to us that this was a good case. He never came back to inform us that we had lost the case,” Geoffrey Ekanya (FDC) complained. Nathan Byanyima (NRM) wondered why the ministry waited to pay and included the money in the supplementary budget."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/625612-makubuya-should-know-better.html","content":" - MENGO remains adamant on the issue of CBS. Buganda’s attorney general, Apollo Makubuya, does not see any wrong committed by the Buganda-kingdom owned radio station. Instead, he wants the Government to apologise for what he calls breach of the Constitution and the loss of lives. Makubuya is old enough to know the key role played by Radio Mille Collines in the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, for which its founder received life imprisonment by the UN tribunal. General Romeo Dallaire, the then commander of the UN peacekeeping operation, testified that jamming its broadcasts would have had a significant impact on the course of events. Makubuya is also intelligent enough to see the similarities between the messages disseminated by CBS and Mille Collines’ racist propaganda. CBS told its listeners that the enemy, identified as “people with long noses”, was invading their territory, threatening to kill them and take away the source of their wealth — land —; and called upon the Baganda to take action. The radio accused the Government of a hidden agenda of killing Baganda and grabbing their land. “People are sliced to death in Buganda.” It called for a boycott against millet porridge and matooke from Western Uganda, and supermarkets owned by people from the west. “When you engage in a battle, you have to engage in it conclusively,” said Evelyn Nakiryowa in one of the talkshows. “If we realise that the battle is not progressing, we will blacklist all the Baganda who got married to those people (Banyankole), and those who married them, and also work on them.” Three days before the riots, CBS told the Baganda to “chase away people who they think betray Buganda; such people should not go back and be safe in their homes.” And on September 10, the day the riots broke out, the radio called upon Baganda to escort the Kabaka “prepared to engage the enemy”. Makubuya must also have noticed how CBS broadcasts mobilised the youth to erect road blocks within hours in different parts of Buganda, where people who looked like westerners or could not sing the Buganda anthem were beaten up. Mengo should recognise these facts, which are on record, and learn from history."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/532957-suspended-official-accuses-miria-of-constitution-breach.html","content":" - By Jeff Lule A SUSPENDED Uganda People’s Congress senior official has accused the party president of violating the party constitution for her own interests. The former party chairman, Patrick Rubaihayo, said Miria Kalule Obote bypassed the proper procedures in suspending him and three others. “The constitution is very clear. She has no right to suspend any official without the consent of the National Council,” Rubaihayo said on Tuesday while appearing on the Talk of the Nation, a weekday talkshow on Vision Voice FM radio hosted by Paul Busharizi. Rubaihayo and colleagues, Livingstone Okello Okello, Peter Walubiri and Chris Opio were suspended for allegedly attempting to usurp the executive powers of the party. However, they have gone to court to challenge the descision. “It is true the party president has the powers but the constitution states that after any reshuffle, the National Council must approve. But this was not followed,” Rubaihayo argued."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/557897-suspended-official-accuses-miria-of-constitution-breach.html","content":" - By Jeff Lule A SUSPENDED Uganda People’s Congress senior official has accused the party president of violating the party constitution for her own interests. The former party chairman, Patrick Rubaihayo, said Miria Kalule Obote bypassed the proper procedures in suspending him and three others. “The constitution is very clear. She has no right to suspend any official without the consent of the National Council,” Rubaihayo said on Tuesday while appearing on the Talk of the Nation, a weekday talkshow on Vision Voice FM radio hosted by Paul Busharizi. Rubaihayo and colleagues, Livingstone Okello Okello, Peter Walubiri and Chris Opio were suspended for allegedly attempting to usurp the executive powers of the party. However, they have gone to court to challenge the descision. “It is true the party president has the powers but the constitution states that after any reshuffle, the National Council must approve. But this was not followed,” Rubaihayo argued."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/534498-upc-suspends-four-senior-officials.html","content":" - By Josephine Maseruka THE Uganda Peoples Congress (UPC) has suspended four long-time senior members for “breaching the party constitution”. The four are also accused of attempting to “usurp the executive powers of the party”, party president Miria Kalule Obote said in a statement yesterday. Among the suspended was Livingstone Okello Okello, the MP for Chwa. He was the vice-president until June when he was replaced by Al-haji Badru Wegulo. Also affected is Peter Walubiri, who had been the secretary general until June when he was replaced by Chris Opoka. Former national chairman Patrick Rubaihayo and former vice-chairman Chris Opio were also asked to step aside. The party diehards are accused of attending a secret meeting in Lugogo, Kampala on October 3, where they discussed party matters. In a statement read by Wegulo at the party’s weekly press briefing at Uganda House, Obote accused the officials of being the brain behind the meeting which was organised by the East Africa Law Watch, an advocacy group. She said the group was neither an organ nor a committee of the party. As such, she said, it had no business discussing party matters and taking decisions on elections and establishment of party structures. Miria Obote said the meeting was organised by eminent UPC members, which was tantamount to “a rebellion against the constitution and party leadership”. She argued that whatever transpired at the meeting was null and void and must be ignored by the UPC membership. Contacted for a comment, Okello Okello feigned ignorance of his sacking as did the other three officials. Okello Okello, however, said they did nothing wrong and were being victimised. He said as the head of the party’s constitutional making body, he knew that such meetings are allowed and that many of them had taken place in the past. “How many such meetings has the party organised and have been sponsored by bodies or organs like the East Africa Law Watch?” he asked. The suspension comes at a time when the party has announced a roadmap to the 2011 general elections. The national treasurer, Patrick Mwondha, yesterday said any person who wanted to contest for the presidential seat must submit a written request to the party secretariat by October 31. Registration of party members from village level across the country will end by the same date, he said. Mwondha added that UPC had divided the country into Groups A and B. Group A covers Bukedi, Elgon, Teso, Lango, Acholi, West Nile, and Karamoja. Branch (village) elections take place on November 2, parish and sub-county elections on November 4 and 6 respectively. Group B covers Buganda, Busoga, Bunyoro, Rwenzori, Ankole and south-western Uganda. They are slated to hold their branch meetings on November 8, parish and sub-county elections on November 10 and 14 respectively, Wegulo explained. Wegulo said dates for the national and district elections would be announced later. Miria Obote stood for president in 2006 and lost. Her son, Jimmy Akena, is interested in standing in 2011."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/559438-upc-suspends-four-senior-officials.html","content":" - By Josephine Maseruka THE Uganda Peoples Congress (UPC) has suspended four long-time senior members for “breaching the party constitution”. The four are also accused of attempting to “usurp the executive powers of the party”, party president Miria Kalule Obote said in a statement yesterday. Among the suspended was Livingstone Okello Okello, the MP for Chwa. He was the vice-president until June when he was replaced by Al-haji Badru Wegulo. Also affected is Peter Walubiri, who had been the secretary general until June when he was replaced by Chris Opoka. Former national chairman Patrick Rubaihayo and former vice-chairman Chris Opio were also asked to step aside. The party diehards are accused of attending a secret meeting in Lugogo, Kampala on October 3, where they discussed party matters. In a statement read by Wegulo at the party’s weekly press briefing at Uganda House, Obote accused the officials of being the brain behind the meeting which was organised by the East Africa Law Watch, an advocacy group. She said the group was neither an organ nor a committee of the party. As such, she said, it had no business discussing party matters and taking decisions on elections and establishment of party structures. Miria Obote said the meeting was organised by eminent UPC members, which was tantamount to “a rebellion against the constitution and party leadership”. She argued that whatever transpired at the meeting was null and void and must be ignored by the UPC membership. Contacted for a comment, Okello Okello feigned ignorance of his sacking as did the other three officials. Okello Okello, however, said they did nothing wrong and were being victimised. He said as the head of the party’s constitutional making body, he knew that such meetings are allowed and that many of them had taken place in the past. “How many such meetings has the party organised and have been sponsored by bodies or organs like the East Africa Law Watch?” he asked. The suspension comes at a time when the party has announced a roadmap to the 2011 general elections. The national treasurer, Patrick Mwondha, yesterday said any person who wanted to contest for the presidential seat must submit a written request to the party secretariat by October 31. Registration of party members from village level across the country will end by the same date, he said. Mwondha added that UPC had divided the country into Groups A and B. Group A covers Bukedi, Elgon, Teso, Lango, Acholi, West Nile, and Karamoja. Branch (village) elections take place on November 2, parish and sub-county elections on November 4 and 6 respectively. Group B covers Buganda, Busoga, Bunyoro, Rwenzori, Ankole and south-western Uganda. They are slated to hold their branch meetings on November 8, parish and sub-county elections on November 10 and 14 respectively, Wegulo explained. Wegulo said dates for the national and district elections would be announced later. Miria Obote stood for president in 2006 and lost. Her son, Jimmy Akena, is interested in standing in 2011."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/560783-court-orders-damages-for-kanta-breach.html","content":" - THE Commercial Court in Kampala has ordered Hawa Focus Enterprises to pay sh30m to Nanoomal Issardas Motiwalla (NIM) for illegally using its trademark of Kanta hair dye. Justice Geoffrey Kiryabwire made the order on Thursday following consent between the two parties. The judge agreed with Matthias Ssekatawa representing NIM, who argued that by packaging and marketing products of Hawa hair dye, which resembled Kanta hair dye since 2007, the sale of NIM products was affected and financial loss caused. He added that by this action, Hawa Focus Enterprises derived unfair advantage basing on the reputation of NIM’s original and genuine products."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/535843-court-orders-damages-for-kanta-breach.html","content":" - THE Commercial Court in Kampala has ordered Hawa Focus Enterprises to pay sh30m to Nanoomal Issardas Motiwalla (NIM) for illegally using its trademark of Kanta hair dye. Justice Geoffrey Kiryabwire made the order on Thursday following consent between the two parties. The judge agreed with Matthias Ssekatawa representing NIM, who argued that by packaging and marketing products of Hawa hair dye, which resembled Kanta hair dye since 2007, the sale of NIM products was affected and financial loss caused. He added that by this action, Hawa Focus Enterprises derived unfair advantage basing on the reputation of NIM’s original and genuine products."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/537857-was-the-protocol-intentionally-breached.html","content":" - EDITOR—I wish to congratulate the kingdom and the people of Buganda upon the successful commemoration of the 16th coronation anniversary of the Kabaka and the restoration of monarchs in Uganda. I am, however, dismayed by the serious breach of Uganda’s protocol when, during the celebrations, the Buganda anthem was sung before the Uganda National Anthem! This was done in the presence of Uganda’s Vice- President Gilbert Bukenya! I hope this happened by mere oversight rather than design. Buganda is known for its good morals and any form of disrespect is often seen with utmost contempt followed by the statement, “yeyisa nga'atali Muganda” (he doesn’t portray the character of a Muganda) towards anyone who behaves thus. I do not wish this statement to be directed towards the master of ceremonies of the day and the organisers in general for disrespecting the sovereignty of Uganda. Long live the Kabaka. Francis Wasagami Mbale"}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/562797-was-the-protocol-intentionally-breached.html","content":" - EDITOR—I wish to congratulate the kingdom and the people of Buganda upon the successful commemoration of the 16th coronation anniversary of the Kabaka and the restoration of monarchs in Uganda. I am, however, dismayed by the serious breach of Uganda’s protocol when, during the celebrations, the Buganda anthem was sung before the Uganda National Anthem! This was done in the presence of Uganda’s Vice- President Gilbert Bukenya! I hope this happened by mere oversight rather than design. Buganda is known for its good morals and any form of disrespect is often seen with utmost contempt followed by the statement, “yeyisa nga'atali Muganda” (he doesn’t portray the character of a Muganda) towards anyone who behaves thus. I do not wish this statement to be directed towards the master of ceremonies of the day and the organisers in general for disrespecting the sovereignty of Uganda. Long live the Kabaka. Francis Wasagami Mbale"}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/564237-teachers-post-bank-lock-horns-over-loans.html","content":" - By Lydia Namubiru TWENTY primary school headteachers in Masindi are locked in a disagreement with Post Bank Uganda over alleged breach of contract by the bank. The teachers have petitioned the Masindi chief administrative officer, saying Post Bank is making excessive deductions from their salaries to recover loans extended to them in 2006. In April 2006, the teachers took loans of sh2.5m from Post Bank, to be paid in monthly installments of sh107,000 over three years ending April 2009. Both parties agreed that the money would be deducted from the teachers’ salaries by the Bank of Uganda, through which public servants are paid. The central bank would then remit the money to Post Bank. The teachers claim that since November 2008, Post Bank started deducting the money directly from their personal accounts. This has resulted into double deductions, since the central bank is still deducting the repayment amounts as earlier agreed. “The bank has been using my salary balance to recover the loan, leaving me with nothing to run my family,” said one teacher. “Headteachers are no longer executing their duties properly. There are out there looking for money to feed their families,” said Kasimu Ssembuga, the chairman of the Masindi Headteachers Association. A primary school headteacher earns shs300,000 a month. With double deductions, the affected teachers are taking home sh86,000 for a month’s work. To compound the issue, the bank allegedly continued to deduct loan repayments three months after the agreed repayment period expired."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/539297-teachers-post-bank-lock-horns-over-loans.html","content":" - By Lydia Namubiru TWENTY primary school headteachers in Masindi are locked in a disagreement with Post Bank Uganda over alleged breach of contract by the bank. The teachers have petitioned the Masindi chief administrative officer, saying Post Bank is making excessive deductions from their salaries to recover loans extended to them in 2006. In April 2006, the teachers took loans of sh2.5m from Post Bank, to be paid in monthly installments of sh107,000 over three years ending April 2009. Both parties agreed that the money would be deducted from the teachers’ salaries by the Bank of Uganda, through which public servants are paid. The central bank would then remit the money to Post Bank. The teachers claim that since November 2008, Post Bank started deducting the money directly from their personal accounts. This has resulted into double deductions, since the central bank is still deducting the repayment amounts as earlier agreed. “The bank has been using my salary balance to recover the loan, leaving me with nothing to run my family,” said one teacher. “Headteachers are no longer executing their duties properly. There are out there looking for money to feed their families,” said Kasimu Ssembuga, the chairman of the Masindi Headteachers Association. A primary school headteacher earns shs300,000 a month. With double deductions, the affected teachers are taking home sh86,000 for a month’s work. To compound the issue, the bank allegedly continued to deduct loan repayments three months after the agreed repayment period expired."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/564852-police-accuses-dp-of-breaching-law.html","content":" - By Steven Candia and Winniefred Nanteza THE Police have accused the Democratic Party (DP) of breaching the law on rallies and processions so as to win political sympathy. The Police also warned that they would deal with anybody who held rallies without informing them. Speaking at the weekly Police press briefing recently, the deputy Police spokesperson, Samson Lubega, dismissed allegations that the Police only arrested DP supporters. “The Police does not only arrest DP supporters. They arrest people who violate laws,” Lubega said at the Kampala Central Police Station. He added that the law required anyone intending to hold a rally to inform the Police seven days in advance. Lubega noted that this was aimed at enabling the Police to provide the necessary logistics and manpower to ensure security. He warned that the law also applied to MPs planning to hold rallies in the constituencies. The Police last week stopped several rallies by DP, which were organised to oppose the proposed take-over of Kampala. Lubega explained that the rallies were stopped because the organisers had not informed the Police about them, which made them illegal. Meanwhile, the Police have arrested a man for allegedly masquerading as an official of Umeme, an electricity distribution company. Lubega said Steven Bagumya was arrested last Friday after he asked for money from Pradeep Thadani, the proprietor of Man About Town, a boutique in the city centre. Bagumya had promised to clear Thadani’s electricity bills, but Thadani called the Police."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/539912-police-accuses-dp-of-breaching-law.html","content":" - By Steven Candia and Winniefred Nanteza THE Police have accused the Democratic Party (DP) of breaching the law on rallies and processions so as to win political sympathy. The Police also warned that they would deal with anybody who held rallies without informing them. Speaking at the weekly Police press briefing recently, the deputy Police spokesperson, Samson Lubega, dismissed allegations that the Police only arrested DP supporters. “The Police does not only arrest DP supporters. They arrest people who violate laws,” Lubega said at the Kampala Central Police Station. He added that the law required anyone intending to hold a rally to inform the Police seven days in advance. Lubega noted that this was aimed at enabling the Police to provide the necessary logistics and manpower to ensure security. He warned that the law also applied to MPs planning to hold rallies in the constituencies. The Police last week stopped several rallies by DP, which were organised to oppose the proposed take-over of Kampala. Lubega explained that the rallies were stopped because the organisers had not informed the Police about them, which made them illegal. Meanwhile, the Police have arrested a man for allegedly masquerading as an official of Umeme, an electricity distribution company. Lubega said Steven Bagumya was arrested last Friday after he asked for money from Pradeep Thadani, the proprietor of Man About Town, a boutique in the city centre. Bagumya had promised to clear Thadani’s electricity bills, but Thadani called the Police."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/543283-dp-man-sworn-in-as-gomba-chief.html","content":" - By Alex Bukumunhe Anyone convicted of breaching electoral laws should be banned from contesting again, Democratic Party (DP) president John Sebaana Kizito has said. “The person who wins such a case in the court should just assume office instead of holding byelections,” Sebaana said. Sebaana was on Friday officiating at the swearing in of Elisa Mukasa Nkoyooyo (DP) who worn the Goma sub-county LC3 chairperson byelection in Mukono district. Nkoyooyo was sworn in by the assistant chief administrative officer for Mukono county, Hadijah Sebyala. Nkoyooyo was earlier removed from office on grounds of incompetence because he failed to elect his vice-chairperson. At the swearing in, Nkoyoyo announced his executive that included one member from the ruling National Resistance Movement. Nkoyoyo was, however, enraged when he realised that none of the sub-county councillors from the NRM had attended the ceremony."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/568223-dp-man-sworn-in-as-gomba-chief.html","content":" - By Alex Bukumunhe Anyone convicted of breaching electoral laws should be banned from contesting again, Democratic Party (DP) president John Sebaana Kizito has said. “The person who wins such a case in the court should just assume office instead of holding byelections,” Sebaana said. Sebaana was on Friday officiating at the swearing in of Elisa Mukasa Nkoyooyo (DP) who worn the Goma sub-county LC3 chairperson byelection in Mukono district. Nkoyooyo was sworn in by the assistant chief administrative officer for Mukono county, Hadijah Sebyala. Nkoyooyo was earlier removed from office on grounds of incompetence because he failed to elect his vice-chairperson. At the swearing in, Nkoyoyo announced his executive that included one member from the ruling National Resistance Movement. Nkoyoyo was, however, enraged when he realised that none of the sub-county councillors from the NRM had attended the ceremony."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/543911-india-to-launch-india-africa-website.html","content":" - By Jovita Ajuna in New Delhi, India IN an attempt to strengthen the relations and to breach information gaps between Africa and India, the Indian government has concluded plans to launch a website: “India-Africa Connect”. The Secretary in the Indian external affairs ministry, Vushnul Prakash, disclosed on Thursday that the website would enhance bilateral relationship, as well as cultural and economic ties between India and Africa. Prakash said India had spent over $5.4 billion (about sh11 trillion) in the last five years on capacity building, infrastructural development, agricultural and media relations in Africa The official was addressing participants at the Ministry of External Affairs in India during the on-going workshop for African journalists on writing and reporting for TV and newspapers. “We want to tell our own stories on the relationship existing between us and Africa. We don’t want the western media to do it for us any more,” Prakash said. “India-Africa Connect will deepen the understanding of media relations between Africa and India and intensify programmes on relationship between the two as independent entities. He also asked the heads of missions to co-operate with the external affairs ministry to have useful content on the website. The Ugandan High Commissioner to India, Nimisha Madhvani welcomed the idea and is optimistic that Uganda’s image will be widely sold in India. “Even our rural farmers and peasants will get the opportunity to be read about globally,” she said."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/568851-india-to-launch-india-africa-website.html","content":" - By Jovita Ajuna in New Delhi, India IN an attempt to strengthen the relations and to breach information gaps between Africa and India, the Indian government has concluded plans to launch a website: “India-Africa Connect”. The Secretary in the Indian external affairs ministry, Vushnul Prakash, disclosed on Thursday that the website would enhance bilateral relationship, as well as cultural and economic ties between India and Africa. Prakash said India had spent over $5.4 billion (about sh11 trillion) in the last five years on capacity building, infrastructural development, agricultural and media relations in Africa The official was addressing participants at the Ministry of External Affairs in India during the on-going workshop for African journalists on writing and reporting for TV and newspapers. “We want to tell our own stories on the relationship existing between us and Africa. We don’t want the western media to do it for us any more,” Prakash said. “India-Africa Connect will deepen the understanding of media relations between Africa and India and intensify programmes on relationship between the two as independent entities. He also asked the heads of missions to co-operate with the external affairs ministry to have useful content on the website. The Ugandan High Commissioner to India, Nimisha Madhvani welcomed the idea and is optimistic that Uganda’s image will be widely sold in India. “Even our rural farmers and peasants will get the opportunity to be read about globally,” she said."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/545730-gulu-hospital-sues-microcare.html","content":" - By Hillary Nsambu GULU Hospital has sued Microcare Health Limited and Microcare Insurance Limited, seeking to recover over sh100m for breach of contract. The Commercial Court has subsequently asked the two companies to file their defence within 15 days. Paragon Hospital and 10 other medical centres in Kampala recently petitioned the High Court seeking to wind up the Microcare companies over accusations that they failed to pay sh2b for services provided to them. Gulu Hospital, which is represented by M.B. Gimara Advocates, said it entered into a contract with the two companies in May 2005 to provide medical services to their members. However, the hospital adds that after it had fulfiled its obligations, the companies neglected or refused to pay the money amounting to over sh133m despite several reminders. The Gulu Hospital management said this caused the hospital grave financial loss and great inconvenience."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/570670-gulu-hospital-sues-microcare.html","content":" - By Hillary Nsambu GULU Hospital has sued Microcare Health Limited and Microcare Insurance Limited, seeking to recover over sh100m for breach of contract. The Commercial Court has subsequently asked the two companies to file their defence within 15 days. Paragon Hospital and 10 other medical centres in Kampala recently petitioned the High Court seeking to wind up the Microcare companies over accusations that they failed to pay sh2b for services provided to them. Gulu Hospital, which is represented by M.B. Gimara Advocates, said it entered into a contract with the two companies in May 2005 to provide medical services to their members. However, the hospital adds that after it had fulfiled its obligations, the companies neglected or refused to pay the money amounting to over sh133m despite several reminders. The Gulu Hospital management said this caused the hospital grave financial loss and great inconvenience."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/573564-two-firms-drag-warid-telecom-to-court-over-breach-of-contract.html","content":" - By Hillary Nsambu PUNCH Telecom (U) Ltd and Millennium Telecom Ltd have sued Warid Telecom for breach of contract. The two local companies filed their cases separately in the Commercial Court. They are accusing Warid of unlawfully and illegally terminating agreements in which it had allegedly given them rights to sell its products in Nateete and Wandegeya in Kampala and in the Lira sub-region, respectively. According to court records, Warid’s Lira sub-region network encompasses Lira, Oyam, Apac, Amolatar, Pader and Kitgum districts. Punch represented by Nsibambi and Nsibambi Advocates seeks to recover sh1,004,228,318 as special damages with interest of 25% plus general damages with a 6% interest, while Millennium represented by Ausi Twijukye and Company Advocates seeks to recover as special damages sh391,800, 000 plus general and punitive damages with a 30% interest. Both companies also seek to be awarded costs of the suits. However, Warid Telecom has denied the allegations and has asked court to dismiss the suits with costs. The Millennium case is before Justice Anup Singh Choudry. Justice Geoffrey Kiryabwire will hear the Punch case on March 23."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/548624-two-firms-drag-warid-telecom-to-court-over-breach-of-contract.html","content":" - By Hillary Nsambu PUNCH Telecom (U) Ltd and Millennium Telecom Ltd have sued Warid Telecom for breach of contract. The two local companies filed their cases separately in the Commercial Court. They are accusing Warid of unlawfully and illegally terminating agreements in which it had allegedly given them rights to sell its products in Nateete and Wandegeya in Kampala and in the Lira sub-region, respectively. According to court records, Warid’s Lira sub-region network encompasses Lira, Oyam, Apac, Amolatar, Pader and Kitgum districts. Punch represented by Nsibambi and Nsibambi Advocates seeks to recover sh1,004,228,318 as special damages with interest of 25% plus general damages with a 6% interest, while Millennium represented by Ausi Twijukye and Company Advocates seeks to recover as special damages sh391,800, 000 plus general and punitive damages with a 30% interest. Both companies also seek to be awarded costs of the suits. However, Warid Telecom has denied the allegations and has asked court to dismiss the suits with costs. The Millennium case is before Justice Anup Singh Choudry. Justice Geoffrey Kiryabwire will hear the Punch case on March 23."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/575383-nakawa-naguru-developer-sues-govt-for-sh950b.html","content":" - By Barbara Among The Nakawa-Naguru property developers, Luke and Brian Comer, have served the Government with a notice to sue for breach of contract. Opec Prime Properties Ltd, a company controlled by the brothers, is taking the action following a series of delays to a $300m (sh570b) redevelopment project on 160 acres of land in the Kampala suburbs. The company issued the formal notice of its intention to sue the Government and recover $500m (sh960b) resulting from the halt of the controversial Nakawa-Naguru project and subsequent land deals. In its notice served to the attorney general last week, Opec said it would ‘‘seek special and general damages and interest thereon together amounting to $500 million plus costs, of the suit for breach of the public-private partnership agreement entered into the Government of Uganda’’. The company is represented by David Mpanga of Kampala Associated Advocates. Government signed a public-private partnership agreement with Opec in 2006, a company set up by the Comer Homes Group to redevelop the dilapidated Naguru-Nakawa estates into a modern satellite town. The project involves the construction of 1,700 flats and related amenities for low-income earners. The redevelopment of the estates was initiated by Kampala City Council in 1997, but the Government took over the project in 2005 following a row between the council and tenants over rights. However, a row between the former local government minister , Maj. Gen. Kahinda Otafiire and the Inspector General of Government (IGG) has stalled the project. The IGG, Justice Faith Mwondha, halted the redevelopment in 2005. However, her investigation into the procurement process of the redeveloper went on until late last year when she handed over her report to President Yoweri Museveni, who is yet to responded. Mwondha said the contract was awarded ‘‘because of massive collusion, gross irregularities and illegalities, corruption and abuse of authority of public office’’. The ombudsman accused the redeveloper of submitting an illegal bid for a contract, which would have seen the businessmen build 5,000 houses in the area. Comer Homes has strenuously disputed the findings in the report, saying the IGG was dishonest in some of her findings. The redeveloper has been backed by Museveni when he asked: “Why should an investor suffer for mistakes of an official?” at a press conference on December 21 last year. The deal with the Government also involved the construction of several modern residential, commercial, institutional and hospitality units. The project is expected to take about 10 years and will create 15,000 jobs. Comer Homes is estimated to have assets worth more than £1b (sh2800b). Many of the group’s companies are owned by a Channel Islands firm, Project Developments Consulting. In 2005, the Comers were linked to a bid to buy Aston Villa football club in the UK."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/550443-nakawa-naguru-developer-sues-govt-for-sh950b.html","content":" - By Barbara Among The Nakawa-Naguru property developers, Luke and Brian Comer, have served the Government with a notice to sue for breach of contract. Opec Prime Properties Ltd, a company controlled by the brothers, is taking the action following a series of delays to a $300m (sh570b) redevelopment project on 160 acres of land in the Kampala suburbs. The company issued the formal notice of its intention to sue the Government and recover $500m (sh960b) resulting from the halt of the controversial Nakawa-Naguru project and subsequent land deals. In its notice served to the attorney general last week, Opec said it would ‘‘seek special and general damages and interest thereon together amounting to $500 million plus costs, of the suit for breach of the public-private partnership agreement entered into the Government of Uganda’’. The company is represented by David Mpanga of Kampala Associated Advocates. Government signed a public-private partnership agreement with Opec in 2006, a company set up by the Comer Homes Group to redevelop the dilapidated Naguru-Nakawa estates into a modern satellite town. The project involves the construction of 1,700 flats and related amenities for low-income earners. The redevelopment of the estates was initiated by Kampala City Council in 1997, but the Government took over the project in 2005 following a row between the council and tenants over rights. However, a row between the former local government minister , Maj. Gen. Kahinda Otafiire and the Inspector General of Government (IGG) has stalled the project. The IGG, Justice Faith Mwondha, halted the redevelopment in 2005. However, her investigation into the procurement process of the redeveloper went on until late last year when she handed over her report to President Yoweri Museveni, who is yet to responded. Mwondha said the contract was awarded ‘‘because of massive collusion, gross irregularities and illegalities, corruption and abuse of authority of public office’’. The ombudsman accused the redeveloper of submitting an illegal bid for a contract, which would have seen the businessmen build 5,000 houses in the area. Comer Homes has strenuously disputed the findings in the report, saying the IGG was dishonest in some of her findings. The redeveloper has been backed by Museveni when he asked: “Why should an investor suffer for mistakes of an official?” at a press conference on December 21 last year. The deal with the Government also involved the construction of several modern residential, commercial, institutional and hospitality units. The project is expected to take about 10 years and will create 15,000 jobs. Comer Homes is estimated to have assets worth more than £1b (sh2800b). Many of the group’s companies are owned by a Channel Islands firm, Project Developments Consulting. In 2005, the Comers were linked to a bid to buy Aston Villa football club in the UK."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/578202-akright-in-dispute-with-us-based-client.html","content":" - By Raymond Baguma AKRIGHT Projects, a real estates firm, is embroiled in a dispute with a client who accuses the company of doing sub-standard work and breach of contract. Elaine Matama, a Ugandan living in Minnesota, US also complained that when she telephones the management of Akright to raise her concerns, they hang up on her. “My house is not yet ready yet I want to use the property as an investment. I am tired of the Minnesota coldness and want to return home, but I feel Akright management is taking me for granted,” she said. Records show that Matama entered into an agreement with Akright in April 2006, under which the firm was supposed to construct for her a three-bedroom house at sh59m in Namanve and have it completed by April 2008. The house stands on a 0.12 acre piece of land. Matama said she completed payment in less than two years, with the final installment made in February 2007, as per the agreement. However, completion has taken more than two years and the house is still incomplete. “They have taken long to complete the house and I feel I have not got my money’s worth,” she said. Matama also complained of the poor workmanship at the house with use of sub-standard building materials that include cracked plywood doors and cracked walls. When The New Vision visited the site on Friday, construction workers were painting, covering up cracks in the walls, paving the driveway, landscaping and working on the drainage system. Akright construction manager Anita Kusiima said construction stalled between September and December 2008, due to disruption by area residents who accused the company of blocking the road that passes next to the house. Kusiima said residents had threatened to harm whoever would occupy the house and would fill the manholes with soil, until the dispute was resolved. But Matama disputed the claims saying: “That is none of my business and it is simply an excuse they are creating. They never explained to me about the land wrangles before.” “It has been a loss because I could have made money from the property by renting it out. I also want to return home. And in the economic recession in US, bills keep coming and there are risks of job loss.” According to their agreement, Akright Projects is supposed to get their client alternative accommodation if there are delays in completing the house. However, Akright managing director Anatoli Kamugisha said: “She is not genuine and she has underlooked the good intentions of the company. She wanted a garage at the house, which we could not construct.” Speaking on phone on Monday, Kamugisha said he was out of town (Kampala) and promised to give more details about the case when he returned to office on Wednesday."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/553262-akright-in-dispute-with-us-based-client.html","content":" - By Raymond Baguma AKRIGHT Projects, a real estates firm, is embroiled in a dispute with a client who accuses the company of doing sub-standard work and breach of contract. Elaine Matama, a Ugandan living in Minnesota, US also complained that when she telephones the management of Akright to raise her concerns, they hang up on her. “My house is not yet ready yet I want to use the property as an investment. I am tired of the Minnesota coldness and want to return home, but I feel Akright management is taking me for granted,” she said. Records show that Matama entered into an agreement with Akright in April 2006, under which the firm was supposed to construct for her a three-bedroom house at sh59m in Namanve and have it completed by April 2008. The house stands on a 0.12 acre piece of land. Matama said she completed payment in less than two years, with the final installment made in February 2007, as per the agreement. However, completion has taken more than two years and the house is still incomplete. “They have taken long to complete the house and I feel I have not got my money’s worth,” she said. Matama also complained of the poor workmanship at the house with use of sub-standard building materials that include cracked plywood doors and cracked walls. When The New Vision visited the site on Friday, construction workers were painting, covering up cracks in the walls, paving the driveway, landscaping and working on the drainage system. Akright construction manager Anita Kusiima said construction stalled between September and December 2008, due to disruption by area residents who accused the company of blocking the road that passes next to the house. Kusiima said residents had threatened to harm whoever would occupy the house and would fill the manholes with soil, until the dispute was resolved. But Matama disputed the claims saying: “That is none of my business and it is simply an excuse they are creating. They never explained to me about the land wrangles before.” “It has been a loss because I could have made money from the property by renting it out. I also want to return home. And in the economic recession in US, bills keep coming and there are risks of job loss.” According to their agreement, Akright Projects is supposed to get their client alternative accommodation if there are delays in completing the house. However, Akright managing director Anatoli Kamugisha said: “She is not genuine and she has underlooked the good intentions of the company. She wanted a garage at the house, which we could not construct.” Speaking on phone on Monday, Kamugisha said he was out of town (Kampala) and promised to give more details about the case when he returned to office on Wednesday."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/506350-former-president-s-son-in-court-over-sh450m.html","content":" - A CITY businessman Eng. Pius Mugerwa Mugalaasi has dragged former President Yusuf Lule's son Dr. Lule Ntwatwa, to the Commercial Court over sh450m for breach of contract, reports saac Baligema. Mugalaasi alleged that Dr. Ntwatwa who had powers of attorney for the Lule family estate sold him land in 2007, but cancelled the transaction after he had paid sh450m of the agreed sum of sh820m. The land is located at Block 12 Plot 206, 207, 208, and 209 at Kisenyi, Kampala. Mugalaasi alleged that he wanted to ascertain that the land titles were in order to pay the whole amount. However, Dr. Ntwatwa through his lawyers said the transaction was cancelled because Mugerwa failed to pay the balance in 14 days as agreed."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/506593-mbarara-defies-iggâ-s-directive-on-mayor.html","content":" - By Felix Basiime MBARARA municipal council has defied the Inspector General of Government (IGG)’s directive to take disciplinary action against the mayor, Wilson Tumwine over breach of the Leadership Code. The councilors said they could not implement the directive because they were not the complainants in the matter. The IGG received a complaint that Tumwine entered a contract to rent his premises to Kakoba division, an area in the municipality he heads. The IGG’s investigations revealed that on July 8, 2005, Kakoba division entered a tenancy agreement with Tumwine to rent his premises on Plot No. 2123 on Buchunku Road at sh600,000 per month. The division rented Tumwine’s premises for one year before they shifted to their premises, the report indicated. Tumwine blamed his actions on ignorance of the law and lack of guidance from his advisers. The IGG’s report to the council’s speaker, Eunice Mugabi, pins Tumwine on breaching section 12 of the Leadership Code Act, 2002, whose penalty, in sub section 2, states that a leader found guilty should ‘vacate office or be dismissed from the office’. However, Mwondha also stated that it was not mandatory to take such action. When Mugabi presented the matter to the council, the members discarded the directive. Town Clerk David Kigenyi’s advice to the council to heed to the IGG’s directive fell on deaf ears. Mugabi is still awaiting the IGG’s response to the October 20 letter she wrote seeking guidance on how to implement the directive, which she argued was illegal. RDC Clement Kandole advised them to wait for the response."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/507242-shilling-to-remain-weak-â-experts.html","content":" - By Sylvia Juuko THE shilling that has breached the 2,000 mark against the dollar in recent weeks will remain weak despite the central bank’s assurance that the trend is short-lived, market players have warned. The local unit traded slightly below 2,000 last week as the global financial market turmoil began to be felt closer home. Dealers said the last time the shilling traded at these rates was in May-August 2003. On Monday, it was trading at 2,000/2,020 to the dollar in the inter-bank market compared to 1,795/1,810 the previous week. Central bank governor, Emmanuel Tumusiime Mutebile, last week said the depreciation trend, occasioned by the exiting of offshore investors in the government securities market, was short-lived. “Over the last three-four days, the exchange rate of the shilling to the dollar has depreciated at a faster rate. This has been caused largely by offshore investors from Europe and America in government Treasury bills and bonds who decided to sell, get dollars and take them back.” “This is the only impact we have seen from the crisis from advanced countries. We believe it is temporary and should not cause alarm,” he stressed. The central bank said the shilling has been depreciating at a rate of 13.4% per day during the month of October. “I’m not losing sleep over the fact that the exchange rate has moved. The depreciation of the exchange rate will not impact on the economy as long as the macro-economic targets are not affected,” Mutebile stressed. But market players said the outlook is for a weak local unit in the next three months with a risk of inflation. “I see the current rates holding for some time. There is demand piling up from the corporates. Importers also need dollars at this time of the year to bring in goods for the festive season,” Denis Mushabe Mashanyu, a dealer at Standard Chartered Bank, explained. He said the offshore investors who sell dollars to buy Treasury securities decided not to roll over their investments beginning late July and August, pushing the local unit to slightly below 2,000 from 1,640. Mashanyu noted that despite the plunge in global oil prices to $61.72 per barrel, the weak shilling resulted into an upward movement in pump prices to sh2,750 from sh2,490. “Oil firms are taking a hit because fuel products are imported using a strong dollar. This cost has to be passed on to consumers and since fuel affects transport, it will play into increased prices, fuelling inflation,” Mashanyu said. Mashanyu said the central bank was cautious regarding intervention with a market tight in shilling liquidity. He predicted that the traditional end-month inflows would be more than outmatched by the piling demand for dollars. “The dollar is resurgent. People are taking long dollar positions.” The dollar has generally strengthened against other currencies due to adjustments in the global economy as a result of various rescue operations of financial institutions in America and Europe. Economists, however, say the Ugandan shilling has been overvalued in recent times and the current trend was a market correction. “When you look at the nominal exchange rate curve and the real effective rate, the two were tracking each other until 2004. Over time, while the nominal exchange rate has been appreciating, we have had a divergence with depreciation in the real effective exchange rate,” explained the economist. “This growing divergence has resulted into a market correction and the central bank intervenes to smoothen volatility,” said the economist. The nominal exchange rate is the price of one unit of foreign currency in local currency terms. The real effective exchange rate is an index of the economy’s nominal exchange rate versus its major trading partners adjusted by the economy’s inflation and that of the trading partners. The economist said the divergence was a result of central bank’s action of resorting to the forex market for sterilisation, which distorted the foreign exchange market at the expense of the money market. The market has also been characterised by speculative tendencies, which the central bank governor re-affirmed he would stamp out. Going forward, economists predict tougher times for individuals as a weak the shilling is coming against the backdrop of global financial market turmoil that will impact on remittances, exports and donor flows in the second half of this financial year. “The cost of inputs is expected to rise. This cost will be transferred to consumers. If the exchange rate movements become inflationary, income will take a hit and people will have less disposable income.”"}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/509223-recall-nrm-â-rebelsâ.html","content":" - EDITOR—The NRM MPs who have always opposed the NRM in the wrong forum should be recalled. This is because they have breached a contract they made with their electorate. The voters voted them as NRM representatives thinking they were going to air NRM’s interests but instead front their personal objectives. These MPS keep saying they support the NRM yet their hearts are not in the NRM. They are either NRM or not. since they have not satisfied their electorate, they should be recalled because they are masquaraders. Kennedy Kainamura Kampala"}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/509441-kezaala-accused-of-abuse-of-office.html","content":" - By Charles Kakamwa JINJA mayor Muhammed Baswale Kezaala has been accused of abuse of office and breach of the Leadership Code Act. Three members of the executive committee were also pinned in a report released by the Inspector General of Government (IGG), Justice Faith Mwondha. The members are finance secretary Robinah Kazahura, the secretary for investments, Jim Kabeho Mwine and Abubaker Maganda, the secretary for works and housing. The report said Kezaala on August 23, 2006 chaired a meeting which recommended the allocation of land to the Muslim fraternity to construct offices and shopping malls. “This allocation was done in contravention of Section 26 of the Local Governments Act. The allocation was, therefore, illegally done and the executive committee hijacked the role of the District Land Board,” Mwondha wrote. The report added that after allocating the land to the Muslims, Kezaala joined their association as one of the subscribers. The report also accused Kezaala of ‘presiding’ over the misuse and abuse of public funds and violating the Local Government Act, by hijacking the management of the mayor’s Charity Fund and using it to do personal work. The report directed Kezaala and the three councillors to show cause within 30 days why they should not vacate their offices in accordance with the Leadership Code Act. “You should also show cause why you should not be prosecuted for abuse of office and causing financial loss,” the report read. However, Kazahura and Maganda are no longer members of the executive. They were dropped in a reshuffle by Kezaala early this year. Kezaala said he was still studying the report, adding that he would react accordingly."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/510678-spear-motors-sues-barclays-bank.html","content":" - SPEAR House has taken Barclays Bank to the Commercial Court demanding sh203.072m for alleged breach of contract, reports Edward Anyoli. Through Bwanika, Kamuli, and Company Advocates, Spear House is seeking damages, costs, and compensation for unpaid rent. The company claims that in 2000, Barclays rented its premises on Jinja Road to conduct banking business but later shifted, contrary to the agreement. The bank also reportedly removed its biometric locks, air conditioners, fire alarms and immovable tables and sold them to United Bank of Africa. “The plaintiff (Spear House), has suffered loss and damages,” the suit reads in part. The company is also seeking to recover sh3,072,000 incurred in legal fees and costs to pursue outstanding payment. “Despite several remainders, the defendant (Barclays Bank) has failed, neglected and refused to compensate Spear House,” the suit added. Henry Haduli, the Commercial Court Registrar, has given Barclays Bank 15 days to file its defence. Justice Anup Singh Choudry will hear the case"}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/511336-nssf-breached-ruless-in-buying-temangalo-land.html","content":" - By Mary Karugaba and Milton Olupot The National Social Security Fund (NSSF) breached standing regulations while procuring the land at Temangalo, the executive director of the Public Procurement and Disposal of Assets (PPDA), Edgar Agaba, said yesterday. Agaba was appearing before the parliamentary probe committee on commission and state enterprises to clarify whether NSSF consulted them over the purchase of the land at sh11b from a company linked to security minister Amama Mbabazi and Amos Nzeyi, a city businessman. According to the procurement rules, any procurement between sh30m and sh70m is supposed to go through competitive bidding. However, Agaba told the committee that he learnt about the deal through the press. “The rules were breached right from the start. I was never consulted. I knew of the project from the press.” Appearing before the same committee last week, NSSF managing director David Chandi Jamwa said the land was not advertised since they used direct procurement. However, Agaba argued that NSSF breached the regulations for using such a method to procure land worth billions of shillings. “We have established that there were no adverts or notice for the deal. This was also contrary to the law. They used information from their data bank, which I am also investigating,” he said. Agaba also told the committee, chaired by Elijah Okupa (Kasilo) that investigations show that the fund’s contracts committee was not involved in the procurement process. “Instead, the accounting officer used the investment committee. We are also investigating why he did that. This was a breach of the rules,” he said. Committee lead counsel Abdul Katuntu (Bugweri) and Fred Gyabi (Bubulo west) asked whether the contract could be cancelled if they discovered that it was drawn up through wrong procedures. But Agaba explained that the law does not provide for PPDA to cancel signed contracts. “Right now we can only recommend to the appointing authority in case of ministers and the public service in case of public officers.” Asked whether NSSF had been submitting monthly procurement plans and whether the issue of land was included in the reports, Agaba said: “We received the reports but with an omission on land.” Even the Government valuer, Jonah Bwiragura, revealed that he learnt of the deal through the press. He said valuing the land at sh24m per acre was out of range considering that three other valuers had valued it at sh14m, sh16.5m and sh18m.” Jamwa earlier explained that he did not involve the Government valuer because he had disappointed them on several occasions. Bwiragura admitted his office failed to do work for NSSF due to lack of staff."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/511421-fufa-drags-csaba-to-court.html","content":" - THE dispute between FUFA and former national coach Laszlo Csaba has deepened, with FUFA demanding sh324m from the coach for breach of contract, reports Edward Anyoli. Fufa through Kiwanuka, Karugire and Company Advocates has sued Csaba claiming he terminated his four-year contract prematurely. Csaba, who resigned in July, was appointed in July 2006. According to the contract signed on July 10, 2006, Csaba would pay US$200,000 (about sh324m) if he did not complete the contract. Fufa claims that since July 11, when Csaba terminated his contract he has refused to pay the money as required. “The defendant (Csaba) has despite repeated demands failed, neglected, to pay .... US$200,000 as agreed between the parties.” Fufa further claims it has suffered greatly having lost the services of Csaba under the agreement. They want him to pay damages, interests, compensation, and the costs of the suit. Csaba in his resignation letter countered that Fufa breached the contract when they failed to provide him a driver and items like a pay TV decoder. Csaba, who is now with Hearts in Scotland further claims Fufa delayed paying his salary and that there were inconsistencies in paying fees for his child, water, power and medical bills. High Court registrar Roy Byaruhanga has given Csaba 15 days to file his defence."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/513250-sudanâ-s-bashir-puts-african-leaders-in-ethical-dilemma.html","content":" - By Christopher Kibanzanga The proposed indictment of President Omar Hassan Al-Bashir of Sudan has put African leaders in an ethical dilemma. Ethical dilemma refers to the situation where the alternative available to resolve a conflict breaches an ethical rule. Africans want to protect the so-called sovereignty of Sudan and Africa as whole by prevailing over the International Criminal Court (ICC) to stay the indictment. During the reign of President Julius Nyerere, Tanzania stood out as a country that would not tolerate dictatorship and impunity by engaging in liberation struggles on the continent. The dilemma is that the current leaders, led by Nyerere’s successor in Tanzania, Jakaya Kikwete, as chairman of the African Union (AU), is the love for sovereignty at the expense of checking impunity on the continent. The struggle against colonialism and imperialism was premised on the desire for freedom, justice, security and protection of fundamental human rights of the African peoples. This was the essence of the struggle for independence. The only justifiable way to protect African independence and sovereignty is by upholding these goals. Fifty years down the road, the African continent is almost trapped in the cobweb of failed states, abuse of human rights, poverty, disease and ignorance as result of senseless wars and state-inspired violence presided over by bad leaders posing as liberators. It is common knowledge that Bashir has exported his war theatres to other countries. The people of northern Uganda were raped, killed, maimed and forced into camps for internally displaced people by agents of Bashir. He held southern Sudanese in a state of war for two decades because they were blacks and non-Muslim. His guns were captured in western Uganda during the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) insurgence. He has also been accused by Chad of sponsoring rebels against their government. Therefore, the violence in Darfur is not the only reason why Bashir should face the law. The war in Darfur is mainly over resource exploitation and distribution. What crime have the women and children of Darfur committed apart from being born in an area rich in natural resources? Now that the African Union is a paper tiger. How do we ensure freedom and justice for our people? Protecting leaders who export war and violence to innocent people in the name of sovereignty is the same as harbouring criminals. Is the sovereignty and independence of Africa the same as killing each other at will? The consequences of indicting one leader should be weighed against those of allowing continued killing, raping, maiming and displacing millions of nationals. It does not matter who comes to your rescue when you are drowning. Much as we want to protect the independence and sovereignty of Africa, it cannot be a sound reason for allowing impunity on the continent. Under normal circumstances, one would expect the African Union to be an alternative to the ICC in the protection of our people. However, African leaders are using the AU as a means to achieve their quest for power. On January 26, 1986, when President Museveni was being sworn in as President after a bloody war in the jungles of Luweero, he posed a question: “Where were they when we were killing each other, where was the organisation of African Unity, where was the international community and how can the principle of non-interference in the internal matters of sovereign states be the basis of the world to looking on when people are killing each other?” The international community is in Darfur trying to stop the madness of an African leader. Let us support them and pray that they act with impartiality. The writer is the shadow minister, anti-corruption and presidency"}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/513964-halting-nakawa-estates-to-cost-billions.html","content":" - By Raymond Baguma UGANDA stands to lose a lot of money if the developers of the delayed Naguru and Nakawa housing estates proceed with a court case to seek compensation for breach of contract, the local government minister, Maj. Gen. Kahinda Otafiire, has said. “The Government is going to lose billions,” Otaffire said, adding that the Inspector General of Government (IGG) should explain how she will save the situation. Opec Prime Properties, the company contracted to redevelop the estates, recently filed an intention to sue the Government, seeking $500m resulting from halting the project. Last year, the firm signed a public-private partnership agreement with the Government to redevelop Naguru and Nakawa into a modern satellite town with 5,000 storeyed modern residential, commercial, institution and hospitality units. However, the IGG, Justice Faith Mwondha, blocked the project, citing irregularities in the award of the tender to redevelop the two housing estates. This sparked off an exchange with Otafiire who wants the tenants to vacate the dilapidated structures and give way for the redevelopment project to start. While addressing journalists separately, Godfrey Kaganda, the chairman of Naguru/Nakawa Estates Tenants Association, said the delay by the IGG was affecting them. He denied misappropriating sh200m from the tenants. “The people who matter know that ours is the true association,” he added. Two rival associations have come up to defend the tenants."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/514484-fufa-await-csabaâ-s-lawyers.html","content":" - By Norman Katende CLAIMS by former Uganda Cranes coach Laszlo Csaba that his lawyers are in Kampala to settle the dispute over his ‘breached contract’ have been dismissed by soccer governing body FUFA. Csaba’s reaction stems from a letter written by the FUFA legal officer Geoffrey Nsamba for what they called a breach of contract. Csaba has not responded to the letter. “What we are going to do is to follow up the letter we wrote (to Scotland and FIFA). We will announce our next move soon,” Nsamba said. FUFA president Lawrence Mulindwa said that they have had received no communication from Csaba or his lawyers. “I think there should be something wrong. Why is he telling many lies these days? If his lawyer was to meet us, he should communicate,” said Mulindwa yesterday. Csaba insists that he rightfully walked away from the Cranes job early this month.“I quit my contract with Uganda and I know it’s not easy for a team who had a very successful coach to lose him. “I have all the evidence (of breach of contract by FUFA) and we have the lawyers involved. I wish the Ugandan FA all the best and Hearts haven’t closed the door. We are available at anytime to talk and to make negotiations. We’ve even taken a player here from Uganda (David Obua).”"}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/514674-fufa-should-seek-negotiated-payment.html","content":" - OPINION By Paul Mbuga SPORTS WRITER THE national football governing body’s, FUFA, threat to report former Uganda Cranes coach Csaba Laszlo to world governing body FIFA for an alleged breach of contract is an ill-advised move. FUFA were driven into a fit of pique after Hearts refused to remit shs396m as compensation to the federation for the remaining two years of Laszlo’s contract. This was after Laszlo had brazenly informed Hearts that they possess no obligation to pay for FUFA had breached provisions of the two parties’ contract during his tenure. There is little need for FUFA to throw the toys out of the pram. It is easy to find fault with Laszlo statements, but then again, FUFA do not bring clean hands to the table. For this reason, a referral to FIFA arbitration would be dead in the water. On several occasions during Laszlo’s reign, the FUFA administration made statements that severely undermined the coach’s position, and which a generous arbiter can construe as constructive dismissal. There are also other incidents with could feasibly amount to interference with or impediment of Laszlo’s work. Rather than burn bridges, FUFA should seek a negotiated settlement with Hearts. In any case, it is uncommon in the football industry for the full value of a ‘breached’ contract — shs396m in this case — to be paid. By dispatching a deft negotiator to Scotland, FUFA can secure a considerable fraction of that amount. By pursuing the matter with FIFA, they may end up with nothing."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/514933-csaba-fufa-pay-case-goes-to-fifa.html","content":" - By Norman Katende And Fred Kaweesi FOOTBALL governing body FUFA has threatened to take legal action against former national coach Laszlo Csaba “for absconding from duty and for breach of contract”. FUFA has also notified world body FIFA and the coaches association of Scotland about the conduct of Hungarian coach Csaba, who last week signed to join Hearts. Csaba, who quit the Cranes job last week and moved to Scottish side Hearts, has been given three days to reply to the intention to be sued. “That is the first step we have taken, we know we are not wrong and have done everything on our part,” an official Rogers Mulindwa said at the FUFA weekly press conference yesterday. Hearts have been quiet since they signed Csaba. “I spoke to Hearts and they say there is no compensation due. They have said that Csaba has told them Uganda owed him money and that is why he tore up his contract,” a Scottish journalist told The New Vision.. He added, “Hearts have a bad habit of not paying.” FUFA media committee chief Mulindwa blasted the coach’s conduct in the run up to the hearts deal. “He absconded from duty and only sent a fax message informing us that the vehicle he was using is parked in the yard,” Mulindwa said. FUFA told FIFA that they are yet to get any official communication from Hearts and that Csaba still had two more years on his contract. FUFA would have had to pay £173,000 to sack Laszlo, while the coach was due to pay £60,000 if he broke his contract. Meanwhile, 12 coaches, including a Brazilian have already applied to replace Csaba. “They have done it before we advertise and I think we will not even advertise for the job, if we get the best coach from these,” Mulindwa added. “We have already instructed the technical committee to start studying the applicants.” +Marin Dorian said yesterday that he will carry on with his contract at Nalubaale FC contrary to recent speculation linking him to a move to Malta. “It was my friend Marian Mihairi. He is also Romanian and not me. He was the one supposed to be in Malta and not me,” the Romanian coach said. Nalubaale spent over sh118m, inclusive of his one-year long wages, to lure the Romanian coach, who had been out of contract with the Eritrean national team. “When I came here I had four offers, I am disappointed with my self. I am not happy that what we are doing is not being followed,” he added. “People don’t know how to respect foreign coaches here that is the problem. I don’t come from the streets,” he warned. +CRANES star David Obua will have his first trial match at Premiership side West Ham today against non-league club Richmond and Borough."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/521793-multitech-that-is-a-breach-of-contract.html","content":" - EDITOR— The students of the internal programme at Multitech Business School are concerned about the way the school authorities have decided to change the study programme. On admission we were to study for two semesters but in the middle of the course, the director has imposed a third semester! This has affected our cash flow and day-to-day programmes. it is a breach of contract! Now, we appeal to the minister in charge of higher education to intervene. This situation has also affected our lecturers, most of whom are against the idea but fear to say so, for fear of reprisals. We are confused about the whole issue of Multitech as an institute. Students are never given a chance to discuss what they consider vital for their wellbeing. Why introduce a third semester without considering the implications of time and finance? Is this the way students should be treated? We planned to study for two years which consist of four semesters. We are old enough to decide on our own. The director should consider the students as part of the school’s success. name withheld"}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/522258-buganda-urges-mps-to-reject-land-bill.html","content":" - By Barbara Among and Josephine Maseruka THE Buganda kingdom has urged Parliament to reject the Land Amendment Bill, saying it is rushed, unnecessary, discriminative and will breach the Constitution if it becomes law. The 14-man delegation, led by Prince David Wassajja and Buganda’s attorney general Apollo Makubuya, said they needed a more comprehensive land law and policy. “A piecemeal approach at land reform has not worked in the past and will not do so by way of the Bill,” said Makubuya, who presented the kingdom’s position on the Bill. He was addressing the parliamentary committees of physical infrastructure and legal affairs which are gathering views on the Bill. The kingdom said the cause of the evictions was not lack of laws but the dual ownership of the same land by tenants and landlords. It proposed that the problem might be solved by using the Land Fund to get land for tenants. They added that the Constitution, Penal Code and the Land Act of 1998 could address the evictions. Mengo said a law passed by threats, blackmail or intimidation would not be supported by the public and its implementation would be problematic. Asuman Kiyingi (NRM) and Florence Ekwau (FDC) said the kingdom’s position proved that there were illegal evictions and wondered why it was opposed to the Bill. The Government argues that the Bill will improve the relations between the tenants and landlords but Buganda say it is meant to deprive them of their land."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/523532-tanzania-outlaws-ugandan-pastoralists.html","content":" - By Anthony Bugembe and Elvis Basudde THE Tanzanian government has banned Ugandan cattle-keepers from its territory. A directive from the Tanzanian presidency said there was an influx of Ugandan pastoralists into the neighbouring country, which breached immigration, veterinary and customs regulations. “A person importing livestock should have the permission from Tanzania and from his respective country of origin,” the directive stated. Three weeks ago, Tanzanian authorities confiscated about 1,500 head of cattle from Uganda. This prompted leaders of Rakai, Isingiro and Mbarara districts to hold a cross-border meeting with their Tanzanian counterparts in Karagwe. “The Tanzanians gave illegal Ugandans pastoralists two weeks to quit,” said Alice Kaggwa, the Rakai deputy resident district commissioner. Kaggwa called upon Ugandans at the border to respect the directive and avoid crossing illegally into Tanzania. “Tanzanians are very friendly and for that reason we have been sensitising our people to stop grazing illegally on their territory because it is causing us trouble at the border. “Those who want to cross over should do it in a formal way,” Kaggwa advised. The Tanzania Animal Diseases Act, 2003, says: “No person shall move an animal or animal product or animal wastes from outside of the country or introduce animals into any area without a permit.” According to Kaggwa, Ugandan illegal grazers were fined sh50,000 each before regaining their animals. But many were reluctant to pay the fine, the deputy resident district commissioner added."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/524308-ura-honour-the-promise.html","content":" - EDITOR—On February 18, The New Vision reported that someone called Dickens had sued the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) for breach of contract. URA claims that when you give it information on tax evaders, they pay you a commission of 10% of the amount recovered. Dickens sued URA for failure to pay him a commission of sh34m but after helping them recover over sh410m he was only paid sh7m! The same thing happened to me. I was only paid half the amount I had been promised. URA should know that it is very risky giving such information and should honour its promise. Name withheld"}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/526462-lra-breaching-pact-minister-rugunda.html","content":" - By Alfred Wasike THE leader of the Uganda government team to the peace talks, Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda, has protested the recent killings of civilians in South Sudan by the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA). “The Government of Uganda condemns the killing of mainly innocent people by the LRA”, Rugunda told The New Vision last night. “It is a gross violation of the cessation of hostilities agreement. The culprits shall be brought to account for these atrocities.” More attacks on civilians in South Sudan have been reported in the past days. Two separate incidents occured on Sunday, according to SPLA sources. A Hino truck was ambushed on the Juba-Yei Road, between Mile 55 and Mile 58, in which the driver got killed and two people were injured. On Sunday night, a Ugandan Gateway bus was entirely looted four kilometer from Yei, on the road to the Ugandan border, but nobody was reported killed. Earlier, around February 4, an unspecified number of people were killed in an attack in Kansuk near Kajo-Keji. The death toll varies between 136 according to the French press agency AFP, 36 according to Ugandan intelligence sources, and four according to the SPLA. Some sources suspect the SPLA of covering up atrocities by the LRA. The ceasefire monitoring team was supposed to investigate the Kansuk incident but by last night it had still not left for the scene. The team is composed of representatives of the Ugandan army, the LRA and the SPLA but since it was set up, it has failed to carry out its mandate. The Juba talks were suspended last week, shortly after they had resumed, because the LRA asked for a break to attend a workshop in Nairobi. Earlier, both sides had disagreed on power-sharing. The LRA had demanded 35% of cabinet positions for people from northern and north-eastern Uganda. “That proposal for power sharing was rejected by the Government before. The issue of power sharing does not arise at all,” Rugunda reiterated yesterday. On the LRA demand for 35% of jobs in government departments, Rugunda said: “Uganda is governed in accordance with the Constitution. Whoever wants a job should compete like other Ugandans. Then let the public service chose the best.”"}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/482892-court-halts-sh4b-payment-to-audit-firm.html","content":" - By Milton Olupot THE High Court has overturned the order for government to pay American Procurement Company Ltd. (AMPROC) sh4.1b for breach of contract. AMPROC, a private company, had been contracted to audit government procurement but its contract was terminated. The Commercial Court had awarded the penalty after the Attorney General failed to defend the Government. But the IGG protested the payment and asked the court to allow her to join the attorney general to defend the government. The IGG said the payment was based on an illegal contract between the works ministry and AMPROC. The commercial court accordingly allowed the IGG to jointly defend the Government with the Attorney General. AMPROC was then asked to serve the Inspector General of Government and the Attorney General all the papers to do with the case but they refused. Despite the IGG’s involvement, the Registrar of the Commercial Court awarded AMPROC sh4b on February 8, 2007. But just before the payment, the IGG once again asked the court to stop the process. Granting the Inspector General of Government’s request, Justice Kiryabwire said it was wrong for the Commercial Court to ignore the IGG’s defence, saying the IGG and the Attorney General were both organs of the Government."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/486373-respect-the-unwritten-rules-of-your-job.html","content":" - By Anthony Bugembe EVERY job has unwritten rules employees should follow. Breaching them means discomfort, which often leads to quitting the job voluntarily or forcefully. They vary according to the company and profession. The most common ones include: No one is a monopoly of ideas and skills In a bid to create job security, some people create a situation where it is only them who can perform a particular task. This sabotages and frustrates workmates and bosses. For example, putting a complicated code in software that you only know or having a special relationship with customers such that someone else cannot serve them. When discovered, this will be your first ticket to the streets. Follow and respect hierarchy Follow the right procedures when raising an issue. If there is a problem with your salary, the first contact person should be the accountant and not the managing director. Donna Cardillo in her article, With office politics, it’s smart to be savvy, notes that ‘going over someone’s head’ is committing career suicide. Don’t be a workaholic Come in early and don’t stay late unless asked by your boss. “Initially it would appear as though employers want you to be at work all the time but the truth is, employers and workmates don’t like employees who seem to be at their desk all the time. “More disturbing is the fact that most people who work late often do personal work which, employers don’t like,” says Julius Kateega, a human resource trainer. Do not carry your home to office Having lots of personal items like photos of family and friends turns your desk into a home not a place of work. An organised desk with job-related materials creates a positive impression on your bosses. Own your actions “If something goes wrong, own the fault. Don’t blame other people or the world around you,” says Kateega. Regardless of the task, you should do it to the best of your ability. Employees are noticed because they are either poor or exceptional performers. Be the latter. Take communal responsibility You are expected to be part of a team. If there is a problem, don’t distance yourself. Have some cherished personal attributes Being an outstanding employee calls for an outstanding character. Good employers know that such a character cannot be learned in any school or on the job. You may not drink coffee, but if the other people in the office take coffee and the pot is empty, be good on some days and make more. Avoid gossiping You are never expected to spend valuable work time gossiping or listening to gossip. Cardillo observes that although it is hard to resist, gossiping erodes the bonds of trust and integrity. Keep your job search secret No boss wants to learn that an employee is looking for another job even when they are treating you poorly. If you are doing so, do it secretly. Not even your workmates should know."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/490540-terrible-drivers.html","content":" - SIR — I strongly protest the increasingly indisciplined and arrogant behaviour of taxi drivers on the Port Bell route! I am extremely irritated by the flagrant breaches of traffic regulations such as parking in the road for passengers to get on or off taxis. This practice is common at the Kitintale stage and Luzira stage 7. It is not uncommon to find jams in these places simply because a taxi driver has seen it fit to either stop in the middle of the road or to make a u-turn without any consideration for other road users! Efforts to try to correct these drivers are frequently met with insults and rude gestures. On Tuesday I was almost involved in a head-on collision with a taxi driver attempting to overtake three vehicles at a go in a corner! When I flashed my lights to warn him of the impending collision he merely dismissed me with an arrogant wave of his arm! What is most irritating is that this happens under the very noses of traffic officers! David L. Makumbi Kampala"}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/500632-opposition-mps-to-meet-over-boycott.html","content":" - KAMPALA - OPPOSITION MPs will meet today to discuss parliament’s continued debates on national issues without their presence. They argue that it is a breach of the House’s rules and procedures to conduct business in the absence of the opposition. Aswa county MP Okumu Reagan told The New Vision: “They are turning the House into an NRM caucus. We shall see what to do.” On Tuesday, opposition MPs walked out of Parliament, protesting the continued detention of the People’s Redemption Army suspects and what they called abuse of human rights."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/502055-tumukunde-trial-back-in-court.html","content":" - By Charles Ariko THE trial of Brig. Henry Tumukunde resumed yesterday, with one witness giving his testimony. Tumukunde is on trial for breaching army rules and spreading harmful propaganda. The witness, Ronald Kabugo, gave court a 16-page transcript of what transpired when Tumukunde was hosted on Radio One’s Spectrum talk-show. Tumukunde is alleged to have spread harmful propaganda on that show, reportedly accusing the army’s leadership of blocking his retirement, among other things. Kabugo, a lecturer at the Institute of Languages at Makerere University, told court that it took him one week to transcribe the tape. He said his head of department certified the transcript, which was tendered to court yesterday. Tumukunde challenged Kabugo’s competence in carrying out the task. Tumukunde’s lawyers, Oscar Kambona and McDusman Kabega, had earlier queried the accuracy of the transcript, saying it seemed some words were missing. They told court that Kabugo was not an expert on audio-translations. Prosecution yesterday said they would call another witness to testify, and asked court if the witness could give his testimony in camera. This prompted Tumukunde’s lawyers to protest. The Judge Advocate, Maj. Wilson Mwesigwa, said there was no way the court could grant the prosecution’s prayer when the witness was not in court. The General Court Martial chairman, Lt. Gen. Ivan Koreta, adjourned the hearing to Wednesday, January 17."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/454949-get-reliable-contractors.html","content":" - SIR — The Minister of Roads, Transport and Works should be held responsible especially for the Jinja–Bugiri Highway. They use contractors who breach their contract anytime. We hope the new contractor will complete the highway. As for the pot-holes, I suggest the roads be checked regularly and any repairs made before the damage becomes worse. Secondly, a law should be enacted that bars trailers and night tractors from carrying sugarcane through Mabira forest to stop moving after 7:00pm and resume at 7:00am the following day as is the case in Tanzania. With traffic police stationed on the Jinja–Busia highway, trailers will abide by this law. Diana Elondha Kampala"}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/456229-in-brief.html","content":" - KAMPALA: Ken case on The Inspector General of Government breached the Constitution when she made herself a tribunal and removed John Lukyamuzi from Parliament, the Constitutional Court heard yesterday. Muzamiru Kibeedi was submitting in a petition seeking to declare Lukyamuzi’s removal unconstitutional. MKAMPALA: P challenge It is a challenge for MPs to express their constituencies’ problems through their party chief whips, Deputy Parliament Speaker Rebecca Kadaga has said. She was yesterday briefing German MPs on challenges of multiparty politics at her office in Kampala. Kadaga said most people were still ignorant about the system. KAMPALA: CAO to pay chief administrative officer Giles Kahira is to refund sh19m meant for purchase of vehicle tyres for the district, MPs on the local government accounts committee said on Wednesday. The committee quizzed Kahira and finance chief Fenancio Kambale on the stores ledger, receipts and the purchase order for tyres. KAMPALA: Trial flops The hearing of a case in which Kyamuswa MP Moses Kabuusu is charged with illegal procurement of a voters’ register, flopped yesterday due to lack of witnesses. Ends"}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/465283-kenya-mp-rapped-on-museveni-posters.html","content":" - By Reuben Olita in Nairobi KENYA Parliament Speaker Francis Ole Kaparo on Thursday warned Tigania East MP Peter Munya for taking President Yoweri Museveni’s campaign posters into the chamber, which was in breach of the rules. This was after Parliament was told that a Kenyan printer, Joshua Muchungi Ncebere, who designed and produced Museveni’s 1996 presidential campaign posters, had yet to receive Ksh5M (about sh122m) which Museveni owes him. But Kenya’s assistant minister for foreign affairs, Moses Wetangula, responding to a question on the matter, said he was aware of Ncebere’s alleged contract, but maintained that the Kenya government did not have enough information to compel Uganda to settle the arrears. But Munya, irritated by the minister’s answer, displayed a poster of a smiling President Museveni as an exhibit of Ncebere’s work. Speaker Kaparo warned Munya that he had breached the standing orders by sneaking the poster into the Chamber. In clearing the air on the matter, Wetangula said the Uganda High Commission put the record straight that a secretary of the task force set up to handle Museveni’s campaign had established that the government did not enter into a contract with Ncebere. He said the ministry had asked Ncebere for details to pursue the matter. Munya, while demanding action from Kenya on the matter, alleged that his constituent had run bankrupt after failing to pay a bank loan arising from the posters and that he had made several trips to Kampala to no avail."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/467801-translink-sues-for-sh1b.html","content":" - By Hillary Nsambu TRANSLINK has sued Sofitra Cargo Services for breach of contract and is seeking to recover over $900,000 (sh1b) in damages. Translink’s plaint says Sofitra failed to deliver three of its 18 containers, which it had been contracted to clear and transport from Mombasa two years ago. Sofitra is a clearing and transporting firm, while Translink are importers of assorted foods and other merchandise. Translink says due to the breach of contract, it has lost profits worth $900,000, which is equivalent to the costs and the undelivered goods. Sofitra disputed the claim and made a counter-claim for sh38,644,634, as monies owed to it for services rendered. According to a statement of defence, Sofitra claims it is only a clearing company and never undertook to transport the consignments as alleged by Translink. Sofitra, which is represented by Nangwala, Rezida and Company Advocates, says it handled other containers of the claimant, but had no dealing with Translink on the three containers. However, Translink, represented by Virma Jivram and Associates, wants court to dismiss the counter-claim, insisting Sofitra was privy to the contract to clear and deliver all the 18 containers."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/468171-kq-sued.html","content":" - By Reuben Olita in Nairobi AFRICAN International Airline (AIA) is demanding Ksh148m from Kenya Airways for alleged breach of contract. AIA, now in receivership, on Tuesday filed the suit in a Nairobi court seeking payment of a 13-year-old debt that included maintenance of KQ’s fleet of airplanes. The airline claimed the debt resulted from a breach of contract by KQ to service and maintain the airline’s aircraft. AIA said it entered into agreement to lease its aircraft to KQ at various rates which were to be determined by the routes and destinations of each aircraft. It was also agreed that during the period under agreement, AIA facilitates repairs and maintenance of the aircraft to meet international standards, while KQ would offset the bills, including those incurred in buying spare parts."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/469746-oil-the-party-is-over.html","content":" - WELCOME to the world of $70-per-barrel oil. That is if there is no crisis in the Gulf over Iran’s nuclear ambitions. If there is, then get ready for $140 a barrel. Oil briefly breached the $70 barrier eight months ago, but this time it is going up for good. Exactly one year ago the investment bank Goldman Sachs put out a paper suggesting that the “new range” within which oil prices will fluctuate is $50-$105 per barrel. (The old range, still used by most of the oil industry when deciding if a given investment will be profitable, was $20-$30.) The price could surge well past the upper end of the Goldman Sachs range if the United States actually does launch military strikes against Iran, but it's going up permanently anyway. Whatever his longer-term plans, President Bush is unlikely to attack Iran before the mid-term Congressional elections in November, for three of the last four global recessions were triggered by a sharp rise in the oil price. But even without a Gulf crisis, the oil price will only stabilise at a price a good deal higher than now, because the major players in the market understand the long-term trends. Transient events like the Iran crisis and the political unrest in Nigeria (which has cut that country’s exports by a quarter) drive the daily movements in the oil price, but the underlying supply situation is so tight that oil would stay high even if Nigeria turned into Switzerland and Iran opted for unilateral disarmament. “On production, there is nothing we can do. (OPEC, the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries, is) already producing at maximum output,” said Abdullah al-Attiyah, Qatar’s Oil Minister. This is not about “peak oil,” the notion that we are already at or near the point where total global oil production reaches its maximum and begins a long decline. That may well be true, but the present price rise is just about rising demand for oil as the big developing countries, especially the Asian ones, lift large parts of their populations into the middle class. Middle-class people buy cars. They also run their air conditioners all summer, and take holidays abroad, and do other things that have big implications for total energy consumption, but above all they buy cars. For the foreseeable future most of the cars they buy will run on some form of refined oil. The rising demand that drives the oil price up does not just come from the middle-class Americans (and, increasingly, Europeans) who insist on driving enormous SUVs with macho names like ‘Raider’, ‘Devastator’, and ‘Genocidal Exterminator’. It also comes from the new middle class of unassuming Chinese, Indian, Russian and Brazilian families who only want a modest family car for the school run and the weekend. There are just so many of them. This is the first big price rise that has been caused by rising demand rather than some temporary interruption of supply. Goldman Sachs also predicted last year that in twenty years’ time there will be more cars in China than in the United States —about 200 million of them. Ten years after that, India’s car population will also overtake America’s. Within 20 years Russia and Brazil will each have more cars than Japan. We are headed for a billion-car world (unless all the wheels fall off first), and that means permanently high oil prices. Good. If the oil price rises gradually from $70 to $100 over the next five years, people and governments will start paying serious attention to energy conservation and alternate energy sources (including nuclear energy). The sooner that happens, the less extreme the global warming that we will have to contend with as the century progresses. But if the oil price leaps to $100 or more in one swift jump we will have the mother of all recessions, and then there will be a desperate shortage of funding for developing alternative sources of energy. A US attack on Iran is not the only threat to oil prices. If the markets should ever collectively decide that “peak oil” is upon us and that the supply of oil is heading for actual decline, the price would soar out of sight overnight. The oil companies and the governments of OPEC reassure us that oil reserves are ample to cover consumption at the current rate of world economic growth for decades to come, but they would be saying that whether it was true or not, and there is reason to suspect that it is not. Never mind the geology. Just consider the fact that in the years 1985-1990, when OPEC's declared reserves grew by a massive 300 billion barrels, no major new oilfields were brought into production. The “growth” was achieved by recalculating existing reserves, and the incentive for exaggeration was provided by OPEC's decision to set production quotas in proportion to the total size of each member's reserves. So over a quarter of the world’s total \"proven\" oil reserves of 1.1 trillion barrels may be no more than an accounting fiction. The best we can hope for in the coming years, therefore, is a relatively slow and steady rise in the oil price, rather than a steep, fast rise that upsets everybody's applecarts. The party is definitely over."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/470107-in-brief.html","content":" - Mityana out soccer NTUNGAMO and Mityana districts have been ruled out of the Coca-Cola schools football championship. The two failed to pass the first hurdle after breaching regulations in the qualifiers. Mityana was barred after two parallel organising committees presented different qualifiers to the organisers, contrary to the rules and regulations that recognise only one committee. Kenya here NEIGHBOURS Kenya and Tanzania have confirmed participation in the fourth edition of the East and Central African Handball championship that gets underway on April 23 at Hanna SS, Nsangi. UAHF acting secretary Annet Namutebi revealed that all is set for the regional tournament. “Already Kenya and Tanzania have confirmed that they are coming, with Kenya sending 15 teams” Namutebi said. Beijing tour UGANDA will be represented by five stars and two officials in the World Table Tennis Championship in Beijing. The team leaves Saturday for the action that is due to start April 23. Jackson Migaddewill be joined by Kevin Mafabi, Paul Bagarukayo, Monica Kisakye and Rosette Nanyonjo. Officer calls IN a bid to promote the game of pool in Gulu, the district sports officer Aldo Okot Otto has urged hotel and bar owners in the district to form pool clubs and a team to represent the district at regional and national levels. He said this while handing prizes to the winners at a two-day tournament organised by Transa Rock Hotel."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/470181-ken-attacks-igg-over-party-post.html","content":" - By Jude Etyang FORMER Rubaga South MP Ken Lukyamuzi has protested to the Inspector General of Government (IGG)’s declaration that he cannot lead the Conservative Party (CP) for the next five years over alleged breach of the Leadership Code Act. Lukyamuzi (right) slammed Faith Mwondha, saying she was prejudicing a pending court case challenging his alleged breach of the public officials wealth law. “First of all, why should the IGG want to die with me with due respect to the IGG. I think she should be the last person to comment on a matter before court. It’s a very sensitive matter,” he told The New Vision on Saturday. Lukyamuzi was thrown out of parliament last December after Mwondha declared that he had failed to declare his wealth as required by the Leadership Code Act. Lukyamuzi challenged the IGG’s decision in the High court. Last week, Mwondha said Lukyamuzi was barred from holding any leadership position in CP. According to the IGG, Lukyamuzi is prohibited from holding any public appointive or elective position for five years starting December 5, 2005 when he lost his seat. Lukyamuzi attributed the IGG’s actions to a conspiracy by rival CP leaders Mayanja Nkangi and Nsubuga Nsambu, who he beat to take the party leadership. He said his rivals had not made any contribution to the progress of the party. Ends"}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/470701-abbas-goes-to-fifa.html","content":" - By James Bakama, Geoffrey Ndugga & William Muwonge AXED Cranes coach Muhammad Abbas (right) has threatened to seek FIFA intervention in his row with Ugandan football authorities, whom he accuses of breach of contract. The Egyptian said on Friday that unless FUFA pays him arrears for three years, the duration of the contract he had signed with the federation, he would take his case to Zurich. Abbas insists that FUFA have defaulted on his monthly pay amounting to $21,600 (sh39.6m), sh1m bonus for Uganda’s performance in the LG Cup in Egypt last year, $1000 (sh1.83m)for an airticket to Cairo and a $30(sh0.055m) visa fee. But on Wednesday, FUFA legal chief Fred Muwema sai that the federation would clear Abbas’ dues and purchase a return air ticket for him to his homeland. Muwema maintained that Abbas would only receive arrears for the previous four months he was not paid as a result of termination of his contract. This adds up to seven months, which represents $3500 (Shs 6.3 m). But Abbas has said that he will not take the seven months’ money. He is insisting on section 7 of the contract. Meanwhile FUFA is in advanced in talks with six top corporate bodies in a bid to get a league sponsor. “We have moved on well but there are still a number of issues to sort out,” FUFA PRO Aldrine Nsubuga revealed. Nsubuga declined to name the firms but explained they wanted certain guarantees. Ends"}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/472385-was-lambert-fairly-treated.html","content":" - SIR — Canadian journalist Blake Lambert’s deportation from Uganda is yet another vivid demonstration of how easily and casually mere individuals continue to abuse and breach established institutional guidelines, overrule, coerce and prevail over state institutions. Twenty years down the road, the notion of the rule of law in Uganda in many people’s minds remains more of a rhetoric than a reality. The current regime in its early days took the moral high ground with regard to human rights and the rule of law, incessantly and, rightly so at the time, lambasting its predecessors for their excesses. Many would contend now that such moral authority has since evaporated. The country must now grapple with the appalling prevalence of official arbitrariness and the pervasive impotence of state institutions. If Lambert’s presence in Uganda was a threat to national security as chorused by Media Centre boss Robert Kabushenga and Interior Minister Ruhakana Rugunda, why was Lambert allowed to stay on in Uganda for months considering the level of the alleged threat to the country, at large, with no charges brought against him? Why did the Media Council, in whose remit falls Lambert’s case, take a different view from the Media Centre, preferring not to impose sanctions against him? How come it was the Media Centre that was acting as the complainant and intent on justifying the type of sanction to be applied against Lambert? Why and how was the Media Council coerced into succumbing to pressure from the Media Centre? Why were proper guidelines in deportation cases not followed in Lambert’s case? Will Parliament directly or through relevant committees be briefed in due course? The other reason — biased reporting offered for excluding Lambert from Uganda is frankly very disappointing, coming from a government which regularly lays claims to being the freest press in the region. If any of Lambert’s reporting aggrieved government, a rebuttal would have been in order, or if they really wanted to prove a point, litigation was another open option. In a pluralistic society, which Uganda should now be, there must no longer be monopoly on views about the situation in Uganda. If Lambert was echoing a legitimate opposition view on anything he reported on, it is his considered professional judgement as a trained journalist to pass this view on to the rest of the world, and must not be vilified and victimised for it, just like the opposition in Uganda is being treated. The regime has been mostly engaged in damage control exercises in their aftermath, needlessly wasting both time and resources. Whether this is caused by incompetence, miscalculation, panic or a combination of the three, it is obvious the government has got to put its act together and do something about it. Stephen J. Lwetutte slwetutte@aol.com"}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/474528-upbc-petitions-wbc-over-lusambya-fight.html","content":" - By James Bakama UGANDA has sought World Boxing Council intervention in a case where Mexican fighter Omar Vazquez breached a contract to fight Badru Lusambya. Vazquez was scheduled to fight Lusambya in December but failed to make it to Kampala after his manager got seriously sick in London enroute to Kampala. Promises by Vazquez’s agent Luis Medina to either get a substitute manager or fighter have since December not been fulfiled prompting Uganda Professional Boxing Commission to seek WBC’s attention on the matter. Local organisers Big Strikers had not only paid the Mexicans’ travel, but also advanced Medina a portion of the purse. This was part of sh40m expenses that included the fight’s advertisement and travel and accommodation expenses for foreign under card fighters. “I presented the case to WBC and also gave Medina a reminder,” said UPBC president Celestino Mindra shortly after arrival from Cancun, Mexico where he attended WBC’s night of champions. Mindra is on WBC’s board of governors and also secretary of Africa’s professional boxing body. Big Strikers’ directors said they sought the attention of the supreme world prize fighting body before going for the legal option. Vazquez’s failure to make it to Kampala stifled Big Strikers with more losses as an effort to secure Tanzanian Francis Cheka as a last minute replacement for the December 24 fight also flopped. It wasn’t until January 26 that Lusambya, who had last fought in July 2005, finally got another opponent. The disappointed fighter nevertheless went on to knock out Zimbabwe’s Farai Musiwa in the eighth round at Nakivubo."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/476781-sematimba-grilled-over-global-fund-scam.html","content":" - By Jude Etyang KAMPALA City mayoral candidate and media mogul Peter Sematimba yesterday admitted breaching the Global Fund contract by getting money for an AIDS campaign through one of his companies and running the campaign on his Super FM radio station. Sematimba was facing the commission probing mismanagement of the Global Fund, to account for sh65m he obtained for an AIDS campaign. Sematimba obtained the contract in March last year through his Semat Production and gave Super FM advertising business worth sh19m. The business to Super FM included sh10,000,000 for the 15-minute Youth Corner talk-show, sh3,930,000 for Give Away prizes for a family planning promotion and sh4.9m for radio adverts. “This situation is pure and unadulterated conflict of interest. I even have a feeling that this is not professionally ethical,” Ogoola said. On the gravity of the conflict of interest, the commission was appalled by the revelations that Semat Production accountant Jane Namugerwa was the same accountant of Super FM, so she would pay for Global Fund adverts with one hand and receive the money with the other. “We have acknowledged the conflict of interest, my Lord,” Sematimba said. Ends"}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/434171-atubo-wants-bill-to-block-rigging.html","content":" - By Joyce Namutebi THE code of conduct proposed in the new political parties Bill should prescribe the manner of holding party elections and impose heavy sanctions on rigging and other breaches that may occur, the Otuke MP has said. Omara Atubo said party internal elections should with necessary modifications and adaptations be conducted on the principles and laws governing general elections and that potential mischief should be addressed by national laws. He called for stringency on the formation of political parties and organisations. Atubo was addressing the committee on legal and parliamentary affairs on The Political Parties and Organisations Bill, 2005 yesterday. He described as an important innovation in the Bill, a clause which empowers the justice minister, the Electoral Commission and Parliament to prescribe a code of conduct for political parties and organisations. He said the code should “operationalise democratic principles and the rules of natural justice and prescribe the manner of holding party elections.” Jacob Oulanyah (Omoro) chaired the committee."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/435972-sack-busia-speaker-â-igg.html","content":" - THE Inspector General of government (IGG) has recommended that the Busia district council speaker John Mulimba, vacates office after he was implicated for breach of the leadership code and abuse of office, reports Richard Komakech. The ombudsman, in a June 6 letter signed by the deputy IGG, Raphael Baku Obudra, said Mulimba, through two companies in which he is a director, had carried out business transactions with the district contrary to legal sanction. The letter is addressed to the district chairperson. The two companies, Adande Enterprises and Nawa Multi Services, were contracted by the district council in the financial years 2002/3 and 2003/4. “In doing business with the district, the Speaker contravened section 8 (1) and (2) (a) of the leadership code act,” the IGG said. Ends"}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/437573-monitor-s-kfm-radio-closed.html","content":" - By Emmy Allio and Steven Candia THE Broadcasting Council (BC) yesterday indefinitely closed Kampala’s K-FM radio station, a subsidiary of the Monitor Publications, saying it breached sections of the electronic media law. At 4:18pm, K-FM, formerly Monitor FM, was closed. The last item to be aired was a song, Ndiku Digi by Ngoni. The radio was taken off air as the programme, The Edge, was running. Before the song, Conrad Nkutu, the Managing Director of The Monitor Publications, read on air the letter from BC secretary Okullu-Mura. The letter, titled ‘Suspension of broadcasting license’, said, “Following receipt of numerous complaints and listening to the recording of your programme, Andrew Mwenda live of August 10, 2005 aired between 7:00pm and 8:00pm, the Broadcasting Council has discovered that the programme offends the minimum broadcasting standards enshrined in the first Schedule of the Electronic Media Cap 104/2000. “The Broadcasting Council has decided to accordingly and with immediate effect suspend your broadcasting licence in order to carry out further investigations into the matter.” The letter, served by two BC officials, was copied to the minister of state for information and the Inspector General of Police, Katumba Wamala. “As a law-abiding company, we have chosen to comply and we shall proceed to take KFM off air as we pursue the matter with government authori ties,” Nkutu said after reading the letter and then apologised to advertisers. He said the closure was unexplained and lacked legal authority. “We shall do everything possible to return to air,” he said, adding that he was surprised by the closure because Mwenda was yesterday due to host the state minister for information, Dr. Nsaba Buturo. Earlier on, Buturo told The New Vision that the BC had visited K-fm station to collect the recorded programme where on Wednesday Mwenda hosted presidential assistant on political affairs Moses Byaruhanga and Aswa MP Reagan Okumu. The topic that night was, “Can government justify today’s public holiday?” Wednesday was a public holiday in honour of seven Ugandans who died alongside Sudanese First Vice-President Dr. John Garang in a helicopter crash on July 30. During the national prayers at Kololo Airstrip, President Yoweri Museveni referred to Mwenda as a small boy and blasted him for reportedly publishing stories prejudicial to regional security and ordered him to stop henceforth lest he clamps down on The Monitor newspaper. The BC action triggered a mixed reaction from the staff at the Monitor headquarters in Namuwongo, a Kampala city suburb. While some looked pensive, contemplating their next move, many just laughed off the move, saying it was expected. Others mingled with journalists from other media houses who had gone there to pick the news. While all this was going on, an apparently disturbed Mwenda was swaying in a black leather swivel chair on the fourth floor that houses Nkutu’s office. Sources said he was under strict orders not to talk to the press. Sources said the Government was angered by Mwenda’s statements that were interpreted as demeaning the person of the President and the presidency. During the prayers at Kololo on Wednesday, Museveni threatened to close newspapers for meddling in security issues. On the talk-show, Mwenda said, “We shall be playing the voice of Mr. Yoweri Museveni in his attack on me and I am going to launch a counter-attack on him.” He then played a sound bite from Museveni’s speech: “I am the elected leader of Uganda, I therefore have the ultimate mandate to run its affairs. Now, I will not tolerate a newspaper which is like a vulture. When people are crying, the vultures are happy. Any newspaper which plays about with regional security, I will not tolerate. “I have been seeing this young boy, Mwenda, writing about Rwanda, writing about Sudan, writing about the UPDF, he must stop. And this other paper called The Observer, (writing) what has been said in the army. ... this is not how a country is run. Red Pepper also, I thought those were young boys busy with naked girls, now if they have gone into regional security, they must stop. These newspapers must stop or we shall stop them from writing. If they want to continue doing business in Uganda, they must stop interfering in security matters.” Mwenda then shot back, “First of all, no one is going to stop, at least me, I am not going to stop. If he closes the newspaper and I am out of the job, I will seek his job. I will get him out of Nakasero (State House), take him to Rwakitura (Museveni’s country home)...If the man wants me to vie for his job, let him come and close the Monitor,” Mwenda said as he chuckled away. Byaruhanga tried to interrupt him, “Fine, you continue doing what you are doing and wait and see.” But Mwenda retorted, “Does your president know that he has no power to close a newspaper for even one day? Does he know that he has no legal power? I think Museveni’s problem is, he is seated in State House where all of you in the movement, he says jump and you ask ‘how high?’, shout and you ask ‘how loud?’” In a spirited defence, which turned out to be a shouting contest, Byaruhanga said the President would not close the papers personally but had asked the Attorney General to look into the matter. Moments later, Mwenda moved onto the demise of Garang. Pinned by Byaruhanga that some of his articles posed a security threat, Mwenda replied: “Are you saying it is The Monitor which caused the death of Garang? Or it’s your own mismanagement. Garang’s security was put in danger by your own government. Putting him, first of all, on a junk helicopter. Second, at night, third, passing through Imatong hills, and you know that Kony has stinger missiles, surface-to-air missiles, five, when there was bad weather. “But are you aware that Garang died on the Imatong hills where you have always complained Kony is? Are you aware that your government killed Garang through incompetence? You caused the death of the man out of incompetence,” Mwenda charged, prompting Byaruhanga to interject, “I would rather you withdraw that.” “I can never withdraw that. If the Police call me, I will say the government of Uganda, out of incompetence, led or caused the death of John Garang. They put him on the plane when it was already late. The President said that plane has the capacity to detect bad weather 100km away. Why couldn’t they detect the bad weather...?” Mwenda asked."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/438771-businessman-wants-bou-case-revived.html","content":" - By Abraham Odeke A Busia businessman who sued Bank of Uganda (BoU) over alleged breach of contract has applied for reinstatement of the case by the High Court in Mbale after it was disposed of without his knowledge. Osman Mohamed said he sued BoU as liquidators for the defunct International Credit Bank (ICB) for failure to give him sh500m, which he had kept at ICB. BoU took over operations of ICB about five years ago. Mohamed said his lawyers had applied for reinstatement of the case in which Patrick Kato, the ICB chief, had not been given adequate time to testify. Muziranza Wangoola, Mohamed’s lawyer, said, “The court’s decision to fix the case without notifying us is legally unacceptable. The case had been partly heard.” BoU officials said the High Court was right to dispose of the case."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/440432-â-ekisanja-protesters-violated-guidelinesâ.html","content":" - By Alfred Wasike THE anti-third term demonstration on Tuesday was dispersed because the organisers breached guidelines and planned deliberate confrontation with security personnel to draw sympathy and disrupt public order in the city, the Government has said. The Government has also announced that preparations for the July 28 referendum on change of political system were on time and that it was not manipulating Ugandans to pave way for a third term for President Yoweri Museveni. The Attorney General, Dr. Khiddu Makubuya and information state minister Dr. Nsaba Buturo made the announcements yesterday at the Government’s weekly press briefing at Nakasero in Kampala. Buturo said a “group of people organised by the FDC” sought to demonstrate against what they claimed was an impending vote by MPs to amend the Constitution to pave way for the third term. Buturo said the Government authorised them to demonstrate near Parliament and not by walking through the streets of Kampala “where a danger of disrupting business was assessed to be high, judging from what happened before when a demonstration was allowed to take place in Kampala.” “The Government read planned deliberate confrontation in the demonstration. This is a tactic its critics are using to lure Government into acting tough and thus earn sympathy from various quarters. Government opted to act decisively since its mandate with the people includes providing security,” he said. Makubuya said he was not worried by threats from “certain people” that the Government would be sued for organising a referendum without civic education. “If there is a government that respects the Constitution, it is the Movement Government. Why don’t these fellows want the referendum? What do they fear? I am not going to piss in my trousers because they are threatening to sue,” he said."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/440919-uganda-telecom-wins-million-dollar-case.html","content":" - By Emmy Olaki UGANDA telecom has won two Supreme Court cases, one against Tanzanite Corporation, which claimed $1.049,755 plus interests for alleged breach of contract and another against MTN Uganda over interest on interconnection charges.Tanzanite sued uganda telecom together with its predecessor Uganda Posts and Telecommunications Company (UP&TC) for alleged breach of contract to supply 30,000 telephone sets, loss of profits, loss of unused materials and an unpaid bank loan.The company claimed that as a result of the breach of contract, they were left with raw materials and an unpaid bank loan.“Management of the former UP&TC changed. We are now uganda telecom and we do not have to pay Tanzanite any money,” Hansen Paulsen (above), the uganda telecom marketing director, said on Thursday.The case moved from the High Court to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court overturned the judgment of the Court of Appeal, which had initially awarded Tanzanite all the claims sought. The Supreme Court also overturned the High Court decision which had ordered uganda telecom to pay Tanzanite $260,000 being the cost of the unused materials but had also ordered Tanzanite to pay uganda telecom costs of the appeal and cross appeal in the Supreme Court and all courts below. In another judgment, the Supreme Court also dismissed an MTN appeal against uganda telecom for unpaid interest on interconnection charges. MTN last year sued uganda telecom for interconnection charges amounting to sh5.8b.“This amount was confirmed and paid by uganda telecom within the agreed terms. However, MTN claimed for interest on the amount with effect from the date of contract to which uganda telecom objected,” Paulsen said.The High Court had initially ordered uganda telecom to pay MTN interest amounting to sh518, 455,167.“On appeal in the Court of Appeal, it was held that uganda telecom could not be charged interest on an amount that had not been ascertained,” Paulsen said.MTN was unsatisfied with this decision and appealed to the Supreme Court, which dismissed the appeal and ordered MTN to pay costs of the appeal in the Supreme Court and all courts below.“Justice has prevailed. We did not say that we were not going to pay MTN, but we did not want to pay interest on amounts that had not been ascertained. We just wanted to ascertain the amounts and pay in good time,” Paulsen said.Ends"}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/442519-pap-denies-links-with-tumukunde.html","content":" - THE Progressive Alliance Party (PAP) has denied links with Brig. Henry Tumukunde, now on remand for breaching army rules, reports Cyprian Musoke.In a hastily-called press conference at Christ the King conference hall in Kampala yesterday, the party’s interim chairman, Dr. Kaddu Mulindwa, said Tumukunde was only a sympathiser of the party.“Many people have been asking themselves questions as to who is behind this party. One thing we would like to clearly do is to de-link Brig. Henry Tumukunde from the Progressive Alliance Party,” Mulindwa said.He said Tumukunde’s recent appearance on two radio talks shows and his reference to PAP were only an expression of his sympathy with the party that did not necessarily make him the founder.“He is only our sympathiser. Several other military officers have expressed sympathy with other parties but why have they never been arrested? We would like to condemn his arrest and assure our supporters to continue trusting in our modus operandi,” Mulindwa said.The party’s secretary general, Bernard Kibirige, said soldiers intending to leave the army to join active politics should be accorded similar chances to retire to fulfil their aspirations.“Persons suspected to be intending to provide alternative leadership should not be held in the army against their will if government is committed to ushering in genuine democracy,” read a signed statement."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/444444-in-brief.html","content":" - Court orderBy Peninah KayagaMwanga 11 Court has issued a warrant of arrest to the managing director of Tusabira women’s group for breach of contract. Maria Thereza is charged with failure to pay sh1.8m to Rosemary Nanono, her employer.Muntu blastsBy Isaac Kalembe FORUM for Democratic Change (FDC) national mobiliser Maj. Gen mugisha Muntu has said Museveni’s insistence on a referendum is a prelude to banning political parties.He said this at the opening of an FDC office at Wakiso on Wednesday. He said a referendum was a waste of resources and an attempt to hoodwink the public.Sale stopped By Fred Ouma ENTEBBE deputy resident district commissioner Alice Kaggwa has halted the sale of a disputed piece of land at Bwebajja on Entebbe Road.The land is in Kabulamuliro-Sekiwunga and Mawanyi villages.Ends"}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/448503-parties-rules-for-2006-polls-issued.html","content":" - By Cyprian Musoke and Felix Osike By Cyprian Musoke and Felix Osike POLITICAL parties that breach the code of conduct for the 2006 general elections should be disqualified, stakeholders recommended last week. The stakeholders were attending a workshop in Munyonyo last week at which the Electoral commission (EC) unveiled a draft code of conduct. EC chairman Badru Kiggundu released the guidelines at the workshop, which was opened by Parliament Speaker Edward Ssekandi. Political parties and civil society organisations representatives, and diplomats attended. In a report before the deliberations, they said, “This is the time for a code to stem barbaric and anarchic behaviour.” Ghana’s electoral commission chief Dr. Kwadwu Afari-Gyan said, “A code of conduct seeks to regulate the activities and behaviour of political parties and candidates, particularly during campaigns. The aim is to create conditions favourable for competitive party politics.” Kiggundu’s guidelines ban weapons at campaign meetings, party headquarters, registration, polling stations and ballot counting stations. Only security personnel on duty may carry weapons. Intimidation, armed pressure and the use of cruel language is banned. The use of bribes or traditional leaders to gain support is illegal. The removal or damage of other parties’ posters will attract penalties. Parties must remove their posters from public 15 days after the elections. The use of state vehicles and media, such as radio and TV, for parties or their candidates is banned. Rumours that may scare voters, and the use of alcohol will be penalised."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/451791-fufa-to-sue-top-radio.html","content":" - By Norman Katende and Sabiiti Muwanga FUFA will seek redress in court because they claim league sponsors Top Radio breached the contract with them by not giving sufficient notice before pulling out. This week’s 2005 Super League kick-off has subsequently been postponed. FUFA assistant treasurer Ahmed Wadrif (inset) said that the fact that the sponsors pulled out in the middle of the season, left them with no option. “The papers are with the lawyers on how best we will handle the case,” Wadrif said. Wadrif explained why they intended to go to court after a FUFA emergency meeting in Kampala on Monday. “Well, these people (Top TV) were telling us that they were with us throughout the season. We never bothered to look anywhere and suddenly they pull out.” They should have given us a month’s notice and it looks like the last option has remained in court,” Wadrif added. According to Wadrif, Top Radio are yet to clear several bills left over from last season. Top Radio yesterday decided it would pay the referees sh2.8m in cash after a cheque they issued earlier bounced. The Super Division Club Association, the league committee and referees associations also met FUFA on Monday and agreed the league kick-off be delayed by a week. KCC was to have hosted Express in the league opener at Nakivubo this Saturday. “There are so many things that are required. We do not have stationery, we need to print licenses and tickets and all these need money. We have to look for funds to do all these,” said Wadrif, who is also the vice chairman of the National Football League Committee (NFLC). After the meeting, club officials expressed their displeasure with the situation. Express FC secretary Kavuma Kabenge said they would not miss Top Radio. “These people have never put any money in the league but were just deceiving and getting free publicity. I think their departure was timely,” Kabenge said. KCC’s secretary Deo Kijjambu said this should be a wake-up call for the local soccer federation, FUFA, who he said go in for deals that they know will not hold. He claimed the kit the sponsors brought were of poor quality and came late. “It was not surprising that they pulled out. We were aware from the onset that they were giving a raw deal,” Kijjambu said. But Kabenge’s counterpart in SC Villa Edward Luyimbazi Mugalu said, a beggar had no choice. “It is unfortunate these people pulled out. We just pray that we get another sponsor.”"}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/408673-news-briefs.html","content":" - AG wants more time KAMPALA — The Attorney General has said he needs more time to study a case in which Tahar Fourati Hotels international Limited is seeking compensation of US$1.5m (over sh2b) for breach of contract. The head of civil litigation told court on Thursday that Amama Mbabazi needed two weeks to study the case. The Tunisia-based hotel sued the state, saying it prematurely terminated its contract to run the Nile Hotel International Limited in 1997, causing it financial loss. Egyptian envoy hails KAMPALA — Egyptian ambassador Maasoum Mostafa Marzouk has hailed the cordial relationship between his country and Uganda. He was meeting the state minister for regional cooperation, Augustine Nshimye, at the foreign affairs ministry headquarters yesterday. Marzouk said the Egyptian foreign affairs minister would soon visit Uganda to deliver a message from President Hosni Mubarak. 3 lawyers to defend KAMPALA — Three lawyers are to defend Dr. Kiiza Besigye’s brother, Joseph Musasizi Kifefe, who is facing treason charges. The lawyers are Yusuf Nsibambi, Sam Njuba of the Forum for Democratic Change and Uganda People’s Congress lawyer Peter Walubiri. Nsibambi on Thursday said Musasizi was forced to sign a false confession statement while in military custody. Mufti off to Libya KAMPALA — The Mufti, Sheikh Shaban Mubajje, has left for Tripoli, Libya. He left on Wednesday to attend a one-week international Islamic conference. Mubajje was accompanied by Prince Kassim Nakibinge Kakungulu."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/409703-in-brief.html","content":" - AG in court KAMPALA — The Central Purchasing Corporation limited recently sued the Attorney General (AG) for breach of contract and failure to pay sh292m. The corporation allegedly purchased 48 vehicles on request from the President’s Office during the 1998/99 financial year. The corporation was refunded sh40m out of sh333m. The court has given the AG 30 days to file a defence. Mwiri sued JINJA — Businessman Imatiyaz Parbatan has sued Busoga College, Mwiri for failure to pay sh21m for food supplies. He said he supplied food to the school on December 20, 2002, July 31, 2003 and February 8, 2004 but was paid only sh7.3m. The school has 10 days to file a defence. Boss denies MBARARA — The district Democratic Party (DP) chairperson, Emmanuel Kashaija, has denied supporting Alhaj Nasser Sebaggala’s bid to register the party. He said Sebaggala was not on the DP national executive. Kashaija said this on a Radio West talk-show recently. Car crashes LUWEERO — The district inspector of vehicles, Richard Kakaire, recently crashed a car into a wall. He was testing the newly-acquired speed detecting gadget. The Totoya Saloon car swerved off the road, entered a nursery school and hit a wall. Ends"}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/411617-tunisians-still-in-court-over-nile-hotel.html","content":" - COURT has given more time to the Tunisian hotelier, Tahar Fourati and the Government to resolve the dispute of breach of contract over the management of Nile Hotel. Fourati seeks sh2.5m from government for the terminating the deal. Principal Judge James Ogoola last week gave the parties up to November 1 to talk, with the view of reaching an amicable settlement. This was after the Tunisians lawyers, Nester Byamugisha and Masembe Kanyerezi, said they planned to reach an understanding. Talks are said to be in top gear. Tahar Fourati accuses the Government of illegally terminating its Nile Hotel management contract. But the Government says the case was time barred."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/413696-news-briefs.html","content":" - Judge to get KAMPALA — The Government yesterday agreed to settle a suit of about sh100m, demanded by Supreme Court Judge J. N. Mulenga in rent arrears. Mulenga sued the Government for breach of contract after it failed to pay for his building on plot 34c Kyadondo Road, which he rented out to the President’s Office. Government lawyer Mike Chibita told court that they had cleared part of the debt. Cop killed PADER — A police constable died and four others sustained bullet injuries on Monday, when their vehicle was ambushed by rebels. The vehicle, which was travelling from the district headquarters to Patongo, was ambushed at Labongo-Dero village Lira-Palwo sub-county at around noon. Deputy regional Police commander Egesa Oduli identified the deceased as Joseph Owkera, who was attached to the district. Police collect KAMPALA — About sh53m was collected by the Police from fines from the express penalty scheme last month, a monthly traffic report released yesterday said. City deputy traffic chief Sarah Kibwiika said 1,287 tickets were issued. She said in the last month 725 accidents were registered, leaving 27 people dead and 230 seriously injured. Govt owes KAMPALA — The Government owes former public servants over sh313.4b in pension arrears, the ministerial policy statement for the ministry of public service for 2004/05 financial year has indicated. In his statement to the parliamentary committee on public service and local governments, the minister, Henry Kajura, reiterated the government’s commitment to settle the present pension arrears."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/415329-ex-worker-sues-dairo.html","content":" - By Florence Nakaayi An ex-worker with Dairo Air Services Uganda Ltd, has dragged the company to court seeking recovery of over sh6m in damages for breach of contract. Through his lawyers, Patrick Tandrupasi, filed the suit at the High Court in Nakawa claiming that on December 21, 2001, the company dismissed him over theft allegations. Tandrupasi who was working at the company’s warehouse, ROKA Bonds Ltd in Entebbe. He claims the firm maliciously prosecuted him on three theft counts but was later acquitted and set free in January 2004. He claims he was earning sh180,000 every month. Deputy registrar E. Kisawuzi has summoned the firm to file a defence."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/417836-rwanda-accuses-dr-congo-of-backing-hutu-rebels.html","content":" - Rwanda accused the Democratic Republic of Congo on Wednesday of continuing to provide military and political support to Rwandan Hutu rebels in breach of peace accords between the two neighbours. The remarks by Richard Sezibera, President Paul Kagame's special envoy to Central Africa's Great Lakes region, are likely to further strain ties between Kigali and former foe Kinshasa, already taut over an upsurge in militia violence near their common border. Sezibera said ethnic Hutu militias instrumental in Rwanda's 1994 genocide had regrouped in eastern Congo. “These extremist forces have reorganised with support from some people in the Kinshasa government, especially the ruling (group)\" Sezibera told Reuters. “If the supply of arms and ammunition were effectively cut off and political support ceased, then these 'genocidaire' forces would merely turn into bandits. They would not cause a military threat to Rwanda.\" The Kinshasa government rejected the claims and accused the Rwandan army of carrying out its operations in the resource-rich eastern regions of the former Zaire. \"How can we be arming them (militias) when our army is attacking them? The Interahamwe (Hutu militia) are no different to the Rwandan army. They steal, rape and kill and are both unwanted here in Congo,\" Congolese Communications Minister Vital Kamerhe told Reuters. The Hutu rebels have been fighting the Tutsi-led Rwandan government from bases in eastern Congo since fleeing to the country following the 1994 massacres. They also fought for Kinshasa against occupying Rwandan troops in a many-sided war, which began in 1998, when Rwanda and Uganda invaded for the second time in two years to back rebels. The conflict gradually subsided in 2003 after an estimated three million people were killed, mainly by war-related disease and hunger. The latest fighting in the impoverished region of hills and lakes follows a spate of thinly veiled threats by Rwanda to send troops back into eastern Congo if the Kinshasa government and the United Nations failed to stop rebels attacking Rwandan territory. Sezibera's comments came after the first reported raid on Rwandan territory for several years by Hutu rebels on April 8. A U.N. peacekeeping force reported Rwandan troops entered Congo in violation of the U.N.-monitored peace process last month, but Rwanda denied the accusation. Along with most other combatants in the war, Rwanda withdrew its troops in 2002. But the Kigali government has said it would send them back if it felt threatened by Hutu rebels and has called on the U.N peacekeepers to forcibly disarm them. Congo's army says it has been trying to drive the Hutu rebels off its land. Fighting in the last week of April alone killed at least 77 rebels, soldiers and villagers and displaced thousands of civilians, U.N officials say. Sezibera accused Congolese President Joseph Kabila of shunning initiatives to promote dialogue with Kigali. “We have reached out to (Congo), we have expressed our interest in collaborating with that government in any way they deem appropriate, but they never respond,\" he said. Before the latest fighting, relations between Kagame and Kabila had appeared to be warming. Under a 2003 postwar political settlement, rival Congolese leaders, including Kabila, agreed to create a unity government and form a new national army out of their guerrilla forces and Kabila's troops. But all sides acknowledge it has been hard to rebuild trust between rival rebel groups with longstanding alliances to neighbouring countries or powerful Congolese warlords. Reuters"}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/419871-museveni-wonâ-t-breach-term-limit-law-â-rugunda.html","content":" - By Darious Magara President Yoweri Museveni will not breach the law to allow himself the third term, internal affairs minister Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda has said. Rugunda on Monday told Kabale leaders at Rukiiko hall that, “Museveni will not and is not planning to break the law to allow or create for himself a third term.” He added, “There is no possibility that Museveni can break the law. he will follow the law as we go through the political transition.” He was speaking at a meeting aimed at creating political harmony in the district. It was called by the Kabale parliamentary group chairman, Steven Bamwanga and district speaker Fr. Geitano Batanyenda. The meeting was a follow-up to one convened by National Political commissar Dr. Crispus Kiyonga in September last year to defuse political tension in the district. Rugunda said Museveni started the liberation struggle for the people of Uganda to return constitutionalism and the rule of law and could not contravene it. He was allaying fears expressed by a Kabale municipality councillor, Can. David Kanabahita that if Museveni broke the law to allow himself a third term he would not be any better than past presidents Dr. Milton Obote and Idi Amin Dada. Commenting on labelling some people anti-government, Rugunda called upon movement mobilisers to use persuasive language to woo people. Opinion leaders expressed concerns which revolved around marginalisation of Catholics in the distribution of resources. The meeting resolved to write to the President thanking him for honouring their proposal by appointing Dr. Francis Runumi. Runumi was last year appointed commissioner of planning in the health ministry and gave way to Adison Kakuru to run for the district chair. Ends"}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/420570-in-brief.html","content":" - UK bank case starts KAMPALA – Litigations in a suit where a UK-based bank, HSBC Equator Bank Plc, is seeking recovery of over sh17.7b from SGS (Uganda) Limited, a pre-shipment inspection firm, for breach of contract started on Monday. Commercial Court’s Justice James Ogoola presided over the hearing. More loans at STANhope KAMPALA – STANhope Finance Company will this month begin offering loans for salary earners, Kannanpulakkal Nandanan, the company’s general manager said. He said this at a press conference recently. PTA Bank quits Sembule KAMPALA – PTA Bank has handed over Sembule Group of Companies to the owners. The bank, which has been running the firms since 1998, signed the cancellation of management services of the firm recently."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/421258-church-sues-uedcl-over-sh55m.html","content":" - By Stephen Muwambi THE Church of Uganda (COU) is suing Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited (UEDCL) over an unfulfilled power bill exemption It seeks a sh55m compensation, for unspecified damages, breach of contract and inconveniences. The church says it paid UEB to extend power to its Gomba Headquarters but UEDCL breached the agreement when it disconnected the church in 1999. According to the case before High Court, UEDCL undertook to exempt the church from paying monthly bills. The Church says it suffered a financial loss after power was disconnected. Ends"}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/421474-ag-sued-over-sh164m.html","content":" - By Hillary Kiirya THE Attorney General has been sued by Baliruno Investments Limited, a construction firm, for failure to pay over sh164m as special damages for breach of contract. Baliruno, through Sewankaambo, Mawanda, Mubiru & Co. Advocates claims that in 1998 they agreed with the Ministry of Health to construct classroom blocks and pit latrines at Bulera Primary School Kisozi for sh87.3m but it has since failed to clear the debt. The Attorney General has been sued pursuant to the provisions of the Government Proceeding Act. “In April 2002, the defendant acknowledged indebtedness and made part payment on the same and balance still stands,” the plaintiffs claimed. The also claimed that as per the contract, they paid a retention bond of sh8m and completed the work in July 1998. The plaintiffs said the work was accepted by the defendants as ready for habitation and was immediately taken over but full payment was not effected. Baliruno claims that the Ministry issued the first and second payments in 1997 in denominations of sh36m and sh33.6m respectively leaving a balance of sh6m. “The plaintiff has refused to issue a final completion certificate of about sh14.5m which remains unpaid,” read the claim. They further claimed that the defendant had to pay sh100m being value of his house sold in liquidation. They said the house was a reality of foreclosure of mortgage by Greenland bank as per closure of the amendments to the contract."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/422167-agoa-adviser-whitaker-defends-business-deal-with-uganda.html","content":" - FORMER US assistant trade representative for Africa, Rosa Whitaker, has denied that her business dealings with Uganda were in breach of US government ethical rules, reports John Kakande. She also denied discussing her private consulting business with Ugandan officials while she held the US government job. An American newspaper, Los Angeles Times, last Wednesday said “the case of Rosa Whitaker stands out as an example of why Washington officials are increasingly debating what constitutes a conflict of interest in such comings and goings.” Whitaker left the US government on December 20, 2002, to form the Whitaker Group, a private consulting firm. “I was fully conscious of my legal and ethical obligations, and have been scrupulous in my compliance with both the letter and the spirit of the law,” Whitaker told the Times. The paper said “six days after she left the trade office, she received a free round-trip ticket from Uganda. Her consulting firm soon landed a $300,000-a-year contract to advise Uganda on how to benefit from (the African Growth and Opportunity Act or AGOA) trade law she helped write.” “By March, she had signed a contract with Ghana, also for $300,000 a year, to consult on the law,” the Times said. Whitaker told the paper that she did not discuss future work for any African country while at the trade representative’s office. “I did not solicit clients or business, nor did I discuss my career plans with the officials or representatives of any African country while in government. It’s not a conflict to work in government and then come out and work on similar initiatives,” she said. The paper said Whitaker had developed a close friendship with President Yoweri Museveni while at her US government job. It also quoted MP Aggrey Awori as saying that Uganda’s Parliament was probing Uganda’s participation in AGOA, and how Whitaker got her contract with the government. “Her relationship to the president has enhanced her business prospects here,” Awori said. Awori said yesterday he had been interviewed by the Times and that the parliamentary finance committee was investigating Whitaker’s contract. The Los Angeles Times said Whitaker blamed the controversy about her support for Uganda “on long-standing political and personal vendetta” against Museveni. Ends"}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/422791-uk-bank-to-deposit-sh173m-in-court.html","content":" - By Hillary Kiirya A UK-based merchant bank, HSBC Equator Bank Plc, has been ordered to deposit sh173m as security for costs before its suit against the pre-shipment inspection company, SGS for breach of contract can be heard. The High Court’s commercial division registrar, Henrietta Wolayo, passed the order after SGS’s lawyers applied for the same because the plaintiff is a non-resident foreigner and has no assets here. The registrar gave HSBC 30 days from March 3 to deposit the money in court otherwise the suit may not stand. HSBC’s lawyers contested the application for costs saying the bank had lent money to people in Uganda but the registrar could not agree with them. HSBC sued the pre-shipment company to recover over $7.9m, (about sh17.7b) lost in alleged false declaration. The bank is also requesting court to order SGS to pay $900,000 (about sh1.8b) as legal costs it incurred while investigating the breach. The court heard that SGS breached the contract by falsely stating that there were sufficient coffee stocks held by HSBC’s borrower, H.M. Nsamba and Sons Limited, a coffee dealer. HSBC claims it appointed SGS in 1999 to verify and determine the volume, grade, value and status of Nsamba’s coffee stocks in the warehouse at Kawempe but it did not."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/581551-uk-bank-sues-sgs-for-sh17b.html","content":" - By Hillary Nsambu A UK-based merchant bank, HSBC Equator Bank Plc, has sued the pre-shipment inspection company, SGS (Uganda) Limited for breach of contract. The suit seeks to recover over $7.9m, (about sh17.7b) lost in false declaration. The bank’s attorneys, Mugerwa and Masembe Advocates told Justice James Ogoola, the head of the Commercial Court on Friday that HSBC Bank was also seeking interest on the whole amount at the variable rate of London Interbank Offering Rate for one month and 3% per annum from June 2000 todate. The bank also asked the court to order SGS to pay $900,000 (about sh1.8b) as legal costs it (bank) incurred in investigating the breach. The court heard that SGS breached the contract by falsely stating that there were sufficient coffee stocks held by its (bank’s) borrower, H.M.Nsamba and Sons Limited, a Kampala-based coffee dealer. Court heard that the bank appointed SGS in 1999 to verify and determine the volume, grades, values and status of Nsamba’s coffee stocks held in the warehouse at Kawempe. Court was told that this followed a short term financing agreement entered between HSBC Bank and Nsamba for a loan $8m, depending on proof the existing coffee sales contracts between him and international coffee buyers, acceptable to the bank. SGS was also required to confirm the existence of coffee sales contracts between Nsamba and foreign buyers and the value of those contracts, availability of the coffee stocks and its loading. Court heard that SGS certified to it that there were sufficient coffee stocks, security and the loading in relation to the products’ export. Socadec SA, Switzerland, Nsamba’s primary international coffee buyers, certified by SGS, allegedly pre-financed unprocessed purchases by Nsamba and Sons."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/583082-aes-sued-for-sh90m.html","content":" - By Hillary Kiirya A KAMPALA law firm has sued AES Nile Power, seeking to recover over sh90m in special and general damages for breach of contract. Sewankambo, Mawanda, Mubiru & Company Advocates, say on July 7, 2001, they signed a six-month service agreement with AES for provision of legal services but their contract was terminated pre-maturely. Under the agreement, they were entitled to a monthly retainer fee of US$5,000 and US$30,000 upon completion of the task. They want court to order AES pay arrears of US$15,000 and contract balance of US $30,000 and costs of the suit."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/584252-in-brief.html","content":" - Reuters sues KAMPALA — Reuters, a British news agency, has sued VR Promotions, a Kampala-based entertainment and advertisement agency, for breach of contract. Reuters is seeking to recover at least £10,000 (about sh30m). The Commercial Court in Kampala heard yesterday that Reuters installed communication equipment at VR Promotions in Kampala on April 1999. Inmate dead MUBENDE — Kaweri Prison authorities have confirmed the recent death of Philip Sentamu, 69. He was due to appear in court for allegedly defiling a girl in 2000. Sentamu was one of 41 inmates transferred from Luzira Prison recently. A post-mortem report said he died of respiratory failure. One jailed MAYUGE — Grade Two Magistrate Cyprian Adipa recently sentenced Grace Lubaale, 25, to two years imprisonment for exhuming a dead body. Lubaale and a 14-year-old boy, recently committed the crime in Ntinkalu village in Baitambogwe sub-county. The boy was forwarded to a probation office. Man charged MAKINDYE — Grade Two Magistrate Esther Nasambu recently charged Peter Matovu with robbery. Prosecution said that Matove and others still at large, stole Dr. Joy Kyazike’s Toyota Corona, a mobile phone, cheque book, coat, an ATM card and keys, all valued at sh8,950,000. The suspects are said to have been armed with a gun."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/584464-greenboat-sues-kcc-over-sh3b.html","content":" - By Hillary Nsambu GREENBOAT Entertain-ment Limited has sued Kampala City Council (KCC) for breach of contract, seeking to recover over sh3b. Greenboat recently lost the management and control of traffic parking in the city to Multiplex Limited, following the re-tendering of the business by KCC. Through Muwanguzi, Zziwa and Musisi Advocates, Greenboat Entertainment contends that by terminating its contract without notice, KCC breached the contract between them for which it must pay total damages amounting to sh3,879,378,758. Greenboat contends that in their agreement signed on July 17, 1998, the agency would terminate, in case of breach of contract, the aggrieved party giving the other a notice of six months. It is also alleged that the original contract expired on August 31, 2002 and since then, Greenboat Entertainment remained in business until February 2003 when the Town Clerk stopped their operations on March 1, 2003. Greenboat contends that due to the abrupt termination of the agreement, it was unable to pursue defaulters and recover sh2,740,027,200."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/586395-farmers-breach-nile-deal.html","content":" - OVER 100 tonnes of epuripur sorghum, a raw material used by Nile Breweries in the making of its Eagle beer brand, has been bought up by unknown produce dealers, reports By Richard Otim in Soroti. Charles Aben, the district National Agricultural Advisory Services coordinator, said last week the farmers had sold the sorghum to the dealers contrary to what had been agreed with Nile Breweries. He said a group of the dealers suspected to be from Sudan had gone to Serere where a big portion of epuripur seeds had been distributed. They convinced the farmers to sell after offering a price higher than sh300 a kilogramme NBL had set. “These scavengers came in and lured the farmers to sell out the sorghum that we have found out to be more than 100 tonnes. We are told they could be from Sudan where the crop is on high demand,\" Aben said. According to the NBL agreement with Soroti farmers, any harvest of the crop would be sold only to the company. Aben said it was not proper for the farmers to go against what they had agreed on, because this would block opportunities for farmers from other parts of the district."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/587007-firm-sues-national-conference-over-sh46m.html","content":" - AN Engineering company, United Diesel Engineers Limited has sued the Movement’s National Conference seeking to recover over sh46m for breach of contract, reports Hillary Kiirya. The company (plaintiffs) through Katende, Sempebwa and Company advocates have sued the National Comference (defendant) in its corporate capacity as a Movement organ established under the Movement Act 1997. President Yoweri Museveni is the chairman of the National Executive Committee and the National Conference of the Movement. The suit is to recover payment of sh46,717,000 as money owing from the defendant together with interest, general damages for breach of contract and costs of the suit. According to the documents available at court, the National Conference was fully served by Hans Peter Kabanda from the law firm of Katende, Sempebwa & Company on August 15, but no response has been put to file. Following this, the plaintiffs have applied to the commercial court registrar for judgement to be entered against the defendant."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/587102-ex-utl-chief-sued.html","content":" - By Florence Nakaayi FORMER Uganda Telecom Ltd (UTL) chief of international operations, Justus Ampaire, has been sued over allegations that he diverted the company sh2bn to his accounts in breach of trust. UTL, through Kiwanuka & Karugire Advocates, is seeking damages of US$ 960,036 (sh1,920,072,000), interest and cost of the suit. UTL claims that Ampaire on behalf of the company, signed an agreement with two Germany Companies, Iam Communication AG, now IMC Telecom AG, and Global Network Telephone (GNT) Gmbn, for provision of interconnection telecommunication services. It is alleged that he did not disclosed the existence of the agreement to the company. Ends"}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/592130-the-road-map-is-truce-real.html","content":" - --The sudden U-turn between Israel and the Islamists doesn’t move the writer Around The World With Gwynne Dyer A CEASE-FIRE has rarely been breached faster than the one announced by Palestinian militant groups on Sunday. The two biggest I"}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/593090-state-house-to-sue-spear-motors.html","content":" - By Yunusu Abbey STATE House has directed the Attorney General, Francis Ayume, to institute legal proceedings against Spear Motors for breach of contract. The instructions follow Spear Motors’ failure to supply a modern caravan for the President, as previously agreed in a contract. Museveni was supposed to use the self-contained vehicle fitted with various facilities, including a working room, while on up-country trips. The directive was contained in a June 6 letter to Ayume from Mike Chibita, a legal assistant to Museveni, which The New Vision saw. The modern caravan, the type which Libyan leader Col. Muammar Gaddafi airlifted to Uganda during his May 2001 official visit, has a working room, a kitchen, bedroom and other facilities. But sources said the Mercedes Benz caravan for which the Government paid Spear Motors over US$140,000 in 1995, was “substandard and had completely different specifications contrary to what was required.” Ends"}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/595117-in-brief.html","content":" - Man jailed for child sex KAMPALA — Nakawa Court Chief Magistrate Margaret Mafabi on Friday sentenced Fred Odongo alias Obayo, 26, of Naguru Go-down to six years in jail. The prosecution said Obayo placed his finger in the private parts of his four-year-old niece on February 7 at Naguru. Obayo was found lying sideways on his bed with the victim with her knickers pulled to the knees. He had removed his shirt and positioned his private part on the back of the victim. Mafabi said Obayo deserved a deterrent sentence for abusing the child's rights and for failing to protect her as a relative and an elder. Houses face demolition KAMPALA — The Uganda Electricity Transmission Company Limited (UETCL) will on May 21 demolish all buildings under or close to the high voltage transmission lines. Sources in UETCL on Friday said the demolition would start from Mulimira zone in Bukoto. Structures within a radius of 15 metres of the high voltage transmission lines will also be razed. Areas to be affected include Bukoto, Ntinda, Seeta, Kabowa, Banda, Rubaga and Ndeeba. Schools breach order KAMPALA — Children left school on Friday for a two-week holiday that should see them return for the second term on June 4, 2003. But some schools flouted the school calendar issued by the Ministry of Education and broke off two weeks earlier. Aggrey Kibenge, the spokesperson for the ministry, said all schools are required to follow the calendar. “The heads could face a disciplinary committee. Some unscrupulous schools save a lot of money on the time robbed of both parents and their children,” Kibenge said."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/595362-matembe-father-granted-bail.html","content":" - By Ebenezer Bifubyeka in Mbarara MBARARA court has granted bail to Mzee Samuel Rukoza, the father of ethics and integrity state minister Miria Matembe, after he was charged with breach of an agreement. Eliab Nuwagaba, one of the two shareholders of Rukoza’s building at Bwizibwera trading centre, Kashari in Mbarara, sued him, saying he had failed to abide by the agreement and pay him his share of sh2,627,500 as he pulled out of the enterprise. Rukoza was also ordered to pay Nuwagaba’s court costs of sh2,037,100. Rukoza built the house with Nuwagaba and Herbert Bitariho. They later signed an agreement to pull out and let Rukoza retain the entire commercial building. Rukoza agreed in December 1999 to pay off the two shareholders. After failing to pay, his 26 indigenous cows and the building in question were attached by court broker, Lawrence Beyanga. Nekemia Matembe (Miria’s husband) bailed Rukoza out of court by paying the costs on condition that he took charge of collecting rent from the building to recover his money. Ends"}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/602602-nuns-sue-priest-over-deal.html","content":" - By Vision Reporter MARIANUM Press Limited, a printing press situated at Kisubi near Entebbe and owned by Catholic nuns, has sued Kisayire Ninda Limited, a business company, under the directorship of a Catholic priest, for breach of contract. The nuns are seeking the recovery of sh14.16 million against Kisayire Ninda Ltd, whose director is Fr. F.X Mbaziira. Marianum Press is also claiming interest on its money and costs of the suit. It is alleged that on various dates from August 8, 2000 to January 15, 2001, the defendant requested the plaintiff to print various educational materials and books worth sh14.16m. The money was to be paid on delivery. But it is alleged that in a letter dated June 14, 2002, addressed to Capital Auctioneers and Bailiffs, Dr Mbaziira acknowledged his company’s indebtedness and promised to clear the debt in four months installments of sh3,894,000, starting at end of June 2002, but to no avail. Marianum Press wants damages paid."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/603121-saleh-aide-in-500-000-legal-battle.html","content":" - DRAGADOS International is engaged in a legal battle with Juma Seiko in a US$500,000 (over sh930m) suit where the latter’s private firm accuses the Spanish company of breach of contract. Yunusu Abbey writes that in civil suit No.502 of 2002, Seiko’s company, J.S. International Ltd, accused Dragados of failure to pay commission for professional services rendered under an agreement signed on January 23, 1998. Dragados was renovating Mulago Hospital. Jaime Onega, a Dragados official, told the Commercial Court in Kampala yesterday that they were ready to pay US$150,000. But Seiko said he would accept US$280,000 in “good faith.” Seiko, an aide to Lt.Gen. Salim Saleh, is the managing director J.S. International. On January 23,1998, the late Enrique Salvador, the then Dragados country representative in Uganda, signed an agreement with Seiko under which J.S. International was to provide professional services to the Spanish company. Justice James Ogoola heard the case. David Nambale who represented Seiko’s company said the sum they demanded included general damages, interest and costs. But Onega, the Dragados country representative, said the firm’s board of directors in Madrid would consider whether to raise the amount from US$150,000 to US$200,000. Ends"}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/382737-judge-sues-makindye.html","content":" - SUPREME Court Justice Dr George William Kanyeihamba has sued Makindye division LC3 council for breach of statutory duties and obligations, reports Hillary Nsambu. He is seeking demolition of illegal structures by a developer on Buziga Hill Road. Kanyeihamba, who is a resident in the neighborhood, feels inconvenienced and says he would not enjoy quiet atmosphere, for which he is seeking damages. Following the suit, High Court has given the defendants 15 days from November 22 to file their written statement of defence or else court will give judgment. Ends"}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/357156-judge-sues-makindye.html","content":" - SUPREME Court Justice Dr George William Kanyeihamba has sued Makindye division LC3 council for breach of statutory duties and obligations, reports Hillary Nsambu. He is seeking demolition of illegal structures by a developer on Buziga Hill Road. Kanyeihamba, who is a resident in the neighborhood, feels inconvenienced and says he would not enjoy quiet atmosphere, for which he is seeking damages. Following the suit, High Court has given the defendants 15 days from November 22 to file their written statement of defence or else court will give judgment. Ends"}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/382871-in-brief-tata-rejected.html","content":" - SOROTI – The Municipality has rejected a Tata dumper placer truck for collecting garbage in the town supplied by TATA Uganda Limited, for breach of contract. The councillors in a meeting quizzed the town clerk, Mackay Opolot, over a second-hand truck which was delivered to the municipality. Ends"}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/357290-in-brief-tata-rejected.html","content":" - SOROTI – The Municipality has rejected a Tata dumper placer truck for collecting garbage in the town supplied by TATA Uganda Limited, for breach of contract. The councillors in a meeting quizzed the town clerk, Mackay Opolot, over a second-hand truck which was delivered to the municipality. Ends"}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/383198-iguru-dragged-to-court-over-breach-of-contract.html","content":" - By Fred Kyobe THE hearing of a civil case involving the Omukama of Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom started in the High Court, before Justice Rubby Aweri Opio on Monday. Florence Kahwa, a pit-sawyer, is suing Omukama Solomon Gafabusa for breach of contract. The complainant states that she was authorised to cut and saw 23.3 cubic metres of timber from Wampanga Forest Reserve belonging to the Kingdom of Bunyoro. Kahwa said she deposited sh910, 000 as payment and was authorised to operate in the forest. The complainant further said pitswayers and saw-millers including her were allowed to saw all the trees, cut and remove them from the forest, by October 13, 2001. However the contract was terminated before the agreed date expired. Kahwa, through her lawyers Muhimbura and Company advocate, is seeking for special damages amounting to sh8.24m."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/357617-iguru-dragged-to-court-over-breach-of-contract.html","content":" - By Fred Kyobe THE hearing of a civil case involving the Omukama of Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom started in the High Court, before Justice Rubby Aweri Opio on Monday. Florence Kahwa, a pit-sawyer, is suing Omukama Solomon Gafabusa for breach of contract. The complainant states that she was authorised to cut and saw 23.3 cubic metres of timber from Wampanga Forest Reserve belonging to the Kingdom of Bunyoro. Kahwa said she deposited sh910, 000 as payment and was authorised to operate in the forest. The complainant further said pitswayers and saw-millers including her were allowed to saw all the trees, cut and remove them from the forest, by October 13, 2001. However the contract was terminated before the agreed date expired. Kahwa, through her lawyers Muhimbura and Company advocate, is seeking for special damages amounting to sh8.24m."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/384931-in-brief-7-charged.html","content":" - KAMPALA — Seven of the boda-boda cyclists who attacked Nakulabye Police post demanding for the four suspects were on Friday charged with breach of public peace, obstructing Police and destruction of property. The cyclists wanted to lynch Rhino Kankyi, Kanyankole, Kafuba and Mbire who allegedly murdered their colleague. Those charged were Juma Nabiryebu, Umar Lutaya and Ismail Ssebaggala. Others were Peter Mugume, 20 and Jackson Luwafu, 28, from Luweero. Ends"}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/359350-in-brief-7-charged.html","content":" - KAMPALA — Seven of the boda-boda cyclists who attacked Nakulabye Police post demanding for the four suspects were on Friday charged with breach of public peace, obstructing Police and destruction of property. The cyclists wanted to lynch Rhino Kankyi, Kanyankole, Kafuba and Mbire who allegedly murdered their colleague. Those charged were Juma Nabiryebu, Umar Lutaya and Ismail Ssebaggala. Others were Peter Mugume, 20 and Jackson Luwafu, 28, from Luweero. Ends"}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/360452-centenary-bank-sued-in-stakeholder-wrangle.html","content":" - By Hillary Nsambu THIRTEEN people, including three minors, have sued Centenary Rural Development Bank Limited, for breaching law, by denying them shareholder rights. The deputy High Court registrar has since directed the bank to file a written statement of defence against the suit within 15 days from September 25. By press time, however, the bank had not filed any papers in rebuttal. All the 13 shareholders, who claim to be holding 35,135 shares, through Niwagaba, Mwebesa and Company Advocates, claim the bank altered the Memorandum and Articles of Association, leaving them out of the register. They want court to order the bank to rectify the records, which should reflect them (claimants) as shareholders in the bank and order it to pay them their dividends apart from general and punitive damages, They are Michael Ssemyalo, Deo Sennyonga, David Kibuuka Mateega, Francis Mukasa, John Ssendaula, B.Mugenyi, David Mpagi (minor), V. Sennyonga, Benigwa Consolata Nnantume, Juliana Nnamuyanja, Immaculate Nannyonjo, Stella Nnamyalo and Francisca Nakisige (both minors). They claim that between 1984 and 1997, they subscribed shares to capitalise the bank and were issued with receipts. But, ever since then they have been denied participation in its meetings and other activities. Their names are not reflected in the shareholders’ register and have been denied access to bank records."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/386033-centenary-bank-sued-in-stakeholder-wrangle.html","content":" - By Hillary Nsambu THIRTEEN people, including three minors, have sued Centenary Rural Development Bank Limited, for breaching law, by denying them shareholder rights. The deputy High Court registrar has since directed the bank to file a written statement of defence against the suit within 15 days from September 25. By press time, however, the bank had not filed any papers in rebuttal. All the 13 shareholders, who claim to be holding 35,135 shares, through Niwagaba, Mwebesa and Company Advocates, claim the bank altered the Memorandum and Articles of Association, leaving them out of the register. They want court to order the bank to rectify the records, which should reflect them (claimants) as shareholders in the bank and order it to pay them their dividends apart from general and punitive damages, They are Michael Ssemyalo, Deo Sennyonga, David Kibuuka Mateega, Francis Mukasa, John Ssendaula, B.Mugenyi, David Mpagi (minor), V. Sennyonga, Benigwa Consolata Nnantume, Juliana Nnamuyanja, Immaculate Nannyonjo, Stella Nnamyalo and Francisca Nakisige (both minors). They claim that between 1984 and 1997, they subscribed shares to capitalise the bank and were issued with receipts. But, ever since then they have been denied participation in its meetings and other activities. Their names are not reflected in the shareholders’ register and have been denied access to bank records."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/391079-let-the-girls-wear-the-way-they-want.html","content":" - SIR— I read in the paper with consternation that Dr J.B. Nyakaana of the Geography department at Makerere University reportedly saying university girls “breach public peace by dressing indecently”. Such bizarre reasoning has been going on for sometime. My interpretation is this: there is now a moral decay among many men with similar reasoning. There is no prescribed dress code at Makerere, neither for students nor for their teachers. Medi Kawuma Makerere University"}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/365499-let-the-girls-wear-the-way-they-want.html","content":" - SIR— I read in the paper with consternation that Dr J.B. Nyakaana of the Geography department at Makerere University reportedly saying university girls “breach public peace by dressing indecently”. Such bizarre reasoning has been going on for sometime. My interpretation is this: there is now a moral decay among many men with similar reasoning. There is no prescribed dress code at Makerere, neither for students nor for their teachers. Medi Kawuma Makerere University"}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/366622-government-disowns-kazibwe-sh100m-deal.html","content":" - THE Attorney General (AG) has said the Government is not liable for Vice-President (VP) Dr. Speciosa Kazibwe’s personal dealings with a construction firm, demanding over sh100m for breach of contract, report Felix Osike and Hillary Nsambu. Hydrahomes (U) Ltd, a subsidiary of the South African-based Hydraforms Africa (Pty) Ltd, sued the AG in his representative capacity, for breach of contract, claiming US$30,300 (54m) and the return of a M5 Mark III Hydraform block making machine, held by the VP’s office. It also claimed an additional US$100 per day from November 12, 2001 to-date (sh47m), general damages, 22% interest from judgment date until payment in full and another order for the release of the equipment. But the AG said in his written statement of defence that whatever the dealings concerning the Hydrahome equipment, they were between it and the VP in her personal capacity or Waka International Ltd. He denied entering into an agreement with Hydrahomes, saying the company gave out its equipment for demonstration at no charge. The AG has asked the High Court to dismiss the suit. One of the company’s executive yesterday said they were awaiting the VP’s reaction. “The Vice-President knows she dealt with this company. If court discovers she is liable, she will be put to task. She has heard about it, let her react,” he said. Hydrahomes markets, leases its equipment and builds with blocks made of soil and cement. Through Mulenga and Karemera Advocates, Hydrahomes claims that in January 2000, it entered into an agreement with the Uganda Government, through the VP’s office, requiring it to conduct a demonstration of the use of Hydraform equipment at Dduundu in Mukono district. The demonstration was to last two weeks for the benefit of the national initiative to empower the youth. It alleged it was agreed that after the two weeks demonstration, every extra day the equipment was used would attract a rental fee of US$100 for the M5 Mark III Hydraform machine and US$50 for M7 Hydraform. It claimed the VP’s office hired and used the equipment for 204 days in respect of the M5 Mark III machine and 198 days in respect of the M7 machine for US$30,300. Hydrahomes said the M5 Mark III machine remained in the VP’s possession to-date. But the AG said the equipment was never hired by the Government and Hydrahomes kept the M7 machine’s keys. Hydrahomes said their numerous demands to the VP for payment were referred to State House which refused to pay them. Ends"}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/392202-government-disowns-kazibwe-sh100m-deal.html","content":" - THE Attorney General (AG) has said the Government is not liable for Vice-President (VP) Dr. Speciosa Kazibwe’s personal dealings with a construction firm, demanding over sh100m for breach of contract, report Felix Osike and Hillary Nsambu. Hydrahomes (U) Ltd, a subsidiary of the South African-based Hydraforms Africa (Pty) Ltd, sued the AG in his representative capacity, for breach of contract, claiming US$30,300 (54m) and the return of a M5 Mark III Hydraform block making machine, held by the VP’s office. It also claimed an additional US$100 per day from November 12, 2001 to-date (sh47m), general damages, 22% interest from judgment date until payment in full and another order for the release of the equipment. But the AG said in his written statement of defence that whatever the dealings concerning the Hydrahome equipment, they were between it and the VP in her personal capacity or Waka International Ltd. He denied entering into an agreement with Hydrahomes, saying the company gave out its equipment for demonstration at no charge. The AG has asked the High Court to dismiss the suit. One of the company’s executive yesterday said they were awaiting the VP’s reaction. “The Vice-President knows she dealt with this company. If court discovers she is liable, she will be put to task. She has heard about it, let her react,” he said. Hydrahomes markets, leases its equipment and builds with blocks made of soil and cement. Through Mulenga and Karemera Advocates, Hydrahomes claims that in January 2000, it entered into an agreement with the Uganda Government, through the VP’s office, requiring it to conduct a demonstration of the use of Hydraform equipment at Dduundu in Mukono district. The demonstration was to last two weeks for the benefit of the national initiative to empower the youth. It alleged it was agreed that after the two weeks demonstration, every extra day the equipment was used would attract a rental fee of US$100 for the M5 Mark III Hydraform machine and US$50 for M7 Hydraform. It claimed the VP’s office hired and used the equipment for 204 days in respect of the M5 Mark III machine and 198 days in respect of the M7 machine for US$30,300. Hydrahomes said the M5 Mark III machine remained in the VP’s possession to-date. But the AG said the equipment was never hired by the Government and Hydrahomes kept the M7 machine’s keys. Hydrahomes said their numerous demands to the VP for payment were referred to State House which refused to pay them. Ends"}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/393805-muruli-warns.html","content":" - KAMPALA — State minister for security Muruli Mukasa has warned F.M. radio stations in Teso against airing programmes that breach peace and promote ethnic tension. Muruli, who is holding the Portfolio of the Minister of State for Information, singled out Voice of Teso and Kioga Veritus F.M. “This is in connection with the wrangle in Teso between the mainly Banyankole pastoralists and the Teso community,” Muruli said in a press release issued yesterday. Ends"}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/368225-muruli-warns.html","content":" - KAMPALA — State minister for security Muruli Mukasa has warned F.M. radio stations in Teso against airing programmes that breach peace and promote ethnic tension. Muruli, who is holding the Portfolio of the Minister of State for Information, singled out Voice of Teso and Kioga Veritus F.M. “This is in connection with the wrangle in Teso between the mainly Banyankole pastoralists and the Teso community,” Muruli said in a press release issued yesterday. Ends"}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/368365-district-sued.html","content":" - MASAKA — A tax collector for Kabonera sub-county has sued the district administration for breach of contract. Haji Haruna Nkambwe complained that during the course of the contract, the secretary of the district tender board, Martin Sentongo stopped him without a genuine reason. He said it cost him sh2.9m. Ends"}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/393945-district-sued.html","content":" - MASAKA — A tax collector for Kabonera sub-county has sued the district administration for breach of contract. Haji Haruna Nkambwe complained that during the course of the contract, the secretary of the district tender board, Martin Sentongo stopped him without a genuine reason. He said it cost him sh2.9m. Ends"}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/372192-celtel-sues-utl-for-recovery-of-sh290m-debt.html","content":" - By Hillary Nsambu CELTEL Uganda has sued Uganda Telecommunications Limited (UTL) for the recovery of over sh290m as a contractual amount, arising out of a breach of agreement. Celtel, through Odere, Nalyanya and Company Advocates, wanted judgment in a summary suit, which did not need UTL to present its case in court, saying the facts giving rise to the cause of action, were foregone conclusions that needed no reply from the defendant. But UTL, through Mulenga and Kalemera Advocates, are denying that the company is under any legal liability to pay. Celtel seeks sh297.2m plus 11% interest that allegedly arose out of an interconnection agreement between it and UTL. UTL filed a notice of motion in which it was seeking unconditional permission to defend the suit. In an affidavit supporting the request to be heard, UTL’s acting managing director Aimable Mpore said the case was wrongly filed because Celtel was not entitled to a summary judgment. UTL said it would be just and equitable to have the issues adjudicated upon after the court had heard evidence of both parties. Mpore said the content of the case was also the subject of an arbitration agreement. He said the entry of a summary judgment would derogate from UTL’s statutory right under the Arbitration and Conciliation Act 7 of 2000 to apply for the matter to be referred back to arbitration. Celtel said under an inter connection agreement dated January 20, 2000, UTL agreed to connect their respective telecommunication systems to enable exchange of telecommunications traffic across the network."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/397772-celtel-sues-utl-for-recovery-of-sh290m-debt.html","content":" - By Hillary Nsambu CELTEL Uganda has sued Uganda Telecommunications Limited (UTL) for the recovery of over sh290m as a contractual amount, arising out of a breach of agreement. Celtel, through Odere, Nalyanya and Company Advocates, wanted judgment in a summary suit, which did not need UTL to present its case in court, saying the facts giving rise to the cause of action, were foregone conclusions that needed no reply from the defendant. But UTL, through Mulenga and Kalemera Advocates, are denying that the company is under any legal liability to pay. Celtel seeks sh297.2m plus 11% interest that allegedly arose out of an interconnection agreement between it and UTL. UTL filed a notice of motion in which it was seeking unconditional permission to defend the suit. In an affidavit supporting the request to be heard, UTL’s acting managing director Aimable Mpore said the case was wrongly filed because Celtel was not entitled to a summary judgment. UTL said it would be just and equitable to have the issues adjudicated upon after the court had heard evidence of both parties. Mpore said the content of the case was also the subject of an arbitration agreement. He said the entry of a summary judgment would derogate from UTL’s statutory right under the Arbitration and Conciliation Act 7 of 2000 to apply for the matter to be referred back to arbitration. Celtel said under an inter connection agreement dated January 20, 2000, UTL agreed to connect their respective telecommunication systems to enable exchange of telecommunications traffic across the network."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/373930-human-rights.html","content":" - FORT PORTAL — Human rights breaches do not belong only to the past, a counsellor from the Danish Embassy has said. “There is indeed still room for better performance by Uganda,” Katharine Jensen said on Wednesday while opening The Uganda Human Rights Commission regional office. Ends"}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/623309-over-800-bududa-landslide-victims-register-for-school.html","content":" - By Daniel Edyegu A total of 814 children displaced by landslides in Namashate parish and the neighbouring Bumayoka sub-county in Bududa district have registered for nursery and primary school education in Bulucheke camp. Ezra Nabute, the head teacher of Nametsi Primary School, explained that the children were mainly former pupils of Tunuwasi, Nametsi and Kitsatsa primary schools that were closed following the tragic landslides that killed over 350 people. “Initially, the education department had closed these schools for two weeks with the hope that the situation will normalise. Now that the whole of Mt. Elgon has been declared prone to more landslides, we can’t keep the children just seated inside the camp,” Nabute said. He added that the pupils in the lower classes will study at Hope Education Centre within the camp, while those in primary five to seven will go to Bumwale Primary School, located about 1,000 metres from the camp. Nabute will head the centre at the camp. The classroom blocks at the centre are semi-permanent structures made of mud and wattle walls. By Monday afternoon, casual labourers had started nailing tarpaulins to create the roofs. Nabute said 17 teachers, most of whom were from the closed schools, had registered to serve at the two centres. He added that the decision to have the education centres was taken to avoid leaving the teachers redundant, adding that the teachers would be trained to deal with the traumatised children before they commence duty. “Whereas these teachers are used to carrying on normal classes, most of the pupils they are going to handle lost their parents, classmates and close relatives. “The children need special attention to avoid causing them more psychological torture. Later, we may prefer to bring all these children to the centre for close supervision,” Nabute said. He added that a 12-member school management committee had already been formed and explained that the teachers were waiting for scholastic materials and completion of the structures at the centre to start teaching. However, Nabute noted that most of the pupils whose parents stayed in Bukalasi and Bumayoka sub-counties would be prompted to trek long distances to attend classes in the camp. Justine Abenaitwe, the Save the Children child protection officer, said her organisation would provide the pupils with scholastic materials. Shiru Bogere, the Bumayoka community development officer, said authorities within the camp were still screening children to ascertain their vulnerability. “When relief came, people exploited the situation and sent children to get the items. We are using LC1 chairpersons, guardians and close relatives to identify the genuine vulnerable children,” Bogere said."}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/399510-human-rights.html","content":" - FORT PORTAL — Human rights breaches do not belong only to the past, a counsellor from the Danish Embassy has said. “There is indeed still room for better performance by Uganda,” Katharine Jensen said on Wednesday while opening The Uganda Human Rights Commission regional office. Ends"}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/636313-floods-destroy-crops-roads-in-apac-district.html","content":" - By BONNEY ODONGO The stench of rotting crops like cassava and beans is what hits you as you walk in most of the villages in Apac district. CLICK HERE FOR FULL STORY"}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/634089-in-today-s-paper-fake-sausages-flood-market.html","content":" - By Prossy Nandudu Substandard sausages that have flooded the market are threatening the growth of the beef processing industry.   CLICK HERE FOR FULL STORY"}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/622735-haphazard-tree-cutting-is-very-risky.html","content":" - EDITOR—Press reports that the Government is to embark on an aggressive tree-planting programme in the degraded mountainous areas to prevent future landslides is a very good idea. When trees are planted in such areas, their roots help to bind soil together, and if the soil is sufficiently shallow they act to keep the soil in place by also binding with the underlying bedrock. When trees are removed on the steep slopes with shallow soil, the risk of landslides also increases, which in the end threatens the lives of people living nearby. The trees planted in such areas will not only prevent future landslides but also act as water catchment areas and absorb carbon which traps heat. Letting people wantonly cut trees in these landslide- prone areas in the name of farming or simply looking for new habitat due to population pressure, is equal to committing environment suicide. Patrick Abigaba Makerere University"}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/623217-mukwano-group-grieves-with-bududa.html","content":" - A Mukwano Group of Companies channel partner based in Mbale, Mohammed Khaja (right), handing over Kyekyo food drinks to Sylvester Wacheka, the Bududa resident district commissioner, at the district headquarters last week. Mukwano Group donated food and goods worth sh10m to the landslide victims. Over 90 people were confirmed to have died in the disaster, while over 360 are unaccounted for. Thousands more were made homeless"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/Education/-/688336/761920/-/10grtwg/-/index.html","content":"Breaking bones on stones for a living - Gulu She gnashed her teeth as blood oozed out of her palm. As soon as her colleagues saw her holding out her hand, some of them ran out to a nearby bush to search for herbs while others came over to help stop the bleeding. Ms Betty Abur, who crushes stones into gravel to earn a living at Laroo Stone Quarry in Aswa County, Gulu District, had just hit her right hand palm with a three-kilogramme hammer – bringing work at the quarry to a standstill. For her pains, Ms Abur, like her colleagues, gets meagre wages. “You leave this place and you will feel the pain all over the body yet here we only work for food,â€Â� said Ms Pauline Opio. Asked how much they earn, Ms Abur said: “The price for a [truck full] of the aggregate stones is low. They pay us Shs180,000 per trip and sometimes even the buyers are not there or the price drops to Shs160,000.â€Â� To make enough aggregate to fill a truck takes about 10 days and this is after a combined effort by other members of the group, usually about 10. It starts with the cutting of huge rocks into smaller portable pieces that are carried on the head from the inaccessible areas to a place from where they are manually crushed into smaller pieces that can be used in the construction of buildings. Because of the painstaking nature of the job, which has been a source of livelihood for many people in this area for the last 20 years, Ms Abur says the people who work at the quarry have devised means of spreading the burden around. “What we do is to crush the stones in turns. If we went to her place today, the next they will come to mine,â€Â� Ms Abur said. Yet the challenges at the quarry are enormous. While accidents like those suffered by Ms Abur are a routine, there is no first aid kit. 1 | 2 | 3 Next Page»"}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/654147-climate-change-affecting-food-security.html","content":" - By Phionah Sanyu Uganda’s economy is largely agricultural. This means that agriculture being the core sector has, for a long time, significantly contributed to the country’s GDP and employment. The Uganda Statistical Abstract (2013) sites the agricultural sector as the major source of employment, engaging about 66% of the country’s population which derives its livelihood from it.  On the one hand the National Development Plan (NDP) (2010/11-2014/15) recognises agriculture sector as having the potential to significantly increase it contribution to economic growth and poverty reduction agenda. On the other hand, despite the many reforms that have been implemented in the agriculture sector, growth in the sector there remains slow, largely because the sector receives less than 4% of the national budget. Furthermore, while Uganda’s population predominantly survives on agriculture, there have been changes in the climatic patterns that have affected food production. The 2nd Chronic Poverty Report notes that the poor people have been vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change because of their fragile resilience and limited ability to adapt, their dependence on natural resources and their limited capacity to adapt, which is heightened by weak national systems that make many people who are currently vulnerable or are in transitory poverty are at risk of staying in chronic poverty. Uganda, like the other East African Countries, has ratified the United National Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) and Kyoto Protocol that guided the development of the East African Community (EAC) Climate Change Master Plan. The EAC countries have also used Climate Risk Management (CRM) and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) approaches to reduce the degree of vulnerability and increase capacity of communities. The DRR approaches offer options for prevention, mitigation and preparedness to adverse impacts of natural hazards in some of its interventions. For instance, strengthening regional meteorological and hydrological services and improving climate early warning systems to promote efficient management and utilisation of natural resources, including protection of vulnerable ecosystems. Despite this, most of the countries don’t have long term responses to disasters. In Uganda, the National Disaster Preparedness and Management Policy has not effectively been responsive to managing disaster hence increased vulnerability of the affected population. It is, therefore, worth noting that while agriculture remains critical to Uganda’s economy, the climatic changes’ effect on temperatures and precipitationhave remained a threat to the economy. The threats include; change in seasons which have not only affected agriculture production, but also the weather patterns. These in turn have been manifested in form of floods and droughts, affecting the poor, who tend to be the ones that live on land that is prone to flooding. They have been forced to live in temporary shelters during storms and landslides as is the case of people living around Mt Elgon in Eastern Uganda, who have been victims to mudslides, specifically in Bududa.  The communities prone to these threats have continually become poorer as most of them have been displaced and resettled in internally displaced camps. This has not only affected their productivity but has meant that drought and floods have greatly contributed to food insecurity which has resulted into severe malnutrition among the population especially the children less than five years. The Government of Uganda and the East African Community are called upon to urgently ensure that their early warning systems and disaster preparedness and management policies are effectively responsive to predict and manage disasters and increased vulnerability of their affected people. The writer is a social analyst RELATED STORIES Climate change 'boosts conflict risk, hunger' MDGs ‘fail on climate change’"}
{"url":"http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/634599-makerere-to-study-causes-of-landslides.html","content":" - By PAUL WATALA Scientists from Makerere University intend to carry out research on the causes of landslides in the Mount Elgon area.   CLICK HERE FOR FULL STORY"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/World/-/688340/857800/-/g1vtswz/-/index.html","content":"Costa Rica elects Chinchilla first woman president - Laura Chinchilla, a protege of Nobel peace laureate President Oscar Arias, won a landslide election victory in Costa Rica on Sunday to become the country's first woman elected president. Chinchilla, formerly Arias' vice president, has vowed to continue his pro-business policies in the Central American nation, expanding free trade pacts and courting investment. The center-leftist won 47 percent of the vote, around double the scores of her two closest rivals, who quickly conceded defeat. She will join a small camp of women leaders in typically male-dominated Latin America that currently includes Chile's Michelle Bachelet and Argentina's Cristina Fernandez. \"I am thankful for the good work of the outgoing government and thankful our country is again moving forward and refuses to allow this advance to stop,\" Chinchilla said after declaring victory to cheers from her supporters. Famed for its political stability in a turbulent region, Costa Rica is an economic success story in Central America, with an economy based around tourism, manufactured products like microchips, and exports of coffee, pineapples and bananas. Popular with eco-tourists, surfers and U.S. and Canadian retirees for its lush jungles, volcanoes and relaxed lifestyle, Costa Rica is proud of its six decades of democratic elections and status as one of Latin America's most stable countries. \"This election ... is an affirmation of the development model that has been employed,\" said professor Alberto Cortes of the University of Costa Rica. However he noted environmentalists and labor groups may prove stubborn if Chinchilla pushes ahead with unpopular projects begun by Arias, such as allowing open-pit mining to resume after removing a moratorium or an expansion of the Caribbean port of Limon. FREE TRADE DIVISIVE Married with a teenage son, Chinchilla is a social conservative who opposes gay marriage and abortion but is also seen as a flagbearer for women in her country. \"It's time,\" said Chinchilla voter Maria Luz Calderon. \"I like her ideas.\" Chinchilla saw her lead in recent opinion polls narrow as her opponents tried to portray her as a placeholder for Arias. But the much-decorated peacemaker told Reuters he will bow out of politics when his term ends in May. Chinchilla's vote total was well above the 40 percent needed to avoid a runoff, but her National Liberation Party fell short of a majority in the legislative assembly, meaning she will have to seek alliances with opposition parties. Chinchilla was aided by Costa Rica's relatively smooth passage through the global economic crisis. The country dipped last year into its first recession in 27 years but is seen recovering this year. Many Costa Ricans oppose the free trade pacts she and Arias champion, however. Voters only narrowly approved the region's CAFTA free trade deal with the United States in 2007 and dislike of the pact drew many voters to center-left candidate Otton Solis, a staunch opponent of free trade. 1 | 2 Next Page»Solis had 25 percent of the vote and conservative candidate Otto Guevara had 21 percent against Chinchilla's 47 percent with 84 percent of ballots counted. Guevara had gained support after pushing his hard line on crime, promising stiffer jail terms and softer restrictions on law-abiding citizens owning guns. Costa Rica, which has no army and avoided the Cold War-era civil wars that ravaged its neighbors, is known for its low crime but is increasingly a transit route for drug gangs. Arias is the country's best-known citizen after being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize during his 1986-90 term for helping to end Central America's bloody guerrilla conflicts. He was elected to a second term in 2006 but now plans to retire and dedicate his time to his family and reading. (Writing by Catherine Bremer and Robert Campbell; Editing by Eric Beech) « Previous Page 1 | 2"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/OpEd/Commentary/-/689364/930958/-/a13rhwz/-/index.html","content":"Isn’t parliamentary privilege subject to judicial review? - Recently, the Deputy Speaker of Parliament suspended Members of Parliament on account of “misconduct” within the precincts of Parliament. She relied on powers vested upon her by the Rules of Procedure passed by Parliament. Uganda is a constitutional democracy and this simply means that the Constitution is supreme. All power and authority are subject to it and any law or decision inconsistent with it is void (Article 2). Whereas Article 94 of the Constitution empowers Parliament to make rules to regulate its own procedure, and whereas Parliament actually made those rules and adopted them, such rules must, however, not be in conflict with the Constitution. The crucial question, therefore, is; did the Deputy Speaker act constitutionally? The spirit of democracy is that all citizens are duly represented at all levels and at all times in all decision-making processes that affect their lives politically, socially and economically. In pursuit of this, democracies provide for the periodical free and fair elections of representatives of the people to (for example) Parliament. Henceforth, the electorate expect to be represented by the MP at all times as provided by the relevant laws. Articles 63 and 78 of our Constitution bring out this democratic requirement of representation. Secondly, Article 42 guarantees the right to just administrative decisions. This right requires that any person subject to an administrative decision must be given due notice to prepare his/her response; must be given a fair hearing; must be given written reasons for the administrative decision taken against him/her; and may take legal action if not satisfied with the decision. In De Lille v Speaker of the National Assembly 1998 (7) BCLR 916 (C) the Cape High Court (South Africa) held that exercises of parliamentary privileges are subject to the Constitution. The Supreme Court of Appeal upheld this decision.Briefly, the facts of the case quoted above were that Patricia De Lille was suspended from Parliament for 15 days for making allegations that certain ANC officials had been “spies for the apartheid regime”. She was a member of opposition PAC party and was suspended for contempt. Although these facts are not identical with those of our parliamentarians, the crucial issue is the determination of the constitutionality of the decisions in the two incidences. De Lille opposed the suspension and went to court. Her lawyers argued that she had not had a fair hearing, and that several of her constitutional rights had been infringed. Counsel for the Speaker of the National Assembly argued that the Assembly had exercised its parliamentary privileges to control its own affairs, and that exercises of parliamentary privileges are not subject to the review power of the courts. In his judgment, Hlope stated “… suspension of a member of the Assembly from Parliament for contempt is not consistent with the requirements of representative democracy.” He concluded that “The nature and exercise of parliamentary privileges must be consonant with the Constitution … If a parliamentary privilege is exercised in breach of the constitutional provisions, redress may be sought by an aggrieved party from law Courts…” The Judge found that Ms De Lille’s suspension constituted an unjustified infringement of her constitutional rights to freedom of speech, just administrative action and access to court. In view of the looming precedent, is it not only appropriate that the question be put to our own Constitutional Court for determination? The mere ipse dixit assumption that parliamentary privileges are not subject to court review, and that decisions taken under the parliamentary rules are res judicata may after all be unconstitutional! Mr Wasula is the general secretary, Uganda Performing Right Society"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/-/688334/1184784/-/c09x7qz/-/index.html","content":"Government releases list of Nimule accident victims - Police have released a list of 17 Ugandans who have been identified among the 29 people killed in the Nimule bus accident in Southern Sudan on Friday. The bodies of the 17 Ugandans were transported from Southern Sudan to the Uganda Peoples Defence Force Fourth Brigade in Uganda yesterday night. At least 50 other Ugandans were injured when two buses belonging to two Ugandan bus companies were involved in a head-on collision at Arapi village, Pageri in Payam, 28 kilometres from the Uganda border in southern Sudan.Police spokesperson Judith Nabakooba said most of the victim accidents hail from Kampala suburbs. “Four Ugandans bodies haven’t yet been identified. Nevertheless they have been transported to Uganda for their relatives to identify them,” Ms Nabakooba said. “Right now, the rescue team has gone back to Nimule Hospital to airlift 17 injured Ugandans to Mulago Hospital.” She said 21 of the 29 people who were hospitalised have been discharged while another 15 victims, who were in critical condition, have been flown to Mulago Hospital for further treatment. Among the injured people still hospitalised include Southern Sudan MP Mary Kida and her son Lodi Ogole admitted to Gulu Independent Hospital. Lt. Col. Badwa Dada Tito attached to Southern Sudan Wildlife Authority is also admitted to Lacor Hospital.A number of Ugandan businesspeople trade in Southern Sudan and use buses as the means of transport. In May, more than 10 people died after a vehicle they were travelling in was swept away by floods after it got stuck in sand on River Kaya in Southern Sudan. And in 2009, at least 20 Ugandan traders were killed in an accident in Southern Sudan. Motor accidents kill at least 3,000 people per year in Uganda minus those who die abroad. The number of people who die in road accidents has increased from 2,734 in 2009 to 2,954 in 2010. A total of 14,148 people were hospitalised after they suffered serious injuries after they were involved in road accidents while 1,742 suffered minor injuries. ========================================== Survivors say driver was speeding, never respected traffic regulations Cissy Makumbi & James ErikuGulu Survivors of Friday’s fatal accident at Pageri in Southern Sudan have said the drivers of the ill-fated Bakulu and Baby coaches would have avoided the crash if they had observed traffic rules. By Friday evening, the death toll had risen to 53 while more than 60 people have been injured, according to unconfirmed reports. 1 | 2 Next Page»Ms Judith Namutosi, 24, a pregnant mother, who was evacuated to Gulu Referral Hospital for treatment, said although she was asleep at the time of the accident, she knew the speed of their bus was terrible. “I was asleep at the time of the accident. I only realised that I was out of the bus with both legs broken” Ms Namutosi said. Ms Namutosi, a resident of Namungoona in Kampala but operating a restaurant in Juba, however, said she is pleased that her six-months pregnancy has not been affected by the incident. Ms Zaina Namusoke, 29, a resident of Ssembule in Kampala who works in a super market in Juba, now admitted to Gulu Referral Hospital, said “Baby Coach that entered the side of Bakulu was full because there were many passengers who were even standing by the time of the crash”. An official from the Office of the Prime Minister, Maj. Gen Julius Oketta, said at least 21 of the injured have already been referred to Kampala. The injured- Ibrahim Mubiru - Zainah Namuso- John Habakurama- Abu Fahad- Rose Among- James Bagambe- Paul Muyomba - Flavia Babirye- Godfrey Lukoba- Joseph Nsubuga- Micheal Were- Sula BIaka- Charles Ntuhalush- Siminyu Nakaju- Hellen Nabagenyi- Yudah Ssebana- Diana Kimbo- Cissy Nampala- Joseph Jingo- George Mawadri- Augustine Kibalama- James Bagame List of dead- Joseph Kabanda Nyanzi, a driver of Baby Coach- Kamya Ssekatte- Habib Mugoya- Tom Ndawula- Eric Kiiza- Bright Moses- Isma Katongole- Jimmy, a conductor - Gabreoi Murram- Tony Mulumba- Sam Kasirivu- Godfrey Yiga- Godfrey Mukiibi, driver of Bakulu Coach- Fred Muteesa- Yanga- Isma- Andrew ** Four bodies have been identified yet « Previous Page 1 | 2"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/OpEd/Commentary/UPDF-is-a-disciplined--non-partisan-force/-/689364/2548072/-/qex4y1/-/index.html","content":"UPDF is a disciplined, non-partisan force - Political temperatures have started to rising as the country heads for the 2016 general elections. Those not sure of their fate are making up stories about UPDF involvement in an election that is still months away. This is to justify in advance to their supporters their failures by finding a scapegoat. Others, meanwhile, are organising huge conferences and reaping big from donors all in the disguise of ‘Keeping UPDF out of politics’. Unfortunately, some Ugandans are not aware that these ‘political’ donors are only geared toward destroying the UPDF image and the immense respect that the Force commands across the region. Here is another perspective. A few decades ago, Uganda soldiers routinely intimidated people with impunity, taking the law into their hands. The neocolonial army of the time was synonymous with extra judicial killings, violence and many other atrocities against the very people they were supposed to defend and protect. So poor was the image of the soldiers of the time that no bad story was ever complete without the mention of the hand of a soldier in it. This bitter past the country went through was addressed with the birth of the National Resistance Army (NRA) that later evolved into Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF). The UPDF institution that we see now emphasises quality of personnel right from the recruitment level, desiring to create soldiers who outthink their opponents in the field even in the absence of commanders. Yet, it’s unfortunate that unscrupulous individuals have continued to package the current disciplined UPDF with the wrappers from past dreadful armies. They deliberately attempt to overturn reality pertaining to the character of the UPDF. Often, they are driven by selfish motives, using defence forces as scapegoats for their failures. I mean failure to positively exercise their duties in society, failure in politics and many others. Take, for instance, the most recent case where Mr Paul Mafabi, a director at the Water and Environment ministry, alleged that on November 21, soldiers were deployed against environment police at Kinawataka. The incident occurred when Nema was alleged to have given away wetland to developers against his directives. Now this does not make sense, for the UPDF roles are clearly spelt out in the Ugandan Constitution. The UPDF could not have acted against police but in support of it, on call and were not called. And if truly there were any soldiers at the scene acting against the environment police as alleged, then the director, as a responsible leader, should have immediately called on the military leadership for a remedy. Soldiers are never obstacles to the law and every soldier has a unit and a name tag to be mentioned in case of such allegations. The UPDF institution has publicly charged and tried soldiers who try to subvert the law, regardless of rank or title. Besides, the UPDF will be involved in railway construction which passes through Kinawataka swamp and could , therefore, not participate in an activity that would promote flooding of the area. Whereas it is said in some African traditions that “for every misfortune, there is a witch”, the Ugandan Military lost that ‘witch title’ way back in 1986. The UPDF, therefore, cannot be linked to failures or chaos. This is a winning army. It is disciplined and subordinate to civilian authority as established under the constitution. The UPDF positive image at home and in international arena is already afloat; we cannot afford to lose our place to unscrupulous interests. 1 | 2 Next Page»Temperate Ugandans should, therefore, not get tired of reiterating to such groups that the UPDF is a nonpartisan force, national in character, patriotic, professional and not a scapegoat. Obbo is the deputy defence/UPDF spokesman « Previous Page 1 | 2"}
{"url":"http://www.monitor.co.ug/OpEd/Commentary/-/689364/692098/-/bjljnhz/-/index.html","content":"What can $5 credit do for Ugandan peasants? - Peasants form the bulk of Uganda’s productive population and no genuine efforts to develop country can afford to ignore them. From the mid ‘80s, several attempts have been made to raise the incomes of peasants but it is distressing to note that, after two decades, the income per capita of the country has only doubled from $264 to $504; implying an increase of below one tenth annually. The reasons for this poor performance came to the fore when public officials openly admitted failure of previous interventions like the poverty eradication action plan (PEAP). What explains the failure? Should we say it was a case of prescription of a wrong drug? Was the doctor or the drug aunthetic? To these and other questions, certainly answers may be as varied as possible depending on analysts’ point of view. Despite past poor performance, all Ugandans should strongly debate as well as suggest alternative interventions to reduce poverty among peasants. My opinions to the debate focus on the effectiveness of recent Shs60 billion credit support to the agricultural sector. The adequacy of this credit is in question in case we do some simple mathematics. If it is understood that about three quarters of Uganda’s labour force is employed in agriculture, with most being subsistence farmers, how much credit is effectively available to each farmer? My rough estimates indicate that about $5 is available for each of the 10 million peasants in Uganda - only 4.5 per cent of Millennium Villages Project estimate! This raises a couple of more questions, the cardinal one being; how many decades will it take an average peasant to double their income and escape poverty trap? In health settings, issuing a suboptimal dosage is considered drug abuse! If Shs60 billion is a suboptimal credit facility and there are no additional funds, how best can we utilise this money to improve peasants’ welfare? In my view, this fund should be used to open more seed multiplication centres and ensure timely delivery of sufficient crop varieties. This will prevent scenarios as recently witnessed in Teso region where just a fraction of cassava cuttings was available to farmers. Besides multiplication centres, the government should, in the near future, consider proposals of agricultural products’ price regulation to ensure peasants plan better and gain confidence from price predictability. Price regulation reduces uncertainty among the peasants and enhances profitability of farming since middlemen and processors’ bargaining power is reduced. Price regulation has proved useful in improving welfare of peasants in the Sri Lankan tea sector. Although a number of authorities may argue against price regulation, for reasons of social justice and equity, the peasants in Uganda need fair pricing of their agricultural products. It is only through the sale of agro-produce that the peasants generate income. With the seasonality of production well known to all, there are times of large agro-produce supply and it is at these times that prices nosedive! If fair prices at times of abundant supply were offered, this would greatly improve the average income peasants receive from agriculture. Moreover, in the absence of price regulation, even with land reforms, emerging climate change challenges are likely to worsen peasants’ economic and food security. Lastly, borrowing from Julius Caesar Act IV, I ask who will recognise the tide in the affairs of peasants and take it at flood to lead to fortune? So far, it appears, all the