Two goals in either half of the game ensured Makerere University move a foot closer to playing semi -finals in a University Football League game that was characterized mostly by off the pitch activities by the supporters at the Maroons Stadium in Luzira.

In the 24th minute, the hosts were chanced when danger man Simon Kazibwe was   brought down in Kyambogo’s box for the centre referee to award a penalty to Makerere.

Joshua Lubwama rose well to the occasion sending the Kyambogo   goalkeeper cum skipper Joseph Etyang to the opposite direction for the hosts to get their first goal.

A Kyambogo player dazzles Makerere counterparts

Makerere tried a number of attacks towards their Kyambogo counterparts only yielding nothing in a first half mostly dominated by the Ivory Tower team.

In the second half, Kyambogo tried to pull back but their efforts mostly through Mike Welaga proved futile as Makerere held their ground.

However in the added minutes, the hosts were at it again when they got a free kick a few meters from the box only for Lubwama to take the game beyond reach with a well taken shot in the far corner that beat Etyang hands down for the winner.

Prayers could not save Kyambogo unversity team.

The win ensured Makerere are one foot closer to this year’s University football League semi -finals and will need a draw in the return leg.

Off Pitch Action

It was an action parked day at the Luzira prisons stadium mostly orchestrated by supporters of mainly Makerere University who right from the start looked suspicious of causing havoc.

Before the start of the game, supporters from both teams were engaged in a small scuffle characterized by hurling of stones at each other but this was only short lived.

Meanwhile during recess, Makerere supporters hit the centre of the pitch as they chanted in support of their team and provoking their Kyambogo counterparts whom they branded ’high school kids’.

They then ran towards the Kyambogo supporters and a fight ensued.

Plain clothed prison officers discipline Makerere students

However, plain clothed prisons officers immediately swung into action flogging the Makerere supporters who had caused the chaos before the situation was calmed as the noisy supporters were now seen quietly seated unlike before.

Prisoners from Nyabuhikye Prison in Ibanda district on Monday evening were involved in a terrible accident after the vehicle they were traveling in failed negotiate a corner and overturned.

The accident happened at the Saza Hill as the prisoners were being transported to work on farms in Bisheshe.

Ibanda police commander in charge of traffic Doe Isingusa told Chimpreports that 19 prisoners are currently admitted at Ibanda Hospital, and others at Ruhoko trading center, many of them in critical condition.

The police boss blamed the accident on over speeding, revealing that the driver of the truck was found to be drunk. The driver is currently on the run and being hunted.

He also called upon prison officers to pay attention to the condition of the vehicles in which prisoners are moves.

According to OC Nyabwihikye Prison Unice Abuwa, one of the prisoners died on spot, while a few those who sustained minor injuries are set to be discharged.

Uganda Peoples’ Congress (UPC) under the administration of Lira Municipality legislator, Jimmy Michael Akena is weighing legal action against Orient Bank, accusing the institution of illegally freezing the party accounts.

The party administrative Secretary, Higenyi Kemba told Chimpreports on Wednesday that, “The whole closure of the UPC accounts in Orient Bank is an action of sabotage orchestrated by the Milton Obote Foundation (MOF) group led by Peter Warubiri whose game plan has always been to kill the party and the its properties.”

“On the orders of a letter written by Warubiri, the Bank went ahead to close the UPC accounts despite a High Court ruling that upheld the status quo of the Akena administration and the Electoral Commission’s letter informing them of the new leadership of the party,” Kemba said.

This move Kemba says affected the party, in that its candidates were denied access to funds that would have enabled them put up a strong competition during the election campaigns.

“We were running the accounts from June last year up to January when the Bank took a decision to freeze our accounts without any earlier notice,” he said.

In their letter to the UPC, the Bank notified them that they wouldn’t access the account anymore until Court pronounced itself on rightful party leadership.

“We want Orient Bank to unblock our accounts on grounds that we are the rightful owners of those accounts since we are the recognized signatories,” Kemba warned.

He threatened that in case the bank fails to adhere with their request, they will deal with it firmly through all means possible.

“These means are not limited to taking legal action against them and calling upon all our members to close their accounts with the bank and boycott all its services.”

All efforts to reach Orient Bank Kampala Road Branch Manager didn’t mature since his known contacts were unreachable.

The government will start free yellow fever vaccination across the country in 2018 to check on the frequent outbreaks of the acute viral hemorrhagic disease which is transmitted by infected mosquitoes.

The minister of state for Primary Health Care, Joyce Kaducu Moriku told Parliament on Wednesday that the arrangement has been concluded to include yellow fever vaccination into the annual routine of immunization schedule.

Just this year the country was affected twice by the disease whose symptoms include fever, headache, jaundice, muscle pain, nausea, vomiting and fatigue.

According to the minister, the immunization is going to be free just like for other diseases and only a nominal fee for the certificate from the World Health Organization will be charged.

Currently the Yellow Fever vaccine and the vaccination card — required of most travelers in and out of the country — cost up to Shs 100,000 in the various government and private health facilities.

Ms. Kaducu said that the government has identified 15 clinics where the exercise will be carried out including KCCA, Entebbe, Kabale, Tororo and Busia.

Members of Parliament were however not impressed with the way the selection of clinics was done and many of them appealed that government should carry out the vaccination in all regional and referral hospitals instead of selecting only few areas.

The Lira woman Member of Parliament, Joy Atim Ongom tasked the minister to explain which criterion was used to arrive on the clinics selected.

“Honorable and colleagues, the program to start free immunization for yellow fever is welcome but I don’t understand how the ministry of Health zeroed on the selected areas. The vaccination should be
available in all regional and referral hospitals,” Mrs. Ongom said.

Uganda has made big strides in reducing poverty, Chimp Corps report.

Much of Uganda’s progress has been due to agricultural income growth, peace and stability, education, urbanization, as well as sustained economic growth averaging 7 percent annually.

According to a new poverty assessment conducted by the World Bank, the number of people in extreme poverty in Uganda (those living on less than $1.90 (2011 PPP) a day) has fallen from 53.2 percent in 2006, to 34.6 percent in 2013.

This reduction of 2.7 percent per year is higher than the regional average of 0.74 over the course of the same period, making it one of the fastest percentage point reductions in extreme poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa and the developing world.

Poverty reduction among households working in agriculture accounts for 79 percent of the national poverty reduction observed between 2006 and 2013.

This underscores the important role the sector plays in creating lucrative livelihoods, especially given that it currently employs over 60 percent of the population.

As the backbone of Uganda’s economy, the sector also contributes to over 70 percent of Uganda’s export earnings and provides the bulk of the raw materials for predominantly agro-based industries.

Almost two thirds of the agricultural income growth of households is attributable to high commodity prices (explained in part by sound policies) and favorable weather.  Nonetheless, it was not driven by the adoption of modern farming techniques and practices.

“The use of agricultural inputs remains low, despite the important gains they would represent for farmers,” explains Ruth Hill, senior economist and co-author of the report. “In 2012, only one in four farmers was using fertilizer for their crops, while only one in ten used pesticides. Similarly, less than 12 percent of farmers received extension services—all of which affect their yields.”

Low input use can be linked to the low quality of inputs prevalent in local markets—on average, 30 percent of nutrients are missing in fertilizers available to farmers in local markets. It is also be related to the fact that for technology adoption to pay off, it must be complemented by access to credit and access to markets.

Reducing Non-Monetary Poverty

Progress has also been made in some non-monetary dimensions of welfare such as child and infant mortality and access to potable water. However, the report emphasizes that access to adequate sanitation, electricity and other critical services remain elusive for many.

For example, only a small fraction of households (14 percent) have adequate sanitation, half of the average in Sub-Saharan Africa, and only one in seven households use electricity for lighting, compared to one in three on average for the region. What’s more, one in three children are stunted, a sign of chronic malnutrition.

Without improvements in these vital areas, Uganda’s progress is at risk.

Poverty reduction has been generally slower in eastern and northern Uganda, two regions which have undergone 20 years of civil conflict.  In 2006, approximately 61 percent of the poor lived in these two zones and by 2013, the number increased to 75 percent. Three out of ten people in northern Uganda don’t have adequate sanitation and access to electricity is practically nonexistent.

“Those possessing higher levels of education are more resilient to shocks and are more likely to diversify their activities beyond agriculture,” noted Clarence Tsimpo Nkengne, senior economist and co-author of the report.

In addition, high fertility rates have hindered poverty reduction in the country.  The increase in the dependency ratio of poor households from 1.38 in 2006 to 1.47 in 2013 held back poverty reduction by around 15 to 20 percent.

While total fertility rates have been falling in Uganda (from 6.6 in 2005 and 5.9 in 2013), they remain high compared to the average in Sub-Saharan Africa (5.0 in 2013). Lower fertility rates can have a positive effect on household living standards and the participation of women in the economic development of the country.

Fight Against Poverty

The report recommends several policy measures and actions that can help the country to sustain progress and achieve further poverty reduction.

Ensuring that all households in Uganda have access to high quality basic public services is an important step to improve the wellbeing of the population.

Modernizing agriculture is critical to empowering the poor and vulnerable. Providing smallholder farmers with better extension services, quality inputs, and credit will improve their livelihoods and further contribute to poverty reduction.

In the long-term, raising the contribution of key non-agricultural sectors to poverty reduction—particularly education, health, and urbanization—will offer more sustainable options to further reduce poverty, and spur progress toward Uganda’s aspiration to attain the status of upper middle income country by 2040.

As part of the ongoing digital migration process, Ugandans are set to start paying to listen to radios, the way it is with televisions, Chimpreports has learnt.

Uganda officially migrated to digital from analogue in June last year, a process that requires TV set owners to purchase digital terrestrial decoders installed on their sets to receive digital signals.

Addressing broadcasters during the National Association of Broadcasters Annual General Meeting at Hotel Africana, Uganda Communications Commission Executive Director, Godfrey Mutabazi, said that in 2 years’ time, the country will move from analogue to digital radios.

“Two years from now, radio will also go digital .We shall have pay radios. We are still doing research together with Makerere and other Universities about the same issue but in 2 years it will be here,” Mutabazi said.

“There will be digital signals that these radio stations will have to pay for because whoever gets a license for signal distribution will demand something,” he added in an interview to Chimpreports.

Mutabazi cited that there are not so many people in Europe catching the stations like BBC free of charge apart from those in disadvantaged areas.

“In order to access that signal, you must pay some money. We must understand that slowly free things are disappearing.”

Emphasis

The UCC boss said digital migration is a technology that must be accepted by everyone, and that there are no shortcuts.

“There was a time we had Short Wave and when we migrated to Frequency Modulation, people never complained of it. People didn’t say anything about the migration. Why now talk ill of digital migration, something we have been working on for the last 10 years?”

Mutabazi said digital migration was conducted properly according to the law, stressing it must be done and complied with by all people.

He noted that these directives originate from Geneva and UN member countries which are expected to implement them and that as a member of the Northern Corridor Integration body, Uganda cannot sit and watch.

“For you to have a radio set or television, you have to be rich and buy it. It then makes no sense when you say you want a free signal,”Mutabazi wondered.

Government has been advised to move from too much repetitive talk to actual implementation of programs if it is to achieve its development agenda.

The call was made by Sir. Michael Barber, former Head of UK Prime Minister’s Delivery Unit in the Tony Blair administration and Dato’ Sri Idris Jala the CEO Malaysia Government’s Performance Management and Delivery Unit.

The two leadership and service delivery experts were Tuesday meeting Ministers and Permanent Secretaries in the different sectors at Kampala Serena Hotel to share best practices that have worked globally.

“Delivery of services is not about handing over reports to donors or the President but citizens noticing and experiencing the difference created by the leadership,” Sir. Barber told the Ministers.

“It’s time for government to shift from talk to action. It (government) isn’t short of what should be done but how to do it,” he noted, adding that Ministers must identify what they intend to achieve, do adequate planning and evaluating progress.

Sir Barber was critical of the ‘essay and prose’ model of planning common among civil servants which he said isn’t the case in the UK. He urged the leadership in Uganda to set plans with specific actions, timelines and the persons responsible for fulfilling them.

In his remarks, Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda urged Ministers to create a strong working relationship with their Permanent Secretaries so as to accomplish their mandate.

“There’s no excuse for not making gigantic steps in service delivery in the coming years. We can’t continue doing business as usual and we hope such interaction will enable us to fix the existing barriers,” Rugunda said.

Idris Jala challenged government technocrats to do away with lamenting build capacity to translate the plans into concrete specific actions. He further stressed the need to invest in data to be able to track the progress of implementation.

Some of the barriers to implementation raised by the Ministers included; inadequate human resource, corruption, low remuneration, poor planning and communication as well as poor inter-sectoral collaboration.

For long, government has been faced with sluggish delivery of services across the board despite the good policy frameworks.

Barely a month after 17 year old Mustafa Lule attempted suicide by jumping off one of Kampala’s tallest buildings, Mabirizi complex, another Ugandan has Thursday jumped off a building at Garden City mall.

The youngster seemingly in his early 20s survived although he sustained severe injuries on the left shoulder, the head and the back. He has been rushed to the hospital.

He has been rushed to the hospital

Ugandans have since taken to social media, blaming the rising suicide attempts on the skyrocketing rates of youth unemployment in the country.

“All this (suicide attempts) is caused by the stress levels we have. Lack of jobs, cash etc. I am sure more suicide attempt cases will follow,” said a one John Bosco.

People watch from the balcony in shock as the jumper is carried away to the hospital

The jumper didn’t leave any suicide note and hence, the reasons for his actions have not been established.

President Yoweri Museveni has said education and rural transformation can help empower the girl child and push women’s progress for a better society. He said marginalizing girls in the field of education would lead to unbalanced growth.

“One of the important guiding principles of the NRM Government in Uganda is zero tolerance to discrimination against our women and girls in policy implementation and service delivery. This principle is very well articulated in our Constitution which guarantees equality, gender balance, affirmative action for marginalized groups and accords women full and equal dignity of person with men,” he said.

Speaking at a high-level event on September 21^st, during the 71st session of the United Nations General Assembly, during which the UN Women launched a new public private partnership to close gender data gaps for SDGs monitoring and accountability to support its flagship programme initiative, “Making Every Woman and Girl Count”.

Museveni who was accompanied by the First Lady and Minister of Education Janet Kataha Museveni and their daughter Natasha Museveni Karugire, highlighted the challenges Uganda faces and the policies his government has put in place that have made a difference to women and girls.

“We have introduced universal education so that girls can go to school. In a traditional society, it is the girl who goes to collect water. That burden is reduced when you bring water to the village,” he said.

The President said Uganda has embraced the principles of sustainable development as stipulated in the 2030 Agenda.

“We have localized the agenda in our National Planning Frameworks. We have already demonstrated leadership in aligning the gender equality commitments in the SDGs in our Party Manifesto, the National Vision, the National Development Plan, our Sectoral Plans and legislated it in our Public Finance Management Act, 2015,” he said.

The event co-funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is a five-year programme that will invest much-needed resources and expertise, focusing on 12 pathfinder countries, to generate, prioritize and use gender data.

It will assist countries in making evidence-based and targeted policies to fully implement and track progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Uganda’s population currently estimated at 36.6 million is predominantly rural with only 15% living in the urban areas. Women constitute 51.2% of the population with a sex ratio of 95 males per 100 females. This implies that if development is to be fair women’s contributions in social political and economic spheres should not only be solicited but should be deliberately promoted for equitable and sustainable development

In her remarks, UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka stressed, “Without gender data, there is no credible path to achieving the SDGs. Right now, we do not have data to monitor 80 per cent of the indicators for SDG 5, on gender equality.”

Melinda Gates, co-Chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, believes that we cannot close the gender gap without closing the gender data gap. “Gender data is foundational to all this work. We can’t make good decisions without good data,” she said. When asked about a top priority, Ms. Gates said, “I would collect data on women’s unpaid care work”.

The Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga has clarified that the money used to procure medals for over 1,000 current and old legislators, was secured four years ago and not picked from this year’s highly scorned legislature budget.

Kadaga together with the Presidential Awards Committee have organized a Golden Jubilee Awards ceremony for MPs who served since independence in October 1962 to October 2012. The event is scheduled for Monday, 26^th September 2016 at Serena Hotel Kampala.

“Some media houses have reported that Parliament is spending 600m for the function but I want to assure the nation that the programme was catered for 2012,” She said.

According to the Speaker, the members of the 9^thParliament were particularly supposed to be awarded medals during the Labor Day Celebrations of 2013 but it was postponed.

Kadaga also stressed that the medals will come with no monetary gifts. “It should be noted that there is no cash prizes attached to the medals.”

ChimpReports understands that Parliament is going to foot the bills for the venue and the cocktail for the over 1000 guests at the 5 star hotel. The Presidential Awards Committee under Ministry of Presidency shall take care of the rest of the budget.

Some of the prominent names to be awarded the medals are former army Chief of Staff under President Milton Obote’s government, Maj. Gen. David OyiteOjok, former Prime Minister George Cosmas Adyebo, former party presidents Dr. Kizza Besigye, his wife Winnie Byanyima, Ssebaana Kizito, Paul Ssemogerere, former Vice President Prof Gilbert Bukenya and Kampala Lord Mayor EriasLukwago.

Over 1000 medical students have dragged the Minister of Health, Dr Ruth Aceng and the Attorney General to High Court challenging the new internship policy that allegedly restricts their access to supervised practical training at various internship training centers.

The interns, led by Hakim Senkubuge, Christine Nambi, Simon Peter Masela, Emma Amadriyo, Gatrude Ahimbisibwe and Simon want Court to issue an order setting aside these new guidelines.

They are also seeking to be posted to internship training centers to receive supervised practical training on top of receiving same emoluments as it was the case with all the previous interns.

The group consists of prospective Dental surgeons, pharmacists medical doctors and nurses who ought to have been posted by the ministry of health in August 2016 to various internship centers country wide to commence supervised practical training which is a pre-requisite for registration, enrollment, certification and licensure of a qualified and recognized health professional.

While appearing before the parliamentary Health Committee earlier this month Dr. Aceng announced a drastic reversal of the internship policy and also explained why there had been an unusual delay in posting medical interns to their various internship/training centers countrywide.

This new policy is intended to reduce on the number of medical students who will be admitted on the ministry’s internship programme and to vary the terms and conditions of service.

Buganda Road grade one magistrate Marion Mangeni has released two youths acussed of dropping 10 piglets at Parliament.

The duo Luta Ferdinard and Lukwago Joseph were last week charged of common nuisance and cruelity to animals to which they pleaded not guilty thus remanded to Luzira prison .

These have been released on a cash bail of Shs. 500,000 each as well as 5million shillings non cash by each of the four sureties presented by the two.

The four sureties include Jackson Semwanga, Musoke Hanis, Walumbi Ayub Kigongo, Kakeeto and Norman Tumuhimbise.

The magistrate however put a condition on releasing the two to maintain peace and turn up in court for their trial.

State prosecutor Elizabeth Nandala has informed that investigations in the matter are complete and they are ready for a hearing which she has proved by presenting four witnesses in court.

This has been greatly objected by the defense counsel Isaac Ssemakadde describing it as a trial by ambush since they were not served by all witness statements as required by the law.

“I have lost words because she appears to be ignorant because disclosure is an entitlement to all accused persons” submitted Ssemakadde.

The magistrate has overruled the state on this matter and ordered the state to avail the defense with all exhibits and other materials they intend to rely on.

The hearing of the case has been fixed to October 18^th. Prosecution alleges that these 2 with others at large on the 16th September at Kimathi Avenue in Kampala dropped 8 piglets at Parliament.

Arinaitwe Rugyendo has Friday been re-elected the chairman of the Fufa Super League Limited (FSLL) at the third annual FSLL general meeting held at Namboole stadium board room.

Rugyendo who was nominated by Jinja Municipal Hippos chairman Mr. Faisal Muhammed, went unopposed since no other candidate’s name was proposed.

The voting process was conducted by Fufa electoral commission member in charge of Buganda Mr. Stephen Batanudde.

Earlier on the members had passed on a motion to ammend the FSLL statute to increase the term of the new board members from the previous one to two years.

Rugyendo will be deputised by David Serebe who also retained his seat unopposed.

In his acceptance speech, Mr. Rugyendo urged members to be tolerant and supportive in promoting the game.

“I want to thank all of you for voting stability, steady progress, going forward to bring change,” he stated.

“It was a difficult to accept a role in football and it took nearly three months to be convinced to join the wagon. Our first phase has been successful and I appreciate for the support.”

Rugyendo also outlined some of the developments expected in his next tenure.

“The first phase was more of branding and building the product and now our target is to emphasize in promotion to bring in more value into the game as well as revenue.”

The other board members elected include Secretary Peter Kibazo, Fred Kawuma and Humphrey Mandu.

The new FSSL board:
Chairman: Arinaitwe Rugyendo
Vice Chairman: Mr. David Serebe
Secretary: Mr. Peter Kibazo
Mr. Guy Kawuma (Member)
Mr. Humphrey Mandu (Member).

Uganda urgently needs affordable renewable energy to ensure access to all, especially for rural communities, President Museveni has said.

“Uganda urgently needs renewable energy. We have been talking about having a plant operational in all the major towns. We shall look at all options including direct investments and through bidding for this to happen,” he said.

The president was meeting a team from Polaris Capital Power led by its President Steve Gilchrist and a Director Feizhen Lu. Polaris Infrastructure is a Toronto-based company engaged in the operation, acquisition and development of renewable energy projects in 180 countries around the world.

The company is interested in investing in waste management for energy production at landfills in the main cities especially, Kampala.

Gilchrist, a former member of parliament in Canada said his company is willing to invest over US 70million in renewable energy projects that will create over 45,000 jobs. He said their aim is that after 20 years of well-grounded production, government takes over the projects.

Gilchrist developed a company which has worked with governments in Africa, the Caribbean, South America and Asia to raise awareness of biomass-to-energy power generation opportunities, including a proposed waste-to-energy facility in Ghana and an advanced recycling technology for municipalities in Canada.

President Yoweri Museveni has commended youth in the diaspora who want to return home and share experiences with other youth about the income generating opportunities.

“There are two types of societies; industrial and pre-industrial societies. Our people living in the preindustrial society have different attitudes about work. The diaspora youth who moved from pre-industrial to industrial want to go back home and do things themselves,” he said.

The President said after being exposed, the youth in the diaspora now see opportunity back home and know that there are more chances of livelihood in Uganda than in the diaspora’ which is already saturated. He said the main challenge for youth in Uganda is undermining certain jobs.

The President was meeting team leaders of the Uganda North American Youth Development Association led by Dennis Matanda at his residence at the Waldof Astoria Hotel in New York.

The State Minister for Youth Affairs Nakiwala Kiyingi also attended the meeting, Charles Wasajja the President of the association and Jennifer Angel Nabukenya a member.

“Attitude change is very important. Youth want to get out of Uganda thinking there is better opportunity abroad until they get there and the situation is different. You can exploit the opportunities at home and make money. Am happy that you want to share with other youth how to be entrepreneurial,” he said.

Hon. Nakiwala Kiyingi said they have been providing loans for the youth under the youth livelihood programme but some youth have no idea what to do.

She said this year alone, government has committed Shs 86billion to the youth fund and that this was a good opportunity to follow up on the projects they are involved in to ensure that they perform.

Dennis Matanda said that their aim is to support capacity building initiatives for the youth at home, build entrepreneur skills, ensure quality of their products and access to markets.

“Agoa is a great opportunity as an outlet for all Ugandans. Our youth need to go through a process to know that the products they produce meet international standards in order to exploit the markets. The youth whoever need an attitude change even those who are educated. It is their skills and works which matter not their books,” he said.

Following their Tuesday defeat, Wankulukuku side Express FC on Friday recovered to turn the bad visitors tormenting  their hosts Vipers SC at the World War II memorial stadium in Nakivubo in the Azam Uganda Premier League.

After a slow start to the game, the visitors who missed some of their the starters gained momentum partly courtesy of former Vipers’ old boy  cum  midfielder Saddam Juma who had a man of the match displayed at Nakivubo on a chilly evening.

Saddam Juma dazzles Vipers’ players

In the 34^th minute, Juma exhibited a brilliant display that saw him pass the ball and was well tapped into the hosts’ net by Derrick Tekkwo to give the Red Eagles the deserved lead.

In the second half, the visitors returned with more energy as they tried to take the score beyond reach only for Noah Ssemakula and Juma to miss a number of chances.

However on the other side, Vipers who didn’t look sharp tried to exert pressure on the visitors’ goal but their lead striker Erisa Ssekisambu and Kakaire Brian failed to deliver goals.

Eriasa Ssekisambu tries to go past Musa Mukasa as Tekkwo looks on

Skipper cum defender Nicholas Wadada and Dan Birikwalira also had a number of crosses on their account only to be wasted by Vipers’ blunt strikers on the day.

Speaking shortly after the game, Express head coach Gita said the win was a big inspiration to his team as go into the next game away to defending champions KCCA FC at the Philip Omondi stadium in Lugogo on Tuesday.

“It was a big boost that brought back the players confidence that will be a key factor in our next game .We hope to implement the same formation of play when we face KCCA FC,” said Gita .

Nicholas Wadada goes past Noah Ssemakula.

He also applauded Saddam Juma for a wonderful individual display which he said is important and will help the team in the next games.

The Express’ away win against the Kitende based side was the first since 2011 and  was indeed sweet as it saw them move past their hosts to  3^rd  place at 11 points whereas vipers were relegated to 5^th with 9 points on the Azam Uganda Premier League .

President Yoweri Museveni has held a bilateral meeting with Belgium’s Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Didier Reynders and Ambassador Marc Pecsteen at the sidelines of the 71^st United Nations General in New York.

The two leaders discussed the security situation in the region including Burundi and the Horn.

During the meeting the Prime Minister Didier Reynders raised the issue of the adoption of Uganda children that is being contested by parents in Belgium.

Controversy arose after parliament passed a law barring adoption of Uganda children by foreigners to protect them from child trafficking and sexual exploitation.

The law was however passed after the parents had concluded the adoption process but had not yet taken the children.

Later the Belgian parents were caught up in a deadlock between the Belgian Embassy and an adoption agency that facilitated the adoptions.

The Flemish Centre for Adoption (Kind & Gezin) reported that the Belgian Embassy in Kampala (Uganda) refused an entry visa to nine parents, who wanted to leave with ten adopted children from Kampala, the capital, to Belgium.

However, the Belgian authorities said the method used by the agency was mired in irregularities.

There case drew in the Belgium government with the Prime Minister pledging to follow up the case.

President Yoweri Museveni has said he will study the issue as he did not have the details of the case. He pledged to follow up on the matter.

Police in Mbarara have rescued two people suspected to be serial thieves in local markets.

The two, who were beaten to near death, had been found and apprehended by traders in Kankwanike Market, Rwebikoona in Mbarara Municipality.

They were undressed, beaten paraded and knocked down multiple times with a motorcycles.

The traders after brutally beating the suspects were preparing to set them ablaze when police intervened and rescued them.

One of the suspects died after arriving in hospital

The angry traders claimed the two were part of a syndicate in the market that was stealing their merchandise.

After being arrested, the two owned up to their habit and pleaded for forgiveness claiming that economic hardships had pushed them into stealing. This only incensed the traders who started beating them up.

Traders said the syndicate is comprised of mainly street kids, school children and traders themselves in most cases.

Wilson Mubangizi one of the traders in the market said the suspects had stolen Shs. 60,000 from a student who was sent by his parents to purchase school materials in the market.

One of the traders explains the mob justice

Upon rescue, the suspects were taken to Mbarara Referral Hospital where we understand one of them died on arrival.

The DPC Mbarara Jaffar Magyezi condemned the act of taking the laws into their hands and urged school children to keep their property and money in this time of going back to school as one way of avoiding such criminals.

The Managing Director National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC), Eng. Dr. Silver Mugisha has advised youths to be responsible leaders if they want to achieve in life.

He urged them to always strive to make a difference and to leave a standing impact on the people in the communities where they came from.

“Successful people prosper because of good ideas not just money. Always strive to make a difference,” he said.

Dr. Mugisha made the remarks on Friday while speaking to the Kisubi University Entrepreneurship class, at the university’s campus.

He shared his passion for mentoring youths and various life experiences, more so how to overcome challenges in life and how to apply knowledge and good ideas to create a change in Uganda.

“Uganda needs responsible leaders for it to develop at the fastest rates possible and that will only be achieved if we (elders) come out of our comfort zones and mentor the future generations which are the youth. To achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, we need to build responsible leaders,” he said.

The students had invited the NWSC boss to share knowledge on entrepreneurship, business and service delivery which he did, through sharing various life experiences.

Dr. Mugisha was earlier in March, recognized for his exemplary leadership style and transformation at the Corporation in award ceremony held at the institute of Directors London UK and another one by the European Quality Award.

A rift is apparently widening inside Uganda’s leading opposition party FDC, which resolved last week to table a motion blocking the provision of vehicles by government to Members of Parliament.

The motion that will soon be tabled by FDC’s spokesperson Semujju Nganda has received almost zero support from FDC MPs at parliament; many of who claim that the party’s working committee took the decision without consulting them.

In one of those uncommon occurrences, the NRM government has come out in support of the opposition party’s proposal, in a bid to save the tax payer up to 60billion Shillings that has been set aside for the car project.

The government spokesperson Ofwono Opondo remarked today that the 10th parliament, like its predecessors has not made any effort to appear selfless in the face of the public.

“People should see them as applying some sense of equity. But they first give themselves and when it is the health workers and teachers, they only giving it lip service,” he said while appearing on the weekly Capital Gang show.

Stating that he was in agreement with FDC’s proposal, Opondo went on to remind the 10^th Parliament legislators of how a few months ago, they moved to amend the constitution to circumvent a law suit that sought to tax their huge earnings.

“When somebody took parliament to court about taxation, didn’t the 9th parliament amend the law, to exempt itself and circumvent the income tax? That is selfishness,” he said.

“Parliament has been taking positions that benefit you first, and you think about the public later.”

Following the widespread public backlash and protests about the cars, the Opposition FDC are proposing that government gives out loans instead to MPs to purchase their own private cars, which should not be taxed. This is the policy in neighboring Rwanda, and FDC believes that this will perfectly work out in Uganda.

The FDC spokesperson Nganda said on the same radio show, “In the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA), MPs buy their own vehicles, but these are tax free. In Ethiopia it is extreme because MPs there earn 200 US Dollars a month, and they travel in public transport buses. In Rwanda, they give you a loan to buy a vehicle but you don’t pay taxes. This is what we are proposing.”

Nganda and FDC’s proposal is premised on the fact that Uganda MPs are paid a great deal of money in salaries and allowances and that this should be sufficient to cater for their own transport.

He explained, “You are paid a salary and you are also paid allowances. The same reason we don’t have a government house is because part of the package is part of your salary. My proposal is that transport should be treated the same way because we stay in our own houses; you cannot demand that you be given a house in Kololo.”

But this proposal is being challenged by numerous FDC MPs, including the former Leader of Opposition Hon Ogenga Latigo. Some of them threatened this week to form their own party if the Najjanankumbi leadership insists on forcing this position on them.

Hon. Abdu Katuntu, while responding to his fellow party member Nganda today said he was in strong disagreement.

“I don’t agree with Semujju who says we should use loan vehicles to do public work. Why should I? I cannot use my money to do public work,” he said.

Katuntu further argued that the public backlash in being targeted to a wrong parliament because they have not even formally discussed their own pay.

“This parliament has not discussed emoluments; whatever this parliament is earning today was discussed and passed by the previous Parliament. It is wrong and this populism should end,” he said.

“It was the 6th Parliament that last discussed MPs’ emoluments when Isaac Musumba was the state minister of finance. All these emoluments have always been proposed by government.”

Citing other government officials such as the coordinators of the Operation Wealth Creation at county level, who have been given brand new cars, Katuntu stressed, “For government officers like ourselves to be able to do our work we must be able to move. The debate now should be on whether we should be given pickup trucks or motorcycles.”

FDC MPs opposed to this suggestion, have been warned by old party members and the party leadership that talking a different stance from that of the party is unhealthy and consequential.

The former Leader of Opposition Hon Wafula Oguttu who lost in the last elections warned, “When you are a leader you just do not talk anyhow. You first weigh and edit your words before you utter them. I am extremely disappointed by some of our FDC leaders in Parliament, colleagues i have hitherto held in very high regard”