Fufa Women Elite League
Kawempe Muslim 7-0 London Stallions

Defending champions, Kawempe Muslim showed they are still a force to reckon with as they began the season with an emphatic win over London stallions.

Kawempe thumped Stallions 7-0 in a game played on Saturday at the valley grounds to start the third edition of the Fufa Women Elite league in style.

Last season’s MVP, Hasifah Nassuna, lanky forward Nambatya Favour and Juliet Nalukenge all grabbed a brace apiece while right back Viola Namuddu too registered her name on the score sheet to complete the rout.

Nassuna opened the scores before Nambatya, Nalukenge and Namuddu added a goal apiece for Kawempe to take a comfortable 4-0 halftime lead.

Kawempe scored three more goals after recess to cruise to a comfortable 7-0 win with Nassuna, Nalukenge and Nambatya adding a goal each to complete their braces.

The result means Kawempe Muslim lead Elizabeth group on 3 points In the other games played on Saturday.

In the Victoria group, Ajax Queens registered their second win defeating Olila women 3-1. New recruit Bridget Nabisaalu, Carol Nakyanzi and Annet Namwenge scored for Ajax Queens while Fazila Ikwaput pulled one back for Olila.

Sheebah Zalwango scored on her début for Gafford Ladies but her goal was not enough for her team to register maximum points with the game ending 1-1 Action continues on Sunday with Kampala Queens playing at home to Muteesa I Royal University in Rubaga.

Results Kawempe Muslim 7- 0 London stallions Wakiso Hills 1-1 Gafford Ladies Ajax Queens 3-1 Olila women

The executive director Foundation for Human Rights and Coalition for Electoral Democracy in Uganda (FHRI/CCEDU) , Livingstone Sewanyana has urged Ugandans to embrace electoral reforms, if they want to see new leadership.

“The mandate of the current Electoral Commission is soon expiring and we don’t want history to repeat its self,” said Mr Sewanyana.

“77% of MPs research shows, want to be included in choosing the new EC, which shows they are ready for transparency” he said.

While addressing the media at Moon Land Gardens Nsambya on Friday, Sewanyana said as FHRI/CCEDU, they are ready to carry on with sensitization of the masses on such tenets of a good democracy.

A set of electoral reforms pushed last year by civil society and the opposition were rejected by government ahead of last February’s general elections.

“Not all hope is lost: much as it did not work out last year, we have a lot of room to improve,” said Sewanyana.

It was all pomp and glamour on Wednesday, November 2^nd as Crane Management Services (CMS), a Real Estate company under Ruparelia Group unveiled a 13 floor building in Kampala.

Named ‘The Cube’, the building is located in Kiseminti, Kamwokya with a desirable neighbourhood dominated by continental restaurants, hangouts spots and pretensions of corporate facilities like banks and offices for different organizations.

The building was officially opened by Rajiv Ruparelia, the CMS Managing Director who was escorted by the Sudhir Ruparelia, the Chairperson of the Ruparelia Group of Campanies.

Ruparelia Group Chairman, Sudhir Ruparelia (L) shares a light moment with some of the guests

The cube is a complex commercial space designed to cater for all possible needs of the modern day businessman and its neighbourhood is ideal for any business to blossom.

It has 132 shops, 3 passenger lifts, 2 car lifts, 100 car parking slots (modern suspended, mechanically elevated car parking system), a sky viewing terrace, and a Modern high tech fire detection and suppression system.

It also has office space at the top, space for a casino, a lounge and many more exciting features that will make your stay enjoyable.

The building has 3 passenger lifts and 2 car lifts

The building is 57.3 meters high making it the tallest in the area, giving the inhabitats a magnificent view of Kampala at the comfort of their seat.

CMS boss Rajiv Ruparelia serves food after the official opening of the building

Some of the invited guests serve a meal

Azam Uganda Premier League side, Express FC have officially unveiled Mathias “Matia” Lule on a three year deal as their new head coach.

Lule was unveiled by club chairperson Hon. Florence Nakiwala Kiyingi at Kibinge Hotel on Sunday.

“On behalf of the management of Express football club, I wish to unveil Mathias Lule on a 3year deal,” said Nakiwala.

“He takes on the reigns at Express as head coach with effect from today and we wish him a successful period with us,” she added.

Lule said he was delighted to rejoin his childhood club and promised to make an early impact.

“I’m happy that after a longtime I return back to Express a club that nurtured me,” Lule said.

“I’m not going to promise heaven and earth but I believe I will offer my best because I do not come in as a new person but I return to add on what I had built already,” he added.

Lule also indicated that his primary role at Express will be youth development vis-a-vis aiming at trophies.

“I come in as a manager who takes over all categories on the team and I will use my experience in youth football to put youth football at the front as I work on the senior team for trophies,” he explained.

Lule, a CAF A license holder replaces Wasswa Bossa as Express head coach who was sacked last week and returns to club he coached for 3years between 2008-2010.

The vocal coach has been linked to a host of clubs in recent times including Onduparaka, Somalia National Team and Soana but has finally agreed to join the red eagles on a 3 year deal.

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has compared the former Rukiga County  legislator Jack Crissy Sabiiti to couch grass, locally known as orumbugu.

While addressing a rally at Kyerero Primary playground in Kyerero Parish –Bukinda sub county, The president said Sabiiti became “dangerous to the people of Rukiga” when he  determined to only sabotage programs of the ruling National Resistance Movement.

President Museveni said Sabiti was as dangerous as the couch grass weed is to crops. He however praised the locals for eventually voting the opposition FDC stalwart out of office in the last election. Sabiiti has since announced that he quit elective politics.

Read Also: Museveni Hails Rukiga for Dumping FDC’s Jack Sabiiti

“I would like to thank the people of Rukiga for rejecting that man Jack Sabiiti who had turned into couch grass in the development of the country,” said the President.

Jack Sabiiti, a member of the FDC lost his Rukiga county seat to the Herbert Kabafunzaki of the National Resistance Movement in the 2016 general elections. The latter was subsequently appointed State Minister for Labor, Employment and Industrial Relations.

In June while attending a local wedding in Kabale, Museveni said that part of the reason he appointed Kabafunzaki Minister was to thank him and the people of Rukiga for uprooting Sabiiti.

He said, ““Sometime back I was in Wakiso where I met this young man Kabafunzaki who was doing a lot of development work. I asked him to come to Rukiga and rescue the Constituency that was in the hands of the opposition.”

“That’s why after defeating Sabiiti, I appointed Kabafunzaki State Minister Of Labor, Employment and Industrial Relations as a way of rewarding the people of Rukiga,” said President Museveni.

A 20 year old driving student on Sunday evening accidentally drove into Lake Bunyonyi and died.

Godfrey Ahimbisibwe, son of Justus Kurama a resident of Kekubo in Northern Division, Kabale Municipality was killed in the accident at around 7pm yesterday.

The deceased, it is said, was learning to drive in his father’s Toyota Corona which veered off the road and plunged in the lake.

Rescuers were not hasty enough to save the youngster from drowning.

According to one of the eyewitnesses Drake Diaz Owoyesigire, Police were called in but failed to retrieve the body and it was the residents who jumped in the waters after 2 hours and pulled the body out with ropes.

Ahimbisibwe according to locals, decided to drive by himself, to the shore of Lake Bunyonyi to visit his father where he runs a business.

Dickens Bindeeba, the Kabale District Police Commander says that although police was alerted, they had no solution because they don’t have marine officers at the station.

This is the second such incident on Lake Bunyonyi in a period of three months. On 22nd of August this year, five family members drowned after their canoe capsized.

The victims were reportedly travelling from a party in Mushebeya,Kamuganguzi Sub County, to their home in Kabirago Ndarura village, Rubaya Sub county, Kabale District when the tragedy occurred.

You are free to nominate candidates but these must exclude Yoweri Museveni, Amama Mbabazi, Kizza Besigye and Norbert Mao.

Send the name of your preferred candidate to info@chimpreports.com or giles@chimpreports or WhatsApp (+256705340477). You can as well post your comments on our Facebook and 

Chimp Corps will as well do interviews on the streets in different parts of Kampala to pick people’s nominations.

The nomination phase will run for four days (November 7 – 9, 2016).

The preferred candidates will then be unveiled before the public this Saturday.

Special Analysis

Uganda secured her independence from British colonialists 54 years ago.

National elections were held in April 1962 and resulted in the party of Dr. A. Milton Obote, the Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) candidate, winning the largest number of seats, although not an absolute majority.

Dr. Obote became Prime Minister and formed a Cabinet in coalition with the Buganda traditionalist Kabaka Yekka (KY) Party.

Under this coalition Government, the Independence Constitution was amended in September 1963 to allow for the election by Parliament of a President and Vice President. While remaining within the Commonwealth, Uganda’s new President replaced the Queen as head of state.

Sir Edward Frederick Mutesa II, hereditary King (Kabaka) of Buganda, was elected President of Uganda.

In succeeding years, the UPC-KY coalition deteriorated, and the UPC gained strength in Parliament by virtue of defections from both the KY and the opposition Democratic Party.

Supporters of the unitary state concept and those in favor of a loose federation disputed over the proper role of the central Government.

Complicated political maneuvering in late 1965 and early 1966 came to a head in February 1966 when Dr. Obote suspended the Independence Constitution, assumed all powers of government, and deposed the President and Vice President.

In April of that year a new Constitution came into force. Under it Dr. Obote became an executive President with wide powers, and the Kingdom of Buganda was deprived of its semiautonomous powers.

The 1966 Constitution was soon superseded by another, Uganda’s third since independence, adopted in September 1967 after long discussion in a Constituent Assembly.

Uganda was proclaimed a Republic, and wide powers were given to the country’s executive President, Dr. Obote to head a unitary state.

All of the traditional kingdoms, including Buganda, were abolished. That kingdom was divided into four districts, which like all of Uganda’s 18 districts are tightly controlled by the central Government.

Conflict

The hostility between Central government and Kabakaship hit its peak in 1966 with Obote directing then army Chief Amin Dada to raid Mengo; leading to Kabaka Mutesa’s fleeing to exile.

Despite the struggle for power being between Obote and Buganda Kingdom, Amin – a “third force” emerged as president as the former was attending a conference in Singapore in 1971.

The development marked the beginning of a tumultuous political journey for Uganda with Obote supporters mobilising arms to remove Amin from power.

It took another ‘third force’ – which included Tanzanians and Ugandans in exile to oust Amin.

On returning to Uganda in the wake of Amin’s defeat in 1979, Obote was accused by the Democratic Party of rigging in 1980 elections.

A political battle ensued between UPC and DP.

Another ‘third force’ – UPM under Yoweri Museveni decided to take up arms, using the rigged election as its justification.

Museveni era

Museveni would later take power in 1986 after the overthrow of Milton Obote by the Okello Junta.

Museveni faced military resistance by rebel movements in Northern, Eastern and Western Uganda which he ably crushed into oblivion.

The contest for power was between Museveni and the rival military groups.

However, a ‘third force’ emerged in 2001 led by Dr Kizza Besigye – who broke ranks with NRA.

This group would later include the late Eriya Kategaya, Suleiman Kiggundu, Amanya Mushega, Beti Kamya, Miria Matembe, Winnie Byanyima, Sam Njuba, John Kazoora, and Augustine Ruzindana among others.

This force ably mobilised against Museveni – threatening his hold on power in the hugely competitive elections of 2001 and 2006.

However, the political resistance against Museveni was weakened significantly in 2011, with opposition performing poorly in the election.

This group however, gained momentum in 2016 with the participation of former premier Amama Mbabazi.

Political pundits will agree that Mbabazi was seen as a moderate force between the polarizing and antagonistic camps of Besigye and Museveni.

Many saw in him a transition from the radicalism and uncompromising politics of Besigye’s wing and Museveni’s stellar resistance against change.

It is widely held in corridors of power that had Mbabazi started mobilisation much earlier to effectively sell his candidature across the country, he stood a better chance of blocking Museveni from securing a win.

But Mbabazi’s domestic challenges, disorganization in The Democratic Alliance coupled with defections in Go Forward camp could not allow Mbabazi exploit the vacuum that would have propelled him to the highest political seat in the land.

The Mbabazi ‘third force’ could not take off as expected.

Political transition  

Meanwhile, Uganda is set for yet another set of presidential elections come 2021.

As things stand, Museveni cannot seek reelection as he will have clocked the mandatory 75 years as provided by the Constitution.

As the country moves toward what could be a historic political transition, many are wondering who could take the much-coveted seat.

ChimpReports has decided to run a poll to allow people especially the youth reveal whom they think can take Uganda forward minus the 1986-ers who have dominated Uganda’s politics for the last three decades.

You are free to nominate candidates but these must exclude Yoweri Museveni, Amama Mbabazi, Kizza Besigye and Norbert Mao.

Send the name of your preferred candidate to info@chimpreports.com or giles@chimpreports or WhatsApp (+256705340477).

Chimp Corps will as well do interviews on the streets in different parts of Kampala to pick people’s nominations. The nomination phase will run for three days (November 7 – 9, 2016).

The preferred candidates will then be unveiled before the public this Saturday.

Teachers of the troubled Bridge International Schools (BIA) and their pupils this morning stormed the Parliamentary Building, seeking MPs intervention in their predicament.

Last week, the High Court in Kampala ordered closure of the foreign owned low budget schools totaling 63 in number, for failure to adhere to Ugandan education standards.

The teachers and pupils emotionally protested the closure of their schools, while engaging with security at Parliament’s Main Gate.

These were by publication time still locked outside the parliamentary building, inside of which a special sitting was being held to honor the deceased Gen Julius Oketta who passed on late last week.

The teachers and pupils, some of who were in tears told press that while their schools were cheaper, they provided much better education compared to most of Uganda’s Universal Primary Education Schools.

The schools last week lost a court application they filed against the education ministry’s decision to close them down for failure to comply “with the basic requirements and minimum standards for schools in Uganda.”

The Education Minister Hon Janet Museveni declared on August 9, 2016, during a parliament session, that the Government will close at the end of the term (September 2016) the schools operated by the largest and most controversial chain of commercial private schools worldwide, Bridge International Academies (BIA).

The Ministry’s decision was based on “non-respect of national standards by BIA, particularly in regards to health and safety,” according to Ms Museveni.

“Our Ministry found that most of the submissions about the schools were true and deserved attention. The schools started in 2013 and are located in 63 sites out of which only one was licensed by Kumi Municipal Council. The schools’ legal status was not established except in for the one in Kumi Municipal Council site. The schools never underwent the criteria for registering and licensing international schools,” said Ms Museveni.

“My Ministry has however been closely monitoring the schools prior to the time that matter was raised here in parliament. It was found out that the infrastructure of the schools is still in a bad shape, yet interim period required for schools to have permanent structures expired,” she added.

Speaking to Chimp reports at Parliament, the School Manager of the Nansana Academy Phiona Akuya said she was appalled by the government decision.

“We are wondering despite the First Lady and Minister of Education, Janet Museveni visiting our schools recently, her report on the status of our schools has not been publicized; we need her voice aired out.”

Akuya said. “The closure of our schools is simply political. We believe, together with our teachers and children that the schools are providing the best education,” noted Lillian Akwi a parent at the school.

“I rather hire a teacher to teach my child at home than take her to UPE schools whose standards are below that of bridge schools,” She said.

Police led by Kampala Metropolitan DPC Joseph Bakaleke blocked the group from accessing Parliament and advised them to return to the house another day in an organized manner.

“Take pupils home, put in writing all you concerns and come back tomorrow to my office; we shall look for relevant people to handle your issues,” Bakaleke advised parents.

Police in Kampala on Monday morning was involved in running battles with a group of Makerere University students who were demonstrating over the university closure in the city centre.

The students who were carrying mattresses, suit cases and clad in red gowns carried placards that demanded that the Ivory Tower be opened soon.

“Closure of the university is a violation of our right to education. It is only making us as students suffer,” yelled the students as they marched to the Constitutional  Square.

Students demonstrating in the city centre

However, police swung into action arresting 4 of the students before detaining them at the Central Police Station.

President Museveni early last week ordered for immediate closure of Makerere University following a standoff between lecturers and management over payments forcing the former to lay down tools until the impasse is solved.

Students say closure of Makerere is equivalent to murdering Academics of Africa

Addressing journalists at the new Kawumu State Lodge in Luweero, Museveni said he would not tolerate the ‘undisciplined’ lecturers whom he said wanted to hold government at ransom over a simple issue.

“It is not a good attitude to paralyze the country. We will not tolerate any from of indiscipline at work. This is Kisanja Hakuna Mchezo,” the angry Museveni warned on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, a group of 7 Makerere University students on Thursday gave an ultimatum to government in which it ought to open the Ivory Tower or else they would mull action.

The group led by Simon Wanyera, a member on the Makerere Guild Representative Council said the decision to close the university was not fair to them since they had fulfilled their obligation of paying tuition and reporting for studies, stressing, lecturers were to blame for the impasse.

Members of the Parliamentary Committee on Public Service and Local Government were last week mortified by scenes of people in Kisoro District drinking water from a septic tank.

The committee members led by their chairperson and Igara West MP Raphael Magyezi, toured the south western Kisoro district to meet and talk to local leaders about the local government sector.

During the tour on Thursday, the MPs stumbled upon a community of Batwa people that live a few meters behind  the district headquarters, whose living conditions they found appalling.

The MPs were shocked by the Batwa’s living conditions

The Batwa people MPs were told, have no access to clean water and depend almost entirely on water they fetch from septic tanks.

Peninah Zaninka the chairperson of the Batwa village said that the district leaders have abandoned them which forced them to use septic tank water.

Zaninka said the group has been homeless since they were chased away from Echuya Forest in 1991.

The MPs also learnt that the group has not a single toilet they use.

The Septic Tank where the community fetches drinking water

Jovia Kariisa the Ibanda district woman MP said what she saw was unbelievable, and called for an emergency government intervention.

“This cannot be; perhaps the president should hear about this,” she remarked.

The MP urged the local leaders in Kisoro to do something about the abandoned community and also for fellow MPs to intervene.

The Batwa community live like this, a few meters behind the Kisoro District Offices

The Batwa situation according to Kariisa, could easily have Uganda dragged before international human rights bodies.

However, according to the Kisoro District Chairman Abel Bizimana an NGO named United Organization for Batwa Development in Uganda a few years built houses for the Batwa community but they rejected them “because they make a lot of noise when it rains.”

Students of Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST) on Monday morning staged a strike demanding change in the institution’s retake policy.

The angry students refused to go for lectures, calling for the university administration to revise the retake fees from UGX 50,000 to a more affordable 20,000.

The students surround the Vice Chancellor’s office demanding for answers

During the strike, one of the ring leaders only identified as Hannington was arrested but students turned more violent until he was released on the orders of the Rwizi Regional Police Commander Ivan Nuwamanya.

Nonetheless, the students carried on brandishing placards around the campus that demanded for the new policy to be repealed.

The students were led in the strike by the Guild President Chris Obore

According to Sankara Byaruhanga doing BIT, in the past students who failed the papers would easily sit for supplementary exams, until the policy was changed.

The new policy he said requires payment of Shs 50,000 for a failed paper and failing two papers, one has to register for a dead year.

“This is unfair; some of us have 14 course units which you cannot guarantee to pass,” he said.

One of the ringleaders Hannington was briefly held and released by police

The students were also angry that the university was no longer providing them with internship fees, on top of poor sanitation, a non functional generator, congestion and many others.

The RDC Mbarara Capt. Martha Asiimwe speaking to Chimpreports said the strike has been looming and that sadly administration hasn’t come out to address the student issues.

Police and District leaders arrive at the university

The RDC said she will sit with the university administration tomorrow to sort out all the grievances raised by students.

“Students demanded to meet the vice chancellor, unfortunately he was not at the campus,” she said

By publication, security was deployed around the university to maintain calm.

The Minister of Education and Sports, Hon. Janet Kataaha Museveni has suspended travels of Makerere University staff.

The minister according to media reports sent out the directive to the university officials, barring them from travelling within and out the country.

Reports quote a Ministry of Education source as indicating that Mrs. Museveni wrote to Dr. Charles Wanna Etyem, the Chairperson of Makerere University Council about the stern directive.

According to the said letter, the minister stressed that in addition to what the university council passed in their recent seating, in implementation of the presidential directive to indefinably close the university; the staff members must desist from making official inland and foreign travels.

It was still unclear, whether or not the minister’s directive was a blanket one or covered a specific number of staffers at the country’s largest education institution.

The Ministry officials have since expressed ignorance about the said letter. The Ministry publicist Patrick Muyinda when contacted by ChimpReports said he was not in office and couldn’t confirm its existence.

The Makerere Spokesperson Ritah Namisango’s known numbers were also unavailable by publication.

The development comes days after University staff members were asked to hand in all University property, including cars and ordered to vacate university halls.

Makindye Gen Court Martial chairman Lt Gen Andrew Gutti has banned camera journalists from covering Cpl. Norman Sembatya, a prosecution witness in the case where 14 people are accused of attacking Kabamba barracks.

Gen Gutti says the photo and video coverage ban is for security reasons.

“Nobody has banned journalists from attending court, they are free to follow the proceedings and carryout all the necessary interviews outside court,” ordered the Chairman. “Information can be disseminated to the public in a number of ways not only with cameras.”

In today’s session, journalists were allowed to sit in court but were ordered to keep their gadgets at the reception.

The Chairman’s ruling was in a response to an application by the defense counsel Fredrick Semwanga who requested court to allow journalists record the proceedings as usual since this was a matter of public interest.

Reporters were earlier in the previous court session barred by Gen Gutting from taking pictures of the witness.

Meanwhile, the army court today discharged Corporal Sembatya, a key prosecution witness, having been on the stand for about two years without being cross examined.

In today’s reexamination conducted by the lead prosecutor Major Raphael Mugisha, Sembatya changed his statement in which he had informed court that he spent all the (exhibit) money he recovered from the accused persons; stating today that he didn’t spend a single coin of it.

Sembatya further blamed a Police officer he only named as Ben who recorded his statement, accusing to misquoting him.

Further hearing of this case was adjourned to 29th November.

The prosecution alleges that the fourteen people and others still at large between the months of February and May 2013 in the various places of Kampala, Wakiso, Masaka, Luweeo and in Nairobi Kenya, consciously omitted to disclose vital information about recruitment of people to engage in activities intended to prejudice the security of the defense forces by attacking the armored warfare barracks in Mubende district.

State Minister for Lands, Persis Namuganza has said government is in final stages of amending the land act 2016 to lessen of the procedures and process for government to acquire private land for public use.

Currently, the government uses its powers of compulsory acquisition of private land for public purposes it must pay compensation before land is expropriated.

But the minister says, the amendment bill that would soon be tabled in parliament seeking to guide the relationship between land owners and government in making communal and public developments that would benefit the society.

Speaking to ChimpReports, Ms Namuganza also noted that the ministry of lands has designed a policy of helping religious institutions and organizations to survey, demarcate and process land titles for their respective areas.

“It is absurd that fellow Christians connive to encroach on church land because they have full information and knowledge about it to the extent that Christians recently threatened the archbishop and Bishops during the tour of part of the church land in Mukono. We need to end such” she said.

Her response followed complaints by the Busoga Diocese Bishop, Rt. Rev. Paul Moses Samson Naimanhye at the installation of the archdeacon of Ivukula in Namutumba district, Busoga diocese over rampant encroachment on church land.

Namuganza also challenged people to individually guard their land by demarcating it and also planting trees to protect, preserve and conserve the environment.

“Most districts in Uganda have been threatened by hunger including my home district of Namutumba but this is particularly because we have depleted the environment leading to prolonged dry spells. If we address the area of environment conservation, we can surely have our usual rain pattern and be able to have enough food” she said

The current Land Act raises issues for investors in projects where the government provides the land prompting would-be investors in Uganda to first make a risk assessment of whether and how the Government might take expropriatory action.

Four winners of the 2016 MTN Women in Business Awards will, this weekend, travel to South Africa for a week-long trip to learn, share experiences and tour similar SME businesses in Cape Town and Johannesburg.

The revelation was made at a breakfast event hosted by MTN at the home of MTN Business at Nyonyi Gardens in Kololo, Kampala and attended by the winners.

The all-expenses paid trip is part of the prizes promised by the telecom prior to the announcement of the winners earlier this year.

MTN Business is fulfilling this obligation as the company continues to celebrate the spirit of excellence and perseverance that continues to empower women to be the drivers of positive change in our community.

“Through the MTN Women in Business Platform, MTN celebrates the spirit of excellence that is demonstrated by those outstanding women that have harnessed technology/ICT and talent to grow their businesses and we’re delighted to further empower this year’s winners as they travel to engage with entrepreneurs driving change in a different environment,” noted MTN’s Chief Marketing Officer Mapula Bodibe.

Winners pose for a photo with some MTN Uganda top officials

MTN Business General, Manager Reginald Kafeero commended the winners for their hard work and perseverance that made them winners in the first place, and challenged them to utilize the linkages from the trip to the benefit of their businesses and society.

“The fact that you won these awards means you are outstanding business leaders. It is our hope that linkage and exposure will further empower you and enable you to grow your businesses further to the benefit of your communities,” Kafeero said.

MTN Uganda has been at the forefront of supporting Business communities in Uganda particularly through its MTN Business training programs for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) aimed at providing them with the right expertise to not only start up new business ventures but to also grow and sustain their current business to ensure optimum output and profitability. This program has over the years extended to Women in Business (WiB) as well.

“In addition to providing all the necessary solutions and tools to support businesses, MTN delights itself in the power to further impact society by helping business leaders grow to reach new heights,” said MTN’s Chief Executive Officer Wim Vanhelleputte, speaking at the flagging off event.

“True development comes from the participation of women in the economy. Uganda is among the few privileged countries. We are excited to be facilitating the winners as they go to this trip and hope it will be a productive one.”

MTN Uganda CEO, Wim Vanhellepute giving his remarks on Tuesday morning

In honour of Women and specifically Women in Business, MTN joins the rest of the world in celebrations in the month of March.

For the last 4 years MTN Uganda has hosted 400 women to a dinner and combined it with a themed special Women’s Day Panel Discussion, the themes have varied each year depending on the hot topics and recommendations from previous events.

WiB event is the most sought after in the calendar of both professional and Women entrepreneurs and its audiences.

Traveling Winners

1) Susan Ajok, Managing Director, Straight Talk Foundation – MTN  Women In Business 2016: Excellence in ICT

2) Jacqueline Birigwa Nuwamanya, Managing Director, Rural Communications Limited – MTN Women In Business 2016: Excellence in Financial Services

3) Alice Karugaba, MD & Founder, Nina Interiors Limited – SME CEO of the year 2016

4) Mrs. Barbara Ofwono Buyondo, Principal, Victorious Education Services – SME CEO of the year 2015

During the trip, the women will get a chance to attend a digital marketing workshop in Johannesburg, visit some of the SMEs in East Africa and also attend the two-day ‘Africa com’ conference which majors in technology.

City socialite and rally driver Andrew Desh Kananura together with four others have been charged afresh before High Court judge Justice Joseph Murangira for allegedly murdering Badru Katerega, a former employee at Desh’s Naguru based Panamera Bar.

Kananura is charged together with his brother Raymond Kananura, Cyrus Maganda, Samuel Muzolewa and Jacob Onyango; all of who pleaded not guilty today.

The case has been dragging on since 2012, when the crime was allegedly committed and all the suspects are out on bail.

A number of huddles affected the flow of the case, the most recent being February this year when the trial Judge Justice Wilson Masalu Musene excused himself from the matter after one of the local dailies accused him of being biased.

One of the defense counsels Godfrey Nyangumya today applied to court to order that prosecution provides them all witnesses statements that they intend to rely on in prosecuting this matter.

“We pray that statements that were recorded from policemen at the scene of crime and those recorded from other staff members to be availed to us in time,” he said.

The judge thus ordered the Senior State Attorney Muzige Hamza to serve the defense with all required documents thereby setting the 21^st November as the date to commence hearing of this case.

The prosecution alleges that on 30th September 2012 at Panamera Bar in Naguru Desh Kananura and four others unlawfully killed Abdul Katerega an employee of the bar whom they were accusing of stealing of 30000 Shillings from the bar.

Huawei Technologies’ introduction of the GR5 mini smartphone goes a long way to save users from the repulsive hourly charging and power bank dependence especially for travellers.

The GR5 Mini is one of the best looking smartphones available at the moment, with clean lines, smooth edges and a modest look, making it look more expensive than it actually is.

For those not in the know, the GR5 mini is a simplified model of the Huawei GR5 which was released earlier in July.

The device comes with a Full HD display on a 5.2 inches screen, resolution at 1920 x 1080pixels and navigation keys displayed in the screen. It has no app drawer so all the apps are displayed on the home screen.

Huawei GR5 mini is a dual sim device which uses only nano cards. The back doesn’t open and like iPhones, the cards are inserted in the simcard plate located on the left side.

It’s all-metal body, smooth glass front and slightly-rounded sides make it tactile and nice to hold, although the back is too slippery, making it a little harder to grip as is the case among other all-metal phones.

Specifications:

Screen: 5.2 Inch, Full HD (1920x1080p)

Processor: Octa Core (64bit)

Memory: 2GB RAM, 16GB ROM with expandable storage MicroSD slot of up to 128GB

Operating System: Android v6.0 Marshmallow

Camera: 13MP rear camera, 8MP front camera

Connectivity: LTE, Wi-Fi 2.4GHz, Wi-Fi Direct, Micro USB v2.0, Bluetooth 4.1

Battery: 3000mAh non removable battery.

The device is a dual sim which uses nano cards

Battery Life

Being a techie that I am, I give less rest to my phones since am always looking out for what’s new and I always found issues with battery being spent too fast. A power bank had become my partner in this my single life.

A fully charged Huawei GR5 can last up to 48 hours for moderate users. As for me, it could go for 26 to 30 hours. That was using the phone as my primary device, listening to approximately 6 hours of music a day via corded earphones, browsing and using apps for three hours and with lots of push notifications and emails coming in through the day.

Even with heavy use, taking photos, recording videos and going live on facebook, it would still last a full day and some hours of the next day.

Asked about my experience with the Huawei GR5, I would straight away recommend it for travellers. When fully charged, the battery can last for your whole weekend trip and if you are a social media enthusiast like me, you would definitely enjoy it.

It’s also fit for the business class and the students. The burden of having to carry a power bank all over will be halted.

Finger Print Scanner

The fingerprint scanner is on the back of the phone below the camera lens. You don’t need to turn your neck while trying to unlock a phone, the scanner lies in line with where the index finger rests.

It’s so quick, just tapping the sensor is enough to unlock it if the phone is already awake. Unlike the many finger print scanning apps on Google play, this is inbuilt and is real.

Top rear end of a Huawei GR5

Camera

The device has an 8MP front camera, with high chromatic resolution, 4P lens array and a 77-degree wide angle visual range.

It takes sharp looking selfies and also enables the user to include more people within the selfie shot.

The notable issue with the front camera is that the sharp selfies lack fine detail, likely due to it being fixed focus.

The rear-facing 13MP camera features an f/2.0 aperture, 78-degree wide angle visual range, 5P Aspheric lens array with a blue glass filter to improve photo quality.

It has a lot of auto focus which when trying to capture a fast moving object causes unnecessary delays but when taking still shots, you will fall in love with it.

The device also has a professional mode for taking photos with parameters similar to that of a Single-Lens Reflex (SLR‎) camera that permits the photographer to view through the lens and see exactly what will be captured.

Observations

Double pressing the volume up key to take a shot can help especially journalists who would want to snap some people unnoticed. The issue with this is I got many blurry images.

The metal back is too smooth and slippery, I was always worried about it sliding out of my hands.

I carried it in my hands almost all time; the slightly rounded edges, the cold metal back felt very nice to the hands.

The camera flash is very bright, and gets out clear images even in the dark. The issue is I got many red eyes for all my night shots.

The device also supports tasks like speech recognition, low-power consumption, MP3, sensor hub, Fused Location Provider (FLP) navigation, and more efficient location-based tasks.

Pros: excellent battery life, dazzling fingerprint scanner, good screen, great feel, microSD card support, decent camera (especially for video).

Cons: fixed-focus front camera, no removable battery, Red eyes in night shots.

Hebert Kabafunzaki, the State minister for Labor, Employment and Industrial Relations on Monday afternoon led over twenty leaders and concerned locals from Rukiga Constituency and stormed the office of the Kabale District Chief Administrative Officer Abert Matsiko Mutungwire, protesting the misuse of the district ambulances.

The group is accusing the CAO of having a hand in diverting of the district ambulances after they were repaired.

The Ambulances in question are a Suzuki registration number UAA 147N donated to Mparo Health Center IV by former minister Manzi Tumubweine, and a Double Cabin Pick-up registration number UG 1826M which was donated to the same hospital by President Yoweri Museveni in 2005.

The vehicles were reportedly taken to Kampala by Dr. Patrick Tusiime, the former Kabale District Health Officer four years ago for repair. Dr.Tusiime is the current Commissioner In-charge of Communicable Diseases at the Ministry of Health.

Locals however, claim that after being repaired, a Suzuki Vehicle was taken to Ruhija health center III in Rubanda District while the double cabin pick-up was personalized by Dr. Tusiime, instead returning them to Mparo Health center IV.

Frank Kyerere Besigye, the Rwamucucu Sub County NRM Chairperson accuses the CAO Mutungwire of failing to force Dr. Tusiime to handover the ambulances when he was leaving in July for the ministry job.

The locals want the CAO, who is the custodian of the District property to explain why the ambulances were not returned to Mparo Health Center IV. They say that ever since their ambulances were taken, locals have met a lot of hardships in referring patients and expectant mothers to Kabale Regional referral Hospital.

When they stormed his office, Mutungwire was forced to hold an impromptu meeting with the aggrieved locals, the minister and district leaders.

During the meeting, Minister Kabafunzaki said he personally saw the double cabin ambulance carrying bananas in Kampala.

In response, CAO Mutungwire admitted that the Suzuki Ambulance being taken to Rubanda District was a mistake and will be rectified soon.

He added however that he was not aware that Dr. Tusiime was using the double cabin pick up to do his personal business.

Efforts to get a comment from Dr. Tusiime were futile as his mobile phones were off.

High Court Judge Justice Oumo Oguli has issued an order to the Electoral Commission officer in-charge of the National Voters’ register to produce within 7 days, original documents on the voting status Habib Buwembo, the Rubaga South voter who is challenging the election of Kato Lubwama as the area MP.

This came after Justice Oguli allowed exhibits presented in court by Buwembo that included a police complaint and an application to the National Identification Registration Authority (NIRA) made on 20th/October to replace his alleged stolen National ID.

Court agreed in the interest of justice to put these documents on record, but demanded that the EC provides the original prints that show that the applicant is indeed a voter from Rubaga.

Last evening, Kato Lubwama’s lawyers asked Justice Oguli to dismiss Buwembo’s application for extension of time within which to file an election petition.

They also claimed that Buwembo is not a voter and therefore has no mandate to file an election petition.

Rwizi Regional police are holding 3 people alleged to have stolen 10 goats from Kiruhura district.

Ivan Nganyira, Barnabus Katungi and Nelson Musada were all arrested on Monday morning in Rutooma trading centre after their numberless Toyota Corolla containing 4 goats was stopped by Crime presenters and the locals in Kashari.

The three were being trailed after the locals in Byanamira, Kashongi in Kiruhura district tipped police about the stolen goats from the area.

The suspects were found moving about 10 goats in the cars

The stolen goats were loaded in an Ipsum number UAP 600A and numberless Toyota Corolla and were headed for Mbarara town

The OC-CID Kashongi Bernard Atukunda said the 3 have been tormenting the areas of Kashari and Kiruhura where they are said to have stolen over 300 animals.

Upon interception in Rutooma, the suspected thieves were badly beaten by the Crime Preventers, before Rwizi police arrived and took the them to Mbarara referral hospital.