The insurance regulatory authority of Uganda (IRA), has called on all insurance players to come up with anti-fraud laws that will best prevent this cancer from eating up the sector.

This fraud in the sector is alluded the fact that insurance companies have resorted to working individually while competing without sharing useful information.

Speaking at the 44th breakfast engagement peddled at deliberating on evolving insurance market challenges, and how to tackle them, Chief Executive Officer of Insurance Regulatory Authority Alhaji Kaddunabbi Ibrahim Lubega, 10 per cent of the claims paid to policy holders are a result of fraudulent processes which in a way has a negative impact on the whole insurance industry at large.

“We have seen some engineers connive with people to put in values that were damaged and when you further probe, you realize that things are not connecting. It is also very common in medical insurance; someone goes to the medical facility checks for something which did not take them there in the first place. Even within insurance companies themselves, people forge work experience. This is fraud which must be dealt with”, Said Alhaji Kaddunabbi.

Allan Mafabi, the Chairman of the Uganda Insurance Association agrees to this and says, “It is high time we as insurance companies formed a single platform where we bring together our technical people such as those dealing with claims to share useful information. It is very common to find one car being claimed in more than two companies. It is therefore important that we dealt with this issue collectively and that is what we are working on.”

It is here that Alhaji Kadunabi, the IRA CEO encouraged insurance companies to come up with anti-fraud policies that will prevent any cases of fraud. The need to sensitize all insurance industry players on fraud and doing due diligence at the underwriting stage was also emphasized. The use of IT should as well be embraced.

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President Museveni who is also the Chairperson of national resistance movement (NRM) has summoned the party parliamentary caucus to discuss among others the administration of Parliament Bill and the ongoing standoff at Makerere university over fees increment.

The caucus meeting is scheduled to take place today at state house Entebbe. In the recent meeting, Museveni the official visitor of Makerere University and the commander of armed forces, ordered for withdraw of Uganda people’s Defence forces (UPDF) from the University for Sanity as chaos took the center stage.

At withdraw of gun men, UPDF announced that they have arrested Capt Ronald Lubeera of Military Police, the officer who commanded the troops in Makerere University. “A board of inquiry led by Lt Col Richard Ochen Okum has been set up to establish details of what happened and findings will guide the next course of action.” Brig Richard Karemire the spokesperson of UPDF said.

Scores of students were nabbed at detained at Wandegeya police station. During eight days strike, guild president Julius Kateregga was arrested three times and on the last two occasions, he was detained at unknown place before being released.

When he appeared before parliamentary committee on education, the vice chancellor of Makerere University, Barnabas Nawangwe, said he had no hand in the deployment of security personnel who beat up students.

The strikes were staged over 15 percent cumulative tuition increment, a policy that was passed and will go for five years. The cumulative tuition policy is only applicable to new students.

He said the University central administration has since maintained, the 15 percent tuition increment policy and revoked suspension of two students, Mollie Spellia and Frank Bwambale however the two will face Makerere university disciplinary committee presided over by grade one magistrate.

Police and other security agencies engaged into running battles with students to curb chaos that ensued for eight days. Security organs broke into student’s halls of residence such as Mary Stuart and others in the latest reign of terror at the university where even disabled students were battered by the police and the army officers.

Since then, the vice chancellor has apologized to disabled students and vowed to compensate them for all they lost in the chaotic scenes.

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The Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) will on December 16th 2019 mark its 15th year of existence.

The ceremony according to party spokesperson who doubles as Kira municipality MP, Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda, is aimed at reinvigorating Uganda’s leading political party, will take place at Mandela National Stadium in Namboole in one of the facility’s parking.

Over 10,000 FDC leaders and members from all over the country are expected to grace the ceremony. The party has also invited leaders from sister political parties in Uganda and from the African continent.

“The FDC was born on December 16th 2004 out of a merger of three political platforms; Reform Agenda, Parliamentary Advocacy Forum (PAFO) and National Democratic Front (NDF).” He said at party headquarters adding that it is at this function that the FDC will unveil a robust programme that will guide the final push against the dictator and dictatorship.

“Meanwhile we would like to remind FDC members and supporters that the recently announced zonal teams will be in your villages to check on the health of the party.” He said.

In villages where no leadership exist, a committee of six comprising two youth (male and female), an elder, person with disability, a woman and one more member will be put in place.

The committee of six will organize members to elect five more leaders who together will make eleven. The eleven per village will elect parish leadership and later sub-county. These leaders will run the FDC affairs until general internal elections are organized.

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Deputy Speaker, Jacob Oulanyah, has warned against making the 2021 elections a do or die affair, saying it is a normal political exercise that should not paralyze the country.

Political actors, he said, should watch their messages and avoid inflammatory statements that could set the country onto a disruptive path.

“We have our elections coming, but a lot of people are trying to make it a do or die situation. It is not, it is just one man one vote. This call which is threatening the peace, unity and stability of our country is misplaced,” said Oulanyah.

Oulanyah was speaking as Guest of Honor at the grand finale of the University Debate Nationals in Gulu University, which was themed around the 2021 general elections. The debates were organized by the Uganda Debate Network (UDN).

Electoral reforms, he added, precede every election, and have become national culture to enact relevant laws a year to the polls.

For this reason, Oulanyah saw no need of inflaming the public around calls for reforms, adding that the necessary bills are already being considered by Parliament.

“Electoral reforms are a normal thing that this country has done, and like it is about to do. Before the 2006 elections, there were reforms in 2005, there were reforms in 2010 before the 2011 elections; [for 2021] the bills are already in Parliament so why are we making it difficult,” he said.

Oulanyah said the youth should be careful and shun those encouraging voter apathy, saying he who disenfranchises himself by choosing not to participate in the elections will have lost the right to complain should the exercise return bad leaders.

“What right will you have to say anything about the leaders if you don’t vote?” he said.

Gulu University Vice Chancellor, Prof George Openjuru, said young people badly need to master the art of debate as an alternative to violence, altercations.

Prof Openjuru said with debate, ideas are exchanged under a peaceful atmosphere, warning students against electing leaders based on their propensity to cause violence.

“I urge you to elect leaders that will promote dialogue in student leadership; good student leadership must promote debate and not violence and provocation,” he said.

The ground in the countryside is ripening with readiness for the highly anticipated 2021 general elections, with politicians promising opponents bruising battles.

International University of East Africa emerged winners of the competition.

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