The International Criminal Court (ICC) will deliver its judgment in the case against former Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) commander, Dominic Ongwen in 2020 or early 20121, according to the court’s Kampala Field Outreach office.

Ongwen is accused of commanding LRA rebels who attacked four camps for displaced people in Pajule in Pader District, Abok, Lukodi, Odek in Gulu and Oyam districts killing, raping and looting among other crimes committed by the insurgents.

While addressing journalists on Friday at Hotel Africana, Beti Hohler, an Associate Trial Lawyer said the defence team would conclude their case with five witnesses by November.

“The prosecution is expected to present one more witness, a psychiatrist as a rebuttal and by December, the prosecution will have concluded, said Hohler.

The officials said the psychiatrist will help disprove evidence by defence lawyers that Ongwen committed the crimes against humanity because he was mentally ill.

By February, 26, 2020 parties are expected to have filed final written submissions and on March 10, both sides will present their closing statements. The panel of judges will then sit and deliver judgment between 6 and 10 months from then.

Ongwen was charged with 70 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity that occurred during the LRA insurgency commanded by rebel leader Joseph Kony.

The accused is expected to rely on 69 witnesses and of these, 51 have already testified in Ongwen’s defence.

Dahirou Sant-Anna, the International Cooperation Adviser in the Office of the Prosecutor, said Ongwen relied on witnesses including local leaders in Northern Uganda, former LRA fighters, former Kony wives, former UPDF soldiers, witch doctors and former LDU members to defend him in the court.

He said Ongwen in his defence, told judges that he committed the crimes under duress and therefore cannot be held liable for the crimes.

His lawyers say Ogwen must be acquitted because he himself was a brutalised former child soldier in LRA. His attorneys told the court in The Hague that Ongwen cannot be held responsible as he was kidnapped by the LRA at the age of nine and “spent nearly 27 years in the grip of the LRA” as a “slave”. “Dominic Ongwen was a victim rather than a perpetrator. Once a victim, always a victim,” his lawyer Krispus Ayena Odongo told the court last year.

But Hohle said: “We have adduced enough evidence to the court that we think can lead to a conviction. For the claims that he was under duress have not been satisfied because Ongwen was not under any threat as he alleges.”

Hohle said the evidence presented that included radio communication interceptions indicate that Ongwen was operating far away from LRA commander, Joseph Kony and had chances to escape but he never did it.

“He was the most senior commander in the LRA and very remote from Kony. He, therefore, had opportunities to escape but he didn’t.”

The Ugandan government in 2005 referred five top LRA leaders headed by Joseph Kony. Others included Vincent Otti, Raska Lukwiya, Dominic Ongwen and Odhiambo Okot to the ICC for war crimes and crimes against humanity in northern Uganda.

Stories Continues after ad

The National Population Council which tracks population issues wants government to develop a clear vision and long-term financing strategy for social protection in Uganda. This is part of the recommendations outlined in the latest State of Uganda Population report 2019.

The report titled, “Promote Social Protection: Ensure Equity and Equality in harnessing the Demographic Dividend”, elaborately explores the role of social protection in achieving Uganda’s development agenda through turning the current demographic structure of a largely young population into an opportunity.

“In order to enhance political will and funding for increasing investment in social protection, Government should clearly lay out the costs and strategy for financing the proposals in the social protection vision (section 4.6.5) as part of the next 10-Year Perspective Plan and Third National Development Plan (NDP III) and the social development sector plan,” reads part of the report.

Social protection financing remains one of the core challenges for increasing coverage in Uganda. Despite a clearly laid out vision in the National Social Protection Policy (2015), the limited funding has seen its implementation restricted to a few components especially those that have attracted development partner support. At an estimated 4.5% of the population covered by some form of social protection, the levels of vulnerability are still very high. Currently, the Government of Uganda invests around 0.78% of GDP in social protection.

The report further recommends building a comprehensive social security system that covers everyone both in the formal and informal sector workers.

“Most countries that have achieved widespread social security coverage have done so through a multitiered approach that offers: (1) a guaranteed, adequate level of support for the vast majority of the population who are on low incomes and most of whom work in the informal economy, (2) mandatory, higher-level contributory social security benefits for those on higher incomes, and, (3) voluntary insurance for those who can afford additional protection,” reads the report

Such a system, the report says, if well designed, enables a smooth transition for people with lower incomes to begin to access a fully functioning contributory system as their incomes rise as part of an inclusive growth agenda.

The report also calls for fast-tracking of the reforms to convert the Public Service Pension Scheme into a contributory scheme and amendments to the NSSF Act.

“The payment of lump-sum benefits by the NSSF is, in effect, a transfer of the financial market risk to the individual; particularly in the absence of a well-developed annuities market. Government should therefore consider the option of converting the NSSF into a defined benefit social insurance pension scheme as a strategy to minimise the risk to individual members and enhance the value and range of individual pension benefits,” says the report.

Still, on the NSSF reforms, the report says that it might be a cheaper option for the context of Uganda, to provide a broader and adequate range of benefits through a pooled arrangement; while providing incentives to attract more contributors to the scheme.

The State of Uganda Population Report 2019 shows the potential of social protection systems to promote inclusive development that leaves no one behind—to prevent poverty, reduce inequality and promote social inclusion. It highlights that some groups of the population are unduly deprived of social protection and examines the barriers that these groups face.

As UPFSP’s Advocacy advisor, Flavia Kabahenda Rwabuhoro, argues, the focus on social protection by the National Population Council is an important milestone that underscores the interest in placing people at the core of Uganda’s national development.

“We need to start appreciating, as the report illustrates, that social protection cannot be approached as projects but rather a system. Different stages in the human lifecycle have specific challenges and opportunities and interventions have to be able to run not just a part of, but, the entire lifecycle,” she says.

Stories Continues after ad

Police under the Kampala Metropolitan have foiled a robbery in Lusanja-Kitezi village in Kasangati Town Council Wakiso District and managed to put one thug out of action.

Attempted Robbery vide kitezi CRB 256/2019. This morning at about 0300hrs, at Lusanja_Kitezi village, Kasangati town council in wakiso district, where three (3) thugs, armed with pangas and other house breaking tools, attacked the home of one Bosco Sserwada  aged 38.

However, as the thug met resistance from the guard know as Robbins Mumbere from Ultimate security group on duty who fought who fought them but was later over powered and tired on ropes.

“The thugs then embarked on cutting of the main door to the residential house. But before they could enter, the owner noticed and alerted the police of kitezi police station who responded immediately and found when the thugs were still struggling with the door. Police then shot at them killing one instantly. The other two thugs escaped with injuries. The body of the killed who has been taken to city mortuary pending post mortem,has not yet been identified” a resident of the area told Eagle Online.

The scene of crime has been visited by senior officers from Kasangati including the District Police Commander, Division CID.

Accordingly police has notified nearby hospitals and clinics about any person who may come to them with bullet wounds for treatment.

Kasangati has come under spotlight over incidents of attacks and robbery.

Stories Continues after ad

Kampala Parents’ School has this morning sworn in new prefects for academic year 2019/2020.

The ceremony was presided over by State Minister for Youth, Florence Nakiwala Kiyingi and school Managing Director Rajiv Ruparelia. Minister Kiyingi at the same occasion appointed singer Patrick Senyonjo aka Fresh Kid who is also a student at the KPS under the Ruparelia Foundation to Ambassador in charging of stopping street kids.

City tycoon Sudhir Ruparelia’s family gave the seven year old musician Fresh Kid scholarship at KPS after realising the hardship the young musician was going through since both parents had no meaningful ways of earning a living.

According to Rajiv,  the award of the scholarship to the young musician is in line with Ruparelia Foundation and boost the young man’s education path.

The function attracted parents and religious leaders that sworn in the new school leaders while cautioning them to be faithful and uphold the oath they undertook.

The school’s Principal Daphine Kato praised the outgoing team for good discipline exhibited during their term in office and encouraged the incoming team to emulate their predecessors.

Stories Continues after ad

Japanese Economy and Trade Minister Isshu Sugawara has been forced to resign after being accused of bribing voters in his district with seafood and fruit.

“I feel deeply ashamed of myself to resign in the middle of the tenure amid many pending issues. I apologize,” the politician said on Friday after he announced that he would be stepping down.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe accepted Sugawara’s resignation, saying “the responsibility lies with me for having appointed him.”

Japan’s strict election laws ban officials from offering gifts and donations to their constituents. Tabloids Shukan Bunshun and Maichini Shimbun reported that Sugawara’s office sent seafood and fruit to the voters at least 239 times in the 2000s. The gifts included melons, crab, mandarin oranges, cod roe and salmon roe.

Shukan Bunshun also published a photo allegedly showing Sugawara’s secretary giving an envelope of 20,000 yen ($180) in condolence money to the family of his deceased supporter. The politician’s office also sent funeral flowers – typically white orchards – to the families in his district.

Sugawara did not admit to violating the election law and said that he resigned to prevent the scandal from damaging the government.

A similar scandal broke out in 2014, when Justice Minister Midori Matsushima was forced to resign after the media called her out for distributing paper fans with her name on them to voters at a festival. One of Sugawara’s predecessors as economy and trade minister, Yuko Obuchi, also resigned the same year following allegations of violating campaign finance laws.

Stories Continues after ad