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Pope announces visit to South Sudan

pope francis

Pope Francis, following the recitation of the Angelus announces a visit to the African nation of South Sudan.

The Pope during his Angelus on Sunday invited the faithful to pray for the African nation of South Sudan which he said, he wished to visit next year. The Pope had already expressed this wish during an audience with the President of the Republic of South Sudan, Salva Kiir.

Speaking to the faithful in St Peter’s Square, the Pope said he wished to renew his invitation “to all those involved in the national political process to seek what unites and to overcome what divides, in a spirit of true brotherhood.” He also recalled the spiritual retreat for the Authorities of the country, which took place in the Vatican last April.

The Pontiff said “the South Sudanese people have suffered too much in recent years and look forward with great hope to a better future, especially the definitive end of conflicts and lasting peace. I therefore urge those responsible to continue, tirelessly, with their commitment to an inclusive dialogue in the search for consensus for the good of the nation.” The Pope expressed the hope that the international community would not neglect to accompany South Sudan on the path to national reconciliation.

Following its independence in 2011, South Sudan erupted into civil war in 2013. The President Salva Kiir accused his Vice-President Rieck Machar of orchestrating a coup against him. Up to 400,000 people have been killed and more than 4 million displaced in the conflict.

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Arsenal give backing to Emery but ‘things need to improve’

Unai Emery.

Unai Emery has been offered public backing by the Arsenal hierarchy, but warned results must improve.

Emery’s position is under scrutiny after a run of just two wins from their last 10 Premier League games.

However, Arsenal head of football Raul Sanllehi and managing director Vinai Venkatesham say they have no immediate plans to make a change of manager.

“We firmly believe Unai is the right man for the job,” they told Arsenal staff at a meeting.

“We are as disappointed as everyone else with both our results and performances at this stage of the season.

“We share the frustration with our fans, Unai, players and all our staff as they are not at the level we want or expect. Things need to improve to meet our objectives for the season.

“We are all working intensively behind the scenes to turn things around and are confident we will.

“We never take our fantastic support for granted. We hope we can all stick together and get behind the team in this challenging period, as together we are stronger.”

Xhaka ‘hurt’ by hostile criticism

Meanwhile, Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka says he has been hurt by the “extreme hostility” directed towards him from the supporters, but has promised to prove his worth.

Xhaka, 27, was stripped of the club captaincy after being involved in an angry confrontation with home fans during the Gunners’ 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace on 27 October.

The Switzerland midfielder has not played for the club since.

“It was very hurtful and frustrating,” Xhaka told Swiss newspaper Blick.

“I can’t understand a reaction like that even now, especially the vehemence of it and the extreme hostility directed against me.”

Xhaka was booed as he walked off the pitch as he was substituted against Palace, prompting him to cup his ear, take his shirt off and head straight down the tunnel to the dressing room.

“When my shirt number lit up on the fourth official’s panel and our own fans broke into gleeful jubilation, that hit me very hard and really upset me,” he added.

“Insulting and swearing at your own captain will cause upset and a bad atmosphere for the team you are actually supposed to be supporting; that makes no sense to me and weakens the team’s spirit.”

Arsenal manager Emery said last week that he was unsure whether the midfielder would play for the club again, adding that “he was not ready” to return for Saturday’s match at Leicester, which the Gunners lost 2-0.

Xhaka, though, says he is fully committed to the club and is ready to move on from the incident.

“I’ve been 100% behind the club and my role as a player since I came here,” he said.

“I’m proud to be playing for this big club. I’ll continue to stay positive, give my all to an even greater extent and prove that I’m an important part of this great team.

“Last week in particular was a very special, emotional experience for me but I’m doing very well again, I’ve trained well this week and am looking forward to my next assignments.”

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COMESA and EAC develop Position Papers on climate change negotiations

COMESA

The  common market for and south African countries (COMESA) and East African Community (EAC) Secretariats have come up with position papers to guide negotiations of Africa’s position during the upcoming United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) meetings set for Madrid Spain nex month

The proposed Position papers will be presented to the African Group of Negotiators (AGN) on Climate Change at the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN) to be held in Durban.

The Secretariats believe that presenting the position papers will enhance the participation of Africa. Delegates from the blocs used the Kigali meeting to deliberate and finalize the position papers which will now be submitted to the Chair of the AGN.

“It is our sincere hope that these two position papers will support our work in positioning Africa’s agenda so as to ensure that the continent benefits from the forthcoming negotiations in all priority issues,” the officials said in a joint statement.

Both the EAC and COMESA have an observer status to the UNFCCC processes and plan to participate in the forthcoming COP25 sessions to showcase the milestones, achievements and lessons learnt from the implementation of their climate change programmes in the region.

“We have put forward a good case for the region and Africa as a whole,” COMESA Climate Change Advisor Dr Maclay Kanyangarara added.

Experts have advised African countries to engage in effective intergovernmental negotiations on climate change, decision making processes and implementation because they face similar challenges when dealing with the effects.

“These Position Papers will reduce vulnerability of the region,” EAC Director of Productive Sectors Mr. Jean Baptiste Havugimana said.

The regional consultative meeting brought together negotiators and policy makers including National Climate Change Focal Points for UNFCCC, COMESA countries, Ministries responsible for EAC affairs and representatives from EAC Partner States.

“We need adequate resources to mitigate and adapt to the adverse impact of climate change in our region,” Deputy Director General at the Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA) Mr. Faustin Munyazikwiye noted.

The combined list of Member/Partner States that participated in the consultation are: Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Rwanda, South Sudan, United Republic of Tanzania, Uganda, Seychelles, Sudan, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

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Insurance Regulatory Authority urges sector players to come up with anti-fraud policies

ira ceo

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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Mike Mutebi, Shafiq Bisaso shortlisted for 2019 Fufa Manager of the Year Award

mike mutebi

KCCA FC boss Mike Hillary Mutebi and former Proline manager Shafiq Bisaso are the front-runners for the 2019 FUFA manager of the year award after being named among the nominees.

Police FC’s Abdallah Mubiru also features on the three-man shortlist.

Mutebi who has won the accolade for the last three years, guided KCCA FC to the  StarTimes Uganda Premier League, CECAFA Kagame Cup in Rwanda and the FUFA Super Cup.

Mubiru guided Uganda Cranes to qualify for the 2020 Championship of African Nations (CHAN) while Bisaso helped Proline FC to win the StarTimes FUFA Big League and the Stanbic Uganda Cup. He also helped his team beat Malawian side Masters Security on their maiden continual bow.

Shafiq Bisaso

For the first time, the coaches in Women’s football will have their own category and the nominees include Ayub Khalifa, Oliver Mbekeka, and Fred Ndaula.

Ayub helped Kawempe Muslim Ladies to reach the FUFA Women Elite League playoffs and was also in charge of the Uganda U17 Girls’ national team that won the maiden COSAFA U17 Championship. He also won several other trophies in FUFA sanctioned tournaments with his school.

Mbekeka led Lady Doves to two finals (FUFA Women Elite League and FUFA Women’s Cup) while Ndaula helped Makerere University to clinch the FUFA Women’s Cup, their first major title in history.

Another category introduced this year is the Airtel FUFA Member Associations’ award that is aimed at rewarding excelling FUFA Members. In total, FUFA is composed of 34 members following the admission of the Futsal Association of Uganda.

The nominees include; KCCA FC, Buganda Region Football Association (BRFA) and Uganda Beach Soccer Association (UBSA).

In beach soccer, St. Lawrence duo of Ronald Mutebi and Suleiman Ochero will contend for the gong alongside Herbert Luboyera of Mutoola Beach Soccer Club.

Mutebi was named the best goalkeeper in the 2018/19 league while Ochero finished as the top scorer with 29 goals in 19 games and was named the Most Valuable Player.

In the Airtel FUFA Upcoming talent category, Sadat Anaku who won the accolade last year is nominated alongside Garvin Kizito Mugweri and Davis Sekajja.

Coaches of the FUFA Women Elite League and FUFA Women Super League nominated their top 5 candidates for the FUFA Female player of the year 2019.

There was a second round of voting by the coaches and captains for the Male player of the year and Female Player of the Year to get the top 5 and the list will be released on Wednesday.

Public voting will contribute 25% and will get underway after the release of the top 5 for Male and Female Player of the Year. The Coaches will contribute 50%, Captains 25%, and Fans 25% during the voting.

This is the fifth successive year that the Airtel FUFA Awards are organized running them ‘Celebrating Uganda’s finest footballers’.

This year’s awards function will be held on 14th December at Speke Resort, Munyonyo.

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Sheebah applauds her mother for being brave: ‘She didn’t have enough money to buy us clothes’

sheeba with her mother

Ugandan recording artist, dancer and actress Sheebah Karungi, has narrated her ordeal saying when she was growing up, her mother didn’t have enough money to buy them clothes among other necessities.

Every time her mother got a new gomesi, she would get a new little dress from the remaining material which she found so cool.

Reminiscing what transpired as they grew up, Sheebah said, “This is all I remember wearing after school. Recreating this moment at my home with my beautiful mama was very emotional for me thou I couldn’t show it.”

“We both not good at being sentimental she probably cried in her bed just like I did anyways, this shoot made her so uncomfortable cause she’s not into this whole camera life but I had to do it. I have always wanted to do it but I guess this was the right time.”

She applauded her mama for being brave enough to bring her to this world.

“You are my hero mama. I respect the woman you chose to be. Am so lucky I was raised by a strong woman like you. Your story turned me into a strong feminist. And it’s just the beginning am going to make you more proud mama, I promise. They will write about us one day. May god bless us with more life, health, happiness and wealth” she said.

Born and raised by a single mother in Kawempe, a division of Kampala, the capital city of Uganda. After completing her basic education at Kawempe Muslim Primary School, she dropped out of school in senior two when she was a student of Midland High School, Kawempe.

At the age of 15, she started dancing for money after she joined a dance group called Stingers before she left the group for Obsessions Music Group in 2006. At Obsessions she developed an interest in music, recording two songs before she left the group for a solo career in music.

In 2010, she released “Kunyenyenza”, her first official single, produced by Washington with writing credit from Cindy. She went on to release another song titled “Bulikyekola”, featuring vocals from KS Alpha and then “Baliwa” featuring Coco Finger.

It was until she released “Automatic”, a song written by Sizzaman, that her solo career experienced a major turnaround. Upon the success of “Automatic”, she teamed up again with Sizzaman to release “Ice Cream” to massive airplay and positive reviews before she went on to release another hit single, “Twesana”.

In 2014, she released her first musical project, Ice Cream, a five-track EP which contained hit singles including “Ice Cream” and “Jordan”. The EP was well received and helped win her Best Female Artist at the 2014 and 2015 HiPipo Music Awards.

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Makerere standoff: Museveni summons NRM MPs to state house

President Yoweri K. Museveni

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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FDC to mark 15th year anniversary

Mr Ssemuju Nganda

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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Uganda to host 4th International Conference on Tax in Africa

URA

The Uganda revenue authority (URA), is set to host the fourth International Conference on Tax in Africa (ICTA), which ties in with the 10th anniversary celebration for the African Tax Administration Forum (ATAF).

Under the theme ‘Innovation, Digitalization and Harnessing Technology to Improve Tax Systems’, the ICTA conference will take place in Kampala from 18th-22nd November. With the current wave of digitalized economies, the theme of ICTA2019, will cover innovative solutions to the policy challenges that face countries in dealing with the taxation of digitalization to inform the global tax debate over the next decade.

According to the commissioner general for customs in URA, Dickson Kateshumbwa, Africa has evolved into more effective tax systems, creating increased opportunities for state building and enabling Africa to take control over its own destiny.

“In 2009, ATAF had 25 members however by 2019, 38 countries had joined the forum and 12 countries have enacted new transfer pricing laws and regulations.” He said adding that over 15,000 officials trained in international tax and tax administration matters such as tax treaties, Transfer Pricing, Tax Audit and Taxing Natural resources.

“The ATAF10th Anniversary highlights key milestones that the platform and members have registered since its launch in November 2009, as a beacon of hope to strengthen revenue mobilization and administration on the continent,” he said

ATAF was created as a platform that champions interests of African countries in the international tax arena, this came hot on the heels of the 2008 global economic crisis. As a result, Africa has evolved into more effective tax systems.

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Egypt win historic double at FIBA 3×3 Africa Cup 2019

egypt 3x3 men and women team celebrate

Egypt dominated the third edition of the FIBA 3×3 Africa Cup in Kampala, Uganda on November 8-10, 2019.

In the men’s category, Egypt defeated the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the final (21-12) to win their first-ever FIBA 3×3 Africa Cup title. Mido Mohamed had a performance for the ages in the final, scoring no less than 15 points. He led all scorers with 49 points and was a no-brainer MVP of the competition.

Mido, who is only 23 years old, was joined on the team of the tournament by Arsene Mwana, who led the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the silver medal. Mamadou Keita, who guided Mali to the bronze medal, completed the trio.

In the women’s category, Mali fell just short of an incredible three-peat. Egypt defeated the 2-time winners 18-15 in the championship game. It was only Mali’s second loss in 3×3 Africa Cup history in 16 games in the women’s category.

Egypt star Soraya Mohamed was on another level in Kampala. She paced Egypt with 8 points in the final, including  a clutch step-back 2-pointer with 15 seconds to go to ice the game.

She put on an absolute show at the Africa Cup, topped all scorers and was logically named MVP of the tournament. Mali’s top scorer Aïssata Maiga and Ritah Imanishimwe (Uganda) were also included on the team of the tournament.

Imanishimwe led the Ugandan hosts to bronze with a 21-15 win over Nigeria in the third-place game.

Egypt completed a perfect weekend as their men’s U18 team also won the inaugural edition of the FIBA 3×3 U18 Africa Cup (Mali won in the women’s category).

Natalie Mwangale (Kenya’s women) won gold at the Shoot-out contest. Godwin David (Nigeria’s men) got silver while Djack Kapongo (Democratic Republic of the Congo’s men) struck bronze.

Uganda will again host the FIBA 3×3 Africa Cup in 2020 and 2021.

ABOUT FIBA 3×3

Exciting, urban and innovative, 3×3 is inspired by several forms of streetball played worldwide and is considered the world’s number one urban team sport. Steered by FIBA, games see two teams of three players face off on a basketball half-court.

It was played successfully for the first time in international competition at the 2010 Youth Olympic Games in Singapore and since then has benefited from the launch of a yearly city-based FIBA 3×3 World Tour and national-team FIBA 3×3 World & Continental Cups. On June 9, 2017, 3×3 was added to the Olympic Program, starting from the Tokyo 2020 Games.

FINAL STANDINGS

MEN

  1. Egypt
  2. Democratic Republic of the Congo
  3. Mali
  4. Madagascar
  5. Uganda
  6. Kenya
  7. Nigeria
  8. Botswana
  9. Niger
  10. Benin
  11. Burundi
  12. Mauritius

WOMEN

  1. Egypt
  2. Mali
  3. Uganda
  4. Nigeria
  5. Kenya
  6. Botswana
  7. Burundi
  8. Benin
  9. Mauritius
  10. Djibouti
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