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Japan to train UPDF personnel in operating heavy engineering equipment  

By
Isaiah Mwebaze
-
CDF, Gen. David Muhoozi
 

 

The Government of Japan will offer nonlethal support to Uganda Rapid Deployment Capability Centre (URDCC) manned by the Uganda Defence Forces (UPDF) Engineering Brigade.

The support announced in Kampala on Friday at the Uganda Media Centre comes via the United Nations Project for Africa Rapid Deployment of Engineering Capabilities and will see Japanese mobile teams build further the engineering capacity of the UPDF.

“Uganda is delighted that the government of Japan is offering nonlethal support to the UN peacekeeping operations with third countries providing the platform to operate from. This triangular partnership with United Nations and other supported countries especially   Africa will go a long way in strengthening our capacities to respond to situations that threaten peace and stability,” said Adolf Mwesige, Minister of Defence and Veteran Affairs.

“Our desire is now to maintain this strong partnership and also where possible, get equipment that can form a strong and robust Military Engineering Company that can be rapidly deployed anywhere on a UN mandated mission,” he said.

The minister said that since 1986 when the National Resistance Movement (NRM) came to power, Uganda has contributed to international peace and security.

He mentioned that the first ever peace support mission abroad was the deployment of an Infantry Battalion in 1994 under late Maj Gen Levi Karuhanga to support the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to bring peace and stability in Liberia.

“Other peace support operations and limited deployments have been in Burundi, Ivory Coast and South Sudan and to a very large scale in Somalia since 2007 under the Africa Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM). This participation by Uganda even at the infant stage of its Army, is a demonstration of Uganda’s total commitment to play its’ rightful role as a member of the United Nations (UN), and we applaud the UPDF for taking on this huge, task which has greatly contributed to peace and security not only in the country but a greater part of the region,” he said.

The minister however said that Uganda’s efforts many times have met some challenges that delay the troops to settle down in the mission area. “These include limited capacity, for example, to rapidly clear ground and establish camps, provide purified water, establish proper sanitation,” he said.

And added that it is the realisation of such among some countries that the United Nations agreed to support the establishment of engineering units by training deployable forces on the use of heavy equipment thus building capacity of individual countries. “Uganda has established the Uganda Rapid Deployment Capability Centre (URDCC) to focus on such training and members of the press are welcome to visit the facility,” he said, reiterating that Uganda government is ready to offer troops for peace keeping operations.

The Japanese Ambassador to Uganda Kazuaki Kameda while addressing journalists said that the Japan Self-Defense Forces will come to Uganda for the first time ever to support the UPDF by dispatching 22 instructors who will from August 26-September 18, 2019 train the engineering personnel of UPDF in Jinja. The training sessions will equip UPDF personnel in operating heavy engineering equipment.

 
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COMESA targets lawyers in publicity drive

By
Geoffery Serugo
-
Nyambura Mbatia

 

COMESA Court of Justice and the COMESA Competition Commission are taking part in the largest gathering of Kenyan lawyers in Mombasa this week. The event has attracted over 1,200 lawyers thus providing the best opportunity for the two COMESA institutions to publicize their programmes amongst a strategic target group.

COMESA Court Registrar Nyambura Mbatia, described the legal fraternity in COMESA Member States as a prime target audience of the Court as they mainly represent litigants in court.

“This huge gathering of lawyers provides the best opportunity for our Court to be known by key stakeholders,” she said. “Quite a number of them are not aware of the type of cases handled by the regional court hence the need to raise their awareness, to know and use the court.”

The lawyers conference is organised by the Law Society of Kenya. Among the key themes of the Conference is: ‘Embracing Technology in Legal Practice; Litigation and Commercial Practice’.

At the conference, COMESA Court is specifically publicizing its digital evidence management system that was launched in February this year known as CaseLines. Under this system, lawyers can now file cases at the COMESA Court online thus cutting down on time and costs of manual practices.

In her presentation to the lawyers, titled: Embracing technology – A case study of the COMESA Court, the Registrar said the need to go digital was informed by the complex dynamics of the regional court.

“We have the most expansive jurisdiction covering 21 countries in Africa, and the court is required by circumstances, to sit in any of those countries,” Ms. Mbatia said. “Previously, this required carrying physical files from one place to another thus risking destruction, loss or misplacement of documents and possibility of delayed arrival of files thereby derailing slotted hearings.”

She informed the conference that the digital system has now eliminated the costs associated with sending documents to the Court or to Judges and airfreights to the venue of court sessions.

Mr. Danson Mungatana, a Commissioner of the COMESA Competition Commission said Kenya was one of the leading players in mergers and acquisitions in the COMESA region thus presenting lucrative opportunities for lawyers.

“We invite you to participate in these processes and provide advisory services to your clients on the need to avoid practices which negate the objective of free and liberalized trade,” Mr Mungatana said.

He said the main role of the COMESA Competition Commission was to monitor and investigate anticompetitive practices of undertakings within the region, and mediation of disputes between Member States concerning anti-competitive conduct among others.

Under the COMESA Regional Competition Policy and Legal Framework, Member States have committed to prohibit undertakings that prevent, restrict or distort competition within the Common Market.

The two COMESA institutions were part of the co-sponsors of the conference which was  was addressed by eminent legal practitioners in Kenya and the Commonwealth Lawyers Association.

 

 

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Sudhir rejects BoU allegations, dismisses Shs397b  case

By
Our Reporter
-
Chairman of Ruparelia Group, Mr. Sudhir Ruparelia.
 

 

Kampala businessman Sudhir Ruparelia has objected to the case in which Bank of Uganda (BoU) sued him for allegedly fleecing defunct Crane Bank Limited (CBL) of Shs397 billion in fraudulent transactions. Justice Wangutusi of the Commercial Court has set the ruling of the case on August 26, 2019.

Ruparelia through his lawyers of Kampala Associated Advocates on July 3, 2019 presented a preliminary objection against BoU case before Justice Wangutusi.

His lawyers asked court to dismiss the BoU case, arguing that the central bank overstepped its mandate in filing the case that has dragged on for years now.

“When dissolving a bank, BoU had three options. It can put someone in management in what is called statutory management, receivership or liquidation and it chose to go for receivership. Under the law, specifically, only the manager and the liquidator can sue. The case cannot be filed by a receiver,” said Mr Ellyson Karuhanga, one of the lawyers representing Sudhir.

He argeud  that under the law, BoU has four functions to dissolve and not selling the financial institutions.

“The receiver cannot be sued on that act and cannot sue anyone. His action is protected by the law. The second point we are raising is that the receivership is limited by time, the law gives the receiver 12 months to carry out its function and after this, he cannot do anything,” the lawyer argued.

“For us, a receivership, unlike the others, is not a siege, they are not surrounding the bank to find out what is happening. The law does not allow the company whose majority shareholder is a Mauritius based company to obtain those companies as is the case of Crane Bank,” he argued.

The lawyers made the objection when the case filed in January 2017 came up for hearing today.

Mr Bruce Musinguzi also argued that Sudhir was no longer the majority owner of CBL that he founded after Rasik Kantaria, a Kenyan national, on December 6, 2010, snapped up 47 per cent of the bank’s shares.

He said that Kantaria later transferred his shares to White Sapphire Ltd, a company incorporated in Mauritius and that a one Jitendera Sanghani, a British citizen, held 4 per cent stake in CBL.

He also said that under Uganda’s Constitution and the Land Act, CBL in receivership could not own or hold freehold property and was, therefore, not capable of holding the suit property in its names.

In to the submissions of Sudhir’s lawyers, BoU’s lawyer Dr Joseph Byamugisha argued that when a financial institution is placed under receivership the power to commerce or to continue with the civil suit does not stop.

BoU on October 20, 2016 BoU closed and placed CBL under receivership and would on January 25, 2017 controversially sell some of its assets to Dfcu bank at Shs200 billion. Later that same year, BoU alongside Crane Bank in receivership sued Ruparelia and his Meera Investments Limited for allegedly fleecing CBL of Shs397 billion in fraudulent transactions. Mr Ruparelia denied the allegations and counter-sued BoU, seeking compensation of $8m (Shs28 billion) in damages for breach of contract.

Each side now awaits the ruling set for August 2016, 2019.

Parliament’s Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (Cosase)  while investigating Bank of Uganda over the closure of commercial banks  established that over Shs478 billion was allegedly used in the receivership of CBL.

 
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Uganda gov’t denies spying on Bobi Wine, says has open democratic system

By
Our Reporter
-
Bobi Wine in court.
 

 

The Ugandan government has denied allegations made in a report in the Wall Street Journal that it worked with technicians from the telecoms company Huawei to crack the encrypted communications of popular musician-turned-politician Robert Kyagulanyi also known as Bobi Wine.

There was no evidence in the report that Huawei executives in China were aware of what was happening in Africa.

Huawei described the allegations as “unfounded and inaccurate”.

Government spokesman Ofowno Opondo told BBC Focus on Africa TV that they were “false”.

“In Uganda we run a transparent democratic system. The opposition politicians speak their mind openly… there is no need to use underhand methods to find out what they are saying.”

When challenged that Uganda had been accused of spying on opponents in the past, Mr Opondo said, “There will always be bad apples in the system.”

In 2015, the BBC reported that the Ugandan government used surveillance technology which was deployed to crush and potentially blackmail opponents. The report was denied by the government at the time.

Bobi Wine has been representing Kyandondo East Constituency as MP for two years and portrays himself as a champion of the poor, and sings about social justice and democracy.

He intends to run against President Yoweri Museveni in the 2021 presidential election, even though he does not subscribe to any political party, apart from heading his popular political pressure group, People Power.

Museveni has been in power since 1986, and is seeking a sixth term.

 
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Rwandan opposition politician goes missing for 30 days

By
Agencies
-
Eugène Ndereyimana

 

 

The wife of a Rwandan opposition party member who disappeared 30 days ago has told the BBC she has lost hope of finding her husband.

Joselyne Mwiseneza said she does not know whether her husband, Eugène Ndereyimana, is dead or alive.

The politician, who represented the opposition FDU-Inkingi party in the east of the country, went missing on 15 July.

Mrs Mwiseneza said the authorities have not given her any news about him.

“The children are too sad, they don’t know what’s going on, they keep asking me where dad is gone. It is too hard for me,” Mrs Mwiseneza said.

Victoire Ingabire, leader of FDU-Inkingi, says that Habarugira Jean Damascène who held the same position as Mr Ndereyimana, also went missing in 2016. His body was later discovered.

Mrs Ingabire, a vocal critic of the Rwandan government, has previously condemned the killing of opposition members.

Her personal assistant, Anselme Mutuyimana, went missing on his way home in March 2019. His body was later found in a forest.

The Rwandan government has previously denied accusations that they have been persecuting the opposition.

 

 

 

 

 

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Tackling greenhouse gas emissions: AfDB welcomes $20m investment from Clean Technology Fund

By
Agencies
-
Greenhouse gas emissions

 

 

The Clean Technology Fund (CTF) one of two multi-donor trust funds within the Climate Investment Funds (CIF)  on August 8, 2019 approved US $20 million for the Facility for Energy Inclusion (FEI), a facility sponsored by the African Development Bank to  provide sustainable financing for small-scale renewables in Africa.

FEI is a $500 million financing platform whose objective is to catalyze financial support for innovative energy access solutions.  FEI On-grid, a targeted US $400 million fund, supports improved energy access through the development of small-scale renewable energy generation and mini-grids across Africa, while the Off-Grid Energy Access Fund (OGEF), a targeted US $100 million fund, supports off -grid energy distribution companies and boosts their long-term capacity to access capital markets at scale.

The CTF investment, composed of a US $4 million junior equity tranche and a US$6 million senior concessional loan,  will be drawn from the Dedicated Private Sector Program III, designed to provide risk-appropriate capital to finance high-impact, large-scale private sector projects in clean technologies.

Stressing the difficulty rural areas have in attracting investment for affordable and productive electricity, Anthony Nyong, Director of Climate Change and Green Growth at the African Development Bank said the funds would contribute to economic and social growth and enhance its recipients’ resilience to the effects of negative climate change.

“Access to affordable and reliable energy has huge benefits at various levels of any society. Most of the 600 million people estimated to lack access to modern energy services in Sub-Saharan Africa are also among the most vulnerable to the disastrous consequences of climate change,” he said.

FEI is expected to contribute to the installation of around 600MW of renewable energy projects across different African countries and avoid over 30 million tons of CO2 equivalent of greenhouse gas emissions over a period of 20 years while yielding positive gender and social outcomes.

 

 

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PS Keith Muhakanizi orders for deletion of absentee staff from public payroll

By
Our Reporter
-
Keith Muhakanizi, PS Ministry of Finance.

The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Econ/Secretary to the Treasury, Keith Muhakanizi has instructed accounting officers in central as well district local governments to delete names and stop paying staff who have abandoned their work stations or are away on long term study leave without the approval of the appointing authority.

“In accordance with Section 11 (3) (a) of the PFMA, 2015, this is, to direct you to delete public officers who have abandoned their stations and have not reported for duty for 3 months without giving clear reasons from the salary payroll, and also delete those who are away on long term study leave without the approval of the appointing authority,” Muhakanizi in a letter dated August 2019, ordered all Accounting Officers of central and local government votes.

Muhakanizi also warned the officials who include district service commission chairpersons, to desist from recruiting staff who don’t have required qualifications, adding that recruitment of staff without following laid-down procedures was unacceptable.

“You are further requested to desist from recruiting staff without following the right procedures within the existing laws and procedures as well, as ensuring that there is adequate budget before recruitment,” he warned.

Muhakanizi was bitter that some public officials have not returned to work even when their term of study leave ended but continue to pick salaries.

Muhakanizi said he would liaise with his counterpart in the Ministry of Public Service to ensure that the practice of public servants drawing salaries even when they are not working continuously for three months is stopped.

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Uganda coffee exports rise 7% in June

By
Francisco Adongo
-
 

 

A total of 341,628 60-kilo bags of coffee valued at US $31.91 million were exported in June 2019, according to Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA).

According to UCDA latest report, the coffee exports in June comprised 253,625 bags of Robusta worth US $22.63 million and 85,003 bags of Arabica worth US $9.28 million.

“This was an increase of 7.08 per cent in quantity and a decrease of 4.65 per cent in value from the same month last year,” says UCDA report.

By comparing quantity of coffee exported by type in the same month of last coffee year (May 2018 and 2019), Robusta registered a percentage increase in quantity by 1.23 per cent and a decrease of 10.57 per cent in value. Arabica exports registered a percentage increase in both quantity and value (29.74 per cent and 13.70 per cent) respectively.

Meanwhile, coffee exports for nine months (October 2018 to June 2019) totaled to 3,137,118 bags worth US 310 million compared to 3,266,831 bags (US $357 million) the previous year a drop of 3.97 per cent and 13.17 per cent in quantity and value respectively.

On the other hand, coffee exports for the last 12 months (Financial Year 2018/19) amounted to 4.18 million bags worth US $416 million compared to 4.45 million worth US $492 million the previous year, a 6 per cent and 15 per centreduction in both quantity and value respectively . Some of the factors that led to this were: low global prices on account of higher global coffee supply which affected export prices and the after effect of the dry weather in south of the equator in 2018.

Uganda’s coffee Exports by destination

According to UCDA report, coffee exports to Italy had the highest market share in the month of June with 33.01 per cent compared to 30.61 per cent in May, it was followed by Germany with 11.71 per cent compared to 13.11 per cent in May, USA had 9.76 per cent in June compared to 13.75 per cent in May, India had share of 9.61 per cent compared to (7.78 per cent in May and Sudan had 6.04  per cent compared to 9.74 per cent in May.

Coffee exports to Africa amounted to 45,497 bags, a market share of 13.32 per cent compared to 50,569 (14.50 per cent) bags the previous month.

The figures in brackets represent percentage market share held in May 2019.

Europe remains the main destination for Uganda’s coffees.
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Sudhir petitions Speaker over COSASE’s inquiry into plot 24 Kampala Road

By
Geoffery Serugo
-
PETITIONED: Sudhir Ruparelia,

 

City tycoon, Sudhir Ruparelia has petitioned the Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga inquiry why parliament’s oversight committee, Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (COSASE) dragged his property on plot 24, Kampala Road among the disputed properties belonging to Custodian Board.

“We have followed part of the ongoing COSASE inquiry regarding Departed Asians properties Custodian through televised and print media. A property that belongs to Meera Investment Limited has been mentioned as part of the inquiry” Mr Sudhir asks in his August 14, 2019 letter to the Speaker.

He further continues “That property is plot 24 Kampala Road, Kampala (Freehold register volume 1062 Folio”.

Sudhir says inclusion of plot 24 Kampala Road is contempt of Court because the matter was conclusively handled.

“COSASE is now inquiring into a matter and ownership decided upon by the High Court in 2012.  We are seeking clarification and guidance from you whether Parliament can inquire into a matter where a decision of court has been made or where a matter is in court. Then whenever matters in court come to an end, parties can come to parliament for another decision” Sudhir’s letter reads in part which was also copied to Chief Justice, Bart Katureebe.

Sudhir in his petition says he bought the said property in 1995 and thereafter went to court for judicial review under LD CR 16 0f 2012 to challenge the Custodian Board’s claim:

“High Court listened to us and listened to Custodian Board (represented by Attorney General) and made a decision on December 20, 2012 in our favour”

The select sub-committee COSASE is investigating circumstances under which properties that were compensated for by government have been grabbed. The Members of Parliament have since asked the government officials who handled the Departed Asians properties to table proof of compensation for each property. The select sub-committee is chaired by Makindye East MP Ibrahim Kasozi.

 

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‘CCTV project is a tool to track us, hunt us and persecute us’ -FDC’s Ingrid Turinawe

By
Our Reporter
-
Ingrid Turinawe.
 

 

The Government of Uganda has spent US$126 million on CCTV from Huawei Technologies Company Limited to help track criminals but Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) Secretary for National Mobilisation, Ingrid Turinawe has reservations on the installation of the cameras long Kampala’s streets.

Turinawe told an international news agency Reuters that the cameras are being installed to track the opposition politicians.  “The CCTV project is just a tool to track us, hunt us and persecute us,” Turinawe is quoted as saying.

Turinawe’s fears could be believed by the sections of the Ugandan public because years ago she was brutalized by the officers of the Uganda Police Force. The High court in Kampala in March this year ordered government to pay her Shs170 million, following a case she filed for assault.

Facial recognition technology has become increasingly pervasive around the world, raising concerns about potential abuses. Officials in San Francisco voted in May to ban its use by city personnel, Reuters reports.

Huawei technicians have allegedly helped intelligence officials in Uganda and at least one other African country spy on their political opponents, according to an investigation published by the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on Wednesday.

In Uganda, WSJ alleges they helped crack the encrypted communications of popular musician turned politician Bobi Wine; police swarmed a concert that would have featured surprise opposition speakers and arrested him and dozens of supporters, the paper said.

In Zambia, Huawei employees allegedly helped the government access the phones and Facebook pages of bloggers critical of the president so they could be tracked and arrested, the paper reported.

Huawei rejected the Journal’s “unfounded and inaccurate allegations”, telling Reuters in an email: “Huawei’s code of business conduct prohibits any employees from undertaking any activities that would compromise the data or privacy of our customers or end users, or that would breach any laws.”

Uganda’s cameras are part of Huawei’s Safe City initiative, which has been rolled out in more than 200 cities worldwide, including in China, Pakistan and Russia.

In Africa, Huawei has sold CCTV systems to countries such as Kenya, Egypt and Zambia where activists have raised similar concerns over privacy and effectiveness. In Europe, France, Germany and Serbia have small projects with Huawei’s initiative.

The U.S. government has restricted trade with Huawei and four other Chinese firms, accusing them of espionage and stealing intellectual property. It is also lobbying to persuade U.S. allies to keep Huawei out of next-generation 5G telecommunications infrastructure, citing concerns the company could spy on customers.

Huawei has repeatedly denied it is controlled by the Chinese government, military or intelligence services.

Reuters reports that surging crime in Uganda is fuelling public anger towards President Yoweri Museveni who has been in power since 1986 and will likely seek another five-year term.

Police recorded 4,497 homicides last year, nearly double the number of five years ago. Kidnappings for ransom, once rare, rose to 202 cases in 2018, an eightfold jump from 2017.

In one notorious case, the 28-year-old daughter of a wealthy businessman was kidnapped and killed despite her family paying kidnappers $200,000.

Police investigations currently rely heavily on witness interviews, Charles Twine, a spokesman for the police Criminal Intelligence and Investigations Department, told Reuters.

Twine declined to give statistics but said police manpower was “critically wanting.”

The police website said in 2015 the force was 45,000-strong. That’s about half the United Nations-recommended ratio of one policeman per 500 citizens.

A 2015 budget paper for the ministry of internal affairs said there were about 5,500 detectives. Twine said police must turn to civilian experts if they need DNA analysts, toxicologists or fiber experts.

He hopes CCTV footage will be the answer, letting investigators “know who has committed the crime, how did he commit it, which route did he take, and which tools did he have.”

About 2,500 out of a planned 3,200 cameras covering metropolitan Kampala have been installed. Huawei will eventually extend the system to all major towns in the country.

But some current and former law enforcement officials are skeptical that high-tech aids such as CCTV or new forensic tools such as planned DNA and fingerprint databases will have an impact on crime.

Uganda’s police are poorly paid and have little investigative training, said Herbert Karugaba, a Ugandan police investigator for 17 years before he joined the U.N. to probe genocide and war crimes in Rwanda and Cambodia.
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