Parents of Michael Nuwagira are distressed as their son, a 16 year old has reportedly gone missing from home.
It is said that Nuwagira left their Najjera home on June 11 for school but never reached school until today. The family is now appealing to the public for any information of his whereabouts or report whoever the suspect could have kidnapped the child.
Sierra Leone President Julius Maada Bio has arrived in Uganda for Africa Blockchain conference.
President Bio arrived in Entebbe this morning for a three day state visit under the invitation of President Yoweri Museveni.
The two leaders are expected to hold bilateral talks and later address a press conference and thereafter, proceed for the Blockchain conference at Serena Hotel.
By Susan Teltscher
In 2018, numbers on Internet usage made headlines announcing that more than half the world is online.
This is indeed great progress given that 15 years earlier (in 2003) only 12 of the world’s people were using the Internet.
Despite this enormous growth, however, nearly half of the world’s people are still not using the Internet and so unable to reap many of the benefits of today’s digital economy. Even worse, Internet user growth rates in developing countries are slowing.
So what can be done to get everyone online and be part of the digital society and economy?
Providing digital skills training – along with lower costs and more relevant content – are some of the key factors to bridging the digital divide, but first it is important to have a clear idea of the reasons why more people are not using the Internet.
Why are people not using the Internet?
It is often wrongly assumed that people are not online because they don’t have access to Internet services (e.g. no Internet where they live). The facts do not support this argument.
Today, more than 90 per cent of the world population lives within reach of a 3G (if not 4G) mobile broadband network. So in theory, people could buy a data package from a local operator and go online.
One could argue that global Internet usage could stand at 90 per cent (instead of 50 per cent) if everyone who had access to the service bought it. But we know that this is not the case. We need to look for, and understand, other barriers or reasons for why people choose not to use the Internet so that appropriate action can be taken.
Affordability is certainly a major reason. Although smart phone prices have dropped across the globe, they are still high – as much as people’s monthly income in a number of countries. Data packages are also costly and the quality of the connection is often low which doesn’t incentivize people to buy the service.
“The policy focus has to shift from a discussion on infrastructure/access-related measures towards digital literacy and human skills development measures.”
This, coupled with the lack of attractive applications with relevant content is reason enough not to spend the little money available. The mobile revolution took off since it addressed a basic need of people – to be able to communicate. Even poor households spend a large share of their income on mobile telephony (sometimes more than on food) since they value it highly.
Unless such basic needs will be met by Internet-enabled services, the Internet revolution will not take off in poor countries.
Lack of education and skills is a key barrier to Internet uptake
One of the main barriers to Internet uptake is a lack of capacity and skills of people to use the Internet and take advantage of what it offers.
Data collected in developing countries through national representative household surveys and compiled by ITU (see MISR 2018), as well as through the After Access surveys, provide revealing insights in this regard: when asking people why they are not using the Internet, around 65% of the answers are linked to education and skills (e.g. “don’t know what the Internet is”, “don’t know how to use it”).
Even in more advanced countries, 60 per cent of the population lack standard digital skills. There is a strong correlation between people’s levels of education and Internet usage.
The gap between people having access to Internet and not using it is largest in the least developed countries (70 per cent 3G service coverage compared with 20 per cent Internet usage in 2018). In these countries, the gender Internet user gap is also the largest and it is often girls and women who are also less educated and digitally illiterate.
What needs to be done?
Therefore, the policy focus has to shift from a discussion on infrastructure/access-related measures towards digital literacy and human skills development measures in order to effectively close the digital divide and ensure that all citizens will be part of the evolving digital society.
This will require a concerted effort by all stakeholders involved in the digital skills ecosystem, ranging from policy makers across different sectors to private companies, academic and educational institutions, as well as community-based organizations.
This is now increasingly being recognized by national governments and the international development community. Programmes and initiatives addressing the digital skills gap are mushrooming.
Digital skills are needed at all levels: at the basic level, to help people connect and benefit from Internet services and applications; at the intermediate level, to help students and job seekers get the necessary skills required by the digital economy; and at the advanced level to increase the pool of ICT experts and meet the demands of the industry.
How ITU contributes
Strengthening capacities in the field of digital technologies is a core mandate of ITU.
The ITU Academy is the main gateway to ITU’s activities on capacity and skills development. It offers a large number of training courses on topics ranging from cybersecurity, Internet of Things, spectrum management, to e-government, innovation and digital inclusion.
The portal has recently been revamped and now facilitates easier and more user-friendly access to ITU capacity development activities, courses and workshops. The ITU Centers of Excellence are key partners in the delivery of training.
There is ample evidence that shows how digital technologies can improve people’s lives and help achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This will only be achieved through a digitally literate population.
The writer is Head of ITU’s Human Capacity Building Division
The Commissioner of Customs at Uganda Revenue Authority (URA), Dicksons Collins Kateshumbwa, has been elected new Chairperson of the World Customs Organization (WCO) Council.
Kateshumbwa was elected during the WCO Council meeting that took place in Brussels, Belgium from 27 to 29 June 2019.
Kateshumbwa follows in the footsteps of Mr. Pravin Gordhan, the current Minister of Public Enterprises, Republic of South Africa who was the Chairperson from 2001 to 2006. The first ever from Africa.
He is tasked to steer the global customs agenda to focus on key WCO priorities and emerging areas such as implementing the Trade Facilitation Agreement, Capacity building for members, comprehensive review of the harmonized system, the revised Kyoto Convention, r-Commerce, Illicit Financial Flows, Customs Performance Measurement, emerging technologies, Security, Revenue Collection Compliance among others.
As Council Chairperson, Kateshumbwa will preside over WCO’s Policy Commission that meets twice a year. He will also chair all council meetings that take place annually.
Last year Uganda was the first African country to host the WCO AEO Global Conference that attracted over 1000 delegates. Kateshumbwa remains the Commissioner Customs at URA.
Several elections took place during the meeting. Pranab Kumar Das of India was elected Director of the Compliance and Facilitation Directorate and Taeil Kang of Korea was elected Director of the Capacity Building Directorate, and both will join the Secretariat in January 2020. Additionally, Mr. Dicksons Collins Kateshumbwa, Commissioner of Uganda Customs, was elected as the next Chairperson of the Council.
Among the important tools discussed and adopted by the Council was the 2022 version of the Harmonized System. Some notable amendments are new defining Notes for new or major technologies, electronic waste (e-waste), various gases with high global warming potential, rapid diagnostic kits for Zika virus and other mosquito-borne diseases, new fentanyl opioid derivatives, cultural articles, edible oils produced by microbes, edible insect products and minimally processed quinoa.
The Council endorsed an E-Commerce package and agreed to continue developing additional technical specifications. To further enhance Customs-Post cooperation, the Council adopted the “Joint WCO UPU Guidelines on exchange of electronic advance data between Posts and Customs.” An implementation strategy, an action plan and a capacity building mechanism aimed at ensuring the widespread adoption and implementation of the Framework of Standards were also adopted.
In addition, the Council adopted the new WCO Strategic Plan for 2019/2022 with its nine priority areas, namely coordinated border management, security and safety, the Revised Kyoto Convention, e-commerce, the Harmonized System, the Capacity Building Strategy, performance measurement, integrity, and digital Customs and data analysis.
“The annual Council Sessions were characterized by meaningful debate, aimed at bringing Members together to address common challenges,” said WCO Secretary General Dr. Kunio Mikuriya. “Indeed, the decisions taken by the Council will enhance the leadership role of Customs in border management and contribute to building future-proof Customs administrations around the globe,” he added.
Interior ministry spokesman Nasrat Rahimi said the blast hit a densely populated area where the ministry of defence is located.
A powerful explosion has rocked the Afghan capital Kabul, rattling windows and sending smoke billowing from Kabul’s downtown area near the US Embassy, according to media reports.
The explosion occurred early on Monday as the streets in the capital were packed with morning commuters.
Witnesses told Reuters the sound shook their building in the diplomatic area of Kabul.
Officials and police were at the scene of the blast and few details were available, including casualties.
Interior ministry spokesman Nasrat Rahimi said the blast hit a densely populated area where the ministry of defence is located.
Kabul’s chief police spokesman, Firdous Faramaz, could only confirm the explosion, but was unclear on the target or the type of explosive device, according to Associated Press.
The attack comes as the Taliban and the United States hold talks in Qatar, where the armed group maintains a political office.
The final day matches of the group stage of the Total Africa Cup of Nations Egypt 2019 got underway as the race for places at knockout stages gathers momentum.
The top two teams in each group, along with the best four third-placed teams of the six groups will advance to the knockout phase; the round of 16.
So far hosts Egypt, Uganda, Nigeria, Madagascar, Algeria and Morocco are the six teams to have confirmed their places at the Round of 16. They will be joined by 10 other teams for the knockout stages including the best four placed teams.
DR Congo at 3 points and Guinea with 4 points are still the third-placed teams and await their fate as other groups’ final matches unravel.
It is the first time the third placed teams will qualify to the next stage of the premier continental Championship, and it is due to the expansion to 24 teams.
Tie-breakers for Group Stage
Article 74
In case of equality between more than two teams at the end of the group matches, the teams will be ranked according to the following criteria in the order listed below:
74.2.1 The greatest number of points obtained in the matches between the teams concerned;
74.2.2 The goal difference in the matches between the teams concerned;
74.2.3 The greatest number of goals scored in the matches between the teams concerned;
74.2.4 If after applying criteria 74.2.1 to 74.2.3, two teams are still tied, 74.2.1 to 74.2.3 criteria are again applied to matches played between the two teams in question to determine the final ranking of the two teams. If this procedure does not allow separating them, the criteria listed from 74.2.5 to 74.2.7 are applied in the indicated order;
74.2.5 The goal difference in all group matches;
74.2.6 The greatest number of goals scored in all group matches;
74.27 A drawing of lots conducted by the Organizing Committee.
Safaricom Chief Executive Officer Bob Collymore is dead. According to a statement from the telecommunication company, Collymore passed on at his home on Monday morning.
“It is with deep sorrow that we announce the passing away of Robert William Collymore CEO of Safaricom PLC which occurred at his home in the morning of 1st July 2019,” read the statement from Safaricom.
In October 2017, Collymore went to the UK to receive treatment for Acute Myeloid Leukemia and returned in July 2018 to resume duties.
CONDITION WORSENED
“He has been undergoing treatment for this condition since then in different hospitals and most recently at Aga Khan University Hospital in Nairobi,” the statement said.
He has since been in and out of hospital but, according to the statement, his conditions worsened in the past two weeks.
Collymore leaves behind his wife, Wambui Kamiru, whom he married in 2016 and four children.
CONDOLENCES
“On behalf of the board of Safaricom. PLC, we extend our deepest condolences to his family, staff, partners and the nation at large who he served selflessly and with joy,” Safaricom chairman Nicholas Nganaga said.
Collymore joined the telecommunications company as the CEO in November 2010 taking over Michael Joseph and has stayed at the helm till his death.
He has been credited for growing the fortunes of Kenya’s largest mobile network operator, valued at an estimated $11.7 billion in 2
Ugandan and French environment campaign groups including Friends of the Earth days ago filed a legal notification with oil firm Total, claiming it has failed to address the human and environmental impact of its Ugandan operations as required by French law.
Under France’s Corporate Duty of Vigilance regulation, large French companies are obliged to publish annual plans that address the adverse impact of their activities, and those of subsidiaries and suppliers, on people and the environment.
In their June 24 notification, the campaign groups say Total’s 2018 plan makes no specific reference to its Ugandan Tilenga project, and thereby violates the law.
A spokeswoman said Total was waiting to receive the group’s full notification before commenting, and said Friends of the Earth had not responded to an invitation to discuss the firm’s projects in Uganda and neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo.
The six groups claim Total has intimidated and failed to properly compensate local land-owners, and has failed develop adequate environmental safeguards to protect the surrounding national park through which the Nile river flows.
The notification triggers a three-month period for Total to show it meets its obligations, or else victims can bring the issue before a judge.
“We fought for years to see this law passed. This first case is a real test to see if it does indeed allow us to prevent future human and environmental catastrophes,” Juliette Renaud of Friends of the Earth said in a statement.
The French multinational hopes to begin producing oil in Uganda in 2022-2023.
Uganda discovered crude reserves more than 10 years ago but production has been repeatedly delayed by disagreements with field operators over taxes, while a lack of infrastructure such as a pipeline and a refining facility have also held up output. China’s CNOOC and Total and London-based Tullow Oil have stakes in two areas. CNOOC is the operator of Kingfisher area, while Total leads the development of Tilenga.
UK’s Tullow Oil is yet to seal a tax deal in Uganda that is needed for the progress of its plans there with another oil dealer Total, it said days ago.
In April the company said the Uganda talks were expected to conclude shortly. But progress is also slower than expected. A tax deal needed to close the US $900 million (about Shs3.3 trillion) sale of a stake in its Ugandan fields to Total is pending.
“We continue to work constructively with our Joint Venture Partners and the government of Uganda to agree a way forward and the consequent timing of FID. Nevertheless, although negotiations continue, Tullow is currently considering all options in pursuing the sale of its interests in Uganda,” it said.
Barclays recently said the likelihood of a final decision on Uganda to come in as planned this year was declining.
“Tullow’s comment… indicates the potential for a fresh approach/structure to the deal that can be acceptable to all stakeholders, but increases uncertainty around the timing of the development,” said Barclays.
Tullow Oil in January 2017 announced plans to farm down its interest in Uganda’s Albertine Oil Project to Total for US$900 million.
Tullow Oil said in a statement issued then, “A Sale and Purchase Agreement with an effective date of 1 January 2017 has been signed in which Tullow has agreed to transfer 21.57 per cent of its 33.33per cent interests in Exploration Areas 1, 1A, 2 and 3A in Uganda to Total for a total consideration of $900 million.”
Tullow, Total and China’s CNOOC have hitherto all had equal stake of 33.3 per cent of the three exploration areas of Uganda’s Albertine Oil Project. It will be remembered that in line with the terms of its exploration MoU with the Government of Uganda, in March 2011, Tullow sold two-thirds of its exploration interest- one third each to Total and CNOOC at a combined value of US$2.9 billion.
The sale of the 21.57 per cent of share means that Tullow still retains an 11.76 per cent interest in the upstream and pipeline, which is expected to reduce to 10 per cent when the Government of Uganda formally exercises its right to back-in. Tullow intends to have a non-operated interest in the venture, that is, it will not have a management role.
Total on the other hand with a new accumulated 54.6 per cent shareholding will take the role of lead
Tullow Oil has also delayed the final investment decision (FID) for its Kenya project to 2020 and The company had aimed to give the final go-ahead by the end of 2019 for its onshore Kenyan oilfields, which are expected to produce up to 100,000 barrels per day.
The Kenya delay was a result of authorities asking for additional community consultations which Tullow expects to be submitted in the second half of the year – later than anticipated, it said in a trading statement.
“The Partners and the Government of Kenya are reviewing the most likely timeline to FID which Tullow now expects in 2020,” said Tullow.
Days ago, Tullow and its partners Total and Africa Oil signed commercial agreements with the Kenyan government, but it still needs to lock in financing for a US$1.1 billion pipeline to bring the oil to the coast.
Tullow expects its first-half gross profit to be $500 million, yielding pre-dividend free cash flow of about $100 million that would rise to $450 million for the full year, excluding $200 million due to be paid on closure of the Uganda deal.
Tullow’s much-watched net debt is expected to be at $3 billion in June compared with US$3.1 billion in December.
The African Academy of Sciences (AAS) is piloting seed funding for early-career researchers of up to £600,000 (US$760,500) – supported by the Wellcome Trust and the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID), which urges researchers and health innovators to use “people-centred” approaches in their research work.
According to Ms Lillian Mutengu, AAS’s public and community engagement manager, the implementers of research want societies and communities in Africa to appreciate the value of science and research.
“We want society to value science and research and its role in improving health and transforming lives,” said Mutengu, adding that, “We can only achieve these outcomes if we, through mutually beneficial conversations, seek perspectives from communities and wider publics where research and science gains its relevance.”
Ms Mutengu said many researchers have engaged and consulted with communities to improve recruitment and retention into research studies and in order to disseminate research results. However, she added the AAS wants to expand this practice to ensure that researchers encourage and engage research communities and wider lay publics, purposely seeking their experiences and perspectives about research and science, and using them to enrich research questions, design and outcomes.
“When people know their perspectives and concerns are being considered and respected by researchers, they begin to build trust in researchers and the research which translates into utilisation of research outcomes,” she said.
Now a new funding model, according to organisers, will prioritise community and public engagement and make it almost mandatory for higher education and other researchers on the African continent to consult the public before they get grants from the AAS.
The announcement was recently made at a meeting of Training Health Researchers into Vocational Excellence (THRiVE) held in Kampala. The AAS funds researchers at more than 50 lead and partner institutions of higher learning across the African continent to do cutting-edge research. It is now pushing the community and public engagement agenda in a deliberate move to improve application of research findings on the continent.
Ms Mutengu urged researchers on the African continent to consult with the public at the very initial stages when they are conceptualising their (research) ideas because then the research is likely to be more relevant and its findings adopted by the communities.”
“Our priority is research that has potential to positively impact society and research findings that can be consumed,” she said.
The new model will override the old where higher education and PhD researchers focused on media and policy engagement, not necessarily paying much attention to communities and the public.
Nelson Sewankambo, a researcher and professor of medicine at Makerere University Medical School of Public Health, welcomed the move by the AAS, saying that there had been a gap between researchers and communities on the continent.
“We have had this disconnect for so long,” said Sewankambo, adding that to get the impact they want, researchers needed to engage policy makers early when formulating research ideas.
The professor said the use of research findings on the African continent was low despite significant amounts of research taking place. He hoped the new funding model would help reverse the trend and make communities feel part of and appreciate research.
The issue was highlighted at the THRiVE meeting attended by African health researchers and innovators, centred on “building scientists for the future”, but extended to the urgent need for the researchers to engage communities if they are to generate “impact” research.
Outlining the benefits of engaging communities during THRiVE meeting in Kampala, Dr Annettee Nakimuli, lecturer in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the College of Health Sciences at Makerere University, said: “They [communities] are more likely to welcome research findings and to adopt them when they are consulted and made to feel they are part of the process.”
Abraham Mamela from the University of Botswana, and founder of knowledge management company the Infers Group, vouched for the need for community engagement in research and said the directorate of research in the Southern African country required researchers to seek local chiefs’ consent when they moved into communities to draw research samples.
