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Frustrated IGG throws in a towel applies for new job

By
Isaiah Mwebaze
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HOT SEAT: IGG Irene Mulyagonja

Frustrated by the increasing cases of syndicated corruption and in fights at the Inspectorate of Government, IGG Justice Irene Mulyagonja has applied for a job at the Judicial Service Commission as judge of the Constitutional Court.

Justice Mulyagonja is among the 24 applicants that have been shortlisted for vacant positions on the panel of the Constitutional Court.

The Court of Appeal of Uganda also known as the Constitutional Court of Uganda is the second-highest judicial organ in Uganda. It derives its powers from Article 134 of the 1995 Constitution. It is an appellate court when hearing cases appealed from the High Court of Uganda. However, it has original jurisdiction when adjudicating matters relating to the constitutionality of matters before it. All judgments by the Court of Appeal are theoretically appealable to the Supreme Court of Uganda, if the Supreme Court decides to hear the appeal
Justice Mulyagonja was appointed on April 12, 2012 from the High Court where she served as the judge.

She has served for seven years and she replaced Raphael Baku who stepped in as acting Inspector General of Government after the Justice Faith Mwondha refused to appear before Members of Parliament for vetting and thereafter she resigned and reverted back to the judiciary for redeployment.

Recently junior workers at her office wrote to the State House Anti-Corruption Unit, crying of corruption, impunity and maladministration taking place at the IGG that is supposed to fight corruption in public offices, saying that the institution requires a new leadership at the helm.
A group of disgruntled staff at IGG on March 3, 2019 wrote to the Head of the Anti-Corruption Unit Lt Col. Edith Nakalema, calling on her office to intervene and save the situation at the IGG’s office. “We write in good faith, and pray that your good office shall take action on that matter,” the letter reads in part.

They accuse the Secretary to the Inspectorate Rose N. Nakafeero together with members of the board and the management team for handpicking and interviewing people and that are yet to issue new appointments to new inspectorate officers without following the normal recruitment procedure set by the Internal Human Resource Policy of 2017 or the Public Service Standing Orders 2010.
The claim some officials at the IGG’s office are receiving bribery of Shs350 million for people whose cases are not registered with the inspectorate. They want President Museveni to disband the management team lead by Mariam F. Wangadya.

In response to the allegations, Justice Mulyagonja told Eagle Online that what her staff ought to understand is the fact that the budget allocation to the institution isn’t sufficient to have all salaries increased. On other allegations, Mulyagonja dismissed them as untrue.

“Actually it is members of who staff and their main concern that we don’t listen to them is untrue. However, they do not know the environment we are operating in because everything rotates on the budget allocation given to us. For other issues in their letter are baseless only intended to grab attention” Justice Mulyagonja told Eagle Online in a telephone interview.

The junior staff accuse top managers at the Inspectorate for taking long to confirm their colleagues who were posted to upcountry as Regional Inspectorate Officers or Principal Inspectorate Officers in various regional offices such as Fort Portal, Gulu, Lira, Arua, Moyo, Tororo and Hoima. The officers, according to the petitioners were posted about three years ago on the promise that they would be confirmed in six months but this has not happened.

Sources within the inspectorate further say the IGG is frustrated by the mere fact that another unit was created to do exact work like the Inspectorate does and so, she feels she has no docket to supervise given that Col. Nakalema seem to be better facilitated than the Inspectorate.
President Museveni recent during the 9th Commonwealth Regional Conference for Heads of Anti-Corruption Agencies in Africa held at Lake Victoria Serena Golf Resort and Spa, Kigo. said he didn’t appoint Col. Nakalema to fight the Inspector General of Government but rather help her fight corruption where she had failed.

Museveni said State House ant-corruption team led by Col. Nakalema is not meant to take away the work of the IGG or make it useless, “I appointed it to complement the IGG.”
Adding “When people start complaining of a watchman, then you have to hire a watchman to watch over that watchman and that is why I started and setup units in President’s office to watch over the IGG”.

He noted that it is critical to work with the victims of corruption, in the fight against it to enable them demand for accountability. The victims need to be able to rally support from society to pinpoint and call out corrupt officials.

At the same time, Mr Museveni used to occasion to introduce Col. Nakalema to the audience.
IGG is also accused for not being assertive on many top government officials implicated on corruption like her predecessor Justice Mwondha was. She has been accused of failure to release reports on top Bank of Uganda individuals that were involved in the sale of banks.

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Uganda hosts first ever FIDIC GAMA 2019 Conference in Kampala

By
George Mangula
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Prof. PLO Lumumba is among keynote speakers earmarked for the event

Uganda will for the first time host the annual FIDIC-GAMA conference from May 12 -14 at Kampala Serena Hotel, according to the latest press release from the organisers.

The conference serves as a forum for key trendsetters, industry practitioners to discuss the ways forward for the continent, businesses and the engineering sector in Africa and is to run under the theme, “The Role of Consulting Engineers in Driving Growth in African Economies.”

Unlike past events of its kind that have been held in other countries, this year’s conference will focus on what works in Africa. It also tries to import some case studies from beyond Africa. A lot of discussion is centered around: Regional infrastructural projects as a catalyst for economic development, emerging approaches to infrastructure development, sharing best practices to enhance sustainability in engineering design and implementation, smart and resilient infrastructure for sustainable development Facilitator, among others.

FIDIC-GAMA conference is a critical regional gathering and networking event providing a forum for engineers, contractors, government officials, private investors, funding agencies, construction equipment and material suppliers to discuss and tackle infrastructure development issues in a continental context. The conference draws 100s of attendees and is rocked by social events like dinners, galas, exhibitions among other.

According to the press release FIDIC-GAMA 2019 is the 26th annual conference and being held in Uganda for the 3rd time. “It is a conference created by consulting engineers for the world we live in, with real-hands-on work and in-depth understanding of the engineering provided by the industry’s key experts and opinion leaders,” organisers say.

The conference will help those in the engineering practice and material suppliers to know their positions at the infrastructure-economic growth interface, benefit from top notch profitable networking sessions, establish long lasting business and professional partnerships, experience human connection and great inspiration and explore Uganda as a consulting engineers.

Young professionals in engineering have been urged to attend specially dedicated breakout session for them. Suppliers, Vendors, Manufacturers all have a lot to grab from this conference, says the press release.

Beyond learning from other attendees, FIDIC-GAMA’s educational breakout sessions are world-class. Over 18 speakers from countries like Tunisia, South Africa, Ghana, Mali, Egypt, Morocco, Nigeria and Uganda among others will attend. Keynote speakers like PLO Lumumba and spotlight paper presenters including Mr. Ian Massey, Eng. Paul Karekezi, Ms. Allen C. Kagina, Eng. Samson Bagonza among others are expected.

“Overall, FIDIC-GAMA 2019 humbly boasts corporate networking, fun, entertainment, critical topics for our growth etc. Previous attendees say FIDIC-GAMA is not just a conference, it’s a two-day whirlwind of brilliant consultants, engineers, innovative speakers, new ideas and thought-provoking takeaways. It’s an event that connects like-minded professionals from all over Africa and the world to join one major conversation and collaborate on the new state of Africa,” the press release says.

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Singer Geosteady in trouble over child neglect

By
Our Reporter
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Geosteady with official fiancee Prima

Singer George William Kigozi aka Geosteady is in trouble over child neglect and is likely to face the wrath of minister Youth Minister Florence Nakiwala Kiyingi.

It’s alleged that he begot a son from a woman known as Nabweteme but he doesn’t give them support. Nabweteme says she tries to call him but he doesn’t want to pick. He blocked Nabweteme’s sister WhatsApp number after the latter sent him his son’s photos.

Nabweteme says what hurts her most is that recently Geosteady bought a luxurious expensive car for his expectant wife Prima yet for her and her son)are there suffering with nothing to eat as he doesn’t give them even a single coin. She has asked Minister Nakiwala to intervene and help her out as she did to Mathis Walukagga.

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African elephants under sustained threat of poaching, warns UN- report

By
Our Reporter
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Elephants are killed for ivory trade.

The latest assessment by a United Nations Environment Programme-administered treaty has confirmed that poaching continues to threaten the long-term survival of the African elephants.

Based on the Proportion of Illegally Killed Elephants data, or PIKE, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) has evaluated the levels of illegal killing through MIKE the Monitoring of Illegal Killing of Elephants programme (MIKE).

MIKE has calculated that illegal killing is the chief cause of death for elephants.

New evidence reveals that PIKE levels peaked in 2011 when an alarming 10 per cent of African elephants were poached, before steadily declining through 2017. That level has remained relatively unchanged throughout 2018.

Such high PIKE levels are of concern because even in well-established and protected elephant populations, the annual losses to illegal killing and other mortalities are not being compensated by birth rates.

Many African elephant populations are small and fragmented and not well-protected, making them even more vulnerable to poaching. As PIKE levels remain above 0.5 in Africa, the number of elephants in some countries continues to decline.

African elephant populations have fallen from an estimated 12 million a century ago, to some 400,000, according to the most recent estimations contained in the 2016 African Elephant Status Report.

“Illegal killing of African elephants for ivory remains a significant threat to elephant populations in most of the range States”, said CITES Secretary-General Ivonne Higuero. “At the same time, the human population of Africa has grown tenfold, from 125 million to 1,225 million, creating competition for land with elephants”.

While international trade in elephant ivory has been banned by CITES since 1990, opinions differ between countries about whether it should continue or not.

The African elephant and the debate over the ivory trade will be a major item on the agenda of the next triennial CITES Conference of the Parties, originally planned for May in Colombo, Sri Lanka, but now to be rescheduled for a later date.

“We must continue to reduce poaching and illegal trade in ivory and find solutions to ensure the coexistence of elephants with local people”, stressed Mr. Higuero. “The international community should further expand its work with the African range States to find solutions that work both for the elephants and for local communities”.

Attachments area

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Security agencies raid company for fleecing Mbarara residents of cash in dubious investment deal

By
Our Reporter
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Mbarara RDC Lt. Col James Mwesigye Mwesigye with his team speaking to the managers

Security agencies in Mbarara have closed Alliance in Motion Global offices in Mbarara over alleged fleecing of residents’ money under the pretext of investment.

This follows a number of complaints to the Resident District Commissioner, accusing the drug supplements company of taking people’s money without fulfilling the agreed terms.

Reports say the deputy RDC, Emmy Katera had earlier summoned the officials of the company but they denied any claims of extortion.

It’s reported that for one to join the company, one pays Shs778,000 and is given a package of drugs to sell.

John Bosco Mutabazi, Mbarara district OC CIID contends that so far they have 16 cases of extortion registered at Mbarara police station about the company.

Company members were found in their usual trainings in a fully packed and stinking hall before the RDC grabbed the microphone and told them not to come back.

According to media reports, the Mbarara RDC Lt. Col James Mwesigye Mwesigye and team later met the managers in their offices and told them not to open again.

“These people are supposed to be arrested how you can hold all these people here and start extorting money from them, at the end of the day the disgruntled people become a threat to the security of this country and remember whatever happens here, as leaders, we are to blame,” he said.

Mwesigye added, “so we cannot sit and keep on getting complaints that you are fleecing money from members of the public, we have to do something, remember we warned you before but it has become too much, police if you don’t have enough enforcement, let the army help you I no longer to see any person here come tomorrow.”

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Senior State Attorney who was sexually harassed cries out as she is blocked from flying out of country

By
George Mangula
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Samantha Mwesigye is said be fighting a proxy war.

Samantha Mwesigye, the Senior State Attorney in the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, in the latest letter, says government agencies that she sought help from after being sexually harassed by her supervisor over a decade, have neglected her to the extent that she has been excluded from committee meetings as well as being blocked from flying out of the country on some occasions.

Days ago Eagle Online ran a story as the lady came out publicly to tell Ugandans about her ordeal with her tormentor at the ministry.

Eagle Online has published her letter below:

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Seven keys to using social media to kickstart your brand

By
Agencies
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Martin Zwilling

By Martin Zwilling

After a frustrating meeting with a small business client recently who didn’t “have time” for social media, I was surprised to find evidence on the Internet that up to one quarter of small business owners are still hesitant to invest time, money, and effort into a social media strategy.

They don’t realize that they are missing out on a great opportunity for “free” promotion, as well as taking a great risk by not listening to what customers are saying, and not monitoring or responding to undeserved challenges to their reputation.

The classic example from several years ago was United Airlines not staying tuned in to social media, resulting in a unrecoverable customer problem causing great damage to their reputation, escalating to countless articles, and even a book, “United Breaks Guitars.” On a more positive note, there is a wealth of evidence that social media has resulted in some big paybacks.

Of course, nothing is totally free, and I have heard the horror stories of relatively small companies finding thirty or more employees spending most of their time scanning and using social media for promotions, or engaging high-priced consultants who never seem to be able to show any real return for all of their efforts.

I recommend the following steps as a start for maximizing your own return. I recognize that some of these may seem, well, basic to our social media-savvy readers, but based on my own recent experience in the real world, there are still plenty of people looking for a place to start:

Research the use of social media by your customers. If your customers are consumers, especially on the upscale and younger side, social media is likely their number one source for brand decisions. On the other hand, if your business is selling commodities to government entities, social media may rightly be at the bottom of your list.

Choose the best social media platform for your domain. If your interest is in reaching business professionals, LinkedIn has by far the greatest potential. Snapchat is almost exclusively a young person’s hangout, but you will likely find consumers of all ages on Facebook and Twitter. For B2B environments, consider who makes the buy decisions.

Approach influencers and key stakeholders appropriately. Social media is not all about being social, or treating everyone casually. For serious customers and investors, treat them with respect and stick to topics that are interesting and relevant to them. Viral videos, personal anecdotes, and informal surveys would likely be counterproductive.

Integrate social media into your overall marketing strategy. Just like ignoring social media is not smart, relying on it totally is likely not an optimal strategy. Most businesses need a mix of offline and online marketing, promotions, loyalty programs, and community involvement. This required mix must be reviewed and updated as your brand matures.

Pay special attention to attract a strong first impression. It definitely pays to get some help with your first step into social media, since first impressions often become lasting ones. Jumping in haphazardly with poorly a focused message is definitely non-productive, and may harm your business. Do your homework before you begin.

Use business metrics and tools to tune your efforts. More social media activity doesn’t mean a higher return on investment. Start by getting familiar with social media analysis tools, such as Google Analytics, Snaplytics, and SproutSocial. Always gauge progress by business indicators, like customer acquisition cost and customer satisfaction.

Demand professional business skills and customer advocacy. The people who lead and deliver your social media content need to fully understand your business, and be able to make real decisions on behalf of your customers and your business. Customers today rate will your business by the quality of your social media listening and response.

Too many business owners still consider social media a fad for chatting with your friends, or keeping up with the news. In fact, it’s much more than that today, and has become one of the most important tools for every business to keep in touch with customers, and build a brand. As with any business tool, you need to use it correctly, and measure the cost against the return.

The writer is a veteran startup mentor, executive, blogger, author, tech professional, professor, and investor. Published on Forbes, Entrepreneur, Inc, Huffington Post.

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Comesa trains Ugandan lawyers on handling legal matters in court

By
George Mangula
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Trade minister Amelia Kyambadde receives document from Comesa Officials.

The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa) Court of Justice conducted seminar targeting lawyers in Uganda as it also launched its User’s Manual; a simple guide on how to handle legal matters in the Courts of Law.

The seminar was held days ago in Kampala under the theme: ‘Role of Comesa Court of Justice in Promoting, facilitating and Protecting Trade and Investments’. This was the second publicity seminar to be conducted by the regional Court in Uganda with over 50 lawyers drawn from the public and private sector participating.

Uganda Minister of Trade and Industry Amelia Kyambadde opened the seminar that attracted a number of lawyers from across Uganda.

The event was part of the Comesa Courts initiative to raise the awareness of key stakeholders, including the legal fraternity and the business community, to fully understand its operations. Henceforth, the stakeholders are expected to use the Court as a dispute resolution forum for matters that touch on the application of the Treaty of Comesa.

In her statement, Kyambadde noted that even though the Court has been in existence since the inception of Comesa, its services are underutilized, and therefore urged the legal fraternity to publicize it.

“Comesa Court plays a very important role in promoting, facilitating and protecting trade and investments in the Comesa region,” minister Kyambadde the lawyers. “Let us sensitize and educate the people about our trade relationship with Comesa, now that you are part of us.”

She described Comesa as crucial market for Uganda’s trade within the region especially in exports which she said keep increasing yearly.

The Judge President of the Court, Lady Justice Lombe Chibesakunda, briefed the participants on the activities that the Court was undertaking aimed at popularizing its operations within all Member States.

These include the new online evidence management system known as CaseLines, which the Comesa Court adopted early this year. CaseLines allows the creation and presentation of a fully digital bundle including multi-media evidence; collaboration tools for enhanced pre-trial preparation and secure role validated videoconferencing for virtual hearings. It enables judges and lawyers to work efficiently in a secure online environment from their offices.

Justice Chibesakunda said: “We realized that most Comesa residents do not know about the existence of the Court and the reason why it exists and that is why we are reaching out to key stakeholders.”

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US deploys Patriot missiles, war ship to Middle East to deter Iran

By
Our Reporter and Agencies
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US war ship

Aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and its carrier group transit the Suez Canal [AFP]

The US government has approved the deployment of a Patriot missile defence battery and another war ship to the Middle East amid increasing tensions between the US and Iran.

The USS Arlington, which transports marines, amphibious vehicles, and rotary aircraft, as well as the Patriot missiles, will join the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group, which already passed through Egypt’s Suez Canal on Thursday, and is currently sailing in the Red Sea, according to CNN.

The US says the deployments of military hardware to the region comes in response to “heightened Iranian readiness to conduct offensive operations”.

The Patriot missile system is a defence mechanism against aircraft, drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles, and is currently deployed in Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

“The Acting Secretary of Defense has approved the movement of USS Arlington (LPD-24) and a Patriot battery to US Central Command (CENTCOM) as part of the command’s original request for forces from earlier this week,” a Pentagon statement said.

Earlier in the week, a US air force bomber task force, including B-52 bombers, also arrived at the US airbase Al Udeid in Qatar, US Central Command said.

“The Department of Defense continues to closely monitor the activities of the Iranian regime, their military and proxies. Due to operational security, we will not discuss timelines or location of forces. The United States does not seek conflict with Iran, but we are postured and ready to defend US forces and interests in the region,” the statement added.

Iran has dismissed the moves as “psychological warfare” designed to intimidate it.

In an advisory posted on Thursday, the US Maritime Administration (MARAD) said that since early May there had been an increased possibility of Iran or its regional proxies taking action against US and partner interests.

These included, MARAD said, oil production infrastructure, after Tehran threatened to close the vital Strait of Hormuz chokepoint in the Arabian Gulf through which about a fifth of oil consumed globally passes.

“Iran or its proxies could respond by targeting commercial vessels, including oil tankers, or US military vessels in the Red Sea or the Persian Gulf,” MARAD said.

“Reporting indicates heightened Iranian readiness to conduct offensive operations against US forces and interests.”

Rising tensions

Tensions between Iran and the US have escalated sharply in recent weeks.

The US has effectively ordered countries worldwide to stop buying Iranian oil or face US sanctions, which Washington says are aimed at completely choking off Iranian crude exports.

Washington last month blacklisted Iran’s Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist group.

US officials say they have detected indications that Iran could be preparing a military response.

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Speaking on condition of anonymity to Reuters news agency, officials say one of the pieces of intelligence indicated Iran had moved missiles on boats, with giving details of the claim.

One of the officials said the particular missile observed was perhaps capable of launching from a small ship.

The officials also noted growing concerns about the threat from Iran-backed militia in Iraq, which have long avoided any confrontation with US troops under the shared goal of defeating Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, or ISIS).

Rhetoric has grown heated on both sides.

Iranian news agency ISNA quoted Ayatollah Tabatabai-Nejad in the city of Isfahan as saying: “Their billion dollar fleet can be destroyed with one missile.

“If they attempt any move, they will … (face) dozens of missiles because at that time (government) officials won’t be in charge to act cautiously, but instead things will be in the hands of our beloved leader (Ayatollah Ali Khamenei),” he said on Friday.

Thousands of Iranians took part in marches on Friday to support the government’s decision to reduce limits on its nuclear programme. Iran has threatened to go further if other parties to the deal – Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia – fail to shield it from US sanctions.

Iranian TV channels showed protesters marching after Friday prayers in Tehran and said similar marches had been held across Iran.

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Nurses- Uganda’s unrecognised medical practitioners yet very important

By
George Mangula
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IHK Nurses pose for group photo with their supervisors

Each time all of us take a visit to the healthcare facility for treatment, our first encounter is always with the nurses. Right from the registration to triage, all the way to the doctor’s room or theater or admission room, nurses always are with us at every step of the way to interact, watch, monitor our health progress and take care of us. Yet they usually go unnoticed or unrecognised by both patients and the institutions.

In order to appreciate the nurses, the International Hospital Kampala (IHK) on Saturday organised a special event to honor them for their commitment and tireless efforts in providing healthcare service. This is in line with this year’s International Nurses Day theme, “Nursing: The Balance of Mind, Body and Spirit”.

The day being celebrated Saturday marks the birthday of Florence Nightingale – an English woman who pioneered modern nursing.

All nurses at hospital committed to the International Nurses Pledge by Nightingale to pass their life in purity and to practice their profession faithfully. To always abstain from whatever is deleterious and mischievous, and to always do all in their power to maintain and elevate the standard of the nursing profession and dedicate themselves to devoted service to human welfare.

Bryan Mayanja, Director of Nursing at IHK says, despite the fact that nursing is a vital element in the healthcare industry, nurses are often the least appreciated and recognised heroes in healthcare facilities, often unnoticed but vital for patient care.

Adding, at every hospital, clinic or dispensaries, nurses are the first point of contact for patients, and often have to be the ones to listen to the patient’s complains, abuses and grievances, Mayanja added, and when patients get well, we don’t wait for them to say a thank, Mayanja adds.

“When patients are admitted to hospitals, they are out of their routine; they are not well physically, so everything is unfit for their needs. Whenever the food is tasteless or late, the ones who get blamed are the nurses who are with them 24/7. And every time patients are unhappy with medical services, they will throw their frustrations to the nurses first,” Mayanja says.

Nursing goes beyond skill and competence to passion and love for the profession. “We are critical thinkers and always have valuable insights of the patients’ progress, which we feed to the doctors to recommend proper diagnosis and treatment” Mayanja further emphasises.

Esme Keyser, a nurse and Chief Operational Officer at IHK says that nurses expend a lot of time and energy to care for patients and often take on graveyard shifts or clock in overtime to ensure that patients’ needs are taken care of.

“Our nurses go the extra mile to provide patients with care. They serve our hospital daily, under challenging circumstances, and continue to be a beacon of light despite the pressing professional challenges. Nursing is the engine room of health services in this country as nurses are essential stakeholders to transform healthcare.” Mrs. Keyser says.

Today, we want all of them to know that the IHK management appreciates them for their tireless efforts and commitment in providing healthcare and being the backbone of this hospital, Mrs. Keyser says.

At the luncheon, the nurses were gifted, thanked and motivated by Specialists including the Medical Director Dr. Michael Oling, the Head of Peadiatrics Dr. Shiba Kituuka Nahurira among others, feted and entertained, with personalized prizes and performances by the nurses themselves.

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