Minister of Trade and Cooperative, Amelia Kyambadde has with effect from March 30, 2019, banned the production and sale of ­alcohol in sachets at factory premises.

In 2017, government through cabinet took decision to ban the sale and packaging of alcohol in sachets and this meant that the packaging and sale of alcohol must be done in plastic and glass bottles.

According to Mrs. Kyambadde, they met with alcohol manufacturers under their body of Uganda alcohol manufacturers association and resolved on the road map to procure, install and commission new bottling packaging and production equipment and building premises for the acquired technology bottling machinery.

“All packaging of alcohol must be in glass and plastic bottles with 200Ml minimum. The sale of alcohol in sachets in banned with effect from March 30th and no one is expected to sale alcohol after this date,” said Mrs. Kyambadde in the just released document.

She said that her ministry has also instituted a team of professionals from various government institutions to monitor the implementation of government’s directives.

The team comprised of members from ministry of health, Uganda police, National management authority (NEEMA), Uganda national bureau of standards (UNBS) and Uganda alcohol manufacturers association.

Kyambadde said, Noncompliance with the ban will culminate into the closure of the business.

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GrowFast, the pay-as-you-go solar irrigation solution from Azuri Technologies, has been named a winner of the Uganda renewable energy fund launched by the UN CleanStart programme and Embassy of Sweden.

More than 200,000 people across Uganda are set to benefit from the energy fund and clean energy solutions including Azuri’s GrowFast solar irrigation system.

GrowFast from Azuri offers farmers an innovative and affordable pay-as-you-go solar irrigation bundle that includes a smartphone with GrowFast app, as well as crop insurance cover. Conventional farming that relies only on rainfall for irrigation limits the number and type of crops that can be grown each year. The solar irrigation system is designed to improve productivity, income generation, and living standards of small-holder farmers by enabling farmers to keep their crops watered all year long.

Azuri’s customised pay-as-you-go plan allows farmers to pay for their solar out of the increased profits from additional harvests. Azuri GrowFast comes with insurance cover in the event of unexpected crop loss.

Agriculture is the backbone of Uganda’s economy, employing 70% of the population, and contributing half of the country’s export earnings.

“Solar powered irrigation is helping increase harvests, improve farming practices and raising agriculture incomes which in turn boosts farming incomes and creates new jobs,” explains Simon Bransfield-Garth, CEO of Azuri Technologies.

“I am delighted that Azuri GrowFast has been named as a winner of the UN CleanStart fund and we look forward to supporting local farmers in Uganda to increase productivity and household income.”

Azuri specialises in solar home solutions including complete solar home lighting systems, solar satellite TV and solar irrigation, all made affordable through a pay-as-you-go service. Products are designed to deliver world class performance at an affordable price for all customers who live away from mains power.

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As the world marks zero discrimination day, Uganda Network on Law, Ethics and HIV/Aids (UGANET) has called for action to change discriminatory laws and practices that have become significant barriers for access to health, employment and other services.

Zero Discrimination Day was first celebrated by UNAIDS, the United Nations’ HIV/AIDS Program in 2013, aimed at celebrating individuality, inclusion and human rights while promoting tolerance, compassion and peace.

Speaking in a joint meeting of civil society and advocacy groups, the executive director of UGANET, Dora Musinguzi Kiconco, said people living with HIV/ Aids are normally denied access to high pay jobs in various international companies in Uganda and other countries including Saudi Arabia.

She called for repealing of Section 41 on attempted transmission of HIV and Section 43 on intentional transmission of HIV in favour of Section 171 of the Penal Code Act adding they are discriminatory and criminalizes people living with HIV/ Aids.

With specific examples, Kiconco, said Chinese construction companies have registered highest cases of HIV discrimination where applicants are subjected to compulsory HIV testing, where people living with HIV/ Aids are denied chances of working for fear they will infect others.

“UGANET calls for equal dignity that is worth for every person. Ending discrimination and changing laws is the responsibility of us all,” she said at Metropole hotel, Kololo.

Recording artiste, Joanita Kawalya said cooks, house assistants or maids, sex workers, drivers, guards go through highest forms discrimination at their respect work places however no one is there to raise their voices and they are stripped off their rights.

“Being celebrities, sex workers People living with HIV/ Aids does not mean that you don’t have rights to good health, respect and dignity. We all matter in this world,” she said

She said, like other people, People living with HIV/ Aids should be given a chance to work and exploit their abilities or be given a certificate that can clearly confirm that they are incapable of performing their duties.

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The Head of the Commercial Division of the High Court, Justice David Wangutusi wants Sudhir Ruparelia case against Sebalu & Company Advocates for conflict of interest be consolidated with other cases involving the businessman.

He sent back the file to the clerk on Friday and directed both parties to liaise with the official to get new a date for the hearing of the case.

Recently the court pushed the case to this March for the hearing after the judge fell sick.

Ruparelia in a suit filed last December argues that Sebalu and Lule Advocates should not be representing BoU and Dfcu Bank as this would amount to conflict of interest as the law firm already represented Crane Management Services which is part of the Ruparelia Group the holding company of former Crane Bank Limited.

Crane Management Services sued DFCU Bank demanding rental arrears amounting to Shs2.9 billion and US $385,728.54 in respect of tenancies of suit properties that were formally owned by Crane Bank Limited (CBL).

Ruparelia also wants the court to issue a permanent injunction, restraining Sebalu & Lule Advocates from appearing as defence counsel for dfcu bank in the other court case that the two principals are battling out.

“In view of the advocate-client relationship between the applicant (Crane Management Services sued Dfcu Bank) and the 1st respondent (Sebalu & Lule advocates), the latter’s continued participation as defence counsel for the 2nd respondent (Dfcu bank) herein, which is the defendant in High Court Civil Suit (HCCS) No. 109/2018 against the applicant/plaintiff, is prejudicial to the applicant’s head suit,” the petition reads in part.

In December 2017, the Commercial disqualified Masembe and Mpanga from the sh397 billion Sudhir Ruparelia’s case against Bank of Uganda (BoU), citing conflict of interest.

In his ruling delivered on December 21, 2017, Wangutusi stated that David Mpanga of A.F. Mpanga Advocates and Timothy Masembe of MMAKS Advocates acted in violation of the Advocates regulations.

Section 4 of the regulation says that an advocate shall not accept instructions from any person in respect of a contentious or non-contentious matter if the matter involves a former client and the advocate as a result of acting for the former client is aware of any facts which may be prejudicial to the client in that matter.

Court documents indicate that when Dfcu Bank took over the assets and liabilities of Crane Bank, it also took over occupation and use of the said rented properties from which the real estate company wants to recover accumulated rent arrears from Dfcu bank.

Some of the properties cited include; Crane Bank branches at plot 9 on Market Street, plot 1-13, Jinja Road, plot 47, Republic Road-Mbale, Speke Hotel (1996), Pot 19 Cooper Road (Crane Plaza), plot 20, Kampala Road –Crane Bank ATM.

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