GULU-The National Water and sewerage Corporation (NWSC) has committed to ensure stable water supply for the residents of Gulu municipality.

In a recent engagement with the stakeholders, Engineer Silver Mugisha, the Managing director of NWSC, assured the stakeholders that the corporation was more than ready to ensure that the piped water shortages in Gulu do not re-appear again, like it used to following the water crisis in 2015.

Eng. Mugisha said NWSC was at advanced stages to draw water from River Nile, besides rectifying the pipelines.

He was hopeful that Umeme will stabilise electricity supply in Gulu which is essential in water supply. He said distributing water to customers using generators is expensive.

Bishop Nelson Onono Onweng, the Chairman Acholi Religious Leaders and Peace Initiative (ARLPI) in his remarks urged NWSC to team up with other stakeholders to extend piped water to the rural areas.

“We want clean Water for all Ugandans and it should be extended to the rural areas,” he said.

Gulu district Chairman Martin Ojara Mapenduzi recalled that when in 2015 Oyitino Dam that supplies Gulu town dried up, NWSC came in fast to build more boreholes.

He appealed to the leadership of Gulu to leave behind their political differences and concentrate more in constructive engagements that attract more investors to the town.

George Labeja, the Gulu Municipal Mayor, said the town was not well planned initially but that as a municipal authority, they will do their best to have water and UMEME power lines laid in such a way that the lines don’t interfere with the development in the municipality which is preparing for the city status.

Mr. Labeja appealed to political leaders in the area to welcome development with one heart.

Stephen Gang, the branch Manager NWSC Gulu, said they have drilled six high hill motorized water pumps in the municipality as a way of stabilizing the water supply in town and the surrounding areas.

“The business of drying off of Oyitino dam and water crisis shall no longer be there,” he said

At the moment, 37.5 kilometers of the area in Gulu is covered with piped water lines within Gulu Municipality and the Corporation is expecting to cover 40 kilometers to avail constant water supply in Gulu.

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Legislators have questioned the move by government to introduce the new international East African electronic passport to replace the current ones.

The Minister of State for Internal Affairs, Mario Obiga Kania, said that following an East African Community (EAC) directive by Heads of State, the government intends to roll out new passports on 20 January 2019.

He said that passports were to be rolled out in three regional centres in Mbarara, Mbale and Gulu and seven issuing centres abroad.

“These passports have chips that are easier to read by the micro-processor reader at border points; [and have] safety measures like biometric data which makes it hard to forge,” Obiga Kania said at parliament.

The Minister said the old passports will be phased out over a period of two years from launch of the new passport and will become invalid after 9 January 2021.

The ordinary passport (called a passport) with 48 and 64 pages will cost Shs250,000 and Shs300,000 respectively, the official passport (called a service passport) will cost Shs400,000 while the diplomatic passport will cost Shs500,000, while Shs150,000 will be charged as the express fee.

“The application process of the passport will be manual and online, the latter including filling out an online form. Applicants must have a national identity card,” Obiga Kania noted.

However, the Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga and Members of Parliament raised concern over the entire process from its legality, ease with administration and costs.

Kadaga asked whether there is a country recognized as East Africa for it to be able to issue passports. She also wondered whether the Presidents’ directive was ever brought to the attention of Parliament.

“The protocol has not yet been read here, where is the legal authority changing the Ugandan passport to an East African passport?” Kadaga asked.

Isingiro South MP, Alex Byarugaba asked for the legal basis of action to adopt the East African e-passports. “I thought that these decisions and protocols need to be ratified and approved by Parliament. There is no need and hurry to migrate to the new passports especially without the consent of Parliament,” he said.

West Budama South MP Jacob Oboth said that the idea of introducing new passports was not well thought out and is not sensitive to the concerned of citizens.

“My passport goes up to 2028 and I will sue you for making me get a new passport as I just paid for what I have. The passports are expensive to acquire and now you want someone to pay the extra costs?” he said.

Minister Obiga Kania said that the e-passports will be issued by each of the EAC Partner States in their own names.

“The East African bit of the passport is in the design and a chip which are common across the member states,” he said.

He promised to present to Parliament the supporting documents responding to all the questions raised including the legality of the proposal to introduce the e-passports.

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ADJUMANI– South Sudanese refugees living in Nyumanzi, a refugee camp in Uganda’s North-western district of Adjumani have been urged to co-exist peacefully with their host communities.

About 43,000 South Sudanese refugees live in Nyumanzi, officials say.

Speaking at an essay award giving ceremony for primary school pupils who excelled, Daud Gideon, the Executive Director for Remembering The Ones We Lost, lauded all those who participated in the contest, which attracted 89 pupils drawn from four schools.

“Involving pupils from the different schools enhances unity and togetherness,” said Daud, before he handed prizes to the winners.
The competition, managed by an essay organizing committee, covered various topics, ranging from the causes as well as effects of early marriage practices to the impact of conflict on peoples’ lives.

Bior Lual Bior, a primary six pupil of Nyumanzi II primary school emerged winner of the essay contest, followed by Deng Kuir Ariik. Others were Nyantich Abui Diing, Dau Abui Dau and Achol Mading.

All the recognized essay winners got cash prizes that ranged from Shs200,000 ($55) to Shs50,000 ($15), story books as well as novels.

Daud appreciated the essay organizing committee members, teachers and camp leaders for allowing the organization carry out its activities in support of the refugees in Nyumanzi settlement camp.
Moses Nyang, the Refugee Welfare Council (RWC) secretary, said the essay writing completion not only enhanced pupils’ learning ability, but further consolidated the reading and writing skills in them.

Gabriel Ajak, the chairperson of the essay writing competition, said the exercise promoted harmony, unity and peaceful co-existence.
Meanwhile, the host community defeated refugees in a football tournament Remembering The Ones We Lost organized in Nyumanzi.

The winning team won a new trophy, a cash prize and a set of soccer uniform. Prizes also went to the runners up and the third placed team.

After opening in January 2014, Nyumanzi has become the largest refugee settlement in Adjumani district in terms of population size. Despite their relatively recent arrival, residents are already well-established and a strong community has emerged in which refugee households actively collaborate with each other to share resources.

However, although many of the refugees are resilient, gaps in critical sectors, such as education and water, health and sanitation, persist and undermine refugees’ ability to cope with their displacement.

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