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China gives Uganda loan to connect over 170,000 consumers to power grid

By
George Mangula
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Rural electrification

Uganda and China have signed a concessional loan of about US $212.7 million to be used to connect 172,589 consumers in unserved sub-counties countrywide through the Accelerated Rural Electrification Programme.

Finance Minister Matia Kasaija signed on behalf of the Ugandan government while Chinese Ambassador to Uganda, Zheng Zhuqian signed on behalf of the Chinese government. Zhao Xiufen, Economic and Commercial Counsellor, Embassy of the People’s Republic of China witnessed the signing alongside Ugandan officials.

The money will be used to construct 3839 km of medium voltage networks and 5921 km of low voltage networks, install and commission 3403 distribution transfers as well as install and connect 168,335 single phase consumers and 4,254 three phase consumers.

“On behalf of the Republic of Uganda I want to extend our heartfelt gratitude for the continued beneficial and cordial bilateral cooperation between Uganda and the People’s Republic of China not only for the support we are signing today but also in other areas like Roads, Energy, Health, and Education,” said Minister Kasaija.

He said Uganda’s electricity rural network coverage is still quite low with only about 10.6 per cent in 2014. He said that under the Rural Electrification Strategy and Plan for the ten-year period of 2013-2022, government plans to increase the rural electrification access rate to 26 per cent by 2022 and to 51 per cent by 2030 to realize the universal electrification of 100 per cent in rural areas by 2040.

He said Government has also set-out to extend clean and modern electricity to all citizens by 2040. “To achieve this, it’s planned that at least 30 per cent of all citizens should have access to electricity by 2020. It’s my pleasure to inform you, your Excellency that this project will in no doubt enable Government attain the targeted milestone,” he said.

The minister appreciated China for the previous and ongoing technical and financial support to the Government of Uganda mainly in the Energy Sector such as the financing to Karuma and Isimba Hydropower projects as well as the associated transmission lines, the Kampala-Entebbe Airport Expressway and the upgrading and expansion of the Entebbe International Airport phase 1 project.

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Gov’t to train, equip 3000 Police Officers with CCTV management skills

By
Geoffery Serugo
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Government is set to train and equip 3000 Police Officers with Closed-circuit television (CCTV) management skills to handle the ongoing national safe city CCTV project.

The Shs60 billion project is supposed to help police to track criminals, started on July 16, is being rolled out in phases. Over 3230 cameras are expected to be placed in Kampala metropolitan areas which cover the biggest percentage of Uganda’s population.

All the action will be in Kikwandwa military facility in Kakiri, Wakiso district where a multi-billion ultra-technology facility is being constructed which began with a construction of an ICT Centre.
Early this month president Yoweri Museveni inspected CCTV project at Nateete Police Station in Kampala where he revealed that with the installation of cameras, the problem of urban insecurity perpetuated by armed assassins riding boda-bodas will soon be solved.

According to CP Yusuf Sewanyana, Deputy Director Information Communication Technology, about 3000 monitoring agents in different categories like operators, traffic, field officers, command and control, technical engineers, computer scientists and technicians will be trained to manage the day to day operations of the system and its maintenance.

“We shall train specialists in power management, video analysis, artificial intelligence, machine language,” Sewanyana said.

He noted that some officers are already receiving practical training in installing equipment in data centers, aligning fibers, installing monitor walls and cameras.
Speaking to some trainees at Natete Police Station, AIGP Haruna Isabirye, Director Human Resource Development said, officers have to be committed if the national CCTV project is to be a success.

“Grasping the objectives of this project, understand the concept and be committed, it’s a multiplier effect where these machines will help us in easy policing and fighting against crime, investigations , response detect and prevent crime, “He said, adding that they should be competent and have good attitude to manage the system.
Installation of cameras is proceeded by the gruesome killings of people that was recently exhibited in the country.

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Uganda-Tanzania good relationship to boost investments

By
George Mangula
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Amb. Richard Kabonero

The good economic cooperation between Uganda and Tanzania is important in boosting trade and investment opportunities in the East African region, according to a high ranking official.

This comes as the two countries continue to strengthen their bilateral relations to open new possibilities of doing business and expanding their GDP as well as economic performance in the regional bloc.

For instance, the recently signed Uganda – Tanzania Joint Permanent Commission (JPC) Ministerial Meeting is a fundamental factor in improving the ease of doing business between the two parties. During the second phase of the summit held in Kampala, Uganda both countries finalized matters concerning the energy sector signing the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to support the industry.

The JPC is a potential platform for enhancing and consolidating bilateral cooperation frameworks between the two countries. It brings together companies and business people from both Tanzania and Uganda consisting of manufacturers, importers, exporters, clearing agents and transporters to discuss opportunities for trade between the two countries, and identifying challenges to be resolved.

According to Uganda’s Ambassador to Tanzania Richard Kabonero, the signing of critical agreements covering trade, and railways between Uganda and Tanzania increased cross-border trade and reduced the cost of doing business. The gesture should be bait to lure more investors into seizing the opportunities available for business.

Recently Tanzania’s Communications Minister Harrison Mwakyembe praised Uganda’s relations with Tanzania which he said “continue to grow from strength to strength” as evidenced by landmark bilateral trade agreements signed recently. They have experienced healthy trade relations with historical linkages over the years.

President Yoweri Museveni and President John Pombe Magufuli are both steering the economic development of their states by facilitating trading activities. Trade, security, education, agriculture, and energy are the main areas of investments with the potential to escalate their economic outlook in the future.

The Uganda–Tanzania Crude Oil Pipeline (UTCOP), the latest investment in the energy sector is planned to have a capacity of 216,000 barrels of crude oil per day. The $3.5 billion worth East Africa crude oil project has the potential to increase the flow of foreign direct investments in East Africa which could increase the competitiveness of the regional market.

Both presidents have gone all out to ensure the stability and sustainability of their nations as long they are on the helm. They have emphasized business incentives and better business environments to attract foreign firms and support the local sectors to boost productivity to boost export receipts.

Their commitment is geared at benefiting the East African community as well by bolstering its economic output. The region is a luring investment region to various investors.

Tanzania exported $62.2 million worth of goods to Uganda in 2013 while Uganda shipped $62.6 million worth of goods to Tanzania the same year. Looking at the neighboring state, Kenya’s s total food exports to Ugandarose to a record $15 million while its exports to Tanzania was $424.19 million during 2013, according to the United Nations COMTRADE database.

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Ugandan goalkeeper nominated in Kenya Premier League Awards

By
Our Reporter
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Goalkeeper Mathias Kigonya.

The Kenya Premier League has today released the nominees for the 2018 SportPesa Premier League awards in twelve different categories.

Ugandan shot stopper Mathias Kigonya has been nominated in the category of the Golden glove award, also known as the best goalkeeper of the season for his heroics at Sofapaka FC last season.
Kigonya will face competition from Bandari’s Faruk Shikalo, Tusker’s Patrick Matasi, Kelvin Omondi of Sony Sugar FC, and Ezekiel Owade of AFC Leopards.
The Golden Glove winner will pocket Ksh 500,000, while the first and second runners up go home with Ksh 300,000 and Ksh 200,000 respectively.

The Cranes goalkeeper is the only Ugandan player nominated in the 12 categories shortlisted.
Kigonya ditched Sofapaka FC this month due to unclear circumstances and has already been linked with a transfer move to AFC Leopards.

The twelve categories include; MVP of the year, Golden Glove, Defender of the Year, Midfielder of the Year, Fairplay player of the year, Golden Boot, New Player of the year, Coach of the Year, team manager of the year, Most Improved Center Referee, Most Improved Assistant Referee and Fairplay Club of the Year.

The KPL Awards, also known as the KPL Footballer of the Year Awards (FOYA), refer to an awards ceremony held to honour association football players, coaches and officials participating in the Kenyan Premier League.

This year’s Awards gala will be held at the Kenya School of Government on Thursday 25th October.

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Former Museveni minister praises Obote for running effective gov’t

By
George Mangula
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Prof Semakula Kiwanuka

The former Minister of State for Finance, Planning and Economic Development (investments), Prof Matia Semakula – Kiwanuka, has praised the former president of Uganda Dr Apollo Milton Obote for what he said running an effective government.

“Obote’s government was visible,” he said, adding that government policies during the Obote regime were effectively implemented.

Prof Kiwanuka made the remarks yesterday during the 9th National Competitive Forum organised by the Ministry of Finance’s Directorate of Economic Affairs (DEA) to engage with the private sector, the civil society, academia and development partners on matters affecting Uganda’s business environment and drivers of enterprise growth and competitiveness.

The former minister said the current government has good policy documents in place, but the challenge, he said, it is not implementing them to boost various sectors of the economy. He said that unless government develops and implements appropriate policies, Uganda will find it difficult to move from the first industrial revolution characterised by subsistence agriculture.

Contributing to the debate, the former Minister of Agriculture Victoria Sekitoleko said Uganda’s problem is the problem of irrelevant education that does not meet the demand of the job market. She said government can address that challenge by prioritising agriculture as well as vocation and business education starting with the nursery school level.

Sekitoleko also urged government to train staff and politicians in districts on business matters, saying currently commercial officers are not doing enough to boost business enterprises in their localities.

However Elly Karuhanga, Chairman Uganda Chamber of Mines and Petroleum argued that there is need to rethink the whole of government’s organizational structure if the country is to move forward in business readiness. He said that compared to the Kenyan Cabinet which has a considerable number of businessmen, the Ugandan Cabinet is mostly full of politicians who don’t understand how business is run and that this is a disadvantage to the development of an entrepreneurial class in Uganda.

Karuhanga also added that parliament is full of politicians and that there is too much fear within the public services which discourages some technocrats to make right policy decisions that can help the country prosper in business. “With fear no one is able to take a decision,” he said, adding that some technical staff have to wait for their superiors such as ministers or the president to take a decision they should have taken and that this consumes time and kills business.

He said that because many government agencies involved in Uganda’s oil and gas sector, there is delay in making decisions and that with such kind of arrangement where there is the Ministry of Energy, the Attorney General, Uganda Petroleum Authority and the National Oil Company, it is unlikely that the country will drill oil by 2020 as scheduled by government.

The former Chairman of the National Planning Authority (NPA) and also a former minister in Museveni’s government, Prof. Wilberforce Kisamba Mugerwa said that currently Uganda lacks efficient institutions with patriotic workers and that this challenge should be addressed especially to ensure that there is coordination with government departments. “The challenge we have is that each department wants to shine alone,” he said.

The delegates at the forum ended by listing recommendations that help boost entrepreneurship and business in Uganda. They include; harmonization of service delivery across government agencies, empowering higher and lower governments with financial literacy and technical skills to deliver results and need to address micro lives issues related to competitiveness, among others.

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Bobi Wine’s Kyarenga Concert rescheduled to November

By
Geoffery Serugo
-
Bobi Wine

Kyadondo East Member of Parliament, Robert KyagulBobi Wine’s music show dubbed as Kyarenga Concert has been given green lights following hide and seek games played by both police and the management of Namboole stadium.

The agreement was however, reached at yesterday between the management of Namboole stadium and Emma Promotions and marketing agency and the show has been rescheduled to November 11, 2018 starting from 6: 00am to 10: pm.
Earlier this week, a letter purported to have been written by the management of Namboole stadium hit social media asking for reschedule of the concert. In a statement released on Monday, Bob Wine said they are only learning it on social media but the letter had not reached their desk.

He said they had agreed with the management and made some deposit on the venue however, on getting clearance from police, they has been tossed from one office to another.

And, Yesterday in a letter written by AIGP Asuman Mugenyi implored Emma Promotions and marketing agency to call off the concert saying the management of Namboole stadium has not notified police about the concert the was due to take place this Saturday.
According to agreement, Emma Promotions and marketing agency will be required to pay Shs32million to hire the venue.

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KCCA Patterns with WFP for Zero Hunger campaign

By
Geoffery Serugo
-
El Khidir Daloum

Kampala Cpital City Authority has entered into partnership with World Food Program to work on joint capacity peddled at strengthening food security and vulnerability assessments in urban areas.

The study will investigate how poverty and rapid urbanization impacting on food security and all forms of malnutrition among the poor, as well as the well-off households in Kampala who are increasingly faced with obesity or over-nutrition.

According to KCCA Executive Director Jenifer Musisi, the two parties have been undertaking a ground-breaking survey through the Makerere University School of Public Health, to investigate the nature and magnitude insecurity and rising rates of malnutrition.

She said, the partnership is preceded by the shooting number of people arriving in the city to looking for work and finding themselves squeezed into settlements where basic social services are limited, poor sanitation and, as result, their children are prone to infections and ill health.
“This is exactly what we were looking for, scientific evidence that would guide our assistance to vulnerable households and our city strategic plan overall,” she said at KCCA offices.
Musisi said KCCA has been working with WFP since 2017 to discuss potential areas of collaboration, “We are happy about this program and I would like to thank the WFP for this great partnership with KCCA. We look forward to this project as we work towards zero hanger,” she added.

Country Director of WFP, El Khidir Daloum said their new partnership with KCCA is extremely important as it has pushed WFP into new territory for Zero Hunger and in supporting the Government of Uganda to achieve its development priorities.

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NRM supporters in Nakasongola divided on late Nyombi political replacement

By
Our Reporter
-
Amb. Henry Mayega

National Resistance Movement party supporters in Nakasongola district and in Buruuli county in particular are said to be divided on whom to front for next elections due to the passing on of former Attorney General Peter Nyombi.

It is said the Nyombi family is as well divided on who to front given that three people have shown signs of carrying on the programme of late Nyombi. The three are Ambassador Henry Mayega, Nyombi’s young brother and Uganda’s Deputy Head of Mission in China, Andrew Nyombi, the son to the late Nyombi and Ms Julian Nyombi, the wife to late Nyombi.

Sources say that although by the time of his death Nyombi was out of parliament, he had continued with his programmes of development, rural electrification, and extension of clean water among others. During his sendoff, he was credited with helping the needy and offering free legal services especially in land matters to the poor.

Majority of the voters in the area consider the constituency of being politically orphanage given that the sitting Member of Parliament is new in parliament and hasn’t grasped issues.
Nyombi died of heart attack and was buried last Thursday in Nakasongola town council.

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Uganda patterns with Russia in ICT

By
Geoffery Serugo
-

Uganda has signed an agreement with Russia to collaborate in the field of Information Communication Technology.

The two countries will cooperate in parcel transportation, radio telecommunications, conduct joint research and trainiing and support each other in enforcing open government data and openness of state bodies, network security, issuance of electronic IDs of citizens and information systems in healthcare and ICT regulation.

The signing ceremony saw ICT Minister Frank Tumwebaze committing on Uganda’s behalf and Alexey Volin, Russia’s Deputy Minister for Digital Development and Mass Communication, ratified for his country.
Mr Volin, who doubles as the co-chair of the Russian-Uganda Inter-Governmental Commission on Economic, Technical and Scientific Cooperation, delivered a condolence message from President Vladimir Putin to President Museveni following the Bududa landslides tragedy. The tragedy led to death of over 40 people dead.

Mr Volin said Russia through its embassy had set up a one-stop centre where Russian companies seeking to invest in Uganda would be supported.
He lauded Kampala Capital City Authority for agreeing to name a street after Yuri Gagarin, the first person to fly in space. His flight in April 1961, aboard the Vostok spacecraft, lasted 108 minutes.

Museveni in in turn encouraged Russia to invest in Uganda saying that government will support them in terms of land and tax waivers for large-scale investments.
In the meeting, International Affairs State Minister Okello Oryem, revealed that the joint ministers’ commission had set up a time frame to ensure all agreements between Russia and Uganda are implemented.

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Inter Parliamentary Union MPs vote against LGBT

By
Geoffery Serugo
-
Speaker Kadaga voting against LGBT

Members Parliament meeting in Geneva have voted to ban debate on the subject of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) at the Inter Parliamentary Union.

The Ugandan delegation led by Speaker Rebecca Kadaga steered the move against what they termed as a well-orchestrated machination led by Canada and Belgium who had lobbied many delegates to vote in favor of the motion. They were supported by representatives from China, Russia, African and Arab parliaments.

The LGBT agenda had been presented to the Assembly to be debated as an emergency item for the next 140th IPU Assembly. This, IPU President, Gabriela Cuevas Barron subjected the matter to a vote by member states.

The question put was on whether the standing Committee on Democracy and Human Rights should hold a panel debate that will lead to a resolution entitled, “The role of parliaments in ending discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity and ensuring respect for the human rights of LGBT persons,”

Speaking against the motion, Busiki County MP, Paul Akamba reminded the General Assembly of the IPU statute and reasons why it was formed in 1889 calling on all delegates to vote in respect of that statute.

“Article 1(2) of the IPU statute states that the Inter-Parliamentary Union shall work for peace and cooperation among peoples and for the solid establishment of representative institution and also contribute to the defense and promotion of human rights, which are universal in scope. The agenda presented here has been widely rejected by many member states hence lacking universality in scope,” he said. 689 MPs voted against the proposal while 499 legislators voted for the proposal.

“I am so happy that this battle has finally been won. It started in St. Petersburg in Russia when they attempted to smuggle this same item but today we have made a final vote that will prohibit the issue of LGBT from appearing on the IPU agenda,” said Kadaga.

Kawempe North MP, Latif Ssebaggala applauded all nations that joined the Ugandan team to vote against the debate and promised that the same strength is being brought to Uganda to awaken the Anti-Homosexuality Bill in the Parliament of Uganda.

“The decision taken today has made me so strong and as I return from Geneva, I am prepared to awaken our gay law that was nullified by court,” he said.
Uganda has over the years continued to oppose the LGBT agenda at the different international meetings that are held around the world.

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