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Is gov’t creating People power through parliament?

By
Guest Writer
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HULLO: President Yoweri Museveni greets the author Mr Nabende Wamoto.

P.L.O Lumumba, the Kenyan Professor once said “Africans are led by their stomachs not their heads (brains), fear is a function of lack of knowledge. To dispel fear you need to reduce your ignorance”. Who does not know that taxation without accountability is tyranny?

It is good that the president has deployed and re-deployed his district representatives (Resident District Commissioners) who may this time act as his doves as in Genesis 8:11 as at the time of Noah, for the peoples’ representatives (Members of Parliament) have either been fearful, dishonest, unreliable to openly brief the president and or government as a whole what the true feelings of their voters on the ground are and that is why government herself is endearing the “peoples’ power” storm whose advocates/front runners as simply taking advantage of. Those who are spearheading this movement have been availed with significant power dynamics cost free by parliament, executive and to some extent the judiciary which is playing in their (opposition) favor.

Haven’t our spy networks attempted to collaborate this current storm to our own background of 1980-81? The youth of that time supported then candidate Y.K Museveni and Uganda Patriotic Movement (UPM) in the general elections of 1980 as bait because they had foreknowledge that the population and international community just like today could not co-operate with the then on-coming Obote II government. They equally knew UPM would perform miserably in the same elections because they had been de-campaigned as thugs and bandits but in the minds of UPM supporters there was a Luweero Triangle or any other location in Buganda region that would be the most salient option not for ballot boxes but bullet boxes. The post-election environment provided the urge that then candidate (Museveni) could initially do what was necessary, then do what was possible and soon thereafter did the impossible as stated by England’s Queen Victoria to her troops “ we are not interested in possibilities of defeat because they do not exist”. Dr.

Milton Obote and eventually his General Tito Okello Lutwa’s fully budget facilitated military out-fit was outwitted and toppled by a rag-tag National Resistance Army (NRA) led by Museveni on 26th January 1986.
For us who are watchful and observant, there is a sharp, similar political arousal in the usually passive Buganda area (majority with a minority mentality) which arousal was heightened by Ssabasajja the Kabaka of Buganda, Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II’s statement to his subjects at his jubilee (25th enthronement anniversary), supported by celebrity factor of musician Bobi Wine and also Ugandans must recall that this people power campaign was sparked off by the mobile money tax that was voted and passed by parliament. There is also youth unemployment and the rampant poverty factor.

Lastly, there is a general moral dilemma among some of the leaders (messengers of the people) who have failed to do their duty of giving feedbacks as it was mentioned earlier concerning the dove that brought back the message of end of the flood of Noah’s age.

Nabendeh Wamoto S.P (0776-658433)
Email: simonwamoto@yahoo.co.uk

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Deals, money at the centre of Dfcu bank wars

By
Our Reporter
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DFCU board chairman, Elly Karuhanga and another member address a press on the issue of the bank last week.

Deals and money could see one of Uganda’s promising banks sink if the two are not curtailed in time.
Dfcu that was lured by top bosses at Bank of Uganda (BoU) to takeover Crane Bank is in the storm that business analyst can best describe as trying moment for the 3rd largest bank. Dfcu became 3rd after it took over Crane bank thereby growing its customer base and an increase on asserts.

Eagle Online has however, learnt from sources that bickering over deals and money is at the centre of the current storm facing the bank.

This website has learnt that about a week ago, the shareholders of Dfcu bank summoned a meeting in South Africa where all of them attended including the Managing Director and the board chairperson attended. It is alleged that during the said meeting, the shareholders started accusing each other over their involvement in deals without the knowledge others. The deals at stake are said to be earning of commission from big loans by a section of them without necessarily being shared by all.

It is also said that the transaction of between Dfcu and BoU surfaced and the allegation at hand were that about $3 million of the $8 million deposited by shareholders of Crane bank to BoU was instead shared between top individuals at Dfcu and leading lawyers and only declared $5 million. This website has confirmed with top BoU leadership on the issue of $3 million as having taken by the lawyers and top gurus at Dfcu. It is said that they further questioned why Dfcu is facing bad publicity over the Crane bank takeover as they wondered whether certain information as regards to the takeover was hidden. They concerns are further worsened by the fact that the bank is having liquidity problems.

Nevertheless, as the meeting got stormy, the shareholders started blaming each other of sabotage and backstabbing each other. And it is from this meeting that MD Juma Kisaame is said to have offered to resign. Conversely, the board has put his resignation on halt in order to reexamine the mess. In the meantime, the situation at the bank is tense with workers unsure on what will follow given that most of the senior stuff have been resigning while others were sacked in the ongoing restructuring process.

Inside sources told Eagle Online that also the bank shareholders want to find out allegations that some top officials seem to have chased away potential customers in the way they were handling big clients.
“I think the owners want to find out allegations that people were giving commissions before ‘big’ loans were processed” said a source.
Meanwhile Dfcu top leadership is divided on who is top appear before the committee of parliament to ask questions on regards to the revelation by the Auditor General’s report in regard to the takeover of commercial banks and more so Crane bank which Dfcu took.

DFCU top guru are among those lined up by parliamentary Com-mit¬tee on Com¬mis¬sions, Statu¬tory Au¬thor¬i¬ties and State Enterprises (Cosase) in an inquiry that is expected to begin soon, the Auditor General, John Muwanga, having presented his report on defunct banks sold/liquidated by the Bank of Uganda (BoU), Eagle Online understands.

DFCU bought Crane Bank Limited (CBL) in January 2017 and Global Trust Bank Uganda (GTBU) in July 2014 but the two deals, according to the Auditor General John Muwanga’s special report of BoU on seven defunct banks, are questionable as major documents were not available to him during his inquest of the central bank’s top brass.

The two banks were sold by BoU to DFCU on account of insolvency and under-capitalization respectively, each going for Shs200 billion and about Shs71 billion worth GTBU’s liabilities, respectively.

BoU’s sale of the two banks to DFCU, according to Muwanga was done without following established guidelines, which BoU top managers might have ignored intentionally for selfish interests. BoU sold other banks like Greenland Bank, Cooperative Bank, International Credit Bank and others in this regard of guidelines.

DFCU Shareholding percentages
Arise BV 58.71 per cent
CDC Group of the United Kingdom 9.97 per cent
National Social Security Fund (Uganda) 7.69 per cent
Kimberlite Frontier Africa Naster Fund 6.15 per cent
2 undisclosed Institutional Investors 3.22 per cent
SSB-Conrad N. Hilton Foundation 0.98 per cent
Vanderbilt University 0.87 per cent
Blakeney Management 0.63 per cent
Retail investors 11.19 per cent
BoU staff retirement benefit scheme is 0.59 per cent

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100 to receive medals at 56th independence celebrations in Kyotera

By
George Mangula
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President Yoweri Museveni decorates HH the Aga Khan during the 55th Independence Day celebrations in Bushenyi

About 100 people will receive medals during this year’s national independence celebrations at Kasasa sub county, Kyotera District, according to the latest statement.

President Yoweri Museveni who will be the chief guest will bestow the medals on the recipients.

The Day will celebrated under the theme: “Standing Tall to Celebrate 56 Years of Independence”.

Infrastructure:

According to the statement released for the independence celebrations, Uganda now has over 5200 kilometers of tarmac roads. “Several oil roads are being constructed, at the same time an airport at Kabale in the Albertine region is under construction to prepare the country to harness oil by 2020,” it says.

The statement says the above will be supplemented by a USD 3.5 billion pipeline from Hoima to Tanga to ease export of the elude oil.

“Expansion works at Entebbe International Airport to enable it handle the increased traffic are as well ongoing,” it says, adding that preparations for the commencement of works on the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) are also in advanced stages. When complete, the SGR will considerably lower the cost of Transport to and from Mombasa, it says.

The stamen says much of this work has been done by the Uganda Government money. “For instance, 58 percent of the funding for roads, has been done or is being done by the Government of Uganda money,” it says.

According to the statement, all the District headquarters, except for Kaabong and Buvuma, have now been connected to the national grid. And that the generation capacity of Uganda will further increase, once Isimba, Karuma and many of the mini-hydro power stations are completed.

Agriculture

The statement notes that during the financial year 2017/18, the agriculture sector grew at 3.2 percent, Industry (at 6.2%) per annum), services (at 7.3%) and ICT (at 7.9%).

However, it says agriculture registered the least growth in Uganda, adding that the slow growth in agriculture continues to be a cause of concern.

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BoU raises CBR to 10 percent in October 2018

By
George Mangula
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Bank of Uganda's Tumusiime-Mutebile.

The Bank of Uganda has unexpectedly raised its key lending rate-the central bank rate (CBR) to 10 percent in October, a one percentage point from August’s 9.0 percent, on account of rising inflation and the need to maintain the country’s economic growth.

“Inflation is on an upward trajectory and core inflation is projected to rise above the target of 5 percent within the next 12 months,” Bank of Uganda (BoU) Governor Prof. Emmanuel Tumusiime-Mutebile said while reading the monetary policy statement in Kampala on Wednesday.

Tumusiime-Mutebile said that in recent months, rapidly rising oil prices coupled with a weaker shilling exchange rate and indirect tax increases have pushed up inflation.

He said that easing domestic financial conditions and strong domestic demand would maintain a healthy growth momentum.

“The strong rebound in economic growth in financial year 2017/18 has closed the negative output gap, and with growth projected to remain robust in FY2018/19, core inflation could rise higher in the remaining part of the fiscal year,” he said.

Meanwhile, Core inflation, which is the BoU’s monetary policy target, rose from 0.8 percent in June to 3.9 percent in last month.

He attributed the increase in Core inflation partly due to higher services prices, which rose sharply at the beginning of the new financial year reflecting the effect of the Over-The- Top (OTT) tax. “Services inflation rose 1.7 percent in June 2018 to 5.3 percent in August 2018 before slightly easing to 4.5 percent in September 2018,” he said.

The Governor warned that higher prices and the strong domestic demand could push services inflation higher in the remaining part of the year.

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Uganda’s public debt sands at Shs41 trillion—Minister Bahati

By
Geoffery Serugo
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State Minister for Finance in charge of General Duties David Bahati

The Finance Ministry, David Bahati says, Uganda’s public debt sands at Shs41 trillion, which is an equivalent of US$10 billion.

In a statement he read to Parliament last evening Bahati, said the debt stock has piled from US$2.5 billion in the 2006/2007 financial year to US$10.7 billion by the end of the last financial year.

He however blamed of the rising debt on the near stagnant tax collection by the revenue collection body, URA. He said by June 2018, the total debt amounted to US$10 billion, with external debt accounting for 67 per cent.

“Our tax base is not growing at the same rate, putting the tax to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) ratio at 14.3 per cent,”

Domestic debt, he added, stands at 32.4 per cent, most of which is drawn from local commercial banks. The public debt as a percentage of the entire economy is 30 per cent, a figure the Opposition is reluctant to believe.

Bahati said the debt, finances the Energy, Works and Agriculture sectors, which are critical in spurring economic growth.

Chief Opposition Whip, Ibrahim Ssemujju, criticized government over what he called ‘lack of prudent financial practices’, which he said is responsible for the growing public debt.

“After borrowing this money, and we see the way His Excellency the President is throwing money at youth groups…you just need to be prudent on the way you spend money,” said Ssemujju.

MP Nandala Mafabi (FDC, Budadiri West) said government should present a gross loan request at once during the consideration of the National Budget rather than bringing piecemeal requests to the House.

He said the practice fuels racketeers and loan sharks who he said inflate the cost of public projects with the hindsight of the loan figures passed.

“As soon as we pass a loan, the first people to celebrate are the sharks out there…if we put in a basket fund, the bids will not be expensive,” said Nandala Mafabi.

Deputy Speaker, Jacob Oulanyah, referred the statement to the Committee on National Economy, criticizing a section of MPs for trivializing the debate.

“The challenge that I face when presiding here is killing debate…just see the way we are proceeding now, we make these issues so trivial yet they are very serious,” said Oulanyah.

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Court dismisses Dr Mpozayo Christophe’s Case against the Government of Rwanda

By
Geoffery Serugo
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Rwanda President Paul Kagame.Photo credit/reuters

The First Instance Division dismissed Dr Mpozayo Christophe’s Case against the Government of Rwanda over his arrest, detention, prosecution conviction and sentencing for the offence of inciting insurrection amongst the population for being in possession of ammunition.

The Applicant, who is a Rwandan Citizen and former Staff of the Community in the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA), was seeking Court orders to declare that the government infringed the fundamental Principles of the Community as well as Rwandan Laws.

In ruling Court held that it is not satisfied by the Applicant that Criminal Case was conducted against universally accepted principles of law, therefore declaration against his arrest, detention, trial and imprisonment being unlawful was declined.

Further Court said that the Applicant has not proved violation of the principles of law enshrined in Articles 6(d) and 7 (2) or the Treaty, hence Court not satisfied and declined to declare that the Republic of Rwanda violated the EAC Treaty and principles of good governance and rule of law as well as his conviction was unlawful as sought by the Applicant.

In addition Court considered that granting orders that the sentence imposed on the Applicant in Criminal Case be set aside as well as an order that the Applicant’s conviction be hereby set aside, would be tantamount to exercise an appellate jurisdiction over national courts, which jurisdiction the court is not clothed with, hence such orders sought declined to be granted.

On the prayer Court to award general damages to the Applicant, the Court said that it may award general damages in an appropriate case, however, in this case, it we are unable to do so because the Applicant has not proved his claims in his Reference hence prayer was declined. Similarly, Court found no basis to award aggravated and exemplary damages as sought by the Applicant, having not succeeded in his case.

Furthermore, Court noted that, the Applicant in his Written Submissions raised a claim for his unpaid monthly earning. Court retaliated that, such a claim is akin to a claim for special damages and that it is according to the law, that specific damages must be pleaded and proved. That In this case, they were not pleaded. In any event, the Applicant has not even succeeded in the Reference, hence the prayer was disallowed.

In conclusion, the Court said that, with regard to the prayer for costs, as stated in Rule 111(1), costs follow the event unless the Court for good reasons otherwise orders. In this case, the Applicant having failed to prove his claims under this Reference, he would not be entitled to costs. Ordinarily, he should be subjected to pay costs to the Respondent. However, the Court is aware that the Applicant could not afford to engage a lawyer to represent him initially and that the ones that represented him subsequently were doing so under a legal aid brief by the East African Law Society. In the circumstance, it is in the interest of justice that each party bears its own costs.

The Lawyer representing the Applicant, after the Judgment was delivered, he requested Court to provide him with the copies of the pleadings and the Judgment to enable him Appeal to the Appellate Division.

The Judgment was delivered by Honorouble Lady Justice Monica Mugenyi, (Principal Judge), Justice Isaac Lenaola (Deputy Principal Judge), Justice Dr Faustin Ntezilyayo, Justice Fakihi Jundu, and Justice Audace Ngiye

The Applicant was represented by Mr Joel Kimutai Bosek and Ms Moureen Okoth while the Respondent was represented by Counsel Arnest William holding brief for Nicholas Ntarugera Counsel for the Respondent AG Rwanda

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MPs to summon DFCU top gurus over Crane Bank and Global Trust Bank takeover

By
George Mangula
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Dfcu Bank headquarters in Kampala.

DFCU top guru are among those lined up by parliamentary Com­mit­tee on Com­mis­sions, Statu­tory Au­thor­i­ties and State Enterprises (Cosase) in an inquiry that is expected to begin soon, the Auditor General, John Muwanga, having presented his report on defunct banks sold/liquidated by the Bank of Uganda (BoU), Eagle Online understands.

DFCU bought Crane Bank Limited (CBL) in January 2017 and Global Trust Bank Uganda (GTBU) in July 2014 but the two deals, according to the Auditor General John Muwanga’s special report of BoU on seven defunct banks, are questionable as major documents were not available to him during his inquest of the central bank’s top brass.

The two banks were sold by BoU to DFCU on account of insolvency and under-capitalization respectively, each going for Shs200 billion and about Shs71 billion worth GTBU’s liabilities, respectively.

BoU’s sale of the two banks to DFCU, according to Muwanga was done without following established guidelines, which BoU top managers might have ignored intentionally for selfish interests. BoU sold other banks like Greenland Bank, Cooperative Bank, International Credit Bank and others in this regard of guidelines.

Section 95(1) (b) of the FIA 2004, states that the Central Bank shall within 12 months from taking over as a Receiver arrange for the purchase of assets and assumption of all or some of the liabilities by other financial institutions. This was not followed in the case of GTBU as BoU closed the bank and solicited for the buyers (DFCU) on the same date of July 25, 2014.

“I observed that there were no guidelines /regulations or policies in place to guide the identification of the purchasers of GTBU. There were also no guidelines to determine the procedures to be adopted by the Central Bank in the sale of assets and transfer of assets or liabilities of the defunct banks to DFCU,” Muwanga says.

Muwanga further says he was not provided with records of the procurement process to ascertain the bid requirements, offers made, list of bidders, evaluation criteria, evaluation report and negotiation minutes leading to the Purchase and &Assumption (P&A) agreement. “In the absence of guidelines and procurement records, I could not ascertain whether BoU selected and evaluated the bids in line with the evaluation criteria,” he says.

In July Eagle Online reported that Muwanga and his staff were finding it hard to access critical information as they investigated BoU top officials who presided over the liquidation and sale of defunct banks.

Among BoU officials questioned by Muwanga’s team of auditors were the Deputy Governor Dr Louise Kasekende and retired former director of supervision Justine Bagyenda who has her own case of alleged illicit accumulation of wealth, with billions of shillings on her bank accounts.

In mid-May this year, the Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga directed the AG to investigate BOU after reports emerged that the bank officials had earlier on refused to cooperate with the AG officials, claiming the case of the sale of Crane Bank was already in court and that it would breach the sub-judice rule. The Solicitor General Francis Atoke had advised BOU top managers not to cooperate with the AG’s investigators.

The expanded audit into BoU was prompted by petitions from Crane Bank shareholders and central bank employees regarding Shs200 billion taxpayers’ money that was allegedly invested into the defunct commercial bank before it was liquidated in October 2016 and sold to DFCU Bank in January 2017.

The shareholders had earlier on petitioned Parliament’s Committee on Commissions Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (Cosase) chaired by MP Abdul Katuntu and requested for an investigation into the sale of Crane Bank to DFCU Bank and the closure of other several banks in the past.

Quoting from the interim report submitted to Cosase on April 10, MP Katuntu said that BoU officials had denied the Auditor General access to any information regarding closure of Crane Bank and the National Bank of Commerce (NBC).

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Seven steps to a memorable new venture marketing rollout

By
Guest Writer
-
Martin Zwilling

By Martin Zwilling

Even with instant two-way communication via the Internet and mobile phones, your greatest new solution or service won’t found or properly recognized without marketing. The challenge is to rise above the clutter, and stand out in the rush of over 500,000 other new businesses that get started in the U.S. every month. I find that digital marketing is the most visible and effective place to start.

Even within the digital marketing arena, there are a thousand alternatives, vying for your limited budget. Should you be buying key words from search engines, building fabulous web content, blasting out e-mail campaigns, or putting all your efforts into viral videos or social media? In fact, the first challenge is to build a strategy, put together a budget, and define measurement metrics.

As an advisor to many entrepreneurs and small businesses, I often get asked where to start, and how to proceed. In that context I offer the following practical steps and priorities:

Focus on a unique selling point (USP) for your offering. Digital marketing is all about establishing a voice and sending a message that customers can relate too, and makes you stand out. My advice is to keep it simple but memorable, and pick something you can highlight with pictures and videos. Put your customer at the top, rather than technology.

Research the top digital channels for your business today. There is no one best channel for all businesses. For young consumers today, it may be Instagram or Snapchat, while B2B offerings should take a hard look at LinkedIn and other business forums. Prioritize the list by customer reach, effort required by you, as well as cost.

Select no more than three that match your needs initially. You can’t do everything that you would like, even if you had the money. Resist the urge to try the latest “hot new channel,” just because all your friends are talking about it. Set specific objectives, budgets, and metrics for each one. Pick a theme and a team for each and get started.

Start creating content to get visibility and build a following. Here is where you may need outside expert help to be effective. Traditional marketing hype won’t get you the attention you need. Today’s audience is looking for something more creative, more visual, engaging, and interactive. Here is where you have to think outside the box.

Concentrate on building your brand image and message. Now is the time to integrate and solidify your brand across all the channels and platforms you have selected. You need to hone your design and tone, taking a strategic approach to establish brand recognition in your marketplace, all while keeping your target audience on top of mind.

Expand marketing in channels that work and add others. Based on metrics, revenue growth, and customer feedback, it’s now time to prune digital channels that don’t work for you, experiment with new ones, and expand your efforts where you see success. Content that works should be relentlessly repurposed, from web site to social media, events, etc.

Add elements of traditional marketing to maximize visibility. While non-digital marketing typically costs more money, it may be required to reach all elements of your audience. There are still customers who won’t give your brand total credibility until it appears on television ads, in newspapers, direct marketing, and at trade shows.

In every case, I have found that marketing is more important than ever for the growth and visibility of a new brand, and digital marketing is the most effective and the least expensive way to start. Yet it shouldn’t be done without careful planning and effort. Entrepreneurs who strike out randomly on every digital channel they know, using family and interns, are wasting their efforts.

Even less effective are those who still believe that “if we build it, they will come.” It’s time to be proactive in finding customers, engaging them in two-way conversations, and listening carefully to their message, as well as projecting yours. It’s not the size of your budget that makes you memorable – it’s the size of your connection with real customers who can multiply your efforts.

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

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Business idea for growing watermelons in Uganda: What you need to know

By
George Mangula
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Many Ugandans enjoy watermelons and it is good for business

The Uganda Investment Authority (UIA) has outlined business ideas for both local and foreign investors who want to invest in the agriculture sector. Among business idea that UIA has advised investors to get interested in, is the growing and marketing of watermelons (Citrullus lanatus).

“The idea is premised on harvesting 12,000 watermelons per quarter which translates into 48,000 watermelons per year. The revenue potential is estimated at USD 7,200 (about 27.4 million) per quarter, which translates into US$ 28,800 (about Shs109.4 million) per year,” says UIA’S Generation and Up-dating of Business Ideas Report.

According to the report, the watermelon business has a good market demand throughout the year and can provide employment to the youths and women. UIA estimates the Project cost at about US$ 2080 (Shs7.9 million).

Production process

Dig plenty of organic matter into the soil to provide the conditions watermelons need: a light, sandy, fertile loam soil that is well drained yet retains moisture. Plant Watermelons after both air and soil temperatures have reached 65°F usually two to three weeks after the last rainfall.

Direct sowing is best if your growing season is long enough for the plants to mature. For each plant, dig a hole two feet in diameter and a foot deep, and add at least a shovelful of compost or well-cured manure and a trowel or two of bone meal.

Set hardened-off transplants into the ground at the depth they were growing in their pots. Sow seeds an inch deep in hills. Allow plenty of space between plants. Apply a thick organic mulch to hold in moisture.

Remove all covers as soon as flowers appear so that bees and other insects can pollinate the plants, and begin fertilizing with compost tea every three weeks and should be ready to pick about 35 days later.

Market Analysis

According to the report, there is a growing market for fruits such as watermelons country wide especially in urban areas. Water melons can be supplied to Fruits’ vendors, market vendors, hotels, supermarkets and canteens. “There are so many investors in this sector spread across the Country especially in Central Uganda,” it says.

Land requirements: Two acres of land which hired at approximately US$1,000 (about Shs3.8million).

Why people buy and include watermelons in their diet

Boosts Immunity: Studies show eating watermelon can increase levels of arginine, an important amino acid that’s used for the synthesis of nitric oxide. Not only does nitric oxide help dilate your vessels to keep blood flowing efficiently and reduce the risk of high blood pressure, but it’s also involved in regulating the immune system.

Watermelon is also a great source of vitamin C, a key micronutrient that does double duty, acting as both an antioxidant and immune enhancer to keep your body healthy and ward off chronic disease. Antioxidants can also help fight free radicals and relieve inflammation to protect the cells against oxidative damage and stress.

Improves Heart Health: Watermelon contains a good amount of both potassium and magnesium, two important nutrients used to help remedy high blood pressure naturally. Consuming proper amounts of potassium and magnesium from a nutritious diet may be associated with improved heart health and a decreased risk of death from heart disease.

A review published in the journal Advances in Nutrition showed that eating plenty of potassium-rich foods like fruits and vegetables can positively impact blood pressure levels, which may be useful in reducing the risk of conditions such as stroke and heart disease.

Lycopene, one of the carotenoids found in abundance in watermelon, can also help keep your heart healthy and strong. Lycopene benefits heart health by reducing inflammation and improving blood lipid levels. (8) Studies have also shown that watermelon can help to relieve arterial stiffness, balance cholesterol and improve systolic blood pressure in patients with hypertension.

Relieves Pain and Muscle Soreness: One of the top 10 benefits of watermelon is its ability to promote muscle recovery and alleviate aches and pains in athletes. Interestingly enough, one study in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry looked at the effects of watermelon juice as a functional drink for athletes. After 24 hours of supplementation, athletes experienced improved heart rates that were more beneficial for muscle recovery in addition to less overall soreness and muscle aches.

In addition to the potential benefits of watermelon juice, watermelon also packs a good amount of vitamin C into each serving, which has been shown to protect cartilage and bones, aid in the repair of tendons and ligaments and help speed up wound healing.

Potassium and magnesium, two nutrients that are also found in watermelons, are important for muscle recovery and pain relief. Potassium, in particular, aids in the prevention of muscle cramps following exercise and helps you heal from injury more quickly.

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AMISOM, partners meet to devise strategies on countering potent threat from explosives

By
Our Reporter
-
Officers from the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), Somali Security Forces and other international partners attend the meeting

The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) and key international partners have concluded a meeting in Mogadishu, convened to devise ways of reducing the threat posed by Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) in Somalia.

The meeting, a follow-up to a similar one held in April 2018, deliberated on specific threats, the dynamism of the threats; and explored ways of bolstering efforts to reduce them.

Facilitated by the United Kingdom Mission Support Team (UKMST), the two-day meeting was attended by representatives from the United Nations Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS), the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS), the United States Army, the Turkish Army, the European Union Training Mission (EUTM) in Somalia, and military officers from AMISOM.

Participants discussed mitigation efforts, while analyzing the impact of IEDs along the Main Supply Routes. Also high on the agenda of the meeting, was the nature of the capacity building support, to the Somali National Security Forces, in counter IED efforts. They agreed to intensify sensitization of local populations on the impact of IEDs, especially along Main Supply Routes.

“This is a threat that is being effectively utilized by the enemy. And so we must go after it and defeat it,” remarked AMISOM’s deputy Head of Mission Mr. Simon Mulongo, during the official opening on Monday.

Mulongo noted that the indiscriminate use of IEDs was inflicting colossal damage on civilian populations and the military. He emphasized increased focus on eliminating the IED threat, through the development of a clear and effective counter IED strategy, and the use of Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) systems.

In his remarks, AMISOM’s deputy Force Commander in-charge of Operations and Planning, Maj. Gen. Charles Tai Gituai, expressed concern at the increasing incidents of explosions from IEDs. In its resolutions, the meeting agreed to the formation of multi-stakeholder teams in all AMISOM sectors, which would come up with quick solutions to mitigate rising threats from explosives.

“The best weapons of course against IEDs is a well-trained soldier who practices correct drills, maintains conscious situational awareness of his environment during the convoy movement, consciousness of the threat, listens to the intuition or the seventh sense, observant, and able to understand and reconcile the fact that this threat is real. And therefore we need to be very much aware of this,” said Maj. Gen. Gituai.

He noted that the training of AMISOM troops in the safe disposal of explosive ordnances was bearing fruit. AMISOM troops are increasingly finding IEDs and successfully proceeding with disposal operations.

Lt. Col. Ian Strong, the Commander of the UK Mission Support Team in Somalia, called on all the participants at the at the conference to share critical information on IEDS, which he said, was key in helping reduce the threat posed by the explosives.

“Outside the gates of Mogadishu International Airport are IEDs being constructed and built and then sent all over the country. And the top purpose is destruction. It’s about us as a team helping each other and also helping the people of Somalia to overcome this threat,” stated Lt. Col. Strong.

UNMAS announced the release of a draft IED Risk-Mitigation Planners’ Handbook, with an associated pocket handbook and IED risk-mitigation cards, to provide ready information to AMISOM troops in the country.

“The intention of these series of IED Risk Mitigation products is to support a coherent approach across AMISOM in their efforts to counter the use of IEDs in Somalia,” said Mr. Paul Amoroso, the UNMAS Somalia IED Threat Mitigation Policy Advisor.

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