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Registry is the engine of Judiciary- Justice Katureebe tells new Chief Registrar

Retired Chief Justice Bart Katureebe

Chief Justice Bart Katureebe has called on the newly appointed Chief Registrar, Esta Nambayo to promote teamwork in judiciary saying her junior registrars’ need a lot of guidance and support for smooth flow of activities.

Nambayo has assumed office from Registrar Isaac Muwata who has been delegating since May this year. She replaced Justice Paul Gadenya Wolimbwa, who was appointed High Court Judge.

Officiating at the handover ceremony at High Court, Justice Katureebe promised to support her in all judicial activities saying, “you are taking up the engine room for the Judiciary, junior bench still needs a lot of guidance, but sometimes you need to crack the whip,”

“Many of the new junior officers do not show as much respect to the senior members of the bench, we need to ensure that people do their work. The issue of transfer needs to be handled with firmness; otherwise, most people may not want to be posted outside Kampala,”

Principal Judge, Justice Dr. Yorokamu Bamwine, advised Nambayo to work with diligence and honesty to effectively manage the challenging office of the Chief Registrar. “Keep knocking on people’s doors for consultations and we will always be there for you,” he said.

The Deputy Chief Justice, Alfonse Owiny-Dollo, advised Nambayo to tap into the wealth of practical experience of many former Chief registrars who are still in Judicial Service.

In her remarks Nambayo pledged to promote a culture of working through clear work plans as well as having in place a clear policy and guidelines on judicial officers’ transfers to reduce on the number of complaints.

“I will work with everybody, promote integrity, accountability, discipline and teamwork,” she said.
Nambayo will be tracing the footsteps of Lady Justice Flavia Senoga Anglin, the first-ever female Chief Registrar, who was elevated to High Court judge status some years back.

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Re-build your image- Kisekka market leaders tell police

Moses Kafeero Kabugo, Commandant Military Police Col. William Bainomugisha. Photo credit, Chimpreports.

Kampala Metropolitan Police Commander CP. Moses Kafeero Kabugo, Commandant Military Police Col. William Bainomugisha have held talks with the leaders of Kisekka market to pave ways for curtailing continuous riots and protests mobilized against government decisions.

With the recent protests that saw the battering of journalists and individuals at Kisekka area, rioters were demanding for unconditional release of politicians who were arrested during Arua mayhem.
Remarking at Emerald Hotel, Kampala down town CP. Kafeero showed interest in working together for the development of ideas on how to deal with the symptoms and deep-seated causes of dissatisfaction other than riots.

“Due to Consequences of these riots, the police in Kampala have begun a review of their tactics on how to handle future unrests which includes community engagement, inter-agency coordination among security agencies is solid and will continue to be so in order to maintain the existing peace,” he said.
He said research shows that most riots are comprised of organised criminals who are often from outside the area, violent aggressors; pick picketers who deliberately travel to riot sites in order to loot, opportunists who are drawn into riot areas through curiosity or a sense of excitement and spectators who come just to watch the rioting.

Under theme of building strong, resilient and a thriving local community where no one feels the urge to take such destructive actions ever again, local leaders said, it important that police first rebuild image through supporting members of Kisekka Community as they rebuild their businesses.

“Ensure that there are plans to deal with the risk of future disturbances, pursuing people who commit crimes during the riots can’t solve the problem,” said the leaders.
Col. Bainomugisha said security is everybody’s responsibility and that those who run public outfits like malls, arcades are expected to be responsible for the security of their clients and those they serve in partnership with security agencies.

“Everyone has a stake in ensuring security in our country,” Col. Bainomugisha said.

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Minister Kyambadde expected to spearhead Continental Free Trade Area campaign

Trade Minister Amelia Kyambadde

Uganda has unanimously been selected to chair the African Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA) negotiations on the forum for African Ministers of trade running for one year until June 2019.

The historic AfCTA involves the 55 member states of Africa and so far, it’s the world’s largest free trade area, by number of the 44 African countries that signed its protocols.

It establishes a single market of 1.2 billion people, with a combined GDP of $3.4 trillion.
Uganda takes on from Rwanda the former chair of the Continental Free Trade Area which aims at enhancing competitiveness at the industry and enterprise level through exploitation of opportunities for scale production.

The campaign fast track speedy negotiations on the CFTA with a specific focus on the liberalization of trade in goods and services. The campaign is expected to be spearheaded by the Minister of Trade, industry and Cooperatives Amelia Kyambadde, a vocal proponent of trade integration at the continental level.

The conclusion of the trade negotiations will lead to socio-economic transformation of the continent in line with the goals of the AU’s Agenda 2063. For Uganda, this will open up the cross border markets for locally made goods and services and access to emerging markets.

Based on the projected outcomes of the CFTA, consumers of cross border goods and services are expected to reap from the lower costs. Beneficially, Uganda’s growing volumes of intra-African trade will provide an opportunity for its traders and producers to increase output levels.

Being at the forefront of these negotiations, enable leaders to involve insights of the private sector in high level panels. Engaging both parties in the free trade area consultation and negotiations give ways for increased collaboration on cross border trade activities.

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Investigate security organs over torture of MPs- Parliament asks cabinet

Mityana Municipality MP, Francis Zaake in pain after he was tortured by Special Forces in Gulu.

Parliament has asked cabinet to investigate security organs over allegations of torture of Members of Parliament and other victims of Arua mayhem.

The decision was reached after the presentation of Adhoc Committee report on the investigations into the condition of MPs and other suspects arrested ahead of the Arua Municipality by-election.

On August 15, Parliament delegated six legislators to witness the trial of Kyadondo East MP Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine in Gulu court martial and other suspects who were due to appear in Gulu Magistrates Court.

In the absence of the committee chairperson Doreen Amule, the report was presented by Mitooma district woman MP Jovah Kamateeka.
The Committee recommended that individuals and state institutions that were involved in the abuse of human rights and dignity be punished.

“The military and other errant state functionaries that are complicit in violating the law and eroding human rights and dignity should account for their actions,” the report reads in part.
However, legislators expressed mixed reactions to some of the recommendations, with some tasking government to adhere to the recommendation to prosecute the security agents involved.

The Deputy Speaker, Jacob Oulanyah, told MPs that government needed to be given time to investigate the matter citing the example of former Inspector General of Police, Gen. Kale Kayihura, who is facing trial in the military court.
“I propose that the house resolves that those individuals that are complicit should be investigated, prosecuted and punished, Prime Minister, Ruhakana Rugunda, will report to the House on the actions taken within one month,” he said.

“We needed the committee to visit the initial site of the problem, I have not seen a report of this committee talking with President Museveni who was the first victim pelted with stones,” Ruhakana Rugunda said.
Rugunda commended the prompt action of security organs that contained the situation in Arua and Kampala, adding that government would leave no stone unturned in its investigations.
The Leader of the Opposition, Betty Aol Ocan, however, recounted her visit to the two MPs saying they suffered injuries inflicted upon them by security agents.

“We went to Makindye Barracks and were chased away like dogs. We then went to Rubaga Hospital and found Hon. Zaake who had been tortured,” Aol noted.
Lwemiyaga MP Theodore Ssekikubo said since the two legislators were given clearance to travel abroad for treatment, it was evidence that they had suffered torture.

“We are aware that the MPs were referred abroad by competent doctors like Dr. Ssekitoleko of Rubaga Hospital after conducting tests on them. Government doctors who examined them at Kiruddu Hospital also gave them a go-ahead,” Ssekikubo said.
The alleged torture of some of the 26 arrested persons and MPs followed a chaotic turn of events at the last day of campaigns in the Arua Municipality by-election to replace fallen former MP Col. Ibrahim Abiriga.

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Minister Kyambadde roughed up in Norway

Trade Minister Amelia Kyambadde

The Minister of Trade and Cooperatives Amelia Kyambadde has faced it rough in Norway as fierce man accused her of being a thief and corrupt.

The minister was attending Nordic Uganda business conference in Oslo, where she expressed her commitment to fighting poverty and support job creation in for transformation of Uganda’s economy.
She however, faced it rough when a man took up microphone and accused her and President Museveni of being the pioneers of destruction of cooperative societies leaving people to suffer at the hand of poverty.

“My question goes to the minister from Uganda, you are talking of job creation, development, first of all Amelia herself has three or four jobs that increases on the number of unemployment, two corruption they come and ask for money and use it themselves, she is very- very rich can you give us the details of the cooperatives unions you have destroyed, you are involved in many scandals, we don’t want to be fooled,” he said.

In her response the minister implored him to develop the spirit ethicists, saying that is why Africa lags behind. “When we have young people like him, making false accusations based on political affiliations and negatives attitudes towards their nation, we are going no further,” he added.

The young man however, insisted and said he is not a politician and hence said, Let me go out. He was seen picking his bag and walked out of the conference room.
Nevertheless, in the corridors, the minister called on Ugandans in Norway to leave the place saying you can’t abuse and accuse me of theft, “who did I rob off funds, did I steal your father’s property, am among people with clear record of theft, In fact I will sue you people,” she said

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FUFA sets 2018/19 Uganda Premier League kick-off date

Vipers won league last season.

The Federation of Uganda Football Association (FUFA) has announced that the 2018/19 StarTimes Uganda Premier League season is to kick off on Friday, 28 September, 2018.

The Ugandan football governing body announced the development in today’s press conference ahead of the upcoming AFCON qualification match against the Tanzania Taifa Stars this Saturday at Namboole stadium.
The league will be called StarTimes Uganda Premier League after Pay TV Company StarTimes secured the naming and broadcasting rights last month.

One hundred Uganda Premier league games will be aired live on StarTimes channels. However, the channels which will broadcast the games will be communicated as soon as the fixtures will be revealed.
“It is a great achievement that 100 StarTimes UPL games will be aired on @StarTimesUganda.” FUFA Marketing and Communications Chairman Rogers Byamukama said.

Masavu FC, Proline FC and UPDF FC are the three sides that were relegated last season while Nyamityobora, Ndejje University and Paidha Black Angels are the teams that gained promotion to the 2018/2019 Premier League. Sixteen teams compete in the top flight football.

Meanwhile, the Uganda Premier League reigning champions SC VipersSC play KCCA FC the Stanbic Uganda Cup holders on 22/9/2018 before the kick-off of StarTimes Uganda Premier League at a venue yet to be confirmed.

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Nyege Nyege Festival cleared to proceed

Nyege Nyege festival

The fourth edition of the Nyege Nyege Festival has been cleared to proceed after fears that the Government had banned the much anticipated festival due to involvement of the homosexuality and LGBT movement.

“#NyegenyegeFestival Following a consultative meeting chaired Internal Affairs Minister Jeje Odongo, btwn govt and organizers today, the event has been cleared to proceed. Ethics Minister Fr. Simon Lokodo will issue a statement shortly.” The Executive Director of Uganda Media Center Ofwono Opondo tweeted.

The much anticipated and publicized MTN sponsored Nyege Nyege festival is a four day international music festival in East Africa which will start tomorrow 6, September until Sunday, 9 September.

About 300 artists from more than 30 countries have been listed to perform at the event which had been scheduled to take place at Nile Discovery Beach in Jinja, by the source of the Nile. South African artists include rapper Sho Madjozi, gqom acts Rude Boyz, Dominowe and Phatstoki, and sgubhu producer Sleeping Buddah.

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EAC and FAO setups in creating job opportunities for youth through agribusiness

EAC Secretary General Liberat Mfumukeko.

East African Community and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations have reaffirmed their commitment in creating job opportunities for youth through in the agriculture sector.

Over a year, EAC and FAO have been implementing a catalytic project, which aims at reducing rural poverty and to boost economic growth through supporting the creation of better opportunities for youth in the agricultural sector.

Speaking at a workshop to validate and institutionalize agribusiness best practices in the EAC Partner States, EAC Deputy Secretary General for Productive and Social Sectors Christophe Bazivamo said youth in the region had the potential to boost productivity and strengthen economic growth.
“Engaging the youth in agriculture is increasingly seen as a potential solution to youth unemployment, food insecurity, rural poverty and distress migration, by unlocking the multi-layered prospects around farming, including processing, packaging, transportation, distribution, marketing and financial services,” he said

Mohamed Aw-Dahir, Senior Programme and Partnership Officer at FAO Sub regional Office for Eastern Africa said that investing in young people living in rural areas is key to enhancing agricultural productivity, boosting rural economies and ensuring food security.

“FAO and EAC are seeking innovative business models and appropriate technologies to engage the largely untapped reservoir of youth in agriculture to accelerate innovative ideas around youth-led and youth-focused entrepreneurship and employment,” said Aw-Dahir.

In the International Youth Conference that was held from 20 to 21 August 2018 in Rwandan capital Kigali, leaders urged the youth in Africa to reverse the often-negative perceptions associated with agriculture and take pride in being farmers. The Conference encouraged the youth to change the image and conversation around agriculture ‘think beyond farm jobs’ and explore employment opportunities across the agri-food chain.

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Fake news is harmful bliss

Mr Muwema

By Fred Muwema

These days, our news ecosystem is playing host to an amplified form of harmful bliss called Fake news which is apparently as old as journalism itself. Fake news is bliss because more people are adept to consume and pleasure in it as it feeds their human sensuality which sometimes presents as momentary urges to give or receive a rose or rogue tinted version of a story.

Many people are innocent consumers of fake news which is why it spreads faster than real news. Research has shown that the truth takes approximately six times longer than fake news to reach people thereby underlining the fatal attractiveness of fake news.
It is difficult to find any major story or event that can resist the drive or manipulation of a lethal dose of false information or news even when there is no clear legal definition in Uganda, of what fake news is or is not. I believe this obtains courtesy of an often subjective test of some fake news which has also stained supposedly official news conveyed through traditional media channels.
The Iraq war in 2003 which was mounted and informed by a frenzy of misinformed official media which escorted a military expedition searching for non-existent weapons of mass destruction, ended up bringing Iraq to the brink of destruction. It was a costly drama picking up bills in the region of US $2 trillion and it took the lives of more than 180,000 combatant and non-combatants and it is still counting. But all this death and misery at the hands of politically motived fake news has not stopped humanity’s affinity for more and more fake news. This is a typical example of a rouge tinted version of a story that should never have been.

We should therefore, not blame some enthusiastic plaudits when they look to President Donald Trump who popularized the term fake news during the 2016 US Presidential elections in defining fake news as any unfavourable coverage by the media. Many leaders and governments around the world from Brazil to Indonesia and Germany to Thailand have picked the cue and gone further to line themselves with some anti-fake news legislations laced with heavy fines and penalties. The penalties of up to 50 million Euros on platform owners like Facebook and Twitter who are secondary peddlers of fake news, may reduce the mundane behaivour but no one can predict to what extent. What I believe however is that the success of any anti-fake news laws will be measured against the willingness of any Government to be truthful and accountable to its people who may be expected to reciprocate better by observing the law. After all it is said that obeying the law starts from the top.
In most jurisdictions in the world, fake news is not out-rightly illegal or criminal. This is largely because the global crackdown on fake news raises censorship concerns and is viewed as an affront to the freedom of expression. It is the reason social media giants like Facebook which are populated with many gardens of fake news, do not even have a mention of the word fake news in their statement of rights and responsibilities for users. This is the thinking which influenced the Supreme Court of Uganda to end the life of S.50 of our Penal Code Act in the land mark case of Onyango Obbo and Andrew Mwenda Versus Attorney General (2002) which used to criminalize the publication of false news, statements, rumours or reports likely to cause fear or alarm to the public or distort peace. Ever since false news (which is practically the same as fake news) was orphaned in Uganda, it has remained a weak legal caricature under the concept of electronic fraud which is performed through computer networks pursuant to the Computer Misuse Act 2011.

The recent saga of the widely condemned torture and arrest of Hon. Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine, Hon. Francis Zaake, Hon. Kasiano Wadri, Hon. Paul Mwiru and others served up a common but prosaic style of fake news on both sides which reminded us that fake news is both harmful and blissful.
In my view Bobi Wine‘s pain and suffering was not soothed by the false declaration on Facebook by one of his brothers that ”Bobi died, they are hiding the body” or when we woke up to the chilling news that one of his kidneys had shut down. We cannot comment on the merits of the alleged escape of a battered Hon. Francis Zaake from Police custody since the matter is in Court, but as night follows day, we shall soon know whether this was fake news or not. I am no security expert but I want to believe that this fake news and propaganda could have inflamed an already inflamed situation in the country and abroad.

At the same time, the Uganda Police act of parading some non-descript guns claiming that they were recovered from Bobi Wine’s hotel room in Arua and the act of later dropping the case without convincing reasons, could have served to increase the agitation and annoyance of the public. Keen observers will not be lost on the fact that previous illegal possession of gun charges against opposition politicians like Winnie Byanyima in 2001 and Rtd. Col. Kiiza Besigye in 2005 suffered the same fate. These together with the recent case of Bobi Wine have now taken their place as museum pieces of fake news. The denial and eventual acceptance of the Police arrest and detention of Eddie Mutwe, Bobi Wine’s bodyguard can make a late but permanent entry to the museum as well.

All fake news, whether from government or private organisations and individuals promotes a sub-culture of fake news. Rather than fear the fake news, we must fear ourselves instead because without us, there will be no one to originate, read, distribute, react to or suffer the effects of the fake news. It is not enough to acquire awareness or knowledge about fake news for the sake of it. I agree with the celebrated author Yuval Noah Harari when he writes in his book Homo Deus – A Brief History of Tomorrow that “knowledge which does not change behavior is useless.” Let us change our behaivour by not taking to blaming the fake news, but ourselves. Let us (which includes governments and institutions) self-regulate against the fake news whenever we can identify it because we have a choice in this matter. We cannot wait for Government, or any other entity to assure our protection from fake news when there is an environment that ensures the continued creation and consumption of fake news. The vicious cycle of fake news starts and ends with each of us, whoever or wherever we may be.

Fred Muwema
Managing Partner
Muwema & Co. Advocates
4th September 2018

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UCDA, UDBL sign pact to accelerate production and export of coffee

Uganda Coffee Development Authority and Uganda Development Bank Limited have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to accelerate production and export of Uganda coffee.

The MoU formalizes and strengthens the existing relationship between UCDA and UDBL at the strategic and operational levels.
It also focuses on the general principles for the cooperation of the two parties, the interaction between UCDA standards and the UDBL framework, the mechanism for mobilization of funds for lending and capacity building as well as sharing information regarding their partners in order to avoid duplication of roles.

The move is in line with the nine transformative initiatives aimed at strengthening farmer organisations and producer cooperatives to enhance commercialization of smallholder farmers and ensure broad access to extension, inputs, finance and aggregation and promotion of value addition including primary processing.

In her remarks, Managing Director of UDBL Patricia Ojangole welcomed the initiative which formalizes and strengthens the existing relationship between UCDA and UDBL. “I look forward to continuing to build on our constructive co-operation in the interest of enhancing overall economic development,” she said.

“Small holder farmers need finance for access to inputs and irrigation, co-operatives need finances to pay farmers, otherwise they need quick cash loans which may force them to sell their yield at a lower price. UCDA and UDBL have partnered together to implement these initiatives,”
Managing Director of UCDA, Dr. Emmanuel Iyamulemye said the partnership with UDBL is projected to go a long way in enabling the coffee sub-sector to achieve the target of producing 20 million bags in the stipulated timeframe.

He said UCDA and UDBL have a shared objective of serving the public interest, “This MoU will enable the two entities to achieve common goals that will define and establish arrangements to mobilize, sensitize, train, organize, support, advocate for dealers and other actors at all stages of the coffee value chain,” he added.

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