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Youth call for fast tracking of Sexual Offences Bill

By
Geoffery Serugo
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Otuke Woman MP Silvia Akello

Ugandan youth have petitioned Parliament to fast track the Sexual Offences Bill to help curb the increasing cases of violence against women and girls.

Otuke District Woman Member of Parliament (MP) Silvia Akello who presented the petition on behalf of the youth said that sexual violence is one of the major challenges that negatively impact on the health and wellbeing of girls and young women in the country.

“Young girls are sexually violated in schools, workplaces and in communities generally.82 per cent of girls are sexually harassed right from secondary school and institution of higher learning. The sex for marks syndrome has left our young women violated by males in position of power,” MP Akello said.

She said that if the bill is fast tracked, it will protect young women and men from all forms of sexual violence and ensure that schools, work places and communities become safe spaces.

The petition was presented during a celebration of the National Parliament Youth Advocacy Day on Friday. The event was commemorated with a debate in the Parliamentary Chamber.

In 2016, Monicah Amoding (NRM, Kumi District) and Chairperson of Uganda Women Parliamentary Association (UWOPA) tabled the Sexual Offences Bill 2016 as a Private Members Bill, which seeks to consolidate all laws related to sexual offences and also spells out clear sanctions against sex offenders.

The Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga, who was the Chief Guest acknowledged that the Sexual Offences Bill was delayed but would ensure that it is passed into law.

“All the pending bills have to be presented before October. I am ready for the Sexual Offences Bill because I know how important it is. I have designated a sitting to legislate on these bills,” she said.
The petition includes concerns on the recently introduced social media tax.

The youth contend that this is discriminatory to unemployed youth who use social media as a platform to search for job opportunities.

The youth also want the Minimum Wage Bill expeditiously passed on grounds that there are increased levels of exploitation from employers. They said most youth have resorted to seeking for greener pastures abroad, where they are tortured, mistreated and sexually abused.

They also demanded that the Parliamentary Elections (Amendment) 2018 is amended to reduce nominations fees for persons vying for the position of Member of Parliament. In their submission, they contend that the fees were increased from Shs400, 000 to Shs3, 000,000, which inhibits the young people from vying for positions in public office.

The youth said that much as Uganda championed Pan-Africanism, regional and continental integration, given that it was the fourth to sign on the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and good governance in 2008, Uganda has not ratified this Charter 10 years later.

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Speaker Kadaga calls for support of former abductees

By
George Mangula
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Speaker Rebecca Kadaga

The Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga has urged for government to support girls and children who were in captivity of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA).

“If we highlight your issue, we can do something for you. On Tuesday, 14 August 2018 during plenary, I will the read names of the 88 missing Lwala girls and see to it that the we move a motion to debate their concerns,” said Kadaga.

Kadaga made the remarks on Friday in Kaberamaido District during the commemoration of the abduction of 180 girls from Lwala Girls Secondary School by LRA rebels on 24 June 24, 2003.

She said she had at several international meeting spoken about the negative impact of abductions on victims. She added that there was no response but called for affirmative action in rehabilitating the victims.

“I apologize to the Lwala girls because we have not spoken enough about their issues. We have a responsibility to advocate for them to, among other things, complete their education,” Kadaga said.

She committed to engage Government in an effort to find the 88 missing Lwala girls. She also said that children born in captivity need identity so that they can have access to social amenities.

The chairperson of the Teso Parliamentary Group, Veronica Eragu (NRM, Kaberamaido County) said Government had concluded an agreement under the Peace, Recovery and Development Plan (PRDP) that was implemented in July 2008, to look after the former abductees but it had remained pending.

“Madam Speaker, under your watch, we have achieved a lot and I request that we endeavor to take care of these girls and improve their livelihood,” Eragu said.

Priscilla Amuge, the Chairperson of Lwala Girls Abducted Survivors Association (LWAGASA) said most of the former abductee girls were facing gender based violence and stigmatization in society with most of them being single mothers.

“We call on the Minister for Gender to come here and sensitize communities on how to cater for these girls who managed to escape the clutches of the LRA rebels because most of them returned with children,” said Amuge.

The Speaker also committed Parliament’s financial support of Shs400 million to Lwala Girls Secondary School saying, “we will give shs200 million to the construction of a girl’s dormitory and the other shs200 million to the LWAGASA Sacco.”

The event was graced by Members of Parliament including Maria Goretti Ajilo (NRM, Kaberamaido), Elijah Okupa (FDC, Kasilo County), Anthony Okello (NRM, Kioga County) and Fredrick Angura (Tororo South County); as well district Local Government leaders and former students of Lwala Girls Secondary School

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IUCEA – World Bank announce scholarship recipients for 2018/2019

By
George Mangula
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Prof. Goolam Mohamedbhai

Inter-University Council for East Africa (IUCEA) in partnership with the World Bank has announced a total of 30 Masters Fellowships for the 2018/19 academic year, benefiting female students of eastern and central Africa.

The selected students, including Ugandans, will study full time at any of the 24 African Education Centres of Excellence (ACE) in the priority disciplines of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics or Industry, Agriculture, Health, Education and Applied Statistics.

The Ugandan candidates who received the award are; Stella Atugonza (Msc in Petroleum Engineering, Eva Mpagi (Msc in Data Science and Nassazi Winfred (MSc Analytical Chemistry). The three will study from Eduardo Mondlane Universitry, University of Rwanda and Moi University respectively.

“We congratulate the successful applicants and extend to them our best wishes for success in their studies. We have no doubt that when they return to their country of origin after completing their studies, they will play meaningful leadership roles at national and regional levels in identified priority science and technology areas for Africa,” said Prof. Goolam Mohamedbhai, the Chairperson of the Independent Selection Panel.

On May 4, 2018, IUCEA, called for applications for Masters Fellowships targeting female students in the nine countries of Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Zambia, Uganda, Mozambique and Malawi.

The aim of the competitive scholarship is to enhance the participation of young African female scientists at postgraduate level, encourage regional student mobility and identify and cultivate future leaders in the region, said IUCEA in a statement.

The Scholarship will cover cost for tuition, stipend, research, visa fees, laptop, books/stationeries and a round trip air ticket between the beneficiary’s home country and the study destination.

IUCEA will announce another 30 scholarships next year.

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Monsanto ordered to pay shs1.069 trillion to cancer patient in landmark ruling

By
Agencies
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Victim: DeWayne Johnson

Chemical maker- Monsanto on Friday suffered a major blow with a US jury ruling that the company was liable for a terminally ill man’s cancer, awarding him Over Shs1.069 trillion (about$289 million) in damages.

Dewayne Johnson, a 46-year-old former groundskeeper, won a huge victory in the landmark case, with the jury determining that Monsanto’s Roundup weedkiller caused his cancer and that the corporation failed to warn him of the health hazards from exposure. The jury further found that Monsanto “acted with malice or oppression”.

Roundup is commonlu used in Uganda to kill weeds in gardens. Monsanto has an outlet here in Kampala, supplying the weedkiller and improved seed of maize and other.

Johnson’s lawyers argued over the course of a month-long trial in San Francisco that Monsanto had “fought science” for years and targeted academics who spoke up about possible health risks of the herbicide product. Johnson was the first person to take the agrochemical corporation to trial over allegations that the chemical sold under the brand Roundup causes cancer.

In the extraordinary verdict, which Monsanto said it intends to appeal, the jury ruled that the company was responsible for “negligent failure” and knew or should have known that its product was “dangerous”.

“We were finally able to show the jury the secret, internal Monsanto documents proving that Monsanto has known for decades that … Roundup could cause cancer,” Johnson’s lawyer Brent Wisner said in a statement. The verdict, he added, sent a “message to Monsanto that its years of deception regarding Roundup is over and that they should put consumer safety first over profits”.

Speaking in San Francisco on Friday, Johnson said that the jury’s verdict is far bigger than his lawsuit. He said he hopes the case bolsters the thousands of similar lawsuits pending against the company and brings national attention to the issue.

Johnson’s case was particularly significant because a judge allowed his team to present scientific arguments. The dispute centered on glyphosate, which is the world’s most widely used herbicide. The verdict came a month after a federal judge ruled that cancer survivors or relatives of the deceased could bring similar claims forward in another trial.

During the lengthy trial, the plaintiff’s attorneys brought forward internal emails from Monsanto executives that they said demonstrated how the corporation repeatedly ignored experts’ warnings, sought favorable scientific analyses and helped to “ghostwrite” research that encouraged continued usage.

Monsanto has long argued that Roundup is safe and not linked to cancer and presented studies during trial that countered the research and testimony submitted by Johnson’s team. The herbicide is registered in 130 countries and approved for use on more than 100 crops, but in 2015, the World Health Organization’s international agency for research on cancer (IARC) classified glyphosate as “probably carcinogenic to humans”, triggering a wave of legal and legislative challenges.

Scott Partridge, the vice-president of Monsanto, released a statement after the verdict asserting that “glyphosate does not cause cancer, and did not cause Mr Johnson’s cancer”, adding: “We will appeal this decision and continue to vigorously defend this product, which has a 40-year history of safe use and continues to be a vital, effective, and safe tool for farmers and others.”

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Ways to ensure that your website is winning for you

By
Guest Writer
-
Martin Zwilling

By Martin Zwilling

It’s hard to be successful in any business when your customers can’t find you, or they find you and still can’t figure out whether your solution works for them. Thus I was surprised to see in a recent CNBC survey that 45 percent of small businesses still don’t have a website. These are missing a major opportunity to be found instantly via the Internet, locally and around the world.

Even more disappointing are other statistics that show most websites that do exist have a very low “conversion rate,” or ratio of visitors to the site versus ones who meet your goal of buying a product or signing up for a newsletter. In fact, very few website owners even track their website activity, or use Search Engine (SEO) or Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) tools now available.

Highlighting the problem, and the solution, I just found a new book, “Making Websites Win,” by Dr. Karl Blanks and Ben Jesson. Their insights are based on their experience optimizing websites for hundreds of clients in 34 countries, and they provide many practical tips on how to easily double your own website conversion rate or more, including the following:

Content must be written well, user-friendly, and credible. Usability problems kill conversions. By far the most effective technique for improving your writing is simply carrying out user readability tests on every piece of content, and really listening to feedback. Keep sentences short. For credibility, support facts with hard data and links.

Tell people what you do, and make the benefits clear. Believe it or not, one of the biggest problems with many websites is that people can’t figure out quickly and easily what you really offer. Use plain language (no acronyms) on the first page and every page, to emphasize customer benefits, as well as product features. Skip the hyperbole.

Provide irresistible offers to keep their attention. Even if your visitors can easily understand your value proposition, they may be turned off by the way the value is packaged and presented. Test your pricing and packaging options, and tune them regularly. Create a prominent and appealing offer or video to lock in a conversion. The monetisation of your website is very important and its a topic where you need more knowledge and luckily the internet shares many resources for you to understand more about this.

Recognize competitors but do not disparage them. If you don’t have a strategy for winning despite competitors, you are doomed. No company exists in a vacuum. Find your niche and highlight how your product meets the customer’s exact need, and is the best in the world. Make your solution and company symbiotic but better than competitors.

Focus on lifetime customer value (LCV) versus transaction. Repeat purchases and referrals from friends are the fastest ways to grow your business. Furthermore, existing customers are the easiest to convert—provided they had a good experience the first time around. Use Net Promoter Score (NPS) to help you turn visitors into raving fans. When you

Make it easy for a visitor to become a customer right now. In non-conversion exit surveys, visitors often report that they need to think about it and come back later. Such responses are common for purchases that seem complex and non-urgent. In such cases, remove the complexity, add the value of urgency, such as current discounts or specials.

Use guarantees to remove visitors fear of commitment. A guarantee reduces the risk for the customer. A good guarantee acts as a kind of proof that your business is serious. It effectively says, “Our promise must be true. Otherwise we wouldn’t be in business.” Effective guarantees include: price-match, satisfaction, payment-deferral—even weather.

Compensate for sales funnel elements outside of your control. If visitors have to go elsewhere, like financing, to close a deal, ensure that they are fully persuaded before they leave your website. Build a relationship, be memorable, and don’t rush them to leave. Meantime, get permission to edit those funnel parts that aren’t in your control.

I encourage every small business and entrepreneur to create a website early, and use these tips to make it more effective. The best websites are certainly not the most expensive, but do require thoughtful planning and regular updates. With some guidance from experts, and the many tools available, you can make your small business look better than your biggest competitor. Do it now.

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

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What next for the Land Commission after being blasted by Minister Namuganza?

By
Editorial
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Junior Land Minister Persis Namuganza.

There is bad blood between the Commission of Inquiry into Land Matters and State Minister for lands, Persis Namuganza, who on Wednesday blasted the Commission saying it is useless and must be disbanded for allegedly wasting the taxpayers’ money.

Namuganza, who said she has in the past supported the commission repeated the same remarks Thursday morning on Bukedde Television, stating that it was wrong for its officials to question her on allegation that she is involved in land grabbing, arguing that being a Lands Minister, it would be wrong for her to associate with land grabbers yet the government was fighting them tooth and nail.

According to Namuganza, the commissioners, led by the chairperson, Justice Catherine Bamugemereire are fond of harassing the accused people that appear before them. Will the commissioners use Namuganza’s utterances to change their tactics? Namuganza is not the only one who has noticed the commissioners’ way of questioning, which sometimes has gone to the extent of barking at the accused. Other top officials that have clashed with the commission and accused it of same allegations are Minister of lands, betty Amongi, businessman Abid Alam among others.

Namuganza’s word must be taken seriously given her position as the lands minister especially when she says the commission nothing tangible to show despite being allocated billions of shillings as well as government extending their period of work.

That the minister can question the commission’s value for money, it means something is not right and maybe has some information on the matter. “They are paid Shs52 million a month each when me, a minister, I get only Shs6 million. Why do they waste people’s money?” She said on Wednesday.

President Museveni in May granted an 18-month extension to the commission to enable it complete its task. That was the second extension after the initial six-months-tenure expired on November 9, 2017. She said supported the commission to get that extension.

Namuganza is so frustrated that she has questioned whether the commissioners have contracts. “Where are the contracts they were given? They get a lot of money. Parliament summoned them last time and it was the Speaker [Rebecca Kadaga] who protected them,” she said.

The minister was on Wednesday grilled over Mubende land crisis in which she was accused of selecting a few purported landlords to meet President Museveni at State House with hope that he would order government to compensate them for the land it intends to give to sitting tenants.

The purported claimants included Blasio Musoke Lule and Ms Milly Naava Namutebi and other people. And they wanted claim for compensation of the land whose ownership is under investigation.

It is alleged that Namuganza helped by state minister for Kampala Benny Namugwanya Bugembe ( Woman MP for Mubende District) to mobilise and lead a few claimants of the disputed three square mile land in Butoroogo and Madudu Sub-counties, Mubende District to State House to meet Museveni.

Namuganza was on Wednesday pissed off particularly by the Deputy Lead Counsel to the Commission, John Bosco Suuza, who tasked her to explain her role in leading claimants to a State House meeting. She denied allegations that she connived with a one Milly Naava to evict 350 families in Mubende district.

She has accused the committee of fighting private wars instead of doing their work. She has accused them of noting doing their work as expected of them.

“They are fighting personal wars. They have no issue. They are just useless. Their motions won’t help Uganda,” she said on Wednesday.

Namuganza was so furious that she said the land commission has failed to account for the money allocated to it and that they were only save by Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga in April as legislators demanded for the accountability.

In April Members of Parliament (MPs) on the physical infrastructural committee of Parliament demanded for tangible results from the commission after it asked for more funds.

The MPs were angered by the Ministry of Land’s budget statement for 2018/2019 that included an allocation for the commission Shs7.8 billion in supplementary budget. At that time they demanded to know when the commission’s work would end, having spent Shs13 billion, without presenting a major report even though the presented to Museveni a preliminary report.

No that Minister Namuganza has spoken her mind, the public is waiting to see how President Museveni will respond. Will he disband the commission or sack Namuganza for blasting it? Will the lay down their tools unless Museveni disciplines Namuganza for blasting them? Those questions that must be answered

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Parliament declares Sheema North vacant

By
Geoffery Serugo
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Speaker Rebecca Kadaga

Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga has directed the Clerk of the August House to declare Sheema North seat vacant so that election can be organised after. Dr Elioda Tumwesigye decided to represent Sheema Municipality.

Speaking in plenary, Kadaga said she received Minister for Science and Technology Dr Elioda Tumwesigye’s resignation letter for Sheema North parliamentary seat after winning of six candidates in a hotly contested Sheema Municipality MP elections that occurred last month.

Under the guidance of Clerk to parliament, Tumwesigye swore to bear true allegiance to the Republic of Uganda and to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution.

“I welcome you to your usual Parliament but in a different capacity; although you are a Member of Cabinet you are still a Member of this House. I hand you the constitution and Rules of Procedure to guide you do your duties,” Kadaga said.

Sheema is one of the municipalities created in 2015, three newly elected members representing the Apac, Ibanda and Nebbi municipalities took oath on 08 August 2018.

Since there was no law curtailing sitting MP from standing in the newly created constituencies demarcated from current area they represent, Dr. Tumwesigye decided to move from Sheema North to Sheema Municipality and is the first MP to contest for another parliamentary seat without resigning his role as a legislator.

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Prof Nawangwe dragged to High Court

By
Geoffery Serugo
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MUK Vice Chancellor Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe.

Suspended Makerere University students have petitioned Kampala High Court seeking orders compelling Vice Chancellor Prof Barnabas Nawangwe to reconsider his decision and allow them to resumes with studies.

Early this week, Prof. Nawangwe suspended Jobs Dhabona, Daniel Kituno and Samuel Kigula over their involvement in illegal activities of inciting others students with the intention of holding the demonstration against University policies and other national laws. Nawangwe said that their intention are both criminal and civil liability on their part, “hereby suspend you from Makerere University with immediate effect until further notice,”

In their Petition the three contends that the decision taken by Prof Nawangwe to suspend them was reached against the principals of natural justice by not availing them an opportunity to defend themselves.

“We suffered psychological torture, irreparable harm through violation of our fundamental rights to education, equality and non-discrimination and loss of self -esteem as a result of this suspension,” They said.

They revealed that they learned about their suspension on social media after their friends shared screen shots of suspension letters signed by the Vice =Chancellor.

According to one of the petitioners who spoke on anonymity and reconsideration of their plea, denied all allegations they led to their suspension saying they are witch hunt of disagreement with administration decisions which include the elevation of tuition fees for fresh students.

Alluding to petition, the three wants Nawangwe, academic Registrar and Dean of Students to reinstate them to their programs of study, facilitate them in terms examinations missed.

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Tackle issues of illicit sugar and smuggling commodities- Magufuli

By
Geoffery Serugo
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President Museveni meets Tanzaniana President Dr. John Magufuli

President of Tanzania Paul Pombe Magufuli has called for guarding against too much sugar that is being exported to East African region saying the business is blocking regional industrial growth and employment opportunities.

Last week, Tanzania blocked the importation of duty free sugar and imposed a 25 per cent tax on a consignment of sugar from Kakira Sugar works destined for the neighboring country. However, the business community through =Ministry of Trade protested the decision saying it is contrary to the East African Community Common Market Protocol to eliminate import duty on internally manufactured goods.

In a meeting with President Museveni at State House in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, Magufuli said, regional leaders must tackle the issue of illicit sugar and smuggling of other commodities to East African countries.

“Our people met and discussed the issue about 600 tonnes of Ugandan sugar that was denied entry to Tanzania, We should decide whether we need to grow our industries or becoming dumping grounds,”

He said, In July 2018 Ugandan delegation led by Fredrick Gume Ngobi, Minister of State Trade Industry and Cooperatives, held a meeting in Mutukula with a Tanzanian delegation led by Charles Mwijage, Minister of Industries, Trade and Investment and attended by Charles Tizebwa, Minister of Agriculture to discuss the issue.

Magufuli said for thriving of business across the community, Tanzania is hoping to introduce big ships to replace the former MV Victoria ship on regional water body (lake Victoria) transporting people to the three regional countries of Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania.

He also said Tanzania has already procured seven planes and three of them have already arrived in the country to ease regional transport cross the world. Recently Uganda ordered for two airbuses (A330-800neo) and four CRJ900 to boost air transport and triumph of businesses.

He commended President Museveni for his role in the restoration of peace in Burundi and as a guarantor of war ravaged South Sudan, Somalia and entire region. His contractor message after ratification of conclusive agreement on peace, security and governance between the President Salva Kiir of south Sudan country’s main rebel group led by Riak Machar.

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CONFUSION: As IGG denies investigating UNRA top directors over corruption

By
George Mangula
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UNDER SPOTLIGHT: UNRA Executive Director Allen Kagina.

The Inspector General of Government Irene Mulyagonja has said her office has not received any testimony calling for the investigation of three directors at the Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) as said by Executive Director Hellen C. Kagina days ago in a letter.

“We have searched the IG Case Management System and other case management sources but have found no record to show that there are any investigations going in respect of the said members of staff, either as alleged in the whistle blower’s letter or at all,” IGG Mulyagonja said in a letter she addressed to Kagina on August 8.

Mulyagonja’s letter to Kagina was in response to the letter the latter wrote on August 2, 2018 asking for an update on investigations alleged to be going on against three UNRA staff in the names of: Mary Kamuli Kuteesa-Director Legal Services, Moses Kasakya-Director Internal Auditor and John Ongimu Omeke-Director Procurement.

“The purpose of this letter is to request for an update on this matter to unable us update the UNRA Board of Directors. We enclose here in a photocopy of the whistleblower letter in issue for ease reference,” Kagina wrote in a letter that the IGG received on August 3, 2018.

In the latest letter, Mulyagonja said the investigations her office is aware of relate to the former staff, arising out of the Commission of Inquiry on the mismanagement of resources and corruption in UNRA. ““The majority of the persons are actually former staff and not current staff of UNRA,” Mulyagonja said.

As such Mulyagonja said her office could not give a response to Kagina as regards the alleged investigations against the three officials. “As a result, we are not able to respond to the request that you made to us and hope this will satisfy the inquiries of the UNRA Board,” Mulyagonja wrote.

According to the whistleblower, Kuteesa who is a member of UNRA’s contracts committee participated in the award of the contract to a Chinese company in which her husband has interest, yet she had not disclosed the information. Ms She is accused of misleading the board and influence peddling.

The whistleblower accused Kuteesa that her husband through his law firm-Arcodco and Co. Advocates, represents Chinese construction companies- China Wuyi, China Communications and China Construction Company (CCCC). Further, the whistleblower said her participation in the procurement processes led to the dismissal other companies with justifiable reasons and that she has disorganized the organization’s procurement process.

CCCC won the contract to build the 51.4km Entebbe Express at about Shs1.2 trillion. The road was launched in mid-June by President Yoweri Museveni and Mr Wang Yang, the chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference.

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