Stanbic Bank
Stanbic Bank
18.2 C
Kampala
Stanbic Bank
Stanbic Bank
Home Blog Page 1652

Government to give smallholder farmers cheap loans

By
George Mangula
-
Finance Miniter Matia Kasaija denied ever granting permission for the tax.

The Government in partnership with commercial banks and other financial institutions has revised the Agricultural Credit Facility (ACF) with emphasis on helping smallholder farmers in Uganda access loans that they can manage to pay back at 12 percent interest.

David Kalyango, the Chief Internal Auditor in Bank of Uganda (BOU), said commercial banks have given out loans worth Shs261.3b since government launched the ACF in 2009. But the funds, which government guarantees 50 percent, have gone mainly to clients who borrow above Shs100 million, he noted.

So far 416 eligible projects have received the funding, and according to Kalyango banks do not pay any interest on the money acquired from government under this arrangement. He said this meant to encourage them lend to agriculture sector but also that the sector has many investment risks.

Kalyango also said that the ACF total loan portfolio grew by 5.20 percent in the last quarter of 2017/18 to Shs261.3b from Shs24.41b.

Government, he said, hopes that attracting smallholder farmers to the ACF will help them commercialise their enterprises as loans will be used to purchase farm equipments, livestock, pesticides, fertilizers build warehouses and silos but also loans can be used in value addition.

Kalyango says ACF has helped the country increase agricultural exports but also helped create employment. With smallholders coming onboard, Kalyango hopes more employment will be created.

He says government will soon begin a nationwide campaign popularizing the existence of the ACF. The Ministry of Finance allocates taxpayers money to this facility whose account is in BOU.

But for farmers to benefit from this loan facility, they will have to organise themselves, including keeping financial records as well as operating bank accounts.

Meanwhile, of the Shs261.3 billion disbursed, government contributed Shs130.56 b while commercial banks and other financial institutions contributed 130.77b. The banks have already repaid 73.13b to BOU as proceeds from projects financed under ACF, which is a revolving fund.

Also, repayment of loans by December 2017 increased by 125 percent from Shs2.4b to Shs5.56b.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stories Continues after ad

Kakise bus involved in accident, kills roadside vendors

By
Benjamin Gavara
-
The bus at the scene of accident on Kyaggwe Road

Traffic along Kyaggwe Road came to a standstill this afternoon following an accident involving a bus that belongs to Kakise Transport Company.

Eyewitnesses said the bus, Reg. No. UAS/437/P lost control and rammed into road side vendors, some of who died while others were seriously injured.

Stories Continues after ad

Eastern Uganda districts perform poorly in UCE

By
Steven F Mandu
-
RECEIVED RESULTS: Minister of State for Education John Chrysostom Muyingo

The Uganda National Examination Board (UNEB) has released results for the Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) for 2017, with districts in eastern Uganda performing poorly.

The results that were handed over to the Minister of State for Education John Chrysostom Muyingo at the Prime Minister’s Office in Kampala indicated that Bukwo, Butaleja, Kween, Kapchorwa, Bulambuli, Palisa, Sironko, Busia and Bududa districts were trailing in performance.

In her speech at the release of the O’Level results, UNEB chairperson Professor Mary J.N. Okwakol revealed that the board continues register an increase in the  number of candidates annually, and that there is a noticed drop in the rate of increase from 3.2% in 2016 to only 0.9 % in 2017.

Prof. Okwakol also noted that gender parity has almost been achieved, with the ratio of girls to boys who sat the examination at 49.3 to 50.7%. However, the results indicate better overall performance by male candidates compared to their female counterparts.

“This is a slight improvement on the 49.1 to 50.9 ratio recorded in 2016 and it is encouraging to note that absenteeism among girls is steadily decreasing,” she observed.

According Prof. Okwakol, there was an improvement in performance of candidates compared to 2016, with the percentage of candidates passing in Division 1 nearly 10% up from 7.5 in 2016.

“There is also a reduction in failure rate from 13% in 2016 to 8.9 in 2017,” said the UNEB chairperson, adding: “However, a high percentage of candidates (41.8) are passing at the minimum division.

Meanwhile, Prof. Okwakol also revealed that as a result of criminal acts by persons entrusted with the management of examinations in the field, the board has been compelled to withhold results of 4,525 candidates from various examination centers.

She also explained that the full results of the schools whose PLE results were withheld will be published when investigations are concluded.

Some of the schools whose results were withheld are Hope Lives in Alebetong District, Buwooya in Iganga district, Bunaiga, Christ Aid and Rutooma ‘B’ all from Kabarole, Seeta Parents from Mukono District and Kisakye IFC from Buyende.

Speaking at the function UNEB Executive Secretary Dan Odongo, noted that 320119 candidates appeared for the examination in 2017, compared to 316,624 who sat in 2016.

There was a total of 357 special needs candidates registered for the 2017 UCE examination nearly the same as 2016.The examination center at Luzira registered 55 candidates and  the results show that three passed in Division 1; ten obtained Division 2; thirteen in Division 3 and 26 obtained Division 4, while one failed and two were absent.

There was a decline in performance in English at distinction and credit level compared to 2016 and 2015.

Difficulties were reported in the use of correct grammar, spellings, tenses, punctuation and poor sentence construction while writing compositions.

Odongo further said that there was an improvement in in performance of Mathematics and sciences subjects compared to 2016.

About malpractice, the Executive Secretary revealed that 81 persons involved in examination malpractices were arrested by police.

“Forty nine suspects have appeared in court and are currently on court bail with their cases at various stages of hearing while 21 have jumped bail and criminal summons have been issued against them, and 11 suspects are due in court as their files are still with the DPP for sanctioning.”

The Minister for Education and Sports, First lady Janet Kataha Museveni welcomed the gap reduction in gender parity by stressed that ‘educating a girl is educating a nation’.

In a speech read for her the Minister in Charge of higher education JC Muyingo, she decried the increase in examination malpractice, the existence of unlicensed schools and those which do not meet the minimum standards.

She also wondered why some schools which were closed over the above mentioned irregularities were re- opened.

“It is not only I wrong but also illegal for the authorities to re – open certain schools like the Bridge Schools which had been close by the Ministry due to lack of minimum requirements and lack of licenses for some,” she said.

The Minister said government will support the study of mathematics and science subjects since they are instrumental in industrialization.

 

 

Stories Continues after ad

Mowzey suspected killer remanded to Kigo

By
Geoffery Serugo
-
Mowzey Radio suspected killer Godfrey Wamala aka Troy in the dock

Entebbe Magistrate’s Court has today remanded Godfrey Wamala aka Troy, the suspected killer of singer Moses Sekibogo aka Mowzey Radio, to Kigo Prison till February 26, 2018.

Troy, the prime suspect in the death of Mowzey Radio was on Sunday arrested at his friend’s home in Kyengera where he was hiding, and transferred to Entebbe Police Station.

Prosecution told Entebbe Chief Magistrate Mary Kaitesi that Troy, who was working as a bouncer at Da Bar in Entebbe hurled the deceased to the ground, leading to major injuries on his brain.

Resident State Attorney Julius Muhiirwe informed the court that police investigations are incomplete and asked for the adjournment of the matter.

Mowzey Radio died last week at Case Hospital and was laid to rest on Saturday in Nakawuka.

 

Stories Continues after ad

Medical interns down tools

By
Geoffery Serugo
-
Medical interns announcing their strike

Medical interns under their umbrella body of Uganda Medical Interns Association have today gone on strike following government’s failure to pay their salaries.

In a media briefing at Mulago Guest House, association president Robert Lubega said some members have spent three months without getting their salaries yet there required to deliver excellent services.

‘’Interns are not slaves, enough is enough; fix health issues once and for all, interns in Soroti referral have not yet been paid, are they expected to deliver?” Dr. Lubega wondered.

He added: “We will be glad to continue engaging with various stakeholders for improved welfare.”

When this website contacted the Minister for Health Dr. Jane Ruth Acen, her known numbers were off.

Last year medical workers laid down their tools over government’s inability to raise their pay and to improve their working conditions, but the government agreed to address their concerns in the next financial year that begins in June.

Stories Continues after ad

Changes at BoU as Justine Bagyenda set to retire

By
Geoffery Serugo
-
Emmanuel Tumusiime- Mutebile

In a major shake-up at Bank of Uganda (BoU), seven directors and over 30 mid-level officers have been shuffled, sources at the Central Bank have intimated to the EagleOnline.

According to a release signed by BOU Governor Prof. Emmanuel Tumusiime Mutebile, long-serving Director of Bank Supervision Justine Bagyenda, who was reportedly set to retire in June has been told to take ‘early retirement’, while another senior officer, Benedict Sekabira, has been named the Director Financial Markets Development Coordination.

Further, the source said Ms. Bagyenda, who is reportedly on leave, will be replaced by a one Dr. Tumubweine Twinemanzi as she heads for retirement.

Over the past two years the BoU has been embroiled in various sagas, the most prominent being the closure of the Crane Bank and the subsequent litigation that has cost the Central Bank over Shs6 billion, paid out to law firms MMAKS and AF Mpanga-Bowmans.

Efforts to contact the BoU Director of Communication Christine Alupo over the developments were futile by press time.

FULL LIST:

EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS

Dr Tumubweine Twinemanzi – Bank Supervision

Mrs. Mary Katarikawe – Operations

Mrs. Joyce Okello – Personal Assistant to the Governor

Richard Mayebo – Risk and Strategic Management

Elliot Mwebya – Information Technology

Philip Wabulya – Petroleum Investment Fund

David Kalyango – Chief Internal Auditor

Ms. Justine Bagyenda – Retirement

DIRECTORS/ DEPARTMENTS

Dr. Charles Abuka – Statistics 

Dr. Kenneth Egesa – Financial Stability 

Valentine Ojangole – Banking

Olive Kamuli – Medical Administrator

Ms. Christine Alupo – Board Affairs

Ms. Charity Mugumya – Communications

Hannington Wasswa – Commercial Banking

Ben Sekabira – Financial Markets Coordination

Edward Mugerwa – IT Operations

Ms. Lorna Nzaro – IT Business Automation

Stories Continues after ad

Kenyatta deports opponent to Canada over Odinga’s swearing in

By
Agencies
-
Miguna-Miguna

Self-proclaimed National Resistance Movement (NRM) “general” Miguna Miguna was on Tuesday night ‘deported’ from Kenya to Canada.
Mr Miguna was put into a KLM flight departing Nairobi for Amsterdam minutes to 10 pm, his lawyer John Khaminwa said.
“We are reliably informed that Miguna Miguna has been forced into a KLM flight for “deportation” to Canada. Now, how do you deport a Kenyan? This Country has been overrun by criminals,” another lawyer Nelson Havi wrote on Twitter.
The official government newsroom said on Twitter, ‘‘Miguna is headed home. The court ordered he gets released and the interior ministry obeyed the orders and even assisted him with a flight ticket home’‘.
Interior ministry claims Mr Miguna denounced his Kenyan citizenship years back. Spokesman Mwenda Njoka said the lawyer never bothered to reclaim it.
“Mr Miguna denounced his Kenyan citizenship years back, acquired Canadian citizenship and never bothered to reclaim Kenyan citizenship in the legally prescribed manner neither did he disclose that he had another country’s citizenship despite being a lawyer who should have known better,” Mr Mwenda said on Twitter.
The account added that Mr Miguna ‘‘renewed his Canadian passport on 16th June 2017’‘.
It is not clear what law the government used to eject him from Kenya as the Constitution guarantees him citizenship since he is Kenyan by birth.
A senior govt official said that the Interior Ministry will give a detailed statement in the morning.
He said when Mr Miguna was arrested, the Canadian government had written to Kenya expressing concerns that their citizen was being harassed and they wanted him back.
Mr Miguna Tuesday narrated how he was held incommunicado for five days without access to his family or a lawyer following his arrest last Friday.
He said police officers humiliated him by locking him up in conditions “unfit for human existence.”
Mr Miguna was speaking at the Kajiado Law Courts where he was taken after his arrest last Friday on suspicion of taking part in a ceremony in which opposition Chief Raila Odinga was sworn in as the people’s president on January 30.


Reports of his deportation come hours after High Court Judge Luka Kimaru barred the Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and the Inspector General (IG) of the police from preferring any criminal charges against him.
The judge had earlier ruled that the Police IG and the DCI were guilty of disobeying court orders regarding his release.
While the court in Kajiado ordered that he be presented before Justice Kimaru’s court at Milimani, Mr Miguna was not produced in the court and his lawyers stayed late within the court’s premises waiting for his release.
He was arraigned in a court in Kajiado on Tuesday but did not plead to charges preferred against him.
Justice Kimaru had directed that police present him before court Wednesday at 11am.
KAJIADO COURT
The Kajiado magistrate had ruled that Mr Miguna be taken before Judge Kimaru in the High Court in Nairobi before 3pm Tuesday for orders on his bail terms.
He further directed that Mr Miguna appears before him on February 14 to take a plea.
This not likely to happen as the Nasa activist has now been ejected out of Kenya.
NASA SUPPORTERS RESTLESS
On Tuesday evening, Nasa supporters who had filled the Milimani courtroom were restless on whether he had been freed after Judge Kimaru ordered for his release.
The judge said he would not leave the premises until Mr Miguna was brought before him.
“I have been informed that he is in the building, so it remains that he is free,” the judge said before he walked out of the courtroom, leaving Nasa supporters shouting and demanding to see him.
CHARGE SHEET
The charge sheet against Mr Miguna alleged that he “was present and consented to the administering of an oath to Raila Amollo Odinga purporting to bind him to commit a capital offence of treason,” leading to fears among opposition supporters that the Nasa leader could also be arrested and charged with committing treason.
Following Mr Miguna’s arrest and failure to charge him in court, the Inspector-General of Police Joseph Boinnet and the Director of Criminal Investigations George Kinoti had been ordered to appear in court to explain circumstances surrounding their failure to release the Nasa activist.
Mr Miguna was arrested last Friday and on the same day High Court Judge James Wakiaga granted him a Sh50,000 bond but he was not released.
NASA ‘OATH’
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations then said Mr Miguna was arrested after he confessed to administering Nasa leader Raila Odinga’s ‘oath’ and for being a member of an illegal organisation – the National Resistance Movement (NRM).

Stories Continues after ad

Education ministry, Bridge schools in a fight over re-opening

By
George Mangula
-
Bridge School country Director, Morrison Rwakakamba.

Bridge Schools remain unlicensed and like all the others in this category, will not be permitted to operate this school year (2018), the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES) Alex Kakooza says in the latest media statement.

Mr. Kakooza accuses management of Bridge Schools (formerly Bridge International Academies) of embarking on what he says an aggressive public and social media campaign aimed at “hoodwinking unsuspecting parents about the status of the 63 Bridge Schools in Uganda.”

“Please note that the Ministry has not yet licensed the Bridge Schools because they have not yet met the requirements to merit being licensed to operate in Uganda,” he says, putting parents with children in these schools in a dilemma.

The country Director Morrison Rwakakamba said Monday that management had opened all the 63 schools with a 14000 pupils as they wait for licenses from the ministry. Rwakakamba said the schools have fulfilled all the requirements needed for registration.

On the other hand, PS Kakooza says there has been public outcry on the state of Bridge Schools in Uganda. According to Kakooza, some of the concerns to activities of Bridge Schools included: Safety and security of pupils, Failure to meet the requirements for Bridge Schools to be licensed as International Schools.

Kakooza says the ministry requires management to present a letter of accreditation from an international examining body confirming the curriculum to be offered, inspection reports from the international body/Local Government where the schools are located and from the Directorate of Education Standards (DES), the letter of protocol from the relevant Embassy; and a list of qualified teachers and the fact that normal/ordinary schools cannot be licensed as academies.

Rwakakamba said management at the schools have addressed all the above concerns whereby among others, they have provided security at running water at their campuses. He said with such measures the safety and health of the children are guaranteed by the schools.

But in the statement, the PS cites an earlier letter he authored advising management to follow up the registration process, something Rwakakamba said management did. “This letter, therefore, serves to eliminate any doubt and accordingly advise that you follow up your application(s) for licensing with the relevant Ministry authorities.” Kakooza says the schools have to meet the Basic Minimum Requirements and Standards to be allowed to operate.

“My letter was reinforced by Dr. Daniel Nkaada, Commissioner Basic Education, on January 29 2018 in response to letters by Rwakakamba dated January 22 and January 24 2018. Dr. Nkaada in the letter cautioned BIA not to feed its clients with “false hope”, because the numerous discussions with the Ministry remained inconclusive to the extent the minimum licensing requirements had not yet been met by the 63 Bridge Schools. Besides, incomplete files had been received for only 48 Schools,” he says.

The PS says that in April 2017 the Committee on Education and Sports presented findings of its independent investigation of schools that the Ministry earmarked for closure for contravention of the law, including the Bridge Schools. “The Education and Sports Committee of Parliament concurred with the Ministry’s decision to close the affected schools,” he says.

He says the same position was re-confirmed last week in a Ruling by the Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga on February 1, 2018 when attempts were made to block the closure of the targeted 1,300 schools that do not meet the minimum operating standards by the Ministry. “This attempt was made notwithstanding the fact that the proprietors of these kind of schools have now had over a year to address the identified gaps,” he says

“In view of the above, and specifically of the engagement between the Ministry of Education and Sports and Management of Bridge Schools, parents and indeed all concerned authorities are accordingly notified that Bridge Schools remain unlicensed and like all the others in this category, will not be permitted to open/operate this school year (2018),” PS Kakooza says.

Kakooza has warned that failure to comply with the requirements of the law “implies that parents and Management of the Bridge Schools take full responsibility for the consequences of non-compliance.”

Stories Continues after ad

Senior cabinet minister in trouble over parliament scam

By
Our Reporter
-
Expansion of the chambers

A senior Member of President Yoweri Museveni’s cabinet is under fire on allegations related to bribery, fraud, abuse of office and conflict of interest.
The Minister who was once a blue eyed boy is alleged to have altered the awarding of the tender construction of the new Parliamentary building.
According to sources close to this newspaper, the Minister used his influence to award a tender that had been won by Roko Construction Company Limited to Seyani Brothers and Company Limited.
Five firms bid for the project: China Civil Engineering Construction Company, China Complete Plant Import and Export, Seyani Brothers and Company Limited and China National Aero-Technology International.
The Shs270 billion deal was given to Roko construction Ltd, was to start construction process which was expected to be completed in two years.
However, our sources reveal the Minister connived with a certain senior staff at Parliament to alter the tender which had been passed by parliament and Okayed by the Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga.
They are reported to have received a bribe from Seyani, Brothers and Company Limited to have the contract given to them at the expense of Roko Construction Limited.
This prompted the Management of Roko Construction to seek intervation of the President who directed that the contract be given back to Rock, the rightful bidder.
Following the President’s intervention, Roko was given back the contract and works are on – going.
Meanwhile the President has ordered the said Minister to refund the money that they allegedly received from Seyani Brothers and Company Limited.
The said staff at Parliament who is said to have connived with the Minister was an administrator at Mbarara University of Science and Technology at the time, the Minister was a top leader at the University.
This perhaps explains the way the woman got the job at Parliament using the influence of the Minister.
The embattled Cabinet Minister is alleged to have fraudulently involved himself in the Standard Railway Gauge deal
The Minister together with another government official are said to have bought big chunks of land in Tororo where the railway is set to pass.
They are reported to have bought the land at an estimated amount of Shs400 million and sold it at an exaggerated amount of Shs18 billion.
As things are now the Minister is in great trouble and plans are underway to have him sacked from cabinet.
It is not surprising why the Minister in question is in the country, not sick and not on leave and yet there is another Minister moreover junior to him that is serving in his docket in acting capacity.
In case of any reshuffle by the President, the Minister is not likely to survive the axe as a result of his recent actions.

Stories Continues after ad

Land Matters: Justice Bamugereire is firm but…

By
Editorial
-
Justice Bamugemereire

Since its establishment in 2017 the Commission of Inquiry into Land Matters in Uganda chaired by Lady Justice Catherine Bamugemereire has definitely done a good job, exposing a lot of rot in the land acquisition, use and management systems in the country.

It is worth noting that this is the second time Justice Bamugemereire is heading such a knotty commission, the first having been the Commission of Inquiry into the operations of the Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA), where she also did a commendable job, exposing profiteering rackets that had stolen trillions of taxpayers money!

In fact, Justice Bamugemereire stands out there as a purveyor of impartiality and an arbiter and judge of good discretion who has up to until recently, lifted high a seemingly-waning flag of the judiciary in the face of the citizens’ pessimism.

But just as she went about her work professionally, something snaky snaked its way up to her desk; a huge chunk of land (1.5 square miles) in Nakaseke part of which is officially and legally occupied by the army and other part that is reportedly occupied by illicit beneficiaries, who displaced the then sitting tenants.

With all due respect to the law, in matters of land adjudication, unless proven otherwise, the official (though not legal) government position is that ‘sitting tenants’ enjoy the privilege of being considered first in any event of transaction in respect to the land they occupy.

Indeed, when she was in the district, the Judge observed as much while she handed over the Nakaseke Senior Land Management Officer Geoffrey Tumusiime, to the police to assist with investigations.

“There were some applicants … and other 20 families that were sitting on the land meaning they were already occupying the land,” Justice Bamugemereire was quoted as saying.

She reportedly added: “Are all persons equal before the law? Were these people too insignificant to be considered or given audience by the Land Board?”

In all this the Judge has proven her resolve to stand firm in the face of land grabbers.

But that said, the Judge should also endeavor to take into consideration certain emotive issues of those appearing before her Commission.

The sight of the old Asian man in Mbale being harangued is sore and can blemish an otherwise impeccable work in progress by the Commission.

 

Stories Continues after ad
1...1,6511,6521,653...2,400Page 1,652 of 2,400

© Eagle Online. All rights reserved.

About Us

Popular Category

Editor Picks