IN HIS HEY DAYS: Nickson Agasirwe consulting his boss IGP Gen. Kale Kayihura.
The Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI) has summoned more senior police officers for questioning in relation to numerous crimes that have gone bad under their dockets.
Sources within security say the ongoing investigations into the activities of some senior police officers were ordered by President Yoweri Museveni upon receiving several damaging intelligence reports against the said individuals.
Yesterday, 12 arrested police officers, and this afternoon the sources say more officers were reportedly handed over to CMI procedurally by Deputy Inspector General of Police, Martin Okoth Ochola.
Meanwhile, some of the areas that are of interest to the investigators are that two heads of departments who were picked yesterday were reportedly on ‘payrolls’ of two governments in the region.
One officer, who sources say used his dreaded unit for personal gains, is accused of kidnapping foreigners and incarcerating them in safe houses without the knowledge of the authorities.
According to the source, a case in point is that of a South Sudanese senior army personnel who had links with former Vice President Riek Machar, who was reportedly abducted in West Nile before being killed under unknown circumstances, allegedly on the orders of the dreaded unit boss.
Further, the sources said his luck run out when the matter was brought before a joint security meeting and subsequently before the President, who in turn ordered an investigation by CMI, whose findings reportedly pin the said police officer.
Another officer is linked to the kidnap and subsequent illegal repatriation of refugees, reportedly under the instructions of a certain government in the region.
UNDER INVESTIGATION: Godber Tumushabe, the GLISS Executive Director
The Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Uganda Police has listed 13 individuals and three Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) it alleges are involved in subversive activities aimed at causing an uprising in the country.
According to a letter seen by Eagle Online, the NGOs under investigation include Action Aid International Uganda, Great Lakes Institute of Strategic Studies (GLISS) and Smartis Ltd.
The individuals who are mentioned include Godber Tumushabe, the GLISS Executive Director, Daily Monitor Journalist Ivan Okuda, Job Kija, Sandra Ahanga, Edgar Tushabe and William Rugaama. Others under scrutiny by the CID are Daphine Natumanya (Programme Associate-GLISS), Jackie Batamuliza, Shawn Mubiru and Deborah Namara (all GLISS staff).
In the letter addressed to commercial banks, the CID wants to be availed with accounts details of the suspected NGOs and individuals.
“Bank of Uganda requires your institutions to provide information on all accounts operated in the names of the above listed NGOs and individuals,” reads part of the letter.
Early this month Bank of Uganda froze the accounts of Action Aid International Uganda under unclear circumstances, while activist
Tumushabe confirmed an order issued order to freeze the GLISS accounts.
Two health workers of Kapchorwa Hospital who treated a woman killed by the Marburg disease last week, have also developed Marburg-like symptoms, fuelling speculation they could have contracted the highly contagious Viral Hemorrhagic Fever.
Last week, the Minister of Health Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng confirmed the outbreak of Marburg in the eastern districts of Kween and Kapchorwa following laboratory tests conducted on October 19 by Uganda Virus Institute (UVRI), which confirmed that a 50-year old female from Chemuron village, Moyok Parish in Kwen district had died of Marburg.
And, speaking to journalists at the Uganda Media Centre, the minister said the blood samples of the health workers had been sent to Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) for testing and that the two are isolated and being monitored.
“Despite developing Marburg symptoms, cumulative cases stands at two, one confirmed and one probable case,” Dr. Aceng said, adding that a number of likely victims are being monitored by specialist teams on the ground in Kween and Kapchorwa.
Meanwhile, Dr. Aceng says the ministry has started a field epidemiology training program to train epidemiologists serving at capacity ratio of one for every 200, 000 people.
“Uganda has built capacity to manage outbreaks though there is need to consolidate and strengthen systems for sustainability,” Dr. Acen was quoted as saying.
The 2017 FIFA Best Football Awards ceremony took place at the London Palladium theatre yesterday evening in England. The awards have been previously called the FIFA Ballon d’Or since 2010 and been running for six years.
Fifa decided not to renew the deal in 2016, meaning the Ballon d’Or lost its ‘Fifa tag’ and reverted back to being voted for by journalists as a separate award, as Fifa’s The Best awards were created.
The Best Fifa Men’s Player award is voted for by a collection of journalists, national team coaches, national team captains and the general public – each with a 25 per cent weighting towards the overall vote.
Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo won the Best Player’s Award of the year for a second year running, beating Barcelona’s Messi and Neymar to the honour. Ronaldo got 43.16 % of the votes while Messi got 19.25 % and Neymar with 6.97%.
The Portugal international scored twice in Real’s 4-1 win over Juventus in the Champions League final and also found the net 25 times in 29 appearances as his club won La Liga for the first time in five years.
Ronaldo scooped his fifth individual FIFA accolade to match with Lionel Messi as a five-time winner of the award.
Messi voted for Barcelona team-mate Luis Suarez as his best player, while Ronaldo also opted for a team-mate at Madrid Luka Modric.
Giroud’s stunning ‘scorpion-kick’ scored against Crystal Palace in January beat off competition from Venezuela’s Deyna Castellanos and South African goalkeeper Oscarine Masuluke.
Chelsea manager Antonio Conte was shortlisted for men’s coach of the year but the Italian, who lifted the Premier League title in his first season in England, lost out to Zinedine Zidane.
Zidane became the first ever coach to win back-to-back Champions League titles as Real Madrid beat Juventus in the final in May. He also led Los Blancos to their first La Liga title in five years. Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri was also shortlisted.
The full list of winners:
The Best FIFA Men’s Player: Cristiano Ronaldo
The Best FIFA Women’s Player: Lieke Martens
The Best FIFA Men’s Coach: Zinedine Zidane
The Best FIFA Women’s Coach: Sarina Wiegman
The Best FIFA Goalkeeper: Gianluigi Buffon
The FIFA Puskás Award: Olivier Giroud
The FIFA Fan Award: Celtic
The FIFA Fair Play Award: Francis Kone
The Best FIFPro XI:
Buffon (Juventus), Dani Alves (PSG), Leonardo Bonucci (AC Milan), Sergio Ramos, Marcelo (Real Madrid), Luka Modric, Toni Kroos (Real Madrid), Andreas Iniesta (Barcelona), Neymar (PSG), Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid).
The Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) court has today fined Arua Municipality legislator Col. Ibrahim Abiriga Shs40, 000 for easing himself in public.
Appearing before Grade One Magistrate Beatrice Kainza at KCCA court this morning, Abiriga pleaded guilty and was given two options, to either pay the fine or serve two weeks in prison.
Earlier his lawyer Usama Sebuufu had presented medical documents to court, indicating that Abiriga suffers from diabetes, a condition that cannot allow for his bladder’s resilience.
“My client is diabetic, considering his age, he can’t serve such long term in jail,” Sebuufu told court. The legislator was later set free after paying the fine.
On September 27 Abiriga was summoned by the KCCA court to answer to ‘public nuisance’ charges after admitting he eased himself on the Ministry of Finance fence on September 25. And on October 6 Grade One Magistrate Moses Nabenda extended to October 25 after Abiriga’s failure to appear before court.
Col. Abiriga came to the limelight for draping yellow attire, and is one of the MPs that are in support for removal of presidential age limit that is being pushed by the Igara West MP Raphael Magyezi.
Yellow is the ‘colour call’ of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM), and those opposed to Magyezi’s bill say that it is aimed at ensuring that President Yoweri Museveni, who is the NRM chairman, can contest in the 2021 elections when aged over 75 years, the constitutional cap.
Director of Communication at Parliament, Chris Obore.
Members of Parliament begin official consultations for the age removal tomorrow, the Director of Communications and Public Affairs at the Ugandan Parliament, Chris Obore, has said.
According to Mr. Obore, the Ministry of Finance released Shs13 billion and each of the MPs will get Shs29 million for the two-week exercise, the result of a private members bill peddled by Igara West Raphael Magyezi that is aimed at lifting presidential age limit, capped at 75 years as per the 1995 Constitution of Uganda.
“Each MP will receive Shs.29m and consultations will take place from October 25 to November 8, 2017, Obore was quoted as saying.
The ‘Magyezi Bill’ which is currently under the legal and parliamentary affairs committee has elicited mixed feelings within the general public, with arguments that Article 102 (b) of the Constitution should be maintained to ensure the peaceful transition of power.
And, two weeks ago opposition MPs, without facilitation, commenced joint consultative meetings after a green light from Speaker Rebecca Kadaga, but most of the meetings have since been disrupted by police.
Indeed, MPs like Kato Lubwama and the Leader of Opposition Winnie Kiiza, were among others arrested last week for the ‘Kogikwatako campaign’ that is aimed at maintaining Article 102(b) of the Constitution.
However, due to public outcry involving accusations of partisan practice leveled against the police, the latter has since ‘lifted the ban’ and now says MPs will be allowed to campaign jointly in other constituencies upon notifying police for clearance.
UCC ED Godfrey Mutabazi regulates communications sector
The Human Rights Network for Journalists-Uganda (URNJ-Uganda) has condemned the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) for shutting down media houses on grounds of hosting Ugandans opposed to the removal of the 75-year age limit cap from the Constitution.
CONDEMNED UCC: HRNJ-Uganda National Coordinator, Robert Ssempala
“The UCC’s actions of shutting down media houses without due process is oppressive and uncalled for. They should carry out thorough investigations before taking any punitive action. Ordering a media house to suspend its staff is going over board, and is not part of UCC’s mandate. Such actions are intended to curtail freedom of expression and media freedom,” HRNJ-Uganda National Coordinator, Robert Ssempala said in Tuesday press release.
On October 21, 2017, UCC shut down a private radio station, Kanungu Broadcasting Services Ltd. (KBS) on allegations of breaching the ‘minimum broadcasting standards’.
The KBS Radio Director, Mr. Charles Byaruhanga at the time said UCC did not tell them the exact reason for the closure.
“They were alleging that we breached broadcasting standards, but when we asked them the exact problem, they did not tell us.” Byaruhanga said.
But UCC accused KBS of alleged breach of the minimum broadcasting standards as set forth in section 31 and schedule 4 of the Uganda Communications Commission Act 2013, which calls for a broadcaster to ensure any program it broadcasts is not likely to create public insecurity or violence.
The closure of the radio station came days after it hosted the four time presidential candidate and former president of the opposition Forum for Democratic Change party, retired Col. Dr. Kizza Besigye, who is currently detained by the police at Naggalama on claims of holding an illegal assembly in Rukungiri, Western Uganda.
On October 17, 2017, UCC also instructed KBS management to suspend two of its staff including the Station manager Ronald Agaba aka Mwene Ngaro and Desmond Kyokwijuka Misairi, the host of the Global Focus program and anchor of the Rukiga news, on allegations of fueling public insecurity and violence –a claim which is denied by the victims and their employers at KBS radio.
The station was re-opened after a closed meeting between the radio management, the Kinkizi West Member of Parliament James Kaberuka and some district officials including the District Chairman and District Councilors at the UCC offices at Bugolobi in Kampala.
KBS Manager Agaba confirmed he was suspended by his bosses following a directive from UCC. “I was suspended from the radio and as I speak, I am at home, though I don’t know my crime,” he said.
Efforts to get a comment from the Executive Director of UCC Eng. Godfrey Mutabazi were futile as he was reportedly engaged in a meeting.
KBS Radio is the second station shut down this year after Radio Hoima in May this year. Radio Hoima was shut down on grounds of violating the ‘minimum broadcasting standards’, though it was later cleared of any wrong doing and re-opened.
In the same vein, on September 26, 2017, UCC banned all live broadcasts of parliamentary debate on age limit removal citing discrimination, inciting violence, stirring up hatred, promoting a culture of violence amongst the viewers, threatening to revoke operating licenses for non-complying media houses.
Over the years UCC has been accused for shutting down radio stations that host politicians opposed to the policies and programmes of the ruling party-the National Resistance Movement, an act which many see as infringing on the rights and freedoms of speech.
President Yoweri Museveni has ordered for the interrogation and detention of several police officers in connection to the murder of former Assistant Inspector General of Police Andrew Kaweesi.
According to security sources, among those that spent a night at Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence are Nickson Ayegasirwe, Joel Amuma, a one Minana and eight others.
“It is true, some officers have spent a night here for more interrogation and that is what I can conform” a security source told EagleOnline last night.
Another source say for Aguma, he is being questioned on his role with Rwandan refugees whom he allegedly repatriated back to Rwanda. It is alleged in most cases, these refugees could be arrested by police after money exchanging hands.
At least 12 police officers have been arrested by military intelligence on orders of President Museveni. This website understand that the arrests are in connection to the revelation by a woman known as Christine Mbabazi Muhoza who claims she was a close friend of Kaweesi and could have had information to the killing of Kaweesi.
This woman is at the centre of investigations as she made both police’s flying squad and army that were deployed by Director General of Internal Security Organisation clash at her home. Both the army and police were subsequently withdrawn and replaced by Special Forces Command guards.
FLASHBACK: President Museveni poses for a photo with delegates at one of the international conferences in Uganda.
Presidents Yoweri Museveni and Paul Kagame will be among African leaders who are expected to attend the Global Business Forum on Africa in Dubai in early November.
According to a statement from the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the two heads of state and their ministers will be among over 1000 other business leaders who will discuss Africa’s economic outlook and investment opportunities that investors in the Arab world can tap into.
Hamad Buamim, President and CEO of the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry said that the Global Business Forum series allowing top officials, decision-makers and investors to explore the prospects of economic partnership and cooperation among international markets.
“The Global Business Forum on Africa, which is set for an unprecedented top-tier attendance, including distinguished African heads of state and ministers, is testament to Dubai’s firm position on the global economic map,” Mr Buamim said of the event that is to be hosted at Dubai’s Madinat Jumeirah Mosque.
The Global Business Forum series was launched by the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry in 2012, targeting Africa, the Commonwealth of Independent States and Latin America.
Mrs Flavia N. Lwanga, Airtel HR supporting patients during the Masindi Health Camp
This weekend, residents of Masindi and surrounding areas were treated to a free Airtel Uganda regional health camp, part of the telcom company’s efforts to give back to the community.
The camp that was held at Bwijanga Health Center IV located on Masindi – Hoima road, was the third this year and saw many locals including prisoners from Uganda Prison Farm Isimba, get a chance to receive free treatment.
Speaking during the Masindi Health Camp, Airtel Uganda Corporate Social Responsibility Manager, Mrs. Charity Bukenya said the company will continue reaching out to communities in Uganda.
“Our effort is a drop in the ocean that supports what several other generous organizations are doing to make conscious and deliberate steps towards fulfilling the sustainable development goal #3 which is about ensuring good health and wellbeing and we at Airtel know that together we can make an impact in the lives of Ugandan’s through such camps,” Ms. Bukenya said.
“This gesture is so much appreciated as it gives our people a chance to get free medical education and treatment,” she added.
Every year, Airtel Uganda offers free medical services to hundreds of community members in an effort to improve their wellbeing and empower them with the basic health information and services they need to make appropriate health decisions.
These health camps are done in partnership with Hinds Feet Project Uganda along with various medical practitioners and health institutions such as Uganda Red Cross Society, Cancer Institute, Doctor Agrawal, Re-pad, Marie Stopes, Unilever and District health centers who volunteer their services and medical personnel to participate and engage with thousands of Ugandans across the country to offer free diagnosis, treatment and referrals to major hospitals.
The health camps have also dedicated time to educating Ugandans on different topics such as HIV prevention, sexual and reproductive health, maternal and child health, nutrition, hepatitis B, prevention of infectious diseases among others.
According to the Masindi District Health Office, there have been some efforts to improve the health situations; however, the health status of the population in the area is still poor with a high prevalence of infectious and communicable diseases, malaria, skin diseases and malnutrition among the general population especially in children under five.
Masindi district is also affected by other environmental health issues including acute diarrhea affecting 2.6% of the population, pneumonia, eye infections and genital infections.
