The Minister for the Presidency Esther Mbayo addressing journalists at the Media Centre
The Minister for the Presidency Esther Mbayo has revealed it that businessmen are to be honored on Hero’s Day on June 9, to be held in Zirobwe County, Luwero district.
Ms. Mbayo said that previously the government has been recognizing fallen soldiers but that this time it has focused on businessmen and women.
Hero’s Day to be presided by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, is meant to recognize men and women who sacrificed their lives to bring an end to tyranny in Uganda.
“The venue was chosen strategically because Luwero was very influential in NRM’s struggle for heroism for our motherland,” Ms Mbayo said during a media briefing at Uganda Media Centre.
The minister said a monument has been constructed at the venue to remember those who sacrificed their lives.
In a period of 31 years, the country has reportedly registered progress in some sectors though the opposition says the current National Resistance Movement (NRM) government has gone off track.
Members of the Uganda Rugby team undergoing training
The Uganda men’s national rugby team will take on neighbours Kenya in a grueling international schedule in the 1st leg of the 2017 Elgon Cup.
Uganda hosts Kenya in the Elgon Cup with Namibia, Zimbabwe, Senegal, Tunisia and Kenya waiting in the Gold Cup.
Forty players take part in training as they wait for announcement of the squad tomorrow, Tuesday June 6, by Rugby Cranes tactician John Duncan.
The Kenya national team known as The Simbas lost 30-29 in their international test match to Germany in Nairobi last weekend and Simiyu Wangila, the Simbas manager promised to avenge against Uganda in the upcoming fixture.
The mouthwatering clash will be played on Saturday June 10, 2017 at the Legends Rugby Ground in Kampala.
Kenya dominated last year’s Elgon Cup defeating the Rugby Cranes 45-24 in Nairobi dethroning Uganda as the Elgon Cup champions with an aggregate score of 93-34.
The Simbas squad that will travel to Uganda in the first leg of the Elgon Cup will be named on Wednesday June 7, 2017 and expected to land in Uganda on Thursday evening.
President Yoweri Museveni has handed over eight modern agriculture tractors to three constituents, two kingdoms, two farmers and a peace initiative group in fulfillment of pledges he made two years ago during the Operation Wealth Creation campaign. The President also donated four vehicles to three individuals and a women’s SACCO.
“I hope you will use the tractors to promote modern agro production. Sensitize our people against fragmenting their land and in this way, they will ensure more production and better incomes,” the President said at the ceremony that took place at State House, Entebbe.
According to the State House Comptroller Ms. Lucy Nakyobe Mbonye, some of the tractors were procured last year but could not be given away because it was election year.
The beneficiaries included the Kyabazinga of Busoga, Isingiro County South Constituency represented by MP Alex Byarugaba Bakunda, Usuk County, Katakwi represented by MP Peter Ogwang, Bukedea District represented by Woman MP Anita Among of FDC, a prominent farmer in Kasese, Kasenda, Abdul Mangati, the Royal Kingdom of Alur, the Family of the late Oboth-Ofumbi in Tororo and the Alinga Obongi Peace Initiative.
The vehicles were donated to the Bishop of the Seventh Day Adventist Church in Busoga, the widow of the late Prince Ssimbwa, Mary Ssimbwa, the widow of the late Kibazo, and the Busoga Women Adventist Church SACCO.
President Yoweri Museveni shakes hands with Monsieur Patrice Bauebo, a representative of Airbus group at State House Entebbe
President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has said that once revived, the Uganda Airlines will succeed mainly because of the direct travel opportunities that it will offer Ugandans in the diaspora, the business community, tourists and the vast domestic travel opportunities.
The President was speaking during a meeting with Monsieur Patrice Bauebo, a representative of Airbus group at State House Entebbe. Airbus Group is a global leader in aeronautics, space and related services that unite the capabilities of Airbus and Airbus Defense.
Airbus offers the most comprehensive range of passenger airliners from 100 to more than 600 seats. It is European leader based in Netherlands providing tanker, combat, transport and mission aircrafts as well as Europe’s’ number one space enterprise and worlds second largest space business.
Uganda is looking to revive the defunct Uganda Airlines. Earlier this year, cabinet passed a resolution to revive the airline to boost the country’s air transport system and boost its trade and development prospects in the region.
Members of the Ugandan and Airbus delegations at the meeting
“I am convinced that Uganda airline will succeed mainly because of six factors: Ugandans in the diaspora, the Indian community, businessmen, tourists, regional traffic and internal travel,” he said.
President Museveni explained that the Ugandans in the diaspora especially in South Africa, Canada and United State of America and Indians who were expelled from Uganda by Idi Amin in the United Kingdom are inconvenienced by other airlines that must pass through their Capitals but once Uganda Airlines is revived they will benefit from direct travel.
“Uganda has a captive travelling population. Many people want a flying schedule that suits them and yet most of the airlines look at nationalism and must first pass through their countries of origin,” he said.
He said that once the airline is revived and Ugandan tourist sites will be well marketed to the world in a way that no country would compete with Uganda.
“In terms of tourism, no country can compete with Uganda if we have an airline and promote our nice weather, wildlife and the other tourist attractions,” he said.
President Museveni also said that Uganda airline will survive once revived because there are many industries developing in the country that will use the airline to export their products.
He said this would increase the number of exports and reduce of imports thus earning Uganda foreign revenue.
President Museveni added that regional travel and internal travel would also ensure that the airline survives.
“Although Uganda is not big geographically, the road network is improving, there is a need among Ugandans to spend less time travelling,” he said.
He also explained that there are many Ugandans traveling and exporting cargo to Bunya in Democratic Republic of Congo, Juba in South Sudan, Nairobi, Dar es Salaam and Lagos in Nigeria and the airline would make their travel and business faster and more direct.
Mr. Patrice commended President Museveni on the move to ensure that the airline will have internal or in country flights.
“What makes the success of an airline market is the feeder market. You need nationals flying within Uganda and not only abroad,” he said.
Mr. Patrice also urged government to develop Soroti Aviation School saying that it was greatly linked to the airport industry through training of pilots, engineers and other aviation related jobs.
The meeting was attended by Ugandan Ambassador to France, Nimisha Madhvani, the Minister of Works and Transport Azuba Ntege and other government officials.
BACKTRACKING ON ELECTIONS? DRC President Joseph Kabila
Congolese President Joseph Kabila on Saturday said he had never ‘promised anything’ about whether to hold elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo, seeming to back away from a deal to hold a vote this year.
“I have not promised anything at all,” Kabila told the German weekly Der Spiegel in a rare media interview. “I wish to organise elections as soon as possible”.
“We want perfect elections, not just elections,” he said, adding that the government was in the process of registering voters and that it was ‘going well’.
Under a power-sharing agreement brokered by the influential Catholic Church on New Year’s Eve, Kabila, 45, is due to remain in office until elections at the end of 2017, after he refused to step down at the end of his final two-term mandate last December.
But the issue has sparked tensions across the vast mineral-rich nation of 71 million people, where social and economic crises have all but rendered election deadlines little more than hypothetical.
In a speech in April, Kabila pledged that ‘the elections will take place’. However, two months earlier, his budget minister Pierre Kangudia had said it would cost the country $1.8 billion to hold elections this year.
The opposition has repeatedly accused Kabila of delaying elections in order to remain in power.
In his interview with reporters in Kinshasa on Saturday, Kabila dismissed the idea of changing the constitution to allow him to run for a possible third five-year term.
“I am very clear on this. All this blah blah over a constitutional change is total nonsense,” he said. “Up to this point, we have not at all broached the debate” over pursuing a public referendum on changing the constitution.
But Kabila would not definitively say whether the idea of a third mandate was off the table. “That depends on what we really mean by third mandate,” the 45-year-old leader said.
“In any case, we don’t have any intention of undermining the constitution. And how would I get a third mandate if we don’t undermine the constitution?”
Kabila has run one of the world’s least developed countries since the 2001 assassination of his father Laurent Kabila. The postponement of the presidential election led to protests in September that left some 50 people dead.
“There is nothing as painful as not burying your own,” celebrated Ugandan BBC stringer Henry Gombya, has said.
Gombya, who has lived in self-exile since 1987, was reacting to the death of his elder brother, one David Senoga.
According to Gombya, who will miss the burial, Senoga died suddenly Friday morning at his home in Kampala.
“There is nothing as painful as not being able to bury your own when exiled. David joins a long list of members of my family, relatives and friends who have died since I was forced to leave Uganda over 30 years ago and who I have been unable to escort to their resting place,” he opened up.
Gombya fled Uganda in 1987 following the murder of his friend, Andrew Kayiira, the former chairman of Uganda Freedom Movement/Army (UFM/A) until April 1986 when the UFA was dissolved into the national army.
Kayiira’s murder came after President Yoweri Museveni executed a successful coup, declared himself President and appointed Kayiira his minister for energy.
Within months Kayiira was sacked and arrested on suspicion of treason. He was later released due to lack of evidence, but President Museveni maintained his former minister had plotted against the regime.
Fresh out of jail, and fearing attack from Museveni supporters, Kayiira sought sanctuary at the home of the BBC freelance reporter in late February 1987.
Available information indicates that on March 6, 1987 around 11pm, Kayiira and his girlfriend were at Gombya’s home in a suburb of Kampala with the journalist’s wife and two nieces.
There had been a power cut and it was a dark night, but the group was listening to music on a battery-powered radio. As Gombya’s wife, Vicky, cleared the plates, ten intruders appeared from two directions, some armed and dressed in military attire.
The diners fled into the house and locked themselves in various rooms. Gombya escaped out of his bedroom window and hid in a banana plantation until dawn.
Kayiira was discovered next morning on the floor of an upstairs bedroom. He had been shot four times. Gombya fled Uganda after the killing and now lives in England.
South Africa’s ruling ANC party has called for an investigation into potentially explosive graft allegations against President Jacob Zuma and government officials. Two media outlets say they have obtained tens of thousands of emails and documents showing undue influence by the wealthy Gupta family.
President Jacob Zuma finds himself embroiled in yet another corruption scandal.
On Thursday, two South African media outlets published reports saying they have unearthed over 100,000 emails and documents purporting to show how the rich Gupta family unduly influenced the president and the South African government.
The media reports appear to be testing Zuma’s support within his own party, less than a week after the president survived a party vote to replace him as ANC leader.
On Friday, the ANC called the allegations in the media reports “very worrying.” The party called for creation of a Judicial Commission of Enquiry to determine whether the accusations are true.
Zuma has not responded to the allegations directly, But ANC spokesperson Zizi Kodwa told ENCA TV Friday that there is too much at stake to ignore the reports.
“If they are left unattended, they have a possibility to damage our people’s confidence in a democratic elected government,” said Kodwa. “And therefore it is despicable that such allegations can be left unattended on the basis that they are not authentic. Our government must establish its authenticity to get to the bottom of this because at stake is the credibility and integrity of a democratic state.”
Emails released by the two media outlets appear to show the Gupta family reviewing a potential ministerial appointment and influencing the development of government policy.
One email appears to show links between the Gupta family and an alleged kickback deal worth over $400 million with a Chinese manufacturer of locomotives.
Constitutional law expert Pierre De Vos said the allegations are serious, and the president should act promptly.
“Appoint somebody that is credible, has the necessary powers, with the broad terms of reference, because this seems to be a huge thing based on the available evidence,” he advised.
This is not the first time concerns have been raised about the Gupta family’s influence.
A report last year by former public protector Thuli Madonsela ordered a commission of inquiry to look into allegations that Zuma and his ministers have allowed the Gupta family to control them
President Zuma has yet to establish that commission.
The chambers of Parliament nearly turned into a boxing ring after Deputy Speaker Jacob Oulanyah and the First Deputy Prime Minister Gen Moses Ali engaged in a nasty war of words, leaving MPs shell-shocked.
DEFIANT: General Moses Ali
Tempers flared after Gen Ali rose and queried why the Budadiri East MP Nandala Mafabi was questioning why the House was doing business without the required quorum yet he had dominated debate, to the annoyance of other MPs who trooped out.
But Gen Ali was cut short by Mr Oulanyah, who ordered that the matter of quorum had been resolved, a ruling the General angrily rejected.
“We are using our own mistakes against us if we are now saying we are very few, it is our own mistake,” Gen Ali warned.
But Oulanyah rudely cut him short, directing that: “No no no, that matter was resolved,” before ordering the General to assume his seat.
Gen Ali was, however, unrelenting. “We have used a lot of time by the some people,” he shot back, referring to Mafabi.
Oulanyah was by now getting fired up.
“Rt Hon, that is not an issue anymore,” Ouklanyah thundered, with a raised grumpy voice.
“It is an issue,”Gen Ali, fuming in annoyance, hit back.
“Resume your seat,”Oulanyah roared.
“I will resume my seat but it is an issue,” Gen Ali fired back as he reluctantly took his seat.
Sensing the fury that was teeming with the General, Oulanyah apologised, but the Deputy Prime Minister diplomatically rejected his apology.
Indeed, the General was still not mellowing up and told Oulanyah that he had to react after the Speaker had shouted at him.
“Being a Speaker, you must be a human being. You have a name to protect and the Deputy Prime Minister also has a name to protect. I believe that if you shout at me, I have no alternative but to react,” Gen Ali said.
Aruu County MP Samuel Odonga Otto would add fire to the flares by rising on a point of order and making some unkind comments about the General’s stature.
“I was at LDC with Gen Ali and I know he has a degree and diploma in law. Given his size alone, is he in order to intimidate the Speaker. He can be scaring to the Speaker. He is a General, he is tall, and he is massive. To start throwing his arms to the Speaker, is it in order,” asked MP Otto.
NTV presenter Sheila Gashumba has landed a juicy deal with a giant Uganda telecommunications company.
We have reliably learnt that the petite daughter to showy activist, Frank Gashumba, has signed a deal with Africell as their Digital Media brand ambassador. Sheila will be unveiled soon.
She joins musicians Sheebah Karungi, Ziza Bafana and Bebe Cool, all of who are already working with the company
BOU DRAGGED TO COURT: Uganda currency notes that were thrown into the grave of tycoon Ivan Sewmanga
Activist Abbey Mgugu has dragged the Bank of Uganda and A’Plus Funeral Management to court over the burying of Ivan Ssemwanga with money.
According to an application filed in the High Court today, Ngugu wants the respondents to be ordered to remove the Uganda Shillings, South African Rands and United States Dollars and other currencies that were placed in the grave and buried along with late Ssemwanga’s body.
He argues that it is for purposes of respecting the Uganda currency as well as money for other countries. “The respondents open Ivan Ssemwanga’s grave to remove money he was buried with back into circulation,” reads part of the application.
Mgugu further requests for a declaration that Bank of Uganda willfully or negligently failed to ensure respect of monetary currency of Uganda and other countries. “The applicant be allowed to recover all the said monies on behalf of the Republic of Uganda and other respective countries.” He also asks for punitive and exemplary damages and costs.
Meanwhile, there is also another application in court by activist Gideone Tugume, who also made similar requests.
He wants Ssemwanga’s body exhumed so as to have the legal tender buried to be brought back in circulation.
“They are throwing in between 15 and 16 million,” Tugume said, although the exact amount of money is not known.
“They are putting the lives of the family of Ssemwanga at risk. Who is going to keep on manning this grave? That means people will have to come and dig Ssemwanga out” he added.
