The Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga, has asked Basoga living in the diaspora to return to Uganda and invest in the Busoga region.

Speaking at this year’s Basoga Twegaite meet held on Saturday May 27, 2017, in Washington DC, the Speaker said there are huge opportunities back home which require the skills they possess.

“There is need for the Basoga living in the diaspora to step up their efforts of developing the River Nile region and its tourism potential,” said Kadaga.

Kadaga was addressing the Basoga community living in the US during a meeting of Busoga Twegaite, which was held at the Gaylord Convention Centre in Washington DC.

The event takes place every two years under the theme “Creating connections and building bridges – together for Busoga in Uganda.’’

The meet brings together the Basoga and other well-wishers to discuss ways of promoting the socio-economic development of Busoga region. The event was attended by Ministers, Members of Parliament and other prominent Ugandan politicians from Busoga region.

Kadaga cautioned the Basoga living in the diaspora against forgetting their cultural heritage, urging them to learn and always sing the Busoga Anthem.

Uganda’s Acting Ambassador to the US, Dickson Ogwang, hailed the Basoga Twegaite Association for its role in improving the health sector in Uganda.

Early this year the association donated over US $30,000 which was put to the rehabilitation of hospitals in Jinja and other parts of Uganda.

The Minister for the Presidency Esther Mbayo and other Members of Parliament encouraged the members of the diaspora to invest back home in Uganda. The Busoga Twegaite Convention was founded in the US State of New Jersey in 1998.

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The family of the late South Africa-based Ugandan businessman, Ivan Ssemwanga has apologized for fighting property in public

Since Ssemwanga’s death last week, the issue of his properties has pitted family against his ex-wife Hussein Zari.

While speaking to media last week, Ssemwanga’s godfather, Herbert Luyinda attributed the death of the chairman of ‘Rich Gang’ to Zari.

“There is no doubt Ssemwanga’s death came as a result of Zari’s treatment towards him. Ever since Zari left, my son (Ssemwanga) has never been the same. There is no way he could remain the same as his wife flirted around with men in his presence…..” he said.

He even cast doubt on Zari’s sons, saying that they might not be Ivan’s kids. He further threatened to take them for a DNA test to prove they are really Ssemwanga’s kids.

However in a twist of events, he retracted the same words and sought forgiveness from Zari’s family.

Speaking on behalf of Pinto’s family at Ssemwanga’s Church service at Namirembe Cathedral, Luyinda apologized for all that has been uttered in media by his family.

“I Luyinda Herbert apologize on behalf of my family for all the mistakes and utterances that have been made in the past days. Please, kindly accept our apologies. Ivan’s dad left him to me when he was still a kid and I brought him up to the man he was at the time of his death. You (Ivan) have also left me your children and I’ll also take care of them,” he said attracting handclaps from the congregation.

Earlier speakers like the chairman of ‘Kwagalana Group’, a group which unites businessmen in Kampala, Godfrey Kirumira had criticized Luyinda over his utterances in the past days and appealed to him not to forget that by the time of his death, Ssemwanga had a family.

“Ivan was a very hardworking person in addition to having a big heart. He helped a lot of needy children while at the same time working for the future of his children. It would be so sad seeing his children suffer yet their father spent days and nights working for them,” he said.

“You shouldn’t isolate the mother of Ssemwanga’s children, Zari. You should work hand in hand with her to raise the children.”

Zari’s older brother, speaking in his native language Lusoga also appealed to both families to stay united even after the death of the person who has been uniting them.

Meanwhile, Kayunga Member of Parliament  Aidah Nantaba praised Ssemwanga for helping many  of needy children in Kayunga. “Ssemwanga has been making his money in South Africa but he always had Uganda at his heart. He would always come to spend that money in Uganda.”

Meanwhile, Zari’s current husband Tanzanian husband Diamond Platnumz while speaking to Kenyan media at the weekend revealed that he will be attending the burial of Ssemwanga.

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The Bishop of West Ankole Diocese Johnson Twinomujuni has been consecrated today at a ceremony presided over by the Archbishop, the Most Reverend Stanley Ntagali.

In his sermon the new Bishop promised to preach against corruption and other social evils.

“We’re going to use our voice to preach against corruption,” Bishop Twinomujuni, who is the fourth prelate of the West Ankole Diocese, read in his charge.

He said the diocese would also strive to promote education, adding that he would ensure that all Church of Uganda-founded schools get the requisite education materials.

He also pledged to help with the developments at the Ankole Western University, a hitherto tinderbox for Christians in the diocese. “Let’s stand up and build the diocese of West Ankole. This is the right time for us to work together,” he said.

Over the past few years Christians in the West Ankole diocese have been divided and at one time 11 canons led by Christopher Kisembo dragged Archbishop Ntagali to court, accusing him of violating the Constitution of Church of Uganda by appointing a commission to ‘select’ the new bishop following the retirement of Bishop Yona Katoneene.

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South African President Jacob Zuma’s future hung in the balance as the top decision-making body of the ruling African National Congress began debating a proposal to recommend his removal from office, according to five people who are members of the party’s national executive committee.

The debate took place in the ANC committee late Saturday in Pretoria, after weeks of mounting pressure on Zuma following his March 31 decision to remove Pravin Gordhan as finance minister in a cabinet purge. That move swelled the ranks of his opponents and prompted S&P Global Ratings and Fitch Ratings Ltd. to downgrade the nation’s sovereign credit rating to junk.

The committee of about 100 members is scheduled to resume its debate today on whether to vote to oust Zuma, according to the five members who asked not to be identified because they aren’t authorized to speak publicly on the matter.

Divisions in the party have widened since the ANC suffered its worst-ever electoral result when it lost control of Johannesburg, the economic hub, Pretoria, the capital, in a municipal vote in August. Three of its top six officials criticized Zuma’s decision to fire Gordhan, while Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa, who’s a rival to Zuma’s ex-wife to succeed him as party leader in December, said on May 21 that South Africa is threatened with becoming a “mafia state.”

While only parliament can legally force the president from office, the NEC could instruct Zuma, 75, to resign, as it did Thabo Mbeki in 2008, or tell its lawmakers who occupy 62 percent of the seats in the national legislature, to remove him. Zuma has said he’ll quit if the party orders him to.

The committee decided against a similar motion against Zuma in November. ANC spokesman Zizi Kodwa didn’t answer calls seeking comment.

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President Yoweri Museveni has urged the people of Kitgum district in particular and Ugandans in general to report corrupt police officers to their leaders so that they can be dealt with. This, the President said, will help solve insecurity in the Acholi sub-region caused by criminals.

“We told you that the NRM government would bring peace and now peace is everywhere in the country. However, the criminals who are disturbing people are a problem of the police because most of them are corrupt,” the President said.

He was speaking at a thanksgiving ceremony at Boma grounds, Kitgum Municipality, held in honour of Kitgum Woman MP Beatrice Anywar for having surviving an accident.

In March this year Hon. Anywar was involved in accident in after her car veered off the road as she was returning from a burial in Potika Village in Lamwo district. She, however, survived with injuries and was rushed to Kitgum Hospital for emergency attention and later airlifted to Case Clinic in Kampala for further treatment.

The President said he was happy to be in Kitgum district to celebrate Hon. Anywar’s recovery.

“I am very happy be here with my daughter, Beatrice Anywar, to celebrate how she has survived three accidents. We did not want her to die, we wanted her to survive these accidents,” the President said.

Mr. Museveni said that politics should be devoid of ill-feelings even if you disagree with somebody politically.

“You should not wish anybody to die even if you disagree politically, you should instead persuade them to join your side,” he said.

President Museveni informed the audience that NRM has policies on all issues that include security, roads, electricity, education, health and water, among others and urged the people to remind their leaders to audit these plans so that they know how far they have gone with the implementation of the government programmes.

On her part, Hon. Anywar, thanked God for saving her life and also thanked President Museveni for sparing time from his busy schedule to celebrate with her and the people of Kitgum district.

“I thank God for this day. I thank you, President Museveni, for coming to celebrate with us God’s grace that saved my life,” she said.

She further thanked the President and his government for the achievements in the area like giving them a Municipality, tarmac roads, the monthly elderly funds and security among others.

Later, the President handed over a tractor to Hon. Anywar for the women in the district and afterwards, a cake was cut to climax the function.

Earlier, President Musevni commissioned Tumango Nodding Centre, a health facility for the Nodding disease patients in Tumango village, Akwanga Sub-County in Kitgum district.

Tumangu Nodding Centre was built by an American non-government organization called Hope for Human in partnership with Government and will look after over 450 children suffering from the nodding disease in the area.

The President also commissioned IGF Women’s Hospital, a church based hospital constructed in Kitgum Municipality by the Irene Gleeson Foundation with support from the government of Uganda.

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