The Democratic Party (DP) is set to join citizens who plan to lodge a case against the seven-day ultimatum for SIM card registration, announced by the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) last week.

“All people who registered for the national IDs gave in their details including contacts, why does UCC give us these seven days; there are some other forms of identification rather than national identity cards like pass ports and driving licence, and I denounce that UCC directive,” DP President General Norbert Mao said during a press conference today.

Already, controversial activist Norman Tumuhimbise, previously linked to the dropping of ‘yellow piglets’ at Parliament to protest against youth joblessness, has lodged an injunction in court, seeking to stop the UCC from enforcing the SIM card registration.

‘An interim order doth issue restraining the Respondent, and the telecommunications service providers the Respondent regulates, from enforcing or implementing the directive of SIM CARD subscriber details update/verification by Thursday 20/04/2017 or recognizing the National Identity Card as the sole document of identity until the final determination of the main application for a temporary injunction,’ a communication from the High Court Civil Division indicates.

Meanwhile, according to Mao, the DP is also planning to honour its founding President General Benedicto Kiwanuka by constructing a Shs7 billion building and naming it after him.

Making the announcement, Mao said the move to build Ben Kiwanuka House is part of the party’s 2016-2021 strategic plan. Ben Kiwanuka, the first DP President General, was killed by former president Idi Amin in 1971.

“We already have Shs250 million in cash and pledges among members and people of good will,” Mao said, adding: “thinking is not our problem in DP and we have never lacked ideas, the only challenge we face is team work.”

Mao also said the party would soon declare it audited accounts.

“DP accounts are audited by the Office of the Auditor General and soon our financial report will be out. This is contrary to what used to happen before since I never found such arrangement in DP,” he said.

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Norman Tumuhimbise, the man allegedly behind the dropping of ‘yellow piglets’ at Parliament is at it again; he has sued the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) seeking to stop the telecommunications regulator from enforcing the de-activation of SIM cards.

‘An interim order doth issue restraining the Respondent, and the telecommunications service providers the Respondent regulates, from enforcing or implementing the directive of SIM CARD subscriber details update/verification by Thursday 20/04/2017 or recognizing the National Identity Card as the sole document of identity until the final determination of the main application for a temporary injunction,’ a communication from the High Court Civil Division indicates.

Tumuhimbise, who has sued UCC jointly with Rights Trumpet Limited, is no stranger to controversy and first came to the limelight in 2015 when he led a shadowy umbrella group, the Jobless Brotherhood, to drop piglets coloured in yellow, the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) colour, at Parliament.

At the time the group’s actions were informed by their lack of jobs. Then in 2016 the Jobless Brotherhood took on Parliamentarians, criticizing the insistence of MPs to acquire state-of-the-art cars at a cost of Shs200m each.

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Morrison Rwakakamba, the head of the Government Citizen Interaction Centre (GCIC) in the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance, has resigned.

In a letter dated April 18 addressed to President Yoweri Museveni, the youthful Special Presidential Assistant on Research and Information indicated he had decided to join the private sector.

‘I have made a decision to rejoin non-State sector and focus on agricultural production, public policy inquiry and international public interest consulting’, wrote Rwakakamba, who joined the Public Service in 2013.

Rwakakamba, one of the few public servants in Uganda to resign, copied his resignation letter to the Secretary Office of the President, the Auditor General and Secretary Public Service Commission.

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The Kabaka of Buganda celebrated his 62^nd birthday yesterday in Buloba at Lubiri High School where he applauded his subjects for the contribution they have rendered to the kingdom.

He however, after Buloba, he and other invited guests drove to Mengo palace where he treated he visitors eats and drinks.

However, as the celebrations went well, an error was committed in inviting Sanyu Cinderrlla popularly known as Cindy to perform for the king. She and her crew jumped on stage in a attires that weren’t fit for the function and given that  Buganda culture where it is prohibitive for a lady or girl to appear in front of a king in nude attires of sorts. Uneasiness was noticed from the audience.

As Cinderella and her team performed while lifting their legs, the gathering became little irritated and exactly same time, the Kabaka’s sister appeared and went on stage to notify the king about him leaving the function. She went back and returned with soldier and the Kabaka, Nabagereka, Vice President Edward Sekandi plus Katikiro, Peter Mayiga were whisked away as security chased Cindy and her dancers.

This is not the first time such incident is happening as last year at the same venue and marking the Kabaka’s 61^st birthday, another musician Winnie Nwagi did exactly what Cindy did but at the time, the Kabaka wasn’t whisked away but instead, his sister who acts as Principal Secretary confronted Katikiro Mayiga why he allowed such ‘naked’ girls to perform at the king’s birthday. It took the intervention of the king himself to cool the tempers.

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