Mercy Joan ™ @MercyJoanC: Its like even the barbing shop using old, rusted, second machines! The hair cut isn’t neat at all, looks like they used razorblades
PANIC: Customers dazed after the collapse of the ceiling at the Victoria Mall in Entebbe.
The owners of Victoria Mall have spoken out on the collapsed ceiling of Café Java that sent customers scampering for safety last night.
The collapsed ceiling
Through a statement issued Thursday, Knight Frank Uganda, the official managers of Victoria Mall Entebbe said they are investigating to ascertain the cause of the collapse of the ceiling.
“At the moment our primary concern is for the safety of all involved; especially our beloved customers. Together with our dear tenant we shall also institute immediate measures to avoid a repeat of the same. We wish Cafe Java a quick turnaround in re-opening the doors to their amazing meals and ambiance.
At about 9pm, Cafe Java customers who were enjoying coffee and meals were sent running for their dear lives when the ceiling of the building fell down.
However, the owners of the mall that houses the café say there were no injuries or casaulties.
“We’d like to confirm that there were no injuries or casualties sustained as a result of this incident. We wish Cafe Java a quick turnaround in re-opening the doors to their amazing meals and ambience.”
The Minister of State for Primary Healthcare Joyce Moriku Kaducu
The Minister of State for Primary Healthcare Joyce Kaducu has said that depression is prevalent among women in the northern region who have just given birth.
Ms Kaducu noted that depression is the second leading cause of death for people aged between 15 and 29 around the globe and urged Ugandans with signs of depression to go for counseling and treatment at health centers around the country.
‘’Studies show high prevalence of depression in Northern Uganda with less cohesive districts common among women who have just given birth with 17.4%; if it is not handled in childhood it can be severe in adulthood though it is a preventable and curable illness,’’ the minister said ahead of preparations for the World Health Day to be commemorated under the theme “Depression: Let’s Talk”.
Further, the Minister noted that half of the people who experience symptoms of depression like irritability, restlessness and attempted suicide never get diagnosed or treated for their illness.
However, she said the Ministry of Health has trained Primary Health Care workers who can diagnose the signs and prescribe the available psychosocial interventions at all medical facilities across the country.
CHARGED IN ABSENTIA: Former Nigerian oil minister Diezani-Alison-Madueke
Nigeria’s Federal High Court has charged a former oil minister with money-laundering in an election bribery scandal. Diezani Allison-Madueke is the first minister from former President Goodluck Jonathan’s Cabinet to be formally charged.
Prosecutors allege that she paid bribes totaling nearly $1.4 million to three electoral officials the day before the March 2015 presidential elections.
A former national security adviser has told the High Court that $2.1 billion was diverted from the war on Boko Haram Islamic extremists for bribes to ensure Jonathan won the election.
Allison-Madueke was absent when charges were read Wednesday. She has been in London since Jonathan lost the 2015 elections. British National Crime Agency officers detained her briefly in 2015 for questioning about alleged money-laundering.
South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma has won the backing of the ruling ANC party, which rejected calls for him to resign over a controversial cabinet reshuffle.
The African National Congress acknowledged growing calls for Zuma to step down, admitting to ‘serious and difficult disagreement’ over the president’s sacking of respected finance minister Pravin Gordhan last week.
Zuma could either be ousted by the ANC recalling him, or a vote of no confidence in parliament that has been scheduled for April 18.
The party retains a large majority in parliament, and Zuma has easily survived previous confidence votes.
ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe told reporters that although the party had ‘reflected’ on the resignation demands, “we won’t recall President Jacob Zuma because opposition parties say so. It won’t work that way”.
Zuma has been under fire for several days – including from within his own camp – after dismissing Gordhan, a decision that caused the rand currency to plummet.
Gordhan’s removal triggered unprecedented criticism from Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa as well as the party’s treasurer and several ANC allies.
Ramaphosa, who could succeed Zuma, described it as “totally unacceptable”.
South Africa’s powerful trade union federation Cosatu this week joined many anti-apartheid veterans, business leaders and civil action groups calling for Zuma to step down.
Mantashe – who was among those who had hit out at Zuma in recent days – said ANC would “close ranks” around the president and the party would iron out its differences with trade unions.
Mantashe blamed Gordhan’s sacking on “the irretrievable breakdown” in relations with the president.
Gordhan was at loggerheads with Zuma for months, receiving support from several ministers and major foreign investors, as well as many ordinary South Africans.
Gordhan had campaigned for budget discipline and against corruption, but Zuma’s allies accused him of thwarting the president’s desire to enact radical policies to tackle racial inequality.
Gordhan’s sacking contributed to a credit ratings downgrade to junk status on Monday by Standard & Poor’s, further fuelling calls for Zuma to step down.
The president has defended his change at the Treasury, saying that the government’s financial policies remained the same.
LISTEN: Pope Francis I meets with DRC President Joseph Kabila. The Catholic Bishops in the country have demanded that elections be held
Democratic Republic of Congo President Joseph Kabila has announced that he will appoint a new prime minister within 48 hours as part of the political agreement with the opposition.
In an address to the lower and upper houses of parliament in the capital Kinshasa, he called on the opposition coalition to nominate candidates for the appointment.
This decision comes a day after the president met with some opposition leaders and senate president Leon Kengo Wa Dondo at the presidential palace.
The opposition coalition created by late opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi and currently led by his son Félix Tshisekedi had called for a general strike in the country, which is ongoing, to protest against what they consider as an attempt to block the December 31 peace agreement.
The coalition boycotted peace talks last year which resulted in the appointment of the current Prime Minister Samy Badibanga in November, as per the power-sharing deal signed in October between the government and some opposition parties.
The coalition opposed the agreement which they described as non-inclusive and promised to protest till Kabila steps down.
Catholic bishops who have been mediating the talks announced last week that they would no longer continue the mediation due to unwillingness to seek compromise.
Kabila promised that the dialogue will continue.
The protests might come to an end if the opposition coalition agrees to send its nominees for appointment as prime minister until elections are held this year per the peace agreement.
DENIED SEWDISH INVOLVEMENT: Government spokesperson Ofwono Opondo
The government has denied that there are steps being taken to establish dialogue between President Yoweri Museveni and Dr. Kizza Besigye, his erstwhile challenger in the 2016 elections, brokered by the Swedish government.
Reports of dialogue between Mr. Museveni and Dr. Besigye have been doing the rounds, with the media quoting the Swedish Foreign Ministry as saying it was involved in the process to reconcile the two bitter political nemeses who clearly have contempt for each other.
“Sweden has been asked to facilitate a possible dialogue in Uganda,”…“discussions are still at an early stage and when there is concrete progress to communicate, we will do so”, the Daily Monitor quoted Swedish Foreign ministry spokeswoman Katarina Byrenius Roslund as saying.
But in a two-page missive, Government spokesperson Ofwono Opondo urged the Swedish government to provide proof of any such undertaking, before adding said that the reported claims of dialogue were being orchestrated by Dr. Besigye for purposes of political grandstanding.
‘The dialogue between Dr. Besigye and Museveni is a total lie and I believe that Dr. Kizza Besigye is doing all this for political brand standing and humor,’ Ofwono Opondo wrote.
The government mouthpiece, however, ‘advised’ Dr. Besigye to ‘concentrate on mobilizing political support and prepare for the 2021 general elections.’
He added that those who were dissatisfied with the results of the 2016 went to the Supreme Court, which Dr. Besigye and his party, the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), did not do.
But Dr. Besigye has persistently challenged the government over the issue, saying he was denied a platform to challenge the results of the elections through detention well over the prescribed timeframe of 30 days for petitioning the Supreme Court.
The FDC also says police raided its offices in Najjanankumbi and took away several things including the declaration forms which the party had received from different agents’ throughout the country.
Finally the suspension letters that have been circulating on social media got to Makerere University researcher, Dr. Stella Nyanzi.
She acknowledges having received two letters dated 6 March 2017 and 31 March 2017 yesterday, and has responded through her lawyers, Legal Aid.
And in a response issued today and addressed to the Director Human Resource, Makerere University, the lawyers warned the University, saying the charges being brought against their client are inconsistent with her right to freedom of expression.
“Let it be stated once more that the charges currently framed against our client relating to her alleged social media comments are inconsistent with her right to freedom of expression and several other constitutional imperatives, including academic freedom which is also enshrined in the 2001 Universities and Other Tertiary Institutions Act (as amended),” reads the response in part.
“By dint of Article 20(2) of the Constitution, the University, as a public authority, is obliged not to act in a way which is incompatible with any constitutionally guaranteed right. By attempting to suppress our client’s freedom of expression irrationally, unfairly, arbitrarily and disproportionately through the impugned citations of an ungazetted Human Resources Manual and the unjustified warning and suspension decisions of the Appointments Board, the University has demonstrably failed to appreciate not only the importance of our client’s right to freedom of expression, but also her rights to equal protection of the law and to fair and just treatment by an administrative body.”
They warned the University ‘to cease and desist not only from acting like the thought police in a tyrannical regime’.
The lawyers further warned against they called “’misguided campaign’ of harassment, intimidation, victimization and oppression of our client through unending, baseless and irregular disciplinary proceedings.”
“Consequently, we urge you once more to immediately terminate these so-called disciplinary proceedings and make the necessary arrangements to give our client sufficient reparations for the inconvenience and injury so far caused to her.”
SUSPEND DR STELLA NYANZI! The letter by Chairperson of Appointments Board to Vice Chancellor Professor Ddumba Sentamu
In the letter dated 31 March, 2017 written by Bruce Kabaasa, the chairperson of the appointments board, directed Makerere University Chancellor, Prof. Dumba Ssentamu to suspend Dr. Stella Nyanzi for continually insulting First Lady Janet Museveni, who is also the minister for education.
“This communication is therefore, to require you to implement the decision of the Appointments Board referred to above by suspending Dr. Stella Nyanzi from University Service with immediate effect,” the letter read in part.
The Justice Forum (JEEMA), a political party led by lawyer Asuman Basalirwa has asked President Yoweri Museveni to relieve the Inspector General of Police General Kale Kayihura of his job.
Addressing a press conference today JEEMA spokesperson Abdulnoor Ssentongo Kyamundu said Kayihura should be fired because he has failed to solve several mysterious killings and to produce reports detailing the murders carried out in different parts of the country.
“Whenever these gruesome murders occur, Kale Kayihura issues statements about who he thinks are the perpetrators of the murder without carrying out investigations; therefore I advise him to allow the CIID to investigate before making allegations,” Ssentongo said.
He also made reference to the IGP’s statement in which he said the police and other security agencies had been infiltrated by ‘mafias’, something that was echoed by President Museveni when he went to mourn the slain Assistant Inspector General of Police Andrew Felix Kaweesi.
AIGP Kaweesi, in the company of his bodyguard Kenneth Erau and drive Geoffrey Mambewa, was brought down in a hail of 30 bullets by unknown assailants reportedly travelling on two motorcycles, who ambushed him near his home in Kulambiro, on the outskirts of the city.
Previously, gun-wielding thugs travelling on motorcycles have killed 10 Muslim clerics in different parts of Uganda and a senior judicial official, Principal State Attorney Joan Kagezi.
“They have gone ahead to claim people’s lives therefore, a lot has to be done and failure to do so, the IGP should be sacked or both should resign,” Ssentongo said.
According to Ssentongo, JEEMA believes there is a serious moral problem in the security forces especially the police due to poor working conditions, low pay and nepotism in awarding promotions and in deployment to lucrative posts and assignments.
‘’It is time to frankly address this favoritism of a section of Ugandans over the others and agree on a power-sharing formula that will reflect the true character of Uganda’s composition,” Ssentongo added.
DURING THE GOOD TIMES; Jose Chameleone with Serena Bata at the shooting of a video for their collabo.
There is an ongoing verbal fight between singers Jose Chameleone and Serena Bata. It all begun this morning when Chameleone made online posts claiming that Bata’s husband, music promoter Charles Olim, popularly known as Sipapa, is a burglar.
Jose Chameleone kisses Serena Bata’s hand during the shooting of a video for their collabo
This message didn’t go down well with Serena Bata to whom Sipapa is both a manager and husband; she immediately took to the same forum to hit back at Chameleone, threatening to ‘expose’ how he ended up breaking his legs years back.
“Am here by defeating this Guy’s words he wrote earlier this morning
If #chameleone says that #SIPAPA (my husband) is a burglar, the question is how did he know that Sipapa is a burglar? Unless he’s a burglar too; birds of the same feathers?” she writes.
“And do you want us also to tell the world what really happened to your legs? Since we are not of the same mindset I won’t go deep into that the way you’ve done but let me make this clear to the world that my husband (#SIPAPA) is well LIVE and kicking..”
Serena also roused the case of Robert Karamagi, a man who was found burnt to death at Chameleone’s house in 2012. No person has ever been tried over his painful death.
“Do want us also to reveal how Karamagi died so that the whole world can know how murderous you are?” she asked.
“Thanks Chameleone because for the goods and friendship we’ve showed you this is the way you’ve paid us back. Remember #GOD‘S eye is ever open and watching you ……may the Almighty bless you sir…”
Indeed Chameleone has been a good friend of Sipapa, a man who reportedly shot to fame as a filthy rich musician’s manager.
Their friendship began when Chameleone recorded a song, ‘Nkoleki’ with Melody, one of the artistes then signed to Sipapa. Apparently, Sipapa gave him a Range Rover Sport to secure the collabo.
In his post, Chameleone acknowledged he has been a close friend to Sipapa but “I realize I made fake friends, who have continuously abused my kindness and love”.
“From the day I knew Sipapa was a burglar, he got uncomfortable and we lost the logistics of friendship!
It’s sad it’s all been interpreted in the name of a family conflict! Yes. Daniella ain’t happy with some of my ways but above all I am not going to be belittled by a thief, burglar, posing as a boss to disguise himself in my family issues.
“Last week after discovering he’s burglar, he got uncomfortable with our friendship. Worst most posing as a millionaire with no permanent address. Mr. you have terrorized Prince Charles Avenue Kololo and should put effort to prove me wrong. I was your friend and never knew you break into people’s houses for a living!! That’s why I asked my wife to stay away from you. But since you are proving me wrong,
please explain. Why you were almost killed for breaking into Jalal Elachkar House at 3:am, and Bob Kabonero’s house some day! Its the truth and it’s your duty to defend it!!.”
Ironically, the fight comes at a time when Sipapa had just secured another collabo with Chameleone for one of his artistes, none other than Serena Bata!
Serena Bata and Chameleone have a collabo together which is barely a month old. Whereas less has been revealed between the fallout of the once close friends, word has it that the bitter differences began when Sipapa wanted to ‘get close’ to Chameleone’s wife, Daniella Atim.
