Stone Family Foundation, Conrad Hilton Foundation, and Water Mission are set to launch an innovative professional water utility in Uganda that will create sustainable, safe water access for households, businesses, and institutions in the country’s Luuka District.

The Stone Family Foundation, GF (Georg Fischer), and the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation awarded grants to Water Mission to support customer-centred water service provision for communities in Uganda through a professional utility.

The $596,000 (Shs22.1 billion) investments will advance the development of a new and promising model for water service delivery in Uganda’s Luuka District.

“We’re excited to invest in Water Mission’s ambitious program to provide professional, safe water access to rural customers to their homes,” said Stone Family WASH Managing Director Tom Chaplin. “Building a financially viable and sustainable utility model for safe water delivery at scale in rural areas addresses an urgent need that has not yet been solved by traditional NGO approaches that we hope to see replicated elsewhere.”

Since 2001, Water Mission has served 8 million people in over 60 countries, including 1.3 million people in Uganda. Water Mission is now launching a professional water utility to meet the safe water needs of rural communities within Uganda’s Luuka District. The utility will have the capacity to professionally manage both public and private water access points.

As part of the utility’s launch, Water Mission is engaging experts in best practices in utility management, business development, customer service, human resources, and public-private partnerships. In the first phase of development, the newly created professional utility will upgrade payment and metering technology for a market segment of communities to more efficient pre-paid metering, reducing non-revenue water and improving customer service. This first phase will also include the sale of household connections for hundreds of customers in Southern Luuka District, Uganda.

“Our grant empowers Water Mission to do what they do best: increase sustainable safe water access in rural communities,” said Li Sierra, Managing Director, GF Water Foundation, GF (Georg Fischer.) “Our partnership will ensure that thousands of lives will be changed through this program, creating better public health and new economic opportunities.”

Just 9% of people in rural areas of Uganda have access to safely managed drinking water services. Launching a professional water utility requires expanding new infrastructure within the service area, maintaining systems in the long term, taking over long-term operation and management of safe water systems from communities, and engaging global experts with significant experience and expertise to internalize and scale a customer-focused business approach.

“We are pleased to invest in Water Mission’s work in Uganda to ensure reliable services from a professional water utility,” said Hilton Foundation Senior Program Officer, Safe Water, Nabil Chemaly. “This investment will help bring about new, innovative, market-based solutions that will increase reliable, safe, and convenient professional water access and delivery at the household level.

The professional water utility model meets the growing demand in rural communities for professionally managed water services. Water Mission’s utility has the opportunity to fill a critical market gap and the potential to serve as a replicable model for providing Ugandans around the country with high-quality and customer-centric safe water services.

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The Ministry of Gender, Labour, and Social Development is considering scaling the Home Learning Centre (HLC) model being implemented by Literacy and Adult Basic Education (LABE) – an indigenous NGO – into a nationwide program. 

Under the HLC model, LABE uses innovative methods to engage children by incorporating locally made play materials into their teaching. Materials such as clay dolls, cubes, and handcrafted pottery are used to create an interactive and enjoyable learning experience. LABE also provides training to parents on how to make these materials, ensuring children remain interested and motivated to learn through the early childhood development (ECD) phase of their lives. 

The innovation is in response to the high cost of setting up early learning centres with a view to enabling children from underserved communities to benefit from this important learning stage in every child’s development. 

While conducting a series of field visits to project sites in Northern Uganda and West Nile, Everest Tumwesigye – Commissioner for Community Development and Literacy in the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development said, “I am particularly impressed by the Terego District Education Officer (DEO), who has transformed his home into a Home Learning Centre to support ECD and home-based learning. This demonstrates that our goals are already integrated into the budget. With forthcoming Government of Uganda Development Funding, we plan to scale these interventions nationally. We envision turning LABE’s Home Learning Centres into model centers, which will expand into a nationwide program.” 

The field visits come ahead of International Literacy Day – which is celebrated on 8th September every year – and follow an MoU signed between LABE and the Ministry on the 30th of May 2024 to set a collaborative framework to enhance LABE’s initiatives in responsive caregiving, preschool learning, livelihood literacies, and parenting skills development within home-based learning environments.

The MoU has already been implemented, with significant progress being made in West Nile, particularly in the Koboko, Terego, and Obongi districts. 

LABE’s Stellah Tumwebaze said, “We are eager to expand to additional sub-counties within each district, including Obongi, Terego, and Koboko. However, our immediate focus is to strengthen the impact in our current areas to ensure a solid foundation before considering broader expansion. We don’t want to get into a situation where we expand, but under-deliver in some sub-counties.” 

The Ministry of Gender further expressed its enthusiasm for renewing its partnership with LABE, reaffirming its commitment to making adult basic education and early childhood development accessible to all Ugandans. 

Founded in 1989, LABE aims to address the need for sustainable literacy skills – which are essential for equitable grassroots development and a way out of poverty.

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The African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) has awarded 160 Nigerian police officers for their outstanding service and contribution to peace and security in Somalia.

The officers from the 12^th contingent of the Nigeria Formed Police Unit (NFPU-12), received African Union medals of honour at a ceremony presided over by ATMIS Police Commissioner, CP Hillary Sao Kanu, in Mogadishu on Thursday.

“Your performance during your one-year tour of duty is commendable,” said CP Kanu.

“You exhibited high levels of commitment and professionalism under difficult circumstances. Your service has been marked by courage, resilience, and a steadfast dedication to protecting the Somali people and supporting their aspirations for a peaceful, safe and secure country.”

ATMIS Police Training Coordinator, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Samuel Asiedu Okanta, acting ATMIS Police Operations and FPU Coordinator, ACP Richard Evans Onyait, and component commander of the Uganda Special Forces in Somalia, Lt. Col. Edward Mugisha, were among senior ATMIS Police and military officials present at the ceremony.

ACP Onyait recognized the sacrifices of the Nigerian police officers in Somalia and urged them to maintain discipline and a positive attitude in their service to Nigeria.

Nigerian Contingent Commander, Chief Superintendent Shehu Gani Ahmed, praised the officers for their outstanding performance and contribution to the overall ATMIS mandate.

“As a contingent, we have contributed our own quota to the success story of ATMIS in the search for sustainable peace in Somalia. As we complete our tour of duty, it is our earnest prayer that Somalia will achieve the desired peace,” said CSP Ahmed.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Justus Asiimwe, commander of the Uganda Formed Police Unit, commended the Nigerian contingent and said his unit is driven by the same mission to support Somalia’s efforts toward peace and stability.

ATMIS Formed Police Units (FPUs) provide operational support to the Somali Police Force (SPF) such as VIP escort and protection, security at high-level events, mentorship and training of the SPF officers, and securing key government installations, among other duties.

Other countries that contribute to Formed Police Units to ATMIS include Ghana, Uganda and Sierra Leone.

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The Internal Affairs Ministry has denied authorizing Rugiirwa Katatumba diplomatic passport, emphasizing that the issuance of such passports follows a strict protocol.

A few days back, Rugiirwa was seen pausing with a Diplomatic Passport on social media which sparked controversy as Ugandans called immigration department to explain and provide clarity on who qualifies for this much sought travel document.

 According to the Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration Control of Uganda, Rugiirwa does not qualify to hold one (Diplomatic passport).

The President and Members of the First Family, Speaker and Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Chief Justice, government ministers and their spouses, head of Public Service, the Governor and Deputy Governor of the Bank of Uganda, chancellors and Vice Chancellors of State Universities, judges of the Supreme Court, Court of Appeal and the High Court, Permanent Secretaries, Chairpersons and Vice Chairpersons of Permanent Commissions and recognized traditional or cultural leaders, foreign service officers and their spouses plus their children below the age of 18 staying with them abroad are the only people entitled to have a diplomatic passport.

 With the listed examples, Rugiira holds no position to allow him to bear a diplomatic passport. He has been seen in photos of the passport copy on many social media platforms which is seen as an act of abuse of the passport and can be revoked.

According to anonymous sources, Rugiirwa and her twin sister Angella Katatumba both acquired a diplomatic passport following the passing of their dad.

Boney Katatumba was the honorary consul of Pakistan. Angella illegally occupied his office following his death in 2018. Then, she helped her brother acquire the passport illegally.

 Later, the High Commission for Pakistan in Nairobi described the honorary Consulate of Pakistani currently operating in Uganda under Ugandan singer and songwriter Angella Katatumba as fake, fictitious and with no legal authority.

In a letter dated March 13, 2018 and copied to the High Commission in Nairobi Kenya, all diplomatic missions, international organisations, consulates and Pakistan Association in Uganda, among others, the commission says the “so-called honorary consulate of Islamic Republic of Pakistan in Uganda had been ceased to function with the demise of Boney Katatumba.”

 “It (Diplomatic passport) is meant to facilitate official government business by Government agents and to bestow various levels of Immunity in execution of said business; Rugiirwa has no business owning one. But of course we know it has been abused,” said a source at Immigration.

He added: “It cannot be brandished as an all-open pass for any and every one that holds it. It carries terms and conditions for behavior and conduct.”

A section of Ugandans have petitioned the Immigration department demanding for answers on what procedures did he follow to acquire a diplomatic passport.

Rugiirwa Katatumba has become a symbol of scandal and controversy casting a long shadow over his father’s once-esteemed legacy.

Rugiirwa’s involvement in financial scandals is well documented since over the years he has repeatedly been accused of defrauding business partners out of their hard-earned money.

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