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AFCON: UBC won’t broadcast matches

By
Badru Kasadah
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NO MONEY: UBC Managing Director Winston David Agaba

The Africa Cup of Nations begins on Saturday in Gabon, with a number of Premier League stars heading out to the tournament.
Among the 16 countries to participate in this year’s tournament is the Uganda national team, the Uganda Cranes, having qualified for the first time in close to 40 years.
However, Ugandans who were anxiously waiting to see their national team feature in AFCON for the first time in as many years might not be able to. This is after the national broadcaster, Uganda Broadcasting Corporation (UBC TV), announced that it won’t be broadcasting the matches.

The letter Agaba wrote to Education and Sports Minister Janet Kataha Museveni

In a January 12, 2017, letter by the station’s Managing Director, Winston David Agaba to the Minister of Education and Sports Janet Kataaha Museveni, he informs her that they have failed to secure the broadcasting rights for the tournament.

NEED FOR ACTUION: Education Minister Janet Museveni

“Following our letter dated 14 December, 2016 addressed to your office, we regret to inform you that due to lack of financing to cover the fee involved, we shall not be able to telecast the Africa Cup of Nations 2017 (AFCON) games which kick off on 14 January 2017,” Agaba writes. He adds that the fees in question total US$113,500.
‘These fees as we highlighted in our previous letter were and still out of our reach. We have approached your office and our line Ministry of Information, Communications Technology and National Guidance, and none is in a position to help pay for the rights. It is with great sadness that we will officially communicate this to our esteemed viewers and the country at large. UBC shall only be able to relay highlights of the games, and provide live radio commentary on all our radio channels,’ Mr Agaba writes.

 

 

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Somalia Parliament Speaker re-elected

By
Agencies
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RE-ELECTED: SPEAKER Mohamed Sheikh Osman Jawari

The incumbent Speaker of the federal parliament’s House of the People, Mohamed Sheikh Osman Jawari, was re-elected to another four-year term during voting that was held in the Somali capital, Mogadishu.

Two hundred and fifty-nine members of the House of the People voted in the landmark election that was witnessed by representatives of the international community, key stakeholders and senior federal government officials, and Mr. Jawari received 141 votes to defeat three other candidates for the key legislative post.
In his victory speech, Mr. Jawari appealed to his fellow members of parliament (MPs) to put aside their political differences for the sake of their constituents. “Today there is no winner or loser. It is the Somali people who have won,” he said.

The runner-up in the voting for the Speaker’s post was Abdirashid Mohamed Hidig, who garnered 97 votes, followed by Abdifatah Mohamed Ibrahim Geesey and Idriss Abdi Dhaqtar, who received 17 votes and two votes, respectively. Two ballots were spoilt.

“It was an honour for me to contest for the seat of Speaker of Parliament. Speaker Jawari is my friend and I congratulate him for the win,” said Mr. Hidig, who pledged to explore other avenues for serving the Somali people.

Members of parliament expressed confidence in Mr. Jawari’s leadership. “I look forward to his leadership, seeing him set up parliamentary structures. We have high expectations of him because he has the experience,” said Mariam Haji Abdi Gedi, an MP from Galmudug state.

Mr. Jawari was elected Speaker of the country’s ninth federal Parliament in 2012, after having previously served as a cabinet minister in the Siad Barre regime.

As Speaker of the House of the People, he will preside over the election of two deputy speakers later this week. Mr. Jawari will then join his counterpart as speaker of the Upper House in overseeing the upcoming presidential election in both houses of the federal parliament.

 

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Airtel’s ‘Tulumbe AFCON’ ends on a high note

By
Badru Kasadah
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Airtel Uganda has concluded its ‘Tulumbe AFCON’ campaign with a prize giving ceremony for the last group of winners held at the company’s offices this morning.

John Bosco Nsabamana, the ticket winner pose for a photo with Airtel Uganda, Managing Director, Anwar Soussa during the final draw of the Airtel Tulumbe AFCON campaign.

 

 

The lucky winners walked away with smartphones, TV sets and air tickets to watch the Uganda Cranes play in Gabon. John Bosco Nsabamana, winner of the pair of tickets to Gabon will enjoy an all-expenses paid trip to watch the national football team play at the Africa Cup of Nations tournament for the first time in 38 years.

Launched last December, ‘Tulumbe AFCON’ has built even more support for the Uganda Cranes who make their historic appearance at the tournament next week.

Speaking at the handover, Airtel Uganda Managing Director, Anwar Soussa, congratulated the winners and thanked Airtel customers for their enthusiasm for the campaign and support for the Uganda Cranes.

“We launched ‘Tulumbe AFCON’ at the end of last year, which as we all know was a memorable year for Ugandan football and this exciting campaign had two main areas of focus; our customers and the National football team, the Uganda Cranes. With ‘Tulumbe AFCON’, we have been able to reward our customers for their loyalty to our brand and support for the National football team. I believe that the motivation of football fans across the country has been instrumental in securing the excellent performances from the Uganda Cranes that we have all been witness to,” Mr Soussa said.

Soussa further echoed Airtel’s support to the growth of football in Uganda saying the Company believes in the nurturing of local talent right from the grassroots level.

“Our love and commitment to football is well-known; from our annual Airtel Rising Stars program to our sponsorship of the National team. Our belief is that these programs and sponsorships provide platforms for both new and existing talent to showcase their skills. Tulumbe AFCON gave us the opportunity to increase support for the Uganda Cranes while also reaching those who support them and are our customers. I therefore thank all our customers who have been part of this campaign,” he added, before wishing the team the best of luck in their endeavors.

Speaking at the ceremony, Mrs. Remmie Kisakye Kakuru, Airtel Uganda’s Head of Brand and Communications, congratulated the day’s winners.

“I congratulate everyone who has been a part of this campaign. ‘Tulumbe AFCON’” has attracted participation from across the country. We have had winners from Isingiro, Mbale, Masindi, Hoima, Masaka and Kampala. This goes to show the wide reach of both our subscribers and the support for the Uganda Cranes,” she said.

Over the course of the four-month campaign, Airtel Uganda has given out 60 Smartphones, 5 iPhones, 28 television sets and 6 air tickets for winners to go and watch the first Uganda Cranes game against Ghana on January 17 in Gabon. That is in addition to the 100% airtime bonuses that were awarded to everyone who met their target, in regard to the campaign rules.

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PLE results: Janet Museveni insists parents pack food for pupils

By
Badru Kasadah
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UNEB Executive Secretary Dan Odongo Nokrach at the release of PLE results. The examinations body is set to release UCE results tomorrow

The Minister of Education and Sports Janet Museveni has reiterated her recent message, calling up on parents to provide and pack food for their children.

Education and Sports Minister, Janet Museveni.

“Education doesn’t only depend on teachers and schools, parents also have a role to play. I call upon parents in rural and urban areas to take up the responsibility to provide meals and care for their children,” Mrs Museveni said today, while officiating at the release of the 2016 results of Primary Leaving Exams (PLE).

Previously, she advised parents against packing cold food for school going children, instead telling them to buy food flasks so that pupils can eat the food when it is hot.

“What I don’t agree with is packing lunch in banana leaves and children eat it cold as lunch. You can buy small flasks for packing lunch so that these children can have it hot,” she was quoted by media.

Meanwhile, Mrs Museveni has said she was pleased with the increasing number of girls gaining education. “We have seen many young girls adopting education, therefore doing away with early marriages and teenage pregnancies. I am happy to announce that since the introduction of Universal Primary Education (UPE), PLE candidature has increased,” she said.

In a related development, the Uganda National Examination Board (UNEB) chairperson, Prof Mary Okwakol, observed that urban areas had increasingly dominated education sector performance in examinations.

Out of the 640,833 candidates who sat from 12,391 centres registered for 2016 PLE, Division one had a total of 63,400 candidates while Division two had 251,787. Boys performed better than girls with 541,089 (87percent) passing compared to 517,889 (86.2percent) the previous year.

“Overall performance shows that male candidates performed better than females but females performed better in English,” she said.

According to Prof Okwakol, this is the first in a series of three examination results to be released; UCE and UACE will follow in that order.

The UNEB Executive Secretary Dan Odongo said 51.3% of the total candidates who completed the primary education cycle were girls.

He however noted that in comparison, Boys performed better than girls with their failure rate at 5.3% and that of girls at 7.7%

He also noted that distinction performance in English rose from 10 to 11.5%, SST from 5.8 to 10.3%, Math from 3.9 to 4.5%, while Science dropped by 7%.

Fort Portal Municipality, Entebbe, Ntungamo, Rukungiri, Jinja, Kabale, Masaka, Mbarara, Lira, Masindi were best districts with 98 percent and above pass rate.

Serere, Namutumba, Bulambuli, Kyankwanzi, Iganga, Kaliro, Mayuge, Kween, Luuka, Buyende were worst performing districts.

 

 

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Rwanda King Kigeli burial for Sunday

By
Francisco Adongo
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Uwami Ndahindurwa V Kigeli, will be buried Sunday.

The body of deceased Rwanda King Ndahindurwa V Kigeli will be laid to rest on Sunday, January 15 at his Nyanza Palace, reports indicate.

King Kigeli V Ndahindurwa, who ascended the throne in 1959 and was ousted in 1961, died of hypertension on October 16 last year aged 80, giving rise to a court battle waged by relatives in a US court.

The decision to bury the late monarch in Rwanda was made by court in Virginia, US, after the King’s relatives disagreed on whether to lay the remains in the US or return them to Rwanda.

Subsequently, after two days of hearing from witnesses both sides, the court ruled that King Kigeli’s body be laid to rest in Rwanda.

At the time of his death he had lived in exile in the US for about 24 years.

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Mass grave found in central Burundi

By
Agencies
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A potrait of former Burundi President Michel Micombero in 1972

A mass grave containing the remains of over 1,000 people was found earlier this week.

Residents of Rusaka commune in central Burundi found the grave on Tuesday, a local governor said.

“The macabre discovery took place on Tuesday at a construction site where a training center is being built,” Jean Marie Nyakarerwa, governor of Mwaro province, said.

He added it was still difficult to determine the exact number and identity of the bodies in the grave.

Jean-Louis Nahimana, president of the National Commission for Truth and Reconciliation, told reporters on Wednesday his institution would visit the site to collect more information.

The mass grave dates back to 1972 when a major conflict took place between Hutus and Tutsis, the two main ethnic groups in Burundi, according to local residents.

In 1972, ethnic violence led to the deaths of more than 200,000 people over a period of three months, mainly members of the Hutu majority.

The violence reached another peak on October 1993 following the assassination of Melchior Ndadaye, the first democratically elected Hutu president. That violence led to the deaths of more than 300,000 people.

During the first 50 years of independence in Burundi, over 500,000 Hutus and 100,000 Tutsi were killed in mass atrocities, according to the Combat Genocide Association.

In neighboring Rwanda more than 800,000 people were killed in genocide against the Tutsi population by Hutu extremists in 1994.

 

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Museveni names UPDF Joint Chief of Staff

By
Francisco Adongo
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President Yoweri Museveni, the Commander-in-Chief of the Uganda Peoples Defence Forces (UPDF), has appointed Major General Joseph Musanyufu as the Joint Chief of Staff (JCOS).

Previously a Brigadier and the Chief of Personnel and Administration in the UPDF, Gen Musanyufu replaces Lt. Gen Wilson Mbadi, who was early this week named the Deputy Chief of Defence Forces (D/CDF) in a military shake-up that saw the former army boss and his deputy reassigned other duties. In the same reshuffle the first son and Commander of the Special Forces Command (SFC) Maj Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, was named Special Advisor in charge of Operations.

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Jinja High Court to determine Mumbere bail application tomorrow

By
Francisco Adongo
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Rwenzururu King Charles Wesley Mumbere.

Jinja High Court Judge Eva Luswata has set tomorrow as the day she will make a ruling on the bail application by Rwenzururu King Charles Wesley Mumbere.

The decision follows the Judge’s earlier ruling in which she declined to grant an application by the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP), seeking to refer case to the International Crimes Division of the High.

Mumbere, whose bail application will be heard tomorrow at 3pm, is charged with treason, terrorism and murder among other crimes and is currently on remand at Luzira Prisons.

His incarceration at Nalufenya Police station and later in Luzira followed an attack on his palace, where over 100 people including security agents and the Rwenzururu Kingdom royal guards were reportedly killed.

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Jinja High Court hears Mumbere’s case

By
Francisco Adongo
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Rwenzururu King Charles Wesley Mumbere.

Jinja High Court Judge Eva Luswata has declined an application by the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP), seeking to refer Rwenzururu King Charles Wesley Mumbere’s case to the International Crimes Division (ICD) of the High Court.

Lady Justice Luswata has made the ruling early today, and her court has continued with proceedings. Mumbere is charged with treason, terrorism and murder among other crimes and is currently on remand at Luzira Prisons.

His incarceration at Nalufenya Police station and later in Luzira followed an attack on his palace, where over 100 people including security agents and the Rwenzururu Kingdom royal guards were reportedly killed.

Developing story

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Top South Sudan rebel commander warns on rivalry

By
Agencies
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WARNED ON RIVALRY: Rebel Commander Major General Peter Gadet Yaka

Major General Peter Gadet, a top South Sudanese rebel commander has warned that rivalry between two rebel factions poses a threat to the cause for which their two camps pledged to pursue jointly.

Violence has, in recent weeks, risen in parts of South Sudan, which is dominated by the rebels under the command and leadership of former First Vice-President, Riek Machar.

Observers say disputes between Machar’s predominantly ethnic Nuer and Lam Akol’s Shilluk is attributed to the latest wave of power struggles between the rival factions.

The violence includes political assassinations disrupting the common goal for which the two rebels came into existence and threatens to destabilize the entire country.

So far, two top rebel commanders allied to Akol’s National Democratic Movement have been assassinated in what seems a contest for influence and control of the area.

Gadet, one of those who defected from Machar before the signing of the 2015 peace agreement, sees a link between the two rebel factions as a threat to the cause for taking arms struggle against the Juba regime.

“Everyone was caught by surprise by what happened in Upper Nile. Nobody was expecting that. Nobody was expecting that the differences in views would escalate into the killings between colleagues whose objective is one: to remove the dictatorial regime under Salva Kiir in Juba. By turning on each other in the bush, what have they achieved than killing themselves?” Gadet said.

He added: “They have now empowered the regime, which I believe is the one engineering this. It is the regime”.

Gadet said rivalry has shifted to who should have leverage and control over the local people.

“This wave of violence shows there is a real threat that it would derail the focus on the main cause for which these movements were formed. “We are now talking about a security situation that is different than the sectarian fighting, when there are groups fighting against the government and against those who cooperated with the government,” the top rebel commander stressed.

“We now have two main groups in the same community and they both accept the political process. But each one wants to be the sole representative of the movement and within the area,” he added.

Last week, top rebel commanders, Gabriel Tanginye and Yohanis Okiech were killed in an apparent power struggle in South Sudan’s Upper Nile state.

 

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