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Home Blog Page 2014

Finance ministers clash over UEGCL top job

By
Richard Wanambwa
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WORRIED OVER SINKING ECONOMY: Finance Minister Matia Kasaija

There is bad blood flowing at Ministry of Finance as two ministers are embroiled in a fight over the appointment of new board chairperson of Uganda Electricity Generation Company Limited (UEGCL).

The two are Minister Matia Kasaija and Evelyn Anite, the State Minister for Privatisation and Investment who, in a space of only two days, wrote to two different people, informing them of being appointed to chair the UEGCL board.

By virtue of his appointment Mr. Kasaija is mandated by the UEGCL Act to appoint the board at the electricity generation company and indeed on November 8, 2016 he did appoint Eng. Frank Katusiime as the board chairperson replacing Eng. Stephen Isabalijja, who was appointed Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Energy.

“We have reviewed your profile available with us and we observe that you possess the skills and experience necessary to steer the board of directors of Uganda Electricity Generation Company Limited (UEGCL). To achieve the intended objectives of the company, accordingly, I am pleased to appoint you as the chairman of board of directors of Uganda Electricity Generation Company Limited for an initial period of 3 years renewable upon satisfactory and effective upon receipt of your letter of acceptance of this appointment,” reads Minister Kasaija’s letter to Eng. Katusiime which was copied to Minister of Energy and Mineral Development (Irene Muloni), State Minister of Finance, Planning  and Economic Development in charge of Privatisation and Investment (Anite), Permanent Secretary/Secretary to the Treasury (Keith Muhakanizi), Permanent Secretary Ministry of Energy (Isabalija), Director Parastatal Monitoring Unit and the Chief Executive Officer UEGCL, Harrison Mutikanga.

Minister Kasaija added: “Your appointment is based on the prevailing terms for the board chairman and these should be available to you by the Company Secretary together with all the necessary documentation to acquaint you with the affairs of the company.”

Interestingly, in the same week, on November 11, 2016, Ms Anite, a recipient of Minister Kasaija’s earlier communication, wrote to Eng. Proscovia M. Njuki informing her of her appointment as a new board chairperson replacing Eng. Isabalijja.

In her letter to Eng. Njuki, Minister Anite quotes a letter from Eng. Isabalijja referenced Ref: SRI/MoFPED/APPT-00-286-16 which ‘formed the basis of her appointment of Eng. Njuki as new UECGL board chairperson.

Eng. Isabalijja had accordingly advised UEGCL to appoint his replacement ‘from among the existing board members for continuity’. And not surprisingly, within hours, Anite who had just given birth and was reportedly on ‘sick leave’, wrote the letter of ‘appointment’ for Eng. Njuki.

 

The two letters from the two ministers appointing two different persons as board chairperson of UEGCL.
The two letters from the two ministers appointing two different persons as board chairperson of UEGCL.

“Reference is made to the UEGCL chairman of the board’s letter (Ref: SRI/MoFPED/APPT-00-286-16 of November 11, 2016 informing the stakeholders of his recent appointment as Permanent Secretary. We are pleased to inform you that you have been appointed the chairperson of the board of UEGCL with effect from January 1, 2017. This will allow a smooth transition of leadership and ensure continuity of the board activities with minimal interruption,” Minister Anite wrote and copied to Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Permanent Secretary/Secretary to the Treasury, Director Parastatal Monitoring Unit, Board Chairman Uganda Electricity Generation Company Limited and Chief Executive Officer Uganda Electricity Generation Company Limited.

Privatisation and Investment State Minister, Evelyn Anite.
Privatisation and Investment State Minister, Evelyn Anite.

Anite’s letter added: ‘We believe that with your vast experience of the UEGCL board you will continue to drive the organization to attain its strategic objectives and continue to generate electricity for generations in line with the company’s mandate. The tenure of your appointment will be three years from the date of appointment with an option for renewal while the rest of the terms shall be in accordance with the prevailing terms of service for the position’.

When contacted for a comment by this Website, Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development Permanent Secretary/Secretary to the Treasury, Keith Muhakanizi, regretted the anomaly and said “Ms Anite is on leave and therefore, she wasn’t aware that Mr. Kasaija had already made the appointment.”

Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development,Permanent Secretary/Secretary to the Treasury, Keith Muhakanizi acknowledged the mistake and apologised on behalf of the ministry.
Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development,Permanent Secretary/Secretary to the Treasury, Keith Muhakanizi acknowledged the mistake and apologised on behalf of the ministry.

“Yes, I accept there was ‘uncoordinated…’ and Anite has been on leave but she is human like all of us; and we are going to sort it out on Monday or Tuesday next week,” Mr Muhakanizi said on phone.

However, another source privy to the saga said the ‘uncoordinated movement of troops’ was a result of infighting between two factions seeking to control both the administrative and financial reins at UEGCL, known for its multi-billion deals.

 

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Mogas clears air on ‘petrol leaks’

By
Lydia Nankinga
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DEPOT: The MOGAS depot in Banda, a Kampala suburb

Petroleum dealer Mogas has taken to social media and allayed fears of ‘a possible fire outbreak at their Banda depot’. According to Mogas, the company was carrying out a routine security drill to ‘check emergency response effectiveness’.

Early this morning a ‘concerned citizen’ took to the same platform and warned area residents to beware of ‘petrol overflowing and jetting under high pressure from all storage tanks’.

‘The depot for Mogas petrol at Banda may catch fire any moment from now. The control systems failed and petrol is overflowing and jetting under high pressure from all the storage tanks. A term we refer to as bust in NWSC. Several fire brigade tanks are camped waiting for the next action at Banda. Avoid that road for now if possible until otherwise,’ the ‘concerned citizen’ posted on his Facebook Page.

According to the ‘concerned citizen’ the police fire brigade deployed several firefighting trucks near the depot in Banda, ‘following the failure of control systems that have led to the jutting of petrol’.

CLEARED AIR: The MOGAS statement made after the 'petrol leak scare'.
CLEARED AIR: The MOGAS statement made after the ‘petrol leak scare’.
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‘Farmer-Nenkukabala’ singer wants to set up betting company

By
Badru Kasadah
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'FARMER': Singer Sheebah Karungi with colleague Ykee

One of the biggest songs on the local airwaves is ‘Farmer’, a song performed by Sheebah and upcoming musician, YKee Benda.

In addition to farmer, his other songs like; Eva, Munakampala and Badumbu are all enjoying fair airplay on radios and night spots.

With such success, any other musician would be planning for a concert. But not the ‘farmer’ hit maker. He revealed to media that he plans to set up a betting company. But prior to this, he wants to venture into farming where he hopes to get the money to invest in the betting company.

Interesting however, all his aspirations are in direct contrast with his ‘engineering’ profession.

Benda claims he is a first class bachelor’s degree holder in Chemical Engineering.

 

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Steven Gerrard was nothing at all claims controversial former Liverpool teammate

By
Agencies
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RIVALS: Liverpool icon Steven Gerrard and former teammate El-Hadji Diouf

Steven Gerrard announced his retirement from football on Thursday, but not all of his former Liverpool teammates had nice things to say about him.

El-Hadji Diouf had his issues with the Reds skipper during his time at Anfield, and it sounds as though he hasn’t really forgotten about them.

The pair have exchanged digs at one another over the years, and Diouf was asked for his opinion on the 36-year-old on French TV and wasn’t exactly entirely complimentary about him.

“People told me at Liverpool, there were some guys you could not touch, but I touched them. That is why it is complicated for me,” he is quoted as saying by The Sun.

When pressed by fellow guest Emmanuel Petit on who he meant, he confirmed it was Gerrard: “I do. Stevie G and Jamie Carragher. The two scousers.

“When I arrived I showed him he was nothing at all. Nothing at all.”

Petit took exception with him on the Liverpool icon and defended him from any form of criticism, but Diouf remained resolute on the matter and went on to explain why he felt the way he did.

“I respect the player, very big player, but the man I do not respect. And I told him. I let him know that. That was the real problem. When Gerrard did that [spoke to the manager], we had an argument, like real men.

“That is why he does not like me. He knows I say what I think, that when it is not right, no problem, I am up for it.

“He could not – he was afraid of looking into my eyes. He was afraid of talking to me.”

Clearly the pair are never going to see eye to eye and if questioned on it, Gerrard will in all likelihood have a response of his own for his former teammate.

Diouf’s comments will also likely anger the Liverpool faithful given his own relationship with them during his time on Merseyside, and so it probably wasn’t the smartest idea to come out and say what he had to say on the day Gerrard hung his boots up.

 

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Reopening Makerere now a waste of time– former Chancellor

By
Badru Kasadah
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REOPENING MAKERERE A WASTE OF TIME: Professor George Mondo Kagonyera

Amidst pleas from the Visitation Committee, requesting President Yoweri Museveni to reopen Makerere University, the institution’s former Chancellor Professor Mondo Kagonyera thinks otherwise.

Speaking on KFM radio, Prof Kagonyera said the opening the university is a waste of time if the lecturers are not willing to come back to work.

According to Prof Kagonyera, the problems of Makerere are not unique.

“The students are paying the biggest cost the more the institute remains closed,” he said adding however, that the University Projects which have a timeframe will also be adversely affected.

Early this month President Museveni ordered the closure of Makerere University and on 14th he appointed the Visitation Committee headed by Dr. Abel Rwendeire to probe the unending issues afflicting Uganda’s oldest institution of higher learning.

Speaking to journalists, Dr Rwendeire, confirmed his committee had pleaded with the President to re-open the university when they met him last week.

According to Dr Rwendeire, their work will be made difficult if the students and academic and non-academic staff are not at their workstation.

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Ban Ki-moon troubled by gender-based violence

By
Our Reporter and Agencies
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un Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (left) and Phumzile Mlambo-

The UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has said that violence against women and girls continues to be a low priority on the international development agenda.

“The statistics almost defy belief. What is even harder to understand is why: why men prey on women and girls; why societies shame the victims, why governments fail to punish deadly crimes, why the world denies itself the fruits of women’s full participation,” Ki-moon told a UN Women-hosted ‘Orange the World’ event at UN Headquarters in New York to raise money to end violence against women and girls, and kick off 16 Days of Activism against gender-based violence.

The event began with remarks from Mr. Ban, UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Karel van Oosterom of the Permanent Representative of the Netherlands to the UN, and UN Trust Fund programme participant Aiturgan Djoldoshbekova.

It also included a musical performance from The Color Purple, Tony Award winner for Best Musical Revival, and a panel discussion on sustainable financing to end violence against women and girls.

“The extent to which violence is embedded in society means that uprooting it is also a job for all of society. That includes men and women, the media and the religious community. We can work together to address the inequality and prejudice that enable and enflame violence against women and girls,” Ms. Mlambo-Ngcuka told the audience that wore orange in support of ending violence against women.

Mr. Ban, observing the Day for the last time as Secretary-General, thanked the audience for being a part of a decade of global activism to end violence against women and girls.

“You have defended the vulnerable and fought impunity,” he said. “The United Nations and I, personally, have stood with you.”

“This is truly a matter of life and death,” he added. “In some countries, as many as 70 per cent of women report having experienced physical or sexual violence from an intimate partner. In some countries, intimate partner violence accounts for between 40 and 70 per cent of female murder victims.”

Ms. Mlambo-Ngcuka thanked the Secretary-General for his advocacy and leadership, emphasizing that violence against women was not always discussed in the public domain. She called for improvements to laws and implementation, and said that while there are costs to such changes, “the price of no change is much higher, and unacceptable.”

She highlighted examples of recent improvements from Timor-Leste and Uganda and encouraged society to work together to address inequality and prejudice by scaling up prevention and services as well as working with allies throughout different sectors and civil society.

“Together, we can begin to bend the curve down and bring the scourge of violence against women and girls to an end,” the Executive Director said.

In his concluding remarks, Mr. Ban reminisced about his conversations with girls and women at the HEAL Africa hospital in Goma and meeting with “one of the world’s great advocates,” Malala Yusafzai.

“Some of the most impactful and inspiring moments of my entire term as Secretary-General occurred in the context of our struggle for women’s empowerment,” he declared.

The international campaign originated from the first Women’s Global Leadership Institute coordinated by the Center for Women’s Global Leadership in 1991, to galvanize action to end violence against women and girls around the world.

Meanwhile, this year the UN Secretary-General’s campaign, UNiTE, strongly emphasizes the need for sustainable financing for efforts to end violence against women and girls towards the fulfilment of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

‘One of the major challenges to efforts to prevent and end violence against women and girls worldwide is the substantial funding shortfall. As a result, resources for initiatives to prevent and end violence against women and girls are severely lacking. Frameworks such as the Sustainable Development Goals, which includes a specific target on ending violence against women and girls, offer huge promise, but must be adequately funded in order to bring real and significant changes in the lives of women and girls,’ a release issued by the UNWomen states in part.

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Burundi rejects UN rights commissioners

By
Agencies
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REJECTED BY BURUNDI: UN Commission of Inquiry into rights violations in Burundi Chairman Fatsah Ougergouz

The Burundi government has rejected the recently-constituted commission set up by the UN rights body to investigate human rights violations and abuse committed in the troubled central African state.

On November 22 the UN Human Rights body appointed three commissioners: Fatsah Ouguergouz (Algeria), Reina Alapini Gansu (Benin) and Francoise Hampson (United Kingdom) to investigate human rights violations committed in Burundi since April 2015.

But according to Martin Nivyabandi, the Burundi Minister of Human Rights, the commission is not necessary in Burundi since the Government can ensure the security for its citizens.

“Burundi government said it would not cooperate with that commission. Burundi Ambassador to Geneva said that Burundi was not ready to collaborate with the three commissioners when the UN Human right body set up the commission”, said Nivyabandi.

He said that the African Union had already deployed 40 military and human rights observers to monitor the human rights situation. “They are in the country and we collaborate every day,” he says.

But rights activists including Anchaire Nikoyagize, said the fact that Burundi government refuses to cooperate with the commission of inquiry is an act of ‘self-accusation’.

“We have repeatedly asked international observers to monitor human rights situation in Burundi. This commission gives us reason to hope that all those who are involved in crimes against humanity and other serious crimes committed in Burundi will ultimately be brought to justice,” says Nikoyagize.

He added; “Burundi is not isolated. The international community follows closely what is happening in the country”, he warns.

The Commission will be present during an oral briefing to the Human Rights Council at its 34th and 35th sessions, in March and June 2017, respectively, and a final report at an interactive dialogue at the Council’s 36th session in September 2017.

Burundi was plunged into a political crisis since April 2015 when President Pierre Nkurunziza decided to run for a controversial third term in office that he won.

To date, UN reports say that hundreds of people have been killed, more than 250,000 have fled the nation, and thousands more have been arrested and subjected to human rights violations.

 

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South Sudan states could rise to 42 – FVP

By
Our Reporter and Agencies
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President Salva Kiir, his First Vice President Taban Deng Gai and Second Vice President James Wani Igga after the swearing in of Taban Deng as FVP. Photo credit/nyamile.com

The number of communities asking to be granted ‘new states’ in South Sudan is on the rise, and their demands could see the war-torn and impoverished country have a huge number of 42 states.

According to the First Vice President Taban Deng Gai, about 14 communities have gone to his office to express their desire for more states.

Currently South Sudan has 28 states but Gai, who was speaking at a meeting with religious leaders in Juba, said the number could reach 42 states if the presidency approved. He said was waiting the president to return from a foreign trip to hold a meeting with him and the Vice President, James Wani Igga to address the matter.

“I have finished with my work, I’m waiting for the president to return and when he comes we will discuss it. Because the sooner we resolved this issue of states is better, it will actually cement our peace,” he said.

“So you see this issue of more states of course it is a problem regarding the current economic situation in our country, but what is important is peace. If it can bring us peace, give them their states,” he added.

In a related development the South Sudanese presidency is yet to decide whether to reduce or increase the number of states, citing financial constraints and fear that it could spark new rebellion.

A presidential advisor on decentralization affairs and intergovernmental linkage said that consultations were still continuing to come out with a well-researched solution.

“There is no new information that I know to confirm to you now. I told you last time that the consultations are continuing. The first vice-president is still talking to the people. He has not yet finished with consultations. When he finishes, he will report back to the president and after that they will discuss it as the presidency and with other stakeholders. So let’s wait for the outcome of consultations,” Presidential Adviser on Decentralization and Intergovernmental Linkage, Tor Deng Mawien said.

The creation of states from 10 to 28 by President Salva Kiir Mayardit in 2015 was one of the sticking points that dogged the South Sudan peace deal with rebels allied to former Vice President Riek Machar protesting the increase. The peace deal was finally signed in in April 2015 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, but collapsed in July this year when rival forces of Kiir and Machar exchanged fire in Juba, resulting into Machar’s fleeing into exile.

 

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Trump’s Hollywood star now guarded by secret service

By
Our Reporter
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Donald Trump’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame is back to its glory and it’s now getting Secret Service-like protection.

TMZ reports that LAPD will have 2 officers on foot patrol in the area 24/7, in addition to vehicle patrol.

It’s reported that a camera will be trained on Trump’s star, located near a shopping mall and private security has also been alerted to keep an eye out for vandals.

The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce which maintains the Walk has placed a protective barrier around Trump’s star it’s unclear when it will be removed.

The star had been covered by a wooden panel for several weeks after it got obliterated with the help of a sledgehammer. The vandal faces 3 years in prison.

 

 

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Sudhir dismisses investigation reports

By
Isaiah Mwebaze
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Tycoon Sudhir Ruparelia

City businessman, Sudhir Ruparelia has denied reports claiming that his businesses are being investigated over tax evasion.

His response follows reports that his Meera Investments Limited is being investigated over financial irregularities, including tax evasion.

According to the Red Pepper, the investigation was launched following the takeover of Crane Bank by Bank of Uganda.

It’s said that operations of Crane Bank had been fused in the operations of Meera Investment. This has prompted authorities to investigate whether Meera Investments Limited, a company under Ruparelia Group has been evading paying its taxes.

Speaking to EagleOnline said he wasn’t aware of any investigations and said if there is any, he gladly welcomes the investigations because he has never evaded taxes.

“I am surprised at allegations that one of  my business ventures is reportedly being ‘investigated’ but how would my businesses have grown to this magnitude without tax officials discovering that I don’t pay tax. I don’t want to engage in speculation and I don’t know where this is coming from” Sudhir said.

His response comes after Red Pepper said a team of operatives has been dispatched to China and Far East to establish the tycoon’s investments there.

 

 

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