The Buganda Road Court has this morning committed former Kampala Central Police Station (CPS) commander Aaron Baguma and his co-accused have been committed to the High Court for trial over murder.

Superintendent of Police (SP) Baguma, who recently surrendered himself over to police following the issuance of a warrant of arrest against him, is being charged in connection with the murder of city businesswoman Donah Katushabe.

Ms Katushabe was reportedly killed by a group of people led by city businessman Muhammad Sebuwufu, a dealer in second hand cars and owner of Pine car bond on Lumumba Road,  after the deceased failed to clear a debt of Shs9 million. The other suspects include Stephen Lwanga, Godfrey Kayiza, Paul Tasingika and Phillip Mirambe.

According to the magistrate’s court, Baguma’s trial is at the discretion of the High Court, which will decide on the commencement of trial.

Following her killing, Katushabe’s relatives swung into action and ensured Sebuwufu was arrested and remanded to Luzira prison. However, Baguma, most probably using his powerful connections and influence, had since evaded arrest, prompting Katushabe’s relatives to protest to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Mike Chibita wa Duallo, who in turn wrote to the police asking them to ensure Baguma faces the law.

But in the midst of all the hullabaloo, police chief General Kale Kayihura reshuffled his officers in the Kampala Metropolitan Police (KMP) area, in the process sending Baguma for a six-month ‘refresher’ course at the Police Senior Command and Staff College (PSCSC), Bwebajja, along Entebbe Road.

That was until last week on Friday, August 30. But this was not before the same relatives led by Mr Alex Masereka Epafura made a U-turn, and asked the DPP to drop the charges against Baguma.

“Your lordship, my name is Alex Masereka Epafura, I am the heir to the late Epafura Kule of Kasese, the late father to the late Donnah Katushabe, the deceased person in the above matter. Culturally, I am the head of the family and the father to the late Donnah Katushabe.

We  do appreciate all what you have done in the management of this file so far despite the numerous challenges that came with it due to the high profile of some of accused person” reads the letter from Mr Masereka.

Mr Masereka said that after a serious heart and mind searching, the family agreed and request you (DPP) for one favour.

“Your Lordship, we request that SP Aaron Baguma be dropped from among the accused persons and this of the because following reason: From the day we got to know about the death of our sister, it was Aron Baguma who as DPC of CPS who helped us uncovering the rot that some other officers in police had done in ensuring that the murderers of our sister walk away scot free” reads to letter to DPP.

“It is Baguma who helped us in assembling some of the witnesses that came forward amidst fear and intimidation to volunteer evidence that is now on the file,” the family added.

The family further said it was Baguma who helped them in accessing the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Gen. Kale Kayihura, who in turn helped them find a team of new investigators when the ‘former team had been grossly compromised’.

“It is Baguma who arrested Mr Ssebuufu when he had already planned to leave the country to leave the country and had been assigned police escorts to help him on his mission. How we wish we had mandate to drop him from the charge sheet but because it’s only you with the said mandate, our humble prayer to you is that you find within your powers to do so,” the relatives added.

The effort was futile, with the DPP saying Baguma was ‘not above the law’.

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Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni is one of the leaders expected to attend the 53^rd Summit of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) in the Somalia capital Mogadishu over the weekend.

War ravaged, Mogadishu, once described as the ‘most dangerous capital on earth’, will for the first time in over 30 years, host a summit of such magnitude, that will focus on among other issues progress registered in Somalia including the forthcoming 2016 general elections between September and October, and the political crisis in South Sudan.

Other leaders expected to join Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamoud in Mogadishu include Presidents Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya, Salva Kiir Mayardit of South Sudan; Hailemariam Desalgne of Ethiopia; Omar Bashir of Sudan and Ismail Omar Guelleh of Djibouti.

“It is the first time Mogadishu or Somalia in general hosts such a high-level summit for more than 30 years. We see it as a historic signal and message to the world saying, ‘Somalia is coming back,’” Somalia’s Foreign Minister Abdisalam Omer Hadliye said, adding “this will be a historic moment for Somalia.”

However, Hadliye cited his country’s security concerns, occasioned by terror group Al Shabaab, which has carried out attacks inside Somalia and also outside in countries like Kenya and Uganda.

Just a week ago, a car bomb killed at least 25 people near Somali’s presidential palace, but Hadliye says security in Mogadishu has been heightened ahead of the weekend summit, with day and night patrols.

There is a 22,000-member African Union force in Somalia (AMISOM), mandated with assisting the federal government in its war against al-Shabaab, stabilizing the country, and providing security for the country’s major installations.

Mogadishu’s gradual return to normalcy did not begin only with the ousting of al-Shabaab in August 2011, but also with a series of visits by presidents and diplomats from around the world.

Among the top figures who visited the city was Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who first went to Mogadishu in August 2011 with his wife and daughter, his cabinet ministers and their families, just as the country was suffering from a drought and famine. He visited again this year to open the Turkish Embassy, the largest in the world.

In May 2015, US Secretary of State John Kerry paid an unannounced visit to the city.

Western diplomats and top military commanders also visit the city, although most of them do not leave the city’s heavily fortified perimeters of the airport, the adjacent African Union base and the presidential palace for official meetings.

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President Yoweri Museveni has described the economic situation in Africa as ‘very good’ saying the continent has experienced high rates of growth despite the bottlenecks like slow infrastructure development (hardware) and poor methods of work (software).

“Generally speaking, the situation in Africa is very good. There are high growth rates and many countries have been growing despite bottlenecks both hardware (Roads etc) and software (Methods of work). Freedom of movement of people is a software issue because it is just policy and is being handled,” he said.

The President was today speaking at the 3^rd edition of the Global African Investment Summit, the first held in Africa since its inception. Previous conferences were held in the United Kingdom.

During an interactive session moderated by CNNMoney Africa Correspondent Eleni Giukos and attended by host President Paul Kagame, President and CEO of the PTA Bank Admassou Tadesse and the CEO of Symbion Paul Hinks and held under the theme, “Accelerating African Economic Intergration through trade and investment”, President Museveni was asked what he would tell investors about Africa.

“I would inform investors that Africa is the right place to come. Africa is the next pusher for the global economy. We have a bit of bottlenecks, which we are handling. There are investment opportunities in electricity sector, value addition for Agriculture products and minerals, human resource development. In Uganda the private sector solved the issue of communication because more people have access to phones in the whole country,” he said.

He however warned against greedy investors who charge high tarrifs for quick gains at the expense of the people.

President Museveni said Africa is the next big centre of growth despite forward and backward movements, saying the economic growth is pushing up demand for essentials such as cement and steel.

“Investors forget the logic of business. In business, there are two players, the producer of goods and services and the consumer both linked to infrastructure,” he said.

On the negative media stories about investing in Africa, President Museveni said not all African countries have negative reports. He asked investors to take interest in the situations on the continent and start from where the investment climate is conducive for doing business.

“Why don’t you go to where the story is good and start from there?” he asked. The situation is today improving progressively and the best place to be now as far as business is concerned is Africa,” he said.

President Museveni noted that by Independence few African leaders had not realized that integration was the stimulus for growth. He added that it was not until the 80’s that is when that necessity was realized leading to the formation of regional trading groups.

The host, President Kagame, said stability is one of the prerequisites for sustainable economic growth coupled with in people in the area of developing their skills, improving infrastructure and services. He said a lot has been achieved in the East African Community in the integration in many aspects but hoped for fast tracking in many other remaining areas for the good of the people of the region.

President Kagame said progress in any endeavor is about valuing time highly and using it well. He said endless delays are an embarrassment and proposed that there should be a financial penalty of some form if deadlines are not met by public institutions.

He said Africa cannot just remain a story of huge potential that does not materialize.

“Postponing our priorities and delaying our commitments are the most expensive mistakes that Africa can make. Africa should not just remain a big story where nothing materializes. Africa can make it. Lets’ work together as one team across all sectors and borders with the correct mindset for the development of the continent,” he said.

Kagame said there is more trade going on between African and the world and less between Africans and called for more trade between countries and free movement of people and labour.

The two-day summit in Kigali, Rwanda, is organized by the Global African Investment COMESA and the Government of Rwanda and is aimed at promoting investment in a various sectors including: education, ICT, development and the economy.

President Museveni who left immediately after the discussion, acknowledged greetings from hundreds of cheering and excited crowds that lined up Kigali streets.

The President, who traveled by road from Kabale to Kigali, returned home by road and made stop-overs at the Katuna Border and in Kabale town centre.

During the abrupt stop-overs where he addressed mini rallies, the President called on the people to fight household poverty through income generating activities.

He said government has worked on the infrastructure and the people need to exploit it to improve their incomes. He promised to return and talk to the people about fighting poverty and income generation.

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Members of Parliament have already started enjoying free tea and lunch among other goodies that were passed early this year, expected to cost over Shs130 million every month.

In March this year parliament approved new allowances for tea, lunch and housing for the newly-inducted MPs of the 10th Parliament even as some their colleagues opposed the move, dubbing it ‘unnecessary’.

“A provision has been made to cater for MPs tea, lunch and housing allowances as approved by the Parliamentary Commission,” the parliamentary policy statement presented by Mr Okello Obabaru, the deputy clerk in charge of finance and administration, reads in part.

The new allowances approved by the Parliamentary Commission were presented to Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee amid opposition from some MPs led by Ms Sarah Mpabwa (army) and Ms Monica Amoding (Youth Female).

The Commission was appearing before the committee to present its Shs651.9 billion budget for 10th Parliament.

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A primary six student, a one Teddy Muzaaki was among three people reportedly knocked dead at Kalerwe by the convoy of the First Lady Janet Museveni, Masaka Municipality Member of Parliament (MP) Mathias Mpuuga, has said.

However, Senior Presidential Spokesperson Innocent Don Wanyama refuted Mpuuga’s assertions, saying the MP was just politicking.

“There was a different car that was following the convoy; Mpuuga is just playing politics. Actually, police knows,” Mr Wanyama said on phone today.

However, Mpuuga, who claimed he is a neighbor to the girl’s family, said that they told him that Muzaaki was knocked dead with another female friend last evening.

“The convoy was driving on the wrong side of the one way. The two died on the spot and no attempt to help the bereaved families so far, even after contacting police,” says Mpuuga.

The dad of the deceased is a car-washer at the Nakivubo channel.

Kampala Police spokesperson confirmed the accident, saying the deceased were knocked by jubilant drivers from Namboole ‘who are yet to be identified’. This is contrary to the narration of the mother of the deceased.

He said the girls’ bodies had been given to the relatives while the third body, said to be that of one Kinubi, was still at Mulago Hospital morgue.

Meanwhile, by press time MP Mpuuga had updated his Facebook page, indicating that the bereaved family had been invited to the Central Police Station, Kampala.

“I actually believe it was an accident, but what happens in such situations under normal circumstances. I know these are very poor families, all they require is understanding, may be not court, they have nothing more left to lose, all they had they lost in the accident.

“As I type this though, the victims’ family has been invited at CPS for official help by an officer known to me, will keep you posted on progress,” Mpuuga added.

The accident happened at 7:30pm, the time when Uganda Cranes fans were leaving Namboole, according to Kaweesi.

The First Lady, in her capacity as the minister in charge of sports, was the guest of honour at the match, which saw Uganda Cranes beat Comoros 1-0.

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