Lango Parliamentary group, an association that brings together legislators from greater Lango has endorsed Rebecca Kadaga for Speaker of the 10^th Parliament.

Lango sub-region consists of Lira, Apac, Alebtong, Otuke, Oyam, Kole, Amolatar and Dokolo districts.

The region has 23 Members of Parliament with National Resistance Movement (NRM) party has 13, Uganda Peoples’ Congress (UPC) has six while Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) has two and two independents, one NRM leaning while the other is UPC leaning.

It should be also understood that Jacob Oulanya hails from the nearby Omoro County that separates Acholi and Lango committees. Oulanya is also rumoured to be having  family ties within one of the Lango’s several clans.

Oyam South legislature Betty Amongi and Dokolo Woman legislature Cecile Ogwal are spearheading Kadaga’s campaigns as they also route for their own Hamson Obua for the slot of Deputy Speakership.

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President Yoweri Museveni has said that government has embarked on a rigorous campaign to convert the population from a non monetary to monetary economy through modern agro production in a country where majority is still practicing substance farming.

President Yoweri Museveni made the remarks while holding discussions with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Director African Department Ms. Antoinette M Sayeh, who led a team that called on him at State House Entebbe.

During the meeting, President Museveni and IMF delegation discussed key issues of interest especially in the area of economic and financial policies as well as the welfare of Uganda and economic growth in the entire region.

The President and his guests also discussed Uganda’s investment prospects and inflation among others.

In its report on Uganda: Recent development’s and prospects, on Uganda’s Economic buffers, the IMF says Uganda is relatively high on growth, low on inflation, adequate internal reserves, sustainable external debt and sound financial systems.

Ms Sayeh commended President Museveni and the NRM government on infrastructure development, Regional Integration and Common Markets as well as efforts to contain inflation amidst challenges of high exchange rates and fluctuating prices.

The meeting was attended by the Minister of Finance Matia Kasaija, Foreign Affairs Sam Kutesa and the Governor Bank of Uganda, Prof Emmanuel Tumusiime Mutebile.

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President Yoweri Museveni has urged traders in Uganda to promote Uganda’s exports for economic growth and job creation saying the country loses a lot of revenue in imports that would have been used to build industries locally.

The President yesterday met the business community dealing in importation of second hand commodities including cars, clothes and shoes at State House, Entebbe.

President Museveni informed the traders on the dangers of too many imports as compared to exports, saying the country now depended heavily on imports from China and India which earn about US$800m and US$900m respectively from Uganda businesses while Uganda earns only about US$57million, a trade relation he described as unequal.

“The enclave economy which had collapsed by 1986 is now back to life but still malnourished surviving on 32% of the population of the monetary GDP as the rest of the population is in non monetary GDP. Magendo is no more, but imports are too high and that’s why I have called you so that we can deliberate on this issue,” he said.

The President said that the money the traders spend on imports can be used in Uganda to build factories and assembly plants for things like cars and motor cycles which are cheaper and durable and also to create jobs.

He said assembly plants ensure that people get quality products, freight charges are reduced and jobs are created.

“It is time for us to stop the hemorrhage of resources from our country. That kind of money we spend on imports can build about 40 factories in Uganda and create over one million jobs,” he said.

The President said governments’ plan is to set up industries to replace the imported commodities saying that this would save money as well as creating jobs especially for the youth.

He noted that the move will see the business people partner with the investors to supply new items as they have been doing with the second hand things.

“We discussed this as Member States of the EAC in Arusha, but me I said let me first go and talk to my people before coming up with this new policy. Government is not going to impose this policy on our people without giving them time, this will take a period of say five years,” he said.

The President urged the traders to come up with suggestions of how the government can best implement the policy in the best way possible and report back in a similar meeting in a period of three weeks. He assured the business community on the electricity generation saying that the only challenge is the prices, which he said will be checked and sorted.

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Pastor Sandra Ngabo, the wife to Pastor David Ngabo who was arrested earlier today at the Forum for Democratic Change [FDC] offices has warned that police or the government will not win the spiritual war it has started against opposition members.

“It’s well; God revealed it to us before hand and all is in plan so we are strong,” she lamented.

“God is mighty to save; (Deuteronomy 29:29) whatsoever is revealed to us God has empowered us to face and overcome it,” she said.

Pr Ngabo was arrested as he tried to go the FDC party headquarters for the weekly defiance prayers.

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Controversial Makerere University Researcher Dr Stella Nyanzi, Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago and Pastor Happy Ngabo have been arrested by police, after they went to Najjanankumbi, the headquarters of Forum for Democratic Change party to attend ‘defiance prayers’, held by the opposition every Tuesday.

The arrest of the three opposition controversial figures follows a directive by Deputy Chief Justice Steven Kavuma, barring any ‘acts of defiance’ by the opposition.

The opposition accuses Justice Kavuma of being an NRM party cadre. Kavuma served as State Minister for Defence in the early 2000s and he was among the legislator that registered NRM party as promoter

However, in a show of defiance, yesterday Forum for Democratic Change president Major General John Greg Mugisha Muntu said the party would not heed Justice Kavuma’s directive.

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After nearly two years out of mainstream media, former Daily Monitor political editor and Fourth Estate Talk Show host has been picked to head the East African in Uganda.

Mr Mwanguhya, who once edited weekend politics at Daily Monitor is yet to report to work. He has replaced Mr Michael Wakabi.

Mr Mwanguhya will be charged with leading a team of journalists to tell Uganda’s story to East Africa.

A source in Nairobi speaking to EagleOnline, confirmed the appointment saying Mr Mwanguhya will take the job.  Mr Mwanguhya  has wealth of experience spanning over 10 years and believes he is best positioned to grow the paper’s editorial content.

Mr Mwanguhya left Monitor Publications nearly two years ago and joined Citizens’ Coalition for Electoral Democracy in Uganda, a civil society organization that promotes political and human rights awareness.

His former and current colleagues in the industry have reacted to his appointment positively.

“He is a passionate journalist. The job gives him opportunity to make decisions in what he believes in,” Mr Chris Obore, former editor investigations at Monitor and now Communications director at Parliament of Uganda said.

Mr Felix Osike, Sunday Vision Editor at the New Vision said, “He is well grounded in journalistic and well accomplished and we are happy about that development.”

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