Newly-elected MPs of the National Ruling Movement (NRM) are smiling their way to the bank after President Museveni doled out Shs 5m to each of them ostensibly to ‘facilitate’ their swearing in ceremonies this week.
Over 60 NRM leaning MPs also benefitted from Museveni’s generosity.
An MP that attended the Caucus meeting at State House Entebbe told EagleOnline that Mr Museveni offered the Shs 5m kitty to the newly elected MPs after a heated debate over money-related issues-particularly the Income Tax Amendment Bill 2016 that seeks to exempt MPs transport allowances from being taxed.
With MPs furious over Mr Museveni’s letter this week rejecting the Bill, he sought to assuage their anger by dangling the Shs 5m kitty, the MP said.
“All MPs chanted Museveni oyee after he announced the offer, “an MP, speaking on condition of anonymity because Caucus meetings are closed, told Eagle Online.
On the dicey issue of the ultimate fate of the controversial Income Tax Amendment Bill 2016, Mr Museveni promised to schedule a meeting with the Finance Ministry over the matter after listening to pleas from Speaker Rebecca Kadaga to assent to the Bill. The Secretary to the Treasury Keith Muhakanizi is strongly opposed to the Bill.
MPs of the 10th Parliament begin swearing in today, with the ceremonies running up to Wednesday and the kitty from Museveni is expected to bankroll parties and replenish their wardrobes for the fetes.
MPs have a tradition of throwing parties- where their supporters are ferried from their constituencies to witness the swearing in ceremonies.
Meanwhile, President Museveni has advised soldiers to rear pigs and other income-generating activities in order to bolster their incomes.
Addressing a gathering that feted security forces including the army, police and prisons on Saturday, just two days after swearing in as President, Mr Museveni said the soldiers’ wives could help look after the pigs as the men carry on with their national assignments.
The device was believed to be a mobile phone attached to pipes with wires (Picture: Getty)
A security company said to have accidentally left a dummy bomb at Old Trafford that triggered an evacuation is facing calls for a full inquiry.
Greater Manchester’s mayor and police and crime commissioner, Tony Lloyd, branded the scare a ‘fiasco’ that had put people in danger.
Bomb disposal experts were called to the 75,000-seat stadium on Sunday afternoon to carry out a controlled explosion on the ‘incredibly lifelike’ training device that sparked a red alert.
The fake bomb was found in a toilet just minutes before Manchester United were due on the pitch, leading to the Barclays Premier League game against Bournemouth to be postponed.
Police said it had been left by a ‘private company’ after an earlier drill involving search dogs.
Fans praised counter-terror police and security staff for their response that saw two stands evacuated and the players kept in their dressing rooms by security.
However, Mr Lloyd said it was ‘outrageous’ the situation had arisen and called for an urgent inquiry into ‘how this happened, why it happened and who will be held accountable.’
He said: ‘This fiasco caused massive inconvenience to supporters who had come from far and wide to watch the match, wasted the time of huge numbers of police officers and the army’s bomb squad, and unnecessarily put people in danger, as evacuating tens of thousands of people from a football stadium is not without risk.
‘Whilst this in no way demeans the professionalism of the police and stewards responsible for getting the fans out, or the supporters’ calmness and cooperation during the evacuation, it is unacceptable that it happened in the first place.’
Ed Woodward, United’s vice-chairman, said the club will ‘investigate the incident to inform future actions and decisions’.
The evacuation of the Stretford End and Sir Alex Ferguson Stand began around 20 minutes before the scheduled kick-off of 3pm after an announcement was made for security personnel to invoke ‘operation red code’.
Shortly after 3.15pm those remaining in the stadium were informed the game was off.
Army bomb disposal experts called in by officers carried out a controlled explosion on the device in the North West Quadrant of the ground at 4.30pm.
Assistant Chief Constable John O’Hare from Greater Manchester Police (GMP) confirmed the item was a ‘training device which had accidentally been left by a private company following a training exercise involving explosive search dogs’.
‘Whilst this item did not turn out to be a viable explosive, on appearance this device was as real as could be, and the decision to evacuate the stadium was the right thing to do, until we could be sure that people were not at risk.’
The game was called off after discussions between the Football Association, the Premier League and police and has been rearranged for Tuesday at 8pm, four days before United play Crystal Palace at Wembley in the FA Cup final.
It is understood that, as a goodwill gesture, United will offer supporters a refund as well as a free ticket for the rescheduled game.
They were hoping a win against AFC Bournemouth would lead to Champions League qualification – an ambition that now looks unlikely after rivals Manchester City drew with Swansea in their final fixture of the season.
The alert at Old Trafford came just days after GMP held a mock terrorist operation at Manchester’s Trafford Centre which saw a fake suicide bomber shouting ‘Allahu Akbar’ immediately before detonating a bomb.
The overnight operation had been testing the anti-terror police’s response to a Paris or Brussels-type attack on civilians but was criticised after footage showed one actor repeatedly shout the religious phrase meaning ‘God is great’.
GMP Assistant Chief Constable Garry Shewan issued an apology, calling it ‘unacceptable’ to use the phrase.
In January, United reportedly beefed up security at Old Trafford in the wake of the terror attack at the Stade de France in Paris.
On Wednesday, Home Secretary Theresa May announced that MI5 had raised the threat level to Great Britain from Northern Ireland-related terrorism from moderate to substantial – the third most serious category out of five.
Mrs May said the move ‘reflects the continuing threat from dissident republican activity’.
The threat level to the UK from international terrorism remains at severe – meaning an attack is ‘highly likely’. This has not been changed.
Outgoing Leader of Opposition and Bukooli Central legislator, Philip Wafula Oguttu has been summoned to police in relation to video that went viral on social media showing Dr. Kizza Besigye swearing-in.
Apparently, Mr.Oguttu has been summoned to police to record a statement on why he attended the said function. He is expected to appear at Kibuli this morning.
“Pursuant to section 27A of the police Act, you are hereby summoned to Special investigation Division (CID) before Ag Deputy Director (CID) on Monday, May 16, 2016, at 0900/C without fail to explain the circumstances under which you attended and witnessed the unlawful of taking of the presidential oath and undertaking to execute the functions and duties of the office of the President of the Republic of Uganda by Dr. Kizza Besigye Kifefe”. Reads the summons signed by a one Mark Pual Odong.
Mr Oguttu yesterday posted on his Facebook page stating “Today is the 8th Day and still l cannot breathe. The security forces are still besieging my residence. I do not know why they are doing that because they have not told me anything. Before they respect my constitutional right and tell me the reasons for the illegal incarceration” he said
Adding “They have now delivered a police invitation for me to report to one Odongo Mark Paul, Ag. Deputy SID, CIID Headquarters., tomorrow “Monday at 9.00am without fail for yet another issue, to explain the circumstances under you attend ” …. Dr Besigye “unlawful swearing in”. Depending on when i get my lawyer, I will certainly be there”.
Youthful Muhammad Nsereko, giving Mr Oulanyah sleepless nights.
Kampala Central MP and contender for the post of Deputy Speaker of the 10th Parliament, Muhammad Nsereko, was this evening violently ejected from a meeting at State House by Special Forces soldiers .
Tempers flared after Nsereko, who had been invited for the meeting with his fellow National Resistance Movement (NRM) party leaning independent legislators to join the NRM caucus to deliberate on the issue of Deputy Speaker, rejected pleas by party chairman, Yoweri Museveni to bow out of the race in favour of incumbent Jacob Oulanyah.
According to MPs that attended the meeting, Nsereko remained adamant even when fellow legislators pleaded with him that his insistence was annoying Mr Museveni.
“Since you have refused to agree with us,get out of my meeting,”a furious Museveni ordered.
An angry Museveni also ordered Speaker Rebecca Kadaga to the podium-to explain reports that she is behind Nsereko’s bid for the Deputy Speaker. She strenuously denied.
Nsereko is contesting for the slot of Deputy Speaker previous held by Mr Oulanyah in the 9th Parliament. Oulanyah is seen as a puppet of the Executive in the House and therefore, to many liberal and opposition Members of Parliament, he is an obstacle to their cause whereas, Nsereko is moderate in his debates which means he is accommodative to all sides in the house.
Mr Museveni is wary of subjecting Oulanyah to an election because Nsereko boasts of support from the 112 strong Uganda Women Parliamentary Association (Uwopa) and the influential Buganda Caucus-which has over 100 MPs in Parliament.
European Union head of delegation to Uganda, Amb.Kristian Schmidt sen here with security chiefs, Brig. Muhoozi Kainerugaba and Gen. Kale Kayihura.
The European Union has come out to defend the walkout of its delegation at President Yoweri Museveni’s swearing-in ceremony saying Uganda let them down by refusing to arrest Sudan leader Omar Bashir.
Bashir was among African and other world leaders that graced the inauguration ceremony of their Ugandan counterpart who assumed the fifth term in office, making him the longest ruler of Uganda. Museveni has ruled Uganda for 30 years.
In a short statement released this evening, the EU Spokesperson said Uganda didn’t fulfill its mandate to have the Sudan leader arrested as it is the demand with all states that are party to resolution 1593 of the Security Council.
“In accordance with established approach of the EU and its Member States, the EU regrets that Uganda, a State Party of the Court, did not fulfill this week its legal obligation, in accordance with UN Security Council resolution 1593, to execute the arrest warrant against any ICC indictee present in the country” reads the statement.
The European Union further said it is committed to preventing crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide, and to avoiding impunity for the perpetrators of such crimes. “The EU confirms its continuing support for the ICC and its work. “Full cooperation with the ICC is a prerequisite for the Court’s effective functioning” reads the statement in part.
The Sudanese leader is accused of committing war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide during the Darfur conflict. The UN says that about 300,000 people in Sudan have died since fighting began in 2003. More than 1.4 million people are thought to have fled their homes.
Government forces and allied Arab militias are accused of targeting black African civilians in the fight against rebels
Ever had a new friend who will say every dirty thing about your past? Well, apparently so does the local artist Khalifa Aganaga. Supposedly, his former friend Weasel aka Douglas Mayanja by real name desperately wanted to get back at ‘Nassanga’ hit maker for embarrassing him on social media.
Aganaga, recently posted a video of himself on Facebook saying he went to the same Ordinary-Level or call it O-level school and attended the same class with Weasel who always came last in class.
In counterattack, Weasel before him and Moze Radio, performed at their ‘Omwana Wabandi’ concert at Africana on Friday night revealed that Aganaga was a very poor man and would even beg for a spoon of sugar . “We studied together but if I was the last, it is fine, but is he richer than me now? He doesn’t even have five boxer shorts at his home and he still talks about history,” Weasel
shot back.
On Tuesday this week, the Katikkiro Charles Peter Mayiga visited Uganda Breweries Limited, the home of Ngule beer-the official Buganda Kingdom beer.
After the visit, the Buganda Premier and UBL MD Nyimpini Mabunda addressed a press briefing. At this briefing, it was announced that Ngule had exceeded set targets since introduction to market by 1000%. The beer was launched in January this year.
Ngule is selling at a recommended retail price of UGX1,500, a deliberate decision by UBL and the Buganda Kingdom to get more Ugandans consuming formal beer and off illicit brew which is harmful to their health.
(According to World Health Organisation’s Global Information System on Alcohol and Health (GISAH) report for 2010 ( whereas Uganda’s adult alcohol consumption per capita is at 8.33 litres, only 11.4% is formal alcohol (beer, spirits & wine) while, 88.6% is locally made alcohol that is not subject to any quality checks. In Kenya, formal alcohol, accounted for 79.7% )
In addition, Ngule is made from cassava and sorghum both locally sourced from Ugandan farmers with the aim of strengthening household incomes (the largest component being cassava).
Mr. Wharton and US envoy to Uganda Ms Deborah Malac addressing a press conference today.
KAMPALA-The United States has come out to clarify on why their delegation and that of the European Union walked out on President Museveni during the swearing-in ceremony.
Several diplomats representing the European Union and the United States walked out yesterday when President Yoweri Museveni at his inauguration of as President of Uganda for the next five years. Museveni has led Uganda since 1986.
President Museveni bashed the International Criminal Court (ICC) as a tool being used by western powers to target only African leaders.
“ICC, is none of our business; that is a useless body, initially we thought they were serious but they are a bunch of useless people” Mr Museveni said. The President’s bashing of the court was in reference to Sudan’s President Omar Bashir who had travelled amidst ICC indictment to attend the latter’s inauguration.
However, the United State’s Principal Deputy Secretary of State for African Affair, Bruce Wharton told the media that his country values the relations between the two countries but U.S can’t forgo rights and freedom in preference of anything.
“The United States values its relationship with Uganda and the Ugandan people. Our two countries cooperate closely on a number of important issues, and together we have accomplished a great deal in the areas of health, education, and security – areas that directly benefit the well-being of Ugandans across the country” Mr. Wharton said.
Adding “Now, as you have seen recently, we do have some differences with the government of Uganda. As a friend of the Ugandan people, we are concerned when we see freedoms being denied. And as friends will do, we feel an obligation to raise our concerns or objections about decisions that are taken that will have a negative effect on the trajectory of this country and the future of the Ugandan people. We care about what happens in Uganda, not because we are looking to get something out of it, but because we believe all citizens deserve to live in a country where their rights and freedoms are respected, so that they can decide for themselves their own futures”.
Mr Wharton said he came to represent his country the U.S government at Mr. Museveni’s swearing-in and that because of this friendship and the relationship America have built over many years with Ugandans.
“We wanted to acknowledge this important event in Uganda’s history, and affirm the broad partnership we have now with Uganda.” He said.
The Kampala chapter of European NGO Viva Con Agua gathered artists from Germany, Switzerland, Kenya and Uganda to celebrate World Water Day (March 22, 2016) in Moroto, Karamoja.
In the same week, the singers went to Firebase Studio in Kamwokya, Kampala, to produce a song promoting safe water and sanitation, and they also filmed a music video, both of which are being released today, Friday May 13th, in all four of the artists’ countries and beyond.
Sema was recorded by Firebase’s Dan Magic on a danceable urban/world-music style track created by German producer The Ghanaian Stallion. It features five back-to-back verses by artists who are all stars in their own countries: Octopizzo (Kenya), Maro (Uganda), Bobi Wine (Uganda), Knackeboul (Switzerland) and Megaloh (Germany).
Sema carries a messages of social advocacy, African pride and the importance of access to clean water and sanitation. It includes 5+ languages, a global mix of musical styles, and is intended to reach an international audience of Viva con Agua supporters and beneficiaries.
Uganda fielded Vipers Sports Club goal keeper James Aheebwa (C) who had two different identities on his club license and national passport (PHOTO/NewTimes)
When you point one finger, three more point back at you.
This is what Decolas Kiiza, the local football governing body, Fufa’s acting CEO is trying to say after Uganda’s U-20 side were on Friday disqualified from the CAF U-20 Cup of Nations qualifiers for fielding an overage player twice against Rwanda.
Rwanda Football Association (FERWAFA) claimed that during the first leg played in Kigali and the return leg in Kampala, Uganda fielded Vipers Sports Club goalkeeper James Aheebwa whose identity wass questionable.
CAF’s Appeals body today acknowledged that Aheebwa’s CAF Champions License with Viper indicated that he was born on March 27, 1997, while according to his passport used in the qualifiers, he was born on May 19, 1998 which flouts their rules.
With this, Rwanda instead of Uganda will now host Egypt on May 21st and the second leg will be two weeks later in Egypt.
What is baffling is why Fufa’s technical committee didn’t go ahead and remove Aheebwa from the squad as soon as the error was noticed after the first leg.
Observers insist that the federation had probably not acted in good faith because they badly wanted victory and have never shown the will to fight age cheating.
While U20 coach Kefa Kisala may not be to blame for the administrative cock-up, this is not the first time Uganda has suffered elimination from the competition for non-footballing reasons.
In July 2010, The Hippos – as Uganda’s under-17 team is known were kicked out of the Africa Cup Championship and banned for three years based on allegations that Uganda fielded an over-age player, Ivan Ntege against Zambia.
Rogers Mulindwa, the then Fufa spokesman went about trying to put a new spin to the term patriotism, a number of young players found themselves playing the unwilling victim in this sorry episode.
Uganda’s U20 side, the Hippos, were to face Egypt in the final qualification round of the 2017 Caf youth championships after eliminating Rwanda 3-2 on aggregate at Mandela National Stadium, Namboole
The federation’s 2010 whistleblower turned national teams’ coordinator Patrick Ntege who is quite responsible for the sham last month during a call-in told Dembe FM’s sports show that: “As Fufa we may have erred in the team selection and I think we must cross-check the anomalies pointed out by our opponents on [the] players’ real ages.”
Mr. Ntege during the same show actually went ahead to call ex Uganda Cranes star Joachim Buwembo names for the later claiming that he could get at the players’ real ages from the National Post-Primary Football competition records data-base which has actual ages of every player that has participated in the tournament since 2005. Many of the Under-17 and Under-20 players today are products of the National Post-Primary Football tournament, now, the Copa Coca-Cola.
In all honesty and partly due to pressure, by going to secondary schools and getting fairly genuine youngsters to partake in the 2014 Caf U17 Championships qualifiers but the schoolings perhaps ended with that campaign. That crop of players were supposed to make the core of the current U20 side but only three led by Frank ’Zaga’ Tumwesige made the cut.
The player in question, Ahebwa, is a former St Mary’s Kitende player and student says that he can’t comment for now and is waiting to be asked for clarity; then he will prove them wrong.
“Those are just assumptions but I can play in this team because I am in that age bracket,” said Ahebwa
The skillful goal stopper studied from St Mary’s Kitende since senior one in 2010 up to when he completed his A-level at the same school in 2015.
Uganda is not being eliminated for the first time this year. In 2009 current KCCA midfielder Ivan Ntege (L) was illegally fielded against the Zambians which earned Uganda a 3 year ban
Straightforward to Friday’s disqualification, a statement, released on the federation’s website, said: “Fufa is in receipt of Communication from Confederation of African Football in regard to FERWAFA’s protest.
“However the discrepancy in the dates of birth for goalkeeper James Aheebwa on the CAF Competitions Management System (CMS) and National passport is a matter not allowed by CAF regulations during the various age group competitions as per Article 46 of the CAF U-20 Competition rules and regulations.
“Part of the communication reads ‘It was also noted that the two dates of birth are within the age limit (players must be born after 1.1.1997)’.
“CAF quoting Article 46 (a) which states ‘A player will not be qualified to participate in the U-20 Africa Cup of Nations if the date of birth indicated in his CAF license is different from the one on his passport.
“It is not time to point accusing fingers at any one but it is very disappointing that minimal work was done while submitting players’ documents to CAF for the competition. Let us try to digest the situation and at the right time we shall issue an official and detailed statement on this matter. It is sad that the players can’t continue to show their skills in the competition,” said Mr. Decolas Kiiza.
Omara Apita, an official from the Ministry of Education and Sports once said as a ministry, they are aware of the “age-cheating” practice, that is “perpetrated through players having multiple passports.”
He explained that they are investigating the allegations because “age-cheating doesn’t portray our country in good light.” With Apita’s sentiments, would FUFA follow suit?
Fufa may not appeal the decision because they sound guilty in their statement.
