Stanbic Bank
Stanbic Bank
20.1 C
Kampala
Stanbic Bank
Stanbic Bank
Home Blog Page 2201

Ministry of defence in 130 billion procurement scandal

By
Our Reporter
-

KAMPALA: Officials in the ministry of defence are in trouble over inflating the cost of the planned construction of the army National Referral Hospital in Mbuya.

The earlier evaluation cost done by the Ministry was $35m [shs113bn] but the procurement officials in the Ministry allegedly connived with the constructor M/S Seyani and Brothers Ltd.

Military sources say President Museveni has instituted a probe team composed of military intelligence and police detectives to find out how the costs increased by shs17bn.

Ministry of Defence saved the money through United Nations reimbursements for the wear and tear of the Ugandan military equipment used by UPDF peacekeepers in Somalia.

“Some officials might be arrested because the President is annoyed. Even the Inspector General of Government is also investigating,” the military source said.

The 250-bed hospital will be used to treat both civilians and soldiers especially those who are injured in the battle field.

According to the petition filed by the whistleblower to the Inspector General of Government in January, “some members of the evaluation committee smuggled into the bid four pages from the bidder”

This action alone raised the price by Shs800m”. The petitioners allege backhand dealings between the evaluation team and the winning contractor.

Unlike UPDF, Kenyan Defence Forces treats its injured soldiers in Somalia but Ugandans are flown to Agha Khan Hospital.

The plan to construct the UPDF National Referral Hospital was mooted by the late Gen Aronda Nyakairima.

Stories Continues after ad

Besigye to report to police tomorrow

By
Our Reporter
-
The 'Besigye Van' that was used to whisk him off to Naggalama yesterday.

Opposition Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) flag bearer in the recently-concluded presidential elections Dr Kizza Besigye has been slapped with ‘unlawful procession’ charges.

Dr Besigye was arrested yesterday morning at the Mulago roundabout after leaving his Kasangati home, destined for Najjanankumbi where he was set to join other FDC supporters for prayers declared by the party on Tuesdays. However, as his car moved from home several supporters joined and formed a procession, prompting police to arrest him. He was later whisked off and held for several hours at Naggalama Police Station, while his car, a brand new Toyota Land Cruiser Prado was towed by police to Kira Road Police Station.

‘Just released from Naggalama Police Station. I was charged with Unlawful Procession! I left home with one vehicle and never disembarked’, Dr Besigye wrote on his Facebook page after release from Naggalama.

And yesterday, following his release on bond under a charge sheet vide SD/33/05/4/16 drawn at Wandegeya Police Station, Dr Besigye was instructed to report to the OC Wandegeya station tomorrow, April 7.

It is not clear if tomorrow Dr Besigye wont attract the crowds that normally follow him, but what is for sure is that yesterday’s incident comes just a day after Dr Besigye ‘regained his freedom’ to move, following 42 of restricted movement around his compound.

The tiff with police stems from Dr Besigye refusal to accept results announced by the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), declaring National Resistance Movement (NRM) candidate Yoweri Museveni the duly elected president after February 18 presidential elections.

The IEC said Museveni got 61 percent against Dr Besigye’s 36 percent, leading to the latter’s rejection of the results and his subsequent restricted movement.

Stories Continues after ad

Besweri Mulondo who denied Buganda federo dies

By
Stephen Muneza
-

Famous Buganda lawmaker Busweri Mulondo has died aged 91.

Mr Mulondo in 1994 during the Constituent Assembly, Mulondo shot down a motion that had been talked by the rest of CA delegates to grant Buganda a federal status.

Mulondo joined the civil service in 1947 as an assistant regular registrar of titles in the ministry of land. He quit civil service in 1974 when Idi Amin ordered all civil servants who had worked for more than 20 years to retire. He fled to Kenya that very year only to be returned by President Godfrey Binaisa from retirement to head Uganda Land Board until Obote was elected President. He also chaired the Lint Marketing Board after the NRA took over power. Mr Mulondo then joined joined the constitution commission of Benjamin Odoki as a member in 1994 before being named a sabalangira of Buganda by the Kabaka when he was still a Sabataka. Museveni later appointed him a presidential advisor on Buganda until his death.

Buganda called him a traitor in when he blocked their federo dream.

May his soul rest in peace.

Binaisa

Stories Continues after ad

City pastor storms Nagalama, prays for detained Kizza Besigye

By
Stephen Muneza
-

A flamboyant city preacher Pastor Happy Daniel Ngabo has Tuesday afternoon prayed for detained Kizza Besigye, former Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) presidential candidate.

Pastor Ngabo who leads the opposition party’s routine party prayers at Najjanankumbi, Kampala stormed Nagalama police station in Mukono outside the city armed with bibles which sent cops in frenzy.

The youthful preacher likened himself to Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King Jr. He was in the company of FDC party president Maj Gen Mugisha Muntu, SG Hon. Nathan Nandala-Mafabi, Leader of the Opposition Wafula Oguttu, Ingrid Turinawe, Doreen Nyanjura, Mwijukye Francis, Susan Norma, and many other Activists calling themselves the rescue squad.

Uganda police have charged Dr. Besigye with conducting an illegal procession.

The spokesperson for the police, says Mr Besigye had disobeyed orders not to drive through the centre of the city after thousands mobbed his car.

Mr Besigye had been given permission to go to a prayer meeting at his party’s headquarters as long as he did not disrupt business in Kampala.

He has only just been released from house arrest, and this was to be his first trip into the city.

As he was travelling to the party HQ, supporters surrounded his car and tried to follow him to the city centre.

The police then blocked his vehicle, towed it away and first detained him at Kiira Road police station before taking him to Mukono.

Stories Continues after ad

Arsenal’s title chase is over – star

By
Our Reporter
-

Arsenal’s title bid paid the price for losing ‘perfect’ Santi Cazorla to injury, claims Nacho Monreal.

The Spanish midfielder’s been out of action since November 2015 with a combination of Achilles and knee injuries.

Arsene Wenger dropped Cazorla into a central midfield position in early 2015 and the former Villarreal man was a revelation alongside Francis Coquelin.

In the Spaniard’s absence, Aaron Ramsey and Mohamed Elneny have been paired alongside Coquelin but found themselves powerless to stop the Gunners falling 11 points behind Leicester City with just seven matches remaining.

And Monreal, who has been one of the Gunners’ standout performers this term, says the faltering title bid has been partly down to Cazorla’s injury.

‘Given the way we play, Santi is the perfect player for us because he loves receiving the ball, he brings our centre-backs into the game and really helps us to bring the ball out,’ said Monreal.

‘He’s probably one of the most technically-gifted players we have in the team and obviously he brings a lot to the side.

‘Everybody really likes him and we’re aware that his way of playing and the amount of assists and goals he pitches in with are very important for us.

‘Obviously he’s had this injury that’s kept him out for about five months and the team feels that. When you lose an important player the team pays for it.’

 

Stories Continues after ad

Stick to the law or face ‘people power’, DP tells Museveni

By
Jonathan Kamoga
-
Democratic Party Spokesperson, Kenneth Paul Kakande (R) address the media at the head quarters during the party’s press conference on April 21, 2015. PHOTO BY ISAAC KASAMANI
Democratic Party Spokesperson, Kenneth Paul Kakande (R) addresses the media at a past function

Opposition Democratic Party has implored President Yoweri Museveni to respect the law or else face people power as premised in the Constitution.

Addressing journalists at the party headquarters in Kampala this morning, Publicity Secretary Kenneth Paul Kakande said the country has a supreme law and that the president should put that into consideration.

“This is a strong warning that he gets back on the legal rails and accordingly forgets the disreputable bush gimmicks,” Kakande said, adding: “In case he does not reform, we shall not hesitate to tell the nation our next move.”

According to the DP, Uganda is signatory to various international organisations and instruments like the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights, and that in case President Museveni doesn’t adhere to their appeal, they will seek intervention.

On the attacks in Kasese and Bundibugyo, Mr Kakande asked Museveni to ‘swallow his pride and accept that Kasese voted in favour of the opposition’.

“The President does not recognize non-NRM supporters as legitimate leaders,” Mr Kakande said before imploring the president to ‘stop thinking that cultural institutions should be serving his interests instead of their primary interests and the ones of their own people’.

“The President preaches integration into a wider East Africa Community; he is here back home involved in the balkanization of long already united societies. We, therefore, hope that the President isn’t into the delusions of thinking that everyone in this country is or should be a servant at his table,” Kakande told the media.

Stories Continues after ad

Cure for HIV could be ‘just a few years away’

By
Our Reporter
-
Many Ugandans are wary of getting tested because of the stigma of being HIV-positive

A permanent cure for HIV could soon be available, with scientists proving they can snip out the virus from infected cells.

They use a gene editing technique known as Crispr/Cas9 (the first bit is pronounced ‘crisper’) to literally cut out the damaging part from the cells’ DNA.

HIV works by damaging patients’ immune systems, meaning minor illnesses like colds can spiral into something more serious.

Researchers from the Lewis Katz School of Medicine in Philadelphia published the results of their study in the journal Nature.

At the moment, it has only been demonstrated in a lab but scientists believe a trial in humans could happen in the next few years.

There had been fears that changing part of the DNA could cause a ripple effect meaning other genes changed too – but that didn’t happen, and only the HIV part was affected.

Lead researcher Kamel Khalili told Medical Daily that ‘based on the technology and the power of the [gene editing] technique], the successful application of gene therapy should lead to the cure of HIV.’

Uganda has won praise for its vigorous campaign against HIV/Aids.

This has helped to reduce the prevalence of the virus – which reached 30% of the population in the 1990s – to single-digit figures.

The condition can be effectively controlled using anti-retroviral drugs, but at the moment there is no cure.

 

Stories Continues after ad

Kiir puts naming of new foreign minister on hold

By
Our Reporter
-
South Sudan President Salva Kiir

President Salva Kiir does not plan to appoint a new foreign minister to replace Barnaba Marial before the formation of Transitional Government of National Unity (TGoNU), the Presidential Press Secretary Ateny Wek has said.

According to Ateny, for now Deputy Minister of Foreign Minister Bashir Gbandi will run the ministry in accordance with the Constitution until the transitional government is formed. “The deputy minister will take the responsibility until further notice after the dismissal of the foreign minister. So the appointment of the foreign minister will be in the transitional government,” said Ateny.

According to the distribution of ministerial portfolios between the warring parties and stakeholders to form the transitional government, the Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Ministry was taken by the SPLM Former Detainees led by Deng Alor.

The group named former cabinet minister Deng Alor Kuol as minister of foreign affairs with former minister of youth, culture, and sports Cirino Hiteng as his deputy.

The transitional government is expected to be form after the arrival of SPLM-IO leader and first vice-president designate Riek Machar in Juba.

 

Stories Continues after ad

PHOTOS: Besigye still detained at Naggalama Police

By
Stephen Muneza
-

Former Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party presidential candidate Dr. Kizza Besigye was this morning arrested at Mulago roundabout, and had his car, a new Toyota Land Cruiser towed to Kiira Road Police Station.

Later, Dr Besigye was put inside a blue police van and whisked away to Naggalama Police Station in Mukono where he is currently detained, and police have blocked the entrance to the station and will not let members of the press in.

Nagaa

Dr Besigye was today set to join other FDC supporters for their weekly ‘Tuesday Prayers’ at the party headquarters in Najjanankumbi but was stopped at the Mulago roundabout at about 10.00am by police led by CPS DPC Aron Baguma. Police said Dr Besigye did not notify them about plans to hold a procession after prayers and the officers advised the public to shun “unlawful activity.”

Dr Besigye – who had been under house arrest up until the end of last week – was given permission to go to Najjanankumbi to attend a prayer meeting on condition that he did not disrupt activities in the Central Business District (CBD) of Kampala.

Nagaaa

Kizza Besigye

in the recently-concluded presidential elections Dr. Besigye came second with 35.4 percent against Museveni’s 60.8 percent, but he has since disputed the results, insisting that it is the police, the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) and the army to blame for the ‘pillage and rape of democracy’ in the country.

Stories Continues after ad

Chaos as Kizza Besigye is arrested

By
Stephen Muneza
-

As Forum for Democratic Change officials began protest Black Tuesday prayers at their headquarters in Najjanankumbi, Dr. Kizza Besigye has been taken to Kira Road police station.

Dr. Besigye’s procession was stopped by Police after Kubiri Roundabout, Mulago as he headed for the Black Tuesday prayers at their party headquarters along Entebbe Road.

The former presidential candidate amidst a scuffle with teargass and pepper spray canisters flying allover was briefly taken into Kira Road Police Station, taken out after a few minutes and reportedly whisked back to his Kasangati home in Wakiso district outside Kampala.

Police say Besigye didn’t notified them about plans to hold a procession after prayers and advised public to shun “unlawful activity”

Besigye

On Monday, FDC criticized the Supreme Court for what they say is the court’s failure to independently inquire into the evidence presented in the presidential petition in which former Presidential candidate Amama Mbabazi challenged President Yoweri Museveni’s reelection.

Kizza

FDC President Mugisha Muntu says the party has set up a committee to rally Ugandans to demand for an Independent Audit of the election results.

The FDC president made the announcement while delivering the party’s position on the recent Supreme Court election petition.

In their final ruling, the 9 Justices unanimously dismissed the petition on grounds that it lacked enough evidence and said Museveni  had been validly elected.

Stories Continues after ad
1...2,2002,2012,202...2,410Page 2,201 of 2,410

© Eagle Online. All rights reserved.

About Us

Popular Category

Editor Picks