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The Ugandan ‘leg billionaires’

By
Julius Mwesigye
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In Uganda it is almost impossible to become a billionaire, not least when you are just under 20 years.

But one man has so far defied the odds, joining the billionaire club at just 19, after he signed one of the biggest transfer figures in Ugandan football history: US$400,000 to join Standard Liege, a top flight team in Belgium.

Slightly over four years ago Farouk Miya was struggling, like any other Ugandan student grappling with high school studies. Two years later, he probably did not have enough money to cater for his day-to-day needs as a second year student at Kyambogo University. But one thing stood out for him: he was determined to change his life. He took to football, playing for Sports Club (SC) Vipers, where he made a mark as a reliable striker, catching the eyes of the football technical bench of the Uganda senior team, The Cranes. The rest, as they say, is history!

And last year the player, commonly referred to as ‘Muyizzi Tasubwa’, loosely translated as ‘a hunter who never misses his target animal’, was called up for debut national duty, representing Uganda at the U23 tournament at the All Africa Games in Congo Brazzaville.

Billionaire footballer ‘Muyizzi Tasubwa’ has so far scored 12 goals in his international appearances, including one away goal in a friendly match against the dreaded Super Eagles of Nigeria at the Akwa Ibom Stadium, Iyo.

And, during the Africa Nations Championship qualification matches played against Tanzania and Sudan, as Cranes Captain Miya never disappointed, scoring at least a goal in every match. The highly-talented player also scored 3 goals in two matches against Togo in the 2018 Fifa World Cup qualifications, and has also been instrumental in wins against Ethiopia, Zanzibar, Rwanda and Malawi.

Not surprising therefore, that Standard Liege came calling, in the process making him join the envable ranks of Ugandan footballers who have made it on the global stage.

Over the years so many Ugandans have played professional or semi-professional football and among the first were Tom Lwanga and Hassan Biruma, who played semi-professional football in the Middle East in the 1980s. Then came the ‘Tier 2’ players that included stylist Jackson Mayanja aka Mia Mia, who played for Egyptian top flight team El Masry, and the prolific Majid Musisi, the first Ugandan to play professional football in any European league after he signed for French club Stade Rennes at US$180,000, then a record signing for any Ugandan player. In 1997 Musisi moved to Turkish side Bursaspor for US$ 1 million, making him also the most expensive player in Ugandan history. A four-time league top scorer and two-time Footballer of the Year awardee, Musisi died in December 2005 aged 38.

Then in ‘Tier 3’ there are the likes of David Obua, Dennis Masinde Onyango, Ibrahim Sekagya and Emmanuel Okwi.

About four years ago Obua, who plied his professional trade in Europe with Hearts of Oak in the Scottish league, was able to put up a two-storey mansion in Uganda valued at US$500,000, a huge amount by any standards. Obua has since gone into oblivion, only to resurface last week with news that he is enrolling for a Trainers’ course.

However, his colleague and former Cranes long-serving Captain Sekagya so far seems the most successful billionaire footballer Uganda has ever produced. He cut his international footballing career with an Argentine team, and later moved to Austria where he played as Centre Back with top rate Bundesliga club, Red Bulls Salzburg. Sekagya then moved to the US in 2013, where he played for the Red Bulls team of the Major League Soccer (MLS) in New York. Sekagya retired from football in February last year and was taken on as a Trainer at the Red Bulls team where he earns a salary of about US$129. 999, making him one of the highest paid Ugandans currently living anywhere in the world.

Sekagya, whose love for expensive rides among is almost unrivalled, has driven cars like the Range Rover Vogue, Audi S6 and Audi T7, both estimated at US$160,000, and has reportedly invested in real estate in Austria and at home.

Another billionaire Ugandan footballer, goalkeeping ace Onyango plies his trade with Mamelodi Sundowners of South Africa, a team he joined in 2011. Born in 1985, the towering 1.85 metres goalie has a running contract with his club, estimated at over US1 million and runs up to 2018.

Then there is temperamental player Emmanuel Okwi, who started his playing career in 2009. The 23-year old Okwi, who played for home teamsSports Club (SC) Villa and Simba, currently plies his trade with Sønderjysk Elitesport in Denmark, where he moved in 2015.

Before the move to Denmark Okwi had played professional football for a number of African clubs including Tunisian club Etoile du Sahel where he moved for a record fee of US$300,000, but he later abandoned the club acrimoniously and moved to Young Africans (Yanga) of Tanzania.

Other players who have previously made it to the US and other European top leagues where they earned in dollars include Charles Livingstone Mbabazi at St Patrick’s Athletic Club in Ireland, Augustine Nsumba with IBV in Iceland, Martin Kayongo Ssebuliba in Sweden; Alex Kakuba at Estoril Praia in Primeira Liga of Portugal where he moved in 2014 and Henry Kalungi, who plays for Charlotte Independence in the US; Mike Sserumaga at Helsingborgs in Sweden; Hassan Mawanda at Kardemir Demir Çelik Karabükspor and Suat Altın İnşaat Kayseri Erciyesspor in Turkey.

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NTV banned from Museveni’s rallies

By
Our Reporter
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Nation Television popularly known as NTV has been banned from covering President Yoweri Museveni rallies.

Eagle Online has reliably learnt that President Museveni effected the directive yesterday.

NTV-Uganda is ranked number one on the local scene and is seen a leading news Television among the mushrooming television. However, the station has been accused by government of biased reporting in favour of the opposition.

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Ugandan Miya to join Standard Liege

By
BBC
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Uganda striker Farouq Miya is set to sign for Belgian giants Standard Liege from Vipers Sports Club.

The clubs have agreed a fee of about US$400,000 for the 19-year-old and hope to complete the deal after the African Nations Championship in Rwanda.

Miya scored a penalty and made an assist in a 2-2 draw with Mali in Uganda’s opening match of the finals.

However, he will miss his Saturday’s match against Zambia as a precaution to help him overcome a shoulder problem.

Last season Miya scored 11 goals and made seven assists to help Vipers win the Uganda Premier League trophy.

If he can agree personal terms with Standard Liege, it will bring an end to a two-year spell with Vipers.

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President Putin ‘probably’ approved Litvinenko murder

By
BBC
-

The murder of ex-Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko in 2006 in the UK was “probably” approved by President Vladimir Putin, a public inquiry finds.

Mr Putin is likely to have signed off the poisoning of Mr Litvinenko with polonium-210 in part due to personal “antagonism” between the pair, it said.

Mr Litvinenko’s widow Marina welcomed the report, calling for a travel ban on Mr Putin and sanctions on Russia.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said the inquiry had been “politicised”.

It said: “We regret that the purely criminal case was politicised and overshadowed the general atmosphere of bilateral relations.”

It said the inquiry had “not been transparent”, saying it had not expected the process to be unbiased.

Mr Litvinenko died aged 43 in London in 2006, days after being poisoned with the radioactive substance. He was a former Russian spy but fled to Britain where he became a fierce critic of the Kremlin.

Gordon Corera, BBC security correspondent, said there were “audible gasps” inside the court when the conclusion of the report was revealed, adding it had been “stronger than expected”.

Speaking outside London’s High Court, Mrs Litvinenko said: “The words my husband spoke on his deathbed when he accused Mr Putin have been proved by an English court.”

In a statement, Mrs Litvinenko urged the UK government to expel all Russian intelligence operatives and impose economic sanctions on Moscow.

A Downing Street spokeswoman said the report’s conclusions were “extremely disturbing”, saying: “It is not the way for any state, let alone a permanent member of the UN Security Council, to behave.”

Measures taken against Russia in 2007 – including the expulsion of diplomats – remained in place, she said, adding: “We are considering what further action we should take.”

Litvinenko inquiry reaction: Latest updates

Long road to the truth for Litvinenko family

Who was Alexander Litvinenko?

A deadly trail of polonium

Two Russian men, Andrei Lugovoi and Dmitry Kovtun, deliberately poisoned Mr Litvinenko, the report said. They both deny killing him.

Sir Robert said the two suspects were probably acting under the direction of Moscow’s FSB intelligence service.

Singling out then-FSB chief Nikolai Patrushev, alongside Mr Putin, Sir Robert wrote in the 300 page report: “Taking full account of all the evidence and analysis available to me I find that the FSB operation to kill Litvinenko was probably approved by Mr Patrushev and also by President Putin.”

Responding to the report, Mr Lugovoi, who is now a politician in Russia, said the accusations against him were “absurd”, the Russian news agency Interfax was quoted as saying.

“As we expected, there were no surprises,” he said.

“The results of the investigation made public today yet again confirm London’s anti-Russian position, its blinkeredness and the unwillingness of the English to establish the true reason of Litvinenko’s death.”

Mr Kovtun, now a businessman in Russia, said he would not comment on the report until he got more information about its contents, Interfax reported.

London’s Metropolitan Police said the investigation into the “cold and calculated murder” remained ongoing.

Motives for action

Publishing his long-awaited report, Sir Robert said he was “sure” Mr Litvinenko’s murder had been carried out by Mr Lugovoy and Mr Kovtun.

Both are wanted in the UK for questioning, but Russia has refused to extradite them.

Sir Robert said Mr Litvinenko’s work for British intelligence agencies, his criticism of the FSB and Mr Putin, and his association with other Russian dissidents were possible motives for his killing.

There was “undoubtedly a personal dimension to the antagonism” between Mr Putin and Mr Litvinenko, he added.

“I am satisfied that in general terms, members of the Putin administration, including the president himself and the FSB, had motives for taking action against Litvinenko, including killing him, in late 2006,” Sir Robert wrote.

The use of polonium 210 was “at the very least a strong indicator of state involvement” as it had to be made in a nuclear reactor, the report said.

The inquiry heard evidence that Mr Litvinenko may have been consigned to a slow death from radiation to “send a message”.

  • 23 Nov 2006 – Mr Litvinenko dies three weeks after having tea with former agents Andrei Lugovoi and Dmitri Kovtun in London
  • 22 May 2007 – Britain’s director of public prosecutions decides Mr Lugovoi should be charged with his murder
  • 5 Jul 2007 – Russia refuses to extradite Mr Lugovoi, saying its constitution does not allow it
  • May-July 2013 – The inquest into Mr Litvinenko’s death is delayed as the coroner decides a public inquiry would be preferable – but ministers rule out the request
  • 11 Feb 2014 – High Court rules the Home Office was wrong to rule out an inquiry before the outcome of an inquest
  • January 2015 – Public inquiry begins
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EC to use national voters’ register in case biometric system fails

By
Steven F Mandu
-

 

The Independent Electoral Commission says it will resort to the national voters register just in case the Biometric Verification system fails to work in the upcoming national elections.

While speaking at the Jinja road based Electoral Commission offices, the Spokesperson, Jotham Talemwa explained that should the Biometric Voters’ Verification system BVVS fail, the commission will revert to manual system of using the physical national voters register.

On Tuesday, the Electoral Commission launched the new system which the commission said would help reduce flaws and ensure free and fair elections.

According to EC officials the biometric system that has been fed with data for every eligible voter will be verified through us of fingerprints, will only allow registered voters and in case of multiple voting, the machine would be able to notify the polling officials.

However the system came under attack by various stake holders expressing worries on whether the commission had the capacity to effectively use the biometric system to hold a free and fair election.

One of them was independent Presidential candidate, Amama Mbabazi, of the Go-Forward pressure group who questioned the effectiveness of the system as far as finger prints is concerned.

“Myself I have a problem with my finger prints. Sometimes my finger prints are reflected and sometimes they are rejected,” he said.

He further wondered what would be done in cases where some people who are registered voters with National Identity cards have their finger prints.

The Go-0Forward Presidential candidate warned the electoral Commission against favoring one system against the other.

It is against this background that the Electoral Commission is providing an alternative of the national voters register in case of the break down.

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UPDF ready for war crimes investigations

By
Steven F Mandu
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DENIED DEFYING COURT ORDERS: Defence and Army spokesman Lt. Col. Paddy Ankunda.

The Uganda Peoples Defence Forces (UPDF) Spokesperson Lt Col Paddy Ankunda has said the army and government of Uganda are not worried about being investigated in the ongoing International Criminal Court (ICC) investigations regarding war crimes in Northern Uganda during the 20-year insurgency.

Lt Col Ankunda was reacting was reacting to statements attributed to the ICC Outreach Officer for Uganda and Kenya Ms Maria Mabinty Kamara, while responding to a question by journalists as to why the ‘investigations are one sided only targeting LRA fighters yet there allegations that the UPDF was involved in the crimes against humanity’.

“We are gathering evidence, statements and complaints in regard to theLRA war. This is because investigations in as far as the LRA war is concerned are still ongoing,” said Ms Kamara was quoted as saying at a press conference today, held to announce the pre-trail proceedings of the Lords Resistance Army (LRA) commander Dominic Ongwen, an ICC war crimes indictee.

But Ankunda said: “I didn’t hear the statement myself but the Government of Uganda will cooperate with those interested in investigating the war in Northern Uganda.”

The pre-trial proceedings of Ongwen start tomorrow and are set to endJanuary 27.

Ongwen, one of the former LRA commanders surrendered to the Seleka rebels in the Central African Republic in January 2015, and was handed over to the Hague-based ICC by the Americans, who had been involved in hunting down the LRA rebels.

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Mutebile hails BLB for lease financing initiative

By
Steven F Mandu
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BoU Governor Emmanuel Tumusiime-Mutebile.

 

Central Bank Governor Prof Emmanuel Mutebile has hailed the Buganda Land Board (BLB), landholders and Centenary Bank for formation of Lease Access Financing Initiative.

The Governor was speaking at the prayer breakfast at Serena hotel on Wednesday morning where he was the chief guest.

He said the meeting would enable the BLB the Buganda landowners (or bibanja) holders and financial institutions to interact and discuss how to enhance their partnership which has developed since 2010 when the Lease Access Financing Initiative was launched.

“I would like to commend the Buganda Land Board for the initiative which it took to assess the land holders’ financing needs in the acquisition of land titles and for then taking the necessary steps to address these needs by linking up with Centenary Bank and other stakeholders,” he emphasized.

Prof Mutebile noted that the combined efforts of the BLB, the land holders and Centenary Bank led to the formation of the Lease Access Financing Initiative in 2010. He added that outcomes of this tripartite arrangement can have positive and far-reaching effects on the security of land tenure; access to and use of financial services; private sector investment; and socio-economic growth and development, if it is managed well.

“Today, the  three  initiative boasts of a portfolio of over UGX2 billion accrued as land premiums and other land registration fees, a total of 331 land titles and a partnership that has attracted eight other lending financial institutions,” he revealed.

He further said the onus is on each of the stakeholders involved to make the Lease Access Financing Initiative a success.

However, the Governor said that despite the progress achieved, the initiative faces some challenges, noting that forged collateral has hindered land holders’ access to financial services and their acquisition of land titles.

“Financial institutions have incurred losses when loans secured against poor quality collateral have not been repaid on time. I am happy to note that the Buganda Land Board, in conjunction with the land holders and the lending financial institutions, is taking steps to address these challenges,“ said Mutebile.

He further revealed that there are two points relevant to the smooth functioning of the Lease Access Financing and other Initiatives.

He said the first is the massive land registration that the Buganda Land Board undertook between June and October 2015 whereby all the  Kabaka’s tenants are required to acquire Certificates of Registration as official documentation and proof of ownership of their bibanja.

“I would like to commend the Buganda Land Board for initiating the process of establishing a land registration system, which will not only provide tenure security to the bibanja owners and enable them to pledge their land rights as security for a loan, but will also ease searches of land titles,” he said.

Mutebile also advised that in order to make the Certificate of Registration and the Land Title credible and to provide reliable documents those financial institutions can accept as collateral for loans, all necessary steps must be taken to minimize disputes and litigation over land, and prevent forgeries, duplications and other land grievances.

He emphasized that education about land registration should be undertaken to facilitate and support understanding of the system. Qualified and skilled survey and registry staff must be available for the day to day maintenance of the land register; and the five boundaries of the bibanja should be clearly recognizable and definable to minimize disputes, he added.

The Governor also noted that since April 2015, financial institutions supervised by the Bank of Uganda are required to provide a Key Facts Document to consumers.

He advised that the supervised financial institutions should avail the Key Facts Document on the Lease Access on Financing Initiative, on request, in the following languages: English, Ateso, Luganda, Lugbara, Luo, Runyankore/Rukiga, Runyoro/Rutoro, and Swahili.

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62% of graduates want change, poll indicates

By
Richard Wanambwa
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Dr. Patrick Wakida

 

A poll by Research World International (RWI) in respect to the presidential elections of February 18 has indicated that 62 per cent of the graduates in the country want a change of president, while 32 per cent of their counterparts want the status quo maintained.

In the same poll 71 per cent of the elders above 65 years want the National Resistance Movement (NRM) candidate Yoweri Museveni to continue in his position, while 20 per cent of their age-mates want a change in presidency.

The results of the survey carried out a month after the November 4-5presidential nominations that involved collation of data from 2685 people from different parts of the country were released today at Protea Hotel by RWI Lead Researcher, Dr Patrick Wakida.

According to the poll, 50 per cent of interviewees said Mr Museveni had done his job to satisfaction and that he was leading, ahead of Dr Warren Kizza Besigye, the flag bearer of the Forum for Democratic Change and John Patrick Amama Mbabazi of Go Forward. Also, 32 per cent of the respondents say there should be no change of the president.

However, 56 per cent of the respondents said Museveni cannot hand over power peacefully if defeated, while, interestingly, the poll indicates that 77 per cent of the registered voters will not vote because they think the elections will not be free and fair.

Dr Wakida’s poll results come just a day after The New Vision released results of a poll that put NRM candidate Museveni in the lead with 73 per cent, another opinion poll by the Daily Monitor in December 2015 also indicated Museveni was the leading contender, with about 69 per cent.

Reacting to the poll, NRM Spokesperson Ofwono Opondo said that according to internal research, the party established that it Museveni would win by 73 per cent.

“By the mere fact that a section of the public is asking for continuity (No change), it is a vote of confidence that that person who ushered in peace and stability is president Museveni,” Opondo said at the launch of the poll results today.

In a related development the report indicates that the major fears of Ugandans as they head to the Feb 18 polls are political instability, vote rigging and intimidation by security forces.

 

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Candidate Mabirizi threatens to abandon next debate

By
Jonathan Kamoga
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Pastor Joseph Mabirizi

Presidential aspirant Joseph Mabirizi has threatened to walk out of the conference hall during the second presidential debate scheduled forFebruary 10 if the moderators do not change their ways.

According to Mr Mabirizi, the moderators, Allan Kasujja of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and Nancy Kacungira of Kenya Television Network (KTN), did not follow the laid down guidelines as agreed between the candidates organisers, the Inter-religious Council of Uganda (IRC-U) and the Elders Forum.

The youthful Mabirizi, hitherto regarded by many as a political novice, has come under criticism from a huge section of the society following his ‘poor show’ on the debate held on January 15 at the Serena Hotel.

With vacillating English and elusive and incomprehensible answers, Mabirizi became an instant laughing stock in a debate many social media enthusiasts say was ‘won’ by either Maj Gen (rtd) Benon Biraro Buta of the Farmers Party or Dr Abed Bwanika of the Peoples Development Party (PDP).

During the debate leading aspirants Dr Kizza Besigye of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) and Go Forward candidate John Patrick Amama Mbabazi put up spirited arguments but their charm was reduced when Kasujja pried deep into their past activities in respect to their political life, including both having served in senior positions in the ruling party, the National Resistance Movement (NRM). Indeed, Besigye broke ranks with the NRM in 2001, while Mr Mbabazi parted ways with the party he had served for 30 years, in 2015.

The two other ‘debaters’, Prof Venansius Baryamureeba and the only female candidate, Maureen Faith Walube Kyalya, also put up a brave fight but have received lacklustre social media appraisal.

Another presidential aspirant, NRM candidate Yoweri Museveni, refused to participate in the debate, later comparing it to a high school speech competition.

Meanwhile, one of the organisers, Elders Forum Justice (rtd) James Ogoola Munange has described the debate a success. Reacting to questions by the media, Justice Ogoola also said plans were afoot to hold the second presidential debate slated for February 10, just a week to the polls.

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Bukwo ‘Besigye tormentor’ transferred

By
Jonathan Kamoga
-

 

The Sipi region police commander Gerald Tuyishime has been transferred following an altercation involving his officers and the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) flag bearer Dr Warren Kizza Besigye in Bukwo district.

By press time it was not possible to ascertain where Tuyishime had been transferred and efforts to contact police spokesperson Fred Enanga were futile.

But sources intimated Mr Tuyishime was not in office.

On Tuesday, January 5 the police under the command of Mr Tuyishime opened fire and threw tear gas canisters at Dr Besigye and his supporters, while they tried to access the Teriet camp.

Other FDC members injured in the fracas included party Secretary General Nathan Nandala Mafabi, Mobilisation Secretary Ms Ingrid Tutinawe and the party’s Secretary for Defence and Security Sadik Amin.

The Teriet camp, alongside four others is host to people who were evicted from Mt Elgon after it was gazetted in 1993, and Dr Besigye and his entourage had been invited by the camp residents ‘to see the squalid conditions’ they live under. And that is when the police swung into action, in an attempt to disperse the frenzied crowd.

Over the past few months the police have come under scrutiny from sections of society and the international community, who accuse the force acting unprofessionally and in a partisan manner.

The most recent negative publicity on police came from the US government and Human Rights Watch (HRW), both of which pointed a sore finger at the activities of the lead security agency for the forthcoming presidential elections on February 18.

However, the police led by Inspector General Gen Kale Kayihura and Force Spokesperson Commissioner of Police (CP) Enanga have vehemently defended the institution against the accusations that include brutality, unprofessionalism and partisanship.

Meanwhile, two senior police officers have been suspended following a raid on a printer where Dr Kizza Besigye’s campaign manifesto was being printed.

The officer in charge of Central Police Station in Kampala Ronald Mugabi and the station Intelligence Officer Moses Lukonge were suspended by the IGP after the duo raided MPK Publishers on Nasser Road last Friday, and seized copies of the manifesto.

Media reports indicate Kampala Metropolitan spokesperson Patrick Onyango saying the two had been referred to the Police Standards Unit to help with investigations into the incident.

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