A total of about eight billion shillings has been spent on buying 111 Mitsubishi double cabin vehicles for Local Council V chairpersons for all districts in the country.

According to the Ministry of Local Government, the heavy duty vehicles are built for tropical terrain will be used for carrying out supervision and monitoring of government programmes at district level.

“We recognized that in order to have a functioning local government, we had to do two things; provide the leaders with knowledge and skills, and also provide necessary equipment for them,” a statement signed by local government minister Adolf Mwesige, states in part.

At the handover function held at Mandela National Stadium, Prime Minister Rt Hon Ruhakana Rugunda, who was also the chief guest, warned district chairpersons to desist from misusing the vehicles.

“The vehicles are for the office of the chairperson, they should not be used to serve purposes outside of what we expect them to,” the Premier said.

He also asked the handlers of the vehicles to ensure proper maintenance and utilisation.

“It is sometimes disappointing to find government vehicles parked at district headquarters because they are faulty, most cases these faults are very easy to fix,” Premier Rugunda said.

He also directed the Ministry of Finance to work together with their local government counterparts and procure the same vehicles for districts that missed this time round, and other officers like Town Clerks, Chief Executive Officers and Mayors.

The Premier also said that the government is going to give motorcycles to leaders at sub county level.

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One hundred and nineteen senior police officers from the rank of Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) to Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIGP) have today been adorned with epaulets depicting their new ranks at police headquarters in Naguru.

The officers are part of 569 newly promoted men and women police officers, the lowest being promoted from Inspector of Police (IP) to Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP).

One Uganda Peoples Defence Forces officer, Colonel Ndahura Atwooki was one of those promoted, gaining the rank of Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIGP). Other notable names include Sam Omala, James Ruhweza, Siraj Bakaleke and Polly Namaye, all of who have been promoted from Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) to Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP).

ACPs Omala, Ruhweza and Bakaleke became common faces for their roles in trying to contain street protests in Kampala involving opposition figures including among others Dr Kizza Besigye of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) and the embattled city Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago, while ACP Namaye is Deputy Spokesperson of the Police.

Also promoted is former Sipi region commander Superintendent of Police (SP) Gerald Twishime Byensi, who now becomes SSP. He is remembered for recently ordering police officers under his command to shoot bullets and fire tear gas canisters to disperse crowds that had invited FDC flag bearer Dr Besigye to ‘witness the poor living conditions’ in which they lived in Tariet Internally Displaced Camp (IDP) in Bukwo district on January 6 this year.

Other prominent faces are SP Norman Musinga, the Commandant Highway Traffic Police, who now becomes SSP, and Muhammad kirumira, who is now Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP).

Developing story: other emerging details following soon.

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The European Union has reduced the allowances for peacekeeping troops serving in Somalia under Amisom. According to the EU, each peacekeeper earns a ‘strict’ allowance of US$1028 but with the new changes the take home per month will come down to US$822.4.

The disclosure was made by the Chief of Defence Forces General Edward Katumba Wamala, who said the allowances of a peacekeeper had been slashed by 20 per cent, beginning January this year.

“I can tell you and I know you are going to turn it around, but from January (2016) the European Union started cutting down on the allowances (of the troops) by 20 per cent,” Gen Katumba Wamala, who was responding to a question over a reported seven-month salary delay for the Amisom troops, reportedly told The Observer.

According to Gen Katumba Wamala, the bureaucratic chain of disbursement also contributes to the delay in payments.

“The allowances are got from the African Union. African Union gets money from the European Union because African countries cannot raise the money to pay troops. So, the EU, which supports this mission, pays the AU and then the African Union pays the troop-contributing countries who pay the troops,” Gen Katumba said.

Uganda was the first country to deploy peacekeeping troops to war-ravaged Somalia in March 2007 and to date has the biggest contingent of over 5000.

Meanwhile, the Uganda Peoples Defence Forces celebrates 35 years of a transformational process that included its predecessor, the National Resistance Army (NRA), which was started as a rebel outfit in 1981. And tomorrow, February 6 marks the day the then rebels attacked Kabamba military barracks, where the hero of the day was General Elly Tumwine Tuhirirwe, who fired the first shot during the early morning raid on the military training installation.

As part of the celebrations, the UPDF has been carrying out a series of exercises among them cleaning of health units in different areas.

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Moses Mwebesa, the controversial Buhweju Resident District Commissioner (RDC), who banned several Catholic church activities including night prayers, has been removed.

In a statement released by the Minister for Presidency Frank Tumwebaze, he confirmed that Mwebaze had been removed and replaced by Mbarara Deputy RDC Emmy Kateera.

“We have removed the RDC of Buhweju to investigate the allegations,” Tumwebaze wrote.

He stressed that if the embattled RDC acted irregularly, he will be punished. “But if he is being framed because of local politics on the ground we shall also know.” He cautioned.

Last week, Christians from St. Kizito, Bihanga Catholic Parish in Buhweju, and clergy at Mbarara Archdiocese petitioned Tumwebaze to reprimand Mwebesa, whom they accused of invading their church during night prayers and disorganizing the congregation.

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Uganda has procured armoured police cars, similar to those Kenya acquired at the end of January, ahead of its general election set for February 18.

The armoured vehicles, some of them embossed with the words ‘Uganda Police’ and that have features including water cannons, riot controls and wedged front plows were spotted at the G-section of the Port of Mombasa but Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) officials declined to comment on the ‘sensitive’ matter.

Uganda Consular General Tayebwa Katureebe said he has not received any information concerning the embossed vehicles, but denied they are related to the elections.

“I am not aware about police cars at the Port, but if they are there they are not meant for elections,” Katureebe said.

He noted however, that Uganda has been part of the war against terror for a long time, including joining the fight against al Shabaab in Somalia in 2007.

Contacted on phone for comment on the matter police spokesperson Fred Enanga first denied, but when told some of the armoured vehicles were embossed with Uganda Police inscriptions, he said the media should wait for the day when the armoured vehicles are unveiled in Uganda.

“You are rushing us; do you know where they are or how many they are?” he asked before hanging up.

This year’s election pits incumbent President Yoweri Museveni, who is seeking to extend his 30-year rule, against longtime opposition leader Kizza Besigye and his ally-turned-rival, Amama Mbabazi.

Meanwhile, rights groups have accused the Uganda government of using state security to stifle criticism and intimidate Museveni’s rivals, charges the state denies.

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