President Yoweri Museveni has ordered for the procurement of eighteen million hoes, to cater for six million households in the country.

In a communication dated November 20, Mr Museveni, writing to the Prime Minister Dr Ruhakana Rugunda, said the issue was discussed in Cabinet last financial year but no action was seemingly taken.

‘I direct that in the next financial year, (2016/2017) you include, in the budget, the purchase of 18 (eighteen) million hoes. These hoes will be distributed to 6 (six) million households, each receiving 3 (three) hoes,’ the President wrote, adding: ‘We had discussed this issue in the Cabinet with a view of providing some hoes in the current financial year. What happened?’,  Mr Museveni queried, in a letter copied to the Vice President Edward Kiwanuka Ssekandi and the Permanent Secretary and Secretary to the Treasury, among others.

In yet another communication, the President wrote to the health minister Dr Elioda Tumwesigye, directing him to pay attention to Hepatitis B in the West Nile and Northern Uganda regions, border areas where it may be difficult to contain the disease because of the constant movements.

In the letter the President urged the minister to focus on information dissemination, intervention, treatment and vaccination against the disease.

And in yet another communication, the president has directed the Micro Finance Support Centre to ease access to loans.

‘We are all aware that the Micro Finance Support Centre Ltd was incorporated by Government to allow timely and affordable financial services to low income earning Ugandans to propel household income at family level’, the president wrote to the State Minister of Finance Caroline Okao.

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An attack by suspected Islamist militants who took 170 people hostage at Radisson Blue Hotel in the Malian capital is over, US officials say.

The National Security Council condemned the “heinous attack”.

Malian officials earlier said militants had “no more hostages” and Special Forces were chasing them. Reports suggest at least 27 people were killed.

Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb and its offshoot al-Murabitoun said they carried out the attack.

A UN official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said 12 bodies were found in the basement and 15 on the second floor.

It is not clear if this includes two of the attackers who are reported to have died.

• How attack happened
• In pictures: Hotel attack
• Mali: World’s most dangerous peacekeeping mission

One of the hostages killed was Geoffrey Dieudonne, a member of parliament in Belgium’s Wallonia region.

China’s state news agency Xinhua says three Chinese nationals are among the dead. The US state department said one US citizen was killed.

UK Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said three Britons in the hotel were safe.

Pictures showed that some of the hostages leaving the hotel were wounded.

The US-owned hotel is popular with foreign businesses and airline crews.

Eyewitnesses said up to 13 gunmen had entered the hotel shooting and shouting “God is greatest!” in Arabic.

Analysis: BBC Security Correspondent Frank Gardner

The claim by an obscure Saharan jihadist group allied to al-Qaeda that they were behind the attack is a reminder that the country still faces an insurgency.

In 2013 French forces effected a stunningly swift reversal of al-Qaeda’s takeover of most of Mali. But Mali is a large, poor country with porous borders and large areas of ungoverned space where jihadist groups have been able to hide and plan attacks.

It has not been helped by the ease with which weapons can come across from Libya, nor by the proximity of a murderous insurgency in Nigeria where Boko Haram reportedly killed more people last year than Islamic State did in Syria and Iraq.

It is clear that Mali will continue to need international military support. But to defeat terrorism in the long term it will also need secure borders, good governance and more economic opportunities for young Malians.

Why Mali is an insurgent hotspot

Profile: Al-Murabitoun

Find out about Mali

Before Special Forces stormed the building, a security source told Reuters news agency that some hostages who were able to recite verses of the Koran were being freed.

Mali’s presidency thanked the security forces and friendly countries for their support in responding to the attacks.

Off-duty US servicemen helped in the hostage rescue operation. French Special Forces were also involved.

There is as yet no established link with the attacks in Paris one week ago that killed 130 people.

In August, suspected Islamist gunmen killed 13 people, including five UN workers, during a hostage siege at a hotel in the central Malian town of Sevare.

France, the former colonial power in Mali, intervened in the country in January 2013, when al-Qaeda-linked militants threatened to march on Bamako after taking control of the north of the country.

Mali’s President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita cut short a trip to a regional summit in Chad.

The UN force in Mali took over responsibility for security in the country from French and African troops in July 2013, after the main towns in the north had been recaptured from the Islamist militants.

Militancy in Mali:

• October 2011: Ethnic Tuaregs launch rebellion after returning with arms from Libya
• March 2012: Army coup over government’s handling of rebellion, a month later Tuareg and al-Qaeda-linked fighters seize control of north
• June 2012: Islamist groups capture Timbuktu, Kidal and Gao from Tuaregs, start to destroy Muslim shrines and manuscriptsand impose Sharia
• January 2013: Islamist fighters capture a central town, raising fears they could reach Bamako. Mali requests French help
• July 2013: UN force, now totalling about 12,000, takes over responsibility for securing the north after Islamists routed from towns
• July 2014: France launches an operation in the Sahel to stem jihadist groups
• Attacks continuein northern desert area, blamed on Tuareg and Islamist groups
• 2015: Terror attacks in the capital, Bamako, and centralMali

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Civil Society Organisations in the EAC have petitioned the regional Assembly to urgently undertake specified number of actions within its mandate to contain the situation in the Republic of Burundi.

Representatives of the Pan African Lawyers Union (PALU) and the East African Civil Society Organisations’ Forum (EACSOF) Monday afternoon presented a petition to EALA Speaker, Rt. Hon Daniel F. Kidega at a brief ceremony at the Speaker’s Chambers in Arusha.

The Civil Society representatives are petitioning EALA among other things to make strong recommendation to the Summit of EAC Heads of State that the Republic of Burundi should not assume the rotating Chairmanship of the EAC until it resolves the political, human rights and humanitarian crisis in the country.

The petitioners further urge the House to call upon the Chair of the Assembly of Heads of State and Governments of the African Union to take concrete steps towards preventing Burundi from descending into genocide or mass atrocities.   Such measures the petition says include, enhancing the numbers and capacity of the Human Rights Monitors and Military monitors deployed to the country. They further call for the sanctions regime of the African Union to be activated.

The petition avers that EALA or a relevant committee within should immediately call for a public hearing in Arusha, Tanzania, that would welcome Burundian and East African citizens to testify to the occurrences in the country and to suggest proposals for resolution to the crises.

In addition to PALU (Principal Petitioner) and EACSOF, the Atrocities Watch Africa, Centre for Citizens’ Participation on the African Union, East Africa Law Society and the Kituo Cha Katiba append their signatures to the petition.

The petition states that there have been numerous reports of cases of assassinations, extra-judicial and arbitrary killings of over 130 persons and wants EALA to condemn what it terms arbitrary killings as well as the inordinate use of force by the police, security officials and members of a youth wing group, Imbonerakure.

The petitioners say that although the authorities in Burundi have ordered investigations into the killings, no single case has been concluded, citing the murder of the former head of intelligence Services, General Adolphe Nshimirimana.

“More recently, the arbitrary killing of the son of the eminent and award winning Human Rights Defender, Pierre Claver Mbonimpa, who is himself under recovery after been shot, for which no investigations have been done, despite statements by the Government condemning the killings”, a section of the Petition reads.

The petitioners in addition, call on EALA to request the African Union to intervene in the political and humanitarian crisis citing its comprehensive and far reaching legal and institutional framework that includes the Constitutive Act of the African Union, 2000 and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights amongst others.

The petition acknowledges the measures taken by various organs and Institutions of the EAC since the crisis started in February this year. They include three Extra-Ordinary Summits by the EAC Heads of State held on Burundi which took place on May 13, 2015, May 31, 2015 and June 6, 2015 – the latter of, which appointed the President of the Republic of Uganda, H.E Yoweri Kaguta Museveni to mediate in the crisis.

EAC citizens, including some of the petitioners, filed a case before the East African Court of Justice, in reference No. 2 of 2015: East African Civil Society Organizations’ Forum (EACSOF) vs. The Attorney General of Burundi and 2 others.  According to the petitioners, the case requests the Court to ascertain whether the President of Burundi, could lawfully run for a third term in light of the relevant provisions of the Arusha peace and reconciliation agreement for Burundi (Arusha Accord) of 2000 and the Burundi Constitution of 2005.

The Reference No. 2 of 2015 was filed with an application for interim injunction whose citation is Application No. 5 of 2015 (arising from reference No. 2 of 2015) The East African Civil society srganizations’ forum (EACSOF) Vs the attorney general of the Republic of Burundi and 2 others. The application sought to injunct the elections of Burundi pending hearing and determination of the reference. The application was heard on 20th July, 2015 and a ruling was delivered on the same day denying the grant of an injunction.

“The East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) on its part, participated in the joint East African Community (EAC) observation mission to the Burundi elections, though it is yet to deploy its mandate and powers, under the treaty for the establishment of the East African Community, to the deepening political, human rights and humanitarian crisis in Burundi”, a section of the petition states.

The petitioners reiterate speedy responses to the situation in Burundi.

“Should the above measures not bear fruit within the next one month, the house (EALA) should call for suspension of the Burundi government from both the EAC and the AU,” the petition affirms in conclusion.

Under Rule 86 of the EALA rules of procedure, any citizen of the partner states, and nay natural or legal person residing or having its registered office in a partner state shall have the right to address, individually or in association with other citizens or persons, a petition to the assembly on a matter which comes within the community’s fields of activities and which affects him, her or it directly.

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The East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) shall hold its sitting in Kigali, Rwanda, next week.

The plenary which takes place from Monday, November 22, 2015 to Friday, December 4, 2015, is the third meeting of the fourth session of the third assembly.
The Assembly is to be presided over by the Speaker, Daniel F. Kidega. Top on the agenda during the two week period is the special sitting expected to be addressed by the President of the Republic of Rwanda, H.E. Paul Kagame.

Two key bills on the cards at the EALA meeting are the EAC disaster risk reduction bill 2013 and the EAC forestry management bill 2014.

The EAC forestry management Bill 2014 seeks to promote the development, protection, conservation, sustainable management and use of the forests in the community especially trans-boundary forests ecosystems, in the interest of present and future generations.

It further wants to espouse the scientific, cultural and socio-economic values of forests and harmonise national forest laws.

The Assembly adjourned debate on the forest management and protection bill, 2014 at its last sitting in Nairobi in October 2015.  The adjournment at committee stage followed the successful motion for the same, tabled by the chair of EAC council of ministers, Dr Harrison Mwakyembe, seeking for more time to enable the United Republic of Tanzania to make input.

Dr Mwakyembe then informed the house that the United Republic of Tanzania was expected to go to the polls in October and that it was necessary for the debate to be put on hold until such time that a new government is in place to effectively enable the Partner State to make its input.

The EAC disaster risk reduction bill 2013 on its part seeks to provide a legal framework for intervention and assistance for people affected by climate change and natural related hazards and to protect the natural environment through integration of comprehensive disaster risk reduction and management practices in the EAC.

Debate on the Bill, moved for second reading in August 2013, was halted following a request by the council of ministers to consult and consider its policy implications.  The EAC Ministers’ further called for the taking over of the Bill for appropriate amendment and re-introduction as a council of ministers’ bill.  At the same time, the move was to allow for pursuit of the ratification of the EAC protocol on peace and security which among other objectives, provides for co-operation in DRR management and crisis response.

During the plenary sittings, the house is also expected to receive and to debate on a number of reports.  They include that of the committee on accounts for the audited financial statements of EAC for the financial year ended June 30, 2014 and the committee on agriculture, tourism and natural resources report on the sensitisation workshop on standards by the African organisation of standardisation (ARSO).

The report of the committee on communication, trade and investment on the on-spot assessment of one stop border posts in the EAC is also expected to be tabled and debated.

In addition, the committee on legal, rules and privileges shall table its report on the implementation of resolutions and questions of the assembly and council commitments.

EALA sittings are held under the principle of rotation in line with article 55 of the EAC Treaty. Its last sitting took place in Nairobi, Kenya in October 2015.  EALA meets at least once in every year at its headquarter in Arusha, Tanzania

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The German foreign minister Dr Frank-Walter Steinmeier will visit Uganda from Saturday 21 to Sunday 22.

According to a press  release by Sussane Pflanz, the Press and Cultural Affairs officer at the German Embassy, Mr Steinmeier, who will be accompanied by MPs and representatives of the cultural and business community, will hold talks with President Yoweri and ministers Sam Kutesa (foreign affairs); John Nasasira (Information and Communication Technology); John Byabagambi (works); Matia Kasaija (finance); Prof Ephraim Kamuntu (water) and the Minister of Energy Eng Irene Muloni.

The Foreign Minister will also meet presidential aspirants John Patrick Amama Mbabazi and Col (rtd) Dr Kizza Besigye; attend a press conference with Mr Kutesa at the foreign affairs ministry headquarters and later attend a panel discussion themed: Population Growth: Chance or Curse for Education and Economy?’ at Makerere University Main Hall.

Dr Steinmeier is on a four-day African tour that will also see him visit Mozambique, Zambia and Tanzania, the last stop of his trip.

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Leaders must supervise the distribution of funds allocated under the Youth and women’s funds and the Microfinance fund to ensure that it benefits the right people and for accountability, President Yoweri Museveni has said.

The President who is also Presidential flag bearer for the National Resistance Movement (NRM) party, was today speaking at a campaign rally held at Mijali Village Boma grounds, Yumbe district town council said that the lack of supervision by Chief Administrative Officers, Permanent secretaries, Members of Parliament (MPs) and District Resident Commissioners (RDCs) was stalling the microfinance fund.

The President said that the money distributed under the microfinance fund is a trust loan, therefore the youth are not supposed to provide security when they want to access the money. “The money for the youth fund and microfinance is not money from the commercial banks. Loans under the youth and women fund are character loans given because of loyalty after recommendation from colleagues,” he explained.

Mr. Museveni also revealed that before Major Ali Bamuze’s death, the two had discussed plans to renovate Lokopyo Hill Technical School. He also promised that government would construct the Abikina power station to boost the electricity supply in the region.

Over 300 members from the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) led by Aluma Twaha, the Chairperson FDC Yumbe Town Council pressure group crossed over to the NRM party saying that have seen good things coming from the NRM government.

Mr. Museveni called upon the residents of Yumbe district to vote for the NRM party saying that it was the only party that can run Uganda peacefully.

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