President Yoweri Museveni has advised the people of Busoga to stop dragging the central government into issues of the Kyabazinga, saying that is the duty of the chiefs and the people of Busoga.

The President, who was recently speaking during the Centenary celebrations for St. Luke Archdeaconry at Kaliro Town Council said that when the National Resistance Movement came to power in 1986, they thought it wise to reinstate the traditional and cultural institutions that had been abolished by the UPC government in 1967.

He said to ensure that there is harmony in those institutions in all parts of Uganda; through article 246 of the 1995 Constitution, it was agreed that traditional institutions be reinstated by people ‘who so wish’.

The President emphasized that the Busoga traditional leadership wrangles are not a political matter to be solved politically by the Central Government.

“In Ankole where I come from, the kings there are my relatives but the people there opposed the reinstatement of the traditional institution and we have no king up to today. There is nothing much the Central Government can do. In Busoga you wanted to have your Kyabazinga and we advised you to follow the law which you made under the leadership of the late Kyabazinga Wako Muloki. But you failed to do that two times and later went to court,” he said.

The President said later 10 chiefs of Busoga agreed on a new arrangement, put it in writing, signed it and handed it to the Central Government which was the reason he attended the coronation in Bugembe.

The President advised the Basoga who are not satisfied with the new arrangement to petition the courts of law other than politicizing and inciting people.

The President later paid a courtesy call on Prince Columbus Wambuzi of Bulamogi at his palace in Kaliro and appealed to him to advise his followers to use constitutional and legal means to solve issues related to cultural leadership in Busoga and not to politicize the matter.

Meanwhile, President Museveni has blamed the non functional secretariat of the National Resistance Movement for the failure to sensitize the population on the roles of the different government institutions and structures and those of other institutions in the country.

Responding to reports that it was the rich and elite who are benefiting from government’s operation wealth creation program, the President urged the people to make good use of the existing elected local government structures to stop the injustices.

“Petition your democratically elected leaders at grass root to solve these problems. Don’t wait for me who will come after two or three years when a lot has been wasted. What is the use of having these structures if they can’t help you solve problems? I’m however happy that the government has done her part and delivered the agricultural seeds and breeding stock. The problem is distribution but as long as NRM is still in charge, a lot more will be delivered,” he said.

Mr. Museveni said that government was on the right track in service delivery and urged the people to do their part to overcome household poverty by engaging commercial, modern agro production.

He said that since the land in the region is fragmented, it is important to engage in high yielding agricultural projects that can be done on small acreage such as coffee and fruit farming, poultry, piggery, zero grazing and also produce some food to ensure food security.

The President contributed 60 million shillings towards the fundraising drive for the completion of St. Luke archdeaconry – Kaliro. He also commissioned new 20 classroom blocks and a library block at Kamuli High School. The education facilities were constructed by the Uganda government with support from the World Bank.

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Initially, the Kampala Northern By-pass was to be a four lane road funded by the European Union, the Uganda Government and the European Development Bank. However, due to unknown circumstances, only two lanes were constructed for a start, leaving a reserve for the other two lanes on either side of the road, a long stretch from Bweyogere to Busega. Unattended to, thugs took advantage and unleashed terror on the by-pass users, stealing cars, raping women and murdering people, among other crimes.

Then, in a bid to curb crime police swung into action, and  built temporary police booths in the reserve that were stationed approximately two kilometers away from each other.

Success was registered as the crimes reduced due to police presence.

However, the Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) has now embarked on the construction of the two other lanes, meaning all the temporary police booths on the reserve have to be removed, ostensibly leaving no permanent police presence along the by-pass.

This development has scared the residents of Kiwatule Zone and other people who use the by-pass, who say criminals may take advantage of the removal of the police booths to strike once again.

Samson Kakande, a boda boda cyclist operating along the route expressed concern, saying their motorcycles may not be safe.

“Boda boda thieves on this road had disappeared, we are now working without fear of being hit by a hammer or iron bar because of police presence, but I am afraid it may start again,” Mr Kakande said

But in an interview with Eagle Online, police spokesperson Fred Enanga said the removal of the temporary police booths will not affect their operations in the area.

“The structures are simply to be moved upwards out of the road reserves but within the same locality along the road,” Mr Enanga said adding: “The communities need us and we shall continue serving them with our static visibility.”

Mr Enanga also said police will explore alternative measures in collaboration with UNRA and other respective agencies to ensure security in the area.

“We have police posts and stations along the road and we are going to use these as an alternative; we shall transfer our officers to these posts,” he added.

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Senegal’s highest court rejected on Thursday an appeal by the son of former president Abdoulaye Wade against a six-year prison term for corruption, a setback to his hopes of contesting the next presidential election.

Karim Wade was jailed in March for “illicit enrichment” during his father’s 2000-2012 government and ordered to pay 138 billion CFA francs ($235 million) by a special court set up to fight graft in the West African state.

Wade, who has branded the prosecution a political witch hunt, was named by his father’s Senegalese Democratic Party (PDS) as its presidential candidate just before the March verdict. He denies any wrongdoing.

Senegal’s next presidential election could come as early as 2017 if President Macky Sall wins approval in a referendum due next year to reduce the term to five years from seven.

“The court analyzed the details of the appeal and rejected all of them,” said Aly Fall, a lawyer representing the Senegalese state.

Outside the court, a small group of supporters shouted “Free Karim Wade”. Mame Dior Diop, coordinator for Karim’s candidacy for the next presidential election, said his supporters would wage a political campaign for his release.

“We have enough shown restraint in this case. It’s high time we showed what we are capable of,” he said.

Wade simultaneously ran several ministries during his father’s government, earning him the nickname “the minister for heaven and earth”.

Sall was swept to power in 2012 amid popular protests against Abdoulaye Wade’s attempts to win a third term in office despite a two-term constitutional limit in a country regarded as West Africa’s most stable democracy. Sall pledged to end what he said was rampant corruption under Wade’s rule.

Diplomats, however, have expressed concern about the format of the special court that convicted Wade, which required him to prove his innocence rather than vice versa.

A U.N. Working Group on Arbitrary Detention in May expressed concern over Wade’s lengthy detention before trial and over “irregularities” in the process.

Defense lawyer Baboucar Cisse said the decision came as no surprise and the Supreme Court had ignored the legal arguments put forward by his team.

“Today’s decision strips the legal system of any credibility,” he said. “What happened is not the rule of law.”

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Burundi’s President Pierre Nkurunziza has been sworn in for a controversial third term in office.

The BBC’s Prime Ndikumagenge in Burundi says the ceremony came as a surprise, as Mr Nkurunziza had been expected to be sworn in next week.

At least 100 people have died in protests since Mr Nkurunziza announced in April he would run for a third term.

The government accuses the opposition, which says the third term is illegal, of causing the violence.

• BBC Africa Live: News updates

In his inauguration speech, Mr Nkurunziza promised to end the violence within two months.

No foreign head of state attended the inauguration.

Burundi’s government says a number of countries apologised for not sending their delegates, because of the change of date.

BBC Africa correspondent Alastair Leithead says that by being sworn in a week ahead of schedule, the president sidestepped the opposition, headed off predicted protests and gave any heads of state who didn’t want to come, a good excuse for not turning up.

The African Union, European Union and the US State Department have all expressed concerns that July’s election was not free and fair.

The UN observer mission said the election was not free and credible and was held “in an environment of profound mistrust” between political rivals.

The African Union did not send observers – the first time it has taken such a stance against a member state.

Who is Pierre Nkurunziza?

• Born in 1964
• Rebel leader-turned president
• Born-again Christian
• Former sports teacher
• Cycles and plays football
• Married with five children
• Father killed in ethnic violence in 1972

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Gunmen have killed South Sudan reporter Peter Julius Moi by shooting him twice in the back in the capital, Juba, his family said after identifying his body.

He is the seventh journalist to be killed this year in South Sudan, where a civil war is ongoing.

His killing comes days after President Salva Kiir threatened to kill reporters “working against the country”.

A presidential spokesman said the words were taken out of context and police were investigating Mr Moi’s death.

Ateny Wek Ateny said a statement would be issued to clarify President Kiir’s remarks, made at the airport in Juba before he went to Ethiopia for peace talks to end the civil war.

• BBC Africa Live: News updates

Mr Moi worked for South Sudan’s Corporate Weekly newspaper and was killed at about 20:00 local time (17:00 GMT) on Wednesday night by unidentified gunmen on the outskirts of Juba.

Juba-based journalist Jason Patinkin told the BBC’s Focus on Africa radio programme that the killing of Mr Moi was a very worrying development for the journalist community in South Sudan, which has seen a steady decline in press freedom since the outbreak of the civil war in December 2013.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) says security agents shut down two privately owned newspapers earlier this month as well as a media group that produced a popular radio series.

The media freedom lobby group has also been critical of Mr Kiir’s comments, which local journalists believe were connected to media criticism of the protracted peace negotiations.

“The leader of any country threatening to kill journalists is extremely dangerous and utterly unacceptable,” the CPJ’s Tom Rhodes said in a statement.

Mr Kiir has also been under fire from diplomats for failing to sign a peace deal on Monday.

The US state department has said he has now promised to sign after “a couple more days of consultation”.

But the US has submitted draft proposals for a UN arms embargo on South Sudan.

Nearly two million people have been left homeless since conflict broke out in the world’s newest state in 2013.

Fighting erupted after Mr Kiir accused rebel leader Riek Machar, his former deputy, of plotting a coup.

Mr Machar signed the accord in Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa, on Monday – the deadline set by mediators.

South Sudan’s elusive peace

• At least seven ceasefires agreed and broken since conflict started in December 2013
• Nearly one in five South Sudanese displaced by the current conflict, from a total population of 12 million
• Former rebel leader Salva Kiir became president of South Sudan, the world’s newest state, when it gained independence in 2011
• South Sudan has been at war for 42 of past 60 years

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