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Typhoid contained, health ministry says

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Our Reporter
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IMG_20150616_115134editorial@eagle.co.ug

The Ministry of Health and Kampala Capital City Authority today announced an end to the typhoid outbreak that hit Kampala and surrounding districts three months ago.

The declaration of an end to the outbreak comes after four weeks of the treatment centres reporting cases below the baseline typhoid outbreak thresholds.

“We are happy to declare Kampala a typhoid free city thanks to the works of the ministry, and its allies, World Health Organization.” said Dr.Jane Ruth Aceng, the Director General of Medical Services said during a press conference held at the Media Centre in Kampala.

The outbreak was declared on 19th February 2015 after numerous cases were reported and confirmed in the central business district of Kampala and neighboring districts of Wakiso and Mukono.

Six treatment centers including Kisenyi, Kitebi, Kisugu, Kawaala, Komamboga and Kiswa were set up to receive, screen and treat all suspected cases.

Government measures to avert any more outbreaks

According to the ministry, the National Water and Sewerage Corporation and commercialized bottled water that has been approved by the Uganda National Bureau of Standards, are the reliable sources of water.

The ministry also tasked KCCA to carry out periodic water quality assessments and certification of food vendors in a bid to avert any more typhoid outbreaks.

Also, heath workers were advised against using the Widal test as a confirmatory test for Typhoid, and instead use a Typhoid Case Definition for suspected cases and blood cultures for confirmation of typhoid.

“Blood samples are expected to be sent through the national specimen transport network to the reference laboratories for appropriate testing,” the health ministry asserts and appealed to the public for increased vigilance against typhoid.

 

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Zambia to host continental tax meet

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Zambia will host the inaugural African Tax Symposium, held under the theme: Trends in International Taxation: An African Perspective.
Zambia will host the inaugural African Tax Symposium, held under the theme: Trends in International Taxation: An African Perspective.

Zambia will host the inaugural African Tax Symposium, held under the theme: Trends in International Taxation: An African Perspective.

According to a release, the two-day event in Livingstone slated forJune 18 and 19, will bring together 130 prominent speakers, includingInternational Bureau of Fiscal Documentation (IBFD) tax experts on Africa, and eminent tax practitioners and professors from 25 countries in Africa, the United States and Europe.
The release indicates that the initiative to hold the Symposium was led by Belema Obuoforibo, Director of the IBFD Knowledge Centre, and Kennedy Munyandi, IBFD Manager for Africa, Middle East & Latin America.
“We are delighted with the high level of interest our inaugural Africa Tax Symposium has attracted and are looking forward to hosting what we are sure will be a very successful event,” Mr. Munyandi was quoted saying.
The comprehensive programme will cover top trends in international taxation, including base erosion and profit shifting (BEPS), the taxation of natural resources and transfer pricing.
 IBFD employs about 70 experts from 30 countries and is a leading provider of cross-border tax expertise, with offices in Amsterdam, Beijing, Washington and Kuala Lumpur, and serves Fortune 500 companies, governments, international consultancy firms and tax advisors.
“The Symposium will bring together an impressive group of respected tax professionals from all over the continent. Our speakers and participants are drawn from every pertinent sector from private practice and industry, from government agencies and non-governmental organizations, and from civil society. We look forward to two days of stimulating debate and knowledge-sharing,” Mr Obuoforibo said, adding:
“This initiative is a prime example of IBFD’s ongoing contribution in the area of tax and development.”
According to the release issued by Africa Press Organisation (APO) on behalf of IBFD, the Symposium has also received support from the Zambian Ministry of Finance, KPMG Zambia and the Zambia Institute of Chartered Accountants.
By press time it had not been established whether the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) or other accounting and taxation firms like KPMG Uganda would send representatives.
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Kutesa’s term at UN ends September

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UN GA PIX
Sam Kutesa (right), President of the 69th session of the General Assembly, meets with Mogens Lykketoft, Speaker of the Parliament of Denmark and President-designate of the General Assembly’s 70th session. UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe

The UN has elected Mogens Lykketoft as the new General Assembly President, to replace Sam Kahamba Kutesa, the fourteenth African to hold the prestigious but largely ceremonial office.

According to a UN release, the 70-year old Lykketoft, a former Danish minister who had stints at both foreign affairs and finance, and then as Speaker of Parliament, will assume office in September.

Mr Kutesa, the Ugandan foreign affairs minister, was elected chair of the 69th UNGA last year, serving his one-year term in New York.

His his election on June 11, 2015 caused a lot of excitement particularly in Africa, where he was the continent’s unanimous choice. However, he also came under attack by pro-gay activists who wanted his election thwarted.

A seasoned politician and lawyer, the 65-year old Kutesa has been Uganda’s foreign affairs minister for 10 years and during his stint at the UN his State Minister Henry Okello Oryem temporarily took over his ministerial duties.

Meanwile, while delivering his acceptance speech, the UNGA President-elect for the 70th Session pledged to lay emphasis on the pillars of the UN Millennium Goals.

“What is now in front of Member States is the final stretch towards adopting a universal, people-centred, transformative development agenda that addresses the struggle of our lifetime,” … “When implemented, it will enable us to eradicate poverty while keeping climate change at bay, building resilience, and creating inclusive and sustainable economic growth,” he was quoted saying.

He further stressed that he would primarily set his targets on action, international peace and security, and improved human rights, and also hinted at reforms in the UN Security Council, ‘particularly ahead of the selection process for the next Secretary General’.

“Today’s decision-makers must acknowledge that 2015 is the time to make a new commitment to action for the sake of generations to come,” Mr. Lykketoft stated adding: “We will have to find ways to achieve sustainable growth, where the distance between rich and poor nations and peoples does not become larger but smaller. Where we not only create development and eradicate extreme poverty but also deliver a more equitable access to and distribution of global goods.”

Outgoing UNGA President Kutesa told his successor and other delegates that member states would ‘adopt an ambitious and transformative post-2015 agenda’ with keen focus on climate change, under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC).

Applauding the president-elect, UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon said Mr Lykketoft was a good choice for the UNGA chair.

“We could not have a better leader in His Excellency Mr. Lykketoft,” Mr Ban Ki Moon said and added: “we can act so the United Nations lives up to its historic ambitions for this year and helps secure the long-term future of our world.”

A 193-member body, the United Nations General Assembly elects a chairperson on an annual basis, and holds sessions between September and December.

 

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DP presidential contestants to pay shs2m

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Our Reporter
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The Acting Publicity SecretaryKenneth Paul Kakande, called upon interested members to pick nomination papers between July 25thand 26th, return them between July 1st and 2nd.
The Acting Publicity Secretary Kenneth Paul Kakande, called upon interested members to pick nomination papers between July 25thand 26th, return them between July 1st and 2nd.
The Acting Publicity SecretaryKenneth Paul Kakande, called upon interested members to pick nomination papers between July 25thand 26th, return them between July 1st and 2nd.

Contestants for the party presidency of the country’s oldest political organization will have to part with two million shillings, to be eligible for election.

Speaking to the press at the Democratic Party headquarters in Kampala, while issuing guidelines for the internal party elections, the acting Publicity Secretary, Kenneth Paul Kakande, called upon interested members to pick nomination papers between July 25thand 26th, return them between July 1st and 2nd, after which they will pick accreditation cards to attend the Delegates Conference from the party headquarters on July 15th.

The National Delegates Conference is slated for July 23rd to 26th, at Katomi, Wakiso district, and Kakande said one qualifies for election as a National Chairman, President or Vice chairperson, if he or she has been an active member of the DP for at least 10 years, or a member of the Party Council for at least five years.

He also said that anyone can qualify for any other party office if he or she has been an active member of the party for at least three years.

Meanwhile, Kakande said that members standing for party vice president and vice chairperson will pay shs1.5m. Candidates standing for full offices and regional vice presidency will pay shs1m, deputies and women secretaries will pay Sh. 500,000, regional representatives will pay shs300, 000 and youth leaders, deputies and secretaries will pay shs200, 000, all non-refundable.

He also noted that no member shall be elected if he suffers or has ever suffered from any mental illness. “No member shall be nominated for any office if he has been convicted of corruption or has been declared bankrupt,” he said and added that no member shall be nominated for elections in absence.

Recently party president, Norbert Mao took official leave from the party in February this year because of poor health and it is not known if he will seek nomination.

However, posters of Mao’s candidacy were sighted at the entrance of the party’s headquarters in Kampala.

 

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Ugandans should tread carefully on sectarianism

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Our Reporter
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President Yoweri Museveni has said that there is a forged document doing rounds on social media, authored by people hell bent on sectarianism and sedition.

“Since the name of the Rt. Hon. Mbabazi, my young brother, has been featuring, in some of these stories, I decided to invite him, together with the Rt. Hon. Ruhakana Rugunda, for a meeting 6pm today so that I ask him whether himself or people associated with him are involved in distributing of these seditious, sectarian documents. We are due to have that meeting in one hour or so,” Mr Museveni wrote.

Well, it is nice and interesting to learn that these two men can still meet to deliberate on matters of national importance. Indeed, while we applaud them for the apparent statesmanship exhibited, we cannot turn a blind eye to the authors of the said document; they need to be restrained because, if their actions are allowed to flourish, they will plunge the country in chaos with severe consequences.

Encouraging discrimination or hatred against a person based on his tribe or any other dispensation is despicable and many communities world over have an anti-sectarian law on their legal books.

Uganda is no exception and has a law against sectarianism, first tabled before the National Resistance Council around 1986, when the National Resistance Movement (NRM) came to power.

At this time it was believed by the new NRM regime that the issue of tribes, political affiliation and religion had, like the proverbial knife, cut smoothly through the butter that was our society then.

The country needed healing and this law was deemed a panacea to achieving unity in diversification, after earlier regimes had sown the ‘seeds of destruction’.

But now, about 30 years later we are seeing traits of that backward thinking creeping in slowly, worst of all, on social media, a platform that has the effect of spreading like a wild bush fire.

So, as the country gears up for the elections next year, Ugandans should ensure they are not duped into acting irresponsibly by embracing sectarianism, an act which borders on disrupting an otherwise stable society.

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Makerere Students’ Guild to pass Shs210m budget

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Our Reporter
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Guild President David Bala, said they were not in position to pass the budget because the person in charge was not prepared.
Guild President David Bala, said they were not in position to pass the budget because the person in charge was not prepared.
Guild President David Bala, said they were not in position to pass the budget because the person in charge was not prepared.

The Makerere University Students’ Guild will finally pass a shs210 million budget at the beginning of July, following the botched meeting on May 31st to pass the draft presented by the Guild finance minister, Michael Kijjambu.

Media reports last week indicated that members of the Council accused Kijjambu for prioritizing petty issues like airtime and carpets and vowed not to pass the budget unless such matters were struck out.

It is also alleged that the Guild Prime Minister had allocated his office shs24m while the Guild President’s office was allocated shs35m, a move the members opposed.

However, the Guild President David Bala, said they were not in position to pass the budget because the person in charge was not prepared.

“We are now ready and are just waiting for the next session which is in two weeks,” Bala said.

Just like any part of the university, the University Council gives the Guild a ceiling of shs210m to run their activities for a nine-month financial year.

But according to Bala, this money is not enough to facilitate all the ministries and Guild activities.

“We cannot entirely depend on the budget, we also contribute and outsource from civil society organizations, the university and other stakeholders,” he said.

The Guild information minister Davidson Ndyabahika, confirmed all the necessary preparations for the budget discussions and said they are now waiting for the Guild Speaker to schedule a session.

The Guild executive is comprised 27 people including the President, Vice-President, Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Campus Affairs, Minister for National and Pan-African Affairs, Minister for Internal Affairs, Minister for Finance, Minister for Social Affairs, Minister for Information, Minister for Off-Campus Affairs and Minister for Health.

The others are Minister for Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Minister of Academic Affairs, Minister for Production, Minister for Culture and Mobilization, Minister for Women Affairs, Minister for Transport, Minister for Employment, Minister of Students’ with Disabilities, Minister for Security, Minister for Information and Computer Technology, Minister of Ethics and Integrity, Minister without Portfolio, Minister for Private Students Affair, Minister for Postgraduate and the Minister for Gender.

 

 

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Museveni,Mbabazi and Rugunda in secret meeting

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Our Reporter
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President Yoweri Museveni is in a secret meeting with Mr Mbabazi and Dr. Rugunda.
President Yoweri Museveni is in a secret meeting with Mr Mbabazi and Dr. Rugunda.
President Yoweri Museveni is in a secret meeting with Mr Mbabazi and Dr. Rugunda.

rwanambwa@eagle.co.ug

Kampala-Former Prime Minister  Amama Mbabazi and his successor Dr.Ruhakana Rugunda are currently in a closed door meeting with President Yoweri Museveni.

The meeting is taking place at State House Entebbe and this comes after Mr Museveni gave out an audio statement this evening shortly after his return from South Africa, on the current state of affairs in his NRM party after Mbabazi, a former party Secretary General, declared that he would contest against him.

According to Ms Linda Nabusayi, the Deputy Presidential Press Secretary, the meeting had been planned earlier and it is about a document which President Museveni said last week had been forged and sent to the deceased Libyan leader, Muammar Gaddafi.

“The meeting is close but it had been arranged earlier before the President left for AU summit in South Africa. It is about the forged document and I think when these boys were arrested by police, his (Mbabazi) name came up and it was all over.” Ms Nabusayi said.

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Digital Migration switch off starts

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Our Reporter
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ICT Minister Eng. John Nasasira.
ICT Minister Eng. John Nasasira.
ICT Minister Eng. John Nasasira.

editorial@eagle.co.ug.

KAMPALA: The Minister of ICT Eng. John Nasasira is tomorrow June 16, expected to address on the country’s readiness to switch from analogue to digital TV broadcasting ahead of tomorrow’s deadline for all countries for Digital Migration.

The event had been scheduled for Monday June 15, 2015, but was swiftly called off after the chief guest; Information Minister Jim Muhwezi was sucked into an urgent security meeting. However the telecommunications regulator, Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) and Signet, the body in charge of signal distribution test piloted the switch off and TV stations went off air.

This means all TV consumers using antennas can longer watch their favourite channels.

Digital broadcasting is based on the use of use digital transmission technologies such as Digital Video Broadcasting -Terrestrial decoders (DVB-T) video and audio compression technologies such as MPEG 2/4.

This means all TV consumers have to use set top boxes and antennas. It also means TV broadcasters can no longer independently transmit signals on their own as it was the case. After the switch off it will be Signet to transmit signals for them to a wider spectrum.

UCC’S acting director for broadcasting Fred Otunnu, said yesterday that the switch off has commenced and will be conducted in phases. Phase one is already on and will cover Kampala and areas within the 65km radius. Phase two commencing on July 31st covering Arua, Kisoro, Mbarara, Mbale, Masaka and Masindi, and Phase three on August 30th covering Jinja, Ntungamo, Rubirizi, Fortportal, Guly, Kiboga, Lira, Kabale and Soroti.

In a statement issued yesterday, Signet said the Digital broadcasting Platform at Kololo has been running alongside the analogue system for last 18 months.

“The switch on today is a completion of Phase 1 of the National Digital Migration. Signet has also put measures in place to ensure signal availability in the shadow areas of Entebbe,” the statement said in part.

TV broadcasters in the country have however expressed halfhearted enthusiasm because it is going to affect their audience market owing to the fact that majority TV consumers cannot afford set top boxes.

Last Friday broadcasters also wrote to the Speaker of Parliament saying the country is not ready and requested the deadline to be extended.

Mr Otunnu, however, told Eagle Online that the June 17, deadline is an international target for the 198 countries of ITU and there is nothing they can do about it.

 

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Justice Bamugemereire to head tribunal on fraud in UNRA

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Our Reporter
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Justice Catherine Bamugemereire
Nonsense Justice Bamugemereire chaired KCCA tribunal in 2013 which was tasked to probe fights at City Hall between executive director Jennifer Musisi and Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago.
Nonsense Justice Bamugemereire chaired KCCA tribunal in 2013 which was tasked to probe fights at City Hall between executive director Jennifer Musisi and Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago.

editorial@eagle.co.ug

KAMPALA: President Museveni has constituted a five member tribunal led by High Court judge Catherine Bamugemereire to investigate alleged abuse of office and mismanagement at the Uganda National Roads of Authority (UNRA).

The tribunal was announced today by Works minister John Byabagambi at a press conference at the ministry’s headquarters in Kampala.

The committee, Mr Byabagambi, said will among others investigate the cost of road works in the country, previous scandals, and methodology used to award contracts.

“The President in exercise of his powers established the commission of inquiry into the allegations of abuse of office, and corrupt practices in UNRA,” he said.

Lady Justice Bamugemereire is famous for the KCCA tribunal in 2013 which was tasked to probe fights at City Hall between executive director Jennifer Musisi and Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago.

The tribunal will comprise of Mr Ben Okello Luwum, Mr Abraham Nkata, Mr Patrick Rusongoza, and Mr Richard Mungati. Others will include Mr Andrew Kasirye as lead counsel and deputized by Ms Mary Kutesa, and Mr Charles Emuria  as secretary to the tribunal and deputized by Mr Danile Ratiba.

Eng. Byabagambi, revealed that the committee will be multi-disciplinary in order to be able to cover a variety of issues.

The tribunal will also flash torch into financial management, supervision of roads construction, management of weigh-bridges in the country and methodology to compensate project affected persons.

It is not yet known when the tribunal will commence work but the minister said it produce a report with recommendations to the president. “Criminal proceedings will be taken accordingly on persons involved,” he added.

UNRA’s executive director, Allen Kagina, said the tribunal is timely for an audit because the works sector consumes a lion’s share of the country budgets. The roads sector has for the last four financial years been prioritized gy government and allocated the biggest percentage from the budget.

Next financial year 2015/2016 which starts in July works and transport was allocated Shs3.3 trillion representing 18 percent of the total budget.

UNRA’s board chairperson Agnes Kiryabwire said they will accord support to the tribunal in all ways during its course of work.

 

 

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Micho relieved, Cranes rewarded

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Uganda Cranes Starting XI against Botswana on Saturday.
Uganda Cranes Starting XI against Botswana on Saturday.

Saturday
CHAN qualifier
Tanzania v Uganda

Uganda Cranes Milutin ‘Micho’ Sredojevic praised his team and claimed
they were on the right path following their 2-0 win against Bostwana.

The Cranes produced a solid performance in their 2017AFCON qualifying
Group D opener at Namboole stadium on Saturday.

Second half goals from Geoffrey Massa and Brian Umony gave Cranes a 2-0 win.

“I am extremely pleased,” Micho said. “In nine days we have managed to
achieve truly important things.

“Of course, we must improve and, especially, continue to get to know
each other.” He added.

The Uganda Cranes players who featured in the 2017 AFCON qualifier
against Botswana on Saturday left camp a happy group.

The players’ efforts for picking up a 2-0win over Botswana landed them
a reward of $ 1000 each as promised by the FUFA President Eng. Moses
Magogo last week when he met the players at Sky Hotel in Nalya.

The promise was fulfilled by the federation on Saturday when the 18
man squad received $18,000 while the remaining seven players who were
in camp but never made the final squad got $500 each.

“This is a marathon campaign. We have five more games to play. You
need to report back on time as required by your club rules. Let’s not
have issues with the clubs that did a good job of releasing you for
national duty” said Magogo.

Meanwhile Micho will be back to business with a collection of home
based players in preparation for the first leg first round of the
Orange African Nations Championship in Zanzibar this Saturday.

The players minus those from KCC FC and SC Villa (preparing for the
Uganda cup final) and Cranes players will be excluded from training
session until Tuesday when Micho will take his squad to the FUFA
Technical centre, Njeru for a residential camp and also to acclimatise
with the artificial turf.

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