The Speaker of Parliament Anitah Among in collaboration with top officials from Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) has resolved a year-long payment of the city’s demonstrating casual laborers.
“In a meeting I held this afternoon with (KCCA) leadership, including Executive Director Dorothy Kisaka and Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago, we successfully resolved the year-long payment impasse of the city’s casual laborers. I’m pleased that through collaborative effort, we have been able to address this longstanding issue affecting the casual workers,” Among said.
Last week a section of the laborers stormed Parliament in protest of their unpaid salaries by KCCA and some of the workers claimed that they have been demanding payment for the past 45 months but all in vain.
Speaker Among calmed down the angry and hungry laborers and tasked KCCA leadership to ensure that they are paid, noting that delaying to pay them is contrary to Article 40(1) of the Constitution which provides for equal payment for equal work without discrimination.
Demonstrators expressed frustration over their low salaries, which are insufficient to cover basic needs such as rent and education for their children.
The workers earlier petitioned parliament and called on KCCA to expedite the settlement of their outstanding payments or face legal action. They alleged that despite efforts to engage with relevant authorities, including Parliament and the Minister for Kampala, their grievances remain unaddressed.
The Auditor General’s report for the Financial Year 2021/22 highlighted governance conflicts between the Lord Mayor and KCCA’s technical wing, further complicating matters. However, Kisaka has previously assured that efforts are underway to ensure timely payments to casual workers in the future, attributing the delays to financial constraints.
Nickson, Atwooki and Muhangi.
Former special operations unit commandant Nixon Agasirwe (L) Flying Squad commander, Herbert Muhangi(R), former Director of Crime Intelligence Col. Nduhura Atwooki (C). The three are among the many that have been acquitted by Court of Appeal.
The Court of Appeals has exonerated all cases against Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Nickson Agasiirwe, Col. Ndahura Atwooki, and the former Flying Squad Chief Commissioner of Police (CP) Nickson Agasiirwe.
They were battling charges of aiding and abetting kidnaps and the illegal repatriation of Rwandan refugees. The group was arrested in 2017 over the alleged 2013 kidnapping of Lt. Joel Mutabazi, a former presidential guard in Rwanda, and Jackson Karemera, who were reportedly deported back to Rwanda. Lt. Mutabazi was subsequently tried in Rwanda and given a life sentence by a military court.
The police officers were also accused of failing to supervise and ensure accountability for firearms and ammunition issued to specialised units under the office of the IGP and ended up giving some to Abdallah Kitatta, the former patron of Boda-Boda 2010, who was convicted and released after serving his sentence.
Inspector General of Government (IGG) Beti Kamya has said hse is set to investigate the ‘mismanagement’ of public offices, funds, and corruption at Parliament.
Kamya said earlier today at the Inspectorate of Government.
The IGG’s decision follows the ongoing social media exhibition of parliament, which alleged that the National Resistance Movement (NRM) commissioners awarded themselves Shs400 million while Mathias Mpuuga, the National Unity Platform (NUP) commissioner, received Shs500 million.
“The issues in parliament have generated public and media interest, and therefore, no one can ignore them. As the inspectorate of government, we have received several whistleblower accounts of the inner workings of parliament. We have also received petitions from ordinary citizens asking us to get involved,” she said.
She said the inspectorate has decided to start an investigation into the mismanagement of public offices, funds, and corruption in parliament.
Yesterday, the NUP party principal, Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, aka Bobi Wine, said that the former Leader of Opposition in Parliament (LoP), Mathias Mpuuga, must apologise, resign his position as the commissioner at parliament, and return the money before taking him through the rehabilitation process.
My deputy president and Commissioner of Parliament, Mathias and Mpuuga, was named in that scandal. It was an allegation that Mpuuga, together with Speaker Anita, among other commissioners, awarded himself Shs500 million. It was disturbing. But after finding what I thought was credible evidence, I summoned the meeting that involved all my deputy presidents, the party leadership, including the Secretary General, Deputy Secretary General, and other respectable leaders,” Bobi said.
In that meeting, my Deputy President and Director, Mpuuga, admitted that he indeed took part in this wrongdoing. He admitted that he wrongfully awarded himself Shs500 million, and to make it even worse, this was supposed to be passed to the holder, not those that came before him or those that are coming after him.
“We advised him to honourably return that money because it is dirty money, apologise to the nation, and resign from the commission as a sign of goodwill and integrity. We wait to see whether Mpuuga heeds and takes on the moral action that was advised to do,” he said. The meeting resolved that if Mpuuga does the right thing to dissociate from corruption, apologise to the people of Uganda, and resign from that commission, they will come together, rehabilitate him, and then see how they can come together.
President Museveni and Amb. Fukuzawa Hidemoto after their meeting at State House Entebbe.
President Yoweri Museveni has bid farewell to the outgoing Ambassador Fukuzawa Hidemoto and hailed the government of Japan for their contribution to fostering robust diplomatic relations between Uganda and Japan.
President Museveni further highlighted the importance of bolstering economic ties through direct investment, underscoring the potential for further collaboration between the two nations.
“The outgoing Ambassador of Japan, H.E. Fukuzawa Hidemoto visited me at Entebbe yesterday. As he prepares for retirement and the end of his tour of duty, I thank him and the government of Japan for the good diplomatic relations between our two countries. I also emphasized the need for enhanced economic ties through direct investment. I wish him good luck,” Museveni said.
This meeting comes against the backdrop of a long-standing relationship between Uganda and Japan, which recently celebrated 60 years of diplomatic and bilateral relations. Japan has been one of Uganda’s key development partners, contributing significantly to the country’s progress through various projects, including infrastructural developments like the Nile Bridge. The relationship between the two countries has been characterized by mutual cooperation in trade, technology transfer, capacity building, and human resource development, among other areas.
Trade between Uganda and Japan has seen fluctuations, with the balance of trade favoring Japan. However, both nations have shown a keen interest in increasing cooperation, particularly in the areas of trade and technology transfer.
Ambassador Hidemoto, during his tenure, emphasized Japan’s commitment to strengthening this relationship further, pointing to past successes and the potential for future collaborations.
Japan’s engagement with Africa and Uganda in particular, has been facilitated through the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) summits, a forum for dialogue between African leaders and their development partners.
These summits have played a crucial role in defining the priorities for development in Uganda, including infrastructure development, support for refugee responses, and efforts to increase income in rural areas through agriculture.
As Ambassador Hidemoto bids farewell, the foundation he has helped strengthen between Uganda and Japan provides a promising platform for future growth and cooperation.
Museveni’s call for enhanced economic ties through direct investment reflects a forward-looking approach to leveraging this longstanding relationship for mutual benefit. The transition marks a moment of reflection on past achievements and an optimistic outlook toward even greater cooperation between Uganda and Japan in the years to come.
In February when Hidemoto paid a courtesy visit to parliament, Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa told the legislators that the ambassador, who has been his personal friend and fellow golfer, has played a key role in lobbying for funds to develop different sectors in Uganda.
“On a painful note for me personally, Ambassador Hidemoto is leaving Uganda after completing his tour of duty. During his time, he has been able to lobby for the people of Uganda and the government for increased funding for sectors ranging from basic education, university research, infrastructure, and the energy sector. He has touched each and everything,” said Tayebwa.
The Deputy Speaker also said that Japan, through the lobbying of Ambassador Hidemoto, has contributed to the health sector, including the donation of ambulances. Specifically, on infrastructure development, Tayebwa hailed Japan for technology and skills transfer, helping construct modern designs of roads and bridges.
“So, now we have experts from Japan. Experts in highway and flyover designs who have been studying our country and helping us to come up with the most concrete designs for roads, and we know Japan is associated with quality,” added Tayebwa.
The Deputy Speaker, however, declined to grant a motion without notice that was moved by Kira Municipality MP Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda, who wanted Parliament to pass a resolution arguing the government to grant Ugandan citizenship to Ambassador Hidemoto.
Ssemujju, who got support from 3rd Deputy Prime Minister Rukia Nakadama, said that with the good things being said of Hidemoto and his selfless contributions in Uganda, it would be better if he returned and provided leadership.
“We had an ambassador from Germany who was very good to Uganda. He was offered citizenship and even returned to settle here. He even became a presidential advisor. I want us to urge the government to bestow citizenship to the Ambassador (Hidemoto), and it will be up to him to decide. If he returns here, we can even ask him to provide leadership,” argued Ssemujju.
The National Social Security Fund (NSSF), Uganda’s national savings scheme, has hit Shs20 trillion in Assets Under Management (AUM), one and a half years ahead of schedule, according to the Fund’s 10-year Strategic Plan.
In 2015, the Fund launched the 2015-2025 Strategic Plan, with a key strategic objective to grow the Fund’s Assets Under Management to Shs20 trillion by 2025. The other strategic objectives were improvement in business processes to pay benefits to qualifying members in 1 day and achieving 95% staff and customer satisfaction.
“When we set this audacious goal in 2015, to many people, it seemed beyond reach. In addition, we did not know that the journey would be filled with disruptions: a global pandemic that kept us locked for almost 2 years, an unprecedented mid-term benefit payout, and disruptive and intrusive investigations. Despite all this, we didn’t just endure, we thrived,” NSSF Managing Director Patrick Ayota has said.
He added that the key drivers that enabled the Fund to achieve the milestone ahead of schedule are consistent growth in both contributions from members and income from the Fund’s investments.
Information from the Fund shows that contributions increased from only Shs688 billion in 2015 to Shs1.27 trillion in 2020 and hit Shs1.72 trillion by 2023.
Despite the volatile economic environment over the last 10 years, income has also consistently increased. In 2015, the Fund’s income stood at Shs583.2 billion, but rose to Shs1.47 trillion by 2020. Last Financial Year, the Fund recorded Shs2.2 trillion in realised income.
Ayota said that he is confident the Fund will achieve its strategic objectives as scheduled. Some benefit types, such as Age and mid-term are already being paid in less than 7 days, while the average payment time is currently 11 days. Customer and staff satisfaction stood at 86% as at the end of last Financial Year.
“We thank God. We thank our staff, various Boards of Directors over the years, our supervising ministries, and all who have made this possible. We are now on the brink of a new era – a new day where we aim to redefine what’s possible once again. Our next goal is to grow Assets Under Management to Shs50 trillion by 2035,” Ayota said.
Ministry of Agriculture PS, Maj. Gen. David Kasura Kyomukama.
Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has tasked the Ministry Agriculture to explain circumstances under which Shs7.3 million were spent on the purchase of each goat, yet the majority of the goats bought ended up dying within the first week after distribution, with auditors blaming the supplier of intentionally supplying sick and emaciated goats to government.
This followed a query raised in the December 2023 Auditor General’s report that queried the Shs15 billion Goat Roll-Out project implemented in 7 districts, where the Ministry of Agriculture procured 2,902 local indigenous goats worth Shs1.156 billion and imported 71 goats at a cost of Shs528 million.
According to the Auditor General, John Muwanga, all the 150 goats distributed in Nakasongola district worth Shs52.5 million had died, whereas in Gomba district, out of the 700 goats distributed worth Shs245 million, 259 goats valued at Shs90.7 million had died, thus indicating that a total of 409 goats out of 850 distributed in Gomba and Nakasongola worth Shs143 million had died by the time of audit in September 2023.
Steven Kajura, Project Coordinator at the Ministry of Agriculture defended the cost spent on each goat saying the goats were bought from South Africa and was of a higher pedigree.
“The goats were bought from South Africa and Namibia, we bought high pedigree animals and that includes insurance and flight costs, so it came to Shs7.3 million the exotic pedigree animals are usually very expensive, you are free to google and you will come to around the same range,” Kajura explained.
FILE PHOTO: Flags are seen behind the logo of the European Investment Bank pictured in the city of Luxembourg, Luxembourg, March 25, 2017. Reuters/Eric Vidal/File Photo
Women-led businesses and entrepreneurs are set to benefit from 425.5 billion from the European Investment Bank (EIB) and Centenary Bank.
The funds are aimed at empowering micro entrepreneurs to break down barriers to trade and growth in often neglected areas of the community and increase access to credit in areas of microfinance and small and medium enterprises.
According to Fabian Kasi, the Managing Director of Centenary Bank, the resources were pulled together following the partnership between EIB and Centenary Bank. Under the partnership, each bank will contribute €500,000 in the form of a loan and €500,000 from Centenary Bank.
The bank is currently giving out over Shs3 trillion in loans every year; however, over 20% of them go to agriculture. The bank will issue 1.9 million loans to small, growing businesses and microenterprises, with a specific focus on employing almost one million women or women-run businesses, and 1.2 million loans to microenterprises in rural areas.
The Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) 2023 report indicates that the agricultural sector remains the largest employer with about 70 percent of the population, accounts for approximately 25 percent of the GDP of this country and contributes 35 percent of the export earnings as of the end of the year 2022–2023.
“The bank has stepped up its environmental, social, and governance practices to embrace more climate adaptation and mitigation solutions. With its renewable energy products, which include solar housing and irrigation loans, eco stoves, and poor connections, the bank will support climate-focused businesses that improve agriculture production and processing, as well as promote green, efficient technologies to conserve the environment,” Kasi said.
Edward Claessen, the head of the regional hub for EIB, said strong financial intermediaries are crucial to addressing market challenges and creating optimal investment situations across the region.
He said the transaction aligns with Global Gateway priorities as it will be channeled to microfinance, micro, and SME clients in Uganda.
“The loan will be particularly aimed at female microentrepreneurs and microenterprises; more than 50% of the loan will go to such borrowers. We believe this loan goes a long way towards addressing those challenges, and with the support of micro and small enterprises, this operation will contribute to poverty reduction,” he said.
Much as telecom company Airtel Uganda saw its revenue in 2023 grow by 11.5 percent to Shs1,784 billion compared to Shs1,599 billion realised in 2022, the company reported a decline in profit for the year of Shs423 billion in 2023 compared to Shs474 billion in the previous year.
Its profit after tax was Shs297 billion compared to Shs326 billion earned in 2022. The company blamed the decline in profit on high operational costs, meaning shareholders will get less cash into their pockets.
However, the company says the marked performance in revenue growth illustrates its unwavering commitment to innovation, customer satisfaction, and operation al excellence.
The company’s data revenue and value-added services also posted significant growth in the past year, reaching Shs776 billion compared to Shs657 billion in 2022.
Presenting statements for the year ended December 31, 2023, Manoj Murali, the company’s Managing Director noted: “This increase was primarily driven by a rise in data usage, with more customers accessing data services. Voice revenue also experienced growth, reaching Shs899 billion during the reporting period from Shs870 billion in 2022.”
He said the total minutes of voice calls also increased by 6.7 percent compared to the previous year.
On February 26, 2023, the Company’s Board of Directors declared to pay shareholders a dividend of Shs86 billion at the rate of Shs2.15 per share.
Meanwhile, according to the statements, the company’s total assets grew to Shs2.2 trillion in 2023 from Shs1.97 trillion in 2022.
Lujja Bbosa Tabula, the prime suspect in the murder of Eng. Bbosa.
Uganda Police has put up a Shs10 million cash prize on Lujja Bbosa Tabula, the prime suspect in the gun down of Daniel Bbosa, the esteemed head of the Ndiga clan and director of Transa Electrical.
Tabula is believed to be the mastermind in the murder of Eng. Daniel Bbosa, the former head of the Ndiga Clan. Daniel Bbosa was gunned down on Sunday, February 25, 2024, in Lungujja, Lubaga Division.
According to Fred Enanga, Police Spokesperson, the joint crime intelligence and the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) task team, in coordination with Kampala metropolitan territorial teams, have in custody seven suspects for being behind the violent murder by shooting of Eng. Bbosa.
Bbosa was fatally shot by yet-to-be-identified assailants as he was approaching his residence in Kikandwa Zone, Lungujja Parish, Lubaga Division.
The assailants, riding on a motorcycle, opened fire at Bbosa’s motor vehicle, bearing registration number UAH 637X, resulting in his immediate demise.
During the heinous act, a vigilant local resident bravely intervened, knocking down the assailants’ motorcycle and alerting the community. Swiftly, members of the community mobilised, leading to a confrontation with the assailants. Mob justice ensued, resulting in the death of one assailant at the scene, while the other remains in critical condition.
The motive behind this senseless act of violence remains unknown, and efforts are underway to identify and apprehend the perpetrators.
Furthermore, “We have recovered the firearm allegedly used in the murder incident, along with the motorcycle registration number UEX 754E, utilised by the assailants during the attack. These findings will be instrumental in our ongoing investigation’.
Is it the fight for supremacy or bad blood between Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine and Mathias Mpuuga?
The party principal of the National Unity Platform (NUP), Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu aka Bobi Wine, has insisted that the former Leader of Opposition in Parliament (LoP), Mathias Mpuuga, must apologise, resign his position as the Commissioner at Parliament, and return the money before taking him through the rehabilitation process.
The former presidential candidate said he returned to the country to join an online protest #Ugandafundamentalexhibition. The protests were aimed at unearthing and exposing the ‘rot’ at parliament.
The social media exhibition has exposed much about the corruption by the leaders in government, but unfortunately, not even the opposition leaders were spared. However, others view the protest as being arm-twisted by underhand forces to fight political battles.
Kyagulanyi said he has no personal grudges with Mpuuga because he appointed him his vice president for Buganda, Leader of opposition and commissioner at parliament and is a leader he holds in high regard.
“My deputy president and commission of Parliament, Mathias and Mpuuga, was named in that scandal. It was an allegation that Mpuuga, together with Speaker Anita, among other commissioners, awarded himself Shs500 million. It was disturbing. But after finding what I thought was credible evidence, I summoned the meeting that involved all my deputy presidents, the party leadership, including the Secretary General, Deputy Secretary General, and other respectable leaders,” Bobi said.
He added “In that meeting, my Deputy President and Director, Mpuuga, admitted that he indeed took part in this wrongdoing. He admitted that he wrongfully awarded himself Shs500 million, and to make it even worse, this was supposed to be passed to the holder, not those that came before him, not those that are coming after him.
We advised him to honorably return that money because it is dirty money, apologise to the nation, and resign from the commission as a sign of goodwill and integrity. We wait to see whether Mpuuga heeds and takes on the moral action that was advised to do,” he said.
He applauded NUP leaders who have not betrayed the cause of their supporters and individuals who have not bowed down to the frustration and temptation of fighting for small positions. I salute those who have been with our people and consistently stood with them. I also salute the supporters and the people that make us.
“I told you that I would not cover up for any corruption. I will not be like President Yoweri Museveni, whose ministers steal money made for Karamoja iron sheets and cover up for them. In any moral country, many more people would have resigned. We commit to fighting corruption, and therefore we must lead by example. You cannot give what you don’t have. If you don’t have integrity, you cannot give integrity. We have a strong stand against corruption. And we intend to not just talk against corruption but to act against it,” he said.
The meeting resolved that if Mpuuga does the right thing to dissociate from corruption, apologise to the people of Uganda, and resign from that commission, they will come together, rehabilitate him, and then see how they can come together. It is upon him to do what is right.
