The former Managing Director of the National Social Security Fund (NSSF), David Chandi Jamwa, has applauded President Yoweri Museveni for his benevolence, kindness, and sympathy.

Jamwa said this a few hours after President Museveni pardoned him.

At his release, Jamwa had spent four years in jail. He was released alongside Ntale Vincent, Drabo Nelson, Omirambe James, Aliama Samuel, Leku Francis, Kabila Joseph, Yoha Ayitia, alias Samu, Kato Fred, and Owino Jackson.

“I am so grateful to the president, Gen Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, for his magnanimity, benevolence, kindness, sympathy, and mercy. We shall continue thanking him and his establishment,” Jamwa said.

He said, “My release came as a surprise. Once we found out that the prerogative of mercy had been exercised, we could only be grateful. The situation at Luzira is quite challenging. It is an experience that changes you for the better. I thank God for keeping me alive.

Jamwa was found guilty of causing financial loss to NSSF in February 2011 and subsequently sentenced to 12 years by the Anti-Corruption Court.

Through his lawyers, Jamwa applied for bail and was later released pending the hearing of his petition in the Supreme Court over the lower court’s decision that convicted him and sentenced him to 12 years in prison.

His bail was, however, cancelled in January 2018 after appellate court judges Kenneth Kakuru and Opiyo Aweri upheld the anti-corruption court’s decision. Subsequently, Jamwa, who had been on bail for seven years, was sent back to Luzira prison.

Jamwa was convicted of corruption and sentenced to 12 years in prison after anti-corruption Judge John Bosco Katutsi found him guilty of selling National Social Security Fund (NSSF) bonds to the now-defunct Crane Bank before their maturity date, resulting in a financial loss of Shs3.1 billion. He also banned him for 10 years from holding any public office.

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The Governments of the Republic of Uganda and the Central African Republic have signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Military Cooperation during a bilateral meeting that was held at Skyz Hotel, Naguru.

 Speaking at the meeting, the Minister of Defence and Veteran Affairs, Vincent Bamulangaki Ssempijja said that today marks a milestone between the two countries and reiterated Uganda’s commitment to the military partnership with the Central African Republic.

“Uganda has always been committed to promoting peace and stability in the region and we strongly believe that the best to achieve this is through cooperation and collaboration with our neighbours. Our defence partnership with CAR is a testament to this commitment, and we will continue to work together to ensure that our region remains peaceful and prosperous,” said Ssempijja.

Ssempijja commended the unconditional support the government of CAR gave to Uganda during last year’s repatriation of the ex-combatants of the Lord’s Resistance Army from the Zemio and Mboki camps in CAR.

 The Minister of National Defence and Army Reconstruction of the Central African Republic, Claude Rameaux BIREAU said that the focus of the MoU on military cooperation is to normalize the partnership aimed at building the operational capacity of the Central African Armed Forces.

He thanked the government of Uganda for sending the UPDF at the peak of LRA activities in CAR.

Rameaux expressed his country’s desire to benchmark the professionalism of the Uganda Peoples’/Defence Forces which he described as a role model. He added that they hope to learn from the UPDF in terms of production and technological support and in the future, they wish to sign an Economic Agreement.

Earlier, during the session of the Chief of Defence and Chief of Defence Staff, the Joint Chief of Staff, Maj Gen Leopold Kyanda who represented the UPDF Chief of Defence Forces observed that the cooperation of CAR through the African Union Regional Task Force was crucial in degrading the LRA whose remnants have since renounced the rebellion.

Gen Kyanda further said that the MoU is a milestone in cementing the relationship between the two countries/militaries and will go a long way in consolidating their cooperation.

Brig Gen Arcadius Betibangui who represented the Chief of Defence Staff of the Central African Armed Forces called for the need to fast-track the MoU by exploiting the various areas of cooperation.

The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding comes against the backdrop of an earlier MoU that was signed in 2017 and expired in 2022.

Present at the function were members of the Joint Technical Committee from the two respective militaries.

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The Committee on Defence and Internal Affairs has indicated that the Uganda Prisons Service (UPS) requires Shs79.973 billion to cater for outstanding arrears for prisoners’ feeding accrued by Financial Year 2023/2024.

Committee chairperson Wilson Kajwengye said this while presenting a report on the National Budget Framework Paper for Financial Year 2024/2025 before the Budget Committee of Parliament.

According to the committee report, the daily average of 81,729 prisoners is fed at Shs5,000 per prisoner per day, including food from prison farms. A supplementary budget of Shs79 billion was provided to take care of arrears that stood at Shs158.94 billion as of Financial Year 2022/23, hence leaving a shortfall of Shs79.943 billion.

The report shows that a recommendation was made for the prioritization of funding worth Shs18 billion for the construction of a mini-max prison in Mbarara District to check on the congestion at prison facilities.

Kajwengye said that by January 2024, the prisoner population stood at 77,316, yet Uganda Prisons has an approved capacity of 20,996, implying that 56,320 prisoners are in excess of the approved capacity.

He attributed the congestion in Uganda’s prisons to delayed justice from the judiciary and a slow pace in increasing the holding capacity of prisons.

“There is a need to enhance access to justice through prisons’ alignment with courts of law and the timely production of prisoners to court by procuring transport machinery, among others,” Kajwengye said.

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The First Lady Janet Kataha Museveni has praised Business Tycoon Sudhir Rupareila for the great work done in constructing and beautifying the Speke Resort Convention Centre in Munyonyo which is currently hosting the Non-Alignment Movement conference.

Janet Museveni applauded Sudhir while inspecting the facilities of the Convention Centre ahead of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) and G77+China Heads of State and Government Summits.

“I would like to express my appreciation to the Ruparelia Group for their commendable work in preparing the Convention Centre for these Summits. Their attention to detail and level of preparedness is truly praiseworthy,” Janet applauded.

She added, “However, I want to emphasize the importance of maintaining these high standards. It is crucial to conduct continuous checks on all amenities, ensuring they remain in excellent working condition not only during the Summits but also in the future.”

This visit reaffirmed Uganda’s commitment to hosting successful international events, showcasing the best of what Uganda has to offer, and ensuring that every guest experiences the warmth and hospitality for which the nation is known.

The convention centre has a multipurpose hall, 12 high-end conference/breakaway meeting rooms and a floating restaurant that can host more than 900 guests, with an extraordinary view of Africa’s largest freshwater lake⏤ Lake Victoria.

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South Sudan has joined the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM). The East African member state was announced by Yalchin Rafiyev, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs for Azerbaijan, and the current chair of NAM.

Under the theme: Deepening cooperation for shared global affluence, the five-day summit kicked off on Monday at Speke Resort Munyonyo, Kampala.

“I wish to congratulate the Republic of South Sudan for becoming the new member state of the NAM. South Sudan has become the last African country to join NAM,” Yafiyev said. 

He said it is a history of making that South Sudan will be joining the movement, 12 years since the last African country joined. South Sudanese’s remarkable decision makes it the newest country to join the movement after Russia in 2021.

For a country to join NAM, it should have adopted an independent policy based on the coexistence of states with different political and social systems and on non-alignment, it should have supported national independence movements in a consistent manner and a member of a multilateral military alliance concluded in the context of great power conflicts. 

“If the country has a bilateral military agreement with a great power or is a member of a regional defense pact, the agreement or pact should have not been concluded deliberately in the context of great power conflicts,” indicates the NAM website.

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The Kanyanya Territorial Police is currently detaining Mr. John Kato Ssenfuma, a 40-year-old teacher at a school in Mityana, residing in Mukono District. Mr. Ssenfuma was apprehended on allegations of attempting to defile a 15-year-old girl, a student at the same school where he teaches.

ASP Luke Owoyesigyire, Deputy PRO Kampala Metropolitan Police said that the arrest follows a complaint lodged by Ms. Sheilah, 26 years old, a resident of Kyebando Erisa Zone in Kawempe Division, Kampala District, who is the guardian of the 15-year-old student.

“Ms. Sheilah reported that the family became aware of Mr. Ssemfuma’s communication with the juvenile through WhatsApp, prompting his invitation to their premises. On January 13, 2024, Mr. Ssemfuma traveled to the designated venue and was subsequently apprehended upon arrival. An examination by a police surgeon confirmed the well-being of the victim, as the intended activity did not transpire,” Owoyesigyire revealed.

The Kanyanya Police issued a statement, indicating that the case file has been submitted to the office of the Resident State Attorney. The police have received guidance on the next steps, and the file is pending resubmission for sanctioning. The suspect will face charges as determined by the prosecution.

This development adds a legal dimension to the incident, highlighting the gravity of the allegations against Mr. Ssenfuma. The case will now proceed through the legal system, with further details expected to be provided in due course.

Social media posters have put a lot of criticism on the arrest of Senfuma saying that there was no offense but the parents are to blame.

“As a student of law, I am seeing loopholes in the case and the suspect may win it. Going by your statement, there is connivance by parents and inducing the alleged crime. The fact that the suspect was arrested immediately he entered; you can’t determine his actions before he starts,” one Nesta Larry posted on X.

A one lawyer, Ferdinandius posted, “So attempted defilement suffices by mere possession of condoms and text messages which means that “flirting” is an offense. Secondly, defilement requires age: she must be below 18: the facts aren’t clear on that: further, for attempted defilement to occur, he must have done all that is necessary and is only prevented from doing the actual act. Otherwise possession of condoms and text messages is mere preparation. See how judges interpret attempted defilement.”

The detectives found two boxes of unused ‘Kiss’ condoms and a Shs1,000 in teacher John Senfuma’s pockets after he had sneaked into her female student’s home for sex before being caught by the girl’s parents.

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Legislators on the Budget Committee have called for prioritization to construct Akii-Bua Stadium as one of the arenas to support the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) games. The demand was made as they received the report of the Committee on Education and Sports on the Budget Framework Paper for the sector ministry on Tuesday, 16 January 2024.

The Chairperson of the Committee on Education and Sports, Hon. John Ntamuhiira in his presentation said that the Ministry of Finance should commit additional funding of Shs100 billion to the National Council of Sports to facilitate construction of Akii-Bua Stadium in Lira and Buhinga Stadium in Kabarole.

“The committee was informed that after failure by the government to secure a grant from the Republic of China to construct the two regional stadia, there is a need for the government to secure funding for their construction,” Ntamuhiira said.

According to the PAMOJA bid where Uganda will co-host the Africa Cup of Nations tournament in 2027 with Kenya and Tanzania, Akii-Bua Stadium is listed as one of the stadiums to host the games.

FUFA Stadium in Hoima City is another stadium that will host 2027 AFCON games following a presidential directive for its construction for the tournament, to boost Namboole and Nakivubo Stadiums in Kampala.

Paul Omara (Indep., Otuke County) raised concern that the proposed Akii-Bua Stadium has not been given priority in the budget.

“I want us to have it equivocally decided here that in your proposed budget, Akii-Bua and Hoima will come as stadiums that will be built for AFCON 2027, not relegated as something and we shall insist on it,” Omara said.

Maxwell Akora (UPC, Maruzi County) raised concern about the cost for construction of the 15,000-seater Hoima Stadium estimated at Shs380 billion compared to the 30,000-seater Akii-Bua stadium estimated at Shs180 billion.

“Can you see the anomaly, the inflation? The North has always been marginalized and they used the name Akii-Bua because it sells, to win the PAMOJA bid and after that, they changed their mind. There is a big uproar in Lango, Acholi and West Nile about this decision of the government,” Akora said.

The Education Committee also recommends that a provision of Shs110 billion for the construction of 11 training grounds for the 2027 AFCON games be made.

Ntamuhiira also recommended additional funding of Shs114 billion to cater for commitment fees under the PAMOJA bid.

“This is necessary for Uganda’s fulfillment of requirements by Confederation of African Football (CAF), to avoid revocation of the AFCON bid,” he added.

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