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A court remands an ex-Kenyan MP to Luzira prison for falsification of export documents

By
Boses Muhinda
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The former Member of Parliament in Kenya, Tarus Stephen Kipkyen, has been remanded to Luzira prison for falsifying export documents and causing revenue loss to the Government of Uganda.

Appearing before magistrate Esther Asiimwe, Kipkyeny was charged with forgery of export documents for 13 kg of gold valued at $30,000 (Shs 113.6 million).

The gold was allegedly destined for Dubai, where one of the suspect‘s clients, Kostbar International, is based. Kostbar is a company that designs and manufactures jewellery exclusively for trade.

The prosecution, led by Stuart Ahebwa, told the court that there is a big team behind this tax evasion scheme, and so far only one person has been netted.

“It is a group, and now we have only one person. The issue of them forging documents that they are working with URA also makes matters worse, and it is also the reason we have arranged Kipkyenyi in court, Ahebwa said.

Meanwhile, according to the East African Community Customs Management Act (EACCMA), a person who makes or uses false documents upon conviction shall be liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years or to a fine not exceeding USD 10,000. This means that once Kipkyenyi is found guilty, he will be subject to these terms.

In the URA, smuggling and fraud remain the top customs offences. For example, last year alone, URA recovered Shs 132.77 billion through country-wide enforcement operations, Shs 130.50 billion through court arbitration, and Shs 174.64 billion through tax investigation interventions.

Also, for those who are not familiar with Kenya’s politics, Stephen Tarus Kipkyeny served under President Mwai Kibaki’s administration as the Assistant Minister of Internal Security and as Kenya’s High Commissioner to Australia from 2009 to 2012. Prior to his appointments under the Kibaki regime, the suspect had served as the Member of Parliament for Emgwen Constituency between 2003 and 2007.

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Ugandan soldiers in UN helicopter captured by al shabaab

By
Editorial
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UN-helicopter in Somalia.

The latest information coming from Somalia indicates that Ugandans believed to be UPDF soldiers are among the passengers on the helicopter captured by al shabaab insurgents in Gadoon village in the Galgaduud region on Wednesday.

The helicopter got a technical glitch made in an emergency landing in the area controlled by al shabaab.

According to the UN memo, nine passengers were on the plane including military personnel and a third-party contractor. 

Sources say there were also Kenyans, Ukrainians, Somalis, Egyptians and Latvians. 

It’s not clear how many Ugandan soldiers were on the plane.  But the UN said in a memo that “All UN flights have been temporarily suspended in the vicinity until further notice,”.

According to Reuters news Agency, the aircraft encountered a defect shortly after taking off from Beledweyne city in central Somalia.

The alshabaab insurgents recently killed over 50 Ugandan soldiers in what has been described as the deadliest attack by al shabaab on the UPDF in Somalia.

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 Defence tables Shs9.123t budget for financial year 2024/25

By
Geoffery Serugo
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Defence Minister, Vincent Ssempijja with top ministry officials.

The Ministry of Defence and Veteran Affairs has tabled Shs9.123 trillion in budget for the financial year 2024/25, Eagle Online has established.

This financial year, Defence took the lion’s share, with Shs3.8 trillion allocated to them. The ministry, however, lost the Shs1 billion it had wanted for the construction of the defence museum due to government policy placing a freeze on multi-year projects.

While appearing before the Parliament’s Defence Committee earlier today, officials from the Ministry of Defence revealed that their desired budget for 2024/25 is Shs 9.123 trillion; however, only Shs3.880 trillion has been availed, leaving a shortfall of Shs5.242 trillion.

According to the budget, the Uganda Peoples Defence Force wants Shs62.8 billion for deployment in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Shs27.5 billion for deployment in Karamoja, and Shs40.889 billion is needed for utilities (water and electricity), but no penny has been allocated for that vote.

According to Vincent Ssempijja, Minister of Defence, they want more than Shs2.5 billion to provide security to the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP).

“You know the security of our oil pipeline isn’t catered for; Tanzania is ready, and they have already budgeted for it. It is a thorn in our back; it has remained unfunded,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) asked for Shs31.5 billion to develop an oil and gas monitoring system to be used to monitor all taxpayers within this sector. With the commencement of the construction of the crude oil pipeline, Uganda’s first oil is expected in 2025.

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Museveni re-appoints Justice Byabakama as the Chairman of the Electoral Commission

By
Our Reporter
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Justice Byabakama Mugenyi Simon, Electoral Commission Chairperson

President Yoweri Museveni has re-appointed Justice Simon Byabakama as the Chairman of the Electoral Commission. The reappointment follows the expiry of his seven-year term.

Justice Byabakama, who served at the court of appeal, was named on November 18, 2016, as the Chairman of the Electoral Commission of Uganda, replacing Engineer Badru Kiggundu, whose 14-year, two-term reign had ended.

“In exercise of the powers vested in the president by Article 60(1) of the Constitution of Uganda, I have appointed Justice Simon Byabakama as the chairperson of the electoral commission,” Museveni said.

According to the letter addressed to speaker Anita Among, Museveni reappointed Hajjat Aisha Lubega as the deputy chairperson, Stephen Tashobya, as a commissioner and dropped Peter Emorut, Justine Ahabwe Mugabi, Sebaggala Mustapha Kigozi and Nathaline Etomaru.

Byabakama will work alongside Anthony Okello, a former Kyoga County Member of Parliament; Pamela Etonu Okudi, the Acting Head of Administration at the Electoral Commission; Dr Ssimba Ssali Kayunga, a lecturer at Makerere University; and Robert Kasule Sebunya.

The appointees wait to appear before the parliament’s appointments committee for vetting.

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Henry Katanga murder: Court remands daughter to Luzira prison

By
Simon Kabayo
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Martha Nkwanzi.

The Nakawa Magistrates Court has remanded Martha Nkwanzi to Luzira Prison for destroying evidence after the murder of her father, Henry Katanga.

The businessman was allegedly gunned down on November 2, 2023, by his wife, Molly Katanga, at his home in Mbuya, Nakawa Division, Kampala City.

The prosecution alleges that Nkwanzi and her sister, Patricia Kakwanza, tampered with evidence at the crime scene, rendering it unidentifiable for judicial proceedings. George Amanyire, a shamba boy, and Charles Otai, a health worker, are accused of assisting others involved in the crime. The three, Amanyire, Otai and Kakwanza, are currently on remand at Luzira prison.

On Monday, the Nakawa Magistrate Court issued criminal summons against Kakwanza for failure to appear before court without explanation. The defence lawyers, led by McDusman Kabega, told the court that Nkwanzi is recovering at Roswell Hospital after childbirth.

Earlier today, Nkwanzi appeared before the Nakawa Chief Magistrate’s Court. Appearing before Magistrate Erias Kakooza, Nkwanzi was charged with tampering with the evidence on the fateful day when her father was murdered.

Meanwhile, the court extended the ailing and frail Molly Katanga’s arrest warrant to January 22, 2023, after she was allegedly operated on for the fifth time in a period of two months. She is currently ‘hospitalised’ at Kampala International Hospital (IHK).

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Parliament extends the term of office for local council leaders in Uganda

By
Geoffery Serugo
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Parliament has extended the term of office for Local Councils 1 and 2, and the term of office for Women Councils as well for another 180 days.

The extension follows the tabling of the statutory instruments providing for the extension on the floor of the August House.

While chairing the sitting, Speaker Anita Among tasked the Minister for Local Government to lay the statutory instruments for House approval, noting that they were seconded by cabinet prior to the expiry of the extended term of office for the local councils on January 5, 2024.

She observed that on July 28, 2023, the government initially tabled a statutory instrument extending their term of office for six months.

This was attributed to a lack of funds to hold elections for new officeholders at the time.

“The 180 days were to expire on January 5, 2024, prompting the minister to issue this extension on December 29, 2023, so that he was not caught up by time. The documents are fully gazetted and have been laid on the table for retrospective approval,” Among said.

The new statutory instruments for the extension of term office for the Local Councils and Women Councils were tabled on the floor by Government Chief Whip, Hamson Obua, and Minister for Gender, Labour, and Social Development, Betty Amongi, respectively.

Busiro East County MP Medard Ssegona challenged the new statutory instruments providing for the extension.

“Under no circumstances can a statutory instrument amend the principle legislation. The term of office for local councils is fixed at five years,” Ssegona said.

The Attorney General, Kiryowa Kiwanuka, however, noted that the amendment providing for the statutory instruments was made in accordance with provisions in the Local Government Act, Cap. 243.

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Court further remands suspected killer of British tourists

By
Our Reporter
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Kyoto Abdul Rashid aka Njovu, 31, a commander of the militant Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) is escorted as he arrives at the Chief Magistrate Court where he was charged with nine offenses including the murder of a honeymooning tourist couple and their aide in Uganda's Queen Elizabeth National Park, in Nakawa division of Kampala, Uganda November 13, 2023. REUTERS/Abubaker Lubowa

Nakawa Chief Magistrates Court has further remanded Abdul Rashid Kyoto alias Njovu alias Tembo, the prime suspect implicated in the killing of two tourists and their driver in Queen Elizabeth National Park.

Appearing before Chief Magistrate Erias Kakooza, the matter was adjourned to January 22 as inquiries take centre stage.

Kyoto is grappling with two charges of terrorism, three charges of murder, three charges of aggravated robbery, and one charge of belonging to a terrorist organisation.

Prosecution alleges that on October 17, 2023, Njovu and others at large attacked and killed Eric Alyai and two British tourists, Barlow David James and Geyer Emmarentia Cecilia.

During the attack, two motor vehicles; a Mercedes Benz cargo truck and a Toyota Land Cruiser were burnt, and the passports, money, and visa cards of the tourists and the identity card, employment card, and driving permit of the Ugandan were taken by the suspect and his associates.

Prosecution-guided investigations were commenced by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID), and the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI).

Consequently, Kyoto was arrested in an operation by the Uganda Peoples Defence Forces (UPDF) Marine Forces on Lake Edward. Two of his associates were shot dead, and others managed to escape in a boat with their weapons.

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Former UBC journalist Alhaj Nsereko Abdul is dead

By
Geoffery Serugo
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Former Uganda Broadcasting Corporation (UBC) and Radio Uganda journalist, Alhaj Nsereko Abdul, has passed on. His death was confirmed by his son, Kampala central legislator Muhammad Nsereko.

“Alhaji Abdul Nsereko, my lovely dad, has passed on. May Allah grant him Janat Firdaus. From Allah we came and unto Allah we shall all return,” he said.

The former journalist with Uganda Broadcasting Corporation and a former radio host on Radio Uganda. The former director of political programmes at UBC died earlier in the morning.

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The Dark Side of Betting: Recognizing and Avoiding Addiction

By
Our Reporter
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In the world of online betting and gambling, success stories often shine as beacons of hope, showcasing the immense potential for winning substantial sums of money. Among these narratives, the “1xbet highest winner” tale stands out as a testament to the dreams of fortune that draw countless individuals into the realm of betting. However, beneath the surface of this seemingly harmless activity lies a dark side that can lead to addiction, financial ruin, and personal distress. In this article, we will explore the dangers of betting addiction, how to recognize the signs, and steps to avoid falling victim to its grip.

The Appeal of Betting

Before we delve into the darker aspects of betting, it’s essential to understand what makes it so appealing in the first place. Betting offers a unique combination of excitement, anticipation, and the possibility of winning a substantial amount of money. The thrill of predicting an outcome, the adrenaline rush when watching a game, and the dream of hitting the jackpot are all factors that draw people into the world of betting.

The Slippery Slope of Betting Addiction

While betting can be enjoyable when done in moderation, it can become a slippery slope that leads to addiction. Betting addiction, often referred to as gambling addiction, is a recognized psychological disorder characterized by an uncontrollable urge to gamble despite negative consequences. Here are some signs that may indicate a person is developing a betting addiction:

1. Preoccupation with Betting

One of the early signs of betting addiction is an increasing preoccupation with betting-related activities. Individuals may spend a significant amount of time thinking about betting, researching betting strategies, or planning their next bet.

2. Chasing Losses

A common behavior among those with a betting addiction is the compulsion to chase losses. This means that after losing money, they continue to bet in the hope of recovering their losses, often leading to even more significant financial setbacks.

3. Neglecting Responsibilities

Betting addicts may begin to neglect their responsibilities at work, school, or home. They might miss deadlines, skip social events, and experience a decline in overall performance due to their preoccupation with betting.

4. Borrowing Money

To sustain their betting habits, individuals with a gambling addiction may resort to borrowing money from friends, family, or financial institutions. This can lead to financial ruin and strained relationships.

5. Lying and Hiding Behavior

Many betting addicts lie about their gambling activities, losses, and debts. They may go to great lengths to hide their behavior from loved ones, further isolating themselves.

6. Emotional Distress

Betting addiction often leads to emotional distress, including anxiety, depression, and feelings of hopelessness. The stress of mounting debts and the constant cycle of winning and losing can take a severe toll on a person’s mental health.

How to Avoid Betting Addiction

Preventing betting addiction is crucial for maintaining a healthy and balanced life. Here are some steps you can take to avoid falling into the trap of gambling addiction:

1. Set Limits

Establish clear betting limits before you start gambling. Determine how much money and time you are willing to spend on betting activities, and stick to these limits.

2. Self-Exclusion Programs

Many casinos and betting platforms offer self-exclusion programs that allow individuals to voluntarily ban themselves from accessing their services for a specified period. Consider utilizing these programs if you feel your betting habits are getting out of control.

3. Seek Help

If you or someone you know is showing signs of betting addiction, don’t hesitate to seek help. Professional counseling and support groups can provide valuable assistance in overcoming gambling addiction.

4. Find Alternative Activities

Engage in alternative activities that provide a similar sense of excitement and enjoyment without the financial risks. Explore hobbies, sports, or social activities that can distract you from betting.

5. Maintain a Support System

Build a strong support network of friends and family who can help you stay accountable and provide emotional support during difficult times.

6. Educate Yourself

Learn about the risks and consequences of betting addiction. Understanding the potential harm it can cause may serve as a deterrent.

Conclusion

While betting can be a fun and exhilarating pastime, it’s essential to recognize the potential dangers it poses. Betting addiction can have devastating consequences on one’s finances, relationships, and mental well-being. By staying informed, setting limits, seeking help when needed, and maintaining a support system, individuals can avoid the dark side of betting and enjoy it responsibly as a form of entertainment. Remember that betting should be a source of enjoyment, not a path to addiction and despair.

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Discovery of crucial documents, emails await DFCU bosses as Crane Bank claims $500 in the UK legal battle

By
Editorial
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DFCU team led by their former chairman Jimmy Mugerwa face COSASE on the illegal closure banks and more so fraudulently acquiring Crane Bank.

They must now file their defences within 21 days as court awaits to discover sensitive documents and emails regarding the transaction whose former MD and a key witness Juma Kisaame said was conducted without documents.

The UK Supreme Court has ordered that DFCU, Juma Kisaame, William Sekabembe and Jimmy Mugerwa must stand trial in the UK court for their role in the January 2017 fraudulent acquisition of the assets of Crane Bank Limited (CBL) from Bank of Uganda (BoU).

DFCU and its former directors had sought to avoid accountability in this case by presenting a jurisdiction challenge, arguing that the corrupt sale of the assets of Crane Bank Limited to DFCU by Bank of Uganda was an act of state by the Government of Uganda, and that UK courts had no jurisdiction to hear the case. This argument was rejected by the UK Court of Appeal, and they were ordered to file their defences and proceed to trial in the UK High Court.

They then sought leave of the UK Court of Appeal to appeal this decision to the UK Supreme Court, which leave was denied. They then filed another application seeking the leave to appeal from the UK Supreme Court. This application has also been refused as the UK Supreme Court found no merit in their application. They have been ordered to pay costs and must now file their defences within 21 days.

Crane Bank will then respond and seek for discovery of details of the transaction by asking for emails, whatsup chats, correspondences among key information on how the whole deal was sealed.

DFCU Limited, DFCU Bank Limited, Jimmy Mugerwa, Juma Kisaame, William Sekabembe, CDC Group PLC, Norfinance AS, Rabo Partnership B.V., Arise B.V., Stephen Caley, Michael Alan Turner, Albert Jonkergouw, Willem Cramer, Ola Rinnan and Deepak Malik have all been sued in the UK in a case where Crane Bank Limited is seeking the recovery of over $220 million, before assessment of additional damages, which experts believe will raise the amount to be recovered to over $500 million.

In the written ruling delivered on January 8, 2024, Court held: “After consideration of the application filed on behalf of Applicants seeking permission to appeal the order made by the Court of Appeal on 26 July 2023 and of the notices of the objection filed by the Respondents [Crane Bank Limited and others], the Court ordered that permission to appeal be refused because the applications don not raise an arguable point of law which the court should consider at this time…i.e before trial. In each application the Applicants pay the Respondents costs, the amount of those costs be assessed if not agreed.”

Background

On October 20, 2016, BoU took over Crane Bank Limited, claiming the lender was undercapitalised, and mismanaged. BoU’s decision to take over the lender surprised Ugandans, given that the Central Bank had earlier announced the lender as the best-performing bank in the country.

On January 25, 2017, BoU in a questionable transaction transferred the assets of Crane Bank Limited to the rival DFCU Bank at Shs200 million, moreover paid in installments, yet the Central Bank had earlier claimed it injected Shs478.8 billion in Crane Bank Limited before the transaction took place.

A parliamentary inquiry into BoU’s closure of Crane Bank Limited and other commercial banks confirmed the Auditor General’s report that BoU closed Crane Bank Limited without following the known procedures and processes, such as the valuation of its assets and liabilities.

In his August 2017 special audit report on seven defunct commercial banks the Auditor General held: “

I noted that BoU did not carry out a valuation of the assets and liabilities of CBL in a transaction initiated by BoU officials over phone. In the absence of the valuation, I could not establish how the terms of transfer of the assets and liabilities in the Purchase of Assets and Assumption of Liabilities were determined.”

In its 2017 half-year results, DFCU Bank disclosed an after-tax profit of Shs114 billion, compared to Shs23 billion earned over the same period in 2016. DFCU attributed its sharp rise in profits to the acquisition of assets and liabilities of CBL.

 It is also believed that the over Shs100 billion that was deposited on the account of one of the listed former Managing Directors could have been part of the money which was swindled from BoU in the pretext takeover by BoU.

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