Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Thomas Tayebwa has tasked the leadership at Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) to explain the delays in the completion of Mpigi-Busega Expressway.

Tayebwa on Tuesday, November 7, 2023 led a team of legislators from the Physical Infrastructure and National Economy committees on an inspection of on-going construction works at Katonga Bridge and Mpigi – Busega Expressway road.

“I and the current Chairman of the National Economy (John Bosco Ikojo) strongly participated in the approval of the money for the Mpigi – Busega Expressway project. That was around June 2016 and we expected it to be done in three years. In 2021, it should have been commissioned. We are now in 2023 and we are seeing the progress is extremely very slow,” Tayebwa said.

The 35km was contracted to China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation in Joint Venture with China Railway 19th Bureau Group (U) Ltd at a contract sum of Shs547.5 billion.

However, addressing journalists at Buloba in Kyengera, the Deputy Speaker noted that delays to complete the critical road and unexplained deviation from the original plan are posing traffic challenges.

“We have seen no progress has been made on the side of Kibuye-Busega and the way they had designed it at that time was that Kibuye-Busega would be the one interlinking with Kampala – Entebbe Expressway and Northern Bypass,” he said adding that, “if you haven’t made any progress on Kibuye-Busega, then you must find a way to make this road meaningful to serve the purpose for which we were told”.

If the main goal fails, Tayebwa warned UNRA that this project will be another effort in vain.

“We were told in 2016 that it is going to reduce the time from Busega to Mpigi to only 18 minutes. Now you cannot determine the time you are going to take on that road. You can take six hours, one hour. I have taken around six hours on that road. When it is like a Sunday or weekend and you are coming back, you never know or when it is school visitation days,” Tayebwa added.

Dan Kimosho, the Chairperson of the Physical Infrastructure Committee noted that, “It is imperative that the contractors find nearby sources of raw materials to expedite the process”.
“There is an explanation to it especially because it is going through swamps and takes a lot of time and they get road materials from Kakiri to work on some of these swamps and they are arguing that it affects their speed. But they are saying within 48 months from now, the road will be complete and functional,” Kimosho said.

As a result of delayed completion of the project, Mawokota North MP, Hillary Kiyaga told journalists that locals living along the route are constantly exposed to flooding whenever it rains.
“The delay is affecting our people, for example the drainage system. Whenever they are working there has to be a drainage system but it is not yet implemented. So, the more they delay, the more effects it has on the general public and people,” Kiyaga said.

UNRA Executive Director, Allen Kagina told the Deputy Speaker and MPs that the delays to complete the expressway was occasioned by a cocktail of geological and technical issues.
“The original alignment was going to affect the rail road. You know the Kampala-Kasese rail line also passes here and also Ugandans had built a lot on the dry ground so passing an expressway in these areas was going to affect the settlements. So, we shifted onto the edge of the swamp,” Kagina explained.

Earlier, the Deputy Speaker inspected on-going works at Katonga Bridge that is under re-construction and was impressed by the progress made so far.

The essence of this crossing is to divert traffic from the old condemned bridge which was in May this year washed away by floods before it was reopened to light traffic in September.
The crossing at River Katonga acts as a gateway for cargo trucks and passenger vehicles heading to the capital city and other neighbouring countries like Rwanda, Tanzania and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

UNRA Director of Roads and Bridges, Eng. Samuel Muhoozi said that the steel structure will be complete by Christmas this year.

“We are calling it a temporary bridge because it is not going to stay there for good. As you have seen, we are just guard rails and even vehicles can pass but we don’t allow that due to safety measures in place. So, within two or three weeks’ time, we shall open this road,” Muhoozi said.

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The US governments has issued terror alerts for all its citizens intending to travel to Uganda.

The terror alerts follow the gruesome killing of the two tourists along with their tour guide. 

The honeymooners, David Barlow, a UK national, and his wife Celia Geyer, a South African, together with their tour guide Eric Aryayi 

died when unknown assailants set ablaze their tour vehicle along a road by Queen Elizabeth National Park

“Due to increased terrorist activities, the US Embassy in Kampala recommends that individuals exercise an elevated degree of caution and reconsider attendance at upcoming large public gatherings, such as large-scale worship services and music and cultural festivals in Kampala and Jinja.  Additionally, be mindful when visiting locations where people tend to gather such as hotels, malls, and marketplaces,” the US Embassy said in a statement.

Last week, president Yoweri Museveni said the killers of the tourists and their Ugandan driver, by the name of Njovu, has been arrested while injured. Three other terrorists have been killed from that group of 10 People who killed the Lhubiriha children, burnt the truck of onions and tried to attack the parked trucks on the Congo- Kasindi side.

“The Njovu group was attacked by the UPDF marine boat on Lake Edward however, they did not fully utilize their success after attacking the boat of terrorists,” Museveni said.

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Fred Enanga, Police Spokesperson on Monday informed the public that the bodies of the two foreign tourists, who were killed in Queen Elizabeth National Park- Kasese, were handed over to the team of forensic and investigative experts from the United Kingdom-UK, on 1.11.2023, and repatriated to the UK.

The killed tourists were David Jim Barlow, 50, a British citizen, and Emmaretia Celia Geyer, 51, a South African citizen.

The couple was in Uganda for their honeymoon when they were attacked and murdered during a game drive in the park along with their driver Eric Alyai. Alyai has already been buried in Kaberamaido District.

Enanga told the press that the two bodies were being kept at Mulago Hospital National Referral Hospital mortuary.

“All this while, we have been working with the forensic and investigative experts from the UK, and up to November 1, we managed to hand over the two bodies of the deceased tourists which were repatriated to the UK for further management,” he said.

Enanga revealed that all the necessary legal procedures and findings in Uganda, including the lines of investigation and event timelines cross-referenced with GPS data, phone records, and other recordings, were shared with their counterparts in the United Kingdom.

Additionally, he said, a comprehensive postmortem report was provided to the UK team.

Enanga expressed empathy for the families and loved ones affected by this distressing situation and highlighted the importance of efficiently collaborating and disclosing their discoveries with the UK team.

He assured both Ugandans and visitors that significant security enhancements have been implemented at all tourist sites in the country following this tragic incident.

Enanga commended the UPDF marine and CMI for their continued efforts in pursuing the remaining elements of the ADF group responsible for the attacks on foreign tourists, students at Lubiriha, and the businesspeople killed along Kasese Highway.

The police assured the public that the truth behind these attacks will be uncovered, and the perpetrators will be held accountable.

President Yoweri Museveni last weekend Museveni also expressed appreciation for the security agencies’ successful arrest of one of the tourists’ killers, identified as Njovu, who served as the group’s commander.

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The Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) and telecom companies are making a final push to remind cardholders to act fast to avoid potential disconnection.

This urgent appeal comes just one week before the 180-day window, given by the UCC to telecom companies for the regularization of all registered SIM cards by November 12, 2023.
This initiative is in strict compliance with the regulations outlined in the Interception of Communications Act.
SIM card regularization requires registered owners to physically visit their respective telecom providers with their original national identity cards for a thorough screening and verification process.

According to data from the UCC, Uganda has more than 30 million registered SIM cards, but approximately 2 percent of them are classified as non-regularized, totaling around 600,000 subscribers.

The regularization process aligns with Section 9 of the Regulations of the Interception of Communications Act, which mandates telecommunication service providers to collect comprehensive customer information, including personal and business details, before offering services to individuals or entities, and to maintain records.

These regulations also require that each active SIM card must be associated with a National Identification Card, with a limit of no more than 10 SIM cards from the same telecom company per cardholder.

Abudu Salaam Waiswa, the Head of Legal Affairs at UCC, emphasized that the sole purpose of this exercise is to ensure compliance with the law and to have every subscriber fully registered, in line with existing legal requirements.
He noted that affected subscribers who have not yet completed the process will be contacted by their respective telecom companies.

The regularization process for Ugandan nationals specifically demands a National Identification Card for barcode scanning and thumbprint verification, referred to as biometric matching.
It’s worth noting that these requirements have been introduced at a time when a significant portion of the population lacks National IDs. Nevertheless, Waiswa stressed that the law requires only this document for the exercise and encouraged those without National IDs to contact the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) to obtain the necessary documentation.

He assured those without National IDs that a letter from NIRA confirming their details would be accepted, facilitating the regularization process. “We understand the plight of people who don’t have National IDs; however, the authority to issue them lies with NIRA. For this particular exercise, NIRA has worked out a mechanism for writing a letter that confirms one’s particulars to all concerned parties. With this letter, we will be able to serve you. So, for those without IDs, let them go to NIRA. Whoever has this letter, we shall be able to support them through this process,” he explained.

Individuals whose SIM cards may be deactivated need not worry about losing their mobile money. This is due to the existence of the national mobile payment systems number, which allows customers to access their funds even without their SIM cards. As Waiswa explained, customers can still access their money by proving their ownership to the service providers, especially with their National ID.

“If someone cannot prove ownership, the funds will be held by the operator for nine months, after which they will be transferred to the central bank, where they will be safeguarded until claimed with proper ownership proof,” he added.
At the meeting, Airtel Uganda was represented by Dennis Kakonge, the legal and regulatory director, while MTN Uganda was represented by Julius Mboizi, the company’s senior manager for regulatory affairs. Both affirmed that this comprehensive effort to regularize SIM cards aims to strengthen national security, ensure full compliance with the law, and protect the interests of Ugandan citizens.

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The Government of Uganda has decided to import its petroleum products through the port of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania as opposed to the Kenyan route.

The move is meant to stabilize fuel stocks, create security of supply, and solve price fluctuations in Uganda.

As part of the deal, Uganda’s Ministry of Energy has signed a five-year contract with Vitol Bahrain E.C., a Bahrain-based company, to import the fuel through the port of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania. Vitol is committed to financing the construction of extra storage capacity at Namwambula, Mpigi, thereby adding 320 million liters of storage capacity.

Over the weekend, the Energy Minister Dr. Ruth Nankabirwa Ssentamu briefed Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu on Uganda’s proposed policy for bulk importation and supply of petroleum products to reduce fuel prices.

President Suluhu welcomed Uganda’s efforts to lower fuel costs for its citizens, recognizing the importance of affordable energy in driving economic growth and improving living standards.

Uganda has been importing 90% of its fuel via Kenya and only 10% through the Tanzania route.

But Nairobi early this year agreed a government-to-government fuel deal with two Gulf nations, which made Kampala officials angry as they said they were not consulted. According to Uganda, this could affect price stability in Uganda.

This comes after Kenya in April changed the fuel import system from an open tender policy to a government-to-government import mechanism, where it made a deal with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

The move could see Kenya lose up to $100 million it has been earning from handling Uganda’s petroleum products per year.

The Bahrain-based firm will finance the partnership and extend an additional 320 million litres of storage capacity. This move aims to not only guarantee oil availability in Uganda but also cater to the entire East African region, thus opening up competition for fuel markets in South Sudan, Rwanda, and Congo DR.

Last week, Parliament tabled before Parliament the Petroleum Supply (Amendment) Bill, 2023, that seeks to grant Uganda National Oil Company (UNOC) monopoly to supply imported petroleum products.

Under the existing importation structures, the Ugandan Oil Marketing Companies have been accessing their petroleum products import allocations through their affiliated Kenyan Oil Marketing Companies registered and participating in Kenyan and Tanzanian import structures.

In April 2023, the Government of Kenya made changes to the petroleum products import system by replacing the Open Tender System with the Government-to-Government importation arrangement with the Governments of the United Arab Emirates and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to manage some of the importation challenges that Kenya was facing.

According to Nankabirwa, despite the price-competitive nature of the Open Tender System in Kenya and its relatively normal supplies, it exposed Uganda to occasional supply vulnerabilities where the Ugandan Oil Marketing Companies were considered secondary whenever there were supply disruptions.

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Nakawa Chief Magistrate’s Court has remanded four suspects implicated in the gruesome killing of the former Principal State Attorney Joan Kagezi.

The four suspects include; Kibuuka John, a convict at Kigo prison; Musajjage John prisoner at Kigo prison; Nasur Abdullah convict at Kitalya prison and Kiseeka Daniel.
, before the Nakawa Court on charges of terrorism and murder Asst DPP Joan Kagezi in March 2015
Appearing before Chief Magistrate Elias Kakooza the four suspects were charged with two counts of murder of Joan Kagezi and terrorism and subsequently remanded until November 20, 2023, for mention of their case.
At her death, Kagezi was a Senior Assistant DPP and Head of the International Crimes Department in the DPP office.
Kagezi was gunned down on March 30, 2015, when she stopped at a roadside stand to buy fresh vegetables in Kiwaatule.  She was reportedly heading to her home in Najjera.
In the pick-up with her were three of her four children, two girls and one boy. One of the girls left the vehicle to pick up the products while the rest of the family stayed in the vehicle.
While the girl was walking back to the car, a man approached the truck. He knocked on the driver’s window which was closed, appearing to be making an inquiry. When Kagezi opened the window, the man shot her twice in the neck at close range jumped on the back of a waiting motorcycle (boda boda), and sped off. She was rushed to Mulago National Referral Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
Prominent cases she handled
The prosecution of Ugandan-born Australian cardiologist, the late Aggrey Kiyingi for the assassination of his wife, lawyer Robinah Kasirye Kiyingi. She was gunned down in July 2005 outside the gate of the family mansion in Buziga, Kampala. The state lost that case.
The trial and conviction of former Arua Municipality, Akbar Hussein Godi, whose wife was killed on 4 December 2008in Mukono District. In February 2011, Godi was sentenced to 25 years in prison after being convicted of murdering Rehema Caesar Godi, who was 19 years old at the time of her death.
The prosecution and conviction of Kampala businessman Thomas Nkulungira, also known as “Tonku”, whose girlfriend was killed between 21 and 30 December 2010. Her body was dumped in the septic tank at Nkulungira’s house in Muyenga, Kampala. On 13 August 2011, Tonku was sentenced to death.
The prosecution of Thomas Kwoyelo, a warlord in the Lord’s Resistance Army, on charges of kidnapping, murder, rape, and human mutilation and torture. The trial was terminated when Uganda’s Constitutional Court granted Kwoyelo amnesty. On appeal, however, the Supreme Court of Uganda reversed that decision on 8 April 2015 and ordered his retrial.
The 13 individuals accused of participating in the July 2010 Kampala attacks, which occurred during the 2010 FIFA World Cup Final match led to the death of at least 79 people.

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