Kabaka Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II has warned of the continuous labour externalization of Ugandans into Arab countries. Kabaka said this during his 30th coronation anniversary which was held at Bulange, Mengo.
Currently there are over 150,000 Ugandan migrant workers in Saudi Arabia, 140,000 in UAE and other countries. Most Ugandans are employed in the informal sector as housemaids, gardeners, cargo handlers and other jobs.
As of June, last year, there were 235 licensed private recruitment companies. Every two years, each company pays Shs2 million in license fees. Annually, the government collects $ 1.3 billion globally from labour export business the Middle East alone sends in $700 million.
The government collects $30 (Shs110,000) job order fees for each permanent worker. That money is wired directly to the Uganda Revenue Authority accounts. From August 2021 to August 2022, the government collected over Shs12 billion from Job orders.
Kabaka said labour export is good however Ugandans have been trafficked, treated like slaves and many have since lost their lives.
“People export our brothers and sisters are not good people and they don’t wish them well,” Kabaka said
From 2019 to date, Uganda has registered 88 deaths of migrant workers, according to the Gender ministry. Of these, Saudi Arabia has the highest number at 69. On work-related injuries, only seven have been registered since 2019 in Saudi Arabia (five) and Iraq (two).
Kabaka stated the kingdom was restored and they love however there are people who don’t like and therefore everyone should be alert to defend it whenever there is need.
He asked the government of Uganda to reconsider allowing youth to carry out fishing and the various landing sites.
During the celebrations Katikkiro Charles Peter Mayiga said; “I recognise all the work done by the different Katikkiros who have held offices before me. I recognize the contributions of the ministers, members of the royal family and the descendants of the royal lineage, clan mates, and members of the kingdom’s Grand Council to chiefs and all Kingdom officials and employees for their tremendous efforts towards the rebuilding of our kingdom in the last 30 years.”
He said we have witnessed the monumental developments and challenges within the kingdom since his coronation 30 years ago today. our heritage has been brought to the fore. It has been promoted, has taken center stage in the lives of the people and a significant portion of our lands and properties have been restituted back to the owners, the Kabaka and the kingdom.
During his reign, Mayiga said health and education have been prioritized, companies and agencies have been established to ensure delivery of essential services and have offered employment to a sizable number of especially the youth and youth development programs aimed at poverty reduction have been initiated.
Top military commanders of the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) have concluded a four-day meeting to evaluate the first phase of ATMIS troop withdrawal from Somalia, which was successfully implemented in June.
The meeting held in Somalia’s capital Mogadishu, was attended by contingent commanders of the five troop contributing countries; Kenya, Uganda, Djibouti, Ethiopia and Burundi. It was chaired by ATMIS Force Commander Lt. Gen. Sam Okiding.
“We discussed a wide range of issues, including the general security situation and the threats posed by Al-Shabaab and came up with resolutions to be implemented by the respective sector commanders,” said Lt. Gen. Okiding at the end of the meeting on Saturday.
ATMIS withdrew 2000 soldiers from Somalia at the end of June and handed over six Forward Operating Bases (FOBs) to the Somali Security Forces (SSF) in line with the UN Security Council Resolutions 2628, 2670 and 2687.
“We also discussed the transition in detail, mainly phase one drawdown and its impact as well as our capacity and capabilities for subsequent operations,” added Lt. Gen. Okiding.
The meeting conducted under the theme, “Enhancing Synergy Towards Implementation of ATMIS CONOPS,” also discussed the upcoming phase two withdrawal of 3000 ATMIS troops, which is expected to be completed by the end of September.
Under phase two, the commanders deliberated on the FOBs to be handed over to the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) and their security implications.
ATMIS Deputy Force Commander in charge of Support and Logistics Maj. Gen. Peter Kimani Muteti, who spoke at the opening of the meeting on Wednesday, described the conference as timely and key to fulfilling the Mission’s mandate ahead of its exit from Somalia in December 2024.
“The key components of our mandate include degrading Al-Shabaab, protecting civilians, ensuring that we give access to and escorts to humanitarian assistance, mentoring Somali Security Forces and also supporting the stabilization process,” said Maj. Gen. Muteti.
He encouraged the sector commanders to continue fulfilling the ATMIS mandate of securing Somalia both in individual and joint military operations.
ATMIS and SSF are currently planning the second phase of the joint military operations against Al-Shabaab following the completion of the first phase, which liberated chunks of territory in central and southern Somalia that were under the control of terrorist group.
ATMIS’s Deputy Force Commander in charge of Operations and Plans, Maj. Gen. Marius Ngendabanka, underscored the importance of conducting an assessment of the security implications of the first phase of ATMIS troop withdrawal.
“We must assess the first phase of the drawdown, its implications on security, humanitarian, the political situation and other fields, the challenges encountered and analyse how we can effectively conduct the second phase of the drawdown,” he said.
The sector commanders meeting is held after every four months to plan the Mission’s security priorities in implementation of the Concept of Operations (CONOPS), a document that alongside the Somali Transition Plan, provides a roadmap on military operations against the Al-Shabaab and the gradual transfer of security responsibilities to SSF.
President Yoweri Museveni has pledged to compensate more than 500 people who were displaced from Buikwe District during the 1981-1986 war.
In a statement issued to Attorney General Kiryowa Kiwanuka, the President said the victims will be compensated with Shs58,262,772,995 billion since getting back the original bibanja may cause more problems.
“I have seen two letters written on the of April 2, 2013 and on the August 5,, 2014, by Harriet Nankabirwa (Kimyaso), our chairperson in Buikwe, regarding the Badaama (Jopadhola) and other UPC supporters that ran away from their bibanja in the bush war of 1981-86. Although I do not have details, I am aware of that phenomenon. I heard about it in the Semuto area,” read part of Museveni’s letter.
“I therefore, direct you to engage their association headed by Oryuk so that you solve their problem. These people were peasants caught up in conflicts caused by the elites. Even if the individuals were involved in the anti-people activities, their families may be innocent. Moreover, the ones that made the criminal mistakes can be prosecuted. However, that should not be mixed-up with family wealth,” Museveni directed.
Buikwe District is part of the greater Mukono District that was part of the areas affected by the 1981-85 Luwero triangle war that brought Museveni to part after the downfall of Tito Okello short lived regime.
Uganda and Kenya have agreed to work together and avail funding for the building of the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), which has stalled on the side of Uganda over lack of funds.
In a joint statement issued on Friday, Uganda’s Works Minister Gen Katumba Wamala, and Kenya’s Roads minister Kipchumba Murkomen said they will work together to extend SGR from Naivasha in Kenya to Malaba border. From there, Uganda will extend SGR from Malaba to Kampala.
“In the agreement, Uganda has committed to ensure that SGR is extended to the border with Rwanda, South Sudan and DRC Congo as soon as possible to further improve viability and attractiveness for financing of the SGR along the Northern Corridor,” Mr Murkomen said.
Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and South Sudan – launched the construction of SGR in 2014 as part of the Northern Corridor infrastructure project. While Kenya constructed its part from Mombasa to Nairobi, the extension to Malaba border did not take off. The side of Uganda has also not taken off ever since due to funding gaps for which $2.2 billion (about Shs8 trillion) is required.
The two leaders said their countries commit to undertake the SGR extension project as a regional project under the Northern Corridor Integration Projects Initiative. The leaders also agreed to build dry ports and industrial parks along the rail routes to improve the viability and attractiveness of the project.
In May this year, the Uganda government got funding from a commercial bank and contracted a Turkish company to carry out the SGR construction.
The Turkish company will construct a 273-kilometre (170-mile) SGR from Malaba to Kampala.
Currently, the government is compensating people and also relocating them from the areas where the railway is to be passing so that the contractors are not delayed when works start.
Uganda is also rehabilitating the metre gauge railway between Malaba and Kampala City.
Businessman Sudhir and his son Rajiv Ruparelia who doubles as the Managing Director of Crane directors at Commercial Court
The directors of Crane Bank Limited have welcomed the recent Judgement of the Court of Appeal in London in the UK which ruled that the case in where Dfcu bank fraudulently purchased CBL assets can be tried in the UK.
The Court of Appeal in London days ago confirmed that the claim of hundreds of millions of dollars against Dfcu bank, its executive directors, non-executive directors and shareholders can proceed to be heard by English courts, something that Dfcu bank, which benefited from the illegal sale of CBL by the Bank of Uganda (BoU) didn’t want and they had been favoured in the lower court in the UK.
Along with its shareholders, Crane Bank claims that senior former officials of BoU engaged in the corrupt scheme to take control of CBL and sell its assets at a gross undervalue while also syphoning of public funds in the guise provided liquidity to CBL in receivership. The corrupt scheme, it is alleged, involved some people receiving bribes.
“The Court of Appeal found that there are serious to be tried and the claim falls outside the foreign act of state doctrine, relying on commercial activity exception and the argument that all the executives act in question engage the English public policy of combating and not giving legal protection to bribery and corruption,” CBL shareholders say in the latest statement.
“The Dfcu and other defendants cannot rely on the foreign act of state doctrine to evade liability. Crane Bank and its shareholders will continue to vigorously pursue their claim as part of a fair legal process before the English courts,” a statement publish on July 28, 2023 says.
It should be remembered that Dfcu bank bought assets of CBL at a mere Shs200 billion in January 2017 without following guidelines laid out in the Financial Institutions Act (FIA), paid in installments, and without any interest, despite BoU claiming it had invested over Shs470 billion in liquidity support to CBL under receivership.
During the Abdu Katuntu COSASE inquiry BoU officials failed to account for some of the money, and some officials of the central bank would tell the world that indeed CBL was not supposed to be closed, indicating mafias were behind its sale.
At one time, President Museveni said he had warned BoU officials not to sell CBL, but because of corruption, they could not listen to the Head of State advice.
The officials at BoU who alleged participated in the corrupt scheme included former deputy governor Dr Louise Kaskende and former director of supervision Justine Bagyende, among several others.
It should be remembered that courts in Uganda have found not favouered Dfcu bank for involving in the fraudulent sale of CBL.
Buganda Kingdom has received Shs 30 million donations for the 30th coronation celebrations of the Kabaka of Buganda Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II. The donation was delivered by Andrew Kilonzo, UBL’s Managing Director
The main event – which is scheduled to take place on Monday 31st July 2023 at the Lubiri in Mengo – will mark 30 years since the current Kabaka was crowned, making him the longest-serving monarch of Buganda since the founding of the kingdom by Kato Kintu in the 11th century.
“To mark 30 years is a truly momentous milestone and one worthy of a befitting celebration. As the biggest supporter of cultural celebration and expression in Uganda, Pilsner Lager is proud to be a part of yet another coronation anniversary and we look forward to even more opportunities to positively impact the community in partnership with the Kingdom of Buganda,” Kilonzo said.
This year’s festivities have a focus on clans in whom the kingdom’s survival and origin are vested. The Katikkiro of Buganda Charles Peter Mayiga – said that during this year’s celebrations, the kingdom would look at the challenges and successes registered over the years while prioritising futuristic development and the social and economic well-being of the people of Buganda.
“We appreciate all that have come forward to support this year’s coronation anniversary, but in a special way, I appreciate the efforts of Uganda Breweries Limited – who have been a committed and steadfast partner of the kingdom through the different initiatives that continue to touch the lives of people in Buganda.”
UBL and the Buganda Kingdom have a longstanding relationship spanning several initiatives, such as in 2016, when the Kingdom’s investment arm Majestic Brands entered into a partnership with UBL to manufacture Ngule, the kingdom’s official beer.
The forum For Democratic Change (FDC) council is set to table a report on the former party presidents Kizza Besigye and Patrick Amuriat’s counter cash accusations. The report will be unveiled during the National Council Meeting happening at party headquarters in Najjanankumbi. Prior to the kicking of the meeting, there was uncertainty caused by hooded goons wielding stones and sticks. Several party members were blocked from accessing the venue however police tapped to arrest the situation. During the operation, several goons were nabbed and bundled in waiting police cars and transported to Central Police Station. There has been an ongoing battle between the Amuriat and the former party President Dr Kizza Besigye. Besigye accuses Amuriat of getting money from the ruling party, the National Resistance Movement (NRM) to finance his campaigns. In tandem, Amuriat asked Besigye to table the source of the $400,000 he gave to Nandala Mafabi ahead of the 2021 elections. That led to the launch of an investigation into the allegations and the report is ready to be tabled about the accusation between the two FDC stalwarts. The report was scheduled to be tabled earlier this month however Besigye had flown out to the US and they were waiting for him to return. It is alleged that Besigye is trying to push Amuriat out of the race ahead of the coming party presidential elections for the lord mayor Ssalongo Eria Lukwago. Despite being a party member, Besigye didn’t support nor converse support for Amuriat in the concluded 2021 presidential elections.
The Archbishop of Church of Uganda The Most Rev. Dr Stephen Samuel Kaziimba Mugalu has urged Uganda christian University (UCU) graduands to embrace the values of servant hood, Christ-centeredness, stewardship, diligence and integrity. Dr Kaziimba said during the 24th graduation ceremony for UCU. At 1,006 students graduated with Bachelor’s degrees, masters and Doctorates from various disciplines. Of the 1006 graduands, 562 were females and 444 males. Of those, 29 obtained first-class degrees (18 Females and 11 Males). “Today was more significant as we witnessed the graduation of the pioneer students of Medicine and Dentistry. This is a landmark achievement for UCU, as it marks a significant step forward in our pursuit of excellence in healthcare Education,” he said. Kaziimba expressed his gratitude that UCU has achieved remarkable progress in infrastructural development across our various colleges and campuses. I observed this during my pastoral visits. This will undoubtedly contribute to the holistic growth and development of our students. During the graduation ceremony, Eyob Yohana Ghebrekristos was announced as the overall best student during this year’s graduation ceremony. Ghebrekristos who graduated with a Bachelor of Dental Surgery scored a CGPA of 4.71. Wanyama Wilson emerged the overall best male student. He pursued a Bachelor of Development and Social Entrepreneurship, and achieved an impressive CGPA of 4.64.
The Ministry of Health is set to deploy 1,901 medical interns within the available budget at a net monthly allowance of Shs1million per intern to facilitate accommodation and feeding.
Dr. Henry Mwebesa, Director General Health Services in a letter dated July 27, 2023 revealed that the Ministry of Health received clearance by the Government to deploy Medical Interns to the 58 internship centers across the country.
“All medical interns are expected to report to their various training centers by August 3, 2023,” Mwebesa said.
He added, “Subsequently, the Ministry of Health has released a deployment list for the interns under revised terms as guided by the Government. The delayed deployment was accompanied by factors beyond control of the Ministry of Health.”
The Health Ministry advised all respective Hospital Directors to issue the Interns with deployment letters and organize for the induction.
The Ministry of ICT and National Guidance in partnership with the Japan International Cooperation Agency has launched the ICT Industry Promotion Project during the first Joint Coordination Committee meeting at the National ICT innovation Hub.
The Joint Coordination Committee is the highest-level decision-making organ that is composed of stakeholders from the Government, academia and the private sector and is headed by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry Dr Aminah Zawedde as the Project Director.
This comes after the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance signed a Record of Discussion with Japan International Cooperation Agency to strengthen the ICT ecosystem and accelerate job creation for Ugandan Youth in November last year.
The Record of Discussion is meant to help Uganda access one of the world’s most digitized nations which is Japan, and its advanced technology knowledge, market, and platforms through the ICT Industry.
The project has four expected outputs that include Policy Support which has policy recommendations a conceptual framework for an enabling environment to support the ICT services industry are developed, Human Resource Development which is a practical training program for strengthening the competitiveness of ICT human resources in Software Engineers is developed and delivered in collaboration with the stakeholders in the ICT industry, Business Matching where there is business matchmaking between Ugandan and foreign ICT enterprises is promoted by strengthening the competitiveness of Ugandan enterprises and Mentorship where a technology-drive and entrepreneurship is strengthened and promoted.
According to Dr. Zawedde, the launch of the UJ-Connect, Uganda is poised to take a significant leap forward in its ICT industry and by leveraging the expertise and resources of Japan, the project aims to create a thriving ecosystem that will drive economic growth, create jobs and technological advancement in the country.
“Our country’s greatest asset is its young and vibrant population with an average age of 16 years and at least 30,000 university graduates annually. Therefore, we must focus on creating job opportunities for our youth by providing valuable employment prospects for young people,” She said.
Dr Zawedde informed the meeting that the UJ-Connect Project is not just collaboration, but it’s a transformative initiative with a clear vision to achieve Uganda’s identified priority areas in the Digital Transformation Roadmap over the next four years.
“By creating a robust regulatory framework, nurturing ICT human resources, and supporting the innovation and start-up ecosystem, we aim to foster sustainable growth in the ICT industry”, She said.
The Chief Representative Japan International Cooperation Agency Mr. Yiochi Inoue, stressed that the UJ-Connect project will work towards strengthening the ICT ecosystem in Uganda and this shall be demonstrated through various indicators like increasing number of companies in the ICT sector, developing a Human resource matching platform for ICT engineers, establishing a sustainable tech-entrepreneurship support program, and increasing business matching between local and global ICT companies among others.
“Last week, we held a day-long consultative workshop with private sector players in the ICT
ecosystem where we extensively discussed on the priority areas of the project carried out by our project team, including application software such as Mobile App / Web App, database management and Analysis, cyber security, among others and the project team will work towards strengthening these areas through the different project outputs as you will know later in the program”, He said.
The Ambassador of Japan in Uganda, His Excellence Hidemoto Fukuzawa, highlighted that the ICT industry in Uganda is already a growing sector, driven by the government and private companies, including domestic and foreign start-ups, as it contributes to the high value added to the industry through digital transformation.
“I am hopeful that the project will promote ICT industry growth and it will lead to the growth of the republic of Uganda”, Ambassador Fukuzawa said.
He also noted that the UJ-Connect project will contribute to human capacity development, including both Uganda Institute of Information and Communication Technology (UICT) staff and ICT human resources, and to ICT business expansion by establishing a business matching platform.
In his keynote address, The Minister of ICT and National Guidance Hon Dr Chris Baryomunsi expressed his appreciation of Japan’s support and collaboration with the government of Uganda through the Ambassador of Japan to Uganda and JICA in different development initiatives.
Minister Baryomunsi also emphasized the government’s appreciation of the role of ICT in fostering ICT for national development which is why ICT has been integrated in all initiatives of the Social-economic development of Uganda.
“For a long time, the Republic of Uganda and the Republic of Japan have enjoyed cordial relationships. Over the years the Japanese Government has facilitated many developmental initiatives in Uganda that include infrastructure development projects, capacity building, and skilling of Ugandans among others. I am extremely delighted to note that the Japanese support to Uganda has now been extended to the area of ICTs”, Dr Baryomunsi said.
Dr. Baryomunsi said that the Government of Uganda has invested significantly in expanding ICT infrastructure across the country, ensuring that more citizens have access to the internet and digital services which has been instrumental in bridging the digital divide and promoting inclusivity and similarly, Uganda has actively engaged in public-private partnerships to attract foreign investment and expertise in the ICT sector, promoting knowledge transfer and technology adoption.
He said that it is in this regard that the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance on behalf of the Government of Uganda partnered with the Japanese International Cooperation Agency on behalf of the Japanese Government for the promotion of the ICT Industry in Uganda.
