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.
Minister Magyezi making a point on the floor of Parlaiment.
Parliament has approved a statutory instrument extending local council office bearers’ tenure by six months. The local council leadership’s tenure expired earlier on Monday July 10, 2023. The current LC I and LC II leaders were voted into office in 2018.
Following the expiry of their tenure, the Minister for Local Government, Raphael Magyezi said the government had postponed the LC elections since it did not have the Shs59 billion required by the Electoral Commission to organize them.
This prompted Opposition leaders in Parliament led by Shadow Ministers, Betty Ethel Naluyima (Local Government), Brenda Nabukenya (Education), Gorreth Namugga (Science and Innovation), Helen Nakimuli (Fisheries) and Yusuf Nsibambi (Works and Transport) to issue a 30-day ultimatum for government to organize the Local Council (LC) elections.
Naluyima said that the government’s decision to postpone the elections is illegal as it contravenes the provisions of the Constitution and Section 170 of the Local Government Act which provides for the election of local government and administrative councils every five years.
Under the Third Schedule of the Local Government Act, the minister can extend the tenure of local leaders for a period not exceeding six months if the country is in a state of war or if a state of emergency has been declared under the Constitution, Naluyima stated.
The MPs argued that without fresh elections being held, the current LC I chairpersons cannot issue legally acceptable recommendations for identification documents, endorse property sale agreements or settle community disputes.
Appearing before parliament earlier today Magyezi, assured MPs that there would be timely elections within the designated period. MPs back the move, citing smoother functioning of activities needing local council approval.
Sudanese displaced woman line up to receive food at Kasab Internally Displaced People's camp near Kutum, Northern Darfur, Sudan in this July 2004 file picture.The European Union has threatened Sudan with "imminent" U.N. sanctions if it does not end the conflict in its western Darfur region that has killed tens of thousands, but Sudan said the threats would only damage peace efforts.(AP Photo/Marcus Prior/WFP)
The conflict in Sudan that has forced 3.4 million people to flee for safety within the country and across its borders is rapidly intensifying health threats, with cases of infectious diseases and other afflictions reported among the displaced populations who have sought refuge in hard-to-reach locations, with limited health services.
Among those uprooted from their homes, nearly 760 000 have sought refuge in neighbouring Central African Republic, Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia and South Sudan, where World Health Organization (WHO) and partners are supporting national authorities to provide emergency health assistance
In Sudan itself, the health crisis has reached gravely serious levels as more than two-thirds of hospitals remain out of service amid increasing reports of attacks on health facilities. Between April 15, and July 24, 2023, WHO verified 51 attacks on health facilities, resulting in 10 deaths and 24 injuries—and cutting off access to urgently needed care.
“The scale of the health crisis is enormous. We are working hard to step up our response, delivering critical medical and other emergency health supplies,” said Dr Nima Saeed Abid, WHO Representative in Sudan. “Although the attacks on health facilities and the widespread insecurity are compounding the challenges, we’re determined to reach those most in need and urge for increased donor support to ensure that we deliver adequately.”
Across the border in Chad, which is receiving an average of 2500 people daily—accounting for most of the people forced to flee across borders from Sudan—WHO and partner organizations have identified and treated more than 1400 trauma cases. That includes over 60 major surgeries. About 70% of the trauma cases are due to gunshot wounds. Additionally, malaria, malnutrition and cholera infections are also being reported among the displaced.
“The conflict in Sudan is triggering a health crisis that is affecting an entire region,” said Dr Jean-Bosco Ndihokubwayo, WHO Representative in Chad. “Chad alone is currently hosting more than a quarter of a million people and an equal number of people are projected to arrive in the country by the end of this year. This will significantly increase the health needs and exert huge pressure on the available health facilities.”
Cases of malaria among children under five years of age, as well as suspected cases of yellow fever have also been identified among the about 17 000 people who have sought refuge in the Central African Republic. A suspected cholera outbreak has also been reported in locations in northern Ethiopia receiving large numbers of displaced people.
The influx of more than 176 000 people into South Sudan has overstretched facilities in the northern Renk region, where an upsurge of acute watery diarrhoea among children under-five year of age is driving up mortality. There is also a significant rise in cases of severe acute malnutrition and measles among these children.
To adequately respond to the crisis, WHO in June issued an emergency appeal for $145 million in June. To date, only about 10% of the funds have been received, and with little prospects of peace, the health crisis is likely to worsen.
WHO is working with partners to deliver emergency assistance swiftly. So far, it has shipped over 36 tons of supplies to Chad, where an emergency medical team has also been deployed. The Organization has also delivered emergency medical and non-medical supplies to provide care to the affected populations in Central African Republic, Egypt, Ethiopia and South Sudan. In addition, disease Surveillance is being enhanced to guide prevention and enable early detection of potential outbreaks. WHO is also providing technical support to national authorities to strengthen the emergency health response.
With scarce, overstretched and at times inexistent health facilities in the locations hosting the people fleeing the armed violence in Sudan, WHO and partners are supporting national health authorities to enhance provision of basic health services. Improving water, sanitation and hygiene services, carrying out vaccination drives, as well as strengthening infection prevention and control are some of the priority health interventions.
Buganda Road Court Chief Magistrate Asuman Muhumuza has issued a warrant of arrest against the former Presidential candidates Dr Kizza Besigye and Samuel Walter Lubega Mukaku for failure to turn up for court proceedings.
Appearing before court, the suspect’s lawyers led by Musa Matovu said his clients are out of the country. Prosecutor led by Ivan Kyazze objected to his plea, saying there is no proof to that effect which prompted the trial Magistrate to issue an arrest warrant against them.
“We have received a court ruling indicating Besigye and Mukaku should be arrested. A warrant of arrest was issued against them and criminal summons were issued against all their sureties. It was irregular because I intimated to the trial Magistrate that the matter had lost track on February 27, 2023,” Matovu said.
He said his clients have been coming to court to their dismay, all the times they reported; there were either no magistrate or state prosecutors.
Prosecution avers that the accused without any unlawful excuse at an assembly addressed members of the public implying that it would be desirable for them to demonstrate, yet it could result in violence and destruction of property.
The two were arrested on June 14,2020 following their protests over the skyrocketing prices of commodities in the country. They were detained at Central Police Station (CPS) and later transferred to Naggalama Police Station.
They were on June 15, 2022 produced before Magistrate Muhumuza and charged them with inciting violence.
Parliament has approved a statutory instrument extending local council office bearers’ tenure by six months. The local council leadership’s tenure expired earlier on Monday, 10 July 2023. The current LC I and LC II leaders were voted into office in 2018. Following the expiry of their tenure, the Minister for Local Government, Raphael Magyezi said the government had postponed the LC elections since it did not have the Shs59 billion required by the Electoral Commission to organize them. This prompted Opposition leaders in Parliament led by Shadow Ministers, Betty Ethel Naluyima (Local Government), Brenda Nabukenya (Education), Gorreth Namugga (Science and Innovation), Helen Nakimuli (Fisheries) and Yusuf Nsibambi (Works and Transport) to issue a 30-day ultimatum for government to organize the Local Council (LC) elections. Naluyima said that the government’s decision to postpone the elections is illegal as it contravenes the provisions of the Constitution and Section 170 of the Local Government Act which provides for the election of local government and administrative councils every five years. Under the Third Schedule of the Local Government Act, the minister can extend the tenure of local leaders for a period not exceeding six months if the country is in a state of war or if a state of emergency has been declared under the Constitution, Naluyima stated. The MPs argued that without fresh elections being held, the current LC I chairpersons cannot issue legally acceptable recommendations for identification documents, endorse property sale agreements or settle community disputes. Appearing before parliament earlier today Magyezi, assured MPs that there would be timely elections within the designated period. MPs back the move, citing smoother functioning of activities needing local council approval.
