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Kira Police Station keeping rape suspect in deal worth Shs30m, which is against the law

By
Our Reporter
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Lawrence Lubowa at Kira police station.

Officers at Kira Police Station have been keeping a suspected rapist for over a week now without the Knowledge of their superiors at Uganda Police headquarters in Naguru Kampala.

The rape suspect Lawrence Lubowa, who was arrested on Monday last week, is a resident of Ntinda who operates Giraffe Park Hotel on Ntinda-Kisaasi road, a few kilometers from Baba TV officers, where he is alleged to have raped the victim [names withheld].

According to our sources at Kira Police Station, Lubowa, a former lecturer who had a stint in the USA before he was deported back to Uganda, is said to have raped the victim after giving her a job of a waitress in his motel which provides accommodation and bar services.

Our sources at the police station say the allegations against Lubowa were investigated and found to be true whereby apart from raping the innocent girls, he is also alleged to have infected her with a dangerous disease that has no cure, with the frugs available only being able to prolong the victim’s life on planet earth.

It is said that police at Kira Police Station having confirmed the allegations to be true, decided to ask both sides to settle the matter at the police station in Shs30 million deal, where police officers are expected to get a share should the suspect find the money.

It is said the police officers at Kira Police Station told the rape victim and her family that she would get nothing if the suspect is arraigned before courts of law, the case being a capital offence that could mean a life sentence for the suspected rapist.

“It has been found to be true that this gentleman (Lubowa) raped the poor girl yet our bosses want to make money out of the case. They are denying the young girl justice,” one of our sources told us yesterday in Kampala, adding that the suspected rapist has many related cases in Kigowa and Ntinda police posts but that officers at the police small stations have been covering them in exchange for money.

According to our sources at Kira Police Post, a suspect brought on a capital offence is not supposed to stay at the station beyond 48 hours but Mr. Lubowa whose family is looking for money to give to the police keep off the case has stayed there for 8 days now.

This website contacted the area LC leaders who confirmed that they have cases of Lubowa abusing his female employees- such as wanting to forcefully have sex with them, denying them food and, even not paying them their wages.

“We have reported many cases of this man to Ntinda and Kigowa police station but he always gets his way out. We don’t know how he does it but I think he bribes the police,” one the village leaders said, adding a few months ago he took away his worker’s smartphone for good after she refused to give him sex. The girl, they say, went home without her phone on top of not paying her all the money she had worked for.

One of the village leaders also confirmed that Lubowa who is about 60 years is fond of sexually abusing his workers. “He uses and fires them [the girls]. That is why he cannot keep them for a month. Many run away because of his bad behaviour of wanting to sleep with them and yet he does not want to pay them for the work hired them for,” he said.

The boda boda riders who operate near Lubowa’s Giraffe Park Motel also confirmed that he has a habit of sexually abusing the girls he hires as waitresses. “One of the girls last year abused him (Lubowa) after he tried to forcefully have sex with her. Many people witnessed that incident in the morning. We were here at our work station. He (Lubowa) is a bad man,” a boda boda rider said.

However, our police sources at Kira Police Station that their bosses and others at different police stations in Kampala have a habit of making money out of rape suspects, in the process killing the case, and denying the victims justice.

In June 2019, Lubowa was arrested by police detectives from Busikirwa Police Post in Kisaasa after his employee identified as Sarah Sanya accused him of raping her. Case file number SD REF 05/06/2019 was opened.

It would later emerge that Lubowa accepted raping Sanya and asked for forgiveness but police there told the two sides to negotiate a financial settlement. It is said the girl’s family wanted Shs1,000, 000 while Lubowa could only manage to raise Shs700, 000, which was rejected.

It is said officers at Busikirwa Police Post after realising they could not handle the case forwarded it to Kira Police Station and nothing much came from there.

According to Arti 123 of the Penal Code Act Chapter 120, any person who has unlawful carnal knowledge of a woman or girl without her consent has committed rape. A person who commits rape is liable to death or imprisonment.

Despite the existence of the law, many girls and women in Uganda are raped every year by their employers and other men who offer the victims and parents money to settle the matter. This illegal activity (where some police officers) are involved has perpetrated sexual abuse and violence against women.

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UBUNTU rebrands to TowerCo of Africa Uganda

By
Our Reporter
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TOA Uganda CEO, Geoffrey Donnels Oketayot and CEO of TOA - Stephane Beuvelet Unveiling the new identity of Ubuntu Towers

Ubuntu Towers Uganda today announced the successful completion of its rebranding to TowerCo of Africa Uganda, which is 90% owned by TowerCo of Africa (TOA), a fully owned subsidiary of AXIAN Telecom. Under a new identity, the company forges ahead with its journey towards redefining connectivity in Uganda.

Geoffrey Donnels Oketayot, CEO at TowerCo of Africa Uganda, said: “We are thrilled to officially unveil TowerCo of Africa Uganda and embark on this exciting next chapter in what has been a very fulfilling journey. Our rebranding represents a transfer of the positive legacy from Ubuntu Towers to the TowerCo of Africa brand. It also marks an important milestone in our evolution, which is punctuated by our ambition to be the best green passive infrastructure solutions provider in Uganda.”

At a celebratory event graced by the Uganda State Minister of ICT, Honourable Joyce Juliet Nabbosa Ssebugwawo, and other dignitaries as well as business leaders, the TowerCo of Africa Uganda team reflected on the market impact the company has had since it was founded in 2020. They also thanked the partners who have been instrumental in accelerating the benefits realised by the Ugandan people.

“We are immensely grateful for the support of our employees, customers, business partners, industry bodies and government in helping to shape the socio-economic impact of TowerCo of Africa Uganda. We remain committed to delivering exceptional telecommunications solutions that catapult communities, businesses, and the economy towards meaningful growth,” concluded Oketayot.

Left to Right_ CEO of TOA – Stephane Beuvelet, Ag. Executive Director at the Uganda Communications Commission Eng. Irene Kaggwa Sewankambo, State Minister of ICT and Communications

Committed to sustainable and responsible development, TowerCo of Africa Uganda has rolled out towers across approximately 360 sites – nearly all of them equipped with hybrid energy solutions – and expects this number to grow significantly in the coming years.

Stephane Beuvelet, CEO of TowerCo of Africa, added: “TowerCo of Africa’s infrastructure investments are contributing to various sectors such as education, e-health, e-farming, logistics, and transport – amongst others. We are delighted to collaborate with compelling partners to deliver enhanced services as we work towards a better-connected, sustainable Uganda. We feel privileged to operate in a market where the regulation is progressive, and its people, ambitious and innovative. This fuels our confidence for the country’s ability to become a leading player in green powered passive telecoms infrastructure.”

TowerCo of Africa Uganda will continue to be run by its highly experienced management team, including the co-founders Geoffrey Donnels Oketayot (CEO), George Ssamula (CLO), and Ronald Onzia (COO), Mark Otai (CFO) and Harold Luzinda (CCO) – who collectively have over 25 years of experience in different fields, including engineering, business, operations management, and law. With a visionary leadership team at the helm, TowerCo of Africa Uganda is poised to shape the future of sustainable passive telecoms infrastructure and drive Uganda’s ascent as a trailblazer in the digital age.

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Behind the DNA ‘confusion’: A socio-cultural and politico-economic perspective

By
Guest Writer
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Mr Charles Tweheyo.

By Tweheyo Charles

JUST RECENTLY, Uganda experienced a growing public demand to understand the role of identity in shaping society. This is not new. From early 1860s, with the discovery of Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA); a material that exists in human body cells holding genetic codes, identity became inevitable in relating people and social units like family. Since then, people identify as members of certain units in comparison with others. In simple terms, genetically belonging to a particular family means being part of it, like others within and sharing its identical features. As an end to frequent quests to prove identity, memberships to certain families are either validated or terminated depending on the test results; whether accurate or compromised. Consequently, conflicts have broken families where identity is found misplaced. Even where there are no misplaced identities, at least trust is left in question. Hence posing serious existential threats to society.

The rapid technological transformation of society has buttressed dynamic perceptions of different social components, identity inclusive. Since the 1990s, globalization has triggered the proliferation of scientific explorations to deal with identity crises, hence high demand for scientific intervention through DNA tests. On one hand, this may be an indication that people’s faith in science and technology has grown but on the other hand, without doubt, there is a consistent increase in people’s quest to know their origins and with whom they relate. Hence necessary to ascertain why.

1. A volatile socio-political economy

Gradually, as the socio-economic and political environment becomes more volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous globally, people explore motivational mechanisms to expand means of survival while minimising avenues of expenditure. Here comes the politics of genealogy that has, of late, engulfed the practice of democratic governance where progenies of established politicians are seen as the most suitable to inherit their parliamentary and district political offices. When this is expanded to the micro social spaces, mothers have also innovatively founded a preference for their children to identify with ‘fathers’ who have capacity to ensure their better living in a highly complicated society from all aspects, be it political, social or economic. No wonder, cases of misplaced identities rise amidst men’s scrutiny for their biological progenies.

2. The ‘class’ question

At the core of the increasing demand for identity lies the classification of individuals according to their roles in relation to resource allocation, utilization and maximization. Needless to say, identity is about things that sustain persons. Majority of the meaningful activities within society revolves around the distribution and control of resources because this is the feature on which social structures are built. So, in such a highly structured society, individuals are placed in different social categories. The existence of these categories is characterized by contrasting interests in terms of power and status…which later determine our classes in society. This is to say, we are born into a society with structures which precede our interests. It is therefore natural that once in such a society, people want to drive their identity largely from the social categories with which they share majority of class interests. Thus, each person, depending on their personal history, is a member of a unique collection of social classes. Therefore, it’s only mandatory for one to belong to a group with a set of interests shaping his/her unique identities. Once this is not done appropriately, class conflicts are bound to break down our social fabric.

3. The role of culture

Identity, as a social instrument, is essential in the formation of one’s role in a larger cultural space. In a culturally rich society like Africa, some of the common tools of identity are symbols. These are employed in the allocation of positions and in naming and recognizing one another as occupants of positions. This comes with expectations with regard to one’s roles and behaviors. Therefore, in circumstances that a person’s identity is misplaced, one may be subjected to a situation where they have to perform misplaced cultural roles hence leaving the actual players with no roles while some roles remain unoccupied. For instance, we all belong to our fathers’ clans and only man’s biological children can perform his clan roles. In this context, it is mandatory for children to belong to their rightful fathers to belong to their clans. In failure, their socio-cultural status as well as that of their succeeding generations is compromised and this definitely causes cultural erosion.

4. Social media & the common sense of uncertainty

The rapid change in science and technology exhibited by the coincidental DNA demands and social media growth has proliferated doubts and arguments about identity. This common sense of uncertainty especially among men feeds a motivation for identification and pursuit of validation through genetic correlations. It is this change that inevitably brings mistrust infused with tension from the aggrieved parties seeking to resolve uncertainty through validation and exclusion of children in/out of particular families even when it is not only unnecessary but also very costly sometimes.

That said, the whole identity question can only be appropriately resolved by women. While there are some advocates for legal regulations, as long as there is continuous abuse of the principles of trust in families and society at large, identity questions will persist. Of course, even men play a role but our mothers, through the laws of nature, have the highest discretion in determining which man should or should not biologically own a child, when, where and why. So, they are at the center of making or breaking society. Largely, this whole DNA hullabaloo is a consequence of what they choose to and/or not to do. So, is there any sustainable way to save humanity from future identity crises? Yes. Our dear mothers must allocate us to fathers we truthfully belong to!

Tweheyo Charles is a social and political commentator

tweheyocharles@gmail.com

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Health Ministry approves Uganda Police Forensic lab to conduct DNA testing

By
Simon Kabayo
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Police Laboratories

The Ministry of Health has approved the Uganda Police Forensic Laboratory to conduct DNA testing services adding to the database of gazetted/certified facilities for DNA testing relationships in the country.

Police Spokesperson SCP Fred Enanga revealed on Monday that the lab was cleared after meeting the necessary requirements and standards to carry out DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) testing services.

“The clearance of the Forensic DNA Lab, is a big and important step, in significantly enhancing the investigative capabilities of the police, and also plays a pivotal role in crime solving, disaster victim identification, and counter-terrorism efforts,” said.

Enanga explained that DNA is scientifically accurate and more difficult to dispute than eyewitness accounts, and that the DNA lab testing centre “has further helped remove the major setbacks, in obtaining the much-needed justice for victims of crime, by corroborating witness and survivor statements.”

The laboratory, which is based at the Police headquarters at Naguru in Kampala, was commissioned on January 28, 2021, by Principal Judge Flavian Zeija.

Enanga said that the police DNA and Forensic Testing Service features a laboratory equipped with state-of-the-art technology and facilities to perform a broad range of forensic DNA testing services, for evidential material, in support of investigations by the police.

“The tests include; dead body identification, DNA paternity, and maternity. Sibling and kinship testing in criminal investigations, immigration DNA testing, cell line authentication and DNA profile.”

He added that the laboratory will also work with medical officers, from the health ministry, who handle evidential material for DNA analysis, to ensure that the identification, collection, packaging, storage and transportation of the evidential material attain acceptable international standards.

“…the Police Forensic Laboratory is committed to providing high-quality DNA testing services that are accurate and reliable. In addition, the force’s extensive use of DNA technology, in crime solving, disaster victim identification, and counter-terrorism efforts, shows our commitment to upholding justice, providing closure to victim’s families and ensuring National Security.”

“As the Uganda Police Force continues to harness DNA technology, it reinforces its position as a progressive and resilient institution, poised to combat crime and safeguard the nation’s well-being,” he added.

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IGG issues warrant of arrest against suspended UNBS boss

By
Our Reporter
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ON SUSPENSION: David Livingstone Ebiru, the Executive Director UNBS.

The Inspectorate of Government has issued an arrest warrant against David Livingstone Ebiru, suspended Executive Director of Uganda National Bureau of Standards for failure to heed to summons.

Ebiru who is currently on suspension was last Friday summoned to appear before the inspectorate officials and record a statement of the alleged bribing of UNBS board members with Shs100 million shillings to keep his contract.

According to Ali Munira, the Spokesperson of Inspectorate of Government UNBS board members have appeared before the inspectorate and recorded statements however Ebiru has since not shown up.

“Ebiru’s failure to appear before the inspectorate has prompted us to issue a warrant of arrest against him,” she said

Appearing before the Parliamentary Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities, and State Enterprises (COSASE) last week, Ebiru admitted to bribing the entity’s board with Shs100 million to retain his job.

The committee is investigating Ebiru, the Executive for misappropriating Shs12.5 billion. During the committee proceedings, the Chairperson of the Board of UNBS, Charles Musekuura said that the Ebiru had caused financial loss at the entity and was at the helm of corruption and numerous irregularities.

He revealed that out of the total $4.9 million in the account, only $1.5 million had been sent to the Consolidated Fund, while the remaining $3.4 million was converted and utilised to support the bureau’s operations at its source under the authority of the director.

“The $3.4 million was used at the source which, to my understanding, was contrary to the law and I am mindful that whatever it is that I have to do at the bureau, I am guided by the law,” Musekuura said.

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Museveni urges ANC leaders to push for African common market

By
Simon Kabayo
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President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni continues to emphasize regional integration among African states in order to create a bigger market for businesses on the continent to thrive.

While meeting a delegation from South Africa’s African National Congress (ANC) at State House Entebbe led by the political party’s Treasurer General, Dr. Gwen Ramokgopa on Monday July 24,2023, the President said that Africa’s small, disintegrated economies can do so little in terms of trade and investment, adding that Partner States need to integrate as a matter of survival to create bigger markets.

“We have got the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) but they have got a lot of bottlenecks; protectionism, border delays and all that. The issue of the African common market is a matter of survival if we don’t want to be like Latin America,” President Museveni said, adding that it is unfortunate that South America, with all its natural resources more than the United States is still disorganized economically and Africa should be very careful if they don’t watch out.

“I have actually asked that question; are we trying to build a Latin America in Africa? Or a United States of Africa in Africa? If you want to be Latin America, then we shall build it. You will see,” H.E Museveni stressed.

The President who is also the National Chairman of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) party told the guests that Uganda has since diversified its economy from the 3C’s- coffee, cotton and copper and the 3T’s- tobacco, tourism and tea which the country depended on during the colonial times.

“This was a small island of modernity, surrounded by a sea of backwardness and yet the land was with the people but not developed. We are now saying; in order to jump from non-monetary economy to monetary economy, everybody must work for both the stomach and the pocket,” H.E Museveni stressed.

Adding value to the agricultural raw materials and minerals is another strategy he said Africa must adopt if prosperity is to happen, mentioning coffee which should uplift Africa to modernity, but the cash crop is poorly managed.

“Germany earns 6.5 billion dollars and the whole of Africa earns only $2.5 billion. Why? Because when the coffee is taken raw from here, it is roasted and packaged from there. So, that is the second battle now,” the President noted.

He further added that for those battles to go on, Africa must deal with the issue of the market.

“If I produce, who buys? Uganda has only 46 million people but that market is not big enough. That’s why we have to deal with regional integration for the African market. We can quickly become a first world country,” H.E Museveni said.

President Museveni who said he recruited himself into the ANC party in 1967 had to fight together with others, “because although we already had independence in 1971, the leaders who were coming in and going out were off the point! They were only emphasizing politics of identity, tribe, religion and gender chauvinism”.

ANC’s Treasurer General, Dr. Gwen Ramokgopa who led a three-people delegation extended greetings from President Cyril Ramaphosa and the people of South Africa. She praised President Museveni for providing refuge to the anti-apartheid freedom fighters at Kaweweta where they trained, planned, and launched attacks against the white racist regime in South Africa from 1989 to 1993.

Dr. Ramokgopa informed President Museveni about their visit to Oliver Tambo Leadership School in Kaweweta, Nakaseke District describing their visit as inspirational and key in strengthening the historical ties between the ANC and NRM.

“We are greatly honoured, inspired and indebted for life to the people of Uganda for our liberation and particularly your wisdom, the pan-Africanist leadership and courage,” she noted.

Dr. Ramokgopa further promised to follow up on the pledge which was made by the former President of South Africa Jacob Zuma during the commissioning of the OR Tambo School of Leadership, Kaweweta on March 26, 2010 to improve health services delivery at the institute.

“There was a commitment to build a theatre for the hospital and will certainly follow that up to have it implemented. Being a medical doctor myself and having worked in a maternity ward as my last clinical work, I have also added to the obstetrics maternity ward as a token of appreciation to the immense contribution that the people of Uganda meant for our liberation and democracy we enjoy today,” Dr Ramokgopa said.

She further expressed commitment on behalf of the ANC to continue the liberation movement and to build on the successes and the progress so far made.

“Our economies have got minerals, agricultural land and water and the challenge is to translate these economic endowments into a shared prosperity for all our people,” Dr. Ramokgopa added.

During their three-day official working visit in Uganda, the team held high-level meetings with the NRM party Secretary General, Rt. Hon. Richard Todwong and the top management at the party headquarters.

A liberation movement known for its opposition to apartheid, the ANC has governed the country since 1994, when the first post-apartheid election installed Nelson Mandela as President of South Africa.

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Daniel Nangalama appointed UNBS Acting Executive Director

By
Simon Kabayo
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Daniel Richard Makayi Nangalama

The National Standards Council (NSC) has appointed Daniel Richard Makayi Nangalama as the Acting Executive Director of the Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS).

This appointment comes in after the Bureau’s Executive Director, David Livingstone Ebiru was sent on forced leave after confessing of offering Shs100 million bribes to NSC members to retain his job.

Previously, he has been serving as the Deputy Executive Director – Management and Financial Services, responsible for provision of strategic leadership and oversight of the directorate through effective and efficient planning, monitoring, coordinating, and implementation of UNBS policies and programmes, ensuring proper management and optimal utilization of available resources. He previously worked with the Bureau as Audit Manager from 2013 to 2016.

Prior to his appointment to this role, he was serving as the Chief Internal Auditor, Kyambogo University.  He has over two decades of experience in both private and public entities. His working experience entails strategy and policy monitoring, internal audit, financial and operations management within the sectors of tertiary education, energy, and quality and standards regulation.

He holds a Master of Science Degree in Accounting & Finance; Post graduate Diploma in Human Resource Management; Certificate in Law (Administrative Officers course) and Bachelor of Commerce. He has also received trainings in Quality Management Systems (QMS ISO 9001), Corporate Governance for directors and senior managers, Internet security and ethical hacking, Competence Based Job Evaluation, Public Finance Reforms among others. Professionally, he is a Certified Public Accountant (Uganda and Kenya), Certified Internal Auditor, Certified Information Systems Auditor, Certified ISO 31000 Risk Management Professional.

He is actively involved in governance responsibilities as   member of the Audit Committee of Inter-University Council of East Africa, the Governing council of Aduku College of Commerce, Board of Finance Mukono Diocese. He is also chairperson Board of Governors Bubulo Secondary School and a member of Bubulo Girls High School. In addition, he has served on several   professional committees at the Institute of Internal Auditors of Uganda (IIA-Uganda) and Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Uganda (ICPAU).

During his working and voluntary life, he has fostered establishment of policy frameworks and institutional capabilities in the areas of Governance, Auditing, Risk management, Financial and Operations management. He is a strong advocate of Team work, Inclusiveness, Value added proposition, Continuous improvement and Professionalism.  He is a member of the Institute of Corporate Governance of Uganda and a life member of the Bible Society of Uganda.

UNBS is committed to performing its mandate of developing, promoting and enforcing standards in protection of public health and Safety and the environment against dangerous and sub-standard products.

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Speaker Among urges new judges to decisively tackle case backlog

By
Our Reporter
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Speaker Among


The Appointments Committee of Parliament has urged the newly appointed judges of the High Court to decisively tackle the long-standing problem of case backlog.
The Speaker Anita Among, said the high case backlog is frustrating the dispensation of justice in the country.


‘’I congratulate you upon being entrusted with the task by the appointing authority and I want to urge you to join others in tackling the issue of case backlog that has hindered swift dispensation of justice,’’ she said.
Among who is also the chairperson of the committee said this as they vetted 13 presidential nominees that include 11 judges of the High Court, the Executive Director of the Financial Intelligence Authority and the Chairperson of the Education Service Commission.


A case becomes backlogged when it has been in the justice system for more than two years without being heard and determined.
President Museveni in a memo dated 17 July 2023, to the Clerk to Parliament made the appointments in a bid to solve the staffing gap in the Judiciary.


This followed Parliament’s approval of the expansion of the staffing structure of the High Court judges from the current 83 to 151.
The newly appointed Judges are Flavia Nabakooza, Philip Willebrod Mwaka, Amos Kwizera, David Samson Makumbi, Dr  Christine Akello Echookit, Jamson Karemani Karemera Jacqueline Mwondha, Aisah Naluze Batala, Rosette Comfort Kania, Patience Tumusiime Rubagumya and Farouq Lubega.
The committee also interfaced with Financial Intelligence Authority Executive Director Samuel Wandera Were and Education Service Commission Chairperson Pro. Dr.Samuel Luboga Abimelech.
The committee will submit a report recommending approval or rejection of any of the nominees to the President.

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Financial Institutions urged to prioritize Green Financing to boost Climate Action in Uganda

By
Simon Kabayo
-

Finance experts in Uganda have advised financial institution lenders to prioritize green financing in the country to manage climate change.

Green financing is a finance model aimed at ensuring that all money loaned out, either to the government or to the private sector, goes towards the protection of the environment or mitigation of the effects of climate change and biodiversity conservation.

The model was created in line with the growing campaign for lenders and investors to have in place Environment and Social Governance (ESG) at all levels of investment decisions.

The experts have made the comments during a capacity building training by aBi Finance Limited in partnership with Uganda Institute of Bankers at Collin Hotel in Mukono district.

Musa Olwase, a trainer from the Uganda Institute of Bankers says climate change has affected the entire world and as a nation, a lot should be done to ensure that the environment does not get worse than it already is.

He says that sensitizing the loans officers throughout the country is being done so as to create awareness so they can add it to their credit lending portfolios as they carry out their business.

He says: “The intention of this training is to create awareness of climate finance throughout the country as financial institutions have been issuing out loans without paying attention to the change in climate which has a direct impact on the project portfolio.”

He says that as the country they want to get ahead of climate change before the situation worsens by tasking them on being cautious on which kinds of businesses they are financing and asking that they adapt to the changing environment and the need to prevent further losses.

“The climate is changing and we are trying to sensitize credit managers on global warming cause once it reaches the extreme, there will be no way an institution with an Agro credit portfolio will be able to recover the money even,” Olwase says

He adds that they have come up with a grant which they intend to give to those banks which want to do green financing as failure to do so will affect other sectors like tourism which contribute to the economic growth of the nation.

Olwase says: “Financial institutions are vital to green finance lending as they have direct access to different agro business customers. They can help advise their customers to be more responsible with their actions as they do business hence we promoting sustainability since the world is warming up.”

Moses Bwire the Investment Manager Green Growth at aBi Finance, a financial institution that focuses on leading money to any agriculture projects with an emphasis on environmental protection in all production processes, says the training is aimed at helping the lenders learn how to develop or improve their policies, design appropriate products, and also improve the monitoring and reporting on the loan disbursements.

He says: “We are meeting with loan officers to give them knowledge about green financing, which are those projects that qualify for green financing, how should they monitor, how should they report and hope that as they go back they try to implement these finances.

He explains that green financing will help them achieve a green tax economy in the country and which kinds of businesses fall under green financing.

“There is what we call the green tax economy which helps financial institutions to differentiate out of these loans which loans are going to green financing and which ones are not. We also go ahead to divide those going to green financing are also divided into those going to climate change, climate mitigation and other conservation are helped.” He says

He also noted that most financial institutions are aware of ESG but have emphasis on the Spractices in various aspects of their operations, pertaining to; internal policies, frameworks and standards, structures, products, staffing, skilling, and reporting systems.

Meanwhile, Pastori Kamoga, the internal auditor for Development Microfinance, says that they are glad to be equipped with the knowledge which they intend to implement. He says that they have been doing green financing but on a small scale due to limited resources.

He says that while ESG is still optional in Uganda, there is a need for all lenders to have policies so that if or when it becomes compulsory, it will be easy for them to comply.

“They have come at the right time and through the institution we have been well equipped on green financing,” he says.

Kamoga adds: “We have been doing green financing but on a small scale however, with aBi finance limited coming on board, with a very big boost to see that we can fully diversify into green financing by helping us overcome the risks associated with the initiative like taking up 70% of a loss and leaving 30% of the loss the institution which is fair compared to leaving it entirely to the Institution as it has always been.”

He notes that green finance encourages transparency and accountability through the integration of ESG factors into investment decisions, investors will also be able to make informed decisions that align with their values and contribute to sustainable development.

In December last year, aBi Finance Limited launched a 120-billion Shillings financing initiative through the local financial industry towards green financing, and currently, 26 billion Shillings has been loaned out.

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Police in Mubende recovers abducted 3-month-old boy

By
Simon Kabayo
-

The territorial police in Mubende have recovered a 3-month-old baby boy who had allegedly been kidnapped. The victim, (Name withheld), is the son of Magezi Aaron and Nakityo Rose, residents of Kikona Cell, Kirungi Ward, South Division in Mubende Municipality, Mubende District.

According to Wamala Region Police Spokesperson, SP Kawala Racheal, the incident occurred on 23rd July 2023, around 1030hrs when Nakityo Rose, the mother of the victim, briefly left her child alone in the house to fetch water from the stream. Upon her return, she discovered that her child was missing. She immediately contacted her husband, who had gone to work, and together, they searched for their child to no avail.

“Upon receiving the information, our task team initiated a search for the missing child. All surrounding houses were thoroughly searched, but there was no sign of the baby. Valuable information from children playing nearby led us to a person seen carrying a child while wearing a cap,” Kawala said.

“Following this lead, our officers traced the same route and discovered the abandoned child in the bushes near Nakatogo Vadesi’s shrine, approximately 200 meters away. Thankfully, the child was found alive. As part of our ongoing investigation, we have apprehended four suspects to assist in the case, and our efforts to identify and apprehend any additional suspects continue.”

Kawala further denounced the act of kidnapping and urged parents and guardians to be vigilant, refraining from leaving their children unattended.

“The safety and protection of our children are of utmost importance. A case of child kidnapping has been opened, and we assure the public that our inquiries are still underway to ensure justice is served.”

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