KAMULI-The fastest means by which Uganda can kick homosexuality out of the country is by fighting the vice at family level. This can be achieved when every parent keep their eye on their children and spouses to detect any signs of evil doings.

The call was sounded on Sunday by Namayingo district Deputy Resident District Commissioner, Trevor Solomon Baleke while addressing mourners at the send off his neighbour Nubuwat Nabirye at Buwala village, Wankole sub county, Kamuli district.

“If you are a parent and your son dresses like a lady or wears makeup, earrings etc and you’re quiet about it, you could be having a gay in your house.”

“If your daughter behaves like a man and you are not questioning her, you too could be unintentionally promoting homosexuality, he said adding that, “flash back home. Go and take up your responsibility of parenting by discouraging your sons and daughters from any behaviors related to homosexuality.”

Baleke turned to the local leaders and urged them to keep their eyes open and report to higher authorities any person in their communities suspected to be gay.

“Homosexuality is illegal under the Penal Code Act and it carries a possible seven-year sentence for those caught in the same sex relations,” he explained.

He also warned parents against people and organization trying to attract children into homosexuality by promising them money and sponsorship.

“Please have sizeable and manageable families. Don’t just produce because you are fertile but be sure you are capable of looking after your children,” he said.

The time is now for parents and local leaders to be very vigilant and inquisitive when it comes to who promises free things to their children.

Addressing the same mourners, Mayuge Deputy RDC, Nagaya Amisi Kiganira who spoke immediate after his Namayingo counterpart urged whoever is involved the fight against homosexuality not to base their campaigns on religion and tribe.

Kiganira lauded religious leaders in Uganda for speaking the same language against the gay community.

“Now the challenge we have are politicians. It is now only president [Yoweri] Museveni who has so far come out openly to castigate homosexuality. Where are these other political party leaders to also give us their opinion on this vice?,” he asked.

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Lawmakers have criticized a supplementary expenditure of Shs57.6 billion under the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development to cater for an out of court settlement to a Spain based energy company, Albatross.  

Members of Parliament on the Budget Committee made their reservations while receiving responses from the Minister of State for Finance, Planning and Economic Development (General duties), Henry Musasizi on the supplementary expenditure for Financial Year 2022/2023, Schedule one on Wednesday, March 1,2023.

 Musasizi said that in 2014/2015, the government entered an implementation agreement with Albatros to establish a 50 megawatt thermal power plant in Hoima district, but production of oil and development of the oil refinery was delayed.

“Subsequently, the government and Albatros mutually agreed to discontinue the project and reimburse the developer for expenses incurred in the development of the project process, retain the land and other assets of the project.

He added that the government found it costly and unsustainable to provide an annual subsidy of $74.5 million for the investor to use imported oil.

Committee Chairperson, Patrick Isiagi however said that paying the energy company Shs57.6 billion under the supplementary expenditure approved within 03 per cent of the budget was not necessary. 

“If the Auditor General is keen on such expenditures, they will find them nugatory. As parliament, we shall subject each of these expenditures to a test as to whether they qualify to be under the 03 per cent and whatever does not qualify, we shall not be part of that dirt,” said Isiagi.

Gorreth Namugga (NUP, Mawogola South) said that out of court settlements do not qualify to be classified as unforeseeable and unavoidable, as defined in the Public Finance Management Act.

 “This is a deal for some individuals to get money dubiously. My general observation is that supplementary expenditures under the legal 03 per cent are questionable while those that require Parliamentary approval are genuine,” Namugga said.

She said that the expenditure of Shs57.6 billion is contrary to a commitment of the Charter of Fiscal Responsibility on efficiency, effectiveness and value for money.

Fox Odoi (NRM West Budama North East County) questioned how an expenditure on an out of court settlement takes precedence over public debts.

 “Do you think that expenditure meets legal standards in the Public Finance Management Law,” Odoi asked. 

Hon. Dickson Kateshumbwa (NRM, Sheema Municipality) said that supplementary expenditures should focus on provision of social services to the population, as opposed to out of court settlements.

“You are collecting money from taxpayers and basic services are not catered for in the supplementary. How do you convince them to pay more taxes, people are always questioning what the taxes are used for,” Kateshumbwa said.

Parliament approved a total budget of Shs48.130 trillion for the financial year 2022/2023.

Subsequently, the Minister of Finance laid before Parliament supplementary expenditure amounting Shs2.386 trillion for financial year 2022/2023, out of which, Shs1.316 trillion is within the 03 percent legal limit while Shs1.071 is under prior approval by Parliament.

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The Minister for Works and Transport, Gen. Edward Katumba Wamala has said that over Shs5 trillion is needed to execute all pending national road network projects.

Gen. Katumba Wamala told the House on Wednesday, March 1, 2023 that Cabinet agreed to reprioritize maintenance of the existing paved, unpaved and critical industrial park roads.

Gen. Katumba Wamala noted that the lengthy rainy seasons continues to accelerate deterioration of the roads which is aggravated by inadequate funds to maintain them.
“Maintenance interventions have been delayed due to budget suppressions in the budget for the previous financial year and the inadequate release of funds in the first quarter of the running national budget.” he added.

The minister added that Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) is currently carrying out periodic maintenance of two paved national roads covering a total length of 93 kilometers and requiring a funding commitment of Shs113 billion.

He noted ongoing rehabilitation of six paved national roads covering a distance of 531KM with a funding commitment of at least Shs682 billion over a period of three years.

On upgrading road projects, the minister said that the there are 20 ongoing projects across the country covering a total of 1,083 kilometers with an approximate funding requirement of Shs1.8 trillion.

 “A total of 1,204 kilometers, of paved roads have been technically assessed to be in urgent need of periodic maintenance to deter accelerated deterioration which require five or more times the current cost of maintenance,” Katumba Wamala said.

He noted that the total requirement for rehabilitation projects under procurement and Government of Uganda counterpart funding for externally financed road projects stands at Shs1.2 trillion.
“This means that we need 20 per cent of the above for advance payments translating to Shs240 billion in the next financial year to enable commencement of civil works on these roads,” he added.

The Speaker Anita Among directed the Ministry of Finance to provide a response on the lack of funding for  road projects.

She raised concern with the unequal distribution of the road network and called for equity.  
“To ensure fairness and national character as dictated by the constitution, the expansion and maintenance of the road network must reach all corners of the country,” she added.

Speaker Among also called for capacity building of local contractors so that they can take on the projects.

Hon. Yusuf Nsibambi (FDC, Mawokota County South) said that the Ministry of Finance has been adamant to address the funding constraints affecting the Ministry of Works.
“The budgetary appropriations and releases show that money is not provided to the Ministry of Works on time and its prioritises are not recognised by the Ministry of Finance,” he said.

The Minister of State for Finance (General Duties), Hon. Henry Musasizi said that the resolution arrived at to prioritise works on existing roads was because of financial constraints the government is facing.
“The circumstances we are operating in do not allow us the additional money to address the ever growing priorities of the government,” he said.

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AF Mpanga Advocates has announced the ending of its working relationship with South African domiciled law firm Bowmans.

 “AF Mpanga Advocates is pleased to announce a new strategic direction. Following a mutual review of the firm’s relationship with the broader Bowmans group over the last few months, joint decision was made for AF Mpanga Advocates and Bowmans to move forward s separate firms from the March 1,2023,” the law firm said on Wednesday.

AF Mpanga Advocates in the notice said it would continue working with Bowmans but the latter’s representatives have a different opinion. “If we’re to continue working together. Why the separation?

Insiders from Bowmans say they had disagreements on certain issues that they could no longer tolerate, hence the separation between the two firms.

Backwards, the Commercial Court in Kampala in 2017 kicked lawyers Timothy Masembe and David Mpanga of MMAKS Advocates and AF Mpanga Advocates respectively from the case between Sudhir Ruparelia and Bank of Uganda in the Shs397 billion case.

Sudhir through his lawyers of Kampala Associated advocates lodged a complaint saying that the two lawyers and their firms were his potential witnesses and therefore, cannot continue representing Bank of Uganda citing conflict of interest having represented him and the defunct Crane Bank in the past. The two without shame had denied they ever worked for Sudhir.

But in his then ruling read by Commercial Court Registrar Lilian Buchana, Justice David Mwangutusi ruled that evidence shows that the two law firms have in the past had Sudhir Ruparelia and his Cranes Bank as clients adding that an implementation agreement signed between David Mpanga and Sudhir early that year which was also at the centre of Sudhir’s counter claim against Bank of Uganda was a clear indicator that the lawyer cannot represent the Central bank in the same case.

“They were close to Sudhir who was their client and a lot of information must have flown from one party to the other. The lawyers could have acquired secrets and therefore there is a possibility of disclosure of some of the secrets by the lawyers,”Mwangutusi said.

As part of his defence, Sudhir claims that Mpanga drafted the document containing evidence to be used as his defence and as such is a potential witness in the matter in High Court.

Mwangutusi concurred with Sudhir’s argument adding that there is a big conflict of interest from Mpanga, adding that the same cannot be allowed to be lawyer for Bank of Uganda yet at the same time a witness for Sudhir in the same matter.

“I find that there will be a conflict of interest from the lawyers and on those grounds, they are disqualified from the case,”he ruled.

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