The Opposition will not submit a refresh list of its missing supporters unless there is full accountability of the names on the lists which have previously been presented before Parliament, the Leader of Opposition in Parliament (LOP), Mathias Mpuuga, has said.

Addressing christians at a fundraising ceremony for the expansion of St. Joseph’s Sub-Parish Church, Nyendo in Masaka City’s Nyendo-Mukungwe Division, Mpuuga downplayed government’s latest demand for a new list of the political activists that the Opposition claims to have been abducted by state operatives.  

“For the record, I will not submit another list because they already have so many other lists to which they have not offered accountability. I am not going to be performing rituals to which they make no response,” Mpuuga said.

Recently, the Deputy Speaker, Thomas Tayebwa, called for yet another meeting between the LOP and government over the alleged continued abductions and disappearances of the former’s supporters, specifically those that identify with the National Unity Platform (NUP) party.

The meeting scheduled for Tuesday, 06 December 2022, will be the second in as many months. The earlier meeting on 30 September 2022 was called after Mpuuga had in March 2021 tabled in the House a list of over 400 Opposition supporters who have been missing since the January 2021 general elections.

At the Nyendo event on Sunday, 04 December 2022, the LOP said that government, instead of asking for a new list ought to account for those on the previously submitted lists.

“Last year, I did submit a list of more than 200 people, but we have never gotten accountability of these persons. Over the last six months, I have made three submissions on the Floor of Parliament of missing persons and no accountability has ever been made. I do not intend to make [another] submission,” the Nyendo-Mukungwe MP said.

To Mpuuga, the duty now is on government to account for the people in legal detention and those who were picked by security operatives but are missing in the custodial records.

“Let them submit the number and names of people they have in legal custody so that we can know who and who is not there,” he added.

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Uganda Development Bank (UDB) has been named Sustainability Leader of the Year 2022 at the Karlsruhe Sustainability Awards Ceremony that was held during the Global Sustainable Finance Conference which took place on 1 and 2 December 2022 in Germany.

Awarded by the International Council of Sustainability Standards and Certification Initiative (SSCI) for Value Driven Financial Institutions, the accolade is given to individuals and/or institutions that demonstrate commitment to creating value for all their stakeholders and protecting the environment.

“Uganda Development Bank continues to lead the process of promoting sustainability, not only in the country, but across Africa and in the wider world. It started by transforming its own bank to become a Sustainability Certified Financial Institution and has successfully demonstrated remarkable achievements in its corporate performance through delivering social, environmental, and economic value to Ugandan businesses and society,” said Arshad Rab, the Chairman of the International Council of Sustainability Standards and Certification Initiative and CEO of European Organization for Sustainable Development, during the Award ceremony.

“Today, UDB supports financial institutions from across the world through heading the I-LEAD Group that stands for Innovate, Learn and Develop, which is a part of the Sustainability Standards and Certification Initiative (SSCI), for complying with the rigorous sustainability standards. The Bank under the leadership of its Managing Director Ms. Patricia Ojangole also ensures that the web-based Sustainability Standards Implementation and Management System (S-SIMS) serves its purpose and enables the applicants of Sustainability Certification in seamlessly implementing the standards.”

Won for the second time consecutively, this recognition comes at a time when UDB is seeking Recertification under SSCI Version 2, after the successful implementation of the SSCI Version 1 where the Bank was awarded Level 5 Certification, the highest level in the certification process.

“As a forward-looking institution, we continue to challenge ourselves to be better every day. The task ahead of us, for sustainable industrialization of our country, is challenging. In this regard, UDB remains conscious about the sustainability of its operations and the related impacts on the society, the economy and the environment in which it operates. With the support of the International Council of Sustainability, our valued customers, shareholders, other stakeholders and the wider SSCI community, we will continue to achieve our ambitious goal of not only future proofing our institution, but the economy at large through our interventions,” Ms. Ojangole said.

“We thank our shareholder, the Government of Uganda who continue to support and guide UDB towards the achievement of our goals.”

UDB, through its institutional purpose to improve the quality of life of Ugandans, continues to advance socio-economic transformation in Uganda through the provision of appropriate financial and non-financial solutions.

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A notorious child kidnapper, who was linked to four incidents of child kidnap for ransom, was fatally wounded, during a violent confrontation, with an arresting team from the Flying Squad Unit at Salaama – Munyonyo.

The kidnapper who was identified as Fred Mwanje, a 28 year old, was pronounced dead at the scene.

According to Police Spokesperson Fred Enanga, on November 19, 2022, at around 10am, the suspect went into the home of Bulega Abdu and Nakawungo Shamim, and knocked at the gate, which was responded to by Shamim, the victim’s mother. He inquired whether they had adult children, who were interested in professional football training. The mother, asked him to contact her husband, Bulega Abdu, and shared his contacts.

At around 3pm, the victim, 7 year old Najib Muyingo was kidnapped, when both parents were away, from their home in Kibiri “A” zone, Busabala ward, in Wakiso district. Later in the day, at around 5pm, the suspect, rang the victim’s father, on his contact number and demanded a ransom of Shs3 million, in exchange for the release of the victim and also for the reason as to why he kidnapped him. Amidst police investigations, the victim paid a ransom of Shs2 million, and the victim was handed over to the parents after medical examination.

After ten days on November 29, 2022, at around 5pm, the suspect kidnapped a one Ssegawa Quiram, a 6 year old primary pupil from their home at Makerere Kinoni Rubaga division, and demanded for a ransom of Shs2 million in exchange for their son’s release.

Enanga said the suspect kept changing his location from Kulekana, Entebbe, Namulanda, Kampala, Taxi park, Bweyogerere and Mabira.

“He was eventually tracked down to his home in Salaama- Munyonyo, where he was fatally wounded during a violent confrontation. A motorcycle registration number UEM 418Z, that was being used in the kidnaps was recovered and exhibited. The proceeds from the ransoms were being used to construct his house in Mukono.”

Enanga reiterated that as joint security agencies, they do not encourage, endorse or condone the payment of ransoms to kidnappers since it endangers other young children, by providing an incentive for child kidnappers and copycat criminals.

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Members of Parliament under the Muslim Parliamentary Caucus have demanded for the unconditional release of Sheikh Yahya Mwanje.

Led by Bugiri Municipality MP Asuman Basalirwa, the legislators condemned the illegal arrest of Muslim leaders and their continued detention without trial.

During a press conference on Monday, 05 December 2022, the MPs also demanded that Muslim leaders should be brought to court, and also that their families, doctors and lawyers should be allowed to see them.

“Last week the country witnessed the illegal arrest of Sheikh Yahya Mwanje, one of the leaders of Nakasero Mosque and another Muslim leader from Mbale, Mansa Musa. We are deeply concerned about those arrests,” Basalirwa said adding that, ’the mode of arrest does not befit the status of religious leaders. You would have expected the police or any security agency to summon those religious leaders’. 

He wondered why the religious leaders are picked without following the legal process and detained incommunicado.

 “That is illegal and unconstitutional. We protest that kind of treatment that our religious leaders are being subjected to. We are also concerned that up to now, Sheikh Yahya Mwanje has not been produced before courts of law,” he said.

Mukono North  MP Abdallah Kiwanuka who also doubles as the Shadow Minister of Internal Affairs said that they are not against arresting any person but the law should be adhered to.

“Whether a person is a Muslim or not, the law should be followed while being arrested. Up to now, the country does not know the charges against these people,” said the Mukono North MP.

Abdallah Kiwanuka demanded that government explains the continued arrests of Muslim clerics under unclear circumstances.

Kiboga West MP, Abdul Mutumba also demanded that government immediately produces the arrested religious leaders before court.
“It is now more than a week since the arrests were made and these people have not been produced before court. Also, the Muslim leadership should wake up and get interested in this critical issue,” said Mutumba.

Mawokota South MP, Yusuf Nsibambi said that the humiliation of Muslim clerics should stop and demanded for their immediate release.

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Police of Uganda have issued out security directives and guidelines to guide the graduands, parents and all the guests that are set to grace the 18th Graduation Ceremony of Kyambogo University.

Anatoli Katungwensi, the Assistant Commissioner of Police, has asked all the students and their parents intending to come for the graduation ceremony to be careful and cautious about their movements while they are coming for the graduation and going back home.

Katungwensi, who is also the Commander of Kampala Metropolitan East, directed that while travelling to Kampala, students should move hand in hand with their guardians/parents and make sure that they are safe.

“You find a parent moving alone and a student moving alone. This sometimes leads to accidents and people getting lost. Therefore, students make sure that their parents are safe, because most of them come from villages, they are not used to the urban setting maneuvers”. He directed.

He said that they are guidelines provided by the University, and all indicated in the invitation cards must be adhered to.

“You must obey the set guidelines as you are attending all the graduation activities” As you plan to come, know that heavy bags, electronic gadgets like cameras and laptops, metallic materials and equipment etc., are not allowed within the graduation premises.” ACP Katungwensi said.

In the presence of over 12 senior Police Officers, ACP said that they have come in as police to ensure that the graduation ceremony goes on successfully as planned.

According to him, all the gates of the university will be open for the entry, apart from the Eastern gate, which will be only open for the exit. And the rest of the gates will be open for exit after the graduation ceremony.

He further urged parents to use their graduation stickers on their vehicles so that they can be recognized and be helped in case of any issues that need any attention. Adding that this is a National ceremony, it will be known by the entire Ugandans.

Each graduand is only allowed to invite two guests to accompany them. No more people shall be accepted.

Professor Eli Katunguka, the University Vice Chancellor had remarked that the campus will be closed for other university activities for all these three days.

“During the three days of the 18th Graduation ceremony, starting from Wednesday 7th to Friday 9th, there will not be any lectures taking place at Kyambogo.

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