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Bill granting MDIs wide-ranging services presented to MPs

By
Our Reporter
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Minister of State for Finance, Planning and Economic Development (Microfinance), Haruna Kasolo Kyeyune

The Minister of State for Finance, Planning and Economic Development (Microfinance), Haruna Kasolo Kyeyune, has presented to Parliament the Microfinance Deposit-Taking Institutions (Amendment) Bill, 2022 for First Reading.

This was during the plenary sitting of Tuesday, 22 November 2022 chaired by Speaker Anita Among.

According to the bill, the Microfinance Deposit-Taking Institutions (MDIs) referred to as microfinance banks will be allowed to offer among others, Islamic banking, agent banking as well as bank assurance services.

Currently, the existing MDIs have been offering limited services compared to commercial banks like underwriting and placement of securities, offering cheques, dealing in foreign currency, and transacting in computer networks or electronic commerce.

The bill presents another amendment which will allow MDI’s access to the Credit Reference Bureau, to which it has been restricted to by law.

According to the bill, credit reference bureaus facilitate credit information sharing among financial institutions. In this process, lenders and other credit providers submit and share information about borrowers, and repayment habits.

The reports from this bureau help guide lenders to make informed lending decisions.

With these amendments, MDIs will also get access to this information for smooth and improved operations. They will also allow for new developments in the microfinance industry, as well as integrate it with other financial laws.

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Rally driver Ponsiano Lwakataka sentenced to 2 years in prison for malicious damage to property

By
Our Reporter
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Ponsiano Lwakataka

The Magistrate’s Court of Mukono presided over by Her Worship Patience Koburungi, a Magistrate Grade One, has convicted Ponsiano Lwakataka, a renown rally driver in two different cases on charges of malicious damage to property and sentenced him to 18 months and 6 months imprisonment respectively.

In the first case, Mukono CRB 027/2019, Lwakataka and his cousin Ssekitoleko John were charged for maliciously damaging the fence of Namanya Joseline.

In this case, the trial magistrate found each of the accused persons guilty and convicted and sentenced each of them to 6 months imprisonment. This case was prosecuted by Ms. Irene Nambozo, a State Attorney in the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.

In the second case, Mukono CRB 1714/2018, Lwakataka, was charged with eight others for maliciously damaging the house of Mzee George William Kawooya, a 75 year old man.

Prosecution led evidence to prove that during the night of 22nd December 2018, at around 1:00am, Lwakataka took a group of people on a Fuso lorry from Kampala to a village called Luanda at Seeta- Mukono, and instructed them to pull down the house of the complainant, and they complied.

In the course of the trial, all the accused persons absconded for a period of seven months and were put on warrant of arrest. Prosecution applied to proceed in their absence, and this was granted by the trial magistrate.

Lwakataka was then re-arrested on 13th September 2022 and remanded pending judgment.

Consequently, the accused persons applied for criminal revision at the High Court, challenging their trial in absentia. This application was dismissed.

On 22nd November 2022, the trial magistrate, delivered a judgement against Lwakataka, who was present in court. He was found guilty and convicted accordingly. He was then sentenced to serve 18 months imprisonment.

The case was prosecuted by Jonathan Muwaganya, a Chief State Attorney in the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.

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Museveni heads to Vietnam for business summit

By
Simon Kabayo
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Preseident-Museveni-departs-to-Vietnam-for-a-State-visit-on-22nd-Nov-2022

President Yoweri Museveni has this morning left for the Socialist Republic of Vietnam for a 3-day state visit.

“On my way to Hanoi, Vietnam for a three-day official visit on the invitation of my counterpart, President Nguyen Xuan Phuc,” Museveni confirmed.

While in Vietnam, the President will hold discussions with Vietnamese Government leaders on various areas of cooperation and common interest.

The President will also attend the Vietnam- Uganda Business Forum, a summit being organized by the Private Sector Foundation (PSFU) Uganda and Uganda Investment Authority in partnership with the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Equity Bank Uganda, and the Honorary Consul of Vietnam in Uganda in collaboration with the Vietnam Government.

The trade exhibition will run concurrently with the business summit scheduled for 23rd to 26th November and will provide a platform for the public sector, private sector, and financial institutions to engage and interact with potential investors and partners that will in the long run boost trade between the two countries.

Participants will include representatives from the Government of Uganda, the private sector, financial institutions, trade associations and targeted key players.

The President was seen off at the Entebbe International Airport by the Vice President Jessica Alupo.

Others at the Airport who saw him off included; the Minister for Presidency Milly Babirye Babalanda, Head of the Public Service and Secretary to cabinet Ms. Lucy Nakyobe Mbonye, Commissioner General of Prisons Dr. Johnson Byabashaija, Major Gen. Abel Kandiho, the Joint Chief of Staff Uganda Police and Commander Air Force Lt. Gen. Charles Okidi.

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Parliament to pay tribute to Dr Paul Kawanga Ssemogerere

By
Our Reporter
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Dr Paul Kawanga Ssemogerere

Parliament observed a moment of silence in honour of the late Dr Paul Kawanga Ssemogerere, who was the Democratic Party (DP) leader for 25 years.

Ssemogerere died on Friday, 18 November 2022 aged 90 years and was laid to rest on Monday, 21 November 2022 at Nattale- Nkumba, in Entebbe, Wakiso District.

He contested twice for the presidency – in 1980 and 1996, losing both to Dr Apollo Milton Obote and President Yoweri Museveni respectively. After a decade of service, he retired from active politics in 2005 but remained a senior figure in the Opposition until his death.

He led the DP for 25 years after replacing Benedicto Kiwanuka who was murdered in 1972. Dr Ssemogerere handed over the party leadership to the late John Ssebana Kizito 2005, the former Kampala City Mayor.

As MPs convened for the plenary on Tuesday, 22 November 2022 the, Speaker of Parliament, Anita Among, formally communicated the demise of the veteran politician, describing him as a distinguished leader with an illustrious political and leadership career.

“The return of multi-party democracy in 2000 is attributed to the consistent advocacy by Dr Paul Ssemogerere, among other national leaders,” said Among.

The Speaker urged the Leader of Government Business and the Leader of the Opposition to consider moving a bi-partisan motion for the House to pay tribute for the distinguished service that the late Ssemogerere offered to the country.

The Government Chief Whip, Denis Obua, undertook to present a motion to Parliament on Thursday, 24 November 2022 in honour of the late Ssemogerere.

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$331 million loan for electricity access approved

By
Our Reporter
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Umeme employees

Parliament has approved a request for government to borrow up to US$331.5 million, from the International Development Association of the World Bank Group, upon which it will obtain a grant worth US$ 276.5 million.

The loan is for financing the Electricity Access Scale Up Project (EASP), whose aim is to increase access to electricity nationwide.

While presenting loan request to Parliament, the Minister of State for Planning, Amos Lugoloobi, said the EASP envisages an increase in access to electricity from the current 19 per cent to 44 per cent by 2027.

“In this, the project forecasts an increase in the number of connections annually from the current average of 70,000 to 300,000 connections,” said Lugoloobi.

This was during the plenary sitting of Tuesday, 22 November 2022 chaired by Speaker Anita Among.

Lugoloobi added that the loan is expected to increase the share of clean energy usage for cooking from 15 to 40 per cent by 2027.

He said that the project will be equitable as it will include the disadvantaged communities in its beneficiaries. “The project will benefit households, commercial enterprises, industrial parks, public institutions. It will support refugees and host communities and women,” Lugoloobi said.

He further stated that the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development and the Uganda Energy Credit Capitalisation Company (UECCC) will be the main project implementing partners.

The loan request did not meet any resistance during its processing in the committee and in plenary, which MPs attributed to the project’s equitable nature.

“Ordinarily we [the Opposition] are not opposed to borrowing. We are only opposed to misguided borrowing and poor loan management but with respect to this loan, it is national in character and reflects equitable distribution. It is good for development,” said Medard Sseggona who represented the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament (LOP).

He applauded the component of grant as one of the conditions for the loan and asked government to formulate a debt management policy.

The report for the loan was presented by the Chairperson of the Committee on National Economy, John Bosco Okojo, also Bukedea County MP.

Sseggona, also Busiro County East MP, however, opposed the proposal to have the energy ministry run the project and instead sought restoration of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA).

“Now you are taking us back to this ministry that has always dodged its responsibilities in electricity infrastructure. I wish government could reconsider the disbandment of Rural Electrification Agency. REA did a good job,” said Sseggona.

Speaker Among, in agreement with Sseggona, called on government to reinstate REA whose track record she said was commendable.

“I also want to agree with the LoP on the issue of REA. Give us back our REA, the management could have been bad, but you can get other management. REA did a good job and it had good success stories,” said Among.

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Top 5 Best Ways To Prevent Being Scammed At Online Casinos In Uganda

By
Our Reporter
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The online gambling industry has flourished over the past years, and there is an increased number of gamblers playing casino games online. Online casinos provide many conveniences, such as playing anytime and anywhere and a bigger selection of games. There are tons of online casinos on the market, and players have a wide range of operators to choose from. However, despite many conveniences, people are still afraid of being scammed online. We can understand that since players need to disclose their sensitive data, including personal and financial information. Nevertheless, there are ways to determine if an online casino is legit. Stay with us, and we will show you how in five easy steps.

Check Licensing Information

Before you start considering signing up for a particular online casino, you need to check whether it is licensed. This way, you can ensure the casino treats its customers fairly and meets licensing criteria for operating in a specific market. Many online casinos offer their services to players in Uganda, but not all of them are licensed. Therefore, you should avoid putting yourself at risk of playing at unlicensed online casinos and seek the regulated ones instead. 

You don’t need to be an expert to determine whether an online casino is licensed or not. You should find the license number and the issuing regulatory body. This information is displayed on the operator’s website, usually in the footer. Suppose you see that an online casino obtained the UK Gambling Commission, the Gibraltar Gambling Commission, or the Malta Gaming Authority license. In that case, it is a very good sign that it is legit. These regulatory bodies are the most respected in the gambling industry, and casinos operating under these licenses can be considered legit. Of course, scammy online casinos can put fake information on their websites. Still, you can also check whether the stated regulatory body actually licenses a particular casino at the corresponding authority’s website.

Playing at licensed casinos gives players the opportunity to report any unfair treatment by an operator. For example, you can reach out to the licensing authority if you have issues with the platform, unresponsive customer support, or think your sensitive information is not handled properly. That way, you can get legal help, which you cannot count on when playing at unlicensed online casinos. 

Research the Casino Before Signing Up

After you have determined the licensing status of an online casino, you might dig out more on the web to learn about other players’ experiences. They could be a good source of the pros or downsides of a particular platform. Also, they could provide instant insight on tips and experiences of the platform usage. Of course, you may run into different review sites, and not all provide truthful information. 

Nevertheless, reputable websites like Scams.info master these topics, and players can find all the necessary info about safe casinos in Uganda. Therefore, players can find all information needed in one place, and it will definitely help them pick the right online casino. You will discover first-hand casino experience and accurate info on what you can expect from particular casinos. This way, you are one step closer to finding the best online casinos from a safety perspective.

Explore the List of Software Providers

We will now dig into more details about sophisticated ways of being scammed in an online casino. Predator platforms do not always use obvious ways to get people scammed, and sometimes it is challenging to realize that an online casino treats you unfairly. Therefore, before signing up for an account at an online casino, dive into its game library. Take some time to learn more about games and, particularly, software providers. 

It is good if an online casino has your favorite game in its portfolio. However, you should also check which software provider developed that game. Some of the world’s most reputable casino games developers are:

  • NetEnt
  • IGT
  • Microgaming
  • Evolution Gaming
  • Playtech

It is already a good sign if an online casino has partnered with some of these software providers. The companies listed above produce casino games with Return To Player percentage, which is within industry standards. In other words, it means you will have a reasonable chance of winning a game. 

On the other hand, fraudulent online casinos have their custom software and games whose fairness is very questionable. It means that the game rules need to be clear, not modified, and they should provide a fair possibility of winning. Inexperienced players may find it hard to figure this out, and that is why checking the online casino software can help them significantly lower the chances of being scammed.

The Trustworthiness of Payment Options

We have already mentioned that playing at online casinos requires disclosing some sensitive information. Your banking details fall under this category, and everyone should be very careful about providing this kind of info online. If you are a newbie in gambling, you should look at available payment methods first. 

Legit online casinos perform transactions only via trusted third-party processors. They also provide various options and are not restricted to only one. Therefore, players can make their deposits or withdraw their winnings using the most popular e-wallets like Skrill or PayPal or using their credit and debit cards. 

If an online casino is aggressive in its campaign for making deposits and offers you some “shortcuts,” claiming the transaction will be smoother, it’s already a warning alert. On the other hand, if your withdrawals take too long, it means an online casino might have used money from your account to cover other expenses and doesn’t have enough money to pay you out. Of course, withdrawals can take a couple of days or a week. But if you cannot get a payout within a month, it’s a clear sign of a scammy online casino.

Read Terms and Conditions Thoroughly

How many times have you registered an online account and any website and ticked the box to confirm you’ve read the Terms and Conditions without actually reading them? Many people do this regularly without thinking about possible difficulties they may encounter. You should be familiar with the Terms and Conditions in the same way you need to read the contract between yourself and the other party.

Scammy online casinos know that people don’t read T&C, and they count on your carelessness. Therefore, they include predatory terms to take advantage of their customers. The worst thing about this type of scam is that those Terms and Conditions give them a legal right to operate unfairly because you have ticked the box and accepted them. We know that reading T&C can be time-consuming, but it’s better to spend some additional time for the sake of your safety at an online casino. Fraudulent casinos might also change the Terms and Conditions without notifying you. Therefore, you might need to visit the T&C page on the casino website more than once, especially when opting in for bonuses and promotions. 

Conclusion

The majority of online casinos operate fairly and run their businesses in regulated markets. However, it is always good to be alert to possible scams. Nevertheless, if you pay attention to the signs we described above, you will avoid scammy operators and fully enjoy your gaming experience!

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Former Obote Minister Masette Kuuya dead

By
Richard Wanambwa
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The Late Patrick Masette Kuuya

Former Minister for Rehabilitation in the second Obote government Dr Patrick Masette Kuuya is dead.

Dr Kuuya died from Nairobi Kenya where he has been lecturing at the School of Economics at Kenyatta University.

He fled to Kenya after the overthrow of government by Tito Okello. He hails from Manafwa District in Bugobero Sub-County.

He holds a BA (Economics) from Makerere University and MA (Economics) from University of Dar es salaam. Dr Kuuya was an experienced lecturer in the History of Economics Through, Economic specialisation include International Economics and Entrepreneurship.

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Cristiano Ronaldo to leave Manchester United with immediate effect

By
Agencies
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Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo is to leave Manchester United with immediate effect.

The decision follows a controversial interview in which the 37-year-old criticised the club and said he had “no respect” for manager Erik ten Hag.

Both parties stated that Ronaldo’s exit was “mutually agreed”.

“The club thanks him for his immense contribution across two spells at Old Trafford,” said a Manchester United statement.

They wished “him and his family well for the future” and added “everyone at Manchester United remains focused on continuing the team’s progress under Erik ten Hag and working together to deliver success on the pitch”.

Ronaldo is with Portugal at the World Cup in Qatar and is set to captain them in their opening Group H game against Ghana on Thursday.

“Following conversations with Manchester United we have mutually agreed to end our contract early,” said a statement from the forward.

“I love Manchester United and I love the fans, that will never ever change. However, it feels like the right time for me to seek a new challenge.

“I wish the team every success for the remainder of the season and for the future.”

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Parliament to probe new firm over digital National IDs

By
Our Reporter
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A sample of the National ID

Parliament’s Committee on Defence and Internal Affairs is considering investigating a new firm contracted by the Government to print ‘smart’ and ‘digital’ national identity cards.

In 2018, government entered into a joint venture with Veridos, a German company to set up a printing facility for digital identity documents for a period of 15 years.

This comes after the expiry of the contract of Muhlbauer High Tech International, another German firm that was hired in 2010 to set up the ID printing system that is currently being used by the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) to print national IDs.

While meeting officials from Muhlbauer High Tech International led by the firm’s Vice President, Matthias Karl Kohler, the defence committee Chairperson Rosemary Nyakikongoro, wondered why government is investing in new ID machinery yet there is one that is still operational.

“Why would government invest in this machinery, abandon it and go for another one? If they said Veridos is printing from here [in Uganda], do they have a factory here? So it is up to us [MPs] to get interested in finding out how far and how capable they are to do mass enrolment for the IDs,” Nyakikongoro said.

She said there is a need to look into the operations of the new firm to ensure they have the capacity to meet the needs of the government as far as mass enrolment, and printing of smart national IDs is concerned.

“We want services at the end of the day and if the smart ID is expensive, then why would we go for it yet we can upgrade the system and go for a cheaper one? We know our economy; so as a committee, we need to interest ourselves in the operations of Veridos because we have not interacted with them or even looked into what they have been doing since the time they won the contract,” she added.

According to Nyakikongoro, NIRA had complained that the printing system provided by Muhlbauer was inflexible and vendor-locked and this limited them from upgrading to a required standard.

However, Muhlbauer’s Karl Kohler denied the allegations before the committee, saying the system they handed to NIRA is open source with all the software for modification or upgrading.

He blamed the slow printing of national IDs on the lack of maintenance of the equipment.

“Since 2018, no maintenance has been done on those machines. Once those machines are not maintained and serviced then it is likely to delay the printing process,” Kohler said adding that the US$16 million machinery is not fully utilised and only operates at a capacity of about 50 per cent.

He added that before their contract expired, they were providing free maintenance services with a 100 per cent warranty on wear and tear.

Kohler also urged government to consider installing a data recovery and backup system to cater for any eventualities which could lead to permanent loss of citizens’ data.

Mubende Municipality Member of Parliament Bashir Lubega, called for an investigation into the possible conflict between NIRA and the former contractor, Muhlbauer which could hamper the effective implementation of the National Security Information System (NSIS) project.

“As a country, we need to investigate factors that underpin the discrepancies between these two entities because it seems we are being made to feast on lies from either side,” Lubega said.

According to Muhlbauer’s statistical report, by the end of 2015, about 90 per cent of Ugandans (16 years and above) had been enrolled for national IDs, and no other country in Africa had recorded such success.

By 2019, 26 million citizens had been enrolled and 17 million national IDs had been issued.

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Gov’t losing Shs342 million per day to unpaid road contractors

By
Our Reporter
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Entebbe Expressway

Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) says that it is paying up to Shs342 million daily in interest to project contractors who have not been paid for their work.

This revelation was made by the UNRA Executive Director, Allen Kagina, who was appearing before the finance committee on Tuesday, 22 November 2022 over the impact of the inadequate cash limit for the half year of Financial Year 2022/2023.

Kagina told MPs that UNRA closed the financial year with total arrears of Shs528 billion including Shs89.5 billion for road maintenance which is generating interest.

She said that the Government released Shs689 billion against a requirement of Shs1.2 trillion.

“The arrears position has increased by 145.75 per cent from Shs215 billion at the end of the Financial Year 2020/21 to Shs528 billion at the end of the Financial Year 2021/2022. This is largely attributed to the budget suppression at 77 per cent of the approved Government of Uganda budget that was released,” Kagina said.

She added that for failure to pay the debt, they will incur nugatory expenditure that includes interest expenses, idle equipment, and reduction in the works by the contractors.

Kagina further told the MPs that this will also lead to failure to acquire land for the different projects in time and failure to sign contracts whose procurements have been completed.

MPs were shocked to know that government was losing Shs342 million daily to interest on debts that are not being paid.

Kabula County MP Enos Asiimwe, said there is a need to clear the arrears as it was causing losses to the government and tasked UNRA to explain how the interests came about.

“If you can give us a table of how this money has got to this point, and which companies are demanding this money, and the communication between you and finance demanding this payment – we need to know who is not doing his job,” he said.

Otuke County MP Paul Omara, said Shs342 million in interest lost daily by government is a huge blow to the economy and sought to understand where the main cause of the problem is from UNRA.

Relatedly, the MPs also tasked UNRA to explain its failure to rehabilitate the Kamdini-Lira Road and the Karuma-Pakwach Road which have been in a sorry state and negatively impacted on service delivery and transportation.

Kagina told the MPs that road works on the Kamdini-Lira Road will start this week, while the procurement process for the Karuma-Pakwach Road construction has started.

She told MPs that the challenge with road construction is that there are numerous commitments to construct the roads compared to the available resources and requested them to stop lobbying for more roads until the planned ones are completed.

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