As Ebola cases and related deaths continue to rise and with the Ugandan president recently issuing strict directives including a curfew and movement restrictions in the high-risk districts, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) is calling for the protection of women and girls throughout the response. Currently, up to 60 cases, 23 confirmed deaths and 20 probable Ebola-related deaths have been reported.

Several organizations including the IRC have launched interventions in response to the outbreak in collaboration with the Ministry of Health. Evidence from several studies including a rapid assessment conducted by the IRC in North Kivu region, DRC, during the Ebola outbreak in 2018 showed that as primary caretakers of the sick and elderly, women were more exposed to the disease. This results in more than half of Ebola infections occurring among women.

Furthermore, due to the increased use of water for handwashing and other prevention activities, women and girls who in many instances face the burden of fetching water was more frequently traveling long distances to collect water where they may be at increased risk of sexual violence and harassment.

Elijah Okeyo, IRC Uganda Country Director said, “Even without an outbreak or crisis, women and girls are invariably vulnerable to physical, emotional, and sexual harassment or violence. This is because of the ingrained pre-existing gender norms, practices and inequalities in families and communities. This Ebola outbreak will inevitably exacerbate the negative effects of these inequalities. This was seen during the 2014 — 2016 outbreak in West Africa where women and girls were disproportionately affected, leading to both an increase in sexual and domestic violence. The IRC has for a long time delivered women and girls-centered programs during crises across all our areas of operation. We will continue to do so during this Ebola outbreak in collaboration with the Uganda Ministry of Health by delivering integrated health programs providing both direct health services and Gender Based Violence (GBV) related services. This comprehensive package of services will be provided at all the 34 IRC-supported health facilities and further GBV-specific services will be available at the 26 IRC women support centers in the six refugee settlements we serve.

“The IRC will also work with community structures such as the Village Health Teams (VHTs) and through IRC protection and response officers to extend services to hard-to-reach areas and households with limited access to health centers or women support centers. These too will provide GBV response services and identify at-risk women and girls for further support.”

The IRC has extensive experience in Ebola virus infection prevention and control activities. IRC responded to the 2019 outbreak in Uganda as well as several outbreaks since 2018 in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The IRC works on women’s and girls’ protection and integrates Ebola-related protection concerns in areas where the IRC supports primary health care services. The IRC also worked to contain the 2014-2016 West Africa outbreak in Liberia and Sierra Leone.

The IRC began programming in 1998 in northern Uganda in response to mass displacement wrought by the Lord’s Resistance Army. Since then, the IRC has expanded to provide critical services for refugees and vulnerable Ugandans throughout the country. The IRC started supporting refugees and vulnerable individuals in Kampala in 2012. As of 2019, the IRC entered the Tooro region to support refugees while also providing epidemic preparedness and response services throughout the region. In addition to emergency support, the IRC also invests in long-term stability for refugees and Ugandans through programs like immunization, family planning, legal services, women’s empowerment, education, and livelihoods. More recently, IRC has been involved in supporting Afghan evacuees in Uganda.

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Uganda Beach Soccer National Team Head Coach Angelo Schrinzi has named the final squad that will feature at 2022 Beach Soccer Africa Cup of Nations.

The coach confirmed a final list, comprised of 12 players on Tuesday morning.

The team that played at the recently concluded Beach Soccer COSAFA Championship in South Africa has largely been maintained.

The squad named has two goalkeepers, five defenders and five forwards.

The team will depart on Tuesday night for Maputo, Mozambique where the tournament will be played from 21^st to 28th October.

The Sand Cranes are in Group B alongside depending Champions Senegal, Madagascar and Egypt. This is the second time Uganda is qualifying for the final tournament.

In the last edition, Uganda went all the way to the semifinals before getting eliminated by eventual winners Senegal.

Final Squad

Goalkeepers: Samson Kirya (Buganda Royal BSC), Meddie Kibirige (St. Lawrence BSC)

Defenders: Jonathan Kikonyogo (St. Lawrence BSC), Allan Katwe (St. Lawrence BSC), Ashraf Opuuli (Mutoola BSC), Paul Lule (Buganda Royal BSC), Joshua Lubwama Letti (St. Lawrence BSC)

Forwards: Baker Lukooya (St. Lawrence BSC), Ambrose Kigozi (Buganda Royal BSC), Godfrey Lwesibawa (Buganda Royal BSC), Brian Nkuubi (St. Lawrence BSC), Isma Kawawulo (MUBS BSC)

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Police have impounded Link Bus Reg. number UBE 535H at Kigarama Stage,Myanzi Subcountu Kassanda District.

According to ASP Kawala Racheal, the PRO for Wamala Region, preliminary facts indicate on 17^th October 2022 at about 0600, Link bus left Bundibugyo District with 58 passengers for Kampala, while on the way, the bus driver stopped the Bus at Kigarama Stage, Kigarama parish Myanzi subcounty Kassanda District and picked two passengers contrary to the guidelines issued by ministry of health against the fight of ebola.

The passengers were later identified as bus Inspectors one Mwesigwa Nelson together with his colleague Opio Samuel attached to Hopper Bus that wanted a short distance lift to mityana town.

“The bus was intercepted by our officers that were patrolling the highway,” ASP Kawala said.

She added that there are three suspects in custody and relevant statements have been recorded. The bus is currently parked at Myanzi police.

Mubende and Kassanda Districts entered a 21 day lockdown to help curb the spread of Ebola in their respective districts and around the country.

In the last two days, a total of 222 boda boda motorcycles and 5 motor vehicles were impounded for flouting the curfew provisions. In addition, 5 suspects were arrested for violating the health protocols. A total of 7 seasonal markets were closed.

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A group of 13 activists have petitioned the Constitutional Court challenging the recently signed Computer Misuse Act 2022. The petitioners include Alternative Digital Limited, Norman Tumuhimbise, Mukiibi Jerimiah among others.

On 9 September 2022, Uganda’s parliament passed the Computer Misuse (Amendment) Bill 2022 to amend six sections of the already repressive Computer Misuse Act, of 2011.

Last week, President Yoweri Museveni signed the Computer Misuse bill into Law. The Act Among others prohibits the sharing of any information relating to a child without authorization from a parent or guardian; prohibits the sending or sharing of information that promotes hate speech; provides for the prohibition of sending or sharing false, malicious and unsolicited information.

 Through their lawyer Peter Arinaitwe, the group claims the entire act should be annulled since it trumps upon basic human rights like freedom of speech and its enactment is likely to promote dictatorship in the country.

“The contentious issues we find in this law is that it is vague and ambiguous. For example anyone who receives or shares unsolicited information commits an offense,” Arinaitwe said.

The petitioners said that this act is premised on existing other laws such as the Computer Misuse Act, Data Protection Act and others. We believe that those laws are sufficient enough to provide the safeguards which the state would like to protect. There are several cases which have been prosecuted pursuant to that law.

“We find criminalization of sharing, taking video clips, transmitting infringes on people’s right to freedom of expression,” they said.

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Members of Parliament for Mubende District have asked President Museveni to come up with a better plan for locals before implementing tough restrictions despite the district registering a fifth health worker who has succumbed to Ebola.

The legislators made the petition while addressing journalists yesterday at Parliament. They want the ban on boda boda transport revised citing that boda bodas are vital to the livelihood of farmers, who need them to take produce to markets, and to school-goers, who need to travel to and from school.

Latest developments from the Ebola virus situation in Mubende indicate that a fifth health worker today succumbed to the virus.

The Mubende Resident District Commissioner (RDC) Rosemary Byabashaija confirmed the death, identifying the deceased as John Grace Walugembe who died late Sunday. He was a laboratory technician at Mubende Regional Referral Hospital and owner of Life Care Medical Clinic in Kirungi South Division in Mubende municipality.

“It’s too sad to lose such important people in the community,” Byabashaija said.

The MPs said they are in support of the restrictions, however, there’s a need to implement them in a way that will not traumatise the people because they are just recovering from back-to-back Covid-19 lockdowns.

Bashir Lubega Sempa, the MP of Mubende Municipality said that the President should consider allowing boda bodas to operate like they did during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We are operating a boda boda economy where the biggest population is using them for survival. Many farmers and market vendors in Mubende are outside the town and most of them use boda bodas to transport their produce to the market. These cannot afford private vehicles to transport their goods and produce to the market, so if you leave them open and close their means of transport, It is useless. President Museveni should reconsider the ban on boda bodas,” Lubega said.

William Museveni, the legislator of Buwekula South, asked the government and the Ministry of Education to come up with alternatives for transporting learners to schools in addition to allowing school buses.

For those whose businesses have been affected as a result of the lockdown, he asked the government to prepare a relief plan.

“During Covid-19, the government gave some cash to those whose businesses were affected by the lockdown. The President has imposed a 21-day lockdown on Mubende and Kassanda, how are those people going to survive?” Museveni asked.

According to Pascal Mbabazi, the MP of Buwekula County, motorcycles were impounded over the weekend following the President’s directive. He asked to have them released as many people were caught off guard by the restrictions.

“How can you start enforcing a directive immediately when you announce it? They were supposed to give people time to prepare. The government should thus release the vehicles and boda bodas they impounded on Saturday and we start afresh,” Mbabazi said.

It is suspected that Walugembe got in contact with a woman who died at his clinic showing symptoms of Ebola virus. The Mubende Ebola task force in collaboration with a health surveillance team closed the clinic on October 10, following the incident.

“We closed the clinic which had been attending to Ebola suspects after a woman died from that clinic bleeding from the mouth and nose on October 9, 2022,” Byabasaija said.

The following day, Walugembe was picked from the clinic and tested positive for Ebola. He was put on treatment at Mubende Regional Referral Hospital where he succumbed on Sunday evening.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) the chances of death after contracting the virus range from 25 percent and 90 per cent. This is higher than the fatality rate of the COVID-19 virus which stands at 3 per cent.

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The Indian community in Uganda flocked Speke Resort Munyonyo on Sunday October 16, to celebrate this year’s Diwali food festival.

Diwali is a Hindu festival observed as a public holiday in various countries and all over the world by over 100 million people.

It was a family day out, full of fun activities, meeting new people as well as enjoying great Indian delicacies and drinks.

The resort came to life as the celebrants took to the food stalls to sample the various dishes in the stalls.

There were also fireworks as revelers danced to Indian music.

Located on the shores of Lake Victoria, Speke Resort Munyonyo is an elegant, beautiful and magnificent resort, and it is also part of Ruparelia Group of Companies owned by entrepreneur Sudhir Ruparelia.

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