The East African Community (EAC) Partner States have been urged to liberalise their airspaces and open up skies to promote the tourism industry in the region. The EAC comprises Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan and DR.Congo.

According to the Chairperson of the East African Tourism Platform (EATF) Fred Odek, the existing different restrictive Bilateral Air Service Agreements (BASAs) among the Partner States were disrupting the harmonisation of air transport services in the region.

Odek, made the plea on September 25th 2022, while speaking during the official opening of the 2nd East African Community (EAC) Tourism Expo in Bujumbura, Burundi where he called upon the Partner States to finalise the EAC regulations to facilitate the liberalisation of air travel in the region.

“The Partner States should also grant rights to each other the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th freedoms in line with the Yamoussoukro Decision of which all Partner States are signatories,” He said, 

He added that by working together, Partner States could ease mobility to benefit travel in the region

Mr. Odek said that airfares in the East African region remain extremely high due to the lack of open skies and heavy taxes levied by Partner States’ governments.

The EATF Chairperson hailed the East African Single Tourist Visa and use of national IDs as travel documents across the region as some of the best policies that had been formulated by the East African Community.

Describing the tourism sector as one of the leading sources of foreign exchange earnings for the region, Odek disclosed that based on GDP losses by region, EAC tourism was the second most affected region globally by the pandemic after Central America.

“Nonetheless, this sector is resilient and one of the most important to get our economies back on a growth path,” He said.

He added, “In 2022, we are experiencing a recovery as the COVID-19 pandemic has been contained in most of our key source markets and international travellers are now fully confident to travel, however, arrivals and revenues are still less than 2019 levels”.

He said that the hospitality sector had also suffered but was steadily recovering with COVID-19 health regulations having been eased and most Partner States now allowing tourists to enter without the COVID-19 test requirements.

The EATC official said that the Ukraine conflict has impacted negatively on tourist arrivals in East Africa and especially for destinations like Zanzibar where Russia and Ukraine were the key source markets.

He said that the war in Ukraine has also affected air travel costs in the region due to the increasing costs of fuel and other commodities.

Burundian Vice President Prosper Bazombanza officially opened the expo that is expected to run up to 30th September, 2022 with the last three days dedicated to an excursion across the country for tour operators and exhibitors participating in the expo.

Also present at the event were Burundi’s Minister for Commerce, Transport, Industry and Tourism, Madam Marie Chantal Nijimbere, EAC Affairs Minister Ezechiel Nibigira, the Director of the Productive Sectors at East African Community, Jean Baptiste Havugimana, and the Mayor of Bujumbura, Gen. Jimmy Hatungimana, among other dignitaries.

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Police Kampala Metropolitan North have arrested Bangi Stephen, a 38-year-old businessman, for dealing in petroleum products without a license.

A raid was conducted at the home of Bangi, in Quata zone, Kanyanya ward, Kawempe division, in Kampala district, and was found with 30,000 litres of diesel, that was parked in jerrycans.

He was also found ferrying more fuel in a mobile fuel tanker, registration number, UBG 128E, and was charged with dealing in Petroleum Products without a trading license.

Upon interrogation, the suspect admitted to dealing in diesel fuel, without a license and in a non-gazetted facility, that is within his compound.

Police spokesperson Fred Enanga said there were no firefighting measures, and no escape route in case of a fire outbreak or disaster. “It has serious environmental related threats to the neighborhood. The fact that an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) was not done, makes it difficult, to establish whether, there are any spill-over effects, in the neighborhood or not,” Enanga said.

“We advise the public not to consume or buy such fuel products from unauthorized outlets, due to the potential of consuming adulterated fuel that may cause damage to your motor vehicles, motorcycles or other machines.”

Enanga said they are awaiting additional reports from NEMA and Ministry of Energy and then forward the file to the DPP. He further cautioned all other illegal dealers in Petroleum products, without appropriate licenses, to ensure they obtain them, so as to remain in the business, on legitimate grounds.

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Opposition MPs have started holding stakeholder engagements with a view of improving a draft private Members’ Bill that seeks to amend the 2006 Copyright and Neighbouring Rights Act.

The Bill is sponsored by the Shadow Minister for Culture and Performing Arts, also Mawokota North MP, Hillary Innocent Kiyaga (NUP).

The first stakeholder meeting was held on Friday, September 23, 2022, at Parliament under the chairmanship of the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament (LOP), Mathias Mpuuga, and drew the participation of officials from the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs led by the Deputy Solicitor General, Pius Biribonwoha, Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB) and representatives from the arts industry.

The proposed amendment seeks to close gaps in the 2006 law to recognize and protect the rights of a composer of artistic work and to streamline the registration of copyrights among others.

The Registrar General, Mercy Kainobwisho told the meeting that while her agency, URSB recognizes that there are gaps in the existing law coupled with implementation challenges, there is no need for a Private Members’ Bill her entity had already engaged Uganda Law Reform Commission to process an amendment that would lead to the domestication of international treaties on copyright and audiovisual performances.

“The provisions of this Bill and the proposed amendments of the current Act may be parallel to the steps URSB is taking to amend the Act,” Kainobwisho said.

Her submissions were however challenged by MPs, Abdulhu Byakatonda (Ind., Workers), Geoffrey Kayemba Solo (NUP, Bukomansimbi South) and Kiyaga. Their concerns were amplified by artistes, Hannington Bugingo (comedian) and Sylver Kyagulanyi from the Copyright Institute.

“We wish to have this law amended in the areas of regulation, administration and protection. Regulation is so pertinent because we already have an existing issue with [Uganda Communications Commission] UCC,” Kyagulanyi said in reference to the stage plays and public performance rules which were announced by UCC in 2019.

“We the creatives need to be regulated but what UCC is doing is an exhibition of the gap in the current law. UCC is using a 1964 draconian law – The Stage Plays and Public Entertainment Act which ought to be repealed. UCC would be within their mandate if they try to regulate broadcast but are trying to [stretch their mandate] to the regulation of everything including creativity and creative work,” he added.

The meeting later agreed to a harmonization of the positions of the two sides and hold joint consultations to have the legislation processed within the current financial year.

“With these very good proposals, if we don’t sit and agree on the issues as we have heard them, we [risk] talking about the 2022 law the same way we are talking about the 2006 law,” Biribonwoha said.

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The Ambassador-designate of the European Union Jan Sadek has applauded Uganda for granting religious freedom.

According to the 2014 Census, 39 percent of Ugandans are Roman Catholic, 32 percent Anglican, 11 percent Pentecostal Christian, and 14 percent Muslim, while other religious groups and those with no religious affiliation constitute five percent. Agnostics and atheists combined are only 0.2 percent. Thus, over 99 percent of Ugandans are affiliated with some religion.

Speaking during the annual event to mark International Day of Democracy in Uganda, Sadek said the widespread and varied religious practice speaks to the extent of religious freedom in Uganda. The Constitution of Uganda in Article 21 provides that no Ugandan should be discriminated against on the grounds of her or his religion or creed.

“Politics and religion should certainly not be put into a competition; both are fully needed in well-functioning societies. Nations and people need the moral compass provided by faith and hope, whether it is provided by religion or any other form of spirituality. But nations and people also need those political debates and an open political environment guaranteeing freedom of expression, of assembly and political participation of all,” he said.

He called for recognition of the wisdom of leaders who have been able to preach religious tolerance and freedom of belief as a way of promoting a multicultural environment and developing a sense of belonging to a nation. Uganda is certainly an example of a country where religious leaders have played this role.

Combating in an impartial way, all forms of religious intolerance, discrimination, and violence against persons based on religion or belief must be a priority for all states and for the international community. At the same time, religious leaders should ensure that their pastoralist role is kept separate from partisan politics.

Challenges exist in every country, and in Uganda Sadek said he is aware of reports that members of the Muslim faith have been unfairly targeted by security operations and that some faith-based organizations were affected when NGOs were suspended last year.

“The links between religion and democracy provide a fascinating ground for discussion. Ugandan history bears examples of the sometimes conflicting relations that exist between moral authority and political power. The tragedy of the Martyrs of Uganda is one of the key moments in Uganda’s history that certainly influenced rulers and people in the way they consider both the importance of religion and its relation to political power,” he said.

Jimmy Spire Ssetongo, a lecturer at Uganda Martyrs University said some religious leaders have remained critical and have been reminded by the government to stick to their work and not meddle in politics.

At the 16th Coronation anniversary of Omukama Solomon Gafabusa of Bunyoro in 2010, President Yoweri Museveni used the analogy of Olubimbi (digging allocations) to demonstrate that politicians, religious, and cultural leaders each have their role.

In a subtle threat, Museveni said that if one suddenly abandoned their lubimbi and crossed into another person’s, he/she could easily have his head cut off and become a casualty. “I have never baptized anyone, though I know how they baptize. I am a Christian but I do not baptize—that is not my role”, he added. Ironically, religious leaders who actively join the government side are welcomed with open hands and some are directly appointed into political positions.

“It is possible that, following the constant reminders to not trespass, out of fear, some religious leaders have in self-preservation decided to either tread very carefully, withdraw from politically sensitive matters, or operate on an evasive level of generality – such as in making blanket calls to all Ugandans to be fair to each other.”

Spire said there is also the awareness that being seen as a critic of government can come with other survival costs to religious institutions and individual leaders. Some religious leaders have raised concerns about spies being planted amongst them and divisions being sowed in their spaces in ‘divide and rule strategies.

“There is as well an emergent category of churches built around individuals. Without national and international structures, they know they are more vulnerable than their institutionalized colleagues. They can be very easy targets of state repression. Some of these have carefully studied aspects of existential desperation in the country and constructed their religiosity around those – poverty, relationship challenges, unemployment, disease, etc. With promises of spiritual and mystical intervention, they financially exploit their followers. Because the state can always find good reasons for closing them, such church leaders know that their security is either in aligning with government interests or remaining silent about government shortcomings.”

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