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UBL commissions ablution block, Luzira community facility worth Shs191m

By
Our Reporter
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Uganda Breweries has handed over a kitchen facility to traders in the Portbell shopping centre and a modern ablution block for residents of Kamwanyi village both in Luzira.

The ablution block will be serving approximately 2,000 people in the Kamwanyi community while the Kitchen has a capacity of 24 stoves, 24 cabinets and 24 concrete slabs. Construction of these facilities commenced in May 2022.

Uganda Breweries’ society 2030 sustainability action plan charts aim towards a sustainable and inclusive world by 2030, creating a purpose-driven business. Part of the initiatives under the action is ‘Water of Life,’ that covers UBL’s work in replenishing and enhancing access to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) in communities in Uganda.

The ablution facility that aims at improving access to water and sanitation among the residents of Kamwanyi contains toilets with water supply, a hand washing area as well as a bathroom that the community members will readily access 24/7. It comprises of a urinal section, 2 male toilets, 1 bathroom, 1 male seat-toilet for disabled persons, 2 female toilets, 1 bathroom and lastly 1 female seat-toilet for disabled persons.

Speaking during the commissioning of the ablution block, Uganda Breweries Supply Chain Director, Alfred Balikagira expressed the brewery’s pleasure and commitment to continue giving back to various communities in different parts of Uganda that are in dire need of proper toilets and bathrooms.

“As a good corporate citizen, we always find ways to share value and benefits with the communities in which we operate,” Alfred said. “After engaging with the leaders here and the community at large, we established a need to improve access to clean water and sanitation, and we decided to fund it.”

The chief guest Hon. Minsa Kabanda, Minister for Kampala Capital City and Metropolitan Affairs, thanked UBL for the continuous support in improving the levels of sanitation in various areas around the suburbs of Kampala and beyond.

“We laud UBL for demonstrating consistent progress in building thriving communities through the sustainability and corporate social responsibility work.” Kabanda said.
She urged traders at the market to ensure that they take good care of the new kitchen facility they’ve acquired and also strive to make sure that it remains clean.

“People want to eat food that has been cooked from a modern and clean kitchen. It is therefore our responsibility as the traders to ensure that you maintain good hygiene of the kitchen facility as well as the market in general. I also urge the community members that received the toilet facility to maintain good hygiene standards in order to avoid outbreak of diseases.” Kabanda added.

Alfred thanked the leadership from the district local government and Kampala metropolitan ministry that always helps them in identifying the communities in need. He also thanked the local leaders of the area who engaged their communities to form ‘User Committees’ that consist of at least 50% representation of women, whose role is to support project implementation and, importantly, sustainably manage the project after it has been handed over.

“I must say that it is always a joy for us as Uganda Breweries to bring such impact like access to safe and clean water, sanitation and hygiene in the city. These developments are aligned with our Society 2030 goals which partly is to deliver significantly improved water availability and quality in our local communities. I also thank the local leadership in this area for giving their time to serve the people in this community and also working closely with the team from Uganda Breweries. We look forward to more of these partnerships in the future,” Balikagira said.

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Museveni, Russian Foreign Minister meet, sign bilateral agreement amid escalating economic crisis

By
Geoffery Serugo
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Museveni, Russian Foreign Minister meet, sign bilateral agreement

President Yoweri Museveni has expressed his dismay over the escalating economic crisis and the continuous sanctions imposed against Russia. Museveni said this during his meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov who is in the country on a two-days visit.

The sanctions followed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on 24th February 2022. The invasion is a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War that began in 2014. The invasion caused Europe’s largest refugee crisis since World War II, with more than 9.5 million Ukrainians fleeing the country and a third of the population displaced. The invasion also caused global food shortages.

Museveni said in the sanctions by the West (European Countries) against Russia, they don’t mention that they have sanctioned wheat and fertilizers.

“Lavrov told me that the West has stopped Russian ships from docking at a number of ports, so how will the fertilizers or wheat go if the ships don’t move? Whenever issues come up and some people want us to take positions against Russia we say; but these people have been with us for the last 100 years. How can we be against them ?” Museveni said adding that, “Uganda forgiven its former enemies the colonialists who did bad things to the natives and how can we be against somebody who has never harmed us but instead helped us.”

“We don’t believe in being enemies of somebody’s enemy. No! We want to make our own enemies, not fight other people’s enemies. This is our doctrine. We have got our clear position as part of the African liberation movement. We know who is who and who’s doing what and why, and we know where we stand,” he said.

Museveni said Uganda’s interest with Russia is that when there is progress and stability in Russia, both countries benefit because there is barter trade.

“This idea of rivalry is not part of our African Liberation Movement strategy. If we stick to the charter of cooperation among countries irrespective of their different social systems, things will be much better for the world.” he said

Lavrov said western countries blame Russia for everything. This started a long time before the current military operation in Ukraine. In 2016, when there was no Ukrainian dossier, they said that it was Russia that elected President Trump.

The European Union, on multiple occasions over the last Six to seven years, said that Russia uses gas as a weapon without giving any arguments for that. The current food crisis started way earlier when there was a price surge owing to COVID19.

“The only connection that we would find between the operation in Ukraine and the current economic crisis is the illegal and aggressive sanctions imposed on Russia because they disrupt all logistic chains,” he said.

He said on the 22nd of July 2022 in Istanbul, a memorandum was signed between Russia and the United Nations. According to this memorandum, the UN Secretary-General António Guterres committed himself to do his best to lift the restrictions on Russia, and hopefully, he will be able to succeed.

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BoU CRISIS: Atingi not creative enough to have own methods of supervising banks, relying on what the late Mutebile left behind

By
Our Reporter
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Bank of Uganda Deputy Governor Michael Atingi-Ego

Allegations that he once served a jail sentence over internal fraud at BoU could surface to hurt his credibility

Since being appointed the Bank of Uganda (BoU) Deputy Governor and has been acting as Governor, Michael Atingi-Ego has now raised the indicative Central Bank Rate (CBR), twice to the current 8.5 per cent, encouraging commercial banks to also raise interest rates for borrowers.

Ugandan borrowers are not happy that BoU continues to raise the CBR with the excuse of controlling inflation. Local businesses are now discouraged to borrow from commercial banks, fearing the anticipated high interest rates charged.

Remember that when local businesses fear to borrow from banks because of the rise in interest rates, production will be low, which means the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) will collect less tax revenue at the end of the day. And some banks are losing business as well, in the name of following BoU’s claim of taming inflation.

We also know BoU is also behind the idea that the government should not subsidize commodities such as fuel, arguing that it is not sustainable in the long-run. At least Atingi has made this view known in the recent fora that he has participated in. Question for Atingi is, “Who should save Ugandan citizens from the high prices of fuel and other essential commodities? We know that other governments in the EAC where Ugandans belong have subsidized fuel, knowing that it plays an important part in the economy.”

Does Atingi and others who anti-subsidization know that some people have parked their vehicles at home because they cannot afford fuel, for example?

Worse still, based on the advice given by officials like Atingi that too much money should not be in circulation, the Finance Ministry sent lesser monies to government ministries, departments and agencies for the first quarter of financial year 2022/23. This means that the common man will not be able to have all his goods and services procured by the government, as the government agencies will be cautious to spend because of the little money received.

The Finance Ministry has slashed cash releases to institutions and local governments by over Shs4 trillion…aimed at taming rising prices of goods,” a leading daily reported on Wednesday. The daily went ahead to give figures, showing that Shs8 trillion was supposed to be released in the first quarter. That means businessmen will have less money in their pockets as the public won’t have the money to buy.

That aside, we also note that since Atingi came to BoU, the institution has cut off the printing expenditure, leaving some SMEs involved in printing its reports and other documents worried, yet BoU policies should grow the SMEs, the largest employers in the country. For instance, recently, through the announcement that publishing lending rates of the various financial institutions in Uganda will no longer be in newspapers, but on BoU website. This means newspapers and printers have lost this business.

As for supervision of banks, some financial consultants, Atingi is not creative enough to have his own methods of supervising banks and is relying on what the late Governor Mutebile left behind. We know that the BoU supervision role under Mutebile was not effective as some banks collapsed while others were closed unfairly- Crane Bank Limited, National Bank of Commercial and Global Trust Bank Uganda, all now defunct are the examples. Creative financial minds in Uganda say BoU needs external firms to help in its supervision function.

The financial experts in the country recently said the exit of Afriland from the Ugandan market showed weakness of BoU. BoU, they said, is supposed to ensure that banks remain operating in the country because they help in tax revenue, provision of direct and indirect jobs as well as offering loans to individuals and government, yet Atingi did not show any remorse when Afriland Bank recently exited Uganda. “What new measures has he (Atingi) put in place to ensure that Uganda does not lose more banks,” a retired financial expert who once worked in government asked.

Relatedly some economists are also wondering why Atingi is planning to control some SACCOs, even when commercial banks still have issues of supervision. They say Atingi and other government officials now want to kill the spirit of SACCO members who do things their own way and have been surviving. Big SACCOS like Wazalendo, EXODUS SACCO and others are not happy that BoU wants to control them since they were already under Uganda Microfinance Regulatory Authority (UMRA), which, according to some sources, is about to be scrapped by government, yet it was important in handling SACCOs. “What does BoU want from us? We have been surviving without their involvement for years and we are growing. Let them concentrate on banks,” said an executive of one of the biggest SACCOs in western Uganda.

He said that BoU’s greed of wanting to control SACCOs will lead to poor business as borrowing terms and conditions are likely to change, pushing the poor people into poverty. “There is a way we do our business as SACCOs. We fear that BoU could kill our systems,” he said.

Atingi at Luzira

It is further alleged that before his departure for greener pasture, Atingi at BoU had briefly been arrested and imprisoned at Luzira on allegations of internal fraud at Central Bank but the friendly forces under former Deputy Governor Louis Kasekende and former Executive Director Justine Bagyenda saved him from further exposure.

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Mao hails DP Management Committee for keeping Museveni talks a top secret

By
Geoffery Serugo
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DP President Norbert Mao

The President-General of the Democratic Party (DP) who doubles as the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs Norbert Mao has applauded the party’s Management Committee for keeping his talks with President Yoweri Museveni a top secret.

Last week, the DP signed a Cooperation Agreement with the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM). The agreement was signed by President Museveni and Mao. According to the agreement, Mao was appointed minister, one party member will be backed to join East African Legislative Assembly, one MP will be appointed to chair the committee of parliament while others will be appointed to government agencies.

Mao was tasked to coordinate the National Dialogue and the whole of the government response on Constitutional Reforms with the mandate to coordinate budget proposals in the Justice Law and Order Sector.

The cooperation is a new trend for Uganda however it is not a new trend in the world since many have been signed in many countries. The NRM and DP has since been criticized by Opposition bigwigs claiming that Mao has been working with the ruling party to frustrate their ousting president Museveni from Power.

“I want to assure you that I briefed the Management Committee, and I am proud of the committee that nothing leaked for one full year. I am very proud of the Democratic Party Management Committee. It has 11 members, and I chair the committee as the President. The organ meets every Wednesday,” Mao said at DP headquarters.

The former Gulu District Chairman said the national dialogue will allure the building blocks of Uganda to come together and craft a new consensus on how we can live together in peace. You can live in peace together with people you don’t like.

“National dialogue is different from our thing of Inter Party Organisation for Dialogue (IPOD) where we are accused of taking tea and bribes. This one is national. I don’t think that you can bribe Shs 45 million Ugandans,” he said.

He said being in government means that you no longer have to speak through the press conferences or shout on radios because you have the opportunity to talk to decision-makers. It will be our duty to make recommendations to the President of Uganda.

“President Museveni is not known for signing anything with civilians. I know he signs with armed groups, but what does Mao have? I don’t even have a kitchen knife or army.” he said

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NCS prioritises entertainment events over sports at Lugogo cricket oval

By
Our Reporter
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Current state of Lugogo cricket oval

The National Council of Sports (NCS) has issued stringent guidelines that include a busy schedule of social and musical events at Lugogo Cricket Oval running from July to December this year, deeming the ground inaccessible for sport.

In a letter dated, July 12, 2022, the NCS ear-marked 66 days, starting August until the end of this year, in which the venue will be inaccessible to the Uganda Cricket Association (UCA).

“This is to inform you that your request to use the Cricket Oval has been reviewed and unavailable dates during which NCS has booked events are as indicated below for the months of July to December 2022 respectively,” reads a letter from NCS to UCA.

The sports council informed the cricket association that the ground should only be used for strictly national team events for the available days.

“Also, the facility is a government facility that has many pre-booked events that take place from time to time,” the letter adds.

This leaves the association with no option but to forego the ground until next year since it requires a good number of days for the field to recover in order for cricket to take place.

The directive leaves the Cricket Association in position to look for other alternatives to host the leagues for both men and women and grass-root events like mini-cricket school competitions.

Cricket Cranes have since found refuge in Entebbe where they are preparing for the third and final round of the ICC League B tournament, a pathway to the World Cup due next month.

As it stands, there may be no more cricket at the oval until the end of this year as music concerts, social events, government events and prayer fellowships will take over the grounds.

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IGP condemns brutal attack on officers at checkpoint

By
Our Reporter
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IGP Okoth Ochola

The Inspector General of Police (IGP) Martins Okoth Ochola has condemned violent attacks against police officers, manning the traffic checkpoint at Kiwumpa village, Kiwumpa parish, Luwero sub county in Luwero district.

The preliminary information gathered indicates that at around 12:00 noon, a group of assailants armed with machetes, emerged from both sides of the checkpoint in a coordinated manner, and attacked the two field force officers, who were armed and providing security to four officers, at the checkpoint.

“The assailants hacked PC Josephat Twinamatsiko on the head and face. His colleague PC Busingye Ronald was cut at the back. Both their guns were robbed immediately,” Ochola said.

Ochola said the assailants set fire, using petrol, on a parked lorry Fuso box body which got a mechanical problem, on the 24th July 2022 at around 3pm and was undergoing repairs. And thereafter, escaped from the scene and jumped into a waiting getaway vehicle, around Kiwumpa Church of Uganda primary school and fled the area.

The IGP extended his deepest condolences to the family, friends, relatives and workmates of the late PC Busingye Ronald. And further wished a quick recovery to PC Twinamatsiko Josephat, who has been transferred to Kampala from Luwero hospital for better treatment.

“The tragic incident is a stark reminder of the hazards police officers face, in their efforts to protect the public and keep citizens safe. We do honor PC Busingye Ronald for his ultimate sacrifice while serving the community in Luwero and the country at large,” he said.

At this stage, Ochola said the motivation of the violent attack and murder is not yet established, although it appears they targeted guns for robbery because the other traffic officers, who were not armed were not attacked.

“We want to assure the public that we have reinforced our teams in Luwero to help identify and apprehend the suspects involved in the brutal attack.”

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Prominent businessman in Sheema arrested for child ritualistic sacrifice

By
Our Reporter
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Handcuffs

Police in Sheema has arrested a money lender, a prominent farmer and businessman identified as Kamugisha Joseph, in connection with the disappearance of Kemigisha Christabel, a two-year girl victim.

The incident that happened on the 18th July 2022, at Mutanoga cell, Kigarama sub-county in Sheema district, now turned out to be a murder, after the victim’s body was recovered.

Police spokesperson Fred Enanga said the motivation of the disappearance and murder, appears to be for ritualistic sacrifice, after the prime suspect Byamukama Justus, admitted to kidnapping the victim, from the grand father’s home, a one Kakooma John.

“In conspiracy with Tumwesigye Clinton alias Musajja, they cut the victims throat and collected blood and thereafter, and dumped the victim’s body in front of Constance’s home, a neighbor and resident of the same village. He further admitted that there was a rich man who sent them for the blood. After the arrest of Tumwesigye Clinton alias Musajja it was established that he was in touch with Kamugisha Joseph, the prominent farmer/businessman, on the night that the victim was kidnapped and murdered,” Enanga said.

Enanga called upon the business community to come up with stronger measures of profiling and auditing the activities of all business persons in coordination with our intelligence components of CI, ISO, and CMI to help weed out brutal persons, who take advantage of young juveniles, in search of wealth and prosperity.

“We shall continue to monitor the progress of the case, to seek justice for the victim. Exhibits of a hoe, blood-stained clothes, phone print-outs and the killer weapon were recovered. We commend the task team for their efforts,” Enanga added.

He reminded parents and guardians to be extra alert while protecting children. The victim was kidnapped from her grandfather’s home, without the knowledge of anyone and yet such threats against children are on the increase.

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Museveni to launch new UPDF fighting vehicle assembly plant

By
Our Reporter
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Army fighting vehicle

President Yoweri Mueveni will on Wednesday commission a UPDF infantry fighting vehicle assembly plant at the headquarters of National Enterprise Corporation (NEC).

The NEC, which is the commercial arm of the UPDF will collaborate with STREIT Group, which is world’s largest privately owned armoured vehicle manufacturer to make the fighting vehicles to be used in the UPDF’s military and peacekeeping operations in the region.

The army has been assembling the wagons at a small scale in Jinja and this will see UPDF ending the importation of these vehicles from South Africa. 

According to sources, the assembly plant will later target the regional market and sell these fighting wagons to Uganda’s neighbours.

The commercial arm of the UPDF has become productive and profitable after President Yoweri Museveni appointed Lt Gen James Mugira.

Earlier, NEC had been making losses until 2012 when Lt Gen Mugira was transferred from Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence to General Manager of Luwero Industries and replaced Jackline Mbabazi, the wife of the former Prime Amama Mbabazi.

He was later in 2017 appointed the Managing Director of NEC which is the mother company of  Luwero industries, NEC Construction and Engineering Works, NEC Uzima, NEC Farm Katonga and NEC Agro Ltd.

NEC was started by the government in 1989 to invest in agriculture, health care and services. 

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East Africa should bid to host World Athletics Championship, not AFCON

By
Our Reporter
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Joshua Cheptegei in the 5000m Olympics race

Leading Ugandan football pundits and government officials in charge of sports are excited at the prospect of Uganda and Tanzania bidding to co-host the 2027 African Cup of Nations [AFCON].

Having been a good observer of football in the region, I disagree with the proponents of this suggestion, mainly for economic reasons but I also think government should be rational when it comes to which sports event to host.

There is no doubt that athletics, not football is selling the East African Community [EAC] globally. And I urge that the EAC Partner States to start courting the International Athletics Federation [IAAF] so that a particular year is given for say Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania to co-host World Athletics Championships.

That means governments in the region should put more money in athletics, more so to build the required athletics facilities. The preparations must begin now.

Bidding to host World Athletics Championship is better than bidding to host AFCON because East Africa, especially Kenya and Uganda have had big names over the decades participate in international athletics, making and breaking records.

In bidding to host World Athletics Championship, we would be joined by our brothers, the Ethiopians who have also had good exploits in this game. We would have galvanized the support of world athletics associations that would want their athletes and fans visit the home of greatest long distance runners.

I am sure many athletes-still active, and retired, as well as fans world over would want to come and visit the eastern Africana region. Just as FIFA allowed South Africa to host the World Cup in 2010, IAAF would favour Eastern Africa countries to host its championship sometime in the future. We only have to approach IAAF and tell them of our intention.

The world still remembers John Akibua, Davis Kamoga, Dorcus Inzukuru, Stephen Kiprotich, ……., Joshua Keptegei, Stella Chesang, Prisca Chesang, Moses Kipsiro, Halima Nakaayi, Tarsis Orogot, Jacob Kiplimo, to name but a few.

Kenya on the other hand its athletics heroes who have made headlines over the decades, same to Ethiopia. I am sure IAAF would to honour these great African athletes by holding the championship on their soil that even has one of world’s famous game parks, that the foreign visitors would tour, leaving behind dollars for the region.

I don’t know how many footballers from our region are known globally or have made an impact on global football. Athletes have on the other side did this over the decades. Fufa boss Moses Magogo has been quoted on social media, confirming that Ugandans have no love for local football, that they love foreign clubs like Arsenal, Manchester United and others. So why should given spend to host AFCON?

The countries can use these great athletes to woo the world athletics body to grant their wish.

Athletics will make EAC earn more dollars in form of tourist revenue, than football. This is because it will attract fans and federations from across the world. AFCON won’t do this. It is a toutnament for the poorest continent on earth.

I don’t think hosting AFCON in 2027 by Uganda and Tanzania has any significant economic value as compared to if the EAC countries bid to host World Athletics Championship. AFCON only attracts a few fans, moreover from poor Africa. They won’t come with the many dollars, Euros, yen, to spend. Africans, as we know find problems with travelling. They will stay home and watch games on TV screens.

On the other hand, should EAC government leaders as well as sports associations bid to host World Athletics Championship, I assure you dollars will come in but that would be 10 years from now.

Why I am proposing that the region hosts World Athletics Championship is that we are seeing a growing number of good athletes that only need support to be at the top. On the other hand, we are seeing quality football and footballers disappearing. For instance which footballer in Uganda currently can you compare with those that played in the 1970s, 1980, 1990 and 2000s.

This is buttressed by another disturbing fact that football clubs that would be identifying and availing good footballers are disorgansied, financially inept and mismanaged. We all know that traditional football clubs in Uganda, for example, are doing badly in terms of finances and organisation. I cannot mention theme here. I would say football in Uganda is almost dead, despite the effort by some sponsors to support some of the domestic leagues. Hate me or love me, but the truth has to be told. You cannot have a few football clubs concentrated in the central region of the country and say football is well represented across the country. How many of the over 130 districts in Uganda have organised football clubs or own a simple stadium?

I can conclude by saying that by bidding to host IAAF World Athletics Championships, EAC would have rewarded its athletes because it is athletes, not footballers that have put the region on the world over the decades.

And the current developments show it still athletes and not footballers still shinning for the region. EAC Partner States must agree to bid to host IAAF World Athletics Championships, even if it is 10 years from now, even though investments in that venture must begin now.

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Haruna Mawa appointed Onduparaka FC head coach

By
Our Reporter
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Mawa Haruna

Onduparaka Football Club have announced the appointment of Haruna Mawa as their new Head Coach.

The CAF A licensed coach has been handed a one-year contract. He replaces Dudu Bosco who oversaw the club’s escape from relegation last term on an interim basis.

He takes over from Crested Cranes coach George Lutalo who left the club before the end of last season.

Mawa comes in with vast experience having coached at Doves All Stars, Somalia National team, Uganda U20, KCCA FC Junior Team, MUBS and the now defunct SC Victoria University FC.

Mawa was an exceptional footballer during his playing career mostly as a winger. He played for KCCA FC and SC Villa among other clubs and won the league with KCCA in 1997.

The 2022/23 Uganda Premier League is set to kick off on September 30, 2022.

The WestNile based side have already extended the contract of Gaddafi Gadinho for further one more year ahead of the coming campaign.

In a similar development, Calvary FC named Dudu Bosco as their new head coach on a two-year contract. He replaces Godfrey Akena who was sacked after the conclusion of the 2021/22 StarTimes FUFA Big League season.

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