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Brig Busizoori takes over as deputy 3rd Div. commander

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Our Reporter
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Brig Gen Balikuddembe (C) witnesses Brig Gen Mugisha (L) handing over a report to Brig Gen Busizoori (R)

The Commander of the UPDF 3 Infantry Division Brig Gen Joseph Balikuddembe presided over the handover/takeover of the office of the second in command of the 3 Division from Brig Gen David Mugisha to Brig Gen Felix Busizoori.

The function was held at the Division Headquarters in Moroto on Wednesday 10th August 2022.

This follows recent appointments, promotions and transfers made by the President and Commander-In-Chief of Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF) H.E Gen Yoweri Museveni last week

Brig Gen Balikuddembe welcomed and congratulated the incoming Second In Command.

“I warmly welcome you, Gen Busizoori to 3 Division to add positive energy towards disarmament operations in the Karamoja sub-region,” he said, adding that he knows Gen Busizoori as a hard working and knowledgeable officer.

The Division Commander recounted that it’s only this current government under the stewardship and visionary leadership of President Museveni and the professional UPDF that disarmament operations were launched that have registered a number of progressive phases.

“We must work hard, jointly with all stakeholders to create more conducive conditions and transform Karamoja to greater levels,” Gen Balikuddembe remarked.

He implored the Commanders to maintain the visible strides so far made, in terms of arms, livestock recoveries and scaled down livestock raids which has caused relative calmness in the sub-region.

He further told officers to maintain operational momentum especially in Kotido district for peace to prevail in other districts.

“The ongoing simultaneous cordon and search operations are a tested simultaneous and approach that we must relentlessly double our efforts to decisively deal and defeat all criminal elements,” emphasized the Division Commander and also Commander of Operation ‘Usalama Kwa Wote’, translated to mean ‘Peace for All’ in Karamoja sub-region.

He commended the outgoing Deputy Division Commander Brig Gen Mugisha for being a result oriented person.

“You are reliable, disciplined and a performer. Maintain the same caliber, be our ambassador in your next tour of duty,” he urged.

The Outgoing Second in Command and now Special Forces Commander Brig Gen Mugisha thanked the President and Commander-In-Chief of the UPDF for entrusting him with the new responsibility.

He also expressed his sincere gratitude to both officers and men for the cooperation and hard work they exhibit and requested them to do the same to his successor.

In his acceptance remarks, Brig Busizoori thanked the President and C-I-C for recognizing his contribution towards building a modern, efficient and professional force, which has prompted the current appointment.

He commended the subordinate Commanders for doing a good job that has created relative peace in Karamoja Sub – Region and entire 3 Division.

“My predecessor has oriented and briefed me. I’m ready to join other Commanders and team players in the operational theatre to totally pacify Karamoja Sub region,” Brig Busizoori noted.

The new Deputy Division Commander promised to perform oversight and supervisory roles to strengthen the edge with the people through training to build more troops’ capacity and combat readiness, accountability of personnel and equipment serviceability, welfare and ideological orientation.

He urged the Commanders and staff officers to continue embracing teamwork, cooperation, discipline and have integrity to accomplish the desired tasks.

The hand and take over ceremony was attended and witnessed by Brigade, Battalion Commanders and key staff officers of the Division.

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Court of Appeal quashes an order directing NSSF to refund Shs14bn to UTL

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Our Reporter
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Mr. Richard Byarugaba.

The Court of Appeal has quashed the High Court order directing the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) to refund Shs14 billion, being the 10 employer contribution for over 900 employees of Uganda Telecom Limited (UTL).

In 2015, UTL wrote to the Fund demanding a refund of the 10 per cent employer contributions claiming that the contributions had been made in error for their employees who initially worked under Uganda Posts and Telecommunications Corporation (UPTC) and were members of Uganda Communication Employees Contributory Pension Scheme (UCECPS).

The Uganda Communications Employees Union sued both the Fund and UTL in the Industrial Court challenging any refund of the contributions. They secured a temporary injunction blocking any payment.

However, before the case in the industrial court could be determined, UTL filed an application for judicial review in the High Court, seeking an order to compel the Fund to refund the Shs 14 billion, and obtained judgments in its favor.

The Fund was dissatisfied and filed an appeal in the Court of Appeal on grounds that the contributions belonged to a section of former workers of UTL, and not to the employer. The High Court had also not distinguished between two categories of UTL employees that were affected, that is, former employees of UPTC who transferred services to UTL with terms of service remaining unchanged, and the recruits by UTL who contribute to UCECPS.

In a ruling delivered by Justice Cheborion Barishaki, court quashed UTL’s application and ordered it to bear all costs NSSF incurred in this matter.

“UTL’s application in the High Court was wrongly instituted as an application for judicial review yet instead it challenged the correctness of the Fund’s decision to collect statutory contributions from certain UTL employees,” he ruled.

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“The judgment means that the Fund is under no legal obligation to refund the employer portion of the contributions directly to UTL and the 10 per cent social security contribution belongs to the employees.” the Managing director of NSSF Richard Byarugaba said.

“We welcome the Court of Appeal’s judgment because it affirms our position that once contributions are remitted to the Fund, they belong to the employee for whom they have been paid. Regarding this particular case, we are confident that as an employer, UTL erred in seeking a refund of the employer contributions on the basis of an alleged exemption that was never subjected to interpretation by the Courts of law.” he said

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CAF launches 24-club Africa Super League

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Our Reporter
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CAF President Patrice Motsepe launched the Africa Super League during the confederation’s General Assembly in Arusha, Tanzania, on Wednesday.

The new league will offer prize money of $100 million — over five times more than Africa’s current Champions League — and that each club in the inaugural season of the cross-continent competition would receive $2.5 million at the start to help fund its preparations and participation.

“The Africa Super League is one of the most exciting developments in the history of African football and the objective in terms of what we are trying to achieve is very clear, number one is to make sure African club football is world class and competes with the best in the world. This about the future of African football, this is about African taking charge of its future. To do this, we need money,” Motsepe said.

Twenty-four clubs, yet to be decided, will take part in the first edition, which has the backing of world governing body FIFA and will be played between August 2023 and May 2024.

 “Football is about finance. It is about having a product and the commercial backing for it. We believe we can change the face of African football,” Motsepe said, repeating there was huge interest from sponsors and commercial partners to be connected with the new African league.

Motsepe said CAF will use some of the 50 million dollars from the Super League to make football attractive and ensure the best players remain in Africa and improve the quality of the sport on the continent which has lagged behind other parts of the world.

Motsepe appealed to African governments to help with the construction of CAF-approved stadiums to ensure every club play their football in their own countries.

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Trade minister accused of unfair policies on rice importation

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Our Reporter
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Minister of State for Trade, Harriet Ntabazi

Parliament has directed the Minister of State for Trade, Harriet Ntabazi to withdraw her directive on what they termed, ‘unfair trade policy on rice importation’.

On 21 April 2022, Ntabazi issued a directive to the Commissioner, Customs Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) where she directed the Authority to stop clearing Value Added Tax (VAT) exempted rice imports at the borders.

This directive prompted rice traders, specifically the Kampala Rice Traders Association to petition Parliament to intervene, claiming this directive was unfair and repugnant. 

In their petition, rice traders also decried Ntabazi’s directive to install the Rice Agribusiness Development Foundation (RADFO) as an apex body with autonomous powers to import rice, which the traders said was fleecing them and frustrating trade.

This matter was subsequently referred to the Parliamentary Committee on Tourism, Trade and Industry for investigation.

While presenting the committee report during the plenary sitting on Wednesday, 10 August 2022, the committee chairperson, Mwine Mpaka said that Ntabazi exceeded her powers and issued orders that have distorted trade order in the rice trade.

“The minister irregularly and without lawful authority instituted RADFO as the apex body in the rice sub sector without involving the rice traders and associations. The actions of the minister are disruptive and do not encourage trade order in the rice trade,” Mpaka said.

The committee also noted that Ntabazi acted unfairly when she issued directives to URA to stop rice imports without giving rice traders a fair hearing.

“The Minister of Trade, Ntabazi should with immediate effect withdraw the illegal, irregular, unlawful, unprecedented, illicit letter designating RADFO as the apex body in regard to the rice trade,” he said.

The committee report which was adopted by the House, called upon the Inspector General of Government (IGG) to investigate the actions of Ntabazi for alleged abuse of office and corruption.

“The Minister of State for Trade, Harriet Ntabazi’s actions tantamount to abuse of office, corruption, facilitating corrupt transactions with agents, bribery, influence peddling, conflict of interest which are all crimes provided for under the anti-corruption Act of 2009,” the Committee report read in part.

The committee recommended that the Inspectorate of Government carries out further investigations with the aim of prosecution of the minister.

The report added that the minister should take political responsibility for her actions.

According to Mpaka, RADFO has been conniving with URA officials to fleece the rice importers of the Shs180,000 per ton which is exorbitant  compared to Shs40,000 per ton that they used to pay before this new directive.

“The committee recommends that civil action be instituted against RADFO with the aim of obtaining compensation amounting to Shs17.8 billion which was illegally, unlawfully, illegitimately, dishonestly, fraudulently and unpatriotically collected from the traders,” Mpaka said.

It is alleged that RADFO only declared Shs1 billion to government out of the Shs17.8 billion collected.

Moroto Municipality MP, Francis Adome called for a forensic audit on RADFO on suspicion that their operations are syndicated with intention to defraud traders.

“I think this matter is beyond the minister in whatever happened, especially on the loss of money. I believe there are those behind this that we need to dig deeply because this seems to be an organisation created to work for the interest of others,”  Adome said.

Ntabazi however said the main objective of putting private sector entities as an apex body was to enhance proper self regulation to create stability and trade order in the sector especially at the border.

She said that in RADFO’s terms and reference, they were not supposed to collect any money from rice traders on behalf of government.

“The decision of government to assign RADFO as an apex body was not a selective or one person’s decision. It was a collective decision by all members including the rice associations…The terms and reference of RADFO were never to collect any money from anybody and it wasn’t written in the letters that I wrote,” Ntabazi said.

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CAF to back Fifa President Infantino’s re-election bid  

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Our Reporter
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Gianni Infantino

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) will support Gianni Infantino’s candidacy to remain FIFA President prior to the global governing body’s elective Congress next year.

Caf officially endorsed the candidacy of Infantino at its general assembly in Tanzania on Wednesday, with CAF president Patrice Motsepe reiterating support from the confederation itself and also on behalf of member associations to “our brother based in Europe”.

Re-elected unopposed as president of football’s world governing body in 2019, Infantino is set to stand for a third term at the 73rd Fifa congress next year.

“We discussed at the executive committee meeting that in recognition of the huge contributions, commitment and the track record that you’ve built in terms of improving African football, all 54 member nations have taken a resolution to vote for you for re-election,” said Motsepe.

“He has shown so much commitment and love to football in Africa. I’ve been honoured whilst visiting about 30 nations over the last year, to hear the people who love football on the African continent as well as the presidents of football in all of the 54 African nations.”

“They’ve said that the work Gianni Infantino has done, the visible improvements and the contribution to African football is greatly appreciated,” he said.

No other candidate has yet declared an interest in standing in the Fifa elections against Infantino, who was first elected president in February 2016. Other candidates will have until four months prior to the Congress next year to do so.

The 52-year-old Swiss-Italian took to the stage in Tanzania to thank Africa for its support and pledged his continuous backing to the game on the continent.

He then joined Motsepe for the launch of Africa’s new Super League, which is scheduled to start in the 2023-24 campaign.

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Masaka School for the Deaf gets Shs8 million donation to boost sports

By
Our Reporter
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Some of the soccer boots that were brought for the Masaka School for the Deaf soccer team that will be reprensenting Masaka City in the Primary and Special needs School Tournament

Masaka School for the Deaf which provides primary school education and vocational skills training to deaf children has received Shs 8 million donations to boost its sports department.

The donation from ICEA LION Assurance Company (U) Ltd in terms of sportswear included soccer boots and socks for the football team as well as sneaker shoes and socks for the netball team. This is an effort to equip both teams as they prepare for the upcoming National tournament where both the football and netball teams will be representing Masaka City.

Speaking during the handover, Emmanuel Mwaka, the Chief Executive Officer, ICEA LION Assurance commended the teachers and school administration for the big role they are playing in the lives of the pupils of Masaka School for the Deaf through nurturing and supporting their talents in sports.

“Our journey with the Masaka School for the Deaf started in 2018 and I’m glad that we are still here with you, rendering support in various areas, one of them being sports. We believe it is such activities that boost the children’s confidence because we know they too have a place in society.  We are here today because we believe in their talent and we are confident that as they have done in the past, they will emerge as winners. It brings us great joy and we are proud of your achievement so far. We know that you will bring the trophy home,” said Mwaka.

He further noted that, “at ICEA we believe we are better together and so we continue to provide tailored financial solutions to all our customers. We believe that everyone regardless of your age or earnings can learn how to manage your money and finances so that you become financially independent. So we promise to come back to share this knowledge with both the teachers and children because it’s never too early or late to start saving.”

Masaka School for the Deaf started in 2005 and currently provides primary school education and vocational skills training to 122 deaf children. Majority of the children were not born deaf but lost their hearing at an infant age due to delayed treatment for malaria and meningitis.

“We thank the ICEA group for the continuous support you have rendered these children. You have always supported us whenever there’s a need and have made sure that their needs are met. This has made it possible for us to get an opportunity to compete in sports tournaments. I also commend the teachers for your continuous commitment in teaching these children. You have given them knowledge and hands on skills. I’m sure that the goodies we’ve received today has greatly motivated the children to excel in the upcoming tournament,” said Francis Kamulegeya, Director Masaka School for the Deaf.

The Masaka School for the Deaf over the years has participated in co-curricular activities that include music, dance and drama as well as Sports. However due to financial constraints, the school gives priority to one activity a year. This year, the school chose to participate in the primary and special needs school tournament at the national level. The teams successfully went through the zonal level and later were chosen to represent Nyendo Mukungwe Division at the division level where they emerged as champions. Both football and netball teams are now going to represent Masaka City in the National tournament which will be starting on 15th August, 2022.

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Bobi Wine urges IGG to investigate Speaker Among over corruption, arrest of Bukoto South MP

By
Our Reporter
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Bobi Wine

The president of the National Unity Platform (NUP) Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu aka Bobi Wine has urged the Inspector General of Government (IGG) Betty Kamya to investigate the Speaker of parliament Anita Among over allegations of corruption and the arrest of Bukoto South MP Dr. Twaha Kagabo.

Recently, the country woke up to reports of a bribery scheme at the Parliament of Uganda out of which each Member of Parliament allegedly pocketed Shs 40 million. The legislators were allegedly paid to pass a supplementary budget moments before the 2022/2023 budget reading.

Following the dishing out of the money, Bobi Wine held a crisis meeting at the party headquarters and asked that MPs who subscribe to the party should return the money in question.

According to Bobi Wine, Some MPs admitted and confessed to have received the money from the Speaker of Parliament Ms. Annet Anita Among. They claimed that Among personally handed over the money to them at her residence in Nakasero opposite the Court of Appeal.

On Monday, Dr. Kagabo returned the money to the Leader of Opposition Matthias Mpuuga who advised him to return the money to Speaker Anita Among from whom he publicly confessed to have received it.

On stepping out of the offices at Parliament heading to Speaker Among’s home, he was arrested by Parliamentary police who handed him over to the IGG to face charges of extortion.

“The timing of Hon. Kagabo’s arrest is as suspicious as it is curious. It would not be far-fetched to say that by arresting Kagabo, the office of the IGG is being misused to unfairly shield Speaker Anita Among from public scrutiny and potential prosecution for corruption and abuse of office. Under her vindictive leadership, the hallowed parliamentary building has been turned into a filthy temple of corruption and unabashed deal-cutting,” Bobi Wine said.

Bobi Wine said anybody who stands in Anita Among way is summarily dealt with either by the Parliamentary administration she heads or by other national institutions such as the police force. He said when Mityana Municipality MP Francis Zaake stood up to her; she mobilised and bought off some MPs to impeach him.

He claimed that the parliamentary staff suspected of leaking details of over Shs 2 billion which was used to buy her a luxury vehicle were terminated from their jobs. “She is now using the IGG to persecute Kagabo for publicly disclosing her personal involvement in the Shs 40 million bribe scheme. How much longer should the Speaker continue getting away with this kind of impunity!?”

“We want you Dr. Kagabo to know that we stand with him at this hour of great moral conflict. In the same breath, we call out the office of the IGG for the bias it has shown so far in Kagabo’s matter. The IGG, and any other interested authority, must investigate this issue with the fairness and impartiality it deserves. Any accusation of corruption leveled against the Speaker of Parliament must be acknowledged and thoroughly investigated instead of persecuting the complainants. Speaker Anita Among is not above the law!” he said.

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Seven nominated for Busongora South by-election

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Our Reporter
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Zagiire Doreen nominated for Busongora South by-election

The Electoral Commission has nominated seven candidates to contest in the by-election of Member of Parliament for Busongora County South Constituency in Kasese District.

By the end of the exercise on Tuesday, Kasese District EC returning officer Ismail Takih Atwijukire, nominated National Unity Platform (NUP) candidate Jackson Mbaju, Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) candidate Aloysius Baguma Kighema, DP’s Bernadette Businge as well as Doreen Izagiire (Independent).

Other candidates who were nominated are National Resistance Movement-NRM’s Thembo Mujungu, David Mulindwa Isimbwa (Ind), and Juma Munezero of Allaince National Transformation (ANT).

The candidates will conduct campaign meetings for seven (7) days, that is, from Wednesday 10th August till Tuesday 16th August, 2022.

Polling and tallying of results for by-election of Member of Parliament will be conducted on Thursday 18th August, 2022.

The Parliamentary seat for Busongora County South fell vacant on June 21 when the Court of Appeal ruled that Gideon Mujungu (NRM) was irregularly elected following a petition by NUP’s Jackson Kathika Mbaju.

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IGP wants UN agency to vacate Naguru Police land

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Our Reporter
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IGP Okoth Ochola

The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Martin Ochola Okoth wants the United Nations African Institute for the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders (UNAFRI) to vacate the police land in Naguru.

In his statement presented by the Director, Logistics and Engineering, AIGP Richard Edyegu while in the Sub-committee on Defence and Internal Affairs on Tuesday, 09 August 2022, the IGP says that UNAFRI should vacate the 16.52 acreage land leased to them for failing to develop it as envisaged.

“UNAFRI has not proceeded to develop and utilize the land as was envisaged. To date, they have not proved to be beneficial to the government in as far as their mandate is concerned,” Edyegu said.

In April 1998, Uganda was selected by the Conference of Ministers of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) as the host of the UNAFRI whose objective was to promote collaborative activities and joint action on priority problems bearing on crime prevention and control in the development context.

Part of the obligations of the host country was to provide residential accommodation, office space, classrooms and furniture to the institute. Indeed, in 2011, government formalized a 99 year lease to UNAFRI including land housing 12 senior staff houses.

According to the police leadership, UNAFRI has since failed to develop the land and even rented out most of the residential houses including the 12 senior staff houses for income generation contrary to the purpose for which the lease was given.

“This poses a security threat for the police establishment particularly because this is the same place that houses the command center, armoury, counter-terrorism base and police headquarters,” Edyegu said.

Apparently, UNAFRI has since subleased 7.8 acres of the land to private business entities such as YUASA car Bond and Future Group Limited contrary to the purpose for which the lease was given.

“It is therefore, our prayer that the land comprising Plot 3 Mukabya Road and plots 2-8 on Katalima Road is returned to Uganda Police Force for further management and the 12 senior staff houses are immediately vacated and surrendered to Uganda Police Force,” he said.

In the wake of the failed attempts with several private developers, Police is now considering leasing to National Social Security Fund (NSSF) about 40.47 acres of land in exchange for construction of staff accommodation and a forensics laboratory.

“We have started looking at other developers like NSSF which has the money. They will build for us structures that are commensurate with the value of the land,” AIGP Erasmus Twaruhukwa who led the police team said.

The land to be given to NSSF has been valued at about Shs180 billion.

The Chairperson of the subcommittee, Hon. Donozio Mugabe Kahonda was perplexed how Uganda Police Force has been leasing out its land with impunity.

“I am told for Future Group Limited, it was an individual from outside police who ordered that land be given to them. Imagine UNAFRI, which is actually a defunct institute, is given a lease of less than 99 years, but they are able to sublease it at 99 years,” Mugabe said.

Twaruhukwa said that UNAFRI has been dysfunctional since its inception and has not received any funding from the United Nations (UN).

The subcommittee is expected to meet the directors of Future Group Limited to ascertain how they got the said land.

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Three lucky Ugandans to win all-expenses paid trips to 2022 World Cup in new Coca-Cola promotion

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Our Reporter
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Coca-Cola Beverages Uganda Mgt Team joined by Huawei and Multichoice to launch the World Cup UTC promotion

Coca-Cola Beverage Uganda (CCBU) has launched a three-month Under the Crown (UTC) promotion dubbed ‘Believe and Win Ug’. This campaign presents a unique opportunity for Ugandan consumers to win exciting prizes worth millions of shillings by simply purchasing Coca-Cola products; Coca-Cola, Fanta, Sprite, Novida, Krest or Stoney 300ml glass bottles and checking under the crown to participate.

As part of the promotion, three (3) lucky Ugandans will each win all-expenses paid trip to watch the opening match of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, with hundreds more winning Television sets from World Cup global partner Hisense, Multichoice Decoders from official broadcaster Multichoice Uganda Limited, smartphones and airtime worth two hundred million shillings.

To participate, consumers are required to send the unique code to 6688 and stand a chance to win weekly prizes and enter a weekly grand draw that will give them a chance to win tickets to the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.

According to Isaac Sekasi, the Business Development and Commercialization Director at Coca-Cola Beverages Africa in Uganda, this UTC promotion is an opportunity for soccer lovers across Uganda to enjoy the world cup games while sipping on their favorite drink and winning exciting prizes.

“Coca-Cola has been an official FIFA World Cup Sponsor, proudly participating in over 10 World Cup tournaments. This ‘Believe and Win UG’ promotion is our opportunity to bring the World Cup excitement happening in Qatar to our consumers’ homes all across Uganda through exciting prizes such as Television sets, Multichoice decoders, mobile phones and airtime to keep communicating with their friends through the season,” he noted.

“In the spirit of being passionate about our consumers and customers, we have invested a total of 2.5 billion Uganda shillings to ensure that we reach every single Consumer in Uganda,” he concluded.

To reach consumers across the country, Coca-Cola teams will be running regional road shows and rewarding winners in those regions.

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