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Absa Bank Uganda sees off 12 golfers for Magical Kenya Open

By
Our Reporter
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Uganda's amateur golfers before boarding the flight to Nairobi for the Magical Kenya Open

A group of 10 amateur Ugandan golfers and two journalists have set off for Nairobi to participate in and cover the Magical Kenya Golf Open respectively.

The players will be taking part in the Pro-Am leg of the annual Kenyan golf do which runs from 3 to 6 March at the Muthaiga Golf Club in Nairobi, Kenya and is part of Absa Bank Uganda’s sponsorship of the Uganda Golf Open that ran from 18th November to 4th December 2021.

While speaking to the sponsorship, Mumba Kalifungwa, Absa Bank Uganda’s Managing Director said the bank was proud to play a role in helping to develop the skills and increase the exposure of the Ugandan players through their participation in a tournament of this scale.

“As a brand that has been involved in supporting the development of golf in Uganda for a substantial period of time, we understand why it’s important for golfers to meet, interact with and play alongside peers from different countries and on international stages,” he added.

The Pro-Am is a tournament in which Amateur golfers get to play alongside Professionals to give the latter a practise round before the Professionals’ Open while allowing the former to develop their skills within a competition setting.

This specific trip will be special for the Ugandan players because the Magical Kenya Open is part of the internationally acclaimed European Golf Tour, which attracts top golfers from around the world and is played across 31 tournaments in 21 countries globally.

Uganda’s Amateur contingent includes Colin Isaac Talemwa; Joseph Kimani; John Muchiri; Wendy Angudeyo; Joseph Adrapi; Patrick Kagoro; Walter Tukahirwa; Alexander Matsiko; JeninaNasimolo and Collin Subika, while the journalists include Innocent Ndawula of the Daily Monitor and Michael Nsubuga of the New Vision.

They will join the only Ugandan selected to participate as a Pro – Ronald Rugumayo, part of whose costs for the duration of the tournament are being met by the Bank.

Kalifungwa added, “This is the part of bringing possibilities to life that makes us proud to be a pan-African bank. Through multiple initiatives across almost every aspect of our business, we will continue to push the boundaries of what is expected of a financial services provider to add value to our customers, our country people and to the continent of Africa.”

The Magical Kenya Open is sponsored by Absa Bank Kenya.

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Roast and Rhyme delivers epic 17th edition

By
Geoffery Serugo
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Sun hats, shades, Cold beer and grilled meat took a center stage at 17th edition of Roast and Rhyme.

Picnic mats and camping chairs, Sun hats and shades, Cold beer and grilled meat. This was the vibe at Jahazi Pier Munyonyo as Roast and Rhyme held its epic 17th edition last Sunday.

This being the first edition since the lifting of lockdown in January, the organizers, Swangz Avenue and Bell Lager – came out in a big way with an incomparable all-round experience.

As usual, guests were encouraged to carry their own grills and meat with fire marshals on hand to help them set up, in addition to several food vendors, including the Meat Guy.

An exciting cook-off pit two journalists and two members of the public selected at random against each other, with each being given limited ingredients, one type of meat and a trivia question that would earn them a chance to pick any other ingredient, with the winner walking away with a ‘Bell na Nyama’ hamper complete with a brand-new grill.

The emcee, Roger Mugisha, then initiated a Kiss Cam and of the 5 couples selected, only one followed through with the kiss Bebe Cool and his wife Zuena; another hugged; while the rest simply looked on, clueless about how to go about kissing their workmates or cousins in public.

It was very awkward for them, but fun stuff to watch for the rest of the crowd.

This being the Reggae Ragga edition, live reggae music filled the atmosphere as Elijah Kitaka and the Lions of Africa band set things off with a performance that included a cover of Koffee’s ‘The Harder They Fall’.

The legendary Tshaka Mayanja and the Black Roots band followed with their lead singer Tonya Ahenda locking the crowd in a trance with her powerful voice covering some of the world’s most iconic reggae tunes.

In a stunning feat, Kenneth Mugabi hopped on stage and engineered a masterful mash-up of his ‘Naki’ with UB40’s ‘Cherry Oh Baby’.

The event also featured performances from Vinka, Mudra, Winnie Nwagi and Ziza Bafana who performed with a live band. In-between performances and all through to the end of the event, DJs Alisha and Selector Jay entertained the crowd with reggae and ragga mixes.

Overall, the event was the ultimate display of Bell Lager’s Mpola Enjoyments theme, which encourages consumers to have a good time anywhere, at any time with friends, some games, grilled meat andice-cold Bell Lager.

Matilda Babuleka, Bell Lager’s Brand Manager, said, “Bell Lager continues to be driven by the necessity to constantly deliver new and exciting experiences for our customers. With Roast and Rhyme, the sunny weather, picnic vibe and the lakeside breeze come together to deliver the ultimate Mpola Enjoyments.”

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Ex-LRA rebel commandant Thomas Kwoyelo’s trial kicks off after two years

By
Geoffery Serugo
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Thomas Kwoyelo

Former LRA rebel commandant Thomas Kwoyelo’s trial resumed today at the International Crimes Division of the High Court after two years.

Kwoyero appeared before three Judges who included; Michael Elubu, Stephen Mubiru and Duncan Gaswaga.

Kwoyelo is grappling with 93 counts of murder, aggravated robbery, extensive destruction of property, causing serious injury to body or health and inhuman treatment, rape and torture among others that he is averred to have committed against the civilian population of northern Uganda, southern Sudan and the northeastern regions of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

Kwoyelo was abducted by LRA on his way to school in 1987 and remained in captivity and later became Colonel.

The worst attack of the paramilitary group that was under the leadership of Joseph Kony occurred in Haute-Hele Province (DRC) in December 2008, the so called Christmas massacre where over 200 were killed and over 800 house razed down.

The rebels split up in groups to attack the villages Faradje, Batande, Duru, Bangadi and Burgi. They waited until people had gathered for Christmas festivities, then surrounded and killed them with axes, machetes and clubs.

In March 2009, Kwoyelo was injured during hostilities between the Ugandan army and the LRA in DRC and brought into Uganda for medical treatment and subsequently into custody.

His trial however commenced in July 2011 before ICD, a division of Uganda’s High Court however Constitutional Court resolved that the suspect’s trial should stop as it found grounds for the failure by the DPP and the Amnesty Commission to act on Kwoyelo’s application.

In 2015, Supreme Court decided that Kwoyelo’s trail should resume.

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12 teams to take part in 2022 FUFA Women Elite League, kick-off date confirmed

By
Our Reporter
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The FUFA Competitions Department has confirmed that twelve (12) teams will take part in the 2021/2022 season of the FUFA Women Elite League after meeting the club licensing requirements.

The league has been scheduled to kick off on 13th March 2022.

The teams have been pooled into two groups under brand names; Elizabeth and Victoria with each comprising of six teams.

The grouping has been done based on the location of teams to ease the burden of transport during the league that will be played on home and away basis.

The top placed team in each group at the end of the season will join the FUFA Women Super League.

The groups

Elizabeth Group

Acholi Queens

EHCOS SS WFC

Dynamic Jjeza WFC

Kataka She FC

Wakiso Hills WFC

Makerere University WFC

Victoria Group

King of Kings WFC

Bunyaruguru Girls FC

Asubo Gafford Ladies

Isra Soccer Academy

Luweero Giant Queens

Ajax Queens FC

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Former Uganda Red Cross boss sentenced to seven years imprisonment over embezzlement

By
Simon Kabayo
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Richard Michael Nataka

The Anti-Corruption Court in Kampala has sentenced Richard Michael Nataka, the former Secretary General of the Uganda Red Cross Society to serve seven years in jail for embezzling more than sh1 billion.

The Court presided over by Grade One Magistrate Moses Nabende has handed Nataka the sentence after finding him guilty on four charges of embezzlement, causing financial loss, abuse of office and conspiracy to defraud.

The Court has heard that Nataka embezzled more than Shs1.2 billion between February 1st, 2013 and September 30th, 2013 in Kampala. The money belonged to the Uganda Red Cross Society and Nataka accessed it by virtue of the office that he held as the Secretary General.

The Court has found that Nataka irregularly approved and made payments of more than one billion shillings to Buki Enterprises Limited for construction work at the African Youth Leadership and Training Centre (Namakwa) and in the end Uganda Red Cross Society was sent into losses.

Court has also heard that Nataka signed duplicate contracts in favor of Buki Enterprise Limited, Jensani construction and Saki Technical Services Limited for the execution of the said works which was also done fraudulently.

But Nataka who was previously facing trial with two others Geoffrey Serunjogi and Geoffrey Weponde, the Deputy Director for Finance at Uganda Red Cross Society was found guilty based on evidence from seven prosecution witnesses and his co accused were acquitted for lack of sufficient evidence to pin them.

While handing him the sentence, the Magistrate indicated that although some offenses have handed him two years in jail and others three, Nataka will serve the highest sentence of seven years that has been given to him on causing financial loss and embezzlement.

“The imprisonment sentences shall be non-cumulative. It is further ordered that the accused shall compensate Uganda Shillings 1,236, 917,932 to Uganda Red Cross Society,” said Nabende.

Nataka has also been barred from holding a public office for a period of ten years from today as required under the Anti-Corruption Act.

“This is to authorize and require you the said Superintendent to receive the said Nataka Richard Michael into your custody in the said prison together with the warrant and there carry out the aforementioned sentence into execution according to law,” reads the warrant of commitment from Nabende to the Superintendent of Prisons Murchison Bay Prison.

In 2018, the Director of Public Prosecutions withdrew charges of abuse of office against Nataka after he had been accused of allowing a vehicle Tundra type that belonged to an individual to go through the same container of Uganda Red Cross Society stuff so that it doesn’t pay taxes to Uganda Revenue Authority.

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FIFA and UEFA suspend Russian clubs and national teams from all competitions

By
Our Reporter
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Fifa-president-Infantino-and-Russia-president-Putin

Fifa and Uefa have suspended all Russian football clubs and national teams from all competitions following the country’s invasion of Ukraine.

The world and European football governing bodies said they would be banned “until further notice”.

A joint statement from FIFA and UEFA read; “Following the initial decisions adopted by the FIFA Council and the UEFA Executive Committee, which envisaged the adoption of additional measures, FIFA and UEFA have today decided together that all Russian teams, whether national representative teams or club teams, shall be suspended from participation in both FIFA and UEFA competitions until further notice.

“These decisions were adopted today by the Bureau of the FIFA Council and the Executive Committee of UEFA, respectively the highest decision-making bodies of both institutions on such urgent matters.

“Football is fully united here and in full solidarity with all the people affected in Ukraine. Both Presidents hope that the situation in Ukraine will improve significantly and rapidly so that football can again be a vector for unity and peace amongst people.”

This means the Russian men’s team will not play their World Cup play-off matches next month and the women’s team have been banned from this summer’s Euro 2022 competition.

The Russian men’s team had been scheduled to face Poland in a World Cup play-off semi-final on 24 March.

Spartak Moscow have also been kicked out of the Europa League and their last-16 opponents RB Leipzig will advance to the quarter-finals.

The International Olympic Committee urged international sports federations to either move or cancel events planned in Russia or Belarus. Russian troops entered Ukraine through Belarus, when the invasion began.

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Lira City OWC coordinator shoots self dead

By
Our Reporter
-

The Operation Wealth Creation (OWC) coordinator for Lira City has shot himself dead.

Captain Binaisa Olaka shot himself dead inside his house in Dokolo Town council, Dokolo District.

Police sealed off the scene to commence investigations.

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Counsel Ssemakadde to Judge Ssekaana: “You are not justice; you were merely appointed to deliver it”

By
Geoffery Serugo
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Counsel Ssemakadde

Counsel Isaac Ssemakadde has said the High Court Judge Musa Ssekaana is not Justice but was merely appointed to deliver it.

Ssemakadde said at the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (CID) where he was summoned to record a statement about the alleged offensive communication to the prejudice of Justice Ssekaana Musa.

The summoning of Ssemakadde came a few days after Mr. Ssekaana sentenced City lawyer Male Mabirizi to 18 months in prison for contempt of Court.

“Nomads are not their cows; their respect for them is expert custodianship of their cattle. Farmers are not their crops; their respect for them is their skills expertly in bringing us food out of ground likewise judges are not justice. They are merely appointed to the task of delivering it. We want to respect them for that and correct them when they fail to live up to the task,” he said.

He said a judge doesn’t own court orders, he or she merely issues them, in the name of the people and on behalf of the demands for justice. “I believe he came here to report a personal case of offensive communication. My lawyers informed the ingredients of the case; disturbing his peace and privacy,” Ssemakadde added.

According to Ssemakadde Justice Ssekaana believes that he is the justice system, and an attack on him is an attack on the system.

“I am here to expose a collective failure of several generations of law makers, Law administrators and law practitioners, a failure to detect the lasting impacts of colonialism, the effects of colonial culture in our administration of justice,” he said.

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‘Rules committee proceedings are not intended to establish the truth but to lynch and hang me’ – MP Zaake

By
Geoffery Serugo
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MP Zaake

The Chairperson of Rules Privileges and Discipline Committee Abdul Katuntu has given opposition Commissioner of Parliament Francis Zaake one day to prepare and make his response in regards to disparaging the Deputy Speaker Anita Among.

The MP is accused of insulting the integrity of Parliament after he last week took to social media and used offensive language to express his dissatisfaction with the Deputy Speaker’s statement regarding his alleged torture.

Appearing before the Committee, Zaake said that he constantly get cruel remarks from government officials and security spokespersons asserting that he faked the torture and therefore, the proceedings are not intended to establish the truth.

“The proceedings are aimed at knotting the rope with which the mob after lynching me, will hang me to fit the narrative that I committed suicide. The multiple incidents of torture have left me with haunting post traumatic stress disorder. I can no longer fall asleep with lights off, let alone without music playing. I can no longer stand with the soles of my feet firmly fixed on the ground,” he told the Committee.

Katuntu has said that whereas they sympathize with Zaake about the torture he has faced but the committee is investigating something else; the social media statements of Zaake disparaging the Deputy Speaker.

Earlier this month, Martin Mapenduzi raised the matter in the August House noting that he intended to move a motion to have Zaake relieved of his duties as a commissioner for denigrating the integrity of Parliament and Office of the Speaker in breach of Rules 84 and 85 of the Rules of Procedure and Paragraph 5 of the Code of Conduct of Members.

“All of us may have our own emotions and issues to deal with but there are avenues in our Rules of Procedure through which anything done by the presiding officer can be challenged. The member never exercised any of the remedies provided in the rules but chose to go to social media,” Mapenduzi said

The matter was supported by the Soroti West Division MP; Jonathan Ebwalu who said Zaake’s use of unparliamentary language on social media against the person of the Deputy Speaker was in bad faith and demeaned the office of the Speaker and institution of parliament.

“The intention was to damage; lower the character and status of the Speaker and the reputation of this Parliament. It is our obligation to defend Parliament from any attack. We need to enact laws to check cyber bullying, cyber harassment, blackmail and intimidation,” he said.

Esther Afoyochan, one of the Backbench commissioners disassociated her from the social media utterances attributed to Zaake saying that the House should deal with the matter in accordance with the House’s prescribed guidelines.

Deputy Speaker, Anita Among referred the matter to the Committee on Rules, Privileges and Discipline for further investigations.

And, yesterday, the four complaint MPs appeared before Parliament’s Rules Committee chaired by legislator Abdu Katuntu to present a formal complaint against Zaake. The group accuses Zaake of insulting the integrity of Parliament after he last week took to social media and used offensive language to express his dissatisfaction with the Deputy Speaker’s statement regarding his alleged torture.

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Digitalisation of the transport sector can help solve major challenges

By
Guest Writer
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Moses Mugerwa, Operations Manager Bolt Uganda

By Moses Maurice Mugerwa, Operations Manager Bolt Uganda

Recently, the Government of Uganda announced that it was embarking on the process of registering all boda-boda riders in the city and ensuring that each of them had a specific stage where they would operate from. The boda-boda riders have been given a grace period of 4 months to register or risk not operating within the city. Any boda-boda rider that isn’t registered by 1st July 2022, will be prohibited from operating in Kampala.

In an inter-ministerial committee comprising the Ministry of Works and Transport, Ministry of local government, Kampala ministry, police and representatives from boda-boda associations, it was agreed that there was a need to register, and formalise every boda-boda operating in metropolitan Kampala. This is aimed at instilling order in the city.

According to the State Minister for Kampala, KbuyeKyofatogabye, each boda-boda rider will be registered using a copy of their national ID, and given reflective identification jackets unique to each division. Drivers will also be provided with QR codes. Their pictures will be well displayed on their backs for easy identification.

Despite the numerous challenges facing the boda-bodas riders, it is clear that boda-bodas are still a preferred means of transportation. So far, there are more than 200,000 boda-bodas in Kampala, all providing a source of income to families. Once the government puts the proposed regulations into effect, the unregistered boda-boda riders, the majority of whom are the youth, may lose their source of income and earning opportunities. This will affect the thousands of recipients that directly or indirectly rely on these boda-boda riders. Additionally, boda-bodas offer a quick means of transport for a significant number of city residents, where traffic congestion remains a major day to day challenge.

It is important to note that since this is not the first time that the government has proposed these changes, there is a need for greater collaboration between the concerned parties to ensure that all parties’ needs are met. 

Nevertheless, the challenge of unregistered, unidentified boda-bodas can easily be solved by the sector’s digitalisation, which is already happening in Uganda. Ride-hailing apps like Bolt, Safeboda and Uber have digitised mechanisms that collect relevant data on riders’ personal details, the areas they visit, and their exact location, all at the same time.

Edward Isa, a boda-boda rider operational on the Bolt platform, is keen to understand the government approach, noting that he can easily be tracked on his Bolt app.

“My Bolt identification is my identity as a bodaboda rider. Using their systems, Bolt can easily track where I am, and the places I have been. This is not only safe for the customers and me as a rider because I also feel safe. I only take customers that make requests via Bolt, and these can easily be tracked using the phone numbers that they register with.” he said.

Therefore, the government should work together with the available ride-hailing applications to improve their systems to include National IDs as a necessity for registration for both riders and customers. They should also encourage all boda-boda riders to register with the said applications, and offer subsidised rates on the system, so that the customers and riders can get a fair deal. By doing so, there will be a systematic transport system that offers a safe and convenient way to travel for most Ugandans and offers boda-boda riders the opportunities to earn a stable income in a secure environment.

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