Uganda communications commission (UCC) has resumed a digital literacy campaign peddled at sensitizing informal business actors to embrace the digital economy.

The campaign targeting informal business actors in their workspaces was conducted in February this year. It had covered parts of Western and Northern Uganda just before the onset of COVID-19 lockdown at the end of March.

The outreach teams head out to Eastern and North-Eastern Uganda. The digital skills enhancement exercises will be carried out in open-air markets in the towns of Busia, Tororo, Mbale, Kumi, Kabong, Kotido, Moroto, Abim and Nakapiripirit.

Flagging off the teams at Ntinda in Kampala, the Director Rural Communications Development Fund (RCDF) Nyombi Thembo pointed out that the COVID-19 pandemic has made digital literacy more critical for the informal sector today than it was yesterday.

UCC through RCDF, Mr. Thembo said, is committed to its three-year goal of equipping over one million informal sector people with the digital literacy skills they need to boost their business and improve their daily lives.

UCC is mandated by Section 5(1) (S) of the Uganda Communications Act 2013 to promote universal access to communication services and to improve access to ICT services in Uganda.

In line with this mandate, RCDF has prioritised extending digital literacy skills to various informal sector groups in rural areas across the country.

According to the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS), the informal economy contributed 50% of Uganda’s GDP in 2014.

Up to 80 per cent of the labor force worked in this informal economy, and most of this population was essentially ‘underemployed’, with most of the workers not earning enough to escape poverty.

The informal economy in Uganda is characterised by jobs and business activities that are often not registered. These include market vendors, fishermen, subsistence farmers, mechanics and boda-boda cyclists, among others.

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The Chief of Staff Land Forces (COS-LF) of the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF), Maj Gen Leopold Kyanda has urged Local Defence Unit (LDU) trainees to work towards being citizens with reputable images.

Gen Kyanda said during an interactive lecture to the personnel undergoing refresher training at Kakiri Barracks.

He lauded the LDUs for the commendable work they have done in fighting criminality in Kampala metropolitan policing area despite a few isolated cases of indiscipline that he referred to as a very grave act against the good image of the UPDF.

“In the UPDF, we have no space for any form of indiscipline; there is no amount of indiscipline that is small to us. A mere abusive language or annoying gesture to the civilians is too grave an act to do. You must work towards correcting these mistakes as you conduct your operations,” said Maj Gen Kyanda.

He further told the LDUs that “You are part of the UPDF and members of the larger national security structure of our country. You must therefore measure to the expected disciplinary standards.”

Maj Gen Kyanda encouraged the LDUs to pay attention during every lesson delivered to them because the training material is interlinked; beneficial in the conglomerate.

“This is a very important course necessary for your ideological growth; a prime necessity in your career in the UPDF. It is important that you grasp every bit of the lessons taught because it will help you today and in the far future, not only as members working in the UPDF but also great citizens of this country,” said Maj Gen Kyanda.

Maj Gen Kyanda is one of the several senior resource persons drawn to mentor the LDUs with a focus on ideological rejuvenation.

“This course is intended to inculcate and uphold in you the time-tested UPDF ideology of a Pro-People Force,” he told the trainees.

He added that after the course, the LDUs will be able to execute their duties more effectively.

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The Ag. Chief Justice Alfonse Chigamoy Owiny-Dollo is set to open the second Court of Appeal scientific session at Mbale High Court in which 40 criminal appeals will be disposed of.

The session will be presided over by Justices; Frederick Egonda-Ntende, Cheborion Barishaki and Muzamiru Kibeedi. Hand-in-hand with a team of prosecutors, the new Director of Public Prosecution, Justice Jane Frances Abodo, will make her maiden court appearance in Mbale where she will handle some appeals before returning to Kampala to handle other administrative duties.

Out of the 40 appeals, murder ranks highest with 17 cases followed by aggravated defilement with 12 cases and aggravated robbery with seven. The other appeals are on offences of operating a pharmacy without a license, rape, arson and criminal trespass, each with one case.

In one case, the appellant seeks to quash a death sentence while in four others the appeals are against life convictions meted by the High Court.

The first case on the cause-list, is a State appeal against the acquittal of 12 people who were acquitted on first appeal on charges of arson, inciting violence, doing grievous harm and assault. The offence was committed in Tororo District where the appellants were convicted for burning several houses belonging to their neighbours in an inter-tribal clash.

The Ag. Registrar Court of Appeal, Ayebare Tumwebaze, said the session will be scientific.

“Since the appellants/prisoners will not come to Court due to the threat of Covid-19, the hearings will be via zoom technology. Lawyers will carry along laptop computers for the session. The court will provide internet connectivity and their lordships will host the zoom session while sitting at Mbale High Court,” he said.

He urged the lawyers in conduct of the matters to observe the Covid-19 prevention guidelines issued by the Chief Justice and Ministry of Health on social distancing, hand washing, sanitization and wearing face masks among others.

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