A special police force to handle riots and other unauthorized gatherings in the country has been passed out. The training aimed at equipping police on new skills of riot control instead of using teargas.

The force comprises of Officers from the Uganda Peoples’ Defense Forces mainly from the Presidential Guard Brigade and the regular Police. It has been trained by the South African Police which has experience in handling riots.

Speaking at the pass out, the State Minister for Internal Affairs Matiya Kasaija, says that for long, the Police has wrongly been using teargas to disperse people in order to keep law and order.

Kasaija also says that the government is in the final stages to improve on the poorly funded police department. Improvement in funding the police will see an end to poor accommodation facilities, wrecked vehicles and lack of office furniture.

Kasaija however, defends government’s militarization of the police force. This is despite that the constitution provides that the police are civil force, which is supposed to be non partisan and act as shield between the government and public.

The Minister further reveals government plans to amend the Police act in order to give more powers to the Police to handle riots.

The Inspector General of Police Major General Kaihura says that the special police force will rebuild the police image and regain public confidence. Kaihura notes that Ant-riot Police officers have been using excessive teargas that affected even innocent people including children.

Major General Kaihura says the formation of the Public Order unit will prevent the spread of teargas among people not involved in riots.

This is the first time that the Uganda Police Force is receiving specialized training by an African country. Britain , France and America are the countries that have offered training to the force.

These are the same Ant- riot vehicles codenamed Nyalas, that failed to break while under instruction by the British Royal Police and damaged over 6 private cars along Dustur, Street Kampala. The Nyalas were purchased from South Africa where they are no longer operational following the end of apartheid in 1994.

The Office of the Prime Minister is to launch a National Peace, Recovery and Development Plan for Northern Uganda.The plan lays out a sequence of activities to rehabilitate the war affected areas.

The plan to cover 38 Districts is projected to cost over 600 million US dollars.It is largely donor funded with the government of Uganda expected to contribute only 30%

The plan puts emphasis on establishing infrastructure in areas that were highly affected by the twenty year old conflict.

The war between the government and LRA rebels left a number of social services and infrastructure destroyed. As part of the plan, 322 Police Posts will established in each sub county in the 38 Districts. Currently only 188 police posts are operational.

The plan will implemented through four priority interventions that would include the consolidation of State Authority, Rebuilding and Empowering Communities, Revitalization of the Economy, Peace building and Reconciliation.

The plan is projected to raise access to safe water. Studies indicate that Rural water coverage and access in the entire North stands at 73.5% while Karamoja region has the lowest water coverage that stands at 17.3%

The plan also intends to improve the over 8700 kilometers of roads network in the 38 districts to high class murram. Some will be upgraded to all season roads the roads to facilitate in the marketing of locally produced agriculture produce.

The hallmark of the plan is to address issues of duplication of works as it has been in humanitarian efforts to the region.

Buganda road court has summoned MPs, Odonga Otto and Erias Lukwago to appear before it on November 15 for continuation of their trial.

Otto representing Aruu County is charged with allegedly assaulting a Police officer, Emanuel Muheirwe at Kampala central Police station on April 20th, 2007.

Otto and Lukwago, MP for Kampala central division are jointly charged with alleged defiance of traffic orders at square one road junction along Kampala road on April 20th, 2007 in Kampala city.

Magistrate Suzan Kanyange summoned both MPs on bail after prosecution reported that the accused had not shown up in court today.

State attorney, John Bosco Mudde reported that the MPS were required to have reported to court for continuation of their trial on October 12. They did not appear as it turned out to be Idd day.

A fundraising drive to raise money for flood victims in Teso region at Uganda Manufacturers association showground flopped with less than I million shillings being raised in cash and pledges.

The fundraising drive was organized by Born again churches Relief Development initiative. Its chairman, Godwin Sempebwa urged Ugandans

to support the cause saying it will go a long way in helping other Ugandans in case disasters like this strikes.

The Teso Cultural leader, Papa Osuban Augustine urged government to repair damaged roads in Teso and reconstruct bridges. He said those affected by floods in Teso cannot access health and education services .

At last the Basongora pastoralists have a permanent home in Ibuga, Mubuku and part of Rwehingo in Kasese district. But their gain comes with a loss to some of people in those areas.

The Basongora pastoralists who had occupied parts of Queen Elizabeth Game Park, were forcefully removed by government and resettled in Ibuga refuge settlement area, parts of Mubuku prisons farm in Busongora north and Rwehingo Kasese west.

In Ibuga refugee camp and Rwehingo, cultivators who have lived and carried out farming activities for over twenty years have been displaced.

At the refugee camp, a big junk of land was allocated to the Basongora pastoralists and another part allocated to the Bakonzo cultivators

Refugees from Sudan and the DRCongo have given up to December 2007 to leave the area. However the Basongora say the corridor for the cattle to go through for watering on lake Kayanza is small .

Cultivators on the land say government should demarcate the land between themselves and the pastoralists to avoid future conflicts.

The Chief game warden of Uganda wild life Tom Okello says close to 15 hyenas were killed when the Basongora invaded the park.

Basongora have since 1950 been displaced and have been moving from place to place in Kasese district as well as DRCongo, where they were forced out by the Kabila government in 2006 and settled in Quen Elizabeth national Park.

Kitovu Mobile AIDS Organization has donated over 90 million shillings to help orphans improve their livelihoods. The orphans organized in 80 farmers’ groups have each received 1.5 million shillings of the donation to boost their agricultural activities.

Nakayiwa Gorreti, who handed over the cheques to the orphans in Kitanda Sub County , Masaka district says other beneficiaries are in the districts of Sembabule, Rakai and Lyantonde.

Nakayiwa says, her organization helps the orphans form self help groups after training them in modern farming techniques.

She explained that the move was undertaken following the realization that many children were increasingly dropping out of school after losing their parents to AIDS.

Kampala City council is to start extracting methane gas from Kitezi landfill for the production of electricity next year. Kitezi landfill is the biggest garbage disposal site in Kampala city and is found about three km off Mpererwe in Wakiso district.

The project to extract methane gas starts next year and is expected to improve the environmental condition of the area

The Program coordinator of Kampala Institutional and comprehensive development programme , Tamale Kigundu says the extracted methane gas will be used in the production of 6 Megatts of electricity.

Another piece of land has been purchased where garbage will dumped as Methane production is carried out in the old land fill. The project s funded by the WB under a 10 year

ten year program which will also see some of Kampala roads especially in the city suburbs bituminized , five modern markets built and anew city Plan drawn. The capital Kampala currently faces several challenges like congestion and poor plannin

A three and half year old girl only known as Anifa has been killed and four others injured after a truck belonging to Kampala City council rammed into a hair saloon in Mpererwe along Gayaza road.

The accident occurred when the truck, registration number LG 02333- 01 carrying garbage from Kampala to Kitezi dumping site in Wakiso district lost control.

It rammed into a building with a hair salon killing a three and a half year old girl identified as Anifa and injuring four others.

According to the driver of the truck, Siwedi Kyamaso the lorry developed a mechanical fault as he headed towards the Mpererwe junction , when suddenly the lorry lost control and rammed into the commercial building.

The officer in charge of Kanyanya Police post Innocent 0pio says investigation is going on as what may have led to the accident.

The proprietor of the building ,a sixty year old widow Aisha Nakalema lamented the loss of her buildings which she says is her only source of income.