President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has released a statement over the two bombings in Kampala; at the Central Police Station and the Parliamentary Avenue in downtown Kampala.

Here is a full statement which has been released over his social media handles;

To the Ugandans, especially the Bazzukulu.

Today at 10:00hours, some pigs (in reality manipulated and confused Bazzukulu), apparently, blew themselves up, one near the IGG office and the other near CPS. At about 10:30hours, the CMI/Police squads injured and captured the third terrorist in the area of Katooke, Bwaise with his bomb. He, later, died but gave us very good information before dying. His name is Musa Mudasiri. The bomber of CPS was by the names of Mansoor Uthman and the one of the IGG office is by the names of Wanjusi Abdallah.

All these are part of the ADF group that attacked Gen. Katumba in June. As I told the country before, by attacking Gen. Katumba, these terrorists, exposed themselves at a time when our security (anti-crime) infrastructure has improved, compared to what it was in 2018 when I made the speech to Parliament. Since the attack on Gen. Katumba, the following has been achieved:

(i) Seven (7) have been killed while resisting
arrest;
(ii) Eighty one (81) have been arrested; and
(iii) 3 have been killed by the bombs they were carrying.

The two of today were, therefore, running away from being arrested. We have been hunting for them since the Katumba incident.

Those killed since the Katumba incident are:

1. Nsubuga Mohammed;
2. Manihaji;
3. Moses Mudasiri (the one of today);
4. Master Lubwama;
5. Juma Saidi;
6. Serwadda Juma; and 7. Amin Kawawa Mustapha.

The one who blew himself in the bus was Matovu Muzafari.

Unfortunately, 3 people died in today’s incident apart from the 3 suicide bombers. The injured are 36. Apart from hunting the terrorists, the country strategy of vigilance (alertness), is helping to minimize damage. The suicide bombers at both CPS and IGG office were forced to detonate their bombs at the check point of Police outside and also outside of the IGG office. Therefore, the public should maintain vigilance of checking people at entry points to bus parks, hotels, churches, mosques, markets, etc.

The Police will issue guidelines regarding securing the check-points because the check-points are protecting the buildings and the occupants. We are working with the neighbours to deal with those operating from outside. They have exposed themselves when we are more ready for urban terrorism. They will perish.
Rural terrorism was defeated in 2007 in the Semliki National Park.

I am referring to the dead terrorists as manipulated victims of confusion. The real pigs are people like Nsubuga, the so called Sheikh that confused young people at Lweza. If blowing oneself up will send one to Jaanaa, let him blow himself up as an example instead of manipulating young children.

Three (3) IED (Improvised Explosive Devices) have been recovered including the one of today. The terrorists invited us and we are coming for them.

Ssabalwanyi

President Yoweri Museveni has directed Prime Minister Robinnah Nabbanja to facilitate the process of ensuring nomads who are not indigenious to northern Uganda to leave the area within two months. Commonly known as Balaalo, the nomads, with roots in western Uganda, have always crossed the River Nile to graze in northern Uganda, causing a lot of unrest as they encroach on land owned by the bonafide residents.

On top of clashes over land use between the Balaalo and the inhabitants of the northern Districts, the crops are ravaged by cattle. Museveni in a letter dated November 2, 2021, said the Balaalo, whom he described as “indisciplined and inconsiderate”, originate from Ankole, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, and have continued to cause problems after refusing to ditch nomadism.

In his three page letter, the President has asked the Prime Minister, working with other agencies of Government, to spare only those who have legally purchased land and fenced it for grazing without conflicting with the community, who are majorly cultivators. “Therefore, those Balaalo should be given 2 months to leave the whole of the north unless they prove that they fulfil the minimum conditions stated above: lease or buy land but also have it fenced very securely before the introduction of cattle thereon and with water within the land,” Museveni’s letter leaked to media this morning, reads in part.

The President’s letter has been copied to all Ministers and all Members of Parliament from northern Uganda. To work with Nabbanja in implementing the directive to kick the Balaalo from across the Nile, Museveni, who is a cattle keeper himself, has formed a three-man committee.

It comprises State Minister for Internal Affairs, Gen David Muhoozi, State Minister for Agriculture in charge of Animal Husbandry, Col Bright Rwamirama, and Bwogo Engola. Also, the President has said that the Resident District Commissioners, Sub-county Chiefs, Parish Chiefs and District Veterinary Officers, will be held accountable if he finds out that there are Balaalo who continue to move cattle from one area to another without official movement permits.

“Cattle should not be moved unless the Local Government authorities where the cattle are going to and where they are coming from, say it is ok to move the cattle,” he ordered. Describing the Balaalo as either “non-Ugandans coming from neighboring countries or indisciplined Ugandans that sold the land we gave them”, the President said that they have been invading and imposing cattle on the people they find on the land, buy land from locals and also lease land from locals. They use that land without fencing it and without extending water hence letting their cattle trample on the crops of others.

A report containing findings commissioned by the Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE) Uganda Chapter indicates that Kampala registered the highest number of adolescent pregnancies during the Covid-19 lock-down period across the country. Kampala, which registered a total of 24,059 teenage pregnancy cases, was closely followed by Wakiso with 21,595 cases and Mukono with 8,639 cases.

While disseminating the report at Muni University on Tuesday, Ben Kirere, the FAWE Monitoring and Evaluation officer noted that data was collected in December 2020 using a structured questionnaire from a total of 3,258 randomly selected school going girls and young women aged 10-24 years from 25 randomly selected districts across the 16 regions of Uganda. He added that comparative data was collected using the same questionnaire from 3,136 boys and young men from the same districts.

“In our findings, between March 2020 and June 2020, there was a 22.5 per cent increase in pregnancy among girls aged 10-24 seeking the first Antenatal Care from 80,655 to 98,810 respectively. Among girls aged 10-14 years, the incidence of pregnancies had increased the most by a staggering 366.5 per cent from 290 in March to 1,353 in September 2020,” Kirere stated.

He said in addition, 5 in 10 young people perceive the number of girls getting pregnant to have increased during the Covid-19 period compared to before which was at 3 in 10 girls and that they were aware of a peer who became pregnant during the pandemic.

Kirere said the highest cases of teenage pregnancy were recorded in Kampala followed by Wakiso, Mukono, Kamuli, Kasese, Jinja and Mayuge districts. Susan Opok Tumusiime, the FAWE Executive Director said the objective of the study was to estimate the prevalence of early marriages and adolescent pregnancies among school-going girls during the Covid-19 pandemic in Uganda.

“We wanted also to investigate the drivers in the engagement in sexual activity among school-going girls and young women during the Covid-19 pandemic, assess the participation of school-going girls in the learning opportunities that emerged during the lockdown and the girls’ interest in continuing with their education,” Opok said.

“We also wanted to examine the involvement of school-going girls in economic activities during the Covid-19 pandemic and suggest innovations to support girls and young women to continue their education during and after the lockdown,” Opok added. Prof. Christine Dranzoa, the Muni University Vice-Chancellor, asked the government to create an emergency to solve the crisis of teenage pregnancy and early marriage cases in the country.

Women MPs in West Nile join Paparu in signing a commitment on behalf of the government in ending teenage pregnancies and early marriage on Tuesday “We should not even be sitting in the office. The police officers should be patrolling – why should there be night discos when the President declared curfew?” Dranzoa asked.

“Who are those cruel people who can’t respect girls, where are the police and what are the religious and cultural leaders doing? Let us come together and fight this vice so that our girls can study without being subjected to this kind of suffering,” Dranzoa recommended.

Meanwhile, Sam Wadri Nyakua, the Arua City Mayor blamed the problem on poor parenting, saying many of the cases of early marriage and teenage pregnancy occur due to lack of parental guidance. Lillian Paparu Obiale, the Arua district Woman MP who also represented the State Minister for Primary Education pledged to table the matter on the floor of Parliament so that the government can act on the concerns raised in the report.

The study was funded by UN-WOMEN, GIZ and OXFAM Uganda with the support of the Ministry of Education and Sports.

Two people have been confirmed dead while 13 others were left critically injured following a Monday afternoon accident when a taxi they were travelling in overturned along Gulu-kitgum Highway.

The accident which happened at about 2pm about five kilometers from Laguti trading center in Laguti subcounty, Pader district involved a taxi Registration Number UBJ 164A.The taxi was reportedly being used to rescue stranded passengers in Paicho Subcounty in Gulu district after a taxi they earlier boarded from Gulu city broke down enroute to Kitgum Municipality.

Tai Ramadan, Pader District Police Commander identified one of the deceased only as Akena the driver of the taxi that earlier broke down in Gulu district. According to an eyewitness, the accident occurred at Ora-lakwal Bridge after one of the taxi’s tyres burst and the vehicle overturned for about 30 to 40 meters from the point the tyre burst.

The taxi driver and one passenger died on the spot.The driver had got a lift after his vehicle broke down. Meanwhile, the driver of the ill-fated taxi has since gone into hiding, adding that police are hunting for him.

Tai attributes the incident to reckless driving, saying the driver was reportedly driving very fast. Bodies of the deceased and the injured persons including a female juvenile were transported to Kitgum General Hospital.