COURT SUMMONS ARCHBISHOP KAZIIMBA OVER ELECTION OF BISHOP
The High Court in Gulu has summoned, Church of Uganda Archbishop, Rt Rev Stephen Kaziimba Mugalu, and four others following a suit filed over the election of Rev Godfrey Luwum as bishop of Northern Uganda Diocese.
Among the summoned are Rev Luwum, and Mr Francis Gimara, the Province of the Church of Uganda, and the Diocese of Northern Uganda.
Mr Gimara is the diocesan chancellor and chairperson of the Nomination Committee for the Northern Uganda Diocese.
While court had asked the summoned parties to file their defences, only Mr Gimara and Rev Luwum had done so by last Friday.
On October 19, Mr Tom Mboya Okecho and Mr Emmanuel Omwony, both lay leaders of the Diocese of Northern Uganda, filed a lawsuit citing several irregularities in the election of the bishop.
In their suit, the duo want court to, among others, declare the manner and process in which Rev Luwum was selected for appointment as a bishop, in violation of the Church of Uganda Constitution and Provincial Canon.
“A declaration that the Bishop’s Nomination Committee chaired by Mr Gimara was illegal and unconstitutional and a declaration that the failure of the Church and Bishop Kaziimba to cancel and nullify the illegal appointment of Rev Luwum amounted to breach of duty,” the lawsuit reads in part.
The duo also want the court to issue an order directing the Church of Uganda, Diocese of Northern Uganda and Bishop Kaziimba to cause the appointment of an appropriate and legally constituted Nominations Committee for the selection of the next bishop.
The applicants in the lawsuit now want the court to declare Rev Luwum’s election as null and void on account that the Diocese of Northern Uganda didn’t have a duly and properly constituted Nomination Committee.
In their suit, the applicants contend that Mr Gimara acted illegally to preside over the diocesan nomination exercise of July 10 while aware that his term of office had expired in 2009 and that he had not been reappointed by the Diocesan Council as the Diocesan Chancellor.
The appointments of Mr Moses Cik and Rev George Ludwero to sit on the Nominations Committee during the nomination process are also questioned.
Mr Cik, staff at the Ministry of Ethics and Integrity, is said to have been absorbed into the committee without undergoing a selection process while Rev Ludwero is reportedly serving an indefinite suspension from the Church ministry due to adultery and infidelity.
Issue
On July 12, a petition pointing out alleged irregularities in the nomination process signed by Mr Mboya was sent to Archbishop Kaziimba.
However, Church of Uganda House of Bishops disregarded the petition and went ahead to declare Rev Luwum as the bishop-elect of the Diocese of Northern Uganda on August 12.
Rev Luwum is set to be consecrated and enthroned on November 21.

MP WANTS EVERY PRIVATE SCHOOL TO BE GIVEN SHS.100M BEFORE RE-OPENING
Legislators argue that the two year closure of these institutions due to the Covid-19 pandemic has crippled private institutions’ ability to continue in service delivery, a reason government must come in with a rescue plan.
“We are saying give each private school Shs100 million to be able to start, to paint, to clean the school and also prepare,” said Hon Michael Mawanda (NRM, Igara East). He added that, ‘some schools have lost property yet their main source of income is school fees from parents who have also been affected by the pandemic’.
He guided that the offer should be made to private schools that meet certain criteria set by government.
Mawanda explained that it will be hard for most private education institutions to mobilise funds and pay staff arrears, renovate the dilapidated structures and be able to provide education services.
“Mobilising money to start in this short time is not easy because even banks are reluctant to lend schools money because they are not sure whether schools will be able to pay,” he said.
He called on government to also support the schools in offsetting salary loans obtained by teachers who have failed to meet their obligations.
“Schools guarantee loans for their workers; these are salary loans and workers have not been working. The banks have recalled the guarantees and it is the schools to pay these loans,” he said.
Mawanda said this while appearing before the Committee on Education and Sports on Tuesday, 09 November 2021. He was accompanied by Kyankwazi Woman MP, Hon Christine Sendawula and Mityana North MP, Hon Muhamad Nsegumire. The three moved a motion urging government to provide a recovery package for private education institutions.
They clarified that private education institutions are not seeking for free money, but a loan that would either be refunded in a long run when schools have stabilised or at interest free.
They also proposed tax incentives to private schools where government would waiver the payments or have them staggered for a period.
“Government can say you have been paying income tax but in the next three years do not pay; they can either waive the payment or stagger the payment to assist these schools jump start,” Mawanda added.
The Committee Vice-chairperson, Hon Cuthbert Abigaba re-echoed the need for government to ‘rescue’ private institutions, but wondered if the parents and learners would benefit from the incentives.
“We know the schools are struggling but how do the rest of the stakeholders benefit from these incentives? How does the parent expect to benefit from this incentive because the pandemic has also hit parents?’ asked Abigaba.
Hon Sendawula said the ultimate beneficiary for the incentives are students, recognising that private institutions consume the majority of the educational needs in the country.
MPs want school fees to be reduced both in government and private schools as a move to assist parents who lost jobs and businesses due to the Covid-19 lock down.

The degazetting of the forest reserve will pave way for the development and expansion of Gulu University. This followed a presentation of a report from the Committee on Education which had been tasked to study a motion moved by Bardege-Layibi Division MP, Hon Martin Mapenduzi.
Mapenduzi in his motion moved last month sought to have the Minister for Water and Environment implement a presidential directive to degazette the forest.
On 03 April 2020, President Yoweri Museveni directed then Prime Minister Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda to degazette the land and avail it to Gulu University for its expansion.
While presenting the, the Chairperson of the Committee, Hon John Twesige Ntamuhira said Gulu University needs to build key infrastructure on the 70 acres of the forest reserve. The facilities include the Faculty of Medicine and of Agriculture and Environment, research laboratories and a hostel.
“The Minister of Water and Environment should be given a timeframe within which to present to Parliament, an amendment to the Statutory Order declaring the central forest reserve, degazetting the 70 acres in accordance with section 8 of the National Forestry and Tree Planting Act, 2003,” he said.
He revealed that the University has acquired 500 acres of land in Nwoya district as alternative land for the establishment of a new forest reserve. He however, said the land is on a leasehold tenure of 49 years.
“The Committee was informed by Gulu University that it is in the process of having all the legal requirements expeditiously worked out to facilitate the process of issuing an amendment to the Statutory Order declaring Gulu Central Forest reserve by the Minister,” Ntamuhira said.
He added that Nwoya District Land Board told the committee that they are willing to support Gulu University to have the leasehold certificate of title comprising the 500 acres converted to freehold tenure to enable National Forestry Authority (NFA) own the land in perpetuity.
“The committee recommends that Gulu University fast-tracks other requirements precedent to degazettement like carrying out an environmental impact assessment to facilitate expeditious handling of the degazettement process.” added.
While moving the motion to degazette the forest reserve, Mapenduzi said Gulu University faces a challenge of lack of land on which to expand since it is located near Gulu Central Forest reserve that sits on 243 acres.
Deputy Speaker, Anita Among directed the Minister to present before the House a status report and subsequent motion for degazettement of the forest reserve.

WOMAN CHOPS HUSBAND’S TESTICLES
There was tension in Bikurungu Town council in Rukungiri district when a woman chopped off the testicles of his husband and disappeared with them.
The victim is Benon Tugumisirize in his 40’s, a businessman who has been working and living in Bikurungu Town council but a resident of Kagati village, Nyabubare parish, Bwambara sub-county in Rukungiri district.
Information obtained by this reporter indicates that the victim who is currently admitted at Karoli Lwanga Hospital Nyakibale was on Tuesday night 9th November 2021 towards midnight upheld by his own wife who cut off his testicles over a yet to be identified reason.
From our reliable sources, the suspect has been identified as Emily Kobusingye, the first of the two wives to the victim.
It is said that the suspect who is currently on the run took off with the testicles to unknown destination leaving people wondering what she wanted them for.
This publication has learnt that after the incident, the victim got in touch with a security personnel at his own BECO fuel station located in Bikurungu Town council whom they travelled together in his motor-vehicle to Nyakibale hospital.
Jackson Tumuheirwe, a resident of Kakoni village, Nyabubare parish in Bwambara sub-county and a brother to the victim confirmed the incident branding it dangerous and inhumane.
Tumuheirwe who was at Nyakibale hospital by the time of filling this report revealed to our reporter that they had reported the case both to Bikurungu police station and Rukungiri Central Police station.
Tumuheirwe attributed the incident to domestic violence stressing that the two have had long time misunderstandings since the victim married a second wife.
📰 The Whi

We must recognize that everybody has been affected; the SMEs that come to our office crying are not even from the education sector so there is pressure from everywhere and everybody is demanding for financial assistance,” Lugoloobi said.
Lugoloobi made this revelation while appearing before the Committee on Education and Sports on Wednesday, 10 November 2021. He was accompanied by the Deputy Governor, Bank of Uganda, Michael Atingi-Ego and officials from the Uganda Development Bank and Microfinance Support Centre.
He said government recognises the challenges private schools are likely to encounter when they re-open in January 2022 and tipped them to take advantage of the Shs200 billion fund set aside for small and medium scale businesses.
“Government has established a small business recovery fund to be administered by banks across the country to provide concessional credit to businesses affected by Covid-19. The education sector may also benefit from this intervention,” Lugoloobi said.
He also observed that many private institutions are indebted to continue in business and that government is exploring initiatives that do not require borrowing.
“We are aware that as of 30 August 2021, the total outstanding loans to the education sector stood at Shs1.2 trillion spread over 73,240 institutions affecting the future of 15 million learners and 548,182 teachers,” he said.
For such schools, Lugoloobi said Bank of Uganda has directed financial institutions to extend loan repayment periods to 12 months so that schools are able to stabilise and collect revenue to service loans.
Atingi-ego said Bank of Uganda has also received demands from private schools on financial assistance and has directed banks to reduce lending rates when dealing with them.
“Bank of Uganda has worked tirelessly to have banks reduce lending rates which have been slashed to 6.5 per cent in a bid to spur easier access to credit” Atingi-Ego said.
He however said this is not sustainable in the long run since banks are also challenged by issues beyond their control such as unresolved backlog of commercial cases that are holding up significant funds.
Atingi-Ego talked of an upcoming initiative where supervised financial institutions will be urged to ease the loan repayment burden facing schools. He said BoU is in talks with Uganda Bankers Association over the matter and will soon issue a circular to banks.
Kashari South MP, Hon Nathan Itungo expressed disappointment with government and wondered what the majority of learners in private schools will do in case schools close.
“We have 53 universities and only nine are public. What will happen to the students in the 44 universities in case they close?” Itungo asked adding that, ’think of the many primary, secondary and tertiary institutions. If they close government, it will be another problem to government,” he said.
Hon Catherine Mavenjina (Elderly, Northern) saidthat the shs200 billion fund is too small to satisfy one sector and asked government to consider the special needs of the education sector and provide customised fund.
”This is a drop in the ocean; Covid-19 has affected all other sectors but I am of the view that you consider the education sector in a special way because during the lock down education suffered most,” Mavenjina said.
The Shadow Minister for Education, Hon Brenda Nabukenya said that Parliament will not fall for the meagre Shs200 billion fund saying it is very unfair to the sector.
“I find it so funny because the money needed is much more than that if we are to help the education sector especially the private side,” Nabukenya said.
The Committee Vice-chairperson, Hon Cuthbert Abigaba said the Finance Ministry has ignored the education sector in favor of other sectors.
“It is as if you have just thought of education when you were coming here. What is the spirit about the education sector? In the Shs200 billion, how much money have you put to the education sector?” Abigaba asked.

In July 2009, Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) officials and Arua District leaders flagged off a project for the upgrade of Arua airfield to an international airport, within 18 months.
Under Phase One of the project, CAA was mandated to construct a large terminal building, access roads and a parking yard.
CAA would later expand the airfield by 150 metres as well as tarmac runways to handle both domestic and international flights to allow passenger and cargo planes. The airport was expected to handle 7,000 people
But 12 years later, works are incomplete despite promises by various leaders and the President, especially during campaigns.
CAA has blamed the delay on lack of compensation for some families that availed their land for expansion.
The General Manager of Regional Airports, Mr Samuel Wonekha, said the project suffered setbacks due to lack of funds.
“Over the years, government did not prioritise this airport and funding has remained dismal. The project has been on paper for long and implanting a project like this with no funding, is costly,” Mr Wonekha said.
He added: “It is important that resources be availed to us so that domestic and international flights are made to harness the potential.”
The airport serves as a hub for passengers from South Sudan and DR Congo, connecting flights through Entebbe.
“We have a masterplan for upgrading it at Shs529 billion and this will be done in two phases,” Mr Wonekha said.
Currently, majority of families have relocated, with the exception of five.
Whew couple of journalists visited, the airfield was disorganised with runways muddled with bushes.
So far, an apron has been tarmacked at a cost of Shs7 billion and one terminal building constructed at Shs2 billion. The airport, however, still lacks a control tower and the runway has not been tarmacked.
In order to handle commercial flights, the runway is supposed to be expanded from 1.8kms to 2.8kms (3,599 metres) and a planned width of 60 metres. This requires additional 26 hectares of land.
Mr Wonekha said the airport generates more than Shs500 million annually and the money would increase if commercial flights were incorporated.
Kenya and Rwanda Airways have already carried out an assessment of the airfield’s capacity to utilise it for their commercial flights.
“And they [Rwanda and Kenya] cannot operate here because of the non-completion. And once this is finished, the opportunities are enormous,” Mr Wonekha said.
The Secretary of Finance Planning and Administration in Arua City, Mr Moses Adriko, said: “We receive planes from Juba and DR Congo and the community is willing to give land for expansion. But if there are resources to compensate everyone, this airport will be expanded.”
According to CAA, Arua Airfield is the second busiest after Entebbe airport.
The 2008 statistics from Ministry of Transport indicate that more than 10,000 passengers flew to the airfield for research and official duty purposes.
In May 2008 during his visit, President Museveni said the Arua airfield was next on the tarmacking programme after Kasese.
He said it would enable efficient transport and communication, especially between DR Congo and South Sudan.
“We shall make it because it will not only help Ugandans alone but a section of foreign countries and improve the security and international relations as well,” Mr Museveni said.
He added that upgrading the airfield is crucial for strengthening the economy of Uganda.
Bar Aviation carries schedules flights three times a week, Eagle Air for daily flights, City Link and Light Air for cross-border Uganda-South Sudan operations. Additionally, Aim Air, Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF), UPDF, United Nations, Kampala Aeroclub and flight Training Centre (KAFTC), Peter Swann and Air Serve carries out non-scheduled flights.
The former Ayivu Division Member of Parliament, Mr Benard Atiku, who has been at forefront of agitating for completion of the airport, said: “We are all in pain because this work is not being completed yet Parliament had approved Shs64 billion towards the project. This is our economic gem because people from Central Africa, Europe, South Sudan and DR Congo can fly here because it is short and connect to Entebbe. This will increase revenue both for the city and the country.”
According to Air Miles Calculator, flight distance from Amsterdam to Arua (Amsterdam Airport Schiphol – Arua Airport) is 3711 miles / 5972 kilometers / 3225 nautical miles. Estimated flight time is 7 hours and 31 minutes.
And the flight distance from London to Entebbe (London Heathrow Airport – Entebbe International Airport) is 4028 miles/6,483kms/3,501 nautical miles. Estimated flight time is 8 hours and 7 minutes.
Last week, the chairman for Parliamentary Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities (Cosase), Mr Joel Ssenyonyi, tasked CAA to complete the process of upgrading the airport.
“We need the airport completed in a transparent manner and it should be able to generate income,” he said.
The Director General of Uganda Civil Aviation, Mr Fred Bamwesigye, said lack of funds has been a major challenge.
He added: “There is no independent vote for air transport. And there is delay in release of funds allocated which is inadequate and not timely. This affects our planned activities for airports like Arua.”
Former President for Republic of Zaire, Gen Mobutu Sese Seko Kuku Ngbedu Wa Zabanga, laid a foundation stone for the construction of Arua Airfield on July 15, 1973 upon invitation of President Idi Amin Dada. It, however, remains unclear when the upgrading will be complete

Justice Henry Kaweesa Isabirye of the Mukono High Court has tasked sureties of Mathew Kirabo to present him to court or face arrest. Kirabo’s mother is among his sureties.
Kirabo is accused of masterminding his then girlfriend, Desire Mirembe’s murder in 2015.
For the second time in a period of one week, Kirabo missed the case hearing, with his lawyers and sureties claiming that they do not know where he is.
Last week, Judge Kaweesa was forced to issue an arrest warrant against Kirabo after missing the case hearing. The judge adjourned court to Wednesday 10, November 2021, but Kirabo was again a no show.
Defence lawyer Dalton Apwonya said that his client is not picking his calls, and that he does not where he is.
Apwonya requested that court gives them more time to locate Kirabo.
The judge tasked one of Kirabo’s sureties, who his mother, Imelda Wabulengo, to explain where Kirabo is.
The mother said that she does not know where her son is.
“My lord, his contact cannot be reached, we have tried calling him but we failed to connect,” Wabulengo said.
The other sureties include Bernard Mbayo, who is Kirabo’s uncle, and Nelson Wabulembo.
Judge Kaweesa then ruled that both Kirabo’s sureties and lawyers have been given one week to find him or else face arrest, and pay shillings 50 million to court.
“The two sureties will produce the accused, failure to do so you will pay 50 million shillings and as well be arrested till he is brought to court,” the judge ruled.
Judge Kaweesa adjourned court to November 17, 2021.
Outside court, Kirabo’s lawyer said that his client contracted COVID-19 and it is unwise to bring him in public in that state.
Desire Mirembe’s father, Emmanuel Musoke said that they are worried their daughter might not never receive justice.
Frank Gashumba, a relative of the deceased said that this could be the perfect time to talk about the right to bail of capital offenders.
“How can someone be accused of murder, with over 13 witnesses testifying against him, and still misses court? This is the perfect time to talk about bail,” Gashumba said.
Mirembe, a then Makerere University student disappeared and her body was recovered from a sugarcane plantation in Lugazi, Buikwe district, on July 7, 2015.
Her suspected killer, Mathew Kirabo confessed to the gruesome act and was charged in the Jinja Magistrates Court with murder before being remanded. He was later granted bail on November 24, 2016 and has been out of prison since.
The case was later moved to Mukono on the instructions of the then Principal Judge Yorokamu Bamwine after the state complained that the crime had been committed within the Mukono jurisdiction
In 2017, the Mukono High Court said that it did not have money to start hearing the case.
In May 2021, court in Mukono heard the prime suspect, Mathew Kirabo’s application in which he was seeking return of his passport so that he could travel to the United States of America for further studies.
Kirabo’s lawyer, Isaac Kato told court then that his client needed to travel urgently and could not even make it to court. The suspect was, however, found in his car, a black Harrier SUV just outside court.
Suspect Mathew Kirabo sleeping in his car
The family then mounted pressure on court to dispense justice for their fallen daughter, saying that if a date could be fixed to hear the suspect’s application, then they should also fix a date to hear the main case.

TRAFFIC POLICE COMMENCE SPEED ENFORCEMENT OPERATIONS

The Directorate of Traffic and Road Safety on Monday commenced operations against over speeding drivers.
Traffic officers are using the newly acquired speed guns.
The officers started the operations from Entebbe Express highway where they sensitized, cautioned and warned drivers against driving outside the prescribed speed.
“Since we are heading towards the festive season, drivers tend to over speed leading to accidents,” Kampala Metropolitan Traffic Commander, Rogers Nsereko said.
“Speed is a contributing factor to fatal accidents and since we are heading towards the festive season there’s always a lot of excitement leading to accidents. We will ensure everyone reaches safely at their destination and this will only be achieved if we enforce speed regulation. The fine for speed is UGX 200.000=. Put on your seat belts when traveling, it’s for your safety.”
Statistics show that about 3500 people die in accidents every year and to this, Nsereko says “we are calling upon you to drive responsibly.”

TWO CHILDREN INJURED IN SUSPECTED BOMB EXPLOSION IN KISORO DISTRICT
Police and other security operatives are yet to establish whether an explosive device that went off, injuring two children and an adult in Kogere cell Nyamwamba Division, Kasese Municipality, was planted.
On Tuesday evening, a device reportedly kept in a scrap store detonated at about 8:00 PM leaving two children Gilbert Mumbere, 11, and Festo Mbale, 13, injured and in a coma. The adult, Jovia Musoki, 30, escaped the attack with minor injuries.
According to the locals, the children who usually scout for scrap to sell from the vicinity, returned home last night with the metallic device they claim to have collected from a nearby UPDF training ground and dumped it in a scrap store. The device exploded moments after it was placed on the ground.
Locals fear that having an army training base close to where civilians reside exposes the public to many dangers especially now that the country is battling terrorism activities.

Herbert Bwambale, the area councillor wants UPDF to shift the training ground from the community to an isolated place for safety purposes.
“My appeal to [the] government is to shift them. In the previous years, they used to train from isolated areas like Kabukhero. So let the government find places where civilians can’t access to train its soldiers.”
ASP Tumwine Marutsya, the acting Rwenzori East Police spokesperson, says a team of experts will visit the scene on Wednesday and carry out further investigations to establish if the metallic device was a planted bomb.
“Police has already secured some exhibits, the victims are at Kilembe Mines Hospital and the scrap store has been sealed off for investigation. The army training ground is a gazetted place and we are not sure that the bomb came from there. We have to wait for experts to verify,’’ Marutsya said.
Murutsya has however warned the public from picking unknown materials as the country tries to suppress terror incidents.
This is the fourth incident involving explosive devices in a space of three weeks. On Saturday October 23, a metallic bomb went off at a pork joint in Komamboga, Kawempe division, killing one person on the spot and injuring another. Two days later, a suspected suicide bomber detonated a device inside a Swift company bus as it made its way to Mbabra.
After a few days, two children died on the spot in Kasese after picking up a metallic device.
Police and security operatives have since asked for vigilance from the public as the country deals with growing bomb scares.

POLICE OFFICER SHOOTS DEAD GIRLFRIEND, INJURES PASSER BY
The territorial Police at Nsangi are investigating a murder by shooting of Sarah Nabukenya, a teacher at Buddo Preparatory School, and an attempted murder of Mark Busulwa.
It is alleged that yesterday at about 10:00 PM, a police officer Corporal Sam Ewuku went to visit Nabukenya, who is believed to have been the girlfriend, only to turn his rifle against her.
He shot her dead. He later turned the gun to a passerby Busulwa and injured him on the hand.
The case was reported at Buddo Junior Police Post that later involved Kampala Metropolitan South to have him arrested.
The suspect was intercepted at Katwe Police Station and arrested.
He is currently detained at Central Police Station Kampala as investigations continue.
The motive of the shooting has not been ascertained.
The body of the deceased person was conveyed to city mortuary.
The injured person is still responding positively to treatment, according to Asp Luke Owoyesigyire, Deputy PRO KMP.