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Ex-deputy Lord Mayor Sarah Kanyike Assumes New Office at Gender Ministry

By
Uganda Today
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The newly appointed Minister of State for Disability and Elderly Affairs, Sarah Kanyike has today assumed her office at the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development with a pledge to promote teamwork that will enhance service delivery at the grassroots.

Kanyike, who until recently was the Deputy Lord Mayor at Kampala Capital City Authority, was received at the Ministry by a team of technical officials led by the Acting Permanent Secretary, Mr. James Ebitu, who ran her through a series of welcome rituals.

She was warmly ushered into in her office and handed a string of instruments including an official Ministerial vehicle for the smooth execution of her duties.

Ebitu pledged that the technical team was ready to support her in ensuring that she delivers on the tasks assigned to her by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni in fulfillment of the social contract that the NRM government has with the People of Uganda.

He noted that the Ministry codenamed the “Ministry of the People” has a wide mandate that covers all demographics of the population including children, youth, workers, employers, older persons, Persons with Disabilities, cultural and traditional institutions.

He however observed that the resources allocated to the Ministry are still incomparable to the mandate.

“One of the challenges is that some stakeholders have not fully appreciated the importance of the mandate especially in regard to being a frontrunner in mobilization and sensitization of the communities for the effective uptake of all Programmes under the various sectors.” Ebitu said, adding: “the low appreciation of the mandate is mostly manifested in the limited resource allocation for the critical activities of the Ministry and the Social Development Sector at large.”

Hon. Sarah Kanyike revealed that her philosophy of public service is to deliver services to the communities and leave a positive legacy through her tenure.

“The differences in political parties and colours come as a by the way but all that the people want is service delivery. And that is exactly what I want us to work together to achieve,” She noted.

She reechoed the importance of the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development due to its wide mandate.

She extended her appreciation to President Museveni for recognizing her contribution at KCCA and assigning her to a new position with new challenges.

The Minister’s office that Kanyike takes over has been vacant for over 5 years with Hon. Sulaiman Kyebakoze Madada having been the last official to hold it.

Among the key Programmes that Hon. Kanyike will oversee include; the Expanding Social Protection under which older persons above 80 years receive a monthly stipend of Shs 25,000, Special Grants for Persons with Disabilities and a host of legal and policy frameworks for the two interest groups.

Kyagulanyi’s NUP Woes Deepen

By
Uganda Today
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0
Uganda's NUP

Presidential Aspirant Robert Ssentamu Kyagulanyi alias Bobi Wine’s trouble over ownership of newly formed political party, National Unity Platform (NUP) deepens as complainants petition court.

Two people have petitioned the High Court in Kampala accusing Bobi Wine of illegally acquiring, assuming ownership and leadership of the party.

Difas Basile and Hassan Twala filed the case challenging the Kyaddondo East MP as the flag bearer of the National Unity, Reconciliation and Development Party (NURP) for the 2021 general elections citing violation of the constitution.

Kyagulanyi, a singer who turned into a politician is jointly sued with his NUP, NURP Acting president Moses Nkonge Kibalama, David Lewis Robongoya, Aisha Kabanda, Joel Ssenyonyi, Flavia Kalule Nabagabe, Fred Nyanzi Ssentamu, Paul Ssimbwa Kagombe, the Electoral Commission and the Attorney General.

Describing themselves as part of the founders, the two men allege that the change of the party name by the Electoral Commission from NURP as per the registration certificate to NUP as gazetted are illegal, null and void as they are not supported by the requisite resolutions under their party regulations.

Through their lawyers, the two NURP founders are seeking for court declaration that the change of their party colours and symbol as gazetted is illegal as it did not backed by resolutions and that it infringes on various sections of the Political parties and Organisation Act of 2005.

“A declaration that the extra ordinary delegates’ conference allegedly held on July 14 to elect new political leaders of NURP/NUP party was illegal and an infringement of the Party Constitution, the National Objectives and the Political Parties and Organisations Act,” reads the complaint.

It is alleged that the election of  Kyagulanyi as party president and others in positions of Secretary General, secretary for information, secretary for women affairs, secretary for national mobilisation and senior administrative secretary of the party was illegal.

They are seeking for court to declare that the alteration of the list of founder members in NURP party Constitution of 2004 was fraudulent and illegal and that the Electoral Commission breached its statutory duty to ensure compliance with the provisions of the Political party and Organisations Act.

“An order that the tenth respondent (EC) should degazette the change of the party name appearing under the General Notice no. 838 of 2019, de-register the change of name to the National Unity Platform and re-instate NURP as the legally recognised party name and the gazetted party colours and symbols,” reads the court documents.

The complainants have also filed an application to temporarily block the accused persons from seeking nomination until the main case is determined by court.

They also want the accused persons; Kyagulanyi, Robongoya, Kabanda, Ssenyonyi, Nabagabe, Fred Nyanzi Ssentamu and Kagombe stop holding themselves or any person deriving authority from them to hold out as the elected political leaders of NUP or NURP party.

Meanwhile the case awaits response from the accused parties before it can be fixed for hearing.

This is the second trouble faced by Kyagulanyi in his struggle for presidency. Last week, Lawyer Male Mabirizi asked and got the academic papers of Kyaddondo East MP Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu alias Bobi Wine after observing some disparities in his age and education.

According to what Kyagulanyi reported to the public about his age and education, it would mean that he sat for his A levels at an incredible age of 15 years where majority of Ugandans at that time would be in primary seven or senior One.

Sharp Shooter – Lyrics – by Chozen Blood

By
Myalo Tonny Mata
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0

Chozen Blood…
Oh my God, Bomba made my beat
Oba kaki kewantega
Oba kamasu ki baby kewantega
Era birunji ki dear byewankola
Nali ku lusaniya dear gwewambega
Iyeeeee
I dedicate this one
Katuyunge emitima
Katuwonye abatumenya emitima apaana
Onjagala kibaluma

Sikolamu ensobi (nenkyaawa)
Tokolamu ensobi (nokyaawa)
Fuuna message (ng’ojja)
Tokolamu ensobi

Oli sniper sharp shooter
Wokuba okuba target zoka
Oli sniper sharp shooter
Wokuba okuba target zoka
Oli sniper sharp shooter
Wokuba okuba target zoka
Oli sniper sharp shooter
Wokuba okuba target zoka

Baby wantamya petty
Guma atakuza ku mulembe gwa petty
Walinya class oli ready
Okukyakalirako mu bifo byebeyi
Party zitegekebwa mu Chechoz
Oba tuzirete eventikz
Love tujiteke ku rotation
Kampala everybody mention this

Sikolamu ensobi (nenkyaawa)
Tokolamu ensobi (nokyaawa)
Funa message (ng’ojja)
Tokolamu ensobi

Oli sniper sharp shooter
Wokuba okuba target zoka
Oli sniper sharp shooter
Wokuba okuba target zoka
Oli sniper sharp shooter
Wokuba okuba target zoka
Oli sniper sharp shooter
Wokuba okuba target zoka

Eh, yo body yo body
So nice
Yo body
So nice
Yo body yo body
So nice…so

Baby wantamya petty
Guma atakuza ku mulembe gwa petty
Walinya class oli ready
Okukyakalirako mu bifo byebeyi
Party zitegekebwa mu Chechoz
Oba tuzilete eventikz
Love tujiteke ku rotation
Kampala everybody mention this

Oli sniper sharp shooter
Wokuba okuba target zoka
Oli sniper sharp shooter
Wokuba okuba target zoka
Oli sniper sharp shooter
Wokuba okuba target zoka
Oli sniper sharp shooter
Wokuba okuba target zoka

Eh
Ayi say Oman rafiki
Bomba made my beat
Eh Chozen blood
Hmmmhmmm…..

‘My wealth is Because of Sudhir!’ Patrick Bitature Opens Up

By
Uganda Today
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0

Mr. Patrick Bitature who was ranked among the top “five Ugandan Multi-Millionaires” by Forbes Magazine in 2012 has opened up on his wealth, applauding Sudhir Ruparelia for the mentorship.

Bitature in a video where he was recently giving an inspirational talk to a number of graduates says Sudhir helped him to master the courage to invest in the real estate sector and property.

“He held my hand when I was going in property and I was scared,” says Bitature adding that at the time he had made some good money after investing in MTN Uganda but he had not expanded his business portfolio as it is today.

He says that one day after having lunch with Sudhir at Speke Hotel, “he held my hand and we went to Kyadondo, a Kampala suburb, where Sudhir showed him “three properties in the row” and “said buy them”.

Bitature who didn’t have enough money at the time (all the properties were above Shs100M) wanted to decline the offer, but when he told Sudhir that he didn’t have money, Sudhir promised to lend him more and top up to what Bitature had.

Bitature says that he partly felt Sudhir Ruparelia was trying to set him up.

On that very day, Bitature says, Sudhir introduced him to another property at Nkrumah Road, and on this, he lent him Shs600 million to buy it.

“Today, I can sell only the doors and I would still pay the bank.”

Bitature also says that he learnt that to succeed at certain things in life, you’ve to take steps others would cringe over.

“You’ve to be bold; courageous,” he says, adding, referring to Sudhir: “to me, he was a great mentor.”

“People who are employed, you are overeducated, you overanalyze, you don’t have the appetite for risk in your stomach,” he said.

“The earlier you learn to get into business the better.”

He says when you are still employed, don’t get into a business that requires a lot of your time as you start.

He says you should open a business that will require a lot of your time after it has matured to pay your salary and offer the comfort to quit your job.

The sweetness of entrepreneurship will be experienced when your company grows, makes money for you, and creates jobs for other people, he says.

To young people, he says they should change their attitude towards business by stopping to seeing as something that’s the last resort for people who’ve failed academically.

He says you can still be employed while you own a business.

He gave an example of multiple young graduates who struggle to get jobs with their top degrees yet the so-called academic failures have managed to survive without jobs and through hard-lining, they end up creating jobs for the academic high achievers.

Nambooze Destroys Katikkiro Mayiga in Dossier

By
Uganda Today
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0

Mukono Municipality Member of Parliament Betty Nambooze has hit at Mengo establishment, making demeaning allegations against the Kingdom in a veiled jib to Kabaka’s number two Charles Peter Mayiga.

Nambooze who has since been declared a person non grata at Bulange, accuses Katikkiro Mayiga of cheaply selling the kingdom to the state, hence pouring iced water on the Kingdom’s demands including federal, land tittles among others.

“He chose to work with the regime even when what we had been fighting for as Buganda and Ugandans had not been granted. Through him cold water was poured on the “Buganda Ensonga Ssemasonga” and a situation has been imposed on us to consider the Buganda question answered,” Nambooze wrote, adding that “Buganda is nolonger an election issue”.

She also claims that by selling the Kingdom and abandoning its interests, “we stand politically irrelevant as a Kingdom and as a people!” and now “we have to realise that there is something fundamentally wrong in Mengo”.

In 2008, both Mayiga and Nambooze were arrested alongside Medard Lubega over criticising the regime and driven to different locations within Kampala and later detained at Jinja Road Police Station, before being transferred to Western Uganda where they spent a harrowing seven-day experience that they will live to remember.

Nambooze now castigates Mayiga of leading a sudden turning around against Buganda Activists who had been deployed to advance the interests of the Kingdom and abandoning fighters at the battle field.

“A Kingdom cant afford to be a user….that people like me who sacrificed their youthful years to stand with their Kingdom can just be thrown away after being used….I hear used and dumped….No, Kingdom don’t do such things because unlike Political regimes that come and go, Kingdoms are cultural institutions that last for generations,” she asserted, hit the Katikkiro Mayiga who in already in bad books with Kabaka’s many subjects.

Several other people have come out to denounce Mr. Mayiga, accusing him of being compromised and naming those who demand stand with the kingdom enemies of Buganda.

“When the junta’s hitmen drove me to Western Uganda, they kept on mocking me that as much as I was suffering, the Kabaka and his children were in the Palace enjoying life. I told them bravely, that that is exactly what I was fighting for….”For my King to be well at my expense’.

Nambooze who that at one point says she was driven to the shores of Lake Albert where her captors locked her inside a car and went out to the nearby Hotel to relax adds:
“The Lord was on our side we survived those bad days and I believe we shall also survive the new challenges. We are now mature and wiser and no one will ever do to us anything that will make us denounce our Kingdom. I mean no one. We also know that because of elections, the Junta is mounting alot of pressure on institutions”.

This is the first time that Nambooze is taking on Mengo establishment over what describes as a plot to denounce the kingdom by Mr. Mayiga.

Uganda Records 318 Covid-19 Cases: Highest Toll in a Single Day

By
kalema
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0

Today, Uganda has registered the highest number of COVID-19 cases at 318 in a single day, as confirmed by the Minister of Health Hon Ruth Acheng.

Of these include 154 cases from Amuru Prisons (153 inmates & 1 staff), 136 contacts and Alerts including 65 from Kampala 65, Kiryandongo-14, Gulu-9, Mbarara-9, Kitgum-8, Arua-8, Wakiso-7, Mbale-4, Buikwe-4, Masaka-2, Bugiri-1, Jinja-1, Luweero-1, Manafwa 1, Masindi 1 and Mityana 1

20 Health workers including 9 from Kitgum, Kampala 6, Arua 2, Adjumani 1, Kiryandongo 1 & Luweero 1 and 8Truck drivers: Malaba 3, Busia 2, Mpondwe 1, Oraba 1, Madi Opei 1.

Covid-19 Deaths

Uganda has also recorded one COVID-19 death, a 49 year old male from Mbale District, bringing the total cumulative COVID-19 deaths to 20.

The cumulative number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Uganda is 2,166

Currently, Kampala Metropolitan Area has the highest numbers of community transmission with a cumulative total of 540 COVID-19 cases having been reported in Kampala since the 23rd March.

Of these, 342 cases were registered within the last one week, from 15th August to 21st August 2020 including 5 COVID-19 deaths.

Several institutions including; Malaysia Furnishing, Royal Pharma, Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, IGG,KCCA, Toyota, NRM Secretariat, Eagle Holdings,Megha Industries, media houses (New Vision, NBS,NTV,BBS) and other private hospitals have reported clusters.

Uganda Needs an overhaul in Ministry of Education

By
Uganda Today
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The Ministry of Education and Sports (MoE&S) is a cabinet-level ministry of Uganda. It is mandated to provide technical support, guide, and co-ordinate, regulate, and promote quality education, training and sports to all persons in Uganda, for national integration development, and individual advancement. It is also the responsibility of government, through the Ministry of Education and Sports, specifically in private education institutions, to ensure that the private education institutions conform to the rules and regulations governing the provision of education services in Uganda.

Against this background, Your Excellency, are you convinced, beyond doubt, that the Education Ministry is executing its duties, as required by law? Arguably, basing on what is happening within the country’s education sector, one can confidently say that the Ministry of Education and Sports has out rightly failed out on its constitutional mandate of guiding, co-ordinating, regulating, and promoting high quality education, within the country. The £1000 question here is: Where is the missing link? Your Excellency, are you aware that the people supposed to supervise and monitor the progress of education in Uganda, are at the same time players in the industry? Ministers, commissioners, District Education Officers (DEOs), and head teachers of public schools, among others, are all running schools of their own. These people are using state-owned resources to run their institutions, and nobody can touch them, because they are their own supervisors. Teachers of public schools, specifically secondary school teachers only show up for business, when they have lessons; they spend most of their time in private schools, a clear indication that they do part-time work in public schools. And because the people meant to counter this vice equally benefit from their services, the vice goes on uninterrupted. To this end, public schools have greatly suffered, while private schools have remained afloat.

The Ministry of Education and Sports has TOTALLY failed to regulate, direct, and control business in private education institutions, as required by the Constitution. By and large, private education institutions are operating under the laissez-faire (leave us alone) arrangement, despite the fact that Uganda is operating as a mixed economic system, and not a free enterprise economy, per se. Ministerial directives are passed just for the sake of it, for the biggest percentage of these directives are never implemented. Because the players are at the same time the managers/administrators of education within the country, you definitely cannot rule out the aspect of conflict of interest.

Your Excellency, there is no doubt, all the underlying problems facing our education sector, as a country, emanate from here. Despite the fact that Parliament has passed a couple of laws governing education in Uganda, this has just been done as a fashion, for these laws, are simply left on paper. A case in point is the Education (Pre-primary, Primary, and Post-primary) Act, 2008. Honestly speaking, one wonders why Parliament wasted taxpayers’ money on this Act, for over 90% of the clauses in this Act have been out rightly abused by the Ministry. Your Excellency, while addressing the nation after the NRM’s Central Executive Committee (CEC) elections, you said, “If parents do not have money, let the children study for free in government schools.

I have been talking about this for 20 years, but it has never been implemented, because it is opposed by the local elite who are looking for business”. Your Excellency, have you heard of the common adage, “free/cheap things are expensive in the longer-term?” With all due respect, Your Excellency, would you encourage General Muhoozi, Natasha, Patience, or Diana, to educate your grandchildren from any of Uganda’s public schools, specifically at the primary school level? Could there be any of your ministers who is educating their children from public primary schools, specifically those of Universal Primary Education (UPE)? Needless to emphasize the fact that the best facilitated and/or performing public secondary schools, are even much more expensive than a number of private schools, within the country.

Your Excellency, must we simply go in for free education, regardless of its quality, and all those other things that come along with education, so as to make a holistic child? Needless to emphasize the fact that the situation is not any better even in private schools, for our education system, has time immemorial placed a lot of emphasis on rot learning, than critical thinking, analytical reasoning, and logical problem-solving, which are core aspects of an ideal teaching-learning process.

Teachers/educators, at all levels of study, are simply teaching what they have crammed, and not what the learners are supposed to know/learn. To a large extent, this explains why we have been introduced to a lot of wrong information, in our academic journey.

Your Excellency, have you laboured to study the numerous reports published on the progress of education in Uganda by the National Planning Authority (NPA) and the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS), including the National Assessment of Progress in Education (NAPE) reports? If so, are you convinced with what is going on with our education, as a country? If not, I pray you find time, despite your busy schedule, and study these reports, starting with the 2013 and 2015 NAPE reports. Your Excellency, I pray through Parliament, you enact a law barring all those persons operating private businesses, from serving in the line ministries and/or government agencies, where their businesses belong, as a way of fighting against conflict of interest and, of course, corruption. Honestly speaking, you cannot own and/or manage a chain of schools and be a minister, D.E.O, or head teacher of a public school, at the same time. Your Excellency, I pray you reflect on the common adage, “You cannot serve two masters at the same time”.

I just do not know of any school proprietor, who can allow any of their teachers/employees to operate a parallel/competing business. In fact, in all private schools where this has happened, such individuals (teachers/employees) have had their contracts terminated, forthwith. Your Excellency, the local elites fighting your 20-year old idea of promoting public education in Uganda are not very far away from you, for these are within the Education Ministry, itself. Truth be told, Your Excellency, none of the agencies under the Ministry of Education and Sports is convincingly executing its constitutional mandate.

There is overwhelming evidence to prove this assertion. Unless an overhaul is done at Embassy house, I can guarantee with certainty, Your Excellency, your idea will remain on paper, and will soon vanish, like water in the desert. It is also my humble prayer, Your Excellency, that you get us a minister who is readily available; a minister who is accessible. Your Excellency, we need a minister whose security detail is not as detailed as that of the current minister. Your Excellency, perhaps, if I might ask, of course, with due respect, given the security detail of the Education Minister, is this (security) for a minister, or the First Lady? Your Excellency, how possible is it for one, regardless of status to easily knock at the gate of State house, purposely to meet the Education Minister, of course, for official business? What is the appropriate time (or day) for one to officially interact with the minister at Embassy house? There is no doubt, Your Excellency, the Education Minister’s, Janet Museveni (Mrs) humility, is second to none, but the danger is, by virtue of her status, as the First Lady, she cannot serve in this position to the expectations of the common citizenry.

The Ministry of Education and Sports is a very sensitive ministry, which requires a person who, as already mentioned, is readily available and accessible. The Education Minister should be a person whose residence can be easily accessible to the common man. S/he should be a person whose mobile telephone contact is available to the general public, 24/7, for purposes of easing communication. The Minister in charge of education should be a person whose car, under normal circumstances, can easily be intercepted by the common citizenry, purposely to share with him/her (the minister) issues concerning education in their respective areas. The Education Minister should be a person whose security detail is not any different from that of an ordinary minister. S/he should be a person readily available in office, during clearly defined time periods for easy access by whoever needs his/her service.

Your Excellency, it is common practice to hear and/or listen to various ministers addressing the general public about issues concerning their respective ministries on the various broadcasting medium houses, an opportunity that we have missed out in education, since the Education Minister cannot easily be reached out by the press. Your Excellency, with all due respect, we need a minister who is readily available, and easily accessible to the press. By and large, Your Excellency, there are numerous issues concerning our education sector, as a country, but we have nobody to share them with, since getting access to the Education Minister is a real tag of war. I know one can easily talk of the state ministers; Your Excellency, there is a huge difference between a minister and a state minister.

The numerous issues concerning education in Uganda need the attention of the Minister, and not merely a state minister. Your Excellency, I am convinced beyond doubt that whatever you are doing is for the good of our country, education, in particular. I, therefore, pray that you treat this correspondence with the urgency it deserves. Arguably, your timely intervention, will go a long way in solving the problem.

Jonathan Kivumbi

Educationist; communication and language skills analyst. 0702303190/0770880185

Uganda Registers a Record 318 Coronavirus Infections

By
Uganda Today
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0

Minister of Health Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng on Saturday reported 318 new COVID-19 cases, the country’s highest daily total since it recorded its first case.

Dr. Aceng said that out of the new cases, 154 of them were recorded at Amuru Prison. 153 of the cases were inmates while one was a prison staff.

Aceng said an inmate at the prison was admitted to Gulu Referral Hospital after he exhibited COVID-19 like signs and symptoms. The inmate had since recovered and been discharged.

“In light of the above, the Ministry of Health undertook further investigations in Amuru Prisons. Out of the 205 inmates, 153 inmates tested positive. Out of the 28 prison staff, one tested positive for COVID-19,” Aceng said.

Aceng said all the other inmates who tested positive were transferred to Gulu Central Prison while the prison staff had been admitted to Gulu Regional Referral Hospital.

“The inmates are currently being attended to by a combined team from Mulago National Referral Hospital and Gulu Regional Referral Hospital supporting the Uganda Prisons Services health team for appropriate management.”

Aceng added it was possible that a prisoner from Amuru community may have been taken to the prison with infection while asymptomatic.

Prisons, due to the numbers of inmates in them, congestion and cases of poor hygiene, have been identified as areas in which the coronavirus could spread exponentially.

ALSO READ: Exclusive Interview with Joshua Cheptegei

Aceng said that several institutions had also reported clusters of infections highlighting the need to ensure that workplaces strictly observed the existing health regulations.

Uganda has now recorded a total of 2,066 cases. Kampala, which has the highest numbers of community transmissions, accounts for 26 percent of the cases with a total of 540.

“Of these, 342 cases (in Kampala) were registered within the last one week, from 15th August to 21st August 2020 including 5 COVID-19 deaths,” Aceng said.

The ministry also reported an additional COVID-19 death, a 49-year-old male from Mbale District. Uganda’s death toll now stands at 20.

Uganda has consistently reported low numbers of daily COVID-19 positive cases, however, in recent days; it has begun reporting increasing numbers of cases, particularly in Kampala, raising concern among authorities.

On Friday, the Minister for Kampala Betty Amongi issued an ultimatum to Kampala residents to comply with the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) or else recommendations proposing a lockdown will be forwarded to President Yoweri Museveni.

On Monday, the Minister of Works and Transport Edward Wamala said the government may reimpose the ban on public transport amid reports of a section of motorists flouting COVID-19 regulations.

Full Statement

Today, Uganda has registered the highest number COVID-19 cases at 318 in a single day.
The breakdown of the cases is as follows;
• Amuru Prisons: 154 (153 inmates, 1 prison staff)
• Contacts and Alerts (136) : Kampala -65, Kiryandongo-14, Gulu-9, Mbarara-9, Kitgum-8, Arua-8, Wakiso-7, Mbale-4, Buikwe-4, Masaka-2, Bugiri-1, Jinja-1, Luweero-1 Manafwa 1, Masindi 1, Mityana 1
• Health workers (20): Kitgum 9, Kampala 6, Arua 2, Adjumani 1, Kiryandongo 1, Luweero 1
• Truck drivers (8): Malaba 3, Busia 2, Mpondwe 1, Oraba 1, Madi Opei 1
We also recorded one (1) COVID-19 death, a 49 year old male from Mbale District, bringing the total cumulative COVID-19 deaths to 20.
The cumulative number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Uganda is 2,166
Currently, Kampala Metropolitan Area has the highest numbers of community transmission.
A cumulative total of 540 COVID-19 cases have been reported in Kampala since the 23rd March. Of these, 342 cases were registered within the last one week, from 15th August to 21st August 2020 including 5 COVID-19 deaths.
Several institutions including; Malaysia Furnishing, Royal Pharma, Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, IGG,KCCA, Toyota, NRM Secretariat, Eagle Holdings, Megha Industries, media houses (New Vision, NBS,NTV,BBS) and other private hospitals have reported clusters
This highlights the need to ensure that workplaces strictly observe the Standard Operating Procedures and Infection, Prevention and Control measures to limit the spread of COVID-19.

Bobi Wine Puts Museveni on Notice

By
Uganda Today
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0

Kyadondo East Member of Parliament Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu common name Bobi Wine has aimed a dig at incumbent President, Yoweri Museveni – putting him on another notice that “you will never have the last laugh”.

The popular opposition figure Bobi Wine who was this week nominated to challenge President Museveni for President in 2021 has accused the incumbent of commissioning armed men to commit atrocities against the population.

“Yoweri Museveni, Uganda’s military dictator justifying my torture to near death by his guards in Arua in 2018. Shamelessly, he admits that he stood in the way of justice and ensured that perpetrators were never punished! Not even those who shot Yasin Kawuma,” Bobi Wine said- replying to comments by the President on Arua Saga.

Bobi Wine and others including Paul Mwiru, Gerald Karuhanga, Kassiano Wadri were accused of stoning and smashing the windscreen of one of the presidential cars on August 13, 2018.

This fateful day happened to be the last day of the Arua Municipality campaign by-election that sought to replace the assassinated former MP, Ibrahim Abiriga. The incident led to the death of Yasin Kawuma, Bobi Wine’s driver who was shot dead military men.

Now while passing out police officers on Friday, at Police Training School in Kabalye, Mr. Museveni said he protected the SFC soldiers who had been dragged to court by Bobi Wine.

“They [court] actually wanted to punish the boys [SFC] for torturing Bobi Wine. I said no! no! no! This was rubbish. It was the other people [Bobi Wine and group] who were in wrong,” Museveni said adding that he was convinced that Bobi Wine had been beaten properly in the right way.

“This was because the SFC people who are not police minded because they are used to doing other things, went to the room where the MP and other people were, they tried to box them so they boxed them. They acted in self defense and so it was in order,” said Museveni.

Bobi Wine who has since described Museveni’s statement as pathetic says it’s shameful of the President to admit that he stood in the way of justice.

“I can assure Mr. Kaguta Museveni that you will never have the last laugh. All brutal despots throughout history have found great pleasure in the pain of their victims, but they never have the last laugh!” Bobi Wine said, casting the President of peddling lies that he tried to box his guards who were armed with all sorts of weapons.

RUBONGOYA: On Arua Bobi Wine torture & the Museveni statements!

By
Uganda Today
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0

In August 2018, I was one of the very few people who saw Hon. Robert Kyagulanyi in Makindye Military Prison, three days after he was tortured. We waited for hours upon hours and after we had gotten clearance from ‘above’, a few family members, lawyers, Kampala Lord Mayor and officials from the Uganda Human Rights Commission were allowed in. I had never been checked as much, all my life. We went through three check-points. Our pens were replaced, sun-glasses were taken away, and each button on our garments was thoroughly scrutinised, just in case it was a camera.

The small house in which he was, was surrounded by mean looking military men, holding big guns. You would think they were guarding a war criminal.

On getting into the room, we sat with bated breath. No one spoke a word. We waited. The silence. The suspense.

About 20 minutes later, Hon. Kyagulanyi was brought in. He was being carried by three soldiers. He was dressed in a red sleeveless shirt, and red shorts ordinarily worn by prisoners at the detention facility, written on MP (for Military Police).

He could hardly see. Even when he tried to open his eyes, you could see that one of the eyes was so red and swollen. There was a swollen mark cutting through the eye and the nose. He was writhing in pain. His entire face was swollen. Fresh marks of blood were visible on his face and one of the ears. A little later on, he showed us his back and mehn, the fresh signs of lashes crisscrossed his entire back. I kept asking myself what he looked like two days earlier, when he was in this state on the third day.

As soon as he was brought into the room, there was a great wail. No one in that room could stand the sight of this celebrity Member of Parliament who now looked like a common rouge- beaten by a mob for stealing a phone on the street. Everyone, including officials from the Uganda Human Rights Commission were crying, some loudly and others silently- holding wet handkerchiefs close to their faces.

He could not sit. One of his brothers tried to hug him and he slipped, almost falling down. He let out a very loud, painful groan. And the people cried again. It was a very dark day. I could not find sleep for the following days.

Because of the pain he was undergoing, no one could immediately gather the courage to begin the conversation. All of us sat there, and watched him as he struggled to breath. It was after about 30 minutes that he started narrating what had happened to him. With great difficulty, he narrated unbelievable things which they had done to him!

Meanwhile, there were senior soldiers listening in to every word he said. At some point, he had to lie that they were all taking good care of him so that when we left, they would not torture him again. At that point, they were all addressing him as Honorable! They had hurriedly prepared sodas, bananas and bread, and placed it in the middle of the room, to give an impression of civility.

They even asked his wife to bring a suit for him the following day, so that he appears presentable on his next court appearance! Meanwhile, Hon. Kyagulanyi told us how much he was being injected with steroids every few hours to reduce the swelling ahead of his next court appearance. He was taken to Kampala Imaging Centre in the dead of the night, so that no one had chance to get a glimpse of him in that state.

He was very bothered about the death of Yasin Kawuma and the arrested leaders at the time and I remember we all told him everything was under good care, seeing that he was in too much pain.

It would be a few more days of struggle- military detention, blockades, court appearances, presenting machine guns, hospitalization, blockade at the airport and the eventual flying out for treatment. All this while, President President Museveni wrote lengthy letters daily, saying that Bobi Wine was in good health, and had not been tortured!

Last night when I saw him saying that Kyagulanyi was beaten properly, these memories came back to me. The Arua episode was like a very terrifying nightmare which you would rather forget. Unfortunately, the words by the head of state – mocking and downplaying the suffering I saw with my eyes, invoked pain, anger and sadness. I feel sorry for those who believe in the vision of the crop of people who preside over our country.

Friends, of all things we should look for in leaders, let’s look for empathy. A leader who cannot accept responsibility for his actions and has no sense of empathy deserves no place in leadership in the 21st century. A leader who takes pleasure in the torture and brutal treatment of his political opponents is a sad spectacle. God grant, that we shall soon see a new day in the leadership of our country.

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