Watchdog Uganda
Rwamirama noted that the ministry of agriculture, animal industry and fisheries has already instituted a committee of experts to handle the investigation on both livestock and crop production to come up with recommendations.
He said that the tick resistance has become stubborn partly due to using the same acaricide in one place for a long time, fake acaricides and poor handling that may lead to its importance because of direct sunlight.
He made remarks over the weekend during the harmonization of foot and mouth disease control measures and monitoring COVID-19 relief fund in municipalities held at Municipal offices Ntungamo Municipality.
Minister Rwamirama noted that by June 2022 Uganda shall have completed and approved its own tick vaccine appealing to cattle farmers to adhere to veterinary guidelines.
The minister said that tick eradication will be done in two phases there by total suppression where the government will provide farmers with highly subsidized acaricides such that all domestic animals are sprayed to reduce tick loads to almost zero and then vaccines will be introduced.
Rwamirama also directed security agencies in Ntungamo district to arrest and auction illegal cattle’s crossing Uganda- Rwanda through porous border into the country as the only way to cartel illegal cattle movements in the district.
He advised all cattle sellers in both countries to use the right channel if they are to promote EAC trade among countries.
The minister hailed Hon Mwesigwa Rukutana for lobbying and promoting the ongoing Agriculture Cluster Development Project (ACDP) in the district.
He pledged additional 10,000 dozes of foot and mouth disease to intensify the cattle vaccination since Ntungamo district is large compared to the 2000 dozes it received.
Rwamirama also promised water units for dam construction for water production because the district has been stressed with lack of enough water and 2 tractors.
The RDC Ntungamo George Bakunda stressed the need for intensifying the security at the border to dispel illegal cattle movement in Kabezi and Ruhara villages in Ngoma sub county which exacerbates the spread of foot and mouth disease in the district.
Samuel Mucunguzi Rwakigoba chairperson Ntungamo district commended minister Rwamirama for the visitation which has addressed many challenges.
]]>How Entebbe RDC is using his powers to frustrate police workhttps://www.watchdoguganda.com/news/20210727/118091/how-entebbe-rdc-is-using-his-powers-to-frustrate-police-work.html Tue, 27 Jul 2021 10:11:43 +0000https://www.watchdoguganda.com/?p=118091In 2019, months after the President had reshuffled Resident District Commissioners; the new RDC for Entebbe Noor Njuki summoned a team of Police officers to his office.Njuki, who had just arrived at the Entebbe sub district, was as new as then DPC Baker Kawonawo. SP Kawonawo had spent a month working in the area.
The two, moved with other Police officers including the officer in charge of Criminal Investigations Onesmus Mwesigwa and the Officer in charge of Criminal Intelligence to Kisubi â€" Kitala.
The team, together with Political leaders, led by Ronald Kalema was inspecting the destruction of a swamp connecting Nambigirwa and Ziika Forest behind a warehouse along Entebbe road.
“What was amusing, there were two contesting parties. However, the RDC arrived with one of the parties leaving other officers confused about the credibility of the President’s representative, †One of the officers told this website.
During the discourse, everyone saw a visibly biased RDC protecting the interests of one person over all others.
“This prompted a disagreement between the different parties and the leaders, and the case was never completed.†A local councilor told this website.
The disagreement in such early days introduced a bad relationship between other security forces and the office of the RDC.
RDC started witch hunting officers at the Uganda Police Force and some officers in the Internal Security Office.
Njuki later started attacking officers including then Officer in charge of Criminal Investigations Onesmus Mwesigwa, DPC Baker Kawonawo among other officers.
“I will make sure they give respect to the office of the RDC. I cannot direct one to engage in an operation and they refuse,†the RDC is quoted to have said.
The impasse grew after land wrangle between City Businessman Godfrey Kirumira and locals in Kasanje intensified, leaving several of the officers disregarding the RDC’s command. He is a uni directional thinker, he listens and proposes actions, we listen and investigate, then make recommendations but he doesn’t want to be guided, his word is final whether right or wrong.
“It turned into a tag of war. Njuki even questioned why his senior Rose Kirabira who attempted to mediate between them all,†a journalist privy to the occurrences told this website.
Current impasse
Last week, RDC Njuki called the Director operations of the Uganda Police Force, AIGP Edward Ochom.
The call was raising a red flag on the current officer in charge of Criminal Investigations at the Entebbe Central Police Station Herbert Rugubwa Rugyendo.
Njuki who met AIGP Ochom alleged that Rugubwa had released suspects in the murder of a young juvenile, Kato Were in Nkumba, Katabi town Council.
Facts about the case
On July 3rd, Mr Were Eriya, the deceased’s father reported the disappearance of his child, Were Kato at Kasenyi police station. Kato, male juvenile, aged 06 years remained missing until July 5th when a call demanding a ransom of 4m was received by a neighbor to the deceased’s family.
The caller immediately switched off the phone but the voice was familiar and recognizable. Police started tracing for the suspect identified as Kaye Moses. At around 1600 hours (4.00 pm) on July 6th, Kaye was arrested.
After thorough interrogation, suspect led police to the nearby thicket about 200m from the deceased’s home in Nkumba. A body identified as that of Kato Were, a child who was missing was found in an early decomposition state, both legs and hands tied while lying in spine position, mouth stuffed with a cloth and the entire head wrapped with a white hard polythene paper.
The body didn’t have any external injuries seen save for the blisters on the stomach.
The Entebbe Division Police Commander, Officer in charge of Criminal Investigations â€" CID and a team of detectives immediately visited the crime scene and thoroughly examined the body with the help of the divisional SOCO.
Upon the arrest of Kaye Moses, residents raged up against his parents and close friends suspecting connivance, police whisked them away for safe custody. Residents led by the area councilor led a group of angry people, damaging properties of relatives and friends of Kaye Moses who were detained by police. Upon their release since they were not implicated at all, they proceeded to the nearest police station of Kasenyi with witnesses ready for statements against Muhiire John.
Out of fear, Muhiire alarmed to the RDC that murder suspects were released. Sources close to the RDC intimate that he apparently advised him to organize a demonstration which he would join later.
The area councilor ganged up locals who had participated in the malicious damage to demonstrate so that suspects are re arrested and taken back.
“When the demonstration was in high gear, RDC called director operations-Uganda police. So unfortunate that a leader of the RDC’s caliber can organize a demonstration to blame it on another person, moreover your subordinates. It’s equally unfortunate that despite his limited information and knowledge of what is going on, he still wants to be the chief magistrate, the RSA and the DPC, he disregards technical guidance,†a member of the Division Security Committee told this website.
]]>OFWONO OPONDO: Those saying people arrested for high profile murder incidences are targeted for being muslims are missing a point https://www.watchdoguganda.com/op-ed/20210727/118084/ofwono-opondo-those-saying-people-arrested-for-high-profile-murder-incidences-are-targeted-for-being-muslims-are-missing-a-point.html Tue, 27 Jul 2021 09:31:09 +0000https://www.watchdoguganda.com/?p=118084Jamil Alibaki, Nnyanzi Yafeesi Philip, Lwanga Thomas Musisi, Kityo Denis Musoke, Jjunju Abdalla-a Kenyan driver, Kalamire Patanguli- a British citizen, Julius Elius Mashairi a Tanzanian Citizen, Lumu Nicholas are different people in one. Elsewhere, he went by David Amon Musenge. This was the world of Jamil Mukulu, leader of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) who was a fugitive on the run for two decades until his capture in Tanzania and extradition to Uganda in 2015.Now in detention in Luzira prison on multiple charges of murders, robbery, arson and treason, some people don’t even believe that ADF exists. They argue that Jamil Mukulu is innocent until proven guilty in a competent court of law. They insist that those arrested or put out of action by security teams are innocent, but falsely claim that they are ‘targeted’ for being Muslims. Opposition MPs Muwanga Kivumbi, Asuman Basalirwa and their ilk stomp for them, claiming that Muslims are being framed as suspects in every high profile murder incidences.
To suggest that Islam, as a religion, is responsible for terror would be to miss the mark by miles. It’s never religion that’s guilty but individuals who under religious garb twist it to their insidious ends. Islam actually means and preaches peace, although Somalia, Afghanistan, Yemen and other predominantly Muslim countries are being attacked by Muslim extremists killing Muslims. UPDF succeeded in Somalia partly because of the support from Muslim communities.
Those arrested in the Gen. Katumba Wamala assassination attempt are not Muslims but criminals and it’s yet to be established if they are even extremists. The state arrested criminal suspects, not Muslims. Since those arrests there is noise from the so-called ‘Muslim lawyers’ doubting the possibility of seemingly ‘innocent’ boda-boda riders or roadside chapatti makers to carry out acts of murder.
In 2008, as AMISOM and the transitional federal government of Somalia were holding a security meeting, two suicide explosions rocked out loud, killing five Ugandans and six Burundians, including then AMISOM Deputy Force Commander Maj. Gen. Juvenal Niyoyungunza. Two vehicles with UN logos fixed with Improvised Explosive Devises (IEDs) rammed through the compound gate.
Reports subsequently indicated that one of the UN cars had been kept for this mission for close to two years, while the other car had been simply painted with the UN logos. They wanted to hurt the heart of the peace keeping-mission. The Islamist militant group Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for that attack. Uganda’s Maj. Gen Nathan Mugisha and Col Ba-Hoku Barigye survived narrowly.
In 2014, as CDF, Gen Katumba visited Jamil Mukulu’s camp in Eastern DRC after more than 500 ADF rebels were killed and told the DRC army to annihilate the ADF. Seven years later in terror-style an attempt on Katumba’s life was made.
In a TV clip, Gen Katumba asked young people not to be misled into terror activities under the guise of employment. In other clips captured by a local TV station, Jamil Mukulu can be seen and heard addressing hundreds of his indoctrinated ordinary men, women, and young boys who could be chapatti sellers or boda-boda riders-as part of his tactical training in the jungle in Luganda, a local dialect.
Thankfully we now know that ADF attacked and killed students in Kichwamba, burning eighty-seven of them alive, maimed some and abducted others in 1996. And while some people in Uganda including leaders still doubted the existence of such a terror group, in 2010, Alshabaab, closely linked to ADF killed seventy people in the twin bombings at Ethiopian village and Kyadondo rugby club in Kampala. The culprits were eventually got and are serving jail sentences in Luzira prison.
On April, 2, 2015 Alshabaab killed 148 students in Garrisa University, Kenya, injured over eighty, took 700 hostages, freed those who identified themselves as Muslims, and celebrated victory. On September 21, 2013 Alshababa claimed responsibility for the attack on Westgate shopping Mall, Nairobi as retribution for Kenya’s military deployment in Somalia. Seventy-one people including four attackers died. ADF, Alshabaab, Boko Haram and Al-Qaeda are all linked.
In 1998, Al-Qaeda claimed responsibility for the attacks on US embassies in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam whose commander was one Fazul Abdullah Mohammed alias ‘Abu-Abdirahman the Canadian’ alias ‘Daniel Robinson’ travelling under a South African passport. He was eventually killed in Mogadishu when Paul Lokech-then a Brigadier was the Contingent Commander. Fazul was a top leader in Al-Qaida, and Shabaab both of which ADF pays special allegiance. The attempt by these groups to grow terror cells in Uganda is high and must be stopped, and the community has a big role to play.
So, a month after the attack on Gen. Katumba, Lokech arrests these terrorists, some killed, trying to fight back as part of their training because they rather die in martyrdom than be captured and paraded in public. In Pakistan, a couple wrapped IEDs on their bodies to attack a police station killing over ten people. Although we have just come from of an election and some people are still sulking let’s not allow terrorism to become an attraction.
]]>Ebigezo bya S.4 bifulumizibwa lwakutaano luno, Abayizi 333,889 be babilindiriddehttps://www.watchdoguganda.com/news/20210727/118083/ebigezo-bya-s-4-bifulumizibwa-lwakutaano-luno-abayizi-333889-be-babilindiridde.html Tue, 27 Jul 2021 09:30:30 +0000https://www.watchdoguganda.com/?p=118083EBIGEZO bye kibiina eky’okuna ebya 2020 mu kiseera kino byonna biwedde okutekebwateekebwa era nga ekirindiriddwa kubifulumya mu butongole.Bino bikakasiddwa omwogezi wa Minisitule ye byenjigiriza ne Mizannyo Patrick Muyinda.
Muyinda agamba nti entekateeka zonna zimaze okujibwako engalo era nga ku lunaku lw’okusatu abakulu mu kitongole kye Bigezo UNEB bagenda kwegeyamu ne Minisita we by’enjigiriza Janet Kataha Museveni ku mbeera yonna, olwo ku lunaku lw’okutaano nga 30 bifulumizibwe mu butongole eri e Ggwanga lyonna, abazadde saako n’abayizi.
Ab’ekitongole kye bigezo saako n’abakungu abalala abanaaba bayitiddwa okwetaba ku mukolo ogwo maka g’omukulembeze we Ggwanga Entebbe, bonna basabiddwa okugoberera amateeka g’abebyobulamu agakwata ku kirwadde kya Covid 19.
Abayizi n’abazadde ebigezo bagenda kubifunira ku masimu gaabwe nga bayita mu bubaka.
Okusinziira ku UNEB omuwendo gw’abayizi 333,889 be bewandiisa okutuula ebigezo mu mwaka gwa 2020 mu bifo 3,935 okwetoloola e Ggwanga lyonna.
]]>Government not aware of any bankruptcy issues against Russian company hired to install digital trackers in vehicles- Attorney General Kiryowa https://www.watchdoguganda.com/news/20210727/118080/government-not-aware-of-any-bankruptcy-issues-against-russian-company-hired-to-install-digital-trackers-in-vehicles-attorney-general-kiryowa.html Tue, 27 Jul 2021 08:37:47 +0000https://www.watchdoguganda.com/?p=118080The Attorney General Kiryowa Kiwanuka says the 10-year contract government of Uganda signed with Russian company Joint Stock Company Global Security to install digital monitoring systems in all motorcycles and vehicles in Uganda was approved by his office.Joint Stock Company Global Security which was awarded the contract on Friday last week is facing bankruptcy litigations in Russia and more than a dozen other debt related limitations.
However in a phone interview with URN, Kiryowa said government isn’t aware of any bankruptcy order issued against the company.
“Yes, the contract was brought to my office, we approved it and we believe there is no risk, Uganda is not exposed to anything at all,†Kiwanuka told the media outlet.
“Contract was approved by my office taking into consideration all the laws of this country and we are certain that we don’t have any order of bankruptcy issued against the company.â€
That Global Security is facing bankruptcy litigation in Russia, according to the data about the company from Honest Business website, which curates information about businesses and companies in Russia.
Joint Stock Company Global Security Company registered as a small business of 10 employees in 2013 and the firm returns for last year were 637,742 russian rubles equivalent to USD8,000.
It was sued by LLC “Rus Prom-Technologiesâ€, another Russian company that wants it declared bankrupt. The case was filed in the Arbitration Court of City of Moscow on September 17th 2020 and accepted on October 20th 2021.
“On September 17, 2020, the Moscow Arbitration Court received an application from Rus-Prom-Technology on the recognition as insolvent (bankrupt) of JSC Global Security,†a ruling by the Arbitration Court of City of Moscow dated 20th October 2020 says. “Having considered the received application and the documents attached to it, the court considers them sufficient for the acceptance of the application for hearing.â€
Though the case was accepted for hearing, the hearing sessions have been postponed several times as Global Security fight to pay the debt its owes Rus-Prom-Technology.
In another case filed in March 2019, Rus-Prom-Technology had sued Global Security for failure to pay 16.6 million rubles (Russia currency) which is about $220,000. Rus-Prom-Technology won the case.
After winning the case, Rus-Prom-Technology proceeded to file case in which it wants Global Security declared bankrupt. For Global Security to fight off bankruptcy, court has ordered it to pay Rus-Prom-Technology.
Global Security has also been sued by Limited Liability Partnership “Orken Alem†for a debt of 8.5 million rubles and Gu Main Department of the Pension Fund of the Russian Federation for failure to pay 10,000 rubles (about $135) and 455,00 rubles (about $600). All these cases were filed between 2019 and July 2021.
After eyeing a lucrative deal in Uganda, the company registered again on the 10th of this month as a Small Medium Enterprise (SME) in Russia. Meanwhile, the tech company doesn’t even own a digital website.
On Friday, Uganda signed a contract with Joint Stock Global Security Company to provide digital trackers to all vehicles in the country.
At a ceremony held at the Office of the President in Kampala, Waiswa Bageya the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Works and Transport and Yunus Kakande his counterpart in the office of the President signed on behalf of the government while Ivan Sukraban, the Chief Executive Officer of Joint Stock Company, a Russian digital security company signed on its behalf.
According to Kakande, the President instituted an inter-ministerial committee that for the last four months has been working on identifying and the right company to carry out the task.
Kakande said that President Yoweri Museveni directed that all vehicles and motorcycles be fitted with tracking devices to help deal with criminals who he said use vehicles and motorcycles to kill people and then disappear without a trace. Museveni made similar comments in the aftermath of the assassination attempt on the life of Gen Edward Katumba Wamala in June.
Kakande said that the Russian company is going to run the project for two years and recoup their investment and then hand it over to the government of Uganda to manage.
Speaking at the same ceremony, Maj Gen. Jim Muhwezi the Minister of Security who witnessed the signing of the contract assured the country that the only purpose for which the government is going to track vehicles is to deal with insecurity. He added that they have no intention of interfering in the privacy of citizens. When challenged on the law they are basing on Muhwezi said whatever they are doing was embraced by government technocrats like the Solicitor General.
He added that those who believe that the government is acting outside the law, have the right to challenge it in court.
On when the project is expected to start and how much money car and motorcycle owners are going to be paying, Muhwezi said the committee will be deciding on these details in the coming days.
“The investor is going to come on the ground to establish centres in the different parts of the country working with Luwero Industries to start and then the public will be informed when each vehicle will be called to be registered to get new number plates with monitoring systems.
The payment will also be communicated because always registration of vehicles is not free of charge; anybody who owns a vehicle will meet that charge,†Muhwezi said.
]]>Lifting or extending lockdown? Health Minister Aceng to update public todayhttps://www.watchdoguganda.com/news/20210727/118078/lifting-or-extending-lockdown-health-minister-aceng-to-update-public-today.html Tue, 27 Jul 2021 08:16:24 +0000https://www.watchdoguganda.com/?p=118078Minister of Health Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng will update the country on the Covid-19 pandemic situation in a televised address on Tuesday.The address will be aired live on UBC TV.
“The Minister for health Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng will give an update on the current #COVID19 situation in the country this Tuesday,27th July at 11am.#UBCUpdates #STAYSAFEUG,â€UBC posted.
Aceng’s address comes just four days to the end of the 42-day nationwide lockdown imposed to curtail the surge in the spread of the second wave of the pandemic.
The public will be eager to pointers from the minister’s address to be able to predict what will entail the presidential address slated for later in the week on Saturday.
According to recent periodic updates for the Ministry of Health, commendable achievements have been registered throughout the lockdown about the target of scaling down on the surge in infections. This is widely expected to inform the president’s decision on lifting or extending the lockdown.
Amid the ever-growing anxiety among the public over the matter, President Yoweri Museveni is faced with complex decision-making as experts have variously warned that it could be too early to allow the return to normalcy.
]]>Police cracks down criminal gang behind vandalism of telecom mastshttps://www.watchdoguganda.com/news/20210727/118074/police-cracks-down-criminal-gang-behind-vandalism-of-telecom-masts.html Tue, 27 Jul 2021 08:05:52 +0000https://www.watchdoguganda.com/?p=118074Police is holding six people for allegedly vandalizing telecom masts.Police Spokesperson Fred Enanga says a task team from Special Investigations Division (SID) in close coordination with Police in Katwe and Nakulabye conducted several cordon and search operations in the areas of Katwe Clock Tower and Nabulagala Zone in Nakulabye respectively, following several incidents of vandalism of telecom masts and generators, belonging to American Tower Corporation {ATC}.
The goods vandalised and stolen are valued worth Shs1.8 billion.
“As a result, the task team of investigators conducted several undercover operations, and established places where the generators and capital parts were sold for cash. Subsequently 5 shops were raided and an assortment of stolen parts that included fitter Perkins, air filter holders, cylinder heads, injector pumps, water pumps , AC alternators, injector nozzles etc all valued as goods worth Uganda shillings 600 million,â€Enanga said in a statement on Monday.
So far six suspects are to be charged to court.
These include; Namukasa Martha, a 30 year old, a dealer in spares at Katwe and resident of Busabala Kyuma Zone, Makindye Division; Nakazzi Annet, a 54 year old female adult resident of Nabulagala, Nankulabye (Mother to Namukasa) who was keeping the stolen items; Nakiyingi Doreen, who also operates a shop next to Namukasa, where an assortment of exhibits were also recovered.
Others are Kato Hussein a 23 year old male adult, businessman and resident Najjanankumbi, Makindye; Balaba Ibra, a 30 year old boda boda rider resident of Masajja Kibira Zone “A†Makindye Division, and Hussein Atugonza a 31 year old former driver of ATC.
“The suspects are to be charged on 4 counts of malicious damage, theft of telecom equipment under the Communication Act, receiving and retaining property and conspiracy,†Enanga asserted.
]]>MP Nsereko: Museveni wants Baganda to kneel for him over mailo land but he will not win this battlehttps://www.watchdoguganda.com/news/20210727/118071/mp-nsereko-museveni-wants-baganda-to-kneel-for-him-over-mailo-land-but-he-will-not-win-this-battle.html Tue, 27 Jul 2021 07:45:54 +0000https://www.watchdoguganda.com/?p=118071Kampala Central Member of Parliament Muhammad Nsereko has cautioned President Yoweri Museveni to stay away from Buganda Kingdom’s mailo land tenure system saying that the President will not be able to win the battle.Recently, Museveni opened up a war on mailo land describing it as an evil tenure system and one of the major causes of land dusputes in the country. He wants the system abolished.
Museveni’s move has since sparked outrage among some sections of public.
Now Nsereko says Museveni wants the Baganda to kneel before him over the the issue but they will not. The legislator notes that the people in Buganda will instead explain their points to make him understand that mailo land is not harmful as he claims.
“Mailo land is owned by both Baganda and non-Baganda. The President may have been ill-advised that that’s the best way to face off with people from Buganda but this involves people from the whole country. The President will not win this battle,†Nsereko said while appearing on NBS’s Morning Breeze show on Tuesday.
Nsereko added that Museveni didn’t talk about the Mailo land issue during elections because he knew how dangerous and volatile it is.
†Evictions can be done on both public and private land. The greed by some leaders now is that they want to control everything, our land, cars. What we are saying is ‘Ettaka lyaffe tolikwatako’ , ‘Emmotoka zaffe temuzikwatako’,†he said.
“The issue the President has is that people hike compensation prices when government wants to use part of their land for development, but he can handle this differently.â€
]]>Lockdown extension looming as Museveni returns this Saturday to address nation on Covid-19https://www.watchdoguganda.com/news/20210727/118063/lockdown-extension-looming-as-museveni-returns-this-saturday-to-address-nation-on-covid-19.html Tue, 27 Jul 2021 07:13:13 +0000https://www.watchdoguganda.com/?p=118063President Yoweri Museveni will this Saturday July 31, 2021 address the nation on Covid-19 and other related issues.Lindah Nabusayi Wamboka, the Senior Presidential Press Secretary said on Tuesday the address will take place at 8pm and it will be aired live on all Television and radio stations in Uganda.
The President’s address comes at a time when the National Covid-19 Taskforce is pushing for an extension of the lockdown.
In an Interview with NTV Uganda on Monday, with a few five days left to the end of the 42-day lockdown instituted by President Museveni, the Chief Epidemiologist at the Covid-19 Taskforce, Dr. Monica Musenero said lifting coronavirus containment protocols before mass vaccination will have repercussions.
She said government aims to inoculate 22 million people, about half of the country’s population, to enable the economy to fully re-open.
“This is a tough time. Its because we are fighting a very dangerous enemy. This walk hasn’t been easy but here we are, we have achieved something together, with the lockdown in place, we have managed to bring down the cases, which were just climbing astronomically and soon we shall start to see a steady decline in death due to Covid-19,†Dr. Musenero said.
She said that as country ends the 42 days announced by the President Museveni, “we need to wait for guidance from His Excellencyâ€.
Dr. Musenero said government has been frustrated by the difficulties in accessing
the vaccines but the praised lockdown, saying “it was in itself meant to push down numbersâ€.
“The lockdown helped us ro bring down numbers, you all saw the deaths, hospitals were filled to capacity, but we managed to contained that. The lockdown has helped us so much in stopping the spread,†she added.
While announcing a total lockdown on 18 July, 2021, President Museveni suspended private and public transport for 42 days to control the ravaging cases of Covid-19.
“For 42 days, there should be no movement of private cars, boda bodas or public transport across districts. Vehicles will only be allowed to move if they are carrying a sick person,†Museveni asserted.
“It has been observed that Taxis/ Boda-Bodas drop passengers at district boundaries (relay system) to be taken over by their colleagues waiting across the boundary districts which may result in further spread of the virus in communities.Additionally, it has also been observed that despite this directive, human beings walk across district boundaries. This therefore has not achieved its intended purpose.â€
Museveni further noted that private vehicles and boda bodas will only be allowed to transport patients if they possess a recommendation letter from LC, RDC or a competent health facility.
Museveni also revised curfew time from 9pm- 6pm to 7pm to 5.30am.
“It is observed that some sections of the public are not adhering to the curfew hours.As such, curfew throughout the country is pulled back to 7pm to 5.30am, Boda-Bodas will only be allowed to move only up to 5pm.â€
The President also suspended operations of business centres, places of worship and schools.
]]>ROBERT MUGISA: Let’s pray for all children and defend their rightshttps://www.watchdoguganda.com/op-ed/20210727/118060/robert-mugisa-lets-pray-for-all-children-and-defend-their-rights.html Tue, 27 Jul 2021 06:35:55 +0000https://www.watchdoguganda.com/?p=118060I am grateful to God for the gift of parenthood. But even if I were not a parent, I would still pray for the all children and passionately stand up for their rights, wherever they are. Today, there are over 2.2billion children living on earth of which close to 2billion live in a developing country. For jurisdictional purposes, this article focuses more on the children of Uganda.A child, as per Article 34 (5) of the Constitution of the Republic of Uganda, 1995 (as amended), is anyone below the age of sixteen years. But as you might know, in the African setting, one is a child to their parent or guardian as long as life endures. However old they may grow, they still pay allegiance to their parents and guardians. In the Christian perspective, we are all children of the God as written in John 1:12 of the Bible.
It is provided under Article 17 (1) (c) of the Constitution that it is the duty of every citizen to protect children and vulnerable persons against any form of abuse, harassment or ill-treatment. Article 31 (4) is to the effect that it is the rights and duty of parents to care for and bring up their children and under clause (5), children may not be separated from their families or persons entitled to bring them up against the will of their families or of those persons, except in accordance with the law. The duties and obligations imposed upon parents and guardians are not to be taken lightly but must be given very serious thought. Children have the right to know and be cared for by their parents or those entitled by law to bring them up.
In the current context of COVID-19, so many children and parents remain anxious due to closure of school by the His Excellency Yoweri Kaguta Museveni in his address to the nation, first on March 18, 2020 and again on July 6, 2021. This was aimed at curbing the further spread of the deadly coronavirus and was a great turn of events in the history of Uganda just as in many other nations of this world. The pandemic will live to be told to many generations to come.
The release of Primary Leaving Examinations results on July 16, 2021 by Hon. Janet Museveni was good news for parents whose children excelled but I believe there is a second thought of what the next step shall be in these children’s education. Nothing seems as certain as it used to be. We seem to be in another normal that is quite hard to grasp.
Each of us ought to pray fervently for the children of Uganda and those in countries going through a similar experience that God will continue to have mercy on them, protect and defend them against all forms of abuse and violation of their rights and fundamental freedoms.
Reports have indicated that a number of children have fallen victims to abuse by relatives, friends and other unscrupulous members of their communities. Unless we join efforts to watch out for each child as we look forward to a season where they will go back to schools and pick up with their education, we might lose an entire generation. Every child matters, every child’s posterity is worth securing.
Robert Mugisa is a human rights lawyer and defender/advocate.
mugisa.blessing20@gmail.com
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