In an effort to mitigate the rampant road accidents in Lango Sub-region, authorities in Lira City have banned female market traders from sitting in the driver’s cabin with immediate effect.

This decision follows an accident that recently left 9 people dead and 19 injured in Agali Sub-county, Lira District last week. The accident occurred after a Fuso truck transporting traders and their merchandise returning to Lira City from Ajuri weekly market in Abako Sub-county, Alebtong District got involved in an accident at Pii-awac swamp a few kilometres from Lira City. Police attributed the accident to reckless driving, speeding and overloading. 

In another twist, female market vendors, have also been blamed for numerous accidents on most of the roads in Lango Sub-region.

The female passengers especially those in the front cabin together with truck drivers are accused of wearing short dresses which expose their thighs, which distracts drivers thus resulting in road accidents.

Patrick Opio Obote, the chairman of Lira City Mobile Market Vendors Association, said some of their female members dress indecently and demand to sit in the co-driver’s seat claiming that they do not want to sit behind the truck because of dusty roads.

He added that to reduce accidents, they resolved that with effect from Monday, January 17, no woman shall be allowed to sit in front of any truck transporting traders from Lira City to any weekly markets.

Bernard Anyeko Matsanga; the spokesperson for Lira Urban Transporters Association emphasized that no woman is allowed to sit in front with the driver, even if she is the wife to the owner of the vehicle.

Drivers are said to be already obeying all the directives with none of them overloading or speeding.

About 79 prisoners including a Venezuelan drug trafficker have been freed in Uganda under an early January presidential instrument of pardon.

A Venezuelan national; Doralys Rodriguez Fagundez was in June 2018 arrested at Entebbe Airport after she was found with narcotic drugs. Rodriguez then in her late 20s was convicted and handed a concurrent 22-year-jail term in September 2018.

In a statement released by President Museveni in early January this year, the president granted pardon to 78 male and female Ugandan nationals from about 15 separate prisons across the country on public health and humanitarian grounds.

Frank Baine, the Uganda Prison Services Spokesperson told the press that the prerogative of mercy emerging through the latest presidential instrument of pardon has already been effected.  

What the law says

Under Article 121(1) (a) of the 1995 Ugandan constitution, the President may on the advice of the advisory committee exercise his right to pardon any person convicted of an offence, a pardon either free or subject to lawful conditions.

Fort portal-based Mountains of the Moon University is set to be fully operational as a public university effective 1st July 2022.

Founded as a private, non-profit institution, the university became a public institution, after an executive directive by the president of Uganda in January 2018, the central government took over the operation of the institution a week ago.

Prof. Pius Coxwell Achanga, the interim chairperson of the transition task force said Lecturers and staff at the Tooro-based University will be assessed and validated by public service during the transitional period.

Lecturers and students are optimistic that this take-over will solve the long-standing challenges at the institution like improved service delivery, introduction of more science courses and infrastructure development.

Fire has this afternoon gutted Hima cement factory in Kasese district where by a yet to be confirmed report says five people have so far died from the fire and several others injured.

The injured have been rushed to Case clinic Kasese and Fort portal Regional Referral Hospital for medication.

Our reporter at the scene says the fire fighters are already at the scene trying to put down the fire whose cause has not been established yet.

More details on this incident will be duly availed.

Seven people have been confirmed dead following a motor accident where a taxi vehicle REG No. UBE 902T crashed into a trailer REG No. SSD 078U/ SSD 773A at Kyampisi village along Kampala-Gulu highway in Nakasongola District.

Isah Semwogerere, the Savana Regional Police spokesperson told the press that both vehicles were moving in the direction of Gulu when the speeding taxi crashed into the slow moving trailer. Seven people and all occupants of the taxi vehicle died while two people were rushed to health facilities in critical condition. The identities of the deceased persons are yet to be determined.

Musa Kayongo, an eyewitness, told reporters that residents struggled to cut through the wreckage of the taxi to save lives.

Kayongo said it was a struggle and they could not save any more lives. He says that the taxi driver was over speeding and possibly failed to control his car that was approaching the trailer that was moving in the same direction.

The police transferred bodies of the deceased persons to Nakasongola Health Centre IV mortuary for postmortem.

The territorial police of Kawempe are actively investigating a fire outbreak at New Crest Junior at Kibedi Day and boarding Primary School in Kawempe Division, Kampala City, where four children have been confirmed dead.

Luke Owoyesigire; the Deputy Kampala Metropolitan Police Spokesperson says that the fire started at around 3am today from one of the female pupils’ dormitories. Four female pupils have been confirmed dead while three are seriously injured.

It is alleged that the school locally managed the fire outbreak and did not bring it to the attention of the nearest police at Kawempe. Police condemned this as an act of gross negligence that caused the death and injuries of the pupils.

Owoyesigire said the forensic team of experts from the Directorate of Fire and from the Forensics are documenting the scene.

All the victims are females aged below 10.

The injured were evacuated to Kyadondo Hospital in Kawempe Division, and are being accorded the required treatment.

Residents of Bweyogerere Central Zone, Kira Municipality in Wakiso District were filled with grief after a 6-year-old child was found hanging dead in the bedroom.

Luke Owoyesigyire; the Kampala Metropolitan Police Spokesperson identified the deceased as Moreen Nantume who was discovered by the brother who upon return from school attempted to open the door but it was locked from inside. He says he later peeped through the glass window only to see her sister hanging on a cloth tied on the middle bed of a three decker bed. 

The boy rushed to inform the mother, Catherine Nakafu, 35, a businesswoman who works in the neighborhood, who informed the police.

The police responded; broke the door to access the house, where they managed to pick the relevant pieces of evidence. The investigative team has since established through the parents, that the deceased was pending to be returned to school in the village in Lugumba, Buikwe District, a decision she objected.

Investigations are still ongoing although preliminary findings suggest that the deceased committed suicide.

 The body of the deceased was taken to city mortuary Mulago for a post mortem.

The Dokolo South MP, Felix Okot Ogong has this morning been involved in a nasty accident when his car REG NO. UBB 972S overturned at Bung, Agwata, along Lira-Soroti highway. Hon Felix, his bodyguard and the driver sustained minor bruises and they have been rushed to Lira Medical Centre for evaluation.

The North Kyoga Police spokesperson David Ongom has confirmed the accident and blamed it on over-speeding stressing that the Traffic Police rushed to the scene and towed the vehicle to Lira Central Police station for inspection.

Moses Mwanga; the regional police Commander has confirmed that three murder cases were registered during the christmas festivals whereby 2 of the cases were from Sheema district while the other was in Bushenyi district.

Mwanga identified the deceased as Justice Mbabazi; a resident of NShongi, katooma-kigarama Sub-county and Catherine Ainemukama (21), a resident of nyabubare; Isingiro ward, Bugongi town council that both happened on 25^th December, 2021.

Nahurira Moses (28), a Boda Boda Rider was also on 27^th December stabbed to death by his colleague after a quarrel in a bar escalated. 

Mbabazi was allegedly hit with stone on a head by her nephew only identified as Jim and Ainemazima who was a student was murdered when she left home with her friends to enjoy christmas but her body was found in a farm half-naked with several injuries on her head.

3 suspects were arrested in connection to Ainemazima’s murder. Other suspects in connection with these murders have since been arrested and are pending transfer to court of law to face charges of murder.

Mwanga attributed the low cases to policing and vigilance of the communities on crime control.