Ibanda district health department has asked religious leaders, herbalists and traditional healers to render their support during the second round of the house-to-house mass polio vaccination campaign.

During a stakeholder engagement meeting with the herbalists, traditional healers and religious leaders at the department’s offices at Saza hill, Ibanda town on Thursday, Hope Katusiime, the Ibanda district assistant health officer said they intend to bring on board all stakeholders to ensure that the exercise is successful.

According to Jane Ruth Aceng, the minister for health, the second round of national house to house mass polio immunization drive is scheduled to run from 4^th November to November 10^th 2022.

Katusiime, revealed that in Ibanda district, a total of 57,800 children are targeted for immunization during this exercise.

The district has 606 villages and each will be handled by one health worker, a village health team (VHT) member and the LCI chairman. There are also five teams of medics on standby to come in, in case of any eventuality.

According to the health department records, the district recorded a 96.6% coverage level during the first round of mass polio vaccination that took place in January.

Fred Kwetegyereza, a herbalist from Kagongo Division, in Ibanda Municipality, lauded the health department for involving them in government programs, saying they are rarely engaged by many government agencies. 

A team from National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) comprising of its board members and management has visited the site of Warugo water Project to monitor its progress.

The visit follows NWSC’s hand over of the Warugo water Project site on 1^st September 2022 to Anhui Sijan Holding groups to kick start the project works in Kyamuhunga Sub-county, Bushenyi district.

During a site visit to monitor the progress of the project, Eng Sam Kiggundu, the NWSC Bushenyi area manager said the work which is designed to run for a period of 18 months will help them as NWSC to extend water to water stricken areas of Bitooma, Ruhumuro, Kakanju and Kyamuhunga.

Eng Kiggundu appreciated government of Uganda for their continuous support to NWSC to make sure it’s institutional performance is not logistically stalled.

He noted that NWSC will work concurrently with contractors to make sure that the distribution component network is done in time.

Col. Stephen Basaliza, a member of NWSC Board of Directors saluted government under Visionary leadership of president Museveni for supporting NWSC to fulfill its strategic mission of providing safe and clean water to all Citizenry and thanked Bushenyi District leadership for having welcomed Warugo Water project.

Jaffari Bassajjabalaba, the Bushenyi district LC V chairman appreciated NWSC under the leadership of Eng Dr Silver Mugisha for having given them the Warugo water project and said that it must be counted as a Christmas bonanza for Bushenyi district saying there was a public outcry from hard to reach areas for lacking safe and clean water in their communities and this project will be a milestone to mitigate water shortage in the district.

Robert Atuhairwe, the Bushenyi district RDC appreciated the government for fulfilling the manifesto by providing water for all.  

Atuhairwe observed that the Warugo water project will cater for formerly water stressed areas and said that as office of the president, they will ensure a solid supervision of the project so that there is value for public funds and to avoid shoddy work.

Warugo water Project is expected to cost UGX 11.8 billion, pump 2,500,000 litres every day and is expected to serve over 150,600 people in Kakanju, Ruhumuro, Kyamuhunga and Bitooma sub-counties and the surplus water will be piped to Bushenyi- Ishaka municipality.

The Ibanda chief magistrate’s court has remanded a woman to prison over possession of government medical supplies and operation of an illegal drug shop.

Marion Atuhaire, 21, appeared before the Ibanda chief magistrate, Aloysius Natwijuka on November 1^st to answer charges of unlawful possession of government stores, a crime that breaks section 316(2) of the Penal code Act.

Atuhaire was also charged with operating a drug shop without a licence and academic documents contrary to the National Drug Authority Act.   

The suspect was apprehended from the drug shop at Katojo trading centre on October 27^th by officials from the western region office of the Allied Health Professionals Council and Police.

The arrest came after Atuhaire, a resident of Kashozi in Ishongororo sub-county, was found without a licence and academic documents to operate a drug shop.

Donald Bamanya, the Allied Health Professionals Council western region supervisor said that during a search of the premises by the team, they found a government outpatient’s register and two boxes of malaria rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) with a Ministry of Health label.

Atuhaire denied the charges, saying the drug shop was her husband’s. She was remanded to Nyabuhikye Prison until November 16 when the case will come up for hearing, after she failed to get sureties to apply for bail.

Men have been called upon to always go for breast cancer screening to know their health status.

Dr James Asasira, a specialist from Uganda cancer institute made the remarks during the launch of one week cancer screening camp at Rubindi health center III in Kashari North, Mbarara district.

Dr Asasira noted that people think that breast cancer is only for women adding that even men can contract it.

During the launch, Margret Rwebyambu the woman Member of Parliament Mbarara district called up the public to use this one week cancer screening camp to know their health status.

Didas Tabaro, the Mbarara District LCV chairperson asked the people not to politicize this health camp but rather embrace it for better health.

Dr Peter Ssebutinde, the Mbarara District health officer revealed that in the last two years in greater Mbarara, prostate cancer in men has increased from 3% to 9% which he says needs immediate attention.

By close of Monday, over 100 people had been screened for prostate cancer, cervical cancer, breast cancer, pressure and diabetes by specialists from Uganda cancer institute at free cost.

Rodgers Mbabazi, the Resident District Commissioner (RDC) Mbarara district has rallied churches in the area to title all the church land in order to safeguard it from people targeting to grab it.

Mbabazi made the remarks on Monday during a joint monitoring visit where a team of officials from Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA), Ankole Diocese, and Operation Wealth Creation (OWC) Mbarara district were monitoring coffee projects in Rutoma Archdeaconry in Mbarara district.

In 2021, Ankole Diocese and UCDA launched a partnership to plant coffee to improve household income and transform communities in Western Uganda.

During the launch, UCDA gave out 22,500 Robusta coffee seedlings and 100 kilograms of Arabica coffee seedlings to the diocese.

Rtd. Col. Sam Karogo Murali, the officer in charge of OWC Mbarara district noted that he believes the church institution can use its structures to improve both quality and quantity of coffee production within the region.

Rt. Rev. Sheldon Mwesigwa, the Bishop Ankole Diocese said supporting farming is part of the diocese’s community and household transformation Program.

Bishop Mwesigwa noted that the church should not be a burden to Christians with their numerous demands to run the ministry, adding that this is the reason the diocese is putting emphasis on having its own income generating projects.

Police in Kamuli are hunting for assailants who stabbed a teenager and left her to bleed to death on Monday night.

The deceased has been identified as Annet Namboira, 13, a resident of Bulondo village in Southern division, Kamuli municipality who met her death when unknown assailants stabbed her in the stomach and left her to succumb to injuries.

The victim’s guardians discovered her lifeless body on Tuesday morning when they checked her room after realizing that she had delayed to wake up. 

Michael Kasadha, the Busoga North Police Spokesperson said that Police was alerted, they responded quickly and took the body to Kamuli general hospital mortuary for postmortem examination.

George Byantuyo, one of the guardians, revealed that his family took Namboira in as the house help after realizing that she was struggling to fend for her life along the streets of Kamuli town.

Charles Bamwise, the area LC 1 chairperson said that such criminal activities are a sign of the laxity in security in the community.

Bamwise urged police to step up mobile patrols to eliminate suspected criminal gangs in the entire municipality.

Kasadha who called upon the community to be vigilant noted that they are collaborating with their counterparts in the neighboring districts to find the killers.

Police in Sheema district have arrested a 70 year old man on allegations of defiling two juveniles aged 07 and 09 respectively.

Martial Tumusiime, the greater Bushenyi police spokesperson said that Geoffrey Rwasangayo,70, a casual worker and resident of Rweinekahire village in Kagango town council in Sheema district was arrested by police on allegations of Defilement.

It’s alleged that Precious Rukundo the elder sister to the two juveniles heard them verbally exchanging words that the suspect defiled them in the Eucalyptus forest of their grandfather and they bled. 

Tumusiime said after receiving the information, police swung into action, arrested the suspect and he will appear in court on charges of aggravated defilement.

The former minister for General duties in prime minister’s office Prof. Tarsis Kabwegyere has asked the people of Bushenyi to embrace the current education system in Uganda since it is the right foundation for the future generation.

Speaking during the dedication service of 191 primary seven pupils of St. Kagwa primary school at St. Kagwa parish in Bushenyi-Ishaka municipality on Sunday, Kabwegyere said in the past both education and health were a tug of war but now due to good leadership, education has become accessible.

Celestine Twinomugisha, the school head teacher said that the teachers did their part and now it’s time for the learners to prove what they were taught and for parents to keep looking after them as they aim for higher education levels. 

In his summon, the Rev Fr. Didacus Ruhangampire of St. Kaggwa parish asked pupils to effectively use what they have been taught for the last seven years and believe in themselves.