Yoshua Living Water International, in partnership with Hon. Jeniffer Rwaburibate Muheesi, the Woman Member of Parliament for Kazo District, has launched the first phase of a water drilling project aimed at addressing local water challenges.

The initiative commenced at St. Catherine Girls’ Secondary School in Kazo Town Council on Sunday, September 22nd.

Henry Muhangi, the Political Assistant to Hon. Muheesi, previously advocated for computers for the school and identified the urgent need for clean water. He introduced a solar-powered solution to benefit the community.

Rev. Fr. Deo Mugisha, the parish priest of St. Paul’s Kazo Catholic Parish and the Board Chairman of St. Catherine Girls Secondary School, expressed his gratitude to Hon. Muheesi for addressing the severe water crisis in the district.

Sister Assumpta Autamaya, the head teacher of St. Catherine, thanked Hon. Muheesi for fulfilling her promise to provide clean water, replacing the contaminated dam water previously used by the students.

Students at St. Catherine expressed their appreciation for the new water project, which will provide them with clean water, as well as the sanitary pads supplied through the partnership with Yoshua Living Water International.

The project will expand to Kagarama and Mbogo in Kanoni sub-county, continuing efforts to combat water scarcity in Kazo District.

Police in Kazo District are actively searching for a man who left his two young daughters at his workplace and disappeared.

The suspect, identified as Fred Karyabaterana, reportedly arrived at the farm of Ninsiima George in Katengyeto-Kijuma, Rwemikoma Subcounty, Kazo District with his daughters, aged 3 and 4. He presented an identification letter from Rwamuramira LC1 in Rwamuramira Parish, Kinuka Sub-county, Lyantonde district.

Ninsiima received the identification presented by Karyabaterana with intention of reporting to the LCI Chairperson but he disappeared five days later, leaving his children behind.

Bampabwire Charles Kitiribita, the police officer in charge of the Family and Children Protection Unit at Kazo Central Police Station, confirmed the incident and noted that Karyabaterana is a resident of Rwamuramira Cell in Rwamuramira Parish, Kinuka Sub-county, Lyantonde District, as indicated in the identification letter he left at the farm.

Ninsiima George, the manager of the farm, stated that Karyabaterana had sought employment for plantation work and disappeared after his brief stint, leaving his children and his identification behind.

Bampabwire condemned the local council leadership, criticizing them for issuing identification documents without proper verification of individuals’ backgrounds.

A tragic accident this morning on the Kazo-Ibanda road in Kazo District resulted in the death of one individual and left another critically injured.

The collision involved a Toyota Premio (registration number UAP 149J) and a Fuso Fighter Truck (registration number UBA 312W) in a head-on crash near Katanganya Trading Centre.

The deceased has been identified as Nuwagira Sayid Kamoomo, a resident of Rwakahaya Village in Kanoni Sub County, Kazo District. Kamoomo died at the scene, while his driver, whose identity has not yet been disclosed, sustained critical injuries.

In contrast, the three occupants of the Fuso Fighter Truck were reported to have escaped unharmed.

Witnesses at the scene indicated that Kamoomo was traveling from the Ibanda side, while the Fuso Fighter Truck was on its way from Kampala at the time of the accident.

In response to the incident, Kazo District LCV Chairman Rev. Samuel Mugisha Katugunda spoke with Kazo FM, highlighting his ongoing concerns regarding road safety in the area.

He mentioned that he has been advocating for the installation of speed humps along the Kazo-Ibanda road, a request he claims has yet to be addressed by the Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA). Rev. Katugunda pledged to continue pursuing measures that could help reduce the occurrence of such tragic accidents in the future.

By the time of reporting, police from Kazo Police Station had arrived at the scene to conduct their investigations into the accident.

The Igara Tea Growers Factory has filed a lawsuit against a group of tea farmers from Buhweju, alleging that they are disrupting the operations of the Buhweju factory, which is part of the Igara-Buhweju Growers Tea Company.

This legal battle stems from ongoing tensions that began a few years ago when Buhweju tea farmers sought autonomy for their factory, a request that Igara management has consistently rejected.

The situation intensified when representatives from the Buhweju farmers formed a steering committee aimed at facilitating the separation of their factory from Igara.

According to Nicholas Abenaitwe, the lawyer representing the accused farmers, the committee’s purpose was to expedite the process of independence from the Igara factory, which they claim has been obstructing their efforts.

In response to these developments, the Igara Tea Growers Factory sought a court injunction to prevent the Buhweju farmers from disrupting factory activities. During a court appearance today, both the complainants and the defendants presented their cases to Deputy Registrar Arinaitwe Gorreti.

The court ruled in favor of the Buhweju farmers, granting them permission to hold meetings but explicitly prohibiting them from interfering with the factory’s operations.

The court has adjourned the case until October 18 for further mention of the main suit, leaving both sides awaiting clarification on the future of their ongoing conflict.

Haruna Ssewaya, the lead lawyer for the petitioners, emphasized the seriousness of the situation and the need for a resolution as the conflict continues to impact the tea-growing community in the region.

Mwebesa Laban,40, of Rushango cell, Ntambazi Parish, Kazo District, tragically ended his own life yesterday evening.

Mwebesa, a father of three, owned a bar, used a pesticide to end his life and passed away shortly after being delivered to

Yusufu Kahotore, the deceased’s grandfather revealed that Mwebesa had separated with two wives and was living with his grandparents.

Residents described him as someone who seldom shared his problems a character they believe may have contributed to his tragic decision.

Bernard Mugisha, the vice chairman of Rushango cell, condemned suicide, especially among the youth and encouraged them always share their challenges for advice.

Political leaders in Bushenyi-Ishaka municipality have praised President Museveni for the Shs1billion road rehabilitation grant which has enabled local governments to enhance their road networks.

Speaking to our reporter at his office, Richard Byaruhanga, the Mayor of Bushenyi-Ishaka Municipality, highlighted the difficulties local governments faced following the COVID-19 pandemic especially budget cuts on the road fund. He noted that their allocation was reduced from Shs638 million to Shs208 million. He thanked the president’s directive for the Shs1 billion roads rehabilitation grant which the municipality has been able to use to address road backlogs and open up new roads that had been planned in previous financial years.

Byaruhanga reported that the municipality successfully tarmacked over four roads using the grant, including the Basaja-Bwegiragye Road (0.23 km), Bushenyi Liberation Road (0.5 km), Nyamushekyera, and Kabirisi Daystar Phase 1, among others.

He expressed optimism that with the continuation of this grant, the road networks in Bushenyi-Ishaka Municipality will be expanded up to 90 percent.

Ntungamo District Chairman Samuel Mucunguzi Rwakigoba Ssalongo has praised local school heads for their resilience and dedication as effective stewards of public schools in the district.

His remarks came yesterday during the release of the Ntungamo District Primary Leaving Mock Examination results at St. Matthew’s Cathedral Kyamate in Ntungamo Municipality. Mucunguzi acknowledged the significant challenges facing the district, particularly the ongoing shortage of staff. He pointed out that many teachers have been serving as headteachers for extended periods, a situation that violates regulations. He assured attendees that he would address these staffing concerns within the current quarter of the financial year.

To alleviate the burdens caused by staff ceilings in government-aided schools, Mucunguzi pledged to increase staffing levels by 70%. He directed Chief Administrative Officer Mathius Ndifuna to prioritize the promotion and recruitment of qualified teachers in accordance with established service guidelines to fill existing gaps that have hindered the district’s academic performance.

Ndifuna emphasized the importance of head teachers being well-versed in professional regulations and making decisions based on educational statutes.

Bernard Ahabwe Mupenda, Chairperson of the district’s social services committee, recognized the commitment to improving school infrastructure, which includes the construction of 36 water tanks and four latrines, as well as other planned renovation activities for the current financial year. Mupenda, who is also the LCV councilor for Ruhaama Sub County, urged school heads to collaborate effectively despite challenging working conditions.

Emmanuel Katto, Chairperson of the Ntungamo Primary Schools Head Teachers’ Association, stressed the need for capable and competent examiners to ensure professionalism in both conducting and marking examinations. He reported that the mock examination papers, prepared by a team of knowledgeable UNEB examiners, met the required standards. However, he pointed out that while science saw the highest scores, many candidates struggled with reading comprehension and concept interpretation across all subjects.

A total of 11,807 candidates participated in the 2024 mock examinations, with results indicating that 1,669 achieved first division, 3,493 in second division, 1,817 in third grade, 3,124 in fourth grade, and 1,611 ungraded.

In terms of performance rankings, Kajara County emerged at the top, followed by Ruhaama, Ruhaama East, and trailing was Rushenyi County.

Mercy Orikiriza, the Inspector of Schools, encouraged both public and private school heads to intensify efforts to enhance academic performance in their institutions.

The event was attended by various dignitaries, including District Inspectors of Schools Robert Tuzarirwe and Francis Gumisiriza Ruhinja, among others.

Bushenyi Ishaka Municipality is facing a severe shortage of primary school teachers as a growing number of educators are opting for early retirement.

Saverio Mukobi Byarufu, the town clerk of Bushenyi Ishaka Municipality, revealed that in just one month, six teachers submitted their applications for early retirement. This trend poses a significant threat to the academic performance within the municipality.

During an address to school heads at the official release of mock examination results, Byarufu emphasized the importance of dedication and patriotism among teachers, urging them to fulfill their roles until the age of 60 before considering retirement.

He expressed concern that the increasing number of retirements would compromise service delivery to students, especially as schools are already facing staffing shortages.

Byarufu highlighted several factors contributing to the decision of teachers to retire early, including marital responsibilities, work-related pressures, and inadequate financial compensation.

At least seven people have been confirmed dead while over 30 have sustained injuries following a collision between a bus and a truck in Kirumba Village, Lwengo District, in the wee hours of Monday August 19 on the Masaka-Mbarara highway.

The accident occurred around 4 a.m. as a speeding bus, registration number UBQ 621 Z, owned by Gateway Bus Company, collided head-on with a Fuso Fighter truck, registration number UBM 673 K, which was loaded with sacks of maize flour. The truck was traveling from Masaka to Mbarara City. The deceased, who are yet to be identified, were reportedly on the bus coming from Kabale in western Uganda en route to Kampala.

Eyewitness Richard Ssekitoreko, chairperson of Kirumba Village, stated that many passengers on the bus sustained various injuries, while those in the truck also suffered multiple injuries, including fractures. He attributed the crash to the bus driver’s attempt to overtake another vehicle.

“The bus driver was in the process of overtaking a Jaguar bus when he miscalculated, resulting in a head-on collision with the oncoming truck,” Ssekitoreko explained.

Close to 69 passengers are believed to have been on board. Many of the injured were taken to local clinics in Kyazanga Town Council and Masaka Regional Referral Hospital.

Twaha Kasirye, Southern Regional Police Spokesperson, confirmed that a traffic team is on-site gathering information about the crash and revealed that, “I will provide a detailed statement once our team returns from the field.”

This incident marks the third fatal crash involving a bus on this highway in the past year. On August 28, 2023, a bus owned by Global Bus Company, registration number UBB 985 M, skidded off the highway, resulting in two deaths and over 20 injuries. Just days later, another accident involved a bus from Perfect Coaches, registration number UBF 025G, also skidded off the highway, killing at least two and injuring 17 others.

In response to the rising number of road accidents, police reintroduced Operation Fika Salama (Reach Home Safely) along major highways last year to combat reckless driving. Despite the road’s smooth surface and climbing lanes, the Masaka-Mbarara highway remains one of the country’s most accident-prone routes.

A devastating road accident on the Mbarara-Masaka Highway in Sanga Town Council, Kiruhura district has claimed the lives of two individuals early this morning.

The collision occurred at approximately 5:45am and involved two Fuso trucks; a milk tanker with registration number UBB 905J, traveling from the Masaka side, and a truck loaded with matooke, registered as UBG 727P, coming from Mbarara.

The victims have been identified as Mugabe Eric, 48, a resident of Kyazanga in Lwengo District, and Gumisirizi Abubakari, an adult male hailing from Isingiro District. Both men died instantly in the collision.

The driver of the milk tanker sustained serious injuries and was rushed to an unspecified medical facility within Mbarara City for treatment. Due to the severity of the accident, local authorities arrived at the scene shortly after the collision, but the bodies of the deceased had already been transported by family members to Kyazanga.

Initial investigations carried out by the Traffic Police suggest that reckless driving by both truck drivers may have been a significant factor in the incident. Witnesses at the scene reported that the trucks collided head-on, resulting in extensive damage to both vehicles.

SP Samson Kasasira, the Public Relations Officer for Rwizi Region, states that police are actively investigating the circumstances surrounding the crash.

He urged the public to observe road safety regulations and drive responsibly to prevent similar tragedies. “We cannot overemphasize the importance of safe driving. This accident is a stark reminder of the dangers posed by reckless behavior on the road,” he added.