Ibanda University has donated assorted items, including foodstuffs like sugar, milk, bread, soap, cakes, sweets, cooking oil and posho to Ibanda Babies Home in Kagongo, Ibanda Municipality.

The home looks after abandoned children and some orphans from across the western region.

While handing over the items, George Zombeire, the Ibanda University secretary, lauded the home for looking after the abandoned children adding that the visit to the home by university officials was part of activities ahead of its sixth graduation ceremony scheduled for December 2^nd 2022.

Patrick Turyamureeba, who represents businessman Patrick Bitature on the university board, called on other organizations and the public to support the home to enable it cater for the needs of the children.

Rev Sister Elizabeth Ninsiima, the home administrator, appreciated the university for the donation, saying the home has no permanent donors and depends solely on public donations to provide for the children.

Ibanda Babies Home is currently looking after 21 kids that were abandoned in different districts across the region including Kamwenge, Ibanda, Sheema, Mitooma, and Isingiro. The children are mainly brought to the home by the Police after rescuing them while others are orphans. 

A three year old child has been confirmed dead and two others injured following an incident in which a house collapsed on them on Sunday night in Mpasha, Rukiri sub-county in Ibanda South County.

The deceased identified as John Byamugisha, was only three and a half years born to Peninah Kasande.

His three-month-old sister survived together with the mother who both sustained minor injuries from falling debris.

Following a heavy downpour on Sunday afternoon, the family’s wattle and mud house collapsed on the occupants at around 8.30pm.

A section of neighbours said the rains could have further weakened the house’s last anchor points and it came down in one big thud.

According to the neighbours, John Turyajuna, the father to the deceased was away at work in Nyabuhikye at the time of the horrible incident.

Marcelino Turyahabwe, an uncle to the deceased, was the first to arrive at the scene. He said the boy was removed from the debris after about 30 minutes and rushed to the nearest clinic in Mpasha trading centre.

Unfortunately, he died as they were approaching the trading centre.

Stella Maris Kansiime, the area LCI vice-chairperson, attributed the incident to the negligence of the victim’s parents saying the boy could not have died if the parents took time to safeguard the house by digging trenches to divert the water from reaching the foundation of the house.

The Ibanda chief magistrate’s court has sentenced two men to jail terms at Nyabuhikye Prison for stealing bananas.

Court presided over by his worship Aloysius Natwijuka sentenced Asaph Tumusiime, a resident of Kitwe in Ibanda Municipality to three months in prison by for stealing a bunch of bananas from a neighbour’s plantation while Paul Baryakaijuka, another banana thief was handed six months behind bars by the same court.

Appearing before the court on Wednesday November 23^rd , Tumusiime and Baryakaijuka confessed to stealing the bananas which contravenes sections 254 and 261 of the Penal Code Act.

Prosecution led by Ali Ssemakula said that Baryakaijuka stole two bunches of bananas worth UGX 40,000 from Innocent Mugizi’s banana plantation on November 18^th.

The convict was arrested with the help of a sniffer dog, which was introduced at the crime scene and led the Police to Baryakaijuka’s home.

He was arrested and taken to Ibanda Police Station and charged accordingly.

Court was told that the other convict (Tumusiime) was caught in the act of stealing one bunch of bananas from Ruth Natukunda of Kitwe in Ibanda Municipality on November 19^th and arrested by a guard employed by the plantation owner.

Tumusiime also admitted to the crime before court.

While sentencing the two individuals, his worship Natwijuka said they did not waste court’s time, handing Tumusiime a three-month jail term while Baryakaijuka got six months.

Prosecution had prayed for deterrent sentences, saying banana thefts were rampant in the magisterial area of Ibanda.  

Theft attracts a maximum sentence of 10 years.

Angry residents of Kyeikucu cell in Kagongo Division, Ibanda Municipality have burnt a vehicle of suspected cattle thieves.

Edirisa Kyeyune, the Ibanda district Police commander (DPC) confirmed the incident and said Pascal Mugisha, the owner of the car who is currently the main suspect in the theft of the cow is on the run and so are two of his accomplices.

The suspects are said to have stolen the cow valued at UGX 2m during the night of November 20th from Francis Kasamba’s farm in Rukokoma village.

Charles Bamwine, the LCI chairperson Rukokoma II cell, said the Toyota Premio REG No UAR 749A was found loaded with meat at about 3am, prompting the community members to set it ablaze.

Bamwine said the community was venting its anger following a spate of insecurity in the area, mainly caused by vanilla and livestock thieves.

He explained that the car was coming from Katengyeta to Kyeikucu, when it got stuck in mud after the heavy downpour and was making noise deep in the night.

DPC Kyeyune said that no one has been arrested for participating in the burning of the car, however, he cautioned the public against mob action.

Leaders and residents of Mahyoro town council in Kitagwenda district are worried over alleged water and soil pollution by gold mining firms.

Moses Mushabe, the area district councilor, said River Buhindagi, on which livelihoods of people and livestock in 10 villages of the town council depend, has been filled with residues from the gold mine operated by Chinese mining firm, Tyang Tyang.

Mushabe, who is also the deputy speaker, was reacting to the natural resources department budget proposals during the district’s budget conference.  

While responding to the concern, Kitagwenda district natural resources officer, Moses Turyamureba Bujara, said the mining firms have not been cooperative, adding that it was hard for the district officials to access the mines said to be heavily guarded.

Communities from the villages of Kitomi, Karokarungi, Kanyabikyere and Omukarere as well as Kyendangara, Buhindagi, Rwetuuma, Zambia, Kachindo depend on the River Buhindagi for water for domestic use and to water the animals. 

When contacted on November 11 to comment on the matter, Yusuf Mugarura, the gold mine site manager, referred this reporter to the energy and mineral development ministry, to explain the situation. He said they were duly licensed to operate in the area.  

Mugarura also accused the media of ‘interfering’ with investment projects in the country. 

River Buhindagi pours its waters into Lake George and also serves Buhweju and Ibanda districts.

Residents of Nshwerenkye cell II in Rushere town council and Akaanara cell I in Keitanturegye Parish Kinoni sub-county, Kiruhura district are living in fear after unknown thieves started stealing food from their gardens.

A section of the resident said cassava and bananas are the crops stolen the most from their gardens time after time and this has caused fear of hunger and famine in the long run in these two cells amidst the economic crisis.

Hagabomwe Ambrose, a resident of Nshwerenkye cell II intimated to our reporter that he believes that this act is done by people who not want to work.

Hagabomwe added that security in the community is available but only reporting of crimes by the people is still poor.

Namanya Justus, the secretary for defence in Akaanara cell I also said that stealing of bananas from the plantation is rampant in this cell. He called upon security personnel to intervene on the matter.

Rt. Sergent Apollo Tushemereirwe, the coordinator of crime preventers for Kiruhura district warned the culprits involved in the act of stealing food from people’s gardens to stop or else they risk facing the wrath of the law.

Story by Mutatiina Medison

Nine people have been remanded in Kiruhura government prison in Kiruhura district on seven counts of cattle theft in Kazo district.

Court presided over by Ndaazano Joshua, the Kazo grade one magistrate on Wednesday heard that the suspects including Bangyenda Samuel aka Brown from Kibale district, Namakula Hilda from Ngomba district, Kobwengye Richard from Kyegegwa district, Bagoza Patrick, Kutesa Ronald, and others were arrested in the month of October on charges of cattle theft.

The arrest of the suspects followed an incident in which 24 cows were on 8^th October 2022 stolen from a one Nobert Turyahika’s farm in Kakoni, Buremba sub-county, Kazo district.

The prosecution told court that more cattle were stolen from Nshemereirwe Coleb’s farm, and Ahimbisibwe Didas all from Engari sub-county in Kazo district.

The suspects pleaded not guilty to the charges and were immediately sent on remand till 30^th November 2022 when they will reappear in court.

Kazo district has been hit by a wave of cattle theft in recent months, according to police reports, the stolen cattle are smuggled into other districts like Kasese and Kampala. 

After the State Minister for education, Dr. Joyce Moriku  Kaducu declared on Tuesday this week that pre-primary, primary and secondary schools will be closing early not beyond 25^th November 2022 to contain the spread of Ebola in the country, a section of people in Kiruhura district have expressed mixed feelings over the ministry’s decision.

Rev. David Kagumya, head teacher of Bishops Girls’ school said that although children will lose a lot academically, it is better to close schools instead of them contracting Ebola from school.

Rev. Kagumya noted that parents need to create time for their children to read notes while at home during holyday.

Maremasa Obed, one of the parents said that early closure of schools will lead to the loss of money by parents they have already given schools. Maremesa said parents are impoverished by the economic crisis that they do not need lose what they have already got.

Kitakureka David, a councilor for Nshwerempago parish also supported this government’s move saying it is necessary to save the lives of children.

Kaducu directed all pre-primary, primary and secondary schools across Uganda to close on 25 November 2022, two weeks before the scheduled end of term on 9 December 2022 after 23 Ebola cases were confirmed among school going pupils, including eight children who have died from the virus.

By Mutatiina Medison

Local leaders and stakeholders in Kitagwenda district have called for strong interventions to curb teenage pregnancies that have risen in the district.

The call follows a report indicating a big increase in the number of girls aged between 15 and 19 years who got pregnant in Kitagwenda over the past three years ending June 30, 2022.

A report by United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) indicates that the district recorded 3,420 teen pregnancies over the period, 33 of whom were girls below 15 years old, while 3,387 others ranged from 15 – 19 years of age.

According to the district health officer, Dr. Christine Karungi, Mahyoro sub-county registered the highest number of teen pregnancies with 941 girls between 15 and 19 years of age conceiving over the reporting period. It is followed by Kitagwenda town council and Nyabbani sub-county, which registered 721 and 691 teenage pregnancies, respectively.

At only four, Kicheche sub-county registered the least teenage pregnancies over the period. Buhanda recorded 376 teen pregnancies, Kabujogera 308, and Kanara 379.

Yasin Kezimbira, the District male youth councillor called for strong measures to ensure that girls stay in school, saying this provides them the much-needed safety net.

He said parents who are found to have removed their children from school should also be punished.

Kezimbira called for creation of skilling centres especially in the sub-counties with high teen pregnancy rates, to cater for the young mothers who can’t return to school.

The two officials were speaking during the district’s budget conference.