Uganda has been ranked the happiest nation in the East African region according to the World Happiness Report 2022 released by the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network.
The World Happiness Report uses global survey data sourced from 146 countries to evaluate how people are living worldwide with focus on three main well-being indicators which included; life evaluations, positive emotions and negative emotions, has revealed that amidst the dark times of the Covid-19 pandemic, there is some light.
According to the report, Uganda ranked 117th globally with an average score of 4.6 making it the best ranked country in the East African region followed by Kenya which ranked 119th while Tanzania came third at the 139th position globally.
Meanwhile, Rwanda ranked the least happy country in the region at position 143 despite improving from position 147 registered last year.
Globally, Finland ranked the happiest nation while Afghanistan ranked the least happy country.
Whereas the date for departed Speaker Jacob Oulanyah’s burial has not been set, according to the Parliamentary Pensions Act, the day Oulanyah will be buried shall be designated a public holiday.
Section 16 (d) of the Parliamentary Pensions Act sates that: “A public holiday shall be declared on the day of burial, in accordance with the Public Holidays Act.”
Oulanyah died over the weekend in Seattle, USA, where he had been rushed for specialized medical attention in February 2022 becoming the first speaker of parliament in Uganda to die in office.
This stipulates benefits for the speaker and deputy speaker in the event of death or retirement which including being accorded a state funeral.
According to this same law, 30% of the gross salary of the speaker or deputy speaker shall be used towards funeral expenses.
As the highest earning MP in the House, the Speaker takes earns a gross salary of UGX 40 million per month, which brings the annual gross salary of the speaker to UGX 480 million according to sources.
This translates to UGX130 million as 30% of 480 million to cover part of Oulanyah’s funeral expenses, according to the law.
Other procedures to be followed according to the law are:
Government shall declare a mourning period.
Martial music shall be played on national radio during the mourning period.
National flags shall be flown at half- mast during the mourning period.
The casket shall be draped in the national flag.
The casket cortege shall be escorted by the Uganda Police Force in top-roof flash light vehicles.
The casket shall be carried by ceremonially uniformed pall bearers from the Uganda Police Force
The body shall lie in state for one day, for public viewing.
A condolence book shall be opened for signing by political leaders, dignitaries and the public.
An official guard shall keep vigil and a bright light shall light the casket throughout the night.
Parliament shall pay tribute to the Speaker or Deputy Speaker with a band in attendance playing dirges.
A funeral service shall be held in honour of the late Speaker or Deputy Speaker in a place of worship or in a place designated by Cabinet.
The casket shall be transported to the burial place by a hearse. At the burial, there shall be a seventeen gun salute.
Oulanyah’s Biography.
Oulanyah was born on March, 23, 1965 to Nathan L’okori and Karen Atwon in the then Gulu district.
He attended St.Joseph’s College Layibi, Dr.Obote College Boroboro and Kololo Senior Secondary School for his O and A level education.
In 1988, he joined Makerere University where he studied agricultural economics and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in 1991.
In 1991, he joined law school at Makerere University, graduating in 1994 with a Bachelor of Laws degree, having earlier served as speaker of the students’ guild at the university.
He joined Law Development Centre in 1995 and obtained a postgraduate diploma in legal practice but later worked as a lecturer at LDC.
During the same time, Oulanyah began private law practice at Oulanyah, Onoria & Company Advocates and in 2001, he entered elective politics when he was elected as the Omoro County Member of Parliament as a Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) party ticket whereas the country was still in the movement political system.
Oulanyah also participated in the peace talks between the Ugandan government and Kony’s Lord’s Resistance Army rebels.
In 2006, standing as a UPC candidate, Oulanyah was trounced in Omoro County and later that year, he quit UPC to join the ruling NRM party.
In 2011, he was re-elected as Omoro County MP in the ninth parliament on the NRM ticket and was later elected as Deputy Speaker of Parliament.
In January 202, he was in the parliament election re-elected as Omoro County MP.
In May 2021, he was elected as Speaker of Parliament, after defeating the former Speaker Rebecca Alitwala Kadaga.
On 29 January 2022, Oulanyah was taken to Mulago National Referral Hospital, where his doctors recommended that he be flown out of Uganda for treatment over unspecified illness.
On 4 February 2022, he was flown via Iceland to Seattle, in the United States, for treatment.
On 20 March 2022, Oulanyah died in Seattle, USA.
Speaker JacobOulanyah pictured with his predecessor Hon Rebecca Alitwala Kadaga. (File photo)Speaker Jacob Oulanyah with daughter at the swearing-in ceremony at Parliament in May last year. (File Photo)Speaker Jacob Oulanyah with Hon. Anita Among, his deputy speaker at parliament. (File photo)
On Monday, 7th March 2022, Manoj Murali, the Airtel Uganda Managing Director launched the Uganda Needs More of You, at the Kampala Serena Hotel. Speaking at the launch, Manoj revealed that the campaign would require participants to share stories of how they have utilized technology to positively impact the lives of others. Adding that the submissions were intended to discover, tell and celebrate some of the inspiring stories of Ugandans with whom Airtel Uganda shares its growth story.
Manoj Murali, the Managing Director Airtel Uganda speaking at the launch.
Citing the story of Mr. Dickson Mushabe, who founded the Dolphin Fund, a unique crowdfunding website through which Ugandans are raising funds to support nobel causes within their communities, the story of the famous Ella Clear Foods by M/s Catherine Nakatudde, who used WhatsApp to ensure that the meals of workers in Kampala City continued to be delivered to their tables especially during the covid-19 pandemic lockdown and that of Dr. Davis Musinguzi who founded Rocket Health in the health sector which unlocked the power of telemedicine to save lives in many places, Manoj said he is confident that #UGNEEDSMOREOFU campaign would help discover and celebrate more of these Ugandan stories.
He noted that these stories demonstrate the entrepreneurial spirit of Ugandans that gets sparked by challenges and opportunities. The stories which represent the power of the many change makers in Uganda who are leveraging the power of technology to transform their communities are expected to inspire more Ugandans to aspire for more.
Manoj revealed that Uganda Needs More of You Stories will be broadcasted on select media houses. “On a monthly basis, the stories submitted will be vetted and the top 3 will be selected to proceed to the next stage. The final transformative stories will receive support for their causes” he said.
“Airtel Uganda is pleased to support this movement of change makers in their causes and scale up their impact and awareness in Uganda and across borders and remains committed to enabling all Ugandans to connect, innovate and do business by providing the widest 4G coverage network, without differentiation, across Uganda and at the most affordable prices,” he said.
The former Eagles production band member believes the brand she has overtime built in the music industry has enabled her to become popular and calls upon people to support her just like they did Bobi Wine.
“If people could trust Bobi Wine for the presidency, why shouldn’t they trust me for EALA. Unless someone has a bad heart, I don’t see any reason why they shouldn’t support me,” she recently said during an interview with a local blogger.
Kusasira who listed her intentions in 2021 said she has all it takes to be in that parliament and she does so because she is also a champion of regional integration.
“We are thinking of regional development to increase our diplomatic ties. I’m very serious on it and more serious,” she said.
Kusasira who is a presidential advisor added that she won’t go to EALA for selfish gains but to help Ugandans as it’s on record that she has been supporting the poor, giving an example of how she gave out welding machines to Salaama road residents.
In case she succeeds, she will join other artistes who have made it to the political arena such as Bobi Wine, Dr Hildermann, Geoffrey Lutaaya, among others.
A group of about 25 specialists at Mulago National Specialised Hospital led by Dr John Sekabira; a senior consultant paediatric surgeon, have successfully separated another pair of conjoined twins.
The twins were born in December 2021 to Moses Talemwa, 26, and Hellen Kugonza, 25, both residents of Bulinda Village in Hoima District. The twins who were co-joined at the chest, abdomen and also shared a liver were referred to Mulago hospital by Hoima Regional Referral Hospital and on December 13, 2021 they were received by the Mulago Hospital team when they were only two days old.
Hellen Kugonza holds her baby moments after the successful surgery.
Dr Sekabira told journalists that after receiving them, he and the team did a cross examination and found that they were joined in the chest and abdomen and were sharing vital organs like the liver. “We worked hard and made sure that they were out of danger,” he told journalists.
Before the surgery, the twins were put on a specialized diet to gain weight that would withstand the procedure. “They were fed on special milk and by the time they were two months, their combined weight was 8kgs which was very commendable,” he said.
Dr Sekabira revealed that the surgery took about five hours after which they were then taken to the intensive care unit where they stayed for two days before being taken back to the ward adding that the babies have since stabilized and are feeding well.
Dr Rosemary Byanyima; the deputy Executive Director of Mulago hospital, said they have trained people in different specialities, including paediatric surgeons, to handle such cases of offering specialised surgeries and care.
“We have over time carried out separation of such twins. This kind of care has been possible because through the renovation, re-equipping and remodeling of the hospital sponsored by the government of Uganda. The theatre and intensive care are well equipped and even the wards have been remodeled to take care for such cases,” she said.
Dr Byanyima, however, called for more financial support from government to enable specialized and timely services adding that in the just-concluded surgery the hospital had to spend up to about 21 million Shillings.
Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) has intercepted over 10,000 kilograms of illegal cosmetics in the Central Business District of Kampala and its peripheries.
Ibrahim Bbosa, the URA spokesperson told journalists that the cosmetics had been disguised as Movit products and were loaded on two trucks with REG No. UAU 839E and UBB 993F. He said these were intercepted at Nalukolongo and the Northern By-pass in Kampala.
Bbosa said the illegal cosmetics included Carolight lightening cream, Diproson, Skin Light, Clairmen lightening cream, Coco pulp, citrolight, Cocoderm lightening cream, white secret lightening, body lotion, and body oil and soaps.
Some of the confiscated cosmetics. (Courtesy photo)
“These cosmetics are prohibited in Uganda because they contain hydroquinone and mercury chemicals scientifically proven to be one of the leading causes of skin cancer. The East African Community Customs Management Act also prohibits the importation of such harmful products and protects society from consuming such goods in the region,” said Bbosa at a press briefing.
Bbosa explained that the importation of such smuggled illegal products also creates unfair competition on the market because they do not pay taxes which is a disadvantage to traders who deal in safe cosmetics and pay taxes.
Geoffrey Balamaga, URA’s Enforcement Manager, said smuggling of illegal cosmetics has manifested mostly in the areas around Lake Albert, the porous points of Mpondwe, Hoima area, Congo Borderline in the west, Bunagana, Butogota, and others.
He said between June 2020 and June 2021, URA enforcement teams seized 3,492 cartons of assorted contraband cosmetics totaling to 39,748kgs.
Geoffrey Balamaga, URA’s Enforcement Manager displays some of the cosmetics they confiscated. (Courtesy photo)
“URA has intensified operations to curb the smuggling of contraband items by leveraging the use of Non-Intrusive Inspection technology at the border points and field intelligence enforcement operations,” said Geoffrey.
According to the Act, a penalty of 50% of the value of goods or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 5 years or both is handed to those caught in violation of the law.
Section 199 of the Act also states that the transporting vessels are liable to a fine not exceeding seven thousand dollars, and any vessel and goods in respect of which such offence has been committed shall be liable to forfeiture.
Police officer held over criminalizing a suspected case of adultery.
During a press briefing yesterday, Fred Enanga; the Police spokesperson said that Inspector of Police Julius Ogwang, attached to Kira Road Police Station, has been arrested over an incident in which he registered a case of adultery as a criminal case.
According to Enanga, adultery is supposed to be purely a civil matter and Ogwang will be charged with discreditable conduct, which upon conviction, can lead to dismissal from the force.
“Last week, we witnessed an incident in which a shameful matter of adultery where the two victims were arrested and interrogated on camera, in a manner that violated their privacy. Adultery is no longer a criminal offence in our country. Therefore, criminalizing it, is an act of unprofessionalism and abuse of authority, which the force cannot tolerate,” Enanga said.
The Couple that was allegedly caught in adultery and forced to apologize on camera.
He cautioned all married persons whether in estranged, complex or sensitive relationships, to respect the sanctity of marriage and use lawful means, instead of smearing one’s reputation.
Enanga advised that adultery can be used as a ground for civil processes like divorce, separation, custody of children and sharing of property under circumstances where victimized married persons have reported their matters to Police.
“These include complaints of elopement, where one elopes with a married person and stays with them, trafficking in persons, where a person uses their power or positions of superiority and takes advantage of the victim’s vulnerability or disability, and under domestic violence, where the victim is tortured physically or emotionally by the sexual behaviour of a married partner,” said Enanga.
Enanga said the arrest of Ogwang should act as a warning to other undisciplined officers, who look to gain from proceeds of their selfish interests, at the expense of the Uganda Police Force mandate.
“Other areas where the public, in conspiracy with selected officers, criminalize civil matters, are private debts, where thousands are threatened with arrest. We strongly condemn the criminalisation of civil matters in police,” he stated.
Enanga emphasized that the alleged actions of their officer (Ogwang) do not represent the majority of the exceptional police officers, who go above and beyond the call of duty, to protect life, property and the community, every day.
President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni; the NRM party chairman has suggested that leading opposition party, National Unity Platform(NUP) should be scrapped off the list of those supposed to benefit from IPOD funding for refusal to join the political party coalition.
NUP recently said they will not join IPOD because the platform has largely been used to legitimize the NRM that has no regard or respect for democracy.
“The regime uses it (IPOD) for political gain, far from its intended objective of strengthening Uganda’s multiparty democracy. You will agree that in the past ten years of IPOD’s existence in Uganda, the democratic space has shrunk, going from bad to worse every successive year” said NUP Secretary General Lewis Rubongoya.
The dialogue for IPOD Council of Secretaries General of member political parties at State House Entebbe was yesterday graced by Richard Tadwong, the NRM Secretary General, Gerald Siranda of Democratic Party (DP), Mohammad Kateregga (JEEMA) and Ebil Fred of Uganda People’s Congress (UPC).
Speaking at this council, Museveni who is also the current chairperson of the IPOD urged all political parties in Uganda to work together and resolve the issues affecting the country.
Museveni says despite the political differences political parties should take lead in the promotion of peace and stability in the country.
President Museveni’s remarks about peace on Twitter.
“Because the idea is, although you have differences, please work for stability by sharing some common positions in a forum and the only forum is this one (IPOD),” said Museveni.
He noted that although IPOD brings together all political parties represented in parliament, some do not want to cooperate with others and therefore, these should not qualify for government funding under IPOD arrangement.
President Museveni’s comment about funding on Twitter
“It should even be put in the law that those who don’t want to be part of the forum, should not share that money since their work is contrary to the spirit of dialogue and unity for the country,” Museveni stressed.
According to the IPOD Council Chairperson, Richard Todwong, NUP is getting more funding than UPC, DP and JEEMA since these funds are allocated to the seven political parties in Parliament in accordance with their numerical strength.
At the May 2019 IPOD summit, President Museveni committed to increase public funding to political parties from shs10 billion to shs35 billion.
“Indeed, the shs35 billion funding was made available and in the January-March quarter, shs23 billion was released by the Ministry of Finance out of shs35 billion passed by parliament in the supplementary budget for funding political parties under IPOD,” Tadwong remarked.
According to the allocation; NRM got shs17 billion (74%), NUP got 3.1 billion (13.5%), FDC got shs1.7 billion (7.4%), DP and UPC each got shs 485 million (2.1%) JEEMA and PPP each got shs 53 million (0.2%)
President Museveni maintained his earlier position that 15% of the total amount should be shared equally among member parties for administrative expenses, another 15% to be allocated to the IPOD secretariat for joint activities for the member parties and 70% be allocated based on numerical strength of parliamentary representation of member parties.
IPOD is an organization that brings together all political parties represented in Parliament with a cardinal objective of promoting meaningful interparty dialogue in pursuit of the peaceful coexistence of national development activities.
Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja has today commissioned MV PAMBA for its first commercial travel after sixteen years of being grounded.
Rt. Hon Robinah Nabbanja commissions MV PAMBA after its renovations.
Following its recommissioning, the rehabilitated MV Pamba, has resumed operations on Lake Victoria after being flagged off by Hon Nabbanja from PortBell, Luzira for its first commercial trip to Kisumu.
LoadedMV Pamba ready to sail the waters of Lake Victoria 16 years of being docked at Port-bell.
MV Pamba, a Ugandan-owned vessel, sank with huge amounts of cargo after colliding with its sister vessel MV Kabalega on Lake Victoria in 2005. The latter watercraft has never been recovered.
The rehabilitation of Pamba, estimated to have cost sh28.6bn, was undertaken by Mango Tree Group, a Chinese firm. Fan Shuchun, the chairperson of Mango Tree Group, said repairs of MV Pamba were completed in November last year and sea trial tests done in January.
The rehabilitated MV Pamba ready to sail.The rehabilitated MV Pamba ready to sail.
General Edward Katumba Wamala, theMinister of Works and Transport has urged the business community, petroleum-based and other heavy duty companies to utilize MV Pamba to haul their cargo so as to reduce on the number of heavy trucks on our roads.
The minister added that the 24 crew vessel has a capacity to carry 22 wagons and will increase tonnage, with a monthly shipping of 21,000 tonnes of cargo expected, which he said will relieve the pressure on roads.
Stanley Ssendegeya, the managing director of Uganda Railways Corporation (URC), said the vessel has the capacity to transport 10,000 tonnes of cargo.
MV Pampa and MV Kaawa; the transporters of bulk cargo on Lake Victoria.
MV Pamba’s return to operations will complement the existing Roll on Roll off vessel MV Kaawa to haul cargo between the ports of Port Bell, Kisumu and Mwanza thereby boosting trade and transportation of Cargo on the Victoria waters.
Government together with the former Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence(CMI) boss, Maj Gen AbelKandiho have been sued over the alleged torture of Samuel Masereka, the coordinator of the National Unity Platform (NUP) in Kasese district.
In a case file before the Civil Division of the High Court in Kampala on Tuesday morning, Masereka a student of Medical Radiography at Earnest Cook, Mengo in Kampala says that on January, 7, 2022, at around 6pm while playing pool at a local pub in Kasese, three security operatives clad in UPDF attire attached to CMI arrested him and later confiscated his phone.
He says that immediately after the arrest, a pistol was pointed to his mouth and asked to remain silent, before he was dragged into a waiting drone car and whisked away to Kasese Central Police Station and later to Kilembe Police Post where he spent the night.
Masereka says UPDF operatives in the company of officer Bwambale then picked him from the cells on Saturday, 8, January, at around 9am and asked him to lead them to his home in Nyamwamba East.
Masereka added that while at his home, despite the absence of his lawyers, a comprehensive search was done & his laptop, national ID, flash disk, sim card and National Unity Platform documents used for mobilization were confiscated as exhibits. He says that he was later driven back to Kasese Police Station from where he recorded a statement and later handcuffed and driven to Kampala accompanied by 3 UPDF officers.
“Upon reaching Busega, I was hooded and then proceeded to an unknown destination. When the hood was taken off, we had reached our destination. I was totally undressed, even with no under garments and my particulars taken at the reception. During the night, I asked some of my fellow detainees where we were and I was told that it is Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI) Mbuya,” he said.
The court documents say the following day he was led for interrogation before four officers and that during the interrogation, he was asked about the funders and plans for the National Unity Platform, his phone conversation with NUP’s Lewis Rubongoya and the opposition party’s next move.
Masereka says he was tortured for several days after his answers never “amused” his interrogators, adding that at one time blood was oozing out of his mouth, nose, genital, and all over his body.
A courtesy photo of Masereka’s feet as he left the detention centre.A courtesy photo of Masereka’s left foot.
Declarations
“The applicant seeks a declaration that the respondent’s actions of battering, flogging, intentional infliction of wounds, harassment waterboarding and torture while in detention at CMI Mbuya threatened and violated his non-derogable freedom from torture, cruel and inhumane and degrading treatment guaranteed by articles 24 and 44 of the 1995 Constitution and section 3(1) of the Prevention and Prohibition of Torture Act 2021,” the court documents say.
He also wants court to declare that his detention for 19 days and in an ungazetted detention centre was unlawful and illegal and consequently wants court to order for special damages and general damages.
