Residents of Rukinga, Bugarihe parish, Rwemikoma sub-county, in Kazo district are living in fear after an outbreak of a raging ‘strange’ disease that has caused the death of three people.
These residents from Rukinga led by their LC I Chairperson Mweteise David and their village health team leader, Bugarihe Parish; Esau Baigana confirmed the incidents saying that they are all in fear and urged the government together with district teams to intervene in the matter.
Taremwa Justus, one of the survivors narrated to our reporter that with this rare disease, you first develop a bruise on the arm (Akahere) and the arm starts swelling.
According to the residents, the rare disease was first reported in the month of November when it killed a 60-year-old farmer who was from Rwomuhoro.
He developed the same signs and symptoms of painful swellings on the arm spreading to the chest, he died within five days and was buried in Rukinga.
The latest victim is Bamutunga Yonasani, also a resident of Rukinga Bugarihe parish, who is currently in a critical condition.
Bisaba Imana Benon, the health assistant in the Rwemikoma sub-county confirmed the outcry noting that they are working hand in hand with the district health teams to have some samples taken to the laboratory for proper diagnosis.
Leaders and residents of Buremba town council are crying foul accusing their former LC III chairperson; George Ruyondo of grabbing over 4 acres of Sub-county land.
Ruyondo who is the current head of laity at Kyabahura Church of Uganda, was the chairperson of this Sub-county currently Buremba town council for over 17 years before he was replaced by Nicholas Murisa and later replaced by James Matagaizi, now as mayor of this town council.
These leaders and residents accuse Ruyondo of using his position to mislead other leaders to grab this land in 1995 by getting the title of more than 4 acres and yet he was given only one plot.
Joseph Ndibalema, the then chairperson of lands committee, said that they were called to confirm the land which they couldn’t recall adding that it is likely that the chairperson LC III used his position in a way they didn’t understand and he got much more land that he was given.
Ruyondo in response argued that he followed procedure to get this land title adding that whoever wants to challenge the title should go to high court but not stop developing his land.
On his intervention, the Kazo Resident District Commissioner (RDC) Al-Hajji Umar Mawiya Lule directed Ruyondo to stop the on-going clearing of the land in question before the district and Sub-county intervene.
The over 4 acres of land that was claimed borders Buremba town and is near the road that joins Bigutsyo and Kabingo.
President Yoweri Museveni has told the people of Kiruhura and Kazo to stop lamenting about bad roads in the districts as the cause of their poverty but instead focus on doing things that will improve their household incomes.
The president accompanied by the First Lady, Janet Kataha Museveni was meeting farmers and leaders of Kiruhura and Kazo districts on Wednesday at Nswerenkye Primary School, Kiruhura where he called on leaders at all levels to dedicate their energies on income-generating activities that will improve the livelihoods and families of the people they lead.
President Museveni made the remarks in response to Jovanice Rwenduru, the Kiruhura District Woman MP who raised the issue of poor infrastructure such as the bad road network in the region.
L-R Hon Herbert Tayebwa (Kashongi constituency MP), Hon Wilson Kajwengye (Nyabusozi county MP), Hon Jennifer Muheesi, Woman MP Kazo district and Shadrack Nzeire Kagutaattending the meeting with the president on Wednesday.
Rev. Samuel Mugisha Katugunda, the Kazo LCV Chairperson informed the president that out of the 35,000 households in the district, 67% are involved in commercial farming while 33% in subsistence farming citing lack of land as the reason why they are still doing subsistence farming.
President Museveni advised those with small pieces of land to venture into activities like poultry and zero grazing that do not require much land.
Re-echoing the danger associated with land fragmentation which he said is part of the hindrances to prosperity of Ugandans, president Museveni advised children to venture into collective investment and share what they get from the land instead of subdividing the land amongst themselves especially when the owner dies noting that subdividing the land cannot support commercial agriculture which is the backbone of Uganda’s economy.
“When I go to heaven, I don’t want God to blame me for not getting you out of poverty. He will at least know that I did my part but you did not listen.”
Alluding to Matthew 6:33 in the Bible, the President said: “Seek ye first homestead incomes (Entasya y’amaka), the rest will be added unto you.”
He noted that good roads have been constructed in many parts of the country to ease transport of goods and services but they’re instead being misused to dry cassava and maize.
“We shall work on all the roads but they should find stable families with improved household incomes. Tarmac roads will not take away poverty,” said the president adding that he bought land in Kisozi, Gomba with a vision to create wealth despite the fact that the area had poor road network.
Dan Mukago Rutetebya, the Kiruhura District LCV Chairman appreciated the president for setting up a regional hub for skilling youth in different fields to fight unemployment.
In response to a request by Mukago to have a general Hospital in Kiruhura district and Katugunda who asked that Kazo Health center IV be elevated to district hospital status, the president encouraged leaders to focus on disease prevention through behavior change, improved hygiene, immunization and nutrition so that the country can save money and use it for other priority areas.
The meeting was also attended and addressed by the Minister of State for Animal Industry, Lt Col (Rtd) Bright Rwamirama, the Members of Parliament for Kazo, Kashongi and Nyabushozi constituencies, Gen. Sam Kavuma, the Chairman Board of Directors of Wazalendo Savings and Credit Cooperative Society (WSACCO), District Councillors, LC V and LC III Chairpersons, Women leaders from Kazo and Kiruhura and religious leaders among others.
Six people have been confirmed dead while thirty others are nursing injuries following an accident that happened this Friday morning at Satellite Hotel, 2km from Muhanga trading Centre along Rukiga-Kabale-Ntungamo high way.
Elly Maate, the Kigezi Region Police Spokesperson told our reporter that the accident was a head-on collision involving two buses; one from Rwanda REG No. 798B of Volcano RAD CO while the other belongs to a Kenyan bus company, Oxygen REG No. KCU 054L.
Maate, added that the drivers of the two buses are among the victims.
An eye witnesses told our reporter that the victims have been evacuated to Lotom Health center in Muhanga town council by ambulances and police patrol cars and there is fear that the death toll may rise.
Maate intimated to our reporter that preliminary investigations indicate that the cause of the accident was too much fog whereby the drivers couldn’t easily see what was ahead of them.
Five people have died in a nasty accident that happened at Kibukuta Swamp, Kayabwe along the Kampala-Masaka highway today morning.
According to a statement released by police, the accident involved a taxi, Toyota Hiace REG No. UBM 489B, and a Mercedes Benz REG No. UAM 445B as both vehicles were moving from Kampala headed towards Masaka.
Faridah Nampiima, the Traffic Police spokesperson attributed the accident to over speeding by drivers of both vehicles who tried to overtake each other.
Nampiima said the over speeding Mercedes Benz attempted to overtake, but lost control and hit the Toyota Hiace forcing it off the road.
After veering off the road, both vehicles overturned with the Toyota Hiace killing its occupants.
According to the police statement, the deceased whose identities have not been established include; three female adults and two male adults who were passengers in the Toyota Hiace, while five other unknown victims from the Mercedes Benz were rushed to Nkozi Hospital for management.
Police in Kabale have arrested four suspects in connection with an incident where a 13-year-old girl was allegedly gang-raped moments before her death.
Elly Maate, the Kigezi region police spokesperson confirmed the incident and said the victim identified as Glorious Akampurira Owembabazi was found unconscious after she was gang raped by unknown people.
Maate added that Owembabazi was pronounced dead upon arrival at Kabale regional referral hospital where she was rushed for management.
Elias Twesigomwe, the LC III chairperson Kamuganguzi sub-county who reported the incident to police revealed that the unfortunate incident happened on Christmas day at Nyakasharara trading center, Kyarugondo village, Kasheregyenyi parish, Kamuganguzi sub-county, Kabale district.
Maate identified the suspects as Davis Akankwasa Kehoda, Allan Akanyijuka, Moses Sendarera and Norman Ahumuza Kanuma, all residents of Kasheregyenyi parish, Kamuganguzi Sub-County.
Residents of Katura, Mashonga Kibazi and Ryabaganju in Kyamuhunga sub-county, Bushenyi district have called upon government to compensate the loss of their goats, sheep, pigs and chicken to stray dogs that have been terrorizing their locality.
Following public outcry of these residents, security personnel from the district led by RDC Robert Atuhairwe on Thursday held a security meeting with the affected villages to discuss the way forward on what should be done in dealing with the stray dogs.
During this meeting, Nuwe Sula of Katura Mashonga, said it’s sad that ever since late November this year, about 52 goats and sheep’s of residents have been killed.
Nuwe added that recently the wild animals attacked a woman in Nyakahanga B, Ryamarembo, and injured her but UWA officials have not compensated her.
RDC Atuhairwe said as government, they are mandated to protect people and their properties and they will not sit and watch as residents cry foul.
Atuhairwe said they have embarked on hunting the stray dogs with police where he asked local leaders to form village security teams to help the police in search of the stray dogs.
Speaking to our reporter, a section of the residents who lost their animals asked government to help them and provide something for them since they have been left with nothing to feed their families.
The affected residents also asked security agencies to deploy enough security to their villages as they live in fear ever since the wild animals attacked them.
Kazo district local government has today received 363 bicycles from the government of Uganda to distribute to local council one (LC I) and two (LC II) chairpersons to facilitate their movement while fulfilling their mandate.
While receiving them, Nsubuga Zirimenya, the Chief Administrative Officer revealed that the bicycles are for the government and cautioned the chairpersons against the sale of government bicycles.
“These bicycles are government property and given to office bearers not individuals, so they should be handed over when leaving office,” said Nsubuga.
Nsubuga also asked the chairpersons to take care and maintain the bicycles.
Rev Samuel Mugisha Katugunda, the district LC V chairman appreciated the government for fulfilling the long-awaited promise noting that the bicycles will help the chairpersons to monitor and supervise the government projects in their areas of jurisdiction.
Katugunda further asked the government to look into their income and think about giving motorcycles to these chairpersons.
During the handover function, Al-Hajji Mawiya Lule, the RDC Kazo district also thanked the government for the effort to fulfill the promise and revealed that the NRM chairpersons also got the motorcycles and the chairman LC V saying that this will help them to monitor the government programmes.
Teachers under greater Bushenyi Sacco have embarked on a school to school mobilization program to strengthen the membership and recruitment of more members.
Speaking during the awarding ceremony of members who participated in the Christmas promotion, Abias Tumusiime, the general manager Greater Bushenyi Teachers Sacco noted that the promotion started in October as part of cooperate social responsibility and members were required to buy at least three shares in order to enter into a draw.
Kafaku kodoni, the board chairman noted that in greater Bushenyi, there are over 6000 teachers on government payroll, yet only 2000 are members of the Sacco.
Kafaku said that some teachers don’t know that this Sacco exists and they are exposed to commercial banks which are charging them high interest rates.
John Njoki, the secretary to the board revealed that this Sacco was looked at as if it is for only primary school teachers simply because the founders are only primary teachers and this affected its development.
Njoki added that during the mobilization, they come up with unique products to attract more teachers to join their Sacco.
All participants of the Christmas promotion won themselves prizes including goats, hens, and sodas among others.
Dan Mukago Rutetebya, the Kiruhura district LC V chairperson, has castigated the poor leadership of LC I chairpersons saying the negligence of their work has led to increased insecurity including cases of livestock theft, murder, faking stamps to steal people’s property among others.
Speaking during the security meeting at Kikatsi sub-county headquarters on Tuesday, Mukago observed that LC I Chairpersons do not attend council meetings after learning that out of the 20 chairpersons, 10 were absent from the meeting.
Mukago also noted that cases of murder have increased in this sub-county.
Dan Mukago added that there is a need for cooperation with LC I chairpersons if they are to manage fighting criminality in their villages/ cells.
Mukago also noted that Police in Kikatsi do not help local leaders to apprehend criminals or when arrested they are released by police.
Sulait Kitaka, the Kiruhura District Police commander promised that he will immediately solve the problem by tightening security in the area.
Kitaka tasked LC I chairpersons to always handle cases pertaining domestic violence.
Manya Allan, the LCIII Chairperson Kikatsi Sub-county revealed that three cases of murder have already been reported; alleging that strangers without identification may be behind the murder.
Kenneth Rindirira, the district councilor representing Kikatsi sub-county advised that head counting should be carried in every cell to know the number of people living in the sub-county noting that some LC I chairpersons do not know the number of residents in their cells which he says is a big problem security-wise.
