𝐄𝐗𝐏𝐋𝐎𝐑𝐄𝐑 𝐍𝐄𝐖𝐒 𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐔𝐏

𝐈𝐒𝐒𝐔𝐄 246
🇫 🇷 🇮 🇩 🇦 🇾
𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐂𝐇 24, 2023
🇺🇬🇺🇬🇺🇬

🇺🇬 President Museveni directs UBC to run all Government advertisements in new directive
📌President Yoweri Museveni has directed Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja that Government should take over all the debt accumulated by the national broadcaster, the Uganda Broadcasting Corporation (UBC) and also ensure that all Government media advertisements go through the Corporation. The President also directed the Government to make a substantive budget allocation to the corporation from next financial year. This followed a letter from the UBC Managing Director Winston Agaba expressing underfunding, denial of adverts from Accounting Officials and delays to remit their NSSF contributions and Pay As You Earn taxes.

🇺🇬 Minister Oryem re echoes Government stand on homosexuality
📌Okello Oryem, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs has re echoed that Uganda will not bow to pressure from the Western world and will not okay homosexuality. Okello maintained that there is a need to protect the younger generation.

🇺🇬 Acholi PDM extortionists to face arrest as per Presidential directive
📌President Museveni has ordered the State House Anti-Corruption Unit to investigate Acholi Sub-region leaders accused of extortion and mismanagement of the Parish Development Model (PDM) funds. President Museveni on Wednesday met local leaders from Acholi led by Gulu Resident City Commissioner (RCC) Jane Francis Amongin Okili to follow up on complaints raised during his February tour of the region.

🇺🇬 IGG sets three-month ultimatum to deal with land grabbers in Luweero 
📌The Inspector General of Government (IGG), Hon Betty Kamya has pledged to investigate every land matter in Luweero in a period of three months. This was after a Baraza she held in Wobulenzi Town Council in which residents decried rampant land grabbing cases that are allegedly being spearheaded by Bukalasa Land office which protects the grabbers.

🇺🇬 NDA shuts down  21 drugshops, impounds drugs worth Shs30M in greater Masaka 
📌National Drug Authority (NDA) has impounded drugs worth Shs30 Million and shut 21 drug shops during an operation in greater Masaka District. The head of the enforcement, Samuel Kyomukama, said that the operations were carried out in districts of Masaka, Lwengo, Ssembabule, Mpigi and Wakiso.

🇺🇬 Inflation rate drops – BOU
📌The acting Governor of Bank of Uganda, Michael Atingi- Ego has revealed that the Uganda’s inflation rate has dropped from 10.7 percent to 9.2 percent in the months of February and March. Atingi said this has been achieved through measures like increasing the interest rates for lending institutions and reducing money in circulation.

🇺🇬 Police arrests man in Mukono for killing his mother over land
📌Police officers attached to Nagalama Police station have arrested a one Mubarak Goowa for allegedly killing his mother, Nalongo Nabukere, 70, over land issues. The Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson, Patrick Onyango says that Gowa, a resident of Kalagala village, Kyampisi Sub County in Mukono District had an exchange with his mother over land issues thereby hammering her on the head and she died instantly.

🇺🇬 7 year old pupil dies during school athletics
📌Joseph Bamwirire, 7,  a pupil of Kalaka Primary School in Butebu District died as he pertook in school athletics.  Police spokesperson of Butebo South Samuel Semewo said that the pupil joined his colleagues to run 110M when he was not authorised because pupils below P.3 were not allowed in the race. He collapsed and was rushed to Butebo Health Centre IV where he was pronounced dead.

🇺🇬 Experts advise agriculture players to adopt use of solar technologies to reduce fossil fuels usage
📌Innovation experts have advised players in agriculture to adopt the use of solar technologies in order to reduce the dependency on fossil fuels and mitigate the impact of climate change. Mukembo Paul, the future lab studio leader at innovation lab Uganda stated that the country has a significant potential for solar energy production due to its high levels of solar radiation.

🇺🇬 BUKEDEA:  Hunters discover decomposing body of dead  woman 
📌Hunters in Kibimba Village, Amujej Parish, Kamutur Sub-County in Bukedea District have reported to authority after discovering a dead body of unknown woman in her late 40s.
“While hunters were on duty, they discovered a body of a naked unknown woman in her late 40th decomposing in the forest”, said the in-charge of Kamutur Police Station

🇺🇬 KIBUKU: West Budama North electorate demonstrate over MP Fox Odoi’s support of homosexuals 
📌Residents of West Budama North demonstrated over failure by their Member of Parliament, Fox Odoi to support the Anti-Homosexual Bill which was passed  in Parliament. The demonstrators who were carrying placards and chanting “MP Fox Odoi resign or never step in our constituency in 2026” accused the MP for misrepresenting them.

🇺🇬 KWANIA: Authorities to arrest parents who resist sending children to school 
📌Authorities in Kwania District have started a campaign to arrest the parents found with their children at home instead of sending them to school. Allan Aboci, the Senior Assistant Secretary of Atongitidi Sub-county says that at Boda Primary School in Cawente Sub-county, there are less than 100 pupils instead of the 900 pupils. He urged parents to take the children to school or else they will be compelled to pay a fine of Shs50000 or face the law.

🇺🇬 TESO: District speakers protest government’s directive on school charges 
📌District Speakers across Teso Sub-region have expressed concern at the recent pronouncement by the Ministry of Education and Sports to stop parents from making any form of payments in public schools across the country as a mode of keeping all school-age going children in the class. The call came as they met the State Minister of Primary Education, Joyce Moriku where they highlighted that parents’ contributions have been voluntary and affordable by the majority.

🇺🇬 KATAKWI: Government constructs two classroom blocks at Acanga Primary School 
📌The chairperson Ngariam Sub County  while monitoring construction work on the new two classroom blocks at Acanga Primary School in Acanga parish on Thursday commended Government for its commitment to provide free education to all children of school going age. The project also includes the headteacher’s office and store worthy Ugx108 million, contracted by Ms Ayo and Sons General Enterprise.

🇺🇬 OMORO: Never Thirst organisation rehabilitates boreholes in Lakwaya SubCounty 
📌The ongoing construction and rehabilitation by Never Thirst, a Non-Governmental organisation on Friday handed over the rehabilitated boreholes in Olim village Idure Parish Lakwaya Sub County. The area local council chairperson Okoli noted that this will enable community members to have access to safe drinking water.

🇺🇬 GULU:  UETCL constructs houses for vulnerable people in Koro Sub County 
📌Uganda Electricity Transmission Company limited (UETCL) has constructed houses for vulnerable people in Koro Sub County. The project community liasons Adoch Betty revealed that the constructed houses are a compensation to the people who offered their land for the ongoing construction of the electricity substation in Koro. The constructed houses include a living house of five rooms, a kitchen and a pit latrine.

𝐀𝐂𝐑𝐎𝐒𝐒 𝐁𝐎𝐑𝐃𝐄𝐑𝐒
🌍  🌍  🌍

🌍  Rwanda concerned about imminent ‘genocide’ in Eastern DRC 
📌Rwanda’s Foreign Affairs Minister Vincent Biruta has said that the country is concerned about an imminent “genocide” against Kinyarwanda-speaking civilians in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Addressing the National Consultative Forum of Political Organizations on Thursday, Biruta blamed the international community for failing to act on escalating violence in eastern DRC, despite several reports and evidence highlighting facts of possible genocide.

🌍 Burundi troops take over key locations from M23 in east DRC 
📌Burundi National Defence Forces (BNDF) troops deployed under the East African Community Regional Force (EACRF) have now taken over key locations previously occupied by M23 rebels in eastern DR Congo. These are Karuba, Mushaki and Kirolirwe which the troops have occupied upon completion of ongoing reconnaissance and verification of the withdrawal of the group. The regional force, in a statement released on Thursday, said the BNDF troops are further expected to deploy to Kitchanga.

🌍 DRC: Ex-Militia Jean Pierre Bemba appointed minister
📌The President of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Félix Tshisekedi, has appointed a former militia leader, once convicted of war crimes, as his new defence minister. Jean Pierre Bemba, a former Congolese Vice-President, was cleared on appeal by the International Criminal Court in 2018. He was convicted of failing to prevent his militia from committing crimes. His appointment comes as the Congolese army battles the M23 rebels in the east of the country. The changes have come as the country is due to go to the polls in December in which Mr Tshisekedi is expected to run for re-election.

🌍 NIGERIA: Top politician, wife and  doctor convicted over organ trafficking 
📌A senior wealthy Nigerian politician, his wife and a doctor have been found guilty of organ trafficking deal. Senator Ike Ekweremadu, his wife, and the doctor were convicted for conspiring to exploit the man of his kidney in the first case under modern slavery laws. The 21-year old  victim was brought to the United Kingdom last year to provide a kidney in an 80000-pound private transplant at the royal free hospital in London.

🌍 ZAMBIA: US Warned against Promoting Gay Agenda Ahead of VP Visit 
📌Zambia’s main Opposition Party, Patriotic Front (PF), has expressed concern that the US is pushing homosexuality agenda in the Southern African country. PF leader Given Lubinda on Wednesday cited an executive order and a Presidential memorandum issued by US President Joe Biden on advancing equality for LGBT people.
“As Patriotic Front, we beseech Zambians not to allow the US to impose its values in Zambia. We must defend ourselves,” Mr Lubinda said.

🌍 MOZAMBIQUE:  President Nyusi orders probe into crackdown on protesters 
📌Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi has ordered a probe into reports of abuses by the police units deployed to disperse peaceful protests in the capital Maputo on Saturday. He ordered the interior ministry to “investigate the reasons that led the police to engage in physical confrontations with the youths. Local media reported that authorities used tear gas, rubber bullets and dog units to repress marches in tribute to the late rapper Azagaia, in Nampula, Beira, Xai-Xai and Maputo cities on Saturday.

🌍 EQUATORIAL GUINEA: Marburg Virus kills 20 – WHO 
📌The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday that the death toll from the Marburg virus epidemic in Equatorial Guinea has risen to 20, with Malabo reporting six more deaths in 10 days. The cases of this haemorrhagic fever, which is almost as deadly as Ebola, have spread from the province of Kie-Ntem, where it caused the first known deaths on 7 January, to Bata, the economic capital of the central African country.

🌍 SOUTH AFRICA: Opposition vows to ‘protect’ Putin from ICC Arrest 
📌South African Opposition Party, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has said Russian President Vladimir Putin is welcome to visit Pretoria despite an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) against him. Putin is scheduled to travel to South Africa for the Brics (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) summit in August. EFF leader Julius Malema on Thursday said no-one is going to arrest Mr. Putin while in South Africa, a country where Russia “played a huge role to support the struggle for freedom”.