𝐄𝐗𝐏𝐋𝐎𝐑𝐄𝐑 𝐍𝐄𝐖𝐒 𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐔𝐏

𝐈𝐒𝐒𝐔𝐄 251
AFTERNOON 𝐄𝐃𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍
𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐂𝐇 29, 2023
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🇺🇬  There were no negotiations with Govt for our release from prison – MPs Ssewanyana and Ssegirinya
📌Makindye West MP Allan Ssewanyana and his counterpart Kawempe North MP Muhammad Ssegirinya have said that there were no negotiations held between their lawyers and Government for their release from Kigo prison, noting that it is a diversion by their political opponents. The duo had been incarcerated since September 9 over being the masterminds of the machete killings, also known as, ‘bijambiya murders’ in which over twenty six people lost their lives in Greater Masaka in mid 2021.  They made the remarks Wednesday during their first presser held at National Unity Party headquarters in Kamwokya,  breaking the long silence since they were released from jail on February 13, 2022.  The MPs who blamed their political opponents for their woes and the subsequent ‘propaganda that was awash the media’,  maintained that they are innocent  and according to them, they had no case to answer.

🇺🇬  ATMIS Deputy Force Commander  commends  UPDF for restoring peace in Somalia
📌The African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) Deputy Force Commander in charge of Support and Logistics, Major General Peter Kimani Muteti has commended Uganda Peoples Defence Forces (UPDF) serving under ATMIS for pacifying Somalia, especially Mogadishu since deployment in 2007. The Kenya Defence Forces General made the remarks during a courtesy call to the UPDF Contingent (Sector 1) Headquarters Base Camp in Mogadishu as part of his orientation and familiarization with the mission following his assumption of office. “There is a peaceful transformation in Somalia, especially in Mogadishu. This has been possible due to UPDF’s efforts since deploying in 2007; we commend you for this contribution and your effort was not in vain,” he said. ATMIS is currently engaged in a phase of mentoring the Somali Security Forces (SSF), a mission Muteti said the UPDF is perfectly doing.

🇺🇬 NRM Parliamentary Caucus meeting postponed to Thursday
📌 The Chairman of the NRM Parliamentary Caucus, Hon Hamson Denis Obua has announced that the NRM Caucus meeting scheduled to take place at the President’s Office Conference Hall on Wednesday has been postponed to Thursday at 9 AM. According to the communication dated March 28, 2023, Obua who is also the Government Chief Whip, urged all members to attend as  issues to be discussed are very important.

🇺🇬  Uganda Cranes substitute Mato restores hope for AFCON qualifiers
📌Rogers Mato  restored Uganda Cranes’ hopes after overcoming Tanzania in the ongoing 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers at the Benjamin Mkapa National stadium on Tuesday. Mato scored a goal and made Farouk Miya’s defence splitting pass count as the game had earlier seemed to have stalled with no score.  The win was a perfect revenge for Uganda Cranes who lost the first leg home to the Taifa Stars with the same score-line in the first leg played on neutral ground in Ismailia, Egypt last week on Friday.

🇺🇬 NSSF sets 30-day ultimatum for employers to register their employees or face penalties
📌The National Social Security Fund (NSSF) has given companies a period of 30 days to register their workers with the Fund as stipulated in the law. The acting Managing Director, Patrick Ayota says that all formal entities and employers have up to the end of next month to register and start remitting contributions to the Fund (NSSF) on behalf of their employees, or risk tougher penalties.
“We have noted a number of employers are still not yet registered with the fund. We are therefore happy to announce the 30-day effective March 28, 2023 for all employers irrespective of the number of workers employed to register with NSSF, and in the process, they will avoid the penalty that will be associated with registering late,” Ayota said.

🇺🇬 PAPs raise concern over delayed return of land titles for Kawanda -Masaka power line
📌 The 137 KM Kawanda-Masaka transmission Project- affected Persons (PAPs) have raised concern over the delayed return of their land titles yet the project is complete. Over 40 PAPs say they gave their land titles to the electricity authorities in 2013 with the aim of mapping out parts where the power line would pass. Joseph Yawe, one of the affected residents in Kayiriki says that UETCL surveyors had in 2008 conducted the first mapping and issued notices to the affected but didn’t return their titles.

🇺🇬  Kabale College of Commerce closes following  Government- sponsored students’ strike over delayed allowances
📌Uganda College of Commerce in Kabale District has been closed temporarily after a section of Government – sponsored students protested over the delayed payment of their living out allowances for the first semester.  The students, most of them second year, were  led by the Guild President, Innocent Tumukwase and the College General Secretary, Roland Asingwire. They refused to attend classes, refused lunch and locked the College main hall. The students who said they will continue protesting until their complaints are resolved, also demanded the administration to explain why the College Research Coordinator, Bania Biryomumeisho Bakwata was removed from the College teaching timetable.

🇺🇬  KASESE: Suspected chicken thief feigns death, found in mortuary alive
📌A 22 year-old man who was ‘mistakenly’ lynched by a mob for stealing chicken in Nyamwamba East cell in Kasese Municipality has been found alive in a hospital mortuary. Godwin Kule recounts that he was  on his way to Kyondo cell in the Municipality where he works as a casual worker, before residents attacked him, brutally beating him to near death. Kule says he pretended to be dead, forcing the mob to dump him believing he was dead until he was later discovered by the Police who took him to Kasese Municipal Health Centre’s mortuary. The facility’s in-charge, James Mwiruwabo confirmed that the incident actually happened.

🇺🇬 KAGADI: Chimpanzee snatches baby from its mother, kills it
📌A two month-old baby girl has died  after being attacked by a chimpanzee. The deceased, Aroho Ahumuza was a daughter to Kunihira Kasaija, a resident of Karuswiga Central Cell in Muhorro Town Council in Kagadi District. The child was attacked by a chimpanzee on Monday evening while being carried by its  mother who was on her way to harvest cassava when the chimpanzee emerged from the nearby bush, snatched her child (Ahumuza) and ran back into the bush with it. After sounding an alarm, the residents ran after the chimpanzee only to discover it had  inflicted severe injuries on the head, mouth and chest that caused its death.

🇺🇬 SIRONKO: Man beheaded over suspected  extramarital affair
📌A 36 year-old man, David Wafula’s headless body was found in a pool of blood near his home in Bumasikye Village, Kirombe Parish in Bukhulo Sub-County in Sironko District. Police have linked his murder to an extramarital affair he had in the same village he lived in.
“David Wafula’s head was chopped off, probably using a panga, by unknown people who accused him of loving a married woman in the village of Bumasikye,” Elgon Regional Police spokesperson Rogers Taitika said.

🇺🇬  KABALE: Maziba Health Center IV Maternity ward gets new face lift
📌Maziba Health Centre IV’s maternity ward located in Ndorwa, Kabale District has been given a facelift, in a project funded by USAID-RHITES South West, in a bid  to improve health services in Maziba sub county and neighbouring areas. Edward Bitarakwate, the Chief of Party for USAID-RHITES South West says that they have renovated and expanded the maternity ward and labour suit to include two delivery beds and postnatal ward, to help mothers recuperate after delivery. While at the official handover of the maternity ward, Bitarakwate said they decided to renovate the ward after realising that Maziba H/C IV still has numerous infrastructural challenges, like inadequate staff and accommodation. He says the project cost a whopping Ugx 53 Million.

🇺🇬 NEBBI: Thugs sedate guards, take off with UgShs20M
📌The Police in Nebbi are investigating circumstances under which an aggravated robbery at Nyaravur Farmers’ SACCO was orchestrated by thugs who took off with over UgShs 20M. West Nile Region Police Spokesperson, Josephine Angucia, said the incident occurred on the night of March 25, 2023 in Nyaravur Trading Center ‘C’ cell, located in Mbaro East Ward, Nyaravur Sub County in Nebbi District.
“The robbers cut the chain-link fence from behind the Sacco offices, gained access and sedated the two guards on duty before taking off with 20 million shillings. The unconscious guards were rushed to St. Luke Angal Hospital where they are admitted”, said Angucia.

🇺🇬 HOIMA:  Bwikya Muslim SSS students pay tribute to late Ghanaian footballer Atsu
📌The  USSSA Hoima City Championship league students of Bwikya Muslim Secondary School  paid tribute to the late Ghanaian football star Christian Atsu who died last month in an earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria on February 6, killing more than 50,000 people. Atsu has been playing for Hatay Turkish (first division) based in Antakya (south) since last September.  The student players could be seen at the beginning of halftime holding a piece of paper with the words ‘Christian Atsu 7 RIP’. During his career, Atsu played  for Chelsea and Newcastle, and FC Porto.

🇺🇬 RUBIRIZI: Police retrieves  body from Lake Nyamusingiri
📌Police in Rubirizi District have retrieved a yet to be identified body from Lake Nyamusingiri. The Greater Bushenyi Police Spokesperson SP Marcial Tumusiime Wednesday said that one Mwebembezi Ponsiano, a security guard at Jakana Hotel saw an object across the Lake and reported to his manager who informed the game rangers. They picked up a boat and sailed to the point where the object was floating only to find a human body which was retrieved and taken to Rugazi Health Centre IV mortuary for postmortem.

ACROSS BORDERS
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🌍 RWANDA: President Kagame promotes son to Lieutenant
📌 President Paul Kagame has promoted 2,430 junior officers of the Rwanda Defence Forces (RDF), among them Presidential Guard Intelligence Officer, 2nd Lieutenant Ian Gasana Kagame who has been promoted to the rank of Lieutenant by the Commander In Chief, General Paul Kagame. According to a statement issued by RDF Wednesday, March 29, of those promoted include 1,119 lieutenants who were promoted to the rank of Captain while 1,311 Second Lieutenants were promoted to the rank of Lieutenant.

🌍 KENYA: Arresting Raila Odinga will be disasterous- Martha Karua
📌 NARC Kenya leader Martha Karua on Monday warned that any attempt to arrest Raila will be disastrous to the country. Meanwhile, ODM secretary general Edwin Sifuna has said those who want Azimio chief Raila Odinga arrested are stuck on who should execute it.
“The leadership of Kenya Kwanza is in agreement that Baba needs to be arrested, and the Police are in agreement that Baba needs to be arrested, however, where they are stuck is the person who will make the arrest,” he said.

🌍 Kenya stares  at anarchy – KNCHR
📌Kenya National Commission on Human Rights has warned that the situation in Kenya is at risk of degenerating into anarchy. The commission cited violations of several rights as enshrined in the Constitution while issuing the red alert. KNCHR chair Roselyne Odede who was addressing the media Wednesday in Nairobi said the common man has been bearing the brunt of the violations as Azimio pushes on with mass action.

🌍 What Kamala Haris’ visit means for Tanzania
📌US Vice President Kamala Harris arrives in Tanzania Wednesday amid optimism for further improving bilateral ties between the two countries. Expectations are high that the coming of the US second in command will bolster ties with Tanzania in areas such as trade, tourism, education, health, agriculture, environment, information and communication technology (ICT), as well as security and defence. The visit comes almost 11 months after President Samia Suluhu Hassan visited the US, where, among others, she also met with Ms Harris on April 15, 2022, where the two leaders pledged strong ties between the two nations.

🌍 South Africa’s Opposition wants President Ramaphosa to arrest Putin
📌The leader of South Africa’s main opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) John Steenhuisen has called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to arrest Russian leader Vladimir Putin should he set foot in the country. The Russian leader is scheduled to attend the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) summit in South Africa in August, as confirmed by South Africa’s International Relations Minister Naledi Pandor. On March 18, 2023, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued a warrant of arrest against Putin for alleged war crimes in Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine. With South Africa being a signatory to the Rome Statute, Mr Steenhuisen says the country has a legal obligation to cooperate with the ICC and help put President Putin behind bars when he lands in South Africa.