𝐄𝐗𝐏𝐋𝐎𝐑𝐄𝐑 𝐍𝐄𝐖𝐒 𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐔𝐏

𝐈𝐒𝐒𝐔𝐄 217
𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐄𝐃𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍
𝐅𝐄𝐁𝐑𝐔𝐀𝐑𝐘 23, 2023
🇺🇬🇺🇬🇺🇬

🇺🇬 Emmanuel Omoding wins Serere County by-election
📌 Emmanuel Omoding Okabe (Indep), the son of late Hon Patrick Okabe has been declared winner of the Serere  County by-elections that took place on Thursday February, 23. In his acceptance speech, Omoding pledged to continue his late father’s legacy and working with NRM. Other contenders in the race were NRM’s Phillip Oucor, Alliance for National Transformation’s Alice Alaso, Forum for Democratic Change’s Emmanuel Eratu and Martin Onguruco, also an independent candidate. The late Okabe died in a motor accident along Mbale-Tirinyi road in December along with his wife Christine Okabe.

🇺🇬 Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda is new Gulu University Chancellor
📌President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has appointed the Former Prime Minister, Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda the new Chancellor of Gulu University. Dr Rugunda’s installation is slated for Friday February 24, 2023. Rugunda, who has been the Special Envoy for Special Duties in the Office of the President, replaces Prof Frederick Kayanja.

🇺🇬 Meteorologists fault poor human activities like deforestation for current heat wave
📌The Uganda National Meteorology Authority (UNMA) have explained that the current heat wave Uganda is experiencing is a result of the movement of the sun from the southern hemisphere to the northern hemisphere and human activities like deforestation that destroys the environment. Abubaker Kalema, a meteorologist at Uganda National Meteorology Authority advised people to hydrate enough and avoid walking under the direct sun to protect their bodies.

🇺🇬 Police to enhance community policing and technology to reduce crime in 2023 
📌The Inspector General of Police (IGG), Martin Okoth Ochola on Wednesday revealed that Police will this year focus on supporting the sub-county policing model to strengthen community policing, welfare enhancement and employ technology to reduce crime. This was during the launch of the Uganda Police Force Annual Crime Report for 2022 which indicated an 18 % increase in the number of crimes reported to the Police Force.

🇺🇬 UMSC plans peaceful demonstration against homosexuality
📌In a letter addressed to all District Khadhis, the Secretary for Religious Affairs at Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC), Sheikh Imran Abdunoor Ssali, said that the Muslim Community will conduct countrywide demonstrations against the act of homosexuality on Friday February 24, 2023 at all Mosques across the country.

🇺🇬 MOYO: Town Council to raise motion against Kenyan herbal vendors
📌The Chairman Moyo Town Council, Chandiga Caesar has threatened to raise a motion in the council meeting stopping the sale of herbal medicines by Kenyan vendors,  to Ugandans without clearance from the Ministry of Health.
“As Moyo Town Council, we don’t permit witchcraft related activities. You must be a licensed traditional healer with accreditation from the Ministry indicating that what you are dealing in is not harmful to human beings,” said Chandiga.

🇺🇬 HOIMA: Minister Nakakoba intervenes in land wrangles in four villages 
📌The Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Hon Judith Nabakoba has intervened in the land conflicts in villages of Kapapi, Waki, Runga and Kiganja. The Minister on Wednesday held a meeting with residents at Kiganja sub county headquarters where she told  them that in case the land titles of the land in contention were acquired in a fraudulent manner, they will be immediately cancelled.

🇺🇬 RUKUNGIRI: Schools in Buyanja sub county receive water harvesting tanks
📌Ten Primary Schools in Buyanja sub county, Rukungiri District on Wednesday received 5000-litre water harvesting tanks worth Shs 30 Million. These tanks were donated by Rubabo Community Initiative to promote Health (RUCOHE).

🇺🇬 KITAGWENDA: Court remands DEO over forgery and uttering false document
📌Asiimwe Sedas, the Kitagwenda District Education Officer was arrested by Police on Charges of Forgery and Uttering False Documents, arraigned before the Chief Magistrates Court Kamwenge and remanded until 28/02/2023. It is alleged that he forged an appointment letter and posted instructions in 2012/2013 purportedly signed by the Education Service Commission appointing him as an Education Officer at Kamwenge College School.

🇺🇬 OMORO: Government constructs staff houses at Loyoajong Health Center III
📌While monitoring the construction of staff houses at Loyoajong Health Center III on Tuesday, the Omoro District Health Officer commended Government for promoting the welfare of health workers in the country. Construction works at the staff quarters have reached the final stage.

🇺🇬 TORORO: Government supplies Tororo Main Hospital with drugs
📌The Tororo District Health Officer Dr. David Cyrus Okumu, has confirmed that on Wednesday, National Medical Stores delivered drugs and medical supplies worth Ugx273M at Tororo Main Hospital covering the third quarter. Okumu warned health workers against drug theft.

🇺🇬 LIRA: Over 5,000 land eviction victims awarded Shs68 Billion 
📌The High Court in Lira City has awarded UGX 68 Billion to local residents whose land was used for setting up Internally Displaced Person Camps during the LRA war insurgency under Lango Camp Host Association. The Court presided over by Justice Alex Ajiji Mackay awarded the costs for compensation, damages, and restitution to 5506 people following a suit against the Attorney General.

🇺🇬 LWENGO: Local Government to construct two-classroom block at Kiwangala Muslim Primary School
📌The Lwengo Local Government has embarked on the construction of Kiwangala Muslim Primary School in Buyoga, Ngereko parish in Kisekka subcounty. While launching the construction site, the Resident District Commissioner Hudu Hussein tasked the contractor, LR Company Ltd to produce quality work. The construction project will cost Shs 85 Million.

🇺🇬 MPIGI: URA sensitises local leaders at Kayabwe Town Council
📌URA officials earlier today have sensitised the local leaders in Mpigi, Kayabwe town council at headquarters on their constitutional obligation of paying taxes. According to URA manager Mbarara Ms. Nalukwago Helen, the sensitization and engagement was to emphasise the need for taxpayers to comply with fulfilling their constitutional obligation of paying taxes that will enable the Government to have enough revenues to fund its plans to develop the nation. However community leaders agreed to work with URA but to have more community engagements with the public.

🇺🇬 BUDAKA: Local government processes PDM pillars and Parish revolving funds
📌The Budaka commercial officer and the district officials held a community meeting with the aim of operationalizing parish development model pillars 1, 3 and 6. In the same meeting, he launched the Parish Revolving Fund in Budama South at Nyemera Church of Uganda in Nyemera Village, Poyem parish in  Lyolwa sub county. The District Commercial Officer urged the technical team to support the beneficiaries.

🇺🇬 YUMBE: Town agents undergo training on new revenue collection system
📌Yumbe Local Government officials have undergone training for town agents to equip them with skills that will enable the efficient collection of revenues using the new revenue collection system. The two-day training was attended by town agents of Lodonga Town Council, Lodonga and Drajini Sub county at the Town Council headquarters.

ACROSS BORDERS
🌍🌍🌍🌍

🌍 KENYA: JKIA wins ‘African cargo airport of the year’ title 
📌Kenya’s biggest airport, Jomo Kenyatta International Airport has been awarded the highly acclaimed ‘African Cargo Airport of The Year’ at the STAT Trade Times Awards 2023 hosted in Johannesburg, South Africa. JKIA beat other prominent airports such as the Cape Town International Airport in South Africa and the Mohammed V International Airport in Morocco for the title.

🌍 Tanzania suspends expiration dates for National Identification Cards 
📌Tanzania’s Minister of Home Affairs Hamad Masauni on Tuesday said that the country’s national identification cards will now last indefinitely after the Government suspended their expiration dates. Masauni said the aim of this directive was to do away with the unnecessary inconveniences arising from the renewal of the national IDs.

🌍 Somalia Al Shabaab deaths highest since 2017 – UN
📌UN chief Antonio Guterres said on Wednesday that 2022 was the deadliest year for civilians in Somalia since 2017, largely because of an increase in mass-casualty attacks by the Al-Shabaab jihadist group.
“The continued attacks by Al-Shabab, which have resulted in human rights violations, conflict-related sexual violence and a sharp increase in civilian casualties, are alarming,” Guterres said in a report to the UN Security Council.

🌍 GUINEA: Col. Mamady wants Constitutional Review committee to draft  new  Constitution
📌Guinea’s transitional leader Col. Mamady Doumbouya has urged the constitutional review committee to consider the needs and realities of the country and draft a robust new supreme law. While launching the constitutional review symposium in the capital, Conakry yesterday, he stated Guinea needs tranquillity, not just permanent transitional periods.

🌍 Equatorial Guinea rejects EU Parliament resolution
📌Equatorial Guinea Vice-President Teodoro Nguema Obiang has dismissed a resolution by the European Parliament which holds Equatoguinean authorities responsible for the death of opposition leader Julio Obama Mefuman.

🌍 UN report says one woman dies every two minutes giving birth
📌The United Nations released on Thursday says that one woman dies every two minutes due to child births complications, despite maternal mortality rates dropping by a third (34.3%) in two decades. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO’s chief said that the figures released translated to nearly 800 women died per day in 2020, or one death every two minutes.

🌍 UN calls for cutting of low and middle income countries’ debt
📌The UN Development Program proposed on Wednesday reducing the debt of 52 low and middle-income countries, two days before G20 Finance Ministers meet in India. The UNDP Administrator, Achim Steiner called for a 30 percent reduction on the value of the public external debt stock of these nations, which it said could help save up to $148 billion in debt service payments over eight years.

🌍 Burkina Faso prepares to rebury Ex-President Sankara
📌The Military Government in Burkina Faso is preparing to rebury the remains of former President Thomas Sankara on Thursday even after his family said they would not attend. The private ceremony will be held at the spot where Sankara was gunned down along with 12 others in a military coup in October 1987.

🌍 Mozambique on red alert as it prepares for Cyclone Freddy
📌Mozambican authorities are setting up shelters and preparing to evacuate people in high-risk areas as the Southern Africa country braces for Cyclone Freddy. The powerful cyclone made landfall in neighbouring Madagascar on Tuesday, where it killed five people, and is expected to intensify before it hits south-central Mozambique on Friday.

🌍 NIGERIA: Presidential candidates sign Peace Accord in Abuja
📌The AU observer mission led by former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta on Wednesday witnessed the signing of the second peace accord by Nigeria’s 18 Presidential candidates ahead of polls on February 25. The first peace accord was signed by the candidates on September 29, 2022 and was organised by the National Accord for Peace headed by former Nigerian President Abdulsalami Abubakar.

🌍 FRANCE: President Macron to visit Africa next week
📌French President Emmanuel Macron will next week undertake a four-nation tour of central African countries, the Presidency said on Thursday, as Paris seeks to counter growing Chinese and Russian influence in the region. He will arrive in Gabon on March 1 to attend the One Forest Summit seeking to preserve forests along the vast Congo river basin.

🌍 President Biden calls for peaceful Nigeria election
📌US President Joe Biden on Thursday called for Nigeria’s imminent Presidential election to be peaceful and transparent and urged candidates and parties to accept the results as announced by the country’s electoral commission.
“I commend yesterday’s peace accord in Nigeria,” Biden said in a statement, referring to a pledge signed by all candidates on Wednesday to seek redress through the Courts for any grievances.