𝐄𝐗𝐏𝐋𝐎𝐑𝐄𝐑 𝐍𝐄𝐖𝐒 𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐔𝐏

𝐈𝐒𝐒𝐔𝐄 224
𝐀𝐅𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐍𝐎𝐎𝐍 𝐄𝐃𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍
𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐂𝐇 02, 2023
🇺🇬🇺🇬🇺🇬🇺🇬

🇺🇬 Parliamentary Committee recommends resignation of Minister Amongi
📌The Select Committee of Parliament that investigated the state of affairs in the National Social Security Fund has recommended that the Minister for Gender, Labour and Social Development Betty Amongi should resign immediately. In its over 500-page report, the Committee discovered that Amongi abused her office by directing that her Ministry be provided with six billion shillings of money belonging to NSSF savers. The Select Committee of Parliament also recommended that President Museveni take interest in the case involving Minister Betty Amongi. Former NSSF Managing Director, Richard Byarugaba, acting It also recommended that Managing Director Patrick Ayota and other officials allegedly involved in the initiation of Shs1.8 billion concealed under corporate social responsibility funds should step aside with immediate effect to give way for investigations by the Inspectorate of Government.

🇺🇬 Makerere University Vice Chancellor calls for Government sponsorship for PhD students
📌 Makerere University Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe has asked the Government to offer scholarships for PhD students.  He appealed to the government to establish a dedicated graduate student scholarship or a loan scheme because PhD courses are expensive, particularly research. Nawangwe made the remarks on Tuesday while speaking at the Yusuf Lule Central Teaching Facility Auditorium, when PhD Students at Makerere University in partnership with the Directorate of Research and Graduate Training gathered to interact, and share their research areas, critique concepts and proposals, and research outputs.

🇺🇬 Uganda Police recognize outstanding Police sportsmen
📌Uganda Police has awarded excelling athletes for the year 2022 in a function held yesterday at the police headquarters in Naguru. Athletes were rewarded with cash and promotions in the Force as a form of recognition. While addressing the athletes, the Inspector General of Police, Ochola Moses affirmed the institution’s commitment to building sports facilities, which has been a major hindrance to the athletes in Police.

🇺🇬  UNBS impounds goods worth Ugx.3.5Bn
📌The Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) has destroyed substandard goods worth Ugx.3.5billion impounded from traders and manufacturers in Kampala City during an import inspection. Among the destroyed items are cement, mattresses, electrical appliances, detergents, soaps, cosmetics, toilet paper, foodstuffs, energy drinks among others. The items measured up to 302 metric tons. Victoria Namutebi Wamala, the Public Relations officer at UNBS says some of the impounded cosmetics contained hydroquinone and mercury which were banned for causing Cancer but traders were found selling them.

🇺🇬 KCCA ED pledges timely payment to casual employees
📌While appearing before Parliament’s Committee on Public Accounts, Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (COSASE) on March 1, the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA)’s Executive Director, Dorothy Kisaka said the Authority is in the process of streamlining the casual workforce’s payments so that they are paid on time in future.

🇺🇬 High Court grants bail to Pastor who allegedly raped Latvian tourist
📌A Ugandan pastor who has been on remand on allegations of raping Saulite Anda, 36, a Latvian tourist has  been granted bail. Pastor Joseph Collins Twahirwa was on Wednesday granted a cash bail of Shs1 Million by the High Court deputy registrar Mr. Festo Nsenga who ordered him to deposit his passport with the Court. Twahirwa through his lawyers told the Court that he has a heart disease whose condition cannot be handled while in detention.

🇺🇬 Key suspect in Nagirinya murder disowns confession
📌The key suspect in the murder of Maria Nagirinya and her driver Ronald Kitayimbwa has disowned his confession statement and told Court that he was tortured and forced to admit to the double murder. Copriyam Kasolo, alias Arsenal, 32, told Court on Wednesday that he did not know about the content of the confession statement that was allegedly recorded by prosecution witness, detective ASP Winfred Nakatudde and thus it should not be admitted in Court as part of the exhibits to be used to pin him.
“I was under duress when I signed on the document whose content I did not know nor read to me,” Kasolo told Court.

🇺🇬 MAKINDYE: Church wall collapses, kills child
📌The perimeter wall of Eden Restoration church in Kanyanya zone, Ndejje Division, Makindye Ssabagabo municipality has collapsed and hit a house   killing on spot one Tony Kayondo, a son to Margret Namalawa who was sleeping with her three children. Patrick Onyango, the Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson explains that Seka Joseph escaped with minor injuries while Walugembe Brian and their mother escaped uninjured.

🇺🇬 SERERE: Government kick starts construction of Akadot Seed School
📌Serere Local Government has kickstarted the construction of Akodot Seed School in Pallisa Sub County. According to the area Resident District Commission Majid Ndikusoka, the project will cost Ugx. Shs 2.5 Billion. Ndikusoka also called upon the school administrators to monitor the ongoing construction of the school so that there’s quality work delivered.

🇺🇬 YUMBE: Local Government engages communities on DRDIP implementation projects
📌District officials in Yumbe have embarked on carrying out community engagement meetings in preparation for the implementation of the Development response to displaced impact projects (DRDIP). During the community engagement meeting in Mazanga ward, Kuru Town Council headquarters, an official from DRDIP Benjamin Reese revealed that they intend to improve infrastructure developments, housing, medication, education and roads to areas hosting displaced people in Uganda. Present was the community development officer, LC 3, OPM and many others.

🇺🇬 NAKASEKE: PDM members select parishes to benefit in Parish Revolving Fund
📌 Batemula Village PDM members resolved that the beneficiaries of parish revolving funds will be rotational and that the three parishes to benefit as pioneers include Kasambya Parish, Nakaseke central, Magoma Parish, Nakaseke North and Kinyogoga Parish. According to the district commercial officer, the same selection will continue to other parishes in the entire district. The Parish Revolving Fund (PRF) empowers communities to engage in commercial enterprises such as coffee growing, piggery, and poultry keeping among others.

ACROSS BORDERS
🌍 🌍 🌍

🌍 KENYA: Government will not Privatise Public Universities -President Ruto
📌President Ruto has said his government does not plan to privatize public universities as had been claimed by some stakeholders in the education sector in the past few days.
“We are aware of the challenges the university sub-sector is undergoing on finance and capitation, and as such, we will await the final recommendations from the Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms on this matter,” Dr Ruto said.

🌍 US increases military assistance to Somalia in fight against Al-Shabab
📌The United States has increased its Military assistance to Somalia as the country sees success in battling what the US calls “the largest and most deadly al-Qaeda network in the world.” Sixty-one tons of weapons and ammunition arrived on Tuesday in Mogadishu, the US said, it is a statement of support for a historic Somalia-led military offensive against al-Shabab extremists that has recaptured dozens of communities since August.

🌍 NIGERIA: US Congratulates President-Elect Tinubu, urges Peace
📌The US has congratulated Nigerian President-Elect Bola Tinubu and citizens following the just-concluded general elections.
“This competitive election represents a new period for Nigerian politics and democracy,” US State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a statement.

🌍 European Union extends Zimbabwe’s arms ban
📌The European Union (EU) has extended by a year its arms ban against Zimbabwe while underplaying the impact of its sanctions against the southern African country. The EU has eased its travel bans and assets freezes against government officials and security chiefs, but maintains an arms embargo and asset freeze against the Zimbabwe Defence Industries.