𝐄𝐗𝐏𝐋𝐎𝐑𝐄𝐑 𝐍𝐄𝐖𝐒 𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐔𝐏

𝐈𝐒𝐒𝐔𝐄 226
🇸 🇦 🇹 🇺 🇷 🇩 🇦 🇾
𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐂𝐇 04, 2023
🇺🇬🇺🇬🇺🇬

🇺🇬 President Museveni re echoes need for African unity to solve Security challenges
📌President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has received H.E Faure Essozimna Gnassingbe, the President of the Togolese Republic who is on an official visit to Uganda. The two Presidents discussed Security challenges in Africa and shared experiences in dealing with them. President Museveni re echoed that Africa should come together and find solutions for her challenges because “these challenges are solvable.”
“The Security challenges we face in Africa, if we get together, are solvable. They will take time because they are complicated, but we will solve them.” President Museveni said.

🇺🇬 Lt Col Katabazi tips St. Henry’s College Kitovu students on discipline and morality
📌Lt. Col. Emmy Katabazi, the Deputy Director General Internal Security Organisation (ISO) on Friday called upon Senior 4 and Senior 6 students of St. Henry’s College Kitovu in Masaka to desist from all forms of indiscipline and immorality as these vices would obstruct their academic journey and future careers.
“As they say that cleanliness is next to godliness, while I was walking around your school compound, I just saw smartness and cleanliness. This is a sign of discipline, and I urge you to maintain the standards, ” Lt Col Katabazi said.

🇺🇬 UPDF to construct first General Purpose Hospital in Rubanda District 
📌The Rubanda District LC 5 Chairperson, Ampeire Stephen Kasyaba has said that the Uganda People’s Defense Forces – UPDF Engineering Brigade will  take on the construction of Muko Health Centre IV which will be transformed into the District’s first General Purpose Hospital. This announcement comes after the Government earmarked  Shs6.5 billion for the elevation of the facility. The funds have already been released to the District Bank Account, and the construction work will begin once the designs are approved.

🇺🇬 Buddu supporters get accident enroute for Masaza Cup finals 
📌Buddu supporters have got an accident as they were heading to Mutesa II Stadium Wankuluku. Busiro to watch the Masaza Cup finals. The vehicle they were in reportedly overturned and left so many injured although no death was registered. The accident happened in Kamengo along Kampala – Masaka highway. The injured are still hospitalised at Mpigi Hospital.

🇺🇬 Busiro emerges champions in 2022 Masaza Cup Final 
📌Busiro and Buddu on Saturday faced off in the delayed 2022 Masaza Cup Final at Muteesa II Stadium in Wankuluku. Busiro emerged to be the champions with a 2:1 goal win. This final could have been played earlier, but Buganda Minister Henry Ssekabembe said that it was delayed due to “unavoidable circumstances.” The match started at 3 PM with Charles Peter Mayiga, the Buganda Premier as the guest of honour. Buddu, who are the defending champions, have appeared at the finals for the third consecutive time.

🇺🇬 Substandard Agrochemicals worth Shs18M impounded in Greater Masaka 
📌At least 200 boxes of fake and expired agrochemicals worth Shs18 Million have been seized in the  Greater Masaka during  a four-day operation by officials from the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF). Amongst the seized items are repackaged Mancozeb, three brands of unregistered foliar fertilisers, expired products, decanted herbicides, and unlabeled products repackaged in transparent polythene bags. Assistant Commissioner of Police Dr Rose Nanyonga who doubles as the Acting Commandant of the MAAIF Police Unit said close to 685 litres of unregistered foliar fertilisers including Rapid Gro, Booster and Xtra Nguvu were impounded.

🇺🇬 Uganda Airlines registers increased demand for Johannesburg route, reinstates fifth flight 
📌Uganda Airlines has reinstated the fifth weekly flight between Entebbe and Johannesburg to cater for  the increasing demand on this route. According to Uganda Civil Aviation Authority, the number of passengers flying between Entebbe and Johannesburg has increased by over 1000% compared to Q1 2022. The airline will operate the Bombardier CRJ900 every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday, while the Airbus A330 will fly every Friday. The airport has seen increased passenger traffic with ongoing expansions. At least 149,375 passengers travelled through Entebbe in January 2023, compared to a total of 110,547 pax in January last year.

🇺🇬 Government to review Engineering Registrations Act of 1969 
📌The government has announced plans to review the Engineering Registrations Act of 1969 to suit the present-day Engineering Sector. Internal Affairs Minister Gen. Wamala Katumba, while presiding over the 2023 World Engineering Day, said the review is geared towards addressing engineering challenges prevailing in the country amidst technological innovations that must be aligned with the National Development Plan.

🇺🇬 Government to employ program-based budgeting system effective July 
📌Permanent Secretary and Secretary to the Treasury Ramathan Ggoobi has revealed that the unending fights for resources between Ministries and MDAs have forced Government to migrate from sector-based to program-based planning and budgeting systems. Ggoobi says the Government will avoid unnecessary debts to save the country from unnecessary borrowing, in addition to prioritising the actual needs of Ugandans.

🇺🇬 MOROTO: Wildfire leaves over 30 households homeless
📌Acherer village in Loputuk subcounty of Moroto District was this week gutted by a devastating wildfire that has left at least 33 households homeless, struggling to survive the cold nights. The source of the fire remains unclear, but it quickly spread and destroyed many grass-thatched houses along with domestic animals like goats, chickens, and pets. John Komba, the Acherer parish chief, explains that the community was unable to put out the fire due to the strong winds that were driving the flames.

🇺🇬 KOTIDO: Loletio sub county residents  round up thugs terrorising the area
📌Residents in Loletio Sub County mobilised themselves and rounded up two thugs who were using a toy gun and an army uniform to rob them. Those netted include one Lokoth, 20, a resident of Adekeny, Naputir village, Naputir parish and a boy aged 15 years from Panyangara Sub County.  It is alleged that the suspects are part of a criminal gang breaking houses and raping women in the area. They were handed to Police as the hunt for their ringleader, one  Lonoon Locheng goes on.

🇺🇬 YUMBE: Parents tipped on supporting  their children’s education
📌Barakala Town Council leadership in partnership with Plan International, a non-government organisation has introduced a go back to school campaign through sensitising parents,  the community and other stakeholders to keep children in schools. During the exercise held on Friday, parents were also warned against neglecting their children’s educational needs.

🇺🇬 YUMBE: Farmers groups get 360 goats
📌GIZ in partnership with Welt Hunger, both Non Governmental Organisations in Lobe Town Council have handed over 360 goats to 12 farmers groups as a startup project. The Mayor commended the Government for maintaining peace and security in the country, citing that it is a healthy environment for civil society organisations to operate. He made the remarks on Friday at Lobe Town Council headquarters.

🇺🇬 TORORO: RDC commissions  water project in Petta Sub County 
📌The Tororo Resident District Commissioner, Nixon Owole on Friday commissioned a clean water project in Mbula parish funded by Africa Water Solution an NGO operating in Petta Sub County. Owole commended Non Government organisations (NGO) for complementing Government efforts to transform communities.

🇺🇬 MITYANA: DCO launches PDM program in Busimbi Division
📌The Mityana District Commercial Officer Semakula Joseph on Friday launched the Parish Development Model program in Busimbi Division. He said that the program has helped to extend loanable funds to vulnerable people in rural communities. Ms. Nalugya Catherine, the Mityana Municipality Community Development Officer warned technical staff against misappropriation of PDM funds. Nalugya warned that any culprit will be prosecuted.  The function was  held at Nakaseeta Islamic Primary School.

🇺🇬 NAMISINDWA: Government constructs new Seed Secondary School in Namboko Sub County 
📌While on-site inspection of the construction of Namboko Seed Secondary school, the Resident District Commissioner, Bangu Fredrick hailed Government for promoting secondary education in the country. Bangu expressed satisfaction on the progress of the Laboratory, ICT and classroom blocks under construction, and mobilised the community to report any suspicion of shoddy work at every stage of the construction.

🇺🇬 KYENJOJO: RDC resolves land dispute between Catholic Church and residents
📌The Kyenjojo Resident District Commissioner, Allan Bamuha on Wednesday, mediated between St. Victor Catholic Church and residents of Mukono Village in Isandara Parish, Butiiti sub county in a dispute arising from locals contesting boundaries of the church land. The team that included Rev. Fr. Benard Bitekerezo, one Fr. Adolf and residents participated in the boundary opening of the church land, leading to peaceful settlement of the disagreements.

𝐀𝐂𝐑𝐎𝐒𝐒 𝐁𝐎𝐑𝐃𝐄𝐑𝐒
🌍 🌍 🌍

🌍 SOUTH SUDAN: President Salva Kiir fires two top Ministers, Machar’s Wife who was Defence Minister, and Interior Minister Mahmoud Solomon
📌South Sudan President Salva Kiir has sacked two top Security Ministers, violating the terms of a peace agreement with Opposition party leader First Vice President Riek Machar. Kiir fired Defence Minister Angelina Teny, who is also Machar’s wife, and Interior Minister Mahmoud Solomon in a presidential order read on State TV late on Friday, Lily Martin Manyiel, the President’s spokesperson said on Saturday.
“There is no reason I can give you right now for their sacking but “it is a normal procedure usually,” Manyiel said, adding that no decision had yet been made on their replacements.

🌍 Rwanda says DR Congo soldier who crossed border and opened fire was killed
📌Rwanda’s Defense Ministry has said that the Kigali soldiers shot dead a Congolese soldier, who crossed the border and shot at Security forces on Friday, triggering a brief exchange of fire between the two sides. Already strained relations between these two neighbours have deteriorated sharply since the M23 rebel group launched a fresh offensive in eastern Congo in March last year, displacing over 600,000 people.  Congo accuses Rwanda of backing the Tutsi-led group. The United Nations, the United States, France and other international powers have made similar allegations but Rwanda denies and says it is being made a scapegoat for Congo’s Military incompetence.

🌍 EU moves to set up ‘humanitarian bridge’ for aid to DRC
📌The European Union (EU) said on Saturday that it was setting up a “humanitarian bridge” in order to deliver aid to the conflict-hit eastern part of Democratic Republic of Congo. Fighting with the rebel group M23 in Goma, the capital of Norh Kivu province has displaced more than 600,000 people. EU’s commissioner for crisis management Janez  Lenarcic said that the unions’ mission will deliver humanitarian support in the form of medical and nutritional supplies along with a range of other emergency items.
“The EU stands ready to mobilise all the necessary means to support humanitarian workers, including logistics and air, to meet the needs of the population in  Democratic Republic of Congo,” said the EU’s commissioner for crisis management Janez  Lenarcic.

🌍 Burundi to deploy 100 soldiers to eastern DR Congo 
📌Burundi will deploy 100 soldiers to the volatile eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on Saturday as part of a regional force, a senior Burundian Military Officer said. The seven-nation East African Community deployed troops late last year in the eastern DRC. An EAC press statement on Friday confirmed Burundian troops would be deployed on Saturday, but did not elaborate on the number of soldiers travelling to the DRC.

🌍 Kenyan Government to pay $94m Kenya Airways debt 
📌The Kenyan Government is racing against time to pay KSh12 billion ($94 million) as part of a loan lent to Kenya Airways six years ago. The Kenyan Treasury’s disclosures tabled in Parliament show that KSh2.8 billion ($22.9 million) has been paid to the US Exim Bank against KSh14.8 billion ($118.1 million) due in the current financial year ending June. The Government is expected to shoulder the heavy burden of settling the national carrier’s debt which it guaranteed after the company’s losses left it unable to pay its loans.

🌍 Kenya slowly sinking in debt, inflation, weakening shilling- Poll
📌Kenya’s Government technocrats are looking for options to stem a loading economic crisis that has forced close to six million people go suffer acute food shortage. A poll published this week painted an economy racing towards a cliff. Kenya’s National Treasury Cabinet Secretary Njuguna Ndung’u who acknowledged the deepening financial hole is dismayed by the deteriorating macroeconomic conditions in the country, which are choking private businesses and foreign investments.

🌍 Explosion at Nigeria crude oil pipeline kills 12 
📌An explosion on a Nigerian oil pipeline owned by Shell Friday  killed at least 12 people. A spokesperson for Shell Petroleum Development (SPD) company of Nigeria Limited said a fire occurred on its Rumuekpe-Nkpoku Trunk Line in Rivers State and that it was working with authorities to put it out. Garuba Yabuku, civil defence spokesman for Emohua in Rivers State, the heart of Africa’s biggest oil industry, said the incident was reported around 4.30am (0330 GMT).

🌍 Sierra Leone’s Freetown International Airport opens new terminal
📌Freetown International Airport (FNA) has officially opened its new terminal at a ceremony attended by Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio. The $270 Million terminal has the capacity for over one million passengers annually, five times the airport’s current capacity. The 14,000 m² terminal building is three times the size of Freetown International Airport’s existing terminal facility.

🌍 China’s Xi Jinping to secure third term as President despite criticism
📌China’s President Xi Jinping will secure a third term at a rubber-stamp Parliament that starts this weekend, enjoying unchallengeable status despite criticism over his handling of Covid-19 and the economy. Xi is certain to be reappointed as President after he locked in another five years in October as head of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the country’s Military – two significant leadership positions in Chinese politics.