𝐄𝐗𝐏𝐋𝐎𝐑𝐄𝐑 𝐍𝐄𝐖𝐒 𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐔𝐏

𝐈𝐒𝐒𝐔𝐄 238
🇹 🇭 🇺 🇷 🇸 🇩 🇦 🇾
𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐂𝐇 16, 2023
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🇺🇬 President Museveni cautions the West to stop imposing homosexuality on Africans 
📌President Museveni has warned western countries to stop imposing their social practices like homosexuality on Africans. While addressing the Parliament Thursday afternoon at Kololo Independence Grounds, the President said that western countries should stop wasting the time of humanity by “imposing their social practices on us”.
“On the issue of homosexuals, we shall get the time and discuss the matter thoroughly. Homosexuals are deviations from normal. Is it by nature or by nurture? We need to answer those questions. We need a medical opinion on that,”  President Museveni said.

🇺🇬 President Museveni condoles with families of students who died in Sinotruck crash
📌President Yoweri Museveni has directed the State House comptroller to allocate five million shillings as condolence to the families of each of the victims who perished in a computer classroom at Kasaka Senior Secondary School in Gombe District, and UGX 1 Million to each of the injured. He also asked legislators to stand up and observe a moment of silence for the four students and in remembrance of Ugandans lost to Ebola, Covid and landslides.

🇺🇬 Kasaka SSS Sinotruck casualties in stable condition
📌Doctors treating the thirteen students of Kasaka Secondary School have said they are out of danger. The students were in class on Tuesday when a runaway truck crashed into the building that houses the computer lab, killing two instantly. Dr. Joseph Mbuga, the acting medical superintendent of Gombe Hospital says that 11 of the 13 admitted students got soft tissue injuries and are likely to be discharged since they are stable. The 2 including the school secretary are also improving with fractures.

🇺🇬 ‘FDC Women’ commend President Museveni for empowering women
📌The Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) Women League has applauded the National Resistance Movement Government and President Museveni for uplifting the lives of women and championing their emancipation. While visiting Butabika Hospital and St Andrews dispensary, the women led by Secretary for Women Affairs Faridah Nangonzi said that from the beginning after NRM\A captured power in 1986, NRM has been working to transform women.

🇺🇬 President Museveni donates tractor to farmers
📌President Museveni has donated a tractor to MK Modern Organics and Natural Products farm in Omoro district that he pledged on February 23, 2023 while touring farms in the Acholi sub-region. The tractor was immediately put to use in preparation of a new planting season. Pascal Osire, the founder of MK Modern Organics said he would allow people in the local communities to hire the tractor at no cost.

🇺🇬 Police recovers two guns in Maracha District
📌Police have recovered two guns from Nyara Cell, Okape Parish, Maracha Town Council in Maracha District, in two separate incidences following a March 14 joint Security operation. The West Nile Regional Police spokesperson, SP Josephine Angucia says efforts to recover more guns are underway.

🇺🇬 Ministry of Health concerned by increasing TB cases amongst men
📌The Ministry of Health is worried by the increase in the number of TB cases in the country. Stavia Turyahabwe, Commissioner at the Ministry of Health says that cases of men contracting TB have highly increased compared to women. According to the statistics from the Ministry, about 30 people succumb to TB daily but about 83% contract the disease on a daily basis.

🇺🇬 Nobert Mao proposes constitutional amendments to reduce Parliament
📌Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister, Norbert Mao has said Uganda should consider constitutional amendments on reinstating presidential term limits and reducing the size of Parliament. Mao was on Thursday speaking during a dialogue on strengthening citizens’ engagement in elections held in Kampala.

🇺🇬 Activist Godber Tumushabe vouches for decentralisation of Electoral Commission services
📌Godber Tumushabe, a Director at Great Lakes Institute for Strategic Studies has asked Government to decentralise the Electoral Commission (EC) services at village or regional level to ensure more accountability. Tumushabe was at a high-level national dialogue on Constitutional affairs held in Kampala. Tumushabe vouched for citizens to  organise their own elections at regional level.

🇺🇬 Parliament tasks UDB to explain loan performance
📌The Parliamentary Committee on National Economy chaired by Hon. John Bosco Ikojo has asked the Uganda Development Bank (UDB) to provide details of the loans it has disbursed and their tangible benefits to the country’s economy. This was during the committee interaction with Ministry of Finance officials accompanied by the Managing Director of UDB, Patricia Ojangole to discuss the utilisation of loans by the bank.

🇺🇬 Over 4,000 girls to benefit from Shs6.2bn skilling program
📌At least 4,000 girls will benefit from a technical skilling program of about Shs 6.2bn. The program seeks to equip youths with technical skills in a number of areas, among which include electrical and solar installations, agriculture and plumbing with the aim of preparing them for the job market  for a period of  five years. The program is funded through Austria Development Corporation, through its partner Jugend Ein welt.

🇺🇬 VP Alupo tips Teso women to embrace commercial agriculture
The Vice President Jessica Alupo has urged women in Teso subregion to embrace commercial agriculture enterprises to be able to tap into Government programs like the PDM and other poverty alleviation programs. Speaking during the belated international women’s day celebrations for Katakwi District, Alupo noted that the only way Teso subregion can overcome food insecurity and poverty is through joint efforts by both women and men

🇺🇬 Ministry of Health seeks Shs15.4Bn to complete Mulago Hospital renovation
📌The Ministry of Health needs an additional Shs15.4 billion to complete the renovation of Mulago National Referral Hospital. While appearing before the Parliamentary Health Committee, the State Minister of Health for General Duties, Hon. Anifa Kawooya revealed that Shs1.6 billion will be used to renew the contract of Joadah Consult which expired in 2021 because work cannot commence without a supervising consult.

🇺🇬  Total Energies injects $12.1M to train 200 youths in Oil and Gas
📌Total Energies has unveiled 200 Ugandan youths selected from the Tilenga massive online open courses to join the Tilenga Academy program. The selected candidates will receive two and half years theoretical training in oil and gas, production, maintenance, as well as health and safety environment. After one year, the trainees will go to oil and gas sites to have practical experience.  Uganda Petroleum Institute Kigumba is an implementing partner of the $12.1 million program.

🇺🇬 NSSF supports women entrepreneurs with 75 Million each
📌The National Social Security Fund (NSSF) in partnership with MasterCard Foundation have supported 66 indigenous women-owned businesses with Shs 75 million each under the third cohort of the NSSF Hi-innovator program. NSSF acting Managing Director, Patrick Ayota said their aim is to uplift women-led businesses, which have remained at the edge of development. Ayota promised that NSSF will keep on supporting women to boost their businesses and make them able to save with the security fund.

🇺🇬 MUBENDE: Construction of Kabbo Health Center III stalls
📌 Locals in Mubende are dissatisfied with the delay in the completion of Kabbo Health Center III, a health facility that was supposed to be completed in August last year. The project worth UGX 1.8 billion is still at the foundation level after the contractor (MUTECO) abandoned the site ten months ago.

🇺🇬 KALIRO: Six sent on remand over assaulting Deputy RDC 
📌Six people were on Wednesday remanded to prison by the Kaliro Grade One Magistrate Court for assaulting the Kaliro Deputy Resident District Commissioner, Abel Bakunda. The suspects are Adam Kunya 40 years, Collins Tibiita 28 years, Waidha Mutendeli 18 years, Moses Kibuuka 30 years, Farouk Kadaali 20 years and Ramadan Isooba aged 18 years. The suspects allegedly stormed Kaliro District headquarters, protesting against the Chief Administrative Officer, Samuel Bigirwa  after realising that Bigirwa was not in the office, they resorted to pelting Deputy RDC Bakunda with stones and attacked other staff at the district headquarters.

🇺🇬 NEBBI: Boda Boda rider butchered, motorbike robbed
📌Residents of Nebbi Town on Tuesday woke up in shock after they found a body of a man dumped near Afere Church of Uganda on the outskirts of Nebbi Town. Police identified the body of the deceased as Erick Omaki, 35, a boda boda rider and a resident of Yao-Okecha Cell who was killed by suspected robbers who afterwards took his bike. The Nebbi District Police Commander,  Aminsi Kayondo says the thugs cut his throat with a sharp object before fleeing with his motorcycle.
“The body has been taken to Nebbi Hospital mortuary for a post-mortem. Gody Oryek, a brother of the deceased, said Omaki started riding boda boda in 2008, a business that had helped him sustain his family for four years.

🇺🇬 APAC: 40 year-old father arrested for marrying off 14 year-old daughter 
📌Police in Apac District is holding a 40 year-old man, a resident of Bardek “B” Cell, Bung Ward, Atik Division in Apac Municipality for attempting to marry off his 14 year-old daughter. Police stormed his home where the ceremony was being held and rescued the Primary Four girl.
” I am cautioning and appealing to the public  to desist from giving away underage girls who should have been at school,” said Ndaula Sam Opira, the Apac Secretary for education and health.

ACROSS BORDERS
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🌍 RWANDA: FIFA President launches Pele’ stadium
📌FIFA President Gianni Infantino on Wednesday unveiled Kigali Pele Stadium, in honour of the Brazilian football legend who died in December last year. The multi-sports ground, initially known as Kigali Regional Stadium, holds 22,000 people. The inauguration of the stadium, which happened on the sidelines of the 73rd FIFA Congress in Kigali, was presided over by President Paul Kagame. President Kagame thanked Mr Infantino for giving the country an opportunity to honour Mr Pele by naming the stadium in his name.

🌍 KENYA: Raila’s mass action call amounts to treason – Lumumba
📌Constitutional lawyer Prof. PLO Lumumba has described the recent threats by Opposition leader Raila Odinga and his supporters to lead countrywide demonstrations from next week as an attempt to overthrow the Government, and that the actions are treasonable.
“If that is going to happen on March 20, I dare say without mincing words that the opposition led by Raila is actually saying that they are going to overthrow the Government of Kenya and that is treason,” he said.

🌍 Meteorologists urge Kenyans to plant drought-resistant crops
📌The Kenya Meteorological Department has advised Kenyans to plant drought-resistant crops due to expected ‘depressed’ rains. The department’s climate services assistant director, Richard Muita, advised farmers to consider planting beans, cassava and vegetables, rather than maize. Mr Muita also advised Kenyans to harvest water during the rainy season, with a number of regions, such as Western Kenya, expected to experience rains from mid-March.
“We have beans, potatoes, cassava, vegetables, millet, and sorghum. They mature in two-three months, and then you have food. You can use the surplus to sell and buy maize,” he advised.

🌍 UN Security Council to extend mission in South Sudan
📌The UN Security Council voted on Wednesday to extend for another year its mission in South Sudan, the world’s youngest state, which is undertaking a fragile peace process but remains plagued by post-civil-war violence. Thirteen of the Council’s 15 members voted to extend the mandate for the mission, known as UNMISS (United Nations Mission in South Sudan), until March 15, 2024.

🌍 ETHIOPIA: US Secretary of State announces $331 million in humanitarian aid
📌US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who is in Addis Ababa, on Wednesday announced over $331 million in new humanitarian aid to Ethiopia. The assistance includes $12 million through the State Department Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration and more than $319 million through USAID.
“Today I am announcing more than $331 million in new humanitarian assistance for Ethiopia in FY 2023 through the Department of State and the US Agency for International Development (USAID),” he said.

🌍 MALAWI: President Chakwera appeals to International Community for help following Cyclone Freddy ruins
📌Malawi President, Lazarus Chakwera has launched an international appeal for help in the aftermath of the devastation caused by Cyclone Freddy.The storm killed at least 225 people. Speaking in the capital, Blantyre, on Wednesday, President Chakwera appealed for help.
“Malawi is in a state of disaster. What cyclone Freddy has done, is to pull us back even when we were trying to rebuild, because of past tragedies. I appeal to the international community to please look at us with such favour. Because we need help, we need help in terms of people that have been rescued, who have lost everything. Needing what is necessary, shelter, clothing, food”, appealed President Chakwera.