𝐄𝐗𝐏𝐋𝐎𝐑𝐄𝐑 𝐍𝐄𝐖𝐒 𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐔𝐏

𝐈𝐒𝐒𝐔𝐄 258
𝐀𝐅𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐍𝐎𝐎𝐍 𝐄𝐃𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍
𝐀𝐏𝐑𝐈𝐋 05, 2023
🇺🇬🇺🇬🇺🇬

🇺🇬 NUP alternative budget a comedy show – DP
📌The Democratic Party (DP) has scoffed at the National Unity Platform party (NUP) alternative budget 2023/2024  released last week by Leader of Opposition Mathias Mpuuga, calling it ‘a comedy show’. Ismail Kirya, the leader of the Uganda Young Democrats (UYD) Tuesday downplayed the NUP ‘shadow’ budget which he called a sham and a show of accountability to their funders that they are working.
Kiirya said that by the time the Government releases 2023/2024 in June, ‘NUP’s alternative budget will be in its shelves covered by dust.’
’’In our Constitution we don’t have an alternative budget. The role of the Opposition in Parliament on issues of budget is to make responses to the Government after the National budget has been read to the country. They read a shadow budget earlier in three months before the Minister reads the official budget. This shows that their budget is to show accountability to their funders that they are working but all in all, it is a sham,” said Kirya.
Hon Mpuuga and his team last week suggested a 49 Trillion Shillings alternative national budget and according to him, out of the proposed 48.9 Trillion Shillings, 32.8 Trillion will be internally generated revenue. He noted that the 32.8 trillion is composed of a projected total tax collection of 27.83 trillion, a proposed recovery of 4 trillion from tax exemptions, and another 1 trillion from corruption scandals.

🇺🇬 Makerere University Research Centre opens
📌Makerere University Research Center, unveiled last month, has started operating with its main aim to strengthen research, grant writing and publication. The Principal Investigator of Makerere, Prof. Fredrick Muyodi said that the Centre, whose office will temporarily be in the Main Library, has started training the researchers. He said the centre has since its launch trained at least 3 researchers while three others  just enrolled. Prof Muyodi said that they plan to have a building within the university that will house offices, rooms for training as well as the needed equipment like ICT for the centre.
“The centre is at this time restricted to only Makerere staff but with time, we plan to open up to staff from other Universities, starting with the public ones. This is expected to kick start next year,” he said.

🇺🇬 Mufti Mubajje hails Government for funding Muslim programs
📌The Mufti of Uganda Sheikh Shaban Ramathan Mubajje has appreciated the Government for supporting various Muslim programs nationwide. Mubajje pointed to the funding allocated for the renovation works at the Gaddafi National Mosque in the national budget. He made the revelations on Tuesday in a meeting with the VP Maj Jessica Alupo during a visit to the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC) headquarters in Kampala.

🇺🇬 HOIMA: Bishop Kirabo challenges leaders on service delivery
📌Hoima Catholic Diocese Bishop Vincent Kirabo has lobbied Bunyoro region leaders to put aside their political differences but focus on serving the people who voted them into office. Bishop Kirabo was speaking at the fundraising drive organised by Hoima City leaders for the construction of a women and children specialised hospital in Hoima on Saturday.

🇺🇬 KAKUMIRO: Government to pay older persons monthly stipend
📌The Kakumiro District Social Assistance Grant for Empowerment (SAGE) Focal Person, Kyesa Benard has  released a program to pay elderly persons their monthly allowances across the district. The payment exercise will begin on April 11 to 14 at designated venues in 21 Sub Counties across Kakumiro District. Kyesa said the beneficiaries will receive their pay for the last six months.

🇺🇬 KASSANDA: Chinese national arrested for knocking dead two pupils
📌Police in Kassanda District have arrested a Chinese national  for knocking dead two pupils and injuring three others. Zau Hizang, driving a Toyota Hilux registration number UAU OO1V, knocked dead Jonathan Matovu, 5, and Briana Nantongo, 6, pupils of Glory Nursery and Primary School. The accident took place Wednesday at Kamusenene village along Lubaali-Kassanda- Bukuya road as the driver was overtaking a truck loaded with logs.

🇺🇬 SEMBABULE: Hon Begumisa donates tractor to farmers
📌The Sembabule District Woman Member of Parliament, Hon Mary Begumisa on Tuesday donated a tractor and modern seeds to farmers in Sembabule and urged them to improve their household income. She also gave a contribution of Ugx13 Million to Comprehensive SSS.

𝐀𝐂𝐑𝐎𝐒𝐒 𝐁𝐎𝐑𝐃𝐄𝐑𝐒
🌍🌍🌍

🌍  Over 400 Kenyan women diagnosed with new Gonorrhea strain
📌Kenyan researchers have found two new strains from two common sexually transmitted diseases among a group of young women in a town in Western Kenya bordering Uganda. More than 400 women above the age of 15 were diagnosed with Gonorrhoea and Chlamydia with new mutations. The researchers from Kenya Medical Research Institute said the disease could spread to neighbouring Uganda as the town is along the border where truck drivers stop.

🌍  RWANDA: President Ruto commends Rwanda’s Kagame for ‘invaluable’ role in solving DRC crisis
📌Kenyan President William Ruto, during his two-day State visit to Rwanda on Wednesday commended President Paul Kagame and Rwanda for his ‘invaluable’ knowledge and assistance in addressing the security problem in eastern DR Congo.

🌍 SOUTH AFRICA: Pilot lands plane after finding a cobra beneath seat
📌Rudolph Erasmus, a pilot who was flying four passengers from Cape Town to the Northern town of Nelspruit landed an aeroplane after finding a snake in his seat prompting him to make a  successfully emergency landing after noticing a cobra coiled under his seat.
“As I turned to my left,  I felt something cold on my  body and I realised it was a cobra. I looked down and saw the cobra putting its head back underneath my seat,” said Erasmus .

🌍 USA: Donald Trump arrested and arraigned in Court as Republicans call it political witch hunt
📌Former US President Donald Trump was  arrested and arraigned on Tuesday afternoon in Court on charges related to hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels in 2016. Prominent Republicans have strongly criticised the indictment, calling the charges politically motivated. Republican leaders such as Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, Senator Ted Cruz and Governor Ron DeSantis have all condemned the indictment.