𝐄𝐗𝐏𝐋𝐎𝐑𝐄𝐑 𝐍𝐄𝐖𝐒 𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐔𝐏

𝐈𝐒𝐒𝐔𝐄 329
🄰🄵🅃🄴🅁🄽🄾🄾🄽 🄴🄳🄸🅃🄸🄾🄽
JUNE 16, 2023
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🇺🇬 Uganda maintains tough stance on LGBTQ despite US intimidation
📌The Government of Uganda has maintained that it is committed to ensuring the safety and security of all visitors to the country, and that it will continue to work closely with international partners to achieve this goal. This comes in light of United States Government travel advisory ban issued on June 9, urging American citizens to reconsider any plans to travel to Uganda. Ever since the Anti Homosexuality Bill 2023 was signed into law, the US has, among others, imposed sanctions on some Government officials as well as threatenimg to cut aid.
State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Henry Okello Oryem, however maintains that Uganda will not be intimidated by the United States into deviating from its course.
“This is malicious but we shall not lose sleep over it. I am surprised they issued such statements, but if Americans don’t want to come it is ok. I am sure there are very many people from Europe, South America, China, Asia who are willing to come to Uganda, so we encourage other people to come to Uganda, to replace the Americans who don’t want to come,” Oryem said.

🇺🇬 President Museveni promotes over 1000 Police officers
📌The President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces has on Friday, June 16, 2023, promoted and appointed 1,638 gazetted Police officers to the ranks of SCP, CP, ACP, SSP, SP and ASP. According to the Minister of Internal Affairs, General Kahinda Otafire, with the powers vested to the President under section 91 of the Police Act CAP 303, the President promoted the Police officers to various ranks.
“As the Minister of Internal Affairs and the Chairman of the Uganda Police Authority, I am glad to announce the promotion of the officers,” Otafire said.
He said that, those prompted from the rank of Commissioner of Police to Senior Commissioner of Police are nine, while from Assistant Commissioner of Police to Commissioner of Police are 17 officers, and from Senior Superintendent of Police to Assistant Commissioner of Police are 199 Police officers. Otafire said that from Assistant Superintendent of Police to Superintendent of Police, are 976 and from the rank of Inspector of Police to Assistant Superintendent of Police are 400 officers.

🇺🇬 Parish chiefs to get housing grant, bicycles in new financial year
📌Government has given parish chiefs and Parish Development Model (PDM) executive committees housing grant, bicycles aimed at boosting PDM implementation to guarantee its success. According to PDM Deputy National Coordinator Jovrine Kaliisa, parish chiefs would be given a Ugx100,000 housing allowance and bicycles in the coming fiscal year 2023/24 to improve the monitoring of all Government initiatives. Kaliisa made the remarks on Thursday during a meeting at the district headquarters with sub-county and parish chiefs, PDM focal persons, Operation Wealth Creation (OWC) officials and Ibanda Municipality technical staff.

🇺🇬  Students injured in Bulenga bus accident
📌The Police in Bulenga are investigating the circumstances surrounding a bus accident which occurred on Friday at around 11:00AM. A bus registration number, UAM 897C carrying students of Mubende Parents Secondary School allegedly crashed into a tree at near Musoke Road at Kirumira stage in Bulenga, leaving scores injured. Fortunately, no deaths have been reported. According to eye witnesses, the driver who was following another bus with students from the same school, dosed off and failed to control the bus. He crushed it into a tree and fell on its left side. It has been established that the students were going to Kasenyi landing site for field work. The injured students have been rushed to nearby medical facilities as investigations into the matter continue.

🇺🇬 OYAM: Men shun Yellow Fever vaccine for fear of losing manhood
📌A section of men in Oyam District are reportedly shunning the ongoing Yellow fever vaccination exercise for fear of losing their manhood. According to Dr Carolyn Agaro, the acting District Health Officer  Oyam District, most men have refused to get vaccinated against Yellow Fever, relying on a myth that the vaccine affects their sexual performance.

🇺🇬 NAMISINDWA: LCI Chairperson arrested for stealing neighbor’s pigs
📌Police in Namisindwa District have arrested the LCI chairperson over allegations of stealing pigs belonging to one of the locals. This follows an operation conducted by Bubutu police with the help of a Police sniffer dog which went straight to the home of Ronald Wenani, 47,  the area LCI chairperson of Bumufuni Cell, Bumalanga Ward Bubutu Town Council. Sam Mugawu, the Bubutu town council youth chairperson says that unknown people broke into a piggery belonging to Florence Wabuyela on Wednesday and stole three pigs.

🇺🇬 LUWEERO: Court acquits clergyman of aggravated defilement after 5-year trial
📌Rev. Canon Kezekiah Kalule, the former archdeacon of Luteete Archdeaconry in Luwero Diocese, has been acquitted of defilement charges after  five years on trial. On Thursday, June 15, Kalule, 68, appeared before Lady Justice Damalie N. Lwanga for judgment on the charges of aggravated defilement. The judge noted significant contradictions in the evidence and victim’s statements to the police regarding her pregnancy. After the judgment, Kalule, who chose not to testify during the trial, stated that he believed the case was fabricated by a former employee of Compassion International who had been dismissed from their position. He expressed no ill will towards the victim and requested that the church reinstate him into the ministry.

🇺🇬 ISINGIRO: NEMA renews its commitment to environmental protection
📌The National Environmental Management Authority has launched the environmental protection pillars in the wet land corridor of Kahega, Kitooma, Kasusa, Kemengo and Kabagarame villages. The District Environment Officer, Abdu Kamoga on Friday noted that the pillars are aimed at conserving wetlands, riverbanks and lakeshores. Kamoga highlighted that NEMA will spearhead the development of environmental policies, laws, regulations, standards and guidelines to contribute to the social-economic development of Uganda.
“I am glad most of the encroachers expressed willingness to voluntarily leave the protected zones and the district technical staff, district police and local leadership will keep monitoring and surveilling to ensure no re-encroachment takes place,” he said.

ACROSS BORDERS
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🌍  Sudan rejects Kenya’s William Ruto’s mediation role
📌Sudan has rejected the IGAD mediation plan that would have seen Kenyan President William Ruto set up a face-to-face meeting between the two combatant generals. Despite Khartoum rejecting the suggestion, IGAD has stated it would continue to work with the Kenyan-led mediation group in the effort to bring about peace in Sudan. According to the international agency for migration, the Sudan conflict has caused a million deaths, forced 2.2 million people from their homes, including 528000 who have fled to neighboring countries.

🌍 US condemns abuse in Sudan, says atrocities are a reminder of the Darfur genocide
📌On Thursday, the US denounced Sudan’s ongoing atrocious violence, abuses of human rights, and claims of rampant sexual assault and ethnic-based killings carried out by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and other militias. The State Department issued a statement that read, “The atrocities occurring today in West Darfur and other areas are an ominous reminder of the horrific events that led the United States to conclude in 2004 that genocide had been committed in Darfur.

🌍 M23 captures three Hutu villages in eastern DRC
📌M23 rebels have captured three Hutu inhabited villages in Masisi town, North Kivu Province of the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Kasora, Igogwe, and Kahira villages located 87 kilometres from Uganda’s Bunagana border where the RDF-M23 rebels launched attacks and effectively took control. The capture of these villages on June 13, followed clashes with the Nyatura self-defence youth, and six people were killed in the process. In response to these developments, the Burundian Regional Force of the East African Community has decided to support the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC) to prepare for action upon authorization of East African Community (EAC).