Human Rights - Uganda Multimedia News & Information

To the women’s rescue: Saving Ugandan island

Miiro Allan — Thu, 17 Nov 2022 12:12:34 +0000

By Namutebi Patricia

It is 6 pm and I am sailing on the mighty Lake Victoria, the largest freshwater lake in the world.

The huge waves keep flapping against the local man-made boat, I arrive ashore on Myende Island at 8 pm. I brave the last-minute moments of being carried off the boat. Uganda’s water industry is a developing one, the piers here are not yet developed so you can only swim or be carried by some energetic people to the shore.

Dawn broke and, and I couldn’t wait to get off the floor where I slept. I am now relaxed after my 4-kilometre jog. Ahead are some makeshift houses. Strolling through the few makeshift wooden houses that seem like the island trading centre, I see a group of women seated having a meal. The air here is different, filled with cigarette fumes mixed with marijuana fumes. Most of the youth I see seem to be intoxicated.

It is midday now and I enter a makeshift restaurant. On sitting I pick a conversation with one Nakachwa who then tells me that most women in the Myende-Ngaga fishing village struggle and face sexual exploitation as the lake gets depleted of fish due to improper disposal of waste particularly plastic.

Islands in Uganda are silently facing similar environmental degradation.

Myende is an island in Koome, this is a group of Islands in Uganda surrounded by Lake Victoria. It is located off the coast of Entebbe City.

The Island with its beautiful rocky scenery is just a few minutes away from Ngamba Chimpanzee Sanctuary. It is home to quite a several species of birds.

Sexual exploitation

“We are facing sexual exploitation as we do not know our rights. We have not undergone any formal education and neither can we speak out for ourselves or speak back to these men to fight sexual exploitation, a man will abuse you in whichever way he wants without any support until you manage to escape,” says Nakachwa

This includes rape, early marriage, forceful childbearing after child marriage and prostitution.

“Because we have to fend for ourselves and the children as the men are involved in alcoholism and drugs, we don’t deny that we are greatly contributing to the endangering of the freshwater lake. The dumping of plastic bottles in which the alcohol, energy-giving beverages and sodas are packed is such a challenge. These are dropped by everyone. Women enjoy alcohol too. It kills our stress and for now, it is the only solution we have. The other alternative is to escape and go to Kimi or Ngamba island,” says Nakachwa.

The plastic bottles then end up in Lake Victoria and interfere with fish reproduction cycle of fish as fish like tilapia lay their eggs close to the shores.

Tilapia which is a common delicacy on the island is getting rare. This has contributed greatly to the lack of employment of both men and women as fishing is the main source of income on the island.

This has therefore resulted in unwanted pregnancies and thus making Myende Island inhabitable. They then move from island to island and the circle continues. But clearly, it is not a safe haven for women as their peace and security are compromised.

As I look across the island it is so clear, the indigenous tree species on the island are disappearing, this is due to illegal logging for charcoal burning and firewood . She goes on further to explain to me that this is contributing to the general erosion of the island and the soil is getting infertile.

The island is littered with waste. Photo/Patricia Namutebi/AWiM

Sustainable Solutions

Different projects are coming up to improve habitat conditions and enhance its population using the establishment of community tree nursery beds, training and deployment of tree conservation volunteers.

Conservation education and the establishment of village environment conservation committees enforced by peacebuilders, voluntary organisations like the Rotary International that plan on planting trees, proper waste management, and maternal and child care, safe water and basic education for all. One of the main focus areas of Rotary is peace-building all over the world.

There is an urgent call for a sustainable solution to waste management. How to transport the plastic bottles and transport them ashore is still a puzzle. The Uganda Government is still researching to find a sustainable solution by setting up a recycling plant for plastic bottles so that the lake is not endangered by plastic pollution from the used plastic bottles.

Other projects under Africa Institute for Energy Governance are also developing Uganda’s political strategy for combatting pollution in lake Victoria.

AFIEGO’s Communication officer Diana Nabiruma affirms that they together with other organisations like Global Water Partnership are strategizing on how to finance projects and distribute knowledge and advice across islands to save the lake from pollution and encourage livelihood.

The local village council on Myende Island is setting up alternative incomes, through private investors for the islanders such as beekeeping as a contribution to species survival both on land and the lake. Beekeeping is such a sustainable project as the bees help in the pollination of flowers and thus continuing the tree cycle of multiplication.

On speaking to the headmaster of the only school on the Island Omeriket Alonso says that education should be a solution to the environmental degradation and female sexual exploitation on the island.

However, since the outbreak of Covid-19, 13 of the girl from his school got pregnant, 3 were married off by their guardians and 30 boys left school for fishing.

“I realised I was headed for a crisis when only seven pupils reported to the school,” he says.

“The pupils whose parents live on the island are as nomadic as their parents. They keep moving from island to island looking for fish. When Myende gets depleted they go to the next island. In this way, I fail to retain them in class. They are looking for money along with their parents.”

The Islanders need sensitisation on the benefits of education and also exposure to different UNESCO programmes education and the environment.

UNESCO calls for attention to gender equality throughout the education system in relation to access to teaching and learning contexts as guided by the UNESCO strategy for gender equality.

In addition to this, apiary lessons being introduced as beekeeping could be an alternative source of income. These are being encouraged at a child’s lower level of learning as children learn from their parents.

The call for girl child education enhancement is crucial as when you educate a girl you are educating nations.

UNESCO content with the environment curriculum should be emphasised along with education for sustainable development in response to the urgent dramatic challenges the island faces. This is to enable quality environment change education.

Another option is enforcing family planning methods. This will control young girls from getting early pregnancies and as well prevent unwanted pregnancies.

Furthermore, the rules by the UNESCO health and education sector on a minimum age in marriage for girls which is eighteen years should be taught and enforced.

Other sources of fuel such as solar and electricity should be introduced on the island. This would reduce deforestation, overfishing and nomadism thus enhancing industrialisation.

With the situation on the island, different organisations need to come up to sensitise residents on vocational skills development and also educate them on environmental laws if they are to make Myende a habitable place and a haven for women and girls.

This story is part of African Women in Media ( AWiM)/UNESCO Peace and Security Journalism Programme

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New solutions for GBV to promote peace in Uganda

Miiro Allan — Thu, 17 Nov 2022 12:08:42 +0000

By Namutebi Patricia

Thirty-eight-year-old Nanozi Sandra* welcomes me with a smile. She is carrying a child on her back as she weighs and packs up plastic bottles in a huge sack. She displays a face of resilience. Sandra is a single mother of five. She collects garbage which she later sells at a recycling plant.

Sandra was forced into marriage at the very tender age of 15 after she had been raped, she narrates nothing but a nightmare in marriage.

“Three years ago, I used to earn 80,000 (roughly $21) shillings at the salon. My husband would take all that I earned. I would be forced into sex. During my first encounter with this man I got pregnant, I was still young and knew little about sex, to make it worse my stepmother was such a fierce woman that I did not tell her what had happened. Instead, she would punish me as it is regarded immoral to talk about sex to anyone in our culture. That is why I escaped from home.”

“I lived on the streets of Kampala. With time I had to move into a stranger’s one-roomed house in Katanga one of Kampala’s biggest slums then. It was indeed not safe staying with a stranger but that was my only hope for shelter.”

The bad marriage

The stranger then became a husband who would take all she had leaving her penniless for several years. As the years went by, she had three other children to look after. “I didn’t know about family planning methods.”

Sandra’s lowest moment in her life that almost drove her to a mental breakdown was when her son, was kidnapped. This happened as the boy played outdoors. “This will forever remain on my mind!” she screams as tears roll down her eyes.

“I was tortured, beaten up for carelessness and often attacked by the child’s father, I had to run away from the marriage.”

Sandra escaped and sought shelter at a church, in Kampala called Mutundwe Christian Fellowship with her children where she got guidance and counselling from one of the pastors.

“After some time, I left the church. I started a new life. Since I had no source of income, I resorted to picking up plastic and selling it to recycling companies.”

“A few years later I was approached by a man who I thought loved me and promised to marry me but got very abusive.”

“He would slap me over a simple disagreement, hit me in front of our children. He hit my face until I had a dislocated jaw. This time he was arrested. He was later released on bail. I had to find my escape route with my children and went to stay further away from Kampala in Masaka.”

Uganda’s newly sworn-in human rights chairperson Jacklet Atuhairwe says, “women must always report gender-based violence cases to the police and get reference number. If the police fail to respond women should approach me and I will ensure that these cases are followed up and dealt with by the courts of law,” she says.

She adds that security amongst women and families is important for peace and development in a country and should therefore be ensured. “I call upon the Ugandan police to respond with urgency and tackle gender-based violence,” she says.

She goes on further to explain that according to the UN violence against women and girls is one of the most widespread, persistent and devastating human rights violations in our world today.

She also notes that it is a major obstacle to the fulfilment of women’s and girls’ human rights and the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It occurs worldwide, cutting across all generations, nationalities, communities and spheres of our societies, irrespective of age, ethnicity, disability or other backgrounds.

She pointed out that gender-based violence has a great impact on peace at home and society in general.

Statistics from the Uganda National Bureau of Statistics show 17,664 domestic violence cases in 2020 went up by 29 per cent from 13,693 in 2019. 18,872 victims of domestic violence in 2020: 3,408 male adults, 13,145 female adults, 1,133 male juveniles and 1,186 female juveniles according to the annual police report on GBV and harmful practice of 2021.

She goes on further to call upon the government bodies in Uganda like the Judiciary to implement laws on gender-based violence to strengthen women’s peace and security in the country.

Fredrica Baguma the executive director Rural Health Promotion and Poverty Alleviation Initiative (RUHEPAI) noted that every individual’s abilities could be nurtured and enhanced with the right information and tools to attain economic transformation of their environment.

” Women form the most important parts of development and looking at their concerns leads to changes required for sustainable development,” she states adding that their programmes emphasise learning, actions and practices that derive to desirable livelihoods.

One of her programmes known as Kanyisa promotes increased farm yields and household income. Kanyisa is a local word which means “accumulate” It enables business initiation and enterprise development to enable grassroots women and girls to become self-reliant as owners of resources and this promote economic independence. She believes economic independence gives control over their lives thus curbing abuse and promotes peace.

Her organisation also emphasises rural farmers’ resilience and adaptation to inclusive farming systems that advance climate-smart agriculture to attain food security for women and their households.

She also equips them with practical life survival skills with an emphasis on hairdressing and sweater knitting that lead them to gain the power to sustain their livelihoods and become self-reliant. These activities go a long way toward promoting equal rights

Domestic Violence is a silent killer! Women’s security depends on security in the home and protection from gender-based violence. This is why women’s empowerment is such a sustainable solution to gender-based violence in communities and enhances peace and security. This is because sustainable peace involves promoting equal rights plus prevention and response to gender-based violence.

*Names changed to protect the victim of rape

This story is part of African Women in Media (AWiM)/ UNESCO Peace and Security Journalism Programme

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Silencing the guns: Gloria’s journey from the frontlines of LRA war

Miiro Allan — Thu, 17 Nov 2022 12:05:50 +0000

By Namutebi Patricia

When passion meets purpose, our lives become meaningful and then impactful.

I met Gloria Laker Aciro Adiiki. She is one of Uganda’s female journalists who has covered war stories. She narrates the story to AWiM News below:

Gloria narrates, “As a former war and peace reporter during the northern Uganda LRA war, this is my peacebuilding story on how I reported the war.

As a young displaced girl back in 1997, it was challenging to enter the newsroom with no experience and no journalism training. In addition, my living condition as a displaced girl was appalling. I was exposed to sexual harassment, name callings just for being a girl holding a camera because society at the time saw news reporting as a male job. Amidst these, my living condition was pathetic, imagine sleeping on cold verandas behind tall buildings to avoid rebel abduction. During this time, nearly all social services shut down due to the rebellion.

It was a difficult period. My parents fed us on the little available relief food since we had run away from our village and got displaced in the town suburbs where we lived in a miller machine house built and roofed with only iron sheets, associated with extreme cold at night and extreme heat during the day. Inside there was a maize miller machine, which also was not safe as the rebels were raiding town suburbs hence the reason we had to always move with our beddings (local mats and blankets) to sleep on verandas of town buildings, we were called “night commuters”.

This was equally difficult for all the journalists displaced by the war yet we had to report the conflict.

Every morning, my young siblings walked back to the miller, our second home with my mum to prepare for school. I would head to the newsroom carrying a polythene bag and inside was extra cloth. I began my journalism career with New Vision. In the office, we had a good washroom and from here I was able to take a bath, dress and wait for my colleagues Pelegrine Otonga, James Oweka and Dennis Ojwee to come so that we conduct our daily editorial meetings.

What kept her going

Despite all the challenges, I was so determined to tell the world about the human rights violations and impact of the war on vulnerable people including my family and the entire Acholi community.

The suffering turned me into a strong and determined journalist. So I courageously put in a lot of effort in learning how to write war stories from my experienced colleagues and with the support of Pelegrine Otonga who was our editor and a senior journalist. I quickly learnt nearly all the basics fast, thanks to Pelegrine who would not allow me to go to the field without James or any other male journalists. He made sure I was in the company of a male reporter for my safety. Pelegrine protected me after my dad took me to New Vision offices when I insisted I wanted to report about the war, and he told Pelegrin to train and protect me. Given my achievements today, I am proud to say Pelegrine did well.

Reporting the LRA war was associated with watching terrific scenes such as dead bodies, landmine blasts, bullet wounds, and burnt trucks and the malnourished children and child soldiers rescued from the rebels.

Imagine photographing dead bodies with flies oozing over these bodies, imagine taking pictures of malnourished rescued people from the rebels with peeling feet full of pus.

Courageously and as a youth at that time, the more I saw these pathetic conditions, the more I wanted the war known so that the international community could come to our rescue because as time went on the LRA rebels had become impossible to counter. The rebels were flamboyant, dangerously destructive and very elusive to catch.

Coining peace stories in war reporting

With all the atrocities, with no signs of the war coming to an end, my colleagues and I began redirecting our reporting from the victimizing alarming reports we were filing to angling peace stories which help in pushing parties to dialogue and this created room for subsequent peace talks. In achieving this, we became one united peace mouthpiece/voice regardless of the different media organisations, we had one goal to report the war in ways that could reconcile people.

Practically, one of the things we did was to choose our words carefully and built good relations with the government soldiers because they were our only sure and safe means of transport to rebel-infested areas. “However, this did not compromise our reporting principles of objective journalism.” At this time the government army needed us as much as we needed them.

As time went on the rebels also began speaking to us on realising the power of the media in conflict.

However, to improve on my reporting, I had to do several short causes in line with war and peace reporting, thanks to my mentor Ms Margaret Sentamu, Executive Director of Uganda Media Women’s Association who identified me and covered my fees and I was able to do a diploma in journalism. I am proud of Ms Margaret because her sacrifices and efforts in bringing up female journalists have turned me into the journalist I am today, she boosted my commitment to war and peace reporting and this laid a strong foundation for me, first as a war reporter then as a peace journalist and later I was able to go to the university and studied a bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication.

Towards the period of the peace process, more young girls emerged and they did cover the conflict and post-war errors extremely well. They had more advantages with the coming of the internet, unlike our time when we had to walk every evening to the only fax machine in the district at the post office, line up and fax our story for the day hence this challenge moulded me to a strong and determined female journalist.

My experience and my colleagues made me become a more confident female journalist in reporting conflict areas and promoted peace journalism work in Uganda.”

Gloria was awarded by Ugandan President Museveni for her peace journalism initiative. Photo/Courtesy

As a result, Gloria has received recognition and awards for her peace reporting. In 2022 October, she was one of the six finalists for the United State Institute for Peace, 2022 Women Building Peace finalist, and in 2019 Gloria was honoured and awarded with a presidential Golden Jubilee Medal by Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni for her contribution to peace in northern Uganda.

In 2016, Gloria was honoured and featured on BBC Outlook as an inspirational journalist for risking her life and covering the LRA war. In 2008 Gloria won a BBC communicating justice project in Uganda as the best journalist.

In April 2011 Gloria was awarded by Centre for Global Peace Journalism at Park University USA for outstanding performance in the implementation of peace and electoral project.

Gloria now uses her experience to train and mentor young African journalists on the roles of the media in peacebuilding and conflict management. Her effort is geared towards preventing media-induced violence and encouraging peace reporting and she is doing this through the Peace Journalism Foundation she established.

The passionate journalist is amplifying UNESCO’s vision of achieving lasting peace and security all over the world.

She has influenced several journalists in Uganda that can advocate for peace. The city of Gulu where the war had broken out is getting peaceful bit by bit as people resettle in.

Different Organisations like War Victims and Children’s Networking have also come up to ensure that returnee victims and children are completely resettled back into the community. After ten years there are still several challenges as said by former LRA abductee Stella Lanaam. She said the war victim’s children cannot access national identity cards as most of them were as a result of rape, or unwanted sex and others were deserted by their parents. She called upon the government under NIRA (National Registration Authority) to be flexible for these children to access national Identity cards.

This story is part of African Women in Media (AWiM)/UNESCO Peace and Security Journalism Programme

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Should gene-editing be approved for its means or end

Charles Jurua — Wed, 12 Feb 2020 16:05:12 +0000

The notion of gene editing has taken phase to maybe advanced thoughts of people who may not be following progress in science and technology, what Bioethicists refers to as bio-technology. Many of us may have probably heard or known about stories of DNA tests that aim at creating identity. This identity is geared to find out the fact that one or a child belongs to a certain parent. The DNA advanced innovation and invention of CRISPR Cas 9 is our topic of discussion to the edition of babies and likely bioethical issues that arise. The utmost end of finding out whether even is the means used to attain a good goal is wrong to be continued will also make part of our essay.

The development of CRISPR Cas 9

In the same manner, as DNA developed and so is the technology of Clustered Inter Spaced Repeated Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR) Cas 9 unveiled by Jennifer Doudna that can be used to alter genes of an embryo.

Cas 9 is the enzyme that it uses to making cutting sequences. To relate, it would make sense to refer to Crispin Maslog in paraphrasing a discussion of the world receiving results of the first gene-edited babies in November 2018. The babies were twins whose identical names were not mentioned here for security purposes. This invention which took place in the above year was by the Chinese Scientist Crispin Maslog on SciDev.Net. This regarded as an achievement at the giving end turned out as a debatable topic on the receiving or consuming end.

As bioethicist always focuses on the receiving end of any bio-technological achievement. To make clarity of some key terms CRISPR Cas 9 is the recent bio-technology idea that replaces the commonly known DNA. This technology can be used to cut, edit and add parts of the genome.

A genome can literally be understood as a trait that passes on from one’s grandparents to parents and to him/her. These traits that get passed on are in other words inherited. These are inherited in their combination or coding that may lead to words people normally refer to a child and parent. The reference is normally in that the child resembles his/her parent. This resemblance is what can be understood as the genome.

The genome, therefore, that is being edited results into either a positive or negative effect onto the edited bacteria. This process of editing is done by CRISPR Cas 9. The reason as to why this can edit is because the Cas 9 as protein enzyme plays a very big role as a cutter, editor and alternator. This role of editing embryos from its totipotent stage can only be engineered by the CRISPR Cas 9 enzyme. The totipotent stage is that from which any part of the body can be altered or modified into a desirable.

This also led to the idea of what can be referred to as ‘designer babies”. This process of gene editing designer babies basically encompasses the notion of adding or removing traits to suit qualities desired like beautiful, handsome, a certain species type and intelligence.

PHOTO OF GENE-EDITING

Example of a gene-editing process using CRISPR Cas 9

Twins as a result of gene-editing to remove HIV

The declaration of the seven couples whom Crispin and his colleges recruited with HIV had in some days been declared to have borne in a womb twins with HIV-resistant. These scientists’ steps through CRISPR Cas 9 to edit in either removing HIV genes and implanted into a womb got many disagreements of no proven evidence. This lead to the raising of ears like a cock or rabbit focusing of one to attentively hear and make judgment or conclusions.

Bioethical issues that arise

Just like the Chinese second International Summit on Human Genome Editing in Hong Kong attended by 700 Scientists noted the following day on 29^th Nov 2018 that “Even if the modifications are verified, the procedure was irresponsible and failed to conform to international norms,” and so do Bioethicists argue.

Bioethical issues that range from biological, physical, social, spiritual and psychological in nature start to arise. These issues arise just as Crispin’s colleagues noted as I paraphrase that they too got surprised that the research made them debate of as to whether it really followed ‘ethical guidelines’.

According to a bioethical understanding of the steps of the use of humans beings being used as research subjects to be ethical has to follow the National Institutes of Health (NIH) guidelines. The guideline would question as to whether the research before the seven couples went through the first and second stage before the third of a small sample of human beings. If so did it reach this third level would now call for evidence.

This rising is powered by the fact that the genetic engineering story is looking at this imaginary story of Alphabetical letters of English Grammar. They are 26 alphabetical letters of which you and I English writers and speakers use to join words. The removal or addition of these letters gives either a positive or negative result. To the later, the removal can lead to either a positive or negative effect and to the addition in a reverse way. The removal for example of alphabetical letters like a, e, o, i, and u will surely lead to the disappearance of some words hence affecting the alphabetical letters negatively. This means the opportunities to do many things is limited. In this same veil could be editing a gene that is inherited.

To refer to the inherited gene can best further be understood in our previous example of the resemblance of a child, parent, and grand-parents. When the genes that created resemblance of character, behaviour and maybe empathy are removed then the semblance that was shared between the lineages are lost. Bioethicists would not in any way give a go-forward to a research proposal of such nature because of the distortion.

On a second imagination, it is done to over 5 generations of 50 years. This means literally that a culture, tribe, and race might extinct and this will surely cause social stigma.

The most crucial gene editing notion that calls bioethics to play is whether we should proceed with it because of the end we focus on or also pay attention to the means used to attain the goal. In any case to take a simple example, when Chris is hungry and needs something to eat and know very well that their neighbour’s cassava in the garden is ready and uproots without permission to feed on. In this simple scenario, Chris will get satisfied and hunger no more. On the other hand if we are to question would Chris have used the best means to solve hunger?

In this case of the gene-edited babies so do we question the means used through CRISPR Cas 9 that fellow 700 scientists questioned its ethics. The goal of attaining HIV free twin babies was achieved but it shouldn’t be a justification of not bothering of the means used.

Bioethicists would recommend instead to use a means that everybody in this case scientists would also conform to gene editing to attaining any desired result. Furthermore, any means thought of for a process should be prior subjected to ethical or research ethics review.

JURUA Charles

Master of Arts in Bioethics –Finalist

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India’s hangman, hungry to execute four rapists

Samuel Wamuttu — Sun, 12 Jan 2020 18:52:59 +0000

Being a hangman may not be the best of jobs but one such man in Indian is excited for a call to Delhi in the coming days to execute four men who gang raped and murdered a female student on a moving bus a eight years ago.

Pawan Jallad, a fourth generation executioner, says he is ready to carry out the sentence of the four saying their death will bring ‘a sigh of relief to me, her parents and the country’

Akshay Kumar Singh, 31, Pawan Gupta, 25, Vinay Sharma, 26, and Mukesh Singh, 32, were sentenced to hanging on January 22 at 7am in Tihar jail, a court has ruled.

They were convicted of raping and killing physiotherapy student Jyoti Singh, 23, on a Delhi bus in 2012, while she travelled home from a nightshift at an IBM call centre.

Pawan Jallad, a fourth generation executioner (pictured), said he is ready and waiting to carry out the four men’s sentence

Appeals by all four men against the death sentence have been rejected by India’s Supreme Court, with the final verdict coming in December.

The men still have one more chance to appeal against the ‘black warrant’ death notice, although any mercy plea is expected to be rejected.

Pawan Gupta (left), Vinay Sharma (second left), Mukesh Singh (second right) and Akshay Singh (right) have been sentenced to die on January 22 for the fatal gang-rape of a student in 2012

The hangman has said he is expecting to be ordered to travel to Tihar from his home in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, to carry out ‘rehearsals’ for the executions of the men.

‘It will really give a great sigh of relief to me, to Nirbhaya’s parents and to everyone else in the country when these convicts are hanged. These kinds of people should be hanged,’ he told Gulf News.

‘I don’t need much practice. I will only have to inspect the noose and the execution place once, see the measurement of the convicts and prepare myself for the execution.

Father of the victim being interviewed at court

‘I have said earlier also that the execution in the gang-rape and murder should happen as early as possible.’

The final plea in the case, known as the Nirbhaya – or fearless – gang-rape and murder case, is not expected to be granted. If the execution goes ahead, it will be India’s first use of capital punishment since 2015.

Asha Devi, mother of the 23-year-old victim said on Tuesday: ‘This judgement will reinforce people’s faith in the judiciary. My daughter will get justice.’

Pawan Jallad (pictured) has also called for the execution to be carried out ‘as early as possible’

In court, there was a moment of drama as Mukesh’s mother went to Asha and begged for her son’s life to be saved.

‘Please forgive my son. I am begging you for his life’, she said, according to NDTV.

‘I had a daughter too. What happened with her? How can I forget,’ she replied.

Jyoti was riding on a bus through Delhi on December 16, 2012, when she and a male friend were attacked by six men including the bus driver.

Awindra Pratap Pandey described being beaten unconscious with a metal bar, before the men took it in turns to rape and torture Jyoti – who was nicknamed Nirbhaya or ‘fearless’ by Indian media.

Asha Devi (centre), the mother of 23-year-old victim Jyoti Singh, welcomed the verdict saying that ‘justice has been restored’

The metal bar was used to inflict catastrophic internal injuries on the physiotherapy student, who was dumped naked by the side of the road.

Awindra survived with minor injuries, but Jyoti had to be flown to Singapore for specialist treatment. She died two weeks later, on December 29.

The case caught international attention, sparked weeks of national protests, prompted a change in laws around sex crimes, and harsher penalties for attackers.

Five men and one juvenile were initially arrested for the attack, and fast-tracked through the Indian court system where sex crime trials often take years to play out.

The case sparked protests across India, garnered international media attention, and prompted lawmakers to toughen penalties for sex crimes

One of the men, Ram Singh, died in custody in 2013 with an autopsy ruling he hanged himself, though his family argue he was killed.

The juvenile was convicted of rape and murder and sentenced to the harshest possible punishment – imprisonment for three years in a reform institution.

The remaining four men were convicted of rape and murder in September 2013 and sentenced to death.

All four men subsequently launched legal appeals, fighting all the way to the Supreme Court.

The last appeal to be heard was from Akshay, who argued that since pollution in Delhi was so bad he couldn’t be expected to live long and hanging was unnecessary.

Women take part in a protest following the death of a rape victim in New Deli in December last year. Such cases have received heightened attention since Jyoti was killed

The court rejected his petition, saying he had provided no evidence that was not already considered by the lower courts.

In their ruling, the judges lambasted his legal team for seeking a ‘re-hearing of appeal over and over again.’

Preparations for the execution have already begun at Delhi’s Tihar jail, with a mock hanging already carried out to test that the gallows still work.

Jyoti was nicknamed Nirbhaya or ‘fearless’ by Indian media and has sparked nationwide protest movements demanding more protection for women from sex attacks

A hangman is being brought to the city from Meerut, some 40 miles away, along with ropes from Buxar, some 450 miles distant.

Officials told NDTV that preparations began last month, after the final appeal failed and in preparation for Tuesday’s black warrant being issued.

The men are currently being kept in separate cells and are being monitored around the clock by CCTV to prevent them from killing themselves.

Source: DailyMail

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We need to create grassroots radio stations-Besigye

Brian Kisembo — Sun, 28 Apr 2019 11:37:50 +0000

Former Forum for Democratic Change presidential candidate Dr Col. Kizza Besigye has insisted that stopping him from reaching his people via radio stations won’t deter him from sending his message to people.

Besigye said this on Saturday while in Kitgum district after the Kitgum Resident District Commissioner, Mr Christopher Omara reportedly ordered his talk that was to take place on the Mighty Fire FM cancelled.

Besigye says that the party will do all what it takes to establish communication channels at the grass root level to pass the message to people and for easy coordination.

“We are now going to create our own radio stations within the community,” Dr Besigye said. “This is through networking with the locals and leaders at the grassroots. This grassroots radios will help us to pass information from bottom to top and vice versa; it is what the People’s Government is intending to do.”

“We need to establish our leaders’ network so that we don’t only rely on the radio stations. We cannot cause change if we don’t have coordination, we should have leaders from top to bottom, we need to stand up and rise against this government because power is in our hands,”Besigye added.

The four time Presidential candidate was accompanied by the FDC party president Patrick Oboi Amuriat and FDC national Mobiliser Ingrid Turinawe while in Kitgum.

The FDC party was on a move of opening a new office within Kitgum which was constructed by the Chua West County Member of Parliament, Mr Philip Okin Ojara.

While contacted by Daily Monitor in an interview, the Kitgum Resident District Commissioner, Mr Christopher Omara denied being behind the cancellation of a talk show that Besigye had planned to appear on.

“I think the station management didn’t want to host the FDC leaders because of reason they best know, I didn’t give them any directives,” he said.

Besigye has been on several occasions denied chance of talking to his people while on radio stations. Several radio stations in Kabale, Jinja and Mubende have been switched off for hosting him.

Tembo FM was switched off on Thursday after official from the FDC Party were passing a message to people of Besigye going to appear in the district on Saturday.

The FDC Presidential also said that President Museveni is already defeated and that’s why he moved from barracks to barracks country wide because he has no support of the army.

“Museveni is cornered, he is actually defeated, he no longer has the support of the army. That is the reason why you saw him moving in all the barracks around the country trying to convince soldiers by promising them better housing facilities, improved salaries. You cannot keep promising people for more than 30 years,” he said.

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Meghan Markle wows public with speech on women’s right

Agnes Tumuheire — Mon, 29 Oct 2018 08:39:33 +0000

The Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle has moved the public in New zealand with her speech based on the country’s history of women’s suffrage.

The Duchess was on a joint royal tour with her husband, Prince Harry in New Zealand on Sunday.

“We are proud to be able to join you tonight in celebrating the 125th anniversary of women’s suffrage in your country,”The achievements of the women of New Zealand who campaigned for their right to vote, and were the first in the world to achieve it, are universally admired,”In looking forward to this very special occasion, I reflected on the importance of this achievement, but also the larger impact of what this symbolizes…because yes, women’s suffrage is about feminism, but feminism is about fairness,

“Suffrage is not simply about the right to vote but also about what that represents: the basic and fundamental human right of being able to participate in the choices for your future and that of your community, the involvement and voice that allows you to be a part of the very world that you are a part of.” Meghan Markle implored.

Markle described women’s suffrage as a method of silencing the minority view.

“it is not simply about the right to vote for women, but also about what that represents: the basic and fundamental human right of all people, including those members of society who have been marginalized whether for reasons of race, gender, ethnicity or orientation, to be able to participate in the choices for their future and their community.”

“So bravo, New Zealand, for championing this right 125 years ago—for the women who well deserve to have an active voice and acknowledged vote, and for all of the people that this effort has paved the way for globally. We all deeply thank you.”

While signing out, the Duchess used a quote New Zealand most popular suffragette, Kate Sheppard:”All that separates, whether of race, class, creed or sex, is inhuman and must be overcome.'”

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Over 150 Ugandans deported from United Arab Emirates due to crime

Agnes Tumuheire — Mon, 08 Oct 2018 09:57:22 +0000

Mr Moses Kasujja, told Daily Monitor that some of the deportees had committed offences and were serving jail sentences.

According to Mr. Kasujja, the deported Ugandans were declared undesirable citizens in the UAE, however, he added that negotiations are pending to ensure that those on life sentence are brought home for trial. Deportations started on September 1 and are still ongoing until end of month.

“When UAE agrees, they can be brought home and be tried in Uganda, sentenced and imprisoned here,” he said.

Police in Dubai had earlier released a list of 38 Ugandans; 11 of whom are women and 2 serving life sentences for drug trafficking in Al Awiir Central jail, one of Dubai’s biggest prisons.

The September 18 list indicate that some Ugandans had been arrested for unlawful stay, working with a non-sponsor and unlawful return after previous deportation.

Others were charged with drug trafficking and sentenced to life imprisonment, one for kidnapping and four over forgery offences.

However, Sulaiman Kabangala Mbuga, alias SK Mbuga, who was allegedly imprisoned in UAE for fraud is not mentioned on the list.

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Security tightened ahead of Bobiwine home coming

Agnes Tumuheire — Thu, 20 Sep 2018 07:17:38 +0000

Just hours to the return of the Kyadondo East Member of Parliament,Hon. Robert Kyagulanyi Sentamu alias Bobi Wine, police and the miltary have teamed to provide a security to ensure that no ‘law is broken’.

There has been a heavy deployment of security both in police uniforms and military wear in the places where the legislator is expected to pass most especially along Entebbe road in areas near the national airport.

Some of the major outlets even the ones on the Entebbe express highway have been blocked while other have police checks.

Bobi Wine announced his home coming on Monday and revealed that he will be in Uganda on Thursday from U.S.A where he had gone for specialized treatment after alleged police torture.

However police yesterday warned against violating the Public Order Management act sighting that police had not yet received any information that Kyagulanyi will convene a procession.

Mr. Emilian Kayima, the Police spokesperson, yesterday said the police will be available to escort Bobi Wine on arrival to his home in Gayaza to ensure peace.

“He [Bobi Wine] will only be received by his close family members at the airport after; he will be escorted to his home. There will be no rallies,” Kayima said.

However, the legislator had declined the offer saying that He knows where his home is located and prefers his friends welcoming him at the airport to police.

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US calls International Criminal Court ‘dangerous’

Agnes Tumuheire — Tue, 11 Sep 2018 13:26:32 +0000

John Bolton, the White House National Security Advisor,the court constitutes an assault on US sovereignty: courtesy photo

Global giant, U.S.A has withdrawn its trust from the International Criminal Court(ICC) deeming it very ‘dangerous’

According to John Bolton, the White House National Security Advisor,the court constitutes an assault on US sovereignty, given its an unaccountable tendencies.

“In theory, the ICC holds perpetrators of the most egregious atrocities accountable for their crimes, provides justice to the victims, and deters future abuses,” Bolton said.

“In practice, however, the court has been ineffective, unaccountable, and indeed, outright dangerous,” he said.

Bolton confirmed that, with immediate effect, the United States will not accept any move by the court to prosecute American service members and intelligence officials over alleged detainee abuse in Afghanistan with “an utterly unfounded, unjustifiable investigation.”

“The United States will use any means necessary to protect our citizens and those of our allies from unjust prosecution by this illegitimate court,” he said.

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