Addressing journalists at the party headquarters in Najjanankumbi, Kampala, yesterday, the party deputy Secretary General, Mr. Harold Kaija, said the President has been issuing careless statements every time such murders happen and no one has ever been convicted for the same.
“The President has failed in his duty of protecting the citizens. He promised to secure CCTV cameras and several other modern equipment to fight murder in the country but all in vain. When Abiriga died, he called those who killed him pigs and senseless but these are the same people terrorizing Ugandans,” Said Kaija.

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He added: “President Museveni should admit failing to provide security to citizens and seek knowledge from the Opposition on how to end crime in the country instead of blaming it on other people.”
Abiriga and his brother Saidi Buga Kongo were last Friday gunned down a few meters from their home in Kawanda near Kampala by unknown assailants.
During yesterday’s press briefing, FDC also denied being part of the chaos in Arua Municipality on Sunday evening after the body of Abiriga and his brother arrived for burial.

Arua RDC Peter Debele accused the Opposition of staging the protest, which saw mourners confiscate the two caskets containing the remains of Abiriga and his brother as well as destroying the chairs and tents that were meant for guests.
However, FDC yesterday said Arua residents were protesting the manner in which their sons were killed and they had kept their anger for a long time.

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President Museveni made the remarks yesterday at Kisengwe Trading Centre in Kakumiro where he was chief guest at district’s belated Women’s Day celebrations, reports the Presidential Press Unit.

The President also commissioned a new line extending power from Kihumuro Town Council to Kyebando, and the newly-constructed Kisengwe Health Centre III.

Responding to several complaints by local leaders about the continued eviction of Bibanja owners on Mailo land especially through collusion of rich people and absentee landlords, the President said the Land Amendment Bill 2008 was explicit on the status of Bibanja holders and barred illegal evictions.

He added that government had embarked on a process of compensating the landlords and processing titles for the Bibanja holders but limited resources meant the exercise would be gradual. Landlords, said the President, should be patient.

President Museveni also urged local leaders to protect the poor against illegal land evictions using the existing land law.

Mr. Museveni told the excited mammoth crowd that government was working on all major roads in Bunyoro sub-region.

He said road works have started on Mubende, Kakumiro-Ndaiga and Kigumba, Kagadi to Kyenjojo roads.

He added that the road from Hoima, Bulisa to Wanseko was to be tarmacked while Hoima-Kaiso-Tonya was complete and all districts had been provided with new and sound equipment to work on murrum roads.

President Museveni castigated those who propagate lies that all development programmes can be undertaken at the same time, saying the National Resistance Movement has developed Uganda through prioritisation and will continue to do so because resources are naturally scarce.

He however said whereas the government was on track in providing necessary services such as security, electricity, education and health facilities, citizens needed to do their part in fighting household poverty and safeguarding themselves from HIV/Aids for Uganda to develop.

He greatly thanked Kakumiro Woman MP Robinah Nabanjja for raising resources and putting up Kisengwe Health Centre III that she later handed over to the government.

The health facility, said the President, would go a long way in supplementing government’s provision of health services in the district and pledged to expand the unit by constructing a new fully-fledged women’s ward.

The Finance Minister Matia Kasaija pledged that his ministry would ensure that funds are availed to extend water to the health centre to make it fully functional.

Kakumiro LC5 Chairman Joseph Ssentaayi Ssenkusu asked the President to intervene in the on-going process of leasing forest reserves, urging that indigenous people be given first priority.

He lauded the government for the positive poverty eradication programmes that have targeted the youth and women in the district and for provision of the road equipment that has enabled the district to fix more than150 kilometres of roads.

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The bill was proposed after the president promise to make undertaking to improve the retirement benefits of judges.

Dokolo county MP, South Felix Okot Ogong

The deputy speaker Jacob Oulanyah said that parliament had given leave to the MP for Dokolo county, South Felix Okot Ogong,  to introduce to parliament a similar bill but government pleaded for the member to abandon his private member’s bill  to wait for what government is bringing which is in vain .

The Deputy Attorney General, Hon. Mwesigwa Rukutana,  said that he regrets the delay to table this bill but his office is still in consultation with the ministry of finance so as when they come up with the provisions in this bill are sustainable and enforceable.

He added that the bill any time will be brought to parliament for consideration.

ALSO READ: Ugandans should not be scared by Sejusa arrest – Felix Okot Ogong

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Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga

The Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga, has called upon Members of Parliament to consider re-table the pending bills related to protection of children and women.

The pending bills include the Sexual Offences bill and Marriage and Divorce bill.

Kadaga was addressing a dialogue on ending gender based violence and HIV/Aids organized by the Uganda Women Parliamentary Association at imperial Royale in Kampala.

She expressed concern over the high rates of sexual defilement in schools perpetuated by teachers which violates children’s rights.

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She also decried incest cases rise among fathers who are defiling their daughters.

Kadaga said that it’s high time to name and shame the sexual offenses culprits in public.

The Speaker also accused mothers of contributing to the defiling of the girl child by sending them to markets at late hours as well as walking them long distances which culminates into defilement.

The Chairperson of the Uganda Women Parliamentary Association Monica Amoding said that if the Sexual offence Bill is enacted into law, it will end sexual offences against girls and women.

The executive Director Uganda Network on Law and Ethics (UGANET), Helen Kiconco called upon   MPs to legislate on Laws that will help to defend the plight of women.

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The Marriage and Divorce bill seeks to prohibit widow inheritance, grants certain rights to cohabiting couples and equalizes prejudiced divorce provisions which granted absolute rights to men. It was designed in part, to improve women’s rights in marriages and to reform and consolidate the laws relating to marriage, separation and divorce.

Tabled as the Domestic Relations Bill, in 2003, the draft was rejected by the Muslim community opposed to the provisions banning polygamy. After being rejected by Parliament in 2006, the bill was split into a Muslim Personal Law Bill, which covers Muslim marriages, and the Marriage and Divorce Bill for the other religious denominations.

The drafts were however shelved following wide condemnation from a section of religious leaders and members of the public arguing that the proposals within were alien to the African culture.

Some of the controversial proposals include among others, those that pertain to bride price, a customary practice requiring payment of consideration by a groom to his wife’s family. The current Marriage and Divorce Bill states that bride price cannot be treated as a prerequisite for marriage, and makes criminal the act of demanding repayment of bride price.

RELATED: Parliament to re-table Marriage and Divorce Bill

ALSO READ: Women MPs vow to ensure passing of Marriage and Divorce Bill

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Museveni and a graduand. Courtesy Photos

661 female pioneers of the Presidential Initiative on the Skilling of the Girl Programme that is tailored to fight against poverty and unemployment among the girl child group in the country, yesterday graduated at a ceremony presided over by President Yoweri Museveni.

The ceremony for the young female learners from the 5 Divisions of Kampala took place this afternoon at Kololo independence ceremonial grounds in Kampala. The learners spent 6 months training in a number of skills such as tailoring, bakery, weaving, knitting, embroidery and shoe making as well as other leather related products.

President Museveni who today gave all the 661 graduands working machines related to the skills they acquired, urged them to take advantage of the readily available Ugandan market that largely depends on imports and produce quality goods to sell within the country and rid themselves of poverty. He said that after the Movement had liberated the country politically, new focus and efforts are now being channelled to the economic liberation of the country.

He stressed that in the economic liberation struggle focus will be on fighting poverty and unemployment that pose a great challenge to the country especially among the youth.

“Ugandans are rich and you don’t have to look anywhere for the start because we import all the things we use in our lives and you need to produce and substitute all those things we import from Asia and other continents,” the President said.

“We spend US$7 billion annually on imports yet we are able to produce most of them here especially domestic consumables and it is high time we engaged in import substitution and earn from our own people,” he added.

The President noted that continued exportation of raw materials while importing finished products, makes the country millions of jobs that the youth dearly need thus escalating the country’s unemployment challenge.

“We can’t continue donating jobs to the developed countries because we need them more than those countries and we are ready to give you all the machinery you need and the start-up capital so that you are able to start your own business and employ your selves,” he added.

Mr. Museveni used the occasion to warn government officials against wasting government resources amidst the challenges of poverty and unemployment. He revealed that the funding of the six-month programme and the equipping of all the 661 graduands, cost his office Shs.1.2 billion. He said that this makes it about Shs.2 million per person adding that if government prioritised the programme and made sure there is no resource wasting, the whole country can be covered.

He advised the young female graduands to put the skills and the machines they have acquired to the right use and work to eradicate poverty in their homes and also train others in their localities.

State Minister for Youth and Children Affairs, Hon. Nakiwala Kiyingi commended the President for initiating the programme that targets the girl child. She noted that skilling the girl-child, translated well into skilling mothers, the family and the nation. She revealed that research has found that skilling and equipping the girl child goes a long way in reducing the rate of early marriages and unplanned pregnancy that impact negatively on the life of the girl child as it also affects national economic growth.

Ms. Nakajubi Christine, who represented the graduands, thanked the President for investing in the girl child, the majority of whom hail from very poor backgrounds and low levels of education. She said that the training and support will help them live a wholesome life. She further commended the skills acquired during the training and the technological support from the President that, she said, will see them turn into job makers instead of job seekers.

Source: statehouse

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URA Commissioner General Doris Akol

The Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) has described this financial years revenue collection target is stretching and ambitious.

In the 2017-2018 budgets the URA is expected to collect 15 trillion on assumptions over 6% GDP growth, stable inflation rate, increasing private sector credit growth above the current 4.4% and others.

Speaking to media today, Doris Akol, the URA commissioner general said that some of the factors that forced the authority to register a shot fall 457 billion below the target still exist thus archiving this target is going to be a challenging factor.

She has however said that the authority has high hopes in some of tax reforms that were introduced including taxes on wheat grain, rental tax and others as a likely source of additional taxes.

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President Museveni believes in a large population

As Uganda joined the rest of the World yesterday Monday June, 11, 2017 to commemorate the World Population Day, authorities have come out to admit that early pregnancies is still one of the most crucial challenges that hinders sustainable development.

Early pregnancy is said to be at 25% and this has stagnated for the last 10 years. This means that in Uganda, one out every four of our teenage girls has had a baby before they reach 19 years.

Government says high teenage pregnancies (24.8%, UDHS 2016), poor sanitation, poverty (19.7, UNHS 2012/13), unemployment (9.4%, UNHS 2012/13), school dropouts, and low universal coverage of immunization against all six killer diseases.

At the national level, it is reported that about 900,000 (15%) of women in the country today were married by the age of 15 years; while about 700,000 (1 in every 4) adolescent girls have either had a child or got pregnant at some point.

Reports also indicate that 134,000 Uganda girls and young women today have been subjected to FMG/C. 68% of adolescent girls between ages 15-19 today have never attended any secondary school.

Furthermore, according to the Uganda Aids Commission (UAC), 66% of all HIV infections are contracted by the adolescent girls. This figure collarets with what is found in reports from districts health facilities and partners working on HIV/Aids issue across the country.

This year’s event was held in Busia district at Madibira Primary School under the theme; “Strengthen Youth Competitiveness for Sustainable Development”.

Teenage Girls Participating in last year’s World Population Day 2016 Uganda – tackling early and forced marriage

The day was designated by the United Nations in 1987 when the total world population hit the five billion mark.

This is an annual event, observed on July 11 by all United Nations members states to raise awareness of population issues like; maternal health, gender equality, poverty alleviation, family planning and youth empowerment.

The function was presided over by President Yoweri Museveni who went on to support the need for a large population for Uganda.

“I am a happy man, because my children and grandchildren have increased. Population increase is good and it is a sign of the good services we are offering. Children are longer dying and we have more people living,” Museveni said.

However, the Netherlands ambassador, Henk Bakker, who was in attendance at the same function had earlier warned of dare consequences in future if Uganda doesn’t check its population.

“If the current growing population is not checked, Uganda will be suffering with a big number of its population uneducated and majority not accessing health services,” Bakker said.

Museveni, however, said, that a huge population is Uganda’s biggest asset that can be used to develop the country.

“The most important asset in Uganda is its people.But you are fighting for gold, oil and other minerals.The wealth of any country is its people, especially when they are educated, healthy, skilled and innovative,” Museveni said.

According to government statistics, there has been a decline in total fertility rate which reduced from 6.9 in 1995 to 5.4 in 2016. Increase in modern contraceptive use from 8% in 1995 to 35% in 2016.

Reports also indicate that there has been a reduction in infant mortality from 81 deaths per 1,000 live births in 1995 to 43 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2016. There has also been a reduction in maternal mortality from 524 deaths per 100,000 live births in 1995 to 338 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2016. Life expectancy has increased from 43 years in 1991 to 63 years.

It is no wonder therefore that this year’s theme was adopted to highlight the challenges that are faced by young people and the need to improve their competitiveness.

Some of the major challenges that still remain are;

Maternal mortality ratio is still a challenge for no woman deserves to die while giving birth and though fertility is reducing, an average of 5.4 children per woman of child bearing age is still high.

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Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga.

The Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga, has instructed the committee of Parliament on HIV/AIDs to follow up with Ministry of Health so that they can expedite the approval of Aids fund and its regulations and report back to Parliament.

Kadaga says Parliament in 2014 passed the HIV Prevention and Control Act which established the Aids trust fund but however noted that two years down the road, the fund has never been established.

The Speaker also told MPs that  the delay for the establishment of the trust fund has caused a shortfall  of about two million dollars which was supposed to be collected annually thus calling on relevant authorities to expedite the process.

She said despite efforts by the Ministry of Finance in developing guidelines to that effect there is still a constitutional obligation which must be fulfilled for the trust fund to be effected and asked the committee to set deadline as to when the regulations will be tabled.

Aids symbol

Parliament of Uganda in 2014 passed the HIV and AIDS Prevention and Control Bill, a legal framework geared towards the prevention and control of HIV, reduction of transmission, provision of both testing and counselling services and, of penalties for making offences for willful   transmission of HIV among others.

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