Vice President, Edward Ssekandi

Government has urged the  banking sector to design friendly loans that can be accessed by farmers and informal sectors in Uganda.

Currently many banks are offering short term loans which do not favor farmers who have long term investments.

Speaking during the Annual banker’s conference recently,  the Vice president, Edward Kiwanuka Ssekandi, said that much as government is moving to re-capitalize Uganda development bank to help farmers, available financial banks must be lenient to farmers as well.

He said that farmers are potential bank customers, thus engaging them will give banking sector a mileage.

“These farmers should be the people you should favour most because they will be your customers of all seasons,” Sekandi said.

The post Government urges banks to design loans that favour farmers first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.

Sekandi being awarded at a previous function for his contribution to the decentralization process in Uganda.

The President said this in a speech read for him by the Vice President, Edward Kiwanuka Ssekandi, during the annual commemoration of the African Day of Decentralization and local Government at Masaka Liberation ground on Wednesday.

Museveni, said that decentralization was a key milestone that enabled the involvement of Ugandans in the decentralization process from the beginning in order to bring services nearer to the people.

The event was held under the theme; ‘Decentralization at 24: Re-engineering Locally initiated Development decision-making and leadership at all levels’.

Museveni also revealed that the Country’s GDP has shifted from about 300 dollars per capita in 1985 to the current about 800 dollars.

“Uganda’s average GDP is growing at 6.2 percent annually. This is one of the fastest growing economies on the continent,” he said, adding that the number of Ugandans living below the poverty line of less than 20 percent of the population has also significantly reduced.

Museveni however, said there was need for more concerted efforts to reduce absolute poverty for the East African region and on the continent in general.

He said this can mainly be achieved through investing in infrastructure improvement and that this in turn would reduce the cost of doing business and hence attract more investment and link markets.

Tom Butime, the Local Government Minister revealed that Local Governments have established business economic forums, which comprise all economic development stakeholders identifying comparative viable economic ventures which will propel the country to the desired middle income status by 2020.

He said that among other achievements, decentralization has provided leadership from the village to national level, adding that civil servants who deliver the basic services are recruited based on need of the respective local Government.

Thomas Ole-kuyan, the Deputy Country Director United Nations Development Programme, said that with Uganda’s focus on local governance, its people will have greater access to services, security and have their priority development goals met.

He pledged UNDP’s support to the decentralization process in Uganda in order to achieve uniform growth across all districts.

Ole-kuyan added that during the 24 years of decentralization, Uganda has evolved in the areas of; political and administrative governance, financial management, Service delivery and economic development functions which, he said are imbedded in the power shared across the government administrative spectrum.

During the same function, Sekandi was among individuals honored for their exemplary public service records and support to the decentralization process in Uganda.

The post Museveni praises decentralization as a best model for Africa first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.

The public should recall that on the 20th day of October 2011, we filed Msc. Application No. 108 of 2011 an application for prayers that Election Petition No. 19; Mbabaali Jude v Edward Kiwanuka Ssekandi is still before court and should heard and determined. The ruling is coming up for judgment on the 17th day of January 2011 by her Lordship Elizabeth Musoke.

In our opinion Edward Kiwanuka Ssekandi would not have been the right person to preside over such a conference where the Judiciary is going to discuss issues relating to integrity of the judiciary because his image is now tainted in the public eye as he is battling election rigging before the same judges he is going to meet and preach to issues of integrity.

Secondly we have a fear that the presiding over of this conference by the said Ssekandi where the said Justice Elizabeth Musoke is in attendance may have an impact upon her decision in the said ruling that is to be delivered on the 17th day of 2012 at the High Court in Kampala. Or the words the said SSekandi may say at the occasion may influence the said judge not to reach the decision in the said ruling with complete impartiality.

We condemn the Judiciary for having made such a bad choice of Chief Guest given the circumstances and we pray that the said judge avoids the said conference to avoid being influenced in her decision in the said ruling that the whole country impatiently awaits for.

By Jude Mbabali

The post Mbabali clashes with Vice president Edward Sekandi over judicial meeting first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.

Ssekandi was dragged to court by Mbabaali in March this year claiming that the February 18^th polls were fraught with irregularities.

In his petition, Mbabali had accused Ssekandi of bribing the former Returning officer of Masaka Tugume Mugisha, to alter the declaration forms in his favour yet he had won the elections.

Mbabaali also accused Ssekandi of using state operatives like police and soldiers to stir violence in Bukoto central which intimidated his supporters.

Mbabaali withdrew the petition following a reconciliatory meeting mediated by the Catholic Church in Masaka and the Katikiiro of Buganda Eng. J.B Walusimbi.

Mbabali denied allegations that he was bribed saying his decision followed information that Bukoto Central constituency was going to be sub-divided into two constituencies.

Vice President Edward Kiwanuka Sekandi while welcoming Mbabali’s withdrawal also said he had not paid any money to Mbabali or offered anything in return.

Ultimate Media

The post Jude Mbabaali withdraws election petition against VP Ssekandi first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.

Uganda parliament Speaker, Edward Ssekandi

Ssekandi made the remarks after officially flagging off the Dream Team which will participate in the tournament to be held in South Africa ahead of the World Cup tournament next month.

The Speaker says discipline, coupled with team work, will help propel the team to victory and also offer opportunities to players who are outstanding to be spotted by international football scouts.

The Coca Cola Brand Manager for East and Central Africa, Maggie Kigozi says the company believes that football should be supported at the grassroots level and players nurtured to be Uganda’s future national players and role models.

By Ultimate Media

The post U-17 football team asked to keep Uganda flag up first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.