Prof. George Lada Openjuru, the Vice Chancellor of Gulu University handing a bursary award letter to one of the students.

The Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE) Uganda Chapter has given out 102 university and high education scholarships to students from humble families.

The students are from 12 districts that register a high number of school drop outs including Mayuge, Bulisa, Bundibugyo,Kanungu, Ntoroko and Adjuman.

Beneficiaries of the scholarships are 62 females and 40 males and will study from Busitema University, Gulu, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Jinja School of Nursing and Midwiferyand Medical Laboratory Training School.

The students will study science courses such Bachelor of Science (BSC) medicine and surgery, BSC Water Resources Engineering, BSC Agriculture Mechanisation and Irrigation Engineering, BSC Agriculture; Diploma in Laboratory Technology and Nursing.

Scholarships will  be funded by Forum for African Women Educationalists Regional Secretariat (FAWE RS)in partnership with Mastercard Foundation.

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These protests started on social media platforms especially twitter on which Kenyans advised Ugandans to stop being timid by letting the law enforcers bully them.

Kenyans today brought the protests to the streets of Nairobi headed by The Law Society of Kenya, Amnesty International, Ugandans living in Kenya and student leaders who gathered at the Freedom Corner in Nairobi and marched to the Ugandan embassy on Riverside Drive.

Members of the LSK dressed in suits and red ribbons as a sign of solidarity with Uganda. Internet photo

This happened at the same time as the court session by the court martial in Gulu where the state withdrew the charges against Bobi Wine on account that it is injustice for him to be charged in an army court and that he should be charged together with the other suspects in a civilian court.

On being released, the protestors in Kenya changed their chants from “Free Bobi Wine” to “Free Uganda”.

Bobi wine was however rearrested by police and taken to Gulu majesty court where he was remanded until 30th August 2018 when he will be appearing in court together with the others who were arrested.

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The perished Toyota Prado  Prado that was left in pieces after the accident.

Police is investigating the cause of the accident

The HMK bus that collided with the Toyota Prado from Kampala heading to Gulu, Police officers are investigating the course of the accident 

More details coming….

ALSO READ:China to train Uganda police in criminal investigations

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Government is set to borrow US$91.5million from the International Development Association (IDA)of the World Bank to finance the Grid Expansion and Reinforcement Project.

The project is intended to increase availability and efficiency of bulk electricity supply in Gulu, Nebbi and Arua districts, which will help in the evacuation of power from new generation sites such as Karuma and Isimba hydro power stations.

Engineers fixing power lines in a rural area.

Government will also borrow an additional  US$ 11.32million (Kuwait Dinars 3.5m) from the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development to finance the construction of the 33KV and 11KV distribution project in six districts of; Kiryandongo, Kibaale, Nebbi, Bushenyi, Kasese and Rukungiri.

This project aims to further extend the rural power line coverage by construction of a 285 km network in the six districts. The project is also aimed at facilitating the implementation of the rural electrification programme, to increase access and unlock suppressed demand.

“This project is in line with the country’s Vision 2040 and the National Development Plan, 2015/16 – 2019/2020 which identify with the promotion of sustainable economic growth and improving the living standards of the population in the rural areas, by providing access to electricity through extending the interconnected electricity grid,” said a source from the Ministry of Energy and Mineral development who preferred anonymity .

Legislators said that although generation, access and distribution of electricity were increasing, the cost of power and its installation remained prohibitive to the general population.

“We need to review the cost of power, considering that it’s of no benefit to have poles and power lines when the people cannot access and utilise the power,” said Hon. Helen Kahunde (Kiryandondo).

Hon. Nabilah Naggayi (Kampala) said that several consumers were willing to pay for power but were being frustrated by the UMEME, the service provider.

“It is very hard, expensive and difficult to access the Yaka pre-paid system. UMEME should not frustrate people who want to access this service,” she said.

Hon. Mbabali Muyanja (Bukoto South).

Hon. Mbabali Muyanja (Bukoto South) said a lot of power was being lost due to illegal connections, now standing at 38%. The MP recommended that power be connected to houses on credit.

The Committee on National Economy noted a mismatch in the electricity transmission and distribution infrastructure necessary to evacuate the power and make it accessible to consumers.

It recommended that government streamlines this mismatch between generation, transmission and distribution over the medium term in order to ensure that the medium target of 30 percent access to electricity is attained, but also ensure that all generated power is consumed.

The Committee also recommended that government considers acquiring a central corridor for infrastructure projects to accommodate power lines, water pipes, communication infrastructure and road reserves, so as to reduce on repeated compensation whenever projects are implemented.

The Committee called upon the government steps up efforts to increase power supply which will gradually help to reduce energy prices to about 7 US cents/kilowatt/hr by 2017.

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Gulu town

The minister of finance Matia Kasaija has asked the ministry of  works to fulfill all the obligations that might delay the construction of the Gulu municipal council roads before the commencement of this project.

Kasaija made the appeal while signing a grant agreement with the chief representative of the Japan international cooperation agency(JICA) to provide over 20 million dollars  to improve Gulu city roads. The money will be used to repair main roads in Gulu, building water drainage and other facilities for the road.

The project is aimed at stimulating economic activities in Gulu as a business hub for Northern Uganda and a strategic connection in regional trade with South Sudan. The construction work is planned to start in May 2017 and expected to be completed by March 2019.

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Chief Justice of Uganda, Bart Katureebe.

While launching the system, Chief Justice (CJ), Bart Katureebe, said if well implemented, the system will make progress in protecting the rights of children.

He said children who are victims of sexual gender based violence shall appear in court using this system to avoid secondary victimization which they suffer when they physically appear in court in full view face-to-face with the alleged molester.

The innovation is one of the promises made by the CJ during this year’s opening of the new law year. Katureebe pledged to support the implementation of a robust information communication (ICT) technology to expedite court processes, deal with case backlog and ease court public access to the courts.

Director of pubic prosecution Mike Chibita congratulated the judiciary upon reaching the dynamic stage but advised them to have backup to avoid justice coming on halt when the link goes off like it did while testing it.

Principle Judge Yolokam  Bamwine urged the implementers to extend the system to the remand homes to ease access to it by the children and avoid showing the faces of the children to avoid intimidation by the accused.

Judiciary technical advisor and coordinator of the project, Andrew Khaukha explained how the 36bn system works without the witness appearing in court but gives him/ her testimony electronically.

With support from UNICEF the judiciary has installed closed cameras that are connected to TV monitors in the court in Kampala, Gulu, and Fort portal.

An official says similar facilities will soon be installed in the High Courts of Mbale Mbarara, Arua and Masindi.

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Acholi MPs  are also demanding an explanation from government on the unfolding insecurity in the region and asking for their involvement in ending such insecurity incidents and release innocent civilians who were arrested. They also demand for  the release or produce to court all the civilians that were arrested in the dispute than keeping them in cells at no mentioned account.
Regan Okumu says that what is happening in Gulu is an external attack which must be investigated by government, noting that there could be external groups hiding behind the locals to cause instability. The group  cautions  that given the insecurity the region has gone through for the past many years, they are not ready for any other war hence calling upon government to avail enough security to the region.

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Kampala City

The Local Government Minister, Hon. Adolf Mwesigye confirmed that cabinet is expected to approve 5 new cities in the country in a couple of weeks from now following, a thorough check for all the guidelines needed for a place to be elevated to the level of a city.

According to the Minister, over 15 municipalities applied calling for elevation to city level but only Mbarara, Arua, Gulu, Jinja, Mbale and Fort portal qualified for the status and if passed then the country will have six cities. The minister also defended the move by government to create new counties and districts saying they are only aimed at extending services to the communities as well as good leadership though he did not rule out government to have in place regional governments in future.

The Minister said this at a press conference to announce the coming African day on decentralization and local governments slated for 10^th this month with the main celebrations to be held in Mbarara district.

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The Ministry of health said there is a malaria outbreak in 10 districts of northern Uganda that has killed a total of 162 people in the last three months. The Director General of health services, Ruth Aceng, says 22, 873 cases have been recorded in Lamwo, Gulu, Kitgum, Oyam and Agago among others.

Addressing the media at the MOH headquarters, Aceng said the cases were realized after recording admissions and outpatients reports in health centres in the 10 districts.

She however reveals that government has put in place a number of interventions which include dispatching three multi-disciplinary teams to provide technical support to the affected districts, delivering anti-malarial medicines and conducting at least two spray rounds to quickly halt malaria transmission.

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The NRM Secretary General Kasule Lumumba revealed that the party is in the final stages of compiling its voter’s register to be used in the party’s internal elections. Lumumba says they have eight data entry points where data documented during the party’s registration is being retrieved from the yellow books into the party’s computerized system.

The entry points are located at Makerere University in Kampala, Mbale, Moroto, Gulu, Mbarara, Fortportal, Jinja and Karamoja.

Addressing journalists after touring and assessing work at the Makerere University NRM data entry point Lumumba said after the data entry, a draft register will be produced to the party’s top organ, the Central Executive Committee, then they will display the register in villages for verification and update of voter’s information before a final register is out.

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