state minister of Kampala Benny Namukwanya

The government is set to deploy police officers in Kampala city to supervise the works of Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) enforcement team following the death of a city vendor last week.

A 35 years old Olivia Kasemere on Friday drowned in Nakivubo channel after she was said to be running away from KCCA enforcement officers who were allegedly chasing her over street vending.

Addressing journalists at the office of the president, the state minister of Kampala Benny Namukwanya notes that since police officers are more trained, they will supervise the enforcement officers and advise them on the does and don’t to streamline the city.

She however noted that they are waiting for the report from police about the circumstances under which the vendor died before the government takes the next step of action.

The post Government to replace KCCA enforcement officers with police first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.

Nansubuga checking on her heep of firewood

In case you have visited Ggaba landing site, you have witnessed how a buzz of activity is especially during the day.

However, one will get to themselves what this landing site is all about, where it is found, what takes place there. This can only come to mind of those who haven’t been there or heard of it, Ggaba landing site is on the shores of Lake Victoria found in the outskirts of Kampala city.

It is frequented by people who go to Ggaba beach which neighbors it. The site has a market where fish and foodstuffs are sold. It also has storage units, a trading point for fish, and offices for Kampala Capital City authority, which supervises the activities on the site. Different activities from fishing, sand mining, selling of fish itself, and firewood selling among others.

Therefore all the above activities exist because of the main activity which is fishing, with fishing, it comes along with sun drying, salting, and smoking, men and women are involved in these daily activities. Not forgetting sand mining

However, one other booming business that attracts your attention before leaving the landing site is fire wood selling. Selling firewood here is way to earn extra money to some people while others it is a main business that has supported their living for a long time.

Interacting with a few people operating this kind of business especially the women, they praised and talked about the good things they have reaped out this business. You might think the firewood is not only sold to the people at the landing site but even to the outside people. So to them it is a quite a wide population consuming this firewood. This becomes an advantage for them make more money as it would limit them if it were only the fish smokers buying it.

Nansubuga walking through the parked firewood

Sarah Nansubuga, a 50 year old trader says she has been in the firewood business for over 10 years. She says she doesn’t regret operating such a business because it has helped her sustain her family in terms of paying fees for her children some of whom have been able to complete university level.

Nansubuga also says she also be  able to pay her hospital bills adding that this  her full job.

“Being an old woman, it is such a tiresome type of business to operate but I  have managed to go along  for all this time because i have benefits out of it,” she says.

Indeed, looking at how they try running this business is quite not an easy task as one would think.  Nansubuga however, says she is still trying to make the best out of it.

“First and foremost, we fetch firewood from different neighboring villages places such as Kyagwe among others. We use different transport means like on water and road using boat, larger trucks, pickups. These carry the logs from wherever they have been bought to the landing site. To make it selling firewood, you have to enjoy the challenge of hard work coupled with  hard weather at times,”Nansubuga says.

Challenges in the firewood business

Like any other business, firewood selling as a business on its own has challenges.

“Ofcourse you will sell firewood to a customer who promises  to pay so soon but will never pay at the end of the  day, but that doesn’t  stop me from going on with the business,” she also added.

Nansubuga walking through her parked firewood

Nansubuga advises that like any other business, a person should always expect  profits or losses at the end of the day and therefore should be prepared.

She says her  journey through the firewood business has been insightful. “I have been paid to play, and it doesn’t get any better than that. The benefits have been physical, psychological, financial, and yes, spiritual. Being in harmony with nature is like that,” Nansubuga adds.

The post Ggaba’s firewood selling is among the booming businesses for the surrounding islands on lake victoria first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.

Kampala City

Members of parliament under Kampala Parliamentary caucus have pledged to support the operations and development of Kampala city. This was agreed upon during the joint meeting between the two ministers of Kampala Betty Kamya and Benny Namugwanya, and all MPs from Kampala held at parliament.

The chairperson of the caucus Haji Latif Ssebagala says tough laws and unnecessary brutal arrests will not contribute to the development of Kampala apart from dialoging with the public. The two ministers are also planning to meet all division mayors, Resident City Commissioners – RCC and other leaders to find ways of developing the city.

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Kalungi says that some people might choose to be poor and others willingly decide to be rich. Kalungi was speaking yesterday evening to members of Kampala City Traders Association who met him at his residence in Makindye division.

Kalungi reportedly told them that he and his brother Moses Kirumira, another business tycoon in Kampala were poor but they choose to be rich through working hard and saving their profits.

Kalungi says that the problem with most Ugandans they have a high marginal propensity to consume and lower marginal propensity to save. After addressing the traders Kalungi gave each person who was around 50,000 shillings as transport to take him back.

By James Okello

The post Being poor is a choice, says Kampala’s tycoon Moses Kalungi first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.

The latest is tension between Kampala City Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago and KCCA Executive Director, Jennifer Musisi over decisions made.

This has now spilled over to the council and committee meetings, with Lukwago halting their sittings indefinitely over what he describes as failure by top leadership in respecting his decision on pertinent matters.

The committees affected by his new directive are the standing and oversight committees of the authority.

Lukwago says the committees have been rendered idle, since their decisions are always ignored.

He says their powers have been usurped by the city Executive Director, whom he says is running the authority single headedly.

The lord mayor is also questioning the absence of the physical planning authority, which is supposed to be charged with ensuring implementation of the master plan.

He questions who is directing decisions to demolish buildings in the city in the absence of the planning authority.

Lukwago says the councilors have been sent on holiday to show discontent with the manner in which business is run but also save the tax payers’ money.

He says it’s useless for the councilors to remain in office being paid the tax payers when they are not doing anything productive.

The post Lukwago resumes conflict with Musisi over running of KCCA first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.

Katongole has also denied media reports that KCCA has taken over control of the daily management of public transport in Kampala.

Katongole further assured drivers that KCCA will have no choice but to renew the contract of UTODA when it expires on October 30^th 2014.

Katongole told the drivers in Kampala today that KCCA under the laws don’t have powers to collect revenue direct from taxi parks.

Katongole told drivers that the president and the government in general is backing UTODA to remain in the transport command in Uganda. Recently many drivers in Kampala protested against what they called mistreatment by UTODA.

Ultimate Media

The post Katongole UTODA is still in charge of Kampala city transport first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.

The president whose tour began at 11:00pm was reportedly impressed by what he saw in the place and pledges to continue supporting the Kampala Capital City Authority.

This was according to the executive director Kampala capital city authority madam Jenifer Musisi Semakula who says the president challenged the city management to continue working towards improving its image.

However the KCCA lord mayor Elias Lukwago says he is shocked that the president choose to conduct a tour without battering to inform him.

Lukwago says the president has to respect the political leadership of the city and learn to work with him. The lord mayor however says the president’s gesture is welcome since it shows the commitment of the government to having the situation in Kampala improve for the good of our country.

Ultimate Media

The post President Museveni pays surprise inspection tour around Kampala first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.

The director of the unit, Dr. Diana Atwine says the centers have been used to divert medicine meant to be delivered to the government owned hospitals and health centers.

Kampala city

Addressing members of the Uganda press in Kampala, Atwine said that several other centers within Kampala are being investigated.

The Uganda Medicines and health services delivery monitoring unit has discovered over 30 ghost health centers in different parts of the country including the 10 in Kampala.

The fake centers have been receiving staff salaries, allowances and drugs from the government of the Republic of Uganda for over a year.

Atwine says the fake health centers have been selling the drugs they receive to private clinics and health centers within and outside Uganda. The Unit plans to arrest people who have been behind the management of fake health centers.

Zacharia Tiberindwa, Ultimate Media

The post Ten ghost health centres discovered in Uganda Capital, Kampala first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.

Kampala Mayor - Nasser Ssebagala

The Mayor of Kampala, Hajji Nasser Sebaggala says the infections have also been reported in Kawempe division and Katwe slums.

Over 100 people from the Kampala markets of Kikuubo, Owino, Kisekka and Nakasero have been reported at Kampala City Council health centers for treatment.

The Kampala mayor adds that he has received reports that the Red Eye endemic has infected some pupils and students in some Kampala schools. Most of the people infected are receiving treatment from different hospitals, health centers and clinics in Kampala.

Red Eye disease is spread through contact with infected persons. The signs of the disease are red, swollen and watery eyes.

Walakira Nyanzi, Ultimate Media

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