Signing of MOU on cooperation in the field of ICT between the two countries

The Uganda government together with the republic of South Korea have launched the digital contents production and management control center that will be used to produce local TV and radio works with the center aimed at promoting local content.

Speaking at the launch of the center at the ministry of ICT offices in Kampala  the ICT minister Eng. John Nasasira said that Uganda has been challenged by production work made in the country which most of the time has not been matching the desired standard and national heritage, saying this has been representing divergent ideologies of the Uganda. He said that with the newly launched facility, the country will start producing content that truly reflects the ideologies of the country as it strives to attain middle income status. He said that the digital broadcasting will require effort by all stakeholders to increase the pace of generating local digital content especially in local languages to share it with the rest of the world.

Nasasira noted that at the moment Uganda is grappling with the challenge of relying a lot on foreign production of digital content including advertisements hence causing a problem of ideological disorientation, propaganda and some of undesirable behavior which affects cultural values, business, investment and tourism and foreign policy interests.

On his part the state minister for science and technology Sande Stephen Tikodri welcomed the Korean mentorship in the area of digital content production as Uganda is improving in science innovation.

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As flares are up for the FDC party presidential candidates because of what we have observed, we declare our support to all the three candidates in the race.

The candidates vying to replace col. Kiiza Besigye as FDC party president are MPs Nandala Mafabi, Geoffrey Ekanya and former Uganda army commander, Maj. Gen. Mugisha Muntu.

Each of the three candidates convinces the FDC members that he is the best candidate to complete the term of the outgoing president Col. Dr. Kiiza Besigye.

Mafabi claims that he has leverage over other candidates and his commitment to FDC party is unquestionable.

Mafabi is going to launch his campaigns at Kabaka’s offices in Kasangati, Kyadondo county headquarters in wakiso District. Mafabi so has called upon people to turn up in big numbers for his historic event on Thursday.

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Makerere University has invited the top most political leaders in Uganda on both opposition and the ruling National Movement Government to the launch of the one year celebrations to mark the 90 years of Makerere University as Uganda celebrates 50 years of independence.

According to the programme, Makerere University has invited DP president general, Norbert Mao, FDC president, Col. Kiiza Besigye, Peoples Progressive Party president, Bidandi Sali, Jeema president, Asuman Basalirwa, DP legal advisor, Mukasa Fred Denis Mbidde, and Social Democratic Party president Michael Mabike to attend this function that will be presided over by His Excellence Gen. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, president of the republic of Uganda.

Museveni is an alumnus and official visitor of Makerere University at every function held at this university according to the Tertiary and Institutions Act of 2003. The function will take place on Saturday 4^th August 2012 at the university freedom square inside Makerere main campus. If the members of opposition honour the invitation, it would be the first time in history of president Museveni’s leadership to meet his critics all together.

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We have been told that the governor Bank of Uganda is planning to launch a new 100,000 shillings banknote at the Bank of Uganda head offices in Kampala. The date for the launch is still not clear as the new banknote is still under discussion.

So soon Ugandans on the ground will be receiving this bank note at the counters of Uganda’s commercial banks e.g. Stanbic Bank, Bank of Baroda, Centenary Bank, Equity Bank, and Cairo bank among others.

The Bank of Uganda, launched the following new banknotes last year 2,000/=, 1,000/=, 20,000/=, 10,000/=, and 5,000/=.

Efforts to talk to the governor Bank of Uganda, Tumusiime Mutebile for a comment were in futile by press time.

Sources in the Bank of Uganda told us that the governor Bank of Uganda uses the bank of Uganda branches as well as commercial banks to distribute the banknotes to Ugandans across the country.

Many Ugandans are still not saving their money with the commercial banks but they instead keep it in their homes.

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Police wants good vehicles only

The police also want to use the operation to force the boda boda riders to pay taxes for the machines and the drivers to observe the traffic laws, rules and regulations.

The development follows complaints by Uganda Revenue Authority officials and the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) that they have lost billions of shillings in tax evasion by the motorists and drivers in greater Kampala.

But the drivers and boda boda riders we have interviewed have, however, accused the police of mistreating them whenever they launch crackdown on their machines.

The policemen and government officials who have motorcycles and vehicles hide theirs during the crackdown. The police say that they will continue with the exercise for one month.

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The air transport passengers who want to keep discovering may now have smiles. Emirates are set to launch its non stop flights from Entebbe to Dubai.

With the world’s finest restaurants, pristine beaches and Burj Khalifa (the world’s largest building, Dubai is a city in the world where only the best is good enough.

The management of Emirates says that with their non stop flights from Entebbe, their passengers can conveniently connect to Dubai and to over 120 destinations around the world.

Emirate’s direct flights to Dubai start from March 24^th 2012. Emirates has over 500 international awards  and serves over 120 destinations.

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Before the launch, participants were inducted into the project and highlight about physical disabilities, with emphasis on how to prevent people from becoming disabled. The purpose of the activity was to officially launch the project and seek support for the project from key stakeholders.

The District Community Development Officer, District Engineer, District Education Officer, District Executive Committee of Kapchorwa District Association of People with Physical Disabilities, Children with Disabilities, their parents, Chairperson Kapchorwa District Union of PWDs, Chairman District Council for Disability, councilors for PWDs, also witnessed the launch. Prior to the launch, courtesy visits were made to the relevant local government officers who will play a great role in the implementation of this project together with Uganda National Action on Physical Disability, including the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO). Many officers were given a copy of Accessibility Standards, and pledged to use the Standards to ensure that new constructions take into account the accessibility needs of PWDs.

The CAO pledged to ensure that school furniture such as desks and toilets that are soon going to be made using the School Facilities Grant are accessible. He also added that the district is about to construct community facilities such as schools, toilets and classrooms using NUSAF 2 funds, and promised to make these accessible to Children with disabilities. The participants were excited with the project that seeks to ensure that Children with disabilities access education as a key to their success and pledged to support the project to realise its goal. It was noted that the vision of Kapchorwa education department is “access to equitable, qualitative and relevant education including CWDs”, a manifestation that Children with disabilities are highly targeted.

The District Education Department has officials trained in special needs education. The District Inspector of Schools specialized in sign language while the Senior Education Officer specialized in mental retardation. This is an opportunity for the project to benefit from these officers. The chairman of Kapchorwa Association for People with Physical Disabilities, Labu Arap Labu, appreciated the project and called upon all stakeholders and officials in the line department to supplement the project. Many people in attendance appreciated the CAO for his commitment to support the project.

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While launching the project in Masaka today, the District LC5 Vice Chairman, Hajji Jamil Miwanda, said the project will support the district to mobilise children with disabilities  to go to schools, change the negative attitude of people towards Children with Disabilities and also promote accessibility to school facilities.

He called on parents of Children with Disabilities not to neglect and under estimate the potential of their children in regard to succeeding in education. The launching ceremony that took place at Maria Flo Hotel was witnessed by Kampala district technical staff, PWDs councilors and the media in Uganda.

The purpose of the activity was to officially launch the project and seek support for the project from key stakeholders. Before the launch, the participants were oriented into physical disability and also inducted into the project. The participants were concerned that the number of persons with disabilities is increasing yet the country is developing.

They asked the Government to design and implement several interventions to prevent disability. Prior to the launch, courtesy visits were made to key local government staff that will be crucial in the implementation of this project, including the Chief Administrative Officer. The CAO appreciated the project and was given a copy of Accessibility Standards. He was asked to use it to enforce construction of the buildings in the district following the guidelines laid out in the Standards. Participants were excited about the project aiming at ensuring that CWDs access education.

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However, these are not the only factors that made this launch distinctive but the presence of the Vice President, Edward Ssekandi who has launched the project. The launch was also blessed and witnessed by the State Minister in Charge of the Elderly and Disability, Hon. Sulaiman Madada, MPs representing People with Disabilities (PWDs) and several other dignitaries from the central Government and Kayunga District local administration.

“I hereby launch the Membership Empowerment Project), a three year project operational in 12 districts and supported by some development partners,” Sekandi said and added.

“It is my strong conviction that this will reinforce the existing agencies supporting our persons with disabilities.” The project seeks to make sure that persons with physical disabilities enjoy equal rights in all aspects of life and are included equally into development programs and projects such as NAADS, Prosperity for All, Northern Uganda Social Action Fund, among others.

The project is implemented in 12 districts including Kayunga, Kiboga, Mubende (central region); Mbarara, Bushenyi and Kisoro (western); Arua, Oyam and Kitgum (northern); Busia, Palissa and Kaberamaido in the east. It is supported by three organisation of persons with disabilities in Denmark: Danish Handicap Forbund; Danish Brain Injury Support Association; and Disabled Sports Organisation Denmark.

Also at the launch, UNAPD’s treasurer Ark Goffin Candria, handed over a copy of the Accessibility Standards to the vice president and asked him to support UNAPD in her endeavour to make the Standards part of the upcoming Building Control Act. Candria noted that one of the biggest challenges persons with physical disabilities face is the inaccessible physical environment. He explained that most of the services are offered in inaccessible building and places, making it impossible for many PWDs to access services. He said with the adoption of the Standards as part of the law, UNAPD hopes that the law will be observed and enforced by the relevant agencies to make building and other facilities usable to all people. Sekandi hailed UNAPD for coming up with the Standards and pledged to push for annexing of the same to the Building Control Act. He also handed over three wheel chairs donated by UNAPD to persons with physical disabilities. Sekandi also   commissioned the International Day for Persons with Disabilities in Kayunga, ahead of the national celebrations that were observed in Lira district on December 3, 2012. The function was organised by Sulaiman Madada, the MP for Bbaale County in Kayunga, partly to thank his voters for reelecting him into Parliament and to commission several development initiatives in the district. PWDs MPs Hellen Asamo, Alex Ndeezi and William Nokrach attended the ceremony. Several officials from the central Government and Kayunga district local government witnessed the ceremony.

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