Health Minister Ruth Aceng

The Uganda population HIV impact assessment survey 2016 released  last week reveals that the current HIV prevalence among adults aged 15 to 49 in the country is at 6%, among children under 5 years stands at 0.5% while among those aged between 5 to 14 years still stands at 0.5% with the total number of Ugandans both adults and children living with HIV/AIDS standing at 1.3 million.

The survey that was carried out from August 2016 to March 2017 shows that HIV prevalence among women is at 7.5% compared to 4.3% among men with the prevalence recorded higher among urban populations at 7.1% compared to rural populations at 5.5%.

However, Mid-eastern Uganda recorded the lowest prevalence of the disease and central 1which covers greater Masaka recording the highest at 7.6% but south western Uganda is having the highest number of people living with HIV/AIDS.

According to the health minister, Ruth Aceng and other experts attribute the high numbers among adolescents to poor compliance and vulnerability among females

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Member of Parliament for Ayivu County, Bernard Atiku

Parliament has granted leave to the Member of Parliament for Ayivu County, Bernard Atiku, who intends to introduce a private member’s bill for an Act entitled; “The prevention and prohibition of human sacrifice and harmful practices bill 2017”.

Atiku’s  motion seeking leave was seconded by the Woman Member of Parliament for Kumi district who is also the chairperson of the Uganda Women Parliamentary Association, Monica Amoding.

Atiku told Parliament that despite the existence of international instruments, national laws and government efforts in place to protect individuals right to life and degrading acts, ritual killings and human sacrifice practices are on rise in the country and that children are increasingly becoming the most common victims.

She said that the bill seeks to fight the growing evil of human sacrifices in Uganda saying  the witch craft Act has lost relevance in today’s circumstances.

Atiku noted that since 2009 about 219 cases of ritual murders have been reported from different parts of the country.

She pointed out that child sacrifice is highly happening in central region districts which include; Mukono, Masaka, Buikwe ,Mpigi ,Wakiso ,Kampala and in Busoga sub region especially in Jinja and few cases in West Nile and Northern Uganda

The Woman MP for Kumi district, Monica Amoding, noted that there is a feeling in the public that traditional medicine which involves blood and use of human body parts is stronger when applied to fight illness which justifies increase in cases of human sacrifice.

Government Chief Whip, Ruth Nankabirwa, said that government has no objection to this bill, saying that the mover of the bill is complimenting government efforts to stop acts of child sacrifice.

Deputy Speaker, Jacob Oulanyah granted the request for leave from Parliament to Atiku to go and prepare for the presentation of the bill.

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One of the markets built in Mbale

The public Accounts committee of parliament has faulted the ministry of finance and local government for failure to work on Busega, Nyendo Masaka markets now six years since the 10 million dollar loan for this project was approved. Members of parliament on the committee were querying the ministry of finance officials over none performance of loans.

The members of parliament of this committee chaired by the Soroti district woman mp Angelina Ossege while meeting with officials from the ministry of finance led by the secretary to treasury Keith Muhakanizi discovered that government acquired the loan for the construction of these three markets in 2009 but upto date the markets are not standing. MPs noted that it took the ministry of local government 12 months to process and acquire the land titles for the respective plots of land for these markets and the delay of one year for this project necessitated an extension of the project end date. MPs were also angry that government through the line ministries have been deceiving parliament and donors that land was available for loan projects when the land is not available.

The parliamentarians similarly grilled the ministry officials over delay to begin works on Mutundwe –Entebbe transmission power line when its funds were approved in 2013.

In his response the secretary to treasury Keith Muhakanizi admitted the delay and attributed it to the ministry of local government’s failure to acquire land for this project in time. He also told the committee that absorption for loans has been slow putting a blame on the accounting officers of the line ministries and warns to take action against them. He said that Uganda is among the African countries which is slow for loan absorption at a rate of 12%.

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Wandegeya Market constructed under MATIP Phase 1

Parliament has approved a loan, authorizing Government to borrow USD 84.2million from the African Development Bank to finance Phase 2 of the Market and Agriculture Trade Improvement Programme (MATIP 2). The programme aims at tackling market infrastructure development, value addition and trade facilitation. It will be implemented over a five year period in nine municipalities of Entebbe, Masaka, Mbarara, Arua, Moroto, Soroti, Tororo, Kasese, Busia; as well as in two town councils of Kitgum and Lugazi.

The Committee on National Economy, which considered the loan request, recommended having standard designs, quality work and evaluating the infrastructure. MATIP 2 is aimed at constructing 11 of the remaining 17 markets. The overall programme is expected to cost USD 93.7million, with a government contribution of USD 9.5million.

During the debate on Committee Report, legislators supported the loan request arguing that modern markets were a sign of development. Parliament Speaker, Rebecca Kadaga asked Government to be impartial in the implementation of the programme. “I need assurance from the Government that the rest of the regions without markets will also be considered,” the Speaker said.

The Minister of Local Government, Hon. Adolf Mwesige promised that the programme would be spread out to all parts of the country. “The first phase took four years, from 2010, to implement; we hope the second phase will be better, faster and more efficient with the purpose of stretching out to all regions of the country,” Hon. Mwesige said. He added that they would be able to iron out the defects in the completed markets and work around the recommendations of the Committee on National Economy for a successful Phase 2.

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gulu farmers in their group garden

However in most cases the seeds that were supplied were of low quality while in other cases nothing was supplied at all.

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Masaka national referral hospital has reportedly tortured out patients over identity cards. Dozens of patients in Masaka were on Wednesday this week left stranded at the gate of Masaka Regional Referral Hospital after they were denied entry because of lack of identification.

The development came after new guidelines announced by the hospital’s director, one Dr. Florence Tugumisirize, that require out patients and their attendants to present identification or letters from the local councils before they are allowed into the hospital.

Dr. Tugumisirize says that the move is intended to deter “wrong elements” who want to sneak into the hospital to cause chaos.

The doctor claims that the hospital received information that Muhammad Ssegirinya, an opposition activist, had mobilised “political thugs” to enter the hospital disguising as patients and launch a protest in the hospital.

But the Police restrained several patients and their attendants who were blocked from entering the hospital for lack of identification. Some of the people who were attending to their sick relatives cried after they were blocked by the police from entering the hospital after exiting to buy food. The health minister, Christine Andoa says that there is no policy requiring patients to carry LC letters and identity cards to hospital.

Ends s

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According to the director advocacy East and West African region Dr Mina Nakawuka , the centre will help tackle the high HIV prevalence rate in the region.

She says HIV prevalence rate in Masaka region currently stands at 12% above the national average of 7.6%.

Dr. Nakawuka says the medical Centre is to benefit the residents of Lwengo, Masaka and Kalungu where the scourge is very high.

She adds that they are   to cover 80% of the population in these districts carrying out voluntary HIV/AIDS testing and giving out ARVs to those who are positive.

She notes that there target is majorly the prostitutes in these areas, the children and the women.

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We have heard from very many supporters of A4C in different parts of the country requesting the A4C leaders including Col. Kiiza Besigye (FDC), Masaka Municipality MP Mathias Mpuuga and MP Betty Nambooze (DP) among others to register A4C as a political party in Uganda.

This is because A4C has managed to bring together members of different political shades like FDC, Justice Forum, DP, Conservative Party and SDP among others.

Ugandans who believe in activities of A4C argue that it is only A4C which can unite all political forces in Uganda a thing which the now defunct Inter-party Cooperation (IPC) failed to do. So when in 2016 you see A4C as one of the registered political parties/organisations in Uganda don’t raise your eye brows and developed high blood pressure!!!

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She left behind a note. It read: “A note to police and my family members. I am sorry to have killed myself. But it was because of debts.”

Nansubuga had made similar complaints to her family members last week when she met her parents in Bunamwaya, Wakiso district. Nansubuga in the note indicated that she had a bank loan she had failed to service and she had no job.

A bottle containing poison was found bedside her bed when the police and residents entered her house. The police are not looking for killers because there is evidence that Nansubuga killed herself.

Her family members and some neighbours have recorded statements. John Kanyike, a brother to the deceased says the deceased would be buried in Masaka on Friday. The police have taken the body to Mulago National Referral hospital for a postmortem.

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 The police accused Besigye, Nabilah, Mpuuga and Lukwago of re-launching ‘walk to work’ protests. The spokesman of the police, Asuman Mugyenyi says that these politicians were arrested because they wanted to attend a rally in Katwe, aKampalasuburb where they were scheduled to re-launch the protests.

Mugyenyi says that Besigye and group had not notified the police about the rally. Besigye, Lukwago and group have been driven by the police to unknown destination. The police first poured tear gas into the crowds of their supporters before executing the arrest.

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