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How the Uganda Oil refinery is expected to look like after construction

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Makerere University has entered a partnership together with other fifteen African Universities to carry out research purposed towards eradicating poverty.

Through the research, the universities intend to address issues of huge unemployment and other associated problems that have eaten-up the whole of Africa.

The universities included; Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia; Makerere University, Uganda; Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria; Rhodes University, South Africa; University of Rwanda; University of Stellerbosch, South Africa; University of Ghana; University of Ibadan, Nigeria; University of Dare’es Salam, Tanzania.

Others are Kwa-Zulu Natai, South Africa; University of Cape Town, South Africa; University of Cheikh Anta Doip, Senegal; University of Witwatersrand, South Africa and the University of Lagos.

The universities collaborated on the platform of African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA) and converged at Lagos.

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The president of Uganda, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has visited his counterpart in Tanzania, John Pombe Magufuli to straighten trade relations between the two countries.

President Museveni was , today, welcomed by Magufuli himself at the Julius Nyerere International Airport from where they headed to State House Dar es Salaam for talks.

Last week, Tanzania announced it would impose a 25% import duty on Ugandan sugar exports, in spite of recent efforts to improve bilateral and trade ties.

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According to a tweet from the official EALA handle “Election of the Speaker adjourned for tomorrow” it stated

Election of the Speaker adjourned for tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/DBKZ43pDht

— EALA (@EA_Bunge) December 18, 2017

The new speaker will take over from Rt Hon Daniel F. Kidega.

Three candidate sare vying for the position and they include Candidates are Hon. Kimbisa Adam from Tanzania, Hon. Ngoga Martin from Rwanda and Hon. Nzeyimana Leontine from Burundi

ALSO READ:Fourth EALA swearing in today

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Kenya’s standard gauge Railway was built from Mombasa to Nairobi and its second phase is to stop at Kisumu leaving out the stretch to malaba.

Okoth sits on the physical infrastructure committee of parliament said that there could be geo-politics by Kenya to delay its SGR to reach Uganda boarder at malaba and he called government to investigate and sort out this.

However, okoth said that government needs to sensitize the people compensated for the land where such projects are going to pass because when they get huge money they are not used get excited and misuse it.

He added that people in his area where this SGR is going to pass were conned by traditional witch doctors whom they went for to ensure that they change the minds of surveyors using the spirits so as the SGR pass through their land and also get such money.

Government approved a loan of 45.5 billion shillings for construction of the standard gauge railway but the project stalled because of the delay by Exim bank of china to release the required funds.

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Hon. Anifa Kawooya (Uganda) on the right during discussions

YAOUNDE, CAMEROON: There is renewed interest by academics, civil society and legislators over the continent’s extractive sector and want a common mining law. The legislators are concerned over natural resource governance and economic development on the African continent and are pushing for legislation that addresses issues of transparency and accountability by the governments and mining companies.

They noted that Africa finds itself in a paradox of plenty where its abundant endowment in natural resources does not lead to equivalent levels of prosperity, development and industrialisation.

Meeting in a continental conference in Yaounde, Cameroon, on Thursday, African legislators sought to adopt and ratify a model law on a new development approach to natural resource governance in Africa.

“The model mining law would give pointers that would, for example, strengthen the negotiating capacity of Parliaments; ensuring meaningful collaboration between key players and providing support for the required social dialogue,” Dr. Paul Jourdan, one of the panelists, said.

He elaborated that the African Mining Vision, adopted by African heads of state during their July meeting in 2009 in Kigali, is seen as a solution to the poor governance, lack of strong institutions and weak policies in African states. He explained that the AMV framework is currently being used in several countries such as Mozambique, Ethiopia, Lesotho, Tanzania and provides for a transparent, equitable and optimal exploitation of mineral resources to underpin broad-based sustainable growth and socio-economic development.

Jourdan noted that AMV is also supporting countries to develop world class geological survey system so that they can negotiate from a point of knowledge. He said they hope to work with the Pan African Parliament to train parliamentarians on contract negotiations.

While legislators appreciated the need for a model law to regulate mining on the continent, they noted that there are some hurdles that need to be overcome.

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Honourable Geoffrey Lungwangwa (Zambia) was concerned that some colonial land laws still obtain in Africa.

“If you have title to land, you are only confined to the surface and anything under the surface belongs to the state. That land law still prevails in our countries today and it is a contributing factor to poverty,” he said. “Many of our people are being removed from land once minerals are discovered. They are not even given shares in the mining companies. Is this really socio-economic transformation?”

He said there is need to have a model law that eventually will empower local communities to have shares in the mining companies so that they are economically empowered.

According to Hon. Bernadette Lahai (Sierra Leone), who comes from a diamond mining area, exploitation and child labour is rampant in mining areas and legislators often have no information on agreements entered by the mining companies and the state.

“Children as young as six years work in the mines. We don’t want mining to affect education,” she said adding that “Mining agreements are conducted between government and the mining companies leaving MPs and the local population in the dark.” She argued that there is need for capacity building for MPs to monitor and oversee the mining activities in their countries so that they can approve or reject mining deals that come to Parliament.

According to the African Development Bank, minerals account for an average of 70 percent of total African exports and about 28 percent of the gross domestic product. It notes that earnings from the recent oil, gas and mineral discoveries in Uganda, Mozambique and Tanzania could lead to an increase in government revenues of between 9 percent and 31 percent in the first 10 years of production.

Legislators noted that because of the structure of Africa’s extractive industries, most countries remain exporters of unprocessed commodities. They proposed that Africa needs to add value to her exports so as to unlock the full economic potential of its natural resources.

Interview with Hon.Anifa Kawooya

According to Hon. Anifa Kawooya (Uganda), the diversity in Africa may not be in asset in having a uniform law.

“We have different land laws and policies. Having one unified model will be complicated,” she said. “There is also the issue of who owns the land where the minerals are found. The land tenure in African countries in different. Some land is owned by the government, individuals, and others owned customarily. We also don’t know how much of our natural resources we have,” she added.

In an attempt to reverse the curse of resources, the East African Legislative Assembly is in the process of adopting a mining law for the East African region. The East African Mining Bill, 2017 will provide a legal framework to harmonise and regulate mining operations in the region and ensure environmentally friendly and sound mining practices. The bill was presented for First Reading in March this year.

The four-day conference on the theme “The issue of political and socio economic integration of the African continent: The role of the Pan African Parliament” is taking place in Yaounde, Cameroon from 22-25 August 2017 and has attracted legislators, civil society and academics from Africa.

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state minister for minerals, Peter Lokeris

Government has assured Ugandans of a stable supply of fuel in the country as Kenyans prepare to go to polls on Tuesday August 08, 2017.

The assurance was given by the state minister for minerals, Peter Lokeris, while presenting a statement on fluctuating fuel prices in the country and the state of preparedness in case of fuel supply shortage.

Lokeris says that the current fuel stocks in the country stand at 16 days’ supply of which ten days which amounts to 54 million liters are provided by the private oil marketing companies while the six days are stocked by the government at their storage facilities at Jinja.

Lokeris also says that the supply situation is predicted to remain steady before elections in Kenya and these stocks will be available to mitigate any supply disruption while availing room for mobilization of other stocks through Tanzania.

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The MPs however say the method should a matter of choice if one needs to adopt a family planning method in his home.

Pastor Joseph Sserwadda of Victory Christian Church.

Pastor Sserwadda is said to have recently told a congregation that Uganda’s population growth can only be tackled by government making it a policy for men to have a specific number of children and thereafter go for vasectomy.

Ajuri County Member of Parliament in Alebtong district, Benson Obua Hamson, says the method already exists in the country but that it must however be optional for men who want it as family planning method in their families but shouldn’t be made a policy.

“You cannot deny a man the number of children he wishes to have. If it is introduced as a policy, it will be a human rights violation on the part of the man because he will have not consented to it. It is however good to control the population but using other available methods,” Obua says.

Buliisa County MP Hon Stephen Birahwa Mukitale.

Buliisa County MP, Stephen Birrahwa Mukitale, says that though population of the country is exploding, this kind of family planning method can be taken up if there is thorough sensitization in the communities instead of use of force.

He says Ugandans especially the youths should be sensitized at an early age so that they can make informed decisions on how many children they would love to have before they get married.

Experts say as of 1 January 2017, the population of Uganda was estimated to be 40, 953, 469 people. This is an increase of 3.26 % (1 293 318 people) compared to population of 39, 660, 151 the year before. In 2016 the natural increase was positive, as the number of births exceeded the number of deaths by 1 326 235.

In the East African region, Uganda ranks third with Kenya at 44 million people will Tanzania has the highest population of 49 million people.

It is also reported that Uganda has the youngest population in Africa followed by Niger state in West Africa.

Vasectomy male sterilization is a form of contraception that involves surgically cutting or blocking the tube that transports sperm from the testicles to the penis.

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This comes after Uganda ended a 38-year wait by qualifying to the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon as one of two best placed runners-up.

Uganda cranes coach Milutin ‘Micho’ Sredojevic is a proud man at the moment having led Uganda to its first Afcon finals appearance in 39 years but also move the nation from 97th in the rankings up to 65^th.

This is in line with the goals set up by the Serb on his arrival in Uganda in May 2013 to take over the reins from the sacked Bobby Williamson.

“One of my aims is to develop the youth systems, and I want us to move from 97th in the rankings up to 70, and stay there to give our players a chance to play in top European leagues.”

Uganda will better their world ranking if they perform well in the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia qualifiers group in which they were drawn with Egypt, Ghana and Congo Brazzaville.

Mean while,Kenya have dropped 3 places to 91st,Ethiopia follows closely at 125th moving four places up, Burundi are 129 while Tanzania are ranked 132.

Cote D’Ivoire is the best ranked country in Africa at 34th followed by Algeria (35th), Senegal (39th), Ghana (43rd) and Cameroon at 59th globally.

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