The Monitor (Uganda) articles from December 2011

The Monitor (Uganda) archives from December 2011

New Year Should Bring Us Joy, Hope.
December 31, 2011... Today, the last day of 2011, could just be another day but this has been a year of mixed fortunes for Ugandans. At the end of 2010, Ugandans were still grieving over more than 70 people killed in twin bombings in Kampala. So, 2011 was...

Broken Resolve.
December 31, 2011... Byline: Mary Atuheire The year I was set to join the university, I made a New Year's promise to read hard and leave the hill with the much sought after first class degree, meaning I was not going to let anything take me off the academic...

Inflation Slows to 27 Percent in December.
December 31, 2011... Byline: Faridah Kulabako Uganda's year-on-year inflation rate has eased further for the second consecutive month, thanks to the favourable farming conditions that led to increased food production. The Consumer Price Index (CPI), released...

Walking Into 2012 With Great Resolve.
December 31, 2011... Byline: Lucy Bulya As 2011 winds up and we look forward to ushering in a New Year 2012, many of us think of making new resolutions and hope against all hope that we will fulfill each one of them. Before setting out to doing that, an...

Adele's 21 Tops 2011 Albums.
December 31, 2011... Byline: Derrick Nomujuni As the year comes to a close, we will take off some time to note which hiphop and RnB stood out from all the rest this year. In my view, a good album is one that gets you to feel something, whether it makes pain so...

Bunyoro Kingdom Wants to Maintain Own Roads.
December 31, 2011... Byline: Francis Mugerwa Bunyoro Kingdom has petitioned government to avail it with road construction equipment to work on the various roads in the sub-region that are in a sorry state. King Solomon Gafabusa Iguru recently expressed concern...

Book They Read - Nakisanze Segawa - Author.
December 31, 2011... Nakisanze Segawa is aspiring writer and is currently working on her first novel, When the Grasshopper Tastes Bitter based in the 1880's. She was the third winner of the 2010 Beverley Nambozo Poetry Award. Two of her poems have been published in...

Purpose to Seek More Fulfilling Relationships This New Year.
December 31, 2011... Byline: Emmanuel Njuki A while back there was a major back lash when someone (a man) suggested that women are hard to understand. Women came out claiming it is the men; they don't try hard. Maybe. However, some women accuse us yet again of...

Parliamentary Report Faults Nakapiripirit Over Shs1 Billion.
December 31, 2011... Byline: Steven Ariong Nakapiripirit District Local Government has failed to account for Shs1 billion in the last financial year 2010/11, a report released last month by a parliamentary team set up to investigate how government funds in...

Top 10 Movies of the Year.
December 31, 2011... Byline: Derrick Nomujuni With some many movies being made lately, it becomes increasingly difficult to separate the chuff from the good stuff. It seems there are more lousy movies being made today than ever before, even with the big...

On Parenting - Good Bye 2011.
December 31, 2011... Byline: Min Atek The end of the year is an interesting time, sometimes am not certain whether am happy or scared, excited or contemplative, maybe a mixture of all the above. There is so much to look forward to but there is also the wonder...

The Women Who Made 2011.
December 31, 2011... Byline: Brenda Banura Rebecca Kadaga The Ugandan lawyer and politician is on this list for being the first female to be elected Speaker in the history of Parliament in Uganda. She has given the independent members of parliament a voice and...

Tsotsi, a Story of How Decency and Compassion Survive.
December 31, 2011... Byline: Bamuturaki Musinguzi Athol Fugard may have written his much acclaimed novel Tsotsi, 49 years ago and published it in 1980; it resonates with the current crime like robbery, murder and rape, the biting poverty, shuttered dreams and...

Arts Year in Review.
December 31, 2011... Byline: Brian Magoba Cross-Over Capitalism The year has seen many collaborations between gospel artistes and secular ones, the signature one being Bobi Wine and Pastor Wilson Bugembe's Ojjanga N'osaba. In similar fashion, one of the more...

U-Turn Christmas Madness Cracks Ribs.
December 31, 2011... Byline: Brian Magoba It did not show from the characters he portrayed in the Christmas weekend version of U-Turn Madness, but director Dickson Zizinga must have felt so thrilled by the response to Fun Factory's year-ending show. A sell-out...

Harsh Economy Hurts Capital Markets.
December 31, 2011... Byline: Martin Luther Oketch What were the key developments that took place in Uganda's Capital Markets Industry in 2011? Centum Investment Company Limited cross-listed shares on the Uganda Securities Exchange (USE) on February 10 2011....

Scientists Tap Climate Knowledge to Spur Regional Farming Practices.
December 31, 2011... Byline: Bob Koigi Scientists have issued an analysis of East Africa's future climate as the first step in a new programme that will help farmers grow crops that will best thrive in the changed weather conditions 20 years from now, a new study...

Most Promising Yet Empty Year for Cranes.
December 31, 2011... Byline: Andrew Mwanguhya Uganda Cranes have been in such situations before but to lead the Africa Cup of Nations qualifying table on four points after the first two games was last experienced in the Tunisia 2004 qualification. So having...

Donors Ask UPC to Account for Shs200 Million.
December 31, 2011... Uganda Peoples Congress has been ordered to account for every penny it received from its top donor this year. In the second half the year, UPC, after submitting a proposal to rejuvenate itself ahead of the 2016 polls, secured about Shs200...

From Your Children's Hearts - New Year Letter to All Parents.
December 31, 2011... Byline: Ivan Okuda Welcome to the year 2012, darling parents! The year we have just wrapped up, we are aware, was a harsh hill to climb, from political temperatures rising alarmingly to the financial world becoming a night mare. That is...

Minister Hits Out At Govt On Corruption.
December 31, 2011... Byline: Moses Walubiri A minister has decried "theft and profligacy in government" which are constraining a number of initiatives, including stopping illegal immigrations into the country. The State minister for Planning, also Buyanja...

Street Kids Make Merry At Swangz Christmas Bash.
December 31, 2011... Byline: Edgar R. Batte By the time you read this you could be unpacking gift packs and boxes in the comfort of your living room. Well, the festive cheer is still on and your workplace might have allowed you a week off. Like you, everyone...

Potholes, Accidents Still Rule Roads.
December 31, 2011... Byline: Lydia Namono and Nicholas Kalungi Ugandans have to wait longer than they had expected before bidding farewell to potholes as industry players battle challenges to beat their targets. The roads sub-sector which has bagged a large...

Here Is What Dominated Western News.
December 31, 2011... Byline: Felix Basiime and Francis Mugerwa Floods, lightning, heated oil debates and land wrangles that left several people dead, scores injured and thousands displaced in western region this year dominated the region's news. Events in the...

No Festivities On Entebbe Road Tonight, Police Say.
December 31, 2011... Byline: Martin Ssebuyira Police have banned festivities on Entebbe Road tonight because they might disrupt traffic on the highway to the airport. The Entebbe Police Commander, Mr Edgar Nyabongo, yesterday said many vehicles speeding to the...

I Modern Family Season 3 - for Those in Need of a Good Laugh.
December 31, 2011... Byline: Derrick Nomujuni After making a clean sweep at this year's Emmy awards, this mockuamentary returns for its third instalment this year to much critical acclaim. This abc production created by the Christopher Lloyd and Steve Levitan...

Weave to Tell - Happy New Year.
December 31, 2011... Byline: Moses Banturaki After a particularly painful 2011, I will be looking forward to the end of year today. If the soldiers let me, I shall climb up summit view and wait for the hotels, pop concerts and evangelical crusades scattered all...

Premiership - It Is Early Squeaky Bum Time.
December 31, 2011... Byline: Mark Ssali Tottenham Hotspur find themselves in an intriguing battle on two fronts, with the race for the title and that for a top four finish and Champions League berth seeming to be rolled into one, and the lines blurred. There...

On Man Talk - We Dance to the Same Tunes.
December 31, 2011... Byline: Mark Kawalya Kobe Bryant is a pretty remarkable athlete. As last season's highest earning NBA player, the guy made $53 million big ones when coupled with endorsements. His net worth of $150 million is however likely to be halved...

Time to Clean Up That Closet.
December 31, 2011... Byline: Brenda Banura From a pair of hot ill-fitting pair shoes, worn out belt that was a birthday present from your best friend to a little black dress that's too short but cost you a fortune, we have all sorts of reasons for keeping various...

2012 - Let's Ensure the Dream Prevails.
December 31, 2011... Byline: Job Collins Okello As the New Year begins tomorrow, I take this opportunity to thank everybody and use this space to talk with you about the future we face together. Though at times it may seem uncertain, the future is ours to decide,...

Now Is the Time to Stand Up for Alves.
December 31, 2011... Byline: Mark Namanya As good as FC Barcelona have been with their successful youth system, they have had as many hits as misses in the transfer market. Because the reigning European and Spanish League champions have redefined the aesthetic...

Power, UCU Share Podium.
December 31, 2011... Byline: Ismail Dhakaba Kigongo UCU Lady Canons and DMark Power won the national basketball league in contrasting fashion. UCU cruised to a second successive title whereas Power needed grit to complete a first defence of their crown this...

Africa 2011 - the Good, the Bad and the Debatable.
December 31, 2011... The impact on the old global order of politics by an "Arab Spring" sparked by young unemployed graduate's act of self-immolation has been the standout headline item this year, but other geopolitical events such as the military crossing of Kenya...

LC Chief Held Over Forgery, Cattle Theft.
December 30, 2011... Byline: Rajab Mukombozi The police in Mbarara are holding Rubindi Sub-county LC chairman to help with investigations into allegations of forgery and cattle theft in the region. South-western Regional Police Commander Paul Nkore said the...

In 2011, Protestors Changed the World but Women Saved the World.
December 30, 2011... Byline: Augustine Ruzindana In ancient Rome the two-faced god Janus, with eyes in front and behind, could look into the future and the past. He was the god of gates, doors, doorways, endings and time and had the power of opening and closing...

Is Tanzania's Reluctance Wrecking East African Community Project?
December 30, 2011... Byline: Henry Zakumumpa In November 2009, I penned an article in the Daily Monitor inspired by a road trip I took from Kampala, through Nairobi, to Arusha in Tanzania. The article, "The dream of one East Africa is a distant one", decried...

UPC Abolished Kingdoms to Eliminate Oppression.
December 30, 2011... Byline: Yoga Adhola Since the death of John Barigye, the son of the last Omugabe of Ankole, there has been a lot of discussion on the restoration of the Obugabe. The Obugabe and the domination of the Bairu by the Bahima was brought to an...

African Union, UN Move to Avert Crisis in Guinea Bissau.
December 30, 2011... Byline: Tamba Jean-Matthew III The UN Secretary General has called on the military hierarchy in Guinea Bissau to respect the supremacy of the legitimate civilian authorities in a bid to resolve their differences. Ban Ki-Moon said the...

Reduce the Size of Government.
December 30, 2011... There should be no debate on whether Uganda needs a lean government. We do. The taxpayer has been bleeding for long, footing the bill for 70 ministers, 375 MPs, about 111 districts and growing. These positions come with fat salaries,...

Mugabe's Party Offices Attacked.
December 30, 2011... Byline: Kitsepile Nyathi A suspected bomb attack partially destroyed offices of Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe's Zanu-PF party in the city of Gweru, state media reported yesterday. Police have refused to disclose the cause of the...

Lira Spinning Mill Ex-Employees Threaten to Sue Government Over Arrears.
December 30, 2011... Byline: Frank Jean Okot A group of former workers of Lira Spinning Mill, which was formerly state-owned, are threatening to drag government to court over unpaid arrears and benefits following termination of their services when the mill closed...

MPs Unmask the Rot At Mulago Hospital.
December 30, 2011... Byline: Yasiin Mugerwa It is now a month, but Ms Harriet Akite, who came to Mulago Hospital looking for fibroids treatment, is still waiting for a doctor. She has not recovered, still struggles to speak, but is now looking for Shs100,000...

Country Struggles to Gain Footing.
December 30, 2011... Byline: Benon Herbert Oluka Amidst the euphoria of preparations for celebration to mark the birth of independent South Sudan on July 9, 2011, the United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, penned a newspaper article that captured the...

Rights Groups Query Kayihura Promotion.
December 30, 2011... Byline: Ismail Musa Ladu and Sheila Naturinda The promotion of Maj. Gen. Kale Kayihura to Lieutenant General, and appointment of Ms Jacqueline Susan Mbabazi, the wife to the Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi, to Senior Presidential Advisor,...

Hundreds Face Eviction From Adjumani Reserve.
December 30, 2011... Byline: Martin Okudi Over 180 households, majority of them from Amuru and Adjumani districts who have unlawfully encroached on the East Madi Wildlife Reserve are set for forceful eviction before the planting season in March, officials from...

Doctors Find Mutilated Baby in Womb.
December 30, 2011... Byline: Enid Ninsiima and Felix Basiime Medical workers at Kilembe Hospital in Kasese District were shocked when they operated an expectant mother only to find body parts of the baby. Kilembe Hospital Administrator, Sr. Tereza Kamugwere...

Makerere's Kiira EV Stutters to Life.
December 30, 2011... Byline: Africa Review When on November 2 a compact but shaky looking green car spluttered to life at Makerere University, it was a heartening marker for research and development in most of sub-Saharan Africa's widely-maligned universities. ...

Kigezi Moots Medics Pay Rise.
December 30, 2011... Byline: Sheila Naturinda and Robert Muhereza The International Community of the BanyaKigezi (ICOB), an association of Kigezi born natives, is in Kabale District for a two-day convention aimed at finding resolutions to reduce maternal...

Kimono, Lady Cranes Shine.
December 30, 2011... Byline: Ismail Dhakaba Kigongo Uganda Rugby got a new hero - Justin Kimono. Before being called to the national 15s team, the wing had finished as the country's top try scorer in the regional Bamburi Rugby Super Series. His Rwenzori outfit...

PM - I'm Not Cheap to Take Bribes.
December 30, 2011... Byline: Robert Muhereza Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi has said some members of the Ninth Parliament fighting alleged government corrupt officials are also not clean and are only intent on destroying people's reputation. "You have heard some...

Mulago Registers 200 Sickle Cell Cases Since September.
December 30, 2011... Byline: Agatha Ayebazibwe Thousands of sickle cell patients continue to suffer or die in silence over lack of proper medical facilities and expertise across the country, experts have disclosed. As a result, statistics show that out of more...

Documents Stolen From Kagame Team.
December 30, 2011... Byline: Enid Ninsiima Unspecified documents belonging to Rwanda's presidential entourage that had accompanied President Paul Kagame to Uganda for the Christmas holidays were stolen at a tourist lodging facility in Kasese, senior security...

Top 10 Sporting Headlines of the Year.
December 30, 2011... Byline: Innocent Ndawula This year will surely be remembered and below is a countdown of the top 10 sporting stories. 1. Cranes fail to reach Afcon 2012 Hardly any Ugandan could have anticipated that the final score would read 0-0 in...

Body of Ambassador to Russia Returns Home Today.
December 30, 2011... Byline: Sheila Naturinda The body of the Deputy Head of Mission at the Ugandan Embassy in Russia, Dr Sam Barteka Sakajja, arrives in the country today, according to International Affairs minister Henry Okello Oryem. Dr Sakajja succumbed to...

Mubiru Replaces Kasule As Proline Head Coach.
December 29, 2011... Byline: Abdu Wasike Proline have appointed former SC Villa and KCC FC player Abdallah Mubiru as their new head coach. The 39-year-old sports journalist takes over from Mujib Kasule, who stepped down last week to concentrate on his new post...

Abdallah Mubiru Named Proline Head Coach.
December 29, 2011... Byline: Abdu Wasike Proline Football Club has unveiled Abdallah Mubiru as their new head coach. Mubiru replaces Mujib Kasule, who stepped down last week to concentrate on his new post as FUFA Vice President in charge of the Uganda Super...

Manufacturers Battle Same Issues.
December 29, 2011... Byline: Ismail Musa Ladu Nothing seems to have really changed from last year. If anything, the situation has only grown worse than what was anticipated a year ago. It even gets worse in a landlocked country like Uganda, where manufacturers...

Ankole Prince Promises to Fight for Kingdom Restoration.
December 29, 2011... Byline: Rajab Mukombozi Prince Charles Rwebishengye, the heir to late Prince John Barigye, has been appointed patron of Nkore Cultural Trust (NCT), an organisation of monarchists that champions repossession of Ankole royal drums and...

Soldier Held Over Killing Wife and Two Children.
December 29, 2011... Byline: Martin Okudi After having a largely peaceful Christmas celebration on Sunday, a soldier in Moyo picked a quarrel with his wife the following day, accusing her of withdrawing more money from their bank account, than he had earlier...

A Christmas Miracle for the Birungi Family.
December 29, 2011... The little Jabez, six, rides a bicycle using both his legs. There should be nothing special for a six year-old to ride a bicycle, but this young boy is special, his parents said, as the Birungi family prepared to have Christmas together in...

NFA Makes U-Turn, Bars Investor From Fencing Forest Reserve.
December 29, 2011... Byline: Martin Ssebuyira The National Forest Authority has back-tracked its decision to allow an investor to fence-off two acres on Kitubulu Central Forest Reserve and instead razed the fence. Reliable sources, who preferred anonymity...

Kenya Turns to Country for Eggs As High Feed Costs Hit Poultry-Keepers.
December 29, 2011... Uganda is now a new haven of eggs for Kenyan traders who have battled increased production costs, pushing them to cross the borders to buy cheaper eggs from Uganda for consumption and re-sale in Kenya. The cost of poultry feeds hit the roof...

People, Animals Share Water in Lamwo.
December 29, 2011... Byline: Livingstone Kidega At least 4,000 residents of Lamwo District have turned to using contaminated water after several bore-holes sunk by aid agencies broke down. The residents said since the boreholes became non-functional about five...

In 2021 We Shall Look Back to 2011 and See All the Answers.
December 29, 2011... Byline: Daniel Kalinaki What a year 2011 has been! Conventional wisdom tells us that it is nearly impossible to see the long-term effect of contemporary events as they happen. Who would have thought that the escape, from a US prison, of a...

Here Is the Solution to Disputes Surrounding Markets.
December 29, 2011... Byline: Sam Kuloba Watasa In the recent past, we have witnessed incessant wrangles over public services infrastructure, especially markets, taxi and bus parks. Politicians from the President, Vice President, Prime Minister down to mayors...

Church Is Welcome to Join Graft Fight.
December 29, 2011... Byline: Editorial It has been uplifting that a number of the sermons preached in churches across the nation this Yuletide season have been laudatory of the actions of that growing group of MPs whose activism against graft has changed the...

Army Veteran Demands Shs200 Million.
December 29, 2011... Byline: Stephen Wandera A veteran army officer is seeking at least Shs200 million from President Museveni in recognition of his services. (Rtd) Maj. Akorimo Kanute, 80, left the army in 1968 and was recently honoured as a hero for lowering...

Nation Needs New Culture to Advance - Pastor.
December 29, 2011... Byline: Ephraim Kasozi Although the country is transforming and evolving, Ugandans need to create a new culture to achieve economic sustainability, a city pastor has said. "As Uganda continues to reach her destination, she is being exposed...

Bishop Shalita Passes On.
December 29, 2011... Byline: Ephraim Kasozi and Robert Muhereza The retired Bishop of Muhabura Diocese, Earnest Shalita, has passed on. He succumbed to cancer after one year of battling the ailment. The deceased bishop, the first of Muhabura Diocese, died on...

Women Summoned for Congo Date.
December 29, 2011... Byline: Abdu Wasike Crested Cranes coach Majda Nantanda has expressed delight with the glaring quality of the summoned squad. The team of 25 is scheduled to start residential training at Kavumba Recreation Center on January 2 in...

Prayers Over Corruption Sound Rather Hollow.
December 29, 2011... Byline: Karoli Ssemogerere Many breadwinners will earn some much-needed pause in their spending strings after the year's most expensive holiday. Some deadbeats like government failed to make payroll despite Public Service Minister Henry...

Do We Need 70 Ministers?
December 29, 2011... Byline: Tabu Butagira Seven months ago, President Museveni unveiled a Cabinet laden with professionals. The President won the February election by landslide against a backdrop of his scores in the 2006 and 2001 ballots, each dropping by...

Lawyer Asks Court to Block Oil Agreements.
December 29, 2011... Byline: Chris Obore A lawyer, acting in his private capacity as a citizen, has petitioned court to issue an injunction restraining government from signing any oil deals. Mr Hamada Mulumba through Bwambale , Musede and Co. Advocates has...

Kiir Becomes New Abeto Club Boss.
December 29, 2011... Byline: Agatha Ayebazibwe Always Be Tolerant Organisation (Abeto) has chosen South Sudan President Salva Kiir as the first chairperson of the Abeto African Leaders Peace Club. Mr Kiir has also been recognised with the Abeto Africa Peace...

Iganga NRM Offices Closed Over Rent Arrears.
December 29, 2011... Byline: Yazid Yolisingira Offices of the ruling National Resistance Movement party in Iganga District have been closed for failure to pay rent arrears for the past one year. The offices on Saza in Iganga Town were closed on Tuesday after...

NGO Bosses Arrested Over Bribery Claim.
December 29, 2011... Byline: Steven Ariong The police in Moroto District are holding two people on allegations of attempting to bribe the LC5 chairman, Mr Mark Aol, allow their NGO to continue operating in the area. The two had been running an NGO that was...

2011 Registers Greater High Profile Court Cases Than Ever.
December 29, 2011... Byline: Anthony Wesaka Some of the appearances still play fresh in many minds, having happened at the close of the year. Murders, corruption, protests and the election petitions, filled court, with many involving high profile figures....

City Traders to Boycott Banking Over High Costs.
December 29, 2011... Byline: Andrew Bagala The city traders governing body has agreed on a string of measures, including boycotting banking for a while, in protest of continued power shortages, high rent and high interest rates charged on loans. According to a...

Tough Year for Usl.
December 29, 2011... Byline: Andrew Mwanguhya and Abdu Wasike Express' diminutive midfielder Baingana has been the revelation of the year. You will meet few people musing to you 2011 has been all smooth sailing, just like you won't those intimating it's been...

Former Presidential Hopeful Named in Gold Theft.
December 29, 2011... Byline: Chief Bisong Etahoben Cameroonian writer, political activist and one of the candidates whose candidacy for the October 9 presidential race was rejected by the Electoral Commission has rejected accusations that he is the leader of a...

Watch Added Oomph in Bell Super League.
December 29, 2011... Byline: Allan Ssekamatte Express FC's re-emergence as a force to reckon with is the most compelling development of the first half of the Bell Super League. There is always an added oomph to local football when one or two of the traditional...

MPs Turn Hit On Attorney General Over Marriage Bill.
December 29, 2011... Byline: Mercy Nalugo Members of Parliament on the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee have written to the Attorney General, Mr Peter Nyombi, demanding to know when government will make its final input into the controversial Marriage and...

Shs20 Million On Pastor Mulinde's Assailant.
December 29, 2011... Byline: Abdul Kiyaga Pastors under their umbrella organisation, the National Fellowship of Born Again Pentecostal Churches (NFBPC), have staked Shs20 million for whoever provides information leading to the arrest and prosecution of Apostle...