The Monitor (Uganda) articles from February 2012

The Monitor (Uganda) archives from February 2012

Mutebile's Neck Is On the Block - Basajja Knows Where the Skeleton Are Hidden.
February 29, 2012... Byline: Charles Onyango-Obbo First, let me declare a conflict of interest here. Central Bank governor Emmanuel Tumusiime Mutebile used to be my friend ("used to be", because ever since I left Uganda, we have not been in touch). I liked...

Firms Under Probe Over Human Trafficking.
February 29, 2012... Byline: Philippa Croome A parliamentary committee is investigating security companies suspected of exporting Ugandans into domestic and sexual slavery abroad amid mounting concern over the country's complicity in human trafficking. The...

Express Remain Third After Stalemate.
February 29, 2012... Byline: Ismail Dhakaba Kigongo Hoima-Busia enhanced their reputation in the Bell Super League by holding visiting Express to a goalless draw at a soggy Bugembe Stadium in Jinja yesterday. Hoima-Busia, a controversial inclusion into the...

Speaker Oulanyah Blocks Debate On Mutebile Case.
February 29, 2012... Byline: Sheila Naturinda and Isaac Imaka The Deputy Speaker of Parliament yesterday blocked attempts to debate the fate of Central Bank governor Emmanuel Tumusiime-Mutebile detracting MPs to instead debate the consideration of the new House...

Fraud a Threat to Banking, Says Centenary Boss.
February 29, 2012... Byline: Faridah Kulabako There is growing fear among players in the banking industry about the risks that the advancement and adoption of new technology is posing to the industry. Mr Fabian Kasi, the Centenary Bank managing director, told...

One Must Train to Become a Professional Florist.
February 29, 2012... Who is a florist and what does he/she do? A florist is that person who deals with the arrangement of flowers both commercial and domestic purposes. He most of the times works along with the grower, supplier and the customer. He or she is...

State House Budget Gets Go-Ahead.
February 29, 2012... Byline: Yasiin Mugerwa State House's request for Shs92b in supplementary funding yesterday passed the first hurdle after the Budget Committee voted to approve the disputed expenditures amid protests. Some legislators wanted the budget...

Construction Diary - Family Obligations.
February 29, 2012... Byline: Mike Ssegawa I hate it when society comes between me and my goal, I would say - playing to the gallery, where one is forced to do things simply because I ought to, not because I believe in what I am doing. At the beginning of the...

Country Must Do It All Alone.
February 29, 2012... Byline: Andrew Mwanguhya The last time Uganda qualified for the Nations Cup they did it using the same format as today's. Prevail over the four games - two apiece at home and away - and done. Then, the Cranes eliminated Algeria before...

Police Quiz Impounded Calendars Boss.
February 29, 2012... Byline: Stephen Otage Detectives have interrogated the country manager of Twaweza, Uganda, for more than four hours over an impounded consignment of 700,000 calendars that police allege incite violence. Mr Morris Rwakakamba, who was...

Commissioner to Run Show As Police Upgrade Parliament Command Structure.
February 29, 2012... Byline: Andrew Bagala The Police have said they are changing the structure and the command of the Force at the Parliament to have a fully-fledged unit that will provide more services. Deputy Police spokesperson Judith Nabakooba said while...

Students Continue to Perform Poorly in Sciences.
February 29, 2012... Byline: Flavia Lanyero Uganda's hopes of having homegrown scientists to drive its desire to industrial transformation will take longer as students continue to shun science subjects and even those who pursue them perform poorly, results of...

So, What Is in a 'Cool' University Hostel?
February 29, 2012... Byline: Ian Ortega A hostel can be defined as a place that offers abode during the course of one's education at university. In many universities, hostels are the main places of residence for students considering the fact that many cannot...

Catholic Church Takes Over Shs15 Billion HIV/Aids Project.
February 29, 2012... Byline: Agatha Ayebazibwe After eight years of providing relief to HIV/Aids patients in Uganda, a US faith-based organisation has handed over the project to the Catholic Church. Partnering with Centres for Disease Control, the Uganda...

Nine Killed, Several Injured in Accident.
February 29, 2012... Byline: Julieth Ngarabal Nine people were killed in two road accidents in Coast Region, Tanzania, while several others were injured. The acting regional police commander, Salehe Mbaga, said the first accident occurred after a head-on...

Nodding - MPs Task Govt to Find Cash.
February 29, 2012... Byline: Yasiin Mugerwa The government has ordered the Ministry of Health to divert about Shs1b meant for malaria control to help hundreds of children in northern Uganda who are dying from the nodding disease. The revelation made by Junior...

Amabere Ga Nyinamwiru - Kabarole's Top Tourist Site.
February 29, 2012... Byline: Felix Basiime When I came to work in Kabarole about two years ago, I was told of all sorts of stories about amabere ga nyina mwiru, the famous stalagmites and stalactites that look like cow breasts. The amazing story about their...

Behind the Scenes - Chance for 'Fresh' Cranes to Make Mark.
February 29, 2012... Byline: Andrew Mwanguhya Four months on since Uganda's 34-year-old hopes were wretched in the goalless draw against Kenya at Namboole, the country has another go, another chance, another attempt to reclaim the long elusive treasure. Yet we...

Border Conflict Resumes.
February 29, 2012... Byline: Machel Amos The Sudan People's Liberation Movement North (SPLM-N) has declared that it seized a key border area in the embattled state of South Kordofan. SPLM-N, a banned political party in Sudan and officially considered a rebel...

Mobile Money Takes On New Form of Payments Platform.
February 29, 2012... Byline: Faridah Kulabako It should not get you by surprise if your employer one day tells you that your monthly salary will be paid using the mobile money platform. This is because what initially started as a money transfer service between...

ERA Cuts Umeme Power Losses to 24 Percent.
February 29, 2012... Byline: Lydia Namono Power regulator - Electricity Regulatory Authority - has revised power losses to 24 per cent, three percentage points below Umeme's 27.2 per cent. The drop follows a review of the power distributor's seven - year...

Support Sciences to Industrialise.
February 29, 2012... For a country that is prudently pursuing an industrialisation policy, it is mind boggling to see that the number of students pursuing Science subjects has over the years tended to show less or no progress. It is disappointing that only 20 per...

Few Absentees Cited in A-Level Exams, UNEB Says.
February 29, 2012... Byline: Flavia Lanyero Absenteeism is continuing to decline with 98 per cent of the students who registered for the 2011 UACE exams turning up for the exams. This is almost the same as last year's turn up although 2011 also saw an increase...

Creative Living - Cost Effective Home Design Made Simple.
February 29, 2012... Byline: Joe Nuwamanya So you are considering building your own dream home? The majority of people building their own homes are often caught off guard regarding budgeting of the project and this always results in a really unpleasant...

What It Means to Live With Hearing Voices.
February 29, 2012... He hears voices ordering him to do different things but what is scary about it is that it is not mere hallucination, it is a mental disorder. I am Dennis Ssentammu (name changed), mine is a story of struggling with mental challenges most...

UACE Results Indicate Slight Improvement in Major Subjects.
February 29, 2012... Byline: Richard Wanambwa The Uganda National Examination Board (Uneb) has released the 2011, Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE) results with a slight improvement in the general performance of major subjects compared to the 2010...

NRM Seeks to Reverse House Order to Stop UPE Probe Team.
February 29, 2012... Byline: Sheila Naturinda President Museveni and NRM MPs have agreed to have the commission of inquiry into the alleged mismanagement of free education funds appear before the parliamentary Committee on Social Services as a matter of urgency....

Overhaul Exam-Learning Culture and Develop Hidden Talent As Well.
February 29, 2012... Byline: Jim Oboth Katharine Birbalsingh's article, "Corruption is endemic in British education. Children should learn their subjects, not how to game the system", in Daily Telegraph (December 9, 2011) re-awakened me to universal predicament...

Do Not Get Excited About Recent Resignations - They Don't Hold Much!
February 29, 2012... Byline: Patrick Katagata The nation is awash with excitement as a result of the resignations and stepping aside of some ministers owing to alleged corruption. I commend the Ninth Parliament for this noble sting but perhaps it's too early...

Highway Blocked As Police Fire Tear Gas in Luweero Protest.
February 29, 2012... Byline: Daniel Wandera A demonstration in Luweero town council over the poor garbage disposal has turned violent after Police threw tear gas canisters at demonstrators. Traffic on Gulu-Kampala highway has ground to a halt as demonstrators...

Govt Forces Hit Militants in the South.
February 29, 2012... Byline: Abdulkadir Khalif The Transitional Federal Government troops have driven al-Shabaab militants out of some parts of Bakol region in South Somalia, officials have said. The development came about after pro-government forces advanced...

Jinja Mayor Grilled Over Market Violence.
February 28, 2012... Byline: Andrew Gulumaire and Denis Edema The police in Jinja on Tuesday February 28 grilled the Mayor of Jinja Municipality for allegedly being behind the Jinja Central Market violence in which scores were injured before riot police...

Ban's Comments On Gay Rights Spark Bitter Debate.
February 28, 2012... UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon may have flown out of Zambia after a two-day official visit, but he has left behind a raging controversy over his call for the southern African nation to respect and uphold rights of people with different sex...

Parliament Session Delayed By Missing of Mace.
February 28, 2012... There was drama in Malawi Parliament on Monday as parliament session was delayed by almost an hour following the missing of the mace, technically called the sword of state or the parliamentary sword. The day's parliamentary business was...

Boko Haram Razes Another School.
February 28, 2012... The militant Boko Haram sect responsible for the bombings in northern Nigeria on Tuesday razed the Gomari Costain Primary School in Borno State. Pupils of the Gomari Costain Primary School woke up on Tuesday to discover that their school had...

Judge Appointed As Appeals Judge At UN Court.
February 28, 2012... Byline: Njoroge Kaburo Kenyan judge Phillip Waki has been appointed by the UN -backed court set up to try suspects indicted for war crimes in Sierra Leone. A news release from the UN said Waki, a prominent Kenyan jurist, was sworn in on...

Women to Climb Mount Kilimanjaro to Raise Gender Violence Awareness.
February 28, 2012... Two Zambian women are expected to join other African women in climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania to raise awareness on the increased cases of gender-based violence in the country. The climbing of the 5, 892 meters high Mount Kilimanjaro...

Economic Growth Fails to Reduce Poverty in Region - UN.
February 28, 2012... The director of Central Africa's sub-regional bureau for United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) Emile Ahohe has said that countries in the central African region had failed to translate economic growth that had been observed into...

Education Ministry Releases S.6 Results Indicating 99 Percent Pass Rate.
February 28, 2012... Byline: Richard Wanambwa Uganda National Examination Board (UNEB) has released the 2011 Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education(UACE) showing a slight improvement in the general performance of major principal subjects offered compared to...

How Realistic Are Government Policies On Education?
February 27, 2012... Byline: Patience Ahimbisibwe The government last week announced it has no funds to increase capitation grants to schools despite the rising cost of living. In addition, Education minister Jessica Alupo announced that cabinet was...

Mutebile Case Goes to NRM Caucus.
February 27, 2012... Byline: Sheila Naturinda NRM ruling party legislators could today overturn their own decision to have Central Bank Governor Tumusiime Mutebile charged as the Public Accounts Committee recommended. The report recommended that Prof. Mutebile...

Health PS Defies Court On Nurses Union.
February 27, 2012... Byline: Stephen Otage The Ministry of Health Permanent Secretary, Dr Asuman Lukwago, has defied a court injunction restraining the Mulago Hospital Principal Nursing Officer from performing duties of the Uganda Nurses and Midwives Union...

Nation to Lose Over 150 Containers At Mombasa.
February 27, 2012... Byline: Nicholas Kalungi More than 150 containers belonging to Ugandans will be lost as the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) moves to de-congest Mombasa Port. Mr Issa Ssekitto, the spokesperson of Kampala City Traders Association (Kacita), told...

Kadaga Cracks the Whip On MPs Who Dodge Parliament.
February 27, 2012... Byline: Sheila Naturinda Speaker Rebecca Kadaga has started cracking the whip on absentee legislators for fear that their antics could slow down the House business. Her action follows complaints raised by the opposition seeking government...

Forced to Sacrifice School to Fend for the Family.
February 27, 2012... Byline: David Mafabi Two boys wearing weary faces prepare their bamboo shoots for sale at Kamu Market, one of the biggest markets in Bulambuli District. Their exhaustion typifies the misery faced by many children in rural areas who have...

Kasese Leaders Refund Shs5 Million.
February 27, 2012... Byline: Enid Ninsiima Karusandara Sub-county administration in Kasese District has recovered Shs5.2 million out of Shs9 million from its past leaders, saying the funds were unaccounted for during the financial year 2008/09. The money from...

WHO Okays Contraceptive Said to Raise HIV Infection.
February 27, 2012... Byline: Agatha Ayebazibwe and Agencies The World Health Organisation (WHO) has cleared the use of injectable contraceptive, Depo-Provera, which was earlier said to enhance chances of HIV infection among female users. WHO said a study that...

MA in Journalism Course At Makerere University Restored.
February 27, 2012... Byline: Abdu Kiyaga Makerere University's Department of Journalism and Communication (DJC) has requested top university officials to re-advertise the Masters in Journalism programme that was put on hold last year due to lack of senior staff...

Heaven's Gates and Hell's Flames On At Watoto Church.
February 27, 2012... Byline: Brenda Banura Almost similar to a scene from the Movie Left Behind, Heaven's Gates and Hell's Flames is a play that portrays life after death. Despite the seriousness of the subject matter, it has a good dosage of laughter which...

The Pain of the Undesireable 'Cut'.
February 27, 2012... Byline: Joseph Miti One day, Martha Mutikat, a registered midwife in Amudat Hospital, was called to rescue a mother who had a distracted labour at home in Achorchor village in Amudat District. On reaching there, she was stunned to see a...

Cops Fired Over Opposition Gifts.
February 27, 2012... Byline: Yasiin Mugerwa All police detectives attached to the opposition-led anti-corruption committees in Parliament have been given marching orders after a mysterious intelligence brief accused them of being "ideologically bankrupt". ...

Living and Loving It - Now, Who Watches Out for the Men When They Hurt?
February 27, 2012... Byline: Carol Beyanga I have in my possession about five books that are about positive living, all geared towards the woman. Some were given as gifts, others I bought. And I must say they have all made for interesting reading. I am not one...

Practical Learning and Skills Training Is Way to Go - Kategaya.
February 27, 2012... Byline: Edgar R. Batte Unless higher institutions of learning in Uganda adopt a practical approach of teaching which can impart skills to leaners products from these institutions will not be helped much, First Deputy Prime Minister and...

KCCA Finally Sets Bus Fares.
February 27, 2012... Byline: Mercy Nalugo Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) in consultation with Pioneer Easy Bus Limited (PEB), a private bus company set to provide public bus services in the greater metropolitan Kampala, has finally fixed transport fares....

Islamic University (IUIU) in Admits Receiving Railway Land.
February 27, 2012... Byline: Al-Mahdi Ssenkabirwa The Islamic University in Uganda (IUIU) has admitted receiving at least 7.5 acres of land out of the 57.9 acres owned by Uganda Railways Corporation (URC) in Nsambya. Dr Ahmed Ssengendo, the IUIU Rector, said...

National Sides Cash-Strapped.
February 27, 2012... Byline: Shabibah Nakirigya Two national handball teams will most likely travel to Nairobi for a regional tournament without any training due to lack of funding. "Our international mother body is catering for the teams' transport and...

Police Threaten to Stop Activists' Rallies.
February 27, 2012... Byline: Anthony Wesaka The Police have warned that the ongoing countrywide rallies organised by political pressure group - Activists for Change (A4C), should stop because they have turned rowdy. Following the melee that characterised a...

Former Minister Declines to Give Family Financial Support.
February 27, 2012... Byline: Anthony Wesaka Former Health Minister James Kakooza on Friday declined to financially support his estranged wife Enid Tuhirerwe while the divorce case she filed against him proceeds. Ms Tuhirerwe accuses the ex-minister of...

New Insurance Institute to Up Penetration.
February 27, 2012... Byline: Stephen Otage The Insurance Institute of Uganda has been commissioned with the view of helping the industry get appreciated and increase the relevance of insurance to Ugandans. The institute's operations have for several years been...

When Pokot Men Said 'No' to Female Genital Mutilation.
February 27, 2012... Byline: Joseph Miti On February 6, Dominick Lotolim and a friend bravely stood in front of the crowd flashing a big placard advocating for zero tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation. Although female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) is a...

Crackers Host Afrigo Band.
February 27, 2012... Byline: Brenda Banura Thursday evening was a good one. The Crackers/Mic Check guys were at their best and threw us into bouts of laughter with their varied jokes. But first we were given a musical treat by Afrigo Band, with its leader...

Bogere Records Another Knockout.
February 27, 2012... Byline: Clive Kyazze Ugandan lightweight boxer Sharif Bogere stopped Mexican Sergio Rivera after just three rounds at the Scottrade Center in Missouri, USA yesterday morning. The non-title fight that had been scheduled for ten rounds saw...

Buvuma Behind in Free Education.
February 27, 2012... Byline: Denis Edema While most parts of the country are benefiting from the government's free education programmes, children in 30 islands forming part of the Buvuma Island district are missing out. The district, carved out of Mukono is...

Mbarara to Petition Museveni to Boot Out RDC From Office.
February 27, 2012... Byline: Alfred Tumushabe and Priva Ninsiima Mbarara District Council has resolved to petition President Museveni to remove the Resident District Commissioner, Mr Clement Kandole, from office, citing poor administration. The council's...

Assessing the Nodding Disease Dilemma.
February 27, 2012... Byline: Harriet Anena Frustration and anxiety has continued to dominate the nodding disease debate in northern Uganda. Locals and MPs from the area accuse government of sluggishness and Finance ministry of delaying to find money to tackle the...

Mak Guild Candidates Push to Own Allowances.
February 27, 2012... Byline: Abdu Kiyaga A week into the Makerere guild elections, the issue of faculty allowance has become a major focus for the 11 candidates in the contest. For a year now, government-aided students have not received money they are entitled...

Success Is Not Achieving the Usual but Going Beyond That.
February 27, 2012... Byline: Fagil Mandy As we begin these series I want to start with giving the reader what I and some other thinkers understand SUCCESS is. I am doing this because in the subsequent series I will be constantly stating that the value of...

Bobby Says 2013 Came Too Soon.
February 27, 2012... Byline: Andrew Mwanguhya It has taken Uganda exactly a month to reflect the ramifications of the failed 2012 Nations Cup campaign and Bobby Williamson admits they have not been permitted enough time to embark on another operation. It...

Schools Hike S5 Fees.
February 27, 2012... Byline: Patience Ahimbisibwe As Senior Five students report to school today, parents are in dilemma after most institutions increased fees. For example, a student who wishes to join Kibuli Secondary School, will part with Shs960,000 as...

Kato Lubwama - He Brings Luck to Whatever He Works On So... Pay for That Too.
February 27, 2012... Byline: Agnes K. Namaganda His radio jingles are catchy, creative and interesting, however, Kato Lubwama is the first person I have heard who charges clients for the luck/blessing upon his life which makes their products sell when he does an...

Low Passenger Numbers Forced Out Gulf Air - CEO.
February 27, 2012... Byline: Favia Nalubega Gulf Air has said it exited Uganda after it concluded the country's low air traffic would not allow it realise strategic investment prospects. The airline that had re-entered Uganda at the close of last year - after...

Human Activities Threaten Life On Mt. Elgon.
February 27, 2012... Byline: David Mafabi Continuous human activities such as deforestation and poor farming methods around Mt. Elgon, could see about 500,000 people in Bugisu and Sebei sub-regions lose their livelihoods. Reports from Uganda Wildlife Authority...

Hollywood Movie On LRA War Showing At Cinema.
February 27, 2012... Byline: Edgar R. Batte It is one man's extraordinary journey. Picture this; a drug addict and murderer who has had his run-ins with the police, has a stripper for a fiancé and basically lives his life upside down. But all that...

Sabiny Defy the Law to Circumcise Their Daughters.
February 27, 2012... Byline: David Mafabi The Sabiny communities are in preparation for the new season to circumcise girls, unaware of the law prohibiting Female Genital Mutilation to which President Museveni appended his signature on March 17, 2010. In Bukwo...

Residents Worry Over Government Plan to Demolish Entebbe Hospital.
February 27, 2012... Byline: Martin Ssebuyira At least 200,000 people living in Entebbe and its suburbs have expressed concern over a move by the government to demolish Entebbe Grade B Hospital for redevelopment before setting up an alternative hospital. The...

Mangat Triumphs in Mbarara Pine Rally.
February 27, 2012... Byline: Fredrick Musisi Kiyingi Jas Mangat set the standard for his rivals this season after winning the Pine Ridge Mbarara Rally yesterday. And if we are to consider recent history, he could well be on his way to a maiden National Rally...

RDC Halts Payment of Contractors Over Shoddy Work.
February 27, 2012... Byline: Martins Ezekiel Ssekweyama The Masaka Resident District Commissioner (RDC), Mr Banarbus Bwambala, has stopped payment of two contractors over alleged substandard work. Mr Bwambala blocked payment to Country City Contractors and...

UWA Offered Help to Family of Deceased in Encroachers' Eviction.
February 27, 2012... We are writing to correct the misconception that the Uganda Police Force and the Uganda Wildlife Authority forces were unhelpful to the family of the deceased man created by Sunday Monitor article headlined, "Bereaved family wants police boss...

Mr President, Conflict Resolution Is Not a Course to Be Written Off.
February 27, 2012... Byline: Albert Gomes-Mugumya On several occasions and most recently while in Kisumu, President Museveni asked how a person can have a degree in Conflict Resolution, and what happens to these people when conflicts end? I am one of those people...

Bus Companies Must Adhere to Safety Measures Before Suspension Is Lifted.
February 27, 2012... Works and Transport Minister James Byandala was wrong to suspend the ban on four bus companies who failed to meet minimum road safety standards as reported by the Daily Monitor of February 24. The minister's decision shows that he does not...

Kadaga Hits Back At Museveni Over UPE/Use Probe.
February 27, 2012... Byline: Yasiin Mugerwa Speaker Rebecca Kadaga has this Monday morning sought to reassure the public and the President in particular that she will not be intimidated in the fight against corruption. In a hard-hitting reaction to what she...

Moralists Who Don't Speak Out Against Adultery Are Hypocrites.
February 27, 2012... Regarding Martin Ssempa's recent article in the Daily Monitor, "Sodomites, prostitutes should not be equated to teachers and doctors", I would like to note the following as raised by Ssempa: l"Not only are both acts of prostitution and...

The World Should Support AMISOM to Restore the State of Somalia.
February 27, 2012... Byline: Lt Col Paddy Ankunda The recent announcement of al-Shabaab joining al-Qaeda is not really news, just an attempt to shore up an on-and-off relationship that began in 2003 when Aden Hashi Farah "Ayro" and a small group of Somali...

Address Basic Health Challenges.
February 26, 2012... The Ministry of Health and the US Government last week signed a joint agreement to carry out collaborative initiatives targeted at saving the lives of women and children. The arrangement-- part of the United States' Global Health Initiative...