New Vision (Uganda) articles from July 2008

New Vision (Uganda) archives from July 2008

Country Plans 2012 Population Census.
July 31, 2008... Byline: Mary Karugaba THE national population and housing census will be carried out in 2012, the National Bureau of Statistics announced yesterday. The bureau's head, John Male Mukasa, told the parliamentary finance committee that...

Rights Report on Mengo Officials is Fair to Police.
July 31, 2008... Byline: Margaret Sekaggya THIS is in response to the internal memo by Mariam Wangadya of the Uganda Human Rights Commission on the recent arrest of Mengo officials, which was published in The New Vision yesterday. While she commended...

Arab Traders Eye Ugandan Foods.
July 31, 2008... Byline: Gusto Rowzer UGANDAN foodstuffs scored highly in the exhibition arranged for the Arab-African Business Conference at the Imperial Royale Hotel in Kampala last month. Many items impressed delegates from the 57 member countries of...

NSSF Keep Up the Good Work But.
July 31, 2008... THIS week, the management of the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) announced a doubling of interest on workers' savings. Workers' savings will now attract a 14% instead of the previous 7% interest. For the first time ever, the fund is...

Country to Pick Coach Next Week.
July 31, 2008... Byline: Fred Kaweesi CRANES will have a new coach by next week if negotiations between FUFA boss Lawrence Mulindwa and the preferred German candidate succeed this weekend. According to reliable sources, the FUFA boss is expected to...

Government to Take Over Health Units.
July 31, 2008... Byline: Milton Olupot HEALTH centre IVs that have been managed by districts are to be taken over by the Government to ensure effective service delivery, the health state minister has said. Dr. Richard Nduhuura on Wednesday told MPs...

Mother Strangles 4 Daughters to Death.
July 31, 2008... Byline: David Muwanga and Raymond Baguma A WOMAN on Wednesday strangled to death her four children, including a set of twins, inside her rented two-room house in Kamwokya, a Kampala suburb, before trying to kill herself. Margaret...

Environment Minister Halts Tree-Cutting.
July 31, 2008... Byline: Gerald Tenywa And John Kasozi ENVIRONMENT minister Maria Mutagamba has stopped all activities in Lwamunda forest sector pending an inquiry into the excessive cutting of trees. Lwamunda sector comprises 27 forests, which...

Museveni, Mengo Katikkiro Hold Talks.
July 31, 2008... PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni last evening held a closed-door meeting with a Buganda Kingdom delegation, led by the Katikkiro, John Baptist Walusimbi, at State House Entebbe. The meeting, which lasted for over two hours, discussed both...

Mature Cranes Hold All the Aces in Rugby.
July 31, 2008... Byline: Kalungi Kabuye WHAT is the greatest rugby game ever played in Uganda? That's a good question, responded most people I put it to. To Paul Nyangabyaki, Uganda's win over Cote D'Ivoire in 2006 was the most memorable. "That was...

Latrine Crackdown in Pallisa District.
July 31, 2008... Byline: Francis Okiror HEALTH officials in Pallisa district have launched a crackdown on family heads whose homes have no pit-latrines and rubbish disposal pits. The move, said Wilson Namungha, the district health inspector, was...

Balamaze Advises on Modern Football.
July 31, 2008... Byline: Swalley Kenyi SC Villa patron Balamaze Lwanga has urged the club administrators to keep abreast with the demands of modern football if the club is to regain its past winning form. Villa dominated domestic events in the 1980s...

7 Suspected Thugs Held in Bushenyi.
July 31, 2008... Byline: Chris Ahimbisibwe THE Police in Bushenyi district are holding seven people suspected to have robbed people in two separate incidents. The first group, comprising three men, allegedly attacked a passenger vehicle near the...

Fort Portal Hospital to Get New Wards.
July 31, 2008... Byline: Emmanuel Kajubu THE construction of two wards worth sh700m at Fort Portal Hospital has started. The project funded by the Ministry of Health is expected to be completed in March 2009, the medical superintendent, Dr. Edward...

Muyodi Fails to Make the Grade for Makis.
July 31, 2008... Byline: Douglas Mazune FLANKER Drake Muyodi was a surprise exclusion as the Rugby Cranes coaching director David Dobela named his squad for tomorrow's fixture against Madagascar at Kampala Club. Muyodi did not make the grade as...

Nurses' Perform Better in National Exams.
July 31, 2008... NURSES this year performed better in the diploma and certificate examinations compared to last year, according to the results that were released yesterday, reports Conan Businge. The results indicate an improvement, with a 15.3% increase...

Shaggy for Passa Passa.
July 31, 2008... JAMAICAN-BORN raggae star Shaggy will come to Uganda to crown the winner of the Passa Passa dance competition. Shaggy will also perform at the event next Saturday where revellers will pay sh25,000 and sh50,000 for standard and silver...

Fire Guts Luwero's Ndejje Vocational Sondary School.
July 31, 2008... Byline: Cyprian Musoke EXAMINATIONS came to a standstill at Ndejje Vocational Secondary School in Luweero district yesterday when fire gutted three girls' dormitories, destroying all the property of the students. According to the...

Semo in High Hopes Against Romanian.
July 31, 2008... Byline: Phillip Corry FORMER IBF Inter Continental light welterweight champion Peter "Boyz Boyz" Semo returns to the ring today against Canada-based Romanian Ionut Dan Ion in Piatra, Romania. This will be the Semo's first fight in...

Contracts Row Hits Makerere University.
July 31, 2008... Byline: Fortunate Ahimbisibwe MAKERERE University lecturers have rejected the plan to appoint them on five-year contracts. Through their umbrella group, Makerere University Academic Staff Association MUASA), the academics instead...

Busoga Region to Get Sh7 Billion for NAADS.
July 31, 2008... Byline: Charles Kakamwa BUSOGA region is to receive about sh7.3b under the National Agricultural Advisory Services (NAADS) programme this financial year, the executive director has said. Dr. Silim Nahdy, who was last week addressing...

We Should Not Be Divided on Tribal, Religious Lines.
July 31, 2008... Byline: Gregory Muheki WHEN Karl Mark noted that religion was the opium of people, he probably had not thought about countries in Africa with tribes and clans. In Africa or Uganda in particular, tribe is the opium. One only needs...

GTV Extends Super League Live Coverage.
July 31, 2008... Byline: Swalley Kenyi and Phillip Corry SUPER League commercial and media rights owners GTV has extended its live coverage of the national competition countrywide. Last season, live broadcasts involved teams with a big fan base and...

How Many Must Perish for Bashir and Mugabe?
July 31, 2008... Byline: Jerry Okungu JUST the other day, world television screens were awash with Robert Mugabe's militia chasing his opponents like wild animals across the savannahs and shrub lands of Zimbabwe. These fleeing desperados were not aliens...

MPs Stop Nsambya-Kibuli Land Exchange.
July 31, 2008... Byline: Madinah Tebajjukira MPs have opposed the proposed exchange of the Nsambya-Kibuli Police land to a private developer for the construction of the Force's headquarters at Naguru. The MPs on the defence and internal affairs...

MPs Want List of Global Fund Debtors.
July 31, 2008... Byline: Joyce Namutebi MPS have demanded for a list of people who have not yet refunded the money for the Global Fund for HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria, which they allegedly mismanaged. Slightly over sh699m has been recovered from 16...

Kyabazinga Muloki's Condition Improving.
July 31, 2008... Byline: Esther Mukyala BUSOGA king (Kyabazinga) Henry Wako Muloki is recovering, according to the kingdom prime minister (Katukiro), Wilson Muwereza. Muloki, who is over 80 years, was last Friday flown to India for medical...

Makindye Boss Charged With Embezzlement.
July 31, 2008... THE Makindye Division LC3 vice-chairman, Siraje Lubwama, was yesterday charged with two counts of causing financial loss and conspiring to steal sh71m belonging to the division. Charles Ariko reports that Lubwama, who has been in...

Sebbaale Gets New Role on African Body.
July 31, 2008... Byline: Charles Mutebi UGANDA Cricket Association (UCA) chairman Kato Sebbaale has been appointed to the African Cricket Association (ACA) board as executive director for the East African region. The decision means that Kato, who has...

The Eighth Wonder is Upon Us!
July 31, 2008... Byline: Louis Jadwong THE magic date 8-08-08 is now hours away. Every passing day erases any doubts the world had about the resolve of the Chinese to produce the Eighth Wonder of the World. If you are in Beijing, you will have seen...

Local Government Leaders Call for Tax Raise.
July 31, 2008... Byline: Josephine Maseruka THE Uganda Local Government Association has asked the Government to consider increasing Value Added Tax by 1%, as part of the graduated tax compensation to local governments. The association also...

Health to Spend 10 Billion to Contain Hepatitis.
July 31, 2008... Byline: Anne Mugisa and Nuliat Nakiwala THE health ministry is to spend at least $6m (about sh10b) on an emergency response to contain the escalating Hepatitis E disease mainly ravaging three districts in northern Uganda. The...

Stanbic Teller Held Over Fake Money.
July 31, 2008... Byline: Luke Kagiri A Stanbic Bank employee and a businessman have been arrested for allegedly stealing over sh20m from the bank's Mityana branch. Richard Buhigiro and Umar Kalifaani, who owns a restaurant in the town, were arrested...

Kampala Disabled Win Land Battle.
July 31, 2008... Byline: Patrick Jaramogi THE battle for a prime Kampala plot that has lasted over 10 years has finally been settled following the intervention of President Yoweri Museveni. The Kampala district union of persons with disabilities...

Ntenjeru Back Land Amendment Bill.
July 31, 2008... Byline: Nicholas Kajoba RESIDENTS of Ntenjeru sub-county in Mukono district support the proposed Land Amendment Bill, saying it would prevent landlords from evicting them illegally. They also proposed that landlords who evict bibanja...

Police Tortures Gay Rights Activist-NGO.
July 31, 2008... RIGHTS groups have urged Uganda to investigate the alleged detaining and torture of a gay rights activist on trial for protesting against discrimination last month. Usaam Mukwaya and two other activists were charged with trespass last...

Coach Denies Cranes Link.
July 31, 2008... A former Green Eagles captain, Christian Chukwu, has denied applying for the vacant Ugandan national soccer team post. The Federation of Uganda Football Association has been shopping for a replacement for Hungarian-born coach Laszlo...

Badminton Star Loses Contact With Team.
July 31, 2008... Byline: Norman Katende THE Team Uganda administration was last evening battling to get in touch with badminton star Edwin Ekiring and confirm his arrival date in Beijing for the Olympic Games. Ekiring, who was expected to be in...

Nyagak Power Machines Arrive.
July 31, 2008... Byline: Ayiga Ondoga EQUIPMENT for construction of the hydro-power plant at Nyagak in Nebbi has arrived. "All the electrical machinery like turbines and generators are on site awaiting installation after completion of the power...

Inflation Hits 13.7 Percent in July.
July 31, 2008... Byline: Alice Kiingi JULY'S inflation rate has risen to 13.7% up from 12.5% due to high demand for food from neighbouring countries and the ever-rising global fuel prices. "This is the highest inflation in three years. It was last at...

Save the Children Appeals to LRA.
July 31, 2008... Save the Children in Uganda has called for the immediate and unconditional release of children and women in captivity by the rebel Lords Resistance Army. The Deputy Country Director of Save the children in Uganda, John Reinstein says...

Govt Drafting Policy for Real Estate.
July 31, 2008... Byline: Aidah Nanyonjo THE Government is working on a policy to regulate real estate business in the country. Housing state minister Michael Werikhe said the policy comes after public outcry over failure to get value for money from...

Kusuro Under No Illusions About Olympic Task.
July 31, 2008... Byline: Norman Katende NOTHING but determination has seen the shy Geoffrey Kusuro command national fame and it will be this resilience that will see him take on the world's best in the 5000m. "It is going to be tough. I will try my...

Katende's Olympic Diary - Aug 01.
July 31, 2008... IT is two thumbs up for the Chinese from their Ugandan counterparts. The team has not been slow to hail the Chinese for their organisation and hospitality. "It is perfect here. We entered the village even before our accreditation had...

Nigeria Bank Buys Commercial Microfinance.
July 31, 2008... Byline: Sylvia Juuko NIGERIA bank, Global Trust Bank, has bought Commercial Micro Finance Ltd (CMF), a move likely to intensify the already stiff competition in the financial sector. The bank will take over CMF's eight branches and...

Oil to Attract $500 Million Investments.
July 31, 2008... Byline: Ibrahim Kasita THE oil and gas sector will attract over $500m (sh820b) in direct investments by the end of this financial year, the energy state minister has predicted. "While $250m (sh410b) has been invested in the sector in...

Katakwi Still Struggling to Stand After Eleven Years.
July 30, 2008... Byline: Ronald Kalyango It is 11 years since Katakwi was granted district status. However, development in the district has been hindered by the activities of the the Lord's Resistance Army rebels and the Karimojong cattle rustlers. ...

Police Arrest Man Over Impersonation.
July 30, 2008... THE Police on Monday arrested a man over impersonating the Jinja district Police commander, Chris Barugahare and trying to con money from a youth. Donald Kiirya reports that Patrick Ochwo, a resident of Lugazi, was arrested after he...

Kapchorwa Anti-Aids Fight Aided.
July 30, 2008... Byline: Rashid Muzungyo A TOTAL of 93 primary schools in Kapchorwa district have received information kits to strengthen the fight against HIV/AIDS among pupils. The kits were designed by the education ministry with financial support...

Man Hacks Family in Bushenyi District.
July 30, 2008... Byline: Chris Ahimbisibwe A man on Tuesday night hacked to death five people, including his wife and three children of his brothers, and later stabbed himself to death. The tragedy took place at around 9:00pm in Nyakacere village,...

Fifty Deformed Patients Operated Upon in Mbarara.
July 30, 2008... Byline: Fred Turyakira A total of 50 cleft lips and cleft palete (mouth deformities) patients have received free surgery at Mbarara Hospital. The one-week surgical camp, which ends on Saturday, is headed by Sister Dr. Justina Lucy...

High Freight Dues Hurt Horticulture.
July 30, 2008... Byline: Samuel Balagadde HIGH freight charges levied on horticultural exports to the European Union and other markets are reducing farmers' income. David Lule, the chairman of the Horticulture Exporters' Association (HORTEXA), said...

NSSF Wants Reform Proposals.
July 30, 2008... Byline: Mikaili Sseppuya THE National Social Security Fund (NSSF) wants proposals for reforms. NSSF, which is the biggest holder of pension funds in the country, was set up by the NSSF Act, 1985. According to the Act, an employer is...

UN Hails Country's Population Policy.
July 30, 2008... Byline: Patrick Jaramogi THE UN has hailed Uganda for controlling its population growth rate, one of the highest in the world. The new UN Population Fund representative to Uganda, Janet Jackson, said the Government's move to have a...

Serugo Chose Boxing to Defend Self, Now Wants Medal.
July 30, 2008... Byline: Norman Katende FIGHTERS take to the sweet science to achieve something but Ronald Serugo simply took to boxing in order to beat up someone. "I had been doing tae kwondo and I thought it was the best defence I had. Once, a...

Japan Funds Rice Growing in North.
July 30, 2008... Byline: Winfred Kagwe THE Japanese government has extended a $1,499,400 (about sh2.43b) grant towards agricultural and rural development in northern region. The grant will be channelled through the Food and Agricultural Organisation...

Super League Kick-Off Confirmed.
July 30, 2008... Byline: Swalley Kenyi THE Super League will finally kick-off on Saturday after a stalemate between FUFA and the clubs over non-payment of the latter's 'GTV basic fund' was resolved yesterday. Several clubs under their umbrella...

Science Policy Unfair to Girls, Say Activists.
July 30, 2008... Byline: Conan Businge THE Government policy of investing more in science courses is increasing the gender gap at higher levels of learning, women activists have said. "The policy is leaving out girls and is a big threat to efforts...

Graduates Learn to Create Jobs.
July 30, 2008... THE key to success in business does not necessarily start with accessing capital but depends on the attitude of the individual, an expert has said. "Many small-and-medium firms do not last for one year due to the poor attitude from their...

Chief Justice Wants Justice in North.
July 30, 2008... Byline: Hillary Nsambu ACCESS to justice must be the priority as peace returns to northern Uganda after more than 20 years of war, Chief Justice Benjamin Odoki said yesterday. "While the rest of the country has been in relative...

Palm Project Gives Kalangala Sh2 Billion Road Equipment.
July 30, 2008... Byline: Patrick Jaramogi District leaders have rallied support for Government's palm oil tree-growing project. The district chairperson, Dan Kikola, said the palmoil project had contributed to development in the island district. The...

Ugandans Protest in London.
July 30, 2008... Byline: Norman Miwambo UGANDANS living in the United Kingdom on Monday petitioned Queen Elizabeth II and the Commonwealth over the arrest of three Mengo officials. Buganda information minister Peter Mayiga, his deputy Medard Seggona...

Kampala Serena Hotel to Be Refurbished.
July 30, 2008... THREE companies have been shortlisted for verification of the cost of refurbishing the Kampala Serena Hotel. The three companies are KPMG in association with Knight Frank (U), Johnson (U) Ltd and Turner and Townsend in conjunction with...

LRA Top Official Seeks Amnesty.
July 30, 2008... Byline: Fortunate Ahimbisibwe JAMES Obita, the former leader of the LRA delegation to the Juba peace talks, has applied for amnesty with the Uganda Amnesty Commission. Obita, who was sacked as head of delegation by LRA leader Joseph...

World Cup Place Still a Long Way.
July 30, 2008... Byline: Kalungi Kabuye NOTHING major will happen if the Rugby Cranes (as expected) beat the Makis from Madagascar in a 2011 Rugby World Cup qualifier and Africa Cup game at Kampala Rugby Club on Saturday. The world rankings for both...

Kaveera Makers Stuck With Stocks.
July 30, 2008... Byline: David Muwanga SMUGGLING has left more than 35 manufacturers stuck with large volumes of polythene bags, a top official has disclosed. Dr. Bruno Emwanu, the director of the business unit at the Uganda Manufacturers...

Name Global Fund Debtors, MPs Demand.
July 30, 2008... Byline: Joyce Namutebi LEGISLATORS have demanded the list of people who are yet to refund the money from the Global Fund for HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, which they allegedly misused. Health state minister Dr. Richard Nduhuura...

Rugby Cranes Plot Madagascar Demise.
July 30, 2008... Byline: Douglas Mazune THE Kampala club pitch is favourable to the Rugby Cranes who will be up against Madagascar in the 2011 World Cup qualifier/CAR cup this Saturday, according to the coaching director David Dobela. Dobela said...

Human Rights Report Unfair to the Police.
July 30, 2008... Byline: Mariam Wangadya FOLLOWING the arrest and detention of Betty Nambooze, Medard Lubega Ssegona and Charles Peter Mayiga, the Police issued a statement to the effect that the trio had close links with rebel movements seeking to...

Buganda Must Recognise Today's Political Realities.
July 30, 2008... Byline: Peter Mulira The current conflict between the central government and the Mengo administration over the federo demands and the return of the kingdom's assets traces its history to the imbalanced manner in which the Uganda...

Kireka Top of Chess League.
July 30, 2008... Byline: Phillip Corry KIREKA Chess Club shot to the top of the chess league after a convincing win over Aviation club 4-1 on Sunday. The win pushed the leaders to four points ahead of second-placed Mengo, albeit with a game in hand for...

Take Premier's Advice on Mengo Arrests.
July 30, 2008... During a special session of Parliament on the arrest of Mengo officials, Prime Minister Apolo Nsibambi called on both sides to own up to their deeds. "We must realise that we have all made mistakes, political and constitutional mistakes,...

2,000 Families Petition Museveni Over Water.
July 30, 2008... Byline: Abdulkarim Ssengendo Over 2,000 families in Kashari county, Mbarara district have appealed to President Yoweri Museveni to come to their rescue after their water supply was disconnected. Moses Basheija, the LC1 chairman of...

President Museveni Calls for Clean Politics.
July 30, 2008... AFRICAN leaders should work for clean, non-divisive politics, President Yoweri Museveni has said. Speaking at the Global Southern Africa Conference in Lusaka, Zambia yesterday, Museveni noted that whereas Uganda had come out of political...

Makerere Drops Fees for Govt Students.
July 30, 2008... Byline: Fortunate Ahimbisibwe MAKERERE University Council has blocked fees payments for government-sponsored students for the 2008/09 academic year which opens on August 16. The council, which sat last Friday, in addition agreed that...

Major Highway Ahead of Schedule.
July 30, 2008... Byline: John Kasozi The key route connecting four districts in eastern and northern Uganda is now being tarmacked. "The construction of the 123km Soroti-Dokolo-Lira highway is in advanced stages. The road work is ahead of schedule,"...

New Districts - Who Will Shoulder the Burden?
July 30, 2008... Byline: Joshua Kato Last week, the legal and parliamentary affairs committee called for the suspension of the creation of new districts that cannot fund themselves. They asked the local government minister, Maj. Gen. Kahinda...

Oil Refinery to Be Built This Year.
July 30, 2008... Byline: Gerald Tenywa A one-square kilometre oil refinery will be built in Kaiso-Tonya wildlife reserve, Hoima district before the end of the year despite concerns by environmentalists. This was disclosed by Peter Javis, a senior...

Muliika Opposes Museveni, Kabaka Talks.
July 30, 2008... Byline: Moses Mulondo THE should be no private talks between President Yoweri Museveni and Kabaka Mutebi on Buganda Kingdom's demands, former Katikkiro (premier) Daniel Muliika has said. The Prime Minister, Apolo Nsibambi, on Tuesday...

'More Civilians Drinking Safe Water'.
July 30, 2008... UGANDA is one of the seven countries in sub-Saharan Africa that have made rapid progress in providing access to safe drinking water. Anthony Bugembe reports that the findings are contained in a report by the World Health Organisation and...

Volunteers to Repair Kasese Schools.
July 30, 2008... Byline: Bernard Masereka A team of 43 volunteers from the World Challenge Organisation in England has arrived in Kasese to construct classrooms in hard-to-reach areas. The volunteers will construct classroom blocks at Bwito Primary...

'Private Sector Needed in Road Sector'.
July 30, 2008... Byline: Kiganda Ssonko PUBLIC-PRIVATE partnerships are needed in the housing and road sectors, housing state minister, Michael Werikhe, has said. Werikhe said the private sector should come up with proposals for the partnerships. ...

Stanchart Loses Sh1 Billion.
July 30, 2008... Byline: Edward Anyoli Standard Chartered Bank lost sh1.5b in fraudulent transactions, court heard last week. Testifying at Buganda Road Court in a case in which six former employees of the bank are accused of embezzlement, human...

Central Bank Should Check High Interest Rates.
July 30, 2008... Byline: Henry Zakumumpa Earlier this year, a scheme was announced to enable public servants to own laptop computers. Unless one paid cash upfront, the catch was a bank loan with a 20% interest rate. A quick calculation shows that...