Two feared dead, roads cut off as R.Nyamwamba bursts banks

Two people are feared dead, and several roads have been rendered impassable in Kasese Municipality, western Uganda, after River Nyamwamba burst its banks following heavy rainfall on Saturday.

The floods have devastated at least four villages and affected over 1,000 households, with more than 250 houses submerged in Nyamwamba Division, according to the Uganda Red Cross Society (URCS).

The worst-hit areas include Kisanga A, Saluti, and Mumbuzi cells, where many recently rehabilitated roads have been severely damaged. Residents and workers are struggling to access their homes and businesses. Fred Baluku, a resident of Kisanga A Cell, shared his frustration at being unable to drive home after the road leading to his house developed large gullies due to the flooding.

"As you see, you can't drive or ride to these houses, so I have to stop at Crescent Road junction and walk home…" Baluku explained.

Justine Kamahanga, who works at Mawa Market, said she now leaves work earlier than usual, as her home remains surrounded by water days after the floods.

Elias Byamungu, the Kasese district chief administrative officer (CAO), stated that efforts are underway to mobilize resources to repair the damaged roads. Authorities also plan to clear part of the river to widen its bed and help manage future floodwaters.

{loadposition inarticle}

Source

Man stabbed to death while having sex with married woman

Police in Mubende district have launched a manhunt for Khalisiti Mutatina, who is accused of stabbing to death his wife's lover, Ignitious Nyansiyo, in a fit of rage on Saturday night.

According to various reports provided to police, Mutatina had been working in Kagadi district and was always returning home to his wife either fortnightly or monthly. However, on Saturday, Mutatina returned home unexpectedly around 9 pm and was shocked to find his wife in their marital bedroom, engaging in an extramarital affair with Nyansiyo.

Angered, Mutatina allegedly grabbed a knife and repeatedly stabbed Nyansiyo, ultimately killing him on his matrimonial bed. By the time the attack occurred, Mutatina's wife had already fled the house, leaving her lover at the mercy of her enraged husband.

"It was around 9 pm when the husband returned home and found his wife with another man. We suspect one of our neighbours may have tipped off Mutatina, prompting him to return without informing his wife. This affair had been ongoing for a while," one of the locals reportedly told detectives.

Racheal Kawala, Wamala Regional police spokesperson said that after the gruesome incident, both the suspect and his wife fled the scene.

"We were informed about the incident and immediately responded to the crime scene. The body of the deceased was found lying in the suspect's marital bed. His body has been taken to Mubende Regional Referral Hospital for a postmortem," Kawala stated.

Mubende police have since issued an alert to their counterparts in the neighbouring districts of Kassanda, Mityana, Kakumiro, Kibaale, and Kagadi to arrest Mutatina on sight for Nyansiyo's murder. 

Every year, Uganda loses over 300 people to domestic violence, with infidelity being one of the leading contributors. Both men and women have been killed by their spouses or by those with whom their spouses were having affairs.

{loadposition inarticle}

Source

Debt-ridden Rwangyezi appeals to Museveni to save Ndere Centre

Legendary actor and performing artist Stephen Rwangyezi has appealed for President Yoweri Museveni's intervention to save Ndere Cultural Centre from going under the hammer over an accumulated debt of Shs 10.5bn.

Rwangyezi, the founder of the famed Ndere Troupe in 1984, says they are on the brink of losing a cultural heritage facility located in Kisaasi after failing to service a Shs 6.8bn loan from the Uganda Development Bank (UDB) in 2019.

He blames the Covid-19 pandemic for stalling their expansion plans to include a resort in Kisoro as well as a hotel in Bbira along Mityana Road.

"We obtained this loan from UDB. We did not squander the money, but the Covid-19 pandemic struck. Covid-19 killed the troupe, killed the centre's operations and killed the construction works," he says.

"However, we have rejuvenated the centre, revitalized the troupe, and successfully completed the construction of the Kisoro resort. Please, Your Excellency, take away this rock around our neck. Please take the loan away. If it is not possible, give us time to reorganize ourselves at the bank. We shall surely fundraise through equity selling, through business operations, through public fundraising, and we shall pay this loan."

It remains unclear whether Museveni will bail out Rwangyezi as he has done with other businessmen before, but there is a looming fear that if the cultural centre goes, it will rob Ugandans of the grand tourist attraction and heritage centre in Kampala, which serves about 600-1000 tourists on any given weekend.

{loadposition inarticle}

Source

Karuma Bridge to be closed to all traffic for repair works

Karuma Bridge, the connecting link between northern Uganda and the rest of the country, is set to be closed for extensive repair works, according to the minister of State for Works and Transport, Musa Ecweru.

In April this year, the bridge was temporarily closed to heavy vehicles after an assessment revealed significant structural defects. The government has since contracted the National Enterprise Corporation (NEC) and China Seventh Railway Group to undertake repairs, with a completion timeline of three months.

Addressing concerns from legislators about the deteriorating state of the bridge, Ecweru informed parliament during a mobile session in Gulu that rehabilitation efforts have already begun beneath the bridge. The next phase will involve surface repairs, prompting the need for a full closure to all traffic in the coming weeks. While the exact duration of the closure remains unspecified, Ecweru suggested that it could extend for several weeks.

Ecweru warned that any time from now, the bridge could cave in, especially with active traffic. So far, the government has mobilized Shs 6.8 billion of the Shs 7.9 billion needed for the repair works. Ecweru also mentioned that the government is collaborating with the Japan International Corporation Agency (JICA) to construct a new bridge over the River Nile, though he did not provide specific details about the project's timeline.

The announcement comes after parliament approved a report from the sectoral committee on physical infrastructure, which called for the urgent rehabilitation of the Karuma Bridge. The committee emphasized that the continued closure of the bridge severely hinders the development of northern Uganda, as it is a vital route connecting the midwestern, northern, and West Nile sub-regions.

An assessment by the committee revealed that critical components of the bridge, including the bearings and expansion joints, were worn out, and structural cracks had formed beneath the structure. Although the repair contract was scheduled to commence on July 15, 2024, the committee found that the physical progress of the work stood at only 1.02 per cent against a planned 2.20 per cent.

According to the Uganda National Roads Authority (Unra) the ongoing rehabilitation works beneath the bridge deck include restoring the bridge's strength and longevity by re-fitting and strengthening the steel structures and applying protective measures to prevent corrosion.

Kibanda North MP Linos Ngompek urged the government to provide an alternative route, suggesting the newly constructed bridge at the Karuma hydropower plant as a viable option. He noted that the current alternative route through Murchison Falls National Park is lengthy and costly.

Speaker of parliament Anita Among tasked the Transport minister with fast-tracking the sectoral committee's recommendations on infrastructure in northern Uganda and reporting back to the House within two weeks.

"We need action on the roads, improvement in water transport as an alternative, and prompt attention to all the infrastructure issues we have raised," Among emphasized.

{loadposition inarticle}

---

Source

Dogs feast on bodies as Luwero cemetery runs out of space

Locals in Luwero town council have raised serious environmental and health concerns as the cemetery and dumpsite, purchased two decades ago, reached full capacity.

Following the fill-up, morticians have resorted to shallow burials, stacking bodies on top of each other, or dumping them in a single pit at the  2.5-acre public cemetery located in the Kalongo Zone which also works as a garbage dump for waste collected from residents.

The cemetery on average receives at least five unclaimed bodies each week, many retrieved from accidents, murder scenes, and other incidents across the district according to authorities. The situation has been further exacerbated by an influx of Sudanese refugees, who are also buried in the same cemetery upon their death.

Simon Ssebale, a local resident noted that dogs have been exhuming the bodies and feeding on the remains. Doreen Zawedde, another resident, pointed out the heavy stench emanating from the cemetery due to the poor burial practices employed by the town council workers.

Irene Nambaasa, also a resident, warned that the improper disposal of bodies poses a significant risk of disease outbreaks to the community. The garbage dumpsite, located on the same piece of land has also reached its full capacity.

With no space left, garbage is now being dumped on roads or in residential compounds. Luwero district councillor Robert Majanja Ssekubulwa voiced concerns about a potential cholera outbreak as the rainy season approaches, fearing that overflowing garbage could flood into residential areas.

He urged the town council to relocate both the cemetery and the garbage dump to a new location to safeguard residents' health. Luwero LC III chairperson Chris Johns Buwembo noted that the district has allocated Shs 50 million in the 2024/25 financial year to purchase alternative land for these purposes.

Buwembo also appealed to the government for assistance in managing the town's daily garbage collection, as the town council is currently overwhelmed.

"It's is full, you cannot dump there now...if we keep pushing it and pushing, it can be of great problem whereby it can cause the same like what happened in Kiteezi. So basically, right now we're yearning for any help but basically from the government to find a way of helping us in Luweero to see that we get at least a piece of land where we can transfer the garbage. Two, to have the machines that can help us in collecting the garbage here and there. We allocated Shs 100m to procure a garbage truck which is also not sufficient. We also had to budget some Shs 50m for land procurement, the process is starting but Shs 50m is not substantial enough," said Buwembo.

This crisis follows a recent tragedy in Kampala at the Kiteezi garbage landfill, where a collapse led to the deaths of at least 35 people and displaced over 100 others.

As the Kampala City Council Authority (KCCA) searches for alternative land for garbage disposal, numerous town councils, municipalities, and cities across the country are also struggling with waste management, raising fears of similar disasters.

{loadposition inarticle}

Source

Katanga trial: Defense alleges pathologist bias, report backdating

On August 20, the High court, presided over by Justice Isaac Muwata, resumed the trial of Molly Katanga and four co-accused individuals charged with the murder of Henry Katanga.

This resumption followed a court vacation that had begun on July 15, 2024. Before the vacation, six witnesses had been cross-examined, with a seventh witness, Naomi Nyangweso, the sister of the deceased, scheduled to testify. However, her testimony was delayed due to a language barrier and the unavailability of a Runyankore translator at short notice.

On the day the court was expected to adjourn, technical difficulties disrupted the proceedings. A failure in the network and internet connection prevented the accused, Molly Katanga, from joining the courtroom via the Zoom application. Citing the legal requirement for the accused to be present during their trial, Justice Muwata adjourned the session to the following day.

The trial resumed on August 21, with testimony from Dr Richard Ambayo, a pathologist who had performed the post-mortem examination on the deceased.

POST-MORTEM EXAMINATION

The post-mortem report, as explained by pathologist Ambayo, was requested by Bugolobi police station under Detective Sergeant David Beteise. The deceased's body exhibited a 17cm linear surgical scar on the left buttock and a 3cm by 4cm traumatic scar on the right leg. The body was wrapped in a pink mattress cover, with the upper half naked, and wore two pairs of boxer shorts. The deceased had short hair with some grey areas and a black-grey moustache.

Rigor mortis was fully set, and hypostasis was observed on the back. Clotted blood was found on the face, shoulders and arms, and blood was oozing from the nose and left ear. A star-shaped gunshot entry wound was located on the left temporal area of the scalp, with an exit wound on the right meatus. The bullet caused significant fractures and lacerations to the skull and brain, ultimately exiting through the Petrous bone.

No defensive injuries were noted, and the internal organs, except for a fatty liver indicating liver disease, were normal. Samples for DNA profiling and toxicology tests were taken. The post-mortem concluded on November 2, 2023, with no bullets or fragments recovered from the body.

The indictment stated that on November 1, 2023, Henry and Molly Katanga had dinner and retired to their room. The next morning, a strange noise was heard from their bedroom, followed by what sounded like a struggle and a loud blast. When their daughters arrived, they found Henry in a pool of blood. Molly was assisted downstairs and taken to the hospital.

CROSS-EXAMINATION

The witness, Dr Richard Ambayo, a 48-year-old medical doctor with the Uganda Police Force, currently serves in the directorate of Police Health Services at Mulago City Mortuary, a position he has held since 2019, though officially employed in 2021. During the prosecution's examination, it was revealed that Dr Ambayo holds a master's degree in Medicine and Pathology from Makerere University, obtained in 2020, and a bachelor's degree in Medicine and Surgery from Gulu University.

He has been practicing since 2010 and is a master's student specializing in medico-legal examinations, including post-mortem examinations and the examination of victims and perpetrators of crimes.

Dr Ambayo explained the process involved in handling cases at the mortuary, stating, "We receive dead bodies at the mortuary brought in by police, accompanied by Police Form 48A and attached to it is 48B."

Form 48A is a police request for a post-mortem examination, while Form 48B is where the medical doctor's report is documented. The post-mortem request is identified by a PM (post-mortem) number, generated using a serial number sequence that runs from the beginning of the year to the end.

During the trial, Counsel Jonathan Muwaganya from the prosecution presented a form to Dr.Ambayo, asking him to identify it. Dr Ambayo confirmed it as Police Form 48A, which was a request for the postmortem of Henry Katanga, bearing the PM number PM3338/2020. The request for the post-mortem examination was made on November 2, 2023.

When asked by the prosecution if he could identify the report he made, Dr Ambayo responded, "Yes. It must carry the names of the doctors that participated in the post-mortem and the stamp of the facility."

He was then presented with a document, which he examined thoroughly and confirmed as the post-mortem report on Form 48B from Katanga's post-mortem.

"It has my names and signature plus those of my colleague, Male Mutumba, and a KCCA mortuary stamp," he noted.

Dr Ambayo explained that the post-mortem examination was conducted jointly by two doctors, who examined the body, took notes, and compiled a report in the presence of AIP Eenyuthi Vonirick, the investigator in charge. The cause of death, as determined by the doctors, was a gunshot to the head.

Dr Ambayo testified that the gunshot injuries indicated a near-contact range, with the gun muzzle being about the length of a standard ruler from the body before the shooting. Photographs taken during the autopsy were presented to Dr Ambayo for identification. These included images of the brain on a silver platter in the mortuary, the upper view of the body, the mattress cover, clotted blood on parts of the body, and clear pictures of the entry and exit wounds.

As Dr Ambayo shuffled through the pictures, explaining their contents to the judge, the accused's daughters, who were standing in the dock, looked away. Molly Katanga, visible on the screen, lowered her head and averted her eyes from the gruesome images of her husband's lifeless body with a hole through his head.

The prosecution then applied to tender the police forms and the eight photographs as evidence, which the judge admitted before the defense took the floor.

DEFENSE

Defense counsel, Elison Karuhanga, began by requesting the judge to ensure that each photo was well marked for clarity. He then asked the doctor to clarify a few points, stating, "One of your roles is to carry out a medicolegal post-mortem, correct? Would I be right to suggest that the term 'medicolegal examination' can also mean 'forensic post-mortem'? Would I be correct to call a forensic post-mortem a medical examination of a de- ceased person's body to determine the manner and time of death?"

The witness affirmed the correctness of the first two questions but partially agreed with the last. He explained that "forensic" is not only limited to determining the cause and manner of death but also allows for deducing the time of death, known as the post-mortem interval, the time between death and the autopsy.

Defense counsel then proceeded to question the witness's qualifications to conduct a forensic post-mortem. Referring to authoritative texts available at Makerere's Albert Cook Library, such as Simpson's Forensic Medicine (11th edition) and Gunshot Wounds, which the witness deemed outdated, the defense asked whether the witness agreed with the statement on page 16 of Simpson's Forensic Medicine: "The performance of an autopsy should ideally only be carried out by a pathologist trained in the techniques. However, it is appreciated that the ideal situation is impractical in many places due to lack of personnel, facilities, and finances. A poorly performed autopsy may be worse than no autopsy at all."

The witness responded, "That is the author's opinion, not mine." The defense then pressed the witness to confirm whether he had specialized training in forensic pathology. The witness replied, "My lord, I'm an expert."

When the judge instructed him to answer with a simple "yes" or "no" due to the nature of cross-examination, the witness added, "I did training as a course unit in my master's, and I refer you to the police form, which requires a medical officer, and I am above that position."

During the examination, it was revealed that the witness neither holds a degree in forensic pathology nor has completed a fellowship in the field. Additionally, he was unaware of whether any doctors in the country possessed such qualifications. The defense handed the witness a book, directing him to page 311, which discussed who should perform an autopsy. The court then adjourned for a one-hour break.

Upon returning from the lunch break, the defense resumed its questioning of the witness, focusing on the post-mortem report. Defense counsel asked the witness to confirm that Form 48B was a complete report by the witness, which he affirmed. The defense then referred the doctor to page one of the report, asking him to confirm that his conclusions must be supported by the available literature on gunshot wounds, a point the witness agreed with.

The defense further noted that while the witness may not agree with certain authors' opinions, he did agree that the terms used in his report are also defined in much of the literature on gunshot wounds, to which the witness conceded.

The defense then directed the witness to an authoritative text that outlined how to identify gunshot wounds as entry or exit wounds. The book stated that there are specific characteristics of a gunshot entry wound that are well-documented, both in literature and in general medical practice, a point the witness also confirmed.

The defense then asked the witness to confirm that he had described both wounds on the left and right sides of the deceased's head as stellate-shaped, which the witness did. However, the defense pointed out that there was nothing in the witness's report distinguishing the right wound from the left, except for the size of the wounds.

This led to a tense exchange between defense counsel Elison Karuhanga and the pathologist, Dr Ambayo. When asked to show the court where he had recorded any differences between the wounds in his report, the witness was unable to find any.

The defense continued by questioning the witness on the general principle that entry wounds are typically smaller than exit wounds. The witness agreed but added that this is not always the case, as factors such as the gun's range also play a role.

When pressed further on whether his statements were supported by medical literature, the witness initially replied, "I don't know," but later confirmed that his assertions were indeed consistent with medical writing. The defense then highlighted several details that were omitted from the post-mortem report, such as beveling—a classic indicator of gunshot entry and exit wounds.

According to the defense, the beveling's shape is often considered an indicator of the direction of fire, yet this was not mentioned in the witness's report. When asked why this important detail was omitted, the witness requested a soda and a seat, explaining that he was exhausted from standing. He then stated that there was no beveling because the gun was fired at close range, though there were comminuted fractures at the point of entry.

The defense also questioned the witness about the term "blackening" (blood clotting around gunshot wounds), which the witness was familiar with. The defense pointed out that the witness reported no blackening, yet a photograph of the deceased presented to the judge clearly showed a black clot in the right ear, where the bullet exited. The witness maintained that there was no blackening, stating that he did not observe any during his examination of the body.

The court then adjourned the trial for the next day, with the witness expected to finish his testimony and continue cross-examination. During the trial, the defense counsel focused on discrepancies in the witness's report, particularly omissions related to the nature of the wounds found on the deceased. Referring to various texts and journals cited in previous sessions, the defense argued that the wound reported as the exit was, in fact, the entry wound, and vice versa.

They asserted that the lacerations on the right wound matched the descriptions of an entry wound according to the references provided to the court. This led the defense to question the competence of the pathologist, suggesting that he failed to make accurate deductions in his postmortem, which is central to the case.

Ambayo, however, stood by his findings, explaining that in some cases, both wounds can present similar characteristics. The defense further contended that the witness might have been cognitively biased when drafting the report. They argued that the witness may have had a prior conversation with Detective David Beteise and others who had already formed an opinion about the entry wound being on the left, potentially influencing the witness's conclusion without thoroughly examining both wounds.

In response, the witness told the court, "My lord, I wasn't biased, and Beteise did not share his view with me." The defense highlighted inconsistencies in the postmortem report, noting that it was dated 2nd November 2023, yet the witness, Ambayo, admitted that this was not the day it was sent out.

"My lord, I don't remember the exact date, but I can confirm it wasn't 2nd November," Ambayo stated.

When the defense suggested that the report was backdated based on the stamps, the witness clarified that it was the mortuary's policy to use the date when the body was brought in, not the date when the report was finalized. The defense also accused the witness of leaking the postmortem report to UPDF soldiers, who allegedly used it to initiate investigations into Katanga's death. They pointed out that the same report was published by an online news website on November 21, 2023.

"Are you aware that your report was first published on an online publication, Chimp Reports?" Karuhanga asked. He then approached the witness dock to verify whether the published report was the same as his. Ambayo responded, "My lord, it's so faint I cannot see it clearly."

Furthermore, the defense accused the witness of lying in his report, specifically regarding the identification of the body. The report claimed that the body was identified at the mortuary by Martha Nkwanzi, Katanga's daughter, but the defense argued that Martha was not at the mortuary at that time.

Defense lawyer Macdosman Kabega continued the cross-examination, questioning whether Ambayo had a conflict of interest, given that he works for the police, the same force that requested the autopsy.

"Are you in the police, the same force investigating, and it has even indicated to you what they wanted? Do you think that report is credible?" Kabega asked.

He suggested that Ambayo should have distanced himself from the examination to avoid any potential bias, especially since other pathologists at the mortuary were not attached to the police. In response, Ambayo defended his role, stating that he was the qualified medical professional on duty at the time and that it would not have been fair to distance himself from the examination. He also refuted the claim that the police had influenced the autopsy report.

Kabega then questioned the possibility of the gun picking up the accused's DNA from the marital bed where it was found.

"You know what goes on in the double bed, and as a scientist, you know it's possible for the gun to pick up DNA if placed on the bed," Kabega argued.

However, Ambayo clarified that he was not a ballistics expert and could not provide an answer to the DNA question. After a short break, the court resumed with the prosecution lawyer, Muwaganya, reexamining the witness. Muwaganya argued that the journals used by the defense during cross-examination were based on standards set by the National Association of Medical Examiners, which apply to the United States but are not applicable to the Ugandan context. This, he suggested, rendered them irrelevant to the case at hand.

The prosecution then confirmed that the witness is a registered medical professional with the Uganda Medical and Dental Practitioners Council and is, therefore, adequately trained according to the requirements for a pathologist in Uganda. With this, the court was adjourned to August 27.

{loadposition inarticle}

Source

Kyambogo lecturer drugged visually impaired teen before defiling her

Dismissed Kyambogo University lecturer Dr Eron Lawrence allegedly administered date-rape drugs before defiling a visually impaired girl, prosecutors have told the Nakawa Chief Magistrate's court. 

Eron appeared before the court where he is being tried on charges of aggravated defilement. The prosecution led by state attorney Eunice Mbaine tendered committal papers before the court presided over by chief magistrate, Christine Nantege showing the summary of the evidence they intend to rely on to prosecute Eron in the High court.

The evidence was then read to court and Eron committed to the High court to face trial on charges which are capital in nature. Records indicate that on October 12, 2023, between Kyambogo University and Namugongo village in Wakiso district, Eron reportedly performed a sexual act with a visually impaired underage girl when he was HIV positive and a person in authority over her.

Evidence before the court shows that on October 9, 2023, the victim who was the president of a certain association at school together with Eron and other students including those from Gulu University Kyambogo University and Gulu High School travelled through Entebbe airport to attend a conference in Nairobi Kenya.  

Eron left his car at the airport and when they were returning, he put all the students in his vehicle and kept dropping them off at their places of destination where they would board to proceed with their journeys to where they had come from. 

However, evidence shows that Eron dropped the visually impaired victim last when she was the only one left in the vehicle. Evidence further indicates that the victim was seated in the co-driver's seat while Eron was driving and when she told him that she was thirsty, he gave her a bottle of water which she drank before blacking out.

"She blacked out and by the time she regained her senses, she found herself in the back seat of the vehicle and the vehicle had been parked," reads the records.

It further shows that "the accused gave the victim a tablet (drug) and told her to take it, telling her it was an emergency pill and it would not be good after 72 hours. The victim then took it and realized that her knickers were wet and she felt pain in her genitals."

Records also show that Eron then proceeded and reached a certain fuel station where the victim was to be dropped initially but decided to drop her home and spent some time conversing with her aunt before leaving. The victim is said to have reported the matter to her school matron two days later who reported it to the head teacher before police intervened.

Investigations commenced and Eron was accordingly arrested. Upon toxicological examination of the yellow tablets that were found with him, prosecutors say it was discovered that it was medicine normally prescribed to patients with erectile dysfunction.

The DPP now contends that during the hearing of the case, the prosecution will tender a DNA analysis report, toxicological analysis report, knickers of the victim, CCTV footage, and clothes of the victim among others, and will ask the court to convict Eron on the basis that he has no defense whatsoever.

Eron who has since been fired from Kyambogo University has been sent back on remand until such a time when the High court will call him to hear the case against him.

{loadposition inarticle}

Source

Tamale Mirundi the patriot leaves mixed legacy

The country is reeling from the death of renowned media practitioner and former presidential press secretary, Joseph Tamale Mirundi who passed on today morning (August 14) at Kisubi Hospital.

Mirundi, aged sixty, was holding the portfolio of senior presidential advisor on media and public relations, a position he loved to hate. Son to Molly Namatovu and Yowana Mirundi of Matale Kalagala, Rakai district, Mirundi leaves a mixed legacy, with some thinking he was a reckless and fearless commentator while others see a thoughtful and independent commentator.

He has been renowned for his no-holds-barred attack on excesses in government despite being part of the ruling establishment. The journalist who reportedly made his way from a humble beginning as a school drop-out was brought to Kampala city by his brother – Ssali who was working with the then Munno Publications in the early 1980s.

Mirundi, according to accounts took on newspaper vending, a fit playing assist to his brother Ssali's role but took a keen interest in writing especially letters to the editor. Later, he took on reporting about events and proved a worthwhile journalist. He was never to look back as the paper sponsored him for short-term training to hone his skills.

Soon he became a colossus at reporting, rising to chief reporter at the paper. He was later to become the paper's editor but broke ranks with his employers in the early 1990s as some board members tried to force him to publish what he was opposed to on ethical grounds.

Mirundi in the mid-1990s started his own company, Lipoota Publication which published Lippota in Luganda and The Report in English. The latter was more short-lived than Lipoota though both publications did not flourish owing to the economic terrain faced by the media then. The situation might have forced him to compromise here and there for the enterprise to survive.

Later, he founded The Voice, which former minister Sam Kuteesa heavily bankrolled for political capital but that also did not live long and collapsed. He is also remembered for his struggles to maintain free media as the government moved to regulate the industry by bringing the press and media statute that required journalists to have a minimum of a diploma for reporters and a degree for editors.

In the panic that engulfed media practitioners, journalists moved to claim self-regulation, which failed. Those struggles saw the media practitioners divided between the elite (as Makerere University opened to mass communication and journalism).

The "Abataasoma (uneducated)" who were dominant by numbers belonged to the Uganda Journalists Association (UJA) as the elite registered under the Uganda News Paper Editors and Proprietors Association (UNEPA). 

The latter group belonged to the top honchos of the then-nascent Monitor Publications. Mirundi belonged to the former of which he was president at one time. Mirundi was to later (2003) go back to school, scooping a degree from Makerere University before becoming the longest-serving presidential press secretary (PPS) to President Yoweri Museveni (13 years), who is said to have bankrolled his university studies.

A close relationship had developed through the numerous presidential press conferences that Mirundi attended. At one of those press conferences, Mirundi would beat the president to a bet on whether he would defeat Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) commander Joseph Kony and his belligerents who were fighting government in northern Uganda. The deceased won his million and went away smiling.

In 2015 he was relieved of his PPS duties in what till his death he described as an intrigue-filled process that bordered on blackmail, ethnic sectarianism and outright abuse from some presidential office colleagues. Nonetheless, he remained a self-proclaimed admirer of Museveni, baffling many as he claimed loath for the system the president headed.

Even then, he remained vocal in his social media and print publications against excesses of power in Uganda, always doing it in a dramatic, comical and sometimes abusive style. Like him or hate him, Mirundi had a hero and patriot in him. Rest in peace Mirundi.  

{loadposition inarticle}

Source

Kiteezi disaster: Kampala in urgent garbage crisis

The collapse of the Kiteezi-Kiteetika landfill on Saturday has heightened fears of a looming garbage crisis in the capital, Kampala.

The landfill, which handled 600 tonnes of garbage daily, had grown into a massive mountain before collapsing, killing so far 21 residents and injuring others. The disaster underscores the urgent need for authorities to find an alternative dumping site to prevent a catastrophic waste pile-up in the city.

Concerns have been raised about the negligence of responsible bodies, as warnings about the landfill's deteriorating condition were ignored. The 29-acre facility, opened in 1996, had already reached its maximum capacity by 2005, yet no steps were taken to allocate another site for garbage disposal from Kampala and its surrounding areas. Over the years, the landfill continued to receive waste, eventually forming a towering mountain with steep slopes that made the collapse inevitable.

Kampala Lord Mayor Elias Lukwago, in a media interview, revealed that their earlier proposals to relocate the landfill were dismissed by the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA), who accused them of "politicking." Lukwago stated, "We saw this coming a long time ago and brought a bill to find an alternative place for a landfill, but they said we were playing political games."

In the wake of the collapse, the situation has reached a crisis point. All waste management operations in the city have been halted, as Kiteezi was the only designated site for garbage disposal. Without an immediate solution, Kampala and its surrounding areas face a severe garbage crisis that could have far-reaching consequences.

GARBAGE CRISIS LOOMS IN KAMPALA AS WASTE COLLECTION STALLS

In the aftermath of the Kiteezi landfill collapse, waste management companies in Kampala are grappling with the sudden halt in operations. Waste King, a private company responsible for garbage collection in Kkungu Buwaate, a Kampala suburb, reported that they have been forced to stop business, leaving their clients with accumulating garbage.

The company was instructed by authorities to cease bringing waste to Kiteezi due to the landslide. "Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) has not yet provided us with a new dumping site; so, we have no way forward," a representative from Waste King stated.

The representative warned that if KCCA does not allocate an alternative location soon, the city could face a significant garbage crisis.

"Garbage has been piling up in households since last week, and there is nowhere to dump it legally. According to the law, dumping waste without direction from KCCA and the National Environment Management Authority (Nema) is illegal, and violators can face prison time or fines, along with the cancellation of their license," she explained.

Collins Mutebi, who works with Domestic Waste Company, another waste management firm, echoed these concerns, noting that the city is already on the brink of a garbage crisis.

"Businesses such as restaurants and markets, which generate the most waste, are still operating. Missing even a single day of garbage collection at a market is already a crisis. Now, imagine the situation since Saturday, with no waste collection at all," Mutebi said.

He urged KCCA to urgently designate an alternative dumping site to alleviate the mounting garbage crisis, although the duration of this emergency remains uncertain. Rodney Mukula from Asante Waste Management revealed that they had anticipated the collapse of the Kiteezi landfill about five years ago due to the increasing volume of waste collected by various companies.

"The amount of rubbish brought to that area was increasing every day, yet the landfill itself was not expanding. The government had not allocated funds to relocate the site, creating a ticking time bomb. It was only a matter of time before this happened," Mukula explained.

He noted that despite the growing volume of waste, the facility had not implemented a circular business model that encourages recycling, reduction, and reuse before disposal.

"Most companies are just collecting and dumping, which has significantly increased the tonnes of garbage taken to Kiteezi every single day," he said.

Mukula added that while Asante Waste Management is still conducting business, they have reduced operations. Unlike other companies, Asante recycles nearly 70% of the garbage they receive, which lessens the amount they need to dispose of at Kiteezi. In response to concerns about a potential garbage crisis in Kampala, the head of Public and Corporate Affairs at Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) Daniel NuwaAbine revealed that they have a temporary arrangement with the Entebbe municipality to use the Nkumba landfill.

"We are going to be dumping the garbage from Kampala at Nkumba landfill while we assess whether Kiteezi can resume operations," he said.

To manage the daily waste production, NuwaAbine mentioned that KCCA has plans to develop the Mukono Ddundu land into a waste-to-energy plant, which would be environmentally safe and generate electricity. He dismissed earlier speculation about turning Ddundu into a landfill, stating, "We cannot have the same problem of a landfill exploding here and then repeat it in Mukono."

He also noted that KCCA is in the final stages of procuring the Ddundu land and partnering with a private entrepreneur to implement the waste-to-energy project.

Jessica Bagenda, CEO of Haba Na Aba Food Bank, a non-governmental organization focused on food rescue, emphasized the urgent need to educate Ugandans on food preservation to reduce daily waste.

"When you go to the markets, the highest percentage of waste is food items, which indicates a need to educate people on how to reduce food wastage," she said. Bagenda added that Ugandans could use alternative methods to preserve food. For example, tomatoes that can no longer be sold because they are no longer fresh could be used to make juice, which currently costs $200 on the international market, instead of being discarded.

FATEFUL SATURDAY

On the fateful Friday, an elderly woman sat on the veranda of a house just a few meters from the site of the Kiteezi landfill collapse, anxiously awaiting the retrieval of her grandchild's body. The child was among those who perished in the tragic event.

The woman explained that her daughter, Madinah Nambooze, had left the child in the care of a neighbor along with other children when the incident occurred. To this day, none of their bodies has been found.

Amid tight security by the police and the army, Nambooze was among hundreds of people trying to access the Red Cross tent to register the names of missing relatives, indicating that the number of casualties might rise beyond the 21 deaths reported so far.

The catastrophic landslide at the Kiteezi-Kiteetika landfill has raised serious concerns about the neglect of early warning signs by the responsible authorities. The landfill, which opened in 1996, was found to have reached its maximum capacity in 2005, according to a 2015 study by researchers from Makerere University and the University of Cape Town.

The study warned that "the stability of these slopes has become a major concern, especially during the rainy season on the northern tipping front," highlighting the long-standing risks that were ignored.

Despite warnings and signs of instability, no steps were taken to allocate an alternative site for disposing of garbage from Kampala and its surrounding areas. Over 20 years, the Kiteezi landfill continued to receive about 600 tonnes of waste daily, eventually growing into a massive mountain with steep slopes. It was only a matter of time before it collapsed.

Esther Namazzi, who lost two brothers in the disaster, shared that the landfill had been showing signs of impending collapse for a long time.

"There were cracks around the landfill, and everyone saw them, but no one took it seriously," she said.

Namazzi further explained that the immediate cause of the collapse was the vibrations caused by graders clearing trenches on the other side of the landfill after the garbage had filled them. The already cracked landfill was further weakened by these vibrations, leading to the tragic collapse that claimed lives and left many injured.

"There were huge trenches that had been filled with garbage, and the graders that were cleaning them caused vibrations that weakened the landfill," she added.

Namazzi also mentioned that while people were prepared to be compensated and relocate, the compensation offered was too little to buy land elsewhere. As of now, the bodies of her brothers have yet to be found.

James Katamba, a resident of Kiteezi, remarked that the landslide was the culmination of long-standing issues faced by those living near the landfill. Katamba explained that some houses had been vacated long ago due to water seeping from the landfill and flooding their homes.

"On the side where the landslide did not occur, most of the houses are empty; the owners vacated them long ago due to the flooding caused by water from the garbage," he said.

Despite residents repeatedly calling upon the authorities for help, nothing was done, leaving many people homeless. Katamba attributed the landslide to the large trenches constructed to channel excess water from the landfill. He suggested that this water might have soaked into the garbage, leading to the collapse.

"We used to pass by the area where the incident happened, and we could see those trenches, which were so large to transport the water. That might be the cause," he noted.

Katamba also said those who were not directly affected are now living in fear, unsure of which part of the landfill might collapse next. "Even those of us who were not affected are living in fear of the incident happening again, as our houses are so close to the landfill," he said.

He urged the government to find an alternative site for garbage disposal that is far from residential areas. He warned that it is only a matter of time before the landfill's growing mass of garbage reaches the main road, as tonnes of waste are brought in daily.

Interviewed for this story, Daniel NuweAbine, the head of Public and Corporate Affairs at Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA), refuted claims that KCCA had been idle in the face of the growing dangers at the landfill. He asserted that KCCA had long recognized the need to decommission the Kiteezi landfill and was exploring alternatives. "You can't say that KCCA was doing nothing, as some reports have claimed," he said.

"This was an extraordinary event that caught everyone by surprise. It's the rainy season, and on Friday night, the downpours might have soaked the garbage, leading to the landslides," he added.

NuweAbine also dismissed allegations that a Chinese company involved in biogas extraction was responsible for the landslide. "I don't know about such reports because I have not seen any Chinese there," he stated.

{loadposition inarticle}

Source